SHOES!

Does Spring not just make you want to pick up every single cute pair of shoes you see?  It does that to me...but my husband wallet always reigns me in.  But I couldn't resist in MAJOR sale picking up these two cute little specimens (BTW - espadrilles are very in this year according to the mags I've been reading):

Jessica Simpson "Crepe" Wedge Espadrille in Gold
Originally - $79.00
I scored for - $35.00
It isn't exactly like this Lilly Pulitzer gold wedge I was in love with a few weeks ago, but it's also not $198 so I think it's a great trade!

Nine West Vintage America Collection "Jaxson" in Black
Originally - $79.00
I scored for - $59.25
I would normally never pay even that much for a shoe (Dilliards, Belk, etc. always have really great shoe sales), but this black must-have is going to be a staple in my Spring/Summer/Fall wardrobe I can already tell (Fall in Alabama is still in the 80's, people...don't judge).

I'll try to post pictures the first time I wear each!

I think this shoe thing is coming from no matter what you weigh, shoes look great on you!  I am continuing to follow the Points Plus system with Weight Watchers and am losing weight.  But it's not coming off where I want it to.  My hips and thighs are staying the same while everything else is losing.  Makes shopping for pants and shorts very frustrating so I haven't really done it much.  But shoes fit me no matter what!

What shoes are on your must-have list for this season??

A Taste of Thai

Greetings!!

So this whole only weighing in one time a month thing isn't going to go over real well for me.  I think I'm going to have to get back on track and weigh in every week.  Lifetime means you can weigh in up to once a week, but you only have to weigh in once a month.  Soooo...without a weigh in looming over my head, I cheat more often.  Like this weekend.  BAD!  And this morning with Chick-Fil-A.  But I hadn't had a chicken biscuit in I-don't-know-how-long and the urge took over and I had to have one.  And now it's done and I can move on without one again for another six months.

So this post includes a recipe and pictures (from the BB so the quality isn't perfect) for Thai Lettuce Wraps.  This is a GREAT option for dinner when you are low on points remaining for the day.  They are absolutely delicious and filling and healthy!  So without further adieu...

Thai Lettuce Wraps (1 serving)
1 chicken breast, grilled, sliced
5 romain lettuce leafs
1/3 c. shredded carrots
3 tsp. Thai peanut sauce (see photo for details)
3 tsp Thai sweet chili sauce (see photo for details)

Points Plus = 5

With warm weather upon us I will divulge to you my "sweet tooth" secret.  But I'm telling you, if you run out and buy them all up I will be very upset at you!  Purity Banana Pops are AMAZING, cool, sweet, refreshing and wait for it...1 Points Plus!

Coming up this week/weekend:
Chicken Pesto Bow-Tie Pasta
Cream Cheese Spaghetti
Seafood

Happy Eating, Ya'll!!!

TANgorine Update!

Doing a quick update via the BlackBerry on my previous TANgorine post.  I learned the secret to self-tanning lotion and now, I LOVE it!  I highly recommend the Jergens Natural Glow now that I have discovered this one key secret:
You MUST moisturize with a good, high-quality lotion (I use Curel Ulta Healing) about 10 minutes before using the Natural Glow.  That's the trick!  That one simple step before-hand will ensure you have NO BLOTCHES, NO STREAKS, NO STRIPES!!!  I'll try to get a good pic up soon of my super cute tan legs!  :)
Happy Glowing, Readers (all 4 of you...)!

TANgorine

I don't really do product reviews, but I'm doing one now.  In the spirit of hitting Lifetime with Weight Watchers, I decided I needed to get tan(ner) for spring.  In the college days I used to be all about Fake-N-Bakein' it up at the tanning bed, but these days, I realize Amazonian tan for someone my age in March is just not a good look.  Really, overly dark just isn't very "in style" anymore.  I'm sure I'll go twice a week for a month or two in April and May to shake the white off some...but in the meantime, I had heard that Jergens had recently redone their Natural Glow tanning moisturizer and at only $7 with my Kroger Plus Card, I decided to give it a go.

My ankles are TANgorine, people.  Blotchy, blotchy, blotchy.  I was so careful about my application of it, where to concentrate and where not to, etc.  And it is orange.  I thought with all the technology out there now that they could perfect a sunless tanning lotion.  Not so much...  When you see this bottle in the stores, run away...

Guess when it comes to sunless tanning, it's Slim Pickings out there, ladies.  Slim Pickings...

Celebration!

So Saturday I finally accomplished six weigh-ins without going more than 2 pounds over my "goal" weight (I put goal in quotation marks because I still plan on losing 15 more pounds)!  So I got my Lifetime number and as long as I don't gain...I'm free for life with Weight Watchers (of course, I will continue to pay $12.95 a month for the awesome online tools!).  Congrats to me!!  :)

To celebrate (BTW - Weight Watchers always says to reward yourself with a non-food treat...which means spend money) we went to Home Depot and bought a grill and new patio furniture.  Before you go all Holy Guacamole on me, my Mom and Dad were going to contribute to a deck we were going to build as Jay and I's b'day gift, but when we abandoned the deck idea, a grill was the next best thing to get!  So Mom and Dad are reimbursing us for the grill...which is AWESOME!  Here it is:

You likey?  Go pick yourself up one at Home Depot...check out the details on it here.

Also, we got new patio furniture with a table to eat outside on.  We wanted wrought iron so it was classic and would always be in style.  Plus, we wanted the great bouncy chairs like my mom and dad have!  We have already spent several hours in them and we just got it all set up late Saturday afternoon!!  That whole spring forward thing really got us in the mood to enjoy our outdoor living space.  We added an umbrella and lights, and once the lights are all set up and looking great, I'll get a real picture!  What's that?  You want to see the patio furniture now?  OK.  Check it out here and also the picture below...

But ours don't have cushions at all... no way I'm putting those ugly red striped things from that picture on my chairs!!  We will go sans-cushions...don't like that look.

Busy little weekend for the Webbs!!

FAIL! - UPDATED!

We failed...at not eating in a restaurant the month of March.  But in our defense, we were in Arab (Arab, AL for those who don't live in our neck of the woods and think that's a funny name for a town in AL) Sunday after church for a funeral and just couldn't pass up spending some QT with Jay's precious Grandma and his parents.  So it doesn't really count...

Saturday I did make, as promised, Pineapple Swiss Cheeseburgers and as always...they turned out wonderful!  So wonderful we both gobbled them right up before I even remembered to take a picture.  But I promise one will come next time I make them (which will be soon since they are cheap and delish!).  Here's how to make our yummy dinner:

Pineapple Swiss Burgers (makes 4 servings):
1 lb. Laura's Lean ground beef
1/4 c. Low Sodium Dale's sauce
Seasoning to taste (we use the Cheeburger Cheeburger seasoning)
4 slices Sargento Reduced Fat Natural Swiss cheese
4 pineapple rings (we use Dole canned ever since I almost sliced my finger off on the plastic container the fresh pineapple from Kroger was in...don't ask...)
Condiments...ice burg lettuce, ketchup (gross), mustard (super gross), mayo (ew...) (side note:  I don't like condiments)
4 Healthy Life Lite wheat buns

In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, sauce and seasoning together and mix with your hands (yes, I gag every time I do this, but it's so worth it to not buy pre-made patties).
Grill until done to your preference (I'm a well done kind of girl...)
About 5 minutes before the burgers are done, add the pineapple and grill evenly on both sides and add the cheese to the burgers.
Dress your burger how you like!

6 WW Points Plus

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (makes 4 servings):
4 medium red potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1 Tbsp Rosemary
Ground sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Cup up your potatoes into cubes (mine are typically 1/4-1/2 inch)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced potatoes with the olive oil, oregano, basil, and rosemary.  Toss with your hands until everything is well coated.
Pour potatoes into a greased Pyrex dish and add salt and pepper.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

5 WW Points Plus

Champagne Vinaigrette Salad (makes 2 servings):
3 cups of lettuce (any kind will do...we've done with lots of types and they are all good)
6 strawberries, sliced
2 Tbsp sliced or slivered almonds
2 Tbsp Brianna's Champagne Vinaigrette dressing (this is tricky to find but I always find it at Fresh Market)

Mix it all up and serve!
3 WW Points Plus (I had this wrong previously!  It went down - yea!)

I know 16 points for a meal sounds like a lot...but I get 29 each day and 49 bonus to use during the week.  So this is great for a Saturday or Sunday dinner (which are usually my splurge days since I weigh in on Saturdays).  And considering the average dinner out in a restaurant is 30-40 points for one meal, this is a great alternative to save money, points, and have arguments over who is not doing it right a great time cooking with the hubby!

Thou Shall Not Covet...

I know I am called not to covet earthly possessions.  I know this and yet I am doing it over these:

So...if anyone wants to just GIVE them to me...a size 7.5 should fit swimmingly!  Or, you know, you could just give me the $198 required to purchase them.  No?  Think about it...maybe you'll change your mind when you know I would wear them every day.  They would literally go with about 75% of my Spring, Summer, AND Fall wardrobe. 

I can't stop thinking about them since I first saw them about six months ago.  I never have and never will spend that much on a pair of shoes, so unless they go on sale, you will not see them gracing my tootsies.  Too bad we're like only Americans who AREN'T getting some fabulous tax refund.  Oh, no.  We OWE money.  Seriously...how does that happen??

Talk about a "Slim Picking"...as in, "Slim chance you'll ever see these in person..."

...collective sigh...

I Don't Want to Lose Your Love...

...TONIIIIIIGHT!  Who doesn't love that song from the awesome band that was The Outfield?  I mean, every time I hear that intro and "Josie's on a vacation far away..." I think of Tuscaloosa, the lake, and just living that awesome, care-free college lifestyle with my bestie Lindsay Ann.  Amazing memories!!!

So I'm back in the blog world after a brief hiatus that was due to just an all-around busy lifestyle with the holidays and such.  But I'll be honest...not much has happened!  Unless you count being up 9 pounds from the week before Christmas in which case THAT happened.  But I'm back in the groove and going to make things right again.  It still amazes me how hard I work to get weight off and then how easy it is to put it back on. 

All that being said, I'm back with a renewed energy for this little fun thing I do.  Jay and I have decided we are not eating out in a restaurant for the ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH.  What??  Yup...we're doing a little experiment for two reasons:  1) to see how much weight the two of us lose together by not eating in one. single. restaurant.  2) to see how much money we save by not eating in one. single. restaurant.  For the entire month of March.  So I should have some GREAT Points Plus value meals to show you this month and be back in the swing of things big time!  What I will probably do is put 2-3 in each post so it's not an overload.  And hopefully I can throw some other fun things in there as well!

By the way...was home terribly sick Monday and watched Kitchen Boss (with Buddy Valastro from Cake Boss) on TLC and he made this Mozzarella en Carozza.  Wish they had a photo of it.  Looked amazing...and didn't help with motivation getting back on track this week!

First off on Monday I made Mexican Layered Chicken Lasagna.  It is an "official" Weight Watchers recipe and I found it by accident on the website.  Decided to try it.  In a word?  AMAZING!  The recipe makes 12 servings and each serving is only 7 Points Plus!  On the new system, I get 29 per day (plus 49 bonus per week) so 7 is good.  Paired with 15 Baked Scoops Tortilla Chips and it's a 10 Points Plus meal that is delicious and filling.  Here's the recipe:

14 small corn tortillas, cut in half
2 pounds of chicken breasts
2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups of fat free sour cream
2 cups of shredded, reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 oz canned chopped green chilis (I only used one 4 oz can because I'm not gung-ho about chilis)

Preheat the oven to 350 and coat a Pyrex dish with Pam.
Boil your chicken breasts until they are completely done and cut into bite size chunks
With 10 tortilla halves, cover the bottom of your Pyrex
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, beans, chilis, sour cream, and one cup of the cheese. 
Mix it up really good and divide it into three equal portions
Evenly spread one portion of the mixture over the tortillas
Top with 8 tortilla halves, another portion of the chicken mixture, then the remaining tortillas then the remaining mixture.  You get the point...it is layers and each layer should be even.
Top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes
Service with salsa for dipping

That's IT!  Can you believe how easy??  I'm all about easy and this has been great.  Plus, with 12 servings, we've been eating on it since Monday.

I actually didn't take a picture of it because I forgot, but here is the photo from the Weight Watchers site and honestly, it looks just like it:

If you try it, let me know how you like it!!

Okie-dokie, artichokie...that's all I have for now...but stay tuned this week and next for:
Greek Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basmati Rice & Asparagus
Pineapple Swiss Cheeseburgers with Rosemary Potatoes & Champagne Salad