Thank God for the WW Message Boards

I got the basic recipe for the MASTERPIECE from the WW Message Boards. Then I Casey-fied it. I present to you....

Chicken Sausage Bubble Up Pizza Casserole

From the kitchen of CUPPACO

Servings 6

Estimated POINTS® value per serving 8

Course Main Meals

Ingredients
12 oz. flavored chicken sausage (I used Greenwise Garlic/Sundried tomato from Publix)

16 oz. garlic infused tomato sauce

2 Tbsp fresh basil

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, chopped, sliced or whatever you like

1 sweet onion, chopped, sliced or whatever you like

12 lg. olives, pitted

1 can of reduced fat buttermilk buiscuits

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Add 1 Tbsp to skillet and brown chicken sausages in a pan per package instructions.

3. Stir in veggies, tomato sauce, basil, garlic and Italian seasoning.

4. Add quartered biscuits; stir gently until biscuits are covered with sauce.

5. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done.

8. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

My fiance says the picture looks like visera. Screw him. A+ WITH BONUS POINTS, I so wanted pizza and this was a reasonable substitute. I LOVED IT! I served it with a side salad to get in more veggies!

Robin Miller ROCKS!

Stir Fried Steak with Artichokes, Capers, and Olives

This is an awesome dish from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals. I got home tonight from work at 5:20. Dinner was on the table at 5:45. It was so easy to prepare and amazingly healthy. This dish hits several of WW Good Health Guidelines--healthy oils, yummy veggies, whole wheat couscous. It is also a good switch up from regular Asian stir frys. And did I mention that the WHOLE PLATE (big satisfying portion) is 12 points (9 for the recipe and 3 for the cup of couscous).

A+ We're having this again! (Next time, I might add more garlic than the 2-3 cloves called for. We like garlic around here.)

8 POINT Shepard's Pie with Cheddar Spiked Potatoes

My new favorite cookbook: Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals. Cook on one day, and have HEALTHY meals ready to go all week. This is her Shepard's Pie with Cheddar Spiked Mashed Potatoes. This whole plate (1/4 of the recipe) is one VERY FILLING serving. It is also a budget friendly meal costing under $10 for 4 servings.

I would be cuter if I had little cups to bake it in (as the mashed potatoes are baked on top of the meat mixture), but alas I don't. That would be the one thing I would change for next time.

All I have to say is I am very satisfied, got to eat potatoes, and all for EIGHT POINTS!

Almond Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus in a Scallion Sauce

It looks like fancy resturant food, it tastes like fancy resturant food that costs $22 a dinner. But it was 16 points-before the rice. I blame the scallion-butter-cream sauce, that is oh so good. I saved up all day for this and it was so worth it. The portion is quite large (and so are my new plates) and it was really filling. Recipe is from Rachael Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 Cooking from Couples to Crowds.

A+ It serves four so I have some leftover chicken that I am going to have to figure out how to work into a salad without running out of points by 2:00 p.m.

Curried Chicken Salad for Lunch

I made some curried chicken salad from Cooking Light magazine. From the tiny taste I had, it is very good (and will only get better in the fridge). I made a wrap with Flatout bread, chicken salad, and spring mix to take to work tomorrow. This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken breasts hanging around.

Curried Chicken Salad

Cooking spray
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Combine sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add sugar mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosed browned bits. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Combine onion mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, chicken, and remaining ingredients. Place about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture on each of 12 bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices.

1/2 cup of chicken salad = 4 points
Solid A - very yummy

I have very lofty goals for this week. I am going to get my 8 GHG 5/7 days this week and I am NOT going to use any WPAs. I have 35 points a day, that is plenty. It is going to be hard, but I've made it through the weekend and I have tomorrow all planned out. So that means a $125 trip to the grocery store. But I first paycheck is coming soon!

I went to the grocery store today (Publix, I finally live near a Publix!) and found several items I am super excited to try.

• Honeycrisp Apples (they are all the buzz on the WW boards about these things)
  
• Wasabi Reduced Fat GourMayo (I have a serious mayonaise addiction)


• Breakstone's Cottage Cheese with Probiotic Fiber and Mixed Berries


• Green Giant Broccolli & Cheese Giant Bites (they look yummy)

No picture tonight... I was too hungry

I didn't realize no photos were taken of the food until I said, "That was good." Was-past tense. It had been eaten.

What we did have was:
Publix Chicken & Broccolli Meal Kit
Country Crock Garlic Mashed Potatoes (finally easy, quick Point friendly potatoes)
Tossed Salad with Homemade Garlic-Olive Oil vinegette

Chicken was good but a little dry. Mashed potatoes are awesome and for 5 pts a cup, they are so worth it.

Easy B after a busy Sunday.

Chicken Dumpling and Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup with a YUMMY Twist

Doesn't that look good? It was...and I have leftovers for lunch this week. It is "Chicken Dumpling and Noodle Soup" from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. It was pretty WW friendly as well. (I substituted 12 oz of whole wheat rotini for the regular 1 lb. of pasta it called for.) I also made a soup dipper, cause Mike ate all my crackers (without putting more on the grocery list). I sprinkled garlic powder, italian seasoning, and grated parmesean cheese on Thomas Light English Muffin (1 pt.) after I drizzled 1 tsp of EVOO (I heart Rachael Ray) on it. Then I stuck it under the broiler for a second. 2 points for TWO of those rounds in the picture!

Solid A -- Only complaint would be that I think you need to rough chop the spinach before you throw it in the soup. Otherwise you have what looks like clumps of seaweed floating around in there. AND the pesto on top is a must, otherwise it is a little bland.

I've been away...but I came back with muffins.

Life got crazy. I had to move to another state for my new (great) job. Long story, but I made muffins!

Weight Watcher Pumpkin Spice Muffins
1 Can of Libby's Pumpkin
1 box of Duncan Hines Deluxe Spice Cake Mix
1/3 cup of water

Mix ingredients together well.
Pour mixture into muffin tins (that have been sprayed with PAM)
Bake 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Makes 24 muffins ~ 2 points each!

Grade: A+

These are so good--you have to watch yourself. Mike liked them too. I topped mine with some fat free Reddi Whip. These are very "fall" tasting. (I've been told you need to store these in the fridge or they will mold fast. Not that they will last that long in this house). Now I want to go carve a pumpkin and open my new Halloween My Little Ponies. I even broke out the ghost Gladware. By the way, when does it get cold in Florida?