Wow has it really been a month??

I cannot believe it has been 1 month since I last blogged!  Life here has been very busy with other activities which have left me very little time or energy.  Today I have been cooking like a crazy woman, so I decided to post some more WW recipes.  Oh, by the way, I have reached my goal and have "officially" lost 65 pounds!!  I was pretty excited today when I went and tried on pants and can actually wear a 6!!!  When you have gone from a 18W to a size 6 it is weird and amazing!  I don't think of myself as any smaller until people who have not seen me in a while comment on it or I try on clothes.  You see, in the mirror, I seem to still see the baby fat tummy and big arms I hate.  It was a definite boost to try on pants today!  Anyway here are the recipes I have been preparing today (there are 3).  Then I am going to give you a couple more of my favorites.  Happy cooking!  Oh by the way, I have not stopped sewing - that has been some of my business lately - I am just having a hard time (OK I admit it - I am technology challenged) uploading pictures.  Those will come soon - I promise!!

Orange-Glazed Cranberry Scones  Serving Size: 1/2 scone  = 3 points plus
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk  (I used 1 capful of lemon juice and filled the measuring cup up to 3/4 cup rather than buying buttermilk)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp fresh orange juice

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.  With pastry blender cut butter into the dry mixture until mixture looks like fine crumbs.  Stir in cranberries.
3.  Whisk together buttermilk, egg and orange zest in measuring cup.  Add to flour mixture and stir just until dough forms.
4.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet exactly 12 scones OR make 24 small ones if you like, but cook less time.
5.  Bake until golden brown, 10 - 12 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
6.  Mix together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth.  Move pan off the cooling rack, lay down a large piece of wax paper and take scones off cookie sheet and lay on top of wax paper.  Put a generous dollop of powdered sugar mixture on top of each one and then use a knife to spread over each top completely.  Let stand until glaze sets, about 1 hour.


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars  Makes 18 bars at 4 points plus each
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp margarine, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
3 Tbsp egg white in a carton
1/3 cup buttermilk (or put 1 capfull lemon juice in measuring cup and add skim milk until 1/3 cup)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray, then dust lightly with flour.
2.  In a large bowl, cream sugar and margaring with an electric mixer.  Beat in egg, egg white, pumpkin and buttermilk.
3.  In a medium bowl, combine flour oats, pumkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  Stir into pumpkin mixture just until moistened, then add chocolate chips and mix gently.
4.  Spread batter in pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed.  Cool and cut into 18 bars.

Taco Chili  1 cup equals 2 points plus
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can hominy (or for you whimps - corn)
1/2 pound ground turkey, cooked (since you can't only buy 1/2 lb, cook all of it and save the rest for quesadillas later in the week!)
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 t cumin

Combine all in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for up to 8.

This week with the cold weather coming back, I pulled out the following recipe and it is sooo good!
Stuffed Pepper Soup  Makes about 12 cups  1 cup = 3 points plus
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 package frozen peppers (it will have red, yellow and green peppers in it, so it makes a pretty soup)
3 cups water
 1 Tbsp beef bouillon
1 cup cooked brown rice

Brown beef with onion.  Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Swiss Chicken  Serves 4  9-10 points (plus depending on how large your chicken breasts are)

1 pkg stove top stuffing mix
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)
4 slices low fat swiss cheese
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1.  Place stove top stuffing mix (dry ingredients) in sprayed crockpot.
2.  Add chicken breasts over stuffing
3.  Lay swiss cheese over chicken.
4.  Spread mushroom soup over top of cheese
5.  Drizzle 1 cup water around the edges.
6.  Cook on low for 6 hours.
OR you may bake this in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Asian-Glazed Pork Chops  Serves 4 - 1 pork chop and 1 1/2 Tbsp glaze = 8 points plus

4 (1/4 pound) bone-less pork chops
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch

1.  Whisk all except the pork chops together and put in a pan that will hold the prok chops.  Lay pork chops in mixture and marinate 15 minutes.  Turn over and marinate 15 minutes more.
2.  Spray a non-stick pan and set over medium-high heat.  Take pork chops out of marinade (do not pour marinade out!) and cook in skillet 4-5 minutes on each side.  Transer to platter and keep warm.  Add 1 clove garlic, minced to the skillet and cook about 30 seconds.  Stir in the reserved marinade mixture and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.  Pour over pork before serving.