cozy cold-weather meals

hey folks!  ready for some cozy cold-weather recipes?  i've had fun jumping back into health(ier) recipe testing and have found a few winners in the past couple of weeks.  although, if i'm being completely honest, my taste buds cannot be trusted at the moment.  i'm recovering from a nasty cold which left me couch-bound for three straight days and completely destroyed my ability to taste (and smell and breathe).  so if the recipes seems questionable, i apologize.  :-)

honey bbq chicken meatballs

these honey bbq chicken meatballs were a big hit.  the homemade bbq sauce provided great flavor!  a great tip i read in the recipe was to handle the ground chicken as little as possible -- incorporate the ingredients until they are just mixed.  overworked ground chicken has a tendency of becoming tough.  (as an aside, yes, i made baked mac 'n cheese with this meal.  definitely not "diet approved," but i was sick and the temperature outside was in the single digits, so comfort food was my top priority.)

marinated kale and whipped ricotta pizza

 

here we go, pizza again.  not a low calorie food, BUT this one has kale on it!  marinated, crispy, mouth-watering kale!  so it was a fun, clear-conscience splurge.  great for the weekend!  i loved this.  like truly, madly, deeply.  my pictures are so ugly and do it no justice whatsoever.  you simply must try this marinated kale and whipped ricotta pizza.  even kale-haters (ahem, keri altland....) might enjoy this one!

slow cooker quinoa chicken chili

 

i thought this recipe for slow cooker quinoa chicken chili seemed like a bit of a gamble.  a little outside of my taste preference comfort zone... but it was really good!  very hearty, extremely filling, and super cozy for a cold winter's night.  i only added one can of black beans instead of two, and i thought it was just right.  next time, i might add a chopped onion to the mix.

spicy sausage, kale, and orecchiette soup

this spicy sausage, kale, and orecchiette soup is another superstar kale recipe.  kale is so perfect for soup because it doesn't get all mushy and gross.  the simplicity of this recipe almost scared me away because i thought it would be bland.  but no.  it was basically perfect.  definitely get the hot/spicy sausage (instead of sweet or country style)  -- it adds a lot of kick!

chickpea salad

in my search for some good lunch ideas, i found this recipe for black-eyed pea salad.  however, whilst at the grocery store, i could not find black-eyed peas anywhere.  i must have searched the canned food aisle for 10 minutes.  so after a bit of annoyance and a few black-eyed pea band jokes from my super helpful husband ;-) i decided to go with chickpeas instead.  so, i followed the recipe in the link above and substituted two cans of chickpeas... i also substituted a tiny bit of honey for the sugar (because Lent started on wednesday, and i'm officially off sugar until Easter).  i sprinkled on some feta just before i ate it.  and oh my, delish!  lots of flavor and very filling.  it keeps well in the fridge for several days, and the flavor gets better with time, so make this on a monday, and you've got lunch for the week.

chicken mozzarella pasta with sundried tomatoes

one last recipe, and no, it's not a healthy one.  but it was too good not to share.  if you're looking for a tasty splurge meal, you might want to try this chicken mozzarella pasta with sundried tomatoes.  i made this over valentine's weekend, and wow.  even my 3-year-old liked it.  i've honestly never cooked with sun-dried tomatoes before, but this recipe made me a believer!  (again, i apologize for the less-than-appealing picture... check out the link for prettier pictures of this yummy meal!)

and that's a wrap, folks!  oh, except to mention that i'm down a few pounds, but i think that has more to do with my illness than my eating habits.  i'm still trucking along and trying to make good choices... one step at a time. :-)

happy cooking, folks!

here we go again...

oh man, you guys.  i'm struggling.  the holidays? -- they ruined me.  like, in the most delicious way possible.  :-)  i was totally prepared to gain back a few pounds, and i even considered it to be entirely worth it.  "i'll just work it off in january," i told myself.  "no big deal."  but what i did not anticipate was how difficult it would be for me to get back on track.  here we are at the first week in february, and i'm still making horrible food choices.  i feel sluggish and frumpy and all around disappointed in myself.

i hate these vicious cycles.  but the worst thing i can do is to let it defeat and define me.  so, we get up and try again.  here are two good things i've been working on:

• i've been very consistent about getting on the treadmill at 5am each morning.  AND i've been running for longer periods of time.  so that's something.
• steve and i have starting doing yoga together in the evenings (using the Yoga Studio app).  isla joins in too (when her attention span allows... other times she just sits and laughs at us when we get into unusual positions), so it's been fun to make this into a family event / comedy act.

what i really need to focus on now is putting better food into my body.  and the mindless snacking has got.to.stop.  so it's time to count calories again and to eat more veggies and lean proteins and less processed stuff, etc., etc.  you know the drill.  i've tried a lot of disappointing recipes in the past month, but there were a few winners.  allow me to share...

chipotle chicken sweet potato skins
these were INCREDIBLE.  the sweetness of the potato + the chipotle heat + the sharp melty white cheddar was winning combination.  a little time consuming (mostly to bake the sweet potatoes), but otherwise easy to assemble and well worth the time investment.  the leftovers heat up nicely in the toaster oven, which hey, whaddaya know?  i'm eating the leftovers as i type this. :-)

honey glazed salmon
this is hands-down my new favorite way to prepare salmon.  honey-crusted salmon topped with a browned butter lime sauce.  let me say that again: browned butter lime sauce.  amazing.  go easy on the butter sauce if you're worried about calories, but it's SO GOOD.  with a heaping pile of veggies, i think you'll be ok.

roasted cauliflower pizza
i guess the nutritional value of a pizza is debatable...  but this pizza contains cauliflower.  roasted cauliflower.  and we know of my love affair with roasted vegetables.  can't get enough!  so this meal is a bit of a splurge in the calorie department, but it's loaded with flavor.  yuuuuummm.

here are a few other highly recommended recipes that i failed to photograph:

• pizza roasted chickpeas -- my first ever cooking attempt with chickpeas, and i was super impressed!  these were great!  can be served as a snack, a side, or (if you have a family that refuses to try them like mine did) as a whole meal for yourself. :-)
• kale salad with meyer lemon vinaigrette -- oh yes.  this was great.  a new favorite, as far as lemon vinaigrettes go.  and don't worry if you can't find meyer lemons!  just add a splash of orange juice in with your lemon.
• kale salad with warm cranberry vinaigrette -- another winning kale recipe in my book.  LOVED the warm vinaigrette!  and shallots!  i adore shallots.  let's put shallots in ALL the food!

so there you go.  time to whip myself out of winter hibernation mode and get focused!  hopefully by "going public" again, i'll feel a little more motivated to make good choices.  bathing suit season is just a few months away... let's do this!

oh hey...

oh hey. remember that time when i blogged about healthier food choices and weight loss? not sure why i stopped exactly, except that my weight loss had plateaued for so long that the blog had become rather boring and irrelevant. i've reach about 10 pounds lost now, which is super exciting, and i feel pretty great!  BUT i'm still stuck. haven't gained or lost in ages. (although, let's just be honest, it's nothing short of a miracle that i didn't gain weight over thanksgiving! so i'm not necessarily complaining...) my goal is to lose another 15 pounds, though, so it's time to get serious about this again. 

a few friends had mentioned to me that they missed my recipe reviews. and i was thinking, hey, i can still do that whether i'm actively losing weight or not. after all, it's not just about weight loss -- it's about making healthy choices and filling my body with good things. so maybe i'll post a few recipe reviews here and there. if there is one thing i can do well, it is certainly to eat and to talk about it. :-)

so here's a few tasty dishes that we've tried over the past few weeks. one recipe is even a beth lougee original! enjoy, friends.

• sweet and spicy sriracha baked salmon
• baked teriyaki chicken meatballs
• sausage and quinoa stuffed acorn squash
• roasted cauliflower and mushroom carbonara
• chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies

sweet and spicy sriracha baked salmon
this meal was a big hit. had the perfect blend of sweet and heat. steve gobbled it up, and isla only fussed a little. :-) (that's considered a win in our house!) of course, i made sure to give her a piece without any added sriracha -- that stuff has some serious kick!  i've made this recipe a few times now, and i continue to love it.

baked teriyaki chicken meatballs
this recipe was recommended to me by a few friends... and for good reason! it was great. i'm generally not a big teriyaki fan, but i just can't resist a good meatball recipe. loved the addition of crushed pineapples to the meat. would have been a little better with toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top, but i was (sadly) out of them.

sausage and quinoa stuffed acorn squash
this recipe called to me for so many reasons -- sausage, quinoa, apples, and cranberries all in a cute little acorn squash?! more than anything, i think it appealed my passion for autumnal beauty. truthfully, i don't love most squashes, but i love the idea of loving them since they represent fall. makes perfect sense, right? :-) anyway, this was a good, solid recipe, though it didn't blow my mind. needs a little tweaking. my mom made acorn squash when i was a kid, and it was always filled with delicious butter and brown sugar. so in my mind, acorn squash = sweet. but despite the added apples and cranberries, this was not a sweet recipe. i think if i make it again, i'll roast the squash with a bit of brown sugar (or maybe maple syrup?) to amp up the sweetness. it just needed... something. you know?

for the record, meat-and-potato loving husbands and picky children will likely not eat this recipe, so keep some chicken nuggets or something on hand when preparing it. ;-)

roasted cauliflower and mushroom carbonara

here's a recipe that i want to tell everyone -- EVERYONE -- about. it was so unique. i am obsessed with basically any type of roasted vegetable to begin with, but then to add it to fettuccine and bacon and parmesean? and to somehow keep it under 400 calories? yes. just yes. i only wish my photo could better represent how amazing this was!

steve loved it! i loved it! isla threw a gigantic fit over it and ended up in time-out at least three times, but eh. what can ya do? this recipe was a winner, and i can't wait to make it again!

chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies
and finally, my very own chicken tacos with roasted southwestern veggies. this recipe came together in my mind after trying a few variations of chicken tacos and adding in my love of roasted vegetables. and to make things even better, the chicken is prepared in the crockpot (easy!) and the roasted vegetables are straight from the freezer (no prep = awesome!).

2 large chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning mix
2 cups chicken broth
1 bag frozen southwestern veggies (corn, black beans, peppers)

garlic salt
pepper

corn tortillas (you could also use taco shells or flour tortillas, but i like the corn tortillas best)
mexican cheese blend
sour cream and salsa (if desired)

1. put chicken breasts in the crockpot (mine were frozen). mix taco seasoning with the chicken broth and pour over the chicken. cook on low for about 8 hours.

 

2. when chicken is finished, remove from crockpot and shred the breasts with two forks. then return the shredded chicken to the juices in the crockpot.

 

3. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. dump the frozen veggies on a rimmed baking sheet. either spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. roast in oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. i like my veggies really crispy, so i tend to leave them in for a while. sometimes i even put them directly under the broiler to get them nice and dark.

 

4. while the veggies are cooking, heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan to medium heat. one by one, cook the corn tortillas until golden brown on each side. (it goes pretty quickly... maybe 30-60 seconds per side. you'll have to add a little more olive oil as you go.) the corn tortillas will get a little crunchy but will still be pliable.

 

5. serve tortillas with shredded chicken, roasted veggies, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

 

 

meh....

well, i wasn't going to write today. it feels like a failed week. :-( most of my meals flopped, and i haven't lost any weight for the second week in a row -- despite stepping up my workout routine. i'm baffled and frustrated. there was a splurge day on saturday, but otherwise i was pretty on track with my calorie intake. how discouraging.

on the positive side, i feel pretty good about my workout sessions this week! i pushed myself to revisit Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. my days start at 5am with the 30 Day Shred workout, followed by 25 minutes of speed walking on the treadmill. i pretty much thought i was going to die on day 1. everything hurt. but now, 5 days in, i feel pretty great! definitely stronger and i've even noticed a bit of muscle tone. woohoo! but as good as this feels, i'm still wondering if i should somehow be doing more...

this week's menu:

• saturday: breakfast dinner splurge night, including some delicious (but definitely not healthy) baked pumpkin oatmeal
• sunday: my very own turkey chili
• monday: an it's-monday-and-i-don't-feel-like-cooking-meal of frozen fish, broccoli, and jasmine rice
• tuesday: chipotle chicken tortilla soup
• wednesday: skinny sloppy joes with roasted cauliflower
• thursday: sweet potato quinoa patties with spinach and kale salad

tuesday's chipotle chicken tortilla soup from Eat Yourself Skinny was very tasty. a bit on the spicy side, so if you're afraid of too much pow, this one is not for you. while it was delicious, it seemed to lack something. i have a super favorite slow cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe that has set the bar pretty high as far as tortilla soup is concerned. the slow cooker version is very hearty -- packed with corn, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and chicken. then you pile it high with fried tortilla strips and shredded cheese. oh man, it's so good. the lighter chipotle version i made last night was very flavorful, but not as hearty. i think in the future i will combine the best of both these recipes. one thing i really loved from the chipotle version was the idea to bake the tortilla strips with some cooking spray and a touch of chipotle chili powder. they turned out great!  added some fantastic crunch to this soup. also of note: chipotle chili powder is probably my new favorite spice.

wednesday's skinny sloppy joe from skinnytaste was good... but not great. likely won't rush to make it again. i loved that it was packed full of veggies -- carrots, mushrooms, onion, and i added a zucchini for good measure. they were fine, but, in our home, we are like sweet sloppy joes. and these just weren't. so my husband had a hard time really digging in. there might be a way of sweetening them up without adding too much bad stuff, but i'm just not sure how to accomplish it. so, i dunno. maybe if i called them something else besides a "sloppy joe" we would all be more open to them. or maybe some foods just shouldn't be "healified." :-)

wednesay's sweet potato quinoa patties were another just ok meal. i loved the idea of them, and i think they have potential, but my first attempt was just meh. they didn't crisp up as nicely as i'd hoped. the flavor was decent, but they could have used some type of sauce or dip. maybe greek yogurt? hmmm, i've got some experimenting to do. they are cute, though. :-)

i think i'm finished with new recipes for a little while. perhaps i have exhausted pinterest. :-) i think i'll revisit some of my favorites from the past few weeks. looking forward to it!

a few steps forward, a few steps back

i'll just come right out and say it: i didn't lose any weight this week. i'm a little bewildered by that, as i felt pretty good about my food choices. (all that kale.... and for what? sigh.) something seems amiss, and i'm beginning to suspect that it's time to amp up my workouts. but here's my problem. as a wife, mother, and full time employee, my window of opportunity for working out is limited to 5:00-6:00am. and i'm cool with that. i'm extremely faithful in dragging my butt out of bed at such an ungodly hour and hopping on the treadmill. BUT there's only so much gumption i can muster up at that time of day. so my workouts tend to be a little lackluster. maybe my body is in a rut? i've considered trying a jillian michael's dvd, but eesh... that early in the morning, her style of motivation just makes me want to punch her in the face.  so i dunno.  something's gotta give, but i'm not sure what.

aside from the scale disappointment, i've got some goooood recipes to share. at least it was a happy belly week! :-)

• friday: toasted quinoa and pear salad
• saturday: we were at a wedding for dinner, but i created an awesome kale, egg, and ricotta sandwich for lunch
• sunday: oktoberfest lager stew
• monday: sausage, kale, and spaghetti squash boats
• tuesday: kale and quinoa salad with lemon vinaigrette
• wednesday: buffalo chicken quesadillas with roasted peas and corn
• thursday: jessica alba's turkey meatballs with kale and quinoa salad

last friday's much anticipated toasted quinoa and pear salad was great. toasting the quinoa before boiling it definitely added a noticeable, nutty depth of flavor. the citrus dressing was fresh and pleasant. the addition of pear was perfect. the only thing i didn't like about this recipe was the arugula. in the interest of trying new things, i included it, despite the bitterly offensive smell. i tried to keep an open mind, but ew -- gross. had to pick it all out. otherwise, the salad was amazing. will definitely make it again, although i'll substitute kale or spinach for the arugula. :-)

i made a kale, egg, and ricotta sandwich for lunch on saturday. it was pretty great. definitely kept me full through the wedding ceremony we attended later that day. i sauteed a finely sliced onion and garlic in a little olive oil, then added the kale until it just wilted. toast some hearty multigrain bread, smear on a bit of ricotta, and then add a fried egg with the kale mix. so good!

sunday's oktoberfest lager stew was out of this world. i'm not even exaggerating when i say that i could eat this every.single.day. it's not super low calorie, but it's not outrageous either. oh, i did use turkey sausage in place of regular sausage to try to "healthify" it. saved me a few calories and was still full of flavor. please, just do yourself a favor and make it. 

monday's sausage, kale, and spaghetti squash was my second attempt at spaghetti squash. annnnnnd, it was wildly successful! it's a MUCH better idea to treat the squash as squash instead of trying to think of it as spaghetti. this meal was so flavorful. the roasted pine nuts were a nice touch too. steve was SO into this meal. couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was. isla was less enthusiastic, but she did eventually taste the squash and (though she wouldn't admit it) i think she enjoyed it. or at least tolerated it. :-) if you are on the fence about spaghetti squash, give this recipe a try!

tuesday's kale and quinoa salad with lemon vinaigrette was something i quickly whipped up as a result of steve going out to dinner with some of his guy friends. the salad (and ciabatta roll) were plenty to fill me up as a complete meal, but if steve had been joining us, i likely would have make something else to go along with it. i thought this salad was truly remarkable. this could possibly turn a non-kale lover into a fan. (i'm talking to you, KERI ALTLAND!) ;-) i didn't have an avocado on hand, so i used a yellow pepper instead. i'm sure this created a whole different flavor than was intended, but i loved it! dried cranberries or cherries would also be a nice touch. and that lemon vinaigrette?  it's perfect. literally perfect. i cannot wait to make this again!

wednesday's buffalo chicken quesadillas have quickly become a favorite in our home. with all the cheese, it's not something i will make all the time, but it's a tasty treat for sure. you can read my review of this recipe here.


on thursday, we tried jessica alba's turkey meatballs with kale and quinoa salad. (see, i told you i was excited to make that kale salad again!) :-) this recipe was a major win for ground turkey! these meatballs were super tasty and packed full of carrots and zucchini (which i pulverized in the food processor to try to hide from isla... but that eagle-eyed child still spotted the flecks of green and orange...) it was a nice touch to simmer the meatballs in chicken stock. this kept them from drying out and added some great flavor. added bonus: you'll feel like a movie star when you eat these. :-)

have a great weekend, folks! happy cooking. :-)

another one bites the dust

happy friday to you! this post will not be super exciting, recipe-wise anyway. it's been a fairly busy week, filled with quick meals and birthday celebrations and dining out. overall, i'm still feeling pretty great, and i'm super proud of myself for practicing restraint with my husband's birthday treats. i mean, we're talking about dirt pudding-filled cupcakes and an oreo brownie trifle, people. being self-controlled was by no means an easy feat. yes, i'm shamelessly patting my own back. :-)

 here was this week's menu:

• friday: mini turkey meat loaves with rice and roasted veggies
• saturday: end-of-summer burgers on the grill
• sunday: naked salmon burgers with sriracha mayo and roasted broccoli
• monday: open-faced egg and ricotta sandwich with strawberries
• tuesday: birthday turkey tacos
• wednesday: beer-batter cod (super fancy... straight from the grocer's freezer!) with parmesan roasted cauliflower
• thursday: dinner out with a friend (which included the BEST kale salad i've ever eaten! must try to recreate it. stay tuned...)
• friday: totally excited to try this toasted quinoa and pear salad

last friday, we enjoyed mini turkey meat loaves. i NEVER feel like cooking on fridays, but these little guys came together pretty easily. and they cook much faster than a traditional meat loaf, so it works well for a throw-it-together-after-i-get-home-from-work meal (which is a basic requirement for most of the meals i select). as far as ground turkey goes, this was delicious. steve raved and ate 4 of them. we'll definitely make these again!

they're not pretty. but they ARE delicious!

a weird thing happened this weekend. on saturday, we threw caution to the wind and had a delicious end-of-summer cookout. hamburgers on the grill, topped with sauteed onion, muenster cheese, and sweet baby ray's bbq sauce, all on a toasted kaiser roll. oh man. it was so good. we even indulged in macaroni 'n cheese, seasonal autumn lager, and shared a pint of frozen yogurt on the couch after isla went to bed. just perfect. i only felt mildly guilty about my indulgence, but was worried how i'd feel the next day. i didn't feel lethargic and gross as i was expecting. but i did feel something else -- a craving. for vegetables. it was one of the more bizarre experiences in my food-loving life. i was actually encouraged that maybe i'm making some progress. maybe, just maybe, my tastebuds are taking a healthy turn. maybe my food preference are finally following my actions. maybe healthy eating won't feel like such a chore anymore. maybe. we'll see. :-) in any case, i was super excited for sunday night's naked salmon burgers with sriracha mayo and roasted broccoli. you can read my thoughts on the salmon burger here. it was even more delicious than i remembered! and that broccoli. if you've never tried roasted broccoli, you don't know what you're missing! really just any roasted vegetable. that's my go-to method of preparation. yummmmm.

i had made monday's open-faced egg and ricotta sandwich a year or so ago for dinner with a vegetarian friend. it's easy and fresh and filling. i bought arugula as the recipe suggests, but it was so bitter and offensive! practically singed my nose hairs. ha! so i used romaine instead. spinach would be a good choice too. i used two eggs to make it feel more like an entree and left the eggs just a bit soft in the middle, which normally i don't like, but it works well with this sandwich.

would also be great for breakfast.. or lunch... or brunch... or whatever!

just for fun, i though you might want to know what the rest of my kitchen 
looks like when i'm trying to plate a meal for these photos. :-)

so that's all i have for recipe sharing this week. some weeks are just like that. certainly i'm not the only one who keeps some just-in-case fish sticks or chicken nuggets in the freezer. :-)

and now, the WEEKLY WEIGH-IN... another one bites the dust! i lost 1 pound this week. feeling pretty proud of my slow and steady weight loss. and even more proud of my small steps towards a healthier lifestyle. happy weekend, folks!

bright, sunshiny day

i don't even care what the scale says this week. i really don't. because for the first time since i started this little adventure, i feel AMAZING. like just awesome. i can't really put my finger on it, but i first noticed it when i was sitting in wednesday's staff meeting -- i wasn't tired! i was strangely energized. all day, i felt light on my feet. my "skinny jeans" were no longer cutting off my circulation and a few shirts were noticeably baggier than normal. eeeeeee! best feeling ever! no matter what the scale says, something is happening, and it's so very good!

this week's menu:

• saturday: turkey chili
• sunday: turkey sausage, potato, and kale skillet with roasted buffalo cauliflower
• monday: pesto chicken stuffed peppers
• tuesday: last minute pizza and salad dinner with friends
• wednesday: skinny bbq chicken flatbread with salad
• thursday: dinner with my parents and some missionary friends
• friday: looking forward to trying these mini turkey meatloaves, recommended by a friend (thanks, christy!)

saturday was turkey chili night. it just had to be. a chill in the air, football season in full swing, sweatshirts and slippers and snuggles under blankets. for me, this is the BEST time of year. nothing speaks to me in quite the same way as a setting sun a crisp autumn evening. ahhh.... but i seem to be getting side-tracked.  :-)  this turkey chili is actually a recipe of my own making. (it's affectionately nick-named "lucky chili" for reasons i won't get into now...)  :-)  i've been working on this recipe since steve and i got married over 7 years ago. it's sweet and hearty and contains no beans. which is the CORRECT way to make chili. if i've learned anything from sheldon cooper on the big bang theory, it's that real chili does not have beans in it. 

in an effort to include more veggies, though, this time i added some chopped carrots. i really liked it. great addition! steve said it was the best chili i've ever made. score! i used to eat my chili on a mountain of corn chips, topped with heaps of cheddar cheese, and a generous dollop of sour cream. this time, in order to keep my calories in check, i sprinkled just a few crushed corn chips over the top along with a tablespoon or two of sharp cheddar cheese. it was perfect! didn't miss the extra chips at all.

cozy!

mix it all up and dig in!

sunday's sausage, potato, and kale skillet with buffalo cauliflower was super random and really just an effort to use up some stuff in the fridge... the skillet portion was an adaptation of a family favorite. we've eaten sausage and potatoes on christmas morning for as long as i can remember. to make it feel more like an dinner entree, i included some sauteed onions and garlic with my turkey sausage and also added some kale for good measure (and because i just can't seem to make a dent in pile of kale in my fridge. doesn't a bunch of kale seem to go on forever and ever?) for a completely unrelated side dish, i've been dying to try roasted buffalo cauliflower bites because, duh, buffalo sauce. these were REALLY good. although, i cut up my cauliflower way too small. we had to eat it with a fork when really i think it's supposed to be finger food (like a sad but still delicious vegetarian substitute for buffalo wings). regardless, steve and i INHALED it. so good.

a strange pairing. but both were delicious!

monday's pesto chicken stuffed peppers were definitely a highlight for the week. you guys, i have never enjoyed peppers. to me, they've always seemed so intrusive and spread their flavor a little too liberally into everything they touch. it's honestly been a stretch for me to try new recipes that include peppers. i've been quite careful to dice them finely so that they won't offend my tastebuds. but my, oh my, they ARE pretty, aren't they? seeing a basket filled with green, red, and yellow peppers makes me smile. so if that's not reason enough to put yourself out there and give them another chance, then i don't know what is. ;-) ANYWAY, all that to say that these quinoa and chicken and pesto and mozzarella stuffed peppers were mind-blowing. aaaamazing. i feel the need to apologize to all pepper-kind for being so judgmental of them all these years. please make these immediately, folks. (truth be told, steve couldn't handle the peppers. he's not yet willing to admit that he too has been wrong about peppers for all these years... but he loved the filling! so that's a half-win.)

i only ate 2 for dinner, but i had to get a picture of these beauties together.

how can you not smile when you look at them?

wednesday's skinny bbq chicken flatbread was a delight!  truly.  it was easy to make and so extremely tasty.  for the super healthy among us, this recipe might be a no-go since it requires the use of bbq sauce, which generally contains high fructose corn syrup.  i know, i know...  anyone know of some healthier options out there? i really haven't done too much searching, because i'll be completely honest, when used in moderation, i'm ok with the HFCS, especially in the form of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. shhh, don't tell.

chicken, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, and altogether yummy!

beth's win for the week: we had special dinners twice this week. the first was a pizza dinner at our house, during which i managed to eat ONLY ONE PIECE. i know this is mind-boggling, but please try to hold your applause, folks. the second special dinner was a delicious roast beef meal with my parents and some dear friends from argentina. i kept my portions in check and also PASSED ON DESSERT. and not just any dessert -- lemon bars. let me say that again -- LEMON BARS. lemon desserts are my heart's passion. so this was a major sacrifice and exercise of self-control. you can go ahead and clap for me. :-)

WEEKLY WEIGH-IN: i lost 1 pound this week! i know it's not much, but i don't even care. things are changing, and i feel great! woohoo!