Staying On Plan and On A Budget

10 Smart Saving Tips from the Weight Watcher website.

1. Limit impulse purchases.
"Go to the store with a shopping list," says Mercer. And stick to it.

2. Buy in season.
Blueberries are a cheap treat come summer but practically an investment once it's fall. Consider growing some of your own produce as well.

3. Use coupons.
Sign up for your supermarket's shopper discount card, too.

4. Purchase sale items in bulk.
"Use the same main ingredient and dress it up differently," Mercer suggests. Turn ground beef into chili, burritos and a topping for baked potatoes. Plus, freeze some beef for the weeks to come.

5. Buy generic.
Follow this rule except when you know a certain brand is of higher quality. A major national brand of sliced Swiss cheese recently sold for $4.49 per half pound versus $3.49 for the store brand (priced on shoprite.com).

6. Think whole foods.
"The more processed foods you buy, the higher the price," Mercer says. Even a banana in pricey New York City only costs a quarter whereas a small candy bar costs at least 75 cents.

7. Do it from scratch.
"You're paying more for convenience," says Mercer. So grate your own cheese and shred your own lettuce.

8. Shift those proportions.
Use pricey meats as an accent; not the main event. For instance, skip the pork chops and cook up a pork stir-fry.

9. Load up on beans.
Meat is expensive, says Mercer. A pound of 85% lean ground beef purchased on shoprite.com costs $3.69. A 1-pound can of black beans? A mere 50 cents.

10. Shop at wholesale food stores.
Some examples include Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's and more. Make sure you know prices, though, to guarantee a savings.

Exploding Chicken Taquitos from Hungry Girl

I haven't tried them yet, but they look yummy!
Let me know how they turn out! Patti

These li'l Mexican treats are so stuffed, they're almost guaranteed to crack a bit when you bake 'em in the oven -- hence the name "Exploding." De verdad!

Ingredients:
8 small (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
One 9.75-oz. (or 10-oz.) can 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained well
1/2 cup salsa
1/3 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
Optional: red enchilada sauce, additional salsa, fat-free sour cream, for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and salsa, and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Remove chicken mixture from the fridge, and drain any excess liquid. Add cheese and taco seasoning, and mix to combine. This is your filling. Set aside.

Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray, and set it aside.

Dampen two paper towels, and place tortillas between them. Microwave for about 1 minute, until tortillas are warm and pliable.

Take one tortilla (keep the rest between the paper towels), spray both sides lightly with nonstick spray, and lay it flat on a clean dry surface. Spoon about 2 heaping tbsp. of filling onto the tortilla. Spread it evenly across the entire surface, and roll tortilla up tightly, so that you have a cigar-shaped tube. Secure with toothpicks and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until crispy. Allow taquitos to cool for 5 minutes. If you like, dunk in enchilada sauce, salsa, or sour cream!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS


Serving Size: 2 taquitos
Calories: 197
Fat: 2.5g
Sodium: 594mg
Carbs: 22.5g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 20.5g

POINTS® value 4*

Are You Moving That Body? Let spring jumpstart you into action!

Are you moving that beautiful body of yours? The weather in Wisconsin has been great the past couple days - have you been out moving as fast as the snow is melting? If not.... why not???! Get going, get your "groove on" and enjoy the sunshine. Then take that enthusiasm and keep it going (inside or outside) and don't lose that motivation.

A quick story for you -
I've been burning my stress energy on the elliptical this winter instead of diving into the kitchen cupboards. This past weekend I was talked into signing up for a 5K Run/Walk. I wasn't sure until the race started if I would walk it or run it. Well I broke into a run with the rest of the crowd and thanks to my steadfastness through the winter on my trusty elliptical I was able to RUN the whole thing - and even enjoy it! It actually felt easy. Crazy, I know!

Get moving my friends and stay mOtiv8ted - you'll be glad you did!

Let's Talk Food!

Okay! Enough time spent on deep, inward thinking! (For now anyway....) Let's talk food!

My favorites lately:
Apples - Pink Lady or sometimes labeled Cripps Pink - sweet, crispy, juicy - really good
Sweet potatoes - baked whole or cut up and drizzled with a little olive oil and then baked on a cookie sheet as "fries"
Grapes - mostly green ones! I take them along to work to munch on at snack time!
Chicken or Beef Barley soup - the recipe on the side of the barley box is a great one. I put it in single portions and freeze it; then I can just grab one and take it to work for lunch.
Rotisserie Chicken - fast and yummy. The leftovers work great in the barley soup.
Oatmeal made with non-fat vanilla (SF) yogurt and then some kind of fruit ie: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas or a spoonful of peanut butter.

Yum!

Growth through disappointment

Every disappointment is important. It is part of life and cannot be avoided. Disappointments are necessary! You grow by losing and then accepting the loss. Change occurs through loss and disappointment. Growth occurs through loss and disappointment. Life takes on a deeper and richer meaning because of them. The better you handle them, the healthier you will be and the more you will grow. No one said that loss and disappointment was fair, but it is part of life.