Thank you!

Thank you all SO much for the wonderful support you gave me at last night's meeting. I left feeling better about myself and about my ability to get back on track. I thought I could swap out Tuesday night meetings with this new class at the gym, but I realize now that this meeting is way more important than that class. I found that there is a similar class I can do on a different day, so I can have my cake and eat it, too (bad analogy, I know!!). The tips, the support, the accountability and just the mind set "re-set" that occurs at the meetings for me is something I can't get anywhere else. I am very thankful for you all and especially for our fearless leader, Mary Elizabeth!! Happy Thanksgiving and I will see you next Tuesday ~

Laureen

This Chili Was Delicious!

Last night, Hank made the "Super-Easy Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili" from this week's (Nov. 17 - 23)  Weight Watchers Weekly and it was delicious. It makes a huge amount (10 1-cup servings at 6 points each) so would be good for a family, pot luck, tailgating or holiday party. There was some spice in it but not too much; we like it hot so Hank added extra chili powder. We really enjoyed the flavors of the fresh lime and cilantro that you add just before serving.

 



In case you've misplaced your Weekly, here's a link to the recipe on WW.com. Thought you might like to give this one a try!

Bay Haven in Cornish

A group of us were talking before a recent Falmouth WW meeting about the best seafood restaurants in the area...ironic that Weight Watchers always know which restaurants are good! A number of us mentioned Bay Haven in Cornish.

The seafood here is excellent but the portions are huge. If you go, you really need to plan your points in advance and share your meal with a friend or bring home a doggy bag for another day. You can order the fish broiled instead of fried.

I was writing on my personal blog about a day trip Hank and I took last week to Cornish and Bay Haven so I thought I'd provide a link here for those of you who asked about the town and how to get there.

Enjoy!

Are Your Pumpkin Treats Tricking You?

The smell of Pumpkin Spice is back in the air again...tempting us to pig out on indulge in the annual fall pilgrimage to Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

 

Be Careful!

 If the information on the links I found this morning doesn't give you a good Halloween scare, nothing will. Here goes...

 

Check out these "Fall Shockers" from the Hungry Girl blog. Did you know that a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is 10 points? (Now there's a frightening  Halloween thought!)

Or this from the Huffington Post Healthy Living section...there's a cute video about how little pumpkin is actually in our pumpkin treats followed by a slide show on the health benefits of eating real pumpkin and pumpkin seeds..

I also found a fun new blog called It Sux To Be Fat (I sure can relate to that!) written by a fellow Weight Watcher that features the Ten Top Weight Watcher Pumpkin Recipes for you to check out...just click here.

So don't find yourself as forlorn this fall as this poor weight watcher...

 

Think before you indulge. After all, who wants to look like this by Halloween?

 

 

 

Not me!

 

Walking Tacos

I love this idea for a quick lunch on the go!

 The recipe is here.

The serving size is already portion-controlled but I wonder if we could come up with a way to lighten it up on points? Ground turkey could be substituted for ground beef but what about the Fritos?

I love the idea of portable tacos...any Weight Watcher-friendly ideas?

Hank and I miss everyone and hope to see you next Tuesday,
 

Love our Leader

Is Mary Elizabeth the BEST or what??? Hank and I visited with her while she was returning from her power walk yesterday. She was a fashionista even while sweating...yellow nail polish to match her yellow shirt!. Don't you just love that woman???!!!

 

We currently have a houseful of grandchildren and ended up missing Tuesday's meeting...again. We were thinking of you all as we chased bikes and doll carriages up and down the driveway! I had almost forgotten what it's like to cook for a family. It's much easier to follow the program when there are just the two of us here; we can limit what we bring into the house. Thankfully, our grandchildren like fish, veggies and fruit so that is a help.

 

Hope to see all of you this coming Tuesday!

Cheryl & Hank

Yummy Recipe : Southwestern Turkey Burgers

Hank and I have missed all of our WW friends the past few weeks. Between vacations, downsizing and moving from a large home to a condo, it's been really busy. Although we're dreading the scale (too many Margaritas on vacation!), we're looking forward to seeing all of you this coming Tuesday.

 

 

While camping, we shared some meals with a woman from N.H. named Rosalie with whom we've become "camping friends" over the past few years. Rosalie travels all over the country (by herself!) in a huge Winnebago. She's one of my heroes: she can back that big rig into a campsite on the first try while Hank and I are still struggling with our little Casita! She also makes a mean turkey burger. I begged her for the recipe and have made these twice since we got home...delicious. I doubled the recipe, yielding 12 burgers, and froze them individually in sandwich bags for quick meals. 5 points per burger.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers

20 oz. pkg. ground turkey

1 tsp. course salt

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. crushed tortilla chips

1/2 c. chopped white onion

4 T. fresh snipped Cilantro

3/4 tsp. chipotle pepper

1 tsp. chopped garlic

 

Mix all ingredients; form into 6 patties and grill. Yum!

 

*I couldn't find the chipotle pepper at Shaw's or Hannaford; skipped this ingredient and burgers were still delicious.

 

See you all soon!

Cheryl

 

Rosalie making Margaritas...too many points but lots of fun!

 

Refrigerator oatmeal

http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

SWEETS

..............................................................................................................................................

MARYELIZABETH'S JELLO PIE :

A FRUIT & JELLO PIE FOR A REFRESHING TASTE TREAT !   USE A VARIETY OF FRUIT AND JELLO COMBINATIONS TO CREATE YOUR OWN SPECIALTY.

PEACHES OR MADARIN ORANGES.......
    2  TO 3 CUPS OF PEACH OR ORANGE SLICES
   1 SMALL BOX OF SUGAR FREE VANILLA  COOK & SERVE PUDDING
   2 CUPS WATER
   1 SMALL BOX OF SUGAR FREE ORANGE GELATIN
   FAT FREE WHIPPED TOPPING (COOL-WHIP)......

Place fruit into a 9" pie-plate......
Mix pudding powder and water & cook over med heat until thick
Remove from heat, stir in gelatin powder
Pour over fruit & refridgerate until firmly set
Slice into 8 servings; serve with whipped topping

SUBSTITUTE USING 4 CUPS STRAWBERRY SLICES  & STRAWBERRY JELLO !!!!!
ADD BLUEBERRIES FOR A RED, WHITE , BLUE HOLIDAY DESSERT...................


   ......................................................................................................................................................

ORANGE DELIGHT :

1 PT FF COTTAGE CHEESE
1 SMALL PKG ORANGE JELLO
1 SMALL CAN CRUSHED PINEAPPLE
1 SMALL CAN MADARIN ORANGES
1 PT FF COOL WHIP

BLEND COTTAGE CHEESE AND JELLO POWDER
DRAIN AND ADD FRUIT
STIR IN COOL WHIP

REFRIDGERATE AT LEAST 1 HOUR ....SERVE COLD.

.........................................................................................................................................

Services for Arthur

Visiting hours for Arthur will be Tuesday, April 30, 4 - 7 p.m. at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth. A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, May 1 at 10 a.m. at Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth. Burial will be in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 80 Smith Street, Yarmouth followed by a reception at the American Legion Post #164 in Falmouth at approximately 12:00 noon.

Arthur with Senator Susan Collins

 

Yesterday morning, while Hank and I were having coffee at Dunkin' Donuts, Arthur's daughter from Connecticut, Deb Curran came over to our table, introduced herself, and had coffee with us for awhile, sharing stories about her father. She was very nice, like her Dad.We were so happy to meet Deb and enjoyed trading "Arthur stories" with her. She noted that Dunkin' Donuts even got mentioned in her Dad's obituary, which appeared in yesterday's (4/28) Maine Sunday Telegram. I bet Art would have liked that!

 

Looking forward to  seeing everyone Tuesday night at WW...time to get back on track!!!

Our Hero

 Arthur with Mary Elizabeth and Martha, memorial Day 2012

 

Our hearts are breaking this morning...

 In fact, I think the whole town of Falmouth is heartbroken.

 

We have lost a very special friend. Arthur Fredricksen, our very own "man in the basement" passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 24th.

For those of you from the Scarborough group or new to our Falmouth group, here is some background...

Mary Elizabeth's Tuesday night WW group meets at the Falmouth American Legion Hall, where Arthur Frederiksen is "The Man".  I've linked an article from the Falmouth Forecaster (11/11/10) that talks about some of his involvement in the American Legion, and in our community, over the years.

 

Arthur would set up the chairs and tables for our WW meeting each Tuesday afternoon and then wait downstairs in his office (aka "the basement") until our meeting was over so that he could singlehandedly put all the chairs and tables away again. Sometimes, during a meeting, he'd try to sneak behind Mary Elizabeth to get to the basement, but she'd invariably catch him in a practical joke on his way by, much to the delight of all the Weight Watchers in the audience. Well, Arthur was a humble man who shied away from the spotlight (except when he was leading a parade!). He admitted over coffee recently that he had started sneaking into the basement through the bulkhead on Tuesday nights so he wouldn't have to face all us crazy weight watchers (my words) at once!

Arthur with Senator Susan Collins

Mary Elizabeth never exactly told us the details of her relationship with Arthur but I think they had a little soft spot for each other. (Don't tell her I said this on the blog!). Arthur would ask her out, she would decline, and then she'd drive him home and sit and talk in the driveway...makes you wonder, doesn't it? Well, I can't blame Mary Elizabeth if she did have the hots some feelings for Arthur...who could blame her?

To "Baby Boomer" me, Arthur was a father figure. He reminded me so much of my own Dad, who also served in the army in WWII. He and Arthur were about the same age, were both from Connecticut, and both had such a "can do" attitude. I didn't realize how much I had come to think of Arthur as a father figure until I heard of his passing.

Over the past few years, Hank and I have gotten into the habit of stopping at the Falmouth Dunkin' Donuts for coffee most mornings. Usually Arthur was there. Every morning at about 7:30 a.m., Arthur and "the guys" would arrive, sit in the same exact seats by the window and discuss the news of the day. Over coffee, they debated everything from politics to the weather to Zumbagate. Sometimes, if we were lucky, Arthur would move down one table to sit with us for a few minutes.  On those mornings, we had the chance to get to know Arthur as so much more than "the man in the basement". He became a friend.

 

 

 

On the Saturday morning before Easter, Arthur came in to Dunkin' Donuts holding a big Bath & Body Works bag. After ordering his coffee, he quietly made his way from one of the Dunkin' Donuts baristas to the other passing out gifts. He wished each of them a "Happy Easter" and they each gave him a hug in turn. When Arthur realized that we had observed his kindness, he said, "Oh, I just try to do a little something for them now and then."

 

On another recent Saturday morning, I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts with my daughter on our "girls' day out".  Of course, Arthur was there. Without hesitation, he came right over to shake hands with Kristen and make conversation with her. My daughter has disabilities and it warmed my heart to watch Arthur ignore them and make her feel so special and pretty. That's just how he was. When I saw him the next day, Arthur told me that meeting Kristen had made his day. The truth was, he made ours.

 

 

Arthur walked all over Falmouth...to and from his home, Dunkin' Donuts, and the Legion Hall. He was full of energy and full of ideas to honor our veterans and to improve our community. Most recently, he was trying to put together a project with  the manager of our local Dunkin' Donuts that would be co-sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts and the Falmouth American Legion. That's because he had already finished the planning for this year's Falmouth Memorial Day parade. Just last Saturday morning Arthur reported over coffee that the 2013 parade is "all set". Arthur's unselfish dedication to his community may best be summed up in this quote from him:

 

"If you don't take care of the community, you don't survive."

-the Falmouth Forecaster, 11/11/10.

 

Arthur Frederiksen was a graduate of Falmouth High School and served in the Army in WWII.  In 2009, he was honored as Falmouth's Citizen of the Year.

 

 

At that time, Arthur was quoted in the Falmouth Forecaster (July 8, 2009) as saying:


"It's been a great trip – that's the way I look at life in general," he said. "I'm trying to give something back in appreciation of what was done for me."

God Bless You, Arthur...you'll be so very missed.

Great Soup Recipe

Hi guys! My mother sent me this recipe, so I tried it out and it was very tasty. I thought I'd share it with you all. It is very hearty, and also makes a very large quantity, so you might want to divide the recipe in half. It is from Morocco.

It has a lot of ingredients but really it isn't complicated- just open cans, chop veggies, measure spices, and plop it all in a pot.

CHICKPEA STEW WITH SIX VEGETABLES
Makes 6 two-cup servings, 8 PP each. You can also serve one cup of it (4 PP) with couscous (PP values vary, generally around 4-5/prepared cup).

5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained with liquid reserved
1 28 oz. can tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
5-6 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley, or 2-3 Tbsp. dried
5-6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I just used the whole bunch)
2 1/2- 3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ginger powder
A few saffron threads of a pinch of saffron powder (optional)
1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
3 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium bunch celery, chopped (or you can use zucchini)

1. Put oil in a large (12-inch) pot and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir and fry for 5 minutes, or until it begins to brown around the edges. Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute, or until it turns golden.

2. Add chickpeas, 1 1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid, tomatoes, potatoes, parsley, cilantro, salt, cumin, turmeric, ginger, saffron and cayenne. Measure the reserved tomato liquid and add enough water to make 2 1/2 cups. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potato and carrots. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low again, cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add celery, bring to a boil once again, cook covered on low heat for 7-8 minutes or until celery is tender.

FitBit

For anyone that's interested in the FitBit that we were talking about the other night, here's the link:

http://www.fitbit.com/

It won't calculate points like the Active Link but you do not have to pay a monthly fee for it. It charges off of your computer and also synchs there, much like an iPod. I'd be happy to show mine to anyone if they'd like to look it at. It is a bit pricey, but for me it has really helped me with my motivation to m-o-v-e!  :)

Walking Attire for Mary Elizabeth?

How about this???

 

p.s. for those of you in the Scarborough group: get Mary Elizabeth to tell you the story of how she does her power walks and says the rosary at the same time...she had the Falmouth group laughing so hard we almost lost it last night!!!

Pizza Ideas

Hello all! I'm brand new at this, so I'm not sure how to make it look all fancy. (-;

I wanted to share my pizza idea- I buy "Flat Out Flatbread" pizza crusts. Actually I use them as wraps (the same brand sells wraps too but the store was out this week), but they are really designed to be thin crust pizza bases. They are 4 points each, and 12"x6" so nice sized. They are also whole wheat!

The directions say... bake crust alone on baking sheet at 350 deg. for 4-5 minutes. Then put on your toppings and bake another 3-4 minutes. That's it! You can also grill them.

They are available at WalMart in So. Portland, not sure about Falmouth. Other places probably sell them too!

My other idea: I also use Prego "Light Smart" Italian Sauce. It is only 1 point for 1/2 cup. Not sure where to buy that around here as I just moved to the area.

Good luck all! (-: Amanda

AMAZING US !

HELLO MY AMAZING WEIGHT-MATES....

A WELCOME TO  ALL THE NEWEST 'BLOGGERS' TO THIS SITE.....THE INTEREST CONTINUES TO BECOME MORE POPULAR WITH ALL OF YOUR POSTINGS, RECIPES, SUGGESTIONS, PHOTOS, COMMENTS.....IT REALLY IS  OUR BETWEEN MEETINGS GATHERING SPOT !!!!

TODAY'S CURRENT  KEY WORD IS "AMAZING".... MY MESSAGE IS TO TELL YOU HOW 'AMAZING' YOU ARE TO BE IN THE GROOVE ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS AND BEING HEALTHY.  

I LOVE SHARING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS PROGRESS WITH YOU AT OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS & I MISS YOU WHEN YOU AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND.


YOU KNOW I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW I ROLL.....ISN'T IT JUST AMAZING ?

YOUR AMAZING 'LEADERLADY'

Welcome Wentworth Weight Watchers!

Today is the first meeting of Weight Watchers at Work at Wentworth Intermediate School in Scarborough. Yes, it is in this very school in which I ate the dog food! (see 1/17/13 post).

And guess who has agreed to be the leader? Our very own Superstar, Mary Elizabeth Bling Blinn!

Since this is the school in which I work , I would like to welcome the Wentworth Weight Watchers to our little blog and encourage them to join us in sharing recipes, weight-loss tips, successes and challenges so that we can support each other between meetings.

Who knows...maybe we can all meet in person one day...at the beach...looking HOT in our bikinis!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

http://greatist.com/health/recipe-spicy-roasted-chickpeas/

Chocolate Covered Katie is a site where an avid vegan chocolate lover creates HEALTHY deserts (hey she ever puts WW PP values on all her nutrition information as well) that taste SO yummy. I've made several of her recipies, and the only reason I haven't made more is that I'm the only one to eat the whole thing! I think you'll enjoy purusing her website.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

Fruity Turtle Cake

Hello everyone--I couldn't resist posting this since it was mostly fruit...and although the points that go into the "cake" don't amount to much going in, what it comes to in the recipe builder is 4 PP per serving if it's divided by 8.  I haven't made it yet, but plan to when there's more than just me to eat it!
--Karen

 

 

Fruity Turtle Cake ♥

RECIPE:
Peeled, and thinly sliced kiwis (as many as it takes to cover shell)
Bananas, thinly sliced, lengthwise
Coconut flesh (1/2 cup)
Coconut water (1/4 cup)
Dates, pitted (1/2 cup)

1. Put coconut flesh, coconut water, and dates into a blender, and blend on high until you get an "icing" like consistency (if it is too thin, add more dates)

2. Start with layered bananas on the bottom, followed by some coconut date "icing", followed by thinly sliced kiwi rounds, and then some more "icing", and then more banana slices. Continue this pattern, moving slowly into the center until you get a 1/2 circle shape on your plate.

Add the final touches, and enjoy!

 

When Pigs Fly?

Here's a link to an interesting article about Weight Watchers from Monday's New York Times:

Low Pay at Weight Watchers Stirs Protest

 

 

 

We already know that MaryElizabeth is... 

                                           

Happy Birthday, Mary Elizabeth!

Today is...

Enjoy it!!!

From your friends at the Legion Hall,

UPSTAIRS...

 

and DOWN!

 

We love you!!!

 

p.s.

 

 

Banana Ice Cream

http://berryripe.com/recipes/vegan-banana-ice-cream-recipe/

A Delicious 9 point Meal!

Who says you can't have a special dinner on Weight Watchers? Hank treated me to this delicious meal on Valentines' Day...all this for 9 points!

Here's the breakdown: 2 cheese raviolis = 6, acorn squash = 0, margarine = 1, broiled asparagus=0, salad = 0, salad dressing = 2.

See you all on Tuesday,
Cheryl & Hank

Weight-Loss Mantras

I found some of these 'mantras' to be quite helpful. My favorites are:

"Success requires backbone, not wishbone" and “If we defend our habits, we have no intentions of breaking them".  Maybe one or more of these will help you, too!


http://www.weightwatchers.com/templates/print.aspx?PageId=1368791&PrintFlag=yes&previewDate=1/28/2013

• 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY
 WEIGHT-MATES......

HUGS,  'LEADERLADY'

Eat Your Veggies Pasta Sauce

My daughter introduced me to this great sauce .. It's well worth the effort.. Go ahead and double the receipt and freeze half.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/eggplant-marinara-sauce/

Kale Chips

1 Bunch of  Kale. 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt & 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.  

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Found the perfect appetizer to bring to our dinner group Saturday night...Southwestern Egg Rolls from the emily bites recipe blog.

These were absolutely delicious and easy to make (especially for me since Hank did the cooking!). They are very filling and we got 26 good sized egg rolls from one recipe. Because the egg rolls are baked instead of fried, they are only 2 points each (0 points for the salsa to dip them in). Here's a link to the printable recipe page. 

See you tomorrow evening,

p.s. Where are all the guys??? No men on the blog yet?

CHEERING

ADDIE....KADDIE....KILAWATAHWADDIE....
.............................................................................................................................



I'M STILL CHEERING FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE PREPARING SNACKS FOR SUPERBOWL SUNDAY !

PRE-PLANNING OUR FOODIES IS KEY TO STAYING ON PROGRAM & STILL ENJOYING SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

NOT TO MENTION THE DRINKIE POOS.............

 

 

 

HOPE YOUR TEAM WINS !!!

 

AND

 THAT YOU WILL BE A WW WINNER

 

 

FULL DISCLOSURES ON TUESDAY....