Updated pictures

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Makes one large pizza on cookie sheet-
Ingredients:
1 package rapid rise yeast
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
2 T. olive oil
1 t. splenda
1 t. salt

Dissolve yeast in water--add all other ingredients.  Rest for five minutes.  Roll out on floured surface.  Move to cookie sheet, sprayed with non-stick spray, add sauce and toppings.  Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  I topped ours with Walmart brand pizza sauce, canned mushrooms, canned olives, diced onions, browned breakfast turkey sausage and reduced fat cheese.  I served with a side of baked veggies.

Vegetarian Chili

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 1/4 oz. canned yellow corn, drained
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:

Heat olive oil in large, nonstick pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion, cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, beans, corn, tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  Stir well.  Increase heat to high and bring chili to a boil.  Cook, stirring frequently, until chili is thick and flavors are concentrated, about 5 minutes.  Spoon into bowls and serve.  I topped mine with fat free sour cream and served with whole grain saltine crackers. 

Baked Veggies

We eat a lot of veggies.  I have found that baking a large cookie sheet full of veggies is the easiest thing to do.  I coat the cookie sheet with non-stick olive oil spray and then pile on broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic cloves and whatever else I can get my hands on!  I then spray the top with non-stick olive oil spray, sprinkle with black pepper and season salt.  Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. 
**Note** If you prefer your veggies blackened, (broccoli is especially good this way) bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  

Caribbean Chicken

Ingredients:
Serves 6
2 tsp. olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. onion, chopped
1/4 C. sugar free apricot jam
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. each curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1 1/2 C. low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. coconut flavoring
Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high, add chicken pieces and saute until brown.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Saute garlic and onion in skillet until soft and golden.  Stir in jam and spices and cook one minute.  Add broth and heat through, stirring constantly.  Return chicken to sauce, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in coconut flavoring.  Serve over brown rice.

WW Grilled Cuban Chicken with Black Bean and Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings
1/2 C. orange juice
1/4 C. cilantro, fresh, chopped
3 T. lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup mango, fresh, cubed
2 T. red onion, chopped
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine orange juice, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.  Remove 1/2 C. of  mixture and place in ziplock bag.  Add chicken to bag and turn to coat.  Seal bag and refrigerate up to 12 hours.
Meanwhile, to make salsa, add beans, mango and onion to bowl of orange juice mixture.  Toss, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, coat grill with cooking spray, remove chicken from marinade, discarding remaining marinade.  Grill until chicken is done.  Spoon salsa over chicken.  I served this with sweet potatoes and baked veggies.  I have also baked this chicken in the oven.  I browned the chicken in a frying pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.  After the chicken was browned, I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. A good way to serve the leftovers is to cube the chicken and serve it on whole wheat tortillas.  Top with the leftover salsa, reduced fat cheese and fat free sour cream. 

Motivation...where does it come from?

I have been asked a lot lately where I get my motivation from.  I've been thinking about this for a few days now and thought I'd try and answer that question.  In the beginning, I didn't have a lot of motivation.  To be honest, I didn't think I'd be able to lose weight.  It was so overwhelming.  I started slow and after a few weeks, I started to see results.  That got me a little bit motivated.  A few more weeks went by and I noticed that I could walk for longer periods on the treadmill.  That was also motivating.  My husband started his weight loss journey a few months before I did and I got a lot of motivation from him.  Still to this day, when I look out the window and see him jogging into the driveway, I get motivated!  After 21 months of healthy living, it has become habit and I don't even think about skipping my exercise. My Leslie Sansone Walk at Home Dvd's keep me motivated.  She uses "real" people in her workouts, several who have lost a lot of weight.  I have become friends with many of them on Facebook.  It's motivating to walk with them and hear their stories.  Do I ever think about unhealthy food?  Oh yes...I'm a food addict...I've learned to live with my addiction, but I will never be "cured" of it.  I get my motivation from hearing other people's stories.  I have a network of friends on Facebook that I keep in close contact with.  A lot of us have struggled with our weight and have made some healthy changes and seen results.  I get my motivation from small things as well...how good it feels to cross my legs.  How good it feels to slide into a booth at a restaurant and not be afraid of not fitting.  I'm motivated by looking at old pictures of myself and remembering what it felt like to be unhealthy.  I'm motivated by being able to wear smaller sizes and no longer having to order my clothes from catalogs. I'm motivated by the sight of my son coming home from the gym, drenched in sweat...=)  I'm motivated every time I run up the stairs and remember when I couldn't make it up those stairs without huffing and puffing and hanging onto the bannister for dear life.  Healthy living in itself is a motivation.  Healthy feels SO good.  I've heard people say, " I wish I could lose weight"...or..."I don't have the willpower to do that"...or..."I'm too busy to exercise"...or..."Healthy food costs too much"... or... "I don't have time to make healthy food".  These are all excuses and not good ones either!  You can do anything you put your mind to.  I don't have a personal trainer, I don't have a cook and I'm not rich.  I'm just a typical 40 something year old, stay at home Mom who decided she was worth it and made some changes.  =)