Slim People in Progress

Hungry Girl Blueberry Pancakes

Oh my, these pancakes ROCK!  They were posted on yesterday's Hungry Girl Newsletter.  They sounded so good I had to make them.  They are fantastic!  I'm sure Lisa (the Hungry Girl) wouldn't mind me sharing them here:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup regular oats (not instant or steel cut)
1/4 cup blueberries
3 tbsp. egg whites
1 tbsp. nonfat milk
1 tbsp. fat-free cottage cheese
1 tbsp. flour (I subbed reduced -fat Bisquick)
2 tbsp. water
pinch salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except for the blueberries and stir until well mixed. Gently fold in blueberries. In a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, drop batter into pan to form 3 pancakes (or 1 big pancake). Once pancakes begin to look solid (about 3 minutes), gently flip (if possible, re-spritz the pan with nonstick spray as you flip 'em to prevent sticking). Cook for approximately 3 additional minutes, or until both sides are lightly browned and insides are cooked through. Now plate those suckers and enjoy.  Serves 1. (Pssst...we like 'em drizzled with sugar-free maple syrup!)
   
Serving Size: Entire recipe
Calories: 195
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 295mg
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 13g
*3 Points

Recipe: Green Bean Salad

I was invited to a potluck dinner the other day.  Knowing that most of the dishes would be high-calorie, I started scouring my Weight Watchers cookbooks for salad dishes.  If you like arugula, you'll love this salad.

Green Bean Salad with Creamy Tomato Vinaigrette*

• 1 pound fresh young green beans, trimmed
• 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine or cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fat-free mayonaise
• 1 teaspoon yellow or grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 bunches arugula, cleaned

Place the beans in a steamer basket set in a saucepan oaver 1 inch of boiling water.  Cover tightly and steam until tender but still bright green, 7 minutes. Plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking.  Let stand 5 minutes; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, to prepare the vinaigrette, combine the tomato, sour cream, vinegar, broth, oil, mayonaise, mustard, salt in a small bowl.

When ready to serve, line a platter with the arugula. Heap the beans onto the center and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

This was simple, delicious salad and got rave reviews. I got my copy of the Super-Foods Cookbook on eBay.

(c) 2006. Weight Watchers Super-Foods Cookbook

Heart Health Month

Well, February is almost over, but I think it's important to remind you that February is Heart Health Month.  I received a letter from the local hospital with their annual appeal.  One thing in the letter caught my attention...the risk factors for heart disease:

• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Excess weight
• Smoker
• Family history of heart disease
• Age over 40
• high blood pressure
• physically inactive

More good reasons to keep the weight off and get moving!

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate VitaTops are Fab!

I received my order of the brand new Vitalicious VitaTop today.  If you like chocolate, you'll love the new Dark Chocolate Pomegranate VitaTops.  They are rich with a slighly fruity flavor thanks to the heart-healthy pomegranate. I could easily get in trouble with these 1 point treats.

Hydracoach tells you how much water to drink

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard about a water bottle that measures how much you drink so you can stay on track with your water consumption.  Our Weight Watchers leader told us about it last week and I had forgotten until today, when I read about it in a blog post on Cafe Glam.

The HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle

• Calculates Your Personal Hydration Needs
• Tracks Your Fluid Consumption Throughout The Day
• Paces You to Ensure Hydration Goals Are Met
• Motivates You to Stay Properly Hydrated

The HydraCoach is available on Amazon.com and comes in Burnt Orange, Smoke and Deep Blue.  What will they think of next?!