What was your favourite meal?

One of the dishes that contributed to my weight gain was the delicious spinach dip appetizers that are served at a variety of restaurants. Mmm... gobs of melted cheese with just enough spinach for flavour, served with nachos or deep fried pita points or some other calorie-laden concoction. I'm definitely a carb and cheese addict so this was right up my alley. I decided to try and find a way to make something similar but NS friendly. At first, it seemed almost impossible!

Cream of Broccoli Soup (Lunch):


I started by adding 2 squares of Laughing Cow Cheese light to the soup mix, and then pouring slightly less than the usual amount of hot water into the cup and covering it and letting it stand. In the meantime, I thawed 3 cubes of frozen diced spinach and microwaved them with a little garlic. When the soup was ready (it's much thicker than usual with the LC cheese and the reduced water), I stirred in the spinach and put it in the microwave. If you have a carb serving, now's the time to grab some Guiltless Gourmet Garlic & Herb pita chips and enjoy the dip with them. If not, pick up a Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast and spoon some dip on top (sprinkle with a tiny bit of shredded cheese) and then heat. The rest of the dip is delicious over steamed asparagus, green beans, or broccoli. Just like the Flame Broiled Beef Patty, the Grilled Chicken Breast can be used as a protein serving in conjunction with another entree if you don't add the carb. Of course, you can always use your own serving of grilled chicken breast as long as it meets the dairy/protein requirements of 100 calories or less, 3g of fat or less, 7g of protein or more.

I really enjoyed this dip- it definitely satiated my craving for something fatty and cheesy. And believe me, when you're coming off a zero loss week, sometimes all you want to do is stuff your face, stupid as that is.


Chicken A La King (Lunch):


Sorry about the terrible picture- I must have moved the camera while I was taking it. This is a discontinued Nutrisystem lunch item that I thought was pretty good. It is chicken and noodles in a creamy sauce. It wasn't anything special but I enjoyed it and would eat it again. I have 4 left I think but I probably won't be seeking it out like other discontinued items such as the Beef Tacos and Microwave Chocolate Cake.


Mushroom Risotto (Dinner):


For the past week, I've been switching up my lunches and dinners to try and get my metabolism moving again. So this gave me a protein to use with my dinner, so I decided to have the risotto with extra cremini mushrooms as a side dish instead of an entree. I ate one of the salmon burgers I mentioned in my previous post with my dinner carb serving along with it. Boy, was I stuffed after lunch! This meal had 44 grams of protein and you really noticed it. I had a hard time coming up with words to describe the risotto. It is zesty but not spicy, and very yummy. My husband tasted it and he described it as rich, flavourful, and very satisfying. I'll be ordering it again. I think you'll have to try this one for yourself to see if you like it- it's very unique. I know what you're thinking; usually unique means bad, tactfully. But that really isn't the case here!

If you're hungry and you know it...

Occasionally I've been having trouble with being hungry again. I know it's not helping that I'm not getting enough sleep, because when I'm tired, my body has stronger urges to eat so I have enough energy to make it through the day. I also saw an article in Men's Health that said people gained 55% more weight in their abdomen when they got fewer than six hours of sleep at night. I'll really be happy when my son starts to sleep through the night! He'll do it when he's ready but I hope it will be soon.

So, to alleviate my hunger pangs, I started thinking of more creative ways to use my dairy/protein servings. I miss soups, which are usually very high in fat and sodium, so I found a way to make one of my favourites NS friendly. Nutrisystem has several Asian inspired entrees, and this would be a perfect appetizer to go along with one or just as a yummy snack during the day.


Egg Drop Soup (Powerfuel):


2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 egg
1 chopped green onion
1 tsp cornstarch blended with cold water until smooth
1 drop dark soy sauce (optional)

Heat the chicken broth until boiling on the stove, then stir in the cornstarch and allow soup to thicken. Crack your egg in a bowl and stir gently with a fork but no need to blend. Pour the egg into the broth and stir. Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for a few minutes before pouring it into a bowl and topping with green onions. If desired, add a tiny bit of dark soy sauce- that stuff is powerful so you really don't need much! This counts as a Powerfuel plus free foods. It is packed with protein and low calorie so it will definitely curb those hunger pangs, not to mention being so quick and easy to make.

Orange Chicken Breast with Vegetables & Rice (Dinner):


The soup was delicious as an appetizer for this meal, but I wasn't really a big fan of the orange chicken. Unlike most NS rice entrees, though, there was lots of it in this meal which was nice. I just didn't really care for the sauce. It was filling and edible but not one of my favourite meals.


Fettuccine Alfredo (Lunch):


With all the other yummy lunches out there, I've been kind of avoiding the 9 fettuccine alfredos I have sitting in my cupboard. I really liked this at first but I've found so many meals I like better that this one had kind of fallen by the wayside. Today I tried a recipe I found on the NS boards to jazz it up a bit and I think I'll be eating it a little more often again! It's not very photogenic but it sure tastes good!

Beef Stroganoff:

1 pkg Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pkg Flame Broiled Beef Patty
low sodium beef broth (to fill line)
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
cremini mushrooms, chopped
onions, chopped
garlic to taste
chives to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil the beef broth and use it instead of water to make the Fettuccine Alfredo; cover and set aside. Rehydrate the Flame Broiled Beef Patty (I used the remaining broth for this as well) and set aside. Spray a pan with PAM and fry the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender. Dice the Beef Patty into little pieces and add to the vegetable pan. Pour in the sour cream and stir in the chives (I use freeze dried). Add the Fettuccine Alfredo and stir until blended; allow to thicken. If desired, top with a little Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

I'll admit that I used to really love Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. Salty, fatty, but quick and delicious. This meal doesn't have quite the same flavour as the boxed one, but it has a delicious flavour all its own. I really enjoyed it.

*sigh*

No loss this week. I'm not sleeping very well and have been stressed out with some family stuff, so I don't know if that affected things. The worst part is, I haven't even cheated! You'd think at least if I have to go through the crushing disappointment of not losing anything, that I'd have gotten to do something to enjoy it, eh?

I hope I haven't plateaued already because I still have a long way to go. I'll just have to start changing things up and getting more exercise in- I refuse to allow this to derail me.

I started off today by switching my lunch and dinners, as recommended by the Nutrisystem counselors. I am not really sure how it helps, but it doesn't hurt to try it. I've also decided to give up one of my additional carb servings daily and see if that helps.

I was at the grocery store yesterday, and I found a fantastic option for a dairy/protein, one that is definitely worth saving my extra carb serving for! I picked up a box of Compliments Balance Wild Salmon Burgers- 120 calories, 3g of fat, and a whopping 21g of protein. It is slightly over the stats for a dairy/protein (capped at 100 calories with minimum 7g of protein) but I think the additional protein more than makes up for it. So for lunch today I had my dinner entree (the Lasagna, yum!), and for dinner I am going to have the salmon burger and Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes with steamed asparagus and green beans. I'm looking forward to it!

Hopefully I can break through this quickly- it gets disheartening to work so hard and feel like it's all for nothing. Funny how the Daily Dose tends to have such appropriate things for me at just the right time... it gives me hope that other people have walked the same path and gotten caught at similar times. And if they can get through it, so can I.

The last of the cherries!

I finally made it through the last of the cherries (of course, it helped that I enjoyed the cheesecake so much that I made another one for dessert tonight!).

I saw this recipe and decided to give it a try. I'm not a big fan of oatmeal but I believe in trying everything once. After all, you never know, right?

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal (Breakfast):


Stuffed Oatcakes

1 pkg Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1/4 tsp baking powder

2oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp sugarfree syrup

In a small bowl mix the oatmeal and the water. Cook in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, add in egg beaters and baking powder and combine. Heat a non stick skillet and spray with cooking spray. Use the batter to make 2 pancakes about the same size. While they are cooking mix together the cream cheese and the syrup. Place one oat cake on your plate and top with cream cheese mixture, followed by the next oat cake. Drizzle with additional syrup or fruit if desired.

Honestly- this was not one of my favourite breakfasts. It wasn't bad- just not to my taste. I prefer the more pastry-like sweet breakfasts. I do think this would work well as a savory breakfast, though. Instead of the cream cheese, add a slice of fat free cheese, an egg, and maybe a piece of veggie sausage so it's almost like the McDonalds McGriddle. I may have to try that next time!

Cherry Overload!

Well, I had to get through that can of sugarfree cherry pie filling I opened, right? So cherry everything it is until then! I am really enjoying my experimentations with it though- so far everything's been really yummy!

This recipe is very similar to the Blueberry Ricotta Danish I posted about before, using the Blueberry Pancake Mix, but modified so you can enjoy chocolate with your cherries. The inspiration is from the NS boards.

Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (Breakfast):


Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake Bun

1 pkg Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
1 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp + 2tsp Splenda
1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 c buttermilk
2-3 tbsp SF cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve casserole dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 tsp of the dry pancake mix, 2 tsp Splenda and 1/4 tsp vanilla. In another small bowl, stir together the pancake mix, buttermilk, and remaining Splenda and vanilla. Pour the batter into the casserole dish. Drop the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter, then top with pie filling. Bake until done (about 20-25 minutes) Let cool before eating.

I liked this but preferred the danish with ricotta cheese as opposed to cream cheese. I found that it kept the bun moist and light while this was a little drier. I would consider making some kind of sauce (perhaps thickening a Da Vinci or Torani vanilla or chocolate syrup?) and drizzling it on top.


This dessert isn't quite the real thing, but it's close enough that you can definitely close your eyes and pretend. It's also in a big enough serving that I actually felt like a glutton for eating it all, but low calorie enough that you can enjoy every bite guilt free.

Flex Meals (Dessert):

The guidelines for a flex dessert are:

Dessert

1 Dairy Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving

NY Style Cheesecake


1 large graham cracker, crushed into crumbs
2 oz fat free cream cheese
2 tbsp light ricotta cheese
1 tbsp vanilla Greek yogurt
2 1/2 tbsp Splenda
1 1/2 tbsp Egg Beaters
1/2 tsp lemon juice or vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp of fruit or sugarfree pie filling
1-2 tbsp fat free whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together cheeses, yogurt, Splenda, juice/extract and Egg Beaters and stir until well blended. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray (I used a mini silicone loaf pan). Add in the graham cracker crumbs and shake around to coat bottom of dish. Pour cheesecake filling into dish and put the dish into a larger oven safe dish and add water about half way up the side of the mini pan in the larger dish to create a water bath. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes, then turn off toaster oven or oven and let it sit in the oven for 10 minutes. I put mine in the fridge to let it set while I had dinner, and then topped with the cherry filling and whipped cream.

I honestly thought when I looked at the recipe on the NS boards that this was going to taste like crap. I mean, I couldn't even imagine that this would produce something even similar to that rich, cheesecake flavour that I love. I fully expected to be pitching it and choosing a different dessert!

Boy, was I ever pleasantly surprised. The texture is perfect and the flavour is very close. Does it have that heavy taste? No, it's not quite as dense, but as long as you aren't eating it right after eating a piece of the good stuff (and who does that?), I think you'll find this a delicious substitute!

Cinco de Mayo!

OK, so I'm a few weeks late! I love Mexican food and I've been trying to find as many ways as possible to enjoy it while on NS (if anyone at Nutrisystem Headquarters is reading- bring back the Beef Tacos!!!!). I read about a great way to adapt the veggie fajita into a delicious Mexican dinner.

Vegetable Fajita (Dinner):


Make it into Mexican lasagna, of course!


1 pkg vegetable fajita
chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes
8 oz water
garlic powder, pepper, chili powder, and cumin (to taste)
1 tbsp green chilis
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce
1 tortilla
1/2 cup cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
chopped green onions and tomatoes for garnish

In a pan, saute chopped onions, bell peppers, 8 oz water, fajita mix, spices, and chilis until thickened. Add enchilada sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cut tortilla in six equal triangles, then start layering into lasagna, alternating tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and fajita mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and garnish with sour cream, diced tomatoes, and green onions.

This is SO filling and delicious. I was stuffed by the time I finished the bowl. The best part is, since everyone gets to add a carb with the veggie fajita, anyone can enjoy this recipe. I happen to be one of those nuts who like the fajita just the way it is, but it is definitely improved when served like this!

Flex Meals (Breakfast):

Here are the stats for a breakfast on your own:

Breakfast

1 Dairy Serving
1 Lean Protein Serving
1 Fruit Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving

I got this recipe idea off the NS boards, and while it's not very photogenic- it's delicious! It does require some prep time though so unless you're lucky enough to be on maternity leave like I am, you might want to save it for a weekend treat.

Cherry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast Bowl


2 pieces of low calorie wheat bread
2 oz fat free cream cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Splenda
1/4 cup + 1 tsp Egg Beaters
1/4 cup fat free milk

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Splenda
1/3 c sugar free cherry pie filling

Spray a single serving casserole dish with PAM spray. In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with lemon juice, 1 tbsp Splenda, and 1 tsp Egg Beaters. Set it aside. In another small bowl mix together 1/4 cup Egg Beaters, milk, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of Splenda. In the casserole dish, break up one slice of bread into small chunks. Top it with the cream cheese mixture. Add the cherry pie filling, then the next slice of bread, also broken into chunks. Pour the egg mixture on top and press the bread down well to make sure all the egg mixture soaks up into it. Spray the top with some cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven before you devour it!

Will someone please tell me how it is possible to eat such yummy things for breakfast and still lose weight? Bueller?


And here's another review of a tasty NS dessert item. Don't forget that chocolate melts during the summer so if you want to order some of these, do it soon!

Thin Mint Crisp Bar (Dessert):


Yum! This is basically a chocolate granola bar with mint flavouring drizzled with chocolate. I do like the Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar better but that's because I prefer just plain chocolate. I do enjoy this for a change of pace though- definitely give it a try if you like mint.

Why is all the good stuff discontinued???

I made a fantastic dessert today that I had to share!



Black Forest Cake has always been one of my favourite desserts. In fact, as you can probably tell from this blog, I have a major sweet tooth and I love cakes and pastries, period! I was really excited to find a way to make this cake NS friendly but also delicious.

Black Forest Cake

1 pkg Microwave Chocolate Cake Mix
1 tsp cocoa
2 tsp Splenda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tbsp fat free whipped cream
1/3 cup sugar free cherry pie filling

Mix all ingredients together well and then pour into two small greased baking dishes. Microwave each one separately at 50% power for 90 seconds and allow to cool in the refrigerator. Use a knife to gently loosen the cooled cake and place one cake on a plate. Spread the whipped cream on the cake and pour the cherry filling on top. Add the top half of the cake and add a puff of whipped cream and a cherry. Enjoy!


So again- why is Nutrisystem getting rid of all these yummy items? Fortunately, you can still occasionally find these in Big Lots stores or on eBay. If you can't, you can always take one of the new Chocolate Cakes and cut it in half and use that (although they're smaller so it might be difficult to fit all the cherry filling inside!).

Back on track!

I weighed in with a loss of 2.2lbs this week, bringing my total loss to 35lbs in 15 weeks. That is definitely something to be proud of! I am only 5lbs away from getting my next Nutribear.


The wedding on Friday was lovely. I also had my next Non Scale Victory- I did manage to fit into my old dress so I didn't have to buy a new one! The dinner was difficult, though. During cocktail hour, I stuck to diet Coke, but it was hard to pass up all the delicious hors d'oeuvres! I had one piece of grilled chicken on a skewer and avoided all the fried, cheesy things.

The meal was a little hard to handle, though. The first course was cream of broccoli soup, which of course was a no-go. Dan was happy for two servings, though! The salad was very good- mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette. For dinner, I chose salmon, which came served with mini potatoes, vegetables, and a rich cream sauce *sigh*. I ate about half the fish after scraping off as much sauce as possible, two little potatoes, and all the vegetables and I was full. When the waitress put a chocolate drizzled crepe filled with ice cream and strawberries in front of me, I had one bite and ignored the rest. I also had half a glass of sauvignon blanc with dinner.

So, I didn't do wonderfully, but I enjoyed my meal and managed to survive my next date with the scale. And I got to have a wonderful evening with my husband and friends.

Mmm... chocolate...

I got a tip from the message boards that I hadn't even considered- since the Nutrisystem food is shelf stable and shipped in cardboard boxes, chocolate items tend to melt in the summer. Stock up now before it gets too hot out! I decided just to order 2 months' worth of food now and I'm going to delay through the hot part of the summer.

I made it a goal to try just about everything that NS offers so that I could review it here. I've tried a few new things this order and was pleasantly surprised.

Tomato & Corn Chowder (Lunch):


Why was this discontinued??? It's rich and zesty and filled with flavour. Much, much better than the Creamy Tomato Soup. Fortunately, it's still findable at Big Lots stores in the US and I've been able to buy it from other NS clients.


Cinnamon Swirl Granola Bar (Breakfast):


I took one look at this and it was reminiscent of the Apple Granola Bar that ended up in the trash. I took a bite, and fortunately, it was much better. It still wasn't one of my favourite breakfasts but it was edible. I'm not crazy about NS granola bars as a general rule, although I do like the Chocolate Chip one. This bar was sweet and cinnamon-y.


Vegetable Beef Soup (Lunch):


Now this was the big surprise. I wasn't expecting to like this but it was delicious! Full of beef and potato chunks and lots of vegetables. I used to love to eat beef stew with big chunks of sourdough bread and butter. Obviously I can't do that anymore but I think I may save my breakfast carb and my dinner fat to go with this meal in the future. It was very satisfying and I added more to my auto delivery.


I have my next hurdle tomorrow- one of my best friends is getting married. And yes, there's an open bar, which in the past I would have loved to partake. I'm thinking that at this stage of my weight loss though, it's not really worth it. For one night of fun, I'll probably have a zero loss this week if I drink a bunch of empty calories and I want to keep going towards my next Nutribear. I may even skip that slice of wedding cake! Hopefully the food won't be too unhealthy (it's a plated dinner, not a buffet). Either way, I'm sure it'll be a fun night and I'm looking forward to celebrating with him and his new wife.

I have a friend who is also trying to lose weight, but every time something comes up she tells me "It's a special occasion" and goes to town- drinks, dessert, and an unhealthy meal. I can sympathize with her outlook, but there is always going to be something going on- that's life. We are always going to be faced with temptations to give in and settle back into our old habits.

Don't get me wrong- I don't think celebrating once in a while is a bad thing. But I think it really does need to be something out of the ordinary and an infrequent occurrence. Eating like that is one reason that we all got the way we are, and to make this a permanent lifestyle change, we have to find ways to cope with temptation. Like Ashley said on the Biggest Loser this past week- we've changed, but the factors that helped us get overweight have not. They'll still be there long after we reach goal, and we need to be able to deal with them. Our journeys don't end when we finish losing weight- that's when the real work begins.

Happy Mother's Day!

I weighed in today and only had a very small loss but after having such a big week last week, and feeling a little bloated, I was expecting a low week and that's OK. What matters is the overall picture and the scale is still going down!

Today's my first Mother's Day and I couldn't be happier. Well, maybe with a good night's sleep once in a while but it's all part of being a parent!

Matthew gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses and daisies and a sweet card, with Daddy's help. I hope all the moms out there are having a lovely day!

Would you like fries with that?

Who doesn't miss McDonalds? Yes, their food is crap, but there is something comforting about biting into a greasy hamburger from there, at least for me. Maybe this explains why I'm so overweight? :)

I set out to recreate my old nemesis, the Big Mac. Surprisingly, I came pretty close!



One of the counselors at Nutrisystem sparked this idea for me. She told me that the hamburger patty can count as a protein if you don't add the bun, so for a treat I could have a double hamburger (because it does get kind of expensive to eat two entrees in one evening). Two patties made me think of a Big Mac, so it only remained to figure out the best way to make it!

I started by toasting a low calorie whole wheat hamburger bun, plus an extra bottom piece to make the third piece of bread. The rest of the idea was easy- a slice of cheese, lettuce, and onions (plus pickle if you like it but I don't). But wait- how was I going to make the Big Mac sauce? That stuff is deadly. I thought about the flavours, and took 1 tbsp of mayonnaise (my fat serving, but use fat free or reduced fat if you prefer), 2 tbsp of fat free thousand island dressing, and 1 tsp of relish. The flavour was pretty close!

Next- we can't have fries, but onion rings are a pretty good substitute. I saw this recipe on the Nutrisystem boards so I went out and bought a Spanish onion. Unfortunately when I cut into it, it was weird and did not have rings, so I decided to just make onion patties instead by cutting them into slices and breading those. Take a few spoonfuls of whole wheat breadcrumbs and spice them with your favourite seasonings (I like Italian spice) and dip the onion rings in Eggbeaters, then into the breadcrumbs. Spray with a little PAM spray, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, and serve with the rest of the Big Mac sauce.



My husband took one look at my plate and said "That can't be OK." I wouldn't have this every day, but boy does it hit the spot if you have a fast food craving!

If you don't get an extra carb serving with dinner, I suggest having a lunch like the Chicken or Tuna Salad and putting it over veggies and saving that carb serving for the breadcrumbs and the extra piece of hamburger bun. It's worth it!

Couldn't wait to share!

My bears are here! Just the first two, of course- I won't get my 30lb bear until my next auto delivery which is scheduled for May 28. I delayed it because I bought so much stuff from other people that I don't really have room for more food. I like having more than 4 weeks' worth at a time though so I never run out of my favourites!

I wasn't going to post today but I have a recipe to share that is absolutely phenomenal- please immediately rush out and make it, and tell me it isn't the most delicious thing you've ever had. I am so sad that I have only one Blueberry Pancake Mix left until the end of the month- anyone have any they don't want???

Before I get to the recipe (tantalizing you with anticipation!), here is a review.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (Lunch):




There are two photos here because this item has been reformulated. Fortunately, the one that sucks is no longer being made. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell what you're going to get. Nutrisystem is continuing to send out the old ones until they run out of them.

The yummy ones are the bars coated entirely in chocolate. They are delicious and only a whopping 10 calories more than the plain bars. They are rich, peanut-y, and very filling. One of my favourite lunches. When I opened a plain one yesterday, I was surprised- what was this? I double checked the package and then called NS, where I found out I was holding a pre-reformulation bar. It was just okay- nothing special. If they hadn't reformulated it, this would not stay on my auto delivery, I'd just get the fudge graham bar instead. If you love peanut butter, definitely try this (and hope you get the new one!).

Blueberry Pancake Mix (Breakfast):


I got this recipe off the Nutrisystem boards and it is amazing. I was dubious about the ricotta cheese but it worked perfectly and tasted better. You could also make this with the plain Pancake Mix and sub in dried fruit of whatever jam you put on top.

1 NS Blueberry Pancake Mix
2 tsp Splenda
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp dried blueberries
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 c buttermilk

Filling:
2 tbsp light ricotta cheese
2 tsp Splenda
1 tsp pancake mix(dry, reserved from mix above)
1 tbsp SF blueberry jam

Combine all the batter ingredients and mix well- it's pretty runny. Pour into a greased single serving casserole dish. Mix the ricotta, Splenda, and pancake mix together and drop it into the centre of the batter. Top with the spoonful of jam and bake at 350. My danish took 20 minutes to cook because I used a smaller deep dish, so baking time will vary depending on the size and shape of the pan you use.

Let it cool, and try not to devour it in 10 seconds once you take the first bite!

A new bear!

I was hoping to earn a new bear this week, although the results were a little in doubt since last week I only lost 1.6lbs. Well, I blew it away; FOUR pounds! I had to weigh myself twice to make sure! I haven't lost four pounds since my first week on Nutrisystem! I have been doing more walking with the baby since the weather's been nice, and this is definitely encouragement to keep it up. I am really excited. And only eight pounds to my next bear!

I tried some more new things this week. I also noticed when I was going over my tags that some of the things I eat on a regular basis were never reviewed- silly me! I am going to make an effort to check that everything I like is here, and hopefully I'll start getting pictures in of the things I don't really care for as well. Not because they're bad- they're just not to my taste. I've never been a cold cereal person, for example. But that's the nice thing about Nutrisystem- there's something for everyone. And lots of chocolate- everyone loves chocolate!


Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (Breakfast):


Mmm... why on earth did they discontinue this?? You can still frequently find it on eBay. Yes, it may be expired, but it's a mix, so I'm not too worried. It tastes just fine to me! The pancakes were delicious with sugarfree syrup. This is going to become one of my favourite breakfasts. *runs off to scour eBay for more mix*

And here they are as donuts, following the recipe in my previous post. Of course, two got eaten before I thought to take a photo! Also delicious, but more along the lines of chocolate chip cupcakes than donuts as they were less dense. Maybe a bit less liquid is needed in this version.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (Dessert):


I was really hoping for something similar to the lunch Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, which is delicious! When I opened the wrapper, it already looked different since it wasn't covered with chocolate. By itself, it was OK, but compared to the lunch bar it was just meh. Probably not something I'll order again since there are so many desserts I do like.

Greek Yogurt (Dairy/Protein Ideas):


Mmm. I read about this all the time on the NS boards but it seems that while Greek yogurt is plentiful in the US, it's pretty hard to find here in Ontario. I did finally manage to locate a Sobey's that carries the Liberte 0% brand, and I decided to give it a try. On the NS boards, people recommend stirring in a spoonful or so of Jello fat free sugar free pudding mix, so I tried it with vanilla and then put it over fresh strawberries and crumbled graham crackers for a carb serving. It was delicious! Very rich and creamy, as well as insanely high in protein so it was filling. It's not cheesecake, but it's close enough to make me happy for the time being. Speaking of which- I have ordered Jello cheesecake pudding mix to try with this!