Feed Hunger, Feel Feelings--go figure!!

B E L I E V E ! ! !

Week of January 18 to 24, 2009

Another lesson to be learned from the Philadelphia Eagles…sometimes, despite careful planning and preparation, you blow it. What’s the lesson? Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again. Thankfully, pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month…GO PHILLIES!!

FOLLOW UP ON LAST WEEK: We learned to enhance our eating satisfaction by using our daily target point number and our 35 weekly points allowance to increase our satisfaction and, as a result, reducing or eliminating that feeling of being deprived. Never having the food we really like will eventually sabotage us; let’s learn moderation so that we can be successful for the long haul!

THIS WEEK: We’ll learn the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger, and we’ll explore avenues to manage the emotional eating. Imagine how different life will be when we address THAT issue successfully?!?!

DON’T FORGET!! Join Kathy Wickert from the Camp Hill Giant Cooking School this Saturday, January 24th to sample some low point, low calorie treats that you can serve at your upcoming Super Bowl parties! Get free recipes, too! Party time is from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the WW Gateway Center in Mechanicsburg (located conveniently next to the Outback Steakhouse on the Carlisle Pike…). Email me at mawwleader@yahoo.com if you want to attend because registration is required!

RELAY FOR LIFE AND “TEAM GI JOES”: Yep, it’s that time again, so mark your calendars. The American Cancer Society Relay for Life will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20 from 12:00 noon til 12:00 noon at Trinity High School in Camp Hill. Team GI Joes, organized last year in honor of my brother, Joe, who is battling cancer, will again participate. New members are welcome! Email me at mawwleader@yahoo.com if you’re interesting in joining our team! An organizational team meeting will be scheduled in February (date to be announced).

WAHOO AND CONGRATULATIONS TO…

10% goal: Rebecca and Sue from the Tuesday AM Giant meeting; Gary from Thursday PM Gateway
Major milestones: Phyllis and Rebecca from Tuesday AM Giant meeting
Weight goal: Melissa from AMES True Temper
Lifetime member:

RECIPES OF THE WEEK: How about some warm, delicious soups for these cold, bitter days!

Potato Soup
2 pts per cup

2 cans chicken broth
1 C water
1 package of fat free gravy mix (white gravy mix)
1 package of o’brien hash brown potatoes

Boil broth and water. Add gravy mix and stir with wire whisk. Add frozen potatoes. Cook until potatoes are done. Yummy!!

“Homemade” Chicken Noodle Soup
(uses WW Chicken and Noodles side dish)
Makes 6 cups at 2 pts each

2 cans fat free chicken broth
1 C diced carrots
1 C diced celery

Boil until veggies are tender. Then add :

¾ lb cooked, diced boneless chicken breast
2 C water
1 package WW Chicken Side package

Bring to boil; simmer 10 minutes untl noodles are soft.

Cabbage Roll Soup
makes 10 1 1/3 C servings at 4 pts per serving)

1 pound ground round
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
1 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans beef consommé -- undiluted--10.5 ounces per can
2 cans diced tomatoes -- undrained--14.5 ounces per can
1/2 cup uncooked converted rice

Brown meat in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; drain well. Place meat in a 4-quart electric slow cooker; stir in water and next 10 ingredients. Cover; cook on low-heat for 8 hours. Increase heat setting to high; stir in rice. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes or until rice is
tender.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone
12 servings at 2 pts each

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium carrots – sliced (1 cup)
2 medium celery stalks – chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion – chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 ounces)
2 garlic cloves – finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces) undrained*
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta – 4 ½ ounces
Shredded Parmesan if desired

Mix all ingredients in 4 – 5 quart slow cooker except pasta and cheese. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7-8 hours or until veggies are tender. Stir in pasta, cover and cook on high heat setting 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese. (add points for cheese)

Slow Cooker Wild Rice Soup
Makes 8 cups at 3 pts per serving

1/2 Cup wild rice – dry
1/2 Cup shredded carrot
3 Cans fat-free chicken broth
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves -- cut into 1" pieces
1/2 Cup chopped celery -- approx. 1 stalk
1/2 Cup chopped onion -- approx. 1 medium onion
8 ounces spinach leaves, whole
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 Cup flour

Stir together all ingredients except spinach, sour cream and flour in slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW for 10-12 hrs. or until chicken and rice are tender. Just before serving, stir together sour cream and flour in small bowl until smooth. Increase heat to HIGH. Add the spinach and slowly stir sour cream mixture into hot soup mixture, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened and creamy (6 to 10 min.).

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

16 Ounces chicken breast halves without skin – cubed
30 Ounces black beans, canned – undrained
30 Ounces mexican-style stewed tomatoes – canned
1 Cup salsa
4 Ounces chopped green chiles
14 1/2 Ounces tomato sauce
2 Cups reduced fat cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except cheese and tortilla chips into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. To serve, put a handful of chips into each individual bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with 1/4 cup cheese.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 248 Calories; 4g Fat (13.2% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 1215mg Sodium.
Serving Ideas : Would be good with a dollop of sour cream too.
Might also add minced garlic and cilantro to soup. Could use Monterey Jack cheese instead of the Cheddar.

Chicken-Vegetable Chowder
Makes 5 (1 ½ cup) servings at 4 pts each

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs -- cut in 1" pieces
1 cup fresh baby carrots, cut in halves -- lengthwise
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 14 1/2oz can ready-to-serve chicken broth
1 10 3/4oz.can condensed cream of chicken & broccoli soup -- 98% Fat Free, with 30% less sodium
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 9 oz. pkg. Green Giant Harvest Fresh Cut Broccoli -- thawed

In 3 1/2 to 4-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker, combine chicken, carrots, mushrooms, onion, water, garlic powder, thyme and broth; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain fat from slow cooker. In small bowl, combine soup, milk and flour; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Add soup mixture and broccoli to chicken mixture. Cover; cook an additional 30 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Turkey-Tomato Soup
Makes 6 servings at 5 pts each

1 pound turkey thighs, boned, skinned -- cut into 1" pieces (2 medium)
2 small red potatoes -- cubed (or white)
1 3/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup water
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce -- (1 can)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients, except parsley, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 9 to 10 hours. Stir in parsley; serve.

Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings at 2 pts each

16 ounces navy beans -- rinsed
8 cups water
1 cup carrots -- finely chopped
1 cup celery -- finely chopped & leaves
1/2 cup onion -- finely chopped
1 cup tomato vegetable cocktail juice
1 tablespoon chicken-flavor instant bouillon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine beans and water. Bring to a boil. Boil 30 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. In slow cooker, combine beans (and water) and all remaining ingredients; mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or until beans and vegetables are very tender.

White Bean and Green Chile Pepper Soup
Makes 5 servings at 4 pts each

30 ounces great northern beans, canned -- (2 - 15 oz. cans) rinsed and drained
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
4 1/2 ounces diced green chiles -- (1 can)
1 teaspoon ground cumin – divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
14 1/2 ounces fat-free chicken broth -- (1 can)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sour cream – optional

Combine beans, onion, chilies, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and garlic powder in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 8 hours or on HIGH 4 hours. Stir in cilantro, olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Garnish with sour cream, if desired. Makes 5 servings.

White Chili
Makes 6 (1 1/3 C servings at 6 pts each

1 pound dry great northern beans, rinsed and sorted
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (4-oz) chopped green chilies
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt

Place beans in a soup kettle or Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Place beans in a slow cooker. Add the broth, onions, garlic, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are almost tender. Add the chilies, chicken and salt; cover and cook for 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Serve with cheese (if desired – must add the points!)

GREG'S JOKE FOR THE WEEK: A dog was chasing a neighboring cat around the block. The dog soon had the cat flattened. What did the cat say...? Me-Owww!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: If I had a dime for every time someone tells me that they’re overweight “because they just love to eat,” I would be a very rich woman. It always amazes me that people don’t see the giant, waving RED FLAG of emotional eating in that statement! When you eat for reasons other than hunger, there is an emotion tied to it. You might not recognize it as such, but there is emotion involved. “Whenever I’m around cake, I have to eat it.” Sorry—not true! We remember having no self control over a particular food because we seem to surround ourselves with that same food every time we’re emotionally challenged. Can you see, then, how we might come to the conclusion that we “just can’t be around it?”” Remove emotion from the equation, and we will react in a very different way. Remove a trigger food from our environment when we are emotionally challenged, and we make a completely different choice. Sometimes the food BRINGS UP a particular emotion, which then results in our so-called lack of control. I’m going to make this sound simple, although we all know it is not, but changing emotional eating starts with choosing different internal dialogue: “I choose not to let this cake rule me” VERSUS “Oh my God, there’s cake in the house, and I don’t know how I’m going to handle it.” Hmmm…very different messages, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s start there this week…when you’re feeling mesmerized or “possessed” by a particular food, listen to what you’re saying to yourself. CHANGE THE MESSAGE, over and over again. This isn’t a one-time deal, kids. This involves repetitive new message and repetitive new behavior—that’s how we go so good at what we currently do, right? We’ve been doing it over and over again for years. So, let’s get to work. Fill in the blank with YOUR challenging food, and repeat this over and over again: _____________________ does not OWN me. Good work!