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Post by bmazzo on Aug 21, 2018 2:03:24 GMT
Each new day is definitely a new beginning!! You are not starting from scratch; you're stating with experience. Experience that makes you smarter, stronger and destined to succeed!
I was looking back to the threads from a while back, just looking for some ideas for talking points. I realized that this group has dwindled in size. I also notice that we are viewed by several people each day, sure would be nice if some of them would join our humble group!!!
Since we are on the subject of the upcoming fall season, I thought maybe we could talk about fall decorating & fall menus.
1. Do you decorate your home for fall?
2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations?
3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites?
4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe?
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle" ?
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Post by Holly Gail on Aug 21, 2018 5:39:33 GMT
1. Do you decorate your home for fall?
No.
2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations?
N/A
3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites?
I make a bean stew in the crockpot (turns out it's vegan, not just vegetarian). I don't have a favorite recipe for it; I usually google (or go through my own files) for recipes for vegetarian cholent and see what I already have in the house...
4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe?
I don't make homemade soup. I'd love some SF recipes though!
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle"?
Yes, but not since high school or maybe junior high school...
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Post by cathygeha on Aug 21, 2018 6:18:58 GMT
A new round of 7 in 7 began, July 26 and runs until September 5. It is not too late to join us. Leave your board name, first name and goal for the next 7 weeks on this thread and your name will be added to the list.
Challengers:
bmazzo/Beverly - To get out of this funk that I am in this summer!
cathygeha/Cathy - Stay OP
Cherryt38/Cherry - Mindful eating
Jalibmu/Jan - Get my head back in the game.
jasimons/Judy - choose more variety in fruits and vegetables
pamthomas46/Pam - continue mindful eating and aiming for blue
Hosts:
July 26 to August 1 Pam
August 2 to August 8 Judy
August 9 to August 15 Cathy
August 16 to August 22 Beverly
August 23 to August 29 Jan
August 30 to Sept 5 Cherry
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Post by cathygeha on Aug 21, 2018 6:22:09 GMT
It would be nice if those who look in decided to join the group...ah well...
1. Do you decorate your home for fall? No
2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations? My living room is orange, gold, red and pretty much always autumn colored.
3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites? I might return to comment...thinking chili, soups and such though it is not cold...really really cold...so don't every use the oven a lot
4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe? Not sure? Tomato from scratch or potato? Hmm...
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle" ? No
I don't have much time...supposed to be ready in 9 minutes and I am not...might come back later  |
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Post by bmazzo on Aug 21, 2018 13:36:54 GMT
1. I do decorate for fall. Like all other holidays, the decorations are less than they used to be. Seems like when there are no kidos in the house, less & less reason to decorate.
2. I guess my favorite fall decoration is a wreath that I hang on my front door each year. It was made by a friend and given to me as a gift several years ago.
3. I have posted my bean soup recipe here several times. I have modified it to be SF, DH & I both love it. In fact, he said the other day that he was looking forward to having the bean soup again this fall. I also am a great fan of chili, DH not so much.
4. My favorite soups are the bean soup mentioned above & cabbage beef. I have modified both of them to fit my program.
FUN: Yes, I have played spin the bottle when I was a teenager. That was a very, very, very long time ago.
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Post by cherryt38 on Aug 21, 2018 15:42:16 GMT
I never got to this thread yesterday, so I'll answer a few of the questions. I like fall with the cool crisp mornings, warm sunny afternoons, the colorful fall leaves, and what we call Indian Summer, which is a warming trend for a couple weeks after the first frosty nights. I really like early summer too, before it gets too hot.
I'm looking forward to corn, winter squash, potatoes, carrots. And, of course, tomatoes from the garden. I am getting some of them now.
I have ridden in a police car many times. I worked as a dispatcher at the police department for 12 years and those officers getting off shift would pick up the officers, including myself, and bring us to work. The shift coming on after our shift would take us home. Also we could get rides home for lunch or dinner and back if we didn't live too far away. However the first time I ever rode in a police car was when I was about 20 and had an accident and rolled my dad's car. The deputy sheriff that came to investigate gave me a ride back into town.
Now for today's questions:
1. Do you decorate your home for fall? ** Just a little. I have a fall wreath that I hang on the inside of my front door. I also have spring, summer, and winter ones too that I change during the different seasons. Sometimes I put a fall "vine" on an old mailbox that is fastened to an old cedar fence post by my door. The mailbox belonged to my parents and has my dad's name handwritten on it.
2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations? ** Those listed above, although I have done other things occasionally outside, such as pumpkins and bundled corn stalks.
3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites? ** No specific menus, although I do like chili in the fall.
4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe? ** I make a refried bean soup that is a favorite. I'll share the recipe in a separate post.
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle" ? ** No
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Post by cherryt38 on Aug 21, 2018 15:44:10 GMT
Smoky Refried Bean Soup
(from Fat Free Vegan)
Use the minimum amounts of chipotle chili powder and hot sauce to make this a mild dish or add more to make it as hot as you dare.
1 large onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
15 ounces fat free refried beans
15 ounces black beans, cooked
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 - 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Spray a large, non-stick pot with cooking spray, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for one more minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook until the flavors blend, 20-30 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Garnish with fresh tomato salsa and serve with baked tortilla chips (count) and a large salad.
Makes 4 large servings. Per serving: 257 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 895mg Sodium; 14g Fiber
244.5 Calories for 1.5 cups (using 1 can corn in recipe)
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Post by jasimons on Aug 21, 2018 20:07:02 GMT
1. Do you decorate your home for fall?
No.
2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations?
Sometimes I will buy a fall planter, even though I know it won't last long before the frost comes. This year, I've mainly seen just mums, which are not my favorite, so have not bought anything yet.
3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites?
I do look at recipes on the WW site to see how they make them lower in calories/points. Sometimes it is using less of an ingredient, or a low fat version (cheese) or including stronger flavors (depending on the recipe, less of a strong flavored cheese can add flavor with fewer calories. Sometimes it might involve a smaller portion or adding something to bulk up the serving size (thinking of cauliflower "rice" or the spiral vegetable noodles to increase the portion size of a dish without adding many calories.
4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe?
I think I've posted a few before, but will look through my files (paper and digital) see what I can find for soup and fall-ish dishes.
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle" ?
No.
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Post by jasimons on Aug 21, 2018 20:10:10 GMT
Butternut Squash Soup
2 butternut squash ( about 3 pounds each)
2 large onions, sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Parsley for garnish
Bake squash – cut in half, discard seeds. Put cut side down in baking pan (coat with cooking spray). Bake at 400 for 40 to 50 minutes. Cook and scoop out pulp.
In large pot, cook onion in oil and butter for 2 minutes. Add cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Cook about another 2 minutes. Add the broth, water and squash pulp. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Discard cinnamon and cool soup slightly. Blend in batches, and re-heat if needed. Garnish with parsley.
(I made a half batch of this – I didn’t have cinnamon sticks or fresh ginger, so I used about a half teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, and a half teaspoon of grated dry ginger root. Also, I used my immersion blender to blend it. Love that thing for soup!)
12 servings (3 quarts)
NI: 1 cup = 133 calories, 2 g fat, 7 gm fiber
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Post by pamthomas46 on Aug 21, 2018 23:07:15 GMT
No special decorations for fall. This thread will get me thinking about fall. Thanks for sharing the soup recipes.
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Post by jan on Aug 21, 2018 23:39:23 GMT
1. Do you decorate your home for fall? I do some decorating for fall. I bought (at a garage sale) a large grapevine cone decoration that is decorated with pumpkins and leaves. I added lights to it. I have some ceramic pumpkins that I put out at the beginning of October and leave until I decorate for Christmas. 2. What are some of your favorite fall decorations? see above. 3. Are there any fall menus that are favorites in your home, now or in the past, that you would like to share? Any favorite recipe for hearty dishes for cooler weather?? Any ideas for lightening up some of your favorites? Soups made in the crockpot. 4. What is your favorite homemade soup? Care to share the recipe?
(Lightened up) Olive Garden Style Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Recipe
35 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 8 -10
* 3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 2 cups fat free half-and-half
* 1 stalk celery, diced ( I add more celery)
* 1 garlic clove, chopped
* 1/2 carrot, shredded ( I usually add more carrot)
* 1/2 onion, diced
* 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 teaspoon thyme
* salt and pepper
* 16 ounces potato gnocchi ( I usually cut up a potato instead of the gnocchi)
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1. Saute the onion, celery, onion, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
2. Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.
4. (Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup.).
5. Ladle into bowls and serve!
This is another knockoff Olive Garden soup recipe.
Caldo Verde - sausage, kale and potato soup
Grated into the soup, the potato melts, its starch thickening the broth into a creamy winter warmer.
Makes 6 cups; 4 servings
POINTS® value 4 per serving
Ingredients
• 1 spray nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium baking potato (about 8 ounces), peeled
• 4 cups stemmed and shredded kale
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 dashes hot red pepper sauce
Instructions
1. Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray; set over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
2. Add the sausage; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the broth; bring to a simmer, stirring often.
4. Using the small holes of a box grater, grate the potato into the stew. Stir well while returning to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
5. Stir in the kale; cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and hot red pepper sauce before serving.
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups.
FUN: Have you ever played "Spin the Bottle" ? If I did, it was many, many years ago.
I have an Weight Watchers soup word doc from the old WW boards (2013) that I will be happy to send to anyone who wants it. Not current with the new point system, but lots of WW friendly recipes. I also found one created by Cathy (Lebanon) in 2012. Wow, we have been friends for a long time, Cathy, via these boards.
Give me your email and I will send it to you.
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Post by cathygeha on Aug 22, 2018 6:54:47 GMT
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