Skinny AND tasty

I have a new favorite web site. It is called Gina's Skinny Recipes and it is fabulous. She has lovely recipes and includes point values for each. I have made several items and all have been successful.

Right now I have this banana bread baking in the oven. Can you smell it?

In other Weight Watchers news, I have now hit goal, which is exciting. I can't brag much, since I only lost 12 pounds, but I guess it is 12 pounds less than I weighed six weeks ago.

To celebrate, I bought a Weight Watchers cookbook, Healthy Cooking Basics. I had been resisting it, but it was half off, so what-the-heck. So far, I've made three recipes, two were glorious, one, the spinach with pine nuts, tasted like leather. I will say I have never been a big cooked spinach fan, unless it's surrounded by crust, eggs, cheese, and lots of butter, so it was an uphill battle.

This quinoa with butternut squash and cranberries was divine. My family also raved about the pear and cranberry crisp, but we devoured it all so quickly, I never got a picture of it.

Weight Watchers

Sigh. Yep, I am doing WW, along with the rest of the world, apparently.

This is my new favorite lunch: a WW English muffin. Half is topped with an egg white scramble with green peppers, spinach, mushrooms and onions, while the other half has peanut butter and the teensiest dab of honey.

I miss Fair food :(

Comfort food

On a recent cold, rainy day, Millie and I made short bread cookies (with sprinkles, of course) and chicken soup. Really, what else do you need on a cruddy fall day? 

More fair food

Don't let the small number of photos fool you, I just keep forgetting to take pictures! Must be because I am too excited about the food. Not pictured: deep fried pickles, mint lemonade, turkey sandwich, cherry float, quesadilla, walleye cakes,key lime pie on a stick, fudge puppy, and an elephant ear.

There is no better way to start a day at the fair than with a pair of cream-filled zeppoles. This is zeppoles order number two this year



and Strawberry and Rhubarb sundae number three.

Fair food

Deep fried Reese's Cups. Of course.

Pizza on the grill

My first successful attempt at grilling pizza. Previous attempts ended up with the bottom looking like charcoal and tasting like what I can only imagine charcoal tastes like, but this pizza was delightful. Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil (thanks Sarah!), onion and and tomato sauce. Simple and summery.

Cupcakes

I give up. The perfect recipe for moist, home-baked cupcakes continues to elude me. I now know that paying $4 for a Sprinkles cupcake is justifiable because it is nearly impossible to replicate that kind of soft, fluffy goodness at home.

Alas, my festive cupcakes turned out dry but cute. The kids didn't seem to mind.