Recipe Review :: SkinnyTaste Sesame Encrusted Chicken Tenders

This recipe is a favorite in our house. I love it, kids love it, hubs loves it. They are a little time consuming, but they are so worth it in the end. When I make them I pair it with the Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks (also a HUGE hit in our house) I'll post that recipe soon too. 

Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken Tenders

Servings: 4 1/2 • Serving Size: 2 chicken tenders • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 196.9 • Fat: 9.1 g • Protein: 22.9 g • Carb: 5.7 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Sugar: 0.3 g Sodium: 400 mg

Image is from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

• 18 oz chicken tenderloins 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp course salt
• 4 tbsp panko
• olive oil spray (I used Canola oil spray)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray. Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt and panko in another. Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well. Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes longer or until cooked through.

Recipe Review :: SkinnyTaste Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

A while back the hubs started watching what he was eating and exercising pretty regularly. When he first started that he would pick up some Smart Ones from the grocery store and one of the ones he picked up and LOVED was the Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans. Well, when I saw a recipe that was kind of similar to it on SkinnyTaste.com, I knew I had to make it for him. 

I made the Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken and we both loved it. I served it over 1 cup of white rice (for an extra 5 points) and skipped the scallions on top. I also left out the cilantro - we're both not huge fans of cilantro. The picture below shows some cheese sprinkled on top.. you could do that if you wanted to (for more points) but we didn't bother and it was delicious without. 

Somehow when I made it I didn't get 8 servings, but 7 instead. Not sure why there was the difference..  This recipe will definitely be in regular rotation. 

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken 

Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g



Image from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients:

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice or in a tortilla (extra pts).

Weekly Weigh-In: Week 1

Wow. It sucks to say "week 1" since I have gone down this path so many times, but I have to put a number on it. All behaviors aside, I had a great first week. 

-3.0 pounds

I will admit I was not 100% on point all week. I had ice cream, I had coffee with unmeasured sugar (instead of my usual Splenda), I had a greasy cheeseburger, I had mini peanut butter cups. Throw all of those things together and you'd expect I wouldn't lose anything, right? Well, I realized when I add the point values of all of these untracked, unplanned foods together - I actually ate about 48 of my 49 weekly points. I've never been much of a believer of eating the weekly points since I thought I couldn't lose if I was. This is proof that I can eat my weeklies and not feel guilty about it.

I only got 2 workouts in this week - that's bad. I can say, "At least I got some sort of physical activity in." but that would be me making excuses and allowing this to continue to happen in the future. My friend Liz said one time that she eats all of her weekly points, but she makes sure to earn that many activity points. I like the idea of that! While I know it might not work for everyone - she's lost 40lbs on WW, so I trust her advice and am willing to try it. 

I have a running/dining date with my cousin on Saturday and we're planning on going to Shamrock's. Now, let me be honest here - we're going there with the intention of eating Juicy Nookie burgers. I've never had one and she's having a last hurrah/birthday week. Saturday will consume all of my weekly points and I plan on burning off that meal before I even eat it, which means I have a lot of work ahead of me this week. 

Goal for the week: Earn 49 activity points. 

I caved

Last night my overwhelming desire for ice cream defeated me. I did great all day, drank all of my water, had a great dinner (which I wasn't nearly full or satisfied from) and the pang for ice cream hit. I wish I could say I was good and I measured my serving before I ate it, but I did not. I scooped it into my bowl and ate it. I considered more for a little while, but overcame the want and went to bed instead.
I didn't let it get the best of me and screw up my points for today. I continued with my great breakfast, drinking my water and getting in a workout.
So what I screwed up a little... I didn't let it ruin me. I'm just being real and honest - that's a turnaround for myself.

Oh, How Pinteresting

I totally stole this idea from my niece, Christine. She's posts over at Momma B - go check her out! Turns out she links up to The Vintage Apple, where I'll have to link to as well.
Not sure if there are rules or guidelines for this, but it seems like a lot of people post between 5-10 things that they've pinned. I'll kind of go with that for now. Maybe next week I'll have some stuff that I pinned and MADE!

Strawberry Orange Sorbet? Yes, please!

Something I need to remind my self of.

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. Yum! I'll have to make this soon!

Fabulous and Skinny, Shanghai Chicken Salad - ok, obviously I shouldn't be pinning while hungry

I have naturally wavy hair (that is also frizzy), but this tutorial seems like a nice way to get smooth waves after I've straightened my hair!

If you've ever watched Max & Ruby - you'll understand. 

I'll admit - I totally turn in to a 9 year old at this point. 

Love this color combination!

Yeah, this recipe is to die for.

Want to follow me on Pinterest? You can find me here.

Where's the wagon I keep falling off of?

I really feel like a broken record here. I start writing on the blog, watching how I eat & exercising, keep it up for a little while, and then I quit. I've fallen off this wagon so many times that I think I may have a broken butt. Ha ha.

I've never felt so unmotivated before. I will feel inspiration to get my act together to get healthy and lose this weight and then I snap my fingers and its gone before I've even started. I'm an expert with the delay excuses and it's time I call myself out on them.
I know when I blog and journal with WW I actually stick to it - or at least I have in the past. I have to give it another go around, but instead of this only being my weight loss journey, I plan on making it my regular blog - kind of like I had before. I figured if I'm only writing about food and exercise then I may never face the reasons I keep setting myself back and by doing this... I'm keeping it honest and real. 

My weight is back up after not tracking my points or working out. I'm at 222.0. I checked back on my weight tracker and when I weighed myself in July 2008 (after Parker was born) I was 225. I only weigh 3 pounds less than I was 1 month post-partum .. 4 YEARS AGO! I'm going to be honest and tell you I definitely had tears in my eyes when I realized that. I'm mad at myself over the fact that I also gained 9lbs since January. What am I doing to myself?!

Last night I took the time to make my week's meal plan. I've started the WW Points Plus this time so it's harder for me to just whip up a meal plan really quick. You see, I used to know my point values so well that it was very rare that I actually had to look up the values of food so it took me all of like 20 mins to make a week's meal plan. Last night was different - it took me just over an hour, but I made the time for myself to get it done. I'm important enough to spend that time on if it helps better my self. 

So, with all of that said... feel like taking the journey with me again?