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Jean Cat's Finds

This thread is about what I have developed or tried that has worked for me. It will mainly be about foods or products that I have tried, especially low count foods.
Feel free to add or comment.

Enjoy!

Jean Cat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find #1
Thomas English Whole Wheat Muffins are GREAT and a wonderful substitute for a bagel.
Great with Cream Cheese!

But DID you KNOW that a Thomas NOW offers
Thomas LIGHT English Muffins of
100 ONLY CALORIES EACH!
Guess what else?
Since the EACH have 8 grams of fiber (instead of 0 to 3 grams) they are only 1 point EACH instead of 2 or 3 of most muffins!!!

Stay tuned for snacks that I prepare with them and other finds!
Jean Cat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find #2

I use this as a late night snack in front of my TV without any guilt or desire to snack more with a good cup of brewed decaf tea or coffe.

LIGHT TEM (Thomas English Muffin) cut into two halves = 1 Point
+
Reduced Fat PNut butter 2 TBSP = 2 points
+
Fat Free Smuckers Jam (Raspberry or Strawberry!) VERY low cal like 10 to 25 cals.

I count this as 2.5 pts, Very filling!

Sometimes I use FF Cream Cheese instead. This would be 1 point less, since 1/4 FF Cr Ch is = 1 point. Total 1.5 points!!!! Very filling! Very satisfying!

I am sure it will be even LESS points as soon as my PB2 arrives! Should be here on the 24th.

These make great quick breakfasts as well. But I usually do not eat breakfast, per se, I grab a WW 1 pt bar or WW 2 pt bar in car for breakfast. I am a night eater, mainly.

Enjoy!
Jean Cat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find #3

Okay MOST of you will turn your nose up at this one but it is GREAT for me. And so it is just possible that one of you may benefit from this one.

I have VERY high cholesterol (chol) and triglycerides (TRGs) so I take fish oil caps, and I eat lots of Alaskan Wild and other Salmon. Love my salmon sushi!!!

I also love bagels with salmon and cream cheese. But bagles are high in points. Soooooooooooooooo I have learned to substitute the following:

LIGHT Thomas Eng Muffin (cut into 2 halves) = 1 pt
+
2 TBSP FF Cream Cheese = 0.5 pt
+
2 or 4 ounces of smoked salmon or raw salmon, sliced on top = 2 or 4 pts
+
sprinkled with capers = 0 pts

Total pts = 3.5 or 5.5

I use it as a late night snack (3.5 pts)
I use it as a low pt lunch (5.5 pts), which allows for more pts at dinner or late night snack latter the same day.

Great for knoshing and relaxing on a Sat or Sun moring while reading the LA Times and magazines

Hmm...........

JeanCat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find #4

Okay MOST of you will turn your nose up at this one but it is GREAT for me. And so it is just possible that one of you may benefit from this one.
Sound Familiar?
Well this is a version of Find #3. I developed this when I was to bring a morning snack to work on a weekend that we were all working on a major project with an impending deadline.

I brought bagels for them and LIGHT TEM for me!
I knew everyone at work loved salmon spread from the bageley.

So I bought FF Cream Cheese and some smoked salmon from the refrigerated section in grocery store.
I mixed it together and DELISH! I also brought the FF Strawberry Cream Cheese.
I placed the cheeses in pretty bowls and NO ONE knew it was FF CR Ch!!!!


Then a week later, everyone asked me to bring it again. This time I did not get a chance to go to the market. So I opened and drained a can of RED Alaskan Salmon that I had in my pantry and mixed it sparingly. OH this was very good too! Ilike the smoked better, but this worked in a pinch. Warning it is a bit fishier. I now use it on a regular basis and treat myself with the refrigerated Atlantic.
Alaskan Wild is healthier, but the smoked Atlantic is tastier.

Hope this helps someone reading this or gives you other ideas that work for you and that you will share your find!

JeanCat



Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find #5

A new product for me that you may already know about.
I am lactose intolerant and always looking for a great dairy product that does not bother me. Fortunately FF Cr Cheese and Frozen Yogurt do not. But I don't know how much FFCC counts as dairy. Does anyone here know?

Any way I recently found:
"The Skinny Cow Low Fat Cream Sandwichs"

Packaging:
Long like a donut box, clear plastic, with individual places for each sandwhich. The label is slightly pink with a skinny black and white cow.

6 to a package

Flavors:
Vanilla or Chocolate or Combo-3 of each per pak
I bought the combo, both choc and vanilla are great. I have no favorite and I am a chocoholic.

Price? forget it? I didn't care and don't know. Next time I am at the market I will check, and post. But if you get there first let us know. Be sure to let us know what state as prices vary.

TASTE?
GREAT! Better than any LF Ice cream sandwich I have ever had.

Size? approximately 6 ounce each! YES that is a good size, with about 4 - 6 bites for me. About the size of a TEM in diameter.

POINTS?
OH Is THIS what you want to know? :)
97% FF
140 Cals each
1.5 grams of fat
3 grams of fiber
ONLY 2 POINTS EACH!!! YEP let me say that LOUDER!
ONLY 2 POINTS EACH!

GREAT late night snack or midday or Sat or Sun treat!

BEST NEWS for me personally!
I have had NO lactose reaction to the milk product!!! Why? I do not know! They are about 1 inch thick! So they do have lots of milk.

Perhaps eating healthier has allowed my body to make the lactase and other enzymes again! Who knows! Usually I have to buy frozen yogurt instead of Ice cream. I originally bought them because of the low points and thought I would ONLY eat them when I knew I would be 'staying home' (translation: near the bathroom) on a weekend doing computer work. But now after eating 3, two before work, ( I have two days a week when I go in to work at 1 in the afternoon, no I did not eat them for early morning breakfast!Hee!)I have had NO problem with the milk sugar.


I do hope you will give these a try especially if you have a difficult time getting a dairy product because you do not like milk or just looking for a different treat.

JeanCat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find # 6

Beef Stroganoff
This is my own recipe. I just love this made with 7% or less ground beef, but I do use the ground turkey.

1 lb ground ground meat (beef or turkey)(= 16 pts)
If using Turkey, 1/2 to 1 tsp of Kitchen Boquet for brown coloring

1/2 cup dry red wine like chianti or Merlot (pt??)

4 oz of FF Cream Cheese (1 pt)

2 ounces of FF Sour Cream if desired (1pt)

1 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 to 1 med or large onion, diced
1 to 2 cloves of garlic minced (or garlic powder or garlic salt to suit taste)


optional 1 tsp olive oil = 1 pt (use cooking spray instead)

Cooked brown or white Rice or yolk free noodles count points separately


In cast iron skillet, heat oil and saute onions and garlic until the onions are glassy, then add and cook mushrooms and 1/2 of the wine. Quickly reach high temp then cover to steam on very low for about 5 minutes. When mushrooms are done, transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Crumble the ground meat into the same frying pan, (do not wash pan), brown the meat until it is pink and grey not all the way cooked (add the Kitchen Bouquet during brwoning time if using Turkey). Add the remaining wine. Add the onion/mushroom mixture. Cover on low for about 5 mintues. Stir/Mix as necessary.

Remove cover. TURN OFF HEAT, ADD FF cream cheese and then sour cream. Melt into the juices of the meat and veg mixture. Stir quickly. Divide into 4 equal servings. Count points depending upon the wine, rice and noodles.


Serve alone for lowest points or on top of rice or noodles.


This skillet strogonoff takes only about 7 to 10 minutes to make. Do not use heat or flame when adding creams they could curdle. Total cooking time would include the time it takes for you to make the rice or noodles.

When I make it it is 22 points for the whole recipe and 5.5 points each serving without rice or noodles.

If you prefer no wine then use beef fat free broth or boulion. This will also be less points but a slightly different taste, less bite to it. I prefer the wine.


This is a recipe that you must decide on the wine and the points and determine the points yourself. It is worth calculating and making. It is quick and easy. It fools many people because the FF and Sour cream have the same taste as full fat products.

Enjoy!
JeanCat



Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Find # 6
Adapting the above recipe to Crock Pot Beef Strogonoff
place all ingredients except creams in crockpot and only 1/2 the wine or boullion. cook on low for 3 hours. Check if done, turn off heat and add creams. If not done cook 1 -2 hours until done, do not over cook. Then turn off and add creams. Serve alone, over rice or noodles.

Jean Cat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Great Thread! Wow, you've been busy! LOL! I love those 100 calorie english muffins. I've been making an egg mcmuffin with them almost every morning this past week. I just toast the english muffin, cook an egg, use 2 slices of canadian bacon, and 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese (sometimes I use a slice of American cheese, but I love laughing cow). YUMMY!!!

Would you like to make this a weekly thread? I think a lot of people would enjoy it and it would be especially helpful for new people You could come each week and tell us about the things you've found during the past week. :)

Thanks!

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Oh, I was also going to ask... In your stroganoff recipe, what is Kitchen Boquet? I'm not sure what that is other than assuming it's a seasoning of some kind. LOL! Bouqet... reminds me of flowers. LOL!!!

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Jean Cat,

This is an awesome idea! I love to read what other people find or what kind of ideas they come up with in regards to recipes and food!

How's this one for you-

Wasa fiber rye crackers, 2 of them
Laughing cow light garlic cheese, 1 wedge
1 slice of Great Value brand 20 calorie turkey lunch meat, divided into two
fresh tomato slices

Spread each cracker with half of the cheese then top each with the sliced tomatoes and divided turkey, all of this for 2 pts and it is very good!

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

I love them with PNut Butter on them and Smuckers Jam!
Just got my PB2 in today and MAN I have to mention that later!

Thanks for your feed back!

JeanCat

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

YES I will be posting more! I am off to work.
I will be posting more about light fat too!
I would love to make this a weekly thing!
But what a great deal of pressure! Hee! Can I come up with new things each week? Not sure that I can. But I will try. Also it will give me incentive to post and stay active. But also others may come to share their NEW finds!:)

Thaks for the confidence and invitation.

JeanCat

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Dear Aimee,

I have to go to work and I did not want you to think I am a flake and not getting back to you. But I will address this tonight or tomorrow.
It is a gravy brown that my mother taught me to use many years ago. I am 52 and she is 92.

JeanCat

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Okay NOW what do I do? :)
Wasa Fiber Bread was one that I was going to post next since AIMEE suggested that I make a weekly thread out of this. Hee!
YES it is one that I will talk about too. and have been using for a long time.

Glad you mentioned it, REALLY! I am kidding you!

PLEASE post what you have to help me and others. It think it is a good tool and keeps us motivated. My goal is to share not only low points but low fat, low sodium and low sugar that taste great and are easy and quick to make.

I think we should all have our Finds posted to help others?

Thaks for sharing!
JeanCat

Re: Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

So AIMEE,

Doyou want me to start a new thread each week with the date? That way people do not have to 'wade' through all the previous messages? or do you want me to just keep continuing?

Thanks for the invitation to post weekly.

JeanCat

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Yes, I agree! I would love it for everyone to post their finds. My WW meeting doesn't share food ideas hardly ever which is quite frustrating to me. The WW meeting that I attended in NC always shared new recipes and new food finds.

Hope you're having a great night!
Tammy

Re: Jean Cat's Finds

JeanCat,
Starting a new thread each week might be best so everyone doesn't have to weed through several pages to see what's new, but It's up to you, no pressure. If you have a week where you don't have anything new, I don't think anyone's going to be mad. LOL! We appreciate whatever you want to share with us. :) Thanks!

<>

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

GREAT!
I do most of my online work on Sat and Sun.
I own and operate two sites for pharmacy technicians and I am an educator.
So I will add this to my list of things to do on the comp!
If I have found nothing new I will mention this in my first post of the week. AND I will also INVITE others to add their finds for THAT week on THAT Thread so we can all find the NEW Finds weekly.

Thanks for the trust in me.

Look for the NEW thread weekly on Sats or Suns.

Love yas
JeanCat

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Dear Aimee,

I just LOVE the spelling of your name:AIM EE
I say it as AIM MEE! It reminds me to AIM for ME, for MY GOAL! Please thank your mom for me!

Any way Thanks for the cool idea of the egg mcmuffin.

I have to watch fat intake, cholesterol and TRGs.
So here is my adaptation of your recipe:

1 LIGHT TEM 1 pt
1-2 equivalents of Egg beaters scrambled 1pt
1 slice of Veggie Slice (a soy cheese substitute that really melts and tastes great! in grocery stores). 1 pt
1-2 Smoked turkey slice or turkey ham 97 % FF 1 - 0.5 pt
A tsp of FF cream cheese 0 pt
Total = 4 pts
Total fat = 3 grams

Spread the muffin with the cream cheese on one side. scramble egg and melt the veggie slice (cheese)
add the turkey to the top of the cheese in skillet while melting or heat in pan next to egg while melting cheese.

Using spatula place the eggs side down on the cream cheese spreaded side of the TEMuffin. Why? so melted cheese can attach to the muffin of the other side (like it does at Mc Donalds!:)

Now if you want a rich taste add the following mixture or condiment spread, but add 0.5 10 1 point extra :
1/2 to 1 tsp of FF mayo
1/2 to 1 tsp dijon mustard
Optional: 1/2 tsp of honey for a sweeter taste.


Aimee's version is many grams of fat due to candian bacon and LC cheese, but it is tastier and healthier than real ham or sausage. I do not know the points to AIMEE's recipe because I do not use LC cheese or the Canadian bacon.

For a Smarter Heart Recipe use Jean Cats recipe,
if you don't have a heart/cholesterol problem then use Aimee's recipe .

Enjoy
JeanCat

Thank you to Tammy!

Dear Tammy,

Thank you for the encouragement and for expressing what goes on or does not go on in your meeting.

I really have a great leader:Sharon in Long Beach Ca area. She KNOWS when the lesson plan will allow for additional input and she knows when we have more time for more personalized discussion. It isnot her fault if we need personal time and it is along lesson plan or a larger group with more input or questions. But she does allow it. I have had some leaders who will not allow input.
Worse Ihad a leader who could only talke about her temptations that week and we would all go home 'thinking' about the wedding cake the chocolate fountain and 'wanting it'. I NEVER felt comfortable in that meeting.

So I am very lucky with this one.

Respectfully,
JeanCat

Thank You to AIMEE!

Dear Aimee,

I wanted to THANK YOU personally for asking me to do this thread. I do not think I can come up with many things that have not already been invented by WW members! Hee! But I do intend to do my best. Also I will be featuring "certain topics of the week" such as spices, personal recipes, etc. You have been a great inspiration. And I believe in my heart that THIS is where I am supposed to be. I feel that I have a purpose and am blessed because I do believe it will be a tool to help keep me on track and in the process just maybe, just maybe help someone else.

I am particularly sensitive to the needs of NEWBIES - we have all been there. Again your site is so SWEET and KIND, no meanness and I hope to help it remain that way.

You are very gracious to allow me this thread on YOUR Forum. I hope to do you proud.

And I really do hope everyone is out there trying to find 'FINDS' to 'one up' JeanCat! Hee! That should make things a bit fun too!

With Love, Appreciation and most of all RESPECT for YOU, your site and your MEMBERS,


Jeanetta in California
JeanCat

Re: Re: Jean Cat's Finds

Thanks Tammy for your input on this recipe for a snack.
The GARLIC got me thinking of something I made my first two weeks of program. But you will have to catch it on Thread # 2

See ya there!

JeanCat