I can still walk and BSI is Back!

Because I had my giveaway post yesterday (you have until Friday to win a case of Chobani – all different flavors – click here to enter!) I didn’t do a full recap of my weekend!  First I have to share yet another soup recipe – this one got rave reviews too.  I thought I had a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes in my pantry, but had to use one 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes and one 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chiles – um, that was a perfect mistake because it made the broth slightly spicy 😀

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup  (printer friendly version here)

Course: main meals

PointsPlus™ Value:    5

Servings:  4

Preparation Time:  5 min

Cooking Time:  15 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup(s) freeze-dried sweet green peppers
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes, (from 15 oz. can)
• 2 cup(s) canned tomatoes with green chilis, (from 15 oz. can)
• 15 oz water (just fill up one of the empty cans of tomatoes with water)
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cup(s) zucchini
• 2 cup(s) frozen cheese ravioli   (I used mini raviolis)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 2 cup(s) canned chicken broth

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.   Add frozen peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, broth, water, marjoram and oregano; bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions.

Add zucchini, return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

I loved how the can of tomatoes with green chiles added a nice spicy bite to the broth  – this one is a keeper!   Really the only points are the cheese ravioli – so this was really filling at 5 points for 2 cups.

Another thing I tried last Friday morning?  McDonald’s new oatmeal.  I know, its rare that I get fast food, but Tony had a free coupon.  I had already figured out that it was going to be 7 points, which isn’t too bad for a breakfast.  Guess what?  I loved it!  Fresh diced apples, craisins and golden raisins – and this was a generous size cup – I was afraid for 7 points I’d get like 1/2 cup of oatmeal!

I started feeling icky on Friday, and Saturday morning I woke up with such a stuffy nose – and because I couldn’t breathe through my nose, my throat was so sore.  But I was meeting my friend at WW, then we were going to my local grocery store she’s never been to and then to a Body Combat class at my gym, so I had to get my ass out of bed.

Yep, I was up .2 for the week.  Not even worried about it – I had Chinese food for the night before within my points range (which is typically high in sodium) and I’ve added strength training.  My plan is to do my measurements on February 1 – sometimes success doesn’t always show up on the number on the scale – its all good!

OMG, that BodyCombat class?  That was intense.  Think 65 minutes of TaeBo.  I was really having difficulty breathing by the end of the class – luckily we went in the hot tub, then into the eucalyptus steam room and that helped a lot – I sweat so much in that thing!

Any long time reader will now that I pretty much keep busy – to me there is always something to do.  Saturday is usually chore day, and while I knew I had to mop the kitchen floor, do laundry, etc., I got under an electric throw blanket and basically napped for two hours!   I can’t even remember the last time I took a nap on a Saturday.

Sunday was uneventful too – Hannah and I watched a few movies while Tony watched football.  If you ever happen to be scrolling through the channels and stop on a movie called Frozen, quickly move on – you will never get that hour and twenty minutes back again!  However, if you see Catfish, watch it.  It’s an indi/documentary film and really good.

Breakfast yesterday was one of my whole wheat pitas, 1/4 cup refried beans, 1 egg and sauteed red peppers.  Breakfast was 8 points (bfast and lunch pictures were taken with my old camera – I forgot my new one at home!)

So while I can’t stop blowing my nose, I still feel somewhat okay.  I contemplated taking the day off of working out, but if I take more than one day off in a row, it’s so hard to get back into the swing of things.  I thought to myself “I can still walk.”  I did 45 minutes on the treadmill, 3.5 mph pace, finished 2.65 miles – better than nothing!

Lunch was another whole wheat pita, 3 ounces of cooked chicken breast, red peppers, buffalo wild wings spicy garlic sauce, sesame pretzels and two clementines – 9 PointsPlus.

Tony took care of dinner last night – his football food for Sunday was going to be Italian beef sammies, but I made him potato skins for the first game and he wasn’t hungry for it.  My beef:  1.5 ounce bun (1/2 of a one), 3 ounces beef, 1/2 ounce asiago cheese, chopped gardineira, 5 ounces of fries dipped into jalapeno ketchup – 10 PointsPlus.

BSI is Back! We took several weeks off over the holidays, so I figured by now everyone has gotten back into their routines.  I’ve changed the rules slightly – it used to be you had to make a recipe the same week the secret ingredient was revealed, but I figured you could link to any recipe you’ve made in the past using the ingredient.  I thought we’d get more participation that way.

So in keeping with this weeks giveaway, even though it was already used in week 48, this weeks Secret Ingredient is . . . . YOGURT! Send me any recipe link you have using yogurt to mybizzykitchen@gmail.com.  If you don’t have a blog, simply email me the recipe and I’ll post it for you.  A small prize will be awarded to the winner! 😀  For new people, check out the rules and past hosts here.

You’ll have to come back tomorrow for this recipe – this is what my breakfast looked like before I baked it! 😀

And here is what I wrote on the Chobani Traveling Oven Mitt – I forgot to download it yesterday.

Stats for Monday:

• 29 points, 4 activity points earned
• 45 minute walk on treadmill
• average blood sugar 113

Make it a great day! 😀