Inspired!

I continue every week to be inspired by my Weight Watchers meeting. I'm so grateful for my leader Nancy--she has been an inspiration to me and the other members and I just love her! Her meetings are so enthusiastic and fun, you can't help but want to be there.

I shared my blog address in the meeting today when we talked about recipes, so I hope to get some new visitors. We talked about cooking beans and how people just don't know how to cook them. They are so easy and cheap, you've got to try them! Check out the sidebar for a couple of really good bean recipes. The Smoky Pinto Bean Soup is one of my favorites and it can be eaten alone or on burritos, or tacos or in a bowl with rice. It's delicious! Nana's Pea Soup is also wonderful (it's my 6-year-old's favorite meal!). I will try to include a few more bean recipes in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, here's a few of my favorite dishes. Brown rice is not my favorite, but cooked this way I really like it, and if you're a mushroom fan, this is a great dish.

Oven Baked Brown Rice with Mushrooms
Points: 3.5 Serves: 6

3 T butter or olive oil
1 ½ c chopped mushrooms
½ c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 c brown rice
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/4 c chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in a 2-qt stove top to oven casserole over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic and cook about 8 minutes. Add rice and pepper and stir until coated. Add stock and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake about 1 hour until rice is tender and stock is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.


This recipe is a staple at our house and you can keep all the ingredients on hand in the pantry (except for the beef, which you can keep in the freezer). It's great in hot or cold weather and can also be used with rice for burritos.


Taco Soup
Points: 3.5 Serves: 8

1 lb lean ground beef, browned
1 c water
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 can corn
8 oz tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning

Combine ingredients; simmer 45 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives and corn chips.


I will also try to get up some summery recipes soon. I have a great Honey-Lime Fruit Toss recipe that's perfect for summer barbecues.

I've also had a few people ask me for workout ideas, so I'll try to post some tips soon.

Tip for this week: Do something healthy for yourself and see how good it feels... start small and work towards becoming the person you want to be! Envision, imagine, DREAM! A wise man once told me that "success is only a matter of continuous effort." As Dory says in Finding Nemo: "Keep swimming! Just keep swimming!"

Have a great week!