Now before you sarcastically play the violins for me, you have to realize that it is so much more difficult to stick to my program when dining out. As much as it is nice to enjoy someone else doing the cooking, there are always many more fat grams and calories in restaurant food.
Tonight, I'll be dining with my husband at Morton's Steakhouse. I'll likely be tempted to add a cocktail or a glass of wine to my dinner, but even if I don't it already will include appetizers, sides, and dessert and will prove to be much more calorie-laden than any meals I can have at home.
Then tomorrow evening, my mother, sister, and I have plans to go to Souplantation. Despite the fact that it is a salad bar restaurant, it still has many options that add up to high points. I usually do not leave there without having consumed at least 14 points.
Then, this coming Friday, I'll be visiting with some friends from my yorkie meet-up group, as a friend from Michigan will be in town for a couple of days, and we do not want to miss her stop here in Southern California. We'll be ordering pizza in that evening.
Sunday, I have a meet-up with the full yorkie meet-up group. Thankfully, no potluck is planned for this visit, and I am hoping to keep lunch to a minimal sandwich and fruit, but the other several days are enough to make this a week where the potential for packing on the pounds is magnified several time over.
So, I found myself inspired in flash of brilliance! I decided to fix a pot of steaming Minestrone soup. After all, it is a gray, rainy day, and it is one that begs for a warm, veget
able-laden brew. The low calories and filling nature of soup is a great help on days when you'll be dining heavily during another meal. Problem solved! So I rummaged through my vegetable drawer and freezer, and I put together this one today.1 cup has only 1 point. 2 cups has 3.5, and it remains the same with 1 tsp of shredded parmesan cheese sprinkled on the top (some of you may understand that due to the Weight Watchers point formula, 1+1 does not always equal two, hence the discrepancy.)
I got 14 cups out of this recipe. It is almost impossible to gauge, based on the rate of evaporation, the amount of liquid you will end up with, even if you follow the recipe exactly. Therefore, I suggest if you want to make it identically (which I don't think is entirely necessary) to measure it out and add additional water if need be.
Minestrone
Misty Simon
Yield 14 1-cup servings
1 tb olive oil
2 lg carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 md. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 ts dried basil
1/4 ts ground black pepper
1/8 ts red pepper flakes
2 ts kosher salt
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
8 oz canned tomato sauce, no salt added
2 ts sugar
1 cup frozen Italian green beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernals
1 quart water.
5 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste rotini (by weight)
1 md. zucchini, diced
14.5 oz canned kidney beans, drained
4 cups bagged fresh spinach leaves, stems removed
In a large stock pot, add olive oil, and saute celery, carrots, and onion until onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices. Saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes, sauce, sugar, green beans, corn, and water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add pasta, and boil on high for 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook for a final 4 minutes.
Then add 4 cups of ice cubes to halt the cooking and to replace evaporated liquid. Taste for salt.
