Pineapple Poke Cake

1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced SugarYello  Cake Mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large cans crushed pineapple

3 eggs

4 oz. package sugar free vanilla pudding mix

2 cups low fat milk (1%) for the pudding

4 oz. package sugar free lemon Jello

1 small container Cool Whip Fat Free

Make and bake cake according to package instructions, eliminating the water and adding a whole can of crushed pineapple.  Use a large rectangular baking pan.  I used one that was 15×12 inches for 20 good sized servings.  I baked the cake for about 30 minutes.

Cool the cake for a few minutes while you prepare the Jello according to the package directions and the pudding according to the package directions, using the 2 cups of milk.  Mix the Cool Whip into the pudding.

Poke holes in the sheet cake using the end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the liquid Jello evenly over the cake.  Spread the second can of crushed pineapple, juice and all, evenly over the top of the cake. 

Then spread the pudding Cool Whip mixture over the pineapple to “ice” the cake.

Store in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight before serving.

It’s moist and delicious.  And if you’re counting WW points, it’s 4 points per generous serving.

 

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice, fridge temperature
2 cups frozen diced carrots and peas
1 cup chopped bean sprouts
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
One packet (about 1 oz.) fried rice seasoning mix (like the kind by Kikkoman or Sun-Bird)
1 tbsp. light or low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a small dish, combine seasoning mix, garlic powder, and ground ginger with soy sauce and 3 tbsp. warm water. Using a fork or whisk, stir until seasoning mix has dissolved. Set aside.

Spray a wok or very large pan with nonstick spray, and bring it to medium heat on the stove. Add egg substitute and scramble until cooked, using a spatula to break it up into bite-sized pieces. Remove scrambled bits from the wok or pan and set aside.

Add mushrooms and frozen vegetables to the wok or pan, and cook and stir until mushrooms have softened and all veggies are hot. Remove veggies and set aside with the egg-y bits.

Remove your wok or pan from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and bring to high heat on the stove. Add rice and seasoning mixture, and stir to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions and the previously cooked veggies and scrambled eggs, and mix thoroughly to integrate. Cook and stir until entire mixture is hot, there is no liquid left in the pan, and rice is just beginning to crisp. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scoop into bowls and serve!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 167   or  3 points
Fat: 0.5g
Sodium: 630mg
Carbs: 30g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 8.5g

 

Taking a Diet Break: Will It Break Your Diet?

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?”

~theme from “Cheers”

I started out my vacation week trying to stick to my WW plan, but wanting to stray.  I ate lunch with my husband and mother and thought, “Well, I won’t finish tracking points today.  I’ll just enjoy the full lunch, and just say that I dipped into my extra points, so no harm done.  I’ll start tracking again tomorrow.”  Then the next day came, and all I could think about was sneaking something extra to eat.  Not anything terrible, just a peach or two or three.  So, I stopped tracking on Monday and felt guilty.  I made a pineapple cake (a reduced calorie cake) and had a piece of that and felt even guiltier.  Tuesday, I started out okay and had lunch with Rita, who served me a very delicious pointwise lunch.  Then I ate fried seafood for dinner with hushpuppies and french fries (even though I didn’t eat all the fries or the puppies) so I felt bad about that.  So, Wednesday morning when I got up, I said to myself, “Self, let’s not kid ourselves.  We’re not going to track points and we’re going to have birthday cake on Friday and we’re having guests for the 4th of July and one is bringing brownies, and we’re having some of them, too.  So, Self, we’re not tracking points this week.  We have permission to eat whatever we want.  We will start back again on Monday after the cake is gone and we’re back at work.”  And you know what?  I felt so much better having given myself permission.  I mean, I was going to eat all that stuff anyway and feel guilty, so why not eat it guilt free?  I’m on a diet break!  That’s all, just a break!  I’ll begin again on Monday in earnest.

Just to justify what I was doing, I did some research, and amazingly, I found some good evidence of studies that back me up on this.  Some suggest a 2-6 week break after being on a diet from 10-12 weeks.  They call it “flexible dieting.”  And they offer physiological reasons as well as psychological reasons for doing so.  They say that for people who have a lot to lose, especially, it is effective to take these planned diet breaks.  Now, they don’t suggest I just go nuts and eat everything bad for me healthwise in the whole world.  No.  That’s not a diet break.  That’s a binge.  And the diet break is designed to prevent binging.  So, they suggest eating what I want within reason and not counting and measuring and weighing.  Just take a break from that.  And then when the planned break is over, go back to counting, measuring and weighing.  I don’t want a two week break. I really just want this one week, although I guess since I started it last weekend, it’s a one week plus a couple days break. 

So, this morning, I had a bowl of oatmeal with fresh blueberries and a couple of pieces of turkey bacon, much like what I would typically have on the weekend.  And for lunch, I had a ham and tomato sandwich with fat free mayo much like I’d have some other dieting day, but I had a few nacho chips with salsa, too.  And for dinner, I had delicious pepper steak with fresh cooked summer squash and some rice,  much like what I might have had anyway, except I had more meat than usual.  Later on, I’ll have a piece of that reduced calorie pineapple cake with my husband.  I’m not feeling guilty, and I’m not feeling deprived.  And I’m not on my “diet.”  Not this week.

So, I expect to gain a few pounds.  I really do.  But I also expect to lose those few pounds and much more.  I think I’ll not take another diet break until my anniversary on August 3, and that will just be for one meal.  Then I think I’ll be able to hang in until Thanksgiving, so I’ll probably plan another break for that weekend.  Then I’ll diet until I’m off for Christmas, and then I’ll get back on track when I go back to work in January.  I am planning on these breaks ahead of time.  And when I decide to take the break, I’ll do it with a planned time in mind, and with no guilt.  I will keep losing weight. 

I don’t recommend this to everyone.  Even if there is scientific study to back me up.  I think this might be a mistake for some.  But since I’m on a reasonable diet to begin with, I don’t think this will be a mistake for me.  I don’t feel punished by going back on the diet when I head back to work on Monday.  In fact, I look forward to it.  But in the meantime, Happy Birthday to me! (Today is my 55th birthday.)

I’ll keep you posted of the weight gain.  I don’t think it will make me regret the break, though.