Monday Menu Share, Food Find, Recipe, and MORE

First off, let me apologize in advance for the length of this post! I have SO much I want to share today. I decided to unplug from social media for the weekend and it was very nice and relaxing. I did miss checking in with everyone though! In the honor of being 100% transparent and honest, I admit that my weekend was not the best eating wise. I treated myself a few too many times. I was probably within my points, but I really didn't even track at all. :( I have such a mental addiction to my Thursday weigh-ins. I knew I didn't get to weigh in this week due to y foot surgery and I let that affect my plan. NO MORE! Today, I am right back on it 100%. So what can you learn from my mistake, if you fall down and mess up, get right back up and keep going!

I have decided to go back to tracking points for awhile with this surgery. I am going to have to rely on my kids and hubby to prepare my food and I think it would be easier to count points for a couple weeks.

I did make some very yummy vegetable beef soup on Saturday. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

16 oz of sirloin (or other lean meat) trimmed into soup sized pieces
8 cups fat free beef broth
1 package of frozen mixed veggies (I used the Pictsweet vegetable soup mix 28 oz) You could also use fresh veggies if desired!
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
7 oz. whole wheat pasta, cooked (I used elbow macaroni, or you could omit this)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, heat up 2 tsp of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until browned. Remove steak with a slotted spoon.
Add remaining oil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Ad veggies. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and the cooked steak. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer the better! Add additional salt and pepper to taste if desired.
ENJOY!!

This recipe makes about 10 servings of 1 cup each. The entire recipe is Simply Filling or one serving is 4 points+.

Yesterday, I also tried one of the new Smart Ones soups. These are with the frozen meals at the grocery store. I had the loaded potato version. It was 4 points+. It was good, but it would not keep me full if that is all I ate. So if you add in a yogurt and a fruit or veggie it would make a convenient lunch in a pinch!

Usually, I try to reward myself for every 25 pounds that I lose. (NON FOOD REWARD). So for reaching my 100 pound loss, I ordered these two things off of Amazon:

The first one has two containers that can be used for oil or vinegar. You can press a button and it will measure it out for you!! LOVE this idea for getting my healthy oils in every day! Now I don't have to keep searching for my measuring spoons. The second one is a topper you put on your salad dressing container that will portion it out for you! I haven't tried them yet, but I am excited to see how they work.

This week's menu will only have the meals for the next three days. I am having foot surgery Thursday and my hubby and kids will be in charge after that. I plan on buying some convenient, healthy foods for them to make for me!

Monday: Out to Bob Evans

Tuesday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad

Wednesday: Turkey Smoked Sausage, Mac and Cheese for kids, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans

And here is our verse for the week:

This verse is so relevant to me this week. As I am facing a surgery and the fears of not being active and relying on others for my food. I know I have to cast ALL those cares on HIM!

And our word for the week:

Even though I had a rougher weekend than I would have liked, I am determined to succeed! Not much will stop me. Even when I make a mistake, I am determined to get right back up and keep on keeping on!

I also thought I would start adding what I am eating each day to my blog. Let me know if this is helpful or too much info!