I had a eureka moment, however, while I was watching an episode of Dr. Oz several weeks back.  There was this lady who lost a lot of weight yet continued to enjoy her favorite food, pizza.  She substituted pizza dough with whole wheat tortillas and used fresh ingredients.  Smart, ey?!

Taking a cue from that lady, my family started enjoying semi-homemade guiltless pizzas.  Instead of whole wheat tortillas, however, I use whole wheat flatbreads.  Flatbreads are a tad thinner than tortillas, which is perfect if you love thin-crust pizzas anyway.  If you prefer pan over thin-crust pizzas, then (whole wheat) tortillas might be a better option for you.

For the pizzas on this entry, I used the Newman’s Own Sockarooni Sauce I received as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

Here’s the recipe good for 2 servings each of Cheese and Veggie Pizza:

Ingredients for Cheese Pizza:

2 flatbreads
1 cups Newman’s Own Sockarooni Sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese (or low fat cheese)

Ingredients for Veggie Pizza:

2 flatbreads
1 cup Newman’s Own Sockarooni Sauce
½ – 1 cup mozzarella cheese (or low fat cheese)
1 cup assorted vegetables (red and yellow bell peppers, sautéed onions, mushrooms)

Directions:

1.  Cover oven rack with aluminum foil.  Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2.  Cook flatbreads directly on oven racks for 7 minutes.
3.  Remove flatbreads from oven and place on a cookie sheet.
4.  Top flatbreads with sauce and cheese and vegetable toppings (for veggie pizzas).
5.  Cook for another 5 minutes in the oven, directly on the oven rack or with the cookie sheet. Serve immediately.

There are endless options for toppings and you can even do these ahead of time, freeze and just re-heat later on in the oven.

You can have pizza night and involve the whole family in the preparation and assemble of the pizzas.  I bet the kids are going to love making their own pizzas! Of course, you should involve them in the clean-up, too!  That shouldn’t be too hard specially when you have a spray disinfectant. :)

Have a great weekend, y’all!  Cheers!

Sharing precious fridge space are two huge tubs of leafy greens: spring mix for our salads and spinach.  I bought the tub of spinach because I saw boxes of spinach nuggets at the open fridge section of Costco.  I thought, hmmm, I’ll just make the nuggets myself, hence, the tub of spinach.  Did you think I ever got around to making the nuggets?  Of course not! Hee hee.  I ended up using the spinach for pasta, wraps and mushroom stuffing…

I’ve always wanted to make stuffed mushrooms.  And because I had a lot of spinach, spinach-stuffed mushrooms was the way to go.  I’m glad I finally got around to making stuffed mushrooms!  That was one day during our meatless Lent.  I got the recipe HERE.  I did very minor changes.  One, I didn’t have thyme so I didn’t use any.  Two, I used whole wheat bread crumbs.  Three, I topped my mushrooms with mozzarella cheese.  I also used freshly grated parmesan cheese.

We all loved how these mushrooms turned out.  These are appetizers but we ate them with rice just as we would any other vegetable dish.  And I have to say,  couldn’t get enough of ‘em.  I had to save some for my daughter’s school lunch the next day.  She’s mighty proud to be eating spinach.  Haha.  *wink*

It’s been about 3 months now since we started making smarter food choices.  Healthy eating plus regular exercise just melts the pounds away.  No need to buy diet pills.  But that’s just me. :)

Cheers, y’all!

Now, those flatbreads are almost gone.  So much for “too much for our very small family”.  Hee hee.  Several days ago, and again today, I made Tuna Salad Wraps…

My daughter seems all too willing to go in the opposite direction whenever she hears the words “whole wheat” and “brown rice”.   When I made Tuna Salad Wrap for her snack, I sliced the wrap into 4 pieces and served them on a sushi plate.  I told her she was having Flat Bread Sushi. :P   After all, the pieces did look like sushi! So I’m a trickster that way.  My little girl enjoyed her snack but pointed the obvious out to me, that what she’s eating isn’t sushi. I just told her it’s sushi made with flatbread and not rice.

To make these wraps, I used Albacore Tuna (in water) and mixed it with light mayo, dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper.  I got the idea from the deviled eggs I made a couple months back.   To add color, not to mention health benefits, I made sure I included some greens from the tub of spring mix salad vegetables I had in the fridge.  How’s that for a healthy and meatless snack that’s yummy nevertheless?

Have a great weekend, y’all!  It’s Spring Break already and pretty soon, outdoor fireplaces will be taking a much needed break. Cheers! :)

My little girl was thrilled when she saw what I prepared for her.  She thought it was fancy.  It’s not every day she gets to use a wine glass for breakfast…or any meal for that matter! ;)  I was done layering the fresh bananas and low-fat strawberry yogurt when I found the fresh strawberries in the fridge, so I decided to just use one for garnish.  After the princess of the household was served her breakfast, I proceeded to make a Strawberry-Banana Yogurt Parfait for myself, this time, I included some strawberry slices…

When my daughter saw what I made for myself, her earlier smiles turned into a frown.  Why?  Because, in her very words, “Yours is prettier.”  *sigh*  Well, she may be right that the second one is a tad prettier.  It must be the strawberry slices or the size of the glass which was a lot smaller, or both.  Believe you me that the strawberry slices were just a mere after thought. What’s a mom like me to do?  I offered that we switch, but she didn’t want to. Oh well, lesson learned.

There are endless possibilities for fresh fruit yogurt parfaits.  You will only be limited by the fruits in season and the yogurt flavors available.  Other than breakfast, this make for a healthy and hearty dessert or snack. ;)

Speaking of “hearty”, February is American Heart  Month.  And this parfait is definitely good for the heart.  Take care of your hearts, y’all!  Eat healthy, exercise and live smart (no huffin’ and puffin’ on even electronic cigarettes!).

Have a great week, y’all!

*This is also an entry for Lasang Pinoy, Sundays (La.Pi.S.) for the theme “Hearty”.*

Without further ado, here’s the result of the draw…

Congratulations, Shasha and Hazel!  You each won a Yoplait Prize Pack which includes the following: coupon for  Yoplait Kids yogurt, travel cooler, fun spoon that changes colors in warm water, reusable place mat with games to keep the kids happy while snacking, and a fuzzy tangle puzzle.  If you have toddlers, they sure are gonna be happy! I’ll get in touch with you both via email. ;)

Thanks also to Denise, Alet and Vero for joining the contest.  Better luck next time.  Hopefully, we’ll have more of this type of contests in the future. *crosses fingers*

***

More Yoplait Love

Here’s another reason why I love Yoplait…they support a cause that I hold dear…Breast Cancer Awareness.  At the recently concluded Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, held here in Austin last November 1st, Yoplait had a tent where they gave away free samples of their creamy and yummy yogurts.  We got to try out their latest offering, the Yoplait Delights Parfait, which comes in four flavors.  We tasted the Chocolate Raspberry flavor and it was an instant favorite.  It’s chocolate yogurt topped with a layer of raspberry yogurt. ;)

If my daughter’s frowning in the photo, it’s because the sun was in her eyes. :D  Oh well, she refused to wear safety glasses…sun glasses. :D

I visited the Yoplait website and discovered that they are giving away 1-dollar off coupons for the Yoplait Delights.  Let me spread the love.  Click HERE and print yourselves some coupons. :D  A dollar is a dollar, you know!

Ooh, and one more thing, if you’re going to buy other Yoplait yogurt products, please buy the ones with the pink lids.  For every pink lid you send in before December 31st, Yoplait will donate $0.10 to the Susan K. Komen for the Cure.  Click the following link for the mechanics: Save Lids to Save Lives. Check out the school your child goes to.  They might be collecting Yoplait pink lids. ;)

There.  What a fun way to start the week, ei?  Have a great one y’all!  Cheers!

That said, when I received an email from MyBlogSpark a few weeks ago for an opportunity to review Yoplait Kids, I accepted it right away.  In the first place, we already are buying Yoplait yogurts!  In a matter of days, I received a package in the mail, the Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun Prize Pack…

The prize pack included a coupon for a Yoplait Kids yogurt, a travel cooler, a fun spoon that changes colors in warm water, a reusable place mat with games to keep the kids happy while snacking, and a fuzzy tangle puzzle for some after-snack fun.  How cool is that?

I’ve always loved yogurt and I’m happy my daughter got the yogurt-love gene as well.  All of us love Yoplait’s thick and creamy texture.  My little girl’s favorite flavors have always been strawberry, strawberry-vanilla and strawberry-banana.  The most surprising thing is that they’re not messy at all to eat because the yogurt practically coats the spoon and doesn’t drip.  Plus, it is a very good source of vitamins and nutrients including Vitamin D and calcium.  They also have no artificial sweeteners or flavors. Yoplait Kids has 25%  less sugar than the average leading kid’s yogurts.

So, would you like to try out Yoplait Kids and receive a prize pack?  If you answered yes, then you’re in luck!   All you have to do is join  my Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun Prize Pack Giveaway!  I’m giving away two (2) prize packs, exactly like the one I received (refer to above photo).  To join the contest, just leave a comment answering this question:

How do you keep snack time healthy and fun for your kids?

The contest is open to everyone who has a valid US address (no PO boxes, please!).  I shall use Random.org to pick out the winners, who shall then be contacted by email.  Should the winners not respond within 48 hours, I will pick out new winners.  Fair enough?  The contest ends on Sunday, November 8th at 11:59pm, Pacific time.

Good luck!

This give-away is sponsored by MyBlogSpark and Yoplait Kids.

There are three variants available:

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond

Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry

Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut

Judging from the names of the flavors alone, I already pre-ranked the bars according to what I thought would be my favorites.  I easily thought Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond will take the top spot, because I happen to love chocolate.  Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut was to be my least favorite because I’m not exactly very fond of toasted coconut.

First up for sampling was the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond.  The thing about these bars is that you can actually tell which variant you are eating without having to take a look at the wrapper.

See what I mean?  Dark chocolates, check.  Raspberries, check.  Almonds, check.  This was chocolatey, all right, but I found it a little too sweet.  Hubby reserved his opinions until after he sampled all the bars.  Hmp!

We sampled the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut next.  After unwrapping the bar, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the sweet aroma of toasted coconut and banana.  It smelled really good!  And after the first bite, I was even more surprised to find myself liking it!  Move over Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond!  Haha!  This one instantly became my favorite.

We sampled the Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry last.

I love cashews.  I love berries.  So it was easy for me to like this one.  With the generous amount of dried berries, this bar came out sweet but a little less sweet than the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond, the taste of which, by the time I took a bite of the 3rd granola bar, I’ve already forgotten. :D

Hubby’s verdict: He liked the Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry the best, followed by the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond (too sweet for him) and last, the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut.  He’s not so big on coconuts and wasn’t easily swayed into liking it, unlike me.

Lesson learned?  Don’t judge a granola bar by its wrapper.

Here are the ingredients I used:

3 bitter gourd
1 lb. (or so) ground turkey
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 cube chicken broth
2 Tbsp tsoy sauce
2 Tbsp seasoning soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
4 tsp sugar (or more!)
8 cups water

1.  Season ground turkey with oyster sauce, soy sauce, seasoning soy sauce, and ground pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

2.  Wash bitter gourd, cut both ends off, and slice into 2-3 sections about 2″ lenghts. Scoop out the seed and the white fluff part.

3.  Sprinkle salt all over the sliced bitter gourd (inside and outside), leave them for 30 minutes (this precess will get rid of bitter taste), then rinse in water.

4.  Stuff each section of the bitter gourd with the seasoned ground turkey (or your ground meat of choice).   Do not overstuff.

5.  Place a toothpick in the middle of each piece to prevent the pork from sliding out during the cooking process.

6.  Pour water in a pot, bring to boil on medium-high heat, add chicken broth cube. When the soup is boiling, add stuffed bitter gourd, mushrooms, and mushroom water.

7.  Season with soy sauce, seasoning soy sauce, and sugar.  Stir well and allow to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered on low heat until soft.  (If the soup stock reduces too much, add more water, season with soy sauce and sugar to taste.)

8.  When the bitter gourd is soft, remove from heat, put the soup in a bowl.  Remove toothpicks and serve immediately.

If you noticed the two meatballs, they’re the leftover ground turkey.  I had no more bitter melon to stuff so I just made them into meatballs.

I was really hopeful that the salt will take away the bitterness of the bitter gourd.  I was wrong.  Maybe I should have used more salt or let the bitter gourd soak in salted water for a longer time instead. I thought I was finally going to make peace with ampalaya.  Unfortunately, this is how my stuffed ampalaya ended up looking that time we had it for dinner…

I did try to eat a few bites, then gave up altogether.  Abby tasted the ampalaya, too and I was hoping she will like it.  Oh well, Abby may not know the difference between CPM and bpm, but she sure knows the difference between sweet, sour and bitter!  “I don’t like the green stuff,” was all she could say. :)

The following day, we had the leftovers for lunch.  This time, I successfully ate one stuffed ampalaya!  Woohoo!  I’m telling you, I’ll keep at this until eating ampalaya seems like second nature to me.  I conquered Durian.  I shall conquer ampalaya, too! ;)

Here’s something simple you can do with chicken (and pork chops, too!)

Rub the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and marinate in soy sauce, lime (or lemon) and lots of garlic.  Yes, it’s like baked adobo sans the bay leaves and whole peppercorns.    Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for an hour (longer for more flavor!) turning over the pieces every now and then. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking dish and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Brush some of the marinade on the chicken every so often.  Check for doneness by inserting a bamboo stick at the thickest part of the chicken.  If the juice that comes out is still pink, that means your chicken not quite ready yet.  Extend the baking time for another 15 minutes.  Then check again for doneness.  If the juice that comes out is clear, then your chicken’s ready, otherwise, you have to extend the baking time again. *wink*

Serve with steamed rice or mashed potatoes and perhaps a side of salad.

H-E-B, I could safely say, is Texas’ state supermarket.  And while other supermarkets (Target, Walmart and Randall’s) also have their storebrand rotisserie chicken, H-E-B’s is tops on our list.  The chicken is always moist, well-seasoned and just plain delicious.

The rotisserie chicken is available as a pack of 4 leg quarters (about $5.00 per pack) or as a whole chicken (about $7.00).  It comes in Original, Honey Jalapeño, Lemon Pepper, Italian Herb or Honey Mesquite.  Our favorite is the Original.  We often eat it with rice or with tortillas.  Our dipping sauce of choice is every Filipino’s favorite bottled sauce for roasted meat…Mang Tomas!  Hee hee.

We just love chicken and roasted chicken is a better option to fried chicken.  Personally, I won’t really mind having this every week.  But of course, I have an ulterior motive, that is, to avoid cooking on weekends. :D