PHOENIX: Travel Preview

Hi Hi Hi!

I've missed my blogggggg! But I have good reason for being away for over a week...I just got back from visiting a friend in Phoenix for a long weekend! The weather was perfect (low 70's and sunny) and I got to see and do a lot while I was in town.

Here are some iPhone pics I snapped to hold you over. This weekend I hope to go through the 800-and-change pictures I took on the Canon, and will post about the trip more later :)

Sticky Buns @ El Chorro Lodge

Hot Air Balloon Ride!

One of many amazing sunsets

Sedona :)

Just some yumminess.

Desert Botanical Gardens

The Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park before we climbed up...

& our view from up inside the hole!

This sunset atop South Mountain was breathtaking.

More yumminess: Pizookie from Oregano's. Fresh cookie (1/2 chocolate chip, 1/2 white chocolate macadamia nut) baked into a pizza dish with ice cream. HEAVENLY, and totally not WW friendly. Definitely worth it :)

Adios PHX!

xoxo

The Real Shiksa

Broccoli and Tomato Pizza

Mr. Shiksa and I enjoy a good pizza. We were feeling adventurous a few weekends ago and decided to make our own.

Makes your mouth water, eh?

It was soooooooo good. Fresh, flavorful, and very healthy!

We saved a lot of time by using a pre-made wheat crust, which we've used before. We love them because they create a thin crust/flat bread pizza with a great taste and even better crunchiness.

 

So have fun with it - put on anything your little heart desires. That night, mine desired fresh tomatoes and sauteed broccoli. DIVINE.

 

Any favorite topping combos? Always looking for fresh ideas!

xoxo
The Real Shiksa


Recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 8
Serves: 4 (2 slices per serving)

Ingredients
12" pre-made whole wheat pizza crust (like Mama Mary's)
1/4 cup prepared tomato sauce (I had jarred Rinaldi marinara on hand)
1 cup Weight Watchers Italian blend shredded cheese
2 cups uncooked broccoli florets
1/2 of a medium shallot, uncooked
2 tbsp butter or margarine-like spread
2-3 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (or whatever temperature your pre-made crust instructs). Prepare the crust by placing it on a pizza pan and brushing the top and edges with a little olive oil.
2. Layer on the sauce, shredded cheese, and tomato slices.
3. In a skillet, saute the broccoli and finely chopped shallot in butter and remaining olive oil until cooked, about 6 minutes. You want the broccoli florets to soften but keep a little bit of fresh crunch.
4. Once cooked, place the broccoli and shallot on top of the already assembled pizza.
5. Bake according to the crust packaging. Remove from pizza pan after it is cooked, cheese is melted and slightly browned, and let rest for a few minutes before slicing to serve.

5-Ingredient Cheesy Creamy Italian Chicken

I promise, I am not starting a crock pot-only recipe blog. I just enjoy the ease of it during the week, and the warm meals it creates FOR ME!

 If you know the basics about crock pot cooking, you know that there needs to be plenty of liquids in order to cook properly without over drying. I simply chose a few creamed soup cans, seasonings, and came up with this.

I marinated the chicken breasts in Good Seasons Italian seasoning overnight - 1 packet plus 1/3 cup of water. 

The next morning before leaving for work I threw in the breasts.

Poured the soups (previously mixed together) over the chicken.

Covered the crock pot and headed out for the day.

The results? We came home to a deliciously smelling home! The chicken fell apart, very tender and moist (GOSH I hate that word, but what else can you use in its place?)

Mr. Shiksa approved with a big MMMHMMMMM!

 

My work was done :)

xoxo

The Real Shiksa

Recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 6 per serving

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1/3 cup water

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheese soup, undiluted

Directions

1. Mix the water and Italian dressing seasonings together in a small bowl. Marinate the chicken breasts in the refrigerator in a sealed bag for a couple of hours, overnight if possible.

2. Place the chicken breast halves in a slow cooker.

3. From here you have a couple of choices: If you are home to oversee the cooking follow A. If leaving for the day, follow B.

     A. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soup until blended. Pour the soup mixture over chicken. Cook 1 to 3 hours longer, or until chicken juices run clear.

     B. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soup until blended. Pour the soup mixture over chicken. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours, or until chicken juices run clear

May be served with rice or hot cooked noodles. Any extra sauce would be great with either.

Monday MUSTS! Fashion Forward.

Winter has finally arrived in Boston. BRRRRR.

 

I shouldn't complain because it's been extremely mild, and it is almost mid-January. But c'mon, its really damn cold!

 

In the hopes of looking ahead with my weight loss and warm weather, I present to you some of my must (lust) haves this spring, hopefully!

 

 1. Embroidered Paperwhites Skirt by Anthropologie  

 

This is beautiful! It captures the feeling of spring, super flowy, and very feminine. I am not a big skirt wearer, as I don't love my legs. I am short, and have muscular legs due to 16 years of dancing. Even though it's been a long time since I have danced, those muscles will most likely be with me forever. As we begin a more regular work out routine, I hope unwanted jiggle will melt away and I can tone them up a bit. THEN I'd love to wear this! 

2. Light At The End Maxi by Anthropologie

This is more my style now, and was over the entire summer. I love maxi dresses. Even though I am short (5'3"), maxi dresses seem to elongate my body, and I'll take that any day! And I just love the open lace pattern that falls right below where my knees would be. I love anything with lace, but this isn't too much flash at all. Navy is so great for spring or summer, very nautical, without the stripes (a no-no for plump people haha).

3. Bright Forecast Tank

This would be perfect under a blazer, paired with dark denim and heels. Love it! It could then be dressed down alone with some flats.

4. On Pointe Top by Mod Cloth

As you can see, I sorta like polka dots. Though I don't have many polka dotted pieces currently, I think they give something structured a playful edge. And I think this piece could be dressed up or down as well. Versatility is a must whenever I buy a new piece of clothing.

5. No Need to Spree Heel in Tan by Mod Cloth

I had to throw in some shoes :) What woman doesn't love shoes? I think about 60% of my shoe collection is black...and they are all so different! Which is why I continue to buy black. Something Mr. Shiksa will never understand! I love the look of these t-strap heels...they'd work barefooted with a dress, tights, or socks under slacks. I think the look is vintage yet modern enough to wear on a regular basis. Props to the low platform, which would help with the comfort level. Comfort plays an underlying factor in all show purchases. And the tan color - just so neutral I wouldn't have a problem finding outfits to wear them with. Too bad they are out of stock...

What items are you lusting after? Are there certain pieces/styles of clothing you tend to gravitate towards? 

xoxo
The Real Shiksa

Weigh-in Sundays and Ombré

The Shiksa household is down 21.8 lbs in 4 weeks!!!

Thank you. Thank you.

We feel great and proud of our progress so far. We appreciate all of your support as well!

Any of you former or current WW subscribers? Any tips for us you'd like to share?

On another note - I've gone ombré! Quite a change from blonde blonde that I usually am. And I LOVE it! It's so fresh, natural looking, and chic. Here's a pic, though it's not the best.

Are you adventurous when it comes to hair color change? What's your next move at the salon?

xoxo
The Real Shiksa

Egg and Spinach Potato Stacks

Week 4 of Weight Watchers begins, and Mr. Shiksa and I march full steam ahead. I have lost a total of 7 pounds, and Mr. Shiksa has lost 10.5 pounds. Pretty good, right? 

I mentioned in a previous post how preparing breakfasts in advance has really helped as far as time management in the morning, as well as providing us with a filling and healthy start to our days.

I wanted to build off of the individual hash frittatas and came up with this.

I learned my lesson and used muffin tin liners. WINNING.

You still get the egg, fresh vegetables, and starch so they are filling and well-balanced.

You can really add anything you want to these to tailor them to your tastes. 

What did you add or do differently? I'd LOVE to hear from you!

xoxo

The Real Shiksa

Recipe

PointsPlus Value = 3

1 Serving = 1 potato stack 

Total Servings = 12

 

Ingredients

6 cups uncooked bliss potatoes, baby-variety (about 12 oz)

10 oz frozen spinach, cooked and drained

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tbsp chives, fresh, chopped

1 cup of grape tomatoes, sliced

1 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place muffin liners in a 12-hole muffin tin.

2. Slice potatoes into think circular slices (think slightly thicker than potato chips) and boil for about 10-12 minutes, until slightly undercooked, and not too soft.

3. Microwave frozen spinach per package directions and drain excess liquid. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs and chives. 

5. Place a slice of potato in the bottom of each muffin hole so it lays flat. Top each with 1 heaping teaspoon of ricotta cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons of spinach, about a tablespoon of feta cheese (small pinch of crumbles), a few tomato slices, and another heaping teaspoon of ricotta mixture. Finish stacks by placing remaining potato slices on top. 

6. Bake stacks until fully set and ricotta is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. To get a nice brown, place under the broiler for about 7 minutes. Remove and cool in muffin tins for about 10 to 15 minutes and then transfer to racks to continue cooling. Yields 1 stack per serving.  

 

Crock Pot Shrimp, Bacon, and Corn Chowder

This may not seem like the most WW-friendly recipe. But if you are wise about the rest of your daily points, it shouldn't be a problem sneaking this in. 

And it was a cinch to pull together!

Just peel and dice the potatoes.

Chop the onions and throw on top.

Pour in the chicken broth...

corn...

and creamed corn.

Mix, cover, and cook on high.

I used an immersion blender to break up the mixture a bit, but you can mash too, until it is smooth or chunky enough for you.

It was the perfect thickness! The only thing that could make it better? Butter...

and cream! Light cream, but just as rich!

By using light cream (fat-free half & half would work too!) it cuts down a lot of the fat, and you can enjoy the vegetables and other "power foods" that this recipe is full of. And unlike the recipe below, I omitted the bacon on the cooking process and just crumbled it on top of my husband's bowl. I am not a huge bacon lover (I know, I know...how is that so?) and didn't want it to overpower the flavors already in the dish. Less points is how I look at it!

Mr. Shiksa said it was "pretty amazing" which in his language means killer.

It made me smile :)

xoxo
The Real Shiksa

Recipe

PointsPlus Value: 11 points

Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, no salt added variety
2 cups chicken broth, fat-free and reduced-sodium 

1 cup diced onions

6 slices of pre-cooked bacon

1/2 lb of frozen shrimp (either uncooked or pre-cooked), slightly thawed in the refrigerator
1/4 cup butter
2 cups light cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place potatoes, both cans of corn, chicken broth, and onions into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours (7-8 hours on low if you wish to cook while out all day). 

2. Mash the mixture, or use immersion blender, to your desired consistency and then add the butter, light cream, shrimp, and bacon. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high. Salt, pepper, and season to taste before serving.

 

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

Who doesn't love barbecue?

Mr. Shiksa and I truly love barbecue. Probably as much as we love each other.

This is a simple, BBQ for Dummies, crock pot recipe that I know you'll love. The great thing about it is that you can use your favorite sauce and spices to really make it your own.

xoxo
The Real Shiksa

Recipe

PointsPlus® Value: 12 
Servings: 10

Ingredients
4-5 lbs of pork loin
1 liter of Cherry Coke Zero soda
3/4 cup unpacked light brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
2 whole cloves of garlic
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Directions
1. Put the chopped onions in the bottom of your crock pot. Carefully place the pork loin, fat side up, on top of the onions.
2. Rub the light brown sugar on the top of the loin, and throw in the cloves of garlic. Pour in the soda on top of the loin, until it just covers the meat and fills most of the crock pot.
3. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. (I turned this on at 7:30 am, cooked for 10 hours, and it was just finishing when I returned from work at 5:30 pm.)
4. Once cooked, remove the loin and discard the liquid, onions, and garlic cloves.
5. Pull apart the tender meat with your fingers or two forks. This is where you can skim off the extra fat that didn't fall off during cooking; it'll come off very easily.
6. Place the pulled pork back in the crock pot and pour the BBQ sauce over the meat. Here is where you can add salt, pepper, and even cayenne pepper if you want a bit of kick. Mix everything together.
7. Cover and cook for another hour on high before serving.