Chicken Fajitas

So I'm back a week early :). I just couldn't stay gone for too long lol.  Tonight I threw together some chicken fajitas.  I was thinking about what to make for dinner and on a super tight budget so I came up with these.  You can make this recipe for even cheaper if you use store brands as opposed to the brands I used but even on a budget there are some things I'm just not willing to put in my body.  Either way you choose to do it, these are super simple and really quick to make. 


Here's What You Need:
1 pkg chicken breast tenderloins. You could use regular chicken breast and cut it into 1/2in pieces as well.
2 tsp oil (I chose to use olive oil) 
Bell Pepper (I chose to use 3 different colored for more flavor because I don't like onions)
Onions (if you choose to... they are not in mine)
1 pkg McCormick Fajita Seasoning

Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Whole Wheat Carb Balance Tortillas

***Obviously, you can top your fajitas with whatever other toppings you like. Just make sure you count your points or calories when using them :)***

Here is What you Do:
First put oil in your pan and add chicken breast pieces. 

 

Next, cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on medium heat until all the pink is gone from the outside. Meanwhile, while the chicken is cooking, cut up your bell peppers (and onions if you choose to use them).

 

Once the chicken is no longer pink on the outside (5-6mins) add the peppers and continue to cook another 5-6 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

 

 

Next add fajita seasoning and 1/4c water. mix well and let simmer about 2-3 minutes.

 

Finally, put 4oz of cooked chicken into 2 tortillas and top with your choice of toppings and enjoy!



 

I hope you all enjoy these.  They are flavored really well for fajitas that are not marinated for hours.  Don't forget to come back and tell me and everyone else how you liked them. 
For this particular recipe I will not be putting the WW Points Plus Values because of the variation in toppings. 
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has a safe and happy new years celebration tomorrow!
ENJOY!

 

CranApple Pork Chops

This week I am really excited about the post!  I am participating in a 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop being hosted by The Book of Lou Lou!  To find Lou Lou's blog, click on the icon above!  The blog hop will have several days of food, crafts, and lots of other fun Christmas things for you to re-create!  Ok, now lets get to the food bc lets face it, that's what we really love right lol!

So, when I was ask1. ed this past week to participate in the 12 Days of Christmas I knew I needed to do something that was festive.  I had already been thinking of some ways to spruce up my pork chops with a little holiday love and this was the perfect time.  Not only do they look good, they taste fantastic!!  I am quite proud of my creation!

What you need:
2-4 boneless pork chops (depends on how many you're looking to serve... the sauce will serve about 6-8)
Tony Chachare Seasoning (I don't measure I just sprinkle some on)
1 cup of whole cranberries
1 cup of chopped apples
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup bakers sugar (you can use regular sugar but bakers sugar is more fine and doesn't leave a granulated texture in the sauce. regular sugar will)
1 cup water

 

How you do it:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*

2. Season pork chops and bake for 25 min.  

 

3. Chop apples into small pieces then put them and the cranberries in a sauce pan on medium heat.

 

4. Add water, sugar, and cinnamon to fruit mixture.

5. Stir continuously until a sauce is created.  This will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure you keep stirring to avoid it burning and sticking to the saucepan.

 



6. Once sauce and pork chops are done, plate the pork and put a spoonful of sauce along the top of the meat! THEN EAT!!

 

This meal should take approximately half an hour including prep and cook time.  You can pair it with mashed potatoes or if you want to go for a light side, try mashed cauliflower instead.

 

Hope you all enjoy this dish!!  Remember to come back after you've tried it and tell me how you liked it! Don't forget to click on the 12 Days of Christmas Icon up top and check out the other entries there! I am day 3 so there is plenty more to come in the next few days!

 



Veggie Stirfry & Product Review

I'm really on a stir fry kick here lately and I have to take a second to show some love to my new favorite stir fry product.  Walmart has several different types of frozen stir fry vegetable bags in their frozen section. They are about a buck and a half a piece.  For someone with a busy schedule and a energetic toddler running around, finding something that tastes great that is quick and easy is like hitting a gold mine.  I found it in this product. I'm really loving the broccoli stir fry variety right now and tonight I added a can of pineapple and it was fantastic!  Ok, so there you have it, my announcement to the world that Great Value Brand Stir fry varieties are top notch!!

So now for the actual meal I made tonight.  Like I said I've been on a stir fry kick and tonight I wanted something that I could make quickly and simply since the hubs and the child were having pizza.  This has 3 ingredients and takes about 10 minutes. Easy as pie! (OK obviously it's much easier than a pie lol)

Here's What You Need:
1.  1 pkg frozen stir fry vegetables
2.  1 can pineapple (drained from Juice)
3.  1 bag brown Minute Rice

 

Here's What You Do:

1.  Drain the juice in the pineapple

2.  In a skillet combine the stir fry vegetables and the can of pineapple. Let this cook about 8 minutes until vegetables are heated through.

 

 

3.  While vegetables are working, cook your rice following the directions on the box.

4.  Plate, serve, & enjoy

That's it. Simple and sweet.  I know this recipe is basically the same as the chicken stir fry was a couple weeks ago but I figured it's another variation that someone may not have thought of otherwise or perhaps inspire one of you to create your own stir fry dish. Enjoy!

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 4
**based off a 1 cup serving of brown rice and 1 cup serving of veggies**

Stuffed Pork Chops

Sometimes with cooking, you have trial and error, tonight there was a little bit of an error but overall the dish was great and I wanted to share it.  Tonight when I was deciding what to make I wanted to do stuffed pork chops but I hadn't planned to so I didn't have any mozzarella cheese so I took a Weight Watchers string cheese and cut it into 1/3's and then cut those in half long ways.  Personally, I think the string cheese was a bad decision because it didn't melt properly and just had a strange taste so while eating I removed it.  I'd def use mozzarella cheese next time!

What you need:
1 Pkg Boneless Pork Chops
1 cup Raw Broccoli
1 String Cheese (or 1 serving of low fat mozzarella cheese)
Salt & Pepper

 

How you do it:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*

2. With a fillet knife, cut a pocket in the side of the pork

3. Stuff part of the broccoli and 2 pieces of string cheese in the pocket. Remember this broccoli should be raw, mine was even frozen. It will cook in the oven.

 





4. Season pork with salt & pepper to taste.
5. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes.

It's a very simple easy meal to make and very tasty (minus the weird string cheese choice). Hope you all enjoy!

 

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value:  6 

Breakfast On The Go

This weeks post is going to be a little different.  I didn't have the time or energy after the week I had to come up with and cook a new recipe.  So, this week I'm going to tell y'all about my favorite breakfast to have on the go!  You'd be surprised when I say on the go to find out I'm talking about Waffles and sausage! 

Yep, I said it! WAFFLES!!! Seriously these waffles are so good you can eat them on the go because you don't need syrup.  Syrup is really just useless anyway.  It's packed with sugar and just makes a mess.  If you just can't stand dry waffles, replace the syrup with raw honey.  Local honey is always the best and actually help fight allergies.  So what kind of waffles are these you ask?  Nutri Grain Honey Oat Waffles by Eggo! 2 waffles is going to cost you 5 points plus values for those of you on weight watchers. They really are just simply delicious!!!

I don't know about you, but I just can't have waffles without sausage.  So, a while back I decided to give the Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage a try.  Because I'm usually running out the door trying to make sure I remembered to even put pants in the mornings, I had to do the fully cooked ones and be able to toss them in the microwave for a minute and then go.  I was skeptical how they would taste at first because microwaved meat is usually just horrific BUT they are INCREDIBLE!  They are so moist and juicy and just oh so good! 

 



So there ya have it!  My super easy and tasty breakfast on the go.  Enjoy!

Back In Business

I wanted to take a quick second and apologize to all of you for the lack of dedication I've given this blog lately!! But, the good news is I'M BACK!!!! I need this blog just as much as some of you that read it have told me you do! It helps hold me accountable and gives all of you hopefully some new tasty meals for your families!

I will be making some changes. I was doing daily entries there for a while but to be honest, it's too difficult to keep up with daily and come up with new ideas to make every day. Sometimes I just want to cook a pot of spaghetti and not worry about coming up with a new dish for the blog. Sooooo... I will be doing one entry a week.

If anyone has any requests for a meal that you want to see lightened up let me know in the comments and I'll get on it!

I'm so excited to be back in business and get this blog up and going again! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Easy Chicken Stirfry

Tonight I wanted a super quick and easy meal, so I thought STIR FRY!! But not just any stir fry this is the easiest quickest stir fry on the planet. Who REALLY wants to sit there and cut up a gazillion different veggies and chicken and then turn around and cook it all? Not me after a day full of cleaning, laundry and the duties of a mother! So I decided to try the frozen bag of broccoli stir fry I picked up on sale at walmart and can I just say YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's What You Need:
1 pkg frozen walmart brand broccoli stir fry ($1.98)

2 chicken breasts ($3.35)
1 green bell pepper ($0.70)
1 pkg brown rice ($2.64)

Here's How To Do It:
1. Cut up the chicken into cubes and season to taste. **I chose to season my chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs de providence (I dunno that's what the lid says lol)**
2. Put the chicken and the frozen package of stir fry in a skillet on medium heat. (I chose to put a splash of low sodium soy sauce in here as well) When the chicken is about 2-3 minutes from being done put in the green bell peppers.

3. While all this is going cook your rice as directed on the package. Rice is optional. You could have just the chicken stir fry without a starch.

This meal is super easy and a tastes delicious and the best part is it costs about $6 to make and feed a family of 4!

Hope you all enjoy!

Twisted Spaghetti

Oh yum, the twisted spaghetti. So the reason it's called twisted spaghetti is bc it just sounds catchy and I think it would make someone at least check it out right? Sounded better than olive oil spaghetti, that to me sounds terrible lol.

This dish is SO EASY. It's perfect for one of those nights you just need a quick meal without the nasty chemicals you'd get from fast food.

Here's what you need:

1 pkg Whole Wheat Spaghetti (I didn't use whole wheat here bc I didn't have any - this is an organic regular spaghetti and has the same points value and almost the same calories... from Costco if anyone wants to try it)
1 Cup bell peppers (doesn't matter what colors. I prefer the sweetness of the yellow and red in this dish so I went with it)
1lb Ground Turkey Breast
**Mushrooms - I didn't use any bc I was out but they would be delish in this dish**
1tsp Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Here's what you do:
First thing bc it takes the longest is get the water boiling and the noodles cooked. While that is taking place go ahead and slice your peppers.

 

Next, brown your ground turkey.

 

Once the turkey is almost done go ahead and add the bell peppers and cook until softened.

By this time your noodles should be about done. Strain the noodles and return to pot or place in a serving dish. Add olive oil and garlic salt and pepper to taste. Toss so that all noodles are coated. Add turkey and peppers.

Measure and serve :)
One serving is 1 cup. Check the spaghetti package for the weight in grams.
**Tippy Tid-Bit: I always weigh by grams when provided. It is MUCH more accurate than getting a measuring cup and trying to measure that way :)**

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 9



Chicken Strips

 

 

Here's What You Need:

 



4oz Chicken Breast Tenderloins
1serv Panko
Olive Oil
Alexia Organic Oven Crinkles French Fries
<--- These are the ones I used that this recipe is based off of.

Here's What You Do:

First, lightly brush the chicken strips with olive oil to help the panko stick. Then, coat the chicken in the panko and place on a baking pan.

Place frozen french fries on the baking sheet or on a separate one if you're making several servings and bake according to instructions on french fries.

Since you are baking at 450* it will not take the chicken 20-25 minutes to cook like the fries so I removed my chicken after 15 minutes and let the fries finish baking while the chicken cooled.

 

Once both chicken and fries are done, measure serving sizes, plate, and enjoy!

 

I added a vegetable side as well. This is a much healthier version to the classic chicken strips and fries than frying it. :)

 

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 8

Catching Up

Hellooooo my favorite people :)

I wanted to let you all know there are some great things coming up this week and also apologize for slacking so much last week.  Last week I played catch up. I caught up on laundry, spending time with the chitlin and hubbers and quite honestly, I caught up on my TV shows haha (Master Chef, Hells Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance - all my faves).

This week I'm back and ready to rock out some awesome recipes for y'all. Since I slacked I'm going to double up today and maybe twice this week if I can get to 10 followers so if you haven't yet followed... click the button and tell your friends :).

OK so some of the things you can look forward to this week are....

Homemade chicken strips and fries (yes I said that... fries, and no i don't mean sweet potato fries)
Chicken Fajitas
Twisted Spaghetti (I dunno I made up the name lol)
Baked Turkey Breast
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Stuffed Pork Chops
and... a tasty treat to be revealed later ;)

So there you have it. A sneak peak at what is to come this week and my official apology for not caring about you all for a few days.. it's not true, I totally care, just sounded silly :)

Oh and just because I want to tell you... when you see a :) at the end of a sentence it really means an exclamation mark but my exclamation marks look like L's at the end of my words... see: AWESOME!!!  <--- WEIRD~*~

That's enough blabbering from me. Enjoy the recipes this week. Happy September :) :) :)

Yours Truly,
Yummalicious Me! <-- see looks weird again lol

Liebster Award!!!

Thank you so much to my dear friend Laura for nominating me for this award!!! I'm very excited about the potential this blog has and hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do!

The Liebster Awards is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers as a way to spread the word about smaller blogs who deserve a larger audience. This award is an honor, but once nominated, you must earn it:

1) You must list 11 things about yourself.

2) Answer 11 questions put to you by person awarding you.

3) Choose up to 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and list their questions.

4) Go to your nominees’ pages and inform them of the nominations.

 

11 Things about me:

1. God is my number 1!
2. My family means the world to me.
3. I'm a huge Dallas Cowboys fan
4. I love the OU Sooners football team
5. I've played soccer almost all my life and absolutely love the sport
6. I have really taken a liking to excercising more than normal lol
7. I'm a very outspoken and opinionated person
8. I have 1 cat named manny and 1 turtle named elmer as pets
9. I have a travel bucket list way too long for a normal human being
10. I'm on a mission with my best friend to travel to every state in the US together at least once
11. I watch Friends re-runs religiously every night

My answers to Laura's questions:

1. Why do you blog? I started blogging bc I was always giving friends recipes or advice on how to alter their favorite meals to make them healthier.
2. How many blogs do you have? Technically 2 but Yummaliciously Skinny is the only one I dedicate my time to.
3. Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully back in school with baby number 2 here or on the way.
4. If you could have any job, what would it be? I've secretly always wanted to be a police detective but i'm too afraid I wouldn't be able to avoid being emotionally effected.
5. What is your favorite meal? Spaghetti
6. How many days a week do you usually read, blog, or write? I blog daily.
7. Favorite vacation destination you want to visit? Oh man there are so many but I think my top is still Fiji.
8. Best personality trait you have? I think it would be my honesty
9. Favorite thing about blogging? It pushes me to constantly come up with new meals for my family bc I prefer not to post anything I have not tried myself.
10. Favorite Band/Singer? All time would probably have to be Pantera.
11. When in High School what social group would you consider yourself in? (jock, prep, loner, etc) None, I was an athelete but I didn't hang out with hardly anyone at my school. I had a couple of friends in each group, I didn't really fit with just one.

 My nominees (I read and love all these blogs):

 
1. Mommy, Wife, and Friend
2. The Skinny on Being Fat
3. Super Mom of 3 Princesses
4. The Book of Lou Lou

 
 
 

Stuffed Chicken

With this one i'm going to do my best to write out a recipe. I kind of made it up as I went but it was so freaking delicious :). Obviously, like many of the meals, the sides you choose are completely up to you. I just use what I have available.

What you'll need:
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1/2c fresh spinach (chopped)
*1/2c mushrooms (chopped)
*1/4c reduced fat mozzarella cheese

**Chicken Seasoning**
*1 1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp pepper
*1/4tsp oregano
*1/4tsp thyme
*1/4tsp onion powder
*1/4tsp garlic powder
*1/8tsp cumin
***mix all this together and it makes a seasoning***

Here's what you do:
First, chop your spinach and mushrooms and mix them together

 

Second, with a filet knife, cut a pocket into the chicken breasts

Next, fill the pocket with the spinach, mushrooms, and some cheese

 

Next, season the chicken to taste and place in a baking pan



Finally, bake, covered at 350*F for 28-30 min and serve.



 



 This is a great, low calorie meal, perfect for families of all size. Yeilds 4 servings.

 

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 5

Butterfinger Pie

BUTTERFINGER!!! WHAT??? On a skinny eating blog? DANG STRAIGHT :)
I learned about this recipe in Weight Watchers and thought omg that sounds DELISH!!!! So, tonight I made ya'll a treat :) The biggest challenge is not licking the bowl clean when you mix everything up lol.

Here's what you'll need:

4 graham crackers
1 butterfinger candy bar
8oz fat free cool whip
**sugar free chocolate sauce
**sugar free caramel sauce
     ***I put the asterisks bc I chose to omit those two items on mine. ***

Here's how you do it:
First, crush up the graham cracker squares and line the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish with them.

Second, crush the butterfinger up and mix 2/3 in to the cool whip. (I find this is easier to do in a small mixing bowl than the cool whip container.)

Next, spread the cool whip and butterfinger mixture over the graham cracker. **make sure your cool whip is thawed all the way otherwise spreading will be very difficult. (I made that mistake)

 

Then, sprinkle the remaining butterfinger on top. At this point if you choose to use the chocolate and caramel syrup, this is the point in which you would drizzle them on. Remember though, you are adding calories that just really aren't needed bc this is sooo good without it.

 

Finally, stick it in the freezer for 4 hours. Cut in to 8 pieces. (I chose to do 16 pieces, that's why my serving at the top looks smaller)

 

 





Now you have a delicious low calorie treat!

Weight Watcher Points Plus Value: 4pts/piece when cut into 8 pieces.

Homemade Fish Sticks

The other day I read something about making your own fish sticks. I thought to myself this would be a great idea considering all the crap they put in processed foods these days. So I set out to the store and bought some Cod fish and some Panko and came up with this :)

Here's what you'll need:
*a couple filets of fresh or frozen Cod. (one serving is 90g cooked)
*1/4c of panko (If you're making more than 2 servings you can increase this)
*olive oil
**Add your choice of sides**




Making it took about 5-10 minutes to prep and 15 to bake, so in 20-25minutes you can have homemade, non-processed fish sticks!

Here's what to do:
First, preheat your oven to 350*F
Second, lightly brush a small amount of olive oil onto the fish (this will help the panko stick)
Next, with a sharp knife, cut the fish into strips. (cut against the grain to keep from tearing apart)
Next, coat each strip of fish with Panko and place on to a cookie sheet.  **MAKE SURE you spray the pan or foil with a nonstick spray... not too much tho that stuff has calories too!**

Finally, place cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 15min.

I chose to serve mine with ketcup because I didn't have any relish to make a tarter sauce with but if you want to make a tarter sauce you can use light miracle whip or mayo OR plain greek yogurt for and relish for an even healthier version (all though my personal taste buds do not approve of this method haha)

For sides I chose quick canned sweet corn and green beans. Believe it or not I actually measured the corn on that plate out and that was LESS than 1 serving... I couldn't believe it, I had to check the label twice.

This meal has mine and my 3 year old sons stamp of approval. The fish sticks are delicious :) They taste way better than the frozen fried store bought kind AND are signifcantly healthier. ENJOY!

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 5points (including ketcup and sides)