Haul: Hungry Girl to the Max

Last weekend I submitted an order on Amazon and one of the items I ordered was the cookbook Hungry Girl to the Max.  I’ve been a fan of the Hungry Girl website and newsletters for years and I own 1 or 2 of the cookbooks.  I haven’t purchased a new Hungry Girl cookbook in some time, so I figured why not?  All recipes are Weight Watchers friendly and show unique ways to cut calorie corners.

I realize all recipes are hit or miss, but from the number of Hungry Girl recipes I have tried, I have been a fan. Like most healthy alternatives meals, those eating it truly have no idea it’s healthier for them. I’ve made a number of hungry girl dishes and after eating, I’ve let “the cat out of the bag” that it was a healthier recipe and so many people have been surprised.

So, here’s to finding some great, tasty and unique recipes to try out in the kitchen!

QUESTION:

Do you have any Hungry Girl recipe recommendations?

Haul: Weight Watchers Ultimate Chicken Cookbook

When I saw that Weight Watchers had released a new cookbook I knew I had to pick it up.  I love Weight Watcher cookbooks even though I am a relatively experienced cook because there are times where thinking of what to make for a meal can be annoying because options just aren’t presenting themselves to me.  So with that I picked up the Weight Watchers Ultimate Chicken Cookbookon Amazon for under $19.

I love chicken – but I admit chicken can get plain gross and boring if it’s not seasoned properly or if it’s something I steer towards when cooking all the time.  Sometimes it takes an interesting description or picture in a cookbook to make me think “hey that sounds good!” So I figured this would help me break out of my chicken box and try new things – and having the Points Plus values definitely make it a lot simpler to try out a new recipe.

I haven’t tried anything from the cookbook yet, but I have given it a run through and I do have a number of recipes flagged as recipes I’d like to try.  With that, I’m hoping to perhaps try one this week at some point.

QUESTION:

What is one of your favorite cookbooks you’ve picked up recently?

Amazon Haul: Tajin & PB2

I’ve grown to truly love Amazon because I can get items I cannot find in stores and I can also get items I can find in stores for cheaper on Amazon.  Those things range all across the board but two of my recent “food finds” I purchased are a newbie and a repeat purchase.  The first item I went on the hunt for (after calling various stores and asking different produce managers) was:

Tajin – a seasoning produced by a Mexican company.  The spice is a blend of chile peppers, lime and salt which is a spicy tangy mix to sprinkle over fruit. I admit when I first saw Tajin popping up on my Instagram feed I was intrigued, but a little scared.  I can sometimes be sensitive to spice (depending on the pepper) but I decided I’d give this a shot.  It is a lot cheaper if you can find it at your local grocery store, but since Amazon was the only place I could find mine, I bit the bullet and ordered it even though it was slightly more than it would have been if I could have found it in a store.

PB2 in the big mamma jamma package!  PB2 is a powder peanut butter which gives you the flavor of peanut butter, without all the fat and calories associated with regular peanut butter.  2 tablespoons of this stuff (powder form) is 1 points plus value. Amazing!  I’ve used it with cool whip to make fruit dips, I’ve used it to make peanut butter pie and I’ve used it in smoothies.  The possibilities are truly endless with this stuff.  I made a couple peanut butter pies (there’s also a chocolate PB2 which is amazing BTW) and NOBODY knew it wasn’t “real” peanut butter.  I stick to buying my PB2 off Amazon because I sometimes have a hard time tracking it down and after finding a different brand in Whole Foods I found it was way more expensive in store than online.

QUESTION:

Do you have any great food finds you purchase online?

Al Dente Carba-Nada Egg Fettuccine Noodles Haul

Ever since I tried the Al Dente Carba-Nada Noodles I have been hooked.  I purchased the Egg Fettuccine and Garlic noodles from my local meat market and have incorporated them into my meal planning (for myself) because for 1 ½ cups its 3 points plus values. I admit when I purchased them in store I paid upwards to $5 a bag, which is pricy, especially when a box of pasta typically runs $1-1.50/box.

These noodles themselves taste like pasta and with red sauce or alfredo sauce on them you truly don’t notice a difference between the Carba-Nada and normal run of the mill fettuccine.  I’m especially a fan of the serving size because since I am a volume eater having 1 ½ cups is definitely something I enjoy, especially without the added guilt.

I searched on Amazon for the Carba-nada noodles and I found the Egg Fettuccine Noodles for sale in a 6-pack case for a pretty decent price.  The case cost me $20.53 which came out to be $3.42/bag.  Ideally I do have more pasta on my hands, but I saved about 1/3 so I’ll gladly store it away and use it up.  I will note if you’d like to try the brand check out the Al Dente website, find a store that sells it in your local area and then call that store before going in. There are stores that carry the Al Dente brand but not the Carba-Nada line.  If you do end up liking them I’d strongly suggest comparing your store prices to the Amazon prices.  A penny saved, is a penny earned, right?

QUESTION:

Have you tried the Al Dente Carba-Nada line?

Amazon Haul: Weight Loss Boss by David Kirchhoff

This is what you order when you’re home, you receive an e-mail from Weight Watchers and you end up looking for the book – Weight Loss Boss by David Kirchhoff on Amazon. Incase you are not aware, David Kirchhoff is the President and CEO of Weight Watchers.

I know with a Kindle, why would I want the book?  Well, to be honest, I’m still a little “old school.” Even though I have a Kindle Fire I almost prefer to have the book in hand – even though they do take up space, etc.  But oddities with book preference aside I purchased the book because the great part about Amazon is that you can actually preview the book before you buy it.  Typically you get the first 15 or so pages to view including the table of contents.

From what I read, the book sounded as though it was going to be a very insightful, but also humorous read.  Being a Weight Watchers member for three years, I still find it so fascinating to hear about others journeys.  We all experience different things along the way and we all have different trigger foods, different anchors, different stories and different tips and tricks that work for us.  I haven’t started reading yet, but I do plan on doing so this week.  Perhaps I can post a review of the book once I’m finished with it.

QUESTION:

Have you purchased this book for yourself or do you plan to?

Haul: Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook

About two weeks (or so) ago I received an e-mail alerting me that a new 50^th Anniversary Weight Watchers Cookbook was released to select retailers.  I was immediately intrigued because at first I thought it might only be available at Weight Watchers locations.  I then glanced through the e-mail and noticed it listed the retailers that were selling the product.  That of course meant I immediately started clicking on the company links and comparing prices.  I found that Walmart and Amazon were the most comparable in price, Amazon being slightly cheaper.

Since I am an Amazon Prime member, I decided to order it through them so I could get 2-day shipping.  The original price is $29.99, but I got it on sale for $17.27 on Amazon (please keep in mind prices fluctuate daily on Amazon).  The cookbook is also available at Target, Walmart, Barnes & Nobles and even select wholesale clubs (i.e., Costco, BJ’s, etc.).

The book is hardcover and is also available through Amazon for the Kindle.  As with all Weight Watchers cookbooks the book itself is very versatile and ranges all over the board.

QUESTION:

Have you purchased any Weight Watcher cookbooks?

The greatest invention since sliced bread: PB2

While on Instagram I kept seeing all these photographs of this stuff called PB2.  PB2? Pfft, okay. I’m a foodie by heart, but a critic. Initially my brain said – how in the world can you take something like peanut butter that tastes fabulous and make it a powder and make that equally fabulous? Declined!  I mean I’ve tried powdered eggs before and those were a double thumbs down.

Well, I kept seeing this PB2 stuff all over Instagram … and curiosity got the best of me (partly because I am obsessed with Amazon shopping) so I found a 2-pack of both the regular peanut butter and chocolate so I purchased it.  It was shipped to my house and upon receipt … I admit I was a little skeptical but excited.  I waited a few days to try it and then added it into a smoothie (figuring that would be the safest bet).

To my surprise the stuff was AMAZING!  It gave my chocolate banana smoothie this yummy peanut butter taste and I was immediately hooked. Powdered peanut butter that has the taste of peanut butter but without all the fat? Oh my!!

So I started experimenting – adding it to different things to make dips, to make pies, to make more smoothies and each and every time it’s been amazing.  It gives me that peanut butter flavor I love so much.  Since I follow Weight Watchers, peanut butter can get pretty high in points so I typically avoid it as much as I can – but 2 tablespoons of PB2 is only 1 points plus. Heaven I tell ya, HEAVEN!

QUESTION:

Have you jumped on the PB2 wagon? If so, what were your thoughts?