Authentic Mexican Rice

Ingredients

2 Cups of Rice
1/3 bottle of Sofrito
1 packet of Sazon
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
4 cups of water
1 clove of garlic
1/2 a small onion
1 teaspoon of Adobo
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil


In a sauce pan heat olive oil on medium heat, add rice and toast.  Add 1/2 onion and glove of garlic ( you will leave these whole to remove once rice is done)
Once rice is toasted add 4 cups of water and chicken bouillon cube (make sure cube desolves all the way) Now at all the other ingredients.   And mix well. Bring to a soft boil.  Once it is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with the lid.  It will take about 25-30 minutes to cook.  Keep your eye on it, once all the water is gone and it has steamed for a few minutes turn the heat off and let it sit for 20 minutes.

You can find most of the ingredients at your local grocery store in the mexican food aisle.

Enjoy!!!

Alicia

Easy Blender Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1- 10 oz can orginal Rotel
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 clove garlic, peeled
• 1-2 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve with chips or over tacos.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is so easy.  I made about 5-6 chicken breast earlier in the week and made a few different soups through out the week.  My boys LOVED this soup.  It is 5 WW Points Plus without the tortilla chips, sour cream or cheese.


Ingredients
2 cups of cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp of dried hidden valley ranch seasoning

Optional:
Baked tortilla chips
Lite sour cream
Lite shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese


Add all the ingredients to the crockpot and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.


It is that easy, if you are using raw chicken let it cook longer and shred the chicken before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Alicia

Crock Pot White Bean Chicken Chili

This was soooooo yummy!!! I can not beleive how good it is.  I counted it as 8 WW points plus for two cups.

Ingredients

• 1 (32 oz) box low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (11 oz) can white corn
• 2- (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
• ½ cup plain greek yogart
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 oz) can green chiles, chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 packet White Bean Chili seasoning mix
• 1.5 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast
• *Optional: To garnish: 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped, cheese, sour cream, salsa

 

Place all of the ingredients in Crock Pot, and cook over high heat for 4 hours, or over low heat for 8 hours.

Thanks, Alicia

 

Pineapple Cupcakes

Easy and tasty recipe! Thanks Cari! :o)

1 box yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker SuperMoist)

1 can of CRUSHED pineapple (in 100% juice)

Whipped cream

Add cake and pineapple together. Mix well (do not drain). Separate into cup cake liners and bake according to directions on the box.

Once the cup cakes have cooled add fruit bits to the top for extra garnish or flavor.

(NOTE: Do not add any other ingredients to the mix that are listed on the box. Just the pineapple w/ juice and cake mix) Also, I got the wrong kind of pineapple.. DUH! So I sent it (juice and all) through my ninja for a quick chopping!)

Optional topping recipe: 

8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese

20 oz can pineapple in pineapple juice, DRAINED - SQUEEZE WELL

3/4 cup fluff marshmallow spread

Combine all three ingredients, mix with a hand mixer and top cooled cupcakes! 

Refrigerate after topping.

Enjoy!

Heather

Cha cha cha chiaaaaa….

I have had a few different people ask me about Chia Seeds and I found this list of helpful information. Chia is not to expensive but has tons of added health benefits! Thank you to my friend Nicole for turning me onto these! 10 Benefits to eating Chia Seeds


Nicole will also tell you that my first question was "Am I going to be growing green Chia grass in my belly?" Her response "If you didn't have stomach acids then Yeah maybe!" LOL :D


You really don't notice these little seeds in foods that you add them to. I feel like they are VERY similar to strawberry seeds. Normally when I have them it's in my Green Smoothies so because I add strawberries there really is no difference. Also they have NO flavor to them.. so no need to worry about that!


Click on the link for some interesting info on using Chia Seeds!


Heather

Growing Oatmeal Bowl

This is Heather's favorite breakfast!!!!

It is ONLY 5 weight watcher points plus

(this picture is ONLY 1/2  of the oatmeal, Heather can't eat the whole thing like her big sis)LOL

Also Heather likes to add the apples once the oatmeal is in the bowl, where as I like the apples heated with the oats in the pot.  You can do either or.

1 cup Almond Breeze 40 calorie milk
1/2 cup 1 minute oats
1/2 small apple, cored and chopped
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Splenda sweetener packets
Dash salt
Optional toppings: blueberries, additional chopped apple, dried cranberries (or anything dried really)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick pot on the stove. Add 1 cup water and mix well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

Stirring often, cook until very thick and creamy, 4-5 minutes. If you like, top with blueberries and additional chopped apple. Eat!

MAKES 1 SERVING (or 2 half servings)
 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

This is soooooo yummy and warm. Makes you feel so comfy and cozy!

1/2 cup of 1 minute oats

1 cup of water

1 cup milk of choice (I use Almond Breeze 40 calories)

1/4 tsp salt

1 ripe banana

1 T peanut butter (I use Better N' Peanut Butter from Trader Joe's)

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

 1 or 2 Splenda

Cook the oats, salt, water and  milk on the stove top. Meanwhile, smash together the pb and  1/2 the banana. Then add in your vanilla and splenda. In a bowl add oatmeal to the pb/banana mix and stir.  Add remaining chopped banana in and stir.  You can smash the full banana with the pb, but I thought it would be better to have larger chunks of banana in the oatmeal.  =)


The weight watcher points plus for this oatmeal is 5 pp.
3 for the oats, 1 for the almond milk and 1 for the peanut butter.

Enjoy!!!!

Alicia