Recipe Review: "Labor Inducing" Gingersnap Cookies

A while back I was asking my friends to give me some good ideas about how to induce my labor. One of my friends, Meagan, suggested that I try making these "Labor Inducing" Gingersnap Cookies. I found the recipe on Pinterest. I decided to put this recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder to see how many points+ per cookies. To my suprise these are only 1 points+ per cookie!

Even though these cookies did not induce my labor, I am glad that I found a great new low points+ treat!

The Ingredients

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and cayenne pepper in small mixing bowl.  Set dry ingredients aside.

Then blend margarine in large mixing bowl. Stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar slowly.

Add the molasses, then the egg whites. Finally, add the dry ingredients to your mix.

Roll dough into ¾ inch balls. Roll cookie balls in sugar to lightly coat each cookie.  Place balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

The final product!

Just 1 points+ per cookie!

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Labor Inducing Gingersnap Cookies

Source: Just Mommies

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Servings: 60 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Calories: 66

Fat: 1.6 g

Fiber: 0.2 g

Protein: 0.7 g

Old Points: 1 pt

Points+: 1 pts+

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Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 tablespoons (or 1 stick) margarine

1/2 cup granulated sugar (will also need extra sugar to roll cookie dough in)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup molasses

2 egg whites

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and cayenne pepper in small mixing bowl. Set dry ingredients aside. 

Then blend margarine in large mixing bowl. Stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar slowly. Add the molasses, then the egg whites. Finally, add the dry ingredients to your mix. 

Roll dough into ¾ inch balls. Roll cookie balls in sugar to lightly coat each cookie. Place balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

Happy Due Date!!

I cannot believe that today is my due date!! After nine long months is waiting, this day is finally here!! Everything up until this point has been looking toward this day. I did not sleep well last night, because I kept wondering if I would go into labor in the middle of the night.

I tried explaining to Jon that this is worse than Christmas Eve! I mean at least at Christmas you know the day that it will come on December 25th. Christmas day never changes; however waiting for a little baby is very different. For all I know she could wait two more weeks before she decides to come.

All a long the way I have talked about having an attitude of patience. Up until this point in time, I have done really well. However, in these days following my due date, when I am officially "late", I am going to have to act out the patience that I have been talking about for months. I have talked the talk, but now is the time where I am given the opportunity to live it out.

Above everything else, I want God to be honored through my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I want to be able to explain to those around me that the peace and patience I have at this time is from Christ alone! This is not something that I could manufactor on my own.

As for my pregnancy, things are going really well! Yesterday, my doctor checked my amniotic fluid levels by doing an ultrasound. It was so cool to see how big Olivia is now compared to when I last saw her at 17 weeks! I will go back to see the doctor again on Thursday. At that appointment, he will take time to check my fluid levels to see how Olivia is holding up in there. My prayer is that everything will continue to go well!

In the meantime, I have been working on getting all of the final touches ready for Olivia!! Here are some pictures of Olivia's things on her wall in our bedroom.

Everything is ready! The only thing missing is a baby!

Some of Olivia's beautiful gifts that she received from friends and family!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers during this time!

Sipping Shockers

This article from the Weight Watchers website does a great job of summarizing what we talked about in the meeting room on Saturday, August 18, 2012.
Sip Smarter
When the mercury rises, there’s nothing like a chilled, refreshing beverage to quench your thirst and cool you down. Whether you sip ‘em, slurp ‘em, or slug ‘em, if you're not mindful, drinks can pile up PointsPlus® values pretty quickly. According to the USDA, the number of calories per day that Americans consume as beverages is 400! But now you know...it doesn't have to be! Discover smart sipping strategies, suprising PointsPlus value sappers and great substitutions for everything from your favorite cocktails to your morning cup‘o Joe.

4 Smart Sipping Strategies
1. Never come to happy hour hungry
"Skipping lunch to compensate for the calories you plan to drink is not a good idea," says Molly Gee, RD, a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Alcohol does not satisfy hunger."

2. Be mindful of mixers
Hard liquor runs 100-200 calories per shot, but add a sugary or creamy mixer and you'll double or triple the calories, says Lisa Drayer, a New York City-based dietician. Her tip: Order what you love, just make it lighter — a rum and Coke using diet cola, a gin and tonic using low-calorie tonic. Or, skip mixers altogether and sip a light beer (one-third the calories of regular) or a glass of red wine (just over 100 calories).

3. Make the cocktail your dessert
Dining out with friends and can't resist a piña colada or daiquiri? Savor the mega-calorie libation and skip dessert. "Negotiate with yourself." But exercise moderation. "If you drank a piña colada or any 500-calorie drink every day in excess of what your body needs to maintain your current weight, you'd gain a pound a week," says Drayer.

4. Enjoy alcohol every other round
Alternate each alcoholic beverage with seltzer or water. It'll cut down on calories and help you keep count of how much you're drinking. And because alcohol has a diuretic effect, the water will hydrate you, says Drayer.

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Be sure to check out the cocktail cheat sheet available on e-tools- compare the values of your favorite drinks so that you will be more aware the next time you get invited out for happy hour!

Here is a collected list of PointsPlus values for common alcoholic drinks:

COCKTAIL LIST
• Cosmopolitan (3.5 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Martini (2 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Bay Breeze (5 ½ fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Bellini (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Black Russian ( 3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values
• Bloody Mary (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Brandy Alexander (3 fl oz) 9 PointsPlus values
• Daiquiri (3 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Gin & Tonic (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Gin Gimlet (2 ½ fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Long Island iced tea (8 fl oz) 15 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, dry (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, perfect (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Manhattan, scotch (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Margarita (6 fl oz) 14 PointsPlus values
• Martini (2 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Martini, sour apple (3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values
• Mimosa (6 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Mojito (12 fl oz) 7 PointsPlus values
• Old Fashioned (8 fl oz) 23 PointsPlus values
• Piña Colada (6 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Piña Colada, canned (1 can - 6.8 fl oz) 12 PointsPlus values
• Rob Roy (4 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Saketini (3 fl oz) 7 PointsPlus values
• Screwdriver (6 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Singapore Sling (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Tom Collins (6 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Gimlet (3 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Whiskey Sour (4 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Whiskey Sour, prepared from dry mix with water & whiskey (3.5 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• White Russian (3 fl oz) 8 PointsPlus values

NEW COCKTAILS
• Kamikazi (4.5 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Sex on the Beach (6 fl oz) 6 PointsPlus values
• Jack & Cola (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Rum & Cola (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Frozen Chocolate Mudslide (12 fl oz) 29 PointsPlus values
• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri (7 fl oz) 9 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Cranberry (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Vodka Tonic (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Mai Tai (3.5 fl oz) 10 PointsPlus values
• Highball (5 fl oz) 5 PointsPlus values
• Vanilla Vodka Soda (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Citrus Vodka Soda (5 fl oz) 3 PointsPlus values
• Flavored vodka soda, any type (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Rum & diet cola (5fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Jack & diet cola (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Gin & diet tonic (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values
• Vodka & diet soda (5 fl oz) 4 PointsPlus values

Beers with 2 PointsPlus values
Miller Genuine Draft Light 64 (MGD 64)
Select55

Beers with 3 PointsPlus values
Budweiser Select
Busch Light
Michelob Ultra
Miller Lite
Milwaukee's Best Light

Don't Throw In The Towel

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No baby yet! Sorry for the lack of blogging recently! I only have one week left until my due date and things are busy, busy, busy!

This morning, I finally had time to sit down and answer some emails from my blog readers/followers. I am so thankful that I took the time to do this, because it gave me inspiration for my blog post today!!

Today, I want to try and offer each of you some encouragement!! I receive emails on a regular basis from men and women who are trying to lose weight. I am so thankful for your willingness to be open and vulnerable about your struggles to lose weight. I appreciate your transparency so much!!

A pattern I’ve notice is that many of you begin your weight loss journeys and then within a month or two you are so discouraged that you already want to quit! Why are you so quick to throw in the towel? It’s so hard to read emails like this, because I know that if you stick with your weight loss program you will be successful. I know what it feels like when you don’t think you are getting anywhere, but I do not think that’s a reason to give up.

Below are three different ideas that you can try if you experience discouragement along your weight loss journey. These things helped me so much in my own journey and I know that they will work for you too!

First, you need to adjust your expectations. Healthy, long-term weight loss is slow. I know that none of you want to hear this, but it is true. You did not put on your weight in one night and you won’t be able to take it off that quickly either. If you are coming into your weight loss journey thinking that you will lose 4-5 pounds per week, you need to readjust your expectations so that you can avoid discouragement. Take time to create healthy and realistic expectations for yourself!

Second, celebrate EVERY victory, no matter how small you think it is!! You must being to change your mindset if you are going to be successful in your weight loss journey. A loss on the scale is a loss…period. I have heard from you all in emails and from my own Weight Watchers members that they, “only” lost 0.2 pounds. I know that you get frustrated that you did not lose more weight. However, please remember that loss is a loss. All of those 0.2’s and 0.3’s eventually begin to add up to whole pound! Change your attitude and begin to be thankful for those small amounts of weight that you lost, knowing that eventually it will add up to something bigger.

Finally, do not give up. You must keep persevering! You are worth it, no matter how much time it takes to lose weight! You need to become committed to your weight loss journey no matter what! Do not believe lies about yourself that you cannot do this, because it’s not true! It takes 21 days to make something a habit in your life. That’s quite a bit of time! Be patient while you learn to undo a lifetime of bad food choices. This was so important for me while I was losing weight in 2008-09, because I did not care how long my journey would take me. It didn’t matter, because I had already decided that I would be on Weight Watchers no matter how long it took me to get my weight off. Are you truly committed to your weight loss journey?

It is okay to be frustrated, especially when you are following the program and it does not seem to be working the way you thought they would. Just don’t let your frustration lead you to quit your weight loss journey, before it has really begun!

Have you been frustrated throughout your own weight loss journey? What are things that you did to avoid discouragement and get back on track?

Wordless Wednesday: Size Doesn't Define Beauty

Summer Recipe Swap

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This past week, lots of recipes were shared in the meeting room! With Weight Watchers we have the freedom to eat whatever we choose, so our options are endless. However, we tend to eat the same foods over and over again. We fall into a rut and before we know it we start wondering towards extra snacks and treats because we are bored with our food choices.

 . . . . . . . . . .

This article from the Weight Watchers website does a great job of summarizing what we talked about in the meeting room on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

Summer Menu Makeover
Liven up a "lazy" summer menu with fresh and delicious seasonal recipes.
Article By: Michelle Fowler & Lisa Thomas
Have you considered that one of your favorite light summer recipes might be just what someone else needs to bust out of a menu rut? Or perhaps one of your fellow meeting members has an idea or cooking technique that can revive one of your once-loved summer classics? If you're like most members, chicken and mixed greens are in heavy rotation during the warm-weather months. But how many times can you prepare the same old grilled chicken breast recipe for dinner or eat a no-frills green salad for lunch?

Wake up your taste buds!
You don't have to reinvent the wheel to give summer classics a fresh twist. For example, something as simple as swapping a spice or an herb can make a difference. Or roasting and grilling to bring out the natural sugars in foods, rather than boiling or steaming. Seasoning food before cooking it, as well as properly salting water for rice or pasta can dramatically boost flavor. And using fresh seasonal produce is a great way to highlight different flavors and textures in your recipes.

What are some of the foods you look forward to eating this time of year? Salads? Jazz them up by topping your greens with meat, seafood or chicken leftovers. Corn? Roast and season kernels for a light and flavorful finger-food snack. Watermelon? Blend it into a frozen cocktail. And sure, grilling may be the unofficial cooking technique of the season because you can get food on the table quickly and keep the house cool, but using a toaster oven is a comparable alternative. And if your slow-cooker is on the shelf or in the closet gathering dust, pull it out, place it on the counter, and use it to create fuss-free weeknight dinners.

Along with your weekly meeting, eTools is also a treasure trove of member-tested, member-approved, plan-friendly recipes and meal ideas! Here are a few good places to start.

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Here are a few of my all time favorite recipes!!

My favorite dessert: Berry Cobbler

Just a few ingredients, but it tastes great!!

My favorite Crock Pot meal: Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

I love chicken spaghetti and I'm glad that there is a Weight Watchers friendly version out there for me to enjoy!

Our family's favorite chicken dish: Chicken and Rice

This is a staple in our home, even before I started Weight Watchers.

What are some of your favorite recipes?





My Last Week with Weight Watchers

This is the last week that I will work for Weight Watchers before Olivia is born! I will work my normal Tuesday night and Saturday morning meetings and then I will be on maternity leave. I will be on maternity leave for about eight weeks or more, depending on how my labor, delivery, and recovery go over the next several weeks.

There is no doubt about it that I cannot wait to meet Olivia and welcome her into this world! However, this time is bittersweet, because of how much I am going to miss working for Weight Watchers over these next few weeks. Below, I have listed out the two main groups of people that I am going to miss while I am away.

{Weight Watchers Members}

First of all, I am going to miss my Weight Watches memebers. I enjoy being able to see my Weight Watchers members on a weekly basis. It gives me an opportunity to connect with them and find out how their weight loss journey is going. This past weekend I realized that I am going to miss celebrating milestones with my members while I am gone. I will miss being there for 5%, 10%, 5 pound stars, and much more!

I am excited to see how much progress my members are going to make while I am gone. I cannot wait to come back and hear all about their victories and struggles while I was away!!

{Weight Watchers Coworkers}

Next, I am going to miss my Weight Watches coworkers/friends!! It is such a joy to be able to work with other women who have been successful on the Weight Watchers program. I am going to miss the weekly encouragement that I receive from them throughout the week. It is going to be hard to not work with them for the next eight week!

I plan to take Olivia to Weight Watchers to meet my members and coworkers. I will be sure to take pictures and post them, so that you can share in Olivia's first trip to Weight Watchers. I know that it won't be her last.