Eaten alive

First of all, I want to say a GIANT thank you to all of my wonderful readers! I hit 200 followers this week on Google Friend Connect, and I couldn't be more excited! I have the Chrdesigns giveaway going on right now (have you entered?), but I am planning another big one (or perhaps multiple smaller ones!) next week! Stay tuned!

These pics are from a day or two ago, and it wasn't until I sat down to write this that I realize I forgot to take a pic of my favorite part of this outfit! This top not only had a deep scoop in the front (my favorite sort of neckline), it's also got an even deeper scoop in the back! I love a low cut back, it's a sexy way to show some skin without being obscene (especially since I wore this to work!)

Could my legs be whiter?? I'm pretty sure they glow in the dark! And now they are COVERED in mosquito bites from standing in the grass for ootd pics. Grr!

I got these shoes last week from H&M - can we say buyer's remorse?? They're so cute on but let me tell you, they are UNCOMFORTABLE. tight in the front but too loose in the back, so my feet squish forward and the front cut of circulation to my toes, while the back of my heels slip out while I walk, making these pretty much unwearable. Good thing I picked up these adorable nude wedges from ideeli for $6 (using some credits I had)!! I hope they fit better than this unfortunate pair!

Top: Old Navy
Skirt: Need to check on that, I've had it for years!
Wedges: H&M
Necklace: F21 (sold out online)
Ring: Vintage

Made another fantastic recipe off of Skinnytaste this week...this tasty chili was lunch and dinner for me for two days and I enjoyed every bite! Definitely recommended!

WW progress: This week's weight in, -3lbs! Total loss: -7.4lb.

Food Files: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Here's the second recipe I made last night from Skinnytaste; our main course, creamy mushroom soup! This soup is so so so delicious, I'm still in disbelief that it's only ONE POINT for a 1 1/4 cups of soup!! And it's super easy to make! This soup will become a staple for me for sure.

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 49 • Fat: 1.8 g • Carb: 6.6 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 3.2 g

• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• 5 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, whole with leaves removed
• 1 tbsp light butter (optional)

Place cold water and flour in a blender and blend until smooth, pour into a medium pot and set heat to medium. Add celery, mushrooms, chicken bullion and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove celery and a cup of soup, blend, then return back to the pot.

 Ta da!! Quick and easy and so tasty!! I didn't bother to blend the celery, my soup was creamy enough so I simply discarded the stalk and served. I had 2 cups for dinner and gave myself 2 points for it, even though it's not even that many. I'm having another cup and a half along with Trader Joe's Portobello Mushroom Ravioli (can you tell I like love mushrooms?) for my lunch today :)

Food Files: Baked Onion Rings

The cooking bug bit me again yesterday so I stopped over at Fairway Market to pick up a few ingredients for two recipes I've been eyeing from Skinnytaste. The first one I made as a snack/appetizer for my sister and I: Onion rings! I know it sounds fattening, but look - only two points!

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings
Adapted from Life as a Lofthouse
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 2 pt*
Calories: 74.7 • Fat: 0.6 g • Carb: 14.7 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 1.7 g • Protein: 2.9 g 

• 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk - *(substitute 3 eggwhites for the buttermilk, no need to soak. -Ariana)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste 
• olive oil baking spray (I used my Misto)

Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 - 2 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes and place half of the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions.

Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 

After reading through the comments it seem that some people had trouble getting the bread crumbs to stick to the onions using buttermilk, so I decided to substitute eggwhites for the buttermilk (I used 3 - eggwhites are less points than the buttermilk anyway, and you don't have to let them soak) and I also made sure to crush up the breading mixture so it was finer and would stick easier - I did this simply by pouring it into a ziplock and rolling over it with a glass.

When dipping your onion rings I recommend using one utensil to dip in the eggwhites, and then another to dip in the breading. I used a fork in the eggwhites and tongs once I was working in the breading. Keeping them separate will prevent a lot of the breading from clumping in the bowl and on your utensil.

Bottom line, these were delicious! Crispy, crunchy, full of flavor, and that plateful you see right there is only 2 points! My sister ate the other serving and she declared them better than normal onion rings. They're light and not at all greasy like restaurant onion rings. I highly recommend them, they make a great snack or appetizer!

*A note for all you point calculating WW ladies - If you put all these ingredients in your point calculator, it will come out to about 9 points. Don't forget that you are not eating all the leftover breading and buttermilk/eggwhites. Excess has been calculated by Gina and points adjusted accordingly :)

Food Files

Yes, this is a fashion blog, but when I come across something awesome, I can't help but share!

I recently came across Skinny Taste, a fantastic cooking blog where Gina shares her 'light', Weight Watchers-friendly recipes (she even gives point values!). I consider myself handy in the kitchen and I also have a lot of love for Indian food, so I decided to give her Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk recipe a try. After a quick trip to my local Trader Joe's for a few ingredients, I was ready to go. Here's what you'll need, straight from Gina.

Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 thigh with sauce and potato • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced small
• 6 skinless chicken thighs
• kosher salt to taste

Add oil to a large pan, on medium heat. When oil is hot add onion and garlic and sauté.

Add cumin, masala and curry powder and mix well. Place chicken in the pan and season with salt. Mix together with all spices and brown on both side for a few minutes.

Add tomatoes, cilantro, water, coconut milk and adjust salt to taste. Mix all ingredients and cover pan, simmer on low until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Add potatoes and more water if neccesary and simmer, covered an additional 5-10 minutes.

Ta da! I served my curry over Trader Joe's steamed Jasmine rice and it was absolutely delicious!

Note: My ingredients varied a little from the recipe - I used a mild curry, regular cumin instead of roasted, and tikki masala instead of garam masala because that's all I could find. If you're not one for spicy food this would be a great edit for you, as my curry was very, very mild. I'm keeping my eyes open for garam masala and a spicer curry for next time as I like a little heat! If you're following WW, just take a look at the points. 4 PointsPlus for a piece of chicken with sauce and potatoes! For dinner, that's nothing. I doubled my chicken serving and added 4 points for a cup of Jasmine rice, bring my dinner count to a healthy 12 PointsPlus. And it was delicious!

I have plans to make many more of Gina's recipes, I can't wait to share them with you!

What's your favorite dish to cook?