Anybody have one of those? It’s nothing special. It’s probably never been reviewed by anyone. But it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Mine is America’s Favorite Brand Name Light Cooking. Copyright 1998; I probably found it on a sale rack at Borders about 10 years ago.

My mom has always said that if you get one good recipe out of a cookbook, it’s a success. This one has done way better. I’ve gotten at least 4 recipes out of it, and it’s still going strong. I just found a new one tonight, and it’s a winner. Amazingly, I tried even though there wasn’t a PICTURE! Anyway, I’ll share it with you here. But also, let us know—do you have that go-to cookbook that helps get dinner made?

Turkey Chili with Black Beans

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 can (about 14-ounces) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, finely chopped (I backed off on the onion a bit)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced (I went with red this time)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes in tomato purée, undrained
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
[I also added a 10-oz bag of frozen corn. This is crazy, because I usually follow recipes to a T.]

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add turkey, chicken broth, onion and bell pepper. Cook and stir, breaking up turkey. Cook until turkey is no longer pink.
2. Add chili powder, all spice, cinnamon and paprika. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer 10 minutes. Add black beans, tomatoes and vinegar [and corn if you’re going there]; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency.

Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 272
Total fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 873 mg
(Disclaimer: not sure how the addition of corn affects these stats.)

As I mentioned in our interview with Redbook (How much do I LOVE referencing that bit of press???), discovering that Sarah Brown was expecting a little brownie bite of her own immediately filled my mind with all kinds of ideas as to what her baby shower should entail.

I certainly hope our guests had as much fun attending as Chandra and I did hosting because I had a blast. Happy hour munchies and optional cocktails (for those not expecting) were plentiful as well as desserts that represented the soon-to-be new addition to the Brown family (tiny brownie bites and pink-frosted sugar cookies).

Because these sorts of events can be tricky when you have a Jack and Jill situation going, we did our best to limit the games to two and keep the theme gender neutral … ish.

Given my celebrity entertainment background at SocialiteLife.com, I offered to create a “match the baby to their famous parent” quiz for everyone.

Prizes were as follows:

1st place: Vogue magazine
2nd place: Life & Style Magazine
3rd place: The National Enquirer (You better read up!)

Click here to download a pdf of the quiz for use at your own event!*

To give those attendees not as well-versed in the identification of celebrity spawn a fair shot at a game, Chandra filled a baby bottle with chocolate M&Ms and had guests make their best guess as to how many were inside.

(The key is to include M&Ms of various sizes to keep ‘em guessing!)

*QUIZ ANSWER KEY:
Alanis Morissette #2 | Angelina Jolie #6 or #14 | Brad Pitt #6 or #14 | Halle Berry #5 | Khourtney Kardashian #1 | Madonna #9 | Matthew McConaughey #3 | Reese Witherspoon #13 | Jennifer Garner #4 | John Travolta #11 | Kate Hudson #10 | Katherine Heigl #7 | Tom Cruise #8 | Usher Raymond #12

The reason I adore Weight Watchers so is because it really acts as a decoder ring for me to figure out exactly how much I can eat of what I really love.

And something that I really love is ice cream.

To be sure, there are some really delightful flavors of “1/2 the fat” varieties of Edy’s ice cream and I have found that a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich really hits the spot, but there’s something almost magical about some homemade ice cream.

My buddy, Ben of BSideBlog.com fame, is the person I credit with first introducing me to The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. This introduction took place moments after Ben fed me a sample of the chocolate sorbet made from the book’s recipe.

Incredulous that it had been made without eggs or dairy, I demanded to know the origin of this amazing recipe. (Imagine, if you will, me pointing accusingly at Ben with a spoon, mouth full of sorbet. That is exactly how it happened.)

It was at that moment that Ben informed me The Perfect Scoop would soon become my ice cream reference guide. And he was right.

With an abundance of perfectly-ripe plums in my crisper, I decided the first recipe I would try would be plum ice cream. Creamy and fruity at the same time, the first batch was quickly gobbled up by my boyfriend and me, straight from my trusty red ice cream maker.

Other recipes I’ve since tried and loved include rocky road and fresh mint with some chocolate bits I added to make it a very minty chocolate chip. Ben has also graciously shared samples of the orange Szechuan peppercorn and olive oil ice cream, both of which were unique and delicious.

An individual who has grown weary of artificial flavors, I found it refreshing that a handful ingredients constitute some of the richest flavors. A little bit of real cream goes a long way, when it comes to your tastebuds.

As I have yet to have the opportunity to go crazy with a registry gun at Target, my kitchen is relatively low-fi and equipped with apartment-sized cooking equipment. Even still, I was easily able to whip up some impressive creations with ease. Make sure to read the intro to determine if there are any “to-buy” items before sitting down to do a recipe and you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised that you already have most (if not all) of what you’ll need.

Portion Control

Because these recipes were designed with flavor in mind, portion control is where a Weight Watcher will have to exercise restraint. I’ve found that storing the ice cream into 1 cup snap lid glass jars is the best way for me to keep from getting out of control.

Decadence in pre-portioned servings is the way to go, people, when it comes to homemade ice cream. At least, that’s how we do it in my kitchen.

So … I’ve got a confession to make.

I haven’t been tracking points ALL SUMMER. And I don’t feel bad about it.

There. I said it.

I did know that at some point I would reach a tracking threshold once the first six months passed. This just so happened to coincide with the end of meetings at work, my membership lapsing and on top of that, the arrival of summer.

While we’re telling all, I’ll also go ahead and say that I just got tired of it. As inviting as she is, seeing JHud everyday got boring. More than that, I think it was seeing JHud every day looking fabulous and the scale not moving down for me as much as I’d like.

And now, here we are. I haven’t gained but I haven’t lost—which I have Pop Physique to thank for that. All that stylish butt-burning has kept me from being a total disaster on the scale.

Plus, thanks to WW, I’ve definitely gotten better at portion control. At some of my fav restaurants, I now take home at least half of meals served on plates that I used to lick clean (not literally, with the help of bread, of course).

But recently, I’ve found myself wondering during those particularly painful parts of class why I even bother to sweat if I’m not being so diligent about what I put in my mouth. You just can’t do one without the other, especially when you’ve got a few more pounds to lose.

So, in the name of skinny jeans that can always fit better, I’m coming back. Thanks, JHud, for being so understanding.

For the first time in a long time, I’m really enjoying exercise. After a long day of work, I’m finding an hour-long workout class that really challenges my muscles to do things they almost never do is helping me to sleep better and maintain my shrinkage, if you will.

Recently, I wrote a post about how Chandra and I were “studio hopping” around town, using those discount coupon sites like Groupon to seek out good deals  on new and interesting workouts. Well, one in particular totally has us hooked. We first dabbled in the ballet-style workout craze that seems to be everywhere right now with a series at Cardio Barre. It’s a fast-paced, energetic workout that incorporates aerobic activity with barre exercises and hand weights.

After our series finished, a friend forwarded me a Groupon offer for classes at Pop Physique. Not knowing what to expect but recognizing the offer for 3 classes for $20 to be a great deal, I bought two. Thinking that my two to three times a week exercise habit I’d developed during my Cardio Barre phase would have prepared me adequately, I thought I was ready for this workout. Little did I know that the smaller and more controlled the movement, the more it BURNS. And boy, did my booty burn after that first workout.

“Shaking is good! It means your muscles are doing what they’re supposed to,” I remember the instructor telling us. If muscles shaking are an indication of success, my trembling thighs and calves screamed almost audibly that I must be doing something right. I quickly used up both sets of Groupons at both the Silverlake and Studio City locations, finding that while the workouts are structured similarly, each instructor brings their own special flair.

I have to confess: I’m completely hooked. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you should totally check out a complimentary first class. But be forewarned, your legs will shake like noodles and they will only stop long enough for you to get online and reserve your next class.

How do you come up with a healthy goal weight?

Last November, I picked a number that represented the weight I was about 4 or 5 years ago, when I was a vegetarian who ran several miles a week. That weight is about ten pounds less than I am now.

And now, here I am, ten pounds more than this somewhat arbitrary number I picked and even though I’m still tracking pretty consistently and have not switched to maintenance mode, I find that I am pretty firmly rooted in this weight.

So how do I know if this is the weight I’m supposed to be? Or am I experiencing a plateau?

The weird thing is that I’m working out right now much more consistently than I ever have on the program, even more so than when I was training for the marathon last year and early this year. Unfortunately, I haven’t been taking my measurements, so I don’t have that whole “numbers don’t lie” principle to support my belief that I am still changing my body in positive way.

Because I feel better than I have in years and my pants are fitting nicely, I haven’t really been too concerned about continuing to lose.

It doesn’t hurt that my boyfriend asked me last night, “Wait a minute … is your butt getting smaller?”

When I set my goal weight last November, I REALLY needed those weekly Weight Watchers meetings. I didn’t even own a scale. Even now, I feel like it’s not really “official,” if I’m not getting weighed at a meeting.

I’m finding myself about 18 lbs. lighter and about 10 lbs. beyond my goal weight. However, that weight was selected based on the weight I was my leanest and meanest during my full-on running period.  Now, I fit comfortably into several pairs of jeans in the size I’ve always been most comfortable and am considered to be within the Weight Watchers Healthy Weight Range. Additionally, I’ve rediscovered my love of exercise. While my weight remains the same, my regular twice a week Cardio Barre sessions with my workout buddy, Chandra, has really started to help me continue to get leaner, even if I’m not getting lighter.

At this point, I would have served myself well to have been keeping measurements up until this point (they even have a section for you to keep track online), alas, I was lazy and only looked at weight. For the time being, I’m feeling really good about my current weight and am definitely sticking with the online program for WW, even if I’m not quite as exact as I once was.

That said, I have also purchased a Weight Watchers scale to make sure I’m staying within a certain range and haven’t really found myself needing the meetings quite like I used to. For this last series, with Sarah pregnant and Chandra feeling as if she’s reached a similar comfort level with her weight loss, I opted to just continue with online Points tracking and calling it a day.

It’s nice to know, however, that if my resolve starts to falter or I need a greater boost than my support system is capable of giving, I can always get back on the meeting train. Until then, I’ll just be here, blogging, tracking and getting my exercise on.

I wonder if there is something to this whole “nesting” rumor … that when you’re pregnant, you begin “feathering the nest.”

I have never had an emptier laundry hamper in my life. (This could be due in part to the fact that I only have 5 pairs of pants that fit now.) And though I’m often exhausted, especially after a full-time work week, I have, on more than one occasion, felt compelled to bake. (The latest was the Midwestern summer urge to make zucchini bread.)

I guess it makes sense– historically, genetically, the woman whose body is preparing for a baby must also prepare her life to receive it. (Oddly enough, when it’s on “the inside,” its need for clean onesies is much smaller than after birth.)

So, maybe I’m lucky that I’m not on The Plan right now. Though I’m eating lots of very healthy things most days, those little pregnancy “passes” would kill my points for the week if I were counting. Still coming back when I’m done with this journey… I’ll just be digging out those healthier baking recipes when I do.

PS. I apologize for my diminished presence on the blog. I will be updating as much as I can! Thank goodness for Lisa and Chandra, taking up the slack!

Bonus (activity) points to anyone who caught my 1980s Disney horror flick reference, BTW.

All pop culture references aside, I did, in fact, go camping with my boyfriend for the first time 4th of July weekend. The time before that, we went car camping in Malibu, which wasn’t exactly Bear Grylls territory. The surrounding wildlife included a posse of drunk 20 – 40 something-year-old women hooting and hollering in the camp site next to us, one of whom nearly crashed into my car trying to find her friends.

This clearly illustrates the different levels of camping available. Some people (like Oprah) travel in style, armed with a trailer featuring a working toilet, shower, two beds and a cooler full of goodies. Especially for families with young children, this can be a convenient way to get out into the wilderness and away from it all, but with creature comforts readily available.

However, I find that the more comfortable the camping situation, the easier it is to miscalculate my activity to eating ratio. Because Keegan and I opted for the opposite end of the spectrum, with our ultra-light gear and a nearly 5 mile hike into our campsite, we had a very WW-friendly camping trip.

First off, let’s start with all those activity points we racked up just getting to location and back. In addition to hiking, we were doing so with all our gear strapped to our backs. Every meal–down to the little in-between snacks–had to be prepared and brought with us. All the food we planned on eating (including our water) very literally weighed us down, so there really wasn’t much risk of overeating.

In this way, it would have been very easy to plan exactly how many daily Points Plus I would be eating. Unfortunately, I wasn’t totally on top of my planning in that respect, but I’ll be prepared for next time. So here’s what we ended up eating:

Prepackaged Meals

We purchased ours at REI and not only were they inexpensive (less than $10 to feed two people) but they were lightweight, delicious and only required the addition of boiling water. With the nutrition information clearly displayed on the package, calculating the Points Plus value of each is a cinch. I particularly enjoyed the lasagna as well as the biscuits and gravy for breakfast, which I’m making in the photo above.

Trail Mix (AKA Gorp)

This stuff is great because you can either go to the store and purchase pre-packaged varieties or, if you prefer to save a little cash and have more control over what’s in the mix, you can just make it yourself. Here’s a trail mix recipe from the Weight Watchers website: Almond, Toasted Oat and Cherry Trail Mix.

Be sure to include a good mix of sweet and savory, so you don’t find yourself getting sick of the trail mix because you might be eating a lot of it. You can make it as healthy or indulgent as you can like and can use multiple little Ziploc bags to ration out portion sizes.

Energy Bars

These are lightweight and there are a multitude of varieties available for purchase. I would recommend against any chocolate-covered ones in the summer because the last thing you want to be doing is dealing with a sticky, melted bar when you’re looking for a quick snack.

Also, Weight Watchers has this great recipe for an Oat and Apricot Breakfast Bar.

Jerky

This time, we neglected to bring a more savory snack with us and I think for our next camping trip, I’ll be sure to pack this stuff. Trimmed of fat, it tends to be high in sodium but is low-fat, a low Points Plus value and a great source of protein.

Drinks

We had plenty of water with us, but sometimes you need to change it up. Rather than lugging different types of drinks with us, we stashed several flavors of Diet Snapple singles with us (peach tea is my personal favorite) to add to our individual water bottles.

All in all, I think it was a great inaugural trip into the woods. I consider it to be a wild success, but then again my standard for “wild success” means “I wasn’t eaten by a bear.” Let me know if you have any good suggestions for camping food because I’m always down to try something new!

At practically every meal in my house growing up, there was a dish of kimchi on the table. The accompanying bowl of rice was never too far. It’s definitely where I started loving hot, spicy, uh oh, I-think-I’m-sweating kind of foods.

But unlike where I grew up in West Virginia, the spicy Korean pickled cabbage isn’t hard to find here in LA. There are whole entire factories in the city devoted to producing the side dish with a variety of vegetables. And let me tell you, this is exciting stuff.

Kimchi is 0 points.

Again, in case you missed that—0 points!

If I were really, really into it, I would make my own. But there’s something about bringing home your very own jar (ready to eat since kimchi takes a while to properly ferment) and unscrewing the lid to have your nose meet the slightly soured scents of garlic and ginger mingling with the red pepper and green onion. Then you take a bite and can taste the deeper notes of shrimp paste—comparable to the use of fish sauce in Thai cooking or anchovies in Italian—that really makes kimchi such a great meal-maker.

I know, we’re getting into slightly adventurous eating territory here, but if you’ve never tried, you really should especially if you like spicy foods. Kimchi is a versatile dish that’s great with all sorts of stuff.

It’s fab just with rice, or pared with in tandem with galbi at Korean BBQ along with the many other side dishes that never seem to end. Or with spaghetti and even on pizza. Sometimes I heat up water, and add it to a bowl of rice, kimchi and a little of the brine from the jar to make a quick spicy soup. (Add a bit of dashi miso and tofu, and you’ve got a real meal.)

Or I just eat it straight out of the jar, and end up in what I call a “kimchi k-hole”—a glorious place to be since you don’t really feel guilty about what you’ve just consumed.

I would be a real jerk if I didn’t mention the kimchi quesadilla, a fantastic invention that could only happen in SoCal. I first tasted this on a visit here a few years ago at the Kogi food truck. Then came home to figure out how to make my own.

Here’s How to Make Yours

All you need are tortillas, a nice melting cheese of your choice and kimchi.

For points sake, I suggest using Mission’s low-carb tortillas (they warm without getting strangely hard and chewy like other versions) and a part-skim mozzarella. Or you could go with a more authentic quesadilla cheese—whatever floats your boat. You just don’t want to go too tangy because that might interfere with the flavor of the kimchi.

Heat up a pan, put in your tortilla, add 2 ounces cheese on one half and top with kimchi. Fold over the other half of the tortilla, and after a few minutes, flip over. You want each side to resemble a normal quesadilla with gooey cheese on the inside and a nice golden-brown crust outside. Cut into triangles (you’ll need a good knife to make sure you get through the kimchi) and enjoy.

Clocking in at about 6 points per stuffed tortilla, you’ll like having this one in your recipe arsenal for a unique meal or quick snack.

So what are you waiting for? Your very own k-hole awaits in your nearest Asian grocery store.