Constant battle - butternut squash soup

Weight loss is my constant battle. The last few weeks between a bunch of eating out and a sick baby (and momma) I have not been focusing on weight watchers. I've been going to the meetings, which I know have been keeping me from completely going over the deep end. This weeks meeting topic really stuck with me, I guess because at its core it exploited that "what will everyone think" fear. I'm not usually one to care what others think, but lets be honest...I'm human. I DO want others to think good things about me. I've always loved cooking and experimenting, so when my leader posed the question,"how would you feeling you had been secretly filmed on your food choices for the last 12 week?" It really hit me. Proud, for some of it, but ashamed for much of it. Not just that I wasn't eating within my points, but that I really wasn't -enjoying- my food. Not excited, just...blech. 

So, once again, back at it. I wanted to use squash some how since it is in season, and what better way to use it now that it is finally getting cool outside than to make a soup! I pretty much followed the link below but switched oil for cooking spray, and I doubled the recipe and used 4 cups water and 4 cups chicken stock (what is in one of those tetra packs). Any squash that didn't fit in the pan in the water I baked on a baking sheet on the side (peeled and sliced) and that seemed to work ok). It has a nice bit of kick from the ginger which is perfect for battling a cold, which I'm currently doing. I ate it with a dollop of low fat sour cream (do fat free if you are on simply filling!). I count this as 0 pp (just veggies and stock!) and it is simply filling! Enjoy! 

https://www.google.ca/search?q=butternut+squash+soup&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

Too hot but cooking - apples, apples, apples!

I love the fall. The fresh produce, back to school, and the weather cooling off enough to cook in your house. Well... usually it is. For some reason this year we are having freakishly hot weather into September. But I shouldn't complain... The alternative is winter, and I will be wishing for these warm days come January. 

One of the wonderful produce items in the fall is apples. They are fresh, crisp -and- easy on the pocket book. Especially cost effective when you get crab apples from your mom's tree. Thanks mom! 

I love to save money on food, so I've been getting into using my freezer more ever since right before my daughter was born. Most fruit can be frozen with little prep work (some just need washing and freezing like berries). Apples, however, take a bit of work because when you cut them they brown and will continue browning unless you do something to prevent this. There are various ways, but I prefer parboiling. 

The crab apples I get from my mom are too starchy to eat plain. Any apple will work though for this recipe. Wash and cut apples (I use my apple slicer). Bring a big pot of water to boil and then add the apples. Let them boil for 1.5-2 minutes (and if you have to tend to a crying baby like I did, one batch will be mush, but this is ok to save for smoothies since you are blending anyway!). Strain apples and put on a baking sheet with parchment paper. When they have cooled off, put them in the freezer. When frozen, transfer to freezer bags. I like the medium sized ones as that is usually the amount I need. 

How do you use these apples, other than pie (Which is sadly not simply filling)? As I was prepping these apples, I had a brainwave. I had seen the "banana and oats cookies" floating around Facebook, and I remembered a "baked oatmeal" recipe that has been popular at weight watchers before. I combined these ideas and came up with a cakey topping for a apple crisp. Please note: hardcore simply filling-ers will tell you that uncooked oatmeal is not sf. It technically is not, but in my mind, if it is cooked in something it is cooked. And since there aren't a bunch of sf friendly desserts I will let this on slide in my books. Count points for the oats if you want (1/4 of the recipe would have 1/2 cup of dry oats, which would be 4 pp). 

1 package of parboiled apples (or cut up fresh if you want) 

2 cups instant oats

1-2* cups unsweetened apple sauce 

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp cinnamon

* the first time I made it I used 1 cup and it was crunchy. I think next time I will try more apple sauce to make it a softer texture 

Put apples in a pan (with parchment or sprayed with an oil spray). Mix remaining ingredients and spread mixture over apes. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until crust is done. Makes 4 servings. Please note that the crust is not very sweet, so if you like it very sweet you will have to sweeten how you like. I found the apples made it sweet enough for me :) 

In the photo I served it with fat free plain Greek yogurt! Yum!