Thumbs Up Thursday

Hey, hey, hey! It's Thursday! First of all, I want to shout out a big hello to my new friends and followers. :) If you haven't already, please drop me a note and say hello and be sure to leave your blog link if you have one.

Thank you for all the opinions on the chiropractor yesterday. I will admit, I'm still a little undecided. I know that I'm feeling a little better than yesterday so I will probably hold off until Friday to see if things continue to improve. I'm such a chicken.

Now, it's no secret that I love sharing my favorite finds and recipes here on the blog, so I decided to start something new called Thumbs Up Thursday. I may not do this every week, maybe once or twice a month.(?)  I will still be doing the Fab Friday link-up that I do every Friday because that is a great way to wrap up the week for me. ;) This is just going to be about favorite products, foods and recipes and anything else that I think works here.

So, here are some things that are getting a thumbs up at my house lately:

1. BBQ Chicken Pizza

Here is what you need to make this pizza which is less than 450 calories:

• 1 Flat Out Thin Crust Flatbread (I put it in the oven at about 400 degrees and let it cook until it's just a little bit crispy)
• 3 oz. grilled chicken (Tip: I season and grill a bunch of chicken at once and chop it up and package it into 3 oz. portions and freeze. I can pull it out to use on a salad or a pizza at any time. When it's all diced up like this it defrosts really quickly.)
• 1/4 cup low fat shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup Stubbs BBQ sauce (or any low calorie sauce that you prefer)
• Spread the sauce over the crisp crust. Add the chicken and shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted. Approx 6-7 minutes.

Delicious!!!!!

2. This pita bread and cheese dip by Lean Cuisine

Yes, I know it's processed and I try not to eat a lot of this sort of thing, but it's nice to have quick snacks on hand when you're feeling lazy in a rush and you just want something "bad". This gives you that satisfying comfort you get from "comfort food" without blowing your calories for the day! This Lean Cuisine is only 200 calories! (Note: There is a lot of cheese dip in the dish so I usually take one of those flatbreads and cut it in half (shown with the pizza above) and cut it into chip-size pieces. I bake it in the oven until crispy and dip into the cheese along with the pita bread.)

3.Spaghetti Squash

In case you're not familiar, this is what a spaghetti squash looks like whole:

Source

To bake it I follow the instructions found here. Slice off a bit from one side so the squash will lay flat on the pan. Place the whole squash on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes. The video gives you tips on how to tell when it's cooked through and also shows you how to clean out the "guts" after cooking. Very easy! If you're not familiar with cooking spaghetti squash, I think you'll find the video really helpful. I know I did the first time I wanted to cook one.

That yellow squash goes from ^^that to this and it's so simple! Another comfort food, for sure.

I like to put a serving of squash in a bowl (155g) and top it with 1/2 cup of low calorie marinara sauce, 1 Jenni-O Italian sausage link (cooked with casing removed) and then 1/4 cup of reduced fat mozzarella cheese. Again, DELICIOUS! That bowl of goodness is less than 350 calories. Seriously. That's all.

4. Dessert!

I take some frozen strawberries (I use about 100g) and place in a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle with Truvia and defrost in the microwave until berries are soft. Top with a container of Jell-O sugar free chocolate pudding. Top that with a squirt of fat free Redi-Whip. And my friends, that delicious dessert is less than 150 calories. You're welcome.

What kind of things are getting a thumbs up at your house? 

Tell me about it!

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