Chicken Artichoke YUM!

If you are craving a yummy Slimming World casserole this just might be it!  You can serve this to company or bring it along to a potluck dinner. One serving is 1/4 of the 9x13" pan and has 2 syns.  That is a whole big portion, so if you eat 1/8 then you only count 1 syn.

Serves 4 very large servings

Syns 2 per serving unless using cheese as an A choice

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and diced
2 cups Brown rice, cooked
1 bag (6 oz) baby spinach
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
2 pieces Laughing cow Light Cheese (3 syns)
1/4 cups Minced onion
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded, divided (5 syns)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook rice according to package directions.
In a large bowl combine hot rice and the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts.
Add the rest of the ingredients except half of the parmesan.
Stir well and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Chicken Artichoke YUM!

If you are craving a yummy casserole that you can serve to guests, this just might be the choice.  A single serving is 1/4 of this 9x13 pan and would have 2 syns.  You might not want to eat that much depending on what you are serving with it. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Syns: 2 per serving unless using cheese as an A choice

1- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and diced (3 breasts)
2 cups Brown rice, cooked
1 bag (6 oz) baby spinach
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke hearts, chopped (not marinated)

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt

2 pieces Laughing cow Light Cheese (3 syns)

1/3 cups Minced onion

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded, divided (5 syns)

3/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook rice according to package directions.
In a large bowl combine hot rice and the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts.
Add the rest of the ingredients except half of the parmesan.
Stir well and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Recession-Proof Dieting: An Introduction

Hi!  My name is Laurel.  I am so happy to meet you.  My life has been changed by a recession-proof diet.  I call it that because in this economy we can't all afford to have costly weight loss plans where we get to purchase prepared meals that are supposed to be satisfying.  We can't all afford the other plans that have you give yourself daily injections of hormones.  We don't want to take fat blockers and have accidents.  And the number of people who are paying for costly surgeries is amazing! Well, we all know that getting the weight off is one thing and maintaining that is another.  So many people "power through" six weeks of weight loss shakes and puddings only to put it all back on as soon as the shakes are gone.  How do I know?  Been there, done that...probably most of them except surgery.  Somehow it takes a mind change.  And for me, a change that is also not costly.

I found Slimming World.  What is Slimming World?  No, it doesn't have anything to do with Swimming...I said "Slimming".  It isn't really a place either.  I happened to see it on WFAA on Good Morning Texas.  Here is a diet I haven't tried!  These two ladies moved here from the UK to bring this amazing plan to the USA starting right here in North Texas and I got to be in the first group. The meetings are so inexpensive (less than $10.00 a week) and they sell NO PRODUCTS!  You eat REAL FOOD!  You can't get more recession-proof than that unless you are so self-disciplined you can go it alone. No vitamins, no shakes, no injections...just real food without weighing, measuring or counting.  Now that is a plan I can follow.  I don't even have to think about food constantly.  I can just live my life!

That was the beginning of my adventure.  It messed with my head and that is why I am here.  In this blog, I hope to share stories and recipes with pictures and help others in their struggles too.  And I hope to change my mind about exercise and get myself moving...not for a short time but for a lifetime.  Come along and join  me!

It won't be too long before Slimming World spreads its way across the country to you.  Right now you can see what I am doing at http://www.slimmingworldusa.com/. Online the program is called "body optimising."  I am uploading Youtube videos and I will also post the links to them here.  You can leave me questions or comments on the videos or on the blog at either place and I will do my best to answer them.  And I will post my before and now pictures and eventually "after" pictures since I am not there yet.  But really, is anyone there?  Where is there?

Here is my first Youtube video...I can be found by going to Youtube and searching for laurelwright7

Click here to see my first video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbw6boajpPM