I really love potato salad, but potato salad is higher in carbs. How I miss potatoes, but alas ... I found another substitute. Cauliflower is an awesome alternative to potatoes and it is much lower in carbs. Cut up some florets and you are golden.

Now for the mayo? I got a substitute for you too! Plain low fat Greek yogurt! You can still have that creamy goodness of potato salad without adding only 1 or 2 tbsp of light mayo because yogurt counts as part of your Lean rather than a Healthy Fat. Add a little bit of Dijon mustard, pickles, salt, pepper, paprika, hard boiled eggs and you got a wonderful faux potato salad. The entire recipe is 1 Lean and Green but I like to split it into 3 equal portions. I mean I love potato salad, but not enough to have a big bowl as my entire meal. If you divide it into 3 portions, then you will have 1/3 Lean, 1 Green, 1 Condiment and 1/3 Snack. You would still need 2/3 Lean such as 4 oz of chicken or 4.6 oz of tilapia. Here is a chart that will help you determine how much 2/3 Lean would be:


I have this printed and posted on my fridge!


Cook your cauliflower in boiling water. I used frozen cauliflower and followed the directions on the back of the package.


Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Cut the cauliflower into small florets or chunks. Place in a medium sized bowl.


Add two chopped pickle spears which you must deduct from your Snack for the day.


Add chopped hard boiled eggs to the mixture. You can always buy the eggs already hard boiled at the grocery store if you want to save time.


Combine the yogurt with Dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Then add it to the cauliflower mixture. Toss until combined.


Great for those hot BBQ grilling parties!

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups or 9.5 oz cauliflower, cooked from frozen (3 Greens)*
2 cooked hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (2/3 Lean)
1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt (1/3 Lean)
2 tsp Dijon mustard (2 Condiments)
1/8 tsp salt (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp fresh black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/8 tsp paprika (1/4 Condiment)
2 pickle spears, chopped (1 Snack)

Directions:
Chop cooked cauliflower into small florets. Place in a medium sized bowl.
Add eggs and pickles.

In another small bowl, combine yogurt, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and paprika.
Add to the cauliflower mixture and toss to coat.
Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 1 Optional Snack

 * If you would like to add celery, decrease the cauliflower to 1 1/4 cups and add 1/4 cup chopped celery.

You can also divide this salad into 3 equal portions as
1/3 Lean, 1 Green, 1 Condiment and 1/3 Optional Snack

 or in 2 equal portions as
1/2 Lean, 1 1/2 Greens, 1 1/2 Condiments, and 1/2 Optional Snack


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Oh pasta... how I love you, but I must admit... my waistline doesn't! What to do, oh what to do, but find an alternative! By golly... I think I've got it!

Zucchini!

I know zucchini isn't pasta, but it sure does make a great substitute. You won't even miss pasta if you give zukes a try. My favorite way is to saute them in a pan with a little bit of water, oil or butter (depending on what I am making) but only a few minutes.

I have already been a fan of substituting zucchini for pasta for quite some time now (ever since I started doing Medifast), but I have never tried cooking it with a lemon cream sauce. The lemon flavor is not overpowering and it tastes great with the slight crunchiness of the zucchini and the acidity of the tomatoes. It is a colorful dish that is sure to impress!


Instead of using a julienne peeler, I used this amazing contraption I got from Amazon. It is called a Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Vegetable Slicer. I love this spiralizer! It is so easy to use and clean up is a breeze so what's not to love? You get these really neat spiral cut veggies in a matter of minutes and it makes your dish look oh so pretty! Simply stick the zucchini on the slicer and turn the handle. It's that easy!


If you are interested in purchasing one, you can head on over to Amazon or you can always use a julienne peeler and make thin zucchini strips as your pasta.


Saute 1 teaspoon of olive oil with garlic over medium-high heat.


Add the laughing cow cheese and lemon juice.


Stir until the cheese is melted.


Add the zucchini.

As you can tell from the photo, the laughing cow cheese was still clumpy and thick on the zucchini so I added 1 1/2 tbsp of water.


After adding the tiny bit of water, the sauce was smooth.


Toss the sliced cherry tomatoes in and let it cook for about a minute or until the tomatoes get warm. Serve with your favorite Leanest Lean!


Zucchini Pasta in a Lemon Cream Sauce

 Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup zucchini, peeled with a julienne peeler (2 1/2  Greens)
1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1/2 Condiment)
2 garlic and herb light laughing cow cheese wedges (1 Healthy Fat) 
2 tsp lemon juice (1 Condiment)
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp kosher salt (1 Condiment) 
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper, to taste (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (1/2 Green)

Directions:
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
Add laughing cow cheese, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water stirring until cheese is melted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add zucchini noodles, tossing to coat in sauce, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until wilted. 
You don't want to overcook the noodles -- you want that slightly crisp texture! 
Toss in the cherry tomatoes and heat until warm, about 1 minute. Serve with your favorite Leanest Lean immediately.

 1 Serving with 
3 Greens, 2 Healthy Fats, and 2.75 Condiments

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Vacation is officially over for me! Boo hoo! Boy... time sure flies by when you are having fun, but unfortunately vacation time always comes to an end and reality sets in again. I spent 10 wonderful days in Florida visiting family and friends which explains why I have been MIA for some time.

One of the highlights of our trip was when we went to the beach!


My son, who is now almost 16 months old, has never seen the beach. We have only lived in Colorado and Nevada since he was born. On the other hand, hubby and I grew up in Florida so we were lucky enough to experience the beautiful waters quite often. I really missed being in Florida so it was great to be back if only for a few days. It was so cute... my son did not know what to think of the sand that touched his feet for the first time. At first, he was a little bit hesitant about walking on it, but then he loved it! We definitely made some wonderful memories we will cherish forever!

Also, I can't forget the fabulous times we had with both sides of our family. It was great to see everyone again because we missed them deeply, but what usually comes with family gatherings is food and LOTS of it! Whether it be going out to restaurants more often than usual or the tons of food that gets served at family gatherings, it is soooooo hard to stay on plan. Temptation was everywhere!

I am happy to say that I did maintain my weight while on vacation and actually lost one pound since being back which was Friday. Now that I am home and I have SOME normalcy in my life, I am ready to be 100% OP and get the rest of the weight off!


As for the recipe...

This Oven Baked Chicken Fajita recipe is so easy to make and both hubby and I enjoyed it. I think marinating the chicken in the olive oil and fajita seasoning mix is key. It adds more flavor to the chicken the longer you let it marinade. Also, if you don't like zucchini and yellow squash, feel free to switch them out with more peppers or to one of your favorite veggies. This is a great dish if you are craving Mexican!


Marinade the chicken strips in olive oil and fajita seasoning mix. I left the chicken in the marinade overnight.


Slice your peppers, dice your squash and toss with rotel tomatoes.


 Stir the veggies with the marinated chicken strips until completely combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake until done!

 
Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (3 Leans)
1 tbsp olive oil (3 Healthy Fats)
2 tsp chili powder (4 Condiments)
1 1/2 tsp cumin (1 1/2 Condiments)
1/4 tsp paprika (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1 cup Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained (2 Greens)
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into strips (2 Greens)
1 cup green bell pepper, cut into strips (2 Greens)
1 1/2 cups zucchini or yellow squash (3 Greens)
Juice from half a lime , about 2 tsp (1 Condiment)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine chicken strips with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or more if desired.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and squash to the chicken and stir until combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Squeeze juice from half a lime over chicken and veggies before serving.

 Makes 3 Servings
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Condiments, 3 Greens, and 1 Healthy Fat


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As some of you may know, I am on vacation! Woo hoo! Fun times ahead with family and friends! I am having a blast, but I am sorry to say I was not 100% on plan. I know... BAD ME! I was only off plan the first two days of vacation, but now I am back OP. Even for those first two days of being a naughty girl, I did eat five Medifast meals daily and one regular meal. Now the other meal did not happen to meet Lean and Green meal standards. That is what got me into trouble! I hate to say it but I did gain one pound. Since being OP yesterday, I have already said good bye to that one pound and I am now the same weight as when I left for vacation! I consider that a victory because normally good eating habits and vacation for me just don't mix. I will keep you posted on how I do the rest of my vacation, so stay tuned!


Wondering how I did on my July Dietbets? I did pretty well if I do say so myself! This is how much I won:



Sunshine's Dietbet (316 players): $37.29 minus $25 = $12.29

Team Kelsey DietBet (8 players): $90 minus $25 = $65

Sandy's Kitchen July Dietbet (848 players): $42.80 = $42.80

Fit and Fun DietBet (56 players): $32 minus $10 = $22



Grand total after subtracting my bets: $142.09!



 Starting weight: 167.8 lbs

Final weight: 160.2 lbs




Go me! Go me! It's my birthday! Okay, it isn't my birthday, but it sure feels like it!


For the month of August, I only signed up for the one I created Sandy's Kitchen August DietBet. I might sign up for more when I get back from vacation! I am officially addicted to Dietbet!

Are you interested in trying the weight loss plan I am on? If so, check out some of these great deals below!

Medifast has some deals for you! If you use my code, SANDY56, and sign up for Medifast Advantage when you order $250+, you’ll receive 56 free Medifast Meals and free shipping! You’ll receive 28 free meals with your first Medifast Advantage order and ANOTHER 28 free meals with your next order! This offer is only valid if you enroll in Medifast Advantage, and it’s limited to one per customer. It’s not valid with prior purchases, any other promotions or discounts, or for Medifast Ready-to-Drink Shakes.

Not ready to enroll in Medifast Advantage? You can use code SANDY28 to receive 28 free meals with your purchase of over $250. Limit one per customer. This offer is limited to new customers only and not valid with prior purchases, Medifast Advantage, or any other promotions or discounts.

Both codes expire on 12/31/13. See website for complete details on program and discounts. Consult your physician before beginning a weight-loss program.


For the recipe...



If you are looking for a different variation of grilled chicken, then this is a great summer recipe for you to try! WARNING! You must be a fan of root beer... I mean after all... it is called marinated grilled root beer chicken! The name says it all!

I, for one, absolutely love the taste of root beer so I was pretty excited to try this recipe and so happy I did! Hubby on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled with the flavor, but he also doesn't really care for root beer. This is just one of those recipes that can be a hit or miss for the family.



I will definitely make this again even if it is only for me :) and possibly experiment with coca cola or orange soda. Anything to try and keep plain old grilled chicken just a little bit more exciting!






First, you need to pour the diet root beer in a medium sized bowl.



Then add the apple cider vinegar and oil to the root beer.


Next, pour in the lite soy sauce and give it a good stir.


Place the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for more than 3 hours. As you can see, there will be tons of marinade leftover so you will only be using half your condiments and healthy fats.


Mmmmmm... marinated grilled root beer chicken! Bon appetit!

  Marinated Grilled Root Beer Chicken
Slightly adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

 Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) can diet root beer with 0 carbs (free item)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (1 Condiment)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (6 Healthy Fats)
1/2 cup lite soy sauce (12 Condiments)
27 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts - should yield 18 oz cooked (3 Leans)

Directions:
Combine root beer, vinegar, oil and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinade at least 3 hours. I marinated overnight Grill.
3 servings with 1 Lean, 2.16 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving (since the condiments and healthy fats are in the marinade, only half is absorbed and half is discarded).


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I absolutely love this dish as a quick and easy Lean and Green meal! I mean... it doesn't even require cooking so you don't have to get your kitchen hot from turning on the oven! Leave the heat outside!

Peanut flavored dressings or sauces have always been a favorite of mine, but I haven't found a great low carb one yet so what is there to do but create my own. Plus, you know never know what is really in those dressing you purchase pre-made. When you make it yourself, you can always vary the ingredients in the dressing to your own liking. For instance, if you don't like spicy, leave the crushed red pepper out! It is a great way to get your water in though!

The peanut dressing mixed with already packaged cole slaw mix is phenomenal! The cole slaw mix I used was from Wal-Mart and it is called Market Fresh Tri Color Cole Slaw mix. It has a mixture of cabbage, red cabbage and yes.... carrots. You can pick the carrots out, but there isn't much inside the bag. A cup and a half of this mix is only 5 grams of carbs! That's all your greens with only 5 grams of carbs! One serving of greens needs to be less than 5 grams of carbs. Yeah... so I left those orange tid-bits in! This will definitely be a regular menu item for me! 


Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing

 Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups tri-color coleslaw mix OR 1 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (3 Greens)
7 oz cooked shrimp - I had the frozen ones in the bag with... tails and shells removed defrosted (1 Leanest)

Dressing:
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter aka PB2 (1 Optional Snack)
1 1/2 tbsp water
2 tsp lite soy sauce (2/3 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/2 packet stevia or to taste (1/2 Condiment)
2 tsp sesame oil (2 Healthy Fats)

Directions:
 Combine cole slaw mix and shrimp in a medium sized bowl.
Mix all the ingredients for the peanut dressing together in a small bowl.
Pour over shrimp and veggies.
Toss to coat. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 2 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats and 1 Optional Snack

 Don't care for shrimp? Use 6 oz of cooked chicken breasts and decrease the sesame oil to 1 tsp in the peanut dressing for 1 Healthy Fat.

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Good news everyone! I am doing totally awesome on all four of my DietBet challenges! Yes, you heard me... FOUR! Yeah, I think I am officially addicted to DietBet! Being addicted happens to be a good thing for me because it has really kept my booty motivated and I hate to say it... that is kind of hard to do! I need all the motivation I can get. Losing weight and gaining a little extra cash sounds like a great combo to me! I am losing steadily and I am feeling wonderful! As some of you guys know, I started my own DietBet challenge called Sandy's Kitchen July DietBet that is still going on right now, but I also started one for August! Actually it starts July 31st, but runs through August. If you want to join us, click the link below. It costs $25 to play which goes into one large pot. You must lose 4% of your starting weight in 4 weeks, if you do, then you get to split the pot with all the other winners. Simple as that! Come join the fun!

Sandy's Kitchen August DietBet

So far I am down 22 pounds since I started Medifast. I still have 35 to 40 pounds left to go until I hit my goal weight. I am not entirely sure what I want my official goal weight to be. I am thinking 130 pounds since I am only 5'2", but may aim for 125 pounds. We will see as I get closer and closer to 130 :)

 As you can tell, I still have a ways to go to get to goal, but I am getting there one packet at a time! Soon I will be saying Hello to the 150's and Good Bye to the 160's! Sorry I won't miss you 160's, but it is time to move on! Good riddance!

I know this is almost too easy to be classified as a recipe, but I thought I would share it because it tastes too good not to post a little something about it. The recipe is just a mixture of Guy's Smokey Garlic Sugar Free BBQ sauce and low sodium soy sauce poured on top of Trader Joes turkey meatballs. That's it! Yeah, I know... definitely not Betty Crocker, but we all need these quick and easy recipes for days that are crazy busy! 

I have to say... these meatballs sure did hit the spot! I am a BIG fan of BBQ sauce! I love to put it on all my meats and use it as dipping sauce. Yum, yum, yum! Quite honestly, it is really hard to find a great tasting low carb sauce but this one works for me. I am really glad someone turned me on to this one! Thanks fellow reader!

Don't know where to get Guy's BBQ Sauce? Don't panic! You can get at Netrition's website. This is the best website to find all your low carb items and the price is very reasonable too, not to mention flat rate shipping! Just in case it is STILL sold out on their website, here is Guy's BBQ Sauce's main website, Guy's Award Winning BBQ Sauce. It is more expensive on their own website because of their shipping costs are really high so you my want to wait until it comes back in stock on Netrition's website.


Easy BBQ Meatballs

Ingredients:
5 Trader Joes Turkey Meatballs OR
6 Jennie-O Homestyle Turkey Meatballs OR
10 Butterball Italian Style Turkey Meatballs (1 Lean)
1/4 cup Guy's Smokey Garlic BBQ Sauce (2 Condiments)
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce (1/2 Condiment)

Directions:
Bake meatballs according to package. Trader Joes is 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Combine BBQ sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl and pour over meatballs.
Enjoy!

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 2.5 Condiments and No Healthy Fats Required

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I had a wonderful 4th of July weekend with my husband and son! The best part about it? I stayed on plan! OP all the way baby! Holidays always seem the hardest for me, but luckily we decided not to go to one of the infamous buffets here in Vegas that happen to be everywhere! I think that would have been asking for trouble... BIG trouble. Instead, we grilled some shrimp for me and steak for the hubs. I can happily say I had No Regrets this 4th of July weekend! My loss for the week was 1.6 lbs! Great week week for me indeed!

As you can tell by my many posts of shrimp recipes, I love shrimp. I usually have it at least once a week because they cook pretty fast and they absorb a lot of flavor. Plus they belong to the leanest lean category. Not to mention they are just plain old delicious.


I needed to make something that would be quick and easy to put together, hence the name of the recipe, since I am still studying for my real estate license. Study, study , study is all I seem to do these days. I didn't have too much time to spend in the kitchen so this recipe did the trick. With a little preparation, the dish only took a few minutes to make. Well, a few minutes of cooking time. If you like the cauliflower mashed "potatoes" mixed with laughing cow cheese wedges, then you will love this dish. It is definitely keeper! 


I used frozen cauliflower, which didn't take long at all to cook. Add the frozen cauliflower to boiling water and let it cook for about 5 minutes.


Drain the cauliflower. Use a food scale to measure out 270 grams of cauliflower or 186 grams if using fresh cauliflower. You can also measure out 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower if you do not have a food scale.



Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor and use the shredding disk too shred the cauliflower. You could also use a hand grater if you don't have a processor.
 

Set aside the grated cauliflower.


 Measure out 7 oz of cooked shrimp and set aside. Make sure the shrimp is peeled with tails removed.

 
Saute 1 tbsp of butter with 1 minced garlic clove.


 Add the rest of the ingredients cooking until heated thoroughly. Only a few minutes! Voila! Dinner is served!


 Quick and Easy Mock Shrimp "Risotto"

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Land O' Lakes light butter spread with canola oil (1 Healthy Fat)
1 tsp minced garlic (1 Condiment)
2 tbsp Philadelphia garden vegetable 1/3 less fat cream cheese or light cream cheese (1 Healthy Fat)
9 oz shrimp peeled, tails removed ~ 7 oz cooked shrimp (1 Leanest)
1 1/2 cups (270 g) cooked cauliflower, grated (3 Greens)
1 tbsp reduced fat grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes (1/6 Condiment)

Directions:
In a medium sized skillet, melt butter and add garlic. Saute garlic in butter until light brown over medium high heat. Lower the temperature to medium heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until slightly melted. It is okay to have some lumps. They will blend nicely with the rest of the ingredients. Add the shrimp to the cream cheese mixture and then add the grated cauliflower, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, and 2 Healthy Fats per Serving

 Click Here to Print

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