Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bacon

Bacon is trendy, but I don't like it for it's status. I like bacon because it's not only tasty, it symbolizes joy and happiness and everything dieters think is verboten.  Every day, I eat bacon and every week, I lose weight.

Now, you might ask, but that's ludicrous, how can one eat bacon every day and still lose weight?  Well, it's not a bacon diet, I'll tell you that much. I'm not taking bacon supplements. It's not a topical bacon cream (um... ew).  It's just moderation.

Every morning, I have what I call The Daniel Sandwich. It's named after my friend Daniel who served me something similar for breakfast while I was visiting. I modified it a little in order to make it Weight Watchers friendly and it's not fancy, but it's all the goodness of breakfast, served up in a yummy portable sammich of delight. 

Ingredients

• 1 Nature's Own Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Sandwich Round, 2 Points (The Multigrain and Whitewheat varieties are 3 points)
• 1 egg (2 points) or 1/2 cup of egg whites (1 point)
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese or 2 tablespoons reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar (1 point)
• 2 slices of Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Hickory Smoked Bacon Slices (2 points for 3 slices, 1 point for 2 slices)

I use an olive oil mister to fry up an egg. I find it works better, imparts great flavor and doesn't have all the chemicals of Pam and the like, but you can use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray or whatever turns you on.

I toast my round, then spread my Laughing Cow or sprinkle my cheese on one half. While my egg is cooking, I put 2 slices of the bacon in the microwave for 30 seconds. When it comes out, I break it in half and put i on top of the cheese so it can start the melting process. By this time the egg is done and I slap that on top of the bacon and cheese, top with the other half of the sandwich round and let it sit for a sec while the rest of the cheese melts.

Sometimes I hit it with a few shots of hot sauce, like Tabasco or Cholula for a kick.  This breakfast is usually accompanied by a 2 point low-carb yogurt (I like Kroger brand Carbmasters) and some fruit, like a sliced apple or a banana if I'm still hungry.

My whole breakfast, fruit and yogurt and, most importantly, bacon included...  7 points if I go egg whites, 8 if I go for the yolk action.

I never feel deprived, I feel like I get this awesome breakfast every day and look forward to it.  And I've consistenly lost weight at 1-2 pounds a week, as recommended by Weight Watchers.

Now, do my arteries love it? Maybe not, but I think as long as I keep my cholesterol in check otherwise, there's no harm in a little daily bacon.

(I'm not compensated in any way by Jimmy Dean or any of the companies mentioned in this post. These are simply the items I choose to buy and have found to have the right combo of Points to get the job done.)

Trader Joe’s Reduced Carb Tortilla

No matter what type of "diet" (excuse me, lifestyle) you follow, be it Weight Watchers, low carb, low calorie, or whatever blows your dress up,  a tortilla will set you back, in all arenas.  How something so flat can contain so many calories, carbs and points, is beyond me.   I know it's a better alternative to a giant kaiser roll (but come on, a kaiser roll is SO good, ahem.  I'm getting ahead of myself), or something else like that.  

I started Weight Watcher's three months or so ago.   This is the second time I've done it, and because I was so determined, I've had much better results.  However, now that I'm closer to goal, I got hit with a loss of a WHOPPING three points, which if you're a WW groupie, you know how much it stings.   I was going along, in my little groove, and then realized, I had to recalculate just about everything in order to make sure I wasn't going over my daily allotted points.   

I happened to hit up Trader Joe's one day, which isn't a normal stop of mine, and I came across their whole wheat, reduced carb tortillas.   I tend to be leary of low carb anything, because it tastes like sand and dust, in my opinion, but I decided to give it a shot, and here's why.   According to the WW calculator, it's ZERO points.  A zero point tortilla?  I'll bite.  

And lo, it was delicious!!  They're soft and chewy, with a great taste.   I can eat one as a snack, with a cheese wedge or make myself a nice little wrap and not have to sacrafice any points, and still feel satisfied.  They are a little on the small side, but this doesn't bother me, because my favorite?  Is the two point egg burrito:

I give this 4 donuts.

Southwest Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 item Mission Corn Tortilla(s)
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters Southwestern, Refrigerated
• 2 tbsp Pace Medium Enchilada Sauce
• 1/4 cup Kraft 2% Milk Reduced Fat Natural Shredded Cheese Cheddar & Monterey Jack

Cook the eggs in a skillet with Pam cooking spray, add the enchilada sauce near the end.  Warm the tortillas in a skillet or in the microwave.  Add the eggs to the tortillas, divide the cheese between the two tacos.  Add no-point salsa if you want an extra kick or tomatoes or lettuce or whatever else floats your boat that’s no-points.

Eat!  This breakfast will make you want a Bloody Mary, but make it a virgin… vodka is 3 points!  Dammit.

Servings : 1 (2 tacos)
Calories: 292.5 calories
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 32g
POINTS per serving : 6

(you can reduce the points by one if you reduce the cheese to 1/8 cup or eliminate it completely and save 2 points!)

Breakfast Burrito Bonanza

I’ve really been diligent when sticking to Weight Watchers this week. Well, except for monday, when PMS was winding down and there was a Chocolate Milk Moment™.  But the rest of the time, it’s really been quite easy.

Today, for lunch, I made a breakfast burrito to die for.  Ok, maybe not that extreme, but pretty damn good.  Originally, I was going to make two, but decided I didn’t need that extra tortilla and crammed it all into one. Now I’m stuffed and happy.

Whatchoo Need

• 1 Mission 98% fat-free soft taco-size tortilla
• 5 egg whites (yes, five!)
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa
• 1/4 cup Kraft 2% shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
• a handful (to your liking) of diced green, yellow, orange and red peppers (I buy the prechopped ones in a tub)
• same goes for the diced onion—however much you dig.
  

Spray some ICBINB in the bottom of a wee skillet.  Put your egg whites in a bowl, add the stuff (minus the cheese - or hell, if you want the cheese in there, do that. Whatever blows your dress up). Swirl it around. Throw it in the skillet.  Moosh it all up until it’s done cooking.  Stuff it in a tortilla warmed in the microwave or however you warm ‘em.  Eat.  Burp.  Ta da!