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Wish your TV could help you lose weight?  Here’s how your Tivo or your cable company’s DVR box can help.  We have a DVR that I think is really cool because it helps us do other things and not worry about rushing home to see American Idol or who got a red rose this week.  That means no excuses to walk, play a round of basketball, or stay off the couch.  Once we do find the time to sit down and watch the show, we can fast forward past the contestants’ last chance to re-sing the songs that got them voted off. (Like they’re going to do better with a lump in their throats and tears…Right?)  But, more importantly, we can also fast forward through the commercials.  Prime time TV seems to have tons of food commercials, so if you fast forward through them your kids are less likely to turn to you and say, “Mommy/Daddy, I want another snack.”

A 2004 study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, California, found that TV advertising greatly contributed to unhealthy food choices in children. Your kid sees an average of 40,000 ads annually, so record programs and fast-forward through the commercials whenever possible.

So, am I saying to run out and invest in a Tivo or DVR?  You bet I am!  This makes a lot of sense and anything to help our kid’s battle with weight I’m all for it. Let me know… what you think?

Red potatoes make a delicious side dish for almost any meal. They cook up quickly and their thin skins stay tender and add a rustic taste to the dish.  Recipe follows the pictures:

Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

Serving Size  : 4    
 
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient
——–  ————  ——————————–
 5                       small uncooked red potatoes
1 tsp                 olive oil
1/2  tsp           garlic powder
1/4 cup(s)     fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup(s)     fat-free skim milk
1/8  tsp           table salt, or to taste
1/8  tsp           black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
 1    tsp            minced parsley

Pre-heat your oven to 400
Place potatoes in medium size bowl and coat with oil
Place potatoes on a baking sheet and back till fork tender. About 45 minutes

Add sour cream, milk and chives to pan; mix until combined. Mash mixture
with a potato masher until smooth (or leave some lumps if desired); season
to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with parsley 
Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
                   – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Italian Sausage Peppers and Pasta, oh my…. 
While at my Weight Watchers meeting today not only did I lose some weight, (yay me!!!) but I found an awesome Italian recipe.  I love the idea of having Italian food made healthy, and this dish has it all spicy sausage, red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes. 
Recipe follows the pictures

 Ingredients:

1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed    

 2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    

  2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips    

  1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced    

 1/2 cup(s) red wine    

  1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic    

  28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended    

 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste    

 1/4 tsp table salt    

  8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli    

 1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped     

1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed    

 2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    

  2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips    

  1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced    

 1/2 cup(s) red wine    

  1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic    

  28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended    

 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste    

 1/4 tsp table salt    

  8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli    

 1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped    

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat with back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate.

Heat oil in same skillet. Add yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly colored and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and garlic; cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and browned sausage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes.

While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and basil; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving.