Make-Ahead Western Omelet "Muffins"

In my last post, I referenced a really good recipe and now I'm here to share it!

When I embarked on my Weight Watchers journey way back when, I sought out blogs that shared recipes AND included points. One of the ones that I found and loved is Skinnytaste.

You can filter by types of recipes, number of points, meals, etc...

When Gina (the woman behind Skinnytaste) came out with a cookbook, I immediately requested it from my library.

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Breakfast is a meal that I struggle to find variety with. I generally have a yogurt and a banana. Or, a Weight Watchers baked good (but those are pricey.)

I found many great recipes, but one that I really wanted to try was "Make-Ahead Western Omelet 'Muffins.'"

I made this recipe and John and I loved it!

Having restarted Weight Watchers, I made it again the week before last and thought I'd share.

Make-Ahead Western Omelet "Muffins"

Makes 12 muffin-size omelets- serves 6 (4 smart points per serving)

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray or oil mister
6 large eggs
6 large egg whites
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
3 oz sliced ham (about 4 slices), finely chopped
2 oz reduced-fat Swiss cheese, chopped (I couldn't find reduced-fat, so used regular and adjusted points accordingly)
1/2 cup finely chopped red or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a standard 12-cup nonstick or silicone muffin tin with oil.

(NOTE: I recommend heavily spraying. Or trying a silicone pan. I had to scrub like crazy after they were out of the pan to clean the pan.)

In a medium bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg whites with a fork.

Season them with the salt and a pinch of black pepper. Mix in the ham, Swiss cheese, bell pepper, and scallions.

Pour about 1/4 cup of egg mixture into each muffin cup and carefully place in the oven.

Bake until the eggs set, 20-24 minutes (I think ended up closer to 24 minutes).

Voila!

They're a little tough to get out of the pan (again, I may not have sprayed enough, so spray heavily), but use a spoon/knife to pry out.

I put two (a serving) in a sandwich bag and leave in the fridge.

You can also freeze them. I did that this time, put in fridge to thaw, and then zapped in the microwave. They were a bit watery, so I might skip the thaw part next time and just microwave straight from the freezer.

These are great- filling, have protein and are only 4 smart points per serving.

Enjoy!

And thanks to Skinnytaste!

This recipe was created by Skinnytaste...in case I hadn't made that clear. :)

So On & So Forth & What Have You

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If you're a fan of the TV show, "The Middle," you may be familiar with this phrase. Sue Heck (pictured above) says it when she's trying to keep a secret. (When a window got broken in the house and the Heck siblings were telling the parents that the crazy neighbor kids did it, Sue in hurried nervous voice would end her part of the story with, "And so and so forth and what have you."

I'm not keeping any secrets, but I like saying the phrase. (I guess the secret that I'm a weirdo is out!)

It also seems to suit this hodgepodge/random/rambling post.

So, let's get to it.

What's new?

I started Weight Watchers six days ago! Well, I should say "re-started."

So far, so good. I made a good breakfast recipe for Make-Ahead Western Omelet Muffins from a Skinnytaste cookbook, which I will share in a subsequent post. They're super easy to make and just need to be popped in the microwave to heat them up. Low points, too!

Do you have any Weight Watchers/low cal recipes you love? If yes, share!

Snacking, as usual, is where I struggle. I've been trying to bring fruit for the afternoon, but it's after dinner/before bed that I want to eat everything (mostly chocolate.) Eight points is a LOT for an ice cream sandwich, which is my Achilles heel. (Luckily I ate the last one out of the box earlier this week and will do my best NOT to buy more.)

Oh, and note to self, don't watch shows such as "Ginormous Food" while on Weight Watchers (which is on as I type...)

Moving right along...I have a squatter in my car.

An interloper.

Rodent non grata.

He or she has been leaving me "gifts" on the passenger seat, so we put this trap (with peanut butter) on the passenger side floor. Came up empty. Although, one morning the trap was closed, but no trappee. (Is that a word?) Peanut butter was still intact, so clearly we're not dealing with the brightest bulb. Next step- call the dealer. ::sigh::

Moving/running (away from) right along...

We have this cute new wall decor in our bedroom.

I originally bought it for above the bed, but it just didn't work. So, we found a corner for it next to the TV and I like it! (Ordered from Bed, Bath & Beyond)

I've been having fun with one of my Christmas presents-

John gave this to me and I love it. I have so many recipes that I've either printed from online or (wait for it), photocopied from cookbooks and no good way to organize them. You buy clear sleeves (separately) or sticky pages (for paper sizes smaller than 8 1/2x11) and voila! This is from Meadowsweet Kitchens on Amazon.

John and I saw "Manchester by the Sea."

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I was really excited to see this, as the town "Manchester by the Sea" is only about 15 miles from where I live. I'd also heard it was very good (while very sad), so I had high expectations.

As a colleague of mine said, "I was underwhelmed." 

Other than Casey Affleck, the Boston accents were HORRID. Once I hear them, I couldn't stop hearing them, which distracted me during a lot of the movie. I thought the acting was very good, but the story seemed unformed, if that makes sense. It ended rather abruptly. Oh, and from what I hear, most of the scenes were shot in neighboring Gloucester...NOT Manchester by the Sea. Kind of a bummer.

Let's hope this is the first of several (or at least a few!) consecutive posts!

Happy New Year!