Cheeseburger bombs — & Thanksgiving Dinner Prep

I tried a new recipe from the WW app last weekend: Cheeseburger Bombs.

Messy but delicious!

My verdict: They’re really tasty, but a pain in the butt to make.

The recipe calls for dividing a batch of 2-ingredient dough into six equal pieces … but that leaves very small pieces to stuff.

I think next time I’ll cut the dough into quarters but stuff with the same 2T cheese, 1 T cooked beef & 1 tsp each mustard and dill relish. That should give me more dough to work with, making it easier to make each “bomb.”

Anyway, last week was a good week on the scale — I managed to lose 2.2 pounds. Could the struggle bus be pulling away from the station without me?

I certainly hope so. IF I can keep it up, I might FINALLY get out of the 250s in the next few weeks.

That, of course, is a BIG if, because this is a holiday week—and a holiday that centers on food, no less.

Thanks to COVID risk, we aren’t going to Doug’s parents’ house (even though we live in basically the same town). Not only do we want to avoid putting his folks at risk, my work has asked that anyone who fails to follow CDC recommendations to not celebrate outside your home quarantine and work from home for 14 days after celebrating …

And I DO NOT want to work from home for two weeks after Thanksgiving dinner. Some people might think WFH is their jam, but I’ve discovered I’m TERRIBLE at it. I can’t focus and feel like I’m getting absolutely nothing accomplished.

No thank you. I’ll work from home if forced to, but I’m not going to do so voluntarily.

This means I’m in charge of our Thanksgiving dinner for two. We’re having roasted turkey breast, Stove Top, mashed potatoes, jarred gravy, green bean casserole and a lower-Point version of Peas and Crayons’ Speedy Stovetop Cranberry Sauce. (I use artificial sweetener instead of the large amount of honey her recipe calls for.)

Cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie cupcakes about to be chillin’ in the fridge for tomorrow.

Doug’s mom is dropping off some of their pumpkin pie and the traditional fruit cup today.

I also made a batch of Pound Dropper’s Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes. I’m about to enjoy one for an afternoon snack, because I got 18 of the suckers out of the recipe. I misread the directions & filled each muffin cup 1/3 full instead of filling each one with 1/3 cup of batter as instructed.

Oops. I’m sure it’ll still be delicious … and still only 1 WW Point per cupcake (all in the flour).

Roasted veggies rule

Most vegetables taste better when roasted, if you ask me. Brussels sprouts especially benefit from time in a 400-degree oven.

And any technique that makes it easier to consume more veggies is A-OK with me.

That’s why I was eager to try Emily Bites Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

The result was worth the (fairly minimal) work involved.

My Midwestern — read “wimpy” — taste buds could probably do with a little less spice, so when I make this recipe again, I’ll cut the sriracha to 1 teaspoon instead of 2. (I used 1 1/2 tsp and that was a tad on the “too hot” side for me.

Still, it was delicious — and a good-sized serving is just 3 #mywwblueplan Points.

Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Or, if you’re up for a different kind of adventure, try roasted radishes. They too are surprisingly tasty.

A must-try dressing

If you love pickles, I have the salad dressing for you.

I spotted this recipe for Dill Pickle Vinaigrette on @sinfulnutrition’s Instagram feed a few weeks ago — right after I dumped the juice from a big jar of pickles. Since then, I’ve been eagerly waiting to empty another jar of pickles so I can try it.

Last night was the night.

I had all the ingredients on hand (juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic and dried dill), so I dumped them in the empty pickle jar, tightened the lid and shook to combine.

This is where my doubts began to surface. As much as I love pickles, the dressing’s appearance gave me pause.

Would you eat that?

Its look made me so leery, I even told Almost Eagle he could put ranch on his salad instead.

But we both opted for the vinaigrette, and I’m glad. It was delicious!

The taste is light, fresh and — well, pickle-y. That’s a good thing. A very good thing … as long as you’re a pickle fan.

Even better? A 2-Tablespoon serving is only 1 WW Point.

Drop me a comment if you try it!