We're going to decorate the yard this weekend as part of our 6 day Celebration for the little cowboy's 8th birthday.  For the past two weeks we have written down a week long "wish list" of things he wants to do every day leading up to his birthday.  So Friday's wish list involves pumpkin shopping for his caterpillar pumpkin and purchasing our spray paint and felt. 

Zumba classes will begin this Thursday so make sure to be there!!  It will be at FireEscape Coffee House and we will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.  Our first session is important because it's the learning phase of Zumba ~ we will be learning the steps but it is still an intense workout.  Then the following weeks will be a full 60 minute session of Zumba.  It's not as intense as our "last chance" Turbo Jam workout but it keeps the heart rate up and burns lots of calories.

Today's recipes include a family favorite that everyone will love and a healthier version of mashed potatoes!  My boys have been craving potatoes and I haven't fixed any except sweet potatoes so I'm going to try the skinny version over the weekend.

Taco Casserole

Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 large red pepper, chopped 1 Tbsp. chili powder 3/4 cup chunky salsa, divided 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg) Philadelphia, cream cheese, cubed 3/4 cup mexican 2% milk shredded four cheese, divided 8 whole wheat tortillas (6 inch)

Directions

Directions:
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add chicken, peppers and
chili powder; cook and stir 8 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in 1/4 cup salsa and
Neufchatel; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until Neufchatel is melted and mixture is well
blended. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Spoon heaping 1/3 cup mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-sides
down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining salsa and
shredded cheese. Cover.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through

Yield: 8 Servings (1 Enchilada Per Serving)
Nutrition Information:
225 calories; 7.5 g fat; 45 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbs; 19 g protein; 2 g fiber; 460 mg sodium

Skinny Mashed Potatoes

Servings: 5 servings • Size: 3/4 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 159.6 • Fat: 1.7 • Carbs: 32.3 • Fiber: 3.2 • Protein: 4.5

2 lbs (4 medium) yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

1/4 cup fat free chicken broth

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 tbsp light butter

kosher salt to taste

dash of fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice: parsley, thyme, tarragon

Directions:

Put potatoes and garlic in a large pot with salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan.
Add sour cream and remaining ingredients. Using a masher, mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.