June favorites

It's time for another favorites entry. People seem to enjoy these more than anything I post, so I'll try to be more diligent about writing them once a month. I don't always have new favorites (this one even has a repeat or two), but I'll try to keep a list. As always, make sure you fill me in on your current faves.

First, some food stuff:

Hearts of palm

I wasn't very familiar with hearts of palm. Maybe I tried them in a salad once or twice, but I sure wasn't aware how to buy them or even eat them. During Memorial Day, I went to Jacksonville to see a few of my closest friends. We spent the day at the beach and had late dinner plans, but were starving. We didn't want to eat a big lunch, so my lovely friend Leigh laid out a virtual smorgasbord of yumminess. "Let's eat like we're European!" she said. (I love her) We had olives, hummus, goat cheese, avocados and hearts of palm. I've been buying them ever since. I like the whole ones, but I think they're harder to find. So I buy cans of the sliced ones and dip them into hummus as a snack. Yum. They remind me of artichoke hearts in consistency and taste. So good.

Starbucks

I'm not a coffee drinker. Y'all know how I feel about Diet Coke. But my friend Tina got me hooked on skinny cinnamon dolce lattes. I don't drink them every day, but it's nice to have a little treat. For my fellow  Weight Watchers, a grande is just three points.

A new recipe from Weight Watchers

One of the great things about WW is being able to use the e-tools on my iPhone. I can track my points and my activity, and check out new recipes. This week, I made this five-point one:

Quick beef with Greek yogurt sauce

Photo courtesy of weightwatchers.com

	1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground beef
	2 1/4 tsp minced garlic
	1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
	3/4 tsp table salt, divided
	1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
	1 cup(s) plain low fat Greek yogurt
	1/2 cup(s) English cucumber(s), diced
	2 Tbsp mint leaves, fresh, chopped

Instructions

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 3 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together yogurt, cucumber, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
  
• Serve beef topped with yogurt sauce and sprinkled with mint. Yields about 1 cup beef and 1/4 cup yogurt sauce per serving. 

It was super easy and super yummy. The yogurt sauce is especially good--a lot like tzatziki sauce. I think I'll make it a staple in my weekly recipes. I think it would be good on chicken, fish and turkey burgers. For this recipe, I stuffed the beef (I also added a little cinnamon to the beef, which really upped the flavor) into a one-point pita and topped it with tomatoes and reduced-fat feta.

Speaking of which...

Reduced fat feta
This might be my favorite favorite right now. A little feta goes a long way. I always put it on my salads for a kick of flavor. I can't get enough of it.

Hebrew National 97 percent fat-free hot dogs
This my repeat. I love these things. And at just one point per dog? They're a perfect (and very tasty) snack.

A couple of nonfood things:

Apple cider vinegar 

Once upon a time, I introduced some of you to my beloved coconut oil. I am still using it religiously. But now I've started using apple cider vinegar on my face, too. I use it just like a toner and it's really helped my skin stay clear. You just have to get past the strong odor, but it's worth it.

Boot camp
If I had a love/hate category, this would be at the top of the list. You've already read a lot about my first couple of weeks, so I won't repeat myself. But today, having finished my second week (halfway through!), I feel a little invincible. Strong. Determined. Accomplished. And that's an amazing feeling to have. There have been some mixed comments in my entries about boot camp. I'm grateful that you are reading and taking the time to post thoughtful responses. I always welcome your opinions.

So there you have it. My favorites of the moments. Also? Two blog entries this week, as promised. Ta-da! Make sure to tell me what you're loving right now.