Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

The other night was rough, so I slept in pretty late yesterday morning (it was Saturday, who cares?!). When I woke up, the last thing I felt like doing was making myself oatmeal again. So I popped a Green Giant Steamer in the microwave for brunch, which was 300 calories.

Looks disgusting, tastes amazing. (Plus, a serving of veggies!)

Since it was Saturday and it was nice out (about 75˚F here in Rhode Island), I headed over to my parents’ house to take a dip in the pool. I was gorgeous out! I wish that it had been a little warmer – the pool was warmer than the air! – but I know those days will be coming soon enough.

(recycled picture from two years ago)

My mom and I swam around together and had girl-talk for about an hour and half before we decided it was too cold to stay in any more. I even brought my Rainier cherries (which I got on sale from Stop&Shop last week!) out to the pool for us to snack on while we were talking.

 (Cherries count as 0 calories for me, yay! Want to know why?)

I love cherries. So much.

But, they would be a million times better without pits. Which Kelly agrees with! (Are you following me on Twitter?)

After the pool, I dried off and put on my super-comfy bathrobe. I chilled out with my guinea pig Wesley and my mom while we watched Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. What an awesome show! My mom just got hooked to it, and now I think I might be, too! It’s so inspiring.

(Please ignore my entirely makeup-free face … and Wesley’s fro. He gets self-conscious.)

Speaking of WEIGHT LOSS…. I lost four pounds this week!!!! Good to know that this whole calorie-counting & SparkPeople thing is actually working

For dinner, I heated up Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo leftovers from the other night. Amaaaazing. Too bad Brent didn’t like it – more for me!! All he wants from now on is the [man healthy] meatloaf I made him… although I have to admit it was pretty good

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

(adapted from Courtney from Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life’s recipe)

Ingredients (serves four):

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz. frozen broccoli florets

8 ounces whole-wheat linguine

Olive Oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1/4 cup skim milk

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Generously season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.

Lay breasts flat on a baking sheet lined with foil and greased with cooking spray.

Bake breasts until done, but still moist (about 15 minutes).

Cook pasta and broccoli according to package directions.

Meanwhile, chop chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Sauté garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat in olive oil.

Add whole wheat flour to garlic and whisk for 2 minutes, forming a roux.

Slowly whisk in chicken stock, yogurt, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Continue to let sauce boil for 3 more minutes, until it thickens.

Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Add cooked pasta, chicken, broccoli and sauce to the same pan and stir until fully incorporated.

Enjoy!

 (Calores in One Serving = 383)