wet naps not required.

Tis the season... for football? Yes, I have to admit it, my first 'culinary modification' was inspired by the pigskin. Touching, I know. A few days ago I was invited to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch a football game. Don't get me wrong, I like football, but football is only a facade to why I really show up to "watch" the game... BONELESS WINGS. Football season is the only time of year that I can convince myself that slathering my mouth and hands in fiery hot sauce is acceptable behavior. I mean, the wet naps can only provide so much relief to the disaster I am able to create. As the aforementioned image of myself flashed through my head, I knew I had met my first recipe challenge: to create healthier version of a football season favorite. I tossed around a few different approaches, but in the end decided to go with a buffalo chicken wrap paired with a side of sweet potato fries.

I started the recipe by making the filling. I chopped up spring mix, yellow pepper, fresh mushroom, onion, tomato, and my personal favorite, dill pickle. I decided to add the pickle at the last minute and am so glad I did. It was my most favorite ingredient. Once I had everything chopped and in a mixing bowl I added 3 tablespoons of light ranch and 1.5 tablespoons of Franks Hot Sauce [a true southern delicacy]. I mixed all ingredients together and sat to the side for later use.

Next came the chicken. I diced two boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and tossed into a plastic bag. Not just your normal plastic bag though... a Shake-n-Bake plastic bag. You know the kind I'm talking about. These bags are at least 12 inches longer than normal plastic bags to allow for maxi um shakeage. I poured the Shake-n-Bake in with the chicken and added a teaspoon of garlic pepper, a few dashes of seasoning salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, then proceeded to take any of my days aggression out on the tiny chicken bites that lived inside that elongated bag. You need to break a sweat if you want this to turn out well. Seriously. After your evening workout is complete, pop the chicken in the oven to cook with....

THE SWEET POTATO FRIES. YUM. Who doesn't love french fries? I know I do. Aside from the millions of calories, pounds of fat, and some form of cocaine they are the perfect food. But, to stay true to this blog, I chose the healthier [almost as delicious] option- baked sweet potato fries. These are painfully simple to make. Take a sweet potato and cut into thin strips. Make sure to bring your muscles to this slicing endeavor as sweet potatoes are one part potato, two parts rock. Coat the potatoes with a little cooking spray, splenda, and cinnamon and bake in the oven at 475 until they start to get crispy. Be sure to turn them a few times during the bake.

To tie it all together I used Spinach Flatouts [found at your local grocery] to wrap up the veggie mixture and chicken, adding a few dashes of Franks Hot Sauce for flare. Voila! A calorie friendly, football friendly dinner for the wings lover in us all.

Nutritional Information [for one wrap, and half of a sweet potato]
Calories: 420 g
Fat: 11.5 g
WW Points: 9

a self-induced sugar coma starts the year off right.

I love good food. Over the holidays I indulged myself with the most delicious assortment of delectables you can imagine. While every bite seemed like the best idea at the time, I now find myself in a mild state of caloric depression. Isn't this the nature of the foodie beast? Why does it seem almost impossible not eat that second piece of made from scratch coconut cream pie? Will my life be positively changed from it's creamy goodness? A true battle between mind and stomach. This time, stomach prevailed. As I finished the [second] last bite of the most delicious pie you've ever had, the regret immediately set in. While it was tasty, unfortunately this coconut cream pie didn't change my life for the good, but rather left me in a sugar coma wondering why I ever thought to eat that second helping in the first place. It was during my sugar overdose (a true out of body experience) that the inspiration for this blog came to me. Through the next year it is my goal to modify highly delicious, highly caloric recipes into something more calorie friendly. Each recipe will include ingredients, cooking directions, serving sizes, nutritional information AND weight watcher point values. So, here's to a new year full of taste, low on regret.