Fire pizza

If something could go wrong this week, it did.

JB got sick. The contractor working on our bathroom remodel messed up our shower. AM's dog allergy flared up and her eye swelled shut.

So what does this have to do with Weight Watchers? Oh yes, because our oven also caught on fire.

The day before JJ left on his week-long business trip, we noticed sparks coming from inside the oven. (AM was cooking her Eggos.) After realizing the coil was flaming and it clearly was an electrical fire, JJ pulled the plug on our oven. That stopped the issue, but it rendered me oven-less for the week - a repairman said he couldn't come by for four days AND he had to order a part.

This threw a big loop at my already-prepared weekly cooking list! So what's a Weight Watchers girl to do? Get creative!

JJ plugged the oven back in so I would have my stovetop. I also had the grill, microwave and crock pot. The pantry boasted one of my favorite products - Flat Out Bread - and the farmer's market gave us lots of fresh veggies. I decided we would grill individual pizzas for several nights.

Except it rained - all week long.

Turns out, you can carefully "grill" pizza on your stovetop and it's pretty good. Pre-cook your veggies, and keep a low temperature so your bread and cheese slowly heat up. Your bread will be a bit crispy, but that provides some support to add more veggies!

Here's what I used to make my stovetop pizza:

1 Flat Out bread 

2 tablespoons pizza sauce

Portobello mushrooms

Zucchini

Onion

Green pepper

1/4 cup 2% mozzarella cheese

This felt like a huge meal for 5.2 points plus. And it was really tasty.

I'll probably even make it again, but have to admit I'll be glad to cook it in the actual oven - now that it's fixed.

(P.S. My picky kids opted to have only turkey pepperoni and cheese on their stovetop pizza. I had a bite and it was also yummy.)

Hidden veggie pasta

My father-in-law is one of the pickiest eaters I know.

Early in my marriage to JJ, I learned the importance of pureeing vegetables when my FIL was coming over for dinner. It still makes me giggle to remember how he gobbled up my spaghetti sauce, which included a hidden zucchini, onion and pepper - all foods he would never eat on their own.

Since the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, this act of hiding veggies from my husband's blood line has come in handy. My own children can be less-than-adventurous about their vegetables, and so I'm always looking for recipes that will allow me to use my sneaky skill.

Last week, I found one on SkinnyMs that looked good, allowed me to use some of the fresh basil in my garden and featured one of my favorite vegetables, zucchini. (Plus, it is a crockpot recipe, which is always a bonus for the working mom!)

The small critics, my kids, asked about "the green stuff" (shredded zucchini), which I sold as "spices." The big critic, JJ, asked me to cut back on the basil the next time I make it. 

Did you catch it? The next time I make it.

They liked it! Four "clean" plates at the end of dinner helped prove that point.

And, speaking of points, this was a bargain for 5.2 for a heaping cup of cheesy, veggie pasta. 

We'll be having it again tonight. 

(Working moms also love leftovers.)

Zucchini Pasta - my modified version

1 jar of light Ragu marinara sauce

3 cups of dry, Smart Taste penne pasta

2 cups of Great Value fat-free cottage cheese

2 cups of 2% Kraft Mexican shredded cheese

1 zucchini, shredded

Pinch of oregano

Fresh basil (I used about 1/4 cup - too much for JJ's taste)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of garlic

Mix all ingredients and pour into crockpot. Cook for two hours, or until the pasta reaches your desired consistency.