Disproving the carrot sticks and rice cakes myth

I'm a recipe cook, not a "make it up as I go" kind of cook, and I think that following a recipe gives me a weird sense of pleasure (especially when the meal comes out as planned instead of a burning, smelly hunk of yuck).  There is something about putting together a series of pre-measured ingredients to make a finished product that speaks to the control freak/planner/organizer in me.   I love measuring cups, measuring spoons...all little pieces of the puzzle that if I use them right, I'll almost always get something I'm happy with.  A recipe is like a road map to culinary happiness and I love maps.  And plans. 

Given my weight loss journey over the years as I described in The emotional side of weight loss,  I've come to love the process of cooking healthy and seeking out new recipes that help me do that.   I love the ability to make something that tastes "bad for you", but really isn't.  I love the look of surprise on J's face when I tell him that the very thing he's eating (and enjoying) comes from a WW recipe.  I love being able to eat good food and still achieve my goals (further disproving the age old adage that weight loss is about carrot sticks and rice cakes).  And I love to research things.  When I first started cooking, the Internet was still in it's "infancy" stages (okay, maybe it was a toddler b/c I'm not "that old" contrary to S's belief) and the resources for cooking healthy were few and far between.  Today, it's a veritable wonderland of resources and I've made some of my best meals from recipes found on sites/blogs.  But, while some foods have been winners, some have been "not well received in my house" (which I think is a kinder, gentler way of saying "losers"), here are just a few of the sites where I've gotten inspiration:

Weight watchers friendly sites:
aimeesadventures
halfmysize
skinnytaste

The creative people on these blogs/sites make it easier for us "non-creative cooks" to prepare and enjoy great tasting food and I thank them!

And one site that must be mentioned even though it's not a WW site.  The recipes on here are just too good not to mention it.  Plus, it uses a slow cooker which is my favorite way to cook because it means I'm not scrambling at 6pm with cranky kids to get food on the table.    http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/  I've found that many of the recipes can be modified to make them WW friendly, so that gets a thumbs up from me. :-)