Homefries

Happy New Year, loyal readers! Hope you got everything you wanted for the holidays! I bet that a lot of you are renewing weight-related resolutions and thus literally tightening your belts in preparation for this Spring and Summer, which will undoubtedly bring warm weather and a hot new YOU in skimpier clothing!

So before we get to the delicious homefries recipe, a word about New Year's Resolutions. They aren't complete crap, no matter how much money gyms and diet pills make off of the New Year pressure to lose weight and get fit. I quit smoking four years ago thanks to a New Year's Resolution, and I lost the weight I promptly put on (I ate my own body weight in Chex Mix thanks to nicotine cravings) similarly with another New Year's Resolution. The key is to not forget it come February. Think of yourself a full year from January -- at your parents house with all your family and friends, or at home throwing a swank party with homemade Dainties, or in some fabulous exotic destination for the holidays... Doesn't matter where you'll be, just imagine yourself THERE and healthier, slimmer and probably happier. Let yourself imagine all the compliments you'll be getting from old friends and new acquaintances. That's what the Deb does when she wrestles with the temptation to devour an entire box of peanut brittle.

So. That being said, it should also be noted that the weather has gotten a bit chillier outside. You probably won't be in the mood to grill up some low-calorie scallops or make a refrigerated chicken salad. I'm going to try and provide you with Winter Warmth recipes that will satisfy the post-holiday blues AND keep you on-track for whatever your New Year's goals may be!

This is a great side item for the colder months!

Homefries

You'll need:

2 --3 Yukon potatoes, cooked in the microwave and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. paprika
salt, pepper and Old Bay to taste
Butter flavored cook spray (i.e. Pam)
1 t. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high and add potatoes, onion and garlic. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Spray with cooking spray once during the cooking. Remove from heat and stir in seasonings and cheese. Serves 2 -- 3 (though this is an easy recipe to increase -- just bump up the number of potatoes you want to use and add extra seasonings). Only 2 Weight Watcher's points, and just under 200 calories per serving. These are great with just about anything, especially as a companion to nice seasonal main dishes like roasts and casseroles.