Making Mama's Kitchen: Losing the Baby Weight (& Baked Dijon Dill Chicken Recipe)

One of my maternity pics, 34 weeks

I never worried too much about my weight when I was pregnant with Annalyn. My doctor was happy with my weight gain and until the very end when I started retaining water, I felt really good about how I looked. Funny how that changes after giving birth.... But thanks to my lovely sister-by-marriage (formerly Mike's little sis, but I claim her as my own now), I had a very definite deadline for losing the baby weight after Annalyn was born. Not only had Emily asked me to be her Matron of Honor in her upcoming wedding (almost exactly 5 months after Peanut was born), but she'd also picked out bridesmaids dresses that only came in junior's sizes. Wow, talk about pressure. I hadn't worn junior's sizes since high school, and I couldn't even get in my own pre-baby dresses yet. Needless to say, I had a lot of work to do.

Annalyn's baptism, 6 weeks after she was born

After some much needed and always appreciated encouragement from my friend, Shawna, I decided to give Weight Watchers Online a try to lose the last 15-20 lbs leftover from pregnancy. After almost 3 months now, I can honestly tell you that I LOVE IT!!! There are tons of great tools, including apps for the iPhone that help me track what I'm eating and how much weight I'm losing. The recipe builder is a personal favorite since I can type in my own recipe and the program tells me how many points per serving it is.

Baked Dijon Dill Chicken Recipe

This is my version of a 5-ingredient WW recipe (but 5 just wasn't enough for me!). I like to serve it with this baked parmesan asparagus or green beans with a little basil.

Mama's little helper, patiently awaiting her own dinner

Ingredients:
-1/3 c. Dijon mustard
-1/3 c. nonfat plain yogurt
-juice of 1/2 of a lime
-1/2-1 t. garlic salt, (start with 1/2 and adjust to taste)
-1 T. dill weed, dried (I like more, some people like less)
-1/4 t. cayenne pepper
-1/4 t. cumin
-black pepper, to taste
-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into about 4 oz. pieces. Note: most packages of chicken breasts come with 2+ pounds, so may need to double the rest of the recipe)
-4 to 6 sheets aluminum foil (not exactly an ingredient, but nice to have a heads up when you're shopping and just glance at the ingredient list beforehand!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine mustard, yogurt, lime juice, and spices. Whisk until smooth.

Does anyone else love these little whisks?

Santa put it in my stocking a couple years ago

(but I think my mother-in-law gave him the idea!).

3. Place 4 oz. chicken on each piece of foil. Coat both sides with mustard sauce. Gather foil loosely around chicken and fold over to seal.

first, fold the long sides up and fold over a couple times to seal

then, roll the ends a few times to complete the little package

4. Place foil packs on a nonstick baking sheet; bake for 25-30 min (my oven tends to take longer than most recipes call for, so if yours cooks hot, start with 25 min).

just enough time to feed this little Peanut!

5. Using oven mitts, open foil. (In all fairness, I lack the talent to open folded foil while wearing oven mitts. If you share this shortcoming, feel free to use your hands, just beware the steam as it escapes.)