I just made this dish today from Epicurious, and it was very easy and very tasty. I think it would be worth about 4-5 points per serving for Weight Watchers. I never follow recipes exactly, and use less oil and butter than what the recipe calls for. I also used skimmed milk instead of cream, and it still tasted fine. I had it plain, but would probably serve it over pasta when I make it again. I also added red pepper flakes for an added kick.

Epicurious has the best recipes, and they're very simple. Just type in the ingredient you want to use, and then choose a recipe. Peruse the reader reviews and comments as well, for added tips on how to cook the dish.

BRAISED CHICKEN BREASTS ON CREAMY LEEKS
We adapted this dish from a recipe in La Cuisine Spontanée by Swiss chef Frédy Girardet. Braising the chicken breasts over the leeks keeps them satisfyingly moist and tender. Crusty bread is a good accompaniment.
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 35 min

2 lb medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lb total)
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream

Halve leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add wine to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leeks and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, then simmer over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks are wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth. Top leeks with chicken breasts and juices from plate, then gently simmer over low heat, covered, until leeks are tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes .

Transfer chicken breasts to a plate. Add cream to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chicken on top of leeks. Makes 4 servings.

Gourmet, February 2001

I got in touch with the ex-husband after my grandmother died, and he was very sympathetic and sweet. He's a nice guy, and it's too bad we just couldn't live together very peacefully.

Anyway, he told me he was researching his family tree and found out that his mother's side of the family first emigrated to California in 1850. His mom's ancestor was the captain of a ship that sailed from Liverpool to San Francisco, and then stayed for the gold rush.

His mom's ancestor sailing captain was one of the founders of the town of Redwood City, which is on the peninsula south of the city of San Francisco. What a trip!

I typed up the "Spooning with My Mother" story from my notes. I was so excited to finish writing it, but as I was typing it up I realized that it needs a ton of work.

I'm good with the plot thing, because at least I have a beginning, a middle and an end. But the story reads like it's too choppy and very disjointed. My character keeps going to back to a memory she had in the past, and I'm not liking the transitions from present to past and back.

I started to get confused reading it, which is bad. If the author is confused, what about the reader?

I need some way to let the reader know the story is now taking place in present time as opposed to the past, and visa versa.

I'm taking a writing class in a couple of weeks which focuses on how to structure your stories better, which should help my short story because it definitely needs it.

No wonder I can't lose weight. Since I got back from vacation, I've spent about $200 on food. The money is leaving my checking account and sitting on my fat tummy forever. I hate that.

I hate this expression but it's so true; "a second on your lips becomes a lifetime on your hips."

I started a new excel spreadsheet to track my calories today. I'll start modestly and eat 1,400 calories per day.

There are daily Weight Watcher's meetings at several different times at a nearby shopping mall. My friends who are doing the program like it because 1) you can add more points if you exercise and 2) you can bank points for special occassions.

I'm going to see how I do with my calories this week, and if I can't hack it I'll go to a Weight Watcher's meeting.

I found a copy of The Economist at the gym, and read it on my train ride home. It's a good magazine, and easy to read. They had some really good information on what's happening in the world from a financial perspective, and I was surprised how fascinating it all was.

I think you can really learn alot about what drives people, companies, organizations and even countries when you study their finances. How neo-marxist of me huh?

I'm trying to decide if I need to subscribe to this mag. I registered at their site, and I'll get a newsletter via email once a week from them on their current articles. If I find myself reading The Economist online constantly, I'll get a subscription.

On Saturday, another friend called and we went to the Aloha festival at the Presidio. It's a two-day festival dedicated to everything Hawaiian.

We stood in line for half an hour to get shaved ice and malasadas. Malasadas are portuguese donuts rolled in sugar. They are so yummy. At highschool football games on Kauai, along with the usual sporting event food the vendors sold bags of malasadas and boiled peanuts.

The sun even came out and it was warm and muggy, just like in Hawaii. We even got to see some hula. There was a maori dance troupe with poi balls, and for sentimental reasons I bought a pair. I remember learning to do a hula with poi balls when I was a little girl.

Then my friend and I ate a plate of hawaiian food, like I didn't eat enough hawaiian style pork when I was home. Afterwards, my friend left to meet her boyfriend and I went to the gym to workout and lift weights.

My friend, whom I spent the day with, told me she was doing Weight Watchers. She's lost 10 pounds so far with little effort. She said she liked the feeling of having to be accountable to someone for her weight.

I'm wondering if I too need to go to Weight Watchers to lose these last 10-15 pounds that I've been struggling with all my life. I like the weight I'm at now because it's comfortable for me to maintain, but I know I'm not at my goal weight of 135 pounds.

It would so great to achieve my goal weight, but I'm totally worried about trying to maintain that weight. 145-150 pounds has been such an easy weight to maintain for me, but I am still so fat. I have clothes in my closet that still don't fit, and I still have a poochy tummy.

I'm thinking I could at least try Weight Watchers for a month just to see if I like it, and if it makes a difference. I was able to lose 30 pounds on my own, but maybe now I need a little extra push to get to my goal.

A friend came over for dinner on Friday, and I had my first dinner at my new place where I actually cooked.

I made an italian rissoto with chicken, leeks, mushrooms (white, crimini, portobello and and porcini) and spinach. It was a bit salty because I used this refrigerated chicken stock, which I've never used before. My friend seemed to like it though, and I topped the dish with grated romano cheese.

I watched the rissoto being made one of my favourite TV cooking shows, Lydia's Kitchen. She is a great italian cook and her dishes are always so easy.

It was fun to cook and make food for my friend. For an appetizer, I heated up some brie to eat with slices of my favorite italian bread - pugliese.

I bought an expensive chocolate sauce to pour over vanilla ice cream for dessert, but we were so full from dinner and the bottle of chardonnay we drank that we skipped it.