Core WW Cherry Cheesecake Smoothie

I switched to the Weight Watchers Core program over a week ago and lost 4.6 pounds my first week. I continued to do it this week, and am guessing I will have another loss, although I won’t find out until Wednesday morning.

 No counting points, I just eat as much as I want from the Core food list until I feel satisfied. Plus I still can earn and eat my activity points and eat 35 points for my weekly allowance. It’s much easier, plus I’m paying more attention to my body, hunger and fullness signals.

Here is one of my new Core dessert recipes.

Cherry Cheesecake Smoothie

1 cup skim milk
1 cup frozen cherries
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp sugar free fat free cheesecake instant Jello pudding
1/2 cup of ice

Add to a blender and mix until smooth. Delicious!

Devil’s Pumpkin Brownie Muffins

I just found this recipe on the web, and tried it out for the first time. The photo of the results are little different than what I experienced, but they do taste wonderful!

I added about a ½ cup of chocolate chips as well since I was sharing with my co-workers.

The recipe makes 12 regular muffins or 36 mini muffins. 1 muffin or 3 minis are 3 points.

Devil’s Pumpkin Brownie Muffins

1 box devil’s food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz).
Chocolate chips optional (this probably raises the points, but oh well)

Mix the two ingredients together. The mixture will be very thick, don’t add anything else (except chocolate chips if you wish). Place batter into muffin tins lined with paper, or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Fabulous Apple Spice Cake

I’m starting the holiday baking for a party at work tomorrow and am using this old favorite Weight Watchers recipe. I was going to make my homemade, non-WW friendly cookies, but decided to wait till this weekend for my normal Christmas cookie baking.

This is a very moist cake that only has three ingredients, a box of spice cake mix, apple pie filling, an egg and egg whites. I’ve also used 2 eggbeaters as a substitute for the eggs before, but here is the orginal recipe.

 Fabulous Apple Spice Cake

1 Spice Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 cap apple pie filling (try the no-sugar added ones)
1 egg
2 egg whites

Mix ingredients together by hand. Spray a bundt cake pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes 18 servings for 3 points each.

Crockpot time – Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

I forget how much I love my crockpot until fall and winter comes along. I never break it out during the rest of the year, but it’s so easy to make dinner with a slow cooker!

Since I’m done with grad school, and trying to do better with this weight loss thing, I decided to try and plan some meals this past week. This involved me looking through my freezer and panty to see what it held, and what was going to expire soon.

I had a new bag of lentils plus about a half a cup of lentils left over from last year in my panty. In my freezer, I had about three bags of frozen chicken parts. One bag of breasts, one of thighs and one of breast tenders, all from Trader Joe’s. I don’t have ground red pepper, so I substituted a few red pepper flakes.

I’ve made this for friends before, including once for my best friend from high school who married a man from Morocco. He said it tasted authentic and they enjoyed it. It’s from my Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook.

When I stayed home and made it, the timing worked perfectly, but since I work a full day, this time I may have cooked it a little too long, the chicken was a little dry.  The carrots that were on the bottom were nice and moist though.  I’ll work on the timing.

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

Ingredients
8 ounces baby carrots	3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked lentils	3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 lbs frozen chicken tenders	1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (14 1/4 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth	1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:

Place the carrots in the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Pour the lentils over the carrots. Arrange the frozen chicken tenders on top of the lentils. In a separate bowl combine the tumeric, ground red pepper and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the chicken. Pour the 2 cans of chicken broth over the arrangement.

Time: Cook on high for 5 hours, or cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 7 hours.

Serves about 4-6. A 1 cup serving is 5 points. With the lentils, it’s very high in fiber.

Pumpkin Pies

 

I love fall and especially baking. One of my favorite pies is pumpkin pie, and I just put two in the oven. Of course I have to lighten them up a bit and plan to only keep one for my family, and I’ll share the other one at work.

I used fat free evaporated milk, substituted egg beaters for the eggs and Splenda for the sugar. I also used pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I had one graham cracker crust and made another crust from scratch. We’ll see when they are done which one tastes best.

I based it on Libby’s recipe for Famous Pumpkin Pie. I shook the evaporated milk good, but it still came out a little clumpy. Any idea why?

I didn’t count the points for this, but I know it’s better than regular pumpkin pie, and tastes just as good.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Splenda	1 can (29 oz.) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
3 1/2 tsps pumpkin pie spice	2 cans fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup egg beaters	2 unbaked pie shells

Directions:

MIX sugar, pumpkin pie spice in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Honestly though, I hardly ever wait for 2 hours before I cut into it.

Buttermilk Biscuit memories

One of my favorite childhood memories is of Saturday morning and making buttermilk biscuits with my dad. He would make up a batch from scratch, and let us kids help roll out the dough and cut out circles. It was a ritual, and probably helped create my love of baking. I still adore hot out of the oven biscuits, drizzling honey on top of them, and eating while warm. They even taste good later in the day cold too.

I have the original recipe, which I think may be from Betty Crocker, but have lighted it up a bit and reduced the shortening and substituted some whole wheat flour for white. I learned some of the tips from the book Secrets of Fat-Free Baking, but you do really have to experiment to find the right combination of fat ingredients vs. no-to-low fat ingredients.

I use whole wheat pastry flour which results in better texture than regular whole wheat flour. I also use unbleached white flour. I stuck with the tablespoon of sugar instead of substituting Splenda, but I did reduce the shortening by half and substituted with unsweetened applesauce.

Low-Fat Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour)	1 cup all purpose flour (unbleached)
1 tbsp sugar	2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda	1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening	1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup fat free buttermilk

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening. Stir in milk and applesauce. Place dough on floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Roll or pat to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 to 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Place on un greased cookie sheet one inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.

Each biscuit is approximately 2.5 points. Makes about 12-13 biscuits. Serve with honey, jam or other favorite topping, and let the kids help roll and cut the dough. Great memories making and baking biscuits with the family.

Bran Muffin Recipe

This is a recipe from my mom, but I lightened it up a bit. It tastes much better than the recipe on the side of the Kellogg’s All-Bran box. It was my first time experimenting, so I know it can be reduced more points wise, but I got each muffin down to about 2 points each, actually 2.1 points each.

I used 1% buttermilk, but have seen fat free buttermilk before in the stores, and used egg beaters in place of the eggs. I also used slightly less than the 1/2 cup of shortening called for, but next time I may reduce it further and use some applesauce too. I used white flour, but may try some wheat next go around.

Bran Muffins

1 cup splenda	1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar	2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs (1/2 cup egg beaters)	1/2 tsp salt
2 cups light buttermilk (1% or lower)	2 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups All-Bran cereal	1 cup boiling water

Cream sugar, splenda and shortening with mixer. Add eggs mixing well. Add flour, baking soda and salt, followed by the buttermilk. Pour the boiling water over 1 cup of All Bran and let stand until cereal has absorbed the water. Blend this mixture into batter. Add remaining 2 cups of All-Bran. Mix thoroughly.

Batter may be stored for up to 5 weeks in refrigerator. When ready to bake, dip spoon into batter without stirring. Pour into muffin tins or use paper liners.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen muffins, for 2 points each.

No Pudge Brownies with Frozen Yogurt

This is one secret dessert that I learned about in Weight Watchers. When I started 4 years ago, I could only find the box of mix at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, but now even Safeway and Giant have them. I had one tonight.

They are No Pudge Fudge Brownies and are Fat Free and all natural for the health and organic folks. You can make them by the pan full, or by the single serving size.

I usually make a single serving for myself and have recently become a little creative and started mixing in chocolate chips and/or nuts like walnuts and pecans. Only a tiny amount, because the batter isn’t that thick.

Here’s the single serving recipe, and they have more recipes on their site.

In a small microwaveable container mix 2 tablespoons of your favorite flavor No Pudge! Brownie mix with 1 tablespoon of non-fat vanilla yogurt. Microwave on high for one minute. Top with fat-free frozen yogurt or whipped topping.

The brownie by itself is 2 points, and add the points amount of your topping and mix-ins. They have several flavors including mint fudge, cappuccino, and raspberry, but I just do the original chocolate mix.

Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie

This is a great recipe I discovered a few years ago. It is wonderful during the summer to make for parties and BBQs. I made one for July 4th, but we forgot to cut into it. I just had a piece for a snack. One slice is only 3 points, and it’s cool and refreshing on a hot day or night. I also made one for my neighbor’s party during which we had the Light Taco Layer Dip.

It only takes about 5 minutes to make. I use the Yoplait Light Key Lime Pie flavored yogurt, and either Jell-O or store brand gelatin. I also will use Cool Whip brand or store brand whipped topping. You can’t taste the difference.

Ingredients

1/4 cup water

1 package (4-serving size) sugar-free lime flavored gelatin

2 containers (6 oz) light or fat-free key lime pie yogurt

1 tub (8 oz.) frozen reduced-fat or fat-free non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

1 Keebler Ready Crust Reduced Fat Graham Cracker Pie Crust (6 oz)

In microwave-safe measuring cup heat water on high (100% power) for 45 seconds to 1 ½ minutes or until boiling. Whisk in gelatin until dissolved. In large bowl whisk together gelatin mixture and yogurt. Fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread in crust and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

Serves 8 for 3 points per serving.

Light Taco Layer Dip

This is great for family get togethers and parties. I’m taking it to a neighbor’s tonight. My mom gave me the recipe, but often makes it with the full fat ingredients.

I lightened it up by using Light sour cream, 98% fat free refried beans and 2% milk shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips, but we like the Tostitos Scoops for less mess. My mom sometimes adds sliced black olives too, but I left them out. You can use a round pie plate to layer, or a 9×13 casserole dish like I did for tonight.

Measurement	Ingredient	Points Value
1 pkg	Taco Seasoning Mix (McCormick 30% less sodium)	0
15 oz can	98% Fat Free Refried Beans	7
16 oz container	Light Sour Cream	15
8oz pkg	Shredded lettuce	0
8oz pkg	Ready Pac Pico De Gallo	0
4 oz	Kraft 2% Milk Mexican Four Cheese Finely Shredded	8
	GRAND TOTAL:	30

Mix the sour cream and taco seasoning mix together in a medium size bowl. Put to the side. Layer as follows in your dish. Spread the beans on the bottom, top with the sour cream and taco seasoning mixture. Sprinkle the pico de gallo on top, then scatter shredded lettuce, followed by the cheese.