Eating Fine in 2009

Skinny Wild Wings

2009-10-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

I was on the hunt for some new recipes and came across this:
Kristen's Buffalo Chicken Bites

Perfect! My husband would love having wings for dinner. While most would prefer the boneless, not my husband. I knew that I needed to make them as close to Buffalo Wild Wings to satisfy him! Yes, I skinned those tiny drummettes. Did you know that BW3s sells their sauces? We bought some when I was pregnant because I was craving wings but wanted something at home that was a little healthier. I would just put it on any chicken. It has become a staple condiment around here.

As you can see I served them with veggie sticks, watermelon and oven crunch fries. The fries I made just like Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges but I peeled and cut the potato into fries.

Sorry about the cell phone picture!

Skinny Wild Wings
Serves 4
Serving Size - 6 wings/drummettes
6 pts (about 1 pt a wing)

24 chicken drummettes or wings
1/2 c flour
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t garlic salt
Pam Spray

Skin wings or drummettes. Wash and pat dry. Mix dry ingredients together in a gallon Ziploc bag. Add chicken and toss to coat. remove chicken and place on plate in fridge for at least 2 hours. (I let them sit all day!) This uses the juices from the chicken to create a slight breading and helps the chicken crisp.

Bake 350 for 35 min. (I baked mine on a cooling rack over a baking sheet so that they would be out of the juices and crisp up, similar to frying. Spray each piece with Pam and return to a 375 oven for 5 - 10 more minutes to crisp. Toss in your favorite wing sauce. (I counted the sauce separately because it depends on how much you like and what kind you use. Half were in mild and the other half in honey BBQ. A little sauce goes a long way. Mine was only an extra 1 pt.)

Homemade Meatless Crumbles

2009-10-19T11:23:00.006-05:00

I love Morningstar products but they are so so expensive. I don't mind paying for them for items like their black bean burgers (even though I have a great recipe for black bean burgers) or their sausage patties or even their ribs. I had a WW leader suggest switching to meatless crumbles or at least half and half to reduce points in recipes. I started buying them, made the switch and the husband never noticed.

I saw on a blog a while ago (I have tried finding it again with no luck, so sorry for no credit!) how to make your own. I went right out and bought the TVP (textured vegetable protein) and tossed it in my pantry. Well that's where it has been since about May. This morning while pulling out some beans to soak I came across it and decided to rehydrate and season it and try to put in in at least one meal this week. I still haven't decided what that meal will be but I am thinking shepherds pie.

Here is the package. I bought it at Whole Foods for around $2.00. I have since seen it at the commissary and the regular grocery store. I know you can also buy it fairly cheap in bulk and some people can it for food storage.

Nutritional info here. If you can't read it, it is: 80 cal, 0 fat, 4 fiber for 1/4 c dry. This is 1 pt per serving.

I seasoned with a diced onion and some minced garlic.

I added 3 c of hot water with 1 1/2 T of beef base dissolved in it. (This won't change the points.) I let it sit about 10 minutes and then mixed it around. All of the water was absorbed.

On the package it gives directions for cooking in the microwave but I wanted it to have a browned look and taste so I tossed it in a pan sprayed with Pam and lightly browned it.

I packaged it up in 3 packages about 3 cups each. This looked like an equivalent to a pound of ground beef browned. I figure that it is 4 servings, each about 2/3 c. (if you are building a recipe in recipe builder it is 6 pts for the 4 servings (320 cal, 0 fat, 16 fiber). Once re-hydrated, it has to be refrigerated. I tossed mine in the freezer.

I'll post the results when I add it to a meal. It will be later in the week because tonight we are having Easy Chicken Tetrazini, a WW recipe from the tracker. It is one that I am looking forward to so I hope it turns out!

Mexican Sausage Skillet

2009-10-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

My little guy has been in the hospital and a good friend brought over dinner for us last night. So helpful and thoughtful. She is a great cook and I usually end up asking for her recipes. She knew that we would love this one and so she brought the recipe along with it. (She's awesome like that!)

It smelled amazing when I opened the lid! I had the forethought to take a picture before we started to dig in.

She is a Pampered Chef Consultant and the recipe was from one of the cookbooks. I don't know which one though. There is the Pampered Chef Chipotle Rub in it but I am sure you could substitute a similar chipotle spice. She is having a party next week and I plan on picking some up.

Mexican Sausage Skillet
4 servings
8 pts

1 c uncooked long grain white rice
2 ears corn, husks and silks removed
1 medium onion
8 oz smoked turkey sausage
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 T Chipotle Rub (Pampered Chef)
2 cans 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can black means, drained and rinsed
Fresh Cilantro and lime wedges (optional)

1. Cook rice.

2. Prepare and cook vegetables and sausage.
Meanwhile, remove corn kernels from cobs. Chop onion. Cut sausage into 1/2 in. slices. Lightly spray skillet with a nonstick cooking spray. Add corn to skillet in a single layer. Cook without stirring over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until caramelized on one side. Add onion, sausage, pressed garlic and rub; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Finish and serve.
Add tomatoes and beans to skilled; bring to a boil. Serve bean mixture over rice; garnish with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

As you can see from the pictures she made it into a casserole. Again, it was so delicious. These are generous serving and this could easily feed 6 especially with a side salad. If feeding 6, it is 5 pts a serving.

You could easily use brown rice instead of white. I will probably make it with my cilantro lime rice. (Which I promise I will post soon.) I have pictures, I just need to pull the post together.)

Oh, I Love Fall.....

2009-10-17T15:07:00.001-05:00

And all the beautiful apples. I hit up the produce wholesale market and cam ehome with these beauties. I made homemade spice apples to can for pork dishes throughout the winter. I can't wait. I have a pork loin in the freeser just waiting to be topped!

Back in the Kitchen

2009-10-01T07:52:00.005-05:00

Sad to be posting these phone pictures, but they will have to do for now. It feels great to be back in the kitchen and making some healthy meals. As you can see, I have been disguising healthy options as junk food in the hopes that my husband will be happy and not complain about me counting.

Sloppy Joes, Lightened Up KFC Slaw, and Melon... 8 pts
(This slaw is amazing and I will post the recipe. So easy too!)

Skinny Wild Wings, Oven Crunch Fries, Veggie Sticks & Watermelon... 12pts
(Buffalo Wild Wings is my husband's favorite place. This was a great knockoff! Thanks Kristen for the idea!)

Steakhouse Surf and Turf (Small steak, 2 Jumbo Shrimp & 3 Bacon Wrapped Scallops), Almond Onion Rice & a Green Salad...
(This whole thing was only 11.5 pts!)

I am pretty proud that I have been able to come up with these things and my husband is more than thrilled to have me back in the kitchen. Tonight we are having Theme Park Turkey Legs, Seasoned Baked Potato Squares, Fridge Pickled Veggies & Apple Tarts (9 pts). (I have to take dinner to a family tomorrow night and I am testing the recipes.)

Recipes coming soon!

Spinach and Pizza Stuffed Shells and Garlic Toast

2009-09-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

***This is from last spring. Luckily, because I had already had a good start on the post, it came together easily. Seeing these pictures made my mouth drool, especially thinking about the pizza ones. Too bad we have long since polished these off. Otherwise, I know what we would be having for lunch.
By the way, the point values were actually one point lower than I posted on booth when I calcualted them, but they seem so sinful I upped them both by one. It just sits better with me and how I will be counting them.
These past few weeks were a mess. I wasn't making good food choices, I was eating too much, we were eating out a ton and I WAS HATING COOKING! I couldn't really figure out why but I think in hindsite, I was missing blogging. I usually have my camera in the kitchen and create a post in my head as I go, hoping it turns out good enough that I was to share with you. (This is not always the case, but oh well!) I had my parents in town and didn't want to be taking pictures
This was a dinner that I made quite a while ago and have been meaning to post. I had some of the leftover shells (Don't worry, they were from the freezer!) for lunch and they were delcious. I thought it was the perfect time to share.

Spinach Stuffed Shells
4 pts
Serving - 3 Shells

box of large pasta shells
2 c fat free cottage cheese
4 oz part skim mozzarella, shredded
1 egg (could use 2 egg whites)
2 T parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
1 T oregano
1/2 t minced garlic
10 oz. frozen spinach (thawed & drained)
3/4 c pasta sauce
1 oz finely shredded mozzarella for topping

Cook shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. I like to set them out on a cookie sheet so that they don't stick together or rip. Let cool enough to handle.

While noodles are boiling, combine cottage cheese, egg, garlic, salt, parmesan, mozzarella and oregano in a large bowl. Strain and press all the water out of the frozen spinach. (I wrap it in a paper towel and squeeze it to get out most of the water.) Add spinach to cottage cheese mixture. I use the whole package but it is a little on the "spinachy" side but I work under the theory "the more veggies the better." If you are nervous about the spinach only use 1/2.

Man, isn't this pasta pretty. Make sure that you don't cook them too long or they get mushy. Stuff the shells with about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture. I stuff them just full enough that you can see the filling poking out but not so full that you run the risk of it oozing out everywhere.

I use bottled sauce (usually Ragu Light) but you could use tomato sauce with some Italian spices in it too. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of Pyrex. Put shells in Pyrex. Spoon more sauce over the top. Sprinkle 1 oz of mozzarella on the top. I shred mine fine so that it goes a bit farther. Bake approx. 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This made much more than pictured above. I stuffed at least 12 - 16 more shells and laid them in a single layer on a pan that fit in the freezer (no sauce!) and put them in a Ziploc after they freeze. Directions on how to do this are in the recipe below.

They came out so cheesy and delicious. I love that way that cottage cheese melts when you bake it. I am not a ricotta fan but you could use it instead if you prefer it or have it on hand.

I served it with a salad and garlic toast. To make garlic toast I just take a thin slice of french bread and brush some olive oil and garlic on top. I broil it for a minute or two. I have to sit in front of the oven and watch it or else I forget about it. It will burn on you really fast. This was store bought bread but I have been working on french bread and made some today that was near perfect. I will be posting that soon. I have to be careful not to make it too often because I could easily polish off half a hot loaf.

I had cooked the whole box of pasta shells and had a ton left and was looking for a way to use them. This is what I came up with. While I love the spinach stuffed shells, I have to admit that these are better. So delicious the best of pizza and cheese pasta all rolled into one.

Pizza Stuffed Shells
5 pts
Serving Size 3 shells

pasta shells (cooked according to package directions)
1/2 c diced white onion
1/2 c diced green pepper
1/2 c diced fresh mushrooms
12 large olives, diced
20 slices turkey pepperoni, diced
1 1/2 c cottage cheese
4 oz mozzarella, shredded
1/2 t minced garlic
1 t oregano or Italian seasoning
2 T parmesan cheese
3/4 c pasta sauce
1 oz mozzarella, finely shredded for topping

Sauté onions and green peppers and mushrooms in a pan with non-stick spray till soft.

Mix cottage cheese, mozarella, parmesan, seasoning, egg and garlic together in a large bowl. Add chopped olives, pepperoni and onion mixture to cottage cheese mixture and mix together.

Stuffs shells with mixture. Shells should be full but not over-full.

If you were eating these immediately you would prepare with the pasta sauce as in the spinach recipe above. 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

However, I made these to freeze for future use. After stuffing the shells, I placed them on a plan lined with plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer overnight. The plastic wrap keeps it from sticking to the pan. Once frozen through, I transferred them to a Ziploc bag. This way I could take out what I needed for dinner that night. So easy! And so delicious! Just add a little to the cooking time if cooking from frozen.

Between these two stuffings, I used all the shells. I had dinner for 4 or 5 nights for my little family.

Title: UNTITLED

2009-09-25T06:57:00.003-05:00

I don't even know what to call these last few months. They weren't good. Dieting desparation, vacation pounds, a very drawn out kitchen remodel and very little cooking.

Obvioulsly, I never got around to posting that promised post. Sorry. Made a nice dinner last night, cedar plank salmon with roasted root vegetables. It was beautiful and would have made a great post and got me thinking about getting back to blogging.

Rather than make a mess of my kitchen, I am going to dig through old drafts and show you some ideas from spring that I never got around to posting. Maybe I can come up with something great for dinner. I know that my husband would love me back in the kitchen. As much as he complains about me counting points and always trying to lose weight, he is appreciative of a good meal.

Hope...

2009-04-16T21:00:00.002-05:00

I promise I have soemthing in the works. It is a rather lengthy post with two recipes and between the little girl (2 yrs) and the baby boy (6 months) blogging is getting harder to find time for. I have been doing it llittle by little and hope to finish tonight or tomorrow.

I hope!

Thanks for Thinking of Me!

2009-04-10T08:05:00.003-05:00

Thanks Connie!

Even though I have been MIA for a few weeks I was still thinking about this award and it made me excited to come back to blogging! Thank you, thank you thank you! I saw that Heather gave you one and I was excited for you!

I follow a way too many blogs and keep telling myself I need to cut back, but it is so hard when there are so many amazing ones out there. Because I have been separated from the computer for the past few weeks, I am going to catch up and post some of my favorite food ones and pass this award along this afternoon!

And now that I am back I have a few new posts in the works to bring my blog up to date!

Thanks again Connie!

How to Peel and Egg & Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

2009-03-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

I follow a lot of "mom" blogs and one of favs is Design Mom. A white back, she had a post on "How to Peel an Egg" that really blew me away. Check it out! There is a video and it is pretty amazing. I decided to try it at home.

Boil the eggs at a slow boil for 12 minutes. Cool the eggs by throwing some ice in. In the video he says when you put the water in you put a 1/2 teaspoon on baking soda in and it raises the pH thus reducing the adhering of the egg to the shell. OK, I have to admit that I didn't really know if you boiled it with the baking soda (which is what I did) or if you add it after. I guess I could have done some more research. He cracks and peels a small hole in the top and bottom of the egg and blows it out of its shell. No, I couldn't blow the egg out when I tried it but the shell did come off easily without taking any of the while with it. To my skack and awe, the egg came out perfectly, no pocks where I had gouged the white. This was a first. (My husband makes fun of how bad eggs look after I usually peel them.) Its worth a try and a fun experiment.

So after experimenting, I had to put the eggs to work. I decided on a super easy breakfast sandwich. We make these sandwiches all the time with scrambled eggs but after trying them this way, I am converted to hard boiled.

Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwich
4 pts
Serves 1

high fiber English muffin (1 pt)
1 slice of lean ham or canadian bacon
FF or 2% american cheese slice
1 boiled egg

Peel egg (per instructions above). Split and remove yolk. Disgard yolk. Slice egg white and lightly salt.

Split and toast Enlish muffin. Place slice ham, cheese and egg on the muffin.

Put two halves of muffin together and enjoy! You can boil a bunch of eggs at once for a fast breakfast. Just warm the egg white for a few seconds (under 10) for a quick morning meal.

Peach Pie Smoothie - 3 pts

2009-03-09T22:12:00.006-05:00

A few weekends ago, I was watching Food Network while feeding the baby boy. Ellie Krieger was on. If you are not familiar with her, she has a healthy cooking show and is a nutritionist and registered dietician. She always has some good tips for getting maximum nutrition out of your food. In this episode, she made a delicious looking peach smoothie. I had the ingrediants for it so I thought I would try it out for breakfast with a few alterations to the recipe. I really was pleased with the results and so was the little girl. I had to talk her into sharing with me because she was determined to keep it to herself.

Peach Pie Smoothie
3 pts
1 serving

Here is the original recipe via FoodNetwork.com.

And here is mine.

1/2 c skim milk
6 oz Weight Watchers Amerretto Cheese Cake Yogurt
1 c frozen peaches
1 T Splenda
1/4 t vanilla
1/8 t cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ginger

Put all ingredient in blender and blend till smooth.

Low in points for a large shake and a great source of calcium and vitamin C. 1 1/2 milk credits and a fruit. And kid approved! What can get better than that!

2 Point Cupcake

2009-03-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

After my binge this week and enjoying a couple of full point regular cupcakes at a birthday luncheon, I thought I would post a better alternative (or what I should have eaten instead).

These are 2 pt cupcakes, 3 with frosting. I think that a lot of people at WW call them a 1 pt cupcake but when I plug them into the recipe builder, they come out 2 so I am trusting that. They are super duper easy and taste great. They are good enough to be served at a party. I did at my daughter Valentines party this year and everybody loved them.

2 Point Cupcake
Serves 24

1 cake mix
2 egg whites
1 can of diet soda

Combine all ingredients. Fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake time and temperature according to cake mix package directions.

Frosting
1 point

16 oz Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 4 serving pack of sugar free pudding mix (not prepared)

Pour powder into thawed Cool Whip and mix. You can also tint with color. Store in fridge.

You can really do any flavor combo that you like. I did a chocolate mix with diet cherry coke for the cake and then vanilla pudding in the frosting because I was tinting the frosting pink.

I was thinking that carrot cake with diet cream soda and sugar free cheesecake pudding would be delicious. I also have some diet peach soda right now and think that it would be great with a white cake mix and pain cool whip and fresh peaches on top. My mom just found out that she has diabetes and they are going to be visiting around the time of my dad's birthday. I am planning on making a reduced sugar cake mix this way and using sugar free Cool Whip in the frosting.

I made 12 cupcakes. I realized that I didn't take any pictures of the cupcakes that didn't have the kids int hem until after they were gone. Too bad because they were adorable. I melted 2 mini candy canes together into the shape of a heart as a topper. They were perfect for the party.

With the other half of the batter, I made this mini cake for my daughters birthday. It turned out adorable and it was the perfect size for a small family. We cut it into 8 small slices.

I have to admit that I have a weakness for cake and could do some real damage with cake sitting around so this recipe is going to be saved for special occassions. It is wonderful to have an easy way to lighten up a celebration staple because I am usually consuming more than my share of points at the party with other things. It is nice to shave off a few on the cake.

Chicken Enchiladas - 3 pts each

2009-03-06T22:45:00.001-06:00

Like most people who are struggling with their weight, I have tried a million different things in the past to lose weight. One that I have done several times in the past is Body for Life. It is a program by Bill Phillips. I have to say that it really works and is a awesome combination of exercise, food and mind. I did it at my highest and lost A LOT of weight on it. You may wonder why I am not doing it now. Reason is that it is very restrictive and takes a lot of dedication. There is a list of foods you eat from & do certain exercises 6 days a week. Right now that is way too much structure with 2 small children and other commitments I have.

So instead I am doing WW. I know that it works and I feel like it fits with my lifestyle and allows me the flexibility I need. I can eat what is available if I count the points and if I miss exercising, no big deal. I also feel like long term it is a better choice for me.

The purpose of all of this is that this recipe I got from a Body for Life cookbook called Eating for Life. It is still one of my favorite cookbooks. All the recipes are very healthy. They all have full color pictures of the ingredients and the final dish. All the recipes are very easy. Here is one of my favorites. Again, I have changed it over the years. I don't really know they exact recipe anymore.

Chicken Enchildas
3 pts
Serves 4-6

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 green onions
12 corn tortillas
1 can green enchilada sauce (10-12 oz)
2 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Boil chicken breasts. Cool until easily handled and shred. Slice green onions and add to shredded chicken. Pour about 1/2 c of enchilada sauce into the chicken mixture and mix together.

Spray the botton of a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Warm tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet. After each tortilla is heated, add a scoop of chicken mixture and roll. Place seam side down in the pan. When all tortillas are rolled with chicken mixture, pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of all the enchiladas. Top with cheese.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, olive and/or guacamole. (These are not included in the listed points.)

Breakfast Hash

2009-03-06T01:06:00.000-06:00

I am always looking for something new and different from my usual breakfasts: cereal, oatmeal or a fried egg. The other night we had baked potatoes for dinner and there was a half of one left that I bound and determined to put to good use. I stuffed it in the fridge without a plan. The next morning I pulled it out and started thinking that it would be great as hashbrowns. I almost stredded it, but settled on peeling and cubing it instead. I wanted a breakfast hash like one of those that you get at a diner with a little bit of everything in it. This is what I found in my fridge:

I know, not much but enough to make do. I really wish I would have had some mushrooms at the time because I definately would have thrown those in.

This is what I came up with:

Breakfast Hash
Serves 1
4 Points

1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1/2 baked potato
1/2 oz reduced fat cheddar
1 green onion
1 slice canadian bacon
various 0 pt veggies, diced (optional)

For the eggs, I just crack 3 whole eggs into a bowl and pull out 2 of the yolks with my hands. I know that you can save points by just eating the whites, but in my opinnion, the yolk gives it too much flavor to leave it out. After all, it is only 1. Mix whites and yolks together with a fork and set aside.

Spray a pan with non-stick spray or an oil spritzer. Heat to medium heat. While pan is heating, peel and cube 1/2 potato. Add potatoes to the pan and brown. Add green onions once potatoes start to brown. If you are using veggies now is the time to add them to the mix. Like I said, I thnk that mushrooms would be awesome in this. Saute until tender. When veggies are almost done, add diced canadian bacon.

Push mixture to the side and add eggs to the empty side of the pan. If your pan is prone to sticking, give it a light spray. Scramble eggs. When about half cooked, incorporate the potato mixture.

Once eggs are cooked through, sprinkle with cheese while eggs are hot so that it starts to melt.

Serve it with a fruit and toast. Like you see from the first picture, I ate it with tangerines and a light english muffin with sugar free jam. Yum! Oh and don't forget a tall glass of water. The whole meal was only 6 pts.

Seasoned Popcorn

2009-03-04T00:00:00.001-06:00

Sorry that the posts have slowed down the past few days. I have been under the weather and having a hard time getting into the kitchen and my camera was acting up and I had to exchange it. (Thank you Costco for having an awesome return policy.) I have a bunch of pictures for posts saved up that I have been meaning to post, but I just haven't gotten around to yet. Here is one of those posts.

While this is not necessarily an official recipe, I wanted to share it with you. I think that I first found our about the Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning from a WW magazine a few years ago. They often have a coupon for it in the magazine. I tried a few of the flavors and was very pleased with the outcome. They are very light on calories and really add a nice flavor. I think that I originally would put it over light microwave popcorn but I have since switched to air-popped. They also have their own spray to help the seasoning, stick but I use Pam or my oil-spritzer. These are the flavors that are in my cupboard right now. I love the ranch and my husband's favorite is the kettle corn. By the way, they are also great on steamed veggies and you can find them by the popcorn at the supermarket.

We have been making this more often since my husband started counting points. When he get home from work, he loves to snack but it not ready to have dinner yet. He used to eat a whole sleeve of ritz. Go figure the points on that and you will be sick. He eats about 5 points worth of the popcorn, but that is a huge bowl and it fills him up and keeps him from overeating at dinner.

Seasoned Popcorn
1 pts
Serving Size - 3 cups

Pop poporn with air popper. Lightly spray popcorn with non-stick spray, tossing so it is coated evenly. Shake seasoning over popcorn, tossing gently so that seasoning is distributed to all the popcorn. Serve.

I usually have a large cereal bowl (about 3 cups) for a serving and I have figured it at 1 pt.

Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges

2009-02-28T23:20:00.000-06:00

Baked Potato Wedges is something that I have been trying to get right for a long time, proabably several years. For some reason or another they don't turn out quite right. Too thick so they don't cook all the way through, too thin so parts burn easily, slimey because too much water in the potato, etc. I have been in search of a potato wedge that is soft and fluffy in the center but has a little crisp on the outside.

I gave up for a while, feeling that the search was hopeless and started buying bagged french fries to bake. I know, not the best option for me or my family but I felt broken and I needed a replacement. After all, the husband really like fries with any sort of sandwich on a bun that I serve. Plus, they are so so easy.

This past month, I have really buckled down on our grocery bill and tried to make do with what we have and the staples that I regularly buy. Potatoes are one of those things. I decided to parboil the potatoes before baking them and they turned out fabulous! The best yet. I have made them a few times since, just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke that they turned out so delicious. They turned out just as good then too. So here is how I made them. Not an exact science when it comes to seasoning, depends what you like.

Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges
3 pts
Serving Size - 8 Wedges

1 potato for each person
Non-stick spray or oil spritzer
Adobo seasoning (or seasoning salt)
Paprika
Dried Parsley

Bring a salted pot of water to boiling. Clean potatoes and remove any parts that look less than savory Sometimes there are a few gnarley eyes that I dig out. These were in pretty good shape. Cut each potato into eighths. Carefully drop potatoes in boiling water and boil 4-5 minutes. The potatoes should not be easily pierced but not as firm as when raw. They should hold their shape and not easily be broken or heaven forbid fall apart on you. If they do, you are having mashed potatoes for dinner instead.

Once potatoes have been parboiled. Drain and set out on a clean kitchen towel. The towel will absorb extra water and the potatoes will have steam coing from them that will help dry the inside.

The seasonings listed are the ones that I use but the potatoes can be seasoned with anything. I think that thyme is nice when serving with chicken. I also use the oil sprizer instead of non-stick spray because it is easier on my pans and bakeware. I use a Pampered Chef Stoneware Large Bar Pan for these wedges. I think it does the job well but any baking sheet is fine. My stone is non-stick from years of use but if you are using a regualr baking sheet I would give it a spray. Lay the potato wedges skin side down and spaced evenly. Make sure they had enough room between them so they can crisp up. Spray the potato wedges and season to your liking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. Remember this is the time it take on my stoneware so if you are using something different, I would start checking them at 30 minutes. Removed from oven and serve hot.

I usually eat mine with ketchup and sometimes a little mustard but I have some good ideas for some dipping sauces that I will have to try soon. Hope you like them as much as we do.

Homemade Garlic Hummus

2009-02-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

I have always bought hummus in the store, that is until today. It is quite expensice to buy in the store, $3 to $4 for 8 to 12 oz. I have been trying to cut back our grocery bill and store bought hummus was one of the first things to be chopped. I traded in the $4 tub for a $0.59 can of chickpeas. Everything else I had on hand. I looked up a bunch of different hummus recipes and realized that for basic hummus it is pretty simple: tahini, lemon juice and chickpeas. I usually buy roasted garlic flavor and love love love garlic. I am not found of the smell of sesame oil, so I substituted olive oil for the tahini and doubled the oil so that I could count a serving of hummus as a healthy oil for the day. I also put in LOTS of garlic. Mine is strong but you could use a smaller amount or roast the garlic if you like a milder flavor.

Here is how I made it. I thought it turned out great, although a little tweek here and there would probably not do any harm.

Homemade Garlic Hummus
2 pts
Serves 6 (About 3 T)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 t to 1 T garlic, minced (add to taste)

Puree beans with lemon juice in a food processor. Add olive oil and process until combined and smooth. Add garlic to taste, puree until very smooth.

Store in a airtight container in fridge. Use within a couple of days. Hummus is great with pita, tortillas, as a spread on sandwiches & with veggies or crackers. Most often, I do baby carrots. today, I cut up a flat out wrap into triangles to dip. These triangles could also be crisped in the oven to be eaten like a chip, but I prefer them soft.

Next time I am going to try making it from dry beans. I will probably cook up a whole bag of beans and freeze them in 2 c bags so that I can have them on hand for a quick snack.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Revisited and Almond Onion Rice

2009-02-26T12:00:00.002-06:00

Since making this Chicken Cordon Bleu a few weeks ago, my husband has been begging (literally) me to make this again and to make several of them so he can take them to work for lunches. I finally picked up some more ham this past week so I set out to make a bunch of them on Monday night. We had them for dinner that night and I paired it with some almond onion rice (recipe below) and a green salad topped with craisins, dried apples and raspberry vinegrette. It turned out as good as the first try and the experimental rice turned out amazing! Last time I had a request for pictures so here is the recipe again with pictures. The rice recipe is posted too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
5 pts
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large deli slices of ham
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss
1 egg white (mixed with a splash of water)
1/4 c panko style bread crumbs
1/2 c Fiber One cereal, pulsed in food processor or blender until fine crumbs

Thaw chicken. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to about 1/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove plastic.

Place a slice of deli ham over each piece of chicken. Spread a wedge of cheese on half of each piece of chicken/ham. Roll like a burrito starting with the cheese side first so that it is in the middle of the roll. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Put egg white in a bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and fiber one crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken in egg white and then roll in bread crumbs, coating entire chicken roll. Place on a cooking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with second piece of chicken. sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of chicken.

Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving because cheese inside will be very hot.

If freezing these, cook before freezing. Can be reheated in the oven or thawed in the fridge and them reheated in the microwave.

Brown rice takes forever to cook. I sometimes cheat and use instant brown rice on days that I forget to set the rice cooker early. I have heard that rice freezes well and have been meaning to try it so when I made fried rice on Sunday night, I cooke 2 extra cups of brown rice to freezer for quick meals during the week.

While the chicken cordon bleu is absolutely amazing, it is a little time consuming. I recommend making a bunch at one time like I did and freezing them for later meals. After preparing the chicken, I realized that I had forgot to throw on some rice. I had planned on making fresh rice because I wanted to season it with chicken stock and the rice I had cooked earlier in the week was plain. With only 25 minutes till dinner, I needed to figure out something fast. Rather than breaking out the instant rice, I pulled out the precooked rice from the night before and this is what I came up with. By the way, it was delicious!

Almond Onion Rice
1/2 c = 2 pts or 1 c = 5 pts
Serves 2-4

2 c cooked brown rice
1/4 c water
1 T chicken base
1/2 t mined garlic
1 green onion, sliced
canola oil spray
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray

If frozen, break rice into smaller chunks to fit in a microwave safe bowl. Ad water, minced garlic and chicken base. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 3 minutes or until warmed through. Uncover and stir. If water still remains in the rice microwave at 30 second intervals until water is evaporated or absorbed.

In a dry nonstick skillet (I used cast iron.), toast almonds until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Spray pan with canola oil spray and return to medium heat. (I have a oil sprayer from Pampered Chef that I love. Nonstick spray is not very good for your pans.) Add sliced onion and saute lightly.

Spray 10 sprays of butter spray to pan. Add rice and base mixture and mix until combined. Let rice cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. This will give the rice more of a "fried" flavor. Stir lightly and let cook another 1-2 minutes without stirring. Mix in toasted almonds. Serve and Enjoy!
(I think that 1/2 c of rice is the perfect serving but my husband always want at least 1 c.)

Candied Yams - 4 pts

2009-02-25T16:00:00.000-06:00

Every year for Thanksgiving, each family always brings the same thing, the thing they are "famous" for. My mom brings the spinach salad, one aunt the desserts and one aunt the cranberry waldorf. Well, my Aunt Marla has two things that she always brings to Thanksgiving. The apricot jello salad and the candied yams. I love her cadied yams and have made them for my own Thanksgivings since moving away from home. Short version of her recipe: a slice of a yam, a huge slab of butter, a scooping tablespoon of brown sugar and melt in oven. Not figure friendly but oh so delicious.

Right after the holidays, Costco was clearing out their yams for $3 for a huge box. I couldn't pass on the deal so I have been searching for ways to incoporate them into our menu. They havebeen baked, mashed, and cut into fries. This, however, is our favorite way to eat them:

Candied Yams
3 pts
Serves 4 (2 slices)

2 large yams or sweet potatoes
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
4 t Splend brown sugar blend

Wash and boil unpeeled yams until cooked through and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from water and let cool just until you are able to handle them. Slice each yam lengthwise into 4 slices. Remove peel on all slices. Lay flat on stoneware or baking sheet.

Spray each slice 6 to 8 times with the butter spray.

Put 1/2 t of Splenda brown sugar blend on the top of each slice. Spread sugar evenly over each slice with fingers or a butter knife. Splenda brown is 2 times as concentrated as regular brown sugar so a little goes a long way.

Put in hot oven (450 degrees) and let sugar start to melt and bubble on the top of each yam slice. Remove from oven when sugar crystals have melted.

Serve immediately. These cool quickly and are best when hot. 1 serving is 2 slices of yam. These are some of the meals that I have served these yamns with recently.

Ham, Yams & Garden Salad

Pork Ribs, Yams & Spiced Apples

Apple Crisp Oatmeal - 4.5 pts & Spiced Apples - 1 pt

2009-02-25T08:00:00.006-06:00

I think I am on a breakfast kick! I promise I have other recipes and ideas for dinners waiting in the wings. Now that I am photo tracking, I am trying to get the recipes up here that correspond with my daily menu. We'll see how well that works out, but for the time being I'm trying.

After loving the Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal so much, I decided that I needed to experiment putting more fresh fruit in my oatmeal. In the past, I have cut up an apple and tossed it in but there was nothing amazing about how it turned out. For Valentine's day, we had pork ribs and I thought that it would be delicious to serve it with some spiced apples, like you get at the restaurants. These are the spiced apples that I came up with. It is a really chunky applesauce with lots of flavor. I loved how they turned out and thought that they would be delicious on oatmeal too. This is what I came up with.

Apple Crisp Oatmeal
4.5 pts
Serves 1

1/2 c oatmeal
1 c water
2 packets Splenda
dash of salt
1/2 t almond extract
1 serving Spiced Apples (recipe below)
2 T Microwave Granola

Place oatmeal, water, Splenda, salt & almond extract in a micowave safe bowl. Allow extra room in the bowl for the oatmeal to bubble during cooking or you will have a mess in your microwave. Microwave on high 3 minutes.

Top with Spice Apples. Sprinkle Microwave Granola over the top. Enjoy hot!

Spiced Apples
1 pt
Serves 3

Peel and cube 4 small or 3 medium apples. Put in a small saucepan.

Add 1/4 c water and 1 t lemon juice. Stir. Them at 3 T Splenda for Baking, 1/4 t cinnamon and 1/8 t nutmeg. Stir to coat apples evenly. Cover and place over medium heat.

Cook until apples are tender but not mushy. Mash lighly with a fork or potato masher. Divide into 3 servings. Stores well in fridge for a few days. Can be used as a topping or a side dish or just enjoyed pure.

Here is the original go at the spiced apples. They were delicious served with the ribs and sweet potatoes. The candied yams recipe is coming soon! By the way, pork ribs, not WW friendly at all! They were a Valentine's treat for the husband.

Breakfast Sundae with Microwave Granola - 3 pts

2009-02-25T07:30:00.000-06:00

This is a simple breakfast sundae. You could add more fruit to it or serve it as a parfait but it was absolutely delicious just like this. The microwave granola recipe below is very easy and fast. It is a great breakfast or even a quick homemade gift for a friend.

Breakfast Sundae
3 pts
Serves 1

1 pt worth of fruit
1 pt yogurt cup (This is Fiber One Strawberry.)
2 T microwave granola

Cut up fruit and place in bowl. Top with yogurt. Sprinkle on microwave granola.

Microwave Granola
4 pts
Serving Size 1/2 c
About 12 Servings

1/3 c sliced almonds
1/4 c walnut halves
2 1/2 c uncooked oatmeal
1/8 c Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/4 cup(s) honey

Place the nuts in a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish. Cook on high for 2 minutes to lightly toast the nuts. (The time may vary with your microwave so watch them carefully.)

Stir in oats, and Splenda brown sugar blend until well mixed. Stir in honey, making sure to coat the mixture well.

Cook on high in microwave for 3 minutes. Stir well. Cook 1 minute longer. Cool slightly. Stir in raisins and/or dried cranberries (optional, but will may change pts). Store in airtight container.

Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal - 3 pts

2009-02-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

This recipe was a Valentine's Day invention. I was up early and wanted to make something special for the holiday. My husband loves those fruit n cream instant oatmeal packets from Quacker but they are loaded with sugar plus expensive for the amount of oatmeal that it makes up. This is so simple and easy but quite delicious.

Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal
3 pts
Serves 1

1/2 uncooked whole grain oatmeal
1 c water
1 t powdered fat free coffee creamer
dash salt
6 strawberries
3 packets Splenda
1/4 - 1/2 t orange zest (optional)

Combine oats, water, creamer, salt and orange zest in microwave safe bowl. Make sure there is plenty of extra room because the mixture will bubble up while cooking and may overflow. (see picture below) Cook in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Set aside.

If using frozen strawberries, microwave until slightly thawed. Aren't they beautiful frozen.

Put in a food processor or blender with Splenda and puree. You could squeeze a small amount of orange juice in here too if you wanted to but I didn't think of that at the time. Maybe I will try that next time.

I poured a little over half of the sauce on the bottom of a fresh bowl, topped with oatmeal and then put more on top. You could save the dish and just pour the sauce on top but as you can see by the first picture, I really needed a new bowl and it was Valentines and wanted to surprise the little girl with a heart. I wouldn't mix it all together though. It was nice to taste the diffence between the oatmeal and the sauce.

You could do this with any fruit/berry and lemon zest would be really nice with blueberries. I will have to try that soon. It is a nice change to my normaml plain oatmeal with a bit of sugar free syrup on top.

Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs

2009-02-21T00:00:00.003-06:00

This has been my go to recipe for years. It started as one that my mom tried one time. It didn't turn out great but I knew that it had potential. I have tweeked it here and there over the years and I am happy with the outcome. It is one of my husband's favorites and he is always putting in requests for it. I've used it for many a dinner party and take it in to families when I am bringing them dinner after a new baby or a surgery. It is kid friendly; my daughter loves them. It also has enough flavor to set it apart from regular old meatballs.

I usually serve it with brown rice and a salad of some sort. I put a little bit of the sauce over the rice or put the meatballs right a top the rice. It could also be served with a steamed veggie of some sort too.

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs
6 pts - 3 meatballs
Serves 4 - 6

Meatballs

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c oatmeal
1/2 c onion, diced or minced
1/4 c skim milk
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1/2 salt
dash of pepper

Sauce
1/2 brown sugar or 1/4 c of Splenda brown (It doesn't change the point value.)
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c bbq sauce
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t prepared yellow mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. I put it in the fridge for 1 hr or more so that the oatmeal can absorb some of the liquid. This is not necessary if you are in a hurry though. Form into 18 meatballs. In a hot and lightly oiled skillet, brown the sides of the meatballs to sear in the juices and so they hold their shape in the oven. These will most likely not be perfectly round, but don't worry about it. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet so the meatballs can get a nice brown color. Put in a 9 x 13 pan that has been coated with nonstick spray once browned.

Combine all ingredients for sauce. Heat through until combined. Pour over browned meatballs. Put in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve with with rice and a vegetable. I eat it with 1/2 c of brown rice (2 pts) but the husband needs 1 c (4 pts).

What I'm Working On

2009-02-20T22:02:00.003-06:00

I am on a mission to make a great meringue. They are one of my husband's favorites and are fairly expensive and hard to find around here. If you haven't had them before, they are little crunchy and sugary sweet. They have simple ingredients: egg whites, sugar and flavoring. It is just getting them in the right balance and cooking them just right. This is my latest batch, lemon. Coconut has been the best so far but higher in points then the raspberry, chocolate or lemon. The ones without add-ins are around 2 pts for 14 cookies which is amazing. As soon as I get the recipe right I will post it but in the meantime, if you have a recipe that you like for them I would love it if you would pass it on.

Big Bowl Cereal - 4-7 pts

2009-02-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Well, I keep saying how I have a bunch of recipes or ideas to post here and never follow through so today is a the day. I think I am going to post 1 or 2 a day so that some of the first ones I post don't get lost behind the latter posts.

Really, who measures their cereal?

No one unless they are watching calories or points or whatever. From kids on, we crack open the box and poor it into the bowl until it looks like a reasonable amount and will satisfy our hunger. Fast forward. As an adult, we want to shed the pounds and so watch our portions. We break out the measuring scoop and have anywhere for 1/2 cup to 1 1/4 cups depending on the cereal. Well, when you put that in a regular cereal bowl, it sure seems like a puny amount. In thee past I measure out my cup of Cheerios and pour my milk on it and wolf it down in 3 bites or so. I end up feeling totally unsatisfied and I am hungry in 90 minutes or so.

The above reasons is why I started doing this. My Big Bowl Cereal. It is a mixture of different cereals and some fruit if you care for it. You end up with a big soup bowl filled to the brim with cereal and after eating it, you are full all morning.

Big Bowl Cereal
4-7 points
Serves 1

1 serving of cereal, 2 pts for 30 g of cereal (I use Cheerios - 1 c or Kix 1 1/4 c.)
1 serving Fiber One Original, 0 pts for 30 g
1 serving of Puffed Wheat, 1 pt for 15 g
1 pt serving of fruit (I use 1/2 banana or a couple of strawberries cup up.)

Mix together.

Pour 1 c milk over top of cereal. (see options below)

1 c skim milk, 2 points
1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 pt (If I use this I usually add a package of Splenda to it and sometimes skip the fruit because it has a nice flavor to it already.)

I usually have 15 g Kix, 15 g Cheerios, 30 g Fiber One, 15 g puffed wheat, and 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk with a package of Splenda. This is 4 pts, the same as 1 c Cheerios and 1 c skim milk, with lots of fiber to keep you full all morning.

Baja Fish Taco - 6 pts

2009-02-16T22:09:00.005-06:00

Every year Costco puts out a recipe book around Christmas time using some of their products. One of the recipes for for fish tacos using some fish sticks that I had bought on coupon previously. I tried the recipe. It was OK, but just OK. The sauce was a bit much and it needed more of a creamy texture. I was looking for something more like the fish tacos at Baja Fresh. After fiddling with the recipe over the past year, this is how we make fish tacos.

Fish Tacos
6 pts for 2 Tacos
Serves 2

4 fish sticks
1/2 -1 c shredded cabbage
2 T taco sauce
1/4 c fat free sour cream
1/4 c fresh tomatoes, diced
2 oz prepared guacamole
4 corn tortillas
1 lime, cut into wedges.

Cook fish according to package directions. Warm corn tortillas and layer fish, cabbage, taco sauce, sour cream, tomatoes, and guacamole, divided evenly between all 4 corn tortillas. Squeeze the juice of a wedge of lime over each taco.

Serve with 1/2 c of mexican brown rice (2pts) and 1/2 c fat-free refried beans (2 pts).

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu - 5 pts

2009-02-03T22:07:00.007-06:00

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorites. I never was brave enough to make it and would just the the ones in the freezer section. They come in at 10 pts for one piece of chicken and expensive on top of that. Yikes and totally unnecessary. I set out to make my own version while praying that my husband wouldn't notice too much of a difference.

I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, laughing cow light original Swiss, lean deli lunch meat, egg whites, fiber one and panko bread crumbs. They turned out absolutely amazing! They looked almost identical to the ones you buy frozen but tasted so much better. My husband was disappointed that I only made two. He practically was begging for me to make them again. That was between the constant Mmmmm's and raving about the taste. Next time, he wants me to cook up some extras and freeze them for his lunches.

These were so beautiful and would be a great dish for a dinner party. I will definitely be making these when my parent come in town this spring. I really wished I would have taken pictures to share. That is something that I need to remember to do in the future.

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu
5 pts
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large deli slices of ham
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss
1 egg white
1/4 c panko style bread crumbs
1/2 c Fiber One cereal, pulsed in food processor or blender until fine crumbs

Thaw chicken. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to about 1/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove plastic. Place a slice of deli ham over each piece of chicken. Spread a wedge of cheese on half of each piece of chicken/ham. Roll like a burrito starting with the cheese side first so that it is in the middle of the roll. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Put egg white in a bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and fiber one crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken in egg white and then roll in bread crumbs, coating entire chicken roll. Place on a cooking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with second piece of chicken. sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of chicken.

Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving because cheese inside will be very hot.

If freezing these, cook before freezing. Can be reheated in the oven or thawed in the fridge and them reheated in the microwave.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too?

2009-01-13T19:38:00.003-06:00

OK, I know that cake is not the best option but it is nice to have a bit healthier recipe for birthday sor other special occasions. One of my favorite websites is http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/. In a couple of recent posts, she has been exploring using bean puree as a substitute for oil in cookies, brownies and cake. I have been wanting to try it but have been skeptical about trying it.

I was taking dinner to a friend who just had a baby last night and needed a dessert to bring along. The night before I had cooked up a pot of white beans so that I could use them in a soup and a new mac n' cheese recipe. (I will post this later because it was delicious too.) I pureed the beans and substituted a half cup of bean puree for the half cup of oil that the recipe called for. I reserve a bit of batter and baked it alongside of the big cake so we could taste test it before we gave it away. Don't worry, I don't experiment blindly on friends.

Well, as for the taste...
It was wonderfully moist, chocolately and you couldn't tell the difference at all. Who would have thought this could be done. Well whoever came up with it is a genius. I fell just a little bit better about eating cake knowing that there isn't any oil in it. Try it!!!

I think that I might try it on a low sugar cake mix in the future. I really only plan on making cake for birthdays because there is no reason that we should have it laying around here. My little girl's birthday is right around the corner and I plan on using this substitution for her party cake.

Tortilla Pizza - 3.5 pts

2009-01-09T11:37:00.016-06:00

made this last night. homemade pizza is a weekly meal in our house. to be honest in the past the topping pretty much consisted of ham and pineapple or pepperoni and olives. i have a great garlic pizza dough recipe but really adds to the points because it has quite a bit of oil in it. i can swing the points if i only eat 1 peice. that was not the case last night.

i decided to dig through the veggie drawer in the fridge and pull out a bunch of veggies that i could top the pizza with. i came up with peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, and zucchini. for the rest of the family, i made regular pizza with all the veggies. last night, because i was really hungry, so i threw my toppings on two mission carb balance whole wheat tortillas instead and made a regular pizza. i got this idea from the world according to eggface and have done it a few times before. Here are the pizzas pre-oven. i was so anxious to dig in there were no pictures of the finished project. (seeing this picture make me realize how bad i need a better camera) remember, both pizzas are only 8 pts.

Tortilla Pizza
3.5 pts
1 pizza = 1 serving

1 tortilla (Mission Carb Balance)
2 T spaghetti sauce (Ragu Traditional)
1/2 oz finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 oz lean ham, cubed
3 olives
assorted 0 pt veggies

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put tortillas on a baking sheet and toast 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

2. Spread spaghetti sauce over the top of the tortilla. Top with meat and veggies. Sprinkle cheese to cover sauce and toppings.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Makes 1 serving.

Egg Drop Soup - 2 pts

2009-01-09T11:37:00.015-06:00

Try adding this as a starter for your next Chinese meal at home or as a warmer on a cold day. I find that when I use it as a starter I can skip most or all of the rice that I usually serve with the meal. The corn add a pop of sweetness while the egg gives the soup a nice texture.

Egg Drop Soup
2 pts
2 servings

3 c chicken broth
2 T corn starch
2 T cold water
1 egg
1/2 c corn

Bring broth to boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a separate bowl. Add cornstarch mixture while stirring broth. Let thicken a little. Break egg into a small bowl and combine yolk and white by stirring with a fork. Slowly pour into soup while stiring soup. This will produce long strands of egg in the soup. Let cook until broth is clear. Add corn and cook until warm. Serve hot.

Grain Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce - 5 pts

2009-01-09T07:55:00.003-06:00

i love my better homes and gardens cookbook. it is the one that can be found in almost every kitchen in the country. lots of basic of recipes and they all turn out delish. many are not very figure friendly though. i know that several recipes in there have contributes to me gaining weight.

while perusing the cookbooks at costco earlier this week, i came across another bhg cookbook, "eat well, lose weight". as i flipped through it, most of the recipes looked pretty easy, they all had pictures (which i love), and it had all the nutritional information for them so it would be easy to figure points. i tossed it in my cart and excited headed off to the check-out so i could go home and really look through it.

well i love it as much as i thought i would. great recipes. it is a 3 ring binder, like the classic, so it lays open nicely. all of the recipes are geared towards healthier eating. i have gone through and calculated the points on many of the recipes that i want to try and written them in for easy reference. if you come across this cookbook, take a peek.

well enough about how great this cookbook is. here is the recipe. it has a strawberry sauce which i didn't make even though it looked delicious. i prefer yogurt on my pancakes. i know, strange, but something that my dad got me hooked on as a kid. now i use dannon light n' fit 0 plus smoothies as syrup. only 1 pt for the entire smoothie and i am getting my dairy from it. i had fresh strawberries on the side.

the texture was a great. i like a nutty pancake. i used whole grain oats instead of instant and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. points are figured on original recipe.

Grain Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce
from Better Homes and Gardens' cookbook "Eat Well, Lose Weight"
5 pts

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup uncooked yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 egg
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tbsp canola oil

1. In am medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, and oil; beat with a fork or wisk until combined. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter shoul be lumpy).

3. Lightly coat an unheated griddle or large skillet with momstick cooking spray. Preheat griddle over mdium heat. For each pancake, pour a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle. Spread each to a 3 to 3 1/2 inch circle. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each sie or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfarces and slightly dry edges.

4. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a blender or food processor combine 2 cups strawberries, granulated sugar, and canilla. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan, heat sauce until warm. Quarter remaining 2 cups strawberries. Serve pancakes with sauce and berries.

Makes 6 servings. (2 pancakes per serving).