WHEAT CAKES

Well, I had to share my recipe that I did this morning because according to my 3 year old, it is "oh nummy.....dewishess mommy".......and that was plain....with absolutely nothing on it!  They are filling too.....didn't notice it while I was eating it, but now that I have been done I realized how full I am!  :)

Wheat Cakes (Pancakes or Waffles)

• 1 1/3 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 t. Baking Powder
• 3 T. Sugar
• 3/4 t. Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/4 C. Milk
• 3 T. Unsalted Butter, Melted

Stir together dry ingredients.  Combine eggs and milk, then stir into dry ingredients along with melted butter, mixing only until blended.

For lighter cakes, eggs may be separated and stiffly beaten egg whites folded into batter just before baking.

Bake on lightly greased griddle until golden brown, then turn. 

Eat plain, as is or put fresh fruit and a touch of powdered sugar or however you want!


Makes 12 - 4 in pancakes at 3 PP a piece
-or-
Makes 5 (use the 3/4 measuring cup) - Waffles (I have a commercial waffle maker) at 7 PP a piece.

BIG BREAKFAST COOKIES

So......it is Saturday night again and we have early morning church and with our 3 little ones, sometimes it is really rushed to get breakfast in.  Well, I found a solution that works for all of us!  They got good reviews from my taste testers, so I wanted to share.  They are SO quick and easy to make, filling, big, and best of all......they taste good!!  We call them.....

Big Breakfast Cookies
Makes 13 Cookies at 7 PP each.

• 1 1/3 C. Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 6oz Yo-plait Original 99% Fat Free Yogurt (I used Blueberry)
•  1 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 1/2 C. Water
• 2 T. Cornstarch
• 3/4 t. Baking Soda
• 1/2 t. Salt
• 1/2 t. Cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 t. Cloves, ground
• 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 C. Rolled Oats
• 1 C. Raisins
• 1 C. Grape Nuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Blend the brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and water.

Fold in the remaining ingredients.  Your dough should be thick.

Use your 1/3 cup measuring cup (you will need to use a spoon to put the cookie dough in the measuring cup) and put the dough on the cookie sheet and flatten a little or alot....either way works.

Bake the cookies until they are browned and set when you touch them.....about 15 minutes.

Cool them on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before you take them off.

BANANA BREAD

Banana Bread
PP value depends on how you cut it and how many servings you have.  We sometimes make it a loaf and sometimes make it little cake pieces. 

• 1/2 C. Light Butter
• 1 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2-3 Banana's
• 1/4 Milk
• 1 t. Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
• 1/2 t. Baking Soda
• 1/4 t. Salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat.  Add bananas, milk and lemon juice.

Sift dry ingredients.  Blend the two mixtures. 

Bake in a well greased loaf pan or square pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  
 

Fresh TOMATO PIE

We were SO happy when this came out of the oven and tasted as good as it looked!!  You do want to eat it right away though......it will keep in the fridge, but we thought it tasted better fresh!

Fresh Tomato Pie

We cut it into 8 pie slices.

PP value depends on what ingredients you use.  (I figured it up at "full strength" for 10 PP a piece and "lightened up" at 5 PP a piece.)

• 2 C. Bisquick
• 2/3 C. Milk 
• 4 Tomatoes 
• Salt (to taste) 
• Pepper (to taste) 
• Chives 
• 1 C. Mayonnaise 
• 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Combine biscuit mix with milk to form dough; pat into a greased pie plate.

Layer tomato slices; sprinkle on salt, pepper and chives.

Mix mayonnaise and cheese together in a separate mixing bowl; spread over the tomato slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese crust is golden.

OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL COOKIES

I think cookies are one of my kiddos favorites because they get to clean up (lick) what's left!  We love making all different kinds of cookies, but today they wanted one they love.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
2 PP per cookie; if you have 2 cookies it is 3 PP, 3 cookies it is 5 pp etc.
Makes 6 Dozen Cookies (I used my small Pampered Chef Scoop)

• 1 C. Raisins
• 1 C. Water
• 3/4 C. Light Butter
• 1 1/2 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 t. Vanilla
• 2 1/2 C. Flour
• 1 t. Soda
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 t. Cinnamon
• 1/2 t. Powder
• 1 t. Cloves
• 2 C. Oats

Simmer Raisins and water over medium heat until raisins are plump, about 15 minutes.  Drain raisins, reserving the liquid.  Add enough water to the reserved liquid to measure 1/2 cup.

Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the reserved liquid.  Blend in the remaining ingredients.

Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until light brown.  They are the most moist cookies I think.

POPOVER PANCAKE

So.....my kiddos are just as much into baking as I am, so we decided to try this recipe.  So quick and easy and we thought it was yummy!

Popover Pancake 

5 PP per Serving (we cut it into 8 pieces) 

1/2 C. White Flour

1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 C. Skim Milk

2 Eggs

1/2 C. Light Butter

3 T. Lemon Juice

4 t. - 4 T. Powdered Sugar (depends on your taste preference and the PP value remains the same.)

In a mixing bowl, beat together flour, milk and eggs until slightly lumpy. 

Then melt the butter in a 9x13 pan and pour the batter over the top. 

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until puffy.

Sprinkle the powdered sugar and the lemon juice over the pancake and return to the oven for 4 minutes.

Enjoy as is or with fresh fruit on top!  You could even put a little syrup if you want or dip in yogurt.

~R~ EGG SANDWICH

~R~ Egg Sandwich:
Makes 1 Sandwich for 6 PP

• 2 Slices of Sara Lee Delightful Bread
• 1 Egg, fried in Spray
• 1 Wedge of French Onion Laughing Cow
• 2 T Low Fat Mayonnaise (or to taste)
• 2 T Homemade Pico De Gallo (or to taste)

Just toast the bread and spread the mayo and LC cheese on it.  Cook your egg and put on your bread.  Top off with Pico and enjoy!

PEANUT BUTTER SPICE PIE

Peanut Butter Spice Pie!!
I did 12 servings and PP value depends on the ingredients you use.

• 2/3 C. Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
• 1/2 C. Cream Cheese
• 1 pkg. Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding Mix (you can also just use Vanilla or Cheescake pudding if you just want a good Peanut Butter Pie)
• 1 C. Fat Free Milk
• 1/3 C. Brown Sugar
• 6 sheets (24 crackers) Graham Crackers
• 2 T. Light Butter
• 2 1/4 Servings (36 chips) Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Bittersweet Chips (bigger than normal chips) 

A take on a yummy Amish country treat!

Blend peanut butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.  Beat pudding mix into peanut butter mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, gradually adding milk.  Add brown sugar and mix well.

Take 6 sheets of graham crackers (24 crackers) and crumble and mash them up.  Then add 2 T. of light butter and mix together until you get a crumble texture.

Then spread into pie pan and pour peanut butter mixture over the top. 

Freeze until firm.  Then put the chocolate chips on top.  (I put them down the middle of each peace so I could see where to cut and make sure to have even slices.)

If pie has been frozen for more than 2 hours, thaw for 30 to 45 minutes before serving or if you like it really cold you can just eat.

TILAPIA & VEGGIES

This was a last minute.....throw it together quick, dinner and we really enjoyed it!

Tilapia & Veggies:

2 Servings at 4 PP each

• 6 oz. Tilapia
• 1/2 C. Sugar Snap Peas, cut
• 1 Large Mushroom, sliced
• 1 C. Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 C. Sweet Red Pepper, chopped
• about 10 Baby Carrots
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 t. Garlic Salt
• 2 t. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 2 t. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 t. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Tomatoes
• Parsley and Cilantro, chopped

In a skillet, start steaming your tilapia with the garlic salt.  In another skillet put all your veggies in to cook them, but don't cook until mushy, just soft.  Add the thyme, basil, and rosemary into the veggies while cooking.  When finished, put the veggies on the plate with the fish on top.  Top with fresh tomatoes, parsley and cilantro.

TURKEY TACO'S

These were so yummy to our family.....my kiddos had seconds!

 Turkey Taco Filling
1/3 C. Serving Size at 3 PP each 

• 25 oz. Canned Turkey
• Onion, chopped
• 7 oz. Canned Green Chilies
• 2 t. Cumin
• 2 t. Garlic Salt
• 4 Wedges - Laughing Cow - Queso, Fresco, and Chipotle

Saute the Onions and Green Chilies with the Seasonings.  Then add the Turkey and the LC wedges.


Then fill your favorite Tortilla Shell.  We added cheese on ours along with homemade Pico de Gallo.  Made for a yummy dinner!

 

T.S. CUPCAKES

What does the T.S. stand for...........Tomato Soup.  I know....it sounds weird, but it tastes good!!

T.S. Cupcakes

• 1 pgk. of Carrot Cake or Spice Cake
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of Tomato Soup
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 C. Water 

Mix all ingredients together and then bake according to the package.  Makes 24 cupcakes if you use an ice-cream scoop.



Cream Cheese Icing

• 3-6 oz Cream Cheese (depends on how runny you want it)
• 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 2 C. Powdered Sugar

Mix all ingredients together until well blended and then frost cupcakes when cool.

CHIPS & BEAN DIP

I made homemade Chips and Bean Dip that we thought was really yummy!

Bean Dip: 

1/3 C. Serving Size at 3 PP each.

• 1 Small Onion
• 7 oz. Canned Green Chilies
•  32 oz. Refried Beans
• 2 Wedges - Laughing Cow - Queso, Fresco, & Chipotle
• 1 C. Frozen Corn
• 1 1/2 C. Salsa
• 1 T. Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
• 1 T. Fresh Cilantro, cut
• 1 T. Fresh Parsley, cut
• 2 t. Garlic Salt

Just combine all ingredients except for the corn and heat through.  Add corn towards the end.  Also, save some cilantro and parsley for the top.  


Homemade Chips:


Points depend on what ingredients you use.

• 2 Corn Tortilla's
• 1-2 t. Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Cut your tortilla's into 8 pieces each and cook in olive oil in pan until done.  Then put sea salt on before serving.

Mexican Seasoning

I like to make burritos, tacos, and fajitas and I've always just bought the little seasoning packets at the store each time I needed one but last time I bought one I couldn't believe how expensive they've gotten! I just can't handle the idea of paying so much for something I could do for probably much cheaper myself.

I found this recipe which works for burritos, tacos, or fajitas and tried it today and it was good. Thought I'd share in case anyone else wants to make their own and doesn't already have a recipe!

Mexican Seasoning

Recipe for single batch (good for 1- 1 1/2 lbs. of meat or vegetables):

1 T Chili powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Onion powder
1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. Oregano flakes
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black pepper

Mix with 3/4 cup water for 1- 1 1/2 lb. of meat or vegetables.

Recipe for large batch (to keep some ready for next time):

1/2 C Chili powder
2 tsp. Garlic powder
2 tsp. Onion powder
2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Oregano flakes
4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 C Cumin
8 tsp. Salt
4 tsp. Black Pepper

Use 3 T of mix with 3/4 C water for 1- 1 1/2 lb. of meat or vegetables. Store in an airtight container.

Tip: When I have used the store-bought seasoning packets they have dissolved very easily and quickly in the water with the meat. This mix didn't dissolve as well so I think it might work better to take the meat out, add the water and seasoning and let them heat up and combine well, and then put the meat back in and keep cooking to desired thickness.

4 Point OMELET

 

So....what do you do when you have only 4 points left for dinner?  You ask on the boards what a good 4 point dinner would be and get ideas!  Well, my sweetheart thought that out of the ideas, the omelet sounded good, so guess what we ended up having.....a VERY yummy omelet!! (Thanks Courtney :)

I labeled it as my...

4 Point Omelet!

4 Egg Whites
Onions
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Sugar Snap Peas
Red Bell Pepper
2 pieces Turkey Bacon
1 Laughing Cow Tomato Basil Wedge
Tomatoes
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Parsley
Cooking Spray

Cut up the veggies and saute them in a skillet along with the turkey bacon. Do not put the tomatoes in here. No seasonings are needed.

Then put 4 egg whites in another skillet to make your omelet.

When cooked, put the LC cheese on the egg, then the filling, then fold over.

Put on your plate and top with tomatoes and the fresh parsley and cilantro and enjoy!

(The only seasoning we put on our omelet was the fresh parsley and cilantro, absolutely nothing else!)

TURKEY MELT

Turkey Melt

1 Serving

PointsPlus Value depends on exactly how much you put on your sandwich, which bread you use, what cheese you use, etc.  My sandwich was 8 PP.

 
2 pieces of bread (we used Sara Lee Delightful)
Jennie O Turkey lunchmeat slices (3 for serving)
1 slice of White American cheese
Mayonnaise (to taste)
Mustard (to taste)
Horseradish (to taste)
Onion, Mushroom, Tomato mixture

Saute diced onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes with Mrs. Dash or whatever seasoning's you like.

Then just put the mayo, mustard, and horseradish on the bread and layer your meat, cheese, and the yummy mixture.

We sprayed our bread before we put it in the skillet to cook it. We thought it was yummy!

CHOCOLATE CHICKPEA COOKIES

These cookies went like hot cakes at our house.....everyone loved them.  All our friends who tried them asked what nut we had put in them.  Once the cookie is cooled, it really does taste like there are nuts in the cookies.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 

Chocolate Chickpea Cookies

 Made 54 Cookies

3 PP each or 2 cookies for 5 PP

• 1 C. Brown Sugar, packed
• 3/4 C. Light Butter
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 t. Vanilla Extract
• 15.5 oz. Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
• 11.5 oz bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 C. All Purpose Flour
• 1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 C. Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1/4 t. Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Make sure to spray the cookie sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Then beat in the egg whites, vanilla, and then the chickpeas and the chocolate chips.  Add the whole wheat flour, white flour, old fashioned oats, baking soda, and the salt.  Mix until you get a thicker dough.


Use the small Pampered Chef cookie scoop, or equivalent to put on the cookie sheets.  Then press and flatten a little with a fork.  Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set.  About 13 minutes.....and do not overbake!


Transfer to a rack to cool and enjoy!

SALMON "STEAKS"

These Salmon "Steaks" are very moist, and the longer you let them set after they are cooked, the firmer they get.  We thought it turned out great!  And thought they were a little fancier than regular salmon patties we used to make, so we called them Salmon Steaks.  Anyway.....

Salmon "Steaks"
10 Servings, 4 PP each

35 oz. Canned Salmon
5 Wedges Laughing Cow Tomato Basil Cheese
3 T. Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
1/2 Slice of Sara Lee Delightful Bread
3 t. Garlic Salt
1 T. Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil
1T. Mrs. Dash Table Blend
Honey Mustard

1st, toast the bread, let sit for a minute, then crumble into a bowl.  Then add all the other ingredients except the Honey Mustard, into the bowl.  Mush everything together until mixed well.  Cook "steaks"/patties in a skillet until done.  Let set for a little bit or serve right away.  Drizzle the honey mustard over the top when served.    


We served them with our Tomato Avocado Flower and some Aztec Sweet Peppers....made for a yummy dinner!!

GREEN EGGS and HAM

Well, because of the kiddos (shh....don't tell anyone that we thought it was fun too) we thought it would be great to do Green Eggs and Ham for St. Patrick's Day. 

We put all kinds of green veggies that we could think of in the eggs, plus pinto beans and some cheese.  It was a HUGE hit and we all had fun!    Of course we have green food coloring on our fingers, but at least we now don't have to wear green clothes  :)  We finished it off with a glass of Green Chocolate Milk!

Just wanted to Share........Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

* 10 ounce bag fresh Spinach
* 6 ounces (28 g) 1/3 Less-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
* 6 ounces (28 g) Fat-Free Cream Cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup Fat-Free Sour Cream
* 1 1/2 cups Part-Skim Mozzarella, shredded
* 1 (14-ounce) can Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
* 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed (not minced)
* 6 tablespoons Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Tear spinach into bite-size pieces, removing any thick stems. Rinse in a colander, leaving a little water on the leaves. In a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, sauté the spinach over medium heat until wilted. Drain in the colander, pushing a little of the extra water out.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheeses with a potato masher and cream completely. Add sour cream and mash more. Add spinach, mozzarella, artichokes, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Stir everything until thoroughly combined.

Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan on top. Bake 30 minutes, or until Parmesan is melted dip is all bubbly. Remove from oven and give it a minute or two to cool down. 

About 10 Servings, 1/2 C. each.....3 PointsPlus 

Recipe from Serious Eats.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Need a quick, healthy meal? Try this yummy soup. It takes all of about 15 minutes to prepare. Everyone (even the baby!) in my family loved this soup & I think next time I make it I will double the recipe so we have some leftovers!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

14.5 oz chicken broth (I used low sodium)
4 c frozen broccoli, thawed (I pureed 3 cups to make the soup a little thicker)
1 carrot, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used reduced sodium)
1 can white beans, pureed
garlic powder, to taste
pepper, to taste
cheddar cheese*

In a large pot (I used a dutch oven), bring chicken broth to a simmer. Add broccoli & carrot and allow soup to simmer for a few minutes, until vegetables are cooked & soft. Add pureed beans cream of chicken soup and desired spices, stir to incorporate and allow to simmer for a few more minutes until warm. Add desired amount of cheddar cheese and stir soup until melted.

Makes 6 1-cup servings

As described above, this soup worked out to 4 pp+ per serving (per the recipe builder). Adding the LC cheese wedge brought the total points per serving to 5.

*I only had 1 oz of cheese defrosted, so that's all I added. My family felt that it was not cheesy enough, so we actually ended up adding a Laughing Cow cheese wedge to each bowl. It was perfect!

No picture today..I was rushing off to work & didn't have time :)