I don’t know how I lived this long before discovering pumpkin butter.  I guess I shied away from it because it has “butter” in the name, and all things butter are high calorie and fat.  Not pumpkin butter though.  Two tablespoons of this delicious stuff has only 60 calories and 0 fat!  Score!  I got mine at Stonewall kitchen.  Buy it here.

Pumpkin Oats

• 1/2c. Quick cooking oats
• 1c. Water
• 2 tbsp Pumpkin Butter
• 1 tsp splenda (optional)
• Sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
• Slivered almonds (I used 8 grams)

Boil water and add oats, stirring until water is absorbed.  Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and enjoy!

WWP:  4

Serves:  1

Man, I am really procrastinating on my sisters slideshow (see previous post).  I watched almost two hours of Olympic rowing and made scones to get out of it.  Time to bite the bullet though now.  Well after I finish blogging

Speaking of biting….these are worthy of just that.  They are a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

For the recipe and step-by-step pictures head over to Mennonite Girls Can Cook!

WWP:  4

Servings:  10 medium size scones

Cola Pork & Apple Slaw

I’m doing this new thing with grocery shopping lately.  Usually I would go to the store for a big shop once every two weeks.  That worked OK except I have this big problem with keeping produce fresh.  We also waste SO much food because things always come up and meal plans go out the window.   So in order to correct these problems I’ve been going to the grocery store every other day on the way home from work and I pick up only what we need for the next few days.  Because the store is right on my way home I don’t waste gas and so far it’s worked out great!   Yesterday I stopped for the ingredients for Apple Slaw and Cola Pork.  Two new recipes I’m trying out.  And, may I say they both turned out amazing!

Click here for the printable version of:   Cola Pork

Click here for the printable version of:   Apple Slaw

Adapted from Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 1/2c. Fat free beef broth
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1/2c. quick cooking barley
• 15oz small white beans
• 1/4c. flat leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.

2.  Stir in the broth and barley and bring to a boil.

3.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

4.  Stir in the white beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with pepper, stir in the parsley and serve.

WWP:  4 per 1c.
Serves:  4

Click here for the printable version!

This is probably not rocket science for most of you, but I was fishing around in the fridge today and came across red peppers and leftover Mexican casserole and thought..hey..stuffed peppers.

Easiest thing to make in history and oh-so-good.

INGREDIENTS:
Leftover Mexican Casserole
Low-fat Shredded Mexican Cheese (I use the WW variety)
Red Peppers
Olive Oil Spray

DIRECTIONS:
1. Spray pan with Olive oil spray.
2. Cut red pepper in half and stuff with Mexican Casserole (1/2c. each side).
3. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

WWP: 4pts per half

Granola French Toast

adapted from Rachael Ray magazine

INGREDIENTS:

• Light Whole Wheat Bread ( I used Country Kitchen Light)
• 1/4c. Egg beaters
• 1/4c. Light granola (I used Back to Nature Cranberry Pecan)
• Cinnamon
• Pam cooking spray
• Sugar free strawberry preserves (optional)
• Sugar free honey (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grind granola in a food processor until fine (to make two pieces of Granola French Toast I used 1/4c. of granola).

2. Beat 1/4c. egg beaters with 1 tsp of cinnamon.

3. Roll bread in egg mixture and then in ground granola.

4. Heat large skillet to medium low. Spray with Pam cooking spray and cook until light brown on each side.

5. Transfer to plate and enjoy!

6. Top with toppings or whatever you like (toppings not included in Point count). I like to use Sugar Free honey and Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves.

WWP: 4 PTS (for 2)

Serves: 1

]]> http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/granola-french-toast/feed/ 5 Amanda http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/classic-comfort-food-shepherds-pie/ http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/classic-comfort-food-shepherds-pie/#comments Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:46:44 +0000 Amanda http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/?p=163 ]]>

Shepherd’s Pie

I love comfort food. I grew up on stick-to-your rib dinners and homemade everything (homemade bread, oh my word the homemade bread). We were not the kind of family that ate many blue box dinners. Oh how I longed to be that kind of family when I was kid, but instead we were the kind of family that had rows of vegetable gardens. Super.

Unfortunately I’m no longer 10. I don’t ride my bike up and down the street anymore so I can’t eat like I used to. Especially now that I’m making a conscious effort to get rid of pounds not put them on (mmm pound cake).

Therefore my new mission is to transform my old favorites into healthy alternatives. Not the same, but similar.

This Shepherd’s pie recipe is a little heavy on ingredients and time, but oh so worth it! It’s the perfect thing to make for a weekend supper. I adapted it from a current issue of Rachael Ray magazine I “had to have” the other day.  I’m a sucker for impulse purchases.

Click “read more” for the full recipe!

Shepherd’s Pie
adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb Red skinned baby potatoes, quarted
• 3tsp EVOO
• 5oz. Cremini mushroom slices
• 1 large Carrot, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 large parsnip, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 red onion, diced
• 8oz 93% lean ground beef (Turkey would work well here too)
• 2tbsp Flour
• 1c. Beef broth
• 1/4c. Diced tomatoes
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2c. Skim milk
• 4c. baby spinach
• Fresh thyme & chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot; cover.

2. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1tsp. olive oil over high heat, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange in a greased 9-by- 13-inch baking dish in an even layer.

Make sure you use a good quality olive oil!

Layer on a greased pan

3. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Add the carrots, parsnips and onion and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes.

4. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

5. Stir in the flour. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the meat mixture over the mushrooms. Reserve the skillet.

2 tbsp flour

Since Rachael inspired this recipe, I thought it was only fair to use her stock

Your mixture should look like this at this stage in the game (Oh yeah, add your thyme leaves now!)

6. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Add the milk to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper and add chopped chives to taste.

5. In the reserved skillet, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook, turning, until wilted, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a colander; press to extract any liquid.

6. Arrange the spinach over the meat mixture, then spoon the potatoes on top. Drizzle with the remaining 1tsp olive oil. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

Assemble spinach on top

Cover with potato mixture and olive oil

Bake!

I served this dish with 1% cottage cheese and it was divine! Next time I’m going to add a little corn. It felt weird without corn. It didn’t NEED it, but I did. I’m resistant to change.

Makes 6 servings

Approx 1 1/2c. each

4 PTS per serving!

]]> http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/classic-comfort-food-shepherds-pie/feed/ 10 Amanda http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/whoopie-pie-showdown/ http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/whoopie-pie-showdown/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:14:44 +0000 Amanda http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com/?p=111 ]]>

I was first introduced to a whoopie pie in 6th grade. My best good friend Erica’s family is Mennonite (radical Amish) from the Pennsylvania Dutch area and her Mom made them all the time. I love her mom.

Since moving to Maine in ‘05, I see them everywhere! Apparently (I googled it) whoopie pies are “one of Maine’s best known and most loved comfort foods”. You literally can buy them at any restaurant, gas station, florist or shoe store. They’re everywhere!

A whoopie pie is like a sandwich, but made with two soft cookies with a fluffy white filling. Traditional whoopie pies are made with big gobs of shortening! We frown on all that shortening over here. So I made a lighter, more figure friendly version and it came out great!

Click “read more” for the recipe!

Lite Whoopie Pies

INGREDIENTS:
1 box Spice Cake Mix (I use Duncan Hines extra moist)
1c. Water
1 can of Pumpkin
1 tub of Free Cool Whip
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. With an electric mixer beat cake mix, water, pumpkin pie spice and can of pumpkin until smooth.

2. Spray two cookie sheets.

3. Use an ice cream scoop to put batter in 24 even mounds on the cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8-10minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

5. Cool completely.

6. Add 1 tbsp cinnamon to the tub of FREE Cool Whip and stir.

7. Fill each half with 2 TBSP of cool whip mixture.

8. Enjoy! You can also freeze them for a frozen whoopie treat!

Serves: 12
WWP: 4 (or more depending on how much cool whip you use!)

For the full fat version (left picture) go here!

Every other Thursday night we have a group of close friends that come over for dessert and to watch LOST. Well, the guys watch it. We girls mostly cackle in the kitchen about the stupid thing(s) our husbands did or said that week. We talk about recipes, work, our hair, other people’s hair, the gym, running 5k’s (top on my list, not)…all the while shoving sweets into our mouths between breaths and fits of laughter.

Making dessert has been a bit of a challenge though because a) Figure friendly desserts are not always crowd pleasers, b) we have a friend who is fasting all sweets for Lent (gasp!) and c) three out of four of the girls hate chocolate (who are these people? why do I hang out with them?).

Needless to say we have resorted to savory desserts. This week my friend from Tennessee brought homemade salsa. It was To Die For. Southern girls can cook anything, I’m convinced of that. How is it they can stay so thin? The basic ingredient in every recipe is 2 lbs of butter!

Because of my incredible self restraint (cough) we had leftover salsa which inspired me to make Mexican Baked Egg Casserole the following morning for breakfast. I saw a basic recipe for baked eggs here and I tweaked it to my palate.

Continue reading for recipe and pictures!

Mexican Baked Egg Casserole
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs, beaten
1/3c milk
1/4c all-purpose flour
1/2tsp baking powder
1c light cottage cheese (I only had 4% on hand)
4 cloves garlic, crushed through garlic press
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup canned black beans
1c Simply potatoes hash-browns
1/3 cup Shredded Mexican Cheese, Weight Watchers

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

2. In a small skillet, spray cooking spray and brown hash browns. Set aside and allow to cool before adding to mixture.

2. Combine eggs, milk, flour, and cottage cheese. Beat until combined.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased 9-inch pie plate.

4. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until golden and knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Hot out of the oven!

I like to put more salsa on top, but I’m a salsa freak. Do what you like!

Last bite!

Serves: 6
WWP: 4 per slice

Ellie Krieger has got to be one of my favorite Food Network personalities.  She not only makes healthy food, but it’s delicious and easy.  My husband bought me her new cookbook The Food You Crave for Valentine’s Day this year and I haven’t put it down since.  I can’t say the same for many of the other cookbooks on my shelf.  Oh look, here is part of my shelf now…

Buy the green one!  It’s Great!

This morning I flipped to dog-eared page 18, Blueberry Blast Smoothies.  Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!   We ate all our blueberries earlier in the week, so I substituted strawberries and added a little flax seed and it turned out amazing!  Let me walk you through it…

Gather ingredients:  FF yogurt, FF milk, Frozen Strawberries and Flax Seeds (optional), oh and honey!  I always forget the honey!

Add 1/2c. FF yogurt and 1/2c. of FF milk to the blender

Add 1 rounded cup of Frozen strawberries

Measure out 1 tsp. of Flax seeds.  Aren’t they pretty?

Add them to the blender

1 tbsp. honey

Blend until smooth.  I let it run about a minute.

See the flaxies in it?

Enjoy!

Recipe makes 1 serving (appox. 12oz)

Each serving is 3 pts/4pts with optional flax seeds