The Holiday Season...

... is upon us. Today is Halloween, Thanksgiving will be here in a few short weeks, and then Christmas is right around the corner. I really need to start shopping...

Halloween: probably my least favorite holiday. For one reason or another, I have cried on Halloween every year of my adult life. So, I just choose to not really celebrate it. When I was little, I loved trick-or-treating so much. In fact, one of my favorite smells is what your pillowcase or pumpkin full of candy smells like after you have collected all of the chocolaty and fruity treats. Maybe one day I will like Halloween again... but for now, I will let it come and go without any fanfare. At least we got an 'early release' from work! And so far so good, no tears. I did not eat $hit on my 3.5 mile walkjog, and I think I am safe for the rest of the evening...

In other news, I decorated (barely) for Fall!

The pretty flowers unfortunately did not come from a mystery man who knows I hate Halloween and thought I needed some cheering up, but rather came from Trader Joe's - best $3.99 money can buy. My table looks so pretty!

Now that it is finally getting cold out (which I do not like, but I will deal with), I can finally cook soups and butternut squash and casseroles without having to turn down the air conditioning in my apartment to have the oven on. This week is Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash and more Tortellini and Tofu soup (it is just so cheap...)

Happy Monday (and Halloween.) to all! 

Paula Deen's Tomato Pie - Lightened Up!

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite Paula Deen recipes. While it doesn't taste nearly as 'bad' as the real thing (did you see how much cheese it called for?!) I tried to substitute with healthier ingredients for a Weight Watchers friendly version of the pie.

4 tomatoes, sliced medium to thin

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh basil, to taste

1/2 c. light mayo

1/4 c. light sour cream

1 oz. 2% mozzarella cheese

1 oz. 2% sharp cheddar cheese

1 can reduced fat crescent rolls

Salt and pepper

First things first, slice the tomatoes and put them in a colander in one layer. Salt the tomatoes to drain the excess water. You may have to repeat the process in batches, since there are a lot of tomatoes.

While the tomatoes are draining, saute the onions and garlic in a nonstick pan over medium heat on the stove. Cook until onions are softened and sweet. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Prep a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. I used a medium rectangular glass dish.

Mix onion and garlic mixture with mayo, sour cream, and cheeses. Set aside.

Layer the tomatoes, basil, and pepper in the bottom of the cooking sheet. No salt needed since the tomatoes were already salted.

 
Then, top this with the mayo and onion mixture. Spread evenly over top of the tomatoes. I added more pepper at this point.

Finally, top with the entire roll of crescent roll. My tip: flatten these pretty thin first to make sure they cook all the way through. Mine did not cook completely through, so I ended up flipping the crust and cooking for 10 more minutes... not ideal, but it worked!

Put in the oven for appx. 30 - 40 minutes until top crust is golden brown and dish is warmed completely through and bubbly.

This serves four, at 9 points plus per serving.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

I adapted this Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes recipe from Hungry Girl's OAT-rageous pancakes. I made this recipe a few weeks ago and blogged about it. While delicious, I really just love these Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes. Healthy, low in calories, and low in Weight Watchers points. These are also very hearty and will keep you satisfied until your next meal (always a challenge for me...)


3 tbsp oats
3 tbsp Egg Beaters
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Splenda Packet (or 1/2 tbsp sugar)
Dash of Salt

Combine all ingredients together and pour on to the griddle. Cook on medium heat for appx. 5 minutes on each side (you be the judge, they will get nice and golden when done) This makes a few 'mini' pancakes or one normal sized pancake. This recipe makes 1 serving for only 3 points plus! What a bargain!

I wanted these for breakfast all weekend, so I decided to go ahead and make a triple batch of the batter, and halve the batter to cook - one-half today, one-half tomorrow! This raises the points plus value to 5, but still a great value for a filling breakfast.

This morning, I topped the pancakes with a bit of light butter and powdered sugar, and served with a side of crock pot applesauce.

What are your favorite Fall breakfast recipes?

Friday Cooking Adventures

I have been a busy bee today. Aside from having a very long and somewhat challenging day at work... I got to leave at my regularly scheduled time of 4 PM and was so thankful that it is the weekend.

I have decided that Friday's are my favorite day of the week. Usually, the work day goes by quickly and I feel semi-fulfilled because of what I accomplish there. And now that Fall TV is back on, me and my TiVo have a lot of catching up to do by the time Friday rolls around.

This afternoon, I was inspired to do a longer workout than normal. I coincidentally wanted to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for this weekend's cooking adventures. So, I decided to combine the two! Working out seems to go by much faster when I have a purpose. I jogged the 1.5 miles to Harris Teeter, loaded up (well, bought what I could stow away in a canvas shopping bag) and walked on my merry way back to my apartment - I decided to take the long(er) way around. There was a cool, crispness in the air and I really enjoyed my walkjog today. It also might have to do with my new (amazing) shoes. They deserve a dedicated post. Stay tuned.

I had an unfortunate hair tie emergency mid-jog. Note to self: always store a backup on your wrist. Whoops. My hair was too much for this hair tie. I did the best I could, but this was the result...

Oh well! At least I didn't trip and fall...

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I mentioned I was a busy little bee - In the kitchen! I sliced, diced, boiled, baked, and slow cooked. All in all, it was a successful evening in the kitchen.

In the mini-Crock Pot: Crock Pot Applesauce courtesy of SkinnyTaste

I will let everyone know how this turns out tomorrow! It will be a nice accompaniment to my Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes in the AM. 1 point plus per serving!

In the Rubbermaid Glass: Tortellini and Tofu Soup recipe a la Katie!

This turned out delicious. This was my first time cooking with tofu, legit tofu, on my own. I bought super firm, already cubed. I am proud of my first adventure with tofu and can't wait to try cooking it again soon! 6 points plus per serving.

On the cooling rack: While the tortellini and tofu soup was on the stove, I whipped up some Pumpkin Softies. Hungry Girl sent out this recipe in her e-mail yesterday, and I knew immediately that I had to try making these (and I don't really bake...) They. Are. Heaven. I substituted chocolate chips instead of raisins (ew.) for no change in points plus values.

Check it out! The perfect nighttime snack. 3 points plus for the softie, two for the glass of skim milk.

How do you relax on a Friday night? Working out? Cooking? Eating? Watching TV? All of the above for me!!! I am ready to get in my freshly made bed, with clean sheets and watch Chopped or a bad Lifetime movie on demand. I hope everyone enjoys their evening as well!

Pumpkin Softies

It is Fall. It is cold here in Charlotte, NC. And I love pumpkin. A perfect excuse to bake Pumpkin Softies! Recipe courtesy of Hungry Girl.

I am not much of a baker, but when I got this recipe in my gmail inbox and happened to have all of the ingredients, I really couldn't resist... Now, I do not like raisins, but I decided to substitute with Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips for no change in points plus! (P.S. this is officially the longest that a bag of chocolate chips has ever lasted in my refrigerator)

Pumpkin Softies

1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed - I used Splenda Brown Sugar)
2 tbsp. granulated white sugar
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I made my own)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup raisins (not packed), chopped (this is where I substituted chopped up semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini's would have been great too!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, egg substitute, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk or fork.

Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, and thoroughly stir until smooth. Add oats and chopped raisins (make sure raisins don't stick together), and stir until evenly dispersed. Spoon batter onto the baking sheet in 8 evenly spaced mounds. Use the back of a spoon to spread and flatten batter into circles about 3 inches wide.

Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a "softie" comes out clean, 12 - 15 minutes. Allow to cool and then enjoy!

Makes 8 softies. One softie per serving.

Nutrition facts: 126 calories, 2g fat, 93mg sodium, 25.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 11g sugars, 3g protein, 3 Points Plus.

My Favorite Things: Fall Recipes Edition

I am not a fan of fall and winter, or cold weather, but I am a fan of soups. I love making and eating soup. Lots and lots of soup. It is hard to make lots and lots of soup in the summer time (it is hot in NC!) So I try and take full advantage of the cooler weather. I tend to be a bit overzealous with my fall cooking in the beginning of the season... the lucky people who live and work near me get to benefit from this enthusiasm. Soup recipes make a lot of food, and I love handing out portions of my creations!

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Butternut Squash Soup

My preferred serving style: topped with reduced-fat sour cream, sunflower seeds, and served with a side of cornbread. 5 P+ per serving (plain), 11 P+ when served as suggested.

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Crock Pot Turkey and White Bean Pumpkin Chili

My preferred serving style: 2 servings poured over 1/2 cup of brown rice and topped with reduced-fat sour cream. 3 P+ per serving, 10 P+ when served as suggested.

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Low Fat Creamy Potato Soup

My preferred serving style: topped with scallions, cheese, and bacon bits. Sour cream would be good too, but this soup is pretty creamy by itself! 5 P+ when served as suggested.

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Thyme and Vegetable Lamb Stew

My preferred serving style: as-is! This soup is delicious as-prepared. 6 P+ as-prepared.

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Of course, making soup requires some very sophisticated kitchen tools. Not really, but here are some of my kitchen must-have's for these recipes.


- Immersion Blender (I got mine at Wal-Mart)

- Slow-Cooker

- Good cutting boards in a variety of sizes

- Calphalon Contemporary Knives
Now go, make these Fall recipes and let me know how they turn out! What are some of your favorite Fall recipes?

I baked?

So yesterday I gave myself a mission. I never bake. I am not very good at it due to the necessary preciseness of the measurements... I'm more of a "throw stuff in to a pot/skillet/bowl kinda gal" and see what comes out. Usually, that turns out well.

Well I got overenthusiastic based on the hint of Fall weather (which I love, but I will miss you, Summer - especially when Fall weather turns cold.) I decided to make Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Vegan Banana Everything cookies.

I ran to Target to grab the few things (I thought) I didn't have in my pantry and proceeded to go home. I talked myself out of working out and in to baking instead. I got all of my little ingredients out on the counter, and my bowls, and my measuring cups, and spoons. And I ate dinner (so I didn't eat all of the batter/dough and actually had an output from my baking to prove that I did it).

And then I realized. I didn't have any sugar. Splenda with fiber was not going to cut it for this cookie recipe - I needed the real deal. I decided that God was punishing me for not working out, so I walked to the CVS (which is the closest store to me that sells anything resembling groceries. Also, they sell beer which is super important). I managed to snag the last sack of sugar they had - of course I paid a premium, but that's why they call it a convenience store right?

So now I am back at my apartment and I have EVERYTHING I need now. For real this time. First come the pumpkin spice muffins. Again, this is a super duper easy one bowl recipe. This picture looks a lot like mine (except these muffins don't puff up quite as much), but I didn't bother to take a picture of them this time around...

Photo credit
Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin puree
1 individual container of applesauce

Mix up. Pour in to muffin tin. Bake according to directions on spice cake box for cupcakes.
Easy enough for ya?? Anyone can bake these muffins.

Now on to the Vegan Banana Everything Cookies. So so so delicious. I was skeptical of a Vegan cookie recipe. I mean, the sugar/butter mixture at the beginning of every cookie recipe is totally the best part. But, my new outlook on eating healthy and homemade is allowing me to try new things. This recipe is a winner!!

Vegan Banana Everything Cookies

Nonstick cooking oil spray

1 very ripe medium banana

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal or rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips (vegan, if desired).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two baking sheets with oil. In a mixing bowl, mash banana well. Add oil, sugar and vanilla, and mix with a strong fork. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and mix until just moistened.

2. Add oatmeal, walnuts and chocolate chips. Using your hands or a sturdy spoon, mix well, making sure oats are well moistened. (If dough is very slippery, add one or two extra tablespoons flour.)

3. Using clean, wet hands, re-wetting as needed, roll dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball, about 1 1/3 inches in diameter. Flatten slightly and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies.

I would say that I followed this recipe to a T (translation: I mostly measured correctly and only estimated a little bit), with the exception of rolling the dough in to balls. I kind of slopped it on the cookie sheet and made sure any outlying dough crumbs were put in to a cookie. This recipe yielded exactly 2 dozen cookies minus the dough I ate out of the bowl (so much for having dinner before baking...). I also ate way too many cookies after they were taken out of the oven. So, I brought some cookies and pumpkin spice muffins in to work to share (aka so I don't eat all of my baked goods in the next 24 - 48 hours).

These cookies turned out delicious, only used one bowl for mixing, and are relatively healthy! I think next time I am going to do half oil, half applesauce and see how that turns out.

What are some of your favorite fall recipes??