No Pudge Fudge Brownies

My friend has been raving about these brownies since she was a Weight Watchers member, and I've always been meaning to try them...so I recently did.

No Pudge Fudge Brownie Mix

These brownies are SO easy to make, just add some yogurt to the powder mix (directions are on the box) and bake. Because I am recently obsessed with making things in muffin tins, I made these as "muffins." Making them in a muffin tin not only let each one be an "edge" piece (my favorite!), but allowed them to be pre-portioned. :)

I highly recommend these brownies, so rush out and get the mix today!

Rating: so yummy, and gooey, and delicious!
WW PointsPlus*: 3

No Bake Cookies

Recipe From: A FACS teacher I used to work with.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal


Directions:

1. Bring sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Cover, boil for one minute.
3. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. Stir until mixed and thick.
4. Drop by spoonful on waxed paper and allow to cool/harden.

Rating: Delish!
Notes:

• I used reduced fat peanut butter, skim milk, and unsalted butter.
• Recipe says this will yield about 4 dozen. I got 39 today. The size of your cookies would determine your outcome.

WW PointsPlus*: as prepared, 3

Lettuce Tacos

A few weeks ago I went to PF Chang's with my brother and his wife. When we were there we had some delicious lettuce wraps. On the way home I thought, "I could make tacos the same way." Tonight was the night I did.

Ingredients:
ground turkey
taco seasoning
green onions
reduced fat cheddar cheese
lettuce (I used green leaf)
---------------
salsa
avocado

Directions:

1. Brown ground meat. Add sliced green onions. Cook until onions are semi-soft.
2. Follow directions on taco seasoning.
3. Wash lettuce leaf and pat dry.
4. Top with meat mixture, cheese, and any other taco toppings you like.
5. Wrap lettuce around inside ingredients before eating.

Rating: pretty good, just have to get your brain around the fact that there's no shell
Warming Up: just warm up the meat like you would a normal taco...should warm up fine.
Notes:

• I feel that this recipe has a lot going for it:
• It's healthier than the normal alternative, and if you don't like it the first night you still have everything you need for a nice taco salad.
• The lettuce leaves seem to fit less meat and filling than a taco shell (well, I suppose that depends on the lettuce you use), so there's more calories saved.
• Lettuce tacos are a little messier than normal ones, so maybe you'll eat less because you won't want to get too messy.
• Also, since you're saving some fat, calories, carbs, etc., there's room for dessert. :)
• Next time I'll probably pair it with Apple Straws - one of my new favorite snacks. (I feel a future blog entry coming on...)

WW PointsPlus*: the only points here are the cheese and meat mixture so it depends on how you make it and what additional toppings you use.

Game Day

Today's a pretty big day across the country,

and especially here in Wisconsin

- Super Bowl Sunday - 

complete with our Green Bay Packers!

I'm sure there are countless Super Bowl parties that will be taking place later today, so I thought I'd post some of my favorite standby recipes for a party. Most parties will include finger foods that are easy to eat while watching the game, cheering, and talking with friends. Maybe some will have mini-kabobs (that I've made a couple times myself - with or without meat), or different types of tart cups (another delicious recipe I've tried). I'm also sure there will be plenty of bowls of salsa and chips, countless numbers of chicken wings, and numerous veggie trays (that I hope don't get neglected) eaten today.

Meeting Donald Lee & Allen Barbre

Above I noted two recipes I made at different parties, and the next five posts are additional recipes that would be great for Super Bowl Sunday or any party that you're planning. There are a couple for finger foods, a couple desserts, and there's even a beverage one. Most are not the most healthy items, but we all need a day to indulge.

Enjoy

 and

Go Pack Go!

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Recipe From: a magazine that I can't remember the title of - sorry!

Ingredients:
8oz whipped cream cheese (soft)
1 cup (8oz) feta cheese crumbles
1/4 cup green onions
1 pkg (6oz) craisins
4 tortillas 

Directions:

1. Combine cheeses and onion.
2. Stir in craisins.
3. Spread 1/2 cup on each tortilla and roll up.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate for an hour.
5. Cut in to slices and serve.

Rating: yummy!

Notes:

• Using reduced fat cream cheese and wheat tortillas help this recipe have lower fat.
• I have also added deli sliced turkey on top of the cheese spread before making the rolls.

Oreo Balls

When I first had these, my friend and I were trying to figure out what they were made of, I thought they were brownies because they are so moist.

Recipe From: my friend Molly's aunt-in-law

Ingredients:
1 pkg Oreo cookies
1 8oz cream cheese
White chocolate, or white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Grind Oreo cookies in blender or food processor, a few at a time.
2. Pour into bowl and add softened cream cheese. Mix well (using your hands is the best method).
3. Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Refridgerate about an hour.
4. Melt white chocolate.
5. Dip each ball into melted chocolate, place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet until coating as hardened.

Rating: really good!

This recipe has become one that my family requests for our gatherings.
Try this once and you may get hooked too.

Notes:

• I commonly make this with reduced fat Oreos and reduced fat cream cheese - no one can tell the difference and it's slightly healthier.
• Shake colored sugar sprinkles on the balls while the chocolate is still soft for a customized party addition. I have done red and blue for the Fourth of July or red and green for Christmas - you could even make them the colors of your favorite team.
• This recipe is easily doubled, etc. to make enough for your party.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies...

Sorry I have not been posting lately, I guess the holidays kept me busier than I thought they would. :)
Below this post are two new recipes that I had / tried during that time. Please enjoy!

Speaking of the holidays...my mom and I spent a day baking A LOT of cookies. We made five kinds of cookies and two types of bars (one is below). I don't remember ever spending a day like that with my mom before, it was really fun, and we got to enjoy our work when it was done.

One of the types of cookies we made was an idea I got from a friend at a different cookie baking event this holiday season. (She got the idea from one of her parenting magazines.) When the cookie is done it looks like a cute reindeer.

Form your favorite peanut butter cookie dough into a rounded triangle-like shape and bake the cookie. Put chocolate covered pretzels for the antlers (this is important because the chocolate melts and acts like a glue to keep the pretzel on) and use a dollop of frosting to place mini M&Ms for the eyes and a regular M&M for the nose. Super cute and super yummy!

Kit-Kat Bars

Recipe From: my mom, who got it from a friend

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
1/2 c white sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1 packet finely crushed graham crackers (about 2 cups)
Club style crackers

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c butterscotch chips
2/3 c peanut butter

Directions:

1. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Line bottom with single layer of crackers.
3. Combine butter, sugars, graham cracker crumbs, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly and watching carefully.
4. Spread half of the sauce over the crackers.
5. Place another layer of crackers over the sauce.
6. Spread the rest of the sauce over that layer of crackers.
7. Arrange a third layer of crackers on top. Set aside.
8. In a saucepan combine both kinds of chips and peanut butter over low heat. Stirring constantly until smooth.
9. Spread melted peanut butter mixture over the top layer of crackers, covering completely.
10. Refrigerate until sauce is hardened. Cut carefully in to bars with a sharp knife.

Rating: Delizioso! Probably my new favorite sweet, but not for everyday eating. :)

Notes:

• I layed the middle layer of crackers opposite direction from the other two layers, so cutting wouldn't just be on the cracker lines.
• Could make this healthier if you used reduced fat crackers.

Banana Blueberry Bread

Recipe From: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1999 version)
                        (I modified their banana bread recipe)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Grease pan(s), set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp salt. Make a well in the center of the mix and set aside.
3. In another bowl combine the egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
4. Fold in blueberries.
5. Spoon batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake at 350 until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (approx. 50-55 minutes)
6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
7. Remove loaf from pan, cool on rack.

Rating: Delizioso!
Notes:

• Freezes well!
• I made two 8 x 3 7/8 x 2 15/32 loaves.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

Recipe From: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients:
Crust:
4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp orange juice
cooking spray

Filling:
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (about 6 oz)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 large egg white, lightly beaten 
 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. To prepare crust - weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare filling - combine ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling.
4. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until edges are golden.
5. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Rating: A nice combination of orange and cranberry 
Notes:

• I substituted 1/8 cup of egg substitute for the egg white and used fat free sour cream.
• The recipe says it make 24 bars, but I got 15.
• A couple other options pointed out in the magazine:
• Cherry-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute dried cherries for the cranberries and use lemon rind for the orange rind.
• Maple-Date-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute chopped, pitted dates for the cranberries. Omit sugar from filling and use 2 Tbsp maple syrup and 2 Tbsp brown sugar instead.

WW Points*: 4