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

Cheese Dip / Spread

Recipe From: my friend Mandy

Ingredients:
8oz cream cheese
8oz yellow cheese spread (cheddar)
8oz cheese whiz
1/4 tsp garlic powder 

Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Whip until fluffy.

Rating: good stuff!
Notes:

• Mandy serves this with pretzels. I do that too, but have also found it to be quite tasty on beer bread.
• Since most of the ingredients come in 16oz containers, this is an easily doubled recipe. If you don't need that much for your party, it also freezes.

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.

Cool & Creamy Chocolate Fondue

Recipe From: my friend Mandy, it's a Pampered Chef recipe.

Rating: yummy!
Notes:

• Enjoy with any kind of fruit, graham crackers are tasty with it too!
• Use low fat or fat free whipped cream to make this a little healthier.

WW PointsPlus*: According to nutritional information on the recipe, 2 Tbsp = 2.

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.

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

Greek Yogurt! YUM!

So, I need to take a second and share my new favorite "go to" food - Greek yogurt!

A couple co-workers of mine have been eating it since last school year, but I hadn't tried it until recently. During a weekend away at a bed & breakfast, the innkeeper served a peach Greek yogurt with granola and since then I've been hooked! (I've only had the Chobani brand.) And, like at the B&B, I always add granola to give it a little something extra. I've tried strawberry banana, honey, and peach, and they've all been very tasty.

This type of yogurt is a little more pricey than the "normal" type (I haven't seen it for less than $1 per container.), but it's a pretty decent sized portion and is low in fat. The Chobani brand has the fat grams in large, colored print on the lid and container, and the types I've purchased are 0 or 2 grams per container.

Another great thing about Greek yogurt is that you can use it for a substitute for some of the more fattening parts of a recipe. I have read that it can be used in place of sour cream, but there are also suggestions for using it in place of mayo and butter. Just be sure you do some research before using it in a recipe.

So, next time you're at the grocery store, think about picking up a container of Greek yogurt! :)

-and I suggest some granola to go with it-