Pizza is honestly probably one of my FAVORITE Food Groups of all time ~ for all those out there who LOVE pizza like I do, you will also agree it’s a food group lol.  This breakfast pizza is not just any breakfast pizza ~ it is packed with everything you “NEED” to start your day off on a healthy note ~ Homemade Pesto, Sweet Tomato Slices, Cheddar & Chive Scrambled Eggs, Sausage & Bacon!

The homemade pesto adds a delicious garlicky basil flavor that compliments the sweet tomatoes, salty, crunchy bacon and sausage.  I think Chorizo would be amazing if you wanted to kick it up a notch and make it spicy.

BACON, SAUSAGE & EGG BREAKFAST PIZZA (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz Fresh, Pre-Made Pizza Dough (I used Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough)
• 1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought (recipe below)
• 2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 5 eggs
• 2 Tbsp fat free mik
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chives, divided
• 3 slices center cut bacon, cooked
• 3 Jennie-O Lean Turkey Breakfast Sausages, cooked
• 2 oz low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven preheats, prepare your pizza dough by rolling it out on a pan or stone and poking it all over with holes. Pre-bake the dough for 8 minutes.

2.  Remove, top with pesto and tomato slices. Bake for 8 minutes.  While the pizza bakes, whip up your scrambled eggs and prepare your pizza toppings.

3.  Whisk together the eggs, parmesan, 1/2 the chives, milk, sea salt and pepper.  Cook in a nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick spray over medium low heat, until scrambled and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4.  Remove pizza from oven and add toppings starting with eggs and finishing with remaining chives.  Bake for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 8 slices, 6 points+ each

Nutritional Information per slice calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP:

Start by blending the “Secret” Ingredient in this recipe ~ Homemade Healthy Basil Pesto. 

It is honestly so easy to make, I am pretty sure you will never want to buy store bought once you make it fresh!  I LOVE using this pesto on pasta for a quick dinner, on pizzas for the “sauce”, in eggs and for my Sun Dried Tomato, Pesto Cream Cheese Spread.

HEALTHY BASIL PESTO (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 cups fresh basil leaves (1 bunch)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or 1 bouillon cube with 1/4 cup water
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Blanch 1 – 2 cups of basil leaves. (To blanch – add to boiling water for 1-2 minutes and remove. Drain and run under cold water.) Set aside.

2) Add 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube to ¼ c hot water. Set aside.

3) Combine in the food processor (a blender will also work): blanched basil, 4-6 cloves of fresh garlic, olive oil. Add about 1-2 teaspoons of chicken broth – (Only use the amount of chicken broth needed to blend ingredients. You will not use the entire ¼ c.)

4) Blend the ingredients in the food processor until creamy and well blended.

5) Pour blended mixture into a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese to flavor and to absorb liquid.

6) Drain excess liquid.

Makes 1 cup, 1 points+ per 1 Tablespoon

Nutritional information per Tablespoon calculated at caloriecount.com

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  While the oven preheats, prepare your pizza dough by rolling it out on a pan or stone and poking it all over with holes.

Pre-bake the dough for 8 minutes.

Remove, top with pesto and tomato slices.  Bake for 8 minutes.

While the pizza bakes, whip up your scrambled eggs.

Whisked together with sea salt, black pepper, 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup chives.

When it comes to making delicious scrambles, cook your eggs slow and low.  Cook in a nonstick pan sprayed with nonstick spray over medium low heat.

Until fluffly and scrambled, but, not overcooked.

While the pizza and eggs cook, prepare the rest of your pizza toppings.

Remove the pizza from the oven and add your scrambled chive and cheese eggs.

Then, layer on the rest of your toppings finishing with the remaining chives.

Bake for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Slice into 8 pieces, serve with simple Lemon Arugula Salad and dig in!

Q’s

Have you ever made breakfast pizza?  What do you top it with?  I LOVE the idea and totally want to make more PIZZAS!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Brunch Finale ~ Coconut Donut Holes!

Night all!

I will be the first to admit I LOVE pizza and EVERY healthy lifestyle should include it.   After all, it has several food groups that we all NEED in our day ~ protein, carbs, dairy, vegetables, the list goes on.  Bubble Up Pizza Casserole is a recipe I came across several years ago when I first started Weight Watchers.  I LOVE it because it’s easy, loaded with flavor and you can mix up your ingredients to get a different result every time.

I used what I had on hand this time, however, I have in the past, used ground turkey for the meats, ham/pineapple plus vegetables and fire roasted diced tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce.  The possibilities are endless.

If you make one thing this week, make this ~ just pulling it up from the archives makes me want to make it on our trip LOL.

I honestly have not made this in a LONG time because the main brand that makes these biscuits has Trans Fats (AKA Hydrogenated Oils).  I was SO EXCITED when I saw that Trader Joe’s is carries a brand that is all natural and has a decent ingredient list.

Thanks’ TJ’s ~ you come through once again ~ I LOVE YOU!!!!

I used several of my favorite Trader Joe’s products, however, feel free to substitute with what you have on hand or with your favorite items from any store.

BUBBLE UP PIZZA CASSEROLE (print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages, casings removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red & 1/2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 17 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 20 oz Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Spaghetti Sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
• 16 oz Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Biscuits
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat over to 375 and spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick cooking
spray.  Coat a large frying pan with nonstick spray and place over medium heat.  Add sausage and brown.

2.  While the sausage cooks, chop all vegetables and turkey pepperoni.  Add turkey pepperoni for 1 minute to sausage and remove/set sausage aside.

3.  Return vegetables to pan and cook until soft, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add spices, spaghetti sauce and mix well.  Remove from heat.

4.. Pull each biscuit apart into little pieces. Arrange half of the biscuit pieces evenly over the bottom of a 9×13 pan. (Be sure that the biscuits aren’t to thick, or they won’t cook through.)

5.. Spread half of the sauce mixture over the biscuits. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers.

6. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares and ENJOY!

*Make it VEGETARIAN By using Trader Joe’s Chicken-less Italian Sausage & Smart Deli Soy Pepperoni

Makes 8 servings, 10 points+ each

Nutritional information based on 1/8th of the casserole calculated using caloriecount.com (10 WW points+)

STEP-BY-STEP:

1.  Brown your sausage.

2.  Add pepperoni for last minute.

3.  Remove the meat and set aside.

4.  Add your veggies and cook until soft.

5.  Add your spices and return meats to pan.

6.  Stir in your spaghetti sauce and remove from heat.

7.  Layer up your casserole, starting by tearing half (4) your biscuits and spreading them over your 9×13 dish. They remind me of little Gnocchi balls

8.  Add half your sauce.

9.  Top with half the cheese and repeat.

Going into the oven!

Let cool for 5 minutes after removing from oven before slicing.

Cut into 8 pieces and ENJOY every bite!

I honestly think that the leftovers the next day are even better! Go ahead and mix up your next pizza night!

We pretty much spent the entire night and today making our way to Hilton Head by tonight.   LONGEST TRIP EVER LOL…..I have a feeling tomorrow might be a jet lag recovery day but I will be sure to get out and explore our resort and share some pictures with you all tomorrow night.

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  Yup, “Funk-a-ma-junk” is totally a word because well I made it up and I have been using it all day….so, you know, I think that counts for something.  What exactly does it mean??? Well, I think it totally describes how I feel today.  I feel like this dark, gray cloud caused by my shoulder pain, the medicine and well the side effects of it all have nothing on me now.  It amazes me how much all that was dragging me down and sapping my energy…..But, today, I feel like all that “funk-a-ma-junk” is gone and I can finally get on with life.  I honestly couldn’t be happier with just the little things like I am finally able to dress myself after a month of not being able to do so and I am getting some of my range of motion back.  My shoulder is still sore, but, it’s a good sign it is on the mend.  All good things that have made for one fantastic weekend!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to whip up TWO things for the FitBloggin’ meetup that Tracey was hosting at her Test Kitchen.

The most delicious 1 points+ Mini Cranberry Lemon Mini Muffins!  The recipe will be posted this week……

Plus a HUGE Fall Fruit Salad. 

I was able to combine the best of both worlds ~ my favorite summer fruit (watermelon) with some fantastic fall favorites.

• 1/2 Watermelon
• 1 Honey Crisp & 1 Granny Smith Apple
• 2 Pears
• 2 Persimmons
• 2 Oranges
• 1 Mango
• HUGE Red & Green Grapes
• Raspberries
• 1 can pineapple chunks in 100% juice poured over everything to keep it from turning brown

We snacked on the muffins before our walk and the fruit for dessert.  I actually made a fruit salad for home too so we could have it this week.

Here is the Local Fit Bloggin’ Crew that showed up on Saturday ~ I am sure you remember all these fantastic bloggers from our last meetup.

Good food, good times, good friends…FANTASTIC Bloggers ~ stop by their sites and you will see exactly what I mean.

• Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen
• Annelies for Attune Foods
• Melissa of Journey to Marvelous
• Marisol of a Dirty Martini Kind of Girl
• Deb ~ our very own personal trainer

After spending an hour walking in the sunshine, we came back for our pizza party.  Tracey was the hostess with the mostest and had 0 points+ snacks waiting for us.

She even made sure to pick up both white & whole wheat pizza dough.

We all brought our favorite pizza toppers and lined them up so we could build our pizzas.

It was so fun to watch everyone roll out, toss and stretch their dough.

They all were so serious when building their pizzas.

Keeping with my indecisive theme, I topped my 4 ounces of whole wheat pizza dough with half Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Olive Tapenade and half pizza sauce.

Then, a little of this……

and a little of that

Zucchini, summer squash, caramelized onions!, sun dried tomatoes, pickled cherry peppers, pineapple, 3 slices of turkey pepperoni, 1 ounce LF Mozzarella, olives…..

Crushed red pepper flakes!

So many toppings, so little time!

While our pizzas baked, we all “built” our salads with the salad bar at TJ’s Test Kitchen.

Mixed greens & romaine, carrots, red cabbage, caramelized onions (I was slightly addicted to them), 1 Tbsp chickpea\s, 1 Tbsp “fried onions”, 1 tsp sunflower seeds & almond slices all topped with Trader Joe’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.

This 4 points+ salad was totally worth repeating!

The cornmeal on the bottom helps to keep your pizza from sticking, but, it totally gives your pizza a nice crunch with each bite (translation ~ no doughy middle!)

I am pretty sure I NEED to have a toppings bar every time I make pizza.  It was so fun to “build” and the flavor combination of like “everything on the counter” made for one fantastic 7 points+ pizza.

My Sunday started off in probably one of the best ways possible.  I LOST .2lbs which means I get to keep my entire 3.8 lbs lost last week ~ 4 LBS IN 2 WEEKS ~ I’ll take it!

My forever amazing leader also baked for us ~ She made the Weight Watchers Pumpkin Oat Bars (in this week’s handout) and cut them into 2 points+ bites.

They remind me of a nutty spice cake ~ super moist and cinnamony.

I also grabbed a mini Sara Lea Cinnamon Raisin Bagel (3 points+)

Plus a Chocolate PB2 sample.  I am not really a fan of PB2, but, I have to admit, I LOVED the chocolate and may just have to buy some now.

Complete with Starbuck’s coffee & a banana!

The Husband had me meet him at Starbuck’s after my meeting so we could head out for some Halloween costume shopping.

My shopping fuel was a Venti Iced Non-fat Decaf Latte with caramel drizzle.  I only drank half so I am counting it as 2 points+.

After buying everything to make both our costumes, we stopped at Chipotle. 

I decided to go with the 3 Crunchy Chicken Tacos because they fill them so much that you end up with a salad after you eat them.  I LOVE that! (15 points+ or 5 points+/taco)

3 crunchy corn taco shells with chicken, pico de gallo, corn salsa, cheese & lettuce

Dinner tonight was courtesy of Schwan’s.   They sent us their Starter Pizza Crusts and asked us to create a recipe for a unique pizza that you wouldn’t eat every day as part of the Starter Crust Pizza Contest.

I am always up for a good pizza recipe challenge!

Each box contains 2 pizza crusts and you get 1/8th of the pizza dough for 4 points+.

We LOVE all things Mexican Food and Pizza so we combined these to create a Taco Salad Pizza!

We topped out crust with 1 cup fat free refried beans, then, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.

Then, 1 cup of the best Turkey Taco Meat you will ever eat!

4 ounces of reduced fat finely shredded cheddar cheese.  I totally wanted to add jalapeno rings at this point but knew The Husband couldn’t take the heat

Bake at 425 for 17 minutes…The crust totally puffs up and gets golden.

Layer on all your favorite taco salad toppings ~ romaine, tomatoes, sweet orange pepper rings, green onions, cilantro, salsa, avocado, etc.

Mix up your salad routine with this Taco Salad Pizza. Use a thin pizza crust so it gets crispy like a tortilla shell. The enchilada sauce adds a nice spicy kick to the pizza while the cool crunchy lettuce, tomatoes and peppers cool off your mouth. This honestly is as fun to make as it is to eat.

TACO SALAD PIZZA! (print here)

INGREDIENTS:

• 15 oz Ready Made Pizza Crust
• 1 cup fat free refried beans
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
• 1 cup ground turkey taco meat, cooked
• 4 oz low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

ALL YOUR FAVORITE TOPPERS

• 2 cup romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup green onion2 Tbsp Cilantro
• Jalapeno rings, olives, avocado, sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425. 

2.  Spread refried beans onto pizza crust making sure to leave a 1 inch border.  Add enchilada sauce, ground turkey and cheese.  Bake for 17 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

3.  Add lettuce, tomato, peppers, green onions, cilantro and any of your favorite pizza toppers.

4.  Slice into 8 slices and dig in!

Makes 8 slices, 6 point+ each

Nutritional information per slice

Last chance to enter to win your very own signed copy of Now Eat This!

Q’s

What would you put on your “build your own” pizza?

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  Sometimes the weekends go by so fast and I wish there were more fun days than work days.  We were up bright & early this morning to head out for another fun day.  The Husband and his Mom get so excited to go to antique fairs.  I like going for all the walking it involves and sometimes I can visualize how to decorate with antiques too lol.

I was not hungry at all when we left this morning so I opted for some “protein” and some fruit ~ a  FALL Grande FF Chai Tea Latte & a banana (6 points+).  I really need to just get a tall or less pumps to save on points+ whenever I want a Chai Tea Latte.

I pretty much decided the Folsom Antique Fair rocks because they had a Farmer’s Market as part of it too.  I picked up some super sweet & crunchy grapes to snack on……

while The Husband picked up a chicken on the stick (at 9 am) .  I have to admit I actually LOVED having chicken for breakfast take 2 and had about 1/2 of it. (4 points+)

We stopped for lunch at Jack’s Urban Eats where I created another tasty Buffalo Chicken Salad.

In the mix:

* Tons of greens, carrots, mandarin oranges, peas & pickled red onions (1 points+)

* 2 Tbsp Dried Cranberries (2 points+)

* 2 Tbsp Chopped Candied Walnuts (2 points+)

* 2 Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Strips (6 points+)

* Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette (4 points+)

Ummmm….there may or may not have been a few Urban Fries on the table that I couldn’t resist tasting one or two or three

I am SUPER excited to tell you all after looking at honestly over 50 shops, 5 antique fairs and 3 malls, we found a bookshelf that we both LOVE.  It is super classy and matches our new living room furniture.  The Husband still wants his Caribbean shelf, but, I think he may build it.  Pictures coming up once I have it all stacked with books!

Tonight, I was having another “ugh, I seriously do NOT want to cook night”.

Pita Pizzas and Flat Out Amazing Pizzas are another of my FAVORITE, I don’t want to cook meals.  It is FUN because I get The Husband involved in “decorating” his pita and helping with dinner.

You can pretty much mix & match any toppings you LOVE on your pizza, but, the “KEY” to making one HUGE low point+ Pizza for yourself is to cut your pita in half horizontally so you have TWO BIG circles to put all your toppings on.

Preheat your oven to 425, then, prep your pizzas. 

~ If using mushrooms or other water based veggies, saute them in nonstick spray for about 4-5 minutes to cook the water out and keep your pizza from getting soggy.

~ slice your pita in half

~ add 1 Tbsp of pizza sauce to each half and spread all over it

~ Measure out 1 oz Reduced Fat Mozzarella that is FINELY shredded (it goes further)

~ Layer it up ~ mushrooms, cheese, turkey pepperoni (you can have 13 for 1 points+)

~ Bake for 8-10  minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is slightly crispy.

Slice into pizza shapes and enjoy 8 PIECES of PIZZA for only 7 points+

I haven’t made up our weekly menu yet, but, I am pretty sure it is going to involve shopping from the fridge/freezer since I need to “clean” things out.

Back to organizing all my cookbooks on our new shelf!

Night all!

I knew that Grilled Pizza had to be a part of my Getting Feta Up Recipes because I fell IN LOVE with it back with Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen showed me how to make the easiest grilled pizza ever.  Only this time, we mixed it up and went with some tasty new toppings ~  sausage & peppers!

For this Real Deal Feta Pizza, we decided to keep our toppings light by using low-fat mozzarella with a spicy Italian Turkey sausage.  Instead of using the tradition peppers & onions, we went with 0 points+ Sweet Pickled Cherry Peppers and then added another layer of flavor by using thinly sliced sweet roma tomatoes with garlic olive oil & oregano for the “sauce”.

The feta added a nice salty, creamy finish to this melt in your mouth doughy, cheesy good for you pizza that NOBODY would guess is healthy!  It is DEFINITELY one pizza worth going back for another slice or two.

GRILLED SAUSAGE, PEPPER & FETA PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz Pre-Made Pizza Dough (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 2-3 Tbsp Flour for work surface
• 3-4 Tbsp Fine Cornmeal for the pizza peel
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 16 oz cherry peppers, drained & thinly sliced
• 2 links sweet or hot turkey Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 4 oz part skim reduced fat mozzarella
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• Fresh basil leaves, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or prepare the grill. If baking pizza in the oven, place a pizza stone in the oven while it is preheating.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, press dough out to about a 12-inch circle. Sprinkle a pizza peel or baking sheet with cornmeal and transfer rolled-out dough to the peel/sheet.

3. Combine the olive oil and minced garlic.  Brush the top of each with with the garlic/olive oil mixture and sprinkle with the oregano.

4. Layer up the toppings starting with the tomato slices, 1/2 the mozzarella, the sausage, peppers, remaining mozzarella and the feta cheese.

5.Transfer the pizza to the stone, holding the peel and shaking it to release the pizza onto the stone. Close the lid and grill about 8 minutes or until crust is lightly brown and cheese melts.

7. After it’s cooked, sprinkle the pizza with some fresh chopped basil (if using), slice & dig in!

Makes 10 slices, 6 points+ each

Nutritional information per slice

STEP – BY – STEP

I think the “secret” ingredient that really put this pizza over the top was using an entire jar of these Mezzetta Sweet Cherry Peppers.

They are not spicy at all so do not be afraid of the seeds.  They have a nice sweet pepper taste with the tanginess of pepperoncini’s.  Oh and it’ doesn’t hurt that they are 0 points+!

After letting your dough rise for “20 minutes” roll it out using your hands into a “pizza shape”.  Pour a generous amount of cornmeal all over the pizza peel and add your pressed pizza dough.

Brush the crust with the garlic olive oil, sprinkle with oregano and layer up the tomato slices.

Top with the half of the low-fat mozzarella and all the sausage.

Add your secret ingredient ~ The Sweet Cherry Peppers!

Finish with remaining cheeses.

Shake your bootie to get it on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes until the crust is puffy and the cheese is melted.

Slice, then, watch it disappear!

HERE ARE THE OTHER EUPHRATES FETA – UP RECIPES:

* Creamy Feta, Dill Spinach Dip with Crispy Zucchini Medallions, 3 points+

* Crunchy Feta, Bacon & Pecan Salad, 4 points+

GIVEAWAYS:

* Last chance to win a a delicious night out at Fleming’s Steakhouse

* Win a MONTH’S SUPPLY of 3 points+ PopChips!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Feta Finale with Creamy Cinnamon Apple Won Ton Turn Overs & a few highlights of what I’ve been eating this week!

Night all!

Hi all! It’s Mary from a little blog called What’s Cookin’ with Mary. I have been reading Danica’s blog for almost a year now and just love her. When she asked if I wanted to do a guest post while she was off having a blast in the Bahamas with Jay (Happy Birthday!!!), I jumped at the chance. So, today I want to talk to you about pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza ?! You know what I love more than pizza… Five ingredient recipes. After a long day, the last thing you want to do is try and locate a huge list of ingredients to make a complicated recipe for dinner. If that sounds like you, this recipe is right up your alley. Without further a due, may I present Pizza Margherita!

Pizza Margherita

Caprese salad is one of my very favorites. I love how the sweet summer tomatoes pair with the light, salty fresh mozzarella and the bright, pungent basil. Did you know that basil was originally from India (according to the wiki)?I didn’t either! That’s probably because it’s best known for being in Italian cooking. It’s a close relative to the mint plant, but had a more anise flavor (liquoricey– yep, it’s a word – I just made it up!). Can you tell I love basil? I digress. When you take those same ingredients you use to make a caprese salad and put it on a pizza, it transforms magically while in the oven into Pizza Margherita. Pretty fancy, right? Thought so. The best part about this pizza is that all you need is five simple ingredients. If you want to make your own pizza dough, feel free to, but I like to buy the premade dough from Trader Joe’s here to save time (to save even more time, you could buy a totally premade crust such as Boboli). Also, if your store doesn’t carry garlic oil, you can make your own in a snap. Just heat a quarter of a cup of olive oil to a pan over medium low heat and add two smashed cloves of garlic and cook for eight to ten minutes or until the garlic has browned a bit infusing it’s flavor into the oil. Remove the garlic cloves and allow oil to cool slightly and viola, garlic oil. If you’re feeling really, super fancy, you can make your pizza on the grill, but today I’m going to be using a pizza stone in the oven. If you don’t have a pizza stone, a baking sheet will work just fine. Enjoy with a generous squirt of sriracha and red pepper flakes.

What You Need:

• 1 – 16 oz ball of pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
• 8 oz fresh ovoline mozzarella packed in water, drained, dried & sliced into ¼” pieces
• 1 ½ large tomatoes, sliced into ¼“pieces & pressed between paper towels
• 2 – 3 Tbs basil chiffonade (thinly sliced – to taste)
• 2 Tbs garlic oil
• Salt and pepper (optional – to taste)
• cornmeal for pizza stone (if using)
• flour for dusting

What To Do:

Heat your pizza stone in a 425* oven for 15 – 20 minutes. This ensures that the crust will be nice and crisp on the outside, but doughy on the inside. For best result, take your dough ball out of the fridge while the pizza stone heats (about 20 minutes). Once your dough has come to temperature, roll it out on a well floured surface to about a 12” round.

Remove the hot pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

Gently transfer your dough onto it and pierce with a fork all over to prevent bubbles while it bakes.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until barely browned. Keep your eye on it as you don’t want it to overcook (you’ll be baking it again with toppings).

After the crust has prebaked, remove from the oven, brush with garlic oil and top with tomato and cheese slices. Season with salt and pepper if using. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the crust is nicely browned.

Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh basil chiffonade.

Serve with red pepper flakes and hot sauce.

Makes 8 slices, 6 points+ each

Bon Appetit!

Mary

**Cook’s Note: on the tomatoes: make sure you really get as much liquid as you can out of the tomatoes. If not, the liquid in them will make your pizza soggy. On the basil: if you don’t want to chiffonade, you could simply chop it up to whatever size you desire**

Thanks Mary!!! You are definitely a girl after my own heart….tomatoes, cheese, Sriracha and crushed red pepper flakes all in one….LOVE! 

Happy Tuesday all!  I actually started craving what I wanted for breakfast this morning last night…..It’s been way too long since I’ve had an egg-wich!

Served up with FREE Coffee on the Train for Customer Appreciation day

* 2 slices of Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (3 points+)

* 1 tsp whipped butter (1 points+) and totally optional

* 1 “fried” egg (2 points+)

Plus a BIG container of the BEST MELONS of the season to help keep me full for 4 hours.

I know some of you were wondering yesterday when I mentioned the “Mystery Soup” if I was going to eat it and if it was soup or sauce…..

I opened the container…stirred, smelled and knew EXACTLY what it was….Remember my 4 points+ Chicken Tortilla Soup???

Sometimes mystery containers from the freezer can be a good thing

Part 2 of my lunch was in my fancy new Attune’s Cereal Bowl.

It’s TOTALLY what’s on the inside that counts

* Organic romaine, red cabbage (for crunch & color), carrots, cherry tomatoes

* 1 tsp cranberries (0 points+)

* 1 Tbsp Roasted Walnuts (2 points+)

* Topped with 1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (1 points+)

My lunch kept me surprisingly full all afternoon, but, I couldn’t resist busting into my planning afternoon snackage!

1 Tbsp of the best spread you will ever eat ~ Biscoff!! (2 points+)

If you are ever wondering if you should buy the spread, BUY IT, you will LOVE It if you LOVE the cookies!

Topped on TWO BIscoff Cookies (2 points+)…..

Seriously….words cannot even describe how good this is!

I have been asking Tracey for weeks now how she makes her grilled pizza because every time she does, I drool over the pictures.

She sent me a message on my train ride home that she wanted pizza tonight….So, I invited her over to show me how…..

Start off by “seasoning” your pizza stone (rubbing it with a little canola oil) and placing it on a cold grill.  Pre-heat the grill with your stone on it for 15 minutes.

While the grill is heating, prep the pizza on the Pizza Peel!  Rub corn meal all over the top of the peel.

NOTE ~ do NOT use stone ground, use fine ground or you end up with bird seeds

I used Trader Joe’s Pre-Made Pizza Dough and hand rolled it out before placing it on the peel and topping it with Trader Joe’s Pizza Sauce.

3 oz finely shredded part skim mozzarella

Pile all the low points+ toppings ~ Pickled Cherry Peppers, Pineapple, Olives

24 Turkey Pepperoni (3 points++

Finish with 2 Tbsp Parmesan.  I would’ve totally added crushed red pepper flakes, but, the two spice wimps in the house out voted me

Take your pizza and peel to the BBQ and do a little shake/wiggle to slide it off the paddle.  The corn meal is what allows it to slide right off.

Bootie shaking at the same time is totally acceptable.

It’s totally ok if the dough flows over the sides ~ that part just gets extra crunchy.

Isn’t Tracey looking skinny?!  No, I didn’t say that because she was shaking her paddle at me….her pool workouts and healthy eats like (Grilled Pizza!) make her look amazing!

Close the lid and let your pizza grill for about 10-15 minutes depending on how hot your grill gets.

You made need to use the peel to move it around and check if it is done.  We placed it on a cookie sheet when it was all done.

Salty, sweet, crunchy, spicy, cheesy, doughy…..GOOD!

Grilled Pineapple, Pepperoni, Olive & Pepper Pizza

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz  homemade or pre-made refrigerator pizza dough
• 1/4 cup fine corn meal
• 1/2 cup homemade or jarred pizza sauce
• 3 oz finely shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced pickled cherry peppers
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 24 turkey pepperoni slices
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Place pizza stone on a cold grill and preheat to 400-450 degrees for about 15 minutes.

2.  Place corn meal on a pizza peel or a flat cookie sheet.

3.  Turn pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out using your hands into a pizza shape. Carefully move to the pizza peel that has the corn meal on it.

4.  Add sauce, mozzarella, all your favorite toppings and finish with a parmesan sprinkle.

5.  Shake pizza peel onto hot pizza stone and grill for 10-15 minutes, until the crush is cooked through and the cheese is bubbling.

6.  Remove from stone, slice into 8 even slices and enjoy!

Makes 8 pizza slices, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per slice

Serve with the a BIG salad loaded with everything you can find in the fridge & more!

Topped with a little 3-bean mix (YUM!), 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds  & 1 Tbsp Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette. (3 points+)

Thanks Tracey for showing me your Pizza Ways….I am pretty sure I will never be the same!  I think Grilled Pizza NEEDS to become a regular thing in my life!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Katie of Will Run For Chocolate shares her success during an unplanned dinner out!

GIVEAWAYS

* Last chance to WIN a Sam’s Club Membership & Money to spend on your first trip.

Q’s

Have you ever grilled pizza?  Do you grill yours on a stone or on the grill?  Think it is better than in the oven?

This is the first time I have ever grilled a pizza and I have to say, it might be my favorite new thing!  Half the fun is the way it cooks and using a pizza peel….the other half is just how GOOD it is!

Night all!

I LOVE pizza any way you top it and any way you make.  It can be the real deal, on a pita, naan bread, on top of polenta and even as a casserole.  Pizza in my book is just Flat Out Amazing!  There is just something about the flavor combination of doughy breads, cheese, tangy sauce, crunchy toppings and crispy turkey pepperoni that tastes like BACON!

Tracey of TJ’s Test Kitchen saw this pizza puff recipe on Pinterest awhile back and said we totally NEED to make a Weight Watcher Points+ Friendly Version. 

Ummm, Little cheesy, doughy, fully loaded bites of pizza….sign me up!

The recipe originally comes from Rachel Ray. We have lightened up the recipe by using low-fat dairy and adding in a ton of FUN 0-1 points+ toppings for color, crunch and texture.

I am pretty sure you all might LOVE us after you try them…1 points+ pizza, need I say more?!

DELUXE PIZZA PUFFS

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp crushed  red pepper flakes
• Dashes of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 2 % milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup reserved for topping
• 1/2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE LOW POINTS+ TOPPINGS:

• 9 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped (1 points+)
• Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• Pickled sweet cherry peppers, chopped
• Pineapple tidbits
• Olive Slices
• Any veggies ~ cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms
• Pizza Sauce for dipping

The possibilities are endless!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; whisk in the milk and egg.  Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan, let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Mix and match your favorite toppings making sure to press them into the dough.

3.  Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Makes 4 servings, 6 Pizza Puffs, 5 points+ each

Nutritional Information Per 6 pizza puff serving

STEP-BY-STEP

Whisk together your batter, then, stir in your cheeses.  You need the full fat mozzarella to keep the puffs moist.

Two types of cheeses = tons of ooeey, gooey cheese on top and throughout.

Season with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper, then, let stand while you prep your toppings.

We decided to combine our pantries and pulled out everything that sounded good on pizza.

Chopped into bite size pieces for easy topping.

Spray your mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.  Then, use a teaspoon to divide the dough into 24 mini muffin tins evenly.

It is more fun when you make these with people you think are super cool and have fun at it.

Add your toppings….Have fun with it.  We mixed and matched all our 0-1 points+ ingredients to make a variety of pizza puff flavors.  Top them off with the reserved cheese so it “melts” all over the top.

Turkey Pepperoni + Pineapple = the BEST combination ever!

Turkey Pepperoni + an Olive Slice + Sun Dried Tomatoes

Pickled Cherry Peppers + an Olive Slice

Sun Dried Tomatoes + Fresh Tomatoes

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, until golden and puffy.

Resist eating them straight from the pan and put them on a place to serve.

Did I mention you get TWO of these for only 1 points+?!

Serve with warm pizza sauce as an appetizer or with a big crunchy salad for a complete meal.

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Beth shares her Week 3 Progress of the Chalean Extreme Challenge!

* Katie of Will Run For Chocolate talks about Finding the Support She Needs!

Q’s

What are you going to put on the Pizza Puffs you make?

Happy Weekend all!!!

Did you all remember to set your clocks FORWARD for Day Light Savings time?  Ummm, I remembered but DIDN’T actually do it.  Luckily I woke up in time to make it to my Weight Watchers meeting as we headed out of town to the Sacramento Antique Faire.

I was up .8 lbs today and I can’t say if it was earned or not since my week wasn’t stellar.  I can say what I am going to do differently this week to make sure the scale goes down.

This week my goals are:

1) Eat less ~ focus on my Good Health Guidelines, Power Foods and not using as many WPA.

2) MOVE MORE ~ Last week I pretty much pretended I didn’t need to workout other than my yoga and like one or two walks.  This week, I am committing to getting up early and getting my workout done 4 times. 

I had a great conversation with my friend morning and she made a good point.  I do really well with my exercise when I HAVE A GOAL in mind.   So, I am going to get back into running after my long hiatus and start the Couch to 5K Plan (C25K ) again.

3) Water, water and MORE water!  All that exercise should make me thirsty

We stopped at Starbuck’s on our way out of town so I grabbed a banana plus a Venti Iced Dirty Latte for breakfast (4 points+).

After 3+ hours of walking around, The Husband picked Willie’s Burgers for lunch.  I agreed because the location we usually goes to has options other than burgers.  However, the one in Downtown Sacramento has burgers only. 

Can I just say I NEED to have a real burger more often?!  This burger was as AWESOME as it looks.  I broke down the ingredients as follows to calculate the points+

* Hamburger bun – 4 points+

* Hamburger patty – 5 points+

* Cheese – 3 points+

* Bacon – 2 points+

* Caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard

Our orders came with these HUGE containers of fries.  I could easily eat the entire container, but, I didn’t!

I took a small handful and gave The Husband my container telling him to not give it back to me (6 points+)

We spent more time exploring Sacramento Antique shops before heading home. I did a little prep for the week.

BREAKFASTS!

LUNCHES!

Then, I got to work on dinner.  Awhile back, I saw someone post a recipe for CAULIFLOWER PIZZA on the Friends for Weight Loss message boards.  I was intrigued and have been wanting to make it.  Its pretty simple to make.

Break down a head of cauliflower into small pieces.

“Rice” the cauliflower by pulsing it in your food processor until it breaks down into small pieces.  Do not process too much or you will end up with pureed cauliflower.

Steam in the microwave with NO WATER for 8 minutes.

I added a few extra things to my recipe.

Combine steamed cauliflower with 2 large minced garlic cloves, 8 ounces grated reduced fat mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp Italian Season, 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir and “mush” it together.

Shape into a “pizza” shape on a piece of foil sprayed with nonstick spray.  In the future, I would use a Sil-Pat or Parchment Paper.  You may brush the top with melted butter to help it brown if you like.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Slice into 10 pieces and Enjoy.  (2 points+ each)

Part 2 of dinner was a recipe sent to me by one of my readers.  I have been totally wanting to make this recipe ever since she sent it because it has everything I LOVE in it ~ Kale, Chicken Sausage, Gnocchi, Beans, Spice!  Oh and it’s so easy to make

Sauté 1 large chopped sweet onion with 1 package of Trader Joe’s Sweet Chicken Apple Sausage.   Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then, add in 2 cloves garlic and 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for 30 seconds, then, remove from pan and set aside.

You are supposed to add in 3 cups of Potato Gnocchi, but, I used what I had on hand ~ this Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina from Trader Joe’s.

4 Points+ per cup, 12 for the entire bag.

I actually forgot about the “tomato” part of the gnocchi, but, it was too late after I added it on top of the kale.

Add in one 32 oz box Chicken Broth, 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles and a 15 oz can White Beans, drained and rinsed.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Return Sausage Mixture and cook for 1 minute.

THIS SOUP IS AWESOME!!!  The Husband and I both LOVED it, although agreed next time we would use an Italian Sausage since we kept tasting the apple.

HEARTY KALE SOUP

Courtesy of Melanie

INGREDIENTS

• 5 Trader Joe’s Sweet Chicken Apple Sausages, sliced
• 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
• 3 cups potato gnocchi
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 15 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 15 oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Sauté 1 large chopped sweet onion with 1 package of Trader Joe’s Sweet Chicken Apple Sausage.   Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then, add in 2 cloves garlic and 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for 30 seconds, then, remove from pan and set aside.

2.  Add Kale and gnocchi to pan.  Cook for 30 seconds, then add chicken broth, tomatoes and cannellini beans.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  Return sausage mixture to pan and cook 1 additional minute.

Makes 6, 1 1/2 cup servings, 7 points+ each

I had a slice of Cauliflower pizza bread with my soup.  It is OK….you have to definitely LOVE Cauliflower because it tastes just like roasted cauliflower and cheese.  I am not sure I’d make it again even if I topped it with pizza toppings since The Husband didn’t like it at all.

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* New Tip of the Week & Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!

* This week’s Challenge ~ What Healthy Guideline will you work on this week?

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

* BREAKFASTS ~ Biggest Loser Taco Muffins

* LUNCHES ~ CEiMB ~ Chinese Chicken Salad

* Genovese Chicken over Roasted Garlic/Mushroom Pasta with salad

* Crockpot Corned Beef & Cabbage! plus Dill Fingerling Potatoes

* Baked Ziti, Garlic Bread, Lemon Broccoli

* Buffalo Chicken Wraps

* TBD ~ leftovers or a new recipe

Q’s

Do you ever use vegetables to make “mock” version of your favorite recipes?

I have used Cauliflower for mashed potatoes and LOVED them as well as Jicama for Hashbrowns.  I am not sure I am loving the Cauliflower pizza, but, I want to.

Night all!

Happy Friday!!! Today was an absolutely FANTASTIC day and I have so much fun stuff to share with you all.  I had so much fun at TJ’s Test Kitchen today whipping up 2 new recipes that I just might be addicted to for awhile.  Can I just say that I LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEE and WANT her kitchen?!  Maybe she will just let me go over there to cook for her whenever just so I can use her kitchen  

My brain was so tired this morning….I was so glad I only had to “think” of what to eat for breakfast.

I know, I really KNOW I need to show you all something different for breakfast, but, this morning, I just really had to continue my LOVE AFFAIR with Bread N Butter (5 points+) with a banana and Venti Iced Dirty Latte (4 points+).

My breakfast didn’t hold me over as well, I was STARVING by the time lunch rolled around.  I think it might have been the fact that I was DREAMING all morning about the deliciousness we were making at lunch.

One of my FAVORITE people in the world!!!  I finally remembered to bring a gift this time for her ~ one of my Danica’s Daily Tees that The Husband had made up.

Doesn’t she look so SKINNY?! She wears her 75+ LB loss so well!

She greeted me with homemade iced tea and orange wedges ~ quite possibly my favorite new combination.

Earlier this week when TJ invited me to lunch I told her she had to PICK what we were eating since it was “her test kitchen”.  She knew right away what she wanted.  She wanted to make a ‘”HEALTHIFIED” version of her childhood favorite ~ Mini Pizza Rolls!

She takes her recipes pretty serious ~ she had everything lined up complete with hand written instructions.

With the Points+ values of EVERY ingredient!! Did I mention how awesome she is yet?!

The “secret” ingredient for this recipe was Nasoya’s Egg Roll Wrappers.

REAL ingredients!

4 Points+ for 3 wrappers is pretty darn good!

These Pizza Roll ups are so simple to make, I already know I am re-creating them possibly this weekend!

We measured out all our toppings before putting them in the bowl ~ Pizza Sauce and Romano Cheese

2 Ounces of Reduced Fat Mozzarella (for the veggie version, 1 oz for the pepperoni version)

She sautéed the peppers, onions and mushrooms ahead of time to help remove some of the water.  Also in the dish, chopped olives.

Stir it all to combine.

Divide into 3 sections, 1 for each wrapper.

I ALWAYS thought folding egg rolls was hard, but, after checking out the instructions it didn’t seem so bad.

Until she told me I HAD to make some too!

No worries, I think I did ok….mine are the back 3.

Spray with nonstick spray and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes.

While the pizza rolls cooked, she whipped up our dipping sauces.  I totally had to take pictures of her bowls too ~ I LOVE them!

Fat Free Ranch!  FF Sour Cream plus Hidden Valley Ranch Dip.

More pizza sauce ~ warmed.

While she worked on the sauces, I put together our salads.  I looked over all your ideas and went with a “grab and go” salad.  I literally grabbed 3 things from the store along with a few things I always have on hand.  I wanted salty, sweet, crunchy with several different textures and flavors. 

I have also been wanting to create a salad that would work perfectly with this NEW Wish-Bone Super Fruit Salad Dressing.

1 Point+ per Tablespoon!

Bacon, Candied Walnut & Feta Salad with Strawberries

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cups Organic Mixed Greens

* 2 Tbsp Organic Shredded Carrots

* 4 Organic Strawberries, sliced

* 1 Tbsp REAL Feta Cheese (not low-fat or fat-free)

* 3 Trader Joe’s Candied Walnuts, chopped

* 1 slice Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon

* 1 Tbsp Wish-Bone Super Fruit Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

Layer up the ingredients starting with the mixed greens and ending with the dressing.

Makes 1 HUGE salad for only 3 POINTS+!

Of course, I made two salads for us and split an entire container of Organic Mixed Greens between us.  I LOVE her salad bowls ~ perfect for HUGE @$$ Salads

MMMMM!!! Total Pizza Deliciousness!  Each roll is only 3 Points+ each!

I had 2 Veggie Rolls and 1 Turkey Pepperoni Roll. 

Slightly crispy, but, really doughy like good pizza dough.  They were saucy, cheesy and just plain good when dipped in ranch and marinara.  CLICK HERE to get TJ’s Pizza Roll Recipe!

I told you all she IS really the HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST!  After lunch she brewed us Coffee in her super cool Keurig machine!

Then, she served up these crunchy Lemon Chia Cookies that are 1 Point+ each.

I was in the process of telling her whenever I use Chia Seeds, I want to say “Cha-Cha-Cha Chia!” and wasn’t even paying attention.  I put a cookie in my mouth and grabbed my phone to respond to The Husband’s text……

I didn’t even notice she snapped a picture until…….I looked up

This of course led us to taking a bunch of random pictures…..I LOVE her!  TJ is really the best ~ She is funny, real, someone who inspires me to do better on Weight Watchers and just a great friend!  Thanks for letting me cook in your kitchen TJ ~ Can we do it again soon?! LOL….

Going back to work wasn’t quite as fun, but, I survived. We decided to clean out the fridge tonight have have leftovers.

I had 1 Cheesy Stuffed Mini Meatloaf with Super Cheesy Zucchini (8 points+)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* I NEEEED to make these Garlicky Spinach and Cheese Squares ~ I want to just grab one right off the plate.

IF YOU WANT TO TRY THIS WISHBONE DRESSING ABOVE, ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

Q’s

Have you ever used Egg Roll Wrappers for something other than egg rolls?  If so, what did you make?

I have actually never made any type of egg roll until today, but, I have made potstickers.  I definitely NEED to experiment more because I LOVE the idea of using these wraps for healthy treats!

LET THE WEEKEND BEGIN!!!