Hi everyone!  I am finally back in action with another fun fall recipe that uses my ingredient of choice lately ~ Pumpkin!  If you LOVE pumpkin, then, I am pretty sure you will LOVE these Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bites. These little bite sized pumpkin pies might just be better than the real deal. 

The cream cheese adds a nice richness to the cinnamon pumpkin-y goodness in the middle while the won tons add a nice crunchy “pie” shell.  Did I mention that each bite in ONLY 1 points+ so you don’t have to feel bad when you reach for another “slice” bite.

They are perfect to make ahead of time to have as a dessert or an appetizer (sometimes dessert should come first, right?!)  Just plan out all the fun toppings you want to serve up to your guests and I guarantee these will be what everyone talks about on their way home from Thanksgiving dinner.

CREAMY PUMPKIN PIE BITES (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 24 New Hong Kong Thin Won Tons
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp golden brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg

OPTIONAL TOPPERS

• Homemade whipped cream
• Crushed cinnamon graham crackers
• Cinnamon Sugar or powder sugar
• Dry roasted chopped candied walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a mini nonstick muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Press 1 won ton wrapper into each mini muffin cup, folding the edges as needed.  Bake the won tons on the bottom rack in the muffin tin for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.

2.  While the won tons are cooking, prepare your creamy pumpkin pie filling.  Combine pumpkin through egg in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until combined with a hand mixer or an electric mixer.

3.  Using a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop 1 Tbsp of the creamy pumpkin pie filling into each won ton.  Return the pumpkin cream cheese won tons to the oven and bake on the bottom rack for an additional 10 minutes until the filling is set and the won tons are golden. 

Be careful to watch them as the won tons can burn quickly.

Makes 24 Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bites, 1 points+ each (excluding toppings)

Nutritional information per Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bite

STEP – BY – STEP

Awhile back the folks over at Foodbuzz partnered with OXO, tools you can hold onto and sent several Tastemakers some fantastic OXO products to use for recipe development.

OXO sent us some pretty fantastic things…..

* Good Grips Food Scale

* Good Grips Pop Containers (my personal favorite before trying out everything)

* Good Grips Measuring Bowl and Measuring Cups

* Good Grips Zester

* Their latest product ~ Good Grips Egg Beater!

I figured what better way to put my new fun kitchen gadgets to use than to create a fun new fall recipe involving……Won Tons!

You don’t have to worry about pressing your won tons perfectly into the pan.  The goal is just to form little cups which means 1-2 little creases as they are pushed into the tin.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT step in my opinion because pre-baking them for 5 minutes help to give them a crispy shell on the bottom and the top.

While the won tons bake, “beat” your creamy pumpkin pie mix.

Action shot!

I honestly think this egg beater works better than my electric mixer. It goes so fast and is super smooth without splashing everything all over.

Scoop 1 Tablespoon of mix into each won ton just enough to “almost” fill them.

Bake on the BOTTOM rack for 10 minutes being sure to check on them during the last 2-3 minutes to make sure they do not burn.

Remove to cooling rack and cool at room temperature.

Whip up your toppings while your creamy pumpkin pie cups cool.

One thing I LOVE about the OXO measuring cups is that having the numbers on the top makes it easier to see what you need to measure.

Another use for their Egg Beater ~ 1 Minute Homemade Whipped Cream!

Simply combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 Tbsp Agave Nectar & q1 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Whip effortlessly for 1 minute…..Tadah!!! 1 Tbsp = 1 points+.

I thought it would be fun to let guests decorate their own creamy pumpkin pie cups by plating the cups and toppings separately.

Served up with homemade whipped cream and crunchy, crushed cinnamon graham crackers.

Quite possibly better than pumpkin pie ~ the BEST PART ~ since they are only 1 points+, you can go back for another!

Q’s

What is one FALL recipe or ingredient you are LOVING at the moment?

Aside from pumpkin, I cannot get enough butternut squash or sweet potatoes!

See you all later tonight or tomorrow with my weigh in, weekly menu & one pretty cool giveaway!

Night all!

This is a “secret” recipe that I received from my best friend in college while we were in college. These pumpkin bars are so moist they practically melt in your mouth.  You really can taste each layer of flavor from the moist spice cake to the vanilla cream cheese frosting to the roasted walnuts.  The best part is that they are SO EASY to make and perfect when you need to take a “treat” somewhere this holiday season.

I honestly believe that you should eat healthy 80% of the time for the 20% of the time you come across treats like this.  I guarantee everyone (even non pumpkin lovers) will LOVE this recipe. I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t.

Since I want to preserve her cool way of writing recipes, I am going to post this in her format – she always writes her recipes simple like this and I LOVE it!

THE BEST PUMPKIN BARS YOU WILL EVER EAT! (print here)

BAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 12” x 18” or a Jelly Roll Pan (15” x 10”) pan with nonstick spray.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when touched.

CREAM

• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar

BLEND IN

• 15 oz can pumpkin (2 cups)

FOLD IN

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cool completely before frosting (about 1 hour).

FROSTING

• 3 oz Cream Cheese
• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup Powder Sugar

SPRINKLE

with 1 cup Roasted, Chopped Walnuts ~ Roast at 400 for 7 minutes, cool, chop and sprinkle.

Do you really want to know the nutritionals??  See, not as bad as you think   It honestly makes a HUGE platter of bars ~ depending on the size you cut them ~ 36 squares.

ONLY 5 points+ a BAR based on 36 bars!

This is one of my all time FAVORITE recipes that I make EVERY year.  You can actually make it year round, just make sure to freeze 15 oz of pumpkin to unthaw whenever you have a craving to bake up some of these moist, creamy, nutty, decadent pumpkin bars.

I think I am going to make A LOT of new friends when I bring these into work

I promise I haven’t forgotten about replying to your comments and emails ~ it’s on my to-do list for this weekend.

Last Chance to Enter to Win that Super Cool Salad Container & Four 1 points+ Dressings!

Night all!

It is super easy to make your own Pumpkin Butter.  If you are a fall fanatic like me, then, Pumpkin Butter, Cinnamon, and Spice are all things that show up in your house during this time of year.  I have put a new spin on the traditional pumpkin butter by replacing the white sugar with Organic Agave Nectar & a little pure maple syrup.  The agave makes it so rich, thick and creamy that no pectin is required at all.  I think you’ll find this version better than any jar you will ever open….The best part is your house will smell just like fall as you make this sweet treat.

HEALTHY PUMPKIN BUTTER (Click here to print this recipe!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey
• 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4  tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice*
• Pinch of salt

* You can make your own pumpkin pie type spice by combining 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.  You do not need to add cinnamon since it is already included above, however, if using this spice for another recipe, you would want to add 1 tsp ground cinnamon to the mix.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Combine the pumpkin, agave nectar, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, mixing until well combined.

2.  Stir constantly, cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the spices and salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

3.  Remove the pan from heat, and transfer your pumpkin butter to a small bowl or jar. Let cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

4.  Pumpkin butter will keep for about 2 weeks in a covered air tight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE:  Continuously stirring is really important in this recipe to keep your pumpkin butter from burning. If you have to walk away, add a few tablespoons of apple juice and turn down the stove heat to low, still continuing to stir as you can. (Add about 5-7 minutes additional cooking time if you do this.)

Makes about 2 cups ~ 32 Tablespoons, 1 points+ per 2 Tablespoons!

Nutritional information per 2 Tbsp serving:

STEP – BY – STEP

Here is everything you need to make your own pumpkin butter.  You should always use the best ingredients (organic pumpkin) when you can for optimal flavor.  Ok, well, the REAL pumpkin is just for decoration, but, you could get inventive and make your own from scratch pumpkin puree by following this Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter Recipe.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir continuously for 15 minutes ~ do not stop stirring or your pumpkin butter will burn.

Stirring….

Still stirring – it gets thicker and creamier as it cooks.

Add your spices and salt.

Tadah!  After 20 minutes of continuous stirring & chatting on the phone with The Husband, it’s all done!

Transfer to a glass bowl or jar to cool.

Super thick, creamy and pumpkin-Y!!!  This pumpkin butter is awesome straight off the spoon, on bread, pita chips with laughing cow cheese or in your favorite baked goods. Once you make your own, you’ll never want to go back to the jarred stuff Enjoy!

This year I am so anxious for fall weather and all that goes with this time of year. I am sharing one of my all time favorite fall recipes as part of the Recipe Lion Blog Hop and because I ate my chicken noodle soup twice today with fruit lol. Hopefully you enjoy this recipe from the archives.  I am looking forward to a new Weight Watchers Week tomorrow and getting back into the swing of things.

Night all!

You all are AWESOME and I LOVE the fact that you all love toffee as much as I do.  I can admit that caramel is probably one of my FAVORITE things in this world.  It really is ~ I don’t discriminate….It can be chewy, it can be hard, it can be salted or topped with chocolate.  But, when, you add two types of chocolate then top it with roasted, sea salted almonds, it is a whole other ball game!

Every Christmas we have these friends who make this incredible almond rocha type toffee.  I would often ask for the recipe, she would tell me it’s SO EASY, but, she never gave it up.  After eating like her entire dish of candy (no really ~ it’s THAT good) for a few years, she let me in on her “secret’ to the BEST toffee I’ve ever had in my life and of course, the recipe!

The “SECRET” is making sure you add a little chocolate into the toffee when you make.  Think SKOR bar like toffee!

I added my personal touch to the recipe by replacing the ”shortening” with real butter and adding dry roasted, sea salted almonds because I really think salt brings out the flavor in chocolate and toffee.

Since I know I can eat an ENTIRE pan of this melt in your mouth chocolate covered toffee, I ONLY make it around the holidays or when I am giving it to someone as a gift.

For all my Weight Watcher friends out there, you will LOVE knowing that you can fit this into your plan without killing your points+ budget……just make sure you share too!

CHOCOLATE BUTTER TOFFEE WITH SEA SALTED ALMONDS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
• 20 chocolate chips
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup dry roasted, salted almonds, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Prepare a large cookie sheet or 9 x 12 pan with parchment paper.

2.  Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add sugar, corn syrup and 20 chocolate chips.  Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally until boiling and the temperature reaches 280 – 290 degrees.

3.  Pour toffee mixture over prepared dish and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

4.  Melt dark and milk chocolate chips with butter in a double broiler.  Pour melted chocolate over toffee and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

5.  Cool in the fridge for 1 hour and cut/break into 36 pieces.

Makes 36 Chocolate Butter Toffee Almond “chunks” for 4 points+ each.

Nutritional information per piece

STEP –  BY – STEP

Make your toffee by combining the butter, sugar, corn syrup and chocolate and boiling over medium heat until your candy thermometer reaches 280-290 degrees.

My personal preference is 280-290 (soft crack) versus 300 (hard crack) because it really makes the toffee melt in your mouth when you bite into it.

Pour onto parchment paper in a thin layer and allow to cool.

Melt remaining chocolate and butter in a double broiler over medium low heat.

If you would like your chocolate thinner, you could add additional butter.

Chop your almonds while the chocolate melts.

Top toffee with melted chocolate and sea salted almonds.  Cool in the fridge for 1 hour.

Cut into 24 large pieces (6 points+ each) or 36 small pieces (4 points+ each). Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Just make sure you bring some by our house because I want just a piece or two whenever you make it ~ Enjoy!

For my Feta-Recipe Finale, I really wanted to see if I could use that deliciously creamy Euphrates Feta Cheese in  a sweet dish. (Totally Iron Chef like right?! LOL)  I had pondered making Feta Brownies by creating a “feta cream cheese swirl” or possibly feta lemon bars.  I really wanted something “lighter” that would be a finger food.

That is when I remembered my FAVORITE Thin Won Ton Recipe of all time!

~ You get 10 of these for only 3 points+!!!!  (Tracey picked these up for me at a local Chinese Food Store).

I wasn’t really thinking that the feta would stand out against Nutella, but, knew I wanted to make it enhance our “turn overs” with salty, creamy, cheesy goodness. 

The feta really compliments the sweet crunchy cinnamon & vanilla apples in a way that makes you think are biting into a crispy apple cheesecake turnover. 

These turn overs are delicious when sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but, feel free to get a little fancy and drizzle them with caramel or serve them with homemade vanilla been froyo!

CREAMY CINNAMON APPLE PIE WON TON TURN OVERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 36 Thin Won Ton Wrappers
• 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar combined
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a medium size pan, melt butter, add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often until apples are tender.  place in the refrigerator to cool, about 3o minutes.  Once chilled, fold in feta cheese.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two cooking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

3.  Place about 1 tablespoons of apple filling into the center of each won ton wrapper, wet edges of wrapper with water and fold in half creating a triangle and sealing the edges. Place each finished won ton onto the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3.  Brush each won ton with the melted butter and bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to serving plate and sprinkle with reserved cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Makes 9 servings, 4 Won Tons each, 3 points+ per serving

Nutritional information per 4 Won Ton Serving

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+

* Grilled Sausage, Pepper & Feta Pizza, 6 points+

GIVEAWAYS:

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

You all are seriously the BEST!!!  The folks are Euphrates have been blown away by your response to get your hands on some of their stinky cheese!  I will be hosting a Euphrates Feta Giveaway in September where you all will have a few chances to win some FETA!!!

Night all!

It was clear after I lost almost 40 pounds that I needed to permanently change my eating and cooking habits.  I learned some easy ways to lighten up recipes, and I found I had a passion for cooking this way.  I share my recipe ideas on Tracy Cooks it Right.

It’s summer.  We have plums galore.  I’m yearning for something sweet and delicious but not too complicated (hmm. . . the story of my life).  In France, they have desserts called gratins that are simple to make and bring out the best in vegetables or fruits.  Last January I made this gratin with cauliflower.  Today, I am sharing Plum Gratin.  If your fruit surplus is something other than plums – maybe berries or peaches – you can certainly use it in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 1/2 pounds plums, pitted and sliced (no need to peel)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup almond meal/flour (bought mine at Trader Joe’s)
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spread butter on inside of 1-quart pie pan or gratin dish and sprinkle with flour to coat.  Place plum slices tightly in pan in several layers.

2.  In medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar with mixer on high speed for 4 minutes until light yellow and fluffy.  Whisk in the almond meal/flour then, pour evenly over plums.  Place in oven and bake 25 minutes, or until top is dark golden brown and firm.

3.  Cool gratin completely on wire rack.  Cut into wedges and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 4 points+ each.

Thanks Tracy!  I have never thought of making a Gratin out of fruit, but, this looks so tasty I NEED to try it! We are officially back from having a FANTASTIC time in the Bahamas but maybe not back to reality .  So many great things to share ~ Recaps and more coming up soon!

Happy Saturday all!  I just have to start off by saying thanks ~ Thanks for being there still when I took a much needed “mini” break.  I honestly do my BEST to give you all a “daily” even if it’s from the archives, but, sometimes, I just have nothing left in me to post.

Thanks for always supporting me, sharing your successes, stories and comments in general.  Whether you realize it or not ~ I look forward to hearing what you all share everyday and The Husband does too.  He is always asking, who said this or that and he is like, I know her!

I could never express in words how much you all mean to me….just know, every comment, email, Tweet & Facebook message is read and makes my day in one way or another even if I am not able to respond right away.

There has been so much going on and our lives have been pretty crazy.  I know I need to show Friends for Weight Loss more love and my Makeover plus Recipe Organizer is almost done!  I can really see a light at the end of the tunnel and I will be able to share some of things with you all soon.

For now…..let’s get onto FRIDAY because it was one FANTASTICLY FUN high points+ day that was worth busting into my WPA in day 1.

I was UP .6 LBs this week, but, you know what…I am 110% OK with that considering:

* I had a highly emotional week & missed a few workouts

* I had a day that I was starving & probably would’ve eaten all your food too if you let me!

* On my Weight Graph (yes, I am a dork & graph my journey LOL) ~ it’s the week I usually maintain or gain.

* Sometimes ~ “certain times of the month” the scale should be avoided.

NEXT WEEK I am going to show that scale who is boss and make that .6+ disappear!

After my meeting, I stopped at Starbuck’s for a Venti Iced Nonfat Decaf Latte with caramel drizzle on top & a banana (3 points+).

I honestly couldn’t wait for lunchtime to come around because Tracey & I were meeting up at Hisui Japanese Steakhouse for SUSHI!  I have actually only been to Hisui a few times and I have always ordered their Tepan Grill.

We shared some Edamame to start (1/2 cup for 1 points+)

MIso Soup! (2 points+)

The smallest side salad I have probably ever had ~ that would be 4 pieces of lettuce LOL.  (2 points+) for the small amount of dressing.

If you all would’ve been there with me, you would’ve laughed.

I actually pulled up the Blog Post I had from My Birthday Dinner there and asked the server….can you tell me what roll this is?  I had it here last time and I want to get it again.

I am pretty sure he thought I was crazy ~ I had to try ~ that was a good roll lol.

I settled for Ben’s Roll ~ Spicy Tuna w/Spicy Crab, Avocado, Shrimp & Tempura Flakes (9 points+ for 8 pieces)

I think Tracey was more excited to get back for our after lunch coffee!

Foodbuzz sent me two types of Godiva Coffee as part of the tastemaker program to “brew” the perfect recipe.

Hazelnut Creme

Brewed hot and topped with fresh whipped cream and Flor De Sal Caramel.  I LOVE how “rich” and nutty this coffee tastes with being so simple.

Chocolate Truffle…..OMG, the smell of this one alone makes you want to eat the coffee ground.

For this drink, we busted out the “COOL BEANS”!

We brewed & chilled the chocolate truffle coffee and added Hazelnut Crème Coffee Ice Cubes ~ COOL BEANS!

Topped with fresh whipped cream, Midnight Moo Chocolate & toasted coconut.

The chocolate truffle coffee tastes just like eating delicious Godiva Dark Chocolate with a nice Iced French Roast Coffee……I could go on describing it, but…..

I think seeing her reaction is enough to know how good this coffee is!

Yup ~ we totally drank ALL THAT COFFEE! It was delicious and I can honestly say I cannot wait to have more!

What goes better with coffee than DONUTS……These tasty little balls are super moist with hints of cinnamon and topped with a delicious vanilla glazed that melts in your mouth.

Oh and the BEST part about them ~ they are totally healthy for you and….

You get TWO Donut Holes for ONLY 1 POINTS+!

CINNAMON GLAZED DONUT HOLES

INGREDIENTS

Holes

• 1 cup 100% white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 6 oz non fat StonyField Organic Activia vanilla yogurt
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 3 Tbsps real maple syrup
• 2 Tbsps packed brown sugar

Vanilla Icing

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
• 2-3 tsp water or until desired consistency is achieved

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare and heat the Cake Pop Maker according to the packaged instructions.

2. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together oil, maple syrup, egg and yogurt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Gently fold everything together until combined.

3.  Put all of the batter into the other ziplock bag. Cut off the end. Pipe into the cake pop pan, only filling 3/4 of the hole. Bake 4-6 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

4. Once cooled, drizzle with vanilla icing and enjoy!

Makes 36 donut holes, 1 points+ each

(NOTE ~ If you have more than one serving, you get 3 for only 2 points+, 4 for 3 points+)

Nutritional information per serving

I bought this BabyCakes maker at Kohl’s awhile back because I thought it would be easier than making Cake Pops from scratch.

Little did I know it would be FANTASTIC for making Donut Holes too

Cinnamon Spice Donut Holes…next time I’m adding apples and/or nuts!

I LOVE that you can see the cinnamon inside ~ they are super moist inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

Drizzled! MMMMM……The perfect coffee companion…..

If you all wanted to try the GODIVA COFFEES ~ Go HERE to print out a $2.00 off coupon!

The rest of my work day wasn’t as exciting as lunch.  We did, however, get the chance to meet up with Tracey and Sean again for dinner!

We had a $25 off coupon for my FAVORITE Taco place ~ TR2 in American Canyon!

We shared tableside guacamole (1/4 c = 2 points+) deal!

The BEST Fried Calamari I’ve ever had ~ it tastes like KFC Chicken…served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. I did actually look up the points+ value of fried calamari before eating it….I saw 1/2 cup = 11 points+….yup, still had it!

Some things are just worth the points+….I can make up for it later this week.

We both ordered “Crunchy” Chicken tacos this time and didn’t eat the rice/beans. (10 points+)

Such a FUN day…the perfect way to end the week and just what I needed!  Thanks TJ!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Shannon shares one tasty recipe for 3 points+ Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Q’s

Your turn ~ Do you have any recipes you would make or want to see made with the Godiva Coffees I have”?

Night all!

Here is recipe #5 in my Cooking with Beer Series ~ Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler.  You can’t have a Beer-BBQ with New Belgium’s Beers without dessert.  I pondered doing a chocolate cake or even strawberry shortcakes, but, in the end decided making a Peach Blueberry Cobbler was perfect when I realized I could call it BEER-Berry

This dessert is simple to make and you can use fresh or frozen fruit.  I used beer in the cobbler topping (think beer bread flavor) and marinated the raw fruit in 1 bottle of BEER before straining it to make into a fruity cobbler mix.

You can decide if you want to discard the “fruity” beer or drink it….but, whatever you do, make this Cobbler ~ IT’S AWESOME!

PEACH BEER-BERRY COBBLER

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb fresh or frozen peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced   
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 12 ounces Fat Tire Amber Ale, reserving 1/2 cup
• 6 1/3 Tbsp sugar, divided   
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch   
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice   
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour   
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder   
• 1/2 tsp table salt   
• 3 Tbsp cold butter
• 1 tsp powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.  Pour peaches into a large bowl and cover with 12 ounces beer.  Let stand for 20 minutes.  Drain fruit, reserving 1/2 cup of beer and discarding the rest.

2.  In a large saucepan, combine peaches, 1/3 cup of sugar (5 1/3 tablespoons), cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon; toss to coat peaches. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil; cook until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan.

3.  To make topping, combine flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using the large side of a grater, grate the butter into the flour mix.  Stir with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add reserved beer; stir until flour mixture is evenly moistened.

4.  Drop 8 tablespoons of topping mixture over peach mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon if using.  Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Makes 8 servings, 4 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving using caloriecount.com

STEP-BY-STEP

If you are going to make a fruity dessert, I’d stick with a pale or amber ale as you want a lighter beer flavor.  If you are going to make a chocolate dessert, go dark with your beer.

Marinate your peaches in beer, then, drain and make up the fruity cobbler filling.

Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients.

Grate in the butter ~ it is EASIER than using a fork or pastry spoon.

Add in 1/2 cup of reserved “fruit” enhanced beer.

Layer it up starting with the drunken sweet fruit filling

Drop the cobbler topping in tablespoons.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon. 

Cool slightly, cut into 8 servings and dig in.  The is excellent alone, however, you can kick it up a notch by serving it with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES POSTED

* Slow Cooked Chipotle BEER Baked Beans, 4 points+

* Chipotle Cheddar BEER Corn Muffins. 4 points+

* Honey Chipotle BBQ BEER Sauce, 1 points+

* Chili Lime BEER Buttered Corn, 3 points+

* Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler, 4 points+

NEW BELGIUM RECIPE COMING UP NEXT

* Recipe Recap Plus all the “fixin’s” you need to go on the side for one awesome BEER-Becue!

See you all tonight for my Beer-BBQ Grand Finale and My Weekly Menu!

Happy Wednesday all!  Today was just one of those days where you have an awesome workout, delicious food and get a ton of stuff done.  I LOVE it when everything lines up like that.

Power up Pre-Workout snack ~ 2 Slices Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon (2 points+) and a banana.

I slammed out an AWESOME 30 minute interval run/walk on the treadmill followed up with 40 crunches, 25 push-ups and lots of stretching.

Post workout snack ~ Big Bowl of Watermelon.

Plus a a Hard Boiled Egg and Lite String Cheese ~ Pretty good deal for 3 points+!

I honestly think it made a BIG difference in my satisfaction all day powering up my morning with protein.  Usually I am starving on running days, but, today, I was content.

Lunch involved another delicious salad made by my co-worker.  This time she topped them with a few cranberries, candied walnuts and Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (3 points+)

Definitely better the next day ~ Chicken Enchilada Casserole (10 points+ because I went back for another 1/2 a piece)

After lunch my mouth wanted something sweet, but, I wasn’t really hungry.  I pondered having my nectarine, but, decided to have a Trader Joe’s Organic Pop. 

I ALWAYS keep a container of these at my desk because you get 2 for 1 points+ or 4 for 2 points+ (Perfect for when a sugar craving hits).  They are awesome too!

I am not sure it’s a good thing having a Pete’s Coffee right down the street from us…..as in we can walk there in MINUTES!  I am still impartial to Starbuck’s, but, I have to say, I am kinda LOVING how they add “foam” to your iced lattes.

Medium Iced Dirty Latte (3 points+)

Dinner tonight involved one of my FAVORITE Weight Watchers Recipes ~ it’s super easy to make, can be made in advance and gets better the next day.

CHEESY CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS ~ Click HERE for the recipe.

I had two shells for 7 points+.

Plus a BIG Nutty Salad ~ I am just really addicted to this combination at the moment.  It’s salty, sweet, chewy and crunchy all in one.

* Organic Mixed Greens with a sprinkle of organic shredded carrots

* Mini sweet pepper

* 1 Tbsp BBQ Pistachios (1 points+)

* 1 tsp cranberries (0 points+)

* 1 Tbsp TJ’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (1 points+)

I do not usually eat dessert because I am not usually hungry at night after dinner. But, tonight, I really wanted something sweet and crunchy.

I remembered TJ of TJ’s Test Kitchen telling me she loves using her Won Tons as “chips” and thought why not try that.

CINNAMON SUGAR WON TON CRISPS

INGREDIENTS

• 12 Thin Won Ton Wrappers
• 1 tsp Whipped Butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt butter in a small dish.  In a separate dish, combine sugar and cinnamon.

2.  Place won ton wrappers on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a sil pat.

3. Brush each wrapper with a little butter and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mix.

4.  Bake for 5-7 minutes or until crunchy.

TIP: Double your pleasure by slicing your won ton wrappers in half before you place them on the cookie sheet.  You will end up with 24 “chips” versus 12.

Makes 1 BIG serving, 4 points+

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Win It ~ An ENTIRE VARIETY CASE OF CHOBANI GREEK YOGURT!

Q’s

When you want something sweet, but, you don’t want to blow your points+/calorie budget, what do you do/eat?

I usually drink some water and wait about 15 minutes to see if I “forget” about it.  Then, if I know EXACTLY what I am craving, I have it.  I have learned that if I try to find a “substitute” I end up eating a ton of other stuff because I am never satisfied.  If I don’t know, I have something random like a lolli pop, gum, Nutella straight from the jar!

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  Thanks for all the great comments on my Bake Sale Cookie Madness Recipes.  I think my FAVORITE part about most of the recipes is that you can make up just as many as you want to eat – you don’t have to make up an entire 2 dozen.  They all freeze well too so you can always put them straight in the freezer, then, portion them out whenever you want a treat.

In cased you missed the recipes, here are all the links for the recipes with the points+ values – just click a name and it will take you to the recipe.

* Mock Thin Mints

* Mock Tagalongs

* Mock Moon Pies

* Low-Fat Banana Bread Cookies

* Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins

* Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

* Easy Rocky Road Squares

It was nice taking the weekend off from posting since I had all of my posts ready to go.  The only thing is now I am playing catch up with you all.

We had a blast this weekend going to the Davis Farmer’s Market, then, to Sushi at Mikuni’s and buying some fun new things today (more on that tomorrow!)

Since it’s late my goal is to keep this short and sweet – think I can do it?! Hope so!

SATURDAY

I wasn’t super hungry before we left but knew if I didn’t eat something I’d be starving in an hour. 

A Perfectly Hard Boiled Egg (2 points+)

Road Trip “Bucks” Venti Iced Dirty Latte (nonfat decaf latte with 1 pump mocha) (4 points+

The Davis Farmer’s Market is the first Farmer’s Market I’ve ever been to that was so overwhelming.  There were so many people including live bands and a little bit of everything.  I honestly wanted to stop and look at it all (translate – take pictures of it all), but, there was just too much.

Here are some highlights.

Favorite Bread ~ OctoberFeast!  Remember when I got those Pretzel Croissants ~ too bad they were sold out or I would’ve bought some.

My FAVORITE Tortilla Maker ever!

I am not sure what these are but they looked funky enough for me to take a picture

Did you all know it takes this many olives to make 1 bottle of olive oil?!

I honestly NEVER knew that Endive grew like Palm Trees….

Herbs!

I’ve never heard or thought to make Pistachio butter, but, after trying it, I don’t need to worry about it….it looks cool but tastes just ok.

One of the BEST parts of the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Program ~ FREE FRUIT SAMPLES!!!

New to me Fruit ~ this is like a super sweet grapefruit and it’s called “Oroblanco”. 

The Husband got all too excited when he saw this vendor…..

And you totally know he HAD to get a Polish Dog

After spending the morning strolling around the market and downtown Davis looking at all the shops, we headed over to Mikuni’s ~ one of my FAVORITE Sushi places ever. 

I ventured out and tried what might be my new all time favorite new roll ~ it was INCREDIBLE

I started with their “small” (not at all) Organic Green Salad ~ I took off most of the crunchies (4 points+)

Did I mention I LOVE this roll?!  That would be an entire line of Sriracha on the right that I rolled each piece in. (10 points+ estimate)

I surprisingly didn’t buy a ton of stuff because they didn’t have too much produce out.  I did however pick up a few treats.

PUMPKIN SPICE on the left, Green Chili Corn on the right!

Canary Beans!

SunBlest Orchards Apricot Bar-B-Que Sauce ~ sweet, smoky, spicy ~ I had to buy it!

I also bought a bag of their Apples and Dried Apricots to add as salad toppers, in trail mix, for snack, the options are endless.

Dinner was just indulging on a few of my finds and I didn’t take pictures ~ I had a Pumpkin Spice Tortilla with 2 tsp whipped butter and some strawberries.

SUNDAY

I started my day off by heading over to my Weight Watchers meeting and LOSING 2.0 LBS!!! I was so pumped to be back on the losing track and I definitely think I owe it all to my leaders suggestion of having protein to start my early days.  It really helped to keep me from starving all day long. Thanks again to all of you for the congrats on Twitter & Facebook ~ it is so fun when we can celebrate together.

After my meeting, I stopped at Starbuck’s and grabbed a banana plus a Venti Iced Dirty Latte for breakfast before doing our shopping for the week (4 points+).

The Husband requested Chipotle for lunch….the SUPER COOL PART was running into TJ and her man as I was walking in ~ I love it when that happens

I got the usual mix:

* Lettuce (0)

* Chicken (5)

* Pico de Gallo (0)

* Corn Salsa (1)

* A little cheese (less than a serving) (2)

* GUACAMOLE! (4)

Dinner involved the new BBQ sauce I couldn’t wait to break into.

I sprinkled our tri tip with a little canola oil, sea salt and black pepper then grilled it for 30 minutes.  During the last 7 minutes, I brushed it with this Apricot BBQ Sauce.

It was AMAZING!!!  We both totally LOVED it and I LOVE the fact that you don’t have to marinade it the day before.  You really can taste hints of all the ingredients in there….slightly smoky, slightly spicy, a little fruity and a little sweet. (4 points+)

I made 3 light sides to go with the dish because I wanted to save room for the pie I made up.

Western Potatoes (2 points+)

Big Salad a la The Husband

In the mix:

* Organic Greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mini peppers

* 3 candied walnuts (2 points+)

* 1 Tbsp Sprinkle of Apple-Cots (so good) (0 Points+)

* 1 Tbsp TJ’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

I honestly cannot wait to make this again ~ we totally LOVED it!

I have been wanting to make THIS WEIGHT WATCHERS CREAMY LEMON PIE ever since I saw the recipe a few weeks back.  It’s super easy to make too.

Crumb 6 whole cinnamon graham crackers in the food processor for the crunch.

Add to 2 Tbsp melted butter.

Press into the bottom of a pie pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

Prep the filling ~ whip 2 eggs with 1 can of FF Condensed Milk.

Whisk in 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons) and 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest.

Pour into the Pie shell and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Chill for an hour or more then slice into 10 slices.  OMG ~ this pie does not taste healthy at all and I bet you could totally use lime to make it “Key Lime” pie.  This is a total keeper for sure! (4 points+ per slice).  Click HERE for the recipe.

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

Continuing with the protein theme ~ I will post the recipes below as I make them.

* Chicken Rollatini over Egg Noodles

* Apple Maple Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad

* BACON, Spinach & Pineapple Portabella Pizzas

* Slow Cooker Southwestern Steak Tacos

* CEiMB ~ Crispy Chicken Fingers

* LUNCHES ~ Flat Out Amazing Pizza & Roasted Beet, Cheese & Pistachio Salad!

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* New Tip of the Week & 4 Points+ French Fries Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!

* This week’s Challenge ~ Promise Yourself!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

* LAST CHANCE to enter to Win Rocco’s Now Cook This! Book ~ Winners drawn tomorrow ~ Click HERE to enter!!

Q’S

What is on your menu this week?  Are you trying any new recipes, foods or treats?

Night all!