This is the FINAL week of the POM Summer Recipe Series and I am ending it with DESSERT!!!  Nectarines, Peaches, Pomegranates, POM Juice topped with a crumbly brown sugar butter crispy topping and Home Made Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt. 

I can honestly say I make a bunch of crisps, cobblers and crumbles any chance I get in the summer because the fresh produce is AMAZING!!! I honestly don’t discriminate – I LOVE all toppings ~ oat, pastry, sugary/brown buttery flour ones….paired with sweet, juicy, in season fruit and cool creamy frozen yogurt that just melts in your mouth…..YUM!  I have a hard time not justifying eating them Crisps for breakfast too

Today’s recipes was a total experiment that turned out to be over the top good and it’s incredibly EASY to make.  This is definitely the perfect finish…Enjoy!

Pomegranate Nectarine Crisp with Low-Fat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, frozen and grated

7 Nectarines or Peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds, divided, plus 1 Tbsp for topping (optional)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup POM Wonderful 100% POM Juice

Nonstick cooking spray

Low-Fat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt (Recipe to make your own below)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. 

2.  Combine first four ingredients in a blender or food processor; pulse four times or until crumbly. Set aside.
3.  Combine apple and next five ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with crumb mixture.

4.  Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings (serving size: 3?4 cup). , 4 points each

Nutritional information per serving, excluding frozen yogurt

STEP-BY-STEP:

I used a combination of white/yellow nectarines and peaches.  Slice and combine with your POM seeds.

Gently stir in your sugar through POMWonderful Juice.

Pour your nectarine filling into your prepared 8×8 baking dish.

Make up your TOPPING.

You could put the topping in your food processor and pulse it, but, I LOVE (not having to wash as many dishes) using my grater ever since I learned about it when I made Low-Fat Strawberry Scones.

You freeze your butter then use the large side of your cheese grater to grate it!

Stir until crumbly and combined.

Just for fun, I added 1/4 Cup of Fresh POM Seeds to the topping too.

Sprinkle topping over your filling.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until golden

While you are letting your POMwonderful Crisp cool, whip up a batch of Home Made Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt.

It only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s super EASY!  The BEST part about Home Made Froyo is you can count it as dairy and it tastes a million times better.  You will never want to buy it again

Note: Do not USE Low-Fat or Fat Free Half & Half or Milk ~ it will make it icy and like ice milk. (I’ve tried, but, found this to be the best combination of fat/fat free).  You need a little fat and a little alcohol to keep your frozen yogurt from turning into a rock when you freeze the leftovers.

Low-Fat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Sugar

1 1/4 cup Whole Milk

2 1/2 cups 0% Greek Yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s Brand)

1/4 cup half and half

1 Tbsp Bourbon Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Using a whisk of a hand mixer on low speed, combine the sugar and milk stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

2.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients and freeze according to your Ice Cream Maker instructions.

Makes 10, 1/2 cup servings, 2 points!!

Nutritional information per serving:

Top your Nectarine Pomegranate Crisp with a 1/4 cup scoop of your Homemade Low Fat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt and additional POM seeds.  You totally don’t have to share and this works great for breakfast too…just sayin’ 

Be sure to visit the kitchens of the other POM Series Chefs to find out what else is on the menu for week 4 of the Summer of POM:

* Kitchen Confidante

* Fitness & Spice

* Being Chelsea

* The Wicked Noodle

*******************************************************************************************************

SUMMER OF POM RECIPES

WEEK 1 SUMMER OF POM ~ SUMMER BERRY POM~TINI

WEEK 2 SUMMER OF POM ~ Bruschetta & Caprese Salads with a Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

WEEK 3 SUMMER OF POM ~ POM INFUSED CHIPOTLE BBQ CHICKEN WITH FRESH CORN SALAD

That’s all!!!  I am sad it’s over, but, I am glad you all now have FOUR FULL SUMMER OF POM Recipe collections that will give you everything you need to create fresh, healthy summer eats all summer long

Happy LONG, 3-DAY Weekend all!  Ok, well, if that doesn’t work for you, how about just Happy Friday!   Today involved TWO fun packages and some AWESOME EATS including A CHOCOLATE BANANA CALZONE and a NEW recipe involving a fun spin on Mini Mexican Meat Loaves. 

I am really looking forward to all the fun things we have planned this weekend ~ including running with my sis, seeing my family and our “surprise” Valentine’s day together on Monday.

I actually forgot to set my alarm last night, but, luckily my body woke up in time for me to squeeze in a 5K (3.1 mile) run this morning on the treadmill.  It felt awesome and I felt fast ~ LOVE days like that….now hopefully it carries forward when I run with my speedy sis on Sunday.

Breakfast was a fun new creation ~ A Sausagewich!! (Yes, that’s totally a word and all sandwiches have to end with “wich” right?!)

1 Western Alternative Sweet Wheat Bagel (ONLY ONE POINT!)

1 Laughing Cow LIte Swiss Wedge (1 pt)

1 Morning Star Veggie Sausage (2 pts)

Note to self ~ add HOT SAUCE!

OMG ~ I LOVED the creamy combination for only 4 points.

I balanced my meal out with a cup of cantaloupe and blueberries.

Mid-Morning, the TJ’s Pita Puffs were calling my name again ~ I snacked on 30 of them for 2 pts.

It was sorta drizzly today and I was CRAVING soup.  We headed over to Mammarella’s and had the BEST lunch.

Tomato Basil Soup (3 pts estimated)

That came with 2 delicious slices of focaccia bread.

Plus a side salad that was tossed with Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I LOVED the fresh mixed greens but wish they’d toss some tomatoes, cucumber or something else on there to make it look fancy and worth the $3 they charge.  I can buy a whole bag of organic mixed greens at TJ’s for less than this :/  Just sayin’

I LOVE their tables ~ don’t they look so cool?

They always save the BEST things for last ~ WE GOT A FREE GIA today!!!  You just can’t turn this down…Do you all have any idea how INGENIUS this idea is….

Here is how you can make one of your own…..

Pizza Dough ~ TJ’s fresh pizza dough would be a fabulous choice!

Banana (strawberries would be awesome too)

NUTELLA!!!

Spread your pizza dough with Nutella, add fruit, fold over calzone style and bake (425-450 for 7-10 m as a guess).  Sprinkle with cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

DIG in and ENJOY!  I guarantee it will leave you speechless. I totally think this dessert is Valentine’s day worthy!  I estimated my serving at 6 pts.

When I arrived home, I had TWO super fun packages waiting for me.  My FIRST package was from my SECRET VALENTINE BLOGGIE PAULA of SALT & HUMOR!!!

Check out the goods ~ So fun!!!!

Chai Tea

Kettle Cashew Butter

Burt’s Bees

ANNIES!!!

Orbitz Bubblemint

A super cute “Gimme Some Sugar” towel

Plus, two FANCY and FUNKY Dagoba Dark Chocolates!

Thanks so much for EVERYTHING Paula ~ You are truly thoughtful!  I LOVE it  and cannot wait to dig in and use it all!

Thanks again to my favorite person ever ~,Janetha for coordinating such a fun Secret Valentine Bloggie Exchange!  You both seriously rock!

My 2nd package, I can only show you a “SNEAK PEAK” of…..But, stay tuned for more including a product review, a delicious meal and a GIVEAWAY!!!

After all that excitement, I pretty much didn’t want to cook.  But, I stuck to my plan and whipped up a new recipe for MEXICAN MINI MEATLOVES that I have been wanting to try.  (5 points each estimated!!!) 

The meatloaves reminded me of Tamale Casserole and were super tasty!  The Husband ate 3 and I had 1 LOL.  I will be posting the recipe soon, but, here is a my ‘SECRET’ ingredient! 

I served them up with a side of TJ’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes (3 pts)

Plus freshly steamed French Green Beans.  I LOVE these beans because they are squeaky when you eat them ~ fun!

All together with extra salsa on the side…not too bad for 8 pts!

In keeping with his LOVE theme he has going on lately, The Husband made a heart out of his potatoes ~ he is such a kid – LOVE that!

We are about to pop in Ghost of Girlfriends pasts.  The Husband brought out the ChocoLOVE Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Bar so I am sure I’ll be having dessert #2 with him….seriously, how can a girl resist ChocoLOVE?!

Catch you all later this weekend ~ Night!

Hiya all! I am soooooo SAD that my long weekend is over, but, it was definitely a FUN weekend.  I think sometimes I need to just plan a break from myself – give myself ONE day of nothingness because somehow I almost always manage to fill every minute.  This weekend was no different. 

We had a blast on Saturday meeting my parents for lunch, then, at the Home & Garden Show then dinner.  I honestly think The Husband is turning into my parents because well, he LOVES those shows, just like them.  I have to admit though, it was interesting for probably the first time in my life

Sunday was supposed to be my relaxation day, but, I managed to fill my day with grocery shopping, Home Depot trip with The Husband, NEW RUNNING SHOES for me (well, they had to be ordered, out of stock ) and lots of food prep.  I cannot wait to try out and share the WW CROCK POT recipes I whipped up today.

Now, it’s time to get down to business, catch you all up and hopefully leave myself a little bit of relaxation time

SATURDAY

I had really good intentions of actually DRINKING the Tall Latte we picked up for breakfast, but, I forgot about it as we chatted on our drive up to meet my parents ~ oops.

So, my day basically began with lunch at Dos Coyotes!  I LOVE this place ~ it is probably one of the places I miss the most since moving.

I hit up the salsa bar to start……

Sipped on my Tropical Ice Tea ~ LOVED this tea!

Then, the salad I’ve been dreaming of all week long appear and it was BIGGER THAN MY HEAD!  The YucaTan Chicken Salad is filled with awesomeness!

“Charbroiled chicken breast on green leaf lettuce, red onion, carrot, sweet peppers, cabbage & corn in Southwest vinaigrette served on a flour tortilla with fruit salsa and chipotle cream.”

It’s 10 pts for the salad w/o the tortilla (14 with).  You could possibly save on points by not getting the chipotle cream or the tortilla strips.  I managed to get through about 2/3’s of my salad with a few bites of the tortilla – SO GOOD!

HOME & GARDEN SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

This is what my Garden Box is going to look like when it’s all done and flourishing with what I grow

Crazy Magic Beans that actually grow with writing on them.

How weird is that?! They say they are edible but I’d be scared

Fun signs….I totally wanted these two for FUN!

I had total VITA-MIX envy when I saw them whip up smoothies, soup and ice cream.  OMG – I TOTALLY WANT ONE NOW!!!   I think I NEED to review one! LOL…ok, well, a girl can always dream….I still LOVE My Magic bullet though

I NEVER knew that you could be WHOLE FRUIT in there CORE and all.

I sampled the fruit smoothie concoction and it rocked!

Plus some Mock Pina Colada Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ I couldn’t get paste the ingredients he used (they had transfats, high fructose corn syrup, etc) so I gave it to The Husband because well he eats anything . 

I bought some fun new sauces to play with and The Husband’s FAVORITE marinated mushrooms.

He paid it forward by picking me up this super cool Blogging Heros book for only $5 – SCORE!

I think this is what I am MOST excited about.  These little ceramic dishes are made in Spain and imported. 

This is a spice mill – you can finely ground or course grind any dried herb or fresh rosemary or time.  Ohhhh they also used it for crushed red pepper flakes too!

This is probably the COOLEST grater I’ve ever seen ~ first because you can’t grate your hands up and second because it grates everything EASILY.  Parmesan, chocolate, garlic, ginger, nuts….EVERYTHING!

It comes as a set with a cute little brush and a garlic clove skin remover.

After all that walking, we worked up an appetite   We ended up going to the Buggy Whip for dinner.  I LOVE the name ~ it makes me think it’s all old fashioned and such.

I LOVE that they put lights up all year round too!

You get a TON of food for your moolah!  I started off with a slice of wheat bread.

Then, we had the second course of a  delicious minestrone soup.  I think I could’ve made a meal of just this soup.

Third course ~ salad with ranch on the side.  I was craving Ranch so I went with it…I used my fork and dipped to eat it with each bite.   By doing that I ate only 1/3 of the container.

Fourth Course ~ steak &  scampi with a baked potato.  I actually ordered the combo to give The Husband my steak (I just wanted the SHRIMP).  I did have about 2 oz of steak too.  It was all pretty tasty.

SUNDAY

I woke up today wanting something for breakfast but not really knowing what to eat.  Do you all ever get like that?  What is your quick goto I don’t know what to eat thing?

I finally decided to whip up a MOCK CINNAMON ROLL!!!

1 Earth Grains Whole Wheat Thin

1 Laughing Cow Lite Wedge

Freshly Ground Cinnamon Chips

ORGANIC RAW Agave Nectar

This was SO AWESOME and totally a random breakfast of everything that sounded good….Not too bad for 2 pts

I added a Perfectly Hard Boiled Egg for 2 pts of protein.

Mid morning I snacked on a 1 pt low fat Colby cheese square.

Working on my MISSION TO CLEAR THE FREEZER, I whipped up an AWESOME VEGETABLE GYOZA WITH EDAMAME SOYCATASH for 5 pts a serving!  This recipe is a FAST and EASY favorite that I tried during my Vegan Adventures.  It is from Vegetarian Times Mag and it only takes like 10-15 minutes from start to finish – I LOVE recipes like that.  You can click HERE for the recipe.

I had a Blood Orange on the side that my mom brought us from my grandma’s tree.  So fun to eat since they are so vibrant….sweet like an orange, tart like a grapefruit.

Afternoon snack was MY FAVORITE Milk Chocolate ~ DOVE Caramel filled Milk Chocolates.  (4 pts)

I couldn’t wait to break out my two new sauces so dinner tonight was built around them.  I used the Chipotle Apple Brandy Marinade (like a spicy Jack Daniels sauce) on Chicken.

Then, I used the Whisky Pepper Steak Sauce (like a sweet & spicy A-1) on Tri Tip Steaks.

I will be the first to admit, some things in life you just LOVE!  Pasta Roni is one thing I grew up on and I LOVE it.  I do not really buy it as an adult since it has transfats however, I was excited to see that they have come out with a Nature’s Way version that has REAL ingredients and isn’t all processed with NO Transfats!!.

6 pts a serving, not bad!

SO GOOD!  I LOVE doughy, gooey pasta….I think i could’ve eaten the whole box

2 pts of Tri Tip Steak deliciousness!

I burned my chicken   I think I should’ve used the pan method to grill it *sigh* next time! 2 pts

Southern Greens sautéed with a little EVOO, garlic, sea salt and pepper.  Then, steamed in chicken broth ~ YUM! 0 pts

Dinner was awesome, but, I was STILL hungry after.  I hate spending 10 pts on a meal and still being hungry.

So…I whipped up a COCONUT CARAMEL BANANA SUNDAE for 2 pts!

1 small banana sliced

1 Tbsp Mrs. Richardson’s Caramel, heated and drizzled

Sprinkle of Unsweetened Organic Coconut

FF Whipped Cream

Sprinkles

I LOVED this….I definitely need to make “banana ice cream” next time to do this with, but, it worked fantastic when you wanted something sweet.  I may or may not have licked the plate clean

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend too.  I am off to relax before the busy work week starts!

Night all!

Ok, so, how many of you guessed I am THAT old?  I actually think age is only a number, it definitely doesn’t tell you how OLD you are ~ it’s all about how you feel inside and out.  I am totally younger than my number , how about you?!  I think that is why I still LOVE celebrating my birthday or at least trying to

The Husband had such great intentions today to celebrate but the weather just didn’t cooperate.  When I got up it was completely storming, pouring and windy   We had planned on going to the Winchester Mystery House, but, since part of the tour is outside, we decided to wait.  I had pondered putting off my 3.5 mile run, but, figured it would be better to check it off my list early and maybe THIS rain would lighten up a bit

After my run, I made a FANTASTIC BOWL of oats that involved TWO fun ingredients I wanted to use.

CINNAMON CHIPS that you grind like freshly ground pepper.

And my new TJ’s SUPER FRUIT JAM

BLUBERRY COCONUT SUPER FRUIT OATS

1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Big TWISTS of freshly ground cinnamon

1/2 c blueberries

1/2 c water

All micro-waved for 2 minutes, then, topped with:

Unsweetened Organic Coconut

1 dallop TJ’s SUPER FRUIT Jam

1 Tbsp crunchy almond butter

Completely delicious, warm and only 4 points!

We pondered what to do with our day as we headed out to Starbuck’s for a tall FF Chai Tea Latte.

We both LOVE driving around and looking at houses for sale so we did that for a bit while we sipped our drinks.  Then, we thought, why not go bowling, we haven’t done that in forever.  Um….I guess that is the thing to do a on rainy holiday.  They had a freakin’ waiting list of 10 groups to get a lane….crazy. 

We stopped for lunch at MS Tasty while we pondered other ideas.  This is the diner that I have them make my order that isn’t on the menu.  I LOVE that they cater to my requests.

FRESHLY STEAMED, CRUNCHY VEGGIES

THE BEST TERIYAKI CHICKEN

ALL TOGETHER WITH STEAMED RICE.  I estimate this is about 7-8 pts and worth every bite.  The Husband eats have my chicken so it’s probably less

After lunch, we did a little house remodeling research at Lowe’s and came across this AMAZING rainbow!  The best part is that it ended at The Husband’s bank – IRONIC!

I was just wanting something sweet famished after shopping (seriously, men can spend HOURS in places like Home Depot and Lowe’s so I snacked on a few bunnies is the spirit of my giveaway for 1 pt

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, watching our NetFlix before deciding what to do for dinner.  I had the option of going out to any place I wanted, but, honestly, I wasn’t super hungry and I wasn’t craving anything either.  I figured I’d save my calories and indulgence for later in the week when I didn’t want to cook and I really had a craving for something. 

I whipped up a QUICK BUFFALO CHICKEN SALADS for us.

TJ’s Organic Herb Salad Mix

Organic Persian Cucumbers

Mini Red Bell Pepper Slices

Carrot strips

Organic Cherry Tomatoes

AVOCADO

1 LF Colby Square

Toasted Almond Slices

3 Tyson’s Buffalo Chicken Bites (a chickpatty with hot sauce would be awesome too!)

Topped with Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch (8 pts) ~ AWESOME!!!  Lunch, crunchy, salty, GOOD!

In the spirit of my birthday The Husband whipped up a healthy BIRTHDAY SUNDAE for me.  He gave me the option of cake or ice cream and seriously who wouldn’t pick ICE CREAM!!!

1 c 1/2 the fat Turtle Tracks (OMG – so AMAZING ~ caramel & vanilla ice cream with caramel swirls with toffee and choclate covered pecans) – TOTAL LOVE!

Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel (THE BEST store bought sauce!)

Whipped cream and sprinkles

If we had banana, that would’ve been AWESOME in this!

I didn’t calc the points, but, you know, points totally shouldn’t count on your birthday

It was nice having a low key birthday especially since I feel like we have been celebrating all weekend.  It was the PERFECT day to since The Husband had such great intentions – it’s all about the thought

HOP ON THE ANNIE’S FRUITY BUNNY GIVEAWAY BY CLICKING HERE!!

Thanks to everyone for all the AWESOME Birthday wishes sent on Facebook, in comments, Twitter and emailed ~ You all are incredibly thoughtful and totally know how to make a girls day!  I feel SO LOVED ~ THANKS a million times over!

It’s SCANDALOUS BACHELOR TIME ~ WOOHOO!!!!

Nite all!

I LOVE citrus desserts because they seem so refreshing and light after a heavy meal.  Key Lime pie is one of my favorites because you get the smooth creamy filling with an awesome cinnamon graham pie crust.  I have reduced the fat and sugar by using fat free milk and egg substitute without giving up the creamy texture or flavor.  If you want your pie to look green vs yellow, use liquid egg whites instead of substitute.

EASY & HEALTHY KEY LIME PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 prepared low-fat graham cracker pie crust or make your own healthy version

14 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk

8 oz fat-free egg substitute or liquid egg whites**

1/4-1/2 cup fresh lime juice, from “key” or regular limes (about 2-3 limes), depending on desired tartness

1-2 tsp freshly grated lime zest

Whipped Cream for topping, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place graham cracker crust on a baking sheet; set aside.

2.  Whisk together condensed milk, egg substitute and lime juice. Add lime zest and pour mixture into crust.

3.  Bake until center looks set but still slightly quivery, like gelatin, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4.  Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely, about 1 to 2 hours. 

Cut into 10 slices and serve with whipped cream if desired.

4 Points Per Serving (using a prepared crust and excluding whipped topping)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (using a prepared crust and excluding whipped topping):

Calories 197.1, Total Fat 2.8 g, Saturated Fat 0.4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 83.2 mg, Sodium 106.2 mg, Potassium 102.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 37.2 g, Dietary Fiber 0.4 g, Sugars 29.2 g, Protein 6.3 g

STEP-BY-STEP:

1.  Did you all know it only takes 4 things to make an AMAZING and HEALTHY Key Lime Pie?

2.  Combine your condensed milk with your lime juice.

3.  Add in the egg substitute and whisk everything together

**NOTE ~ Use Egg whites if you want your pie to look green and add green food coloring if needed.

4.  Zest your lime using the super cute mini grater that Santa gave you for Christmas

5.  Add the lime zest to your lime pie filling.

6.  Pour pie filling into your prepared graham cracker crust.

7.  Bake at 325 for about 15-20 minutes until center is slightly firm and jiggles like gelatin.

8.  Cool and resist digging in until AFTER dinner

You can find the rest of the Healthy Holiday Series below.

Part 1: Simple Glazed Ham with Pineapple

Part 2: Au Gratin Potatoes 

Part 3: Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Bacon plus Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cashews.

Do you all like the idea of the healthy holiday series?  I thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit and share the fun healthy recipes I tried out over Christmas  I love knowing that the holidays can be made healthy with a few things to be enjoyed (in moderation of course).  I would love to hear your feedback so I know if I should bombard you all on future holidays .

No worries though, I will begin posting my eats again soon and tomorrow I will be back with some great uses for all those leftovers.

Nite 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.

Ingredients:

1 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:

Combine the pumpkin, agave nectar, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, mixing until well combined. Stirring constantly, cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the spices and salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and transfer your pumpkin butter to a small bowl or jar. Let cool completely before covering and refrigerating. 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

Nutritional information per 1 Tbsp serving:

Calories 26.6, Total Fat 0.1 g, Saturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 1.3 mg, Potassium 1.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6.4 g, Dietary Fiber 1.3 g, Sugars 5.1 g, Protein 0.5 g

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 or in your favorite baked goods.

Once you make your own, you’ll never want to go back to the jarred stuff   Enjoy!

Hi Danica’s Daily readers! I’m Marisa from Trim The Fat, a healthy living and weight loss blog. I’m so excited to be guest posting for Danica! I really enjoy her zest for life and love how she takes the time to share her amazing, healthy looking recipes! I thought I would share one of my recipes for a healthy treat. This is a variation on a recipe that I submitted for a BSI challenge back in May. I won the challenge that week with the original recipe, but I decided to do a variation on it! So, here’s my recipe for Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Coconut Glaze…

· 3 egg whites

· 1 large banana, mashed

· 2/3 cup sugar

· ½ cup skim milk

· 1 tsp. vanilla

· 1 tbsp. canola oil

· 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

· ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

· ½ tsp. baking soda

· ¼ tsp. baking powder

· ¼ tsp. salt

Glaze

· 3/4 cup powdered sugar

· 2 tbsp. fat free half and half or skim milk

· ½ tsp. coconut extract

· ¼ c. shredded coconut (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites, banana and sugar. Add milk, vanilla and oil and beat for 2 minutes on low speed. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until fully combined. The batter will be very thin.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop batter and pour into 12 cup muffin tin lined with paper liners until all are filled. If not using liners, spray tin well with cooking spray.

Bake cupcakes for 12 minutes. Do not overbake! Let cool on wire rack.

After cupcakes are completely cool, prepare glaze. Top each cupcake with about 1 tbsp. of glaze and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of shredded coconut.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

*TIP – Unglazed cupcakes can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container. Glaze cupcakes before serving.

Hope you enjoy them!

I LOVE just about any fruity dessert, especially those that only require 3 ingredients.  I am sure several of you have heard of the “diet coke” cakes.  I LOVE diet coke cakes, however, I have not eaten one since I gave up artificial sweeteners over 3 years ago.  Here is a spin on the diet coke cake that you can now make without the artificial sweeteners.

You only need 3 ingredients!

1 12 oz bottle of fizzy water, I picked Perrier

1 lb bag of unsweetened berries.  I used Trader Joe’s Berry Blend

1 package of your favorite cake mix.  I used Trader Joe’s Vanilla BEAN

I LOVE this Trader Joe’s cake mix ~ it’s amazing when made according to the package too!

The nutritionals are not too shabby either, but, I try not to focus on that as much when I am having a “treat”.

Step 1: Start off by coating an 8×8 pan with nonstick spray and adding your bag of frozen berries.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine your fizzy water and cake mix. Mix just until combined.

Step 3: Pour your cake mixture over your berries and bake according to the packaged directions. 

Step 4: Allow to cool after spending 45-50 minutes in the oven.  Serve as is or topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 9 servings, 4 Weight Watcher Points each.  You could use a 9×13 pan and have 18 servings at 2 Weight Watcher Points.  Just be sure to reduce the cooking time.

My FAVORITE way to have this is with real whipped cream. It would be even better with vanilla beans added to the whipped cream – YUM!

I like making this dessert when I need something that is fast and easy.  Everyone LOVES it and you’d be surprised how you cannot tell there is only a bottle of water mixed in.

Today was such a LONG day which is never good when you are in a “funk”.  But, the “work” part is all over so it has to get better from here, right?!

I had fun with my morning snack today ~ I made a fruit, cheese & cracker plate.

1 nectarine & 1 sugar plum, chopped and mixed

1 Low-Fat Sargento Colby Cheese, cut into bite size pieces

And then, the bunnies wanted to play too, so I added them to the plate

My workout plan for today did not go as planned.  I had a meeting that went over at lunchtime so I missed Body Pump.  My co-worker talked me into “de-stressing” by heading to Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods.  I should have gone on my walk, but, how do you resist going to two of my favorite places ever! 

I decided to give Synergy one more try and grabbed the bright orange Mystic Mango.  I poured out a cup and you know what ~ I am still not a huge fan.  It tastes like a cross between wine and beer and there is nothing sweet or mango-y about it.

I also traded in my leftover Buffalo Chicken Salad that I prepared last night for lunch for some FUN new treats from Whole Foods.  Check out the “Fruity Aloha Roll” I found.  Have you all ever seen these?!  They come in Mango, strawberry, tofu, ahi, shrimp, etc.  I picked the Strawberry with Peanut Sauce to share with my co-worker!

I grabbed 3 pieces……LOOK at ALL that crunchy goodness ~ strawberries, avocado, carrots, lettuce, cucumber…nom, nom, nomm…..

And of course topped them with some peanutty sauce – YUM!  Sweet, crunchy, savory with a little spicy nuttiness. I LOVED the combo and how you can taste ALL the flavors!

I am sure you all are not surprised I HAD to pick up sushi too ~ A brown rice Spicy Ahi Roll with avocado!!!  I am not a big fan of the spicy sauce WF’s uses – it tastes like mayo ~ bleh!

All together with my square plate ~ this was a fun lunch that can make any day better!

I also picked up some “Just Apricots” at Whole Foods.  I have had several of the other flavors and thought they were ok, but, the APRICOT is AMAZING!!! It is sweet and tart and crunchy and just delicious!!!

The entire container is only 3 Weight Watcher Points!

I had a small handful of these for “dessert”.

I have been wanting to share this trick for my afternoon snack with you all for a LONG time now but, I always seem to forget to bring my supplies.  So this morning I made sure I packed a bunch of bags, popcorn, powdered sugar, salt and my olive oil mister.

CLEAN KETTLE KORN!!!!!

Yup, you read that right!  I LOVE popcorn but I do not like the ingredients on the microwave version and honestly who is going to bring their popcorn popper to work (other than me LOL!).  Here is all you need to make HEALTHY, NATURAL, CLEAN EATING  Kettle Korn!

1 brown lunch bag

3 Tbsp popcorn kernels

a microwave

Olive Oil Mister or Nonstick Spray

1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Dashes of sea salt

NOTE: get creative with your toppings here.  You can add 1 tsp cocoa powder for chocolate popcorn or cinnamon or make a salty version using chili powder with powdered cheese.  The options are endless.  I also think drizzle hot caramel sauce over this would be fantastic!

2.5 Weight Watcher Points for the entire batch!!!

Place your popcorn kernels in your brown bag and fold the top over 2-3 times like you would if you were packing your lunch leaving room for it to pop.

Microwave for ~ 2-3 minutes, listening for the popping to stop.  If you can count to 3 and hear no popping it is done.  You definitely want to stop it before it stops popping or you can burn your popcorn.

Pour your popcorn out of your bag on a plate or bowl and “mist” with your olive oil mister/nonstick spray.  You can also leave it in the bag and do the same.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sea salt and Enjoy!

I threw in a few Just Apricots for added fun in another dish since my co-workers shared the other dish I made up.

So amazingly good ~ sweet, salty, crunchy and totally CLEAN AND HEALTHY!

Alright all, I am off to figure out what to do with the rest of my night.  My todo list is overwhelming and I do not feel like doing any of it – bad, bad!  I know I “should” workout, the farmer’s market is going on and I need cook dinner since The Husband is home eating the kitchen….yet, NONE of it appeals.

All week I have been struggling with my exercise funk ~ nothing appeals and I have no desire to do it…..even when I start, I am ready to stop.  Usually the hardest part is just getting started and then I love it.  Maybe it’s not my week?

So, I am asking you all for advice.  What do you do to get out of any funk you are in?

My BBC Dessert tonight was fantastic and it only takes about 2 minutes or less to make. Simply preheat a nonstick “dry” (no oil or water) pan over medium heat. Add your banana that is sliced in half vertically and cook until blackened. While your banana cooks, heat 1 Tbsp of your favorite caramel sauce in the microwave for 10 seconds. Remove your banana and top with caramel.

This entire dessert is only 3 Weight Watchers Points – yahoo! I actually debated licking the plate.

The Husband tested out the 3 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake that I made for him today.

Topped with some whipped cream that was left over from my guest post recipe!

The verdict ~ he liked it! I did try a small bite and it reminded me of a dark chocolate vitatop but with the density of a brownie/cake almost. I cooked it in a bowl instead of a cup because I didn’t want it ot overflow. It was fun to make a cake in 4 minutes flat!

Ok all ~ 3 GIVEAWAYS to check out:

* Emily is having another MixIt Granola Giveaway ~ click HERE to check it out.
* C.G. Foodie is having a Goddes Giveaway ~ click HERE to check it out.

And last but not least, today is your last chance to enter to win a FREE Copy of the Bikinig Bootcamp Book. Click HERE for the details.

Have a great night all!