Splenda Blend Sour Cream Pound Cake

It seems recipes have a way of spreading from one household to the next. Or in the age of the world wide web, from one blog to the next. I saw this recipe over at Lovin Life with Lea, and thought uhmmm, that sounds good. Then I found followed the link Lea had left and found the recipe over ar Recipeczar! So, we made it for church on Sunday, and added fresh strawberries. Wow, it was delicious! So, hope you enjoy!

Splenda Blend Sour Cream Pound Cake
http://www.recipezaar.com/107856

A delicious dessert, always keep a pound cake in the freezer for a begining of a delicious dessert. Toast or grill slices of pound cake and top with fresh fruit or your favorite topping or ice cream.
by Barb Gertz
1¾ hours 20 min prep
SERVES 18

Ingredients
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups Splenda granular
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
6 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees; GREASE and flour a 10-inch tube pan or a 12-cup BUNDT pan; set aside.

Combine flour, Splenda Sugar-Blend for baking, and soda in a large mixing bowl; cut butter into flour mixture with a fork or a pastry blended until crumbly, (this procedure may be done with a mixer at the lowest speed, cover mixing bowl with a tea towel to prevent spattering, I have a guard that fits on my mixer bowl-Kitchen Aid).

Combine eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl; add 1/4 of the egg mixture to flour mixture; beat on low speed of an electric mixer until blended; beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrap down sides of bowl; REPEAT PROCEDURE 3 times.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean, cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, cool completly on a wire rack.

Nutritional Info
Calories 227
Total Fat 14.9g 22%
Saturated Fat 8.8g 43%
Monounsaturated Fat 4.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 121mg 5%
Potassium 69mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 18.6g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g 1%
Sugars 0.3g
Protein 4.5g 9%

Berry Cheesecake Pie ~ By Gidget

WOW! People are stepping up to the plate and expiermenting with foods. It's just like high school chemistry. You know, when you mix different chemicals together and sometimes you make a bomb. But other times you create a cure for the common cold!

Well, a friend of mine from Obesity Help Tennessee Forum has come up with a cure for the common cold. If not the cold, I'm sure it will be a cure for something since it looks and sounds so good! I plan on making it sometime this week. After I begged for "Food Porn", she obliged and sent a picture! So, THANKS to Gidget for this scrumptious summer time treat!

Ingredients

8 sheets phyllo dough
6 tbsp i can't believe its not butter melted
2 packages fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (I used frozen mixed raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries
1/2 cup sugar free blackberry jam(I made myself!)
1 cup sugar free whipped cream

Directions

Place one sheet of phyllo dough in a greased 9 in pie plate brush with butter. Repeat 7 times; trim edges. Bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire rack. For filling mix cream cheese, splenda, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low until just combined. Fold in the berries. Spoon into crust. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, cover edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake 23-27 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled. In a small mixing bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over filling. Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with additional berries.

Cookies and Cream Protein Ice Cream

Scott's Cookies and Cream Protien Ice Cream

1 Cup Hoods Calorie Countdown Milk
2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
2 Tablespoons DaVinci French Vanilla Syrup
3 Sugar Free Oreo Cookies

Chop the Oreo cookies and set aside. Mix together milk, protein, French Vnilla syrup. I used a blender to tackle this portion of the recipe. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing. 5 minutes before done add the chopped Oreos. The ice cream can be eaten right away, or stored in your freezer to ripen.

Pistachio Protein Ice Cream

Shelly's Pistachio Protein Ice Cream

2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Pistachio Pudding Mix

1 Cup Hoods Calorie Countdown Milk

2 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

1/4 cup chopped pistachios, toasted

Toast 1/4 cup of chopped pistachios for a few minutes in a dry pan. Set aside to cool. Mix together milk, protein, & pudding mix. I used a blender to tackle this portion of the recipe. Pour into ice cream maker. Follow your machine's instructions for freezing. 5 minutes before done add the chopped nuts. The ice cream can be eaten right away, or stored in your freezer to ripen.

All the credit for this recipe goes to Michelle. She rocks!

Caramel Flan Cheesecake

Caramel Flan Cheesecake (Sugar Free)

Cheesecake Base:
1 pound 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups Splenda
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tablespoon orange zest
6 eggs
1 cup half and half

Caramel:
Smucker's Sugar Free Caramel Sauce. Pour caramel sauce into a deep dish glass pie plate. Swirl the caramel around to cover the bottom of the plate and cool in fridge..

Cheesecake Base:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, on low speed work the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Continue to mix for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and scrape down after each addition. On low speed slowly stream in the heavy cream. Scrape down every 30 seconds. Remove from bowl and pour out into prepared cool caramel pan.

Bake in a hot water bath for 1 hour. When finished the cake will be slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool down for at least 4 hours before flipping over. The cake can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Flip over by placing a 12-inch flat plate over the top of the cake pan. Hold with a firm grip and flip cake upside down. Let the pan sit on top for a second. Lift pan off the cake and serve on its own or with berries.

This recipe has been adapted from Food Network and Wolfgang Puck

Strawberry Caramel Protein Ice Cream

Strawberry Caramel Protein Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 cup mashed Strawberries

2 Tablespoons Whipped Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoon Sugar Free DaVinci Vanilla Syrup

2 cup Hoods Calorie Countdown milk

4 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 cup chopped Strawberries

Mix all your ingredients in blender, except for 1/2 cup strawberries. Pour into your freezer and follow manufacturers directions and wait! 5 minutes before your ice cream freezes, chop the remaining strawberries into small bite size pieces and pour into your freezer. Your ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve. You can enjoy it then, or pop into an airtight container and freeze for a couple of hours, giving it time to ripen!

Now this is Eggface's recipe, but I doubled it and I used ingredients that were in my cupboards. Now, how did this recipe change to Strawberry Caramel? Let me present the story...

Scott: RJ, would you like to try the ice cream?

RJ: Yeah papa, I would! (He takes a small bite). What flavor is this, strawberry caramel?

S: No, it's just plain strawberry.

I then take a spoon to Beth, my wife.

S: Beth would you like to try the ice cram?

B: Yeah! What flavor is this, strawberries and caramel?

S: No! why is everyone asking me this?

B: Did you use a dirty spoon, because I'm tasting caramel!

S: No, I did not!!!

10 minutes pass, and I again offer her another small sample. This time with a different spoon.

S: Well?

B: It's really good, but I'm still tasting caramel!

At this point, my mind goes into uh oh mode and I run to the kitchen! Sure enough I used DaVinci's caramel syrup instead of vanilla! So, there you have it...Strawberry Caramel Protein Ice Cream! I really have to give Michelle the credit for all this. It seems her Protein Ice Cream is taking over the world!

I do know this though...at night for a quick and easy dessert, we are having protein ice cream!

Hope you enjoy!

Chunky Monkey Protein Ice Cream

Well, I finally did it. I bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with part of my stimulus check. Thank you Uncle Sam!

I have been following Michelle's (Eggface) journey into the art of protein ice cream making. I have to share this with you though...ice cream is what got me into trouble.

My treat for the day (pre-weight loss surgery) was to buy Blue Bell ice cream and eat a half a gallon a day! Sad isn't it? Well I got to say this about Eggface's protein ice cream...yum, yum, yum!!!!

So, here is the recipe I used for my Chunky Monkey Protein Ice Cream (click here).

Chunky Monkey Protein Ice Cream

2 cups Hoods Calorie Countdown Milk

3 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder (I used Lean Dessert Whipped Vanilla)

2 T DaVinci Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

1 T Splenda Granulated Sugar

2 Banana

Mix all your ingredients in blender, except for 1 banana. Pour into your freezer and follow manufacturers directions and wait! 5 minutes before your ice cream freezes, chop the remaining banana into small bite size pieces and pour into your freezer. Your ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve. You can enjoy it then, or pop into an airtight container and freeze for a couple of hours. I topped mine with a little Smucker's Sugar Free Hot Fudge sauce, while RJ used Smucker's Sugar Free Caramel.

Strawberry Shortbread Cheescake

Crust

1 Package of Murray's Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies

1/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

3 (8 ounce) Packages Fat Free Cream Cheese

1 1/4 cups SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

4 Eggs

1 1/2 T Lime Juice

1 Pt Strawberries

1 Pinch Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine Murray SF Shortbread Cookies, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and melted butter in a small bowl. Crush until cookies until crumbled. Press on bottom and up sides of prepared pan.
Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Beat fat free cream cheese together at high speed with a mixer until creamy; gradually add SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until each one is incorporated. Slice 4 strawberries and mix in filling until blended. Add lime juice and a pinch of salt, beat until smooth. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until mixture is almost set, and slightly firm to the touch. Run a knife around edge of pan to release sides, and help prevent cracking. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack; cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Top with Strawberry glaze and remaining strawberries.

Sugar Free Red Velvet Cheesecake

A good friend of mine from Gatlinburg posted this recipe on the Tenn Forum of Obesity Help.

It makes me feel good when people step out and try things. One of my goals for surgery was not to deny myself of good food. Sometimes we just have to try and experiment.

Sugar free does not always mean calorie free, so we need to use these recipes in moderation and not as a treat every day. But it is really nice to be able to have gourmet food that is deli-sh! Way to go Marilyn! She even provided Food Porn!

Sugar Free Red Velvet Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 package Murray ’s sugar free Oreo like cookies
¼ cup I can’t Believe its not Butter
1 ½ packages (8 ounces) fat free cream cheese
1 ½ packages (8 ounces) ¼ less fat cream cheese
1 ½ cups Splenda
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup low fat sour cream
½ cup fat free buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 (1 ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 ½ ounces fat free cream cheese
1 ½ ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
¼ cup I Can’t believe it not Butter spread
2 cups powdered Nature’s crystals
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Crush the cookies and add ¼ cup I can’t believe its not butter and press into 9 inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and Splenda together 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed until just blended. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, then 300 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run a knife along edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Cover and chill for 8 hours or until needed. Beat remaining cream cheese; I can’t believe it’s not Butter until creamy. Gradually add Nature’s crystals, and beat until smooth. Spread over top of cheesecake. Remove side of springform pan and serve!

Nutritional Info
16 servings
142 calories per slice
10 grams carbs
7 grams protein

Terrific Teriyaki Wings

Teriyaki Sauce
¼ C of low sugar ketchup
2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T Splenda Brown sugar
1 T Splenda Sweetened Pineapple Juice
1 ½ t ground ginger
1 t minced garlic 1
t sesame seeds



Marinate chicken wings in the above sauce at least 4 hours, the longer the better. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. We decided to finish the wings on the grill to give them a great summertime flavor!

Red, White and Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Red, White and Blue Cheese Coleslaw

1 pkg. (16 oz.) coleslaw blend
1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup KRAFT Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Natural Blue Cheese Crumbles
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled


Toss coleslaw blend with peppers and dressing in large bowl; cover.
Refredgerate at least 1 hour.
Top with the cheese and bacon just before serving

Nutritional Information
6 servings
Calories 190
Total fat 15 g
Saturated fat 4 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Sodium 440 mg
Carbohydrate 7 g
Dietary fiber 2 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 5 g

*Recipe and picture from Kraft Foods Recipes

Fruit Pies

Strawberry Pie


2 Qt strawberries rinsed and hulled; sliced or chunked
1 pre-baked deep dish pie shell
1 recipe of strawberry glaze

Mix berries and glaze together. Turn onto pre-baked pie shell. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with Sugar free Cool Whip topping.

Strawberry Glaze

1 C berries crushed or pureed
¾ C water
¾ C Splenda
3 T corn starch

I use the magic bullet.

Mix all ingredients together in the magic bullet. Blend. Bring to a boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir until thickened. Cool. Mix with berries to make pie or tarts.


Blueberry or Mixed Berry Pie


4 pints of berries, rinsed
1-1 ¼ C splenda
¼ C flour
2 t cinnamon
1 deep dish pie shell
Pastry to top ( I use pre-made pie crust – unroll and top the pie)



Mix berries, Splenda, flour and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Turn onto a unbaked deep dish pie shell. Top with unrolled pie crust dough. Pinch seams together. Make steam slits in top pie dough before cooking. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 3500 for approximately 40-45 minutes. Best when made a day ahead of time. Top with sugar free cool whip topping.

Beth’s version of Terrific Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

It seems today has been the day for cooking! This morning we had Apple Pie Pancakes. This afternoon's selection for dinner was one RJ had found in a Taste Of Home magazine. So Beth took the recipe (along with her helper Chi Chi) , and changed a lot of the ingredients to make it a little more weight WLS friendly. Without further ado, Beth's version of Terrific Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Sauce:
¼ C of low sugar ketchup
2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T Splenda Brown sugar
1 T Splenda Sweetened crushed Pineapple (Libby's Pineapple Rings)
1 ½ t ground ginger
1 t minced garlic
1 t sesame seeds

Burgers:
1 egg
1/3 C dry bread crumbs
3 T dry minced onion
2 T Splenda sweetened crushed pineapple
1 lb ground Turkey

For crushed pineapple, take 2 slices of pineapple and crush in chopper

1) In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside
2) In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, 3 T of sauce, dry onions and pineapple and ground turkey. Mix well. Shape into ½ C patties. (Mine made 6)
3) Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Grill burgers, covered over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 165 and juices run clear. Brush burgers occasionally with reserved sauce.
4) Grill remaining pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 209.1
Total Fat: 8.2 g
Cholesterol: 56.1 mg
Sodium: 470.1 mg
Total Carbs: 14.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
Protein: 18.0 g

Apple Pie Pancakes !

In my daily reading of blogs (I know, I need to get a life!), I ran across a nice site entitled Melissa's Journey. Now Melissa is not a WLS patient. She is just someone trying to lose a few pounds as well as keep them off.

While reading, I found a nice, easy dessert to make...Apple Pie Enchilada. So I made the apples last night, but fell asleep before we could get them made. So that recipe will be coming soon!

We awoke early this morning and decided to make some breakfast. I asked Beth if she would like some cottage cheese pancakes. While making the pancakes, I had an idea (yes that was smoke a pouring out my ears!). What if I used the apples for a topping for the pancakes?



So, wha-la...Apple Pie Pancakes!

Apple Topping
Ingredients
1 Apple~cored, peeled and chopped
A dash of Cinnamon
Splenda~Sweeten to taste
A Splash of DaVinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup

Directions
1)Put peeled, cored, and chopped apple in a bowl and toss with Cinnamon and Splenda (if desired).
2)Microwave for 3 minutes, or until soft.
3) Too easy!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
¼ cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
1 egg
1 packet of Splenda
Splash of Cinn-a-bliss (pinch of cinnamon may be substituted)

Directions
1) Grind oatmeal in blender/magic bullet
2) Add cottage cheese, egg, and Splenda, and Cinn-a-Bliss
3) Mix thoroughly in blender/magic bullet
4) Let sit for several minutes for air bubbles to escape

Makes 4 silver dollar pancakes or 1 large pancake.

Here is a link to other Cottage Cheese Pancake recipes:
Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberry Topping
Linda's Ricotta Cheese Crepes

Easy BBQ Sloppy joes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup Walden Farms Thick & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
4 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

1) Cook turkey in large nonstick skillet until cooked through; drain.

2) Add peppers and onion; cook and stir until tender.
3) Add barbecue sauce; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
4) Fill buns with turkey mixture.

Prep Time:5 min

Total Time:20 min
Makes:4 servings

Nutrition Info:
Calories 300
Total fat 11 g
Saturated fat 3 g
Cholesterol 85 mg
Sodium 420 mg
Carbohydrate 26 g
Dietary fiber 2 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 24 g

***Adapted from Kraft Foods!

Greek Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients
Boneless Chicken Breast
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Poultry Seasoning
Oregano
Thyme
Frozen Spinach
Feta Cheese
Canned Artichoke Hearts

Directions
1) Pound chicken until thin enough to roll.
2) Thaw and drain frozen spinach.
3) Layer spinach, feta cheese, and artichoke hearts in center of chicken. Roll and secure with toothpicks.
4) Season both sides of chicken with seasoning to taste.
5) Saute chicken in garlic and olive oil until brown all the way around.
6) Bake in 350 degree oven until done.

I had a few extra breasts & ran out of feta so I used a little smoked provolone & added a few halved kalamata olives in addition to the spinach & artichokes. I haven't tried that one yet but it looked just as good!!

Enjoy!!

Sugar Free Brownie Trifle

Last week at church we had a covered dish dinner. One of the desserts that was brought was very similar to a trifle dessert, but was served in a 9 x 13 pan. We thought we would try to recreate it using sugar free ingredients. This is what we came up with. Now I will say this, depending on what stage of diet or weight loss surgery your are at, keep in mind the title of my blog:

Food for Thought And Moderation Too!


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Splenda sugar substitute
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1 box of jello sugar free pudding
1 package of sugar free cool whip
1 Russel stover sugar free toffee squares

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt the butter or margarine and mix all ingredients in the order given.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 inch greased pan.

Once brownies are cooled, crumble into a 9 x 13 pan. Make 1 box of jello sugar free chocolate pudding as directed. Pour over top of crumbled brownies and chill until pudding is set. When pudding is set, top with 1 package of sugar free cool whip. Chop toffee squares and sprinkle over the top of the cool whip.

Sugar Free Turtle Cheesecake

Sugar Free Turtle Cheesecake

Crust:
1 pkg. Murray’s SF Fudge dipped graham crackers (Cookies)
¼ Cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp .Splenda
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
6 unwrapped pieces Russell Stovers’s SF Pecan Clusters

Crush the cookies into crumbs. (I use a food processor.) Mix crust ingredients and pat into a 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan that haws been non-stick sprayed. Bake 5-6 minutes at 350°F. As soon as it comes from the oven put 6 pieces of Pecan Clusters over bottom. Put back in oven for 3-4 minutes. Spread them over bottom crust. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling:
24 oz. cream cheese (I use 2 reduced fat and 1 regular)
1 1/2 C. Splenda
3 large eggs
1/2 C. light sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cream cheese, in a mixer and mix well. Add Splenda, sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla in large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending well. Add eggs 1 at a time, beat well. Wrap the prepared cheesecake crust that is in a spring form pan in aluminum foil. Place in a larger sided pan. Pour boiling water in the larger pan to about halfway up the spring form pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; without opening oven door, lower temperature to 250 degrees and continue cooking for 30 minutes more. Without opening oven door, turn off heat and let cheesecake sit in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Take pan out of water bath and foil. Let cool completely on a rack then put in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Topping:
Smuckers Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
Chopped Pecans

Pour caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle chopped pecans around the edge.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberries

This morning for breakfast, Beth decided to make cottage cheese pancakes. Before you say anything, like “blech or uck”, let me say this, “They are good”!!!!! But I decided to carry it a little further. We had some strawberries in the fridge and I suggested we use those. Instead of sugar free syrup, we took a little sugar free strawberry jam and micro waved it. Yum yum!! What a nice way to start the day! Hope you enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

¼ cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
1 egg
1 packet of splenda

1) Grind oatmeal in blender/magic bullet
2) Add cottage cheese, egg, and splenda
3) Mix thoroughly in blender/magic bullet
4) Let sit for several minute for air bubbles to escape

Makes 4 silver dollar pancakes or 1 large pancake.

Mini Bites

This recipe is another from my friend Michelle. We modified it slightly to give it a taste of our own. But I have to give credit to her, she is a genius! And we wish her a speedy recovery form her PS! Luv ya Michelle!

Spinach & Garlic Feta Bites
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
2 Green Onions, diced
2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 cup cooked Spinach, squeeze water out
1 teaspoon Butter
1 teaspoon Oregano few twists of Black Pepper
5 Eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Fresh Grape Tomato, diced
1/2 cup Garlic & Herb Feta Cheese crumbled
1/2 cup Shredded Quesadilla Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sauté onions in butter till golden.
Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Add cooked spinach and sauté till dry and separated about 1 minute.
Set aside to cool.
Mix all ingredients together.
Be sure veggie mixture has cooled slightly before adding to egg mixture.
Spoon (I use a small 1 ounce cookie scoop) into a lightly greased mini muffin tin.
Bake for 30 minutes or until centers are firm.
Makes 24.



Crab and Shrimp Bites
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
3 Green Onions, diced
2 teaspoons minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
5 Eggs
1 jar/4 oz. Red Pimentos, drained
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts (non marinated), chopped fine
1 cup Shredded Quesadilla Cheese
1 cup Cooked Crab and Shrimp Meat (Wally World brand)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sauté onions in butter till golden.
Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Set aside to cool.
Mix all ingredients together.
Be sure onions have cooled slightly before adding egg mixture.
Spoon (I use a small ice cream scoop) into lightly greased mini muffin tin.
Bake for 30 minutes or until centers are firm.
Makes 24.

Sugar Free Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is a great little treat that RJ actually came up with. When you need that Ice Cream Sandwich fix, this should do it. I used some of the left over sugar free frosting that came for the Died and Gone To Heaven Chocolate Cup Cakes and Murray's Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies.

Take 2 cookies. On the bottom cookie, pipe some of the cake icing. Place a 2nd cookie on top and stick in the freezer until ready to eat. Yum Yum!!

The nutrition info is not to bad either. Just remember...moderation!

Nutrition Info
Serving size: 1 Ice Cream Sandwich
Calories 32.5 g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 35 mg
Total Carbohydrates 5.25 g
Dietary fiber .5g
Sugars 0g
Sugar Alcohol 1g
Protein .5g

Died and Gone To Heaven Cup Cakes

Died And Gone To Heaven Cup Cakes

1 3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups fat free milk (Hood's would be a good alternative)
1 small lunch size container sugar free applesauce
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot strong black coffee

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cake pan or bundt with non-stick cooking spray, set aside

2) Blend flour, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in large mixing bowl.

3) Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and coffee in a small bowl.

4) Add flour to mixture, using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until Smooth (about 2 minutes).

5) Pour batter into cake pan or bundt pan. If traveling, I recommend a 13 x 9 pan

6) Bake for 35 minutes, until an inserted toothpick in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Nutrition Info (per serving)

18 servings

Calories 64.6

Protein 3.2g

Fat 1.2g

Saturated Fat .5g

Polyunsaturated Fat .1g

Monounsaturated Fat .4

Carbohydrate 11.9g

Dietary Fiber 1.6g

Sugars .6g

Cholesterol 29mg

Sodium 113.4mg

Sugar Free Frosting

1 (1.4 ounce) package sugar-free instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cups milk
1 shot instant espresso

1 (8 ounce) fat free package cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container sugar free frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS

1) In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, milk and espresso. Mix well and let stand until thickened.

2) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding and mix well. Finally, fold in whipped topping.

3) I recommend you keep this cake refrigerated until serving. The frosting will sometimes puddle if it becomes to warm.

Southwestern Skewers

Southwestern Skewers

Juicy chicken, cherry tomatoes, whole mushrooms and sweet peppers make these skewers filling. But it's the fresh garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper that give them their zesty kick.

Ingredients:
1 bottle (8 ounces) reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 large fresh mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Pour half into a large resealable plastic bag; add the vegetables. Seal bag and turn to coat. Pour remaining marinade into another large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate vegetables and chicken for at least 2-3 hours. If grilling the kabobs, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Drain vegetables, reserving marinade for basting. On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread chicken and vegetables. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, turning three times and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: (2 kabobs)
Calories: 231
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 63 mg
Sodium: 275 mg
Carbohydrate: 15 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 26 g

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This feeds a party, you may want to half it, or freeze some. Serve with crackers, veggies-- celery be great but not for RNYers. This recipe is courtesy of Franks RedHot Sauce.

Ingredients
20 ounces chicken
2 8 oz. packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 cup light bleu cheese dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (not the wing sauce)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions
Mix chicken cream cheese and hot sauce in a frying pan and heat it up. Add the dressing and half of the cheddar and mix well. Pour into a bowl and top with remaining cheddar-- or add to a crock pot and top with cheddar.

Nutritional facts
Amount Per 4 oz
Calories 208
Calories from Fat 94.5
Total Fat 10.5g
Saturated Fat 5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 922mg
Potassium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 10g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Protein 18g

Marvelous Mocha Cheesecake

Marvelous Mocha Cheesecake

Crust

1 box of 100 calorie Oreo Wafers crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

Filling

3 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese

3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso crystals

2 (.55 ounce) packages Sugar-Free Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa Mix

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Mix crust ingredients together, and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

3) Reset oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

4) Beat cream cheese and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener together until well mixed and smooth. Add eggs, egg whites, cornstarch and salt. Mix until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix until well blended.

5) Measure 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add instant espresso crystals and cocoa mix. Stir until well combined.

6) Pour half of plain batter over crust. Top with half of the coffee batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter. Gently swirl the coffee batter into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula. Repeat with remaining batters.

7) Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking).

8)Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4- 6 hours or overnight before serving. 16 servings.

Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories 200

Calories from Fat 120

Protein 7g

Fat 13g (sat 8g)

Carbohydrate 14g

Fiber 0g

Cholesterol 65mg

Sodium 270mg

Sugar 4g