Sugar Free Marshmallows

A recipe from a dear friend of mine!

Basic Marshmallows by Freddie Summers
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 packets unflavored gelatin
2 cups Whey Low granular
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup maltitol syrup
4 teaspoons Just Whites
4 Tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water.
In a 3 quart heavy bottom pot, mix Whey Low, hot water and maltitol syrup. Over medium heat, stir until sugar crystals dissolve and bring to a boil. When crystals are dissolved, cover with a lid for two minutes(to wash down any additional crystals that form.) Use a candy thermometer and boil mixture until it reaches 240 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately pour over the softened gelatin. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Beat mixture on high (with electric mixer) for 15-minutes. While you are waiting, whip Just Whites and warm water (4 Tablespoons) in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form (copper works best.) Add vanilla extract and then add egg whites to marshmallow batter during last five minutes of the beating time. Mix well.

Quickly pour marshmallow batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Allow to set for 3 hours. Cut in desired shapes. These keep for several weeks. Store in fridge or Whey Low will recrystalize and make your fluffy marshmallows grainy.

By the way...these toast beautifully!

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Recently, during my searches for anything to do with photography, I came across a truly remarkable blog…The Pioneer Woman. 

This woman does everything you can think of!  She is a homeschooling mom, who entertains and throws dinner parties you would not believe.  How do I know this?  Cause she post photos of the said events, hence photography! 

She post some of the most interesting and tantalizing recipes I have ever seen.  What does this mean to me?  That I must deconstruct the recipe and make it weight loss friendly if possible. 

I saw this one the other day and thought it would go perfect for a meeting I had at work.  I was right!  By the time I got to take a picture, there were only 2 left.

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Muffins:

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup Splenda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 heaping cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!)
2 tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 24 mini muffin tins.

Sift flour, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup softened I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
4 ounces fat free cream cheese
1/2 pound powdered sugar (I took Splenda and ran it through the blender to make my own!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!

Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

Strawberry Cream Freeze

Ingredients:
Low fat cream cheese, 8 ounces
Skim Milk, 1 cup
Kraft Jello-o Brand Fat Free Sugar Free Pudding, Vanilla, 1 box
Cool Whip Fat Free, 8oz container
Murray's Sugar Free Vanilla Wafers ,1 cup coursely chopped
Strawberries, fresh, 1 cup, sliced
Smuckers Sugar Free Strawberry Ice Cream Topping 1/2 cup

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP, wafers and berries. Swirl in ice cream topping.

You can serve this recipe one of three ways. In a pie shell, in waffle cones, or like I did. Place a spoon full in a mini cupcake paper and freeze. Doing it this way resulted in 36 mini desserts. A great way for portion control.

Here are the stats when serving it my way:
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 36

Amount Per Serving Calories: 37.6

Total Fat: 1.5 g

Cholesterol: 5.0 mg

Sodium: 68.2 mg

Total Carbs: 5.3 g

Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g

Protein: 1.1 g

*Adapted from Kraft Foods

Omelet Bites - Denver Style

Omelet Bites - Denver Style

1 Yellow Onion, diced

2 Green Onions, diced

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced

2 slices of Ham, diced

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup Picante Sauce (or Salsa)

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions and peppers till golden. Add ham and saute 1 minute more. Set aside to cool. When cool mix all ingredients together. I bake them in mini-muffin pans

Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies

One of my favorite Christmas candies is Chocolate Covered Cherries. For years, I always bought a box of Queen Anne Cherries, man, that just made my Christmas. The trouble was, I could not stop at one!

The other day, I was craving those same cherries. Unfortunatly, I knew they would make me so sick! So, I did a little research, and came up with an appropriate alternative...

Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies!

INGREDIENTS:
BROWNIES
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

CHERRY FILLING
1 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
¼ cup Splenda sugar substitute
Sugar Free Cherry Preserves
Maraschino Cherries with stems

Mix Brownies ingredients together in one bowl.
Mix cream cheese, ¼ cup splenda, and 1 tablesoon of sugar free cherry preserves in another bowl.

Using a pastry bags, fill one with brownie mixture, the other with cherry filling mixture.

Squeeze a small amount of brownie mixture into the bottom of mini muffin tins. Once you have finished with 1/2 the brownie mixture, do the same with all the cream cheese mixture.

Place 1 cherry into the middle of each of the mini muffin containers, these will become your cherry center. At this point, cover all the cherries with the remaining brownie mix.

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, depending upon your oven. This makes 48 mini brownies.

Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Jelly Roll~Sugar Free of course!

It's January, well it used to be. That means one thing, a Chocolate Jelly Roll.

My father-in-law request this cake every year on his birthday. Sometimes several times through out the year also. So, to keep peace in the family, why else would I do it? Here ya go

Ingredients

5 eggs separated

1 cup + 1 Teaspoon Splenda

4 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Tub Sugar Free Cool Whip

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper or waxed paper, then grease the paper too. You will need 2 bowls for mixing.

Beat the yolks until frothy, then add 1 cup Splenda and the cocoa powder, beating until well mixed. This will be a thick mixture, but don't worry.

Using a clean beater and bowl, whip the egg whites until nice peaks form, but not to dry.

Fold in the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. I tried this and ended up using the mixer to make sure everything was combined.

Spread cake batter into jelly roll pan and smooth out.

Bake at 20 minutes, keeping a careful eye as not to over bake.

When cake is done, remove from oven and carefully flip cake onto a clean towel. Peel the wax paper off and dust the cake with powdered Splenda (grind a 1/4 cup of Splenda in a blender/magic bullet). Cover with a clean/damp towel and cool.

Remove cool towel, spread Sugar Free Cool Whip on top of cake, but no to close to the edges.

Lifting off the other towel edge, roll the cake into a jelly-roll shape, edging the towel a bit more each time to help guide the cake without breaking.

Ice with Sugar Free Icing , and place in freezer to help firm up. Remove from freezer a couple of hours before and enjoy. This cake can also be served with fresh strawberries or raspberries as a garnish.

Happy Birthday Bob!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Phe/MOM/menon (who got it from Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe via Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe, and then I got it from Good Eats'n Sweet Treats)

6 tablespoons honey (I used sugar free honey from wal Mart)
5 tablespoons lime juice (approx. 1 large lime)
1 tablespoon chili powder (use a little less for a milder version)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (approx. 2 large chicken breasts) (I poached my chicken. Save time by using a store bought rotisserie chicken. If you like a lot of filling in your enchiladas, I would recommend doubling this.)
8-10 flour tortillas (I made 6 enchiladas with Low Carb Tortillas)
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used a Fiesta blend of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Queso Quesadilla and Asadero Cheese)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (I used red since that's all I had)
1 cup heavy cream (I would recommend going with 1/2 cup, as it was a bit too heavy/rich)

To poach your chicken, put the chicken breast halves in a large saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. You can do this with frozen chicken breasts, too.

Mix the honey (tip: spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey), lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken (approx. 1/4 cup) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serve with sour cream, rice and black beans.

Sugar Free Ham Glaze

Inspired by Baritric Eating Recipe Box

Ingredients

1 8-9 pounds spiral sliced ham

1 10-ounce jar Smuckers Sugar Free Orange Marmalade or Apricot preserves

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/3 cup Grey Poupon mustard

Whole cloves (we substituted ground cloves into the mixture)

Directions

Blend preserves, orange juice, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat to a gentle simmer and reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in mustard. Place ham in a shallow roasting pan, and fan spral sliced ham. This will allow the glaze to penetrate the inside of the ham. Pour glaze of ham, allowing it to seep between the slices. Bake for 15 minutes per pound at 300 degrees, basting occasionally. Remove from oven and let ham rest for 20 minutes before slicing

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

One 8 ounce package Murray sugar free Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans

2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

Two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

1 cup Splenda granulated (not the packets)

1/4 cup sour cream (or Fage yogurt)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 Cup Sugar Free Cranberry sauce divided

Directions

Crust:

Pulse cookies, nuts, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter, and blend until evenly moistened. Press very firmly onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan or 9 inch deep dish pie plate and set aside.

Filling:

Beat cream cheese, Splenda, sour cream, and vanilla with electric mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just well blended. Fold in 1/2 cup sugar free cranberry sauce. Pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. If using springform pan, loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Before serving, spoon a dollop of sugar free cranberry sauce over the top of each slice.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

Bariatric Eating Recipe Box

Ingredients

One jar Pollaners Sugar Free Orange Marmalade

One 12-ounce bag whole fresh Cranberries

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup Splenda Granular

Directions

Empty the preserves into a heavy saucepan and cook over medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the preserves soften and melt. Add the cranberries and cinnamon; stirring constantly while mixture comes to a boil over medium high heat, cooking until berries begin to pop. Reduce temperature to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is glossy and thick – crushing the berries against the side of the pot with your wooden spoon. Stir in the Splenda and cook 5 more minutes before removing from heat to cool. Remove from heat and transfer to refrigerator to cool.

Christmas Time Favorites~ WL Friendly Recipes

SF Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup Splenda
1 Large Egg
1 Cap Vanilla Extract
Pinch Salt

Directions
Mix Everything together. Place in 1 tbsp. mounds on a cookie sheet. Bake until lightly brown around the edges.

Nutritional Info *
Servings Per Recipe: 12 * Amount Per Serving * Calories: 146.7 * Total Fat: 11.1 g * Cholesterol: 17.7 mg * Sodium: 18.2 mg * Total Carbs: 6.1 g * Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g * Protein: 5.2 g


SUGAR FREE EGGLESS EGGNOG
Bariatric Eating Recipe Box~Holiday Foods

Ingredients
5 cups milk
1-2 cups ff half & half (depending on how thick you like it)
One 4-serving-size sf vanilla instant pudding powder
3 tablespoons Splenda granular
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg (fresh is BEST!)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons brandy or rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk all together and let chill for at least an hour. May need to add more milk if you like it thinner.


Warm Cranberry Sipper
Bariatric Eating Recipe Box~Holiday Foods

The perfect drink for a crisp fall evening while sitting on the porch contemplating how post op life has changed your world. It is also great served cold over ice during those warm summer months.

Ingredients
½ cup Splenda
2 whole cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
2 cups Ocean Spray Light Cranberry Juice – Splenda sweetened
1 cup orange juice (I used low sugar from Krogers)

Directions
Combine Splenda, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves with 2 cups of water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add cranberry and orange juice, reduce heat and simmer ten minutes. Ladle into mugs and serve.

Nutritional Info
Makes 5 cups - Per ½ cup:
Calories 40, fat 0g, carbs 5g, protein 0g


Tuscan White Bean Dip
Bariatric Eating Recipe Box~Holiday Foods

Use fresh sprigs of rosemary to garnish this zesty combination of delicate cannellini beans, herbs and spices. Serve with assorted Crostini Toasts, Pita Chips, or Bagel Chips.

Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon red wine or cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepperKosher salt (use kosher salt in the kitchen as the flakes have great flavor)
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Slowly cook the onions and garlic for 5 to 6 minutes until soft, stirring constantly. Add the rosemary and smoked paprika and cook an additional minute. In a food processor, blend the cannellini beans, sautéed onion mixture, vinegar, red pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth. Slowly add the remaining olive oil. Add additional salt and lots of black pepper to taste.

Transfer to covered bowl and chill to allow flavors to blend. Bring the dip to room temperature before serving – about twenty minutes - so the flavors of the ingredients come out.

This dip is also crazy delicious when baked in a medium oven proof dish at 325 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges.Makes 2 cups.

Nutritional Info
1/4 cup portion:
Calories 59, fat 2g, carbs 6r, protein 2.5g

PB2 Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

A friend of mine sent me a pretty cool website the other day, Desserts Magazine: For people who eat desserts first!. I found a recipe for Flour less Peanut Butter Cookies, and thought I could modify to meet my lifestyle food choices. Now, once again, I could make or eat this everyday, but it was nice for a treat. Most of the time we make new food recipes, we usually take them to my in-laws. This way, they are not in our house tempting us!

These were pretty good, though a little bit dry and crumbly. I just might add a little liquid next time!

Hope you enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
1 cup PB2 prepared peanut butter
¾ cup granulated Splenda
1 large egg, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
½ cup roasted pecan halves

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two 12-by-18-inch sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir the peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda and kosher salt until combined. Stir in the chocolate and peanuts.

Using a small, greased ice cream scoop, measure out the dough in teaspoon sized balls. Place the dough on the prepared pans, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake on the middle shelves of the oven, rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through the baking time, until lightly golden and spread to a puffy mound, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to week. Yields: 24 cookies

Butternut Squash Soup

Beth went out for lunch a couple of weeks ago and talked about the Butternut Squash soup she had. I saw this one over at Bread & Honey. So, I thought I would make it for her. I did modify it according to what I had in the house, but it is still the same recipe!

I love food blogs, and Bread & Honey is one of my new fvorites. Summer Allen-Gibson is the creator of Design is Mine, as well as a mum, illustrator, and baker. She spends large portions of her days buried in cookbooks and trying out new recipes in her kitsch-filled kitchen. Alicia Lynn Carrier is a 24 year old mom, freelance photographer, and nerd. She loves food, spending time at home, and taking pictures of stuff in people's houses. Her website is here.

Very yummy after spending a "cold" day at the football field!

Hope you enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squashes
1 poblano pepper
1 small yellow onion
1 whole head of garlic (I will be roasting garlic again!)
8 ounces baby carrots
3-4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock.

Preheat your oven to 375ºf.

Slice squashes lengthwise, so you can scoop out the seeds. You can cut them down a little more if you'd like, to fit on your pans and maybe cook a little faster. Drizzle with olive oil, salt lightly, and place on a baking sheet in the oven. You know what? Do i need to describe the whole process? Everything gets drizzled in olive oil and roasted at the same time in the oven. I wrap the onions, shallot, and garlic individually in tinfoil, and leave the seeded, halved pepper on a baking sheet, along with the carrots. Keep an eye on the pepper and remove when it becomes blistery and begins to blacken. Just peek in on everything every once in awhile and make sure nothings burning.

Pull things out as they finish (The peppers will finish first, then the carrots, then the shallot probably, then the garlic, then onion, then butternuts, probably.) Just keep poking everything until it's mushy. Let everything cool so you can handle it easily, and heat up your stock while you wait.

Bust out your blender or food processor, and put a large pot aside for the finished soup. Begin blending the ingredients (duh, don't forget to peel your butternut) in steps, adding warm stock as needed to get it smooth. Dump it all in the big pot and stir it up really well, adding more stock if necessary to thin to desired consistency. Put over heat if necessary- letting all the ingredients cool can leave you with a lukewarm soup. Serves 3 or 4

NSA Apple Cake ~ Marilyn

No Sugar Added Fresh Apple Cake

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups Nature's Crystals sugar substitute (Splenda will NOT work)
1 1/4 cups low carb flour (I use almond flour)
1 1/4 cups self rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large apples, cored and grated (I use Granny Smith and grate them in food processor)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup I can't Believe its not Butter
1/2 cup Nature's Crystals Brown Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup skim milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pam or Baker's Secret a rectangular pan or bundt pan. Blend eggs, applesauce, oil and white Nature's Crystals until creamy. Mix baking powder, soda and salt into almond flour and then into self rising flour and add to batter a little at a time. Batter will be very stiff. Fold in apples and 1 cup nuts.
Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool 30 minutes, then remove from pan if a bundt pan was used.

Topping:Melt the I Can't Believe its not Butter, the brown sugar substitute, and the skim milk in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil for 2 minutes, add remaining nuts and boil another minute. Pour over cooled cake.

Nutrition
18 servings
202 calories per serving
12 g fat
12 g carbs
6 g protein

Sugar Free Bread Pudding~Marilyn

Sugar Free Bread Pudding
1 1/4 loaves French or Italian bread without seeds
6 eggs-room temperature
3/4 cup Natures Crystals (Splenda will NOT work)
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Tear bread into bite size pieces early in day and allow to sit in air stirring every once in a while so that all the bread gets dry. Spray Pam in a large rectangular pan. After bread has dried out, slowly pour milk over it until saturated. Add sugar substitute. Add eggs and mix with a spoon. It is important that the eggs are room temp and that you do not mix with a mixer. Once eggs are incorporated, pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. It will puff up like a soufflé. While baking make sauce of your choice.

Sauce
1/2 cup I can't Believe its not butter
1/2 cup Nature's Crystals Powdered sugar substitute
1 egg

Directions

Melt butters in saucepan, add sugar substitute and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Beat egg in another pan. While whisking egg, slowly add a little of the hot sauce to temper eggs and prevent them from scrambling, then return all to the pan and cook for another minute.

White Chocolate Sauce add 3 pumps of DaVinci Sugar Free White Chocolate syrup.

Praline Sauce add 2 pumps of DaVinci Sugar Free Praline Syrup and 1 pump DaVinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Cinnamon Dolce Sauce, add 2 pumps sugar free cinnamon syrup and 1 pump toasted marshmallow syrup.

Nutrition
White Chocolate Sauce
16 servings-2 Tablespoons
226 calories
12 g fat
20 g carbs
7 g protein(with 2 tablespoon praline sauce)

Praline Sauce
16 servings-2 Tablespoons
247 calories
14 g fat
20 g carbs
7 g protein

5 Minute Pumpkin Cake

There is nothing like pumpkin when there is a fall crispness in the air! I got the idea from Michelle (Eggface). She made the sugar free version of the 5 minute chocolate cake the other day. So I thought I would experiment! Here's my version:

Scott’s 5 Minute Sugar Free Pumpkin Cake

2 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk (I used Hood’s Calorie Countdown)
4 Tablespoons Cinn-a-bliss2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
6 Tablespoons Rolled Oats (Grind it into a flour)
3 Tablespoons Canned Pumpkin
1 Tablespoon Splenda
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mix egg, milk, Cinn-a-bliss, pumpkin and oil and combine thoroughly. In a separate container, grind oatmeal into a flour type consistency. I use my magic bullet for this. Add the rest of your dry ingredients to the oatmeal and mix well. Tip dry into wet and stir till combined.

Pour into microwave safe bowls. I used 3 small ramekins, and it worked well. Microwave for 5 minutes. Top with Sugar Free Whipped Topping and drizzle with Cinn-a-bliss or Smuckers Sugar free Caramel Topping and enjoy!

Susy & Derrel's Power Pancakes

This recipe has been sitting in my edit column for way too long! I actually forgot about it. My friend Susy sent it to me, and they aredeliciouss! Thanks Susy!

Power Pancakes

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

4-5 egg whites

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 packets of equal
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute.

Cook like you would pancake batter. yum yum.

298 calories
29 grams of carbs

35 grams of protein

5 grams of fat

I cook one big pancake. Of course I can't eat the whole thing, it makes 2-3 meals. I put the rest in the fridge, but I like them cold too, and I always eat them plain. Susy !

Faux-Tato Salad

Faux-Tato Salad
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients

1-2 large heads cauliflower, roughly chopped
6 hard boiled egg whites, chilled and chopped
½ envelope ranch dressing/dip mix
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
3 tbsp dijonnaise
2 tbsp non-dairy liquid creamer (Coffeemate)
1 cup diced red onion
2 celery stalks, diced
¼ cup chives, chopped
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp dill, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/3 tsp salt
Paprika, optional for garnishing

Place cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl, and pour 1/3 cup water over it. Cover and microwave for 6 - 8 minutes or until cauliflower is soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the ranch mix, mayo, sour cream, Dijonnaise and salt. Set aside. Once cool enough to handle, drain any excess water from the cooked cauliflower. Lightly mash just 2 cups of the cauliflower, and then place in a blender. Add creamer and puree or pulse until blended. Don't worry if it isn't completely smooth. Pour mayo mixture into the blender and mix until blended and creamy. Chop the rest of the cauliflower into small half-inch pieces. Place these cauliflower pieces in a large bowl, and add the onion, celery and vinegar. Toss and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour the blender mixture over the vegetables and mix well. Add the chopped egg whites, chives, dill and parsley, and fold them in. Chill for several hours. If you like, sprinkle with paprika just before serving. Fix the day before for an even better flavor.

Peanut Butter Fluff

Peanut Butter Fluff
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup Splenda
½ tsp vanilla
1 small tub sugar free cool whip, thawed

Beat together everything except cool whip until smooth and mixed well. Add cool whip and fold in until mixed together. Chill in fridge for soft dessert or scoop out and freeze for bite size treats. You can also smooth out into a pan and freeze then cut and eat.

Strawberry Dessert

Strawberry Dessert
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients
1 large container of fat free vanilla yogurt
1 package strawberry sugar free jello
Strawberries, frozen or fresh

Mix dry jello into the yogurt and stir until jello is dissolved. Add fruit and serve.

15 Minute Black Bean Salad

15 minute Black Bean Salad
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered and gently squeezed to remove seeds
½ cup minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
½ cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve. This salad will keep for several days and gets more flavorful if you let it marinate in the refrigerator for a while.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package white mushrooms
1 (8 ounce) package turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle olive oil into a 9x13 inch baking pan and add 2 tbsp water. Set aside. Wipe mushrooms with a soft cloth and carefully remove stems. Scoop out some of the flesh to make a well in each cap. Finely chop stems and set aside. Over medium heat, sauté the sausage in the olive oil until crumbly and almost browned; 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, chopped mushroom stems, and parsley. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Carefully fill each mushroom cap with 1-2 tablespoons sausage mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad
~ Sue, Tina & Stacy~

Ingredients
2 heads broccoli, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6-8 strips bacon, crumbled (we used Hormel Bacon Bits)
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Mix broccoli, onion, cheese, and bacon in a bowl. In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients to form the dressing. Add the dressing to the broccoli mixture and enjoy. Best if let set for several hours before serving.

One Happy Chicken ~ Smoked Chicken

Smoked Chicken

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

1 cup Emerils Seasoning

1/3 cup Splenda Brown Sugar

1 Qt Crystal Lite Apple Drink (Wal Mart Brand)

Hickory Chunks

Directions

Mix Emerils and Splenda brown sugar together. Skin 1 whole chicken and coat with Emerils/Splenda mixture. Let sit overnight for the spices to meld with the meat. Prepare smoker according to manufacturers directions and place chicken on wire rack. Every 30 minutes, spritz down chicken with apple juice. Smoke approximately 3 1/2-4 hours, or until temp reads 165 degrees.

Let chicken stand before shredding and use you favorite BBQ sauce. We use Walden Farms Sugar Free BBQ sauce.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Custard Pie

Blueberry Custard Pie

Ingredients
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
2 c. fresh blueberries
4 eggs
2/3 c. Splenda
1 1/3 c. Hoods calorie countdown milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Sprinkle blueberries in bottom of pie shell. Mix beaten eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla together and pour over blueberries. Bake at 400 degrees until custard tests done with a knife coming clean when stuck halfway between the rim and the middle (approximately 30 minutes).