Warm Cinnamon Bites

Warm Cinnamon Bites

I made these for dessert last night after intending to do it for like a week and a half. I don't know what I was waiting for. I had them put together in like 5 minutes or less (because I already have cinnamon-sugar mixed up for my cinnamon-sugar toast obsessed child) and they were so delicious! I had two, which was 3 points, then I had to walk away because if I stood there, I would have kept eating. However, I did find myself wandering back over later because I had quite a few points left after dinner last night, so I ended up with 4 altogether!!! This is a new go-to dessert!!! These would also work as a sweet breakfast snack, as my child was begging for one this morning I realized that cinnamon rolls are a breakfast food as well!

Ingredients:

8 oz. reduced fat crescent rolls

4 teaspoons sugar-cinnamon

½ c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. milk

 

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 375.

2.   Unroll crescent and separate into 2 squares (4 crescents each). Press perforations together as best you can to make two squares. Sprinkle 2 tsp of cinnamon-sugar on each square.

3.   Roll up one section at a time, starting on the longer side and press firmly to eliminate air pockets. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into 10 slices, a total of 20 slices for the whole recipe.

4.   Place rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

5.   While baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk and when rolls are golden brown, remove from the oven and drizzle evenly with icing.  

(store in an airtight container and microwave for a few seconds before eating again later)

Yields 20 servings – WWP+ 1 point each or 3 points for 2 

***I don’t know where the original recipe came from. I feel bad not giving credit where credit is due, but when I printed it from online, it didn’t print a web address with it, and I don't remember where I found it. Although I remember the girl saying that her mom got it from a weight watchers meeting, so I guess in the end we credit Weight Watchers.***

Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts

Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts

My sweet girl and I made these for breakfast this morning and they were delicious! I bought a donut maker at Target a couple weeks ago and am always searching for yummy donut recipes. These turned out so good! I would have loved to have eaten 3 or 4 for breakfast, but I restrained myself to only 1. I wanted to make the recipe (mostly) as it was the first time, however, next time I think I'm going to try and couple of tweaks to see if I can bring the point value down to 2 instead of 3. Not sure if they'll taste as good with the changes, so I'm posting the original recipe for now, and will post the changed one after I get a chance to try it and see how they taste. These are great for a quick breakfast or a yummy after dinner dessert!

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)

½ c. raw cane sugar

½ c. fat free Greek yogurt

¼ c. butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt.

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:

2 T. raw cane sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1.   Heat donut maker and spray each donut iron spot with cooking spray.

2.   Using an electric mixer (preferably with a whisk attachment) add the mashed bananas, sugar and greek yogurt. Mix well. Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. In a separate bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon for topping.

3.   Put all the dough in a large Ziploc bag and seal shut. Cut the corner out so you can pipe the dough into the molds. Fill bottom half of donut molds. Sprinkle just a little cinnamon and sugar on top and close donut mold. Cook 6-7 minutes then put on a cooling rack to cool. Spray pan again and repeat process until all dough is used.

 

***Can also be baked in the oven in a donut pan (or so the original recipe says) 325 for 12-15 minutes. 

Yields 24 servings – WWP+ 3 points  

Recipe adapted from Janie's Kitchen

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

This yummy pizza was our Sunday lunch this week! It was super easy and fast to put together and tasted like a really fancy kind of pizza! It was delicious! I had intended to make a few days prior, but we accidentally used up all of our fresh spinach in the house in salads, so I had to wait until I could get to the store and grab some more. Tessa wouldn't eat it, unfortunately, I think she would have loved it, she just wouldn't even try it because there was green on it. Coming from my girl who will eat three servings of broccoli...she won't even try a pizza with a little green on it. Go figure!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh chopped spinach

1 clove garlic, minced

½ c. light Alfredo sauce (I like Classico)

½ c. chicken breast, chopped or shredded

¾ c. part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 ½ tsp. grated parmesan cheese

Boboli 12” whole wheat thin pizza crust 

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 450

2.   Lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic and chopped spinach and cook for a few minutes (stirring occasionally) until spinach is wilted and garlic is fragrant.

3.   Spread the ½ c. alfredo sauce over the pizza crust. Add the garlic and spinach and spread evenly throughout. Sprinkle the shredded chicken on top of the sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.

4.   Bake on a foil covered baking sheet or pizza stone for 8-10 minutes. 

Yields 6 slices – WWP+ 5 per slice

Shown here with a 1 point salad: lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers and 2 T. fat free Caesar Italian dressing.

Recipe from Emily Bites

Glazed Brownies

Glazed Brownies

I wouldn't be able to survive on Weight Watchers or a diet of any kind if I couldn't have a sweet. Now, there are quite a few store bought options out there that do the trick. Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers both make some yummy chocolate treats and ice cream desserts that really hit the spot. However, they don't accomodate so well with my budget. They aren't cheap. I found that I can make a whole pan of brownies, each one being only 3 points a piece, and it costs SO much less than buying a couple boxes of those treat every week. And these are good! We love them! I have made a pan a week for the last 4 or 5 weeks, and we save up our points so that we can afford to have one, sometimes two, at night when watching tv before we go to bed. Super yummy!!!

Ingredients:

FOR THE BROWNIES

1 (14oz) can of fat free sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 egg whites

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla 

FOR THE ICING

1 T soft low-fat margarine (I use the tub of I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter Light)

1 T skim milk

½ tsp vanilla

1 c. powdered sugar 

Directions:

1.   Spray a 9x13in pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350

2.   In a large saucepan, over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and chocolate chips. Stir (pretty continuously) until chips are melted then remove from heat.

3.   Stir in egg whites, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Mix well.

4.   Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes (or until set), then cool.

5.   Combine icing ingredients. Then spread on cooled brownies.

6.   Cut into 24 even pieces.

Yields 24 servings – WWP+ 3 per serving

adapted from a recipe from Food.com