Pumpkin Pancakes

These are SO good!  My kids love them.

::Ingredients::
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk {I used 1%}
6 tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg

::Directions::

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, butter and egg in a separate bowl. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook approximately 3 minutes per side.

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Each pancake is 2 points+.

*Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

:::Emily:::

Broccoli Cheese Soup

We had this for dinner tonight, it's the second time I've made it and I made some adjustments this time.  I'm not a huge fan of sharp cheddar cheese, but I used it last time because it's what the recipe called for.  This time I used medium cheddar cheese and I liked it a lot better.

::Ingredients::
1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp {I like it better with medium}
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups chopped, lightly steamed or blanched broccoli

::Directions::
Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in seamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Serves 4.  Each serving is 11 points+. {If made with 1% milk}

:::Emily:::

Homestyle Stew

We had this for dinner this week and it was SO good.  We all loved it!  It was also really easy, and I like easy. I got it from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

1 can minestrone soup

1 can tomato soup

1 can water

1 pound stew meat {I used round roast and cut it up into pieces and trimmed all the fat off of it.}

1 onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, thickly sliced

3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks {I used red potatoes and kept the skins on.}

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serves 4-6.

If divided into 6 servings, each serving is 7 points+. 

:::Emily:::

Olive Garden Style Breadsticks

I love the breadsticks at Olive Garden, so when I found this recipe on Pinterest, I knew that I had to try them. They actually are pretty good.  Not as good as Olive Garden's, but pretty close. 

Dough:
1 1/2 C hot water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4-5 C flour
1 tablespoon yeast

Topping:
3 Tablespoons butter melted
sea salt {I used kosher salt instead, because it's what I had}
1/4 teaspoons garlic powder



For the dough, pour the water into a stand mixer with the sugar and yeast. Add salt, butter, and 2 cups of flour. Mix the dough on low. Add the rest of the flour a half cup at a time, until dough scrapes the sides of the bowl clean. Mix the dough about 5 minutes on medium speed, until its soft and easy to work with. Roll the dough out into a long log, spray a knife with cooking spray and cut the dough into 16 pieces. Roll those pieces into long snakes. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray, and lay the breadsticks out leaving about 2 inches between each one. Place them in the oven with the temperature turned to 170 degrees. Let them rise for about 15 minutes, or until doubled in size. Once risen, brush them with the 1 1/2 T of melted butter and sprinkle them with salt. Return them to the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Once it's preheated to 400 degrees bake them for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. While they are baking combine the rest of the melted butter with 1/4 t garlic powder. When the breadsticks are golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush them with the butter/garlic mixture.

One breadstick is  4 Points+

:::Emily:::

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning


Mix olive oil, soy sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and pour into a one-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops and set the bag in a baking dish in a way that the pork chops get a healthy dose of the marinade (it may be advantageous to flip the bag over halfway through the marinating time). Marinate in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours (no more than 8). Heat the grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until they are no longer pink in the center. Remove the chops from the grill and tent them with foil and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes. Slice the chops in 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices across the grain and serve.

Colorful Chicken Alfredo

I got this recipe from kevinandamanda.com.  It was pretty good.  Although, I thought it was a little salty, I would add less salt to the alfredo sauce next time.  It also would've been better with some French Bread, but it was Sunday, and I forgot to buy some.

1 lb boneless-skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 cups Rafaellle pasta
1/2 cup reserved chicken broth
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 cup half and half
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green bell pepper
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Add chicken to a large pot and cover with 2 quarts of water and the bouillon granules.  Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until chicken is done.

While chicken is simmering, slice up the bell peppers into thin strips.  (I only used half the bell peppers and put the remaining half in a bag to use later.  You can freeze them up to a year.)

When the chicken is done, remove chicken to plate to cool.  While the chicken is cooling, boil your farfalle according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, get started on the Alfredo sauce. Now for the creamy alfredo sauce… Heat 3 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth to a sauce pan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Then add 1 cup half and half. After the half and half, add the minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and then slowly whisk in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Simmer over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Saute bell peppers for 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally until they’re crisp tender and look a little brown.

While the bell peppers are sauteing, chop up the chicken.  Don't forget to give your sauce and peppers a quick stir every once in a while.  Add the chopped chicken to the bell peppers, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Turn the heat down to low, then pour the alfredo sauce over the chicken. 

 Let it simmer to combine flavors while you drain the noodles.  Add the sauce to the noodles.  Chiffonade the basil and add on top.

Makes 6 one cup servings.


Each serving is 10 points+.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These were really good, another great recipe from Our Best Bites cookbook I bought.  I did accidentally use too much lime juice in the chicken mixture, so if I were doing it again I'd measure that instead of eye balling it. I also liked the flour ones better than the corn, but both are good.

3 ounces cream cheese (I used neufchatel cheese, to lower the ww points.)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used grilled taco chicken.)
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend.)
6-inch corn or flour tortillas (as fresh as possible; the longer they sit, the more likely they are to crack... which mine did, oops!)  I used half of the homemade flour ones I made last night and half corn.
Nonstick cooking spray
Kosher Salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.  Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken and cheese.

Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable.  If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, use damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges and then roll it up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkler with a pinch of kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo.  Makes about 14 taquitos.

1 taquito is 4 points+ with corn tortillas or 5 points+ with homemade flour tortillas.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I got this recipe from the Our Best Bites cookbook. I am pretty sure that these were easy enough and good enough that I'll have hard time buying store-bough tortillas again. 

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4-1 cup very hot water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup shortening

 In a bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt.  Add the shortening and combine until crumbly.

With the mixer running slowly add 3/4 cup of hot water.  Mix until the dough starts to come together, adding more water if necessary; the dough should be the consistency of Play-Doh.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  While the pan is heating, divide dough evenly into 8-10 balls ( I did 14 because I wanted fajita-sized tortillas.)  Roll the balls as thinly as possible into circles. (Mine were weird shaped, but still tasted good.)

Place a raw tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook until large bubbles appear and the tortilla looks slightly oily, about 1 minute.  Flip and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until tortilla is cooked through but not brown or burned.  Repeat with remaining tortillas, keeping the cooked tortillas under a clean kitchen towel.  Serve immediately if possible.

1 tortilla (when making 14 small ones) is 3 points+.

Flank Steak Marinade

I got this recipe off of Food Network from Alton Brown.  It is so, so good!  I will probably be using this as the marinade every time I make steak fajitas!

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in 1/2 (I didn't have any and used an onion instead and it turned out fine.)
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons dark brown or Mexican brown sugar (I only had light so that's what I used.)
2 pounds flank steak cut into 3 equal pieces.

In a blender, put in oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin, and sugar and puree.  In a large heavy duty, zip top bag, add steak and then pour the marinade over the meat.  Seal bag, removing as much air as possible.  Allow steak to marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Remove steak from bag and discard the marinade.  Cook on a preheated grill over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Let steak sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

3 ounces of steak is 6 points+.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

 I am on the search for the perfect homemade spaghetti sauce.  This one was pretty good, but I don't know if it's perfect. I halved it and we still had more than we knew what to do with, it made a lot, so I froze some, I also left out the balsamic vinegar, because I didn't have any, and since I don't like vinegar, I didn't want to buy some just for this.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped and divided
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 14-oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no red is showing. Drain beef slightly. Blend up the remaining onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Add mixture to the garlic, onions and beef and stir to combine, cooking for another minute. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined. Add tomatoes, beef broth and sugar (and mushrooms, if using). Stir until combined and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

The sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour.

1/2 cup of sauce is 3 points+.

Lasagna Casserole

This is recipe that my mom has made since I can remember.  It's quick and easy and actually tastes pretty good.  I changed some of it a little bit to make it more Weight Watchers friendly.  I am mostly putting it on here so I don't have to refer to the WW website every time I make it for the amounts I figured out for the points.

9 oz cooked extra lean ground beef (5% fat or less)
1/2 large onion, diced
12 oz uncooked penne
4 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese
20 oz Heart Healthy Mushroom Prego Spaghetti sauce
20 oz 1% cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup steamed spinach

Brown ground beef with onion and drain.  Boil penne according to package instructions and steam the spinach for 5 minutes.  (If you don't steam it before you add it to the casserole, it will be chewy and not good.)
Mix ground beef, penne, sauce, cottage cheese, spinach in a casserole dish.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

Put in 400 degree oven and heat through until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Usually this takes about 20 minutes.  But, my oven is weird, so just keep an eye on it.

Makes 9 servings.

One serving is 8 points+.

:::Emily::

Pico de Gallo

I LOVE pico de gallo.  I could almost eat it by the spoonful!  

6 Roma tomatoes

2 jalapeno peppers (sliced, seeds removed and finely diced)

1 white onion

1 bunch cilantro

1 garlic clove

salt

juice of 1 lime

Chop all of the veggies, mince the garlic and toss together with salt and lime juice.

If you want it hotter, keep some seeds from the jalapeno. When removing seeds, either wear gloves or be very careful - they are hot. I've learned that lesson scratching my nose afterward, it was not fun! Salt to taste.

I used grape tomatoes and a red onion this time, because it's what I had on hand.  You can vary this recipe with your favorite type of onion, pepper, etc, add more of what you like and less of what you don't.

 You can serve this with tortilla chips, or on tacos or fajitas. 

 One serving is 0 points+.

:::Emily:::

Roasted Potatoes

These are so yummy, we loved them!

3 to 5 medium baking potatoes

olive oil

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

salt and pepper

garlic powder (optional)

Scrub potatoes well and cut into cubes. Place on a cookie sheet and generously drizzle olive oil over potatoes. Sprinkle onion soup mix, a little garlic powder and salt and pepper. Toss and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally while cooking.

 4 ounces of potatoes is 5 points+.

:::Emily:::

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

This salad is amazingly delicious!  I loved it!  It was so easy to throw together and was surprisingly filling as well.

SALAD:

4 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce

2 cups chopped grilled chicken (we used the recipe for Taco Chicken)

1 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, washed

1 avocado, cubed

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained
tortilla strips (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)

CHIPOTLE DRESSING:

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup fat free sour cream
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice

¼ tsp. salt

  

Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been.

Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands.  

Mix dressing ingredients. I blended them together in the blender.

I made my own tortilla trips by stacking corn tortillas on top of each other and slicing into strips with a pizza cutter.  I fried them in canola oil for a few minutes until they were golden.  I then let them soak on a paper towel and sprinkled a little salt on top.

When you’re ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving is 9 points+ without dressing or 10 points+ with 2 Tbsp dressing. (I didn't figure in the tortilla strips or the cheese with the points.)

:::Emily:::

Grilled Taco Chicken

This chicken is SO yummy!  I could eat it all by itself! 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
A couple of juicy limes
A splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. (I leave out the vinegar because, well, I can't stand the stuff.) Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat an outdoor grill. Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken.

Grill about 10 minutes per side on low heat.

Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn’t lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or use slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.

3 ounces of chicken is 3 points+.

:::Emily:::

Chicken Shish Kebobs

I could seriously eat this all the time! I love grilled veggies! These are so super easy and they turn out perfect every time.

1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken, cut into cubes
2 bell peppers of your choice (my favorite is red)
1 large onion
1 fresh pineapple
(You could also use zucchini, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes)
salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil

If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so they don't start on fire while on the grill.

Cut vegetables into large chunks and put in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.

Cut chicken into large chunks and put in separate bowl from veggies. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cut up pineapple into bit-sized chunks.

Put veggies, chicken and pineapple on skewers and grill until chicken is no longer pink.

Great over rice or with potatoes. I also LOVE eating these with fresh corn on the cob and watermelon, but they aren't really in season yet. Cannot wait!

Each shish kebob is 4 points+ with 3 ounces of chicken.

:::Emily:::

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love crockpot recipes.  They are so easy and usually so good!  I love that I can throw a few ingredients in it in the morning and forget about it until dinner time.

2 lb boneless sirloin pork roast
1 can diet root beer
1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce (My favorite is K.C. Masterpiece Honey BBQ sauce.)
1 small onion, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced

In a crockot, combine pork, diet soda,1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce, quartered onion and clove of garlic. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Drain and discard the onion and garlic. Shred pork by pulling apart with two forks and remove the fat.  Return to crockpot and add the other 1/2 of BBQ sauce.  Mix and let cook for an additional 1 to 2 hours on warm. 

Serve on hamburger bun or roll.

3 ounces of BBQ Pork is 5 points+.

Points+ value of the sandwich as a whole will vary depending on what you serve it on.

:::Emily:::

Garlic Bread

This is really easy and how we usually do garlic bread because I think the kind you buy has a ridiculous amount of butter and garlic on it.

Take a loaf of french bread and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Lightly butter each slice.  (Or you could spray with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray instead.)  Sprinkle a little garlic salt on each slice.

Place on a baking sheet.

Cook in a 400 degree oven until bread is golden brown and crispy.  I think it usually takes about 7 minutes.  But keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

1 slice is 3 points+ with butter, or 2 points+ with butter spray.

:::Emily:::

Basil Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe quite a while ago and kind of made it my own.  It's really light and yummy! I can't wait to try this when I have garden fresh tomatoes!

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste
penne pasta

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat.  Cook chicken breasts in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until golden brown.  Set aside.

Using the same skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, minced garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute until garlic looked golden, be careful not to burn.  Add in diced tomatoes.  Make sure to use fresh ones, it makes a big difference in taste.  I usually use Roma tomatoes, but any kind would work I am sure.  I can't wait until we have garden fresh tomatoes to use.  Generously salt the tomatoes.  If you don't, it's going to very bland!  I also ground black pepper at this time too.  Then chiffonade the basil. To do this, stack up the leaves, roll them tightly and thinly slice. Add to the mixture. Add back in the chicken. Turn heat down to medium and cover skillet.  Stir frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.  About five minutes.

Toss sauce over penne pasta.

Makes 4 servings.  Each serving is  9 points+ (1/4 of the sauce and 1 cup penne.)

:::Emily:::

Taco Soup

This is one our of new favorite meals.  I seriously cannot get enough of it. I always liked taco soup, but felt like it was missing something, so, I changed around a few of the ingredients in a couple of different batches until it was perfect.  It's really filling because it's full of veggies and the  best part is it is really low in points+ values.  Although it tastes as though it should be high in them.

1 pound extra lean ground beef (5% fat or less)
2 medium onions, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 1/2 packages taco seasoning
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 cans seasoned black beans (drained)
2 cans corn (drained) {sometimes I use 1 bag of frozen corn.}
2 cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 tsp cumin

 Brown hamburger in pan with onions and red bell peppers.  [The nice thing about using the red bell peppers is that if you don't tell your kids that they are pepper, they'll probably think they are tomatoes and not complain about eating them.]  After it's cooked add in the taco seasoning and water. 

When it's done cooking through in a crockpot with the black beans, corn, tomatoes, chicken broth, salsa and cumin.

Set your crockpot on low and let simmer for 4-6 hours. I've found the longer you let it simmer the better the flavor is. 

Top with cheese, avocados, fat free sour cream, and tortilla chips, or anything else you'd like.

1 cup soup without any toppings is 4 points+ or 2 cups of soup is 7 points+.

:::Emily:::

Green Monster Smoothies

I love these smoothies.  They are so good and they are so healthy too!  They are super low in points+ value, but are so filling.  The spinach seemed so weird to me at first, but you can't taste it at all.  I like that it gets me an extra serving of vegetables without feeling like I am eating them.

1/2 large banana
1 cup spinach.  (Has to be fresh.  It will make a nasty chewy smoothie if you use frozen.)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup fat free yogurt.  I usually use plain, but you could use vanilla flavored as well.
As much frozen fruit as you'd like. I usually do 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries. Derek likes 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup mangoes, and 1/2 cup pineapple.  The  more fruit you use the thicker the smoothie will be.  I like mine to be the consistency of a shake.  It makes it feel more like a treat and feels my craving for ice cream.

A Weight Watchers leader suggested putting in 2 teaspoons of healthy oil in with it to hit your healthy oil check for the day.  I do this a lot because I have no other idea on how to fit it into my day.

Blend together until smooth.

One serving is 2 points+ without oil, 4 points+ with oil.

:::Emily:::

Oven Fries

I love potatoes, especially french fries.  I've found that they are a lot less greasy baked in the oven and actually taste better too!

Take one small potato per person you're feeding and slice them up.

I like them on the thin side so they crisp up, but you can cut them to the whichever thickness you prefer. I also like to leave the skins on, but if you're family doesn't like that, you can peel them beforehand.

Spread out fries evenly on a baking sheet, I like to line mine with tinfoil so that it's easier clean up, but you don't have to.  I also coat it with olive oil.  Salt the fries to taste.  I like to use Season All seasoned salt, but sea salt works great as well.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (450 degrees if sliced thick.)

Bake fries until golden brown.  Turning once.  (About 20 mintues.)

One serving is 5 points+.  

:::Emily:::

Fajita Quesadillas

I love fajitas and I love quesdadillas. This recipe was inspired by the fajita quesadillas that Chili's used to have. You can make them with chicken or steak.  This time I made them with steak.

You start out by grilling your meat.  For fajitas I like to spray a little olive oil on my meat and then season with salt and pepper, but you could season it however you like.

Dice up an onion and bell pepper (we like red bell peppers the best, but you could use any kind you like.)  Then spray it with a little oil and sautee in a pan over medium heat until veggies are tender.  You could use just onions or just peppers if you aren't a big fan of one or the other. 

When your meat is done cooking, let it rest for at least five minutes.  Afterward slice it up in small strips.  I would normally leave it this way for regular fajitas, but since I was making quesadillas, I wanted to make them bite size pieces.

Preheat a pan on medium heat, then assemble your quesadillas.  I like to use the fajita size tortillas, but you could use any kind you like.  I start by putting on half of the cheese. (this time I used low-fat mozzarella because it's what I had on hand, and it's low in points+ value, but you could use any cheese.)  Add the veggies, then the meat then the rest of the cheese and top with another tortilla.

Put in pan and cook until tortillas are crispy and cheese is melted.  About 3 1/2 minutes per side.

Cut into four triangles and enjoy!  You could serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and lettuce if you'd like.

One quesadilla is 11 points+.  (If using Mission fajita size tortillas, 2 ounces of meat trimmed of fat, 1 ounce low-fat mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon oil.)


:::Emily:::