Banana Nut Muffins - 7 points

Notice my completely unevenly sized muffins? That is because I was making them hastily. I spotted my father-in-law, who was trying to be sneaky, mowing my lawn. I thought he needed a thank you, so I whipped up a batch of muffins for him to enjoy when he was finished with the yard. Even - no. Delicious - yes.


Banana Nut Muffins adapted from The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 overripe bananas, chopped
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a hand held mixer on low speed to combine the ingredients until the mixture resembles large crumbs.  Stir in walnuts.
2. In a medium bowl, combine bananas, milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Use hand held mixer to blend until smooth.
3. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; bake 25-30 minutes at 400F. Immediately remove from tins after baking; place on a wire rack to cool.
5. Yields 12, 7 point servings

I enjoyed this muffin guilt free, since I went for an hour long bike ride this morning. My father brought me a bike a year ago, and I finally got it in riding condition. I hadn't ridden one in years; I remembered how much fun it was but I had forgotten how much exercise it is. I am not ashamed to admit that there were a couple of hills that almost defeated me. The fun still outweighs the pain, and burning enough calories to earn a muffin is a big plus.

Chocolate Chip-Cinnamon Easter Bread - 7 points

I finally did it! After bemoaning my lack of planning and time, I did sit down on Saturday morning to make my weekly menu and managed to find some easy recipes for today. But...when to shop? Well, I have the best husband in the world. Between the Happy First Birthday party and the quinceneara yesterday, Stone ran to store for me while I took a quick bath and got all dolled up. What a great guy!

As our day yesterday was rather a blur, it is appropriate that my first picture for you is a rather blurry shot of myself attempting to keep my nephew from getting a head start on the Easter egg hunt that was our first event of the day. 

I decided that I may as well make something ridiculously indulgent for Easter. Easters is supposed to be a joyous celebration, so it is a good day to share to special occasion food. Thus, I decided to go back to a pre-Weight Watchers treat that I haven't in a very long time. It is full of prepackaged food (which I do not shun on special occasions or busy days - growing up with absolutely no convenience foods makes you quite thankful for the woman who first put spaghetti sauce in a jar and the man who decided to box up some cake mix).

Second photo break...look at this little cake covered hand at the Happy First Birthday Party!

You will have to excuse me for using a little bit of slang in my description of this breakfast treat. My students  - and thus I, by exposure to them - often describe something that is extreme as being "on crack". So, for example, fried green tomatoes from Miller's Grocery are like tomatoes on crack.  Chocolate Chip-Cinnamon Easter Bread is like the middle of a cinnamon roll on crack. You know...the part of the cinnamon roll that you eat the whole rest of the roll just to get to? The gooey, sweet, cinnamon center. That is what this is, except it is even better.

Chocolate Chip-Cinnamon Easter Bread - from Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2008
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
1 box vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (not instant according to the recipe - I used instant and it was fine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Use 1 tbsp butter to grease a bundt pan. Melt remaining butter in microwave (or over the stove if you are trying not to wake your sleeping spouse).
2. Separate roll dough into 16 rolls. Cut each roll in half crosswise. Place half of the roll pieces in the pan. (If you are like me, this will not look like enough to constitute a bottom layer. Trust me, it is.)
3. Over the rolls in the pan pour half of the pudding mix, half of the brown sugar, and half of the melted butter. Repeat layers; top with chocolate chips.
4. Bake 25 minutes at 375F. Cool for 2 minutes before inverting the pan to remove the ring to a plate. Top immediately with icing. (The recipe says to wait 15 minutes. The recipe is wrong). Serve immediately.
5. Yields 16, 7 point servings

With that much sugar and that much fat, how could it not taste delicious?

I would love to end with a picture from the event that ended our blur of a Saturday - the quinceneara. Alas, I have no pictures that do not show multiple faces of other peoples' children. As I did not ask their permission to post those pictures, I will leave it up to you to imagine a girl in a beautiful pink dress celebrating young womanhood...tier upon tier of chocolate cake...smiling faces...and me, in a pale blue dress, dancing with my handsome husband.

Sourdough Sausage Muffins - 7 points

While my parents and grandmother were here this week, we received a call saying that my grandmother's oldest sister had passed away. My great aunt had been in a nursing home for several years, slowly fading away as Alzheimer's took her memory. This morning, my father had the honor of conducting her memorial service.

I did not get to spend a lot of time with my great aunt. During college, I spent a few nights in her home as a resting over place when traveling to visit my grandparents. She always served a wonderful breakfast and, like any good college student, I was perpetually hungry and grateful for free food! One morning she served some delicious rolls that I was sure were an old family recipe because they were just that good. I asked her if I could have the recipe and expected her to reply that it was a secret.

Nope. It was Mr. Food. Apparently, my aunt loved watching the Mr. Food section on the news in the morning. The week before, he had made a bread using dough from a bread maker, broccoli, and nuts (I think - I can't find it on the Internet). We had a good laugh over me thinking Mr. Food's quick cooking idea was my family's culinary heritage. Then, we had this long conversation about other things you could put into yeast dough to make delicious muffins.

When I got to my grandmother's house, I used her bread maker to make all kinds of versions of the Mr. Food/ Great Aunt bread. The one that we finally decided we liked best contained a mix of sausage and nuts. It has been part of my repertoire ever since, and I think of my great aunt whenever I make it.

Stone announced that he is going to a Super Bowl party at the home of one of his supervisors. Although I will not be joining him (as I enjoy neither American football nor listening to people yell at the TV), I thought it would be fun to make something to send along with him. Since my great aunt has been on my mind, I decided to make the bread that reminds me of her. This time I added a little sourdough twist - just a little something to mess with the family tradition.

Sourdough Sausage Muffins
1 cup Amish sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 pkts yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
1 lb maple flavored sausage
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped

1. Combine all ingredients save sausage and pecans. Knead until dough is soft and smooth.
2. Form the dough into a ball and leave it in a glass bowl, covered with a cloth, for 45 minutes.
3. While the dough is rising, brown the sausage in a medium skillet over medium low heat. Drain.
4. Add pecans and sausage to the dough by kneading gently. Once they are fully incorporated, recover the dough and leave it for another 20 minutes.
5. Gently form the dough into 18 balls, and place each ball into a greased muffin cup or muffin stone. Allow 15 more minutes, for dough to rerise.
6. Place the muffins in a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown on top. (This temperature will make the muffins quite crusty - if you would prefer them to be softer, lower the temperature and extend the cooking time.)
7. Yields 18, 7 point servings

If you try this recipe, I hope it may become one of your family traditions as well:)

I have enjoyed all of the Super Bowl snack lists people have been posting, particularly....

The Girl Who Ate Everything
My Kind of Cooking
For the Love of Cooking
Recipe Girl
Chicho's Kitchen (so, these were not actually intended for the Super Bowl, but they are perfect for it!)

Sour Cream Pork Chops - 7 points, "Rotisserie" Chicken #2 - 3 + points

For dinner, I decided to try pork in a sour cream sauce. Now, this is a recipe I had to majorly overhaul to fit with my new Weight Watcher's lifestyle. I was not expecting great things. I was not even expecting good things. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be better than the high fat version I was craving! Leaving out the breading and the butter seemed to allow the flavors of the pork and the paprika to come out even more beautifully.

Sour Cream Pork Chops
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2, 4 ounce pork chops
1 cube chicken bouillon
8 oz canned, sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tsp djon mustard
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp paprika
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup water

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, cooking just to brown on both sides.
2. Mix remaining ingredients, save sour cream and onions, in a small bowl.
3. Layer onion rings over pork; place remaining onions directly on the skillet. Pour the sauce over the chops.
4. Simmer for 1 hour, or until pork is very tender.
5. Add sour cream; reheat.
6. Yields 2, 7 point servings

I also made a "Rotisserie" chicken tonight. I will use the meat this week, and it is much easier to roast a chicken on a Sunday afternoon than to try and fix one after work. Instead of my usual seasonings, I used an incredible rub from A Year of Slow Cooking. I didn't skin my chicken. I rubbed the spices both under and over the skin as well as placing some on the cavity. I highly recommend it; it does taste just like the rotisserie chicken that I love from Sam's Club. Stone - former best friend and new boyfriend -  obviously approves as well, since I just caught him leaning over the stone with an empty fork and a full mouth.

Annie's Organic Shells and White Cheddar - 7 Points

This isn't exactly a recipe, but I wanted to share it because I was impressed at being able to have mac 'n' cheese for 7 points. Stone, the best friend, got sick today. It was not my fault! I did not share my cold with him; he has a stomach virus. I decided to cook for him since he has been so nice to help take care of me over the last few days. For lunch, he wanted mac 'n' cheese. I had a box of Annie's Homegrown Shells and White Cheddar.

I love Annie's because it is organic and it has an excellent, real cheese flavor. I noticed on the box that "Annie" suggest that you can use yogurt in place of the butter and milk. I decided it was worth a shot, so I mixed 1/2 cup fat free yogurt with the cheese powder before adding it to the noodles. It was fantastic! The yogurt added a tangy flavor that reminded me of a sharp cheddar cheese. Doesn't it look good?

I am not sure if this trick will work with other brands, but it is well worth a try. After all, a regular cup of boxed mac 'n' cheese will cost you 9 points. This will only cost you 7 and gives you the health benefits of yogurt instead of the health deficit of butter. Enjoy!

Pork Chop Dinner - 7 points

Today started out with a 4 point omelet - 3 egg whites, 1 slice of low fat ham, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, topped with fat free salsa. Yum.  Since I am still battling my cold, it was crock pot dinner again tonight. I haven't been to the store in a long time and didn't want to get out today (another snow day), so I looked around for something to throw in the crock pot and hoped for the best. It was fantastic - the veggies reminded me of Southern style squash casserole but without the butter and sugar that usually add hefty calories to that dish.

Pork Chop Dinner
4, 6 oz pork chops
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Celery soup
1 apple, diced
3 large zucchini, chopped
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp peppercorns
1 cube chicken bouillon

1. Mix soup with honey, mustard, peppercorns, and bouillon in a small bowl.
2. Place pork chops in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with soup mixture, followed by apple and zucchini.
3. Cook on high for 5-7 hours, or until pork is very tender.
4. Yields 4, 7 point servings

I was too hungry to get a picture that would really do this justice, so this will have to do.

It is back to work tomorrow, so I have put some rice pudding (low fat style) in the crock pot for a motivational breakfast. Here's hoping it turns out to be delicious!

Hungarian Goulash - 7 Points

A cold wintry night means I want something hot, meaty, and rich. Assuming a suitable man is not available, I will settle for some goulash! I am so pleased with how easy it has been to make substitutions to my familiar recipes, leaving them a little bit more Weight Watchers friendly. This one turned out just as well with more veggies and fat free yogurt as it does with more meat and full fat sour cream.

Hungarian Goulash
1 lb round steak, cubed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup fat free yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix steak and flour until steak is coated.
2. Spray a large skilled using a kitchen spritzer or nonstick spray such as Pam. Saute beef, onion, and garlic until beef is browned.
3. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until beef is tender.
4. Stir in sour cream and allow 2-3 minutes for goulash to reheat before serving.
5. Yields 4, 7 point servings

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes - 7 points +

Chicken dinner; it's a Southern tradition. Fried chicken is, of course, the real chicken of the South. Unfortunately, fried chicken is death on points. Fortunately, this roasted chicken is wonderfully delicious.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
1 medium chicken, cleaned and washed (make sure to remove giblet bag)
10 cups potatoes, sliced
1 lemon
1 orange
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
2 oz provolone cheese
1 green pepper, cut into four pieces
salt and pepper

1. Cut the orange in half. Rub the chicken outside of the chicken with the orange. Salt and pepper the chicken thoroughly.
2. Place the provolone and the green pepper in the chicken's cavity.  Place chicken in a roasting pan or stone.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine juice of the lemon, olive oil, and oregano. Add potatoes; salt and pepper to taste. Mix until potatoes are coated.
4. Place potatoes on baking dish around chicken.
5. Bake in a 350F oven for 60-90 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the breast reads 170F.  Starting at 45 minutes, baste chicken with pan juice in 20 minutes intervals.
6. The potatoes yield 8, 4 point servings. The chicken will vary according to cut - starting with 3 points for half a breast.