Gotta sweet tooth????

This weekend we had a "start of the football season" BBQ to go to and I made two fabulous desserts....S'Mores cheesecake squares and Paula Deen's "Maggie's Decadent Brownies". I've made the cheesecake squares numerous times before so knew they would be a winner but the brownies were a new find for me. I love, love, love Paula Deen and have seen her make these brownies before. I'm not a huge brownie fan but these just looked really good so decided that I would try these one day. Y'all would be proud of me b/c I really didn't have any of the desserts at all. I did eat about a quarter of a brownie to try it since I've been wanting to bake them and let me tell you.....they are soooooo good. WOW!!! You have got to try these....especially if you are a chocolate lover. They both were a huge hit at the BBQ.

Maggie's Decadent Brownies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

Frosting:
4 oz (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup pasteurized egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (1 lb) box confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking pan.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
3. While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the egg substitute, vanilla, and sugar and stir with a spoon until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows; they will soften but not melt completely. Spread the frosting over the warm brownies. The frosting will set up when the brownies are completely cooled. (I actually put them in the fridge to speed up that process.) When cool, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares and store in the refrigerator in a plastic container with a snap-on lid.

S'Mores Cheesecake Squares

18 Honey Maid Honey grahams, divided
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
6 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy bar, coarsely chopped, divided
1 cup mini marshmallows

1. Crush 14 of the graham crackers, measuring about 2 cups crumbs. Coarsely chop remaining 4 graham crackers; set aside.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Press onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan.
3. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until just blended. Stir in 1/2 of the chopped candy. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining candy, marshmallows and chopped crackers.
4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

Sloppy Joes and Sweet Potato Chips

My good friend Jennifer shared a delicious WW sloppy joe recipe with me that is sooooo easy and soooo delicious! I was feeling the need to "cheat" and this was a good way to feel like I was cheating without actually doing it. I also made some "Sweet Potato Chips" to go along with it. Jon said it tasted the same as a baked sweet potato and wasn't anything special but it was just something different to try.

Sloppy Joes

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 medium celery stalks chopped
1 medium bell pepper chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
20 oz canned crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1/4 ketchup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
8 medium mixed grain hamburger rolls

1. Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and saute until tender, 3 minutes. Add turkey and saute until browned, breaking meats as it cooks, 5 minutes. Add chili powder, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne, stir to coat. Add crushed tomatoes, ketchup and mustard. mix well
3. bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
4. Stir in corn and simmer 2 minutes to heat through. Spoon mixture onto rolls and serve hot.

5 points and YUMMY! Makes 8 servings

Sweet Potato Chips

1 lb sweet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt

1. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, sugar, 1/4 tsp of the salt, and cold water to cover. Soak 30 minutes; drain and blot dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 350; spray 2 nonstick baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake, turning the potatoes over frequently so that they color and crisp evenly, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt.

Per serving (1/4 of chips): 118 cal, 0 g fat, 3 g fiber. Points: 2

Meatloaf and Taco Salad

Here are two more WW recipes that we tried this week that were really good. I'm really enjoying trying to lose weight again. It makes me feel so good about myself. So far the scale hasn't done too, too much (thanks to me being female) but I can just feel it. I'm not as bloated as normal and my shorts and shirts are fitting better. It does get frustrating at times b/c of the scale but I have to keep telling myself that I can survive the first two weeks which is always the hardest. One week down....one to go!

Parmesan-Turkey Meatloaf

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 lbs ground skinless turkey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, made into fine crumbs
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 tbsps ketchup
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil OR 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350; spray an 8x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onion until tender, 4-5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg white, ketchup, cheese, garlic, basil, thyme, and pepper; blend well. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into 8 slices.

Per serving (1 slice): 181 cal, 9 fat, 1 g fiber Points value: 4

Taco Salad

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup water
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 carrot, shredded
4 (6 in) corn tortillas, lightly toasted and cut into 4 triangles each
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1. To prepare the dressing, in a small bowl combine the yogurt, cilantro, sour cream, crushed garlic, and salt; let stand 30 minutes.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute about 2/3 of the onions and the minced garlic until the onion is translucent, 6-8 minutes. Add the chopped carrot, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the lettuce, shredded carrot,, and 1/4th of the cilantro dressing; toss to coat.
4. To serve, divide the lettuce mixture among 4 plates; top with the meat, then surround with the tortilla triangles. Serve, sprinkled with the cheese and remaining onion and drizzled with the dressing.

Per serving (1 salad): 357 cal, 12 g fat, 9 g fiber Points value: 7

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

This dish was surprisingly very good. The breading is made with cornflakes so I was a little skeptical but it goes to show you that you need to try different things and you'll be surprised with what you get. The whole time I was cooking it Jon kept teasing me saying that he can't believe we were about to eat cereal covered chicken. If you know him then you can just hear the things he was telling me. I was very pleased when he ate 4 pieces! (they were small)

I adjusted the recipe just a little. It calls for "chicken parts" so I used "boneless skinless thighs" and I added more breading mix b/c I didn't feel like what they called for was enough. Of course the nutritional value was a bit different but not by much.

Here's the recipe from the cookbook....

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

1/2 cup fat free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tbsps all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 lbs chicken parts, skinned
4 tsps canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400. spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pour the buttermilk into a large shallow bowl. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely. Place the chicken on the baking sheet; drizzle with the oil. Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked trough, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving (about 2 pieces): 229 cal, 10 g fat, 11 g carb, 0 g fiber

Points: 5

My recipe lovers

I've gotten a lot of people tell me how much they've enjoyed the recipes I've posted and to keep posting them. Well, there is some good news and some bad news for those people. The good news is I will continue posting recipes but the bad news is they will all be healthy, low fat recipes. LOL

I've officially started Weight Watchers again this past week. I gained 5 lbs while my inlaws were here and decided enough is enough. You would think that with all the walking we did in NYC I would have lost but we ate way too much!!!! I need to start losing the remaining baby weight and need to start now. So Jon and I decided that we are starting this together which makes it soooo much easier b/c we have each others support. I'm also going to be starting with a trainer at the gym in a couple of weeks and I'm super excited about that. I met with him yesterday for the first time and he kicked my butt in just 15 minutes. It was hard but I persevered it and am feeling sore but great this morning!

So far I've tried a couple of the WW recipes but it wasn't anything to write about. They were just "ok". Last night we did turkey burgers that were actually pretty good and were very low in points. (if you don't know anything about WW you go on a point system instead of actually counting calories.) So here's the recipe.....

Monterrey Jack Turkey Burgers

3/4 pounds ground skinless turkey breast
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup shredded MJ cheese
4 strips turkey bacon, cooked until crisp
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 tomato, cut into 4 slices

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, shallots, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and pepper. Blend in the cheese, then form into 4 burgers and cook. Serve the burgers in the buns with the bacon and tomato slices.

Per serving: (1 burger) 306 cal, 9 gram fat, 4 gram sat fat, 1 gram trans fat, 77 mg chol, 707 mg sodium, 26 gram carb, 2 gram fiber, 31 gram protein, 130 mg calcium.

6 points (for other WWs)