Peanut Butter (Reeses) bars (8pts per serving)

Do you remember those Peanut Butter Bars that you got at the school cafeteria with lunch on rare occasions? I do and they were my absolute favorite. I loved them and craved them and they were so wonderful. On pinterest I have been seeing them EVERYWHERE, being repined. One of my favorite recipes of this repin is from Baker Lady she explains it well, easy to read, ect. Click on her name to go to her version of this recipe.
I tried them- super yummy, but very calorie heavy so I set out to adapt her recipe. Before you judge that 8 points per serving I want to point out a few things.
the Original recipe--
12 servings
calories per serving: 535 (fat and fiber not calculated)
super crazy for one dessert
I tried my hardest to bring down that number
my adjusted recipe--
12 servings
calories with all sugar substitutes: 310  fat: 5 g
calories halfsugar/half subs: 330 fat: 5 g fiber: 1


huge difference when you look at it that way but not a diet friendly dessert but better than the original.


here are my changes:

• 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 c melted butter/margarine
• 1 c oats (grounded in blender)
• 1 c finely ground graham crackers (blend your own or use the pre-made stuff)
• 1 c confectioners sugar substitute (made in blender: 3 TBS splenda, 6 TBS dry powdered milk, 6 TBS cornstarch.)
• 1 c confectioners sugar or an additional 1 c of above substitute
• 3/4 c peanut butter
• topping: 2 TBS peanut butter, 3/4 c semi sweet chocolate chips

 directions:

blend up you oats and graham crackers
blend your sugar substitute

Mix them together.

Mix in apple sauce, then add the butter,

finally the peanut butter.

 smooth it out over in a 9 x13 in pan.

melt chips and mix with 

2 TBS of peanut butter

smooth is over the peanut butter base

chill in the fridge for 1 hour min.

Photo of my son eating the peanut butter base, He wanted more.

They were even approved by my anti-any-Low-calorie-low-fat food father, but they aren't exactly low calorie. Its hard with peanut butter of that magnitude and only 12 servings. 

Now if you are looking for something similar but not as heavy on the peanut butter there is a cake/bar like dessert. I have made this one many times and its a great treat.

Along with that I found this lower-calorie option for it that is lower than mine- only if you're looking at the serving size and pan size. This serving size makes 36 servings in a 15 x 10 in pan. 

the nutritional info-- 

calories: 237 fat: 8g fiber: 2g

still not as low as I'd like. I will have to look at it and try some things and see if I can take this recipe to an even lower calorie level.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread 2 pts per serving

Found this on pinterest and made it. My husband thought it was AWESOME win.
I made a few adjustments.

I didn't calculate my changes, but the original recipe is just under 500 calories for the WHOLE loaf. A serving size is 1/5 of the loaf so 100 calories or 2 old wwpts. The original recipe is from Sunday Baker, go there to find the unchanged recipe.
Here is my changed recipe:
batter:

• 1 1/2 c pumpkin
• 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 TBS flax meal and 1/4 water (or 3 egg whites) 
• 2/3 c Flour
• 1/2 c sugar substitute (stevia, spenda)
• 3 Tbs Honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Cream Cheese filling

• 1 pkg 8 oz reduce fat
• 1/4 c sugar (or sugar substitute) 
• 1 TBS flour
• 2 egg whites or 1 whole egg (whipped well)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Pasta with Chicken Sausage pts4 (230 calories)

yes I over cooked my zucchini, but my pasta looks tasty

Pasta with Chicken Sausage
I have been buying Andouille sausage (sausage seasoned with Creole seasonings) for making gumbo. I had some left over from the last batch of gumbo I made. There are a number of brands out there that make a chicken Andouille flavor sausages. This is the one I used, Open Nature Smoked Andouille Chicken sausage.

I had some things left over and needed to use it up.

Here is the recipe I used-

• 4 servings of whole wheat pasta (read your box)
• 3 links chicken sausage
• 1 cup Pasta sauce
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 medium red sweet pepper

instruction- Start by heating water and cooking up the pasta. Cook up the chicken sausage, then cook up onion and red pepper until soften. Drain cooked pasta, add onions, red peppers, and sauce. Toss together and serve. 

quick easy and a healthy serving. 

Suggested sides: asparagus, zucchini, green beans, okra

serves 6

Calories: 230 per serving, fat: 5.3g, fiber: 5 g

old ww pts: 4 per serving

Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes - (as low as 1pt each cupcake)

I found these through pinterest. I adapted it from this site's recipe.
Here is their recipe: 

Self-frosting Nutella Cupcakes

adapted from these ones.

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola or mild vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup Nutella, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick. It needs to be in order to swirl in the Nutella!

Divide the batter between 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Drop a spoonful of Nutella on top of each, and swirl through the batter with the tip of a bamboo skewer, knife or other pointy object. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Tilt them in the pan to help them cool. Makes a dozen cupcakes.

The recipe as is- 12 cupcakes is 229 calories each cupcake or 30 mini cupcakes 92 calories. Or for 12 cupcakes is 5 points each or 30 mini cupcakes is 2 points each (under the old point system).

I made some adjustments to the recipe to cut out as many calories and as much fat as possible. 

Vanilla Nutella Cupcakes (Self-frosting Nutella Cupcakes)
1/2 c Applesauce (no sugar added)
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS flax meal
4 TBS water
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c Nutella (no added to mixture)
Mix all but the Nutella in a bowl. Use paper liner. Mixture makes either 12 large cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes. Bake at 320 degrees F for about 25 minutes for full size cupcakes, and 12 minutes for minis.

Using these substitutes-
12 cupcakes- 155 calories each or 3 points each
30 mini cupcakes- 62 calories each or 1 point each

if you substitute a no calories sweetener (like Splenda)
12 cupcakes- 107 calories each or 2 points
30 mini cupcakes- 43 calories each or 1 point each

if you don't have flax you can use a 3rd egg instead, this changes your calories (using sugar)
12 cupcakes- 160 calories each or 3 points
30 mini cupcakes- 64 calories each or 1 point each
the advantage of flax is- more fiber and Omega-3

Teriyaki Meatballs- 1pt meatball

photo courtesy of budgetbytes.blogspot.com

This is an adapted recipe from Budget Bytes site. It is a cool cost of making the meal.
I adjusted their recipe to make it healthier by adding fiber. You can adjust it as you fit ways to cut calories (ie-less sugar, ground turkey, chicken, pork, halving with lentils~has the same calories/fat as the beef but more nutrients.)
Here is the recipe as given by Budget Bytes

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS		COST
1 lb.	ground pork	$3.50
1 large	egg	$0.23
1/2 cup	plain breadcrumbs	$0.17
1 clove	garlic, minced	$0.07
2 inches	fresh ginger	$0.52
1/2 tsp	soy sauce	$0.02
2 whole	green onions	$0.25
10-15 cranks	freshly cracked black pepper	$0.05
TERIYAKI GLAZE INGREDIENTS		COST
1/2 cup	soy sauce	$0.48
1/2 cup	brown sugar	$0.12
1/2 cup	water	$0.00
1/2 Tbsp	toasted sesame oil	$0.28
1 Tbsp	rice vinegar	$0.04
2 inches	fresh ginger	$0.52
2 Tbsp	corn starch	$0.12
1 Tbsp	sesame seeds	$0.17
RICE BOWL INGREDIENTS		COST
2.5 cups	dry jasmine rice	$1.10
3.75 cups	water	$0.00
2 whole	green onions	$0.25
TOTAL		$7.89

I substituted  90% lean beef for pork, and 1 cup Oats for the breadcrumbs (or using 1/2 c oats 1/2 c flax~same cals/fat/fiber). I also added a 1/2 finely chopped celery (I used it instead of green onion).
Calories per meatball-- 67 gram, Fat-- 1 gram, Fiber--3 grams
1 pts (old system) per meatball plus your rice points/calories
Directions (adjusted from Budget Bytes):
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place ingredients for the meatballs in bowl, mix it up.
STEP 2: Cover a baking sheet with foil. Roll the meatball mixture into small balls, about one tablespoon each. You should yield about 30 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet as you roll them. Bake until golden brown (about 35-40 minutes).
STEP 3: While the meatballs are in the oven, begin cooking the rice according to the package directions
STEP 4: While the meatballs are in the oven, also prepare the teriyaki glaze. In a medium pot combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and sesame oil.Heat over a low flame until the brown sugar is dissolved (just a few minutes).
STEP 5: Dissolve the cornstarch in just enough water to make it pourable. Pour it into the pot with the glaze ingredients. Turn the heat up to medium high, stir and cook until thickened. It should thicken as soon as it begins to simmer.
STEP 6: When the meatballs come out of the oven, transfer them from the baking sheet into the pot with the glaze. Stir to coat.
If you eat the recommended serving size by Budget Bytes of 1cup cooked rice with 5 meatballs- it would be 10 pts (5 for 5 meatballs, 5 for 1 cup rice).

Pasta Primavera- 7 points

This is a family favorite of my husband's side. It works best with no long pastas, such as penne or shells. 
Serves 4, 7 points per serving.

• 1/2 box of pasta
• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 chopped onion (optional)
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• 1 large bag of frozen California mixed Veggies (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower)
• 1/4 c parm cheese

It can be made 2 ways no difference in points.

Stove and Oven: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook up the ground beef and the chopped onion. Suggestion to use the Italian Sausage Seasoning mix to give your meat more flavor. Cook up pasta to almost done -still a bit hard. Defrost bag of veggies in the microwave. Mix pasta, meat, and veggies in a oven baking dish. Pour the pasta sauce over it and cook in oven for 15 minutes. You can sprinkle Parm on before or after putting it in the oven. 

Stovetop: Cook up ground beef and onions (suggested Italian Sausage Seasoning Mix) and then pasta in a separate dish. When pasta is ready drain off water and mix in the cooked ground beef. Mix in thawed veggies. Pour in Pasta sauce, mix and let sizzle. Serve hot off stove with parm sprinkled on it.

ideas for lowering points:

Double recipe, serve 8 but still only use 1/2 lb of ground beef. It would take each serving down to 5 points. To make up the difference and fill it more, add more veggies- specially more broccoli and cauliflower. Maybe us one mixed bag and one bag of all broccoli or cauliflower. If you did it just pasta and veggies it takes the serving to 4 points per serving. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Turkey/Chicken Veggie Cobbler (6pts)

I used too much water & milk and  my biscuits are mixed in.

I found and have modified this recipe in the Pampered Chef "It's Good For You" recipe book.


Its is a good recipe to use leftover turkey or chicken.
Turkey/Chicken Veggie Cobbler
(6 points per serving, 6 servings)
filling:
2 c diced cooked turkey/chicken
1 c diced carrots
1/2 c chopped onion
2 c broccoli florets
1 c cut green beans
1/2 c chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
Any other veggies you like in a pot pie or soup
1 can reduced fat and sodium condensed Cream of Chicken (or Mushroom) soup
1/2 c chicken broth (I precook all my veggies, by boiling in water then I use 1/2 of that as my broth)
1/2 c Milk (reduced fat/skim)
1/4 tsp thyme leaves
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
biscuit top:
1 1/4 c reduced-fat all-purpose baking mix (I often substitute pancake mix)
1/2 c milk (reduced fat/skim)
1 egg white 


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut up meat and veggies. Precook veggies (salute, boil, steam, microwave) otherwise they end up way to crunchy. Mix soup, milk broth, and spices blending them together. Then place veggies and the soup-milk mixture in a deep baking dish. Mix up biscuit topping and pour it over the veggies (do not cook soup-veggies mixture before placing biscuit on it, if you do the biscuit mixture will sink into the soup-veggies) OR spoon drops over mixture for best results. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, until biscuits are plump and browned. 
Serve warm. I serve it in bowls because the consistence has come out more runny sometimes.