Lemon-Raspberry Ice Squares - 5.5 Weight Watchers Smart Points or 3 Winning Points

This dessert was a find by me for using up raspberries many years ago.  It can be lightened up further, as the points depend greatly on the sugar cookies, butter, and yogurt used.  I tend to use real ingredients.  Vegan yogurt might be a good option to try with light butter and fat-free yogurt for fewer points.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find some lower-calorie vanilla sugar cookies and there were a lot of points involved in the ones I chose, but I also only used about 7 of them compared to the 18 called for in the recipe.  

The image above is a slice of the entire recipe cut into 9 portions and it's sitting on a salad-sized plate, so it's a good size.  Cutting the entire batch in 18 portions would halve the points. The whipped cream topping is not included in the points for this recipe, as that depends on your choice for whipped topping. 

The lemon and raspberry go so well together.  Just make sure you let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to soften a tad because "Ice" squares are pretty hard to get through with forks and spoons otherwise.

Ingredients:

1 c. (about 18) crushed lemon-flavored sugar cookies
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbs. butter
1 c. raspberry-flavored yogurt
1 c. low-fat buttermilk
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. frozen or fresh raspberries
sweetened whipped cream

Instructions:

In small bowl, stir together crushed cookies, 1/4 cup sugar and butter.  Press on bottom of 9" square baking pan and set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except raspberries and whipped cream.  Fold in raspberries. Pour yogurt mixture over cookie crust.  Cover and freeze until firm, about 3 to 4 hours.

To serve, let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut into 18 squares (or 9) and garnish with whipped cream.

You can also change up the flavor for this recipe.  Use blueberry-flavored yogurt and blueberries or strawberry-flavored yogurt with strawberries.  Heck, switch it all up and make it a combo deal, just remember the lemon flavor in the "crust" and choose complimentary flavors.

YIELDS:  18 servings
SERVING SIZE: 1/18
POINTS:  5.5 Smart Points or 3 Winning Points

YIELDS:  9 servings
SERVING SIZE: 1/9th
POINTS:  11 Smart Points or 6 Winning Points

Garden-Stuffed Mushrooms for 1.5 Weight Watchers Winning and Smart Points Each

These stuffed mushrooms make a good appetizer for the Weight Watchers conscious party goer...keep that in mind.

This recipe makes 16 stuffed mushrooms and for the Winning Points that I do, it comes out to 1.4375 points or 1.5 rounded up....so I'm going with 3 points even for every 2 mushrooms consumed.   For the newer Smart Points system, it works out to 1.5625 points per mushroom, but rounding up would be 2 points per mushroom.  That's quite a jump for a round up, so I'm leaving it up to you if you want to count these at 3 points for every 2 consumed as well or whether you would rather it be 2 points per mushroom and therefore 4 per every 2.  There are only 7 in the above picture because we started eating them before the spinach-stuffed steaks that were to accompany them were done cooking.  The recipe for the spinach-stuffed steaks can be found here.

The filling was quite easy to make.  I just put some herb-seasoned boxed stuffing mix into the food processor and pulsed it to break it down a little and proceeded from there.  Below is a picture of all of the stuffing ingredients ready to mix in a bowl.

Ingredients:

1/2 dried, crumbly style herb-seasoned stuffing, crushed
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. finely chopped carrot
1/4 c. finely chopped green pepper
pinch of pepper
2 Tbs. finely chopped onion
16 mushroom (2"), stems removed


Instructions:

Heat oven to 35 degrees.  In small bowl stir together all ingredients, except mushrooms.  Stuff each mushroom cap with 1 tablespoon filling.  Place in buttered 13" x 9" baking pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.

YIELDS:  16 mushrooms
SERVING SIZE:  2 mushrooms
WINNING POINTS: 3 WWWP/2 mushrooms
SMART POINTS:  4 SP/2 mushrooms

Quick Pesto Pasta Tauce Recipe for 3 Weight Watchers Points

This side dish is quick and easy...I repeat quick and easy. I have to fight Mr F because he wants to eat it all by himself versus leaving any leftovers for me for quick points figuring.

Next time I make this, I'll try adding in a bit of chicken breast.  Let me know if you do that first and how you liked it please!

Ingredients:

4 oz.  uncooked multigrain penne pasta (1-1/4 c uncooked)
2 Tbs commercial pesto
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat.  Drain.  Combine pasta, pesto, and cheese in a bowl and toss well.

YIELD:  4 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1/2 cup

POINTS: 3 (Winning points)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  147 calories (29% from fat); 4.8 g Fat (0.8 g saturated); 6.3 g Protein; 20 g Carbs; 3 mg Cholesterol; 1.6 mg Iron; 93 mg Sodium; 38 mg Calcium

Spicy Vegetarian Black Bean Soup for 3 Weight Watchers Points

If you're pressed for time, this is a quick and easy soup to make!  The only real prep involved was mashing half of the black beans; the rest was prepackaged for an open-and-dump-in situation.

I paired this with the Goat Cheese Sandwich with Cucumber and Alfalfa sprouts recipe found here for a total of 7 Weight Watchers Winning points.  As soon as the sugars portion of this recipe is Figured out, I can share the Smart Points values.  Sorry, but old recipes just don't list sugars in the nutritional information and I haven't had the time while cooking to stop and figure them out myself.

I used a Chipotle-flavored meat crumble package, so that added a lot of flavor on it's own.  It was the only bag left, but I'm sticking with those because it worked.   I also had to make my own Mexican Spice blend because I couldn't find any at the store, so I'll include the mixture of spices I used for that as well in case you can't find it either.  I think the pepper stir-fry and fajita vegetables may be the same thing, but I'm not certain because, as is the story of my life, I couldn't find the pepper stir-fry mix either and went with the frozen fajita vegetables mix. 👌

Only Mr F is willing to give this a go.  As I've mentioned previously, the kids don't do beans of any color, shape or size.  If you find you won't eat this faster than it may spoil, then cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 (16-oz.) pkg frozen pepper stir-fry, slightly thawed
1 (12-oz.) pkg frozen meatless burger crumbles
1 (14-oz.) can organic vegetable broth
2 tsp. salt-free Mexican seasoning
1/2c (2 oz.) reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese with jalapeno

Home-made Mexican Spice Blend/Seasoning:

2 Tbs. paprika
2 Tbs. no-salt-added chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne or ground chipotle pepper (optional)

Mix all Mexican spice blend ingredients together and store in an airtight container for future use.


Instructions:

Mash half of the beans with a fork or a potato masher.  Combine mashed beans and remaining beans in a large dutch oven.  Add pepper stir fry and next 4 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

YIELD:  8 servings

SERVING SIZE:  1 cup soup and 1 Tablespoon of cheese

POINTS:  3 points

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  185 calories (18% from fat); 3.7 g Fat (0.9 g saturated); 14.1 g Protein; 24.9 g Carbs; 6.2 g Fiber; 5 mg Cholesterol; 3.1 mg Iron; 717 mg Sodium; 125 mg Calcium

Carrot-Apple-Ginger Smoothie for 3 Weight Watchers points or 6 Smart Points each

Please excuse this plastic tumbler's gnarly edges. ;)

This smoothie recipe can be quite refreshing. You can use 2 ice cubes for a cold drink style or add 4 for more of a thickened smoothie.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. 100% carrot juice, chilled
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. organic fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 frozen ripe banana
2-4 ice cubes

Instructions:  Place all  ingredients in a blender and voila!

Serves: 1
Points: 3 Points
SmartPoints: 6 (5.5 rounded up)

Nutritional Information:  Calories 138; Fat 0.1 g (sat 0 g, mono 0g, poly 0.1g); Protein 4.3 g; Carb 32.7 g; Fiber 2.3 g; Chol 2 mg; Iron 0.3 mg; Sodium 79 mg, Calcium 126 mg

Shrimp Spring Rolls for 3 Weight Watchers Points

These are my second go at Shrimp Spring Rolls.  The First recipe I tried was horrible.  It was so horrible tasting that Mr. F outright refuses to even try this.  The kids won't go anywhere near trying these, so it's a thing just for me.  This recipe is decent.  It's kind of like a wrapped salad.  The rice paper roll can take a little getting used to, or maybe I just need to know how to thin them out a little.

I would love to share the Smart Points to these, but the sugar content in this old Weight Watchers recipe I have is not included in the nutrition information and the online meal planning tool Freezes my computer, so I'll have to leave this one up to one of my readers to Figure out.


Ingredients:

6 oz. peeled cooked shrimp, chopped
3/4 c. precut matchstick carrots
1/3 c. minced green onions
1/4 c. julienne-cut cucumber (deseeded)
1/4 c. dry-roasted peanuts
5 (8-1/2") round sheets of rice paper
1 Tbs. hoisin sauce, divided


Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Add warm water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1". Place 1 sheet of rice paper in the water. Let stand about 10 seconds or just until soft.

Place softened sheet on a flat surface and spread about 1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce on bottom half. Arrange about 1/2 cup of the shrimp filling over bottom third of rice paper sheet.  Fold bottom of the rice paper sheet over the filling, presealing slightly.  Fold sides of the sheet over the filling, overlapping in center to form a tight roll. Roll up spring roll jelly-roll fashion, and gently press seam to seal. (You can watch some You Tube videos too for this.)

Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper sheets, hoisin sauce, and shrimp mixture.  Serve immediately, or cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate 30 minutes.

YIELDS:  5 servings
SERVING SIZE: 1 roll

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  CAL 160 (32% from fat), FAT 5.6 g (1.9 g saturated); PROTEIN 12.9 g; CARB 15.1 g; FIBER 2.6 g; CHOL 89 mg; IRON 1.8 mg; SOD 288 mg; CALC 34 mg

Broccoli with Brown Butter and Almonds Recipe

Let me start by sharing that I'm not a huge cooked broccoli lover, but THIS recipe is literally so Flavorful, it's mind blowingly delicious. I don't have any light butter on hand to see how swapping it in to replace the regular butter I used would affect the points value, but 3 points is pretty darned good as it is.

When I Figured out the points for this recipe using my slider card, it came out to a total of 19 points for the whole dish.  The recipe card has the nutritional information included on it, and using that is how I come out to 3 points per serving, but when I divide 6 into 19, it actually comes out to just a tad more than 3 points, so I round up personally.  You can do what you like.  I guess I like to err on the side of caution.

Ingredients:

3 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 small shallot thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. garlic pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet over high heat combine broccoli florets with 1/4 cup water and heat uncovered just until you see steam.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.  Drain and transfer broccoli to a bowl and set it aside.

Wipe the skillet clean with paper towel and place back on stove over medium heat.  Add butter and heat until the butter melts and just begins to bubble whisking it once or twice.  Stir in the almonds, the shallot, and the garlic pepper.  Cooke just until the butter is light golden brown and begins to have a nutty aroma, and you WILL smell it.  Quickly remove from the heat and DO NOT LET THE BUTTER BURN.

Add the broccoli back into the skillet and toss to coat.  Return the skillet to low heat and cook just until your broccoli is reheated.  Season with salt to taste and serve.

Serves:  6
Points:  4

Nutritional Info:  125 calories, 12 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 35 g sodium, 3 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein

Fab Grab Chocolate Bars for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I decided to try these out when I saw them on sale for a good price.  Each  bar is only 3 Weight Watchers points for me.  It's a great grab-and-go option when you're running behind and need to have something handy to eat, whether it's because you missed your breakfast and need to get your points in or you just aren't really hungry and still need to get those points in.  Obviously, it's a good choice for a chocolate and chewy fix since they are soft-baked bars.

They are milk-free, nut-free, and soy-free.  The box also indicates they are gluten free and free from the 8 common allergens, which are wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, and shellfish.  It does say that their products are made in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free facility with no artificial ANYTHING.

I bought these a couple of months ago, but I think it's safe to say I found them in the gluten-free section of my local Meijer store.

Roast-Beef-Wrapped Asparagus Rolls

This is a great low-point snack at only 3 Weight Watchers points per 4 rolls, but I cheat a little and use a horseradish sauce that is pre-made and therefore count each roll as 1 point.

You'll need asparagus and thin-sliced roast beef.


To make the horseradish sauce from scratch, you'll need to mix the following ingredients together:

2 Tbs low-fat mayonnaise
2 tsp. prepared horseradish

If you'd like to cheat like I do to save a little time, I use Woeber's Horseradish sauce that I find in the condiments isle at my grocery store.  I put either version into a baggie and snip the end off to apply it quickly in a steady bead along the inside (spreading it with a knife can be a bit of a pain).

To prepare the asparagus, you need to blanch it quickly in boiling water. Snap off the ends of your asparagus while the water heats to a boil and prepare a dish large enough to accommodate them filled with ice cubes and water to shock it.  Shocking stops the cooking process and maintains that nice crispness.  Once the water is boiling, place all asparagus in the water so that they are covered with water. (I use a large and deep skillet).  Boil for no more than 4 minutes, and sometimes less time depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Once the water turns green, I pull one out, put it into the ice water, and quickly taste it for texture.  You don't want it to get mushy. A nice snap is what you are looking for. When ready, remove all asparagus from the boiling water and put straight into the ice water.  Let rest for a minute, then drain and dry.

Place a slice of roast beef down, place asparagus on top, and drizzle a thin line of horseradish sauce.  Then roll 'er up. That's it.  They are great cold.

If you have very thick asparagus spears, one stalk will do per roll, but feel free to double 'em up if they're particularly thin like I did in the above picture.

Enjoy!

YIELDS: 4 servings of 4 rolls

POINTS: 3 points per serving (4 rolls)

INFORMATION:  5g total fat; 1g saturated fat; 50mg cholesterol; 179mg sodium; 3g total carb; 1g dietary fiber; 19g protein; 15mg calcium

Fab Grab Smoothie Option for Only 3 Weight Watcher Points

I would never pay Full price for this product because I am Frugal, but because they were on sale at my local grocery store for $1.79 each AND I had a coupon for $100 off of 2, I bought 14 of 'em to try out.  Each cost me just $1.29.  It is definitely a time-saver 'cuz there are no glasses or blenders to clean from making my own!

I had originally bought them for my picky daughter because they have some veggies in them and Greek yogurt protein in them, but after I Figured out the points, I knew this could be a Fab Grab item for when I am on the go.  In Fact, I may stop off at grocery stores to buy them with some single-serve apple juice when I'm on long drives and Find myself Feeling snacky, and for the kids too.  We have a long drive coming up soon, so I may try that out.

This particular Blue Power Dole Shaker boasts B6 and B12 and is labeled is a fruit and veggies smoothie with Greek yogurt, blueberry, banana, and red beet.  The back of the container indicates it is all natural fruits and veggies plus Greek yogurt with pre- and probiotics plus 100% DV of vitamins B6, B12, AND folic acid. It says there is 180 calories as prepared and 5 grams of protein.  It also happens to say that satisfaction is guaranteed. There is a little window on the back as well, the bottom of which is the Fill line for an extra thick consistency, and the top of which is the Fill line for a thick consistency.  One cup of apple juice took mine to the thick consistency, the top of that window. 

This particular Dole Shaker is only 3 Weight Watcher points for me, and that includes the 1 cup of apple juice.  It comes out to 1 point for the Shaker and 2 points for the juice.  I had this for a snack option today.  You can use a Few different juices to mix with them too.  The bottle says you can use apple, pineapple, or your Favorite juice. 

They come in many Flavors.  Here is a picture of those I chose to try out in the Future.

 (This is my garage Fridge, so don't judge!)

Update:  I just checked the Peach Mango flavored Shaker.  If the full cup of apple juice was added to it, it would be 4 points total. The Blue Power alone is 1 point, but this peach-mango alone is 2 points.  I'll update with the rest of the points values for the rest of the flavors I have shown.  It's just too cold to go out to the garage fridge this time of night. ;)

A Few Fab Grabs by Quaker and Planters to Share

Yes, you can buy granola cereal in many forms, but this is a great grab-and-go option when you are on the run, pre-measured to boot.

I had some coupons for the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal (which you can eat cold by the way or even add to some plain nonfat vanilla yogurt) that allowed me to buy a bunch of boxes for $1.50 each when combined with a sale.  The Apple Cinnamon version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 3 points per serving.

The Cranberry Almond version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 4 Weight Watchers points for me.

 

When I look back at the 1.4-oz., 3-point packet of granola cereal I got on the NutriSystem plan, the Apple Cinnamon at 1.69 oz. and the Cranberry Almond at 1.76 oz. seems fair, as each provides a bit more per serving.

Another great Fab Grab is the NUT-rition bars Planters makes.  For example, this cranberry-almond-peanut bar is only 3 points for me.  Fits great in a purse! It is 1.23 ounces. 

 So there you go....three new Fab Grab Options for those busy moments when you don't want to cave and grab something Fast and totally crappy for you.

Blueberry Muffins for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I made my kids a batch of blueberry muffins from a recipe my youngest brought home from school when they had a blueberry day.  A coworker's of Mr. F's owns a blueberry Farm, and I have about 8 pounds of blueberries yet to use up in my Freezer from last season.

I decided to Figure the points out when I remembered that blueberry muffins were an actual breakfast entree while on the NutriSystem plan (as I covered in this post).  Turns out the points value for me was 3 points per muffin.  Guess what?  They were 3 points on the NutriSystem plan too, so why not?  Mine were Fluffier, less dense, bigger, and tasted better with none of that "diet" taste.  I had a hard time swallowing their version and HAD to drink something to help it go down. lol

Here is what the muffins looked like on the NutriSystem plan (and that is a 1-cup measuring cup), and as you can see, I counted my Weight Watchers points while on their plan:

Their packaging says each muffin was 2 ounces. Each of my muffins weighed in at 1.8 to 2.0 ounces too.

As you have probably noticed by now, I prefer to use "normal" ingredients.  Faux sugar/sugar substitutes scare me (and give me heart palpitations), so I stick with normal, unmodified sugar, which is 15 calories per tablespoon with 0 grams of Fat and Fiber.  Because 1/2 cup of sugar (equal to 8 tablespoons) would be 120 calories, I assign the sugar in this recipe 8 points (1 point per Tbs.). Because this recipe makes a dozen muffins, there is less than a tablespoon of sugar in each muffin.  They may technically be less than 3 points each at 2.5 points.

Ingredients:

1 c. blueberries - 1 point
1/4 c. melted butter, - 12 points (I use Challenge organic butter, which is
           higher in points than Land O'Lakes)
1-3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour - 14 points
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder - 0 points
1/4 tsp. salt - 0 points
1/2 c. sugar - 0 points/Tbs, but I give 1 point per Tbs. at 120 calories, so
          8 points
1 egg - 2 points (could use egg white substitute and save a point)
1/2 c. 1% milk - 1 point

(38 points total divided by 12 muffins = 3.1666~)

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Add egg and milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.  Divide evenly among muffins tins.  Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Makes 12 muffins.
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Points: 3 points per muffin

A Family-Friendly BLT or BLTT for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I fell in love with BLT sandwiches when I was in the Fourth grade.  I'm only just now getting to make them again now that my children, at ages 16, 14, and 8, have decided they are good too.  They get the BLT, as in bacon, lettuce, and toast, and I get the BLTT, as in bacon, lettuce, tomato, and toast.  (I know, that's now how it works, but it's how we refer to them today so those who don't want tomato, don't get tomato.)

I normally don't Fret over brands of certain Food items and their points values.  Being normal is worth an extra point for me here and there. Maybe that will change as my range decreases with weight loss.  We'll see.  For example, a lite or low-fat cheese is only 1 point less than the real deal.  Real bacon is only 1 point per slice and has less cholesterol in it than turkey bacon (weird, isn't it?). And our normal brand of bread is only 1 point per slice, so I stick with it.  I hate being wasteful, and if the items I need to eat will be wasted because the others in my Family won't help out in eating it before it goes bad, then that's being wasteful.

I have, however, Fallen in love with this new brand of Flat bread pockets.  Each pocket is only 1 point.  Therefore, I save a point by going with it over my regular two-slice sandwich bread.  I even toasted it by toasting on light setting and then flipping it over and toasting it again at the same setting.  The middle gets toasted the most, but it works since the pockets are wider than my toaster. All 3 kids gave it a thumbs up, which makes it Family Friendly in my book and a great choice when counting points for me.

One Smart Pocket = 1 Weight Watcher point
2 slices of bacon = 2 Weight Watcher points
1 Tablespoon of low-fat mayo = 0 points
Lettuce = 0 points
Tomato slices = 0 points

Grant Total = Only 3 Weight Watchers points!

If you want to figure the points values for another Weight Watchers system and share it, I'll make note of that for Future readers too.

A Fab Grab Option when You're Fiending for a Crunch for 3 Weight Watcher Points

That is an entire 1-ounce serving of these Veggie Straws for only 3 Weight Watcher Points.  Talk about get your crunch on, and the serving is large enough you feel a little more satisfied at having crunched your way through them over a prolonged period of time, rather than a minute or those single-bite treats. lol

Fab Grab Lunch of Lentil Soup & Bagel Thin WITH Butter for 7 WW Points!

Here is another easy peasy Fab grab.  Great for taking to work for lunch for working moms.  Can't call this one Family Friendly, as I'm the only one who eats it, but I L-O-V-E this soup.  (All other lentil soups I've tried didn't even come close and were actually revolting on occasion.)

I whole cupful is only 3 Weight Watchers points.  The Bagel Thin is only 2 points, but with 1 tablespoon of butter on it is only 2 more for a total of 4.

(I buy multiple cans when on sale & label with expiration date) I always have it handy for those days when I just don't know what to make from scratch for lunch that way.

Fab Grab Breakfast of Instant Oatmeal for 3 points - Maple & Brown Sugar

'Nuf said I suppose.  I'm posting to share due to the ease.  I used to eat this flavor of oatmeal on NutriSystem too with their morning shake, but this serving is a bit more.  It's also only 3 Weight Watcher points for me!

I also like to keep my breakfast and lunch low in points when I know my dinner will be higher.  For instance, tonight I had a HUGE taco salad. 

Cherry Fudge Brownies at Only 3 Weight Watcher Points per Brownie (Make a Sundae for 5!)

This is obviously G-O-O-D! Can you believe I have somebody in my house who doesn't like it though! For real! My husband would prefer I not add in the candied cherries, but too bad because this year is about me.

Just as the post title says, it's only 3 points per brownie and when you turn it into a warm brownie mint sundae, it's still only 5 points!

Ingredients:

1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt 1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/3 c. chopped candied cherries
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. confectioner's sugar (I never add this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8"-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Get 2 bowls out. Combine into one bowl the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and in the other the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add the sugar mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir just until blended (takes some work and gets very thick). Fold in the cherries and the chocolate chips. Work batter into the pan evenly. Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 28-32 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 30 minutes. Cut into 16 bars. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Yields 16 servings.
Points: 3 points

141 calories, 5 g fat, 34 mg cholesterol, 86 mg sodium, 25 g carb, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein

Sundae Version: Points=5 points
Add 1/2-cup scoop of fat-free mint ice cream, a tablespoon of fat-free whipped topping, and a maraschino cherry.

Grinch Smoothie for 3 Weight Watcher Points

Update 2/10/15:  I'm so excited that I took the time to refigure the points on this smoothie.  Somehow I had marked on the bag of flax meal that the two-tablespoon serving was 4 points. It is NOT! The two-tablespoon serving size is only 1 Freakin' point! It must've been blonde math that made me quadruple the points in my notes/translation rather than divide it into Fourths. At any rate, it's almost an entire two points less than I originally thought! Lately, now that I'm working on improving my cholesterol numbers, I've been adding 1/4 c. of pomegranate juice for 1 point.

***********


Here are the ingredients to make a single serving with a slight banana flavor:

2/3 c.vanilla almond milk (1 point rounded up from .67)
1 oz. banana*
1 c. raw baby spinach loosely packed (0 points)
1/4 c. unpeeled (skin on) green apple (about 1 oz.)*
1/8 avocado (about 1 oz.)* (1 point for the 3 fruits combined)
1/2 rounded Tbs. flax meal (0.25 points per 1/2 Tbs.)
1/2 Tbs. honey (0.5 points)

* I have assigned the three-fruit combo a single point, as it is 0 points individually, but it's fruit! (The old WW Plan has points for fruit. I understand newer points systems have fruits as freebies)

Take all ingredients and blend well.

On my old Weight Watchers plan, this comes out to just over 3 points for me, at 3.25 points.  

Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s, which have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.  Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types of fiber too.  Research indicates that flax may reduce risks of certain cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease and lung disease. For more on flax, check out this information at WebMD. I also add it to other things where it fits.  They say 2 tablespoons a day offers a healthful heart benefit.

I adapted the above recipe into a single-serving size, but there's no issue with using a whole tablespoon of flax in it either.  Now that I fixed the points on this smoothie, I, as you, can double it up or have it again later in the day should I find myself hungry in between meals. 

Tip:  Freeze ingredients! I put the apple, banana, and avocado on a cookie sheet and freeze them in piles (per smoothie).  I put the spinach into individual bowls/cups and freeze that too! When all four items are frozen, I take one serving of the raw, frozen baby spinach and put it into a Food Saver bag with the pre-portioned, Frozen apple, banana, and apple and then add the flax meal to it too.  This way, all I have to do is cut open a bag, plop it into the Blender, add the almond milk and the honey, blend, and voila!

Fab Grab Breakfast of Kashi Go Lean Crunch for 3 Points

Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal is the cereal that offers the biggest bang for it's buck!  Compared to the NutriSystem approximately 1/2 cup of cereal serving sizes, you can have an entire cupful of this for only 3 points, and if you have the points allowance, double it up and have two cupfuls for only 6 points (before milk choice)!

I didn't take a picture, but will the next time.  It completely fills up my large soup bowls at a double serving.

I also don't like milk, so I consume approximately 1/2 cup of almond milk when eating a double-serving of this cereal, for a grand total of 7 points! (Half serving is only 4 points for me).

 

Whuh!? Weigh Me Dammit!

Today's F Word:  Figures. 

Just kidding.

Today I went for a two-week follow-up appointment for the new medication they put me on for my hot Flashes.  They didn't even ask me to get on the scale!  I hate getting on the doctor's scale, but they usually always request that I weigh in.  I've lost some weight since I've seen them last so......  Not that big of a deal.....it....just....Figures. lol

Today was a good dieting day.  I had a turkey sausage patty and a banana bread mini muffin for breakfast at 2 points each, a mid-morning snack of 1/4 cup egg whites scrambled up with some baby spinach, mushrooms, and garlic powder for a whopping total of 1 point, a lunch of orzo salad with ham and peas for 4 points, a mid-afternoon snack of 12 wheat thins and 1 tablespoon of roasted pine nut hummus for 3 points, a dinner of 4 ounces of pork satay and a huge helping of my favorite salad (with bacon bits and regular dressing) for a total of 10 points, and an evening snack of the sweet snacking sandwich for 3 points.

I used to eat the 1/4 cup of scrambled egg and veggies for my protein serving when I was doing NutriSystem too.

Obviously, today was more of a smaller and more frequent meal type of day. Do you normally dread the doctor scales too?

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What kind of dieting day did you have?