National Pancake Day!

Today is National Pancake Day - YUM!

After my Grandma Shea died I took her cookbooks and hand written recipes home. I was 18 and a senior in high school; I put them in a box and forgot them. When my Mom moved to an apartment I found them. At that time,1975, I was a new mom with time to look through the box. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Grandma had written notes by many of the recipes. Most were "good" a few were "not good" but some were "very good."

This recipe is inspired by one of her "very good" notations. It was called French Pancakes. The eggs are separated and the whites are beaten with a mixer until peaks form. After mixing the rest of the ingredients the egg whites are gently folded into the batter. This causes tiny air bubbles to create light and fluffy pancakes that melt in your mouth.

I added different ingredients until the flavors were scrumptious and there was enough batter to make pancakes for both my husband and me. It was also important to keep the points as low as possible.

French Berry Pancakes aka Berry Cloud Pancakes

Preheat griddle sprayed with Pam

2 eggs, separated - whites beaten to peaks

Yolks in separate bowl

Add to the yolks:

1 banana

Lots of Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Kodiak Pancake mix

Separate egg yolks and egg whites. Mix whites on high until peaks form.

By hand gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over mix.

Spray a hot griddle with Pam.

Spoon batter onto griddle and if you want berries add to each pancake after they are on the griddle. It doesn't take them long to brown, so work quickly. Then flip the pancakes. Push any of the batter or berries back into each pancake.

Hint for flipping: I use two metal spatulas. One under the pancake and one at the back edge of the pancake making a 90° angle with the griddle.

Cover loosely with foil.

We love Al Fresco Chicken Bacon. Sprinkle a paper towel lightly with water. Put 2 pieces on the towel, fold over, 2 more, fold over, 2 more, fold over, last one, fold over. Microwave for 20 seconds.

Wash dishes. (My scientific method of perfect timing.)

Plate and eat - a scrumptious 2 pt breakfast and an extra bonus is that I never get hungry after eating this.

My favorite breakfast... Enjoy.

Turkey Meatloaf

This is yummy turkey meatloaf. We've had it often and served it to company.

Lasagna

Lasagna - 4 Freestyle Points

10 inch pie plate - each serving 1/4 of pie plate

This was very filling and delicious

Chicken Butternut Stew

Dinner tonight was delicious. Leftovers are my favorite starting point for creating a new recipe.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (0)
2 cups cooked butternut squash (0)
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup (5)
1 can Pinto beans (0)
1 cup zucchini, chopped (0)
1/2 cup celery, chopped (0)
1/2 cup carrots, chopped (0)
Half a yellow onion, chopped (0)

In a slow cooker, mash squash, mix in condensed soup. Saute chopped vegetables in Pam sprayed pan. Salt, pepper, lots of sage.

Add chicken, vegetables and beans to squash mixture.

Cook on low 2-3 hours.

3 large servings - 2 Freestyle Points each

Smoothie Changeup

So, even though WW makes you count points if you drink your fruit, I've decided to try adding a smoothie for breakfast.  I'll take the hit for 1/2 the points.  So a large glass of smoothie for 4 pts.

1/4 cup carrots
1 small apple
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 cup orange juice
2 stalks celery
1 Tbs Ginger
3/4 scoop Vega Vanilla flavor protein powder

It was delicious.  I'll see how this works for breakfast every other day or so.

Salmon Omelette

Leftover Deliciousness

Serves 2

1 Freestyle Point Each Serving

Egg Mixture

4 Eggs

1 TBS Fage FF Greek Yogurt

Salt, Pepper, Dill

Cheese Mixture

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges

1 TBS Fage FF Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup Leftover Cooked Salmon 

In a bowl combine egg mixture. Whisk or use fork to mix well 

Combine cheese mixture and microwave for 10 seconds. Mix well.

Turn flame on medium on a nonstick pan. Spray lightly with Pam olive oil. Mix eggs again and pour into hot pan. Turn down flame to low. As the edges begin to cook, push the egg from the side a little towards the middle and tilt the pan so uncooked egg fills the empty space. Do this all over the pan until all the egg mixture is used.

Add little piles of cheese mixture on half the omelette. Layer flaked Salmon on top. Shake the pan to make sure the bottom is loose in the pan.

Gently begin to pour the omelette onto a plate and fold the last half over the bottom half.

Cut in two. Delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

 Serve in bowls, top with Trader Joe's Chili Lime

Or serve on slices of peppers

Serves 6 - 0 Freestyle Points

6 corn on cob, roasted
Take kernals off cob

4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Mix
1 cup Fage FF Greek yogurt
2 TBS Walden Farm's Ranch dressing
2 TBS lime juice
Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning

Add to corn
3 TBS crumbled goat cheese

Pizza and Bagels

Our favorite pizza ( I ate half of one before I remembered to take a picture!) is Smoked Whitefish. This recipe makes 12 small 5" across - serves 6

Same crust:
1 1/3 cups self rising flour
1 1/3 cups Fage FF Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400°

Mix in bowl with rubber spatula. Knead in bowl.

Divide into 12 pieces. Spray parchment paper covered cookie sheet and spread each section of dough into a circle. 4 to a pan. Need 3 pans.

Prebake crust for 10 minutes - let cool

Mix: 6 wedges Laughing Cow cheese with 3/4 cup Fage FF Greek yogurt, 2 TBS Walden Farm's Ranch dressing and sprinkle of Italuan seasoning. Spread on cooled pizza crusts.

Top with Flaked Smoked Whitefish.

Saute onions and peppers. Season with Trader Joe's seasoning.

Mix 1 cup FF Mozzarella and 3/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar. Top each pizza.

Grate 1 ounce of Parmesan and grate some more until it maxes the scale without going up in weight. Top the pizza.

At this point if taking somewhere put non stick foil on each sheet. Can stack them.

Preheat oven to 400° uncover and bake a sheet on each rack. About 20 minutes.









The things I missed most were pizza and bagels. Well... no more.  We've had pizza for lunch the last two days and bagels 2 times last week.  We both love them.

Same dough - easy peasy

Pizza

1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

1/4 cup FF Greek Yogurt

Mix and then knead for a couple minutes

Preheat oven 400°

Divide into 2 and flatten on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

We topped with

Al Fresco chicken uncured bacon 

Green peppers

FF mozzarella 

Spray with Pam Olive Oil

Bake 20 minutes

1 of these pizzas is 3 pts

Bagel

1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

1/4 cup FF Greek Yogurt

Preheat oven to 450°

Mix and knead for a couple minutes

Divide into 2 pieces

Roll into balls and stick your thumb through for the bagel hole

Brush with egg

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or Everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joe's or sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Put on parchment paper covered cookie sheet

Cover and let rise for 15 minutes

Bake for 25 minutes

One of these bagels (no seasoning) is 2 pts

I just prepped 2 Ingredient Dough - rolled out and put waxed paper between each crust and froze. It worked - however - either thaw the dough before making grilled bread or make sure the griddle is very hot. When using for Pizza I prebake the dough for a few minutes so it can be frozen when you do that. I weigh each piece before rolling them out. Each one weighs 1.6 oz which is 1 point.

It was perfect to dip into two easy over eggs.

Cabbage Slaw

Head, about 2 1/2 cups red cabbage, shredded

Head, about 2 1/2 cups green cabbage, shredded

2 Granny Smith apples, spiralized

2 cups zucchini, spiralized

Dressing

2 TBS olive oil

3 TBS orange juice

2 TBS Golden or white balsamic vinegar

*** If you use reg balsamic vinegar like I did your apples turn brown - taste fine but look nasty!***

1 tsp Poppy Seeds

1 tsp honey

Salt and pepper

This is 1 delicious Freestyle Point

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Preheat the oven to 350°

4 lbs Strawberries
4 lbs Rhubarb
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS Truvia Brown Sugar
2 TBS White Sugar
1 TBS Cornstarch
Juice of 2 lemons

Rinse, hull and slice strawberries
Rinse and cut Rhubarb

Simmer fruit, lemon juice, Truvia brown sugar and white sugar and cinnamon
When boiling add cornstarch to a little water when dissolved add to fruit. Cook a few minutes.

Pour into large casserole dish.

In separate bowl mix just til crumbly
1 dry Pillsbury sugar free cake mix
1 cup oats
1 /2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle crumble on top of fruit

Bake for 45-60 minutes - when lightly browned
Serve with FF Reddi Whip

Tropical Shrimp

I saw this on Kelly and Ryan. Looks delicious. Haven't tried it yet, but I will and I'll update.

Smoked Whitefish Dip

We bought smoked whitefish at the Saginaw Farmer's Market. I made a dip that turned out delicious. Pat ate the Triscuits as well as veggies with the dip. I just ate the veggies with the dip.

Peach Cobbler

Winner, winner... This was delicious. Served to company and everyone liked it.

Shrimp Boil with Crack Sauce!

Shrimp boil season is here! It is one of our favorites.  So easy and so good.

6 Smart Points with Shrimp, corn, onion, 3 pieces of sausage (1 link), 1/2 cup potatoes and 1/4 cup crack sauce on the side.

Put large soup kettle filled 3/4 full with water on to boil.

     Add lots of Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
     Add lots of Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning
     Squeeze 1 lemon and add all of lemon to pot
*   Add lots Cracked Pepper
     Add potatoes cook 10 minutes
** Add onion (cut in chunks)
     Add corn (cut in half) cook 10 minutes
     Add sausages cook 5 minutes (cut in thirds)
     Add shrimp cook 1 minute

Made into foil packets for grilling - 7 packets
2 bags 16-20 raw shrimp (5 shrimp each)
6 corn roasted broke into 2 or 3 pieces
2 pts potatoes cut in half roasted
2 onions quartered roasted
2 pkgs sausage cut in thirds

*   The Chili Lime is very salty so I don't add salt.
** You may want to add more seasoning when you add the corn and onion.

Drain

Serve with crack Sauce
1 cup Fage FF Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Walden Farms Honey Mustard
1/8 cup Walden Farms Ranch
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 TBS Worcester Sauce
1 tsp Sriracha Sauce

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Kay and Jerry gave us Rhubarb. A search for recipes found a hot strawberry shortcake that I revised. It's delicious.

7 servings
1 Smartpoint

2 lbs. fresh or frozen strawberries
2 cups rhubarb cut in small pieces
7 tsp Truvia
1 tbsp cornstarch
Juice of one lemon
3/4 cup self-rising flour
A little less than 3/4 cup Fat Free Greek yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat the oven to 400°

Put strawberries, rhubarb, 2 TBS Truvia, and lemon juice into saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When boiling mix cornstarch with a little water and add to fruit. Simmer to reduce. Pour into casserole dish.

Combine the flour, yogurt and applesauce in a mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Use a small cookie scoop to add the dough to the casserole dish with the strawberry mixture.

Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon of Truvia and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the biscuits. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly browned.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

***Not Tested Yet***

***Not Tested Yet***

12 servings - 1 pt each

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 TBS Fat Free Cream Cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 TBS Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 TBS Sugar Free Jello Pudding Mix (cheesecake)
4 TBS Fat Free Redi Whip

Mix together, frost cupcakes

Chicken with Balsamic Tomatoes

Chicken with Balsamic Tomatoes

Serves 6 - 4 Smart Points each

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tbs White Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

15 garlic cloves

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used heirloom)

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs regular butter

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs basil

1 cup onions, chopped

1 tsp Thyme

3 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese

2 cups shredded fat free Mozzarella

6 Tbs Trader Joe's Bruschetta Sauce

Preheat the oven to 425

In Ziploc bag add 6 cloves crushed garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, pepper flakes, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, Italian Seasoning.  Mix together and split chicken breasts and spread 1 Tbs Trader Joe's Bruschetta and 1/2 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, roll up and add to ziploc bag. 

Marinate for a couple hours or overnight.

After chicken is done marinating.  In the pan you are going to bake the chicken in, add the tomatoes and push the chicken breasts into the center of the tomatoes.

Saute onions in Pam sprayed pan, add remaining crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar, thyme, butter, honey.Turn off heat.  Add basil.  Pour over tomatoes and chicken.

Bake uncovered for 25-55 minutes - it depends if you have assembled this dish before and had it in the refrigerator or putting it into the oven warm.  I always check the temperature.  It should be close to 165).  Cover with mozzarella.  Spray with Pam.  Broil on high for 5 minutes.

There will be lots of tomato gravy.  Delicious over rice.  Served this with 2-ingredient dough made into Naan bread (adding chives and garlic).

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Anything in the Refrigerator Muffins

These are delicious. Just right with a salad for lunch. 1 Freestyle pt for one. 3 pts for two.

In my book, "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart" Rebecca calls this the Anything in the Refrigerator Muffin.  I love baking this muffin.  I've used many different combinations:

zucchini and carrots
zucchini and black cherries
carrots and applesauce
carrots and blueberries
peaches and blueberries

Sometimes I only add one egg, depending on how wet the ingredients are when I mix them all together.  Sometimes I bake them for 60 minutes instead of 50 and even leave them in the oven when they are done for awhile.  This is a very forgiving recipe.

When they are cool I turn them upside down on a cooling rack until the bottom dries.  Then I put them in a Rubbermaid container with paper towel on the bottom and in between layers.  I store them in the refrigerator and we have one or two for a night snack warmed up with Reddi Whip.  It makes for a delicious snack.  1 muffin is 1 point - 2 muffins are 3 points.

Blueberry Compote

This is so yummy on the cheesecake. It makes 11 servings at 0 pts. It also would be great mixed into Fat Free Greek yogurt or on pancakes I put it into little cups and put half into a Rubbermaid container in the freezer.

Update:

Tried raspberry too and made another blueberry - so delicious. Used frozen raspberries and a pint of fresh at the end. Also skimmed the foam off the top before adding cornstarch.