Barb Green's Banana Bread

This is a game changer! Eating this every morning. Lost 4.6 in three weeks. I add a scoop of protein powder. I also bake it for 45 minutes.

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.

Making Omelettes

Omelettes... Is there anything more perfect? If you think it's too difficult then this post is for you!

This morning, my husband requested a veggie omelette. As I was cutting up the peppers and onions I thought about taking pictures.

I always have yellow, red and orange peppers cut into slices in the refrigerator. I diced up almost a cup of peppers and 3/4 cup sweet onions.

Warning! Not for the faint of heart! Don't add unless you like heat! Delicious with or without!

In a Pam sprayed pan saute with salt and pepper and if you like a little heat I added just a smidge of Harissa I bought at Trader Joe's. (And when I say a smidge I mean just the tip of a spoon, maybe 1/8 of a teaspoon.) Or maybe a small sprinkle of hot pepper flakes.

While they are cooking break 2 eggs for each person and mix with a couple TBS milk or Fat Free Greek yogurt, salt and pepper.

Take the veggies out and set aside. Spray with Pam and add the egg mixture - cook on medium heat, push the edge in and let liquid fill in the space. Do this all around the pan until the uncooked eggs no longer run into the space.

Add the veggies back onto the eggs, keeping them spread on 1/2 the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup FF Cheddar cheese.

Swirl the pan to make sure the eggs are not stuck. Slide onto a dish, folding over the empty side of the omelette on top.

Cut in portions, this is mine and Pat's served with CarbMaster milk which makes this breakfast 1 point.

I love omelettes!

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.

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.

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.

Yummy Polenta

I was starving when we got home from the gym. So I made polenta.... Not from scratch... I use the tube. Slice it up. Saute with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Mrs. Dash. Turn slices over.

Rinse a can of black beans. Add to pan. Add a can of diced tomatoes. Top with 1/2 cup fat free mozzarella and 1/2 cup reduced Mexican blend. Cover pan.

Yum.

There are 5 servings in the skillet. 3 Freestyle points for each serving.

Aunt Janie Eggs

One time when we went to visit the Noble Family, my sister made the most delicious scrambled eggs. She added cream cheese and dill.  Over the years they came to be known as "Aunt Janie Eggs."

Many years later my sister had breakfast at our house and I told her we were going to have "Aunt Janie Eggs." She didn't remember making them. What? All those years she was famous at our favorite breakfasts and she didn't even remember them!

Here is an updated Weight Watcher version.

Eggs, Dill, Salt, Pepper, Mrs. Dash and 

1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese

for each person.

         I always end up adding more dill

Cook the eggs smashing and smushing the wedges of cheese to incorporate it into the eggs. When the eggs are still very wet, but mostly set, turn off the flame. Continue stirring the eggs and plate them while they are still creamy.

Eggs - 1 pt

Joseph's Pita Bread - 1 pt

4 slices Al Fresco Chicken Bacon - 1 pt

3 Freestyle Smart Points 

Yum!