Mini Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust Bites

“I'm not a vegetarian! I'm a dessertarian!” 

― Bill Watterson

Let's be honest this is not a healthy recipe but it is a fun snack, breakfast side, or dessert. The kids loved these so much I forgot to take a picture until after they started "chowing down" on these. I love pie crusts, so making a cinnamon roll from them seemed like an easy and logical step.

I couldn't get a picture before Giuliana ate one.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 9 servings, 284 calories, 41g carbs, 15g fat, 2g protein

Ingredients:

• 2 Pre-Made Pie Crusts
• 4 T Light Butter, Melted
• 2 T Cinnamon
  

Baked Sweet Potato Cornmeal Fries

I found this recipe on Laaloosh and HAD to try them, I was not disappointed. I served this along side Harissa Eggs In Purgatory for dinner one night and it was fantastic. Plus, the dinner was only 5 points plus total!

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 4 servings, 3 weight watchers points plus. 129 calories, 24g carbs, 2.5g fat, 2.5g protein

Who loves Sweet Potato Fries?!

Ingredients:

• 2 large Sweet Potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick sticks (I used my Professional Multi Chopper from Williams Sonoma.)
• 1/4 c Cornmeal
• 2 t Olive Oil
• 1 T Garlic Powder
• 1 T Onion Powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Once the Sweet Potatoes are sliced, Put them in a bowl of cold water stir for a minute and let sit for 10 minutes.

Peas and Onions

When I was making the Chicken Picatta I was looking for a quick and easy side dish to go along with it. I had some frozen peas in the freezers so that is where I started. I found a dish on AllRecipes.com that was super easy and was done before the chicken.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 3 weight watchers points plus. 110 calories, 13g carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein.

Ingredients

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 16 oz Frozen Peas
• 1 T Chicken Stock, Fat Free, Reduced Sodium
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat Olive Oil in a skillet

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

With Football, Hockey and Basketball back in full swing it is the perfect time for some game day food. I found a recipe on SkinnyTaste that has all the flavor of buffalo chicken and packages it in an easy to eat potato skin! When I saw this I had to try them right away because I love potato skins and buffalo chicken and the thought of combining the two makes them even better.

Servings 12 (1 Skin per serving)

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 2 weight watchers points plus. 82 calories, 7g carbs, 2g fat, 8g protein.

Ingredients

• 6 medium Idaho Potatoes
• Cooking Spray (I use an olive oil mister)
• 12 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Celery Stalk
• 1/2 Onion, cut into 4 chunks
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 16 oz Fat Free Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (or other hot pepper sauce)

Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potatoes

As you might guess from this blog I love to cook! Because of that I look forward to the holidays because it gives me a chance to plan a menu and cook for family and friends. I am probably one of the few people that looks forward to entertaining because I get to plan a meal. That being said I have actually started looking at recipes for the holidays. We all eat so heavy during the holidays and then not surprisingly the biggest month for gym membership signups is January. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to enjoy our meal without so much guilt that we had all that food? That is my goal for this year to make a healthy meal that doesn't make you feel that sense of regret later. Don't get me wrong I am still going to eat too much food but at least if it is a bit healthier I wouldn't feel as guilty. To start off this season I found my potato recipe on my first try!

I found a recipe on Emily Bites that is to die for and it makes 12 (1/2 cup) servings at only 3 points plus per serving. Goat cheese mashed sweet potatoes have a creamy almost velvety texture from the goat cheese while still being slightly sweet from the sweet potatoes. They are amazing!

Ingredients

3lbs Sweet Potatoes

1/2 cup Fat Free Half and Half

3 T Light Butter

2 oz Goat Cheese

1/2 t Rubbed Sage

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Peel and cube the Sweet Potatoes.

Broccoli and Smashed Garlic

This is my favorite side dish to make and it is sooooo easy to make. I am not sure where I found it because I just make it from memory because I have made it so many times. Plus it makes 6 servings at only 2 Point Plus per serving.

Ingredients

1 head of Broccoli

8 Garlic Cloves, Smashed

2 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ditalini Pasta Salad with Lemon, Green Beans and Tomatoes

We have been "World Travelers" the past few weeks. We have been to Memphis, TN, Sheboygan, WI and DISNEY WORLD! My parents built a house down in Memphis while my dad works down there for a few years and Tammy, Giuliana, Karen (my Mother-In-Law), Dan (my Father-In-Law), Travis (my Brother) and Lauren (his Friend/Co-Worker) all went down to visit. We all had a great time and while we were down there we all cooked together (whenever we were not eating out.) At about 4 Points Plus per 1 cup serving this is a GREAT side dish! For this meal we made the Sausages with the Honey Mustard Slaw and a recipe I adapted from Skinny Taste. There was really only 2 changes:

1. She used asparagus and that is a flavor I do not enjoy so I replaced them with green beans
2. The store we were at in Memphis did not have pearl couscous so I substituted ditalini

You will see pictures of some of my family I on this post as many of them helped because the only thing I enjoy more than cooking for a crowd is cooking with a crowd. :-)

Ingredients

6 oz Ditalini Pasta

3/4 lb Green Beans, Trimmed to 1 Inch Pieces

1-1/2 c Grape Tomatoes, Quartered

1/4 c Red Onion, Minced

1-1/2 Lemons, Juiced

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 T Fresh Parsley, Minced

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans cook about three minutes to cooked but still crisp.
2. Remove from pot of water and place green beans in an ice bath.
3. Cook the Ditalini in the same water until desired doneness.
4. Drain the Ditalini and place into a bowl and add green beans to same bowl..
5. Add Tomatoes, Onion, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, and Parsley to the bowl and mix well.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Enjoy immediately.

 Travis was really proud to show himself starting up the grill.

 Lauren quartering the tomatoes.

 Expertly quartered tomatoes by Lauren.

 Mom B cutting the green beans into perfect pieces before blanching.

 Boiling the water isn't that a beautiful stove!?

 Mom R mincing the parsley. See how careful she is?

 Travis cutting the sausages.

 Apparently cutting the sausages was hard work!

 This is the final product for the pasta salad.

 The sausages expertly grilled by Travis Dad R and Dad B.

 Travis modeling a perfect plate!

 Dad B, Dad R, Mom B and Tammy all following Travis' lead.

 Tammy Showing how to open a bun.

I swear my parents house is not crooked just the photographer. :-)

Low Fat Sausages Topped with Crunchy Homemade Skinny Honey Mustard Slaw

I love hot dogs but they are not healthy so I went searching for a healthier recipe. I found this recipe on Skinny Kitchen. By using chicken sausages and honey mustard coleslaw, this recipe brings great flavors without the fat and calories. Each Sausage comes in at only 8 weight watchers points.

Ingredients:

1 - 10 oz bag shredded white cabbage

1/4 cup light mayo (I used Hellman's w/ Canola Oil.)

1 T apple cider vinegar

2 T dijon mustard

1/2 T honey

1/4 t white horseradish

6 fully cooked reduced fat chicken sausages

6 whole wheat buns

Instructions:

1. To make the cole slaw dressing - In a small bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, mustard, honey and horseradish. Refrigerate until ready to serve.