Mock Guac Recipe

This is a simple recipe:

Mock Guac 

1 avocado
1/2 bag frozen (thawed peas)
1 packet guacamole seasoning

Puree it all together and chill for at least 30 minutes.

I came across this recipe when I was counting weight watchers points. I am not sure on the points, but it is certainly half of what regular guacamole will be since you are using half as much avocado. There is a pea flavor to it, but if you eat it served in a burrito or on a taco salad the flavors will all blend and you will not even notice it. I would think that if you just ate this with chips you would taste the peas. But if have Mock Guac with a little flavor or no guacamole are the options, I will have the Mock Guac.

Carrot Bran Muffin

I love muffins for a weekend breakfast, but many of the recipes I found were for 3-point muffins. So, after my daughter asking me to make carrot muffins, I went in search of a recipe and made it more weight watchers friendly by changing many things. I came up with this recipe that is 2.5 points for 2 muffins! They are cooking as I type, but I didn't want to forget how I made them. Hopefully they turn out tasty.

Carrot Bran Muffins

1 1/4 C skim milk

2 C Fiber One cereal

1/2 C applesauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 C carrot

1/4 C sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 C sweetened coconut

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour

8 packets stevia

1/2 T molasses

1/4 C white sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine cereal, eggs, milk and applesauce in a large bowl and let soak about 10 minutes, then add carrots, cranberries, coconut, molasses & almond extract.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the cereal mixture and stir just until combined. Grease muffin pans and fill about 2/3 full and bake in 350 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

WW Info: (per 1 muffin) 92 calories, 1.39g fat, 4.72g fiber

You could try an egg subsitute and more stevia in place of the white sugar to bring down the points a little more.

Apple Bars

Apple Bars

2/3 C butter, softened

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 C all-purpose flour

6 C apples, peeled & sliced

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Blend together the butter, powdered sugar & flour. Press in to the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss apples with sugar (could add some cinnamon too if you wished.) Stir in the beaten eggs to the apples. Spread apple mixture on top of baked crust and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

I like to make a quick icing out of powdered sugar, milk & vanilla to drizzle over the top after it is cooled.

Black Bean Brownies

As you can see this is the end of the pan, so they went over very. These are super simple to make and without the eggs and oil you are decreasing a lot of fat and with the addition of black bean you are adding fiber & protein. A friend recently has been making these often because she is doing Weight Watchers and these are 2 pts a brownie (without the frosting & sprinkles.) I served these ones I made to my family and 3 friends and no one could tell they were made with black beans. Great way to "sneak" in veggies for your picky eaters.

Black Bean Brownies

1 box of brownie mix (make sure it makes a 13x9 size)

1 can of black beans

Rinse beans and place back in the can. Fill remaining space in the can with water. Dump can of water & beans into a blender and puree. Put brownie mix and black bean mixture in a bowl and blend. Spread into a 13x9 pan and bake as directed on brownie box. That's it! It will make 24 fudgey brownies.

Garlic White Bean Soup

A friend asked me for this recipe of a soup I just kinda whipped together (made up my own recipe) for when she came to visit. So, thought I would share it with everyone.

Garlic White Bean Soup

3 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 med. onion, chopped

8 cups water

4 squares veggie bouillon
2 cans of white beans (1 can ea of navy beans, garbonza beans, & cannellini beans, drained & rinsed)
pasta (about 1/3 of the box of Barilla mini farelle- sp?)
spinach (whole bag)
6 cloves of garlic
spices to taste (salt, pepper, roasemary, basil)
2 med. yellow squash

Mix everything (but the spinach &noodles) on low for about 8 hours in the crockpot. Add the noodles about 30 minutes left before serving. Add the spinach 5 minutes before serving.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Organic Teething Biscuits

Organic Teething Biscuits

2 C organic white whole wheat flour

1 jar of organic baby food (applesauce, pear sauce, or apple & banana sauce)

1/2 C organic maple syrup

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients by hand until all ingredients are mixed. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead (adding more flour as needed) to create a pliable ball that isn't sticky. Roll out dough to 1/3 inch thick and cut out biscuits. If you don't have circle cookie cutters, you can use a rim of a cup for the larger circle and a plastic bottle cap to cut out the center circle. Or you can always cut them into bars too. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. They are ready to be eaten as soon as they cool, but will harden even stiffer if you leave them out for 8-12 hours. Store in air tight container and use within 2-3 weeks.