Winner winner.....chicken dinner....prizes!

If you remember....and if you don't it was posted on March 16.....I won the Grand Prize for the 50 State Recipes contest with RecipeLion. The FedEx truck stopped in front of my house today and this was what the nice man delivered!

Oh yea!!! Another donut pan!!! You know I'm going to be making some of those soon!

And I can't wait to dig into these!!!!

Creamsicle & Lemony Parfaits

These 2 recipes are a tweak of the Faux Key-Lime Pie recipe sent out a while ago. This time I decided to put one in a little dessert dish and the other in a parfait glass....just for something different.  These are both so light and kind of fluffy-ish and so incredibly delicious and refreshing!!! I can see them being served as I'm showing below....or with a slice of lemon or orange.....or plain. You'll like them however you serve them. You could even put them in a pie plate like the Faux Key-Lime Pie.

CREAMSICLE   PARFAIT   &   LEMONY   PARFAIT

Each makes 4 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

First up: Creamsicle Parfait

1 package sugar-free orange jello

1/2 cup boiling water
1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP fresh orange juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
2 measuring cups (NOT 16 ounces) fat-free whipped topping

Dissolve jello in boiling water.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add jello until well combined.
Stir in orange juice and peel. Fold in whipped topping.
Pour into dessert/parfait glass and chill @ 3 hours.

Next up: Lemony Parfait

Use the same as above but substitute lemon for the orange! How easy is that!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!

Jan

Faux Key Lime Pie

I REALLY wish I could take full credit for this refreshing bit of green, but I can't. This is adapted from a recipe by Mr. Food.

FAUX KEY LIME PIE

Makes 12 Servings

1 Serving = 1 PointsPlus™

1 (4 oz.) package sugar-free lime Jello
1/2 cup boiling water
1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
Juice from 1/2 lime OR 1 TBSP lime juice
Gratings from 1 lime OR 1 tsp grated lime peel
2 cups fat-free whipped topping (measuring cups NOT 16 ounces.....NOT two 8-oz containers......got it?)

Spray a 9” pie plate. Set aside.

Dissolve the jello in the boiling water.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it's smooth. Slowly add the jello until well combined. Stir in lime juice and peel. Fold in whipped topping.

Pour into pie plate and chill for 3 hours.

Enjoy!!!

MY SPIN:  This actually comes out almost like a mousse......light and fluffy! I think this would be a really cool dessert to do in those cutesy little parfait glasses.  And I think this would be good using lemon......or even orange.  Might have to try one of those flavors next!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!
Jan

Winner winner.....chicken dinner!

And the Grand Prize Winner of the Recipe Lion 50 States Recipe Contest is.........

ME!!!!!

Yup! My Chicken & Dumplings Casserole recipe won. I am officially going to change the name of it to Dayton Dumplings & Chicken Darlin' which is what I changed it to for the contest.

Excited? You bet I am!!!

AND......they want to do a Featured Foodie profile page of me on their website!!!

Here's the link:
http://www.recipelionblog.com/state-recipes-contest-giveaway-winners/

It's a great day!!!

Pumpkin Bars

What do you do during a nasty storm? Me....I have a tendency to freak out, especially when there is wind and hail involved!!! And that's where Kitchen Therapy comes in.....bake something to keep your mind off the nasty weather outside......and hope the power doesn't go out in the middle of baking! I love pumpkin. It's so versatile. And a cream cheese-ish frosting to boot!!!  This was so simple to make and so delicious! I put mine in the fridge.....just thought it would be better cold and I was right!  My Friday Weight Watchers group got to sample these.....and one of the members said they required a "moment of silence" to enjoy them! Think they just might be better than my Carrot Cake!!

PUMPKIN BARS

Makes 30 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

1 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 cups Splenda granulated
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

FROSTING:

8 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray bottom & sides of a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat egg substitute, Splenda granulated, applesauce and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Spread evenly in baking pan. Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on rack, @2 hours.

For Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter & vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable.

Enjoy!!!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!

Jan

The name has changed, but......

The name has changed for a contest on http://www.recipelion.com/ , but it's still the same delicious Chicken & Dumpling Casserole!!! Ok.....so here's the deal......RecipeLion is having a contest......50 State Recipes. Not being a TN native, I didn't know what TN was known for as far as food goes. I know it's famous for football.....and moonshine! So I posted on a page on Facebook:  PA is known for the Philly Cheesesteak, NY is known for the Cheese Cake.....what is TN's 'signature dish'. I got alot of answsers, many of them I wouldn't even attempt to tweak. Someone suggested Chicken & Dumplings. I have a recipe for that!! BUT......the name of the state or town or area had to be in the name of the recipe, so I tweaked the name to the one you'll find here:  http://www.recipelion.com/Chicken-Casserole-Recipes/Dayton-Dumplings-and-Chicken-Darlin/ct/1

It's all good! Seriously! This is a really good recipe! If you didn't try it when it was just plain ole Chicken & Dumplings Casserole, go try it with the 'cutesy' name!!!

Pumpkin Custard

Oh my! I wish I could take credit for this, but that would be dishonest. So......here's the scoop on this one. I got it via Snack Girl who got it from Slender Kitchen.  The only 'tweaking' I did to this recipe was replacing the 1 egg with 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute. If you're looking for a quick, portion-control-size serving of something pumpkin, this is it!! I couldn't wait to taste it, so the fat-free whipped topping started melting a little bit. It was absolutely delicious warm and I can only imagine (because I ate it all warm) how yummy it will be cold! This is, in my opinion, a HUGE single serving. I just HAD to share this with you!

PUMPKIN CUSTARD

Makes 1 Serving

2 PointsPlus™

1/2 cup pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
1/4 fat-free egg substitute
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBSP brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl using a whisk. Pour into a small mug or ramekin.

Microwave for 3 minutes until firm.

Serve 'as is' or topped with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!
Jan

Cranapple 'Pancake'

This recipe started out as Apfelpfannkuchen -- German Apple Pancake.....until I got my hands on it!  What a great combination.....apples and cranberries!  I used Macintosh apples for this recipe but you can use whatever kind you want. You can also serve this without the powdered sugar if you want. But I can guarantee you will WANT to make this! I tried a piece while it was warm and it was yummy!!!

CRANAPPLE   'PANCAKE'

Makes 6 Servings

1 Serving = 4 PointsPlus™

3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 TBSP light butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP light butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 medium apples, peeled and cored and thinly sliced (@2 cups)
2/3 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 450º.

In medium bowl, whisk egg substitute until frothy. Add flour, milk, 1 TBSP melted butter and salt. Beat until smooth.

Heat 8” round baking pan or oven-proof skillet in oven for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 TBSP melted butter and swirl to coat pan. Pour batter into hot pan. Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Meanwhile, for the filling, in a medium skillet melt 2 TBSP butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar until combined. Stir in apples slices, cranberries, cinnamon & nutmeg. Cook, uncovered, @5 minutes until cranberries 'pop' and apples are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove 'pancake' from oven. Spoon some of the filling onto center, puncturing the top of 'pancake, and then spoon remaining filling onto the center. ** 'Pancake' will collapse as you put the filling on it and it cools. **

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Or not as pictured below.

Enjoy!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!
Jan

Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze

Well, let me tell you a little story about these delicious little morsels. I made these donuts on February 20 with the intention of having a 'Stay & Sample' at my Tuesday WW meeting. I, of course, had to try one that night to make sure they were good enough to share with my fellow WWers.....and they were. So I put the remaining donuts in a container and put the top on it. Got up Tuesday morning and, of course, decided to have a donut with my coffee for breakfast. When I took the top off the container, to my shock and surprise, the glaze had melted and most of it was absorbed by the donuts! Oh no!!! I tried one anyway and, to my shock and surprise (again!!!), it was delicious!!!  So my suggestion would be to either not glaze them until a little bit before you're ready to serve them or do it let the glaze melt into the donut or just don't glaze them at all. Whatever way you decide to do it, I know you're going to love them!!

PUMPKIN DONUTS WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Makes 12 Donuts

1 Donut with Maple Glaze = 5 PointsPlus™

1 Donut without Maple Glaze = 4 PointsPlus™

DONUTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar (NOT packed)
1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 TBSP fat-free milk
1/4 cup light butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

GLAZE:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBSP fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly spray donut pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together the brown sugar, butter and pumpkin. Add in egg substitute and mix well. Add milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients.

Fill each section of the donut pan about half full. Bake for about 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven to a cooling rack for 5 minutes; remove donuts from pan to cool completely. Repeat for the second batch of donuts.....unless you have 2 donut pans!

For the Glaze: Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl. When the donuts are completely cooled, dip into glaze. Allow glaze to set before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!
Jan

Chocolate Frosted Donuts

What?!?!? Chocolate Frosted Donuts that aren't going to use up almost all my PointsPlus™ by just eating one? You betcha!!!!!  I stumbled upon a donut recipe and thought it sounded really good, but really high in P+ value....so I tweaked the dickens out of it. The next step was to find a donut pan, and that was not an easy task in a small town. We went to a small kitchen shop in a local flea market and there it was! I was such a happy camper!!! These are a chocolate lovers dream!!! You have to go get a donut pan......seriously!!!

CHOCOLATE FROSTED DONUTS

Makes 6 Donuts

1 Donut = 4 PointsPlus™

DONUT:
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TSPB Splenda granulated
1 1//2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
2 TBSP unsweetened applesauce

FROSTING:

1/4 cup dark chocolate chocolate chips
1/2 tsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBSP multi-colored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 450º. Lightly spray donut pan.

In a large bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, Splenda granulated, baking powder and salt. Add egg substitute, milk, vanilla, oil and applesauce; mix well.

Put batter evenly in pan (about 1/2 full). Bake @7 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting: Put the chocolate chips, oil and agave in a microwave-safe bowl. 'Nuke' in 20 second intervals until the chocolate is just melted. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Either dip the donuts into the frosting or spread the frosting on the donuts and then sprinkle them with the sprinkles.

Enjoy!!!

This is my new little 'friend', the donut pan. You see it makes 6 donuts. You see the picture above of only 5 donuts? Yup......it was good!!! Now go get a donut pan and bake yourself some chocolately goodness!!!



Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!! *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***

Later!

Loving Life(time)!
Jan