Blueberry Coffee Cake

I've been wanting to make this for about a week and finally got around to it this morning.  If you have a sweet tooth and like blueberries, this is the recipe for you!

BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE

Makes 18 Servings @ 3 PointsPlus™ OR

Makes 15 Servings @ 4 PointsPlus™

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/3 cup cold light butter, cut into pieces

Cake:

1/3 cup light butter, softened
1/3 cup Splenda granulated
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray an 11 x 8” baking dish; set aside.

For Streusel Topping:

In a large bowl, cut together all the ingredients using a pastry blender or 2 butter knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Set aside.

For the Cake:
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and Splenda until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well mixed.

In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with the milk. Gently stir in the blueberries. 

Pour in the baking dish. Sprinkle (see MY SPIN) with the Streusel Topping.

Bake 30 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the baking dish. Cool in the baking dish on a wire rack.

Fresh out of the oven.....blueberries still bubbling!



MY SPIN: I actually used a little more than 2 cups of blueberries which won't add to the PointsPlus™ value. Where it says to 'sprinkle' with the Streusel Topping....it doesn't sprinkle......just put little bits here and there carefully on the batter.

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

Zucchini Bites

I wish I could take full credit for this incredible edible.......but I can't. I got this in a few different email/recipe lists I follow. The first few I deleted.....and then I was chatting with a fellow WWer and decided these just might be worth making. And they are!!! Even Abe liked them! He said "It has a good flavor to it" which is a great review! Thinking these would make a great hors d' oeuvres as well as a side dish.

ZUCCHINI BITES

Makes 12 Bites

4 Bites = 1 Serving = 2 PointsPlus™

1 cup zucchini, grated
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
salt & pepper to taste
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400º. Spray mini muffin pan. Set aside.

Grate zucchini into a clean dish towel. Wring all the excess moisture out of the zucchini.

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Fill 12 muffin sections to the top & then push down on the filling with the back of a spoon so it's nice & compacted......that way they won't fall apart when done.

Bake 16 – 18 minutes. Use a plastic knife or spatula around the edges of each bite to remove.

Enjoy......we did.....

with tilapia and fresh steamed asparagus. YUMMMMMM

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

Peachy Cream Cheese

Guess this will be Phase 3 of the basket of peaches.....and I think the final phase. The rest of the peaches will be sliced/chopped and frozen for future use (probably in pancakes).  I had a piece of this last night after it cooled a bit and it was good. I had a piece for breakfast (sometimes it's fun being an adult!) and it was even better!  A yummy & different way to use peaches!

PEACHY CREAM CHEESE

Using Neufchatel Cream Cheese: 9 Servings = 4 PointsPlus™

                                                                         6 Servings = 5 PointsPlus™

Using Fat Free Cream Cheese: 9 Servings = 2 PointsPlus™

                                                                        6 Servings = 4 PointsPlus™

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (4 serving) package vanilla pudding mix (NOT instant)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 TBSP light butter, melted
2 cups pitted, peeled, sliced peaches
1/4 cup peach juice
1/2 cup Splenda granulated
1 TBSP Splenda granulated
1/2 TBSP cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8x8x2 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, pudding mix and baking powder together. Set aside.



In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the egg substitute, milk and melted butter; combine this with the flour mixture. Pour batter into pan. Arrange sliced peaches onto batter.

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/2 cup Splenda granulated and peach juice. Carefully spread on the peaches. Sprinkle with 1 TBSP Splenda granulated and cinnamon.

Bake for 45 minutes. Cool on rack and then refrigerate.

MY SPIN: I used the Neufchatel Cream Cheese in this for the texture and flavor. This recipe originally called for canned peaches but I used fresh peaches and 'squeezed' some of the not-so-pretty ones to get the juice. And, of course, I didn't measure the cinnamon.....I just sprinkled some on top.

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

Peach Upside Down Cake

Well......I guess you could consider this Phase 2 of the basket of peaches......and I *still* have a bunch left!  I just love upside down cakes of all kinds. I can't decide which one is my favorite, but this one would have to be near the top of the list!

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Makes 8 Servings

1 Serving = 6 PointsPlus™





1/4 cup light butter

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups pitted, peeled & sliced peaches
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light butter, softened
3/4 cup Splenda granulated
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place 1/4 cup light butter in a 9” round cake pan. Place on the stove and melt the butter.....keeping an eye on this so the butter doesn't brown/burn. Remove from stove. Add brown sugar; stir until completely moistened; spread evenly in the pan. Arrange peach slices evenly over this. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup light butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Beat in Splenda granulated until well combined. Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until combined.

Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the beaten butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined.

Spread the batter evenly and carefully over the peaches (some of the butter/brown sugar may seep up).

Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan if necessary and then invert carefully onto a large serving plate. Let cool 10 – 15 minutes more before serving.

MY SPIN: I sprinkled some cinnamon on the peaches before spreading the batter over them.....but that's a personal preference and everyone knows I love cinnamon!

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

Peach Torte

I bought another basket of peaches the other day. Now I have to figure out what to do with all of them. This is the first for this basket (which means there will probably be at least 1 more basket).  This has such a nice taste to it......kind of light......and very easy to make. Now to figure out what to do with the rest of the peaches. I'm thinking Peach Upside Down Cake........

PEACH TORTE

Makes 8 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 – 4 peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
2 TBSP Splenda granulated
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9” springform pan; set aside.



(Don't forget to spray the pan on the inside of the door to your dishwasher to save having to clean up the over-spray mess.)

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.



In a large bowl, cream butter and Splenda granulated.  Beat in egg substitute. Stir in vanilla.

 

Beat flour mixture into this mixture.

Spread dough with your hands in the bottom of the springform pan and @1” up the inside.  Arrange peach slices in a circle pattern. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP Splenda granulated & 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown.

MY SPIN: I actually just sprinkled the cinnamon on the peaches instead of measuring out 1 tsp......but I love cinnamon! You can serve this with or without 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

Chicken Noodle Stew

We were supposed to have Beer Can Chicken.....then the rain came.....and we no longer have a canopy on the back deck thanks to the wind storm last week.....so what better way to use a whole chicken than some good ole comfort food! This started out to be chicken soup and then I decided to make it a bit more hearty. I know....I know.....it's too hot outside to have a 'soup' for a meal. Wrong!!!

CHICKEN NOODLE STEW

Makes a lot

Guesstimating a 1 Cup Serving = 4 PointsPlus™ (see My Spin)

1 whole chicken

water to cover chicken
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup zucchini and squash, sliced & halved
salt, pepper, basil to taste
2 bay leaves
2 Knorr Chicken Homestyle Stock containers (picture below)
6 oz. No Yolks noodles

Wash the chicken and discard the neck and gizzard 'stuff' (unless you want to keep for future use). Put the chicken in a large stock pot and cover with water. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Skim the foamy/fatty 'gunk' from the top of the water. Remove the chicken from the pot; remove the skin and discard. Remove the meat from the bones and tear/cut into bite-size pieces; return to pot of chicken water. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the noodles.

Simmer until veggies are tender. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Remove the 2 bay leaves and enjoy!!!

MY SPIN: The reason I'm 'guesstimating' the PointsPlus™ on a serving of this deliciousness is because one doesn't want to spend tons of time making sure exactly how many noodles or bits of chicken is put into the bowl. And for the veggies, use what you have on hand.....but if you don't have celery in your fridge, go buy some for this recipe.

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

Basic Spaghetti Sauce

I must really like Kitchen Therapy!! Last Monday I visited my favorite Veggie Lady, Vickye, and bought what seemed like a ton of tomatoes!!! Seriously......it felt like I was carrying a ton!!!



I used the tomatoes in the left sink to make stewed tomatoes (sorry, no pics or recipe because I forgot to take pics and can't find what I did with that recipe!). I used the tomatoes in the right sink for this recipe. It called for 30 pounds of tomatoes.....so I weighed them and it came out to 30 pounds exactly! Yes, Vickye, you were right! This is a tweaked version of the recipe Vickye gave me.....her recipe said to saute' the onions, garlic and bell peppers but I opted to not do that...you can if you want to!

BASIC SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Makes 72 Servings

1 Serving = 1/2 cup = 1 PointsPlus™

30 pounds of tomatoes

1 1/2 cup onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 TBSP salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Wash tomatoes. Remove the skin, core & cut into quarters. Put these in a HUGE pot with all the other ingredients and bring to a boil.

This pic is to show how big the pot is that I used....that's a 1 cup measuring cup.



Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by @1/3 (or to your preference). Let cool completely. Bag & freeze (or you can 'can' them.....again, your preference).

I made 12 bags containing 3 cups each. I had less than a cup left after that so I put that in with some stuffed peppers that I made and froze.

Now you have the basic sauce so when you serve pasta, you can add mushrooms (which wouldn't add any PointsPlus™) ….... or you could saute' some low fat ground beef or turkey sausage, just don't forget to add PointsPlus™ if you do!

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