Banana Cupcakes

This has to be the EASIEST recipe I've made in a long, long time. The hardest part was mashing the bananas.....and that's not hard at all.  I was thinking about what kind of icing/frosting to put on these, but they really don't need any. They're very moist and flavorful. A great way to use up some very ripe bananas.

BANANA CUPCAKES

Makes 12 Cupcakes

1 Cupcake = 3 PointsPlus™

1/2 cup light butter, softened

1 cup Splenda granulated
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º. Line muffin tin with papers.

Mix all ingredients together.

 

 

 

 

 

Fill muffin papers 1/13 – 1/2 full.

Bake 20 minutes.

That's it!

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

WW Friendly Thanksgiving Feast 2012

 

 

I don't know about you, but I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! Where has this year gone? We just got over that Candy Monster 'holiday' aka Halloween.....and now we have the first of the BIG food holidays. Did you know you CAN have a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast and still stay 'on Plan'? If not and you're worried about over-doing it, I hope I can come to your rescue. The following is a list of some of the delicious foods we can enjoy and not have to worry about going over our PointsPlus™. In fact, it's very possible to enjoy a feast for dinner AND have your other necessary meals and still stay within 26 PointsPlus™ IF you're careful. You wouldn't have to touch those 49 "play points" and you wouldn't have to stress!

 

 

I'm going to give you a 'list' of things I would consider incorporating into my feast.  The recipes are on here (Tweaked at Chez Jan).  Then I'll  give you a sample menu (what I would/will make). Ya ready? Here we go!

 

Fresh Fruit Salad 0 P+

Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 P+ (1/2 cup)

 

Reduced fat crescent rolls 3P+ each (I use WalMart brand because I'm cheap!)

Candied Sweet Potatoes 5P+ (1 cup OR 3P+ for 1/2 cup)

Save-The-Day Stuffing 2P+ (1 cup)

Herbed Roast Turkey 2P+ (2 oz.)

Vegetable (non-starchy, steamed) 0P+

Green Bean Casserole 4P+ (1/2 cup)

Spiced Cranberry Sauce 0P+ (1/2 cup)

 

Wayne's Pumpkin Smash 1P+ (served with fat-free whipped topping)

Pumpkin Pie Cuppies 1P+ (served with fat-free whipped topping)

Pumpkin Bundt Cake 3P+ (made with raisins)

Cranberry Torte 5P+ (made with nuts)

 

Here's what my feast would look like:

 

1P+ Cream of Mushroom Soup (1/2 cup)

3P+ Candied Sweet Potatoes (1/2 cup)

4P+ Herbed Roast Turkey (4 oz.)

1P+ Save-The-Day Stuffing (1/2 cup)

0P+ Spiced Cranberry Sauce (1/2 cup)

8P+ Green Bean Casserole (1 cup)

1P+ Wayne's Pumpkin Smash

 

18P+ for my feast. And, yes......this is a feast! I'm going to splurge on the Green Bean Casserole! It's one of my favorite holiday foods and I haven't had it in ages! If I had this for my Thanksgiving Feast, I'd still have 8P+ left for the day. So it IS doable!

 

The only recipe that is NOT on my blog is the Green Bean Casserole.....and here's how I make it: 2 cans (drained) French cut green beans, 1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, @1/2 of a 6 oz. package of French's french fried onions; mix beans and soup in a casserole dish; sprinkle onions on top; bake at 350º for @30 minutes.

 

There ya go! Now you can quit stressing, enjoy your feast, and then go for a brisk walk afterwards!

 

I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Later!

Loving Life(time)!

Jan

Ginger Berry Cake

GINGER BERRY CAKE

Makes 12 Servings

1 Serving = 2 PointsPlus™

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Splenda granulated
3 TBSP sorghum (or molasses)
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries
1 cup fat-free buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 11 x 8 inch baking dish; set aside.

Don't forget to spray in the dishwasher lid!

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, Splenda and sorghum (molasses) until well blended. Beat in egg substitute.

 

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt. Remove 2 TBSP of this and toss with the blueberries to coat.

 

 

 Stir remaining dry ingredients into applesauce mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing after each addition.

Carefully fold in the blueberries.

Pour into the baking dish. Bake 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY SPIN: I think this would be good using cranberries instead of the blueberries.

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 Bundt Cake

I know this looks like alot of ingredients, but you probably have the majority of them in your cupboard. If not, it's worth it to go to the store and make this! YUMMMMM

PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE

Makes 16 Servings

1 Serving Without Raisins = 2 PointsPlus™

1 Serving With Raisins = 3 PointsPlus™

1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 cups Splenda granulated
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
2 egg whites OR 6 TBSP refrigerated egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBSP baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray bundt pan.

Don't forget to spray it in your dishwasher!

In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, Splenda granulated, buttermilk, applesauce, water, egg substitute, egg whites and vanilla until well blended.

 

 

 

 

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the raisins and chocolate chips until well blended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold in raisins and chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to sprayed bundt pan.

Bake 50 – 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from the pan to continue cooling on a wire rack.

MY SPIN: Go ahead and put the raisins in......it's a nice little surprise when you bite into one! This can be served 'as is' or with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping which wouldn't add PointsPlus™.

 

 

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