Blueberry Peach Bundt Cake

Did you know that last month was National Blueberry Month? Do you know that this month is National Peach Month? What a better way to celebrate than to have them both in one delicious cake!  I made this cake this morning and was not disappointed. My friend, Susan, came over and enjoyed a piece of cake with me.....kind of a mid-morning snack!  I still have tons of blueberries and peaches to use up........

BLUEBERRY PEACH BUNDT CAKE

Makes 16 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

1/2 cup light butter, softened

1 1/4 cup Splenda granulated
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups blueberries
2 cups peeled & diced peaches

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a bundt pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and Splenda. Slowly beat in the egg substitute. Beat in the milk.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.

Fold in the blueberries and peaches.

Spoon batter into the bundt pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

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!
Jan

Mushroom Chicken with Wilted Spinach

I made this for dinner Friday night.....and my new neighbor told me last night that it smelled so good when she was here. It really was delicious! I should have been humming 'These are a few of my favorite things'!!! It's very easy to make and looks so impressive on your plate. I served it with Rice Pilaf (shhhh......from a box!).

MUSHROOM CHICKEN WITH WILTED SPINACH

Makes 3 Servings

1 Serving = @7 PointsPlus™

3 TBSP olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 bag fresh spinach leaves
salt & pepper (to taste)
4 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat removed
1/4 cup low sodium, fat free vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small package mushrooms

Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 clove minced garlic. Saute 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add spinach and continue cooking until wilted. Sprinkle with salt. Place spinach on a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 TBSP olive oil over medium high heat.

In a measuring cup, mix together the vinegar, mustard and remaining garlic. Place chicken and vinegar mixture in a large bowl and turn until coated well.

Place chicken in the skillet along with any remaining vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the chicken is just shy of being done, @3 minutes on each side.

Push chicken to the outside of the pan. Add chicken stock and thyme. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook until mushrooms are 'tender' and chicken is done.

Place spinach on your plate. Place 1 chicken breast on top of the spinach and spoon mushrooms and sauce over the top.

MY SPIN: The original recipe actually called for chicken stock.....I didn't have any.....and the vegetable stock worked just fine. I also used more garlic because we love garlic. My vinegar of choice is the Nakano Rice Vinegar......and if you haven't tried, you should!

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!
Jan

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This recipe was originally a 'clean eating' recipe.....and would still be if I didn't use the egg substitute.  This doesn't have a HUGE banana flavor.....just a hint of banana. It's more of an 'earthy' flavor. And it's good!

WHOLE WHEAT BANANA BREAD

Makes 10 Servings

1 Serving = 4 PointsPlus™

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
3 mashed very ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in the egg substitute and mashed bananas until well blended.

Stir banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

Transfer batter into the pan and bake 60 – 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This was my piece. The rest of the bread was given away.

MY SPIN: There isn't really one! My stylist, Cherri, put a piece in the nuker for @20 seconds and said it was scrumptious warm.

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!
Jan

Blueberry Cheese Pound Cake

This is another one of those recipes that has been going viral on Facebook. The photography on the original recipe is fabulous! Makes the pieces of cake look so "tall"....if you know what I mean. The angle was just right. This is what it really looks like! I even double and triple checked the recipe to be sure it called for all-purpose flour.  Regardless of how big the piece looks, its delicious!!! BUT....I think it's kind of high in PointsPlus™ for those who are being really careful/diligent about their P+.

BLUEBERRY CHEESE POUND CAKE

Makes 10 Servings

1 Serving = 6 PointsPlus™

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) light butter at room temperature
4 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cup Splenda granulated
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 TBSP vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lime
1 cup fresh blueberries

FROSTING:

4 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese at room temperature
3 TBSP light butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper with butter flavored spray. Set aside.

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

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter and Splenda, @2 minutes. Slowly add the egg substitute, mixing thoroughly. Add the vanilla and lime zest, mixing until well combined.

Pour the flour mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together until it's completely mixed. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Transfer the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 55 – 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a platter/plate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese for the frosting until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until combined and then on high until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Frost the top of the cake and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

MY SPIN: The frosting makes enough that you can frost the sides of the cake too.

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!
Jan

Tomato Cucumber Salad

I love this time of the year.....with the exception of the humidity! There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables available now. They're so pretty and colorful......and just begging to come home with you.  I bought the cucumbers and tomatoes with the intention of using them in an ordinary garden salad......until I opened the cabinet and saw the balsamic rice vinegar. This is what I came up with......and it's so refreshing!

TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD

Makes 8 Servings

1 Serving = 2 PointsPlus™

3 medium or 4 small cucumbers, peeled & sliced @1/4” thick

1/2 of a red onion, sliced & separated
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup balsamic rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup Splenda granulated
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.

 

 

 

That's it!

MY SPIN: I used the Nakano brand balsamic ride vinegar. I love it! You can use regular vinegar if you want to, but try the Nakano!

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!
Jan

Blueberry Pudding

Oh yea!!! Another blueberry recipe! I can pretty much bet you've never had blueberry pudding......and neither had I, until today. I *HAD* to make this....I somehow couldn't envision blueberry pudding.....I was very skeptical. Guess what?!?!   This stuff is really good! It has just enough sweetness to go along with all those wonderful blueberries. You MUST try this!!!

BLUEBERRY PUDDING

Makes 8 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

***OR***

Makes 6 Servings

1 Serving = 4 PointsPlus™

4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup Splenda granulated
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
4 TBSP light butter
3/4 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place berries in a deep 2-quart casserole/baking dish. Sprinkle the Splenda and lemon juice over the berries.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives until 'crumbly'. Mix in the oatmeal. Spread mixture carefully over the berries.

Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the juice of the berries is bubbling.

 

This can be eaten warm or cold. Spoon some of the pudding into a small, single serving bowl and mix together.

 

 

 

 

Yup.....it was that good!

 

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!

Jan

EZ Blueberry Cake

Guess what time it is! Yup! It's blueberry season! And I couldn't be happier!!! I love blueberries......in my cereal....in pancakes.....frozen in Yonanas.....in pie....in cake....alone....every way you can think of to use blueberries!!! I already have a gallon of them neatly tucked away in 2 cup freezer bags.....and will be getting another gallon (or 2) before the season is over.  Yup.....I love blueberries!!!  This cake is so easy and so tasty.....and not a lot of ingredients. In fact, you probably have them all on hand....except for (maybe) the blueberries!

EZ BLUEBERRY CAKE

Makes 9 Servings

1 Serving = 3 PointsPlus™

 

 

CAKE:
1/4 cup light butter
1 cup Splenda granulated
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

TOPPING:

1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP Splenda granulated
2 TBSP melted light butter

 

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly spray an 8 x 8 inch baking pan; set aside.

Cream together the butter and Splenda in a large bowl; add egg substitute and mix well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the milk and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and then the milk mixture alternately into the creamed butter mixture. Fold in the blueberries.

Put the cake batter in the sprayed pan.

Mix together the topping ingredients and drizzle over the cake.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

MY SPIN: I like cinnamon so mine was a heaping 1/2 tsp.

Even Jami, my yoga instructor, liked 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!
Jan