Banana Muffins

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (this time I used regular  sugar, next time I am going to attempt it with Splenda to help with the weight watcher points)
2 eggs or 4 egg whites (I used egg whites)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line eighteen muffin cups with liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the sugar, applesauce, egg whites and oil until frothy.   With the mixture at low speed, add the bananas and milk and then the four mixture slowly.  

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes.  



**5 weight watchers points each **

Waffle Mix

1 1/3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup oil

Combine everything together, store mixture in refrigerator overnight for best results.  

Broccoli Cheese & Potato Soup

Following weight watchers is really nice because there are SO many family friendly options out there.   One of my favorite websites is www.skinnytaste.com she has such great ideas and recipes that are all centered around weight watchers.  


1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1 cup fat free milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese
2 slices reduced fat american cheese
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

In a large pot, melt butter.   Add vegetables and saute until soft.

Add flour, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.

Add chicken broth, milk, and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil.   Reduce heat to low and cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

Add broccoli and parmesan and stir well to incorporate.   Adjust salt & pepper to taste.   Cook uncovered until broccoli is soft, about 5 minutes.  

Add shredded cheese and american cheese, stir well and remove from heat.   Using a potato masher mash up the potatoes really well within the soup to help thicken it up.  

http://www.skinnytaste.com/broccoli-cheese-and-potato-soup/

Homemade Fluffy Pancake Mix

So we ended up with a ridiculously large bag of flour from Costco from our holiday baking so I decided instead of buying pancake mix I would mix up our own.   You just add an egg and 1 cup of milk.  

12 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons baking powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container.  

To make the pancakes use 1 cup mix combined with 1 egg and 1 cup of milk this will make 4-6 pancakes depending on the size you prefer.  

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

12oz red potatoes washed and quartered

1 package Ranch dressing dry mix 

Non Fat, olive oil cooking spray 

1 teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees 

In a large bowl combine the potatoes and spray lightly with the cooking spray.   Then, add in the ranch mix and salt, and toss well to coat each piece evenly.   

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and spread potatoes out evenly on the baking sheet.   

Bake in the oven approximately 20-25 minutes.

Serves 4 

Oven Mini Burgers

My daughter hates anything cooked on the BBQ grill, I know she is crazy!   That being said she loves hamburgers so I found this great way to cook them in the oven and she (and the rest of us) love them.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package mini buns - we really like the Sara Lee Hawaiian Mini Hawaiian Rolls
Your favorite cheese - either sliced or shredded will work

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine meat, bread crumbs, onion, and salt.   Gently press mixture into a pyrex 8X8 dish (sprayed with cooking spray) so it makes one large patty of even thickness.   Poke holes in the meat using a fork.   Bake for 30 minutes.   As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides of the pan and some grease will pool to the sides.   Once it is completely baked remove pan from oven and carefully drain grease.   Top with cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

Makes 10 mini burgers.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

First you need to make the meatballs, I use my universal meatball recipe.   

1 pound lean ground beef 

1/2 cup finely chopped onion 

1/4 cup bread crumbs 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 egg 

1/4 cup of good quality parmesan cheese 

3 tablespoons ketchup 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley 

Combine all the ingredients together and mix together well but do not over mix just mix until everything comes together well.   

For the sauce - combine all ingredients together 

1 cup chopped bell pepper  

20oz can of pineapple chunks in juice (keep the juice)

1 cup chopped onion 

2/3 cup brown sugar 

1 cup ketchup 

1 cup water 

4 tablespoons vinegar 

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Place meatballs in a large baking dish and then pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs.  Bake for one hour uncovered.    You can serve this over rice or egg noodles.