Yummy Winter Pasta

My good fiend told me (and made it for me first) about this very yummy, customizable-perfect-for-winter pasta.  I just made it again this week and had to share!

What you need:

It's customizable because you can use whatever veggies, cheese and meat you want!  But here's how I made mine.

Start with your choice of noodles.  I boiled whole wheat rotini pasta.  Drained 90% of the water once finished, but kept a bit (to help create a sauce later).

Pick your veggies.  I chopped up carrots, used a can of beats, and sliced up zucchini.  I cooked them in a pan with about 1-2 tbls of olive oil.  Then throw them in the pasta pot.

Add sweet potatoes (or meat, or regular potatoes) - cut into chunks, boiled in separate pot and then added to pasta/veggie pot.

I even added a can of butter beans to this mixture for some protein.

Turn stove to low, to warm everything up.  Stir and mix.  Once it's warm - add your choice of cheese.  I use goat cheese.  This melts and with the pasta water, helps add moisture.

A great meal of whole wheat, veggies and protein. I make a lot so I can have for left overs for days to come!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Muffins: 5 Minutes to Yum!

Seriously, this takes no time at all.  Thanks to my friend Mandy for bringing these muffins to my attention...Quick recipe to get these not-too-bad-for-you treats into the oven and in your mouth, fast!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Muffins

What you need:

Box of Spice Cake Mix

Can of Pumpkin (not pie filling, plain, natural pumpkin)

Chocolate Chips

Optional: Vanilla Greek yogurt, or natural apple sauce

What you are making:

So here's what you do:

Through everything in bowl and mix well!

The optional vanilla yogurt or apple sauce just add even more moisture (the pumpkin will do that too), I've made these both ways and there is really not much of a difference. And remember, no need for butter, oil or eggs as the cake box calls, you are replacing all that with pumpkin...MUCH HEALTHIER, and YUM!

Spray down muffin tins with Pam and stick them in the oven for 18-22 minutes (until a knife comes out the center of a muffin clean).

I'm really enjoying pumpkin right now (if you can't tell from this bunt cake and this cheese cake). 

Enjoy pumpkin season (which I think is October thru December)!

Pumpkin Spice Bunt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Thanks to a co-worker and her amazing baking skills, I have found this amazing little pumpkin treat that is light on calories.  This is my new go-to dessert to bring to any party or cookout.  It's so yummy.  Anything pumpkin this time of year must be tried.

Pumpkin Spice Bunt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling...

For the cake batter: Buy any box spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin and pumpkin spice:

Mix it all together, including what the box cake directions call for.

In another bowl, mix (preferably with an electric mixer or something more powerful than your arm) Cream Cheese (of any levels of light or low fat) and your choice of sweetener:

I used 1 tablespoon of Blue Agave sweetener.  My co-worker used powdered sugar, you can use raw, or Splenda, etc.  Mix it together with the cream cheese (I used 1/3 low fat kind).

In a bunt pan, pour in half the cake batter mix. Then plop the cream cheese/sugar mix all around on top...

Then pour the rest of the cake batter on top and bake (as box directs, but might need to put it back in a few more minutes - I ended up baking it for around 45 minutes).

 

Once done, let cool and sprinkle with a little powder sugar:

Mmmm-mmmm Good!

Thank goodness for co-worker who know how to bake! :)

Low Fat Wednesday: Bethenny's Site

I am LOVING Bethenny Frankel's site.  My favorite part is trying the recipes (and knowing they are healthy is makes it so easy)!

See that amazing looking dessert above?  I made that for a co-worker's birthday today... and it tastes, smells and looks as amazing in person as you'd think:

Still in spring-form cake pan - which I didn't have before wanting to make this, so ran to Walmart and picked up this light green one for $8.

And then last night hubs and I also made Bethenny's Ultra Healthy Mexican Chili...

 
Hubs added some extra spice (red pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce), but otherwise get the full recipe here.

You might remember the creamy low fat mushroom pasta I made a few weeks ago... yum! 

Have you tried any of her recipes?

Bethenny's Low-Fat Creamy Pasta

Mrs. Bethenny Frankel posted a yummy looking recipe to her website and I tried it out for dinner last night!  I made a few edits and the results were amazing!  Definitely a must do-again.

Get the recipe over at Bethenny's site, here.

The changes I made:
- I added chopped up asparagus (cooked them with the mushrooms and shallot)
- Left out the truffle oil and just used gourmet mushrooms instead
- Left out the parsley (didn't feel like making the effort to get this), which went unnoticed.

It was good!  Try it!

Recreation of my favorite dinner!

I went to college in Lawrence, KS.  For four glorious years I lived there with some of the best foods walking distance away.  My absolute favorite Lawrence Local Gem is LaParrilla.  This restaurant is filled with Latin American Cuisine, and my go-to dish - Veggie Rice Bowl. 

After eating there a few weeks ago, I decided to recreate this dish at home (or at least try).  I liked it.  It was quick, easy and good.  No perfect LaParrilla bowl, but it'll do for a good at home weekday meal.

Make it Vegetarian or add Meat:

Secret Tactic - cook the rice in broth (veggie broth for vegetarian, chicken broth for not):

I used Minute Brown Rice with Organic Veggie Broth and followed the directions on the rice box!

Get all the veggies roasting.  Chopping is what takes the longest, and use whatever veggies you have or want!  

I used zucchini (pan on the left) and carrots, onions and a bit of squash (pan to the right).

Roasted with some spray butter (classy), Oregano and Basil Leaves.

Peppers would be good, though I didn't have any on hand.  And if you want meat, get that cooking.

Warmed up a full can of black beans:

Mix it all together and add some salsa on top:

Pretty good home-LaParrilla!

Low Fat Wednesday: Light Veggie Fettuccine

Want to spend less than 30 minutes on a meal?  Want to use only a few ingredients, things you most likely already have?  Trying to stay healthy, but want something yummy, too?  This recipe/dinner idea might be for you!

What you'll need to make light veggie (or just add chicken if you want some meat) fettuccine:

- 8-12 oz of Pasta Noodles: Fettuccine or Linguine (the noodles, not the mouse) - I used whole wheat
- Veggies of choice - I used asparagus and green bell peppers - all chopped up (I had about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 cup Low fat cream cheese - I used Philadelphia
- 1 (or even a half of a) lemon
- 2 tsp Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta noodles with the asparagus (optional, but a good little trick a friend told me about)

2. While pasta is cooking, in a sauce pan melt the light cream cheese and mix it with the olive oil and the juice from half of a squeezed lemon.

3. Drain the water from the noodles and Asparagus, then put back into the pan it cooked in and keep warm on low.  Add in any other veggies (here I added in green peppers because they didn't need to cook as much as the asparagus).
4. Once the sauce is melted, pour over noodles and veggies and toss to get a good coverage.
5. Eat!

 Includes lemon zest on top - for fun. :)

Low Fat Wednesday: Purple Sweet Potatoes

Has anyone seen the bright purple (on the inside) sweet potatoes in their local grocery stores?!  I recently saw them at mine and couldn't wait to try them!

Dr. Oz names this sweet potato in his 5 Superfoods to Eat Now.  He reports that this sweet potato, or Imo is rich in beta-carotene and boasting 150% more antioxidants than blueberries!

So what to do with it?  I replaced regular sweet potatoes with these - the taste is very subtly different, and if anything, there is less taste in the purple sweet potato.  I made my favorite dish - Sweet Potato Butter Bean Stew with these and it was still great!

I Heart Salad

My #1 got to meal - big salad from Hen House (local healthy market) Salad Bar.  Spinach with tons of raw veggies, like peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, carrots, green onions with light dressing.

I heart salads

What do you put on your salad to mix it up and add something to it?

Low Fat Wednesday: Ice Cream for Dessert (even when it's cold out)

 I don't care if the weather out side is frightfully cold, I could eat ice cream every night!  So when I do, I turn to Skinny Cow Products and my new favorite...

 

Chocolate on Chocolate, just the way I like it!

Only 100 calories

2g of fat

3g of fiber

Low Fat Wednesday: Dream Cereal

I loooove cereal.  But often it's not good for you, or if it is, it doesn't taste good or it's not fulfilling.  In looking for a high fiber cereal, I found Kellogg's All-Bran.  So I tried it.

I used 1 cup of my Almond Milk with 2 servings of Bran Buds - filling, good, and only 190 calories in total.

Seriously Healthy & Super Good

I was soooo pleasantly surprised how good my latest meal was. A-MAZ-ING.

First, Brussels Sprouts. I always shyed away from these tiny heads of lettuce look-a-likes and scoffed at the name. Brussels Sprouts? ew. But NO, not ew. oooooooo YUM!

They first made their way into a meal I had at a restaurant and thought, hmm, these are pretty good! After I looked into how healthy they are, I was at the store and grabbed some. I Googled recipes and chose one from AllRecipes.com.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

I mixed in a few slices of zucchini that were left over from the below recipe!

To go along with my roasted Brussels Sprouts, I made Cream of Zucchini Soup. I follow Gina's WW Recipe's Blog, and besides this soup, she has some AMAZING tried and true recipes.

But on to the soup:

You boil all the ingredients on the stove, and then transfer to your blender to puree. Little tip...


Make sure to hold the lid on TIGHT when puree-ing. Mine flew off (because I was basically just resting my hand atop) and HOT soup went flying everywhere. Thankfully, just a bit got wasted, but the splatters sure did hurt and make a mess...


After this yummy dinner, I got to making a birthday treat for my co-worker. I made a chocolate cake with an interesting twist. Found this recipe from Gina's WW Recipe's Blog, as well.

Chocolate Cake without the oil! Instead? Diet Dr. Pepper! I used Organic Cake mix:


The batter was a lot more liquid than usual and I was afraid I really messed something up...


But I didn't! Just came out super moist:


You don't even need frosting on top - this cake is so moist, but if you wish, fat free Cool Whip would be a good alternative and then topped with Strawberries, or any other fruit. I was really impressed. It was good and almost brownie-like!

Low Fat Wednesday: The Perfect Sandwich

Easy lunch. Quick eat. On the go ability. Fast prep, no clean up. The Sandwich.

But, this easy lunch can sometimes add on calories unbeknown to the eater... Here's my no-fail, totally filling, satisfying and easy sandwich:


Using hummus as a substitute for mayo/miracle whip and even cheese (I know, that part is harder for me, but just try it!), dramatically cuts down on calories, but also ups the nutritional values and satisfying leave behind.


Using my favorite bread, Arnold Sandwich Thins, I spread a good amount of hummus on each bun. Then I add fresh, lean turkey from the deli. This sets up the basics for a nice sandwich - but from here I add tomatoes, sprouts, cucumber slices - whatever veggies I have around!

Easy, HEALTHY lunch.

Low Fat Wednesday - A Halloween Treat & Other fun links

As Halloween comes closer, the treats start coming out! It's so hard to resist. One chocolaty little treat I adore is candies by Russell Stover's Sugar Free collection.

My favorite is Peanut Butter Cups

Compared to one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup's 8 grams of sugar, one of Russell Stover's sugar free cup has 0 grams of sugar. So if needing a treat, try a sugar free candy first! They taste so similar, and good!

Other fun links:

Check out this awesome site that Coley's Closet Cravings posted about, it suggests clothing for YOUR body shape and preferences: MyShape.com.

A Good Life for Less is giving away a very awesome service: your own Custom (Virtual) Room Makeover. Enter and learn more here.

Low Fat Wednesday - A tasty quick treat

I've tried a lot of nutrition bars in my adult life - they are easy to throw in your purse and grab them for a filling snack or meal on those busy days. Through all my trials I've found Zone bars to be the best. They taste like a rich candy bar and are so filling and satisfying.

My absolute fav: Chocolate Peanut Butter

There are many flavor and product options:
Classic Flavors, Dark Chocolate, Fruitified, and snack-sized.

The best thing about these great tasting bars, is the nutrition. In ordinance with the Zone Diet, these bars have a well-balance, high protein mix:

Classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Facts

I always have one in my purse for when I get into a bind and need something filing. And if I'm craving something sweet, like after lunch - I turn to this. Gives me energy and is satisfying. :)

This is not endorsed by Zone in any way.

Low Fat Wednesday: Go Greek

I'm a big yogurt person - I love it, especially for a quick and easy breakfast or snack. I recently started eating All Natural Non-Fat Chobani Greek Yogurt and am super impressed.


I enjoy these flavors, strawberry, blueberry, peach, but have yet to try the plain and honey. Beyond being creamy and rich tasting, this yogurt is high in protein (14g)! This helps balance out the carb intake that yogurt usually provides a bit too much of. The make-up of this yogurt really fills you up and keeps you going.


I bought a bunch and Costco a few weeks ago and are located at Whole Foods Stores across the nation, among a long list of other places.

Have you had this yogurt before?

Low Fat Wednesday: Protein Power

Easy, fast and packed with protein (especially good for those who work out): Tuna, Cottage Cheese and Edamame. I know, it sounds gross - but it's really not. Here's the deets:

Mix together:
1 can a tuna
1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
The cottage cheese replaces any mayo or miracle whip you'd usually use.
Mix in 1/4 cub of Edamame
Makes 2-3 servings.

I added the protein mixture to a toasted half of a Sandwich Thin
(a couple weeks ago I posted all about this bread)

Super filling and healthy. Bon appetit!

Low Fat Wednesday

Good morning friends. A couple weekends ago I had dinner at my grandparents. One of our side dishes was Cucumber Salad. It was sooo good and I've been making it since. Before you stop reading...wait. I know it might sound boring or gross, but it's not. I don't even like cucumbers, and I like it. It's a light and healthy side dish/snack!!

First, what you'll need:

This makes about 4 servings (side dish sizes):
1 big cucumber
1/3-1/2 an onion (depending on how much you like onion)
1/2 cup of Light Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper

Slice the cucumber thinly and in halves. Chop onion and mix with cucumbers in a bowl. Mix the sour cream with the cucumber and onion, then add salt and pepper to taste.

I have been eating this as a snack a lot lately. It's so simple to make and not much to it.
It's good! Try it! :)