Strawberry Slush & Easy Smoothies

As I've talked about before, I love my Magic Bullet! It's the perfect size to make a quick single sized portion & its powerful so it blends ice/frozen fruit. (If you don't have a Magic Bullet, the cup it uses is about 2 cups) It is H-O-T here in Texas so I find myself making these treats quite often! And they fit right in to my day without going overboard on my calorie/sugar intake!

Strawberry Slush

-3-4 large fresh strawberries

-Fill the rest of the magic bullet cup with frozen strawberries

-Fill the cup with Fresca

-Blend till frozen strawberries are completely blended!

This recipe is nothing too exciting but it was sooo yummy & refreshing! A perfect summer treat!

Easy Smoothies

-Fill the magic bullet cup with any combination of frozen fruit (even though I love it, I find frozen pineapple to be too sweet when I make smoothies. Everything else has worked out great. Favorites include strawberries, raspberries, peaches, mangos...)

-Add 2 heaping Tablespoons of fat free yogurt (My favorite is Fage 0% - Plain)

-Add a splash of liquid (for a smoothie that tastes just like a milkshake I like to use vanilla creamer, my other favorites include guava juice or pomegranate juice)

-Blend till smooth! Add a touch more yogurt/liquid if needed

This recipe has TONS of variations (type of fruit/yogurt/juice) but this is the super easy basic blueprint to a foolproof, delicious smoothie that is good for you too! Mostly just fruit & yogurt! Be careful, there are still a decent amount of calories but these smoothies are way more calorie friendly then many of the leading smoothie chains out there. And you're getting your fruit servings in. Also extra plus if you are using a magic bullet - built in portion control!

Balsamic Vinager

Two new uses for Balsamic vinegar that I've been doing lately -

*Current obsession for snack or side dish:
Fresh mozzarella + tomatoes + sprinkle with ground Kosher salt and Balsamic vinegar
Soooooo delicious, fresh, & light! I love using the ball shaped mozzarella w/ grape/cherry tomatoes. Or the kind of mozzarella you slice w/ some sliced vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes are yummy too. Add some fresh basil if you want! Makes me crave some just thinking about it!!

*Liven up some strawberries
I read about this in a magazine (sorry I don't remember which one) but its a way to liven up those kinda iffy looking strawberries...you know the ones that are still edible but not too pretty anymore.
1. Slice strawberries & sprinkle w/ sugar (I use the Splenda sugar blend, I don't use just plain Splenda because the sugar pulls the water out of the strawberries making them moist and juicy). Refrigerate for 30mins
2. Sprinkle w/ ~1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar and refrigerate for another 30 mins
3. Eat plain, add to salads, be creative!
These end up being really good, it just kind of boldens the flavor a bit.

Yummy yogurt

I'm actually pretty excited - I have FINALLY found a way to eat yogurt that I love & think I'll stick with! It's not that I hate yogurt, I just don't really enjoy it (except my obsession w/ TCBY of course but that doesn't count). I've tried all sorts of brands (Rachel's was my favorite) and all sorts of flavors (lemon would be #1 of the "normal" flavors) ... BUT the thing is I'll buy some and try to eat it and I ALWAYS end up throwing most of it away. Or opening a little cup of it, eating 2 spoonfuls then either wasting the rest or shoving it down my throat. So occasionally I've bought yogurt for smoothies but I think you're getting the point. Well this past shopping trip I bought some Fage fat free Greek yogurt - plain which I've been wanting to try. Then I took 6-8 strawberries and pureed them (in my Magic Bullet). I mixed ~1/2 cup yogurt + my strawberry puree + a small dash of splenda - YUM!!! It was seriously like a desert. This will definitely be a new snack or treat if I'm craving something sweet. And I'm excited to try some other fruits too. You can always use honey in place of splenda too if you prefer. And if the fruit is sweet enough you might not need any additional sweetness.

Caramel Pudding Pumpkin Cupcakes

This is a Hungry Girl recipe. I’m not a cake fan but I needed to use up some canned pumpkin and thought these sounded good. I’ll admit the ‘pudding’ in the name drew me in but I’m not really sure why that’s in the name. I basically thought they tasted like spice cake cupcakes. The caramel stayed on the top for the first day but then after that it soaked into the cupcakes (maybe that’s where the ‘pudding’ part comes from??) I think I’ll stick to pumpkin cookies this time of year but if you’re a big cupcake/cake fan you might want to give these a try.

Caramel Pudding Pumpkin Cupcakes

(Makes 12 servings)
Per serving (1 cupcake): 108 calories, 2g fat, 188mg sodium, 21g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein

Ingredients for cupcakes

• 2 cups moist-style yellow cake mix (1/2 of an 18.25-ounce box)
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for topping

• 3 cubes (about 1 ounce) chewy caramel
• 2 teaspoons light vanilla soymilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl with 1/3 cup of water. Whip with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes until well blended.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter into muffin cups.

Place pan in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes (until cupcakes have puffed up but still appear a little gooey on top).

Once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, arrange them closely on a plate so that the edges are touching. Place caramel and soymilk in a tall microwave-safe glass or dish (mixture will bubble and rise when heated).

Microwave at medium power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir mixture vigorously until smooth and thoroughly blended. (Return to microwave for 30 seconds at medium heat if caramel has not fully melted.) Immediately drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes.

Strawberry Banana Muffins (Lightened Up)

Hilary sent me a link to this recipe. Although I'm not much of a baker these muffins sounded yummy and we had the ingredients so I thought I'd try them out. I LOVED that the recipe only made 6 muffins which is perfect for smaller households or single people. Plus it can easily be doubled, etc if you need more muffins. I don't really consider 217 calories low for a small muffin so just keep that in mind when you're eating 2 or 3 :) But the taste was great and I thought it was a good way to use overripe bananas if you're tired of banana bread. The pics above were of the muffins I baked.

Strawberry Banana Muffins (Lightened Up): Recipe here

Chocolate-Ginger Angel Food Cake

From the December 2008 Issue of Self

This drool-worthy dessert is a chocoholic's dream come true. There are 2 grams of fiber per serving…from the cocoa! Swap candied orange for the ginger to dial down the spiciness.
Makes a 10-inch cake; serves 10

Cake
Parchment paper
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 teaspoon ground ginger
9 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Glaze
1 cup half-and-half
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup candied (crystallized) ginger, chopped

For cake
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°. Line a 10-inch springform or Bundt pan with parchment paper. Sift confectioners' sugar, flour, cocoa and ground ginger in a bowl; set aside. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed, whip egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until whites begin to form soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to high, add 6 tbsp granulated sugar and whip until incorporated. Add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar in 2 increments and whip until whites hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Gently fold dry ingredients into egg mixture with a spatula. Pour batter into pan. Bake until cake springs back when touched, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Loosen edges with a knife; transfer to a serving platter.

For glaze
Bring half-and-half to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add chocolate and confectioners' sugar; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Top with candied ginger. Store at room temperature in a cake saver for up to 3 days.

THE SKINNY :
332 calories per serving, 7 g fat (4 g saturated), 62.8 g carbs, 2.1 g fiber, 5.6 g protein

Cranberry Salad

Sorry for the minimal posts this month. I have been pretty busy so I haven't been trying as many new recipes and I haven't received any posts from others this month. Here's a recipe that's perfect for the holidays!

Cranberry Salad
1 package fresh cranberries (12oz)
1 can (15oz) of crushed pineapple, drained (or use frozen pineapple for a slightly healthier version and crush it yourself)
1 container (16oz) of fat free Cool Whip

1. Chop finely or grind the cranberries in a food processor or blender. Then add one cup of sugar (or sugar substitute in equivalent amount). Stir thoroughly, cover, and let sit in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day add the pineapple and fold in the container of whipped topping. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. This may also be frozen until ready to use, let thaw at room temp for about 15-20min before serving.

The above recipe is the version I like but if you're allergic or not a pineapple person here is the alternate version.

Alternate Cranberry Salad
1. Step one is the same as above
2. The next day add 3 mashed bananas, 1 cup finely chopped pecans, and whipped topping

Strawberry-Orange Pancakes - Posted by Michelle D.

A delicious way to get a serving of fruit in your breakfast!!

I don't have exact amount since I just made it up but if you like strawberries then you can add more or if you want a little more sweetness then add more orange juice, whatever you like!

Strawberry-Orange Pancakes

about 2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice (any kind that you like!)
2 eggs
about 1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen strawberries, pureed

Directions:
Stir all ingredients until blended adding more liquid if needed.
Pour about 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle.
Cook until golden and enjoy!

Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, nuts, extra fruit, or jam.

Crescent Roll Apples - Posted by Hilary B.

This is one of my favorite fall recipes:
So easy and SO good. I like to serve mine with light vanilla ice cream.

Crescent Roll Apples

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
1 (6-ounce) can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

Preparation
Unroll crescent roll dough, and separate into triangles. Spread butter evenly over dough. Stir together sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over butter.
Wrap each apple quarter in 1 crescent roll dough triangle, and place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Pour apple juice concentrate evenly over rolls.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.