Mini Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cups (WW 2 points)

A while back I made a Easy Canolli Cup's for my family reunion using wonton's that were a complete hit.  I have stepped in to host a woman's group at church. To get more members I went to an event a meet and greet event. Of course instead of just picking up cookies from a store I wanted to make something.  I saw on Emily Bites these Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cups and thought they would be perfect.  They were very tasty, sadly most did not got eaten so over to my bestie's house so I wouldn't be tempted to eat them all.

INGREDIENTS:

15 Frozen Mini Phyllo Shells
2 oz Marscapone cheese (I used BelGioso brand)
2/3 cup fat free Ricotta cheese
3 T powdered sugar
¼ t vanilla
A pinch of cinnamon (a little goes a long way!)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place phyllo shells* on the counter to thaw for at least 10-15 minutes.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the marscapone, ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir together until thoroughly mixed. Reserve a small pile of the chocolate chips for topping and stir the remainder into the cheese mixture.
3. Spoon the filling evenly between all the phyllo shells. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips over the tops and serve. *I recommend you only defrost/fill as many as you plan to eat at once so that the shells stay crispy.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS:2 per cup (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
63 calories, 7 g carbs, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 0 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.  

Tis the Season ... White Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispies

A few days back my dear friend Beth posted a recipe that I just had to try for my Christmas Packages that were going out.  I had most of the ingredients on hand and went to my favorite bulk section at Winco for the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal 
2 cups dry roasted peanuts 
2 cups miniature marshmallows 
1 cup peanut butter 
2 pounds white chocolate chips (2 12-oz packages plus 1 1/3 cup) 

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine cereal, peanuts and marshmallows. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter on High for 1 minute and then in 30 second intervals until fully melted. Stir chocolate into cereal mixture. Mixture will be slightly runny. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper. Let set until firm, 2 hours. Store in an airtight container.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used White Chocolate melts, they melt nicer (no clumps and I think taste better).  I used 5 cups (1lb = 2 2/3 cups) and found mine was a little too soupy so I added more of the dry ingredients until I got to a scoopable cookie.

These are so simple and I did take a taste of one and they were very yummy but pretty sweet so I only wanted to have one which is a good thing so I didn't eat the whole lot in front of me.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer "Peanut Butter Fudge"

We were invited to Christmas party this past weekend and I was able to try out a bunch of fun things I've found on Pinterest.  This is one that didn't make it to the party due to my Peanut Butter Fudge didn't set up so I thought I'd show this one first!  

I started with my Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge recipe I posted last December.  This is a simple one to make and my MIL has actually requested that I make it and send it as her gift again this year!

Ingredients

1	cup of butter
1	cup peanut butter
1	tsp vanilla extract
1	lb powdered sugar

Directions

Prepare a pan by covering it in wax paper and spraying with nonstick cooking spray, leaving at least one inch overhang of wax paper around all edges. You can use an 8×11” baking sheet with a one inch rim or an 8×8” square pan if you want thicker fudge.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter and peanut butter. Microwave on high two minutes, stir and microwave two additional minutes. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined and smooth. Pour into prepared pan, smooth, and cover with another sheet of wax paper pressed directly against the surface of the fudge. Refrigerate at least two hours and cut into one inch squares.

NOW I made my fudge in my Cornbread Silicone pan, if you do not have one of these make in a circle and then cut like a pie to get triangles.  I say invest in one of these pans if you don't already have one!  I found this idea on Mom Lid Musings.

For the Reindeer:

Peanut Butter Fudge (in a triangle shape)
Ribbon
Googly Eyes
Red Pom Poms (or red dots)
Plastic Bags (Or ziplock and cut the top off)
Glue

Take your fudge put it in a plastic bag.  I took some tape before I added the ribbon to make sure the bag would stay closed.  I took my Elmer glue stick and added some googly eyes and then added a red pom pom for a nose.  Tada all done!  The longest part of this was waiting the 2 hours for the fudge to sit up.

Hope you all had a great weekend, I'm still fighting this cold and hope to make it by to say hi to everyone later Monday evening.  

"Rice" Pudding (AKA Cauliflower) - Ideal Protein Recipe

As most of you know I've been dieting for a while now (57 lbs down so far).  The new diet I'm on Ideal Protein is very strict so finding recipes to make is very hard.  Searching the internet I have found some great choices.  I tried this one which was very good!  NOW don't get freaked out thinking how could cauliflower been a good dessert?  Just trust me and try this.  This recipe calls for an Ideal Protein Shake/Pudding I'm sure you can substitute with protein powder.  If your needing a sweet treat and don't want to blow your diet this is a great one!

Ingredients: 

1 tsp gelatine or Agar Agar with ¼ cup water

1 Ideal Protein Vanilla Pudding & 6 oz water

2 Cups of riced cauliflower – cooked, chopped and cooled into small, rice-sized pieces. (Pulse in blender in small batches for best results).

Splenda (1-2 pkts) - I used Truvia (or the Walmart brand)

Vanilla (1 tsp)

Cinnamon, nutmeg to taste

Directions: 

Mix gelatine with water, add pudding, cauliflower and flavorings (you could use any extract flavorings you like, maple, orange, strawberry) – mix well and put in refrigerator till set. Top with Walden Farms caramel sauce, strawberry spread or just a dash of cinnamon.

I don't have the Walden Farms Sauces so I just dashed some cinnamon on top.

Hope you all have a wonderful day and I hope you enjoy this one!

A Sweet Treat "Apple Oreo Cookie"

I was a greeter at school for the new parents coming in for the first day of school.  I wanted to make something fun for the parents and teachers.  I found on Pinterest a recipe where they made apples using mini oreo's on a tooth pick on The Crafting Chicks site.  I wanted to use normal size and was going to use lollipop sticks but the oreo's won't stay together so I just made them with out sticks.  I forgot to take a picture the day after when the red had set up so this picture is a little redish orange (my friend said it looks like a tomato ... LOL).  Easy to make and what a fun treat to bring to school.

Ingredients:

• Oreos (I used Full size
• Wilton Red candy melts (I buy mine at Micheal's Craft Store)
• Watermelon Airheads (for the leaves)
• Pretzel sticks broken (for the stems)
• Lollipop sticks if you can get them to work I skipped it.

I melted my red candy melts in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes (watch them you can burn chocolate I've done it before).  Stir the chocolate to make it smooth, once smooth put a oreo in and make sure it is covered.  White the chocolate is still wet take 1/2 of a broken pretzel in the top for the stem.  Working fast (or you can do this first) cut the watermelon airheads into squares and then form with your fingers into a leaf shape.  Stick next to the pretzel to look like a leaf coming out (if you need to dip the end into the red chocolate to make it stick on the top.  I put mine in the fridge but you can wait about 20 minutes and it will be dry and ready to serve.  If I was passing them out I would put them into their own cellophane bags with a ribbon at the top.

This would be fun for the end of the first week to give to the kids.  Yes I am planning to make something for the boys to take to school. 

Something Sweet but a Surprise Ingredient!

I wanted to bring something sweet with not all the calories to a party a few weeks back.  I went onto the Eating Well Site and found this Double Corn-Blueberry Cobbler.  I was surprised how yummy this was, yes I must admit at first I was a little worried when I saw corn in this recipe.  I did grind up the corn in my ninja so my guest didn't see chunks of corn.  This was a great summer time dish that was loved by all even the men liked it!  My parents have several blueberry bushes in their yard, so I thankfully have a ton in my freezer!

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

• 4 cups blueberries or blackberries (about 1 1/4 pounds), fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour (see Note)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

TOPPING

• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal, preferably medium- or coarse-ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (well-drained) - This is what I ground up.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. To prepare filling: Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl. (If using frozen fruit, let stand for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thaw the fruit before transferring to the baking dish.) Transfer to a 9-inch shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.
3. To prepare topping: Whisk 1 cup whole wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, oil and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend. Fold in corn.
4. Evenly spoon the batter on top of the berry mixture; the fruit will be almost completely covered with batter. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake until the berries are bubbly, the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the topping comes out clean, 35 to 50 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy it was a real crowd pleasure!

Have a wonderful week!

Dinner Friends MUST have Dessert Right?

I have made a few yummy desserts for our dinner friends!  One is on the healthy side and one NOT healthy but very yummy!

First off was Fruit Smiles I saw yes on Pinterest from Kraft Recipes.  Their's was very cute they used cubed fruit which really made the look.  I just used some mixed berries the kids liked.  I suggest doing this one early in the morning, I did it a few hours before and it didn't set up the whole way.

Take 3/4 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water and mix & fruit

Example:

melon options	Jell-O Brand Gelatinchoices	fruit possibilities

cantaloupe

Cherry

raspberries

honeydew

Lime

canned fruit cocktail, drained

casaba

Orange

strawberries

Crenshaw

Strawberry

blueberries

CUT 1 melon (about 3-1/2 lb.) in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Scoop out melon, leaving each half with a 1-inch-thick shell. Chop removed melon; drain well. Cut thin slice off bottom of each melon shell to allow it to stand upright.

STIR 3/4 cup boiling water into 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Brand Gelatin in large bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chopped melon and 1/2 cup fruit to each melon shell.

POUR gelatin evenly into melon shells. Pour any remaining gelatin into small bowl to enjoy later. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut each half melon into four wedges to serve.

Next week was a yummy fudge that was so good but I so never should have had a piece because it was the good I just wanted to keep eating it.  I make a orange creamsicle cookie that I love this is the Orange Creamsicle Fudge version (again yes found it on Pinterest)!

Ingredients

---

• 6 -ounces (1.5 sticks) butter
• 2- cups granulated sugar
• 3/4- cup heavy cream
• 1- package (12 oz) white chocolate chips
• 1- jar (7 oz) marshmallow cream (or fluff)
• 1- tablespoon orange extract
• orange (or a combination of red and yellow) food coloring

• Prepare a 13x9 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, and butter over medium heat.  Continually stir the mixture until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.  Brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once it starts boiling, stir continuously for four minutes.  After four minutes of boiling, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the marshmallow cream and white chocolate chips.  Stir until the white chocolate has melted and the fudge is completely smooth.  Working quickly, pour about a third of the white fudge into a bowl and set aside.  To the remaining fudge, add the orange extract and orange food coloring, stirring until it is a smooth, even color. It is important to perform these steps quickly, because the fudge will start to set if you take too long, and the end result will not be smooth. Pour the orange fudge into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Drop the white fudge over the top by the spoonful, then drag a table knife or toothpick through the fudge to create orange-white swirls. You can spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and gently press them into the top to smooth out the swirls, if desired.
• Allow the fudge to set at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  To cut, pull the fudge out of the pan using the foil as handles.  Use a large sharp knife to cut the fudge into small 1-inch squares. Store Orange Creamsicle Fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and bring it to room temperature to serve.
• ** I used evaporated milk, since that is what I had on hand and not heavy cream **

So my love of food and Pinterest is brought to you again!  Have a wonderful weekend mine is going to be busy have a Women's event at Church tonight and then Birthday Party tomorrow.

Summer Time … Watermelon Cupcakes

I’ve been seeing the watermelon cupcake on Pinterest for a while and I’ve wanted to try them out.  All the links I clicked on only had a picture.  So I created my own.  I took a yellow cake recipe added some red food coloring and some chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate Chunks (or mini chocolate chips)
• Red Food Coloring
• Oreo Cookie (I added one at the bottom this doesn’t have to be done)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Add in your red food coloring (I use Wilton Gel).  Once mixed well add in your chocolate chunks (chunks look like actual seeds). If you want put a Oreo at the bottom then/or pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.

Easy Pudding Frosting

For the frosting I made one I’ve seen again on Pinterest but I couldn’t find an actual link to the recipe.  So why not create my own link!

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 package Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 1 container whipped topping (Room Temperature)
• 1 package of vanilla pudding (I used pistachio)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Vanilla (depending on how thick you want it)
• Food Coloring if needed

Directions

Cream together the cream cheese and whipped topping.  Once mixed completely add in pudding. I used pistachio for the color and the taste.  Slowly add in 1/2 cup of milk mix and if you need it to be thinner add another cup of 1/2 cup of milk.  Add food coloring if you want it to be a deeper green. Once mixed together you put in a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with corner cut off).

Now Frost your cupcake and tada you have a Watermelon Cupcake with an Oreo bottom if you please.

Cool Sweet Treat

Since I’ve been dieting for you know the end of time, I still need something to curb my sweet tooth.  I found this of course on Pinterest my obsession of the current times.  BUT I am actually making things I find … yup I tell myself that so I rationalize it is ok.

My latest creation are these yummy Low Calorie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Minis on Volume 25 blog.  She added a few blueberries, I didn’t have any left so I just drizzled a little agave syrup.

Greek Yogurt Cheese Cake Mini's

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz Plain Greek yogurt
1 package Sugar Free Fat Free Cheese Cake Pudding Mix
1 Cup almond milk (or any other milk)
3 Tbs Butter
5 Graham Crackers
12 Cupcake liners

(I used low fat Graham Crackers, you can also use non fat Greek yogurt to lower fat / calories)

DIRECTIONS:
In Zip Lock Baggie, crush graham crackers. Melt butter and mix into graham crackers until well blended. In a lined cupcake tin, evenly distribute cracker mixture, using your fingers, pack it down. In a mixing bowl, add Greek yogurt, Cheese cake pudding mix, and milk and mix well. once well mixed evenly distribute into the cupcake tin. Pop in your freezer or refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 

I put mine in the freezer it was the perfect treat.

Makes 12 Cupcake sized cheesecakes

Enjoy, I promise this is a treat even if you are not on a diet.

Tuesday Dinner Twist on Spaghetti & Apple Pie

We had our Tuesday dinner friend come over tonight and I found some yummy things to try (yes on Pinterest).  I wanted to try this braided bread but the dough it called for I couldn’t find so I made my own!  I found this Italian Parmesan Bread for Bread Machine that smelled so yummy and made the recipe pop!  I put it on the dough cycle and let it do the work for me!

The recipe I needed the bread for was this Braided Spaghetti Bread that was so YUMMY!  I made a few tweaks the bread I made (was half white & half whole wheat flour), I added low fat chicken sausage and used whole wheat noodles.

Last on my list was a yummy dessert that was lower in points and so delish!  Apple Dumplings with Orange Sauce for you weight watcher people this is 5 points.  Enjoy a sweet treat, you deserve it!

Happy Wednesday!  Hope you have a fab day!

Feeding the Troops

For Christmas I used my bonus to buy Rick a new garage door with an opener.  Tonight he had some buddies come over to help him install and my Tuesday night dinner friend came over tonight instead of last night so I switched my meal plan up at the last minute.  I was pretty darn excited with what I came up with.

First off I saw this on my new obsession Pinterest and found a recipe for Cheesy Artichoke Bread.

Then I saw this Scooters Spaghetti that looked easy to do and how can I go wrong with friend onions on top?

And I had a bag of cranberries that I had to use up so my friend Google lead me to Apple-Cranberry crisp.

In a way I can’t wait for next week then I might be back on track.  For now some more recipes .  Hope you might enjoy one of them!

Anything special on your menu tonight?