Taco Tuesday Meal ... Taco "Cupcakes" Weight Watcher 4 Pts

Since the Cheeseburger Cupcakes where a hit on Monday for dinner, I thought why not spice up Taco Tuesday at the house and make Emily Bites Taco Cupcake's! For those doing weight watcher's these are 4 point per cupcake. I just love it since I know it has the numbers I need to track with myfitness pal so I stay in the limits my trainer gave me. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ teaspoons chili oil (found near the Asian ingredients)
• ½ lb 95% lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• ¾ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 16 wonton wrappers (found in the produce section)
• 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of queso dip or salsa con queso
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly mist 8 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Heat chili oil in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and taco seasoning and brown beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Add black beans and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until warm.
3. Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the eight sprayed cups in the muffin tin. Spoon a teaspoon of queso dip into each wonton wrapper and spread across the bottom. Follow by spooning some of the meat/beans mixture into each cup (using about half the total mixture) and then splitting ½ cup of the salsa evenly into each cup. Sprinkle about half the shredded Mexican cheese evenly over the top of each cup. Press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS:4 per cupcake (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
164 calories, 12 g carbs, 7 g fat, 12 g protein, 1 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

An Emily Bites Original

Enjoy I promise these will be a hit!

Thanks for Stopping by!

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

Cheeseburger “Cupcakes” (WW 4 Points)

Another yummy recipe made using wonton wrappers! They are so my favorite thing to use, they are light and make me feel like I'm cheating even when I'm not! NOW only eating 2 of these can be a test in itself .. lol. NOW wonton wrappers where like a hot item I went to Walmart 2x and QFC and no luck. So I bought egg-roll wrappers and cut them into 4th and it worked perfect!

As most of you know I'm a little bit obsessed with Emily Bite's, her website is a GREAT resource for meals that are yummy and light (and weight watcher friendly). I don't do weight watchers but I love to make a meal that already has the numbers figured out for me so I know what I'm allowed to eat. This time I made her Cheeseburger "Cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• ½ lb 95% lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon McCormick Hamburger Seasoning
• 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 4 Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle wedges, chopped
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 16 wonton wrappers (typically found in the produce section)
• ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
• 4 oz (1 cup) reduced fat 2% shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly mist 8 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Mist a large skillet with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until cooked. Add ground beef and Hamburger seasoning and cook until meat is browned. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until mushrooms are browned as well.
3. In a microwavable bowl, combine meat/mushroom mixture, cheese wedges, ketchup and mustard and stir. Microwave for one minute on high. Stir to combine until meat mixture is fully coated.
4. Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the eight sprayed cups in the muffin tin. Using about half of the meat mixture, spoon evenly into the wonton wrappers. Follow by sprinkling some of the chopped tomatoes into each cup (using about half the total tomatoes). Sprinkle about half the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of each cup. Press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS:4 per cupcake (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
183 calories, 12 g carbs, 8 g fat, 16 g protein, 1 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

ALEXIS NOTES: I cut down egg roll wrappers to fit into a wonton shape. I skipped the mushrooms and used a can of diced tomatoes for easy for me moment! I had Swiss Laughing Cow so I used that instead.

Enjoy I promise these will be a hit!

Thanks for Stopping by!

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

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes

I had some pumpkin left over from a recipe (one that failed but we won't go there) so I wanted to use it up. The boys went to Cole's best friends house to watch the football game while I did a few things around the house. I decided to bring a sweet treat with me when I picked them up, they had a large group of friends over so I had to share!\

I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes on 3 Boys Unproccessed a while back and wanted to make them. They were very big hit with the party guest. The host who does not like pumpkin said they were so delicious and only tasted the ginger. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup organic brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter or 1 stick
• 1 can pumpkin puree standard 15 oz. size
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup yogurt I used greek
• 16 ounces full fat cream cheese for icing
• 1/2 cup organic sugar for icing
• 1 cup organic 10x sugar for icing
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for icing
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract for icing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together all dry ingredients including flour, leavening agents, salt, spices, and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix together all wet ingredients including melted butter, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and yogurt. *Yogurt is added for extra moisture and puffiness, so I would recommend using it. 
3. Sprinkle dry ingredients over wet, mix just to combine. Batter will be thick. Divide batter into 14 lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. 
4. For cream cheese filling: Beat softened cream cheese until very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl several times to ensure all lumps are out. Add sugar, and beat until smooth. 
5. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to finish. 
6. To assemble: Cut the top off of each cupcake (make sure they are cooled or you will end up with a mess) with a serrated knife. Pipe a layer of filling, then top with cupcake top, and pipe another layer of filling. Dust with powdered sugar to finish. 

ALEXIS NOTES: One thing I learned is this is a dense cupcake so don't do the rule of filling only 3/4 of the way before baking. Fill them to the brim so you will get a nice bit to be able to cut off the top. Also my frosting was a bit runny so I added 2 more cups of powder sugar that helped firm it up but wasn't as airy looking as her's. I had some paper straw's left over and used those as decoration.

Thanks for Stopping by!

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

Pumpkin Patch Photo Shoot

Usually on Wednesday I post a recipe, well the pumpkin fudge I tried to make didn't come together so I show the photos from this weekend instead ... lol. A friend of mine does our family photos every year, this year she has been doing a bunch of mini shoots and I've been trying to get the boys photo's done each time. The kids are getting older and I want to capture all the moments I can. We schedule a time to meet at the pumpkin patch and it was like the devil was against me that day! I got stuck in traffic almost 45 min late for the apt (this was only going 2 traffic lights) and the Heaven's opened up and poured on us. But thankfully my photographer stuck around for me and we got some great shots. Here are a few of my favorite! Yes my boys are goofy .. lol. For you located in Washington and looking for an amazing mini shoot (Usually $35) please check out Johansen Photography she also does full shoots for weddings, senior pictures etc.

Have a great day!!

Dora the Explorer Cupcakes

Last week I gave you a preview of a cupcake I was working on and today I show you how mine turned out. I really loved how these turned out! I signed up for a little 4 year old's homeless girls birthday. I LOVE this charity Birthday Dreams and if you're every looking to send gifts or money they are an amazing charity. They bring birthday's to homeless kids! It's all run on donations of time and money. My contribution is cakes!

Here are the Dora the Explorer Cupcakes I made. I saw several designs on Google of Dora's face but I wanted to do something a little different. I found this Star (for the Star's she uses) and the Number shape found this idea on One Sweet Treat.

What you need:

Cupcakes frosted

Modeling Chocoalte (I used Pink, Blue and Yellow)

Star Cookie Cutter

# Cookie Cutter (She was turning 4 so I used 4)

Candy Eye's

Candy Hearts Sm (For Mouths or can use red pen to draw on)

Candy Writer Pen Black (also could use brown and red if wanted)

Make your modeling chocolate (see recipe below if you haven't made before). I roll out with some powder sugar like you would with flour. Roll out, I like mine on the thick side, and use your star cutter to cut out the stars (I made 8 stars of each color). For the stars I added some Candy Eyes (using water to secure them to the modeling chocolate). I then added a small heart for the mouth, you can draw on with red food marker if you want. I then took my black candy writer (food marker) and drew on they eyebrows. 

For the Numbers I cut out in the modeling chocolate. I took my black candy writer to make dashes on the opening of the 4. you can get creative and go around the outline of the # if you want. Do what you have time for and what you feel looks best.

Enjoy!

Thanks for Stopping by!

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

Raspberry Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

This past weekend Cole's buddy spent the night so when asked to make breakfast I opened up the fridge found crescent rolls, cream cheese and jam. And into the google search I went and bam I found Strawberry Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls on Just a Pinch well close enough to what I had! I had Raspberry jam so it works!

I was a good girl with my diet and didn't eat one but my bestie was over since she was riding with my husband to work an event so I had her try them and got rave reviews.

Ingredients

1 pkg pillsbury crescent rolls

8 tsp strawberry jam

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg white

1 tsp water

1 Tbsp sugar (to sprinkle on top, if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until creamy and there are no lumps.

3. Unroll crescent rolls. On fattest part of triangle; spoon on 2 tsp of cream cheese mixture and 1 tsp of strawberry jam. Roll and make sure fattest part of crescent roll is on the bottom of pan so that filling doesn't ooze out.

4. Whisk together egg white and water. Brush over each crescent roll.

5. Bake for 9-10 minutes until crescent rolls are golden brown. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. (I used powder sugar)

Thanks for Stopping by!

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