Pumpkin Fluff

I got this recipe from my Weight Watchers leader on the day before Thanksgiving. I'd made something very similar before, and really liked it, so I tried this "light" version for dessert on Thanksgiving. It was a great replacement for pumpkin pie!

I'm sorry, but this recipe has been migrated over to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. This is a direct link to the recipe. Enjoy!  --Katie

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Peppermint Pattie Protein Shake

Chocolate and peppermint go so well together... and this protein shake is no exception! Definitely gave me the peppermint fix I was looking for. A good garnish for this would be whipped cream and chopped Andes mints. (This would probably also be good if you add 1-2 tsp. instant coffee, for a peppermint mocha latte type shake).

Peppermint Pattie Protein Shake

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk you'd like)
1 serving chocolate protein powder (or vanilla powder + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder, which is what I use)
1 Tbsp. instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
10 ice cubes
optional--1/4 tsp. xanthan gum and 1/4 tsp guar gum, for thick and creamy texture

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I eat it with a spoon, because it reminds me of ice cream :)  Makes 1 serving (about 20 oz). 4 PointsPlus if you calculate on Weight Watchers Recipe Builder. It's 5 PP if you use the nutrition info below.

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Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I used to make muffins with these two ingredients, but I was really in the mood for cookies a few nights ago, so I decided to turn them into cookies instead. They are SO good, and SO simple--and only 64 calories each!

I'm sorry, but this recipe has been migrated over to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. This is a direct link to the recipe. Thanks for stopping by!  --Katie

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Dr. Oz Brownies

I call these "Dr. Oz Brownies" because they were a food prop in my segment of The Dr. Oz Show. Some of my mom friends said that they make brownies by taking a boxed mix and adding a can of pumpkin to it and half a bag of chocolate chips. Since I LOVE peanut butter, I changed it a little to my exclude the chocolate chips but add some yummy peanut butter. When I told the producers how I like to make them, they decided to use it as part of the show (which was later cut out, unfortunately). I don't doubt there are a thousand different versions of these online, but here is how I make the super simple brownies.

These are extremely dense and fudge-like--not cakey at all. And they're rich! Which is why I love them :)

Dr. Oz Brownies
1 box of brownie mix (I use the Betty Crocker family size one)
1 (15 oz.) can of pure pumpkin
3 Tbsp. peanut butter

Just combine the brownie mix and pumpkin in a bowl (nothing else). It takes a while to mix, and the batter will be very thick, but don't add anything else to it. Spread it in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. In a small bowl, melt the peanut butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Drizzle it on top of the brownie batter (and swirl it around to make it pretty, if you like). Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let them cool completely before cutting (if they are warm, there is a strong pumpkin taste... once they cool, you don't taste the pumpkin). Cut it into 24 pieces (the pieces will be small, but because it is so rich, a small piece is satisfying).

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Protein Shakes/Smoothies (part 2)

(You can find Protein Shakes/Smoothies part 1 here)

I just had surgery a few days ago, and my doctor wants me to get a LOT of protein while I'm healing. So I'm going to be having lots of protein shakes again!

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

I'm sorry, but these protein shake recipes have been migrated to my everyday blog. Here is a direct link to the recipes. Thanks for stopping by!  --Katie

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Snickers Protein Shake

Since I'm getting surgery next week, my doctor wants me to get a LOT of protein. This protein shake tastes JUST like a Snickers bar. It's a yummy treat!

I'm sorry, but this recipe has been migrated over to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. This link is a direct link to that recipe. Enjoy!  --Katie

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Homemade Chocolate Vitatops

One of my favorite snacks is a chocolate Vitatop with fat free Cool Whip. The Vitatops are so good, but SO expensive. So after buying a muffin top baking sheet at a garage sale, I decided to create my own Vitatops. You can find the original recipe here. I altered it to my liking.

This recipe has migrated over to my everyday blog, Runs for Cookies. This link will take you directly to the recipe.

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PB2 Recipes and Ideas

Sorry! This recipe has been migrated over to my regular Runs for Cookies blog. You can find the post here. Thanks for stopping by! :)  --Katie

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Cookie Dough Hummus

I made this awesome recipe on Sunday, and again today. I'm SHOCKED at how good it is!!  It's hummus that really does taste (and look) like cookie dough. I ate it with pretzels, which was awesome, and then for dessert today I had it with a chocolate Vitatop. Heavenly!

I made it as follows:
1 can of chick peas, drained AND peeled (takes a little time, but worth it!)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
6 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor until very smooth. Then fold in the chocolate chips.  (Makes 8 servings. Per serving:  139 calories, 5 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 20 grams carbs, 4 grams protein)

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Breakfast Cookies

Once in a while, I make a huge batch of these and keep them on hand in the freezer for a quick breakfast. They're cookies, but healthy enough to be called breakfast (don't expect them to taste like your average cookie--they're not nearly as sweet as regular oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies). If you can't find the whole wheat pastry flour (I have no trouble finding it, but just in case...) then you can use half whole wheat flour and half white flour.

Breakfast Cookies

1 cup oat bran (find this next to the oatmeal in the grocery store)
3/4 cup orange juice (I squeeze an orange or two for this after grating it for the orange zest)
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour  <---not to be confused with whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup non-fat dry milk
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the oat bran and orange juice in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl (preferably a mixer) combine the applesauce, canola oil, honey, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest. In a separate bowl, combine the pastry flour, baking powder and baking soda, then slowly add it to the mixer. Add the soaked oat bran, dry milk, oats, nuts, and raisins and mix or stir just to combine.  Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. (I use a spring-loaded scoop--like an ice cream scoop, but it only holds a tablespoon--to scoop it, level it off, and then drop it onto the cookie sheets. It makes all the cookies very uniform in shape and size). Bake for 12-14 minutes. By using a level tablespoon of dough for each cookie, I got 84 cookies out of one batch. (I put them in little baggies of 3 and throw them in the freezer--you can take out a bag whenever you want them and put them in the microwave for 10 seconds to thaw). Sometimes I'll make large cookies instead of small ones.

Nutrition info for 1 cookie:
Calories: 65
Fat: 1 g
Fiber: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g

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Coffee Freeze

I came across this in a Kraft Food & Family magazine from 2006. It looks just like a chocolate milk shake, but tastes like coffee ice cream--it's delicious!! And the best part--it's only 74 calories!

I imagine if you don't like coffee, you could substitute chocolate syrup or peanut butter, or something creative, although it would change the calories.

Since this is a Kraft recipe, they suggest their own brands of everything, but I'll just write it as generic (I made a generic version, anyway)

Cool 'n Creamy Coffee Freeze

1 cup skim milk
ice cubes
1 cup frozen Cool-whip free
1 package (4 serving size) sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules

Put the skim milk in a large glass measuring cup and add enough ice to measure 3 cups total. Pour into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth. Serves 4. 

Calories: 74
Fat: 0
Fiber: 0
Carbs: 15

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WW Creamy Lemon Pie

This pie tastes a lot like key lime pie--only it's made with lemons instead of limes. It's got the same creamy texture and graham cracker crust that key lime pie has.  If you slice it into 8 pieces, they are 4 points each, which may seem like a lot--but worth every point!


My photo was blurry, so I'm using the one from WW website.


6 low-fat cinnamon graham crackers
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs
11 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice  (this would also be awesome with lime juice!)
1 Tbsp lemon zest  (I love lemon zest, but next time I make this, I will omit the zest--the texture isn't very good mixed in with the creamy pie)

Put the graham crackers in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin (or put them in a food processor) until you get very fine crumbs.  In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and crumbs until they are moistened, then press them into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you prep the filling.

Combine the milk and eggs in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let it set until cool and then refrigerate. Serve chilled.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

These are heavenly! Kind of a combination of pumpkin pie and cheesecake. If you're making the bite-size mini's, they are a little time consuming. But it makes a HUGE batch--72-ish mini's. You could also make this into one big cheesecake in a spring form pan, or single-serve with regular size muffin pans.  I used the mini-muffin pan for these.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bites

4 (8 oz) packages light cream cheese, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon (plus some for garnish)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
cooking spray
canned cool whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a mini muffin tray with the muffin liners, and spray each one with a tiny amount of cooking spray.  Put 1/2 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs in each liner, and pat down with the back of a spoon or your finger--you don't have to press hard, just press enough to flatten it out.

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla.  Add the eggs one by one and process until smooth. Remove 1 1/4 cups of batter, and add the remaining sugar to that. In the remaining batter, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and combine until smooth.

To fill the cups:
Using the pumpkin batter, fill each cup about 1/3 full.  Then using the white batter, put a tiny little dollop onto the pumpkin batter--about 1/4 tsp.  Then using the pumpkin batter again, fill each cup almost to the top. Put a tiny dollop of the white batter on top. Using a toothpick, swirl the white batter into the pumpkin batter just enough for it to swirl the colors together--don't mix it.

Put in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes--they will still be soft. As soon as you take them out, use a butter knife to remove them from the pan and let them cool. The tops will sink down a little.  Refrigerate about 2-3 hours before serving.  Using the aerosol can of cool whip, put a tiny dollop on top to fill in the little well that forms.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

These can be frozen--I froze my leftovers and ate one a couple days later, and it was still heavenly, if not more so that the first day!

Makes 72 bite-size cheesecakes.

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Hot Cinnamon Apples

These are SUPER EASY to make and they taste delicious!  They really good by themselves, but you can also spoon them over ice cream or top pancakes or waffles with them... plenty of ways to eat them! 

3 lbs. apples, peeled and sliced  (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Minute Tapioca  (make sure you get the Minute tapioca)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all in a slow cooker, and toss to combine. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, depending on how soft you like the apples.

Makes 8 servings, a little over 1/2 cup each

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S'mores Pie

This really isn't very low in calories, but it was SO GOOD that I just had to share it. It's super easy to make, the kids can make it with very little help, and it's fun to eat an entire little pie by yourself!

S'mores Pie  (Serves 1)

1 miniature graham cracker crust (I found these at Wal-mart in a 6-pack)
1/3 cup miniature marshmallows
1 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400. Put the marshmallows into the pie crust, and then top with the chocolate chips. Bake for about 10 minutes, watching closely--take it out of the oven when the marshmallows begin to get toasty :)

Makes 1 serving.  (Cals: 240; Fat: 10 g; Fiber: 1 g; Carbs: 39 g; Protein: 1 g)

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Monster Cookies

My friend Renee gave me the recipe for these--they're SUPER delish and pretty healthy for a cookie!


Monster Cookies

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup natural peanut butter  (I used natural creamy pb)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips  (make sure you use the mini ones, so you get a little chocolate with each bite!)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter and peanut butter in a mixer. Beat until smooth. Add brown sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

Add oats, flax, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and raisins. Mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of dough (I used 1.5 Tbsp each) 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden (I did 10 minutes). Let cool a few minutes on a baking sheet before removing to rack.

Makes 30 cookies.

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Renee's Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

These are SOOOO good--and beware if you're a binge eater, it's very hard to eat just one!  I modified this a bit the last time I made them to reduce the calorie count, and they turned out wonderfully. So I'll type up the modified recipe.

Note: The bar above is 1/12 of the pan, not 1/24 ;)

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1/4 cup plain, fat free yogurt
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, not included in nutrition info)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large mixing bowl, beat yogurt, honey, and sugar until creamy. Add applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture.  Stir in walnuts (if using), raisins, and chocolate chips. Prepare a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in pan and bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned (I like to underbake them just a touch, so they stay a little gooey). Let cool, and cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars.

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Single Serve No-Bake Cookie

You all know about my love affair with oats... and PB2... and chocolate. So why not combine them into a no-bake cookie?!  My dad used to make big batches of the no-bake cowpie cookies (fudgy cookies made with chocolate, peanut butter, butter, oats...)  There is NO WAY I would be able to make a big batch and eat just one! So I created this single-serve version, and it's sooo delicious!



1 Tbsp. PB2 (don't reconstitute it!)
1 Tbsp. No Pudge! Brownie mix (I think other brownie mixes would work, but I love the No Pudge! ones)
scant 1 Tbsp. skim milk
2 Tbsp. quick cooking oats

Combine the PB2, brownie mix, and skim milk and stir until smooth. Add the oats and stir to coat well. Drop the whole thing onto a small piece of wax paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Makes 1 serving, 2 WW points.  (120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 24 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein)

And before anyone asks....

You can buy PB2 (and find all the info about it) here... www.bellplantation.com 

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