Cinnamon Bread Take 1.

I am addicted to this bread:

Cinnabon Bread.  The devil. 

There are some problems with this:
1. It is unhealthy.  Sure, one could argue the value of eating 12 pieces of bread jammed with delicious cinnamon in one sitting, but really Sunshine? Seriously?
2.  This bread costs a sh!t-ton of money. It is hard to justify spending $3+ for 12 slices of heaven when I could A. make my own bread; or B. buy 2 loaves of less-delectable non-cinnamon-filled bread; or the best option of all:  C. NOT EAT BREAD LIKE IT IS THE LIFE-GIVING FORCE OF THE WORLD.

So I wanted to make my own.  I was impatient so I printed off the first recipe I came across.  I knew it wouldn't be as delectable as the swirly goodness of the Cinnabon Bread, but I wanted to give it a shot. This bread is uber-sweet, but really amazing toasted with a little whipped butter on top.  Great as a dessert (my choice), or weekend-morning treat.  Or, an every day treat if you roll like that.  Next batch I am going to try to use less sugar in the bread dough--it didn't need the cup.  I also think that if you are healthy-cooking savvy, the oil could be replaced with unsweetened applesauce

Cinnamon Bread I
Adapted from allrecipies.

When I finally got around to taking a picture, there was less than 1/2 loaf left.  Oops.

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I added MORE)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (homemade w/skim milk + 1TBSP vinegar)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added MORE)
2 teaspoons margarine (I used butter)
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top.
Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect. (ok..this part was baffling to me.  Is the top supposed to be crumbly with the cinnamon-sugar-butter goodness? Or am I supposed to somehow smoosh the mixture into the bread and marble it.  If you notice in the picture, the marbling didn't' happen.  Unless marbling means a splooch into the center of the bread.  Which, as I looked up "marbled" in the dictionary, it doesn't.--Good luck with this part when you try it. Let me know how YOU did it ok? Please? I'd like to actually do it right!)
Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack to cool. 

See the splooch.  Yeah...not marbled.

**It is important that you do not start to fill out a job application online before the bread is supposed to be done--because hearing the oven timer from the office is impossible and you will overcook the bread.  And you will get mad that the bread didn't turn out as awesome as it could have.  Believe me. I know.   

Buttermilk Waffles: or, breakfast for any meal of the day!

I need to stop reading Stephanie's blog because her pictures and meal ideas seem to coincide with what I am in the mood for.  Today was no exception.  If I could, I would probably eat breakfast for every meal of the day every day.  Then again, that is part of why I am overweight!!!!  I have realized that I do better when I do not deprive myself of food I want, so my life has become more focused on moderation. 

The layout...

On to the waffles...

L and I have the best waffle iron ever--a Belgian Waffle iron that is a breeze to use and clean up.

My mom makes  waffles in her regular waffle iron and the smell and taste of these reminds me so much of home it is astounding.

My meal.  Yup. Ate it by hand.  Inhaled it, but nobody is perfect!

I used my trusty old-school (pretty pathetic and falling apart) Betty Crocker and tweaked the recipe just a bit to help with points, but I could have left out more butter I think--I was just too nervous to make too big of an adjustment.

Buttermilk Waffles
2 eggs (I used 1 egg and 2 egg whites)
2 C Buttermilk (I made homemade--2 TBSP + rest skim milk, sit for 10 minutes)
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I used kosher)
1/4 C + 2 TBSP Shortening (I used 5 TBSP Butter)

Beat eggs.
Add rest of ingredients and mix until smooth.
Put in waffle iron.

8 full waffles 6pts+/waffle


I froze the remaining waffles so when the craving arrives again, I can toast them.  YAY!

SO GOOD!!!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Easy!!!!
Low-Points!

The ones in the cupcake liners stuck...I hate wasting deliciousness!

1 box Spice Cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist--the cake mix that is used will impact the point value!)
1 can pumpkin (or 1 3/4 C)
2 egg whites
1/2 C water

Mix all together. Bake according to box of cake mix.
(I would recommend not using cupcake liners, but spraying pam in the muffin tin to avoid stickage.)

24 muffins = 2 pts. per muffin!!

After a bite. YUM!!!

These turned out moist, rich, and delicious.  Totally satisfying!

Baked Oatmeal

Thought I'd give this a try after seeing it on the WW boards, and then seeing it on Emily's blog.
I didn't want to make all of this since I will be the only one who eats it, so I halved the recipe--for the most part!
I also tweaked the fruits based on what I had in my house, and I love fruit, so I added even MORE!

Baked Blueberry & Peach Oatmeal
OR-
Baked Blueberry, Apple, and Pear Oatmeal

Source: Emily Bites Blog - adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats   (1 1/2 C)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar  (1/4 C)

Post-baking

2 teaspoons baking powder (1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt  (1/4 tsp kosher)
2 egg whites (1 egg white)
1 egg (1 egg)
1 ¼ cups skim milk (1/2 C + 1/8 C (or 5 oz.) skim milk)
1/4 cup canola oil (1/4 olive oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  (kept this the same)
1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in water, drained and chopped  (1 pear + 1 apple chopped)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries  (I had fresh-frozen blueberries and I used almost a full cup)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (Uh...no. YUK)

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350
2.Combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, egg, oil (or applesauce), milk and vanilla. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended together. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes and then add the blueberries and peaches.
3.Spray an 11” x 7” baking dish with cooking spray and pour the oatmeal mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly. (I put it in a square 8X8)  Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes.(20 minutes and checked it, then another 10, then another 10--might have added too much fruit! :D Total time for my recipe in oven = 50 min)

Yields 9 servings.
If you substitute ¼ c of applesauce for the canola oil it would lower the points+. Serving with additional milk would be extra.

I wish I would have had applesauce to reduce the point value!
Total points+ = 41


I cut 6 servings = 7pts+/serving

Close-up on my plate. YUM!

I will definitely make this again (maybe with less fruit!).  Even though it didn't turn out perfectly, I love how it isn't too sweet and it is satisfying.  Yum. It would probably have been more filling had I not been ravenous for breakfast.  So I am drinking a large amount of water with it!

Breakfast of Yum...

After Body Pump I made this awesomeness:

No, I did not make the yogurt...Duh..

1 slice beer bread: 4pts.
1 pear: 0 pts.
1 yoplait light (very cherry): 3 pts.
1 egg: 2 pts.
2 egg whites: 1 pt.
sauteed mushrooms, shallot, minced garlic, and 2 C spinach : 0 pts.
1 tsp. olive oil: 1 pt.
1/4 C shredded mozzarella/provolone cheese: 2 pts.
Total: 13 points
Worth every single point.  Super filling and check out all the healthy checks I got in:
1 1/2 dairy
1 healthy oil
2 fruits/veggies
Nice!!

New favorite breakfast: Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

Thank you Food and Wine magazine--I really LOVE YOU! I was hesitant at first, but I am in love with the crunchy interestingness of this recipe.  TRY IT!!!

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh ricotta (I didn't include this)

Directions

Quinoa deliciousness!

1. In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the apricots, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir well until heated through.
3. Add the quinoa to the skillet and stir gently to incorporate the almonds and apricots. Top each portion of quinoa with a tablespoon of ricotta and serve.

Make Ahead

The recipe can be made through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat as needed or serve cold.

**NOTE** Be sure to NOT cook the almonds too long--even if they don't look brown, 2 minutes is ENOUGH!! (Almost too much) Be sure to have the other ingredients prepped to add to the skillet right away when the almonds are brown because if you do what I did and wait to prep as the almonds cook, the almonds get too dark and nearly burn.  Don't do it!
Without the ricotta the points come out to 7pts/serving (1 cup serving) 4 servings total.  So good. YUMMY!

And...dang, I am FULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Corn Pancakes

Or....breakfast for dinner...

Thanks again to Krista for this recipe/idea.  I halved her recipe, and took the gluten-free part out, and ate all the pancakes for dinner tonight with a tsp. of butter.  Maple syrup would have been awesome, but I was out of points after the large amount that the entire batch monopolized.

Corn Pancakes (dairy free, egg free)

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plain rice milk
1 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir in the milk and oil.  Mix well and cook as usual. 
I got about 4 pancakes (big!) and the total points for the batch is 14 points.

Go-to food.

Pre-WW, if I woke up with a migraine (or if it was Saturday or Sunday), I'd have 2 strawberry toaster strudels for breakfast with 1-2 coke zeros. 

Then, I noticed that (of course) toaster strudels are on the "not that" side thanks to the book of shattering the dreams of food addicts.

So, this morning I woke up with a migraine, and I am doing all in my power to avoid bad habits.  I'm having a piece of my cold veggie "pizza" and if I feel better after some Excedrin Migraine I'll make some eggs.

Days like this make the battle less fun.

Stuffed Corn Muffins

Again, a huge thanks to Krista for her recipe!!! I am fortunate to NOT have to be on an elimination diet, so I was able to use "normal" ingredients.  Her recipe includes her gluten-free/dairy-free adjustments.  Yeah, she's pretty awesome. 

* 1 cup cornmeal
* 1/2 cup flour (I use better-for-bread flour)
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 cup milk (skim)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted (I used olive oil)

If tins are filled less, recipe will yield 12 muffins

Sift and mix the dry ingredients.  Add the milk and shortening. After mixing the wet into the dry ingredients add any extras. (I added 2 ears of grilled corn I had left over from the weekend; Krista added sausage--many possibilities).

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

(I got 11 muffins which works out to 3 pts./muffin--if I had gotten 12 muffins, each muffin would be 2 pts.!!!!)  MAKE 12 MUFFINS!!!

YUM

Honestly, I could eat the whole tin of these. Delicious.  I love the fresh corn addition, and this is my first time using cornmeal--I love how it is still sort of crunchy even after cooked.  (At least I hope that is the way it is supposed to be, otherwise I might sound like a total dolt!)
I had one with a Light & Fit yogurt, and it was satisfying and YUMMY!!!

Thanks again Krista!

Spinach, Caramelized Onion, and Tomato Quiche

Holy cluster-eff... DANG. This was a MESS. It turned out tasty, but still stressful for me!! L bought this pizza dough that wasn't in a tube, and since I could tell at that point of the grocery shopping experience he was FED UP, I didn't mention that it might not be the right kind. Little did I know that I would have to use it right away. He reminded me of this yesterday, and I was like, uh, I just made an egg-y type dish. And he doesn't eat eggs, so all the individual portions have to be eaten by me. ARGH.

2 teaspoons olive oil, extra-virgin
3 medium onion(s), chopped (I didn't have 3 onions. I had 1/2 of an onion.)
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced (I used 4--I love garlic!)
1 teaspoon sugar (left this completely out!)
10 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (really needed to squeeze it more than I did.)
10 ounces pizza dough, refrigerated (almost too much)
¾ cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk (did I have evaporated milk? Nope. I used 1/4 c nearly spoiled whole milk, and 1/2 c skim milk)
2 large egg(s), lightly beaten
¼ cup(s) light sour cream
1 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (left this completely out!)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
½ cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Monterrey Jack cheese
12 med cherry tomatoes, halved (I didn't have cherry tomatoes, so I sliced up two Roma tomatoes)
(*My special additions--one full package of sliced white mushrooms cooked with the spinach and onions and green onions (only the green part, added at the tomato step.)

Instructions
•Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onions, garlic, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook 2 minutes longer; remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.
•Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray.
•Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a 4-inch circle. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle; fit the dough into the pie plate, and flute the edges.
•Combine the milk, eggs, sour cream, egg white, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust. Top evenly with the spinach mixture, then pour in the egg mixture. Arrange the tomato halves, cut-side up, on top of the quiche, in a circular pattern. Place on a baking sheet and bake until quiche is just set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Yields 1/6 of quiche per serving.

~6 points per slice if one follows the recipe (without my additions--I still need to figure that out.)


Lessons I learned:
Read the recipe, and then re-read it. Make sure ALL needed ingredients are present.
Be careful--mushrooms make it watery--I don't mind it, but if you are expecting a more firm dish, don't add the mushrooms.
Tastes good. I am full after one slice (nice sized slices). No, the crust isn't buttery flaky delicious---but also, that kind of crust probably would add at least 14 points. I enjoyed eating this, and I feel like I got a good portion of veggies in this.

Hash Browns, Egg, and Cheese Casserole

I didn't put a full 1/3 c cheese on top--and this is a picture of a refrigerated portion--but YUM YUM YUM!!

6 slice(s) uncooked turkey bacon, sliced crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips (I cooked the turkey bacon first (Oscar Mayer), and then cut it--I wish I would have done it the opposite)
3 cup(s) frozen hash brown potatoes, 12 ounces
4 medium scallion(s), sliced
3 large egg(s)
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup(s) 1% low-fat cottage cheese, small-curd
2/3 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp poultry seasoning, or ground sage
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions:

• Place the oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a 1 1⁄2-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until nearly crisp, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and scallions; continue cooking and stirring until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Beat together the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the cottage cheese, 1/3 cup of the cheddar cheese, the Parmesan cheese, flour, poultry seasoning or sage, baking powder, salt, and pepper until combined. Stir in the cooled potato mixture and spread evenly into the baking dish. Bake until golden and set in the center, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Let stand until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, and serve hot or warm.

Normally, I am not a casserole fan, but this turned out AWESOME. It is filling and I have several containers of leftovers!!