Taco Soup Crockpot (No Meat)

So this is a rendition of the original taco soup recipe I usually make, but with no meat--which means less points! I also decided, what the hey? let's throw that sucker in the crock pot! Which is exactly what I did! This recipe is a bigger size because well..I loveeeeeeee taco soup and the leftovers only get better!

Taco Soup *Crockpot Style*

Ingredients:

* 2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with chilies (Medium)

* 2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans, kidney beans or red beans, (or a combo);rinsed and drained

* 2 cans mushrooms

* 2 cups frozen corn

* 2 pkg. taco seasoning mix

* 4 cups water (I like to pour through the tomato cans)

* 1 tbsp. truvia (splenda works too)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a lined crock pot.

2. Cook on low heat about 6 hours.

3. ENJOY!

Breakdown

Each 1 cup serving comes out to about 2.5 WWPP. Just to be safe, I say 3 points per cup!

Mini Wreaths--lizzy's touch

So this recipe was orginally in a Kroger coupon book that was sent out about 6 years ago! I make it every year (as 1 big wreath) and it is ALWAYS a hit..so I thought about it and figure that I could make it more bite-sized and diet friendly..so that is just what I did!!!

Mini Wreaths

Ingredients (amounts vary):

Crescent Rolls-Seamless

Red, Yellow, Orange Peppers

Diced Ham

Pineapple tidbits

Cherry Tomatoes

Fat Free Cream Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Keept the crescent rolls in place after taking out of the can...roll into a longer log and slice into at least 20 pieces. Place on a non-greased baking sheet (like you would with cookies).

3. Bake in oven for about 10-12 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as cooking times may vary.

4. Allow each roll to cool.

5. Apply 1 Tablespoon of FF cream cheese to each roll.

6. Add diced toppings and serve immediately!

Breakdown:

Per 4 'wreaths' (1/5 recipe)--5 WWPP

Super Sonic Tuna --a Lizzy Original

So this recipe came about when I used to work at Sonic! I used to bring a little tuna kit to eat at work and while I was there I used the chopped toppings to bulk up my tuna! I hadn't had this dish in a long time, so I decided to make it and it is just as good as ever!! And so low you won't believe it!

Super Sonic Tuna

Ingredients:

* 1 packet tuna in water (the bigger size)

* 1/2 cup chopped onion

* 1/2 cup chopped celery

* 1/2 cup chopped tomato

* 1 T. lite mayo

* 1 T. dill relish

* 1 T. sugar free relish

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Per 1/2 cup serving: 1 WWPP

*At Sonic I loved to eat this all on a thick slice of Texas Toast..of course that would make things a little higher in points! Hungry Girl suggests some of her "scoopable" salads to be served on rice cakes, which would only add about 1 WW PP. I also suggest adding lettuce and wrapping it all up in a high fiber, low carb wrap--which would only add 1 WWPP!

Tofu Scramble

This recipe comes from Alicia C. Simpson's book, Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food. Eggs are something that will be hard for me to give up...so this was a trial run. It's not a bad substitute, but it would definitely take some getting used to..

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:

* 1 T. canola oil

* 1/2 cup diced onion (I used sweet)

* 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 1/2 t. refrigerated garlic)

* 1/4 cup finely chopped red, yellow, orange or green pepper

* 1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and lightly pressed

* 1/2 t. red pepper flakes (I left this out)

* 2 t. ground cumin

* 1 t. dried thyme (I left this out)

* 1 t. paprika

* 1/2 t. turmeric

* 1/2 t. sea salt

* 1/2 cup tomato, chopped

* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Drain and press the tofu.

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and peppers and saute an additional1 minute.

4. Crumble the tofu into the skillet. The chunks should be small/medium so they will cook evenly. Mix in all the spices and mix until tofu is coated evenly.

5. Add the tomatoes and cook 5-10 minutes, depending on desired texture.

6. Remove from heat. Add nutritional yeast and thoroughly combine.

7. Serve warm.

*I served mine up with a veggie sausage patty! 1/4 of the recipe is about 3 WW PP.

Easy Muffins--lizzy original

So HG suggests using boxed devil's food cake mix + 1 can pureed pumpkin. A couple years ago when I tried WW I found a pumpkin cookie recipe that was spiced cake mix + pureed pumpkin, so I thought I would combine the 2 ideas to create pumpkin muffins!

Ingredients:
* 1 box Duncan Heins Spiced Cake Mix
* 1 can pureed pumpkin

Directions:
1. Spray 12 muffin tins until well coated.

2. Mix the cake mix and pumpkin until completely blended.

3. Scoop mixture evenly between the 12 tins.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. (Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn)

5. Let cool and then enjoy!


*I store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Each muffin is 5 WW PointsPlus.

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo

Hallelujah..PRAISE JESUS! These tofu noodles are AWESOMELY amazing! I haven't been THIS excited since I learned about Hungry Girl in the first place!

This recipe comes from Lisa Lillien's book, Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (p.257). She has several recipes using the Tofu Shirataki noodles. Let me be the first to tell you that tofu really freaked me out. The curiosity got the best of me, though, and I finally broke out of my shell and grabbed some (the fact they were barely over a dollar didn't hurt me either!) I know it's weird and very different, but it is SO easy and

almost fool-proof...so what are you waiting for?? GO GET SOME OF THOSE CRAZY NOODLES and prepare for this recipe!!

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo

Ingredients:

* 1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki, Fettuccine Shape

* 1/2 wedge The Laughing Cow, light original swiss (I used the whole thing, only ~15 more cal)

* 2 teaspoons reduced-fat parmesan-style grated topping

* 1 teaspoon fat-free sour cream

* Salt and pepper to taste

* (optional) I threw in some of my Melting Pot seasoning..or just garlic powder/salt

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. Place noodles in microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1 minute.

2. Drain excess liquid from noodles and pat them until thoroughly dry. Slice noodles up a big for fettuccini-length pieces. (I didn't cut my noodles.)

3. Add cheese, grated Parmesan, and sour cream. Mix well.

4. Microwave 1 minute. Add seasonings and stir. ENJOY!!!

Nutrition Breakdown:

per serving (entire recipe)

Calories- 81

Fat- 8g

Sodium- 242mg

Carbs- 9g

Fiber- 4g

Sugars-less than 1g

Protein- 4g

PointsPlus: 2

HG Monkey Business (Monkey Bread/Feet)

***So I made this recipe again. I cut the crescent dough into 6 rows and 8 columns..for 48 little squares..I then used a mini-muffin tin to create 12 mini muffins at 2points EACH!! WOOOOO!

Ok, so I changed some things around from the original recipe, which you can find HERE, but this recipe is absolutely amazing. Hungry Girl may just be a god of some sort! I LOVE IT!!

HG Monkey Feet

Ingredients:

* 2 tbsp. Truvia, divided

* 2 tsp. cinnamon, divided

* 2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (I use Smart Balance Light)

* 2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup (Hungry Jack butter flavored)

* 2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)

* 1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet

* 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix 1 tbsp. Truvia and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl or container. Set aside.

3. Spray six cups of a muffin pan with nonstick spray, and set pan aside as well.

4. Place a small pot on the stove, but do not heat it. Add butter, syrup, brown sugar, 1 tbsp. Truvia, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Leave this on the unheated stove, to be melted and mixed later on.

5. Roll out the dough on a clean dry surface, and sprinkle evenly with baking powder. Gently smooth baking powder into the sheet with your fingers.

6. Cut (pizza slicer works easiest) dough sheet widthwise into six strips equal in size. Cut each strip into four squares (I messed up this time and accidenty did 7 (not sure why 7) and I liked it better because they were smaller balls, so try it th is way too!). Roll each square into a ball, for a total of 24 dough balls.

7. Place 12 dough balls in the bowl with the Splenda-cinnamon mixture. Lightly toss to coat, and then place them gently in the muffin pan, with four dough balls in each of three cups. No need to press the dough balls into the pan -- just let them fall naturally. Repeat with remaining dough balls, so that each of the six muffin cups contains four coated dough balls. Set aside.

8. Bring the small pot on the stove to medium heat. Stirring frequently, heat just until butter has melted and contents are mixed well. Evenly spoon the butter mixture over the dough balls.

9. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until puffy and firm.

10. Once out of the oven I let cool about 2 minutes and then flipped the pan upside down on a plate to allow to cool another 5 minutes.

Serving Size: 1 "muffin" (1/6th of recipe)
Calories: 154
Fat: 7.5g
Sodium: 369mg
Carbs: 21g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 2g

PointsPlus™ value 4*

HG Cheesy-Good Cornbread Muffins

Hungry Girl's Cheesy-Good Cornbread Muffins

From Hungry Girl's 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories (p.91)

Ingredients:

* 1 cup canned cream-style corn

* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

* 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

* 1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute

* 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

* 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

* 1/4 cup scallions (I substituted jalopenos! MMM!)

* 2 Tbsp. Splenda (I used Truvia)

* 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

* 1/4 tsp. salt

*OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp. hot sauce (I skipped this)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, Splenda (or whatever), baking powder, and salt until well mixed.

3. In a small bowl, mix together all of the other ingredients: corn, egg su

bstitute, sour cream, cheese, and scallions (or jalapeños).

4. Add contents of the small bowl to the large bowl and stir until mixed thoroughly.

5. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute muffin batter among the cups.

6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are firm and light golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and enjoy!

Serves 12

The Breakdown:

Per muffin...

85 calories

1.5g fat

240mg sodium

14g carbs

1g fiber

2g sugar

4g protein

2 POINTS PLUS WW POINTS!!

HG's Candyland Peppermint Pie

Hungry Girl's Candyland Peppermint Pie

Ingredients:
Crust:
* 4 sheets (16 crackers) chocolate graham crackers
* 2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread

Filling:
* 1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand)
* 1/4 cup fat-free milk
* 1 small (4-serving) box Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix
* 3 cups Fat Free Cool Whip, thawed
* 3 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 2 standard-sized peppermint candy canes, lightly crushed, divided (I couldn't find candy canes, so I used about 10 small peppermints
* Optional topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. To make the crust, crush graham crackers in a food processor or blender (or place in large sealable bag and crush with a meat mallet). Transfer crumbs to a bowl and set aside.

3. Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 15 seconds. Add to the bowl of graham cracker crumbs and mix until uniform.

4. Spray a pie pan with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute crust mixture along the bottom of the pie pan, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the pan. Bake crust in the oven until firm, 8 - 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

5. To make the filling, combine condensed milk, milk, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well.

6. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth.

7. Gently stir in chocolate chips and about 3/4 of the candy cane pieces.

8. Once crust has cooled completely, evenly pour filling into the pan.

9. Refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 2 hours. (Overnight is best.)

10. Sprinkle pie with remaining candy cane pieces. If you like, top with Reddi-wip just before serving. Dig in!

Each piece (1/8) is 5 Pointsplus OR:

Calories: 202

Fat: 4.5g

Sodium: 250mg

Carbs: 37g

Fiber: 0.25g

Sugars: 24g

Protein: 2.5g

****UPDATE**** I made individual cups of this pie, used only 1 sheet of grahams and NO butter..I was able to distribute it between 7 cups, and topped with some graham crumbs. I counted 3-4 points per custard cup.

Brazilian Stroganoff with potatoes

So last night friends came over and I decided to cook. Since we just got back from Brazil I thought we would try a recipe from there along with rice and beans (like we had there). While there we had Brazilian stroganoff a couple times..It's very different there..we had it with chicken and mushrooms..the sauce is a sweet cream sauce and is very tasty! We didn't have chicken, but we did have pork chops, so I went with it. It didn't taste quite the same, but was still good. I may need a more specific recipe, but for now, this is all I found thanks to THIS site:

Aleatha, who lives in northern California, is a big fan of her Brazilian mom' s cooking and agreed to share some of her recipes with us. Well, you may ask, what does strogonoff have to do with Brazilian cooking? Nothing really, except that everyone in Brazil loves the dish and has their favorite recipe...so we decided to include it in Maria's Cookbook. It's very yummy! You can find Brazilian-style creme de leite on the Internet or in Latino markets around the U.S. Or use crème fraîche, available in fancy food markets. Or, in desperation, use good old heavy cream!

2-4 lbs beef or chicken (if using beef we recommend filet mignon)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 tsp dry oregano
dry white wine (optional, but yummy, so use it!)
heavy cream or Brazilian creme de leite (sinfully good this stuff!)
3-4 tbsp catsup
3 tbsp yellow mustard

Cut up meat into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and mix with garlic, half of the onion, salt, nutmeg, oregano and wine. Let it marinate for 1 hour. Sauté remainder with a bit of oil. Add meat/chicken and marinade to the pan and cook. If it is a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of water, and cook a little while longer. Then add catsup and mustard. When ready to eat, add cream and let cook for one minute.

So I also served this with roasted potatoes. I cut up the potatoes and tossed them in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, garlic salt, and of course, the melting pot seasoning. I baked them at 375-400 for about 40 minutes (stirring occasionally)..tasted great!!