Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries or raisins - chopped (optional)
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, Splenda brown sugar, baking powder, spices, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (in other words, all dry ingredients except for the dried cranberries, raisins or nuts). In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg, applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients). Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped dried cranberries or raisins and/or nuts into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together, and mix to distribute them. Spoon batter into a large loaf pan (about 9" X 5") sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the loaf is firm to the touch. (Bread may be moist inside. This doesn't mean it's undercooked.) Allow to cool, and then cut into 8 slices. Or evenly distribute the batter among 8 cups of a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Cook 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and Enjoy!

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Here is a cookie recipe you can feel good about!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup margarine (non trans fat such as Smart Balance), softened
1/2 cup honey
1 egg (or two egg whites if watching cholesteral)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 apple, cored and chopped, finely

Optional mix-ins: 1 cup raisins, craisins or other chopped dried fruit, 1 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, honey, egg and vanilla until smooth. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and apple. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Dessert

For a light yummy dessert that can be adapted with your favorite fruit. - Feel free to substitute raspberry, orange, blueberry or your favorite jello and fruit.

INGREDIENTS
1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free stawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 package (.8 ounce) sugar-free cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 cup cold water
1 package (12 ounce) frozen unsweetened strawberries thawed and chopped

In a large bowl, dissolve gelating in boiling water; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine pudding mix, water and strawberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 - 2 minutes longer or until thickened.

Remove from heat, stir in reserved gelatin mixture. Pour in an 8 inch square dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or over night.

For a larger crowd, double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 in baking dish.

Baked Berry Crunch

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup whole almonds
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 TBSP Whole wheat flour
1/3 cup rolled oats (Not instant kind)
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Smartbalance - melted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups favorite berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries)
1 1/2 tablespoons Splenda

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a blender or spice grinder, grind whole almonds until finely ground. In a small bowl, combine ground almonds, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour. Add margarine, Splenda brown sugar and vanilla and stir to combine.
Lightly coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place berries and sugar substitute in the dish; toss to combine. Dot with ground nut mixture (it will not entirely cover surface) and then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake for 35 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is hot.

Divide fruit among 6 dessert bowls and top each with some of the thickened yogurt cream or sugarfree vanilla ice cream.

Yogurt Cream and fruit- Lite version

I LOVE The Pioneer Woman Cooks website. But unfortunately most of her recipes are not ones I can eat and stay successful with losing weight. She posted a recipe this week on Yogurt Cream that you eat with berries or other fruits. It looked so good. But being made with heavy cream, full fat yogurt and brown sugar, it was out of the question. Here is my lightened up version. It is really good. I had trouble not eating it all before dinner (it was our dessert). Might not be as good as the full-fat one, but this one I can enjoy and still see my scale going down.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 scant cup fat free half-and-half
1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla or almond extract
1/8 cup splenda

Mix together the yogurt and half-and-half in a bowl that can be covered securely with plastic wrap. Stir in vanilla. Sprinkle brown sugar Splenda and regular Splenda on top of yogurt. DO NOT STIR. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for several hours. Before serving stir well with a whisk. Serve with favorite berries for a good afternoon snack or refreshing dessert, or layered in a parfait glass with a bit of granola for a yummy breakfast treat. Could also be served as a yummy dip for a fruit.

EDITED Recipe: I decreased the amount of half-and-half. It was too runny after it sat for awhile. I also strained it through a cheese cloth (same method as making the yogurt cream cheese) until it was thicker. It made it even better. I think strained it would make a better consistency for fruit dip. I am going to use the strained liquid in my smoothies.

Guilt-Free Chocolate French Silk Pie

CRUST INGREDIENTS
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground pecans
2 T. Splenda or brown sugar substitute
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 T. canola oil
1 T. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine oats, flour, pecans, sugar substitute, and salt together in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together oil and water. Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. If necessary, add a little more water to hold mixture together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

FRENCH SILK PIE INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup Smart Balance, room temperature
1 cup and 2 TBSP Splenda
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Pasturized eggs

DIRECTIONS
Cream Smart Balance in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the Splenda with an electric mixer until light colored and well blended. Stir in the thoroughly cooled chocolate, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Beat for an additional 5 minutes. Spoon the chocolate filling into a cooled, baked pie shell.


Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving and top with light Cool Whip.