Cheddar Cornbread

I've never been a big fan of cornbread - I always associate it with pinto beans, and I'm not a big fan of those. But it was a chilly chili day, and we were tired of the tried-and-true grilled cheese, so I opted for this substitute, modified from Recipezaar. And boy am I glad we did!

Thanks to the creamed corn, the final result was a bit softer than traditional cornbread. It was easier to eat it with a fork than with your fingers. But it still tasted good!

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten until the yolks are broken
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 can creamed corn
1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8x8 glass baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir.

Stir in creamed corn and cheddar cheese, and pour batter into baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Pumpkin Muffins Everywhere

I'm not the world's best baker, but I've had the urge to bake pumpkin bread for a while now. So, with it being the Sunday before Halloween, I decided today was the perfect day - until I realized I couldn't find my loaf pan. So, what started out as this recipe from Cooking Light, quickly morphed into these pumpkin muffinettes.


3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten (until the yolks are broken)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
Pam (or other cooking spray) with flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 mini muffin pans with cooking spray with flour.

Combine flour with other dry ingredients (up to the pumpkin pie spice) in a large bowl. In a second bowl, combine oil, eggs, and pumpkin.

Make a well in center of dry mixture, and add pumpkin mixture. Stir until moist.

Spoon batter into mini muffin pans. Bake at 350° for around 20-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 48 mini muffins.

P.S. - These are really good with just a little bit of the brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese on top.

WW Info:
1 point per muffin
Add additional points for any cream cheese or other toppings

Apple and Brie Paninis

This is fantastic served with tomato bisque, or alone, or however you want to serve it. You can't go wrong with apples and brie!

1 apple, cored and sliced
4 ounces of light brie
2 pieces of ciabatta, halved

Divide apple and brie between two ciabatta halves. Top with other halves, and place on hot grill. (I used the Foreman to easily grill both sides at once.) Serve when hot and melted.

Stuffed French Toast

We've decided Sunday mornings are our "better than cereal breakfast" mornings. So I'm trying out recipes beyond basic pancakes, which I never could make well anyway. :-)

2 large eggs, beaten
Dash of cinnamon and sugar
4 pieces of light bread
2 Tbsp cream cheese I prefer strawberry or brown sugar cinnamon
A few sprays of Pam
Maple syrup or other toppings of your choice

Combine eggs and cinnamon sugar combination in a bowl. Spread cream cheese evenly over two pieces of bread and top with the other 2 pieces to make 2 sandwiches.

Preheat skillet over medium-high heat and spray with Pam. Dredge sandwiches through egg mixture on both sides, and put in skillet. Cook evenly on both sides until cheese looks melted and bread is browned on each side.

WW info:
4 Points for each sandwich
Add additional Points for any toppings you add

Apple Brie Breakfast Quesadillas

No picture for this one - it was devoured too fast for that! This recipe originated on an episode of Sandra Lee and I modified it for our tastes. The recipe below is for one quesadilla; if you're feeding more people, just double (or triple or quadruple) it!


1 Burrito size tortilla shell
1/2 apple sliced
1 Tbsp brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese
1 oz. brie (that's 1 oz. with the rind removed - that waxy stuff doesn't taste good on anything)

Spread cream cheese over tortilla shell. Top with apple and slices of brie (I smushed them a little to help them melt more evenly over the shell). Fold over and place in hot skillet, indoor grill, or quesadilla maker, if you have one. Heat for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and shell is slightly browned, and enjoy!

WW info:
5 Points per quesadilla

Spinach Cheese Enchiladas

This is a recipe I found on WeightWatchers.com and then modified. I was skeptical at first, but it was AMAZING. I served this with Spanish rice and corn with peppers.

10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained/wrung out
8 oz. FF ricotta
8 oz. FF cream cheese
1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 6-inch flour tortillas
1 jar salsa
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I use 2% Sargento - best I've found)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat glass baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine spinach, ricotta, cream cheese, and seasonings in large bowl. Spoon equal amounts into the center of each tortilla. Roll up, fold in the ends, and place fold side down in baking pan. Cover with salsa and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

WW Info:
6 points per serving (1 enchilada - I had my doubts, but, yes, this is more than enough)

Apple Martinis

3 ounces vodka
3 ounces Apple Pucker
5 ounces apple juice

Combine all ingredients in martini shaker with ice. Shake, pour, and serve!