WW Hot Fudge Cake - Yes, it IS Possible!

I remember having this growing up - SO good, but definitely not what you would call good for you. Until now!


1 box Duncan Hines brownie mix
1/3 cup egg whites
1 can Diet Dr. Pepper Chocolate Covered Cherry
Low-fat ice cream (I love Edy's 1/2 the Fat Double Churned Vanilla Bean)
Hot Fudge
FF Whipped Cream
And a cherry on top!


This is just my diet soda red velvet cake recipe, with 1/4 cup of vanilla ice cream, 1.5 Tbsp of hot fudge, and a small squirt of fat free whipped cream on top. And the best part is, it's only about 4 Points per serving!

Seafood Stuffed Shells

16 pasta shells
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cup part-skim Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped shrimp (or whole salad shrimp)
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion flakes
salt, pepper, and other spices to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil pasta shells until al dente in texture. Drain and set aside.

Combine Parmesan cheese, hefty 1/2 cup shrimp, ricotta cheese, and spices in a large bowl. Spoon evenly into pasta shells (about 1-2 heaping Tbsp in each). Place in baking dish.

Combine Alfredo sauce, white wine, tomatoes, and remaining shrimp in medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until combined. Pour sauce over shells in baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake additional 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

I admit it, to the hard-core foodies out there, this will be an insult to your kitchen-telligence. However, when you want a nice dinner with the hubby after a long day, this is great with garlic bread, tossed salad, and a bottle (or two) of Riesling. Enjoy!

1 roasted red pepper, drained
1 jar light Alfredo sauce (I usually go for Ragu, but any will do)
Whole wheat pasta (Barilla is my fave)

Directions:
Blend red pepper until smooth. Stir into Alfredo sauce, then heat through. Serve over pasta.

WW Info:
Pasta: 3 Points per 1-cup serving
Sauce: 2 Points per 1/4-cup serving
Additional Points for wine, bread, and salad as needed

To-die-for Red Velvet Cake

I kid you not, this is one of the best red velvet cakes I have ever made. It's easy, extremely semi-homemade, and really diet-friendly, but you'd never know it by the taste.

Cake:
1 package Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake (I avoid Betty Crocker like the plague)
1/3 cup egg whites from a carton
1 can Diet 7-Up
Pam with Flour baking spray

Frosting:
1 container Pillsbury Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Equal amount FF, SF Cool-Whip

Directions:
Spray Prepare cake according to package directions, substituting egg whites and 7-Up for oil and regular eggs. Spray 12x9 baking dish with spray, and bake per package directions, adjusting for your oven. Allow cake to cool, then frost with blended frosting/Cool-Whip mixture. Store in refrigerator!

Chicken Parmesan

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, whisked
1 cup bread crumbs (don't worry, you won't use anywhere near the entire cup, it's just to ensure there's enough to coat all of the chicken)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
Dash salt and pepper
EVOO
Part-skim mozzarella cheese
Pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Coat chicken in egg, then dredge through chicken mixture. Brush each side with EVOO and place in skillet. Heat on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, or until coating is crispy. Flip and do the same on reverse side.

Spray glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken in dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, add 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese to each chicken breast, and pour pasta sauce over entire dish (not enough to fill it up, just enough to cover the bottom). Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

VERY good over whole wheat pasta!

WW Info:
6 Points per chicken breast
(Add additional points for any pasta)

WW BBQ Chicken

This is a fabulous, moist BBQ chicken without all of the added sugar of bottled sauces. This is pictured with oven fries - a favorite with this (and many other) recipes.


1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup ketchup
1 can Diet Coke (I prefer w/Splenda, but any Diet you have on hand will work)

Whisk together Diet Coke and ketchup in a bowl.

Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken to skillet and cover with soda-ketchup mixture. Cook over medium-high heat for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If you'd like a thicker sauce, reduce hear to medium-low and cover for about 10 minutes.

WW Info:
4 points (3 oz. serving)

I think I'll create a food blog

So now that I'm married and the insanity that is wedding planning is over, I decided I needed a new hobby. Since you have to eat and I've found that I do love cooking with all of our new fun gadgets, I've decided to create a food blog.

I was on the Weight Watchers Flex (aka, points) plan beginning September, 2005. And believe me, it really works. However, I've gotten tired of counting every single thing I put in my mouth (and it's actually really easy to cheat on Flex - 2 apples may be the same number of points as 100 calorie cupcakes, but the nutritional values are wildly different), so I'm considering going for the Core (aka, healthier food choices, sans counting) plan in 2008. That said, many of the recipes you'll find on here are Weight Watchers/healthy eating friendly. And for those that aren't, well, you do have to treat yourself sometimes, after all!

So happy reading, happy cooking, happy eating, and soon to be happy 2008!