English Muffin pizzas and homemade Granola....

I've got two recipes to share with you all today... the first is sort of a re-do on my usual mini-pizzas. I decided that instead of tortillas I would use light plain English muffins - to give it more of a "thick crust" feel.

MINI ENGLISH MUFFIN PEPPERONI PIZZA

1 lite English muffin - (90 calories)

8 Turkey Pepperoni slices

1/4 cup skim milk shredded mozzarella

3 tbsp. of tomato sauce

italian blend spices

basil

garlic salt

I throw this in my new toaster oven and it's super easy. I just use whatever tomatoes I have on hand - if you have leftover pasta sauce you can use that, or even diced tomatoes and crush them with a fork then add your spices to give it some flavor. Basically you layer your ingredients just like you would a pizza and then place in the toaster oven until you have the desired melty-ness. Yes, that's a word. 

2 mini pizzas (one whole english muffin) = 230 calories

Next up - Granola!

Now as we all know, granola is high in calories pretty much anyway you make it / buy it... I've been perusing different recipes and decided to put my own twist on it.

ALMOND RAISIN GRANOLA

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup loosely packed raisins

2 tbsp. whipped butter

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

splenda and cinnamon to taste

Toss all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well - since we're dealing with syrup here you may want to opt for a spoon rather than your hands. Unless you're into that kind of thing. You can choose honey over maple syrup if you don't want a maple flavor but it will add a substantial amount of calories (200 calories for 1/4 cup of honey vs. 35 calories for 1/4 cup of sugar free syrup). After ingredients are mixed place a layer onto a sprayed cookie sheet - bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Flip clusters over and bake another 8 minutes or until desired crispiness. 

This recipe makes about 11 servings = 75 calories for 1/4 cup

Way behind, Thanksgiving dinner update!

Somehow in the holiday madness I missed posting about Thanksgiving. I suppose that's what happens when you now work at a grocery store during one of the most food influential holidays of the season!

This year, I made my first Thanksgiving dinner - just for two - but I didn't skimp!

Honey brined Turkey breast - check!

Homemade orange-cranberry sauce - check!

Sweet Potato casserole - a hybrid version - check!

Cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes - check!

Green beans with bacon - check!

Sausage and Apple cornbread stuffing - check!

various rolls & of course... Pecan pie - check & check!

and I ate everything on that plate and then some!

The two items I was most impressed with were the hybrid sweet potato casserole and the stuffing. The stuffing recipe came from the Pioneer Woman blog and although I didn't follow it exactly, I did most of what she said, just skipped some steps, omitted three types of bread and opted for two, didn't use a cast iron skillet, etc. but I think mostly it was the same recipe. 

Now for the sweet potato casserole - I really went all out with the rich toppings - I took your pecan & corn flake topped casserole and added some marshmallows, some sweetened flaked coconut and some Jamaican rum cream and wow! All I'm saying is... I essentially had two desserts... but soo, soo, sooooo good.

I'm gearing up for making my first big Christmas dinner too - this is what happens when you move away from all your family and friends and you must now create your own smorgasboard instead of that of three or four house stops! Updates to follow - hopefully in a more timely fashion.

Winter Roasted Veggie Soup - vegan friendly!

I was craving something warm and not too rich so... I tossed together some ingredients I had in the kitchen that needed to be eaten and this is what I came up with...

WINTER ROASTED VEGGIE SOUP

6 cups water

4 tsp. Seitenbacher Vegetarian Bouillon Seasoning

1 red or yellow onion - sliced into large chunks

10 oz. baby carrots - left whole

15 oz. baby red potatoes - cut in 1 inch chunks

2 cups frozen chopped broccoli

3 cloves whole, peeled garlic

olive oil cooking spray

salt and pepper to taste

Roast all vegetables and garlic in a 375 degree oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes toss them around in the pan to prevent even cooking. While your veggies are roasting, get your soup pot boiling with the water and bouillon. Once the vegetables are done, you can either toss them into a food processor for a rough chop (unless you want more of a pureed soup) or chop them by hand. Also at this time add your broccoli to your boiling broth. Add all vegetables into broth and let simmer on medium for about 15 minutes. 

I think the roasting adds a little more flavor, but if you'd prefer to skip that step due to lack of time, just toss it all into the soup pot!

Makes about 10 - 1 cup servings -  only 70 calories each!

Bananas Foster-esque English Muffin!

So this morning I was craving a few things, cream cheese, cinnamon raisin, English muffin and that over ripe banana yelling at me from the corner of the kitchen.

I thought, why can't I toss the banana in the pan and caramelize it a bit before I put it in/on something... and hey remember how I bought some more of my favorite light cinnamon raisin English muffins? And isn't there whipped cream cheese in the fridge? And voila! There you have it!

1 light cinnamon raisin muffin (toasted - 90 calories)

1/2 banana

1 tbsp. whipped cream cheese

cinnamon

baking Splenda

190 calories!

Toast your muffin and let it cool. Heat up a small nonstick skillet to medium heat. Cut your banana in half crosswise and then lengthwise (feel free to use the whole banana -adds 50 more calories). Place in pan and sprinkle a little cinnamon and baking Splenda on top (I did not spray my pan because I only have olive oil cooking spray - which doesn't play nice with fruits) and let brown a little and caramelize for a minute or two then flip over. While that cooks, divide half your cream cheese and spread onto each muffin side. Once both sides are caramelized place onto muffins! Super yummy! Super fast! A decadent breakfast. 

a not so fit food... Harry Potter's Butterbeer!

The nerd in me went to the Harry Potter theme park on my vacation this week and partook in all kinds of lovely not so fit foods like Cauldron Cake, Fizzing Whizzbees, Sour Ribbons and of course the infamous Butterbeer.

If you have a chance to go and are at all a fan of cream soda and butterscotch you must give this drink a try. They serve it two ways: cold and frozen. I only had it cold but that was certainly good enough for me! 

The foam is a butterscotchy flavor that is very rich and the drink is very similar to cream soda. There is no alcohol involved here and caloric estimates give it around 200 for one glass... while this may seem high, it is very much worth it. Split it with a friend or family member if you're concerned, but do give it a shot. 

I also found some online recipes for this delicious drink for those of us who want to give it a try at home:

Top 5 Butterbeer recipes

10 ways to make oatmeal...

Everyone's heard the hype about oatmeal... high in fiber, low in calories, high in satiation... and oatmeal has gotten popular again with the kiddos with Quaker Mix Ins and other similar varieties... but here's what you should do, for your health and your budget. Make your own!

Since I am unsure I could actually rank my top ten, I will list all my favorites in no particular order except possibly how they enter my brain.

All you need is a 1/3 cup of Old Fashioned Oats - they have a little more nutrients than quick cooking oats and are generally less expensive, but you can still make them in the microwave! 1/3 cup of oats only has 100 calories!

1. Banana, Raisin, Cinnamon, Peanut Butter Delight - Add half a banana and 1/2 tbsp. of The Peanut Butter Co. Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total Calories = 200. If you want it a little sweeter add Splenda or real sugar but it will add to your calories.

2. Triple Berry with Honey - Add 2 sliced strawberries, 10 blueberries, 5 raspberries and 1/2 tablespoon of honey to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 150.

3. Pumpkin Pie - Add 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin, 1/2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice, baking Splenda or other artificial sweetener and 7 chopped almonds to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 200.

4. Baked Apples - Dice up one half of a small apple. Add raw apple, 1-2 tsp. cinnamon, and baking Splenda to 1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal. Total calories = 130.

5. Chocolate Peanut Butter - Need a chocolate fix? Add 1 tbsp. of Nestle peanut butter and milk chocolate chips to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 170.

6. Maple Nut - Add 2 tbsp. sugar free maple syrup (should have 35 calories for 1/4 cup serving) and 7 chopped almonds to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 170.

7. Cinnamon Raisin - Add 15 raisins, 1-2 tsp. of cinnamon to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 120.

8. Apple Raisin Nut - Add 15 raisins, 1/2 small apple - diced, 7 chopped almonds, 1-2 tsp. cinnamon and Splenda to taste. Total calories = 200.

9. Honey Nut - Add 7 chopped almonds and 1 tbsp. honey to 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal. Total calories = 200.

10. Plain - Sometimes, you just want the taste of oatmeal. Add a few tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk and some Splenda and it's pure warmth. 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal = 150 calories.

Tell me... your favorite fall inspired food!

Fall brings many great things to the table... the changing of leaves, hoodie weather, an excuse to cuddle, brisk walks and incredible food.

Some of my most favorite fall foods:

Apple Cider Donuts - don't judge! you have to let yourself indulge every now and then.

Anything Pumpkin flavor - ice cream, donuts, cakes, breads, pies, muffins, cookies, soups, etc.

Soups - all kinds, warm and brimming with broth and veggies.

Hot Apple Cider  & Hot Chocolate - these speak for themselves.

What are YOUR favorite fall foods? Please share! And if you have a recipe please share that too.