3 2 1 Cake

It's been years since I made mug cake ... or what's better known as "3, 2, 1 Cake". In the Weight Watcher world this is a little ingenious recipe to have portion size dessert on hand, whenever the mood may seem fit. The greatest part is you can tailor it to your mood/craving depending on what you decide to mix together. For instance you could swap out the flavors cake mix for anything ...chocolate, strawberry, lemon, etc. The possibilities are quite endless.

All you need is 1 box of Angel food cake and 1 box of cake mix (any flavor of your choice).

 

Mix the two together and store in an airtight container.  When you want to make yourself a cake (single serving) all you need to mix together are:

 

* 3 tbsp cake mix (this is the combined cake mix)

* 2 tbsp water

* stir together and cook in the microwave for 1 minute

 

Typically, I like to spray the inside of my mug with a little non-stick cooking spray (just to make the clean up easier) and then add in my cake mix and water. You can either eat the cake straight out of the mug, or you can add it onto a plate and top it with some fruit, whipped cream, etc.  The world is your pickle and it'll satisfy any flavor you're looking for in the moment.

 

This particular cake is 3 points plus per serving (but the points can be 2 points plus depending on the type of cake mix used).

Healthy French Toast

Lately I've been in the process of eliminating white breads from my food life. I used to purchase light italian bread and I've decided that perhaps it was aiding into my stomach not quite agreeing with it. So, with that, I've decided to start purchasing a High Fiber Whole Wheat store-brand bread (there are name brands available, such as one by Arnold's) which is just slightly higher in calories/points plus values ... but it's also so much better for you. I've found since making the switch I've enjoyed it a lot more and it's far more satisfying.

 

One morning, I really, really wanted french toast ... so I decided to jump start my french toast game and make a healthier, more satisfying french toast. And I was so pleased with the results, that I have had it continuously over the past few weeks. So here's what I did:

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup of eggbeaters to a bowl

* 2 tbsp egg whites

* 1 tbsp of unsweetened cashew milk (you can use almond milk, skim milk, or skip if you prefer)

 * 1 tsp vanilla

* Sprinkle of cinnamon

* 2 slices High Fiber Whole Wheat bread

* Non-stick cooking spray

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until well combined.

 

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

 

I then add in one slice of high fiber whole wheat bread and let it sit for a few seconds, pushing the edges of the bread into the mixture so it can absorb some of the liquid, then flip repeating on the other side and add the dipped bread into the pan. Repeating with the other slice.  I allow the toast to cook for a few minutes before flipping and cooking through on the other side. I remove from the pan when the second slice "bubbles" up in the middle.  I add them onto a plate to allow them to cool slightly

 

As a little added incentive to my breakfast dish I like to saute up a banana to give my french toast a little more pizazz.

 

I then re-spray my pan and slice a banana and add it onto the pan with a little sprinkle of cinnamon over the top. I then saute the bananas on each side ... which warms the banana through and gives the outside a slight crunch bringing fourth the flavor far more. I add that onto my french toast, with 1 tbsp sugar free syrup and some fresh berries ... and breakfast is served! Simple and delicious!

 

The greatest part is it's packed with fiber and protein so it's going to keep you satisfied longer. For my french toast .. it comes out to 5 points plus values (4 for the bread and 1 for the egg mixture).

Trader Joe's Mini Cafe Twists

I had heard great things about the Trader Joe's Mini Cafe Twists so while at the store I made sure to pick up a container to give a try. I'm a huge fan of cafe twists ... there's a brand my local grocery store sells that's pretty tasty and uniquely sold in a variety of different flavors. Flavor options aside, the Trader Joe's variety is your standard cafe twist with no unique or interesting flavor categories.

 

The treat is dairy free containing no butter, eggs, yeast and are low sodium. There isn't much to them, the ingredients being simply unbleached wheat flour, soybean oil, palm oil, beet sugar, cinnamon and salt. If you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, these are essentially the Barry's Bakery Original French Twists just re-packaged (which are sold in plastic containers, similar to the one pictured, or in bags).

 

The twists are a puff pastry dessert which is a combination of crispy, crunchy and slightly sweet with a cinnamon flavoring. The crisps are perfect on their own, or alongside a nice cup of coffee/tea. They serve the cure for crunch, sweet and a dessert ... it's a hybrid between a cookie and a dessert. I find them to be satisfying while not being something that can turn into a trigger. Even though they're described as mini the twists are pretty decent in size (about a fingers length in size, if not a tad bigger).

 

A serving, 4 twists, is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

Healthier Alternative on Supreme Pizza

Pizza is my favorite food so I’m always looking for new ways to make my favorite food in “point friendly” ways. I’ve looked into premade pizza crusts on numerous occasions but I’ve found that most of them, regardless of how “thin” they look or how they’re advertised they’re usually not the greatest nutrition stats wise. I’ve made pizza out of fresh dough, pita bread, flat out breads, etc., but thanks to a friend on Instagram I found a premade pizza crust that’s low in points and makes a great pizza.

Boboli 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust can be a bit hard to find in all grocery stores … but its pretty stand up pizza crust. Admittedly the crust does have that classic wheat flavor to it, but it's not overwhelming and with the toppings it brings the focus off the wheat aspect.  What I love the most, is I’m able to make a supreme pizza in the comfort of my own home in less than 12 minutes. The crust contains 5 servings, but I stretch it into 6 servings. After adding all my toppings, the pizza comes out to a pretty fabulous 5 points plus per slice. If you wanted 2 slices, it would be 9 points plus.

Serves 6. 5 Points Plus Values.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole (5 serving) Boboli 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
• ½ cup pizza sauce (I used Trader Joe’s pizza sauce – I’ve also used Hunts Pizza Starters sauce in the past with the same points plus)
• ¾ cup Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles
• ½ cup Kraft Fat Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 12 slices Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
• ½ small red pepper, sliced
• 1/3 small onion, sliced
• Vlassic Deli Style Banana Pepper Rings (optional)
• 1 tbsp oregano

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place Boboli pizza crust in a large baking dish, top pizza crust with sauce, then shredded cheese.

Layer on pepperoni, sausage, pepper and onion slices and top with banana pepper rings.

Sprinkle top of the pizza with oregano and place pizza into oven and bake for 8-12 minutes.

Slice into 6 pieces and serve.