Holy Heavenly Sweetness!!! Creamy, Dreamy Fruit Dip/Topping

PICTURE COMING SOON

I have a sweet tooth.  Fruit is great, but it only goes so far, and let’s face it, every time you eat fruit you know you’re being healthy.  Bummer.  So, recently I went on the search for a fruit “dip” that I could eat with my fruit for lunch or a snack. I came across a recipe simply called “Fruit Dip” that when quickly glancing at it, looked FAR from anything that would work into a healthy diet.  But, I had to try it.  Not only was it so delicious that I fell in love with it instantly, but with the amount that the recipe produces, a few tweaks by me,  and the amount that is necessary per serving, it fits in perfectly with a healthy diet!

There really is nothing else to add to this….it is DELISH.

My favorite way to eat this?  Sliced bananas, blackberries, blueberries, and chopped mangoes.  Instead of “dipping” the fruit, I actually put a little on my fork and then fork my fruit (similar to the salad dressing trick).  It works perfectly.

Give it a try, you will truly enjoy it!

 

Holy Heavenly Sweetness, Batman!  Creamy, Dreamy Fruit Dip!

Ingredients

1 pkg 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 c light sour cream

1 c FF Cool Whip

2 Tb Brown Sugar Splenda (or 1/4 c Brown Sugar)

2 Tb Sugar Splenda Baking Blend (or 1/4 c white sugar)

1 Tb SF maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

These are my favorite types of recipes….only use 1 dish!

So, here’s the easy, easy recipe.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl.  Using a hand mixer, mix ingredients until thoroughly mixed and whipped–generally takes ~3-5 minutes to get the creamy/whipped texture you are looking for!

Once mixed well, refrigerate until ready to use!

Recipe makes: 3 cups

Weight Watchers PP Value:

Servings: 24

Serving size: 2 Tb

WW PointsPlus value: 1 PP

Oatmeal for the Oatmeal Hater! A taste of comfort….Sweet Baked Oatmeal

PICTURE COMING SOON

I hate oatmeal.  Or should I say hateD oatmeal.  I never understood it.  For some reason this flavorless, disgusting textured food was supposed to be one of the best things to eat for breakfast and lose weight.  Why is it that things that are supposed to help you lose and maintain weight are always so disgusting?  Why can’t it be something like apple pie?  I would eat apple pie every morning, willingly, if it was thought to have some special powers of helping losing and maintaining weight–shocker, right?!

So, life is busy in the Amanda and Mr. Amanda house.  Mr. Amanda is busy with work, and I’m busy with school and a little part time work.  Since we are so busy, we want to be sure we are eating healthy and DELICIOUS meals so we stick to this healthy lifestyle even when time is limited.  Since oatmeal is supposedly so great for you, I decided I needed to give it a try.  Somehow in the process of searching for ideas on “how to make oatmeal delicious for a non-oatmeal lover” (yes, that is what I typed into Google…laugh all you want!), I came across someone mention BAKED oatmeal.  I was intrigued.

A week later, after another horrible try at oatmeal in the morning, I remembered the baked oatmeal idea again.  So, I searched, and searched, and searched for recipes for baked oatmeal and found something that sounded delicious and nutritious.  Based on what I saw in other recipes, I came up with my own.  The result?  An amazingly delicious, nutritious, and filling breakfast that Mr. Amanda and I both love!

I have found that baked oatmeal is an uber versatile recipe.  Add fruit, nuts, spices, different liquid, etc, and it will still turn out great!

Give this lovely dish a try, and even if you are an oatmeal hater like me, I think you will really enjoy this!
A Taste of Comfort–Sweet Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients

1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c Egg Beaters
1 c Splenda
1 1/2 c skim milk
3 c Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, diced
1/4 c SF maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
drizzle of honey
a good pour (maybe 1-2 Tb) Spray Butter
Cinnamon (to your taste…I add quite a bit, as a love cinnamon)

Directions

You can do this one  of two ways….#1 Mix together at night, bake in the morning ….or #2 mix in the morning and bake at night so it’s ready to eat the next morning (heated up).  The important part is that the mixture sets in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours after mixing and before baking.  So, do it whenever your schedule allows and it will be great either way!

And here’s what you do…once again, really difficult Mix all of the ingredients together.  Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

After the 6-8 hours are up, remove from the refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease a glass baking dish (I use an 8×8 square) on the bottom and sides!
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.  Most recipes I’ve seen call for only 30-40 minutes in the oven, but I’ve found that with the additional fruit and lack of oil, it takes longer for the center to thoroughly cook and set. Since my oven isn’t the best, check your oven beginning at the 40-45 minute mark, but it will mostly likely still take around 1 hour to bake in an 8×8 baking dish.

In our house, I make this on Sunday, and we eat on it for breakfast throughout the week.  It stays fabulously in the refrigerator, and with a bit in the microwave and a drizzle of honey it is an AMAZING breakfast!
EAT UP & ENJOY!!!

WeightWatchers PP Value:

Servings: 9 or 12

Per serving: 1/9 or 1/12 of dish

9 servings: 4 PP
12 servings: 3 PP