Pumpkin Spice Latte

Guess what's back at Starbucks!! One of my two favorites, my other is the Peppermint Mocha Latte.
Well, I was looking for a knock off, because after I spent $5 for one on Saturday, I almost couldn't enjoy it. After doing some research I found a recipe and tailored it for my own approval.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups FF milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)
2 tablespoons splenda
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee

Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy (or you can whisk it really fast).

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the coffee on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

I found this recipe on Kraftrecipes.com and I decided to do my own revamp on it to make a bit "healthier". I don't know if I could label it as my own, but I'm going to, because I did revamp it.
So here's what I did...
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Splenda Sugar, divided

1/2 cup packed Splenda brown sugar

4 egg whites, divided(I used egg whites out of the carton)

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup applesauce

2 cups whole wheat flour

2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

2 tsp. The Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened

2 Tbs The Pampered Chef Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, 3 egg whites, milk and apple sauce in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, spice and salt; mix just until moistened. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining sugar, remaining egg white and sweet cinnamon sprinkle with whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of pumpkin batter into Stoneware loaf pan; cover with layers of Neufchatel mixture and remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Homemade Granola Bars

I am totally stealing this from my friend Jen...
OK, but I tweeked it when I made it.


2 Cup Oats
1 cup brown sugar (Jen uses raw turbinado) I used Splenda Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup honey
Any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.
Mix all ingredients and press into greased pan, 11 X 13. Dough will be very dry and crumbly, but press until dough forms with pan.. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until edges are browned. Take out and let cool entirely.

I made them today and I have to tell ya...
They are to die for! My mom isn't big on chocolate chips, but she really like these. Then I took some to my neighbor and she thoroughly enjoyed them!
This is a keeper and my Recipe Spotlight for the week!

Zucchini Mini Muffins

I have a friend who sent me a recipe a few years back for Zucchini Bread. Well, since I can eat a whole loaf to myself (seriously!) I tried putting them into the Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan and they turned out to be the PERFECT SIZE! I can pop 1 or 2 and not feel guilty for eating a whole loaf.
Then I thought, "Melissa, how can you make them a bit more healthier?"
This is the recipe I came up with...

Zucchini Walnut Mini Muffins
3 Soft Brown Bananas (you know, the ones you throw away, because they're turning color. Just throw them into a freezer bag and freeze them for baking! BTW, these are replacing the Eggs!)
1 C. Applesauce
2 C. (or that equivalent) of Splenda (replacing the sugar)
2 C. Shredded Zucchini (I get fresh zucchini and shred it myself)
3 tsp. Vanilla
3 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend

DIRECTIONS:
Beat Bananas, Applesauce, Splenda, Zucchini & Vanilla together. In another bowl mix the remaining ingredients. While beating the wet ingredients, slowly add the dry ingredients (YES, you do have to do it that way, because if you don't, you can get clumps of unmixed dry mix...NOT very good to bite into!).
Place 1 TBS. of your dough into each cup in the Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan (no need to oil the pan, trust me on this!).
Bake in the oven for 15 mins. Remove and let them cool on the Stackable Cooling Rack. Remove after 5 mins onto another Stackable Cooling Rack.
Pop one in & enjoy!
I haven't figured out the nutritional facts yet, but when I do, I will be sure to post them.
Let me know what you think!!!

Crunchie Monkies

Just made a fun & yummy snack for the kiddos (and of course ME!)
It is a spin off of a recipe I saw at Sam's Club, but as usual, made it my own.
My kids named it the Crunchie Monkies and here you have it...

CRUNCHIE MONKIES
Ingredients:
1 C. Butterscotch Morsels
1/2 C. Peanut Butter (you can use crunchy or smooth)
1 C. Mini Marshmallows
1 C. Rold Gold Pretzel Sticks, broken into pieces (I prefer Rold Gold, because they are skinnier than other's on the shelf)
1/2 C. Cocoa Roasted Almonds (you can use whatever nut you like)

Directions:
Freeze your Medium Bar Pan for approximately 5 minutes before starting the mix.
Measure the Peanut Butter in the Mini Measure All Cup using the Skinny Scraper. Put the Morsels & the Peanut Butter into the Large Micro Cooker and microwave for 1 min, in 30 sec intervals, stirring with the Skinny Scraper making sure you stir well!
In the Classic Batter Bowl mix all of the other ingredients together.
After the peanut butter & morsels are melted, pour it over the munchies and toss, coating all of your mix.
Line your frozen Medium Bar Pan with Parchment Paper and pour the mix out onto the bar pan. Place in the refrigerator for 10 mins. It should be cold & hard enough to break apart.
ENJOY!
*This does need to be stored in the refrigerator. *

Southwestern Chicken Salad

My mom was wanting me to make a salad tonight with a few different ingredients...After a bit of thought, I realized I could make a Southwestern Chicken Salad. One like I order at a local fast food chain, but with less than half the calories.
Here's what I came up with...


SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SALAD

• 4 BL/SL Chicken Breasts
• 1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• 1 Bunch of Green Onions
• 2 Cans of Black Beans
• 2 Cans of Yellow Corn
• 1 Jicama
• 4 Roma Tomatoes

DRESSING

• 1 C. Light Sour Cream
• 1 C. FF Milk
• 3 TBS. Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (my preference)
• 1 TBS. The Pampered Chef's Chipotle Rub

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together & let them sit in the refrigerator before starting on the salad so it can set up and the flavors can marry.

SALAD DIRECTIONS
BBQ the chicken, seasoning with The Pampered Chef's Southwestern Seasoning Mix. Set aside after cooked thoroughly! (You can check the temp with the Digital Pocket Thermometer.)
While the chicken is cooking, get all your vegis washed up. I like to put my lettuce & cilantro into the bowl of the Salad & Berries Spinner. Then I put the cilantro into the berries colander, spin. Then the lettuce into the salad colander and spin. It helps to get your green dry, which prevents a soggy, wilted salad!
Cut up all your green vegis and throw them into the 8-qt. Stainless Mixing Bowl (just an FYI, this bowl is my GO TO bowl for EVERYTHING! It is ginormous...and it will be discontinued soon!) Open up your beans & corn. Strain them both in the colander. Rinsing the black beans before spinning them. Toss them into the salad mix.
Now take your jicama & slice it in half. Taking the Serrated Peeler to the skin, makes it a breeze to clean up! Now slice it into 1/4" slices lengthwise, then again going the other way to make strips. Toss those into the bowl.
Cut your tomato to your liking, as well as the chicken. Toss them both in.
Toss the salad together. Serve on a dish and drizzle the dressing on top!

*just a reminder...I cook for a family of 7, 4 adults and 3 children. This recipe was specifically measured for around 10-1Cup servings. Please adapt for your family.*

Pasta Salad Revamp

Isn't that just gorgeous!?! I LOVE the new Bamboo Large Bowl! I have this recipe that I've been making for many years & people love it. Well last night I was looking at my Pampered Chef spices and decided to bring it up a notch =) The results were better than I expected...My family devoured it! Here's the recipe...

PASTA SALAD REVAMP

• 1lb Rotini (your choice, whole wheat, vegi, etc)
  
• 2lbs Frozen Vegis (California Blend is what I always use)
• 1 C. Mayo (I use light)
• 1 C. Sour Cream (I use light)
• 2 TBS Spinach & Smoky Red Pepper Oil Dipping Seasoning, by The Pampered Chef (you can click on the name to go to the product page & order)
• Salt to season

Bring a stock pot to boil, adding the frozen vegis just as the water comes to a boil. Once at a rumbling boil, add pasta & cook according to directions.
While those are cooking, mix the mayo, sour cream and Spinach & Smoky Red Pepper Oil Dipping Seasoning together in Small Batter Bowl, set aside.
Strain pasta and vegis. Add to a large bowl while still warm (this helps to mix the mayo & sour cream easily). Add the mayo mix and toss the salad.
You can either serve immediately (which is how I like it) or refrigerate it and serve cold (how Jose likes it).
I hope you enjoy!