Eggs Benedict

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter,

usually seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.

It is tasty, but boy is it high fat!

Here is a leaner, meaner version of Hollandaise sauce to go with the classic Eggs Benedict.

6 slices lean Canadian bacon

3 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted

6 large eggs, poached

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

Place bacon in sprayed skillet; cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked - turning once.

Place one bacon slice on each muffin half. Top each slice with a poached egg and 2 Tbsp. Mock Hollandaise Sauce.

Serve immediately.

Mock Hollandaise Sauce:

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, divided

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

Combine 1/4 cup yogurt and egg yolk in a small saucepan; stir well. Place over low heat. Cook 6 minutes or until thick; stirring occasionally with a whisk (do not boil).

Stir in remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, lemon juice, salt and mustard. Cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

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Low sugar peach-oatmeal bars

Diane and a rather plump Me

It is hard to stay away from candy and chocolates this time of year.

Christmas candy is still on the shelf when stores bring out the Valentine's Day chocolates . . . and the chocolate hearts are still on the shelf when the Cadberry eggs are put on display!

What's a girl to do?

This recipe is a low sugar, sweet-tooth satisfying dessert which even has a healthy amount of whole grains thrown in!

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups uncooked quick oats

1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda equivalent)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

12 ounces no sugar added or sugar free peach preserves

Combine flour, oats, sugar, soda and salt in large bowl; blend well. Add butter and vanilla; mix until crumbly.

Reserve 1 cup of the mixture.

Press remaining crumb mixture into greased 13 x 9 pan. Spread peach preserves on crust within 1/4 inch from edge of pan. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

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Jambalaya

Considering we live in the Ohio Valley, we don't eat seafood that often. I prefer eating seafood when vacationing on the coast - which doesn't happen very often.

Also, I have a slight shell fish allergy. I guess it is slight because shrimp merely makes my throat feel scratchy and a little funny - I have yet to break out in hives or quit breathing.

Despite all of that, we are having jambalaya for supper tonight. Brian and the boys LOVE shrimp - well not Joel so much. But Joel doesn't really LOVE any food.

I take that back - Joel loves biscuits and sausage gravy. But it is too hot to heat the oven up.

Anyway . . .

It will be a late night supper - Megan works until 8pm, Levi has class until 9pm and Joel has an 8pm basketball game.

But the kitchen is clean (refrigerator too!) and the jambalaya is simmering in the crock pot.

Now if I could only find the Benadryl. lol

1 pound Polish sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked rice

In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in shrimp and rice. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through.

12 servings of low carb (12 g) high protein (18 g) hearty goodness.

*Recipe from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook (revisions made)

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Key Lime Pie (WW version)

I stopped by my parents house on Sunday afternoon and my mom was whipping up this pie. It is super quick and easy, and by using sugar free jello and light Cool Whip and yogurt it is great for those dieting or with diabetes - like me and my dad!

1 graham cracker crust
1 box (4 serving) sugar free lime jello
1/2 of a small carton of Cool Whip
2 Light Key Lime yogurt cups

Mix jello with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until well dissolved. Put in refrigerator to chill until slightly set.

Mix Cool Whip with yogurt. Add chilled but still soft jello. Mix well. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Oh my! Think of the possibilities of this pie: any kind of jello with its corresponding yogurt. It could be a guiltless pie filled spring!

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Celebration Cake

This is a great spring-time cake. It is refrigerated and served cold.

Another great thing is it is made with sugar-free pudding and unsweetened fruit making it great for those dieting!

1 yellow cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 can (8 oz.) unsweetened mandarin oranges
8 oz. light Cool Whip
1 box (4-serving) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice

Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Mix cake mix, egg whites, applesauce and oranges with their juice; beat for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool cake completely.

Frosting: Gently fold together Cool Whip, pudding mix and pineapple in its juice. Frost the cake. Store in refrigerator. Serve cold.

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Choco-Cherry Angel Cake

Here we go again - more chocolate and cherries!

My favorite part of this cake is the chocolate Cool Whip topping! So good - not too sweet. If you use light Cool Whip and light cherry pie filling (sweetened with Splenda) this cake is fairly low sugar and low carb.

I have never made an angel food cake before (I always cheat and buy them ready-made), but I got a cake pan for my birthday so I may give it a shot.

1 large round angel food cake
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling (I use light)
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed (I use light)

With long, serrated knife and cutting horizontally, carefully cut off top 1/2 inch of cake. Set top portion of cake aside.

Cut down into cake 1/2 inch from outer edge and 1/2 inch from hole, leaving a wall of cake 1/2 inch thick. Remove center with a curved knife or spoon being careful to leave base of cake at bottom 1/2 inch thick. Save crumbs for a later use*. Place cake on a serving plate.

Spoon pie filling evenly into cavity of cake. Fold cocoa into Cool Whip until well blended. Spoon 1/2 cup topping mixture over cut surface of cake. Replace top portion of cake.

Frost sides and top of cake with remaining flavored Cool Whip. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until serving time.

*Mix crumbs with slightly sweetened strawberries for a quick dessert.

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Kentucky Hot Brown

While looking up the history of turkey manhattan the other day, I ran across this recipe for a WW version of the Kentucky Hot Brown.

This will be a good way to use up the rest of the turkey Brian bought for the turkey manhattan and satisfy my nostalgic mood at the same time.

In the late 1920's, this hot open-faced turkey sandwich was created by a chef at the famed Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It was added to the menu as a quick and delicious way to feed hungry travelers.

1 cup skim or 1% milk
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 pound sliced cooked turkey breast
4 slices crisp-cooked turkey bacon, cut in half

Combine milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan, mustard, and pepper sauce.

Preheat the broiler. Place the toast into 4 individual casserole or oven proof dishes. Arrange the tomato slices on the bread, then top with the turkey. Spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and broil, 5 inches from the heat, until the sandwiches are hot and the sauce begins to brown in spots. Top each sandwich with 2 pieces of bacon.

Serve with a crisp lettuce salad.

Makes me want to dance the Charleston!

WW 7 points
33 carbs per serving

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Spoonbread Souffle

I have been looking for a lower carb side dish - one to serve instead of noodles, rice or potatoes.

While looking through a Weight Watchers cookbook Brian's mom* gave me, I found this recipe. It is 4 WW points per serving and 19 carbs per serving. Not too bad.

Per Serving Comparison (3/4 cup serving size):

Creamette Extra Wide Egg Noodles: 32 grams carbs
Mashed Potatoes made with milk and butter: 22 grams carbs
White Rice: 44 grams carbs
Spoonbread: 19 gram carbs

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
pepper
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Puree the corn and 1/4 cup of milk in a blender. Place the remaining milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the pureed corn, butter, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish and place in the oven while preheating.

Separate eggs. Stir the yolks and baking powder into the cooled cornmeal mixture.

Beat egg whites and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the mixture into the dish. Bake until the spoonbread is puffed and browned, 35-40 minutes. Serve hot.

*Speaking of Brian's mom, Emmalea, keep her in your prayers for the next two weeks as she is going on a mission trip to El Salvador. She and her sister, Carol, head out tomorrow.

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WW Puff Pastry

This is an amazing recipe that proves you can do more with crackers than put a slice of cheese on them.

After sitting in the refrigerator overnight absorbing moisture from the pudding and Cool Whip, the saltines puff up and become soft - thus the name Puff Pastry.

Yummy and pretty guilt free.

Box of saltine crackers
2 pkgs. vanilla or chocolate sugar-free instant pudding (prepared according to package directions)
1 can light cherry pie filling
1 - 8 oz. container of Lite Cool Whip (more is even better)

In a 9 x 12 pan line bottom with crackers. Pour prepared pudding on the crackers, then add a second layer of crackers.

Spread cherry pie filling on second layer; then add a third layer of crackers.

Top with Lite Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or at least several hours.

12 servings. WW points 3.

Thank you to Emmalea, Brian's mom and former WW leader for this recipe.

Prune Breakfast Butter

I know I said I would post this recipe in February, but this stuff is just too good to wait! We had it on biscuits with lunch today and EVERYONE like it - even Joel!

Don't be scared. Prunes are just dried plums and this prune butter (get it - it's like apple butter) tastes a lot like plums to me.

It makes a great spread on buttered toast or biscuits.

And I bet it would be even better if it were spread on a buttered English muffin. Yummy!

It has a light prune/plum taste with just a hint of lemon. It is smoooooth so there are no texture issues that some people - namely my husband - have with prunes.

Be brave and make some this week.

1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 regular-size Earl Grey tea bags
1 cup pitted prunes (about 8 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine boiling water and tea bags in a medium bowl; cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags.

Combine brewed tea and prunes in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until prunes are tender. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Place prune mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Combine prune mixture, sugar, and lemon rind in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Let cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 months. Yield: 1 3/4 cups

I poured mine into two jelly jars. One to keep and one to share.

Weight Watchers Points - 0

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Nana's Miracle Vegetable Soup

It may seem because I post a lot of dessert recipes that I don't follow a very good diet for someone with sugar diabetes as my grandpa would say. This is not really the case.

I do enjoy eating a good dessert, but even more, I enjoy making a good dessert.

I enjoy making and serving my family wholesome, hearty meals which do include an occasional dessert. Ok, maybe we have dessert a little more than occasionally.

However, I am pretty good anymore about only eating a small portion. And in all honesty, since we often have seven people at the supper table, portion sizes are very reasonable.

Any left overs are promptly packed away in the next day's lunches. Out of sight, out of mind.

I really do like my feet, eyes, and kidneys and don't care to lose them to this wicked disease. And after a pretty bad scare with my eyesight last year, maintaining healthy blood sugars is a priority for me.

The kids, knowing that diabetes may be in their future, now have a built in governor when it comes to sweets. Except with orange rolls. Good thing Christmas morning only comes once a year is all I have to say about that.

In honor of my one year anniversary of being diagnosed with diabetes, February - normally known for candy and chocolates - will be full of healthier, lower sugar posts!

With that being said, this is a wonderful, healthy soup to have on hand. I love having this soup ready made in the refrigerator. It makes a great addition to a sandwich at lunch. It is a filling snack by itself.

And - it is good for you and tasty at the same time!

Brian's mom (Nana) gave me this recipe. She has made it as long as I can remember. Believe it or not you will not miss the meat because the cabbage somehow takes the meat's place.

If you are following Weight Watchers, I am pretty sure you can eat the whole pot and it would only be a couple points. However, I wouldn't recommend eating the whole pot unless you have a good book you want to read in the privacy of the bathroom.

Cabbage (1/2 head)
1 can tomato juice
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 bunch of broccoli, cut up
1/2 pack of frozen diced onions - or 1 large onion diced
2 or 3 carrots (canned carrots will also work - but don't add them until later in the cooking)
1 small head of cauliflower, cut up
1 can green beans (optional)

*No corn because of the starch.

Put all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add water if necessary, but usually the broth is fine by the time the vegetables cook down.

Eat and feel good about it!

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