Outrageous Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins by Heather Perkins

These muffins are very filling, they are 3 weight watchers points per muffin. They are easy to make and hard to resist. (I am a big muffin person so these are great!)

1 1/2 cups oats, not the minute kind
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. salt


Topping:
1/2 cup oats
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted.

Directions:
Heat over to 400. You can make these in baking cups or not, if not, make sure to spray your pan well with Pam spray so that they won't stick. Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Add applesauce, milk, brown sugar, oil, and egg. Mix until the ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups almost completely full, maybe 3/4. Combine the remaining topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over the batter, I used my hands to do this so that it would be even.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. In my oven, because it cooks hot, I only cooked them for 12 minutes and they were completely done. Do not overcook these.

Makes about 15 muffins....The recipe said 12, but I made 15.

Enjoy these for breakfast, or for a fun snack.

Low Calorie Jammin' Jello Cake

This cake is only 3 weight watchers points for 1 piece (About 170 calories, compared to regular cake which is usually over 500 calories per piece!)The recipe makes 12 servings. It is great!!!

1 cake mix (I used butter recipe yello)
1 can of Fresca, diet sprite, or diet 7up. I always prefer Fresca. Or you can measure 1 and 1/2 cups of Fresca.

Mix these ingredients together, bake according to the directions on the box. Note: My cake was done about 5 minutes before the directions said that it would be, do not overcook it.

When the cake is out, poke holes on the top of the cake. Poke tons of holes, this will help with the jello mixture. I think I could have poked more holes and it would have spread the jello mixture better.

Mix 1 strawberry jello package (Sugar free, or any flavor you love) with 1 cup of warm water.
Spread on the top of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for about 20 minutes.

Then, spread light whipped topping on top. I didn't use very much, maybe half of one of the small containers.

Cut and serve!!!

This is yummy!!! (Mostly because I love jello and I love cake!)

Easy to Make but Hard to Resist Fruit Dip

This is my favorite fruit dip that we always make to have at parties and special events.

1 small marshmallow cream topping, the kind you put on ice cream.
1 8. oz. strawberry cream cheese

Mix together and serve with fruit.

You can double this recipe easily. Just use the large marshmallow topping and 2 of the small cream cheese. It is yummy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies by Heather Perkins

3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

Weight Watchers Points: 2 points if you make 36 cookies or 3 points if you make 24. This recipe makes closer to 36 cookies.

Easy 10 Minute Pizza Dough

1 tbsp. active yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water (I make sure that it is really warm, just not to hot to kill the yeast)
1 cup water

Mix these together and let them sit for about 5 minutes. It will foam up.


Add enough flour to the dough to make it workable, I usually add 2 cups, and then see what it is looking like and add more.
Before adding the above ingredients, add 1 tsp of salt. Mix it in with the flour before hand or else, it can kill the yeast.

Tips: Don't add to much flour, and let the dough rise at least 30 minutes before adding it to your pizza pan.

I always cook my pizza on a cookie sheet.

After adding the dough add to the pan, sprinkle a small layer of parmesan on the dough, it will make it taste better.

Then, add: (Or whatever you like on pizza)
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
Garlic salt
Italian Seasoning
Pepperoni and cheese. I just use 1/2 of the small mozarella low moisture skim cheese.

Weight Watchers Points: 4 points for 1 slice, makes 12 slices.

Easy 5 Minute Cheesecake by Patty Brooks

This recipe is awesome and so easy to make.

Beat 1 oz. pkg. of cream cheese
Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
Mix these ingredients well.
Add 1/3 c. lemon juice and 1 tsp vanilla
Pour into a graham cracker crust.

Enjoy!!!

Mom's Meatloaf

This is a super easy recipe to make.

2 lbs. ground beef, thawed
2 eggs
2/3 cup quaker oats
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup ketchup

Cook at 350 for 45-50 minutes in a bread pan.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have used this recipe forever, since I was a little girl and they always turn out well.

3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 cubes of butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla

Mix these together, then add:

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups of oats....not the minute kind
1 bag of chocolate chips

Combine ingredients, bake for 10-12 minutes at 375.

Orange Julius

1/2 can of orange juice
1/2 cup of sugar (I use splenda that it tastes awesome)
1 cup of milk
1 cup cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
10 ice cubes. I sometimes add more, it just depends how it looks after blended.

Mix together and blend for about 45 seconds. This is an easy recipe and it is great.

Healthy and Low Calorie Key Lime Pie

(This is a weight watchers recipe I found on the internet.)
1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 3 oz. package sugar free gelatin, lime
1/4 cup boiling water
1 8 oz. container fat free whipped topping
2 6 oz. key lime pie yogurt, low calorie.

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water
Stir in yogurt with a wire whisk
Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon
Spread in crust
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


You can use any flavor of jello and yogurt, I have made strawberry pie, raspberry pie, and the key lime pie. They are all excellent. You can also add fruit on top to make it healthier.

3 points for 1 piece of pie. Makes 8 servings.

OLD FASHIONED SOFT SUGAR COOKIES by Jenny Groberg

(it's the sour cream that makes them so soft)

3 1/4 C. Flour (I use about 3 C.)
1 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C. Sour Cream

Sift together flour, soda and salt. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and beat 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and stir until well mixed. Roll our 1/4" thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 min (in my oven it's about 8) or until done. You DO NOT want to over bake these! They should kind of puff up while baking and make sure you take them out before they brown.

Frosting

1 stick of butter
1 cap full of Almond Extract (about a tsp?)
1 tsp of Vanilla
touch of milk
Powdered sugar until desired consistency
(I use pink food coloring)

Beat until creamy.


The key to this frosting is the almond extract. I'm crazy about almond extract and flavoring and in my opinion that's what makes these cookies so good is the frosting.

Snickerdoodles by Shirley Condie

1 cup shortening, or you can use butter. I have used both.
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Cream these three ingredients together until they are light and fluffy.

2 3/4 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Put 3 tbsp. sugar and combine with 2 tsp. of cinnamon. Put in a bowl. Roll the cookie dough in the sugar and cinnamon.
Put the cookies 2 inches apart.

Cook at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook, they will seem like they aren't done and take them out and place them on a cookie sheet. If you wait until they seem done, they will be crisp.

Weight Watchers Points, 3 pts. a cookie. This recipe make about 32 cookies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins by Heather Perkins

2 eggs
1 1.2 c. milk
1 c. vegetable oil... Or, I use 1 cup applesauce to cut calories. Or you can use 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. applesauce.
2/3 c. sugar
2 c. flour (1 cup wheat, 1 cup white) If using all wheat flour, use 2 1/4 c. )
2 c. oats
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
6 tsp. baking powder
Add at least 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, I use the mini chocolate chips for this recipe.

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Combine ingredients. Fill muffin tin 3/4 cup full. Bake 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

I also make these using the mini muffin tins. Baking time varies.

Makes 24 or more muffins.

Weight Watchers Points on these muffins is 3 points a muffin.

Chelsea's Healthy but Tasty Rolls

Makes 24 rolls

Note, you need a bread maker to make this dough. Unless you are an expert dough maker and you probably don't need one.

Amount	Measure	Ingredient and Preparation Method
1 1/2	Cup	warm water
2	TB	applesauce (in place of oil)
2	TB	Honey (or whatever sweetener you want, or no sweetener)
2	Ea	egg whites, beaten lightly (or you can omit this. I've done it both ways)
3	Cups	Whole Wheat Flour
2	TB	Vital Gluten
2	TB	powdered milk
1/2	Tsp	Salt
1	tsp	Bread Machine Yeast

Place the water, salt, applesauce, and honey into the bread machine container. Lightly beat the egg and add it. Add whole wheat flour and vital gluten. Add this mixture to the bread machine container. Make a depression into the flour and add the yeast to the very top. Process using the dough setting on the machine (takes about 90 minutes).

Divide dough into whatever size rolls you would like, round them into balls, and place in muffin tins in warm oven (lowest temp possible). Allow to rise for about 20 minutes with a paper towel or kitchen cloth on top (sprayed w/ nonstick spray so it doesn't stick). It will almost double in size. Bake at 350° for 14 to 16 minutes. Allow rolls to cool on rack...or just eat them right away.

little tips:

After the first 5 minutes of the dough cycle, correct the dough by adding either 1 Tablespoon of flour or 1 Teaspoon of warmed water, to achieve a dough ball of even consistency. This may not even be necessary.

Another way to let the dough rise: turn oven to 400 for two minutes, then turn OFF, and put rolls in to rise.

Flour your hands to work with the dough.

Weight Watchers Points, 2 pts. a roll, makes 24.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef, I only use 1/2 pound in the recipe.
1/2 chopped onion
2 16. oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 taco season mix
2 cans corn
2 cans dark red kidney beans

When I make this, I only make half of this recipe for our family. If I make the above, there is just to much, but it would be great for a larger family.

In large pan, cook ground beef and onion until the meat is browned. Drain off fat (I never do this)
Add undrained tomatoes, undrained corn, kidney beans, tomato sauce and taco season mix. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve with chips. Break up chips into soup bowl.

Add salt and pepper to taste.
Also, serve with sour cream, grated cheese and guacamole if you like.

Judy's Jello

I got this recipe from a relief society thing that I attended. It is an awesome recipe for a side dish.

1 lg. pkg. of jello
1 lg. pkg. of cooked vanilla pudding, not the instant kind. For some reason, this can be hard to find.
3 cups water.
1 cup fruit, or more if you like. I added almost 2 cups and it worked out.
2 cups heavy whipping cream. For this recipe, I used about 3 cups of whipped cream, the light kind and it turn out just as well to me, it just has way less calories and tastes great!!


Mix lg. vanilla pudding and water, bring to a boil.
Mix lg. jello into pudding and cool for 1 hour.

Whip two cups cream and mix into pudding, add fruit and chill.

When I add my fruit, I blend it up really well, using my kitchen aid or a hand blended. It is really smooth and then it seems more like a whipped treat.
Also, my preference for this recipe is lime jello and pears.

Chicken Noodle Soup by Debbie Christiansen

8 quarts chicken broth
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups sliced carrots
2 sliced celery
Package of thick egg noodles

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Serve with bread sticks, I use the recipe posted under breads.


When I made this recipe, I halfed everything. If you use 8 quarts of broth and everything else, the recipe would be huge. I think that half would work unless you have more than 6 people in your family.

50/50 All Star Muffins, by Heather Perkins

(Means, half wheat flour, half white flour)

Recipe makes 12 muffins
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil or applesauce
2 eggs beaten

Use two separate bowls to mix the ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients, then add brown sugar, mix well. Mix the wet ingredients separately.

Add the two mixtures until dampened, do not overmix, the batter will be lumpy, and that is great.

Add to a greased muffin tin, 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Weight Watchers Points 3 points a muffin

Yummy and Healthy Banana Bread by Heather Perkins

1/2 Cup Applesauce (In place of oil, if you are really skinny, use oil)
3/4 Cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
3 ripe smashed bananas
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup white flour (You can use all white flour if you want)
1 cup wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream applesauce and sugar, add eggs, lemon juice, and smashed bananas. After mixing these together, add flour, baking soda, and salt. It says to sift these ingredients, I never use a sifter, but you can if you want.

Bake in two loaf pans at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. It will look dark, and keep checking it, because my oven takes less time to cook it than 30 minutes.

Weight Watchers points, 2 points a muffin...Makes 20 servings.

Basic Whole Wheat Muffins

Heather Perkins

You can add anything to these muffins, my friend will add craisins, cheese, or anything to make them unique. If you want to add cheese, mix everything together, then add 1 cup grated cheese after recipe is mixed.

1 1/3 cup flour: Wheat or white flour works (I use wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs beaten
3 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup milk

Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, margarine and milk.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until dampened. Mix as little as possible....Batter will be lumpy. Fill the muffin tin 2/3 full.

Bake at 400 degree 15-17 minutes.

This recipe also works well to use the mini muffin tins, I usually cook the muffins about 10 minutes when I do this and they are more bite sized and yummy.

Weight Watchers Points, 2 pts. a muffin. 1 point using the mini tins.

Easy Breadsticks

This is the easiest recipe! And the are SOOOO good.
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes.

Then add:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth and let sit for 10 minutes.
Roll out dough on a floured board, make sure that you have a lot of space to work with when you are rolling these out, or just use half of the dough to start with.
Brush with melted butter and garlic and then sprinkle with salt.
Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist before placing on a cooking sheet.
Let sit for 15 minutes.
Bake at 400* for 7-10 minutes (a few minutes longer if baking on a stone)
Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with salt and grated parmesan cheese.
(Supposedly they are better if you use real butter and kosher salt.)

This recipe was taken from a recipe blog that I found.

These taste almost exactly like the ones that they serve at the Pizza Factory in Utah.

Whole Wheat Crepes

2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TBSP Oil (I use grapeseed oil)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Mix together and pour on greased griddle. Tilt to spread.

Serve with our favorite, powdered sugar and strawberries, or any fresh fruit, syrup, jam, whip cream and cinnamon. Great for breakfast or a treat. Yum

Weight Watchers Points: 2 pts. a crepe. Makes about 8-10 crepes.

This recipe was found on someones recipe blog.

Sopapilla Cheesecake by Ashley Schneidau

2 cans crescent rolls
1-8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Spread crescent rolls on bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Blend sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese. Spread cream cheese mixture on bottom layer of rolls. Take the other package of rolls and spread on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 stick of butter (melted). Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cut into small squares and enjoy!

These are so easy to make....Great for a Mexican dessert or any dessert

Brenda's Peanut Butter Blossoms

First, let me say that I don't know anyone who doesn't love these!!!!!!!

These are so good and easy. The best thing is that you can bake 3 dozen cookies in the oven at the same time. You can use any peanut butter cookie recipe.

Peanut Blossom Cookies (makes 3 dozen)
Sift together: 1 3/4 cup flour (I don't use a sifter)
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream Together: 1/2 cup shortening (I use butter flavored)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add and Beat Well:

1 egg
2 Tab. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend together. Grease mini-muffin tins (I bought 3 to bake 36 at once)

Spoon dough into tins (don't overfill).

Bake 375 for 7 minutes

*while baking, unwrap 36 miniature Reese's (it takes the whole 7 minutes)

Push Reese's into the baked cookie ASAP. Let cool for a few minutes and remove from tins.

** You may use a Hershey kiss. I baked some extras just on a cookie sheet and they were great!
If you use a kiss and don't use the mini-muffin tins, roll balls of dough into sugar and put on cookie sheet. When you remove from the oven, just press a kiss into the center of the baked cookie ASAP.

Mexican Lasagna.........John's Favorite

1 lb. ground beef, you can use 1/2 if you are cutting calories. It works.
3/4 cup onions, combine this with the hamburger when you are browning it.

After browned add:
1 16 oz. can of refried beans.
1/2 teaspoon oregano.
2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Next step:

12 uncooked lasagna noodles.
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups salsa

After above is cooked, add this to the top of the lasagna.

1 cup sour cream
1 small can of olives.
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese.

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown hamburger, add the onion to the hamburger then add beans, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder.
Mix well, but you don't need to mix these together for long as long as your hamburger is cooked. This is just to combine them to add to the recipe.

In a large bowl, combine the salsa and water.


Put a small layer of the water/salsa mixture on the bottom of the pan.

Put 4 uncooked lasagna noodles down.
Spread the mixture on top of the noodles.
Add 4 more noodles.
Add more mixture.

Continue until you have used all 12 noodles.

Now dump the rest of the salsa/water mixture on top of the recipe.
Put aluminum foil on this and put it in the over and cook it for 90 minutes at 350.

Take it out and put sour cream, olives, and cheese on the mixture.

Spread over the top.
Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.

Let it sit for 10 minutes and then it is ready to serve, it is important to let it sit, or it goes all over. I learned that when the missionaries came to eat.

Freeze for leftovers.

Weight Watchers Points, 5 pts. for 1 piece. This recipe makes 12 servings.

Mom's Lasagna...............Barbara McKell

I am sure that all of us have a recipe from our mom's that we love for lasagna. However, I have always loved this recipe and feel like it is easy to make.


1 lb. meat, I usually just use a 1/2 pound to cut calories, but either way works just great.
1 tomato sauce, small
1 tomato paste, small can
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 tsp. oregano


------------------------------------------------
Other ingredients you will need:
1 box noodles
1 small container fat free cottage cheese
Parsley flakes
Parmesan
Cheese, grated. I usually use 1/2 of one of the small things of cheese. I always use the low moisture skim cheese, it has less calories.

Brown the meat, add spice to the meat if you would like, I usually do.....Combine with other ingredients, let it simmer for 1/2 hour or so. I usually start the sauce simmering while I am browning the meat. Then, I add the meat so that I don't have to wait as long for the sauce to simmer.

While you are doing this, cook one box of noodles in a pan, I always use whole wheat noodles when I am cooking. They are a good source of fiber and help with my weight watchers attempted diet.

After noodles are cooked and sauce is simmered:

Put a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
Add noodles.
Add sauces, cottage cheese, parsley, parmesan.
Continue to layer the noodles and sauces with cottage cheese. On the last layer, just put the cheese on top.
Cover in aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes at 375. Adjust time and temperature based on your oven.

Weight Watchers Points: 5 points for 1 piece, 12 servings for this recipe.

Hollywood Squares

I found this recipe on the internet, I decided I wanted to find a recipe for these because I loved them in elementary school and they had them at the schools where I have taught, they are the peanut butter squares that they used to have. This recipe is awesome and it is sooooooo easy to make, kids and husbands love this treat.


Note: I always half this recipe because they can be a little thick if you use the recipe below. This is also because John and I don't really need to eat the entire pan of these on our own, a half a pan is plenty of calories for us.


2 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 ts. vanilla
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter

Topping:

2 squares semi sweet baking chocolate
1 tb. peanut butter



Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except the topping ingredients. Mix well and place in a buttered 9" square pan. Melt the topping ingredients together, the microwave works great. Spread over the top of the peanut butter mixture and then refrigerate until the topping is firm. People will love these.

Yummu Fruit Dip by Shannon Mitchner

1 8 oz. Cream Cheese, I always use light.
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix all these together until smooth, serve with granny smith apples, or whatever kind of fruit you like. This recipe almost tastes like caramel dip, it is awesome and so easy to make. Everyone loves it.

Why I Am Starting A Recipe Blog?

I know that I am not really an amazing cook and don't really have amazing recipes. However, the recipes I do have are usually covered in sauce, flower, butter, oil, and all sorts of things that get splattered on them. One thing I have been doing lately is typing my recipes on the computer, then I just keep the laptop nearby when I am cooking. I find that this is easier for me. I also never misplace the recipes, because I know that they are on the computer. I don't have very many recipes, but I thought that someday, Alli might want to try some of these recipes out. You know, the family favorites. Since I am a picky eater, I don't have very many recipes, but I think that this will be a fun blog to create. All of these recipes are tried and tested and John loves them.