Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Eclair Cake

Check out this YUMMY and very simple Weight Watchers dessert.  Believe it or not,  even the people not doing WW (formerly Weight Watchers) love it.

Just a few simply ingredients and you have a yummy dessert for any party.  Bet you might even have all of the supplies in your pantry already….

Ingredients:

• 121 Box Reduced Fat Graham Crackers
• 2- 3 oz boxes sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
• 4 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 container fat-free cool whip
• 1 -3 oz box sugar-free instant chocolate pudding

Directions:

1. Mix vanilla pudding with 3 cups of milk as per directions.
2. Stir in 1 cool whip.
3. Place 1 package of graham crackers in the bottom of 13 x9 pan.
4. Top with half of the pudding, more Grahams, rest of pudding.
5. Top with last of Grahams.
6. Mix chocolate pudding with 1 1/2 cups of milk.
7. Spread on top of graham crackers.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories – 48; Sodium – 61mg; Fat – 0.53g; Protein – 3g; Carbs – 7g; Fiber – 1.0g

Headed for a pool party?  Want to take this to a family BBQ?  Pack it up in a Thirty One Family Picnic Thermal.  Make the most of the picnic season with this structured and spacious thermal. The Family Picnic Thermal’s Leak Lock^® lining means you can add ice to this cooler bag to keep food and drinks cold. The frame around the top opening allows for easy access to food and drinks and even lets you turn this tote into a beverage bucket. Bring it with you to family gatherings, tailgates, trips to the beach, days on the boat, potlucks or camping. The hard bottom adds stability, and the exterior zipper pocket can hold utensils, napkins, sunscreen or other small items.

Share your favorite recipe with us and receive some “happy mail” from me!  If you try one of our recipes, let us know what you think….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Southwest-Style Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

Thank you Pillsbury.com for today’s recipe….I know crockpot season may almost be over at least for me since I really only use it during the winter month BUT this looked too good to pass up. It’s not the same old pork chops! Tender chops slow-cooked with flavorful creamy mashed pinto beans make a tasty dinner for four.

Prep:  10 minutes     Cook time: 4 hours & 10 minutes     Servings:  4

Ingredients

4 – bone-in center-cut pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick (about 2 lb)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, drained, rinsed

Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions

1. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning. Cook pork chops in skillet 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until brown.
2. In 3- to 4 1/2- quart slow cooker, mix remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon seasoning, the salsa, corn and beans until well blended. Top with pork chops, overlapping as necessary, pressing gently into bean mixture.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
4. Remove pork chops to serving platter. Cover to keep warm. With fork or potato masher, mash beans slightly until slightly thickened. Serve pork chops over beans. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips

• Browning the pork chops before placing them in the slow cooker adds flavor to this dish.
• Substitute black beans or red beans for pinto beans in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts:  Calories 360, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Cholesterol 85 mg Sodium 1110mg, Potassium 760mg, Total Carbohydrate 32g, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 9g, Protein 33g.  Daily Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 4 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;

Since I am the Queen of leftovers – LOL.  I love when there are 4 servings because it ensures I have a meal or two to freeze for hubby’s dinner.  Since he works the swing shift, he uses Thirty One’s Picnic Thermal.  It holds his dinner, snacks  and LOTS of other stuff. We actually weighed it one day and it was 35 pounds! So whether you are headed to the beach, campground or family picnic with your favorite foods. The Picnic Thermal Tote has a Leak Lock^® thermal lining to hold ice when you need to keep things cool for a longer time. A removable, adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry when you have your hands full, and the zip-around closure ensures everything stays put while you’re transporting it from the car.

Share your favorite recipe with us, and if I publish it….YOU will get a FREE gift from me.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

This YUMMY recipe is low carb AND it is gluten free!  This recipe is from “All Day I Dream of Food”. The website is full of LOTS of recipe which are also paleo.  There are some keto meal plans too.  The directions are easy enough to follow….

 

A tender, sweet low carb coffee cake filled with cinnamon and drizzled with cream cheese glaze.

Prep Time: 15 mins     Cook Time: 35 mins

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

Cinnamon Filling:

• 3 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cake:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
• 1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 tbsp cream cheese softened
• 2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.

2. For the filling, combine the Swerve and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

3. For the cake, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the almond milk and continue to stir until well combined.

5. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan, then sprinkle with about two thirds of the cinnamon filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter over top and smooth with a knife or an offset spatula.

6. Bake 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
7. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon filling mixture. Let cool in pan.
8. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, powdered erythritol, cream and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Pipe or drizzle over cooled cake.

Recipe Notes:  Each serving has 5.4 g of carbs and 2.2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.2 g.

Whether you are shopping for ingredients or headed to the beach….. Thirty One’s Fresh Market Thermal is the answer! The Fresh Market Thermal is a stylish, portable thermal large enough to hold two 9″x13″ casserole dishes. A must-have for family picnics, tailgating, trips to the beach, days on the boat, potlucks, grocery shopping or weekend camping. Its water-resistant Leak Lock^® thermal lining means you can add ice to this cooler bag to keep food and drinks cold. Need more room? The sides unsnap and expand to give you more space inside. Long handles allow you to carry it over your shoulder when you need to be hands-free. The Fresh Market Thermal also features a zipper closure for securing contents and an exterior front pocket to hold other important items.

The best part is it is ON SALE for $15 with a $35 purchase.  Be sure to check out my website at www.partywithHope.com.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tueseday: Zesty Spanish Cauliflower Rice

Today is another Weight Watcher’s recipe.  I haven’t had the nerve to substitute this for hubby’s favorite Spanish Rice dish yet BUT the day is coming.  I think I will make it for me and let him try it.  Wonder if he will be able to tell the difference??? LOL!

Nutrition facts: 1/4th of recipe (about 1 1/3 cups) is 100 calories, 0.5g total fat (<0.5g sat fat), 571mg sodium, 21g carbs, 6g fiber, 9.5g sugars, 5g protein. Freestyle™ SmartPoints® value 0*

Prep: 10 minutes     Cook: 20 minutes   Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups riced cauliflower (or 5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower)
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste

Directions:

1. If starting with roughly chopped cauliflower, pulse in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed.
2. Bring an extra-large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, including riced cauliflower, and mix well. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 6 minutes.
5. Remove lid. Cook and stir until cauliflower is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

The Tote-ally Thermal may be a bit large to take for lunch BUT it is one of my NEW favorites…actually it has made a comeback! Why you’ll love it: it is tote meets cooler in this fabulous water-resistant bag. With the Leak Lock^® thermal lining which allows for ice to keep food and drinks cool, this is the perfect tote for family outings, picnics, camping, boating or any other outdoor activity. It will also keep things hot if you are headed out to a picnic or family gathering.  The long handles let you carry it over your shoulder to free up your hands, and plenty of pocket space means that there’s a place for everything.

Do you have a favorite recipe?  Share it with me and if we print it, you will receive a FREE gift from me as a thank you.  You can send your recipes to me via email at hopews31@gmail.com

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl

This YUMMY vegetarian dinner is packed full of Mexican flavors.  Quick and easy with lots of leftovers to have on a salad the next day OR to heat up.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves:   4

Quinoa Skillet

• 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped, 2 cups
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced into 1/2″ pieces, 1 1/2 cups
• 1 medium onion, diced into 1/2″ pieces, 2 cups
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 Teaspoons chili powder
• 1 – 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 – 14.5 ounce can fire roasted chopped tomatoes in sauce
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (this will vary on type of stock used)

Pico de Gallo

• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onion, reserved from above
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Teaspoon minced jalapeno
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Prep the ingredients for the quinoa skillet dish before starting to cook, and set aside 1/4 cup of the diced onion for the Pico de Gallo.
2. Preheat a large skillet (13″-15″) over medium high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the oil along with the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Sauté stirring often until the veggies have softened but are still crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
3. When the veggies have softened, add the cumin and chili powder to the skillet, and stir to mix in. Then add the black beans, quinoa, fire roasted tomatoes, and vegetables stock. Stir to combine and cover the skillet with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook stirring occasionally until all the liquid has absorbed, and the quinoa is fluffy, 20-25 minutes.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the Pico de Gallo. Season to taste with salt, and set aside to let the flavors blend.
5. Stir together all the ingredients for the Avocado Lime Cabbage Slaw, then set it aside until the serving time.
6. When the quinoa is done, add the corn and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, and serve immediately with Pico de Gallo.

What to do with the leftovers????  Pack them up for lunch the next day in one of Thirty One’s AMAZING thermal lunch totes.   Sending  the  kids  off with  a healthy  lunch?  Try  the  Lunch Break  Buddy  Thermal. This roomy, insulated cooler bag is perfectly sized and styled for packing lunch and snacks for you or the kids, with a water-resistant thermal lining, zipper closure, large front pocket and mesh side bottle pocket. Personalize your lunch bag with an embroidered name, monogram or Icon-It design for school, work or travel.

Did I mention it is on the Retirement list?  What does that mean?  It will be gone after February 28th….. grab one while you can.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!