Oatmeal..in my smoothie!?

So, there has been so many different recipes posted on Pinterest lately using oatmeal inside of a smoothie. Of course I was intrigued so this morning I finally got around to it. I like to usually have something with protein after working out (especially a 2 hr workout that I did this morning, go me and my booty! :-) ) so I like to use Greek yogurt in my smoothies or I use a protein shake. The protein shake I used this morning was a Muscle Man protein shake and one of those bottles I use will make 2 smoothies. A full one is way too many calories for me so using half and half the other day works great! So here's the deal on the oatmeal I blended mine in the magic bullet mixer to make a powder and then added it in to ensure an even consistency.

Oatmeal,Protein berry-banana Smoothie

1/2 frozen banana cut up (I like to have at least one fruit that's frozen so that way you don't need ice and makes a better texture)
1 cup your choice protein shake or 1 cup Greek yogurt
mix berries
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
2 Tbsp quick oats, blended to powder

blend and enjoy- 4 ww pp (3,1 c protein shake and 1 for oatmeal)

Mahalo!





Dina :-)

Pizza Party

I looooove pizza of all kinds and the kind I love most are healthy and filling! This last week and today I came up with some great variations on 2 of my most favorite pizzas. I like to think of myself as very semi-homemade. I enjoy cooking, baking and love it even more now that it is not my job. I love to use fresh ingredients but I also love fast and simple cooking. My time is precious and I do not need to prove anything to my family by "slaving away" in the kitchen all day/night to give myself and them way yummy, healthy food.

The first one I made was Caramelized Pear,Onion and Gorgonzola Pizza this is a take on the CPK version which seems like it could be healthy because its topped with a salad but guess again. I used a store bought pre baked crust(thin, to cut bake on carbs) and then added my own ingredients as I wanted. I also baked this in the oven and it tool from start to finish 30 minutes!

I started with these ingredients

Caramelized Pear,Onion and Gorgonzola Pizza

• Boboli thin crust
• 2-Pears- Cored,sliced thin
• 1/4 cup Gorgonzola
• 1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella
• 1 Onion-sliced thin
• 2 Tbsp Candied Pecans
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Caramelize, pears and onions over med flame, in olive oil till golden brown, this breaks down the sugar in the pears and onions and brings out that sweet flavor.

On crust sprinkle mozzarella evenly and then arrange pears and onions. Sprinkle candied pecans(yum!) over the top of that and then crumble Gorgonzola over the top of all of it.

Bake 450 degrees for 15 mins. While baking assemble vinaigrette and prepare salad topping!

Vinaigrette

3 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

pepper

mix together and toss with a bag of mixed greens.

This yummy pizza comes out to about 5 ww pp per serving, yields 9 servings.

Skinny BBQ Chicken Pizza

Now, for this one I used a handy,dandy pizza oven that I picked up on a trip to Kohl's. My girl friend Rachel over at Divalicious Dishes and I were virtual shopping together (she lives in MI and I'm in CA,we work with what we've got,haha!) and I asked her if I should get a cake pop maker or this Bella Pizza Maker Well, thankfully I agreed that although great to make cake pops super fast the pizza maker was way more practical and we use it ALL the time and so nice not to heat the house up on warm days.

 

So, for this one I used a pre made refrigerated crust and then added my ingredients. As you can see from my picture I have a thing for Fresh and Easy neighborhood markets,haha! I totally realized that everything I had to use was from there including stuff I had already in my pantry or fridge.

1 whole wheat pizza dough @room temperature

1/2 cup,cooked chicken breasts

1/2 cup white onions

1/2 cup tomatoes

2 tbsp bbq sauce

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

basil, cilantro,green onions for garnish

1 tsp butter on maker or pan if using oven to cook, 450 deg 8-11 mins.

Spread pizza dough onto surface. Spread bbq sauce down. Spread chicken,tomatoes and onion all over and top with shredded cheese. bake 8-11 mins and when it comes out top with herbs and green onion.

I also was craving some cole slaw so to lighten up store bought cole slaw I used a bag of shredded cabbage to a 1/2 cup of pre made cole slaw mixed together and served.

This pizza comes out to 4 ww pp per serving and yields 8 servings,enjoy!

Mahalo!









Skinny Waffles

I am so very addicted to breakfast, I love it!!! When I was pregnant with both girls I was sick for most of the pregnancies but the one food that I could tolerate was breakfast. Cereal, oatmeal, pancakes and of course WAFFLES!! I love waffles, however I hate what waffles can do to my weight.

Enter my quest to make a great "Skinny Waffle." I have toyed around with a recipe for a while now and it has been a pretty stand up method. Being on WW for some time now has really opened up my eyes on getting the most for my points values. For 2 of these waffles comes out to 4 points. I LOAD them up with fresh seasonal fruit and sometimes may top with can light whipped cream(1pt). These keep me full and because they are so flavorful I don't use any other fat or syrup. For me its a decadent version of breakfast heaven.

"Dina's Skinny Waffles"

3/4 c. Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 c. Coconut milk or Almond Milk (I use fresh and easy unsweetened for either kind)
1/4 c. egg substitute or 2-3 egg whites to equal a 1/4 c.
1 T. Splenda
2 T. baking powder
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce (this replaces the fat, oil.I have found that you can also use any other unsweetened fruit puree that. I have used Penelope's Gerber baby food too and any combo just adds to the flavor. This morning I had a straw/apple/banana and that worked great!)
1/4 c. water to "thin" out mixture if needed

Combine ingredients to form batter. Pre-heat waffle iron before and get it ready.

This recipe yielded 6 waffles, in this Hamilton Beach 4-square waffle iron.

Mahalo!