Quinoa Pilaf

I finally learned how to pronounce quinoa correctly so I figured I should now try to cook with it! I had been pronouncing it kee-no-wa for the longest time until someone looked at me funny and said "you mean kee-nwa?" Oops. I found this recipe on Family Circle and thought it would be the perfect way to introduce quinoa into my diet.

I'm not really one to make new year resolutions, but one of my goals this year is to incorporate more vegetables into my diet (along with drink more water). This recipe is packed with veggies and is perfect for vegetarians and vegans.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Told you I'd have a pumpkin recipe soon! I actually made these several days ago but I'm just now getting around to posting them because of some technical issues with my computer. I'm still not sure what is going on but I found a way around it which will do until I can figure out how to permanently fix the problem.

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Years Eve and a fabulous 2013! I plan on spending the night with friends and some kind of sparkling drink. Look for new recipes here in the new year!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Need a last minute Mother's Day brunch recipe? This delicious bread is perfect for it. My nana would have called this a "tea bread" because it goes perfectly with a cup of tea and coffee. I have been enjoying this bread for breakfast or an afternoon snack for a few days now and  it holds up very well.

Diet Soda Cupcakes

I remember reading about making cupcakes with diet soda soon after I joined Weight Watchers. I thought it was a really interesting idea, but I never got around to trying it. I was trying to come up with a dessert recipe and decided to finally give it a try. I used Duncan Hines' Butter Golden cake mix and Sprite Zero. Next I think I will try red velvet cake mix and Diet Coke.

I chose to make cupcakes because of the built in portion control, but you can also make this into a cake. All you do is replace all the eggs, butter and water with about 1 1/4 cups of diet soda. I took Gina's tip on Skinnytaste and also added two egg whites. I topped it with some fat free whipped cream and it totally satisfied my sweets craving and tastes no different than the original!

Also important to note is that the nutritional information and Points+ value will change with different cake mixes and brands.

Almond-Cinnamon Cookies with Browned Butter Drizzle

These cookies are absolutely delicious. I saw the ingredients and I was intrigued. I like almonds and I definitely like cinnamon - these seemed like the perfect match. I adapted them from Better Homes and Gardens. I changed things up slightly by using white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour and swapping out some of the butter for plain nonfat yogurt. The results turned out really well. Once again, I used Smart Balance butter to make these cookies. They are perfect for a New Years party!

 I also like my cookies to be pretty soft. If you want a crispier cookie, bake for about 5 minutes longer.

 

Apple Pie Oats in a Jar

What could be better than apple pie for breakfast?? That is exactly what this recipe tastes like. Oats in a jar is something I have been seeing on many different blogs, and I adapted this one from Steph's Bite by Bite. Having apple pie while still eating healthy and not feeling guilty seemed like it was too good to be true. But she is right, and all the fiber and protein will keep you full for hours.

Oats in a jar is pretty simple, and I am going to start experimenting with different flavor combinations. It is basically equal parts rolled oats, yogurt and milk with whatever garnishes you desire. Throw them into a mason jar overnight and the yogurt "cooks" the oats and the entire mixture turns into something creamy and wonderful.

Homemade Eggnog

Eggnog is my absolute favorite seasonal drink. The best part about making it at home is that you don't need to worry about how bad it is for you and you can enjoy it all year long. That last bit is definitely my favorite part. No need to wait for it to appear in the stores, you an enjoy this in August if you really want to! And trust me, I will.

Here's the thing with eggnog. A serving is only 1/2 cup, and due to its richness, theoretically, that should be enough. In my experience, it is not, so be sure to double (or triple, quadruple, etc...) the nutrition information if you have more. Also, adding rum or bourbon after cooling is another option.

Fat Free Blueberry Cinnamon Muffins

Blueberry muffins with a hint of cinnamon - a perfect match. And almost no guilt because they are fat free! What could be better? These muffins are a wonderful start to any day. There once was a time when my weekends would not be complete without a gigantic blueberry muffin from Dunkin' Donuts. Sadly, those times are over. But, muffins need not be cut out completely. These muffins are definitely not as large as the ones you would get at a bakery, but knowing exactly what goes into them and feeling good about your choices totally makes up for that.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli and Garlic

Does anything smell better than garlic roasting in an oven? I'm having a hard time coming up of what that might be. Needless to say this recipe smells delicious while it is cooking and tastes the exact same way. Roasting broccoli gives it a completely different taste than steaming it - it is almost nutty. Paired with the mild taste of parmesan and olive oil, this makes a great side dish. I like a little heat to most of my foods, so feel free to adjust the red pepper flakes to your liking, or omit it altogether.

Something about this picture reminds me of the snow. I normally don't complain about not having snow, but this year I would really appreciate having some of the fluffy white stuff for the holidays. It seems like that's not going to happen though. Sigh. Maybe next year...

Watermelon Sorbet

This summer dessert is absolutely wonderful. One of my favorite parts of summer is getting nice, fresh watermelon. It is absolutely perfect on a steamy summer day. This sorbet combines the light, sweet taste of watermelon with the tang of lime in a nice cool sorbet perfect for the end of a meal eaten on the porch.

I got the inspiration for this recipe from Epicurious and decided to make a couple of changes. Since I like tart foods, I swapped out the lemon juice for lime and decided to add a good amount of it. The result is a sweet, slightly sour sorbet. I hope you enjoy it!