Low-Point Reese's Peanut Butter Treats

.8 points! That's all you need to know. The trick is limiting yourself to just a few. This easy, kid-friendly, recipe allows you to continue relaxing while your kids make these treats for you. Make sure they put on a pot of coffee while they're at it too! :)


Low-Point Reese's Peanut Butter Treats
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter (Land O Lakes Light), softened
- 1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (reduced fat)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- Pam cooking spray
- Reese's minis (these are new and come in an 8 oz. package already unwrapped. They're even tinier than the regular miniature Reese's)
Beat sugars and butter. Stir in egg. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour and baking soda and combine. Line miniature muffin tins with miniature liners. Spray liners with a little bit of cooking spray. Roll batter into little balls and drop one in the middle of each liner, pressing down slightly to fill liner. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and place a mini Reese's in the center of each treat. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 35
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - .8

"A man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter." - James A. Garfield

Low-Point Parmesan Bacon Tomato

How can something so good be so low-point? This amazingly-tasting tomato can be enjoyed as a wonderful side dish or a complete meal by setting it atop a bed of lettuce with some cottage cheese on the side. You'll be surprised at how scrumptious this is and thrilled to find out it's only ONE point!


Low-Point Parmesan Bacon Tomato
Ingredients:

- 3 large tomatoes

- 1 Tbs chicken bouillon granules

- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 3 strips bacon

- "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray

- desired seasonings to taste

- Pam cooking spray

Remove stems from tomatoes; cut in half widthwise. Place cut side up in an 11-inch by 7-inch or 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine bouillon, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a bowl. Spread mixture over tomatoes. Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon bits on top of each tomato. Spray with butter and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total servings - 6

Serving size - 1

Points per serving - 1

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - Laurie Colwin

Low-Point Merlot Roasted Chicken Breast

It's dinner time and you're enjoying a glass of wine, wondering what to make. Suddenly, you receive inspiration as you grab the wine bottle to refill your glass. Why not make something with wine? The result? Mouth-watering Merlot Roasted Chicken Breast. This is not exactly how I came up with this dish; nevertheless, it's a divine dinner recipe that gives you good reason to keep wine on hand. :)


Low-Point Merlot Roasted Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
- Thyme, enough to sprinkle over all chicken breasts
- Rosemary, enough to sprinkle over all chicken breasts
- salt, pinch sprinkled over chicken
- 6, 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbs flour
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- Pam cooking spray
- 1 1/2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 cups Merlot red wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. Splenda sugar substitute
- 3 Tbs chilled butter (Land O Lakes Light)
- 1 tsp. corn starch
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, and salt over chicken. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pan. Arrange chicken in a single layer on the rack of a roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove fron oven, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots and saute' 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil. Boil about 5 minutes. Add broth and Splenda and cook for about 10 minutes until the broth reduces a little bit. (You should have anywhere from 3/4 cup to 1 cup broth remaining). Remove from heat and gradually add butter and corn starch, whisking until smooth. Serve sauce over chicken and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 6
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 5

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." - Cherokee Proverb

Low-Point Creamy Almond Fudge

This creamy fudge comes with a warning ---> THIS FUDGE IS ADDICTING AND WILL NOT BE LOW-POINT IF YOU EAT THE WHOLE PLATE! With that said, it is amazing and you should try it! :) Creamy enough to eat with a fork; but if chilled for a few hours in the refrigerator, this will allow you to be able to just reach in and grab a small square... or two.


Low-Point Creamy Almond Fudge
Ingredients:
- 1 jar, (7 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff
- 2/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup butter (Land O Lakes Light)
- 2 Tbs peanut butter
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup almond slivers, chopped
- Pam cooking spray
Spray 8 inch by 8 inch pan with Pam cooking spray. Set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the marshmallow fluff, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Bring to boil and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and almonds. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 or more hours, until firm. Cut into squares. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 25
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 3

"I am an optimist. It does not seem to be much use being anything else." - Winston Churchill

Flounder Florentine

The topping alone for this flounder recipe is so good I could eat that all by itself with a spoon; but since I'm "mostly" into promoting healthy eating, I will encourage you to add the flounder. 

Ingredients:

- 2, 10 oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 pound fresh or frozen flounder fillets
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. chopped garlic
- 2 Tbs butter
- 3 Tbs flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
- 1 Tbs parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- Pam cooking spray

Spray 13 inch by 9 inch baking dish with Pam cooking spray. Sprinkle spinach in dish to cover bottom evenly. Line the fish on top of spinach. In a saucepan, heat butter, onion, and garlic. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly (or whisking) until thickened. Pour over fillets. Sprinkle with parmesan, paprika, and a little more salt and pepper to taste; and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going but I'm on my way." - Carl Sandburg