Low-Point Chocolate Chip Starbuck's Brownies

Who needs a cup of coffee with dessert when you can just bake it right in! :)

These amazing "caffeinated" brownies will give you the energy to kick-start your day... so go ahead, have one for breakfast!

Low-Point Chocolate Chip Starbuck's Brownies

Ingredients:

- 1 box Betty Crocker Low-Fat Fudge Brownie Mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 egg
- 4 oz. no-sugar natural applesauce
- 2 Via Starbuck's instant coffee packets, divided
- 1/2 cup Betty Crocker Whipped Milk Chocolate Frosting
- chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- Pam baking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine brownie mix, water, egg, one of the instant coffee packets, and applesauce in a large bowl. Pour batter into a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish sprayed with Pam cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Let cool. In a small bowl, combine frosting with half of the other Via Starbuck's instant coffee packet. Frost the brownies and add 3 chocolate chips to each piece. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total servings - 24
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 3
Points plus per serving - 3.3

"The art of living lies in the fine mingling of letting go and holding on." 

- Havelock Ellis

Brownie Popsicles

A fun and creative way to enjoy one of my favorite desserts! Easy to make and fun to present. Hang on to this recipe because these cute little brownie popsicles will be the highlight of any party or get-together you host!

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Betty Crocker Low-Fat Fudge Brownie Mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 egg
- 2 oz. no-sugar applesauce
- 1 cup Nestle Premier White Morsels
- Candy sprinkles
- 15 popsicle sticks
- Pam Baking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, egg, and applesauce. Pour batter into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish sprayed with Pam baking spray. Bake for 35 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle). Let cool. Insert popsicle sticks into the brownies. In a small microwaveable bowl, melt white morsels for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving for 10-seconds at a time until morsels completely melt. Dip brownie into the icing (or if brownie starts to come off the stick, use a knife to help spread the icing onto the brownie). Sprinkle with candy sprinkles and enjoy! Note: The brownie stays on the popsicle stick a lot better if refrigerated and cooled completely. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"Let us always meet each other with a smile; for the smile is the beginning of love." - Mother Teresa

Low-Point Chicken Cutlets with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

Bursting with flavor, this magnificent entrée will have you going back for more (and you can go back for more if you have enough remaining points for the day)! :)

Low-Point Chicken Cutlets with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 cups chicken-broth
- 1 carrot, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 4, 6 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 Tbs flour, divided
- 1 Tbs olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbs Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil, divided
- 1 cup quartered mushrooms
- 1 Tbs fresh tarragon

Place the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes or until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups. Remove bay leaf with a spoon and discard. Remove sauce pan from heat and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to form 8 cutlets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 3 Tbs flour in a shallow bowl and dredge chicken in flour. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 Tbs olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add 4 cutlets to pan, cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1/2 Tbs olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. butter, and 4 cutlets.

Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add stock mixture, bring to boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Slowly sprinkle in remaining 1 Tbs of flour while whisking until mixture thickens. (If you feel it's too thick, you can add 1 to 2 Tbs. water). Add tarragon to mixture and spoon sauce over chicken and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total Servings - 4
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 5
Points plus per serving - 5.7

"If it is important to you, you will find a way." - Anonymous

An Easter Blessing

Happy Easter to all of my followers!

A prayer for you, as you celebrate Easter with family and friends. Feel free to print out and read before your Easter meal.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for bringing us your Son, our savior Jesus Christ. As we celebrate His resurrection with our loved ones, we ask that you bless those who cannot be with us.

We are thankful for being able to share this meal with our family and friends, and ask that you bless this food we are about to eat.

Jesus is the light of the world and we pray that He continues to guide us, letting His light shine through us so others may come to know Him through our actions and in our words.

Thank you Jesus for giving us a very special gift... the gift of one another. Help us not to take for granted the love of those around us, the time shared among us, and the food you set before us. Amen."  

-  Laura Yagelski

Click Here for a printer-friendly version of this prayer.

                 

My Hospice Journal - "Pleasantly Confused"

"Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received; and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work." - Mother Teresa

For selfish reasons, I am never instantly happy to hear when one of my hospice patients passes away. My mind starts thinking about our visits, how I am going to miss seeing them, talking to them, feeding them, etc. 

This last hospice patient was a lovely elderly lady who was feisty, kind, and "pleasantly" confused. That term, pleasantly confused, was the description I received from the hospice organization I volunteer for when they sent me the details on this precious lady before I ever went to visit with her.  From now on, I am referring to all my Alzheimer's patients as "pleasantly confused". Love it! I only had the chance to visit with her three or four times but I know I will never forget her.

Having Alzheimer's, she often talked to herself and held conversations with people not present. Sometimes I was glad they weren't present because it was obvious in a few of her conversations, she was upset with them. Most have already passed before her, but that didn't stop her from instructing me to go into the other room and tell someone to "shake a leg" since she was ready to go and needed to get home before dark. 

Most of the time she was in pain, but with Alzheimer's, she forgot she was in pain until she felt the pain again. This doesn't make much sense to us who aren't so confused (until now) but it eases the caregiver's mind, knowing a patient in pain often times forgets the pain when their mind/thoughts are back in the garden, taking a walk, or visiting unseen loved ones.

Her favorite thing to do when I was there was to hold her "baby." This was a battery-operated stuffed animal that when activated, will repeat everything you say. To her, this wonderful little buddy offered just the right conversation by repeating everything she had just said. She could remember the last sentence or two she spoke, so when repeated back to her, it was a nice two-way conversation that held her attention and made her giggle. She was only confused during the times the stuffed animal was silent, not realizing it was only because she had not said anything for it to repeat. What a precious memory I have of her holding it close to her face waiting for it to talk to her and after about three minutes of silence she would bring it up to her nose and say "Boo!" to wake it up. When "boo" was repeated back to her, her soft laughter was something I only wish I could have captured on film. I will have to lock that away in my memory and smile every time I think of it.

I cherish the short amount of time I get to spend with these patients. It's a small reminder to me that time waits for no-one. We all have one life to live and the ability to care for those nearing the end of theirs. It's an honor and a privilege and one I will continue to do until I am "pleasantly confused."

R.I.P. my sweet hospice patient. †