Lemon - Poppyseed Bread (or Muffins)...from a cake mix

I opted to make muffins from this recipe that has been in my files for many years. 

This page is well worn and greasy in my 'write out your own recipes' cookbook.

I love the combo of lemon and poppy seed...and if you love the flavor of lemon, look out.

This one's gonna leave you wanting for more. 

Using a simple cake mix, these can be ready to eat in less than an hour. 

L-L-L-L-LUSCIOUS!!! 

LEMON - POPPYSEED BREAD (Or Muffins)

1 (18 ozs) box lemon cake mix 

(pudding included works best)

4 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. lemon extract, optional

2 Tb. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour 4 - 3" X 5" mini bread loaves or line 24 muffin cups with liners. 

In large bowl, combine cake mix and eggs; mix well.  Add oil, water & extract (if using); blend til smooth. Stir in poppy seeds. Fill prepared pans or muffin cups. Bake muffins for about 20 minutes, bread for 30 minutes or until when top springs back lightly when touched. 

Glaze: (optional)

2 - 3 Tb. lemon juice (or milk)

2 c. powdered sugar

In small bowl, combine and drizzle over bread or muffins. 

Linked to Weekend Potluck

3 Sensational Strawberry Desserts (Blast from the Past)

This is a favorite summertime dessert! This recipe also includes a link for an easy 'push' crust. SUCH an awesome treat. Sugar-free options to lower your sugar intake...you can have your pie, and eat it too.  *-* 

Sensational Almond Strawberry Pie

Layers of strawberries, angel food cake, sweetened condensed milk, and Cool Whip!  Crazy good! 

Strawberry Spectacular

This NO-BAKE cheesecake is such a scrumptious treat. Can be whipped up quickly too. 

Lowfat Strawberry Cheesecake Pie (Sugar Free Option)

Healthy Pineapple Brown Rice

When I saw this interesting recipe at Nancy's Skinny Kitchen, I knew we would be enjoying it soon. She has awesome recipes with reduced calories and nutritional info, plus Weight Watchers Points.  Please go over and check out more of her amazing dishes, and be sure to tell her I sent you over.  You can check out Nancy's recipe along with the nutritional info at her site. 

LOVE the sweetness the pineapple adds to the rice.  This is delicious and would make a great side dish for any meal, but especially an Asian meal. 

HEALTHY PINEAPPLE BROWN RICE 

2 tsp. sesame or canola oil

1 c. Basmati brown rice
(regular brown rice works too) 
1 c. chopped yellow (or red) bell pepper 

(about 1/2 a pepper)

3 - 4 green onions, sliced

1/2 Tb. ginger (from a jar), optional
(I didn't have fresh, but sprinkled some dried...as always, fresh is best)

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, unsweetened, undrained -

cut each piece in half

2 Tb. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1-1/3 c. water

Over medium heat in a large nonstick pan, heat oil until hot. Add rice, red (or yellow) pepper, green onion, ginger and onions and stir constantly until the rice begins to brown, about five minutes. Remove pan from the heat.

Add soy sauce, undrained pineapple and water. Stir to blend.

 Bring the rice mixture to a boil. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for 35-40 minutes until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork before serving.

Makes 5 servings = about 3/4 cup each

Linked to Weekend Potluck

Peanut Butter Hard Shell Ice Cream Topping (Sugar Free Option)

(I posted this recipe a while back when my granddaughter's were here for a 'crafting' day, but I decided it needs it's own post, so here ya go...)

I'M IN LOVE...

This 3-ingredient, and amazing Peanut Butter Hard Shell Ice Cream Topping recipe that I found at 

Chocolate Covered Katie..has won me over! 

(Katie has a Healthy Dessert Blog that I follow!!!)

I LOVE peanut butter...this is in liquid form and sooo tasty!

Ice cream is NOT one of my favorite things, but I've decided I'm all about

crunch, so if you give me some crunch added to the cool stuff, I'll be a happy camper. 

All you do is stir together peanut butter (I doubled the amount Katie uses), melted coconut oil, and sweetener of choice (we used liquid stevia) to make this delicious treat.

We were all pretty impressed at how simple - AND DELICIOUS! -it was. 

PEANUT BUTTER MAGIC SHELL (Sugar Free Option)

1 - 2 Tb. peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

1 - 2 Tb. virgin coconut oil, melted

sweetener of choice, to taste (stevia drops, truvia, agave, etc.)

Combine all ingredients and stir until it makes a thin liquid. 

Pour over your ice cream and watch it set up. 

Enjoy every crunchy bite!!!!!!!!!!

This makes enough for about 2 - 3 servings, depending on how much you'd like. 
Feel free to double or triple the recipe if needed. If you refrigerate leftovers, be sure to heat up before enjoying the next time. 

(If you prefer chocolate magic shell, either melt the oil with 1/2 c. chocolate chips or add about 1/4 c. baking cocoa and sweetener to oil, to taste.)

Linked to Weekend Potluck
Foodie Friends Friday

"Skinny" Banana Cream (Pie) Smoothie

"CALLING ALL DIABETICS AND THOSE COUNTING CALORIES!"

A few years ago, I was given a cookbook for my birthday by a dear friend, Sandy, who has inspired me in the kitchen as much as my own mother has. 

I decided to pull it out of the cupboard and check out some of the yummy dishes found therein.

Sandy has a number of Dawn Hall's numerous "Very Lowfat" cookbooks, and the one I found this lovely recipe in is the "Busy People's Diabetic Cookbook". 

I am wild about smoothies anyway...especially when the temps start rising. And I loved the ease of making this banana smoothie...WITH NO BANANA!

It's made a sugar free pudding mix, so you can make it your own by using chocolate, white chocolate, cheesecake, lemon...

(You get the idea I'm sure.) 

Just add some water, skim milk, pudding mix, ice cubes, ff frozen yogurt, sweetener (I used a packet of Truvia) and vanilla...WHIR...and you're

ready to enjoy!  

Really!  It's that simple! And it's very filling and delicious too.

I didn't have frozen yogurt on hand, so I froze some of my Greek Yogurt for about half an hour, and with the added ice cubes, it was smooth, creamy and cold.

If you want to make half this amount, you can divide it easily, using about half the pkg. of instant pudding mix. Save the rest for the next time you want to make it. 

BANANA CREAM (PIE) SMOOTHIE

1 c. cold water

1 sm. (4-serv. size) box sugar free, fat free banana cream instant pudding mix

(do not make as directed on box)

20 ice cubes

1 c. skim milk

1 c. low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt

1/4 c. Splenda 

(or 1 or 2 Truvia packets)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In blender, combine water with pudding mix.  Blend on high for 20 seconds or until the pudding is completely dissolved. 

Add the ice cubes, milk, frozen yogurt, Splenda, and vanilla to the blender and cover. Process on high speed.  If needed, pulse the blender off and on, stopping in between pulses to make sure all the ice cubes are crushed and the ingredients are blended.

Once the ingredients are well blended, blend 30 seconds longer to assure a thick, smooth drink.

Pour into cups or glasses and enjoy immediately. 

Yield: 4-1/2 (1 c. servings)

Nutritional values per serving:

Calories: 80(0% fat); Total Fat: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 1 mg. Carbohydrate: 16 gr. Dietary Fiber: 0 gr.; Protein: 3 gr. Sodium: 282 mg. 

Linked to Mop it up Monday
         Scrumptious Sunday
    Weekend Potluck
         Foodie Friends Friday