The Big Show - My Feathered Friends

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Carrot Cupcakes

HG's 14-Carat Cupcakes

Cake Superior!
Carrot cake rules. It's thick, sweet, delicious and slathered in cream cheese frosting. Mmmmmm! But since the nutritional stats on the average carrot cake are pretty horrendous, we decided to create our own guilt-free version. We made ours as cupcakes, 'cuz cupcakes are cute, fun, and, best of all, portion-controlled (it's too easy to cut yourself sliver after sliver with a full cake). But if you want, you can easily whip up a classic cake with this recipe -- just add 10 minutes to the cooking time. Here it is now...

Ingredients:

For cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, roughly chopped if shreds are long
1 cup (1/4th of box) Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Classic Yellow
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
2/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice (not drained)
2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup raisins (not packed)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder

For frosting:
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt (or another thick, plain fat-free yogurt)
2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all dry cupcake ingredients except for the carrots and raisins (in other words -- cake mix, flour, Splenda, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking powder). Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg substitute, and 1/4 cup water until blended. Add the contents of the medium bowl to the large bowl. Using a wire whisk or fork, blend until just mixed. Then, stir in the carrots, pineapple, and raisins. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute cake mixture among the cups, and place in the oven to cook for 20 - 25 minutes (until a toothpick poked into the center of one comes out clean). While the cupcakes cook, combine all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Using a whisk or fork, blend until smooth. Place frosting in the fridge to chill. Once cupcakes are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then plate cupcakes, and spread frosting evenly over tops. Refrigerate until frosting has set and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!!! MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 frosted cupcake
Calories: 130
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 205mg
Carbs: 26g
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 5g

POINTS® value 2*

4 Point Dinner Grilled Chicken

This is one of my favorite dinner meals. 3 oz. Grilled Chicken w/ Portabella Mushrooms, Fresh Steamed Broccoli and a red baked new potato. I put my meal on a salad plate and I have ate this way for over 7 months now. It gives the illusion of having more. Yet, I am always satisfied with this wonderful, and quick meal. The chicken is by Pilgrims Pride, Eatwellstayhealthy Boneless Chicken Breast fillets, 97% fat free! Only 110 calories per serving!! You can find it in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. I cook the frozen chicken fillet in a tsp of olive oil. Till it is brown, I throw in some mushrooms and I spray them with I can't believe it's butter spray for seasoning and also I put a little fresh garlic in while I am sauteing them! Hope you enjoy this meal as much as I have enjoyed losing weight on it and most of all feeling great and healthy from it! There you have it a nother healthy meal! That I just love!

Click on above picture for a close up view!

Hg's Guiltless Nacho's!!!

HG's Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos

MEXICAN MAKEOVER
We love nachos. We know they're not always good for us, but they do taste great. The crunchy chips, the gooey cheese... Sometimes, we've just gotta have a nacho fix. Luckily, when we want to indulge our nacho cravings, we don't have to resort to gulping down insane amounts of calories and fat grams. This make-at-home nacho swap is WAY lower in calories than pretty much anything you can order in a restaurant, but it still tastes awesome! Check out HG's Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos!

Ingredients:
1 bag (7 oz.) Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips, Yellow Corn flavor
1 package Boca Chili
4 oz. 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk
3 oz. fat-free block cheddar cheese
2 oz. Velveeta made with 2% Milk
2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
3/4 cup Newman's Own All-Natural Bandito Salsa

Directions:
Melt all three cheeses in a saucepan with the soymilk; stir to combine. Prepare chili according to the directions on the box. Microwave chips until warm, and place on a large platter. Pour your low-fat cheese sauce all over your chips. Cover your chips with chili. Spoon salsa on top, along with a few dollops of fat-free sour cream, and, voila, there you have it! Makes 5 servings.

*Feel free to use other brands as desired. Nutritionals will vary.


Serving Size: 1/5th of recipe

Calories: 260

Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 962mg

Carbs: 44g

Fiber: 6.5g
Sugars: 5g

Protein: 16g



*5 Points

Sweet n Chunky Chicken Salad

HG's Sweet 'n Chunky Chicken Salad

Hot Chick!
Dozens of fat grams in chicken salad = bad news. Crunchy cucumbers, red grapes, and yogurt dressing on the other hand = GREAT additions. Here's HG's guilt-free answer to the notoriously fattening Waldorf chicken salad...

Ingredients:
1 cup (about 4.5 oz.) cooked & roughly chopped skinless lean chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped Persian or Kirby cucumber**
1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
dash salt
1 avocado sliced
Top with low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:
Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sweetener, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt. Coat the chicken in this mixture, and then stir in the chopped cucumber, grape halves, and chopped apple. Then try not to pass out as you chow down on this insanely good chicken salad! MAKES 2 SERVINGS

HG Tip! If cooking your chicken from scratch, use nonstick spray (not oil) to keep the fat count down.

**These short, sweet cucumbers rule in this recipe! But if you can't find 'em, any cucumber will do.

Serving Size: half of recipe (about 1 cup)
Calories: 145
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 332mg
Carbs: 14g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 21g

POINTS® value 3*

My Hungry Dogs Video

Hungry Callie and Pepe

My Flower Gardening 2008 Photo's