Easy Pudding Cookies

Prep. time: 15 min. Total time: 27 min.
Makes: About 3 1/2 dozen or 42 servings, 1 cookie each

1 c. (2sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (4 serving size) of your favorite pudding
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. (6oz.) white chocolate, chopped, chocolate chips or whatever you like
1 c. dried cranberries (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 350*F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Add eggs; mix well. Gradually add flour and baking soda, beating after each addition. Stir in chocolate and cranberries.

DROP tablespoons of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 10-12 min. or until edges are lightly browned.

Variations
Create your flavor combinations, taking out cranberries, using your favorite pudding mix and substituting other stir ins, such as pistachio pudding and dried cherries, lemon pudding and pecans, YUM! or vanilla pudding and semi-sweet chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless!

Mediterranean Salad

This came from Callie who tweaked a recipe of Giatta's. (Is that her name? The Italian girl on food network with way too much cleavage showing all the time.) It's one of those wow recipes that is actually super simple and is so great because of the fresh herbs and the unusual orzo pasta.

Yum.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-pound) box orzo (or any small pasta)
2 lemons, juiced
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Prepare orzo per directions on the box.

Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt and pepper in serving bowl.

When the orzo is done, drain it and toss the cooked orzo with the ingredients in the bowl and let cool.

Once the orzo is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and toasted pine nuts. Season to taste. Toss to combine and serve.

Coconut Cream Pie - Lowfat and YUMMY

POINTS® Value: 6 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 7 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Your friends and family will never believe that this sinful-tasting pie is light. The trick to intense coconut flavor with minimal fat? Toast the coconut first.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup packaged shredded coconut
• 3 cup fat-free creamer, such as fat-free 1/2 and 1/2
• 1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz pie crust

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread coconut out on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together half & half, egg substitute, sugar, flour and salt. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of toasted coconut, and vanilla extract. Pour mixture into pie crust, cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.
• Top with remaining 1/4 cup of toasted coconut before serving. Cut into 8 slices.

Chef Tips

• We renovated Coconut Cream Pie by:
• Using a reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust instead of one that’s butter-rich.
• Using fat-free half & half instead of heavy cream.
• Substituting fat-free egg substitute for whole eggs.
• Reducing the total amount of sugar

Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob

POINTS® Value: 2 Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 8 min Cooking Time: 10 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Chili and lime add amazing zing to fresh corn on the cob. They're virtually calorie-free and make a wonderful substitute for butter.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp table salt
• 4 piece corn on the cob, husked

Instructions

• Preheat grill to medium.
• In a cup, stir together lime juice and zest, chili powder and salt; brush over husked corn.

Keilbasa Slow Cooker Soup

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 375 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Toss the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, and you'll be eating this delicious, almost effortless homemade soup for dinner.
Ingredients 58 oz fat-free chicken broth, four 14.5 oz cans 16 oz low-fat sausage, smoked, or reduced-fat kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced 15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained 15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained 4 medium carrot(s), chopped 3 medium celery, stalks, chopped 1 large onion(s), chopped 1 tsp thyme 14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained Instructions Mix all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker (crockpot). Cover and cook on low-heat setting at least 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in tomatoes; cover and cook on high-heat setting until heated through, about 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 heaping cup per serving.


Weight Watchers online recipes

Pasta Poupon

Prep. time: 20 min. total time: 20 min.
Makes: 8
1lb. linguine or your favorite pasta, cooked, drained
1 3/4 c. milk
5 Tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 c. graded parmesan cheese

Cook: pasta as directed on package; drain

Meanwhile: mix milk, mustard, and italian seasoning in saucepan. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Do NOT boil.

Place hot pasta in serving bowl. Add milk mixture and parmesan cheese; toss to coat.

Optional: Add cut up cooked chicken or vegetables to sauce ingredients in pan; heat as directed.