Nothing screams F-A-L-L louder than the pure joy of pumpkins. Whether it’s a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, pumpkin scones, or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkins bring in the fall season.

One of my all time favorite seasons is fall for this sole reason. Despite that fact that I live in Arizona where true fall never hits, I at least have my pumpkins to keep the spirit of fall alive… And my kitchen is definitely feeling the effects with a cabinet stocked with pumpkin puree!

Since Starbucks wheeled out the traditional Pumpkin Spice Lattes for the Fall season, I thought it was time to bring out my own pumpkins and start experimenting in the kitchen.

While protein pumpkin muffins were the first of my experiments, I have ventured a little further to create 100 calorie pumpkin oatmeal squares. Light, fluffy, and moist, these pumpkin oatmeal bars are perfect for a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert without breaking your bank. Only 3 Weight Watcher Points, these low calorie pumpkin oatmeal squares are perfect while on the weight watcher diet.

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 egg white

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp stevia

1 cup raisins (non-packed)

Directions:

1.) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13×9 pan with non-stick spray

2.) Combine all wet ingredients into one bowl and mix.

3.) Combine all dry ingredients into a separate bowl and shift. Add wet ingredients slowly until evenly blended.

4.) Spread pumpkin oatmeal mix into pan and spread evenly with spatula

5.) Bake for 20-25 minutes

* 3 Weight Watch Points*

I love Hungry Girl for her unique recipes and belief of getting more for what you eat. She has come out with thousands of different recipes that will allow you to eat more while eating less calories, fats, and carbohydrates… it’s perfect for people like me who love to eat

Hungry Girl has come out with several different books on recipes as low as 200 calories to your favorite recipes that have been altered to lower the caloric content. Some of her cookbooks include:

200 under 200

Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in

1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet

Happy Hour: 75 Recipes for Amazingly Fantastic Guilt-Free

One of my favorite foods I have fallen in love with recently are boneless buffalo wings, especially from Chili’s Bar and Grill. But who would have thought that those little guys could contain 910 calories and 58g of fat!!!! WOW! These little guys need to be handcuffed and sent straight to jail. But have no fear, Hungry Girl is here!

But have no fear, Hungry Girl is here!
Here is a great Buffalo Wing recipe that only contains 175 calories and a whooping 1.5g fat. I could have 5 servings for the place of one at Chili’s! Way to go Hungry Girl

HungryGirl’s H-O-T Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into 10 nugget-shaped pieces

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor

1 oz. (about 14 crisps) Pringles Light Fat Free Potato Crisps, Barbecue (or another fat-free BBQ-flavored potato chip)

3 tbsp. Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

dash onion powder

dash garlic powder

dash cayenne pepper

dash black pepper

dash salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crush potato crisps completely and, in a small dish, mix with cereal crumbs. Add a dash of each of the seasonings and mix well. Place chicken pieces in a separate dish, and cover and toss with Frank’s RedHot. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray. Give each chicken piece a shake (so it’s not dripping with RedHot), and then coat it evenly with the crumb mixture. Lay the battered nuggets on the baking pan. Place in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Then flip the wings over, and return them to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked throughout. MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Thanks to Hungry Girl, you can have your cake and eat it too!

What are some of your favorite Hungry Girl Recipes?

When life gives you rotten bananas, make banana bread ! ! !

There’s nothing better than having a bunch of rotten bananas… it gives me the excuse to make banana bread!

But lets face it, banana bread is usually loaded with sugar, butter, and oil. Just check out the nutritional content of Starbucks Banana Bread: 390 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 33 grams of sugar… and that’s one little slice!

This is why I love baking! With just a few tweeks to any recipe one can make a great low calorie treat!

Here is a non-fat, no-sugar banana bread recipe that is will turn those rotten bananas into great use.

Low Calorie Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 ½ cup flour

* 1 teaspoon Stevia

* ½ teaspoon baking soda

* ½  to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup

* 2 egg whites

* 3-4 (rotten) bananas

* ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

*To add in some healthy fats, throw in some walnuts*

Directions

* Pre-heat oven to 350

* Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, Stevia, baking soda, cinnamon)

* Mix liquid ingredients into dry ingredients (syrup, egg whites, bananas, applesauce)

* Pour into greased pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown

Sprinkle Stevia on top and Voilà… a delicious, moist Non-Fat Banana Bread

Approximately 110 calories in 1 slice (makes 10 slices)

What do you do with your rotten bananas?

Breakfast and Dessert are my two favorite meals of the day, so why not combine them together? Nothing says breakfast better than something sweet and tasty… right?

Crepes… they sound intimidating, don’t they? Well have no fear, these little guys don’t bite and friendly for all types of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

Crepes are similar to pancakes, however they are paper thin and used as a wrap for all types of fillings . . . They are better than any fluffy pancake out there.

Here is a delicious Low Calorie Crepe Recipe that is to dye for and without all the guilt

Low Calorie Apple Cinnamon Crepes

Crepe Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 cup flour

2 egg whites

½ cup water

Directions:

* Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl

* Preheat a large skillet with non-stick spray

* Pour 3 tablespoons onto skill and move pan around to make a large circle with the crepe till it is paper-thin

* Cook each side till Golden Brown

(32 Calories per serving)

Filling

6 apples

2 tablespoons stevia sweetener

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon to taste

Fat Free Cool Whip

Directions:

* Core and skin apple and cut into make pieces

* Combined stevia sweetener, water, vanilla extract and apples in skillet an cover for a few minutes till apples are soft and brown

* Cover apples in cinnamon and toss

* Remove apples from skillet and mix with a dab of cool whip

(30 Calories per serving)

Place apple cinnamon filling on half of the crepe and wrap that little guy up. I use a little bit of “I can’t believe it’s not butter” spray to give it a little extra kick… butter always makes food taste better!

Bare with me, I don't have the greatest camera

It’s Bon Apetite Time… NomNomNomNomNom!

There are so many different ways to fill a crepe. Here are some other low calorie crepe filling options:

Dessert:

- Fat Free Cool whip mixed with coco powder, stevia, strawberries, and bananas

- Smuckers Sugar Free Jam

- Sugar Free Pie Filling

Breakfast:

- Egg Whites, laughing cow cheese, and lean turkey bacon

- Better N’ Peanut Butter and Smuckers Sugar Free Jelly

Lunch & Dinner

- Broccoli and Cheese

- Meat and cheese

- Cooked spinach, laughing cow cheese, and mushrooms

- Crumb Boca and Salsa

Question Time

Have you ever tried crepes & What is/would be your favorite filling?

Just the name “Lettuce Wraps” sound like they would be a healthy option when going out to eat… but be careful. Some restaurants like to douse lettuce wraps in tons of oils, sauces, and fats.

Just check out the P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps (one of my favorites) … 630 calories and 12g of fat. I’m afraid to know how much sodium is in these little guys.

Cooking at home is great for several reasons, but I mainly love the fact that I can control the amount of sauces, oils, and fats that go into food preparation.

Here is a great healthy, low calorie lettuce wrap recipe that will leave you satisfied without all the calories and fat!

Ingredients

2 cups Boca Ground Crumbles lightly seasoned with salt and pepper

½ cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

8 oz sliced water chestnuts-drained and coarse chopped

6 scallions sliced thin on the diagonal

¾ cup snow peas

½ cup diced mushrooms

½ cup shredded carrots

Handfull of toasted almonds

Roasted garlic teriyaki sauce and or Low Sodium Soy Sauce

½ head iceberg lettuce, cored, quartered, and peeled into individual leaves

Directions

* Heat a large skillet or wok with a generous amount of Cooking Spray

* Add Boca, onions, celery, and garlic powder. Cook till the onions are golden brown

* Mix in water chestnuts, snow peas, mushrooms, and carrots

* Add enough Garlic Teriyaki Sauce to coat Boca Ground Crumbles and Veggies to your liking

Done!!!!!

Spoon into lettuce leaves and top with almonds, roll up and Bon Appétit`

ps- Only a few more days left of the VitaTop Giveaway!

Good-Bye Summer. . . Hello Fall

With September in full swing, we can finally enjoy Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the cool and crisp weather as the red, orange, and yellow leaves scatter on the ground. Oh I just love fall! By favorite part of Fall is Apple season. Nothing tastes better than a crispy apply, freshly picked from a tree. I love going up to Oak Glen around this time of the year in So Cal when the weather starts to cool off and sample all the different apples and drink hot apple cider while visiting all the random stores, picking apples, and feeding the animals at the animal park.

Picking apples straight from the tree leads to some great great low calorie, low fat recipes… grocery store apples just can’t compare to the taste of those from the tree. If you are obsessed with apples like me, than you will love this recipe!Picking apples straight from the tree leads to some great great low calorie, low fat recipes… grocery store apples just can’t compare to the taste of those from the tree. If you are obsessed with apples like me, than you will love this recipe!

* * Crustless Apple Pie Recipe * *

Ingredients

6 apples

1/2 cup splenda or 1 tsp Stevia

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbs. lemon juice

1/4 cup splenda or 1/2 tsp Stevia

2 tbs. white flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

3 tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Peel, core and cut up the apples. Mix in with the sugar and spices and lemon juice.

2. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar, flours, and butter, then sprinkle over top.

3. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes

Serving Size: 9

Less than 150 calories per serving!

Ah… I can smell the aroma of baked apples and cinnamon filtering through my house! Now to wait till this weather cools off so I can go pick me some apples to bake!Ah… I can smell the aroma of baked apples and cinnamon filtering through my house! Now to wait till this weather cools off so I can go pick me some apples to bake!

Question: What’s your favorite Apple brand and what do you like to eat them with?

I love Pink Lady apples. Use to love eating them with Peanut Butter until I became allergic to it