Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes (with Peanut Butter Frosting)

Dessert is always a good idea, especially when you have a major sweet tooth like myself. These delightful mini cupcakes will come to the rescue of any chocolate lover out there; because our happiness depends on it! 

Ingredients:

- 1 box Betty Crocker Low-fat Fudge Brownie mix

- 1/2 cup water

- 1/2 cup oatmeal

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

- 1 egg

- 2 Tbs applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer, combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into mini cupcake pans sprayed with Pam baking spray. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Ingredients: Peanut Butter Frosting

- 1/2 cup peanut butter (Peter Pan Whipped Creamy)

- 1 cup powdered sugar

- 1 Tbs milk

- 2 Tbs butter (Land O Lakes Light with Canola Oil), softened

Combine all ingredients and beat until fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon frosting to each cupcake.

If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"I'd give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter." - Anonymous 

Turkey Cutlets in White Wine Sauce

These simple ingredients bring big flavor to this turkey cutlet meal. Seasoned to perfection and topped with a white wine, lemon-caper sauce, these turkey cutlets will delight your palate!

Ingredients:

- 8, 3 oz. turkey cutlets
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbs olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbs Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil, divided
- 1/4 cup diced shallots
- 1 Tbs diced garlic
- 3/4 cup dry-white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp. flour
- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tbs capers, drained
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle turkey evenly with salt and pepper. Add 4 cutlets to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove cutlets from pan; keep warm. Add remaining oil and cutlets to pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. After cutlets are removed, add 1/2 Tbs butter to pan. Add shallots and garlic and sauté one minute. Increase heat to high and add white wine. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine chicken stock and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan, and bring to boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat, and add remaining 1/2 Tbs butter, lemon juice, and capers. Pour sauce over cutlets and sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy!  If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here. 

"It wasn't a waste of time if you learned something." - Anonymous

Low-Point Pork Scaloppine with Dijon Cream Sauce

Scaloppine means "a thinly sliced cut of meat". When this lean pork tenderloin is sliced, seasoned, grilled, and topped with the most succulent sauce, it becomes the ultimate entree'. Very tasty and very low-point. What more could you ask for? 

Low-Point Pork Scaloppine with Dijon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1, 1-pound extra lean pork tenderloin, sliced into 12 thin pieces and pounded to 1/4 or 1/2-inch thickness
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbs canola oil
- 1/4 cups minced shallots
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbs nonfat green yogurt or fat-free sour cream
- fresh parsley for garnish

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add pork cutlets (6 at a time) to skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Using the same skillet, add shallots and garlic to pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock and mustard, stirring occasionally for 1 minute. Stir in greek yogurt or sour cream and cook for a minute, stirring or whisking constantly. Serve pork with sauce and sprinkle with parsley. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total servings - 12
Serving size - 3
Points per serving - 4
Points plus per serving - 4

"Be stubborn about your goals, but flexible about your methods."

 - Anonymous

Vegetable Cheese Bake

Above picture is before parmesan is sprinkled on top and baked.

Have a hard time getting your family to eat their vegetables? Well, no longer! This vegetable cheese bake sprinkled with parmesan and mozzarella makes one delicious side dish you'll absolutely love making time and time again.

Ingredients:

- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 2 small yellow squash, sliced 
- 2 small potatoes, sliced
- 1 small orange pepper, sliced in thin strips (I used 1/2 of an orange pepper)
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced (or a bag of carrot chips)
- 1/4 cup diced onions
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish, in single file, line the vegetables in three rows, alternating vegetables (leaving out the onions and garlic). Lay the sliced orange peppers along the sides of the baking dish. Toss diced onions and garlic on top of the vegetables, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan. Bake, covered, for one hour, or until potatoes and carrots can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, remove foil, and sprinkle with mozzarella. Recover with foil and let set until mozzarella melts into the vegetables. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"The secret to getting ahead is getting started." - Mark Twain 

Champagne Chicken

This sophisticated entree' is perfect for entertaining. Very simple recipe that will delight your family and guests. The champagne-mushroom cream sauce is very savory and satisfying. A recipe that looks like you spent more time preparing than you actually did ... but nobody needs to know that, right?

Ingredients:

- 5, 4 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup flour, divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 cup champagne
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1, 10.75 oz. can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup

Lightly dust chicken breasts with 2 Tbs of flour, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add chicken breasts. Once browned on both sides, add champagne, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes. When chicken is tender, transfer to a platter. Add half and half, cream of mushroom soup, and remaining 2 Tbs flour to skillet and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until heated through and slightly thickened. Pour sauce over chicken breasts and serve. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"The only time you should ever look back, is to see how 

far you've come." - Anonymous

Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon-Ginger Marinade

This easy recipe for yellowfin tuna steaks features an easy but savory marinade that consists of only a few ingredients. These tuna steaks are filled with protein that will help give you more energy while sticking to a very healthy diet.

Ingredients:

- 3, 4 oz. wild caught yellowfin tuna steaks
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 2 Tbs soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. garlic salt

Place tuna in one, gallon-sized bag. Add all the other ingredients to the bag, seal, and allow marinade to saturate the tuna steaks. Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the bag and place in skillet. Grilled for 2 to 4 minutes on each side (depending on your desired doneness of the tuna). Remove and serve with rice, couscous, quinoa, or desired side. Enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here. 

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." 

- Winston Churchill

Lenten Meals

Points In My Life to the rescue!!!  

An amazing blog page to keep on hand that contains numerous mouth-watering sweet and savory appetizer, entrée, and dessert recipes that do not contain meat! Enjoy these scrumptious recipes, not only during Lent, but all year round!

Soups:

- Tomato Basil Pasta Soup

- Tomato Zucchini Soup

- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup

- Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
- Spicy Fish Soup

- Rustic Tomato Basil Soup

- Parmesan Topped Asparagus Soup

- Avocado Soup with Jumbo Lump Crab


Appetizers and Entrées:

- Arugula and Blueberry Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts

- Tomato Asiago Frittata with Sautéed Arugula with Mushrooms

- Salmon with Pink Peppercorn Sauce

- Mustard Green Pesto Egg Sandwich

- Tabbouleh Salad

- Spinach Ricotta Dumplings

- Crab Salad

- Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

- Mayo and Panko Mahi 

- Penne Pasta with Asparagus and Pistachios

- Orange Marmalade Shrimp Salad

- Shot-Glass Veggies

- Avocado Egg Cups

- Eggplant Mozzarella

- Butter-Basted Seasoned Rockfish

- Apple Cranberry Salmon Salad

- Orange Glazed Salmon with Citrus Salad

- Pea Pesto with Prosciutto

- Smoked Salmon Patties with Dill Mustard Lemon Sauce

- Spinach Mozzarella Patties

- Mixed Greens and Mushroom Frittata

- Honey-Grilled Shrimp with Creamy Cole Slaw

- Apple Kale Salad

- Fabulous Fish Tacos

- Sweet Potato and Chickpea Cakes with Avocado Salsa

- Bourbon and Brown Sugar Salmon

- Seasoned Scallops with Quinoa

- Tomato and Avocado Stack Salad

- Watermelon Caprese Salad

- Baked Swai with Homemade Pesto

- Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

- Flounder Florentine

- Lobster Risotto

- Flounder Mediterranean

- Squash and Cheese Fritta

- Zucchini Tomato Bake

- Spinach Artichoke Cups

- Barramundi with Pepper Corn Relish

- Walnut and Blue Cheese Grape Bites

- Swordfish with Fresh Tomato Tapenade

- Mozzarella Skewers

- Steamed Mussels in White Wine Tomatoes

- Pan-fried Swai Sliders

- Mini Quiche (minus the bacon)


Desserts:

- Banana Oatmeal Cookies

- Chocolate Chip Starbuck Brownies

- Caramel Pecan Brownies

- Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

- Chocolate Almond Cups

- Chocolate Strawberry Shish Kabobs

- Cream Cheese Sundaes

- Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

- Spice Butterscotch Cake

- Mt. Dew Cake

- Coffee Cake

- Oreo Brownies

- Cherry Oatmeal Bars

- Reese's Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

- Mini Turtle Brownies

- Cheesecake-Filled Strawberries

- Angel Food Fruit Cake

- Incredible One-Minute Cake

- Cupcakes with Tequila Lime Icing

- Seven Minute Vanilla Ice Cream

- Mini Double Chocolate Brownies