Cookie For Breakfast

Nothing beats starting the day off with a cookie! I present to you my Banana Date Breakfast Cookie....



This was a very hearty and big "cookie". It had a muffin or scone-like texture and a great banana flavor. The dates added a nice extra sweet bite. If you like banana bread, you'll like these - they are basically banana bread in a cookie form. Here's the recipe I came up with...

• 1 large very ripe banana , mashed
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 c. Splenda granular
• 1/8 c. unpacked brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 c. chopped dried dates

Mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup sprayed with cooking spray, scoop a heaping 1/4 c. and place on sheet forming a mound. Repeat with remaining batter - makes 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy while running out the door:)

These cookies will definitely be freezer friendly - great for "heat and eat" mornings.

Along with my cookie, I had some strawberries that were about to expire and some Eggnoggin Tea. I found this cool product yesterday that I thought would go great in tea or coffee...

This VitaSoy Holly Nog is dairy free, lactose free, gluten free and vegan. Now, don't be scared; it's not flavor-free! This was really good and perfect in my Eggnoggin Tea. I haven't tried it on its own because it wasn't chilled (it comes in those shelf stable cartons in the natural foods aisle of the grocery store). I have it chilling now, so I'll try it as its own beverage later. Best part is 4 oz. of this drink is only 60 cal., 1 gr. fat which works out to 1 Point. Pretty fab.

Just need some Christmas music to go with it...

Powering Up

I've got a busy day; lots of errands, shopping, cleaning and running kids around. I needed a quick breakfast to get me going. I had some Power Pumpkin Pancakes in the freezer and decided they were a good choice. I nuked them for a minute in the micro, added some ICBINB spray and a little low calorie syrup. I also had some pretty strawberries and a double shot of Eggnoggin Tea. I am powered up and ready to go!!!!!!

Don't Forget About "Wheat"

It seems many people eat oatmeal for breakfast, but there's a new guy in town -Cream of Wheat! You may remember this from childhood days; I had this a lot growing up. The daughters like it too, which is nice. I always buy the instant packet variety, but now Cream of Wheat has revamped itself to include more whole grain (which means more fiber) and it's available boxed with a 2 1/2 min. cook time. I cook mine in the micro, so it's still basically "instant" for me! For 3 tbsp. (which doesn't sound like much, but it is a huge serving) it is 100 cal., 0.5 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber(*if made with water)...





Now, what do you do to make this taste good, you say? You make Warm Pumpkin Pie Cream of Wheat! I adapted this recipe from The Biggest Loser Cookbook...

• 3 tbsp. Cream of Wheat (use the amount of water needed for your choice of preparation -stovetop or micro)
• dash of salt
• 2 packets of Splenda
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. pumpkin puree
• 1 small rectangle of graham cracker

Cook Cream of Wheat according to package directions. You can add the spices before cooking. Stir in pumpkin puree at the end and top with crushed graham cracker.

*You can enhance this to your own taste. The original recipe called for the addition of ginger and cloves, but I'm not a lover of too much spice. So, play with this to come up with the flavors that remind you of pumpkin pie. A little vanilla extract would probably be good , also. Next time...

This big serving was a 2 pt. breakfast! This might be kickin oats to the curb... ;)

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!! What a great holiday that's all about food and giving thanks! I have soooooo many things to be thankful for in my life and I try to give thanks on a daily basis for many of them. Today, I can add that I am thankful for the opportunity to start this blog to help me in my continued journey of weight loss and maintenance. The response I have gotten from family and friends with respect to this blog has been so kind and I hope to reach many more in the "blogosphere" as I continue to do this! Thanks so much everyone!!



So, this is a day that really focuses on food. How appropriate, since I woke up feeling like I could eat my right arm! Not a good sign considering there will be MUCHO opportunity to eat large quantities of food today. But, I'll do the best I can to eat in moderation. Check back later, I hope I don't have to "eat my words", too! Enough chatter, on to the food. I went for a big, bold breakfast this morning. I made a Breakfast Burrito with 3 egg whites, chopped green pepper, a handful of baby spinach, a slice of 2 % cheese and a few tbsp. of salsa all rolled up in a 1 pt. tortilla. Mmmm, mmmm!

( * sorry, the picture is a little blurred-I have been fooling with the settings on my camera in an effort to take a better picture for you. However, since I am technologically inept, this didn't happen! Try, try again...)