Pumpkin Pancakes

Fiber One Pancake Mix is one of my favorite staples in the cupboard. This is one of many ways I prepare them. It makes a wonderful breakfast item but we often enjoy them for dinner or even "snacks". I love to make extra batches and keep them in the fridge or freezer for later use. A quick fix when microwaved!

Pumpkin Pancakes (2)

3 Pancakes per serving


2 Cups Fiber One Pancake Mix
1 1/2 Cups water
1/2 Can pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together. Use a scant measuring cup of 1/4 cup (not too full) and drop onto hot pan.

These are a wonderful "snack" even, enjoy mine with a few cooked apples, cinnamon & splenda rolled up inside, nuked for about 30 seconds. Absolutely DIVINE!

Easter Ham... low point style & a FEAST to accompany it!

One of my absolute favorite hams is a turkey ham. While many cringe at the thought of another meat being "passed off" as something else, I swear to you that you cannot tell the difference in the turkey ham, other than the lack of fat and saltiness!

Turkey ham is very point friendly. A serving size of 2 oz. is 60 calories/0g fat/0g fiber! That's not only very low point, but low enough to double a portion if you want! After all it IS a holiday!

I bake my ham (turkey ham) in the crock pot with a can of diet coke on top and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. This year I'm going to lower the brown sugar to a few Tablespoons, instead of 1/4 cup. I, personally, won't add "points" for any of these ingredients as they're not that high in quantity or points value alone to really make a huge difference. Of course, you do as you feel most comfortable.

I purchase my turkey hams at Aldi's. One ham (which is small but, remember, has NO fat on it and no bone) on average is about $4! I purchased 2 of them for Easter dinner, for a total of just under $8. My kids actually prefer the turkey ham and complain when I use standard pork hams for our ham dinners, saying it's "fatty" or "salty" or "just weird".

So this Easter make your Easter dinner more point friendly by using turkey ham in place of standard pork hams, loaded with fat and salt!

Also, concentrate on tons of side dishes that are point friendly and filling. If 2/3 of your plate are veggies, it leaves less space for calorie layden meats & sides.

On our table this year we will have carrots with maple & cinnamon sprinkles. I've mentioned the Maple & Cinnamon sprinkles many times in my blogs and purchase them at a restaurant supply store called GFS (Gordon Food Service). Check your grocery stores for similar items, in the spice aisle. I'll spray a few sprays of ICBINB on the carrots for taste with few calories added.

Mashed potatoes, made with fat free (skim) milk of course and foregoing the butter or margarine... no sense adding it when you can put "flavor" in with herbs & spices. I'll add the typical salt & pepper for this time, because of the (definitely OFF plan) gravy that goes with it. I'll make sure though, that the gravy is very limited... just enough to give some flavor.

I purchased reduced fat crescent rolls. With NI of 90 Cal./4.5g fat/0g fiber, they're friendlier than the "standard" versions but definitely something you only want one of!

Green beans with onions, garlic, salt & pepper will make another plain but complimentary side dish to help fill our plate 2/3 full with veggie choices.

Of course no Easter meal at our house would be complete without candied yams. This year I'll be making fresh yams, microwaved, with a spray of ICBINB and some maple cinnamon sprinkles. I may melt a couple mini marshmallows on top as a treat!

Finish off your dinner plate with 2-4 oz. of ham and you have a huge meal with fairly low "points" used!

To finish off the dinner itself I'm creating mini-cheesecakes with sugar free cheesecake pudding, created with fat free milk. The "crusts" will be the "Hungry Girl" version of crust using Fiber One cereal. Use the "crust" for the pumpkin pie on the clickable link above. Simply place the crusts in a mini muffin pan, bake and then cool. Once cooled, fill with the sugar free, fat free cheesecake pudding made according to package. Quick and easy and just sweet enough to cleanse the pallette with a cool, refreshing treat!