Weight Watchers Trail Mix Brownie Bars Recipe
PIN IT!Hello friends! Happy Tuesday! Minus a slight ant invasion in my kitchen this morning (I’ll gripe more on that later), I’d say that things are on the up and up today. Especially since I have one of these gorgeous weight watchers trail mix brownie bars sitting in front of my face.
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the fabulous people at Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods with a proposition; to whip up my own version of a recipe they had created using some of Weight Watchers brownies. Not only this, they also sent me the most amazing swag bag, filled with fabulous kitchen gadgets and fun food props! Aren’t they just the coolest? Included were also about 8 boxes of the delicious Weight Watchers brownies.Only 2 boxes remained as of this morning, one of which is hiding in these trail mix bars!
I’m in love with these brownie bars for two primary reasons. 1. Sweet and salty wins the race. EVERY TIME. It’s such an addictive, insanely delicious combination. 2. Each mouth-watering, irresistible bar has JUST 4 WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS. Not bad for a delectable dessert.
Other reasons why I love this recipe include the awesome fudgey, crunchy texture and the amazing flavors coming from all the different ingredients. Only good things can come of mixing peanut butter, rice cereal, cranberries AND chocolate together, am I right?
Plus, because they are filled with healty breakfast things, like cranberries and oats, you can pass them off for breakfast.
Just tell your friends, coworkers and the like they are “breakfast rice krispie squares.” Coming from someone who just ate 2, er, 3 of them with her coffee, that’s a very legit statement. Thank you AGAIN to the amazing folks at Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods and Crossroads PR. I just love you.
Trail Mix Brownie Bars
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 12. Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats (not instant)
- 1 1/2 cup rice cereal
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 Weight Watchers Brownies, diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chunky peanut butter
- Dash of salt
- 2 large egg whites, beaten
- ¼ cup honey
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325F.Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, rice cereal, graham cracker crumbs, brownie chunks, cranberries and cinnamon. Stir until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- In a medium pan over low heat melt butter. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter and salt, whisking until thoroughly combined. Pour over dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
- Add egg whites and honey to mixing bowl with dry ingredients and peanut mixture. Toss well until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Press mixture firmly with the back of a large wooden spoon until it is tightly packed into the baking pan. Sprinkle with additional salt.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Chill for at least 2 hours. Once bars have chilled, remove from pan and cut into bite size bars.
Nutritional information per bar:
Calories: 172
Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe
Hi friends! I have an amazing feature for you today, including a recipe from the lovely Kristina of the beautiful blog Whipped! Not only is she just a fabulous blogger, she’s also one of my August sponsors, so give her a little love, will you? Check out her gorgeous blog here, send her a tweet here and like her on Facebook here!
One thing I’d love is some of this bread. MMMM! Take it away, Kristina!
Hi All! I am so excited that Claire is hosting me today on her absolutely fabulously delicious blog! She was one of the very first blogs I drooled over when I first started blogging and I am thrilled that she is sharing some of the foodie blog love with me now today! My name is Kristina and I am the blogger behind Whipped. My blog is all about finding happy, healthy recipes that don’t just taste good – but make you feel good too! That’s why when Claire asked me to share a recipe with you all, I knew I had to bring along my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin-Banana Bread.
Packed with whole grains and without butter or eggs, this bread is my favorite breakfast treat in the morning with my (very large) cup of coffee. Makes Monday mornings almost bearable! Almost 🙂
And yes… I know what you’re thinking… pumpkin bread?? Already? I couldn’t resist dipping into my fall recipes a bit early this year, and I swear saving pumpkin recipes for October is way overrated! For all of you melting in the triple digit weather (like me!), stay cool and dream of September with a bit of chocolate chip pumpkin-banana bread! Thanks so much again for having me Claire! I’m so excited to be a part of your irresistible blog today!!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin-Banana Bread
CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS REICPE!
Yields 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain soy milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and slat.
- In large bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, oil, and milk with until well combined. Add sugars, vanilla, and banana, and beat until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Add flour to pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs clinging. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories: 260
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 1.75 grams
Protein: 3 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Robert Mondavi Gift Basket Giveaway
Hi y’all! It’s Friday. As you know, this week has been less than desirable. But, it’s a new day and I’m taking the proverbial bull by its horns (or balls, I like balls) and doing the damn thing today. So, to kick off an awesome Friday, I’ve got a giveaway for you from my very most favorite people in the entire world.
Yes, the very amazing Robert Mondavi Private Selection! I just adore these people. Oh and their wines are pretty good too 🙂 Now, the reason for this awesome giveaway I’m about to share with y’all is simple, the fabulous people at RMPS are taking a digital tour of the California Central Coast and want to inspire YOU to take one too!
[Photo by RMPS]
I was lucky enough to visit an amazing city on the tip of the central coast early this summer. Remember my musings on the enchanting city of Monterey?
Well, that is just ONE stop on their amazing digital tour of the incredible Central Coast of California. Want to tag along with them? Stop by their Facebook page and give them a like! Here’s some more information about these fabulous folks at Robert Mondavi Private Selection.
About Robert Mondavi Private Selection
Robert Mondavi’s visionary pursuit of great California wines led him to the Central Coast in the 1990s because he believed that great wines begin in the vineyard. The unique geography and fascinating history of the region reveal a character as distinctive as the wines it produces.
He transformed wine culture in the U.S. by creating Robert Mondavi Private Selection as quality wines of affordable elegance. With appeal to the novice and enthusiast alike, Robert Mondavi Private Selection offers a history of success and excellence across all varietals. For more about Robert Mondavi Private Selection, including history of Robert Mondavi and information about the vineyards and winemaking, please visit www.robertmondavi.com. Make sure to check out their fabulous Pinterest page, You Tube page and send them a tweet!
Now, the giveaway part, what can you win so you can take your own tour?
AMAZING PRIZE PACK INCLUDES:
- $25 gas card
- $25 Target gift card (for those essential snacks and treats)
- $10 Starbucks card (coffee is a must)
- $15 iTunes card (download the soundtrack for the trip)
- neck pillow
- disposable camera (so vintage)
- A branded tote – includes bottle opener!
That’s $90 of amazing loot from the awesome people at Robert Mondavi! So, how the heck can you win? So freakin’ easy. Just follow the fancy schmancy prompts by this crazy new giveaway software, Rafflecopter. ENDS ON AUGUST 8TH AT MIDNIGHT.
Spicy Vegetarian Paella Recipe
This thing called life, it’s nothing if not completely crazy and unpredictable. In the past 3 days, I’ve found out two people I knew way back when (2006, oh the stories I’ll tell you) passed away. Although it had been some time since we talked, it still rattles me to my core. When you lose people who are young, vibrant and full of life, well, you can’t help but question your own life and truly see your own mortality. So friends, do me a favor. Just seize the day and hug the people you love. Okay? Now, let’s chat about something I made for you today, a little something I like to call spicy vegetarian paella.
This is another first for me. And with the incredible smells wafting through my kitchen this morning, it’s certainly not going to be the last. Whenever I hear the word paella, I can’t help but laugh and think of George Constanza’s mother on Seinfeld. “What are we going to do with all this paella, GEOORGGE?” hahaha. It’s really the little things in life.
This stuff is really as spicy as it looks, too. The soyrizo (aka, vegetarian chorizo) is spicy as heck on its own, then you add in crushed red pepper and chili powder and well…then you’re just kinda stupid. But not stupid in your mouth will burn off and you’ll need an icepack to the tongue, stupid in you might sweat a little while you eat it. The spice is perfectly offset by the rice and quinoa mixture I decided to throw in.
I’ll be honest, the soyrizo freaked me out a bit. It was jiggly and squishy like tofu but smelled like spicy sausage. Which I totally get is the point. You can very visibly tell it’s not real chorizo, but it tastes just like it. If you love chorizo because you love the hearty texture of sausage (which she does, ha!), you’re not going to love this. However, if you just love the flavor of the sausage and couldn’t care less about texture, you’ll love it.
I actually just ate some of this for breakfast since I made it at 7:30 am. At least it’s not hot soup, I’m making some progress.
Spicy vegetarian paella
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of soyrizo
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 large bell pepper
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Cilantro for garnish
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pan (or wok) over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper, cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Crumble in soyrizo and heat about 2 minutes.
- Add in broth, quinoa, rice, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and chili powder. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir it up a bit then cover. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice and quinoa is soft, stirring every 3 – 5 minutes.
- Serve warm with cilantro and a dash of salt and pepper.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 238.5
Fat: 7.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 34 grams
Fiber: 6.5 grams
Protein: 10.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
Claire
Tags:healthy recipe, paella recipe, quinoa recipe, spicy recipe, vegetarian recipe
Vegetarian Pho Recipe
I know. A vegetarian pho recipe. It’s August. I get it. I think I’ve officially gone off the reservation. But, in my defense, I made this light years ago and never shared it (bad food blogger, BAD) and it was actually comfortable outside this morning. There was even a slight chill in the air. Which automatically makes me think of fall and soup.
Want to hear something absurd? I made this in late MAY. When it was 106 degrees outside. And I slurped it all up with a big, weird, demented smile on my face while I sat in pools of sweat. I completely think I have just gone stark mad and you should send me off to the loony bin.
The reason behind hot soup in hot-as-balls weather was simple. I had to make a batch of homemade vegetable broth/stock for work. And it just so happened that on that day (also in the high 90’s) I had an insane craving for Pho. Since E, who is SANE, refused to go sit and eat hot soup in the dead of summer, I decided to make my own with the fresh batch o’ broth I just made.
Vegetable broth should really just be called “compost liquid” since it’s made with vegetable scraps. Blech. But, it tastes good and makes this pho flippin’ awesome. Awesome enough that I may have eaten 3 LARGE bowls of it that night.
Just thinking about this subtle, yet spicy, warm bowl of soup is making my mouth water. I think it would be absurd of me NOT to make it today, right? Yes. I think you’re right. Oh and without realizing it, I’ve dubbed this week vegetarian week. So if you’re a meat lovin’ carnivore, come back next week. (Or just dream of meat while you read this).
For the AMAZING vegetarian pho recipe, CLICK HERE!
Nutritional information per 1 cup soup:
Calories:165.5
Fat: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 27.8
Protein: 2.5 grams
Weight Watchers: 4
