Another Breakfast Suggestion

French toast is absolutely one of the most delicious breakfast innovations out there.  I searched and found THIS RECIPE and modified it a bit.... The light, whole wheat hot dog buns seem strange for french toast, but they actually make a great substitute for the usual thick, calorie-dense bread.  You can use 4 slices of (light) whole wheat bread if you don't have any on hand.  You can top the toast with strawberries and whipped cream, but unfortunately I didn't have either one =( . Basically, this is fun recipe if you have a few extra minutes in the morning and crave something other than your boring cereal routine!

180 CALORiES: 3g fat/35g carbs/4g fiber/10g protein

(RECiPE SERVES 2)

* 2 Egg Whites or 4 TBSP Egg Beaters

* 1/2 Banana, mashed

* 2 tsp Coffee-Mate French Vanilla Creamer powder

* 4 tsp hot water

* 1 tsp Vanilla

* 1/4 tsp Cinnamon

* 1/4 tsp Salt

* 1 Splenda packet

* 2 Hot Dog Buns (Nature's Own Whole Grain Sugar-Free)

* 4 TBSP Maple Syrup (Mrs. Buttersworth's Sugar-Free)

1. Drop all ingredients (except for the bread and syrup) in a blender + combine for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Or, just beat the mixture with an electric mixer on the highest setting. Pour into a shallow bowl.

2. Grease a medium griddle pan lightly with cooking spray and set between medium or medium-low heat. If using a hot dog bun, tear the bun in half and cut into 8 pieces.  Otherwise, cut each bread slice into quarters (16 pieces total).

3. Dip and soak each piece evenly in the shallow bowl and then the pan to cook for 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with 2 TBSP. syrup each!

Breakfast Dilemmas Resolved

McDonald's Egg McMuffin: 300 calories

12g fat, 30g carbs, 2g fiber, 18g protein.

VS.

Your OWN Egg McMuffin: 250 calories

9g fat, 27g carbs, 8g fiber, 19g protein.

* 1 Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffin (CLiCK HERE)

* 1 Large Egg

* 1 Canadian Bacon slice, Oscar Mayer (CLiCK HERE)

* 1 Bacon slice, Hormel (CLiCK HERE)

* 1 TBSP. Kraft Fat-Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese (CLiCK HERE)

* 1 TBSP. Salsa or Hot Sauce

1. Set oven to broil on 500 degrees. Spray a small griddle pan lightly with cooking spray, heat to medium and start cooking the egg, fry-style (I add some salt/pepper for more flavor).

2. Cut muffin in half, sprinkle the cheese on one side, then place both halves plus the canadian bacon on a small baking sheet and into the oven for no more than 2-3 minutes.

3. Microwave bacon for 10 seconds (but if it's raw, then start cooking it earlier in the process).

4. Once egg is done, muffin is slightly toasted, and cheese melted, put it all together with some salsa/hot sauce for a kick and voila!

IHOP's Breakfast Sampler: 1,180 calories
74g fat, 82g carbs, 6g fiber, 49g protein.

VS.

Your OWN Breakfast Sampler (sortof...): 230 calories
11g fat, 26g carbs, 4g fiber, 20g protein.

* Pancakes! These are very low-carb, high protein pancakes... the ingredients may sound weird, but I promise they're good!

~Makes 1 big pancake or 2 mini ones for a little under 100 calories:

- 1 Egg White

- 2 TBSP + 2 tsp. Cottage Cheese, 1%
- 2 TBSP + 2 tsp. Rolled Oats

- 1/8 tsp. Salt

- 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

- 1/2 packet of Splenda

* 4 Strawberries, cut up small

* 2 TBSP. Maple Syrup, sugar-free (CLiCK HERE)

* 1 Large Egg, (cooked exactly the same as above)

* 1 Bacon Strip (torn in half)

1. Blend the oats in a blender or food processor until the texture is finely crumbled.  Pour out into a small bowl and add the salt, cinnamon, and splenda in.

2. Combine with the egg white and cottage cheese, then pour back into the blender and mix until the batter is smooth (and the cottage cheese is less lumpy).

3. Heat a lightly greased small pan over medium-low for a few minutes, pour batter into pan and cook for a couple minutes until small bubbles form at the top, then flip and cook a minute or two more. Enjoy with syrup and topped strawberries (or other fruit), and an egg + bacon!

With Love,

Camille

FOR THE SNACK SAAVY

So, I had some extra cottage cheese in my fridge that was about to go bad and so I made up a couple snack ideas to use it with this past week that were surprisingly pretty filling.

FRUiTY APPLE CHEESE SALAD:

- 1 thinly sliced small apple

- 1/4 cup nonfat or 1% cottage cheese

- 1 or 2 TBSP raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing (click HERE for the one i have, which tastes DELICIOUS with only 5 calories in 2 TBSP!)

- 1 packet Splenda (optional)

ZESTY CELERY SALAD:

- 1 medium celery stalk

- 1/4 cup nonfat or 1% cottage cheese

- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp dried chives (or fresh... way better!)

- 1/4 tsp dill weed, paprika

- 1/8 tsp lemon pepper, garlic powder

ALSO, I recently made a list of several snack ideas all under 100 calories. I eat about half of them on a regular basis. Enjoy!

* 1/2 toasted English muffin with 1/4 cup sliced banana and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 99 calories.

* Hershey’s kisses, 26 calories each

* 1/2 apple with 1 tsp peanut butter and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 95 calories.

* 1 egg fried in a little cooking spray and tony's cajun seasoning + black pepper , 75 calories.

* 1/2 sweet potato with 1/2 tsp. butter and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 99 calories.

* 1/4 small avocado, 40 calories.

* 1 60-calorie string cheese stick with 5 wheat thins, 95 calories.

* 8 baby carrots and 1 TBSP hummus, 80 calories.

* 1 apple or pear, 82 calories.

* 1 pistachio, 4 calories.

* 1 peanut, 6 calories.

* 1 almond, 7 calories.

* 1 cashew, 8 calories.

* 1 hazelnut, 9 calories.

* 1 Jell-0 sugar-free gelatin snack, 10 calories.

* 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 50 calories.

* 1/2 can of tuna with 1 chopped baby pickle, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, 1 TBSP miracle whip, 99 calories.

* Air-popped popcorn, just 33 calories per cup.

* 27 frozen grapes, 97 calories.

* 1/3 cup (dry) oatmeal with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1-2 packets Splenda + water, 93 calories.

* 1/2 sliced bell pepper with 1 TBSP light ranch dressing, 70 calories.

* 1 cup strawberries, topped with 2 TBSP Cool Whip, 58 calories.

* 1 medium celery stick, sliced with 1 TBSP peanut butter, 99 calories.

Flatbread Wrap "Pizza"

It all starts with a "Flatout" bread wrap. I found these at Walmart the last time I went grocery shopping. I bought the Light Italian Herb flavor, which has only 90 calories per wrap, 9g protein =), 9g fiber, AND only 6g net carbs. I knew that most flatbread tends to be thin, but this was just a little bit thinner than I'd expected. Still, it was a pretty hefty size of flatbread for such a low calorie content (usually wraps/tortillas contain 120-130 calories a piece). Anyways, after seeing a recipe on their website, I decided to use THIS RECIPE for dinner, modifying a few ingredients and steps. I came to find out that this was one of the easiest, tastiest, and lowest calorie pizzas I have ever made! P.S.. Your kitchen will smell better than Italy in heaven... =)

iNGREDiENTS:

* 1 Flatout Light Italian Herb Flatbread

* 1/4 tsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

* 1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

* 6 Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half

* 1/3 cup Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (I just had the canned kind, which I think would taste nasty in this recipe, so I didn’t usemushrooms, boo) =(

* 1/2 cup Fresh Spinach (I actually used “Spring Mix” pre-washed lettuce with baby arugula, which has a great flavor I think)

* 1 TBSP. Balsamic Vinegar

* 1/4 cup Barilla Marinara Sauce

* 1/4 cup Reduced-Fat Mozzarella Cheese (I didn’t have any, so I just grated a light mozzarella string cheese stick)

* 1 tsp. Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated tastes better!)

* 8 slices Hormel Turkey Pepperoni

OPTiONAL HERBS TO SPiCE UP THE FLAVOR:

* 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (or oregano, basil, sage, thyme)

* 1/4 tsp. Fennel Seed (optional.. i think this gives it a great meaty, italian flavor... fennel seed it also great in homemade meatballs with italian sausage, fyi)

* 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub oil evenly over the wrap on both sides. Place wrap by itself on the oven rack and cook for 5 minutes.

2. While waiting for the wrap to toast, saute the onions, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes over in a small greased pan over medium heat for 3 minutes. The last minute or so, turn off the heat and pour the balsamic vinegar evenly over the veggies.

3. Take the wrap out of the oven and spread marinara sauce over it evenly. Add the herbs if you are using them. Sprinkle the cheeses on next, then the pepperoni. Lastly, place the sauteed veggies evenly over the cheese and pepperoni. Season the whole thing with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place back on oven rack (350) for 6 or 7 more minutes. Take out and slice (or fold in half) and enjoy!

** YUMMY FACTS: 1 pizza serving contains 260 calories, 13g fat, 25g carbs, 23g protein, 13g fiber, with lots of Vitamin A, C, Calcium, and Iron