Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Because I love all things pumpkin

and I have another 50 lbs to lose 

I literally gasped out loud when I found this recipe:

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

(her pics are way nicer than mine)

I tweeked it a bit and measured out everything exactly.

Here's my version.

It's a bit more like a baked custard than a pie and while I do miss the crust 

(because it's the best part right?!) 

it was HEAVENLY!!!  

AND because I'm a bit of a glutton I loved that I could eat a TON of it.

In fact, it was my entire dinner tonight.

Jealous huh?!

I will give you 2 options:

simple or super simple

15 oz can Pumpkin Pie mix 

(pre flavored and a bit sweetened) = 450 calories

OR

15 oz can Pumpkin Puree

(you season it yourself with your favorite mix of ginger, cloves, and nutmeg) = 135 calories

1/3 cup white flour = 160 calories

1/3 cup Xylitol = 155 calories (or brown sugar)

1 Tbsp ground flax = 30 calories (or cornstarch)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups skim milk = 180 calories

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 Stevia (Truvia) packets (or 2 Tbsp brown sugar)

Honestly I dumped in the ingredients into my mixer and just turned it on.

No separating or extra bowls, just the lazy way ;)

Use a deep pie pan, this does bubble up and mine overflowed into the oven.

Next time I'll place a cookie sheet under them.

Spray pan with whatever nonstick spray you use and

bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

It will be bubbly right out of the oven but trust the process!

Once cooled, place in the fridge for a couple hours before digging in.

I top mine with Light Cool Whip!

Total calories per PIE = 975 calories (Pumpkin Pie Mix)

or 660 calories (Pumpkin Puree)

1 slice (1/8th of a pie) = 

121 calories ((Pumpkin Pie Mix)

82 calories (Pumpkin Puree)

FYI you can eat 1/2 of this pie for the same calories

 as 1 slice of normal pumpkin pie.

My kids loved this and begged for more after one bite.

Enjoy!

Teresa

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas!

These are so quick and easy it's impossible to mess them up!

Promise!

2 Portobello mushrooms = 10 calories

Spaghetti Sauce (Teresa's Stupidly Simple Sauce) 2 Tbsp = 10 calories

Turkey Pepperoni 10 slices = 50 calories

Pizza blend shredded Cheese 1/4 cup = 80 calories

Remove stem from mushroom and build like a pizza.

Split ingredients evenly between both 'shrooms 

and bake for 10 mins at 350 degrees

Grand total calories for 2 Mushroom Pizzas = 150 calories!

Be sure to pair it with an awesome salad or big bowl of fruit.

Like a true American I like a LOT of cheese on my pizza, as you can see ;)

FYI mushrooms are loaded with water so these are a bit juicy.

Enjoy!

Teresa

Squash! Yep, I finally did it!

For at least a year I've been hearing all about Spaghetti Squash, 

and my mental thought process usually starts and ends with

 "I don't eat squash, buhbye!"

Then the day came when I needed a low calorie and low sodium meal and REALLY wanted pasta.  

Highly unlikely, right?!

Bought myself a spaghetti squash 

and ingredients for homemade spaghetti sauce.

I'm just going to send you all the links I used, since they're WAY better at explaining than I am!

mmmmK?!

Here's how you cook the squash

Here's my stupidly simple spaghetti sauce:

1 can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can water

italian seasoning

1 packet Truvia sweetener (I like sweet sauce)

You could add veggies or meat but I was starving so I scratched those!

Teresa's Spaghetti Squash

1 cup squash 40 cals

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce 25 cals

Total = 65 calories!!!!!!

I didn't feel the least bad about adding a soft rye roll 

or an awesome salad with low calorie/sodium dressing.

My entire meal was 235 calories and I was STUFFED!

Next I made a Spaghetti squash cheesy alfredo bake:

I tweeked her sauce a bit but the results were heavenly!

Sauce:

In a jar I mixed

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cup skim milk

In a saucepan I melted:

1 Tbsp light butter

added minced garlic, pepper, italian seasoning

When butter is melted I added the milk/flour mixture.

Add either 1 Tbsp cream cheese OR

because I was out I used a triangle of my Laughing Cow Swiss

and it worked perfectly!

Mix until completely melted with no lumps.

Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pour over 1/2 of spaghetti squash.

(you could split it between two but I didn't feel like sharing)

CHEESY!

Sauce calories: 350 calories

1/2 of a spaghetti squash: 80 calories

Total : 430 calories!

I tried my best but couldn't finish the whole thing, I probably should've shared ;)

Teresa

Ladies, I give you Chocolate Oatmeal!

This is what happens when I need chocolate badly but I also REALLY need to behave . . . 

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

1/2 cup rolled oats (150 cals)

1 Tbsp cocoa powder (20 cals)

1 cup water

Sweetener (I used 3 little Truvia Packets)

Add all ingredients to bowl and stir well,

then microwave for 2 mins.

Delicious!

Total calories 170!

Total time 5 mins!

Scales, Whooshes and Plateaus!

I don't lose weight in a nice linear way but with lots of plateaus and whooshes.

I often drive myself crazy with frequent weighing and agonizing 

over the day to day water fluctuations.

I retain water when I eat out,

 too much sugar or sodium, 

TOTM, 

heavy weight lifting, 

or heat.

Therefore, I retain water A LOT!

Here's some amazing articles I've found upon my searching 

and they've helped me understand the process and find a 

bit of peace along with that knowledge.  

How do I bounce back from a Binge/Naughty weekend?

A Quick note about Water Balance

Of Whooshes and Squishy Fat

(What happens on the cellular level)

I just wanted to pass this along and say the whole point of these links is to: