(Caffeine-free) Diet Coke Brownies

Original Source: Diet Coke Brownies

1 box fudge brownie mix (I used the 9 x 13 pan size)

1 (12 oz.) can Diet Coke (I used caffeine-free, of course)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl dump the brownie mix in.  Open that can of Diet Coke and slowly pour over the dry brownie mix. It will foam up a lot.

When all of the Diet Coke has been stirred in and well incorporated the batter will be very liquid, but that's OK.

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan which has been lightly coated with non-stick spray (bottom of the pan only),and bake for 30-35 minutes or as directed on the box. Let them cool, cut them into 24 pieces and try not to eat the entire pan before the family gets home!

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Okay, I made these and Yum!  Delicious!  They were a little chewier, but so good.

But I have to say one thing.

24 pieces?  Seriously?  24? Who cuts them that small? 

If you cut them into 12 pieces, that makes them 4 1/2  WW+ points each.  Of course I cut them even bigger than that, but we won’t go there.

Okay fine, 6 brownies are 9 points each.  I calculated that if I had made them traditionally with eggs and oil, those 6 brownies would have been 16 points each! I saved 7 points!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Original Source: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower  Pizza Crust

Makes one 9 inch pizza crust

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

Directions:
Remove stems and leaves from 1 head of cauliflower, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to your food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (You can also use a cheese grater). Place the “riced” cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (may need to adjust according to your microwave). No need to add water.

One large head will produce between 2 and 3 cups of riced and cooked cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To make the pizza crust:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, beaten egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, minced garlic and salt, mix well. Transfer the mixture to your cookie sheet, and pat out into a 9″ round.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool awhile. This helps to make the crust more solid.

To make the pizza:  add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes). *Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

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Me: The Chocoholic detest cauliflower.  I make him eat it, but he complains the whole time.  So I thought this would be fun to try.  He knew I was making it and he was determined to hate it. 

My head of cauliflower produced 5-6 cups of riced cauliflower.  I quadrupled the recipe and put it in my big cookie sheet.  For toppings, I used a can of tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, 1 pound of hamburger, 1 can of crushed pineapple, and cheddar cheese.  I cut it in 8 pieces, so they were pretty big pieces.  And this is what happened.

We ate it before I could get a picture of the finished product!  So you get a picture of the finished off product.  The Chocoholic even ate 2 pieces!  I am thrilled, and cannot wait to make it again.  And I don’t feel guilty about feeding it to my kids because they are eating vegetables!  Whoo Hoo!

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Original Source: How to make your own microwave popcorn

First you need a plain brown paper sack-- the kind you put a lunch in works great. And a 1/2 cup of raw popcorn-- open the sack so that it will stand up, and pour the popcorn into the sack.  Fold the top down on the sack and put the sack in the microwave standing up straight.  Cook for 2 minutes- just like you do the store bought packages. After it has popped, you can eat it plain- or add any topping you like. There are lots of different ways you can flavor it-- and I promise you won't be able to tell the difference between this & the store bought packages.  It's a lot cheaper too- so that is always a plus!!

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Me: I was very skeptical about this one.  Notice I am skeptical about a lot of things pinned.  But I figured if it doesn’t work, I am only out 1/2 cup of popcorn.  I had The Artist do this for me and look at the result:

I know it blurry, but I had to show you that the bag is full!  Yes, 1/2 cup of popcorn filled the lunch bag!  It popped perfectly!  Then we just used “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray, which is zero points and it’s the perfect snack!  I am never spending money on microwave popcorn again!  Whoo Hoo!

Baked Bacon

Original Post: Less-Mess Bacon

This spatter-free technique puts the "bake" back in bacon. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, then lay the bacon strips flat, making sure pieces do not overlap. Bake until crisp and browned, 15 to 18 minutes, or desired doneness, rotating the sheets once. Transfer strips to a paper towel to drain.

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Me:  I love this trick.  The best part is it’s not really a secret…the directions are right on the back of the bacon package!  Now, a couple of things.  I didn’t put down parchment paper…or foil…or a rack.  I just laid the bacon on the pan.  And I didn’t want to get 2 pans dirty, so I just overlapped the pieces a bit. 

This is the bacon when I took it out of the oven.  I like my bacon chewy, not crispy.  Just bake it to the doneness you like.  When you take it out of the oven, pull it off the pan and onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the grease.  No grease splatters or burns!

I can’t find the original pin for this following idea, but it’s brilliant!  Line a bowl with foil.  After you take the bacon off the pan, pour the grease into the foil.  Now you can clean your pan right away, and it’s not baked on.  Easy clean up. But…

Leave your bacon grease overnight and let it harden.  Then…

Fold up the edges of your foil and throw the whole thing away.  Super easy clean up, and your bowl is still clean!  I love doing this!  Whoo Hoo for easy clean up!

So I love both of these pins and I will continue to use them from now on.