Deb’s Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls


Deb's Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Bites

Makes 34 power balls when you use a small scoop.

Blue – 1 point for 1, 3 points for 2

Green – 1 point for 1, 3 points for 2

Purple – 1 point for 1, 2 points for 2

  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup reduced fat peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips
  1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Using a small scoop (check my Amazon store front on the home page to see the one I use), scoop out 34 balls onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat or wax or parchment paper. Place in fridge until solid. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.





Chicken and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce


Chicken and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce

Serves 4

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 Tbsp light butter, divided
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup fat free half and half
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
  1. Pound chicken thin between 2 pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. If too big after pounding, cut into smaller pieces

  2. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside

  3. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp light butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil together until the butter is melted. Dredge chicken in flour, shake off excess. Brown the chicken in the butter until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook on other side 3-5 minutes. Do in batches if need be. Remove to a plate and keep warm

  4. Add remaining 2 Tbsp of light butter to pan and heat until melted. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until well browned and softened and liquid is evaporated. Add the garlic and stir and cook for 30 seconds.

  5. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Add the chicken broth, mustard and half and half. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the sauce back to a light simmer and add the chicken. Heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.





Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole


Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Serves 6 Blue and Purple – 8 points, Green 11 points

  • 6 chicken breasts
  • 12 slices deli ham
  • 6 slices Sargento Ultra Thin Swiss Cheese
  • 1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 package Stove Top Stuffing
  • 1/4 cup light butter, melted
  1. Mix together soup and milk. Put about 1/3 of mixture in the bottom of the crock pot

  2. Slice a pocket into each chicken breast. Place 2 pieces of ham and 1 slice of cheese in each pocket.

  3. Place chicken in crockpot

  4. Pour the remaining soup mixture over chicken breast

  5. Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over the top. Pour melted butter over stuffing.

  6. Cook on low 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through





Vegetable Beef Soup


Vegetable Beef Soup

Makes 18 Servings

Blue – 1 cup, 2 points Purple – 1 cup, 1 point Green – 1 cup, 5 points

  • 1 soup bone
  • 1 lb beef cubes (stew meat, lean)
  • 1 large onion, cut in quarters
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
  • 1 fresh pot herb ( can be found in the fresh herb section – it is a leek, chili pepper, parsley and thyme, tied together)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley
  • 1/2 large head of cabbage, chopped small (about 4-5 cups)
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 32 oz frozen mixed veggies
  • 1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
  1. In a large pot, place soup bone, onion, celery, pot herb, meat and enough water to fill the pot about 3/4 full. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 1 hour.

  2. Add cabbage, barley and crushed tomatoes. Bring back to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes.

  3. Remove bone, pot herb, celery and any large pieces of remaining onion

  4. Add frozen mixed veggies, can of white corn and cook for about 30-40 more or until veggies are tender.

  5. ***Take care not to break open the chili pepper when stirring, adding ingredients or removing at the end…it will get hot!***

  6. I like to serve the soup with a tablespoon of ketchup stirred into each bowl – yes, I know, sounds crazy but it's DELISH and some nice crusty bread!





Macaroni Salad


Macaroni Salad

Very basic and simple, but it's what our family likes!

Makes 10 servings, I weighed out the entire bowl and divided by 10 to get the serving size! Blue, Green and Purple – 5 points

  • 8 oz elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 cup light mayonaisse
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped small
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped small
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Cook macaroni according to directions. Let cool.

  2. In a large bowl, mix macaroni (may have to wet it with cool water while its in the strainer after it cools to "unstick" it) , 3/4 cup of mayo, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of mayo to mix in right before serving.

  3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Mix in remaining 1/4 cup of mayo right before serving. Will keep in fridge for 5 days.





Sausage Souffle


Sausage Souffle

Serves 8

Blue – 4 points

Purple -4 points

Green – 6 points

  • 1 recipe homemade turkey sausage – found here: <a href="https://joanspointedplate.com/turkey-sausage/">https://joanspointedplate.com/turkey-sausage/</a><br /><br />
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cups 1% milk
  • 8 slices 1 point bread, such as 647 Bread
  • 6 oz Cabot 75% cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  1. Cook and crumble turkey sausage

  2. Cube bread

  3. Mix all ingredients together, add sausage, mix.

  4. Pour into a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until eggs are set

  5. Can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days ahead of baking





Amy’s Roast Chicken


Amy's Roast Chicken

The best roast chicken I have ever had. Here is Amy's recipe: https://amycommonsensesouthern.com/2019/03/14/easy-roasted-chicken/

If you eat the white breast meat only, the meat is 0 on blue and purple, and depending on how much you eat, count the points for green. I give the gravy 1 or 2 points depending on how much I use.

  • 3-5 pound whole chicken
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 3-5 cloves garlic
  • 1 med-large onion
  • salt and pepper or favorite herb blend, to taste
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp light butter
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 425F.

    Rinse the chicken and pat dry the outside skin thoroughly with paper towels. Add the lemon half and garlic cloves to the inside of the chicken and tie the legs together with a bit of cooking twine. Tuck the wing tips under the breast.

    Slice the onion into rings and place in the bottom of a dutch oven or pan that can be used on top of the stove. Place the chicken on top of the onions. Brush with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper or dried herbs. Add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of the pan to prevent the onions from burning.

    Place the pan UNCOVERED in the preheated oven for one hour. Remove the pan after one hour and check the onions. Add more water if the onions are getting too dark around the edges. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and move it to a platter to cool.

    Carefully remove the lemon from the chicken and squeeze some of the juice and pulp into the pan juices and onion. Alternately, when removing chicken from the pan, make it a point to insert a fork into the lemon so that the juices will drain back into the pan. Place the pan of juices and onion on a stove burner set to medium and simmer the sauce until it has thickened slightly. Serve the pan sauce along with the chicken.

    If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can thicken with a cornstarch slurry!





Turkey Sausage


Turkey Sausage

Blue – 0 points

Purple – 0 points

Green – 2 points

  • 1 pound 99% fat free ground turkey
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper (can use black pepper)
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • pinch marjoram
  • ***can substitute 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning for sage and marjoram**
  1. In a small bowl, mix all spices.

  2. In a larger bowl, place ground turkey. Sprinkle seasonings over turkey and mix VERY WELL with hands until all the seasonings are distributed throughout meat

  3. Next, you can form patties and fry them or use as ground turkey sausage in a recipe such as sausage gravy and biscuits or in a breakfast casserole.

  4. I use a small amount of oil and non stick spray when cooking the sausage to prevent it from sticking.





Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup


Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

recipe adapted from Dash of Herbs

Serves 8 – I will measure/weigh out the entire recipe and then divide by 8 to get accurate servings. I am estimating about 1 cup

Blue – 4 points

Purple – 2 points

Green – 4 points

  • 1/2 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 small bag shredded carrots chopped
  • 2 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 1/2 small onion chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 6 ounces wild rice
  • 2 Tbsp light butter
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 1% milk
  • 1/2 cup fat free half and half
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  1. Spray your slow cooker with olive oil spray. Place the chicken breasts into the cooker and cover with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth, wild rice, garlic, shredded carrots, onion and spices. Stir to combine and cook on high for 6 hours.
  2. Once the chicken is finished cooking, take the breasts out and shred them. Add them back to the soup.
  3. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour to combine. Add the milk and half and half. Add this mixture to the soup and mix to combine. Serve immediately.





Pork Chop, Potato and Asparagus Sheet Pan Bake


Pork Chop, Potato and Asparagus Sheet Pan Bake

Serves 4

  • 1 pound baby potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless porkchops (4 oz each) **SEE NOTE
  • 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a sheet pan with non stick spray

  2. Clean and cut potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size. Place on baking sheet and toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Mix around so all are coated. Put the potatoes down one side of the sheet pan.

  3. In a shallow pie plate, mix parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder and pepper. Stir to combine

  4. Place pork chops on sheet pan. Brush the tops with 2 tsp olive oil. Spoon half of the breadcrumb mixture over the pork chops, pressing down onto the chops to form a crust. Bake for 25 minutes

  5. Remove from oven and stir potatoes. Make room on try for asparagus.

  6. Add the asparagus to the tray and drizzle with remaining 2 tsp of olive oil. Make sure it is well coated (you can use a brush to spread it). Sprinkle the remaining bread crumb mixture evenly over the potatoes and asparagus. Cook everything for 20 minutes more.

Do not use “thin sliced” pork chops – use ones that are about 1/2 inch thick. If you use thin they will be dry and tough.