Black & White Cupcakes

Black-and-White Cupcakes
PREP 20 MIN
BAKE/MICROWAVE 20 MIN
SERVES 12
Cupcakes
1 c cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch
process cocoa
2 Tbsp water
1/4 c light stick butter, at room
temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c plain fat-free yogurt
Icing
1 oz bittersweet chocolate,
chopped
1 Tbsp low-fat (1%) milk
1/4 c confectioners’ sugar
1 To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with foil or paper
liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Combine
2 Tbsp granulated sugar, cocoa and water in small bowl, whisking until smooth.
2 With electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining 8
Tbsp sugar. Beat 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately
add flour mixture and yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until
blended. Stir 3/4 c of batter into cocoa mixture. Spoon half of vanilla batter into prepared
muffin cups. Spoon cocoa batter over vanilla batter. Top with remaining vanilla batter.
With table knife, cut and twist through batter to marble. Bake until toothpick inserted into
centers comes out clean, 18−20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from
pan and cool completely on rack.
3 To make icing, put chocolate and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on High
30 seconds. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
Spread icing on cupcakes, using about 1 tsp per cupcake.
PER SERVING (1 ICED CUPCAKE): 111 CAL, 5 G TOTAL FAT, 2 G SAT FAT, 0 G
TRANS FAT, 23 MG CHOL, 133 MG SOD, 17 G TOTAL CARB, 7 G TOTAL SUGAR, 0
G FIB, 3 G PROT, 32 MG CALC. PointsPlus value: 3

Angel Food Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Angel Food Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
PREP 20 MIN
BAKE 15 MIN
SERVES 18
Cupcakes
3/4 c cake flour
2/3 c confectioners’ sugar
8 large egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
1/2 c light corn syrup
2 tsp powdered egg whites
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with foil or paper
liners. Sift flour and confectioners’ sugar onto piece of wax paper. With electric mixer on
high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in granulated sugar. Beat in vanilla. Sift half of flour mixture over beaten
egg whites and fold in with rubber spatula. Repeat with remaining flour mixture.
2 Spoon batter into muffin cups, almost filling each; smooth tops with back of spoon.
Bake until tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed, 14–15 minutes. Cool
in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack.
3 To make frosting, with electric mixer on high speed, beat corn syrup, powdered egg
whites, water, vanilla and salt until mixture is very thick and fluffy, 5 minutes. Spread
frosting on cupcakes.
PER SERVING (1 FROSTED CUPCAKE): 75 CAL, 0 G TOTAL FAT, 0 G SAT FAT, 0 G
TRANS FAT, 0 MG CHOL, 106 MG SOD, 17 G TOTAL CARB, 7 G TOTAL SUGAR, 0 G
FIB, 2 G PROT, 3 MG CALC. PointsPlus value: 2

Take Calcium and Vitamin D for your femur—and your figure!

Take Calcium and Vitamin D for your femur—and your figure!
With so many advertisements out there for calcium and vitamin D supplements,
you probably know by now that they promote strong, healthy bones. As we
age, it becomes increasingly important to make sure we’re getting
enough calcium and vitamin D to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
But did you know that these supplements may also benefit your waistline?
New research shows that calcium and vitamin D supplementation can
actually help to reduce abdominal fat.
A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [1]
found that test subjects receiving calcium and vitamin D supplements
lost, on average, an additional 3.5 inches of abdominal fat (the
unhealthy kind that surrounds the organs) compared to those who were not
given supplementation. The fat loss occurred over a 16-week period.
These findings support earlier findings that adequate intake of calcium
and dairy products can help in losing and maintaining body weight [2,3,4].
The USDA recommends between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 15
micrograms (or 600 International Units) of vitamin D every day. Weight
Watchers recommendation of two to three servings of dairy products a day
(especially ones fortified with Vitamin D) will also help you meet the
USDA recommendations for these nutrients. Here are some great dietary
sources of both nutrients along with their PointsPlus® values:


Calcium (mg)* Vitamin D (mcg)* PointsPlus®


Fat-free milk – 1 cup 299 2.9 2


Yogurt, light, fortified with Vit F 304 2.6 3


Sardines, canned in oil, drained – 3 oz. 325 4.1 4


Fortified soy milk, non-fat – 1 cup 299 2.7 2


Salmon, canned – 3 oz. 197 11.6 3



Taking a daily multivitamin mineral supplement that contains calcium and
vitamin D will help ensure that you reach the USDA’s nutrient
recommendations. Another reason to “bone up” on vitamin D and calcium?
The risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease and Type 2
Diabetes decreases as your abdominal fat shrinks [5].
Maintaining healthy bones and decreasing your abdominal fat while
helping to reduce the risk of certain diseases—now that’s a
multi-tasking supplement!

Weight Watchers Skillet Pizza

Weight Watchers Skillet
PizzaPoints: 8 weight watchers pointsplus
Servings: 1
Serving Size: 1 pizza
1/4 pound (4 oz) of whole wheat pizza dough (you could
make it but I bought mine)
1/2 sliced roma tomato
1 handful fresh
arugula
1 oz of shredded light fresh mozzarella
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
not fat cooking spray

1. Let your pizza dough rest for at least 20 minutes
outside of the fridge.
2. Roll out your pizza dough using your hands, or a
rolling pin, and a little flour until it is about the size of a small saute pan
or cast iron skillet and/or the thickness that you want. I like crispy crust so
I roll it thin.
3. Preheat your saute pan over medium heat and spray with
non fat cooking spray right before adding the dough. Add the pizza dough and
allow to cook for 5-7 minutes until crispy on the bottom and bubbling on top. If
it bubbles too much, pop the bubbles with a fork.
4. Once the dough is crispy, flip it over. Add the
tomatoes, salt and pepper, arugula, and fresh mozzarella. Add a pinch of red
pepper on top.
5. Let cook for an additional 5 minutes until the dough is
cooked through and the cheese has melted. If you have trouble melting the
cheese, you can cover it briefly or pop it in a hot oven. Enjoy!

Dining Out Dos and Don'ts

Dining Out Dos and
Don’ts
Simple
strategies and tools to help you make wise choices.
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS,
RD
Some people trying to lose weight steer
clear of restaurants to avoid the large portion sizes, bottomless bread baskets
and all those high-calorie entrées. But shunning restaurants altogether isn't a
realistic approach to weight loss — and it's unnecessary. You can eat out
and lose weight. When possible, it's best to plan ahead and account for
the occasion. But even eating on the go doesn't have to derail your day. Use
these 10 tips to navigate the menus at sit-down restaurants and fast-food
joints.

1. Set a budgetDetermine how much you're willing
to eat before looking at the menu. Remember, you can save your weekly
PointsPlus® Allowance for indulgences. For even more flexibility, you can
earn activity PointsPlus values that can be swapped for food. And as long
as you eat carefully most of the time, you can loosen up a bit on special
occasions. (Just don't let every day become a special
occasion).

2. Put on your game
faceDecide on some guidelines before you go to a restaurant, and stick to
them. For instance:
Skip the all-inclusive
(prix fixe) menu and opt for à la carte selections.
Take one piece of
bread, then ask your server to remove the basket from the
table.
3. Make special requestsYou're paying good money
for that meal, so you're entitled to make special requests or slight
modifications. Why not say:
Can I have that without butter? Grilled? With the
sauce on the side?
I'd like mixed greens instead of fries with my
sandwich.

4. Practice portion controlSome restaurant
portions can be two, three, even four times the "normal" size — especially
super-sized fast food meals. Keep your portions in check by:
Ordering a salad as a starter and then splitting a
main entrée with a friend.
Creating your own scaled-down meal from a couple of
appetizers and/or side dishes.

5. Break down (language) barriersIf you don't
know what a preparation term means, ask. In general, though, the following words
translate into high-fat, high-calorie dishes:
Au gratin, scalloped, hollandaise.
Parmigiana, scampi, Bolognese.

6. Downsize the super-sizeSuper-sized fast food
meal options can be loaded with calories. Either:
Order something small, like a basic burger. After
all, the first bite tastes the same as the last.
Order yourself a children's meal.

7. Watch out for extrasThe average burger with
ketchup, lettuce and tomato isn't so bad. But one with "the works" is usually a
caloric nightmare. Skip:
Bacon, cheese and mayonnaise.
Double-burger patties and extra pieces of
bread.
8. Don't go top heavySalad bars and garden salads
grace menus across the country. But those extra toppings can sabotage your
seemingly diet-conscious choices:
Go light on croutons, grated cheese and
bacon.
Opt for small amounts of low-fat or nonfat dressings
on the side.

9. Don't drink away your progressA drink with
dinner is fine, but too many sugary margaritas may wreak havoc on your
PointsPlus budget — and your resolve. Keep your appetite under control
by:
Alternating alcoholic beverages with noncaloric sodas
or sparkling water.
Not drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty
stomach.

10. Resign from the "clean plate club" You paid
for it so you have to eat it all now, right? Wrong. Downsize
by:
Enjoying half the meal and doggie-bagging the
rest.
Pushing your plate away when you're
full.
Eating slowly. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your
body to recognize that it's full.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

THE GOLDEN RULES OF TRACKING

IF YOU BITE IT, WRITE IT
IF YOU DRINK IT, INK IT
IF YOU SNACK IT, TRACK IT
IF YOU NIBBLE IT, SCRIBBLE IT
IF YOU STEAL IT, REVEAL IT
IF YOU GRAB IT, BLAB IT
IF YOU LICK IT, BIC IT

IF IT GOES IN YOUR SMACKER,
IT GOES IN YOUR TRACKER
IF YOU INGEST IT, YOU GUESSED IT-
GRAB YOUR PENCIL BEFORE YOUR UTENSIL.

Oven Roasted Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips

Oven Roasted Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
Points: 3 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
Servings: 4
Serving Size: about 1 cup

2 large potatoes, cut into thick potato chip slices with skin
2 tbsp smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (I like a lot!)
cooking spray
Malt and Vinegar to serve on the side or drizzle over the top

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a baking sheet
inside as the oven preheats. This step is extremely
important to make sure the chips come out crispy.
The baking sheet should be hot and you should hear the
potatoes sizzle when you spread them out on the sheet.
Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and spray with
cooking spray to coat. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and toss together until
evenly coated.
Spread potato chips in a single layer across the baking
sheet.
Cook potatoes for between 25-30 minutes (or until they get
crispy). Flip the potatoes after about 15 minutes of cooking.
Serve on their own with malt vinegar drizzled on top or as
a side dish.