Hungry Girl Upside Down Pineapple Cake

PER SERVING (1/8th of cake, 1 slice): 190 calories, 3.5g fat, 298mg sodium, 39g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 26.5g sugars, 1.5g protein
A slice of the original recipe has 380 calories and 16g fat! I cut the calories in half by using no-sugar-added applesauce & pineapple rings packed in juice instead of syrup!

Topping
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
7 pineapple rings packed in juice, drained
7 maraschino cherries
Cake
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 1/2 cups) moist-style yellow cake mix
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup club soda
1/4 cup no-sugar-added applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a round cake pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds, just until melted. Add brown sugar and mix well. Spread mixture evenly along the bottom of the cake pan. Set aside.
Blot pineapple rings and cherries with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Lay pineapple rings in an even layer in the cake pan, and place one cherry in the center of each pineapple ring. Set aside.
To make the batter, combine cake mix with baking powder in a large bowl. Mix well. Add club soda and applesauce, and stir until smooth.
Evenly pour batter into the cake pan over the fruit layer. Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 - 35 minutes.
Allow cake to cool completely. Firmly and securely place a plate over the pan, and carefully flip so the plate is on the bottom. Gently lift pan to release the cake.
Cut into 8 slices and dig in!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Reciepe Of The Week

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

Makes 8 servings

PointsPlus™ values | 2 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 medium green bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 2 medium yellow crook-neck squash, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 1 medium eggplant, stemmed, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Cooking spray for the grill grate
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Toss vegetables with remaining ingredients and set aside.
  
  
• Off heat, coat grill with cooking spray. Prepare gas grill for direct, high-heat grilling or build a high-heat charcoal bed in the center of the coal grate on a charcoal grill.
  
  
• Place the vegetables directly over the heat source on the prepared grate. Cover and grill until the vegetables begin to char in places and develop distinct grill lines, about 6 minutes.
  
  
• Turn the vegetables with tongs and continue grilling until they again have distinct grill lines over the fire and have begun to soften, about 4 minutes.
  
  
• Transfer all the vegetables back to the bowl with any remaining marinade. Toss gently and serve.
  
  
• Serving size: 2 cups.

Reciepe Of The Week

Healthy Recipes

Spring Greens With Dijon Vinaigrette Recipe

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 41, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 43mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Total Fat: 4g, Carbs: 2g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 1g

Exchanges: Vegetable: 0.5, Fat: 0.5

Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup(s) oil, hazelnut
• 1/3 cup(s) vinegar, white wine
• 1 tablespoon mustard, dijon-style
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, sea
• 16 cup(s) lettuce, mixed greens
• 2 cup(s) basil, fresh
• 1 medium cucumber(s), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 6 radish(es), (3/4 cup) thinly sliced

Preparation

1. In a screw-top jar, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, herbes de Provence, and salt. Cover; shake well. Set aside.

2. In a very large salad bowl, toss together greens, basil, cucumber, and radishes. Add dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper. If desired, top with croutons.

Peppermint Bark

By Alison Needham

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Why pay outrageous prices for peppermint bark in the store when it is so easy to make this holiday treat at home? Packaged in a cute tin, it makes a wonderful gift as well. Kids love to help spread the melted chocolate and smash the candy canes for the topping.

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour, plus cooling time
Yield: 2 pounds of candy

Ingredients
1 package of good-quality white chocolate chips
1 package of good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons of peppermint extract
4 regular sized candy canes

Directions

1. Place candy canes in a freezer-strength ziplock bag and wrap with a dish towel. Using a heavy pan or a rolling pin, smash candy canes to little bits on a sturdy, non-dentable surface (like the driveway, patio or garage floor…my kids love this part). Or you can chop them up in your food processor. Set aside.
2. Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a large microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir. Heat again for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir until smooth and completely melted and almost room temperature. Alternately, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler and remove to cool bowl and stir until chocolate is barely warm. Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract and spread chocolate on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper to about a 13 x 17 inch rectangle. Place tray in the freezer to set chocolate.
3. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir. Heat for another 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth and cooled to room temperature. Stir in 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Remove semi-sweet chocolate from the freezer. Spread white chocolate over the top of the semi-sweet chocolate, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with chopped candy cane bits and press them in slightly to make sure they stick. Return the pan to the freezer for about 15-30 minutes, or until chocolate is set. Snap candy into large shards and package as desired.

Eat This Now: Spaghetti Squash

In season early fall to winter. By Yishane Lee Image by Joe McKendry From the November 2010 issue of Runner's World

GOOD FOR YOU
One cup of spaghetti squash (whose edible interior breaks up into noodle-like strands when cooked) has just 42 calories with two grams of fiber. It's also a good source of vitamin B6 and C, as well as the minerals manganese, potassium, and iron

GET THE BEST
The oblong squash, which has a slightly sweet flavor, should feel heavy for its size and be free of bruises or soft spots. The color can range from pale ivory to yellow and orange. Store whole spaghetti squash at room temperature for up to a month.

KITCHEN SIMPLE
Pierce the surface of a whole spaghetti squash with a fork multiple times. Bake it at 400° F for one hour. Let it cool, then slice open and use a fork to comb out the stringy flesh. Bittman suggests squeezing in a strainer to drain excess water. Toss with a little browned butter, ground nutmeg, chopped sage, grated Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

Happy Halloween ,Treat and Enjoy

Need a cool and creepy treat to wrap up your Halloween party menu? Here's one that features a special famous guest mummified in sweet marshmallow strips.

You'll need:

• Batch of baked cupcakes
• Wax paper
• Confectioner's sugar
• Rolling pin
• Marshmallows
• Kitchen scissors
• White frosting
• Chocolate nonpareil candies
• Chocolate-covered raisins

Instructions:

1. Working atop wax paper dusted with confectioners sugar, use a rolling pin to flatten a bunch of marshmallows.

2. Use kitchen scissors to cut the rolled marshmallows into thin strips. Set the strips aside for now.

3. Frost the cupcakes. Press a pair of nonpareil candies (white side down) into the frosting at the top of each cupcake to resemble Mickey ears. Then add a pair of chocolate-covered raisin eyes.

4. Randomly place marshmallow strips over each cupcake, leaving the eyes exposed, to resemble a mummy. Gently press the strips into the icing just enough to make them stick in place. When the cupcakes are sufficiently covered, use the kitchen scissors to trim the marshmallow around the perimeters, as needed.