• freestyle pizza
    In the Kitchen

    Freestyle Pizza

    Have you made the 2 ingredient dough yet? Easy to make and versatile, it will soon become a staple in your kitchen. Every weekend I quadruple the easy 1 c. flour / 1 c. yogurt dough to make 3 Freestyle point bagels. I also roll the dough and make flatbread with it. Tonight, I used the flatbread to make a delicious and protein-packed freestyle pizza crust. Friday nights are pizza night. Maybe not every week, but in my heart, I always go to pizza. What’s a better way to kick of a weekend with melted cheese? Melted cheese on a pizza crust that packs 24 g. of protein and 6.5 g.…

    Comments Off on Freestyle Pizza
  • In the Kitchen

    Freestyle Dough

    It is no secret that I love my morning bagel. I make them on the weekends, freeze the extras, and take one out of the freezer every morning. The great thing about the freestyle dough is that the fat-free yogurt is point free on Weight Watchers Freestyle program. The recipe also earns its name “freestyle dough” because of its versatility. Earlier this week I rolled it out and “fried” it in a cast iron skillet to make naan. Last night, I rolled it out and made pizza on it. It worked both times. Using the same basic recipe, check out the two usages below and post your own uses in…

    Comments Off on Freestyle Dough
  • Grandma's Chocolate Cake
    In the Kitchen

    Grandma’s Chocolate Cake

    My grandma’s chocolate cake is one of our family’s staples. For years, my grandmother made it every single week for Sunday dinner. By the time I was born, however, it had become our special occasion cake made for birthdays and other celebratory family dinners. This weekend, my mom got out her old and faded recipe card so I could make this for her birthday. There’s really no hint like handing someone the recipe you want them to make for you! We had a busy weekend, but I was still able to whip this cake up in less than 20 minutes. Since everything is made in one bowl, it’s fast and…

    Comments Off on Grandma’s Chocolate Cake
  • In the Kitchen

    7 Minute Frosting

    Growing up, my grandmother’s frosting was my absolute favorite. For red cakes, she would make a traditional Ermine frosting. But, for her signature chocolate cake, she made this sweet and fluffy 7 Minute Frosting. Spread thinly, because a little will go a long way, but don’t expect a smooth finish. Sweet with a little sugary crunch, this frosting sets up to have a natural flaky consistency.  Years later, I realized that it was also dairy free. Of course, my grandmother’s celebration cake has both butter and buttermilk, but this frosting could easily be used on other dairy free confections. It’s somewhat of a cross between spun sugar and a dense…

    Comments Off on 7 Minute Frosting
  • Instant Pot Weeknight Bolognese
    In the Kitchen

    Instant Pot Weeknight Bolognese

    Last summer my husband was out of the country for work. I had never had the patience for Amazon Prime day before. But that day was the perfect storm: my daughter was down for a nap, I was a little bored and lonely, and it was Amazon Prime Day. I scrolled through sales on items I didn’t really need or want. My Facebook feed was lighting up with comments about the incredible sale on Instant Pots. What’s an Instant Pot? At 12:30 on Amazon Prime Day I had never heard of an Instant Pot, by 1:30 I was the newest owner of this 8-quart 7 In 1 Instant Pot ($139.95, Amazon…

    Comments Off on Instant Pot Weeknight Bolognese
  • Fitness,  In the Kitchen

    Homemade Bagels for Breakfast

    I had great success with Weight Watchers several years ago. After losing about 30 pounds, I had an overuse kneed injury that required surgery. Even without working out, I was able to maintain most of that weight loss for months…until the holidays. Winter is my comfort food time, and I love holiday food. After two years, a pregnancy, and infertility medication, the weight had all come back. So, like millions of Americans, I made a New Years Resolution with the family to start the new Weight Watcher’s program, Freestyle. We officially started mid-January and I’ve already lost nearly 8 pounds. I started working out last week, mainly delayed because of…