Healthy Milkshake

Looking for a yummy and healthy way to get more milk and bananas into your kids?  We've got you covered!  These are delicious and have the smooth, creamy consistency of a Frosty.  Hint- peel your bananas before you freeze them.  Just throw them in a zip top bag.  Trust me, peeling a frozen banana is no fun!

• 1 frozen banana, chopped 
• 1 cup skim milk (or whatever you like)
• 8 regular size ice cubes
• a big squirt of chocolate syrup
• a scoop of peanut or almond butter is optional

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  You can also add any mix-in's you like.  Try Oreos or anything else you'd add to a milkshake!

Beany Brownies

All 3 phases of the South Beach Diet! 

No one will ever guess there are beans in here!  While they do have a diet taste, they are absolutely amazing for phase 1 SBD!  My 5 year old ate them and said they were yummy.  Then he asked for more!

• 1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained (you could use black, but white beans have less 'bean flavor')
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (if you are out of this, double the unsweetened chocolate)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 egg whites or 2 whole eggs
•  1 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 cup sugar free caramel syrup
• 1/4 agave nectar (or 1/2 cup Stevia)
• 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree.  Pour into an 8x8 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  

 Recipe from 3 fat chicks

South Beach Chocolate Ice Cream (All Phases)

1 no sugar added fudgsicle
2 tbsp Cool Whip Free
1 tbsp peanut butter, melted for about 20 seconds (optional)

melt fudgsicle and stir  into Cool Whip.  Add peanut butter if desired.  Cover and refreeze.

South Beach Sundae (All Phases)

• 1 box sugar free, fat free chocolate pudding mix (+ 3 cups cold skim milk)
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp Cool Whip Free

Make pudding according to package directions.
Melt peanut butter for about 20 seconds and mix into Cool Whip, stirring until combined.
 Layer pudding and peanut butter mousse or just mix it all up!

Tiramisu Brownie Trifle

• 1 pkg (18-21oz)fudge brownie mix plus ingredients to make brownies
• 1 container (16oz) cool whip, thawed and divided
• 2 bars (1.45oz each) dark chocolate, divided
• 1/2 cup coffee liqueur
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 pkg (3.3oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

Make brownies according to package directions.  Cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.  

Place 3/4 cup of cool whip into a zip lock or pastry bag and set aside. 

Chop 1/2 of the chocolate bars.  Combine coffee liqueur, water and instant coffee in a medium bowl until dissolved.

In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add coffee mixture, mix well.   Add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken.  Fold in remaining cool whip and chopped chocolate, set aside. 

Place 1/3 of the brownie cubes in a trifle bowl (baking dish will work too).  Layer with 1/3 of the filling.  Repeat layers two more times.  Pipe reserved cool whip  over the top.  Grate remaining chocolate over trifle. 

Yield: 20 Servings

From The Pampered Chef

No Bake Holiday PB Cookies

Cookie Ingredients-

• 3½ cups chopped TWIX® Cookie Bars
• 10 pieces graham crackers
• 3/4 cup peanut butter, reduced fat
• 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

You will also need-

• 1 ½ cups prepared vanilla frosting
• ¼ cup mini M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies
• Wax paper
• Sheet pan
• Wire rack
• Food processor

 In a food processor or blender, pulse TWIX® Cookie Bars with graham crackers until fine.

Remove the mixture and put it in a bowl. Add the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar to the bowl and blend together.

Divide the mixture into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into desired shape (ghost, heart, Christmas tree etc). If too sticky, add extra confectioner’s sugar as necessary. I like to press the 'dough' into a cookie cutter to help me get the shape right. Place the cookies onto the wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat the frosting in the microwave for approximately 10-20 seconds, until thinned and looking slightly like whipped cream. Color with frosting coloring if desired. Place the cookies on a wire rack over a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Spoon the heated frosting over the cookies until completely coated. If the unused frosting begins firming up, simply reheat it for 5 to 10 seconds. Decorate with M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies.

These cookies are just as good without the frosting too!  A chocolate drizzle is great instead!

Photo from brightideas.com

Cannoli Pie

• 1 roll of pre-made sugar cookie dough
• 1 box chocolate pudding mix made per box directions
• cannoli filling
• 1 container cool whip

Press dough into bottom of a  9x13 baking dish.  Bake following package directions or until golden brown.  Cool completely.
Spread cannoli filling over cookie.  Top with chocolate pudding.  Top with a layer of cool whip.  Grate chocolate over the top for garnish.


Cannoli Filling-

• 3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3/4 powdered sugar
• 2 oz chocolate, grated (optional)
• 1 tbsp rum (optional)

Mix all filling ingredients until combined.  Use in Cannoli Pie or to fill store-bought cannoli shells.

Cake Balls

This recipe is great because there are limitless flavor combinations!

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 can frosting
• melted chocolate for dipping or powdered sugar

Bake cake according to box directions.  Cool cake completely and crumble into a large bowl.  Mix the can of frosting into the cake.  You will have to use you hands and get messy!  It's just like making a meat loaf.
Once you have it well mixed, shape into balls and place on a foil lined cookie sheet or in a plastic container.  Freeze at least 3 hours.
When balls are frozen, you can begin to dip them.  You can dip them in melted chocolate or white chocolate or you can roll them in powdered sugar.  If you dip them in chocolate, you can then roll them in (or sprinkle) nuts, coconut, sprinkles etc.  You can even melt flavored chips (such as peanut butter or mint chocolate) to dip the cake balls in. Like I said, Limitless possibilities!

Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 candy canes or 8-10 star mints (about 1/4 cup), crushed
• 1/4 cup white or semisweet chocolate chips
• 10 mini foil wrapped peppermint patties, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can brush vegetable oil on your pan.  Do not use cooking spray as it will cause the cookies to spread to much.
Combine chocolate chips and butter, microwave 40-60 seconds until smooth, stirring after each 20 second interval.  Add sugar and egg, mix well.  Add flour, mix just until incorporated. Drop 20 equal scoops of batter 1 inch apart onto cookie sheet.  Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are set.  Do not over bake.

Meanwhile, crush candy canes and melt remaining chocolate chips. Set aside.

Remove cookies from oven and immediately turn half over and top with a peppermint patty.  Top with remaining cookies to form 10 sandwiches.  Drizzle chocolate over cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Transfer to platter.

From The Pampered Chef

Chocolatey Popcorn Snack Mix

• 1 bag of microwave popcorn
• 1 packet hot chocolate mix
• mini marshmallows
• chocolate teddy grahams

Pop the popcorn and pour into a large bowl.  Sprinkle hot chocolate over popcorn and toss.  Add marshmallows and teddy grahams and mix together.  

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

This dessert is one of the easiest I've made.  However, it's very deceiving!  It looks elegant and like it took hours to layer.  People rave about this one and they'll only know it's dressed up ice cream sandwiches if you tell them! It is very yummy and perfect for summer!

• 19 ice cream sandwiches
• 1 carton Cool Whip (12 oz)
• 1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping
• salted peanuts (optional)

Cut one sandwich in half.  Place one whole and one half sandwich along the short side of an ungreased 13x9 dish.  Arrange eight sandwiches in opposite direction.  
Spread half of the Cool Whip over sandwich layer.  Spoon fudge over Cool Whip and top with 1/2 cup peanuts.  
Repeat layers with remaining sandwiches, Cool Whip and peanuts.  The pan will be full.  
Cover and freeze up to 2 months.  Remove from freezer about 20 minutes before serving.  Cut into squares. 

Pretzel Turtles

• a bag of preztels (the twised ones, not the straight)
• a bag of Rolos
• pecans

Line a cookie sheet with pretzels.  Place one unwrapped Rolo on each pretzel.  Bake at 350 for about 3 minutes.  You want the Rolo to hold its shape, but soften.  Take a pecan and place it directly into the center of the Rolo.  As you press down, the rolo wil spread out.  Repeat with remaining Rolos.  Cool completely before removing from pan.


Everyone always wants to know how we get the carmel inside-  they never guess it's Rolos!


*If you don't like nuts, you can press the Rolo down with the back of a spoon.