Back from Summer Vacation!

So I wasn't really on a vacation from Weight Watchers, but I had a busy summer- I celebrated my 40th birthday in May, I got married in June, I honeymooned in July, and took two vacations in August to Mammoth Lakes and Napa.  All great times, and all yummy food occasions.  But after they were over, I went back to my Weight Watcher basics and am proud to say I am still in my Lifetime weight goal range (barely!)

Now that summer is over, I have been cooking several fall dishes.  I roasted a turkey breast, have been making huge batches of Maple Pecan Granola, and today made an easy and delicious Pumpkin Mousse and a batch of homemade applesauce.  It's fall at my house, and autumn in my kitchen!  Here's a peak at what I've been eating:

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast (plated with roasted brussel sprouts and baby carrots)

2 1/2 pound turkey breast (leave skin on)
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary, or 2 tsp. dried
1 tbsp. fresh chopped sage, or one tsp. dried
2 tsp. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  In small bowl, mix oil with all seasonings.  Rinse and pat dry turkey breast, placing in a roasting dish coated with non-stick spray.  Rub herbed oil mixture all over the turkey breast until well covered.  Place in oven and bake until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees, and when flesh is pierced with fork, juice runs clear.  When finished, remove from oven, cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe found in Food Your Crave by Ellie Krieger.  If you use a bigger breast, just double the recipe. 
A 3 oz. serving = 3points plus (without skin)

I found the recipe for Maple Pecan Granola in the September issue of Cooking Light, and everyone loves it so much, that I quadruple it when I make it.  I love it in the mornings with  fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt and berries, or for dessert with homemade applesauce and lowfat vanilla ice cream- it's just as good as apple crisp!

Maple Pecan Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 and 1/3 cup chopped pecans

4 egg whites

½ tsp. vanilla

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300°.  Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine oats and pecans in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl combine egg whites and vanilla; beat egg mixture until foamy.  Fold oat mixture into egg mixture.  Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl.  Fold the sugar mixture into the oat mixture.  Fold in maple syrup.  Spread granola evenly over two cookie sheets and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once.  Remove from oven, stir to loosen and cool completely.  Keep fresh in air tight containers or plastic bags.  I count 2 tbsp. for 1 point.

My last recipe tonight comes from my awesome Weight Watchers leader, Gwen Taylor.  She had this Pumpkin Mousse recipe on a flip chart a couple of years ago so I wrote it down and have made it several times each fall.  It is so easy, so delicious, and because it's made with canned pumpkin which has a lot of fiber- it's very filling!  You could serve this to guests and they wouldn't even know it's low fat!

Pumpkin Mousse

1 15 oz. can of pureed pumpkin

1 lg. box of fat free, sugar free vanilla pudding

1 cup nonfat milk

1 8oz. container Low Cal Cool Whip

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

In medium bowl, mix pudding with milk, pumpkin and spices.  Mixture will be thick.  Fold in half of the container of Cool Whip (saving rest for topping when serving).  Makes four servings.

1 cup= 2 points plus