A BermuDiana Grows in Providence: Winter

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Treat Yo Self: A Foolproof Cookie Recipe

With the exception of a temporary reprieve last weekend, this winter has been a miserable one for this former island gal- too cold, too snowy! The weather may be holding me hostage inside my tiny apartment, but at least I have discovered something that buoys my frostbitten spirits: a foolproof baking recipe. This cookie recipe is versatile, delicious, and involves relatively wholesome ingredients. And for the icing on the cake: these cookies are ridiculously easy to make. There's no need to whip out canisters of flour, baking powder and sugar, and you can leave your mixer or KitchenAid on the shelf.

A disclaimer: this is a recipe for cookies. Just because these tasty morsels are relatively low in points, and are made with fruit, doesn't mean you should throw caution to the wind by eating unlimited portions. This is not a recipe for magic weight loss wafers. That said, however, go on and "Treat yo self!"

PB&B Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 6 Serving Size: 2 cookies Points Plus*: 2 pts
(adapted from SkinnyTaste)

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 medium Ripe banana, mashed
1 tbsp Reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 cup Uncooked quick oats
1.5 tbsp Mini chocolate chips
small dash Vanilla extract

Directions:

Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 375°. Spray cookie pan with cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana and peanut butter. Add the oats, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir thoroughly.

Create 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of batter, making 12 delicious cookies. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Serving Suggestions:
You could swap out the chocolate chips for your favorite cookie mix-ins. Chopped nuts or dried fruit could be delicious substitutions.

*PointsPlus values calculated using the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watchers website

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Bermuda Shorts: Good, Clean TV

'Tis the season for binge-watching your favorite television programs; after all, it's far too cold to leave the house. If you start right now, there's still just enough time to catch up on some new-to-you series before they start up again for the new year (I recommend Hannibal or House of Lies). Do you have trouble finding enough time in the day for all of this must see TV? Or do you end up so enthralled in marathon Netflix sessions that it's impossible to tear yourself away from the couch on weekends?

Well, I have the solution! You no longer need to forgo that Sunday shower so that you can catch an episode of Scandal before meeting friends for brunch. Now you can watch your favorite streaming shows on your smartphone while in the shower- all you need is a Ziploc bag! That's right, y'all, just seal your phone in a clear plastic bag and then go ahead and treat your locks to a deep conditioning mask while you finish that final episode of Girls. Consider it multitasking!