Wordless Wednesday: Ice Ice Baby

Bermuda Shorts: Ragin' Cajuns

Move over, Real Housewives! I have just discovered the most amazing reality TV show: Discovery Channel's Ragin' Cajuns.

The star of the show? The Louisiana Bayou; and she's a "fickle temptress." This show has it all (in no particular order): a pet raccoon, family feuds, age old superstitions, bacon wrapped shrimp, back stabbing deck-hands, Louisiana accents, gators, and hardened, seafaring men who unabashedly talk about how much they love their daddies (really, they call their fathers "daddy").

The series follows a handful of Louisiana shrimping captains on their hunt for "Louisiana white gold." Their livelihoods rest in the hands of mother nature; as a result, these shrimpers often find themselves navigating some precarious financial situations. The BP oil spill had a devastating impact on the Bayou's shrimp population, and the wreckage of Katrina still weighs heavy on the hearts and minds of these ragin' Cajuns, but "in Bayou country everybody dances, [and] nobody shakes it quite like Blimp!"

Thanks, Netflix, for the random, yet somewhat serendipitous, recommendation tonight. Happy Mardi Gras, y'all; laissez les bons temps rouler!

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