Easy Walnut Muesli with Fresh Apricots

Ingredients:

Muesli:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Toppings:

• 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 8 fresh apricots, sliced
• 2 cups 1% or fat-free milk

Makes 8 Servings (1/2 cup per serving)

1. For the muesli: Heat the oven to 275 F. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, oats, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
2. For each serving, place 1/2 cup muesli in a cereal bowl. Top each with 3/4 teaspoon flaxseed and 1/4 cup apricots. Add 1/4 cup milk and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Muesli is a popular treat for breakfast in Switzerland and Germany and very easy to make at home. This breakfast treat is flavorful and delicious. I highly recommend adding a touch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to make the muesli more flavorful. You can also use chopped almonds in place of the walnut and the muesli will be just as delicious. 

Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries & Almonds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1 /3 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Makes 44 Servings (1 cookie per serving)

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in oats, cherries, almonds, and wheat germ.
3. Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls, making total of 44 balls. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Lightly flatten each ball with palm of hand.
4. Bake until cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies with parchment to wire racks and let cool completely.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. These cookies are like a small bite of oatmeal in your mouth. These oatmeal cookies are not like the oatmeal cookies you get at the grocery store. The dried cherries and sliced almonds add a nice touch of flavor to them. These cookies are great when you're on a diet and they're perfect when you're craving something sweet.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Makes 12 Pancakes

1. In a medium bowl, combine the oats and milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar substitute, oil and salt, mixing until evenly blended and only small lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray or butter over medium heat. Working in batches, pour the batter by 1/4 cup into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is browned. Turn and cook for 1-2 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat to make a total of 12 pancakes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts per pancake

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. As I have said before, "Who doesn't enjoy breakfast for dinner once in a while?" This meal hit the spot for dinner earlier tonight. Pancakes are a delicious treat for dinner sometimes because you can take the time to make them and enjoy them. Oatmeal as pancakes is so yummy and so dense and moist in your mouth. I highly recommend adding cinnamon, nutmeg or ground cloves for more flavor. Heck you can even add vanilla or almond extract for more flavor or your favorite fruit to these oatmeal pancakes for a flavor punch. The extra spices or fruits may add to the point value but it's worth it.

Blackberry-Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 small bananas, quartered (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup blackberries, plus extra for garnish (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 4 ice cubes

Make 4 Servings

In a blender, combine bananas and blackberries; puree until smooth. Add yogurt, sugar substitute, if using, wheat germ and ice cubes; blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into 4 (10 oz.) glasses, garnish with whole blackberries, if using and serve.

WW POINTS  VALUE: 1 Pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This breakfast smoothie can be enjoyed anytime of day. It's also a delicious treat to enjoy when you don't feel like cooking and/or there's a massive heat wave and you want to cool off. You can also use any kind of berry in this recipe and it will still taste delicious. You can also use wheat bran in place of wheat germ and it won't make a difference. This is also a nice treat if you're ever sick or you have a sore throat. The sugar is there to sweeten to tartness of your berries.