Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

What to do with left over Bananas??  Well, I looked at different recipes and I was also in the mood for cookies.  I found Banana Cookies but I really didn't want to used nuts.  So I found some with Chocolate Chips!!  Yum!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
( adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 ripe bananas)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets.
2.  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together.  (I do not have a sifter, so I added all together and whisked all together).  Then set aside.
3.  Cream the butter with the sugar (white and brown) until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix the mashed bananas.  Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared greased cookie sheets.
4.  Bake for 12-25 minutes.

After eating a couple, I decided to frost some of them.

Frosting
(adapted from landolakes.com - Glaze)
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons 2 % milk
1 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Melt butter in pan over medium heat.  Add brown sugar and milk.  Cook until mixture is at a boil (1-2 minutes).
2.  Remove from heat.
3.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla.
4.  Beat until will mixed
5.  Cool slightly then frost cookies.

Weight Watchers Points Plus:
Cookies without frosting:  The entire recipe for the cookies only was a total of 142 Points Plus.  I made 45 cookies.  That made each cookie 3 Points Plus.

Frosting:  The entire recipe for only the frosting was a total of 27 Points Plus.  I frosted 16 cookies (that's 16 servings).  That made each serving 2 Points Plus.

Cookies with frosting:  Since I didn't frost all the cookies, I just decided to add the 2 together.  That made each cookie that was frosted 5 Points Plus.

Notes for making next time:
These are OK but I only like them with the frosting (hubby liked them without).

Simple Onion Turkey Loaf

I went to a group lunch with my co-workers and talked about the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program that I started around Thanksgiving time.  My one friend said that she had a wonderful meatloaf recipe that had low points (old points program).  I got excited!!  I love food that has low points so that I can eat more!

Right from the oven, here it is:

I also made some mashed potatoes.  The finished dish:

Simple Onion Turkey Loaf
(adapted from GreenLiteBites.com)
16 oz Extra Lean Ground Turkey (99% is best)
3/4 cup Quick Oats
1 Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
2 egg whites
1 Can French Onion Soup (like Progresso Soup)
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Flour
Thin slice of onion for garnish on top of the loaf

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Mix the ground turkey, oatmeal, dry soup mix and egg whites together.  Form into a loaf and put into a 9x13 pan (or roasting pan).  Top with sliced onions.
3.  In a bowl, whisk the French Onion soup, Worcestershire sauce and flour.  Pour this over the loaf.
4.  Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about an hour.  The internal temperature should be 160 degrees when finished.
5.  Once finished, use the French Onion soup mixture as gravy for mashed potatoes or noodles.


Weight Watcher Points Plus:
The entire recipe was a total of 25 Points Plus.  So I had 8 servings from my loaf.  Each serving was 3 Points Plus.

Notes for making next time: 
The dinner was okay but I found that I really don't like french onion soup (maybe it was a little to salty for me).  I don't think that I will be making this again but I really like GreenLiteBites.com since they have many, many recipes with pictures with Weight Watchers Points and the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program.  I hope you like this site also!