3 Minute Prep Time Berry Medley Cobbler (recipe, pics)

It's been a few days since I posted anything new.  I've tried a few things, but they didn't quite work out.  Today's recipe was outstanding, though.  This will be a great treat for a holiday dinner dessert with family and friends, especially if served warm on a cold winter day.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest.  You can find me on Pinterest here and it was on my "Recipes That Sound Really Good" board.  This is as easy as the diet soda cake.  It basically is, but with a few minor tweaks.  Here's what you need:

Any clear diet soda will be good, like 7 up, Sprite or Sierra Mist.  Also, don't use this brand of cake.  It has a ton more calories and carbs than a Betty Crocker or Pillsbury white cake.

24 oz mixed frozen berries.  Try to get berries that are "no sugar added".
12 oz clear diet soda
1 white cake mix

Spread the berries in the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan.

Spread the cake mix over the top of the berries.  Try to break up the big lumps.  Then, pour the diet soda evenly over the cake mix, trying to cover all of the mix.

If there are big dry spots, you might want to gently stir the top around just a smidge to moisten it up a little.  I noticed when mine was cooking that there were some larger patches of plain cake mix that was still powdery.  When mine was almost done cooking I stirred (gently) the dry spots in with the berries a little better and then let it cook a little longer.

Cook at 350F for about 45 minutes.  The berries will be bubbly and the cake should be golden.  Here's what mine looked like, served up warm.

I figured the calories and everything for 1/12 of the cake as a serving.  The calories are depending on the brand of cake mix...I did not use the number for the brand shown.  I used the numbers from a Betty Crocker mix.  There are 163.3 calories, 1.25g fat, .8g saturated fat, 258.3mg sodium, 16.7mg potassium, 37.9g carbs, 3.4g fiber, .8g protein. (4 Points Plus)

This definitely passed the family taste test.  They all loved it warm.  Go ahead and try this one.  It's super easy, but if you don't tell your guests they'll think you spent a long time on it.  It's ok with me if people think I'm Captain Wonder-chef! lol

Eat Well,
Lisa
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happyfairylove@live.com

Go Ahead and Have Your Cake! (Recipe, Pics & Review)

It's my husband's birthday!  I have been searching high and low for a healthier cake recipe.  I mentioned on Facebook that I was looking, and Tawnya came to my rescue.  She told me about a recipe that she says is from Weight Watchers that uses diet soda and cake mix.  That's it.  Then, after I had been searching for 2 days on dLife and other sites, all of a sudden the same exact recipe showed up in front of me literally 5 minutes after she mentioned it.  How weird is that?  I took that as a hint that I should make it.

I ran to the grocery store as soon as it opened this morning, and I bought what I needed.  With one major mistake.  I didn't buy diet 7up.  Duh!  I bought regular.  omg, what an idiot.

Make sure you buy DIET soda!!!  Not like me who bought regular. 'doh!

I didn't realize it until after I already poured 1 cup into the cake mix.  The other 1/2 cup I used my diet Citrus Drop.  So that's all you do...12oz diet soda mixed in with a yellow cake mix.  Stir it up, pour it in a pan with pan spray on it, and bake it according to the box.  Sooo easy!!!!

I also found a recipe for a "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" on dLife.  I bought the stuff to make it.  Here are the ingredients:
1/2 c non-fat powdered milk
1/3 c cold water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (WARNING:  I only used 1 Tbsp, and it came out plenty strong.  I advise to only use 1 instead of 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c sugar substitute (equal to 1/4 c sugar)...I used Stevia.
1/2 tsp vanilla

1.  Add cold water to powdered milk and mix.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes
2.  Beat milk mixture at high speed for 4 minutes and then add lemon juice.
3.  Beat at high speed for another 4 minutes.
4.  Mix together the sugar and sugar substitute and then gradually add to the whipped milk.
5.  Stir in the vanilla and refrigerate until ready to serve.

It seemed like I was having problems with it because it was very loose.  Not the consistency I expected for a "whipped topping".  And it tasted funny.  The lemon juice to me made it taste like sour milk, and I actually only used half the lemon juice.  Not a pleasant taste.  I could see where it was going, trying to have a lemony zest to the cream, but it didn't come out as I expected.  Now, however, when I checked on the cream again in the refrigerator it is thickening up as it gets colder.  What I think I might do is try folding in just a little of this cream into the generic brand lite Cool Whip I bought on my way home from my taxi rounds this morning.  Maybe if the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" was mixed in with the plain whipped cream it will make the flavor a little less intense and become more of what I expected.  I will get back to you on that to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I cut a piece of cake (1/12th of the cake pan) and topped it with 3 Tbsp of lite Cool Whip (Kroger brand has 1 less g of carbs than Cool Whip).  I put just a dash of sprinkles on top with a candle, because it is, after all, in celebration of Jeff's 46th birthday.

Doesn't it look wonderful???  And let me tell you what.  The taste and texture are just divine.  It's got such a good flavor, and the lite whipped cream on top was just the right amount of sweet and lite.  Doesn't it look festive?  I will absolutely, definitely be making this again.  It crumbles a little easily, but that's not a huge problem if you're just careful cutting and serving it.

Here are the nutritional facts for 1/12 of the cake with 3 Tbsp lite whipped cream:

163 calories, 2.75g fat, 2.33g saturated fat, 265.5mg sodium, 16.7mg potassium, 33g carbs, and .83g protein. (4 Points Plus) You are saving 17.5 calories per serving in eggs and a whopping 82.5 calories per serving by eliminating the 1/2 c of canola oil.  That's exactly 100 calories less per serving, and that is quite significant in my book.  And absolutely NONE of the taste was sacrificed for the changes.

On top of that, cake normally has a frosting.  I don't know what you get, but I always get Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Funfetti.  But per 2 Tbsp that crap has 150 calories, 6g fat, and an additional 23g carbs!  So if you do the math, a "typical" piece of cake with frosting on it is normally like 410 calories and 56g carbs!  With this diet soda cake and whipped topping you are saving about 230 calories per serving.  Amazing, huh?  I'd say with the great taste and better nutritional values, this is definitely a SCORE! 

If you are celebrating a birthday or other special occasion, go ahead and have a piece of this cake with a little whipped topping.  Just don't say everyday is a celebration! lol

A BIG thank you to Tawnya M. for bringing this recipe to my attention!!!

UPDATE:  I mixed in a little of the lemony cream to the plain lite whipped cream, and the flavor is much more pleasant than the straight lemon cream.  It adds just a little zing and zest without being overpowering.  Just start off with a little...maybe 1 part lemon cream to 3 parts lite whipped cream.  That's a guesstimate.  Taste it a little at a time as you go along until it's to your preference.  So, the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" was not a total failure after all.  It just needs to be modified from it's original version.  So if you used maybe 1 Tbsp of lemon cream to 3 Tbsp of lite whipped cream you would add 15 calories, 2.7g carbs and .75g protein to the total dessert.  Yes, I just now went and tried those measurements and it tastes good.  Just right, I think.  So, go ahead and make the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" after all!  It adds a nice little flair to the whipped cream.

ANOTHER UPDATE:  Matthew just came home from school and had a piece of cake with the mixture of lemon cream and lite whipped cream, and he devoured it!  It passed the 12 year old taste test!

If you would like to leave a comment here, it's so nice to get them and know someone out there is actually reading what I have to share. :)  Or, if you'd like to drop me a line you can always reach  me at happyfairylove@live.com.

Happy Celebrations!
Lisa