Snack Time

In keeping with the theme of organizing my eating I'm planning some healthy snacks.  My weakest time of the day is when I get home from work.  Hungry or not I want to eat everything in sight.  I think what I am going to do is plan one largeish awesome snack and have it waiting for me when I get home.   I want it to be something good enough that I can look forward to it during the day, and large enough to make me comfortably full after I have eaten it.  Here are some of my favorite snacks:

Pumpkin pie custard topped with vanilla yogurt whips.  I basically take my grandma's pumpkin pie recipe and bake it without the crust.  (recipe below)

Fresh raspberries on vanilla yogurt whip (yum, raspberries are the best)
Fresh strawberries on vanilla yogurt whip

Oatmeal topped apple crisp (like a pie without the crust calories) topped with, of course, Yoplait vanilla yogurt whip.

I can see you have detected the pattern here, but let me just say this about vanilla flavored yogurt whips - they are sooooo tasty - practically as good as whipped cream only better for you.  More calories, true, BUT they contain protein, dairy, etc. for me, a guilt free pleasure.

Look at that--practically a work week full of guilt free snacks.

Grandma Hattie's Pumpkin Pie Filling:

Best guess calories for a 1/2 C serving  128 

If made with evaporated skim milk calories are closer to 150 per serving

First get out a 4 cup measuring pitcher and put into it:

3/4 C sugar (you can cut it back to 1/2 if you want)
1 1/2 C Canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
pinch salt
Pour skim milk in until it reaches the 4 cup mark
Mix up.  Pour into a greased dish and bake for 10 min at 450 then at 30 min at 350 but keep checking it every 10 minutes or so after the 30 until it is set and firm.  It is done when a knife inserted toward the center comes out clean.

Note:  I cook this in a small casserole dish rather than a pie plate.  The cooking time will vary depending on how deep the custard comes in the pan.

Note 2:  sometimes custards like this are cooked by placing the casserole dish in the middle of a pan of steaming water.  I don't know how this would impact the cooking time as I don't do it.

Note 3:  for best results use 1 can evaporated skim milk and add regular milk to 4 cup line if necessary.  Makes a much richer custard but may have more calories than regular skim milk