Triple Chocolate Banana Milkshakes

Ok you guys...last night I finished the second Delirium book...Pandemonium! I know we have a date to discuss Delirium (the first book) on April 3 (I hope some of you are reading this so we can have a little discussion!). So here's the problem with flying through this awesome series...the third book - Requiem - doesn't come out until 2013! Ahhh! I'm so bummed because it ended on such a cliff hanger. I hate that! Of course, I didn't realize this until I was already partially through the second book. Oh well...still worth reading, even if the wait is a long one!

Oh and remember, if you are on Goodreads, we can be friends!

 

So last night I had a hankering for something sweet after dinner. I'm trying to be better about eating healthfully and so dessert options are often limited. Mostly, I stick to sugar-free, fat-free pudding, but let's face it...it gets old after a while!

Last night I had an idea for a milkshake. I had just frozen a !@#$load of bananas a few nights ago and always keep a handy supply of instant pudding in the cupboard. By using frozen bananas instead of ice cream and some prepared chocolate fudge pudding, I achieved a delicious, creamy, chocolately milkshake that was entirely guilt-free! Only 3 Pts+ per serving.

Seriously.

I'm mildly obsessed. Even Shaun, Mr. No-Sweets, drank his entire shake.

Triple Chocolate Banana Milkshakes
Serves 2; 3 Pts+ per serving
1 1/4 C fat free milk (or milk of your choice)
1 1/2 frozen bananas
1/2 C sugar-free, fat-free chocolate fudge pudding, prepared
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lite or sugar-free chocolate syrup
1/4 C fat-free Cool Whip

Place milk, bananas, pudding, cocoa and vanilla extract in a large glass measuring cup or in a blender. Blend (in blender or in measuring glass with an immersion blender) until smooth and creamy. Line two glasses with a bit of chocolate syrup and distribute milkshakes in said glasses. Top with a Tablespoon or two of Cool Whip and drizzle with a little more chocolate syrup.

Enjoy immediately.

I think half the fun of this shake is the presentation. Just a little extra work like lining the glass with chocolate syrup and using a whimsical, soda shop paper straw for devouring make this a super special treat that I can't wait to make again and again.

And the best part of all? It's 100% guilt-free! Get out your party hats!

Questions of the Day:

Do you have any guilt-free desserts?

Are any of you reading Delirium for our mini-book club discussion next week?!

psst..in case you missed The Peach & The Pit this week, here's what's been going down...

I found some Spring things to seriously obsess over

Christine decided on some new hair color(s)

Kimberly had a fabulous weekend in the Hamptons...

Birthday Cake Part I: Fluffy Yellow Cake + Milk Chocolate Frosting

Thanks for all of your comments in the SlimKicker giveaway! In case you missed it, head over to yesterday's post to enter to win a slow cooker from SlimKicker! SlimKicker turns your diet/fitness goals into a level-up game.  When you join, you get points as you count calories, track your fitness, and participate in challenges. You have until tomorrow at noon to enter the giveaway!

As I mentioned, this weekend was a big birthday weekend in our families! Both my mom and Shaun's mom's birthdays fall within a week of each other. In fact, March is a big birthday month on both sides of our families all around.

But this past weekend, we celebrated Shaun's Mom's birthday on Friday evening. We had offered to bring dessert and so I got to work on finding a cake to bake in celebration. I wasn't 100% sure of what her favorite combination would be and so I decided to keep it very simple. I decided on a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

If you're a long time reader, you may recall this post of yore in which I broke Kimberly's birthday cake in half while getting it out of the pan. I had to remake the cake. I had used a Betty Crocker recipe for that one and even despite the cake breaking...well, I just didn't love the cake itself.

It looked pretty though after I remade it though, no?

So for this one, I went in search of a new recipe. I dug out my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook and found a recipe for Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake and Milk Chocolate Frosting. I have really been loving this cookbook. Though many of the recipes I've tried require a lot of extra steps, unlike a simple Betty Crocker, I have found that this book just has not steered me wrong. Every recipe thus far has been a winner! This one included.

I frosted up the cake with loads of milk chocolate frosting and Shaun dusted the entire top with sprinkles. Sprinkles makes everthing better, don't they?

Following a delicious Italian dinner, we headed back to Shaun's parents' house and it was time for dessert!

And time for the moment of truth for me! I was so hoping that this cake turned out fabulously.

It did!

Luckily, this was one of the best cakes I've ever made. It was so good and I can't wait to make it again!

I didn't post the recipe because I literally took it straight from the book with very minor adaptations. If you are interested in making this, I can add the recipe! Let me know! I should also note that I worked very hard to frost this cake and did an average job at best. I'm just not a cake decorator! But if you have any cake frosting advice, lay it on me!

Questions of the Day:

Have you ever been in charge of dessert for a birthday?

What did you make? Or bring (even if you didn't make it yourself)?

We also picked up a couple of pints of Ben & Jerry's since we know Shaun's mom loves ice cream! It was an extra fun treat!

For some more America's Test Kitchen recipes, you may also see:

Loaded butterscotch blondies with salted chocolate glaze (I heavily adapted this one!)

Skillet roasted chicken + potato wedges

Pineapple coconut dream bars (also very heavily adapted, but a great base cake!)

Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Quesadillas + a Giveaway

I'm so excited today for a number of reasons.
First, we had such a lovely weekend. We celebrated both Shaun's mom and my mom's birthdays on Friday and Saturday. There was so much food, so much cake and just a really nice time. Yesterday, we did a little urban hiking through Jersey City and spotted the first signs of spring. I think I'm ready for the week!

Secondly, I'm thrilled today to host a sweet giveaway from SlimKicker!

They are generously offering a free slow cooker to one lucky winner.

SlimKicker turns your diet/fitness goals into a level-up game.  When you join, you get points as you count calories, track your fitness, and participate in challenges. To enter to win, see the end of this post!

And thirdly…today is Secret Recipe Club reveal day! I was very excited to receive The Freshman Cook as the blog from which to pick a recipe this month. I really enjoyed searching through Teri's blog for something to strike my fancy. Fortunately, many of her recipes looked fantastic and it was tough to pick just one :) When I came across her chocolate quesadillas, I knew it was meant to be.

This is the perfect recipe for me since it was easy to make into one serving, since someone whom I live with doesn't eat sweets. And that's why desserts for one rule the world!

This quesadilla came together in about 5 minutes and was ooey, gooey and delicious. So rich and sweet and I really enjoyed it. Oh and my version is about 8 Points+ per serving. Don't mind if I do. Especially since this little bit of yumminess is incredibly filling.

Chocolate Quesadilla for One
*Adapted from The Freshman Cook
Serves 1, 8 WW Points+
1 6" whole wheat tortilla
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp milk chocolate chips
20 mini marshmallows
cooking spray

Spread the peanut butter all over one side of the tortilla. Place the chocolate chips and marshmallows on one half of the tortilla and press them down into the peanut butter.

Fold the tortilla in half. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the tortilla and brown on both sides.

Smoosh it down a little so that it gets all sticky and ooey gooey inside. Once the inside is melted, remove from pan, place on cutting board and cut in half. Enjoy immediately, preferably with a glass of milk.

Oh and the original recipe included bananas. I left them out because I've been feeling slightly banana'd out lately, but any additional fruit would also be delicious. Or some shredded coconut. Yum.

Yum. Thanks Teri for this awesome recipe!!

Now...to enter the giveaway!

To win the slow cooker from SlimKicker, please leave a comment telling me how you keep yourself motivated to stay fit and I'll choose a winner on Thursday. I stay motivated by thinking about myself in a bathing suit…that pretty much does it!

For extra entries:

1. Head over to SlimKicker, join a challenge on the site, and leave a comment telling me which one you joined

2. Like The Avid Appetite on Facebook and leave another comment telling me so

3. Follow @theavidappetite on Twitter and leave another comment telling me so

I'll announce the winner on Thursday! Good luck!

Questions of the Day:

How was your weekend?

What is your favorite dessert for one?

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip   Stained Glass Cookies   Grilled Chicken Shawarma   Coconut Peanut Butter Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Coo   Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse   Churros with Spiced Chocolate Sauce   Lemon Pudding Cake   Nutella Swirl Bread   Thai Shrimp Bites with Peanut Dipping Sauce   Peanut Butter Noodles   Sticky Gingerbread   Chicken Fajitas   Oreo Cookie Brownies   Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup   Black Bean Brownies   Amazing Scones   Lemon Almond Torta   Venison with Red Wine Grape Sauce   Funfetti Cookies   Berry Blast Green Smoothie   Toffee and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies~   Bacon, Mushroom,Caramelized Onion Pizza   Strawberry truffle fudge   APPLE BALSALMIC CHICKEN   Tortellini Salad da Suzanne   Cheeseburger Stuffed Mushrooms   Chocolate-Covered Sea Foam   Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting   Muhammara   Fried Rice   Blueberry Crumb Cups   Vodka Sauce   Breakfast Rice Bowl   Pasta Alfredo with Peas and Carrots   Fettucine With Ground Beef And Roasted Red Pepper   Cinnabon Copy Cat   * Flourless Chocolate Walnut Torte *   Pop Tart Funfetti Cookie Bars   Baked Apple Donuts   Pomegranate Salad+Margarita Ice Cream   Brownies in an Egg Shell   THE Chicken Salad   Molten Chocolate Cake   Sweet & Sour Chicken   Brown Butter PB Cookies   Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies   Quinoa Black Bean Chili   Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes   Ooey Gooey Rocky Road Cookies   Cake Show Pound Cake   Chocolate Quesadillas   Choc Buttermilk Cake, Cr Chz Frosting   Stuffed Pork Chops with Ricotta and Spinach   Healthier Spinach and Artichoke Dip   peanut noodles!!   Sausage Cheese Breakfast Biscuits   Swedish Cake - Gluten Free & Vegan   Caramel Sauce   Aspen Power Bars   Tortilla Pinwheels   Trish Yearwood's Broccoli Cheddar Casserole   Elephant Ears   Tequila Sunset   Pistachio Cherry Ice Box Cookies

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