me: is writing a scene where Steve and Eddie go out and have lunch together at a little restaurant overlooking Lovers Lake and decide to splash out on dessert

me: it would be hilarious if they got pineapple upside-down cake but nah I'm going to look up cakes that were popular in the 1980s, and perhaps some from the 1970s because Hawkins restaurant menus were probably a bit out of touch

me: omfg Watergate Cake

The 5 Best Weight Watchers Recipes Shared at Meetings The Holy Mess

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means at no additional cost to you we may receive a commission if you purchase a product from one of our links. We only recommend products we love. Are you looking for some great Weight Watchers recipes to enjoy yummy food while you lose weight? These 5 best Weight Watchers recipes shared at meetings are guaranteed to be delicious. I got such a kick out of writing this post. As someone who has been using Weight Watchers programs on and off for the last 20 years, I love a good tried-and-true Weight Watchers recipe. WW Recipes Shared at Meetings If you’ve ever attended Weight Watchers meetings, you know how WW meetings work. While there’s some variation, each WW meeting follows the same routine… You start by standing in line to weigh in. The leader and staff are Weight Watchers members who are maintaining Life Time status. The group discusses the topic of the week, such as healthy snacks, emotional eating, and tips for tracking points. And, there’s always a recipe. I’ve attended WW meetings in a number of states (at least 4) and it never fails that there is a recipe of the week written on the paper flip chart. Before cell phones, we all quickly copied the recipe into our little notebooks. These days we all pull out our phones and snap a quick photo instead – easy. Finding Good Weight Watchers Recipes I’ve been pinning these best Weight Watchers recipes from meetings to my Weight Watchers Pinterest Board (click here to follow) because there’s something about these recipes that takes me back to all my years as a WW member. Do you have an old Weight Watchers recipe you love, or one you are trying to find? Please share in the comments below. When it comes to old WW recipes, proceed with caution! Sometimes the points listed are for previous programs and are no longer accurate for today’s program. I recalculated the Smart Points for each recipe below for WW Freestyle smart points as 1/2019, using the WW app.

The 5 Best Weight Watchers Recipes Shared at Meetings

Here are 5 of the best Weight Watchers recipes shared at meetings, plus a few bonus recipes that you will love, too. 1. Weight Watchers PB2 Smoothie/Weight Watchers Butterfinger Shake This Butterfinger shake is a delicious Weight Watchers shake/smoothie recipe. If you’ve been a WW member for long, you know we are a bit obsessed with PB2. Peanut Butter is high in points, but with PB you get the same delicious flavor for a fraction of the points. Stir it into oatmeal, swirl it into yogurt or light cool whip, or make a smoothie. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter Bundle (2 Chocolate Peanut Butter And 1 Peanut Butter) Keep in mind that with Weight Watchers if you use fruit in a smoothie, you have to count points for blended fruit, so this recipe is nice in that you don’t have to count additional fruit points. This treat really hits the spot when you are craving something sweet. PB2 Smoothie/Weight Watchers Butterfinger Shake Ingredients 1 carton Premier Protein, chocolate 2 T PB2 1 T Sugar free butterscotch jello pudding mix Freestyle Smart Points: 4 points 2. Weight Watchers Hash Brown Potato Soup This Weight Watchers soup recipe has been floating around for years. This soup is popular with members because it’s easy and low in points. I’ve seen a number of variations for this recipe including leaving out the gravy mix and using light cream of chicken soup instead. Feel free to add chopped chicken breast to bump up the protein if you’d like. Weight Watchers Hash Brown Potato Soup Ingredients 4 cans chicken broth 1 package frozen O-Brien potatoes 1 packet country gravy mix Freestyle Smart Points: 2 points each for 8 servings 3. Weight Watchers Caramel Apple Fluff This Weight Watchers Fluff recipe has been around for a-a-ages – at least 20 years and maybe more. I’ve made this a number of times and also a variation that uses pistachio pudding, pineapple, and cool whip (no added fruit). I also make a great WW Pumpkin Fluff recipe while you can get here. All WW Fluff recipe varieties are good, but this Caramel Apple one is probably the most popular. Personally I don’t think it tastes like caramel apples because of the pineapple in it, but it is yummy. Weight Watchers Caramel Apple Fluff Ingredients 4 apples, diced 1 box sugar-free butterscotch pudding mix 1 small can of crushed pineapple 1 regular sized tub of fat free cool whip Directions: Drain pineapple slightly. Mix all ingredients and chill. Freestyle Smart Points – 1 point per cup 4. Weight Watchers Chocolate Donut Cake This recipe brings a newer ingredient to the scene, Kodiak Pancake mix. Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes: Chocolate and Crunchy Peanut Butter Combo Pack, 18 oz. each Kodiak is a high-protein pancake mix that can be used for a wide variety of baked goods like pancakes, cakes, and muffins. The protein makes this mix a bit lower in points that a typical recipe. Weight Watchers Chocolate Donut Cake Ingredients 1 cup Kodiak buttermilk or chocolate pancake mix 1/2 cup sugar free Pillsbury brownie mix 1 T cocoa, unsweetened 1/4 cup applesauce 1 T baking powder 1 cup cold water OPTIONAL frosting: 5 T cool whip free + 1 T sugar free chocolate pudding mix = 1 point Directions: Mix well. Pour into sprayed muffin or doughnut tin. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Freestyle Smart Points – 1 point per serving, 12 servings (frosting additional points) 5. Weight Watchers Soda Pop Cake Recipe This Weight Watchers soda cake was SUPER popular in the 1990s with members. We made all the varieties like angel food cake with Diet Sprite, Chocolate cake with Diet Coke, and so forth. (Note – Make sure you use DIET soda for the lighter calorie versions.) Another popular variation was 1 box angel food cake mix with 1 can light pie filling. These mixtures resulted in – what was at the time – 2 points for a hearty square of cake or a good sized cupcake. Weight Watchers members were in heaven! Sadly, this also resulted in Weight Watchers members not losing weight, so the WW powers-that-be made some changes to the program and how points are calculated. These delicious mixtures are more points these days with Freestyle, although still a lighter alternative compared to regular cake. Weight Watchers Soda Cake Ingredients 1 box of cake mix (ideally sugar free if you can find it) 1 can diet soda of choice Directions: Mix well and bake according to package instructions for a 9×13 cake or cupcakes. Freestyle Smart points – Regular Cake Mix: 8 points per serving if cut into 12 servings. 5 points per serving if cut into 18 servings Freestyle Smart Points – Sugar -Free Cake Mix: 4 points per serving if cut into 12 servings. 3 points per serving if cut into 18 servings. Weight Watchers Bananabonzo Bread – Proceed with Caution I first discovered this recipe for Bananabonzo (aka Banana Bread + Garbanzo beans) on Pinterest. I really, really wanted to like this recipe. But…I did not like it. At all. I tried this recipe 4 different times with various tweaks of the recipe each time. (As I said, I really wanted to like it.) I ended up throwing away every single loaf, and there is very little I can’t eat. I share the recipe here because it continues to be popular among WW members, so if one of you can explain how to make this tasty, I’m all ears. In the meantime, I recommend this Zero Point Banana Souffle instead, which is also zero points and I promise is quite yummy. Bananabonzo Bread Ingredients 2 cups garbanzo beans (Note: this is NOT the same as 1 can.) Drained and rinsed very well. 3 ripe bananas 4 eggs 1 T baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon Directions: Process all ingredients in blender or food processor. Pour into sprayed loaf pan. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Freestyle Smart Points: Zero Points

MORE of the Best Weight Watchers Recipes from Meetings

Here are some more delicious Weight Watchers recipes I’ve created on The Holy Mess website based on recipes I discovered at meetings: Weight Watchers Pumpkin Fluff – A pumpkin version of the Caramel Apple Fluff above, my family requests this every Thanksgiving. Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie – Just 3 points for the whole pie! Zero Point Banana Souffle – A wonderful breakfast, snack, or post-workout reat. Zero Point Turkey Chili – This classic recipe is one I make for my lunches over and over again. Zero Point Vegetable Soup – This old Weight Watchers cabbage soup recipe has stood the test of time. Delicious and very low calorie. 2 Ingredient Dough – This amazing dough can be made into bagels, rolls, pizza crust, and even cinnamon rolls! Pin These Best Weight Watchers Recipes for Later Free Weight Watchers Hacks! Lose weight faster! *Low point snacks & recipes to keep you full and satisfied. *The best foods to eat when you are following the WW program. *Tips & insider tricks to make following the Weight Watchers program easier and more enjoyable. Success! Now check your email to confirm & download your FREE Weight Watchers Life Hacks report. Read the full article

Buckast Abbey – a place of history, rules, observances, architecture, and self sufficiency. Some people mainly know it for the tonic wine that is produced by the Monks amongst other wares. Yes, this site of monastic beliefs has strict rules for those who choose to give themselves up to it and its owner, but just beside this beautiful shrine is a building breaking the rules ever so slightly, but in a good way.

On the same site as the Abbey is Buckfast Conference Centre, a part of the Abbey’s life that has only recently been allowed to ‘break the rules’ and be more modern in its approach and advertise commercially, in order to sell its many events and uses.

I recently visited with the Exeter PA Network (you can read a short news article about our visit here) and was shown around the very modern facilities, took part in one of the many workshops (in this case, we made Christmas table centrepieces using foliage from their forest no less) and enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch.  So suprisingly delicious, in fact, I couldn’t help but be nosey and find out more from our lovely host Carin and their Head Chef John, who also told me about their Pop-Up Kitchen evenings they put on four times a year currently.

So when I heard from them a few weeks later, inviting me to their latest event which was ‘A Festive Banquet’ and, based on the food I had already enjoyed, I couldn’t refuse. I had been informed that not only did they have the beautiful gardens and forest we could see immediately around the area, but they have a 300 acre farm that they grow animals and vegetables, which is what is used in the kitchen for these events – I was fairly in awe of this revelation and, even though I genuinly couldn’t get a dining partner for the event (everyones diaries were full!) I decided to go solo, and get involved with the other diners who would be there.

The large conservatory type dining room was all aglow with lights and well laid banquet length tables, with seating for approximately 50 people. The evening started promptly at 7:30pm and the menu design certainly set the scene of what was to come. It all started with a historical introduction then the good stuff….the food!

Lord of the Pies! A turkey tartlet with festive spices and fruit. This little meaty morsel was one tasty tart – crumbly pastry filled with tantalising turkey. It certainly got our tastebuds going.

To accompany this appetiser was a great bit of history. This is was a mince pie of a different kind – shredded/minced meat pie to be precise. Did you know, historically they were always meat pies with fruit accents, but eventually the fruit became more dominant & the fruity mince pie you eat today! I’m not particularly a history buff or fan, but when paired with something of interest – i.e. food, it becomes relevant and interesting to me.

Next up, a sharing platter of cured, pickled and steeped fruit and vegetables with breads and homemade cheeses.

This was for four people to share but so well laid out, each person knew their portion without the embarrassment of ‘shall I, may I, is this mine?’ An unctuous soft cheese ball which was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, tomatoes of all colours with their flavours intensified, crispy bread bites, chutneys, quince jellies and deep fried gherkins or similar – it was fantastic; earthy, sweet, savoury, tangy.

Fish course: Warm potted trout with horseradish cream. What came out didn’t look potted to me (or what I envisaged) but nonetheless was an absolute delight.

Trout from their river (can you get more local and fesh than that?!), stacked high and mighty, with a light horseradish beurre blanc type sauce. Fresh and soft, this was a trouty treat.

The main event: A three-bird roast consisting of free-range local chicken and guinea fowl, filled with a duck, orange and pistachio mousseline served with creamed potato and a cranberry and tonic wine jus.

Before our main course came out we were told how the swan used to be the traditional monastic centrepiece, common during the middle ages, before all the swans were owned by the crown and that the song 12 days of Christmas actually represented the birds that were presented to guests at a Christmas feast. We were told our swans were just coming… I think we were all a tiny bit worried, but they werent lying…

Our three bird roast was adorned with a swans head, made using salt baked dough (and someone painstakingly painting all of them!) accompanied by the freshest of vegetables from the farm.

It was so absolutely delicious and filling! The meat was plump and juicy, but the triumph was the creamed potato mash that had bits of shredded duck meat mixed in with it to give it a firm and rich flavour and don’t get me started on the gravy. Let’s just say it took all my restraint, and that of one of my fellow diners, to not drink it – it was deep, rich, sweet, and so moreish, a real sign of skill.

Whilst nearly bursting at the seams after this course, my fellow diners were nodding along, all agreeing this was as good as expected. They informed that this was the 3rd event they had attended this year, and that they have never been disappointed; as soon as an event shows up on the conference facebook page, they book.

We were all certainly keen to see what the pudding course had to offer next!

A selection box – mini homemade ‘twix’, jelly tots, truffles, coconut cream and ‘walnut whip’.

Another course full of all the flavours and textures you can imagine, but all working together perfectly. Soft chocolate, crunchy honeycomb, sweet and sour jelly tots, salted nuts and then a little shot glass of coconut cream which just cleansed the palate. Overall it was a dessert disco in the mouth.

If that wasn’t enough, there was coffee and petit fours to finish! It was quite amusing as most of the room started to ask for napkins to take home these final treats of Christmas fudge, ‘ferrero roche’ type balls and Christmas cake that John had fed for many days. We were all full to the brim of our Christmas stockings yet didn’t want to waste these fab petite fours, if only to have them as a reminder the next day of the meal the night before.

The evening flowed between historic stories and foodie feasting, with everything being a joy to eat and every mouthful inspiring satisfying noises from every guest as well as it being creative enough to instigate plenty of table chatter.

Head Chef John Hughes has worked at an award winning Devon restaurant, been behind the food at Dartington Hall and has been at Buckfast Conference Centre for 8 years now. He is delighted with the turnout for these events and is also helping to push the boundaries on this historical site, by championing this type of event and being allowed to do it. Thank goodness they are with him on this – we’d be missing out otherwise.

Chef John Hughes and his team

I cannot recommend this event enough – at £25 a head for a 4 course meal (6 courses in total really), it’s a steal. A full evening from 7:30pm until approx 10/10:30pm – the food was so incredibly tasty (I didn’t have to season anything), well presented and cleverly put together based on the theme, it could certainly teach some restaurants a thing or two.

Don’t miss out! With currently four events a year, look out for their next event now, gather the troops and get booking –  if there’s more interest, more events may get added.  It’s definitely worth giving it the Dining Devon Recommended badge.

Their write up of the event, with a few more historical references can be found here on their website.

To find out about their next pop-up kitchen event, which is based around foraging (or look at previous ones), check out their  Buckfast Conference Centre Facebook page.

To find out more about their garden related events including wreath making or even bee keeping, check out their Garden Department at Buckfast Abbey Facebook page.

You can also follow them on Twitter.

Festive Banquet Pop-Up Kitchen at Buckfast Abbey Conference Centre – by Lauren Heath Buckast Abbey - a place of history, rules, observances, architecture, and self sufficiency. Some people mainly know it for the tonic wine that is produced by the Monks amongst other wares.

The 5 Best Weight Watchers Recipes Shared at Meetings The Holy Mess

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means at no additional cost to you we may receive a commission if you purchase a product from one of our links. We only recommend products we love. Are you looking for some great Weight Watchers recipes to enjoy yummy food while you lose weight? These 5 best Weight Watchers recipes shared at meetings are guaranteed to be delicious. I got such a kick out of writing this post. As someone who has been using Weight Watchers programs on and off for the last 20 years, I love a good tried-and-true Weight Watchers recipe. WW Recipes Shared at Meetings If you’ve ever attended Weight Watchers meetings, you know how WW meetings work. While there’s some variation, each WW meeting follows the same routine… You start by standing in line to weigh in. The leader and staff are Weight Watchers members who are maintaining Life Time status. The group discusses the topic of the week, such as healthy snacks, emotional eating, and tips for tracking points. And, there’s always a recipe. I’ve attended WW meetings in a number of states (at least 4) and it never fails that there is a recipe of the week written on the paper flip chart. Before cell phones, we all quickly copied the recipe into our little notebooks. These days we all pull out our phones and snap a quick photo instead – easy. Finding Good Weight Watchers Recipes I’ve been pinning these best Weight Watchers recipes from meetings to my Weight Watchers Pinterest Board (click here to follow) because there’s something about these recipes that takes me back to all my years as a WW member. Do you have an old Weight Watchers recipe you love, or one you are trying to find? Please share in the comments below. When it comes to old WW recipes, proceed with caution! Sometimes the points listed are for previous programs and are no longer accurate for today’s program. I recalculated the Smart Points for each recipe below for WW Freestyle smart points as 1/2019, using the WW app.

The 5 Best Weight Watchers Recipes Shared at Meetings

Here are 5 of the best Weight Watchers recipes shared at meetings, plus a few bonus recipes that you will love, too. 1. Weight Watchers PB2 Smoothie/Weight Watchers Butterfinger Shake This Butterfinger shake is a delicious Weight Watchers shake/smoothie recipe. If you’ve been a WW member for long, you know we are a bit obsessed with PB2. Peanut Butter is high in points, but with PB you get the same delicious flavor for a fraction of the points. Stir it into oatmeal, swirl it into yogurt or light cool whip, or make a smoothie. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter Bundle (2 Chocolate Peanut Butter And 1 Peanut Butter) Keep in mind that with Weight Watchers if you use fruit in a smoothie, you have to count points for blended fruit, so this recipe is nice in that you don’t have to count additional fruit points. This treat really hits the spot when you are craving something sweet. PB2 Smoothie/Weight Watchers Butterfinger Shake Ingredients 1 carton Premier Protein, chocolate 2 T PB2 1 T Sugar free butterscotch jello pudding mix Freestyle Smart Points: 4 points 2. Weight Watchers Hash Brown Potato Soup This Weight Watchers soup recipe has been floating around for years. This soup is popular with members because it’s easy and low in points. I’ve seen a number of variations for this recipe including leaving out the gravy mix and using light cream of chicken soup instead. Feel free to add chopped chicken breast to bump up the protein if you’d like. Weight Watchers Hash Brown Potato Soup Ingredients 4 cans chicken broth 1 package frozen O-Brien potatoes 1 packet country gravy mix Freestyle Smart Points: 2 points each for 8 servings 3. Weight Watchers Caramel Apple Fluff This Weight Watchers Fluff recipe has been around for a-a-ages – at least 20 years and maybe more. I’ve made this a number of times and also a variation that uses pistachio pudding, pineapple, and cool whip (no added fruit). I also make a great WW Pumpkin Fluff recipe while you can get here. All WW Fluff recipe varieties are good, but this Caramel Apple one is probably the most popular. Personally I don’t think it tastes like caramel apples because of the pineapple in it, but it is yummy. Weight Watchers Caramel Apple Fluff Ingredients 4 apples, diced 1 box sugar-free butterscotch pudding mix 1 small can of crushed pineapple 1 regular sized tub of fat free cool whip Directions: Drain pineapple slightly. Mix all ingredients and chill. Freestyle Smart Points – 1 point per cup 4. Weight Watchers Chocolate Donut Cake This recipe brings a newer ingredient to the scene, Kodiak Pancake mix. Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes: Chocolate and Crunchy Peanut Butter Combo Pack, 18 oz. each Kodiak is a high-protein pancake mix that can be used for a wide variety of baked goods like pancakes, cakes, and muffins. The protein makes this mix a bit lower in points that a typical recipe. Weight Watchers Chocolate Donut Cake Ingredients 1 cup Kodiak buttermilk or chocolate pancake mix 1/2 cup sugar free Pillsbury brownie mix 1 T cocoa, unsweetened 1/4 cup applesauce 1 T baking powder 1 cup cold water OPTIONAL frosting: 5 T cool whip free + 1 T sugar free chocolate pudding mix = 1 point Directions: Mix well. Pour into sprayed muffin or doughnut tin. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Freestyle Smart Points – 1 point per serving, 12 servings (frosting additional points) 5. Weight Watchers Soda Pop Cake Recipe This Weight Watchers soda cake was SUPER popular in the 1990s with members. We made all the varieties like angel food cake with Diet Sprite, Chocolate cake with Diet Coke, and so forth. (Note – Make sure you use DIET soda for the lighter calorie versions.) Another popular variation was 1 box angel food cake mix with 1 can light pie filling. These mixtures resulted in – what was at the time – 2 points for a hearty square of cake or a good sized cupcake. Weight Watchers members were in heaven! Sadly, this also resulted in Weight Watchers members not losing weight, so the WW powers-that-be made some changes to the program and how points are calculated. These delicious mixtures are more points these days with Freestyle, although still a lighter alternative compared to regular cake. Weight Watchers Soda Cake Ingredients 1 box of cake mix (ideally sugar free if you can find it) 1 can diet soda of choice Directions: Mix well and bake according to package instructions for a 9×13 cake or cupcakes. Freestyle Smart points – Regular Cake Mix: 8 points per serving if cut into 12 servings. 5 points per serving if cut into 18 servings Freestyle Smart Points – Sugar -Free Cake Mix: 4 points per serving if cut into 12 servings. 3 points per serving if cut into 18 servings. Weight Watchers Bananabonzo Bread – Proceed with Caution I first discovered this recipe for Bananabonzo (aka Banana Bread + Garbanzo beans) on Pinterest. I really, really wanted to like this recipe. But…I did not like it. At all. I tried this recipe 4 different times with various tweaks of the recipe each time. (As I said, I really wanted to like it.) I ended up throwing away every single loaf, and there is very little I can’t eat. I share the recipe here because it continues to be popular among WW members, so if one of you can explain how to make this tasty, I’m all ears. In the meantime, I recommend this Zero Point Banana Souffle instead, which is also zero points and I promise is quite yummy. Bananabonzo Bread Ingredients 2 cups garbanzo beans (Note: this is NOT the same as 1 can.) Drained and rinsed very well. 3 ripe bananas 4 eggs 1 T baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp cinnamon Directions: Process all ingredients in blender or food processor. Pour into sprayed loaf pan. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Freestyle Smart Points: Zero Points

MORE of the Best Weight Watchers Recipes from Meetings

Here are some more delicious Weight Watchers recipes I’ve created on The Holy Mess website based on recipes I discovered at meetings: Weight Watchers Pumpkin Fluff – A pumpkin version of the Caramel Apple Fluff above, my family requests this every Thanksgiving. Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie – Just 3 points for the whole pie! Zero Point Banana Souffle – A wonderful breakfast, snack, or post-workout reat. Zero Point Turkey Chili – This classic recipe is one I make for my lunches over and over again. Zero Point Vegetable Soup – This old Weight Watchers cabbage soup recipe has stood the test of time. Delicious and very low calorie. 2 Ingredient Dough – This amazing dough can be made into bagels, rolls, pizza crust, and even cinnamon rolls! Pin These Best Weight Watchers Recipes for Later Free Weight Watchers Hacks! Lose weight faster! *Low point snacks & recipes to keep you full and satisfied. *The best foods to eat when you are following the WW program. *Tips & insider tricks to make following the Weight Watchers program easier and more enjoyable. Success! Now check your email to confirm & download your FREE Weight Watchers Life Hacks report. Read the full article