Once again, blogging from the cabin just didn't happen.

I'm really going to have to consider paying for cable internet I guess...

At any rate, Mr. Paisley and I are back in icky hot Florida (it was in the upper 20s when we left Tennessee and 80 degrees and raining when we hit the Florida state line...shoot me now).

We are currently trying to get the holiday decorating done and thus, I haven't uploaded my photos yet.  So to tide you over...here is a somewhat odd, but yummy dessert that won't do a number on your diet over the holidays. Heck, you might even get your kids or spouse to eat a veggie without knowing it.

Carrot Pumpkin Bars, only 70 calories!

Ingredients

Filling:
2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light butter/margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
1 cup carrot, finely shredded

Cream cheese topping:
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease 15 x 10 jellyroll pan.

Prepare Filling:
In small bowl: combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder & baking soda.

In larger bowl: Beat sugar, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie mix and carrots. Beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.

Prepare Cream Cheese topping:
Mix together cream cheese, sugar and milk until thoroughly blended.

Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl mixture with a butter knife.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester (inserted in center) comes out clean. Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 48 squares.

Nutritional Info

·         Servings Per Recipe: 48

·         Amount Per Serving

·         Calories: 67.2

·         Total Fat: 0.9 g

·         Cholesterol: 9.1 mg

·         Sodium: 86.7 mg

·         Total Carbs: 13.6 g

·         Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g

·         Protein: 1.4 g

I got this from someone at work and questioned the pumpkin pie filling (as a "diet" recipe, I would have expected canned pumpkin, not the pie filling) so I googled it and it appears as though it came from SparkPeople. Either way, it's yummy and pretty quick and easy to make.

TONS of ways to make a variation. Sub applesauce for the carrots, pumpkin for the pie filling, skip the cream cheese and add a dollop of fat free Cool Whip when they're done. Use a sugar replacement (Splenda, Truvia, whatever), whole wheat (or other) flour...and of course adjusting the spices to your liking.