The Saturday Edition....

Kids in the Kitchen...Weight Watchers' Style

One of my favorite ways to spend time with the boys is in the kitchen. Benjamin and I have been cooking it up for a couple of years now. Jonathan is now joining us more and more and loves to pitch in. Here's a couple of our favorites that you and your kiddos might enjoy, too:

Lazy Day Lasagna (there's now a check mark on Benjamin's summer list)

From the Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
This is a pretty basic recipe as far as lasagna goes, that's why I thought it would be perfect to make with kiddos. No frills. No fuss. But pretty tasty.

1 pound ground round

1 (26-ounce) bottle low-fat pasta sauce

1/2 cup water

2 cups fat free cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Spray

1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat mild cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; wipe drippings from pan with paper towels. Return beef to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Combine cottage and Parmesan cheeses in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spread 1/2 cup beef mixture in bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over beef mixture; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup beef mixture, and 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat layers once, ending with noodles. Spread remaining beef mixture over noodles. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, and bake 5 additional minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Yield: 9 servings.

POINTS value: 6 points per serving.

Benjamin loves to help with putting salad together. It's the perfect time-filler while the lasagna is in the oven.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

from Weight Watchers online eTools

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup fat-free skim milk

3 large egg whites

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well with a fork to combine.

3. In another large mixing bowl, combine milk, egg whites, melted butter and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until blended; gradually beat in boiling water.

4. Gradually add flour mixture to milk mixture and mix on low speed until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan, on a wire rack.

5. Sift powdered sugar over cooled cake before cutting into 12 pieces. Yield: 1 piece per serving (the pieces are HUGE).

POINTS Value: 4 per serving