Sweet & Sour Sutton

Baked Kale Chips

2011-10-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am again looking to put healthy things back into our diets. Not only to be healthy, but for me to help take off this baby weight for good! :) I had heard about kale chips but hadn't tried them. I decided to give them a go and they were a hit! Super easy, yummy and good for you! I served them as a side with Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. I will definitely do this again!

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken

2011-10-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

I found this adapted version of one of the Pioneer Woman's recipes. It was really yummy! Sean said it was one of the best things I've ever made. Super easy. I think it's even inspired me to try the original recipe on the stove top. :)

I served it over rice that I boiled in chicken stock. I chopped up some fresh peaches, green onions and pecans added them to the rice, as well as adding some of the sauce from the chicken. Next time I think I'll just not add the extra sauce to the rice. It was a little too much that way, but do whatever you like!

Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken

Peach Whiskey BBQ chicken and tweaked (from the Pioneer Woman) it to make it a crockpot version- fantastic!!!
1 jar peach preserve
1 cup whiskey
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 white onion chopped and sautéd
1 Tbs worchester sauce
4 chicken breasts
Dumped it all in and cooked on high for 6 hours

Seafood Bisque

2011-10-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, let me start by saying this is very rich, yummy, but rich. If you intend to just use it as an appetizer soup, you could make it as is. However, if you are making it as your meal, this is what I would suggest. I would turn it into more of a chowder. I think next time I will definitely add a couple of chopped potatoes and probably a bag of frozen corn. I used as much low fat or fat free ingredients as I could and it was still rich. Also, since we live in Kansas and can't get fresh seafood, I just picked up a bag of frozen shrimp. You could probably even use more than 1 pound of seafood in it. It's a pretty flexible recipe. Experiment with it and let me know what you come up with! Enjoy! :)

Seafood Bisque

pint half and half
2 blocks cream cheese
teaspoon old bay or zatarans seasoning
1 can cream of potato
1 can cream of shrimp ( OK if you can't find it just use two potato)
1 pound of crawfish OR shrimp OR lobster ( just whatever is local or easy to find)
cook on low
It is rich but you could use fat free cream cheese and fat free 'cream of' soups
Can add canned corn if you feel it needs a little color or textureteaspoon old bay or zatarans seasoning

Green Chili Pulled Pork

2011-10-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

I made this last weekend and it was easy and tasty! We originally had tacos with it, but also made nachos with the leftovers. I'm pretty sure that you could freeze extra if you have it. We had a lot of leftovers!
Green Chili Pulled Pork

1 small pork shoulder/butt
1 8 oz jar of green salsa
1 small onion chopped 1 cup cilantro (washed) chopped

Dump all in crock pot. Cook on medium all day. Serve as soft corn pork tacos with mexican rice.

Balsamic Chicken

2011-09-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a healthier crock pot recipe, this is it! I added a few pinches of sugar toward the end to combat the tangy taste from the vinegar. I served it over whole wheat spaghetti and topped with a little grated parmesan cheese. We all liked it!

Balsamic Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion thinly sliced (Not chopped)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp each: dried oregano,basil, and rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
ground black pepper and salt to taste

Pour the olive oil on bottom of crock pot
place in chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast
put sliced onion on top of chicken
then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves
pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes

Cook on high 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-07-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yum! I was looking for some things to make ahead and stash in the freezer to have as easy things to eat after the baby comes. I came across a blog post that had a link to the recipe for these muffins at Annie's Eats. I will definitely be making at least one more batch to freeze. The thing I really like is that they aren't too sweet. Just right! They are very pretty, too. If I wasn't so darn lazy, I would post a picture. :) Make a batch yourself and enjoy!

Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole

2011-07-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't ever posted this recipe! It's a great summer/fall side dish, especially for Mexican food. I do recommend making sure your squash is as dry as possible. I usually use some extra flour with it to make sure it's not too mushy. It can be a bit on the spicy side, so adjust jalapenos and chiles to taste. Enjoy!
Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole (Eating Well)
2 1/4 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
1 4-1/2-ounce can chopped jalapenos, (about 1/2 cup), drained
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, (about 7 ounces), divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mild salsa
4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Garnish just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 101 calories; 5 g fat ( 3 g sat , 0 g mono ); 15 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 217 mg sodium; 265 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat

Fiesta Meatloaf

2011-07-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, I usually do not post things I haven't actually tried before, but I made one of these this morning to freeze for after baby comes. It sounds yummy, so I thought it couldn't hurt. In my quest to prepare some freezer meals I found out that you can freeze meatloaf raw or cooked, so why not try it?! As I find freezer meals I'm trying, I will post them for you. I know how to cook, but was baffled by how to do freeze ahead meals. I have found some good blogs and articles, so here goes!

FIESTA MEATLOAF

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 min. 6 servings

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup frozen corn

2 eggs, lightly beaten (or 1/2 c eggbeaters)

1/2 - 1 tsp. chili powder

1 cup Taco Bell Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, divided or favorite brand

1 cup Kraft Mexican Style Shredded 2% Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup of the salsa and 1/2 of the cheese.

SHAPE into loaf in 8x8 -inch baking dish; top with the remaining 1/4 cup salsa.

BAKE 1 hour or until cooked through (internal temp 160°F). Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting into six portions to serve.

If you want to make this and freeze it, you can either freeze it raw or cooked. For raw, just line your meatloaf pan with foil and form into a loaf and place it in the foil lined pan. Place in the freezer covered for a few hours or overnight. Remove foil wrapped loaf and wrap again in foil and place in a ziploc bag. Mark on the outside the baking instructions and take it out when you are ready to eat. Top with salsa and cheese as per directions before and during baking. Enjoy!

Mini Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatloaves

2011-03-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

I started looking for recipes that I have tried but not posted. Funny how many I've found, so hopefully I can keeping them coming for awhile. Here's a healthy family friendly one for you! We were just talking about "meatloaf muffins" the other night at our BBM gathering. Here's a good one for you girls! :) Enjoy!

Mini Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatloaves

1 ½ lb ground turkey
¼ c Japanese breadcrumbs (Panko)
1 medium onion, shredded
1 medium Granny Smith apple, shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
1 c reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Gently combine ground turkey, next 6 ingredients, and ½ c cheese just until combined, using hands. Spoon turkey mixture into 12 lightly greased muffin cups.

Bake at 375 degrees for 16 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¾ c cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat thermometer inserted into centers of meatloaves registers 165 degrees.

Southwestern Hominy

2011-03-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new side dishes, especially ones that include vegetables and might be somewhat healthy. If you haven't tried hominy before, it's kind of a cross between corn and a chickpea. It is really tasty! This is a great side dish to anything Mexican or for a cookout. It can be a little spicy, so if your family doesn't care for the heat, just omit the green chiles. Another easy substitute is just to use Rotel in place of the chopped tomatoes and can of green chiles. Now I've made myself hungry for this. I'll have to put Mexican on our menu soon! Enjoy! :)

Southwestern Hominy

Ingredients

    * 1 cup chopped onion
    * 2 garlic cloves, minced
    * 2 (15 ounce) cans yellow hominy, drained
    * 2 cups chopped tomatoes
    * 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
    * 1 teaspoon chili powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    * 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1.    In a large skillet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add the hominy, tomatoes, chilies, chili powder, cumin and pepper; mix gently. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing (crock pot)

2011-03-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to try this recipe out on my dad and hubby since I am not a big fan of either baked apples or stuffing. We still had some of that ginormous pork tenderloin to use up, so this was a perfect recipe! This can be made either in the oven or crock pot. Since I got to have a Mom's Night Out last night, I threw it in the crock pot and it was a hit! Did I mention that it's easy, too? Three ingredients is all it takes!

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

4 - 6 1 inch boneless pork chops or BSCBreast
1 box chicken or pork stuffing mix
1 can no sugar added apple pie filling

Directions

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add in apple pie filling. Next layer the pork chops and then the dry stuffing mix on top. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. That's it my friends...easy peasy! :)

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

2011-03-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had seen this recipe in my new Fix It and Forget It Lightly cookbook awhile back and thought that I needed to try it! Well, my FIL who has started to watch the grocery sales thanks to me, his neuortic sale and coupon loving DIL, brought us a ginormous pork tenderloin the other day! We made 10 pork chops and 1 tenderloin out of it and I will still have enough for about 3 more 1 1/2 lb. tenderloins! Crazy! Anyway, I finally got around to trying this super easy recipe and it was delicious!

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin, aka Tasty Pork Tenderloin (according to FI&FIL cookbook)

1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
12 oz. chili sauce
14 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
2 Tbls. brown sugar
5 cups cooked rice of your choice (or just enough to serve your family)

1. Place pork tenderloin in slow cooker.
2. Mix together chili sauce, cranberry sauce, and brown sugar. Pour over pork.
3. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, and then on low 3-4 hours.
4. Serve over rice

Side note from me: I have noticed that my new slow cooker seems to cook a lot faster than my very old ones. Another friend said her newer model tends to cook quickly and burn things, too. So, you may not want to cook this near as long as it says if you have a newer slow cooker. I think I cut the cooking times by half and it was great!

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Potato Soup

2011-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Potato Soup

3 cups water
1 cup ham, diced
5 medium sized potatoes, diced fine
8 oz. pkg. fat free cream cheese, cubed
half an onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed (I omitted this)

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on high 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn to low until ready to serve.

Tips from me: Cut down a bit on water if you like a thicker soup. It does thicken the longer it cooks, though. I mashed the potatoes down a bit to make it thicker as well.

If you don't want to chop onion, just buy frozen chopped onions and add to taste.

Top with bacon bits, scallions, shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream.

If you want to use this recipe during Lent on a Friday, omit the ham. How easy is that?

Nutrional Info.

Based on 6 servings

220 calories, 3 g total fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium, 34 total carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 16 g protein

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

2011-02-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

I normally do not like cooked cauliflower. I've tried it many different ways and have never really cared for it...until now. If you think you don't like cauliflower, but have a love of balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese, I suggest you try this! I happened to luck into a sale on cauliflower for $.88/head, so it was a win win. If we didn't like it, I wasn't out much. ;) Hope you like it, too! Sean's description was "outstanding".

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

From EatingWell: January/February 2008
Roasting isn't usually the first cooking method you think of for cauliflower but the results are quite delicious. The florets are cut into thick slices and tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and herbs. Wherever the flat surfaces come into contact with the hot roasting pan, a deep browning occurs that results in a sweet, nutty flavor.

4 servings, about 1 cup each | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
•8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head; see Tip)
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1 teaspoon dried marjoram
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•Freshly ground pepper to taste
•2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 450°F.
2.Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Per serving : 149 Calories; 10 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 7 mg Cholesterol; 10 g Carbohydrates; 7 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 364 mg Sodium; 490 mg Potassium

Beer Cheese Dip

2011-02-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

This is super easy for the Super Bowl! It's also great to dip pretzels in it! :) Enjoy!

Beer Cheese Dip

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened ( you can definetly substitutue lf/ff if you'd like)
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup beer
1 (1 lb.) loaf of round bread

Place cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic powder and beer in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend until smooth.
Remove and reserve top of round bread. Hollow out the loaf, reserving removed bread pieces.
Spoon cream cheese mixture into the hollowed loaf. Replace bread top between servings. Use the reserved removed bread pieces for dipping.

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

2011-02-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

If you need or want something sweet, but don't want all of the fat and calories, check out this recipe! I have served it for company before and they had no idea it was low fat! Yummy!

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 box Betty Crocker devil’s food cake mix
1 sm. Box s/f instant chocolate pudding mix
1 sm. box s/f instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 cup egg substitute
1 ½ cups water
½ cup reduced-fat chocolate chips
1 cup apple sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Pour batter into a sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes.

Serving 1/16 of cake
Points 3

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-02-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend and lots of posts on Facebook about what to make, I thought maybe I would post a few of our favorites/ideas! Hope you have fun cheering on your team. We don't have any plans for the big game yet, so if you read this and feel sorry for us, you can come over and hang out at our house. Oh wait, that would mean you don't have any plans either. We could be losers together! LOL! :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serving Size : 10

12 1/2 ounce can 99% fat free chicken in water -- drained (I prefer to use cooked shredded chicken)
1/4 cup hot sauce
8 ounce pkg fat-free cream cheese
1/2 tablespoon fat-free ranch dip mix
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup fat-free cheddar cheese (obviously you can use a higher fat cheese, I'm not a big fan of ff cheese)
4 ounce can diced green chilies

In a medium microwave safe bowl; combine the chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, ranch mix, sour cream, cheddar cheese and green chilies. Mix well to combine. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring often until the mixture is warm and smooth. Serve warm with baked tortilla chips or crackers for additional points.

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

2011-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I always liked to order Iowa's version of Swiss Steak at a restaurant called Carnforth in Victor, IA. The place has been in business for years and I am so glad it continues to thrive admist very small farm towns. I could never find a recipe that seemed close to this, so I just made up my own. Now...I'm not claiming it to be as good as Carnforth's, but it's pretty close!

Sorry this is not very precise, but you can't really mess it up. Just dump and cook. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

Cube steaks (as many as would feed your family, I had 2 small ones and had plenty of extra gravy)
1 package brown gravy mix
Water or beef broth, approximately 2 cups
Diced potatoes (I used 3 small for the 3, well really 2 of us since Sutton wouldn't touch them)

Dice potatoes and place in bottom of crock pot. Lay cube steaks on top of the potatoes. Add brown gravy mix and water or beef broth. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours depending on the temperature of your crock pot. I just got a new one that cooks at the speed of light!

Red Lobster Biscuits

2011-02-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

With the Blizzard of 2011 here in Kansas City, it was time once again for some comfort food! I had some potato soup in the crock pot and wanted something to go with it, so I looked up this recipe online. Plus, why not carbo load right before watching The Biggest Loser?

Red Lobster Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick. baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup margarine or butter -- melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Parsley and chives to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. Mix baking mix, milk, cheese, parsley and chives until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. or until golden brown. Mix margarine and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Per serving (excluding unknown items): 177 Calories; 6g Fat (32% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 4mg Cholesterol; 480mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch/Bread; 1 Fat

NOTES : Substitute several cloves of chopped garlic for the garlic powder and let stand in melted butter while preparing biscuits.

Italian Style Meat Loaf

2011-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

I just found this meatloaf recipe that I had never made! I've been sort of craving Italian type foods this time around, so this sounded especially good! It basically tastes like a good meatball. I even stuffed some mozzarella in the middle of it, but apparently need to used more next time. I can't find much of it in the middle. I must say Sean took one bite and said..."This is really good". Thanks, honey! Enjoy!

Side note: For those of you would like to crock pot, you can make meatloaf in the crock pot as well. I would just google cooking time for meatloaf in the crock pot if you want to make it that way. Also...it says to make it on a broiler pan. I made it in a regular loaf pan with the same cooking time. It was a little watery/greasy, so it might it better if made on the broiler pan. However, it was really moist and tender meatloaf! Yummy!

Italian-Style Meat Loaf

1 1/2 pounds 92% lean ground beef
1 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine beef, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

CALORIES 263 FAT 12.1g FIBER 1.4g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies

2011-01-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you missed the big news around our house, we are being blessed for a second time! Today we are at 11 weeks, 5 days! Yay! I'm looking forward to getting some of my energy back in the second trimester. :)

Besides that, we have a major cold snap going on here as well as about 8 inches of snow on the ground. So, we've been stuck inside today. What better for us to do than bake cookies! I actually had everything I needed to bake my favorite cookies. They come out great everytime. And, hey...they have whole wheat flour in them, so they must be somewhat healthy, right?!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 water
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups oatmeal. quick cooking
1 cup raisins (gross) or nuts (i don't put these in either)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside. Cream margarine, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs and water. Gradually add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, oatmeal and nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Allwo to stand 2 minutes before removing form cookie sheet. Cool on racks. Makes 5 dozen (not in my house, but who's counting?)

Stuffed French Toast

2011-01-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

No, we don't eat this way for breakfast very often, but since I didn't get up and make Sean breakfast for his birthday on Friday, I decided to treat him today! If you need a good brunch recipe or just something fun to treat your family to, this is really yummy!

Stuffed French Toast

24 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread (I used Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread, 2 loaves and just put 2 layers of bread on the top and bottom)
Cooking spray
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups egg substitute, divided
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
Bottled cinnamon-sugar (optional)

Trim crusts from bread. Arrange half of the bread in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, half-and-half, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.

Combine 1/2 cup egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cheeses in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Uncover and bake at 350° for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

CALORIES 340 FAT 11.3g FIBER 1.5g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001

Italian Baked Fish

2011-01-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

With the new year always comes a promise to eat better for most of us, right? I remembered that I had some Basa fish fillets in the freezer that needed to be used up, so I brainstormed on what to do with them. I decided to bake them and they turned out great! Here's my recipe.

Italian Baked Fish

2 Basa (or any other whitefish) fillets
1 can tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Salt and pepper both sides of fish they lay in dish. Press garlic into dish on top of fish, spread around evenly. Pour tomatoes on top and bake uncovered for approximately 25 minutes until fish flakes evenly with a fork. With about 5 minutes left to bake, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.

I served this with some rice. I used some of the extra juice from the fish and stirred it into the rice, as well as some more Parmesan cheese and parsley. I also sauteed some asparagus and tossed it with salt, pepper, garlic salt and tarragon vinegar. Yum!

Homemade Oreos

2010-12-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

My friend, Traci, brought this recipe over for us to make. Good call, my friend! These are yummy! I asked her where she got the recipe and she found it online at a blog called the SassyRadish. How cute is that? I just found it and her blog is much prettier than mine with lots of pictures and a cute story, so I am just going to provide the link you can click to give her proper due. You can find her homemade oreos here.

These are definitely not in the normal low fat or fat free category of things I post, but I think the holidays are a time to splurge and not be so hard on ourselves. That's what New Year's resolutions are for, right?

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season. Take time to relax and enjoy...especially homemade oreos. ;)

Buckeyes...aka Peanut Butter Balls

2010-12-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

All I can say about these are yum! My mom and I used to make these pretty much every year for Christmas. They have always been a favorite and I just wanted to share them. Apparently they are a staple in Iowa, but not everywhere else. So, here you go! Enjoy!

Buckeyes

1/2 c. margarine, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 c. peanut butter (personally, I like chunky pb but any will work, even natural)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. Rice Krispies
1 12 oz. bag semi sweet chocolate chips
Paraffin wax

Directions

Cream margarine and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in the
Rice Krispies. Shape into balls about the size of walnuts. Place in refrigerator for a couple of hours or longer. Melt 1/2 block paraffin in double boiler. Add chocolate chips; stir well. Keep mixture over hot water. Stick a toothpick into a ball and dip in chocolate. Place on cookie sheet covered with waxed or parment paper. Makes about 75 balls. Store in covered container in refriegerator. Will keep for 3 to 4 weeks.

You can also use a spoon and dip the whole ball in the chocolate. Sometimes it gets a little tedious doing them with toothpicks.

Dorito Casserole

2010-12-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Doritos? I know we love them! The nice thing about this recipe is that it sounds terrible for you, but it uses lean ground beef or chicken, baked Doritos, light Velveeta and fat free cream of chicken soup. Now, if you are against processed foods, this recipe is obviously not for you. But, if you aren't, then it's for you! I haven't made this in a long time. It may have to go in to the rotation again here soon. Yum!

Dorito Casserole

1 lb 90% lean ground beef or chicken
1/2 lb of Velveeta light
2 tbsp of chili powder or taco seasoning
1 can of fat free cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 bag of baked Doritos - Nacho cheese or Cool Ranch

Brown ground beef or chicken then add taco seasoning or chili powder, cream of chicken soup, and rotel tomatoes. Crush Doritos and pour half into a casserole dish sprayed with Pam, then add a layer of the meat mixture, then half the cheese, another layer of chips, then meat mixture and finish off with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes

Mexican Chicken Baseballs

2010-12-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I haven't tried this version of the baseball recipes because we love the Buffalo ones so much. How could this one possibly be bad? It sounds yummy!

Mexican Chicken Baseballs

3 oz Kraft Philadelphia Free Fat-Free Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp fat-free margarine
4 Tbsp Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, 1/2 pkg
4 cooked chicken fillet, approx 2 cups.
2 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
4 Pillsbury Reduced-Fat Crescent(s), 1 8oz. can
1 cup Del Monte Whole Kernel Supersweet Fiesta Corn

Instructions

Blend cream cheese, butter, taco seasoning and milk until smooth. Pour mixture over chicken (and optional items)and stir.
Separate crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles and seal perforations. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture (more if optional items are added) into center of each.
Pull opposite corners of dough to center and seal- and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Baseballs

2010-12-18T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a great family recipe! I never realized that I hadn't posted the other variations of Chicken Baseballs. I have a version of Buffalo Chicken Baseballs that you can search for on here. If your family doesn't like spicy, this is the tame version. :) Watch for Mexican Chicken Baseballs on my next post. Thank you for some motivation from some old Belle Plaine friends to keep me going! :)

Chicken Baseballs

4 servings
3 oz. light cream cheese, softened
2 tsp light margarine, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped onion
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 8 oz. can reduced fat crescent rolls
2 Tbsp milk
bread crumbs

In a blender (or by hand) combine cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper, milk, onion.
Blend. Pour mixture over chicken and stir. Separate crescent roll dough into four
rectangles and seal perforations. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture into center of each.

Pull opposite corners of dough to center and seal. Sprinkle each "baseball" with
bread crumbs and place on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Take at 350 degrees for
20 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2010-12-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe. It is simple and a favorite in our house! We are having it tonight and it is so yummy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 lb. BSCB (cooked and shredded) or 1 large can chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Fiesta Nacho or Southwestern Pepper Jack soup
1 cup skim milk
16 oz. jar of salsa
2 oz. 2% Velveeta

It can't get much easier than combining this all in a pot and simmering until melted and warm. You can also do it in the crock pot on high 2-3 hours or low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

Creamy Salsa Chicken

2010-12-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

I seriously thought I had shared this recipe before. I looked through the archives and couldn't find it. I've been asked for it by several people, so here it is. This is good either in tacos, nachos, enchiladas or served over rice. It is easily adaptable as well. If there is something you don't like, just leave it out!

Creamy Salsa Chicken

3lb boneless skinless chicken breast
2 jars salsa (this is easily adaptable, just use what you have on hand, I would assume they mean a 16 oz. jar)
1 can corn, drained (I always use frozen corn because this Iowa girl can't stand canned corn. If you like it, you may want to try Mexi-corn)
1 can black beans, drained
2 packets of taco seasoning
8oz FF cream cheese

Put chicken breasts into crockpot and pour in all ingredients except cream cheese. Stir until taco seasoning is mixed in well. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

In the last 30 minutes, add cream cheese. After 30 minutes has passed, stir until cream cheese is blended throughout.

Serve over brown rice.

Sausage and Potatoes

2010-12-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

While I'm on a roll and have new recipes to post, I thought I would share another super easy one! I know you must all think that I have sausage on the brain (get your heads out of the gutter!). Like I explained earlier, it's been on sale a lot lately and lots of winter recipes we enjoy call for it.

Tuesday I was battling a new cold, so I wasn't very motivated to cook. A friend of ours from Florida was going to be staying that night with us, so Sean requested something in the crock pot they could eat whenever they were ready that night. I came across this recipe that I hadn't tried before and happened to have everything on hand for it! It was a hit! The guys loved it!

Sausage and Potatoes

14 oz Hillshire Farm Turkey Smoked Sausage, sliced
1 t onion powder
28 oz frozen O'Brien potatoes with peppers & onions
1 10 3/4 oz can cheddar cheese soup
3 T fat free milk
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock and mix well. Cook on low 6 hours or 3 hours on high.

You can't get much easier than this. Seriously...

I served it with some biscuits, because you know all men need bread when they eat! However, I would suggest a nice green salad or vegetable on the side, too.

Italian Sausage Soup

2010-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Last night I was searching for a quick and easy soup recipe to make with ingredients I actually had on hand. The "pickins" were slim my friends. My meat stock pile has dwindled and it's time to stock up again! It seems as though all types of sausages have been on sale lately, so I have a lot on hand. I happened to have a roll of Jimmy Dean hot ground sausage needing to be used up. I usually only have turkey sausage, but I think I bought this in a week sale moment thinking I would make those tasty little sausage & cheese ball appetizers. Long story short, it needed to be used up. I looked through my recipe stash and found this very yummy soup! I didn't have any spinach on hand, so I made it without. I definitely will make this again and make sure I have some because it will bump up the nutrition. Anyway, this is something different than the ordinary soup recipes I see and thought I would share it with you all! Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Soup

8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)

CALORIES 216 FAT 7.1g FIBER 1.6g

Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Another quick note: I doubled the recipe since I had a 16 oz. roll of sausage. It is a very forgiving recipe and easily adapted.

Chicken and Noodles or Turkey and Dumplings

2010-11-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

Many of you have asked for my recipe for Chicken and Noodles and Turkey and Dumplings. These recipes are basically interchangeable and super easy! We love this kind of comfort food in the fall and winter, so I'm always looking for new and different ways to do them. A big thanks goes out to my friend, Traci, for showing me how to make the easiest Chicken and Noodles ever! :)

Chicken and Noodles

1 package Reames frozen noodles or flat dumplings
1 quart chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken or turkey
1 - 2 cups added water

Directions

Bring broth to boiling. Add noodles to broth and cook according to package directions stirring frequently. Add water or extra broth as needed to keep noodles from sticking. When noodles are almost done cooking, add chicken or turkey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yes, it is that easy! You could also do the same recipe with leftover roast and beef broth. It is one of our favorites! Hope you enjoy it.

Sutton's Monkey Party

2010-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe my baby is turning 2 tomorrow! How can that be? I can still remember waiting for her to arrive, scared to death to give birth. It is true what they say about forgetting all of the pain before having a baby. I haven't forgotten the pain, just the intensity of it. I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Anyway...on to the details of her monkey party!

Many of you that know me, know that when I decide on a "theme" for a party, I get a tad bit obsessed with it. When I decided it would be a monkey party, I started surfing online for ideas. I found quite a few and came up with a few things on my own.

First I decided on these cute plates and napkins from Celebrate Express. The pattern is Mod Monkey. I figure this might be my last year to decide on a party theme, so I decided on a monkey party since she was one for Halloween and her attachment item is her monkey pillow pet.

Then I found these adorable monkey cupcakes online and gave them my own little touch. I thought they needed to be girly monkeys, so I found some left over pink flower sprinkles and used them.

To go along with the monkey theme, I decided to make Paula Dean's Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding, Monkey Munch, aka Puppy Chow, and Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread. The Monkey Munch is in the cupcake wrappers.

The pink cupcakes were just because there was pink in the Mod Monkey plates and napkins and they are girly. :)

Last but not least, the kiddos had to have treat bags, right? I made these cute little bags with puffy stickers from Michael's. Inside, each had a little coloring book and crayon set, a monkey finger puppet from Grandpa's store, Solo Peru, and a bag of Curious George fruit snacks courtesy of Hy-Vee.

Don't you almost feel like you were at the party with us? It was a fun time for all (I think). :) We also had a ballon bouquet of pink, green, brown and a Curious George balloon. So cute! I think it hit all of the highlights from the party. Please use this as inspiration if you ever want to have a monkey party for your little monkey!

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Another version

2010-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

And so begins the cold weather...probably for good this time! There's nothing like a nice warm comforting bowl of soup when it's cold outside! This crock pot favorite is sure to please the whole family. Yummy! Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

2 (4-ounce) skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cubed
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 (5 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Combine first 13 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook at HIGH 6 hours. Discard bay leaf.

Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch-wide strips; place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes or until crisp. Serve with soup; garnish, if desired.

Yield: 10 cups

CALORIES 112 FAT 0.8g SODIUM 513mg CHOLESTEROL 13mg

BBQ Pulled Pork Popovers

2010-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

I know you are probably sick of the BBQ Pulled Pork recipes already, but hey, a 7 lb. pork shoulder yields a lot of leftovers! Crescent rolls have been on sale for free or nearly free with coupons lately, so I decided to make some popovers with the pork. The ingredients are similar to the ones in the sheperds pie sans the mashed potatoes. This is a family friendly recipe that you can sneak some veggies in, too. They were yummy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Popovers

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups pulled pork
1 cup frozen corn thawed
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 tlbs. pickled jalapenos, chopped
shredded cheddar cheese

Separate crescent rolls into four rectangles. Press seams together. Top each with just enough of each ingredient to fill. Fold opposite corners up in order to form a popover. Pinch together all corners. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sheperds Pie

2010-10-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, we had a ton of extra BBQ Pulled Pork leftover! I had to come up with some different things so we wouldn't get tired of them. Last night I came up with the idea of a pulled pork sheperds pie. Let me tell you...I don't toot my horn very often but man...this was good and I came up with it all on my own! I don't have exact measurements for anything, but that's the great thing about cooking vs. baking. It doesn't matter!

If you want to know how to make the BBQ Pulled Pork, see the post right before this. It is easy and delicious!

The Sheperds Pie I made used a 9x9 pan. You could easily double it and use a 9x13 pan.

First step was to boil 3 medium potatoes. I then mashed them with a few splashes of chicken stock, 2-3 wedges of Laughing Cow light cheese (you could use any flavor you like or flavored cream cheese), garlic salt, pepper and some dried parsley.

While the potatoes were boiling, I chopped up 1/2 a medium red onion (any kind will work )and 1 fresh jalapeno. I added that into a skillet with a tbls. of olive oil as well as about a cup of frozen corn. I sauteed that until just tender.

Next it was time to layer this heavenly dish up! I sprayed the 9x9 with cooking spray and added in the pork. It was probably about 1 1/2 cups. I also added a thin layer of BBQ over the top.

Next, I layered the corn, jalapeno and onion mixture. Then topped that with the mashed potatoes and then of course cheddar cheese on top. I think you could use any flavor of cheese you like. I just happened to have cheddar that needed to be used up. It probably didn't need this much cheese, I just didn't want to leave a dab left in the bag. I hate to waste! Here's what it looked like coming out of the oven.

And this is right before it went into my belly! So ridiculously delicious! It will be some great comfort food all winter long. I'll definitely be making it again!

BBQ Pulled Pork

2010-10-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, the other day I teased you all on Facebook with the delicious smell of the pork shoulder I had in the oven. I really didn't think about putting it on the blog until now. I didn't use a recipe or accurate measurements, but it turned out delicious! Pork Shoulder has been on sale recently at Hy-Vee for $.99/lb, so I stocked up! I've also been able to use the leftovers in some creative ways. It's a great way to feed your family and stretch a buck!

All I did for the pork was pour some (probably about 2 cups) apple cider into the bottom of my roasting pan, set the pork in and then cover it in about 3/4 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce. I set the oven on 275 degrees, checked it a few times and added a little more cider and BBQ sauce when necessary. I had it in the oven approximately 8 hours. The last half an hour I took the top of off the roasting pan and it got a nice crusty coating on the top. Is your mouth watering yet?

I then made a quick easy vinegar slaw to go on top of the sandwiches we were going to have! Here is the recipe for that...

Carolina Cole Slaw

3 lbs shredded cabbage
1 red pepper, minced
1 medium red onion, minced
Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup cider vinegar

I would recommend letting this sit all day or even overnight in the refrigerator. It really develops a lot more flavor the longer it sits!

I will post some of the other things I have made with this as well. BBQ Pizza, BBQ popovers and tonight I'm attempting a Pulled Pork Sheperds Pie! Hungry?

22 months

2010-10-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I really wish I would update on Sutton's milestones more often. What a great way to keep track of everything. Just the other day I was talking to some friends about doing Sutton's baby book. A friend commented that she has the best baby book ever because she blogs about her son. Never even thought about that. Forgive me...I'm a little slow! :)

Anyway...we are amazed every day at what Sutton knows at 22 months. She can identify all of her letters and numbers to 10. New words pop up every day. She can sit with a book and "read", aka say things that pertain to each page. It is so cute! She can even point out Kansas, California and sometimes Iowa on a map. She carries her U.S. map placemat (thanks, Daddy!) around and says. "Kans". Let me point out that she knows California because we went there on vacation.

I don't say these things to brag, just to let you know where she is in her learning process. There are many things she could care less about, aka potty training. If I ask her if she is wet or dirty, the answer is always..."NO WAY!" Slowly but surely we'll get there. She's not even 2 yet so I am not sweating it. I guessing she's going to be one of those kids that when she's ready she'll let me know and she'll just do it. Let's hope so anyway!

She is know going to a Mother's Day Out program and loving it. There were tears the first two weeks and last week, not one tear or a kiss good bye. She watched me walk out the door and never looked back. I got the cutest email from the director telling me how big of a ham she was during pictures that day. Mommy's little one is growing up. I can hardly believe it. She's the best blessing I've ever been given! Thank you, Sean, for helping create her.

Now, I guess I'd better get to planning her 2nd birthday party! It's less than 2 months away!

Herbed Chicken Piccata

2010-10-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

I made this the other night for something a little different. It was pretty tasty. I would definitely double the amount of breadcrumb mixture if you want to have a good coating. Enjoy! :)

Herbed Chicken Piccata

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon margarine
8 thin lemon slices
1/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish; set aside.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Lightly coat both sides of chicken with cooking spray; dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture.

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside; keep warm. Add lemon slices to skillet; sauté 30 seconds. Add broth, parsley, and lemon juice; cook 1 minute. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 160 FAT 2.9g FIBER 0.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 1997

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

2010-09-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

On Sundays during the fall it is football time at our house! Well, really all weekend but yesterday we were going to be home all day and it was finally feeling like fall outside. Sean always likes "football" food or something hearty on these days. I was taking inventory of what I had on hand and found this recipe for Slow Cooker Jambalaya. It was definitely a hit! Sean deemed that it was "the best thing I ever made". Now, I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen in the 7 plus years I've known him and this was one of the easiest things I've ever made! It will definitely be made again and again, I'm quite certain. It is easily adaptable for my friends who don't eat pork and seafood...you know who you are. :) You can just leave out the shrimp and double up on chicken and you could certainly use a turkey or chicken spicy sausage. You can also make it less spicy for the kiddos by just cutting back on the spices. Another shortcut...if you don't want to chop veggies or buy extra you won't use...just but some prechopped from the salad bar or buy a frozen mixture of onions and peppers. See...EASY!!!

It would definitely be a fun recipe to use during Mardi Gras or when your team is playing against the New Orleans Saints, unless of course you are a Saints fan. In that case, you probably already have a recipe for Jambalaya! :) It's so easy and yummy, I hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. cajun seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. frozen shrimp without tails

Directions:

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Easy Crescent Taco Bake

2010-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

I know I always say this, but I am going to make a concerted effort to post more recipes on here. Just last night some friends said they wanted some new recipes, so therefore I feel compelled to share! This is a super easy family friendly recipe! Serve with a green salad and you should be set! You could also add some black beans for extra protein and fiber. Enjoy!

Easy Crescent Taco Bake

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
¾ cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 tablespoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Shredded lettuce, as desired
Diced tomato, as desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9-inch square pan or 10-inch pie plate; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture in crust-lined pan; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, scallions, cilantro and or salsa/taco sauce.
Makes: 6 servings - Calories 370; Total Fat 23g; Fiber 0g - Pillsbury

Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

2010-08-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

If you have an over abundance of zucchini from your garden or just find a good deal at the farmers market, this is a great recipe to use it for! It's also a great way to sneak a little extra veggie into your kids. :) I just took some out of the oven and gave them a taste. I haven't even drizzled the chocolate on top yet and they still taste really yummy! Make a batch and let me know what you think.

Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamom
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini ( 1 to 2 small )
1-1/4 cups chocolate chips, divided
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup fineloy choped walnuts, toasted

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9
inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda,
and salt in medioum bowl. Beat brown
sugar and oil in large bowl at medium
speed until smooth. Add egg, egg yolk
and vanilla; beat until creamy. Stir in
flour mixture. Stir in zucchini 1 cup
of the Chocolate chips, oats and
walnuts. Spread in pan.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until top is lightly
browned and springs back when lightly
touched. Cool in pn on wire rack.

4. Melt remaining 1/4 cup Chocolate chips
in small microwave-safe bowl on medium
1 to 1-1/2 minutes or in small bowl
placed over saucepan of hot but not
simmering water. Drizle over bars;
refrigerate bars a few minutes or let
stand stan until chocolate is set.

Buttermilk Southwestern Grilled Chicken

2010-08-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of something I could make to use up the buttermilk I bought to make who knows what the other day! I starting searching recipes and I found this. It was pretty tasty. I didn't brush the chicken with oil and I would definitely recommend doing so! Otherwise it sticks. I learned the hard way. It still came out okay, but would have been easier with the oil. It came out very tasty!

Buttermilk Southwestern Grilled Chicken (Bobby Flay)

   2 cups buttermilk
   1 lime, zested and juiced
   3 cloves garlic, chopped
   2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (or any pure chili powder)
   2 teaspoons ground coriander
   2 teaspoons ground cumin
   1 teaspoon turmeric
   Hot sauce, to taste
   1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   4 bone-in or boneless chicken breasts (I used BSCB tenders because that is what I had on hand)
   Canola oil

Directions

Whisk together the buttermilk, lime zest and juice, garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, hot sauce, cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, seal the bag and refrigerate. Marinate bone-in chicken up to 12 hours, boneless up to 4 hours, chicken legs or breasts, up to 24 hours. If using fish, marinate white fish such as snapper, halibut or bass up to 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill pan over medium-low heat for boneless breasts and fish, and medium heat for bone-in breasts, thighs and legs. Remove the meat/fish from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste, on both sides. Grill until golden brown and charred on both sides and just cooked through.

Crunchy Ranch Chicken

2010-08-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is really easy and yummy! If your kids love chicken tenders, make them healthier at home with this recipe!

Crunchy Ranch Chicken

Servings | 4

Ingredients
1/3 C. crushed corn flakes crumbled ( I used panko bread crumbs and it turned out great!)
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (crumbs in the refrigerated can)
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
4 chicken breasts

Instructions
Preheat to 350- in 9x13 pan combine mix- spray chicken w/ pam and roll in crumbs Bake 25-35 minutes. Quick and easy, but the flavor will blow your socks off!

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

2010-08-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (4 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (1 oz.) pieces string cheese
cooking spray
1 cup spaghetti sauce of your choice

Directions:

Place each chicken breast half between 2 slices of heavy-duty plastic wrap, pound to ¼ inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine basil, salt, and pepper: sprinkle half of mixture evenly over both sides of chicken. Place 1 string cheese stick across the center of each flattened chicken breast. Roll up chicken jelly roll fashion, starting with short end. Place chicken rollup, seam side down, in an 11x7 inch-baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining half of spice mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour tomato sauce over chicken. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken is done and tomato sauce is thoroughly heated.

Per Serving: 283 Calories; 12g Fat (37.5% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 84mg Cholesterol; 712mg Sodium.

My adaptations: I didn't have any spaghetti sauce on hand, so I used 1/2 can of diced tomatoes in garlic and olive oil (drained) with 1/2 can of tomato sauce. I also just used some Italian seasoning, instead of basil. It is definitely a keeper!

Toffee Crunch Dessert

2010-06-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a yummy light dessert for summer, this is it my friends! It is super easy, too! I just made this tonight for a few friends we had over. They all loved it! The other good news is that it is Weight Watcher friendly! :) Enjoy!

Toffee Crunch Dessert

1 1/2 cups cold fat free milk
1 (1 oz.) pkg. sf/ff vanilla pudding mix
2 (8 oz.) cartons ff Cool Whip, thawed
1 prepared Angel Food Cake
4 (2.1 oz) Butterfinger candy bars crushed

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Let stand until soft set. Stir in 2 cups of whipped topping. Once that is mixed in, add in the rest of the topping.

In a 13x9 pan, layer half of the cake cubes, pudding mixture and crushed candy bars. Repeat layers, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Sprayground! :)

2010-06-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

We ventured to the sprayground at Loose Park on Friday afternoon. This is a great FREE activity to do in KC on a hot day! Sutton still isn't too sure about it, but got braver the longer we were there...

Grocery Bargains

2010-06-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today we set off before the rain started to have breakfast and do some major coupon shopping! :) A few things I purchased will most likely go to charity, some are snacks for our upcoming roadtrip to New Orleans and some just for us! :)

Here's the breakdown:

Hy-Vee:

2 pkgs. Bic Razors (on sale for $3.99, used 2 $3/1 coupons)
1 bag Sun Chips (on sale for $3.18, used a $.55/1 coupon)

Target:

Huggies Swim Diapers ($9.99, stacked Target & mfg. coupons for a total of $3.00 off)
Ghiradelli Luxe Squares (on clearance for $1.64, used coupon for $.50/1)
Zone Indulgence Bars (on clearance for $2.88, used $1.50/1 coupon)
Nexcare kids bandages ($1.87, stacked Target $.50/1 and mfg. $1/1)

Price Chopper:

3 bags shredded cheese (on sale, $.99 each)
Eckrich Smoked Sausage ( on sale $3.59, used $.55/1 coupon)
2 boxes NutriGrain bars (on sale $2.49, used mfg. coupon for $1.50/2
(Missed out on my free Nut Crisps crackers, boo!)

Hen House:

2 bottles Dawn dishwashing liquid (on sale for $.98, used two $.50/1 coupons doubled)
3 boxes SF Jello (on sale, $.39/each used B2G1 coupon)
2 boxes Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta (on sale, $.99 each, used 2 $.75/1 coupons)
4 Wishbone dressing (on sale, $1.27 each, used 2 $1.25/1 coupons)
3 bags Chex Mix (on sale $.87 each, used 2 $.50/1 coupons)
4 boxes Suddenly Salad mix (on sale, $.86 each, used 2 $.50/2 coupons doubled)'
20 pk. Diet Mt. Dew (aka mommy's coffee) on sale $3.99
2 Digiorno Pizza & Breadsticks (on sale $5.99, used 2 $3/1 coupons)
Hormel turkey pepperoni (on sale $3.29, used $.35/1 coupon doubled)
Organic Blueberries (on sale for $.99)

Grand Total for everything...drum roll please... $47.69! I saved 71% at Hen House alone!

This is what I would consider a stock up week. Our freezer is full to the gills with staples like meat and veggies. We do try to eat healthy but do enjoy a snack or frozen pizza now and again. :)

Fun at CVS this time! :)

2010-06-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have been paying attention to all of the bloggers writing about their triumphs at CVS. I've been trying to pay attention when we run there occasionally to get this or that and watch for Extra Care Bucks on our receipts. We had $5 in ECB to use up and a coupon for $5 off a $15 purchase. This was my chance to score big! I visited a few blogs, got my coupons together and went off!

One thing I didn't know was that you can scan your card at the little red box coupon spitter out machine more than once at a time. This paid off big today! I ended up getting another random coupon for $2 extra care bucks (this is free money, people!), as well as a coupon for B1G1 Godiva Gems Bags.

So here's what I got:

2 individual Skinny Cow Ice cream cups - on sale for $1 each, I had 2 $1/1 coupons from FB
2 Power Bars ($.99 each, you get $.99 each ECB back)
2 boxes Tampax Pearl (on sale for $2.97, had 2 $2.00/1 coupons to use)
2 Crest toothpaste (on sale for $1.99, had two $.50/1 coupons to use)
1 Dawn Hand Renewal dish soap (on sale for $.99, had a coupon for $1/1)
2 Godiva Gems bags (B1G1 @ $4.99 each)
1 Dove PB bar (clearance $.66 - filler)

So here's the deal, I used the $5/$15 coupon, then all of my other manufacturer and CVS coupons and ECB. I paid $1.70 cash! Remember that I still have $1.98 to use on my next purcahse, so technically I came out $.18 ahead! Woohoo! That's what I call fun at CVS! :)

Fun at the grocery store yet again! :)

2010-06-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just had to share another fun couponing adventure! All I can say is I love www.kraftfirsttaste.com! I have gotten some awesome coupons from them! I just got a flier with 6 coupons for free things. My philosophy is this...if it is a free item and we can't use it, I will donate it. Surely there is someone out there that needs it! :)

Anyway...here's what I scored today at Hen House. I didn't have coupons for everything. Keep this in mind as you read what I got and keep the final total in mind.

Boneless Pork Chops (1.61 lbs)
Brussel Sprouts (1.43 lbs)
4 ears of corn
4 (1/2 gallons) Edy's Ice cream (on sale for $2.49 each)
YoBaby yogurt (6 pk) (.50/1 coupon, doubled)
Cheetos Zingers ($1/1 coupon and on sale for $1.98)
Koolaid Fizz (free)
Nabisco Crackerfuls (free)
Kraft 100 calorie cheese bites (free)
Digiorno Deep dish pizza (free)
Oscar Mayer Deli shaved beef salami (free)

My grand total for all of this....$28.70! I didn't even know there was a promotion going on for the Edy's ice cream. If you spent $12 in ice cream, you got $4.00 off the total. We love our ice cream around here, so I was just stocking up while it was on sale. Mom would be so proud how full I keep the deep freeze I inherited. :)

I love when the manager has to come show the cashier how to ring up free things and they are both asking where I got the coupons. They were as excited as I was!

Hmmm....

2010-06-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

And so the fun begins yet again in our house! This morning was like every other morning as our very excited still a puppy, Sophie, went bounding into Sutton's room to say "Good morning!". Shortly thereafter I heard a thud and some crying. To that I went running down the hall to find Sutton sitting on the floor beside her crib with a very surprised look on her face! I checked her over and comforted her and said "let's not do this again". Yeah, right...

Anyway, I'm hoping it was more of an accident than an attempt at escaping. Sean's parents have said he started climbing out at 18 months, so we will see. She follows a lot of what Daddy did. "Ornery little dickens" is how one of my favorite ladies ever would surely describe her!

18 months!

2010-05-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, how time has flown! I can't believe Sutton is 18 months, aka 1 1/2 years old, already! I know some of you read my blog for the recipes, but I know some of you with your own little ones appreciate me updating milestones of Sutton's. So here goes...

Yes, we had shots again at the 18 month appointment, Hep A and a booster of pneumococcal something or the other (helpful, I know!). They will ask you how they are progressing with words. I tried to make a list of things Sutton was saying. At least the things I could understand anyway! Our favorite is "be da be". We believe this to mean, "read to me", since she hands us a book when she says it. :) She has a list of about 25 words at this point. Now, remember this includes simple words like, WEE, said when she is on the swings at the park. In case you are wondering, we are weighing in at 27.3 lbs (80th percentile) and 33 inches tall (85th percentile).

Food is still one of Sutton's favorite things. She loves most fruit and we are working on veggies. It will be nice when she can start trying raw veggies. She does love cauliflower with cheese sauce! We buy the Green Giant Just for Ones. She can eat a whole one in a sitting. These are good for the times when they just can't eat what mommy and daddy are eating for dinner.

As far as things she likes to do, she loves to be outside! She loves swinging and exploring all of the playground equipment. Her most favorite place to visit is the Deanna Rose Farmstead. She loves feeding the goats, so much so that she gets upset when we have to leave them! I'm pretty sure she is going to enjoy swimming, too. I took her back to the indoor pool at the Matt Ross Community Center yesterday after a long hiatus. She was pretty scared at first, but I kept working with her and when it was time to leave there was a mini-meltdown!

I guess that is what is new in our world. Napping remains a mystery. Most days we are down to one nap in the late morning/early afternoon. Sometimes we still get two, but rarely. No matter how the day goes, one thing I always know. I love her more than anything or anyone (Sorry, Sean...it's true!). I would throw myself in front of a bus for her!

Salsa Chicken Bake

2010-05-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe I just found as I was cleaning off my bookshelf. I think I must have copied it at a Weight Watchers meeting because I have the servings and points written down on it! I love when I find these lost treasures. :) Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken Bake (Serves 6, 5 WW points each)

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup mild salsa
1 Tbls. minced garlic
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilis (ex. Rotel)
11 oz. frozen, fresh or canned corn
1 cup reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in sprayed casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the salsa, garlic, tomatoes, green onions and corn, mixing well. Bake, covered for 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Continue baking for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions

2010-04-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Crock Pot Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions

5 hot or mild Italian turkey sausages
2 yellow onions, quartered
3-4 green peppers, seeded and sliced
1 (14oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 Tbls. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, paste, water, Italian seasoning and pepper. Pour half of mixture into crock pot. Lay sausages on top. Pour other half of sauce on top of sausages. Cover with peppers and onions. They will lay on top of sauce initially. Cook on low 6-8 hours. This is very WW friendly, too! :)

Options to serve:

On bun with provolone or other light cheese.

Serve on a bed of cheesy polenta (grits). This is what I did and it was delish!

Crock Pot Pepperoncini Beef

2010-04-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

I had just found this recipe last week and thought it sounded pretty yummy! Then as I was talking to my friend, Maureen, the other day she told me about this great crock pot recipe she had for spicy beef. Funny how it was the same recipe! I thought that was a sign that we needed to try it.

If you are scared of spicy, you can alter it to your taste and use less peppers or use the milder banana peppers. At first taste, I thought the beef was pretty spicy, but once it is on a bun with some cheese, it seemed much more mild.

This recipe is so simple and so delish! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Pepperocini Beef

3 1/2 lbs. beef roast
1 (16 oz.) jar of pepperocini peppers
1 pkt. dry Italian dressing mix
1 (15 oz.) can beef broth

Place roast in slow cooker. Mix dressing mix, broth and peppers and pour over roast. Cook on low 8-10 hours. It is so tender that it is easy to shred for sandwiches. Serve on your favorite buns with your favorite cheese and you're set!

Grocery Bargains

2010-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

I just had to share the grocery bargains I got today! Normally I would take a picture, but I can't even take the time to do that. I want you to be able to take advantage of the same sales I did! :)

Hen House is having a great sale on Kashi items. Here's the breakdown of what I bought today, some with coupons and some just on sale. All of the Kashi items I purchased were on sale for $1.98.

7 boxes of Kashi cereal (I used 3 $1.50/1 coupons, 2 $1.00/1 coupons from allyou.com and 2 $1.00/1 instore coupons.
2 boxes of Kashi bars (Used 2 $1.00/1 instore coupons)
1 box of Kashi Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip cookies (used 1 $1.00/1)
1 bag of Sun Chips (Free from a Facebook coupon)
4 lbs. 93% lean ground beef ($2.99/lb) This is one thing I don't skimp on, I just wait for a decent sale
2 Mr. Dells hash browns (needed these to make dinner for a few friends, on sale for $1.98 each)
Bananas .69/lb (not stellar, but we needed them)
Fuji Apples 1.47 lbs @ $1.29/lb
2 Kashi single bars $1.69/each (had a coupon for $1.00/2)
1 bag Sargento shredded cheddar (coupon for .75 off/1, on sale for 2.49)
Fruit cups for Sutton not on sale, just needed them :)
5 FREE reusable bags from all of my Kashi purchases

Grand total $38.30 with a savings of $42.50 between all of my coupons and Hen House's fabulous sale!

Cilantro Jalapeno Chicken

2010-04-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

We were having some friends over for a cookout last night and I wanted to try something new. I had found this recipe on the Weight Watchers Recipe Review message board and had been waiting to try this. Apparently it was a hit! Everyone seemed to like it. So, try it for your next cookout and let me know what you think. :)

Cilantro Jalapeno Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch cilantro, washed and stems removed
6 cloves garlic. pressed
1 (10 oz.) jar jalapeno jelly (in KC, Price Chopper carries a brand called Reese)
1 (6 oz.) can limeade concentrate

In a food processor or blender, add garlic and cilantro (do not over process). Add jelly and limeade. process until thick. Set aside a 1/4 cup for dipping. Pour sauce over chicken in a zip-lock bag. Marinate serveral hours or overnight in refrigerator. Grill and enjoy! :)

I served this with Cilantro Lime rice. Just boil rice and add fresh squeezed lime juice, salt and cilantro to taste when done.

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

2010-04-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Who knew Brussels Sprouts could be so tasty? I think the only time I had ever had Brussels Sprouts was when I was a child. I'm pretty sure my mom got me to try a canned BS. Let's just say...gross! I always thought I didn't like them from that one experience. As an adult doing Weight Watchers, I decided it was time to try more veggies. My cousin, Lisa, was talking about grilling Brussels Sprouts one night on Facebook. I asked her how she did it and basically did the same thing with my own spice combo. FABULOUS!!! Sean likes them so much that he requests them. I decided to share this wonderful "new to us" find!

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

First core and pull off the outside leaves of each sprout. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse. I ususally get mine all prepped and then throw them into a collander to rinse. I usually figure on 8-10 sprouts per person.

Cut off pieces of foil for each portion. Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. Place sprouts on each piece of foil and season with seasoned salt, pepper and garlic. Top with either a drizzle of olive oil or a small pat of butter or margarine.

Roll up your packets and place on grill on low to medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Turn at least once while cooking.

Open packets when done and Enjoy! :)

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

2010-04-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to try this new recipe and I'm glad I did. I copied it from the Weight Watcher recipe review board just to find out that it was printed right on the back of the Stove Top Stuffing Mix! I got a pretty good laugh out of that one. However, it was pretty tasty and easy, so I deemed it "blog worthy". :) Please try it and enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes (I used the basil, garlic and oregano flavored ones...yum!)
1 box (6 oz.) Stove Top stuffing mix for Chicken (I used the reduced sodium)
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes in medium bowl, undrained. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside. Place chicken in sprayed 9x13 pan and sprinkle with cheese and basil. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Mexican Potato Casserole

2010-03-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

Mexican Potato Casserole

7 points per serving
Serves 4

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. lean ground beef (10% fat or less)
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
8 scallions, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 T. chili powder
1T. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and very thinly sliced
3/4 c. r/f shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and 8x8 pan with Pam.

2. In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil. Add the beef, bell peppers and scallions; cook, stirring, until beef is browned, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring, until flavors have blended, about 5 min.

4. Arrange alternate layers of potatoes and beef mixture in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake until potatoes are cooked through and cheese is melted, about 10 min. longer.

This recipe is from my wonderful Weight Watchers leader, Anne. Her are some notes from her.

"I usually double this casserole and make it in a 9x13 baking dish. When I double it, I use one 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained, instead of the fresh tomatoes. I serve this with fresh salsa on the side, and with chopped avocado (add the points!) more chopped scallions, even low fat sour cream.

Another Swagcode!

2010-03-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

Check your toolbar for a message from TSG. :) It's worth 7 Swagbucks! It's good until 11:30 CDT.

Carolina BBQ Pork

2010-03-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Carolina BBQ Pork

4 lb. boneless lean pork roast
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 TBLS brown sugar
1 TBLS. paprika
1 tsp. sugar or Splenda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. worchestershire sauce

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place onions in crock. Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper; rub over roast. Place roast over onions. Combine vinegar, worchestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar or splenda, mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne; stir to combine. Drizzle 1/2 over roast; cover and refrigerate the rest. Cook on low 10-12 hours or 4-6 on high. During the last half hour of cooking pour the remaining vinegar mixture over the roast. Shred the meat and onions and stir together. Serve on a bun with homemade Carolina BBQ Sauce.

Carolina BBQ Sauce

1 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine all in a sauce pot and cook over low heat 5 minutes.

Spicy Baked Beans

2010-03-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite recipe for baked beans. I never used to be a fan of them until I moved here and had some pretty awesome beans at Jack Stack. I decided to do a search for baked beans and found this recipe. It's not Jack Stack, but I think they are pretty darn good!

Baked Beans

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. canola oil
4 (15 ounce) cans pork and beans (I use a variety of Bush's)
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbls. lemon juice
2 tbls. balsamic or cider vinegar
2 tbls. chili powder
2 tbls. finely chopped jalapeno
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. liquid smoke

Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add to beans and the rest of the ingredients in casserole dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

1/2 cup serving:

205 calories
4 g fat
8 g fiber

Swag Code out!

2010-03-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Swag Code out! Check the Swidget below for a clue! Good until 5:30 CDT! Hurry, it's worth 14 Swagbucks! :)

Margarita Beef Skewers

2010-03-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of the easiest and tastiest beef marinades I've ever had! Ridiculously good!

Margarita Beef Skewers

1 cup margarita mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or resealable plastic bag. Toss sirloin cubes in bag and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Thread on skewer with onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. Grill approximately 10 minutes for medium. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

7.5 oz. can refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits
12 oz. bonelsess skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can rf cream of chicken soup
8 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, soup, veggies, parsley, black pepper and salt. Mix well to combine.

Spray 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken mixture in dish. Slightly flatten each biscuits between your palms. Top chicken mixture with biscuits.

Bake for 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Asian Pepper Steak (Slow Cooker)

2010-03-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is a new Rachael Ray recipe. She has started featuring some slow cooker recipes on her talk show. This is the first one I've tried. It was really good. It tasted like pepper steak you would get at a restaurant. It calls for sirloin steak, but since Price Chopper had Patio steaks on the Massive Meat Sale this week, that is what I used. The steak was so tender, it was falling apart! Enjoy!

Asian Pepper Steak ( Serves 6-8)

3 pounds sirloin steak
3 tbls. cornstarch for dusting meat
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 tbls. ginger, grated
1 large onion, sliced
3 red bell peppers, sliced
3 yellow bell peppers, sliced
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
4 tbls. brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups rice

Topper:
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 limes

Preparation

In a large skillet, sear the steak in some EVOO until nice and brown on both sides. Remove the steak to a cutting board and slice into 1 inch strips.

Place the sliced steak into the slow cooker, then dust the meat with the cornstarch and mix the meat until there is no more visible cornstarch.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the rice and topper ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve, get a medium bowl and mix the topper ingredients and place a portion of the mixture on top of each portion of pepper steak. This will add a pop of flavor. ( I didn't use the toppers because I didn't have any of these things on hand.)

Serve on top of cooked rice.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Chicken

2010-03-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, friends, here it is! It was very tasty, but rich. I think next time I might add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) to cut the richness. If you have sour cream and want that tanginess, I would use it. I think I might even sneak a bit more cheese in next time. This is a very adaptable recipe to taste. So feel free to change it up as much as you want! Enjoy! :)

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup, lf
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
14 oz. canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 oz. rf or ff cream cheese (the original recipe called for lf sour cream, but I subbed this because I didn't have sour cream on hand)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup water
1/8 cup rf parmesan cheese
1/4 cup 2% mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper & salt, each or to taste
2 cloves garlic

Spray 2 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts into crock. In a separate bowl, mix soup, spinach, artichoke hearts, onions, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, garlic, black pepper, & water. Pour mixture over chicken breasts. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 7-8 hours. Stir in mozzarella cheese right before you are ready to serve. Serve over pasta or rice.

30 lbs!

2010-02-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

Yay! I have finally gotten to the 30 pound weight loss mark! It's taken me quite awhile to get my head in the game and try to get back to my lifetime status with Weight Watchers. I'm getting closer. Yippee! This post is not intended to toot my own horn, but to hopefully inspire you if you are on your own weight loss journey. I love food, so if I can do this, I feel anyone can! :)

Swagbucks

2010-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

I just can't get enough of Swagbucks today! This is the coolest thing ever! It's basically a search engine site that you can search the web and earn Swagbucks for it. Then in turn, you can "cash in" the swagbucks for gift cards and prizes. I am planning to stock up on as many Amazon and Target gift cards as I can for the holidays and birthdays. I feel it's a great way I can help save us some money without going to work everyday!

You will see the Swagbucks widget at the bottom of my blog. You can check it out there. You can even check my widget for codes to earn bucks. It is that simple! Today is a great day to get signed up because it is their 2nd birthday. I have earned over 100 points already today!

I know it seems a little too good to be true, but I know a lot of friends and fellow bloggers who have joined and know first hand that it is legit! So, what are you waiting for? Get on over there and sign up. :)

Couponing

2010-02-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

I have recently started couponing. I haven't done a price book or anything yet, as I am just getting started, but I wanted to fill you in on some fun things I've learned. I have started following blogs like Kansas City Mamas and KC Penny Pinchin Mama to find coupon match ups, freebies and fun offers. I will tell you, these ladies know what they are doing. I'm addicted to finding deals. Kansas City Mamas even does a good job of suggesting free or almost free things to give to charity! What a great idea. If you are going to the store anyway, why not pick something up for the less fortunate for free or a low price? Another fun website to follow, especially on Facebook is Mommysavers. This one is national, so not all of the deals can be found where you live. However, I am stocking up on cheap games and toys for Christmas. If I don't have someone in the family to give them to, they will go to donation. A great example lately is some of the toy coupons out there. I recently picked up 2 Pictureka card games for $.24 each! Target has them for $5.24 and there is a coupon for $5.00 off. Hello...that is a no brainer!

If you would like to get started couponing and don't know how, go over to Kansas City Mamas and read their blog about creating a price book and such. It is great! They came and spoke to my Building Better Moms group and I got intrigued. Since then I've been dabbling with couponing and am loving it!

Stay tuned as I am going to post more about different rewards programs, coupon websites, kids clubs, etc. It is great information! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Week 4, Day 2 C25K Update

2010-02-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I'm still standing! My cheeks actually got a little flushed today. That's a good thing! I felt like I was really doing something. A few side stitches later and I was done! I finally realized that I needed to up the setting to 5.0 when I was running. At 4.5 I just felt like I was dragging my feet. It was pretty uncomfortable. I also had my new workout mix to run to. A little Joan Jett and Pat Benetar to keep me going! Thanks, Ladies.

I also found this free workout mix download from Subway and The Biggest Loser. If you follow this link you can download it, too! I don't love all of the songs, but some are pretty good!

http://www.podworkoutmusic.com/SUBWAY/

No more excuses! Get up off the coach and start running with me. :) Happy Running!

In honor of Lent...

2010-02-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure those of you who observe meatless days during Lent get tired of the same old things... grilled cheese and tomato soup, macaroni and cheese, fish sticks, etc. I decided to search for something new and fun to make for dinner tonight. I love southern food, so when I saw this recipe I just had to try it. It was very warm, cheesy and comforting!

Shrimp and Grits Casserole

2 cups reduced fat milk (I used ff skim)
3/4 cup ff chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick cooking grits
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbls. butter
1 (3 oz.) pkg. reduced fat cream cheese (I used ff because that's what I had on hand)
3 tbls. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbls. chopped fresh chives (I used scallions)
1 tbls. fresh lemon juice
2 large egg whites
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped
cooking spray
hot sauce (optional, but I think it's a must!)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine milk and broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan, butter and cream cheese. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp). Spoon mixture into 11x7 dish coating with cooking spray. (I used a 9x11 and it worked fine.) Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

For you WW's out there, here is the NI. It is based on the original recipe, not my changes)

Based on 6 servings: 8 points per serving

Calories : 341
Fat: 13 grams
Fiber: .06

Week 4, Day 1 C25K Update

2010-02-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hold the phone, folks! Wow, the program is really ramping up! I had to run for 5 minutes in a row, TWICE! Hello...I was floored when I had to run 3 minutes, now 5? Well, guess what! I survived. Was I a little winded, yes. But, I thought about the 71 year old grandma I saw on The Amazing Race last night who had done some half marathons. She said she didn't get it shape until she was older, either. I figured if she and all of the way out of shape people on The Biggest Loser can do it, I CAN! Seriously...

So, is anyone else out there doing the program? If so, let me know! What are your thoughts? How have you done? I always dread going to the gym, but have such a great sense of accomplishment when I am done. Happy Running!

Week 3, Day 3 C25K Update

2010-02-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

Oh, no...I have not quit! It's just taking me awhile. It's a challenge to go to the gym when the hubby is out of town. Sutton absolutely hates the nursery there. :( So, I do my best to get there when he's home. I went yesterday and did the last day of Week 3. I hadn't been there in at least a week and it went just fine. Bring on Week 4. My dad is coming to visit this week, so I'll have an extra set of hands to help out. That means no excuses in getting to the gym! Happy Running!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

2010-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

This is what I made for dinner last night. Sean had been sick this weekend, so we wanted something a little on the bland yet comforting side. He thought this was so good! He was upset that he wouldn't get to eat the leftovers this week since he is traveling yet again for work!

This is a knock off recipe of a new soup at Olive Garden. I've never had the real thing there, but I would venture to guess that this is a much lower fat, yet just as yummy version! Enjoy!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups fat free half and half

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 carrot, shredded

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1 tbls. olive oil

1 tsp. thyme

salt and pepper

16 oz. potato gnocchi

1 tbls. cornstarch (optional)

Directions

1. Saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.

2. Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt, pepper and thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Boil gently for 4 minutes, then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

4. Optional : Heat to boiling and add cornstarch mixed with 1-2 tbls. water if you want a thicker soup.

5. Ladle into bowls and serve!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

2010-02-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn (I always use 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 354 FAT 14.1g FIBER 2.5g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Sutton's First Steps

2010-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we are off to the races at our house now! Sutton is for real walking today! It's so cute to watch a little one take their first steps. Sutton is already pretty good at it because she is 14.5 months old. She's had a lot of time to practice balancing! It won't be long now until she quits crawling. Maybe I won't need so much stain remover for the knees of all of her pants anymore! :) If you would like to see her walking go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGBqK-tPJlU

For some reason I couldn't get the video to upload straight on here. I will have to have one of my very blogsavvy friends teach me how to do it! Until then...Happy First Walking Day to Sutton! We're so proud of you, big girl!

Chicken Empanadas

2010-02-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Super Bowl, here is a great appetizer recipe. I haven't made these for a long time and now my mouth is watering for them! Yummy! :) Enjoy!

Please leave a comment on either this post or any for the matter for my Cans for Comments drive! I'm way behind last time. Let's help fight hunger!

Chicken Empanadas (Adapted from Paula Deen)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBLS. cumin

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 ounces neufchatel cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) pkg. shredded 2% Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend cheese

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 (15 ounce) refrigerated pie crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl combine chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15 inch circle. Cut out rounds using a 3 inch cookie cutter. Re-roll out dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts. Arrange 1 piecrust round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in center of round. Fold dough over filling, pressing edges with frok to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made and frozen up to a month). Arrange empanadas on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Sopa Ranchera

2010-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a new soup to make tonight, so I went to my file of soup recipes that I had copied from the Weight Watcher message boards. I also wanted to use up some of the things I had in the pantry. This soup is really tasty and healthy! It's a very "clean" recipe, which as I am coming to understand, means there aren't many processed ingredients. The lime at the end really brightens the flavor. I would highly recommend it!

Don't forget it's Cans for Comments week. Please leave me a comment and/or sign up to follow my blog and I will donate a non-perishable item to the food drive at our church. In honor of the Souper Bowl food drive, here's another winning soup recipe!

Sopa Ranchera

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 garlic clove minced
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth, reduced sodium
1 3/4 cups cubed peeled baking potato
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 cups cooked shredded chicken, about 8 oz.
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 tsp. salt (adjust according to taste)
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced)
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings: (optional)

2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup low fat sour cream
2/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
10 lime wedges

To prepare soup, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1 cup onion, saute 3 minutes. Add oregano, cumin and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add chicken stock, potato and chickpeas and bring to a boil 5 minutes. Add chicken, corn, salt and zucchini; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato and cilantro; cook 2 minutes.

Ladle 1 cup of soup per bowl and 1 tbls. of each topping. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield 10 servings

Calories 208, Fat 7.2, Fiber 3g = 4 WW points per serving

Buffalo Chicken Chili

2010-02-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Super Bowl and the "Souper" Bowl Cans for Comments, I thought I would post some new SB WW friendly recipes this week. Don't forget to leave me a comment for Cans for Comments. :)

Buffalo Chicken Chili (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast (I'd probably only use 1 lb, 2 seems like too much)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (you can substitute with chipotles or chipotle chili powder)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (you could use sauce too)
I'd say these next two items you could just put out as toppers:
Tortilla chips (pts)
Blue cheese, crumbled

Fresh chopped parsley

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Week 3, Day 2 C25K

2010-02-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

Don't worry your pretty little heads...I have not given up on this! I just had to take a little down time this past week due to my lower back being "out" and a few other snags. Anyway, yesterday I was back at it! I was a little worried since it had been a week since the last time. It went fine. I survived once again and felt like I could have done more! :) I'm trying to stick to the program and not do much else because I really want to see if by just doing this, I can in fact run a 5K at the end. :) Happy Running!

It's Cans for Comments time! Don't forget to leave me a comment and/or start following my blog. For each comment and/or new follower, I will donate a non-perishable item to our church's food drive!

Cans for Comments

2010-02-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

It is time once again for me to participate in Cans for Comments. For each comment or new follower I get this week, today through Saturday, February 6 at midnight, I will donate one non- perishable food item to our church's Souper Bowl food drive.

The last time I did this, I ended up donating 22 items. Let's try to blow that out of the water this time! You can comment on either new or old posts. If you also blog, and want to get in on the action, please join me! You can go to my friend, Helen's blog at www.threetimesthegiggles.blogspot.com and even link yourself there! Someday, I'll be cool enough to figure out how to do that, too! :) And, if you don't blog, but you'd like to get in on the donation, do like Helen's friend and match what I am donating.

Ok...let's get started!

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

2010-01-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin (make sure you don't get pumpkin pie filling)

2 large egg whites (or 6 tbls. egg white substitute)

3/4 c. water

1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with non stick baking spray. Combine all ingredients and fill 24 cups . Bake 18-22 minutes.

For you WW's out there, these are 2 pts. each. :)

Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

2010-01-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

7 WW Points

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground turkey

10 oz frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup minced onions

2 egg whites

2 TBSP ketchup

1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Thaw and drain spinach. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a greased loaf pan pack mixture into shape. Bake for 60 minutes, or until top gets golden brown. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes after baking. Cut into 6 even pieces.

Fat lip and C25K update

2010-01-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

Oh my, what a day! I started it by working out. I completed Week 3, Day 1 of Couch to 5K! This is the week they start to turn up the heat. You have to run 3 minutes straight twice! Do you know how long it's been since I ran for 3 minutes straight?! It very well could have been junior high track practice! That was a LONG time ago! Anyway...I survived it and was so glad once again that I made myself go!

The afternoon was a tad bit traumatic. We went to a first birthday party for a friend's adorable little girl. That part was great! When we got home, it was time for a nap. We all went up to Sutton's room, she immediately crawled for her basket of books. Before she got sidetracked with them, I went to pick her up. She continued forward as I was trying to get her and sure enough...she smacked her lip on the night stand. I immediately scooped her up, knowing it sounded terrible. Daddy was trying to tell her she was just fine. Of course, Mommy was upset and yelling at Daddy to look at her lip. I heard, Uh, there's a little blood. The next thing I know, I looked down and there was a trail of blood coming from her lip. I was freaking out trying to check her teeth and lips. Daddy calmly went and got a wash cloth and took her away. By the time I got to the other room, Daddy had put The Wonder Pets on and she wasn't even crying anymore. She's one tough little cookie! Thank you, Sean, for being so calm! Daddy was a rock when I needed him to be! We love you, Daddy!

Bubble Up Chicken

2010-01-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is what we had for dinner tonight! Yummy! I wouldn't change a thing. :)

Bubble Up Chicken

3 c cubed cooked chicken .

1 (10 3/4 oz) can 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup .

1 (12 oz) can reduced fat refrigerated buttermilk biscuits .

1 lb frozen mixed vegetables, thawed .

1 c cooked new potatoes (unpeeled, cut into chunks) .

1/2 c reduced fat 2% extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese .

1 1/3 c skim milk .

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions

Heat oven to 375*F. Spray 13 X 9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix soup, milk & Italian seasoning.

Stir in potatoes, chicken & thawed vegetables.

Seperate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits.

Cut each into quarters & add to the potato mixture, stirring carefully to mix well.

Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Bake uncovered, 35 to 40 mins or until top is deep golden brown & biscuits are no longer doughy inside.

Sprinkle top with cheese.Bake 4 to 6 mins longer or until cheese is melted.

8 servings = 6 WW pts. each

6 servings = 9 pts. each

Week 2, Day 2 & 3 C25K

2010-01-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I am done with Week 2! Can you believe it? I actually drug my lazy booty to the gym two days in a row. This week was a little crazy with Sean traveling and Sutton not enjoying her time in the nursery at the gym. However, I found a way to make it there three times even when I thought it wasn't possible. Thanks to my friend, Maureen, for a little extra motivation yesterday. She said she was going to the gym before taking her daughter to Gymboree. I thought to myself, I should do the same thing. Sure enough, I did and we survived! I didn't look the greatest at Gymboree class, but who cares. I would probably be impressed with a mom that showed up sweaty because she just worked out! Don't get me wrong...I love to look cute and well rested most of the time, but have resolved to the fact that sometimes I may have to show up sweaty and unattractive. Get over it and get fit instead! Happy running! :)

Week 2, Day 1 C25K

2010-01-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well, let me tell you, I almost skipped today. For those of you that are my age or slightly older, you know it gets harder to stay up late the older you get especially if you have kiddos to take care of! We went to a 1st birthday party last night (Saturday) that turned into an adult party afterward. I allowed myself to have a few adult beverages as well as "party" until 11:30 pm! Woohoo! This is a pretty rare event for a 40 year SAHM of a 13 month old! I was feeling a bit rough and thought about skipping the trip to the gym. Luckily I was faced with the fact that Sean has to go out of town this week Monday-Wednesday. That could make getting to the gym those days a little trickier with Sutton's love of the child care there. ;) So, I went. And, you know what? It felt great! I ran off a few calories and felt the satisfaction that I didn't give in to myself!

At week 2, the intervals change to 90 seconds of running and 2 minutes of walking. So far, it's just easing me into this running (in my case jogging) thing. I am enjoying it thus far. FYI...if you want to know what I set the treadmill on, I do 3.0 for walking and 4.5 for running at a 1.5 incline. I have no idea if this is good or not, but it seems to work well for me! Let me hear your story if you are doing this plan or anything else that is working! Happy running!

Week 1, Day 3 C25K

2010-01-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it through Day 3 of the Couch to 5K program! The worst part was that Sutton hated the nursery at Matt Ross Community Center. This is not a new thing. We took her when she was a little younger and she hated it then, too. Poor thing, I walked in to get her and she was just sitting be herself crying. As a mommy, I was a bit upset no one was trying to console her. :( I guess I just have to get used to these things. Someday she'll enjoy going places like that hopefully!

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

2010-01-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

I've had this recipe for awhile and finally just made it. I did a version with ham and pineapple, though since I had a lot of ham to use up. I ran it through the WW recipe builder and it, too, was 6 points per serving. I have been imagining all of the different variations you could make. Taco, chicken & spinach, sausage (turkey), etc! So many fun things to do. You could add lots of veggies and/or beans to make it healthier, as well. It was so good! The crust wasn't soggy which was quite surprising.

Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole

Servings | 6 Estimated POINTS® value per serving | 6 Course | Main Meals

Ingredients

1 pound ground round
1 (15oz) can chunky Italian-style tomatoes
Cooking Spray
1 (10 oz) can Refrigerated pizza crust dough
1 1/2 cups (6oz) Preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 425*
2.Cook meat in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat until browned. Drain if necessary. Add tomato sauce and cook until heated.
3. While meat cooks, coat 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Top bottom of crust with meat mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 425* for 12 minutes. Top with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Special Notes

This is an excellent recipe from the "Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook". My family LOVES this recipe! (Also, I add fresh mushrooms to the meat mixture while still in skillet! YUM!) You could add any of the 0-POINT veggies for a wonderful main meal!

Ham & Pineapple version

3/4 lb. ham

1/2 of 15 oz. can of pineapple tidbits

10 spinach leaves (these can easily be left out)

3 scallions, chopped

1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes

Prepare the same way as above and enjoy! :)

C25K Week1, Day2

2010-01-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

I survived the second day of the Couch to 5K program! So far, so good! I was a little sore yesterday, but not anything bad at all! I am really encouraged thus far that I can do this. I will keep you updated with my progress. Let me know if you are doing it as well, or at least thinking about it. As I said before, I had absolutely NO interest in running. I do best when I have a plan of what to do. Hence, the reason I follow Weight Watchers. I need a plan, plain and simple! :) If you want to check out the program yourself, go to www.c25k.com! Happy running! :)

Corn Dog Casserole

2010-01-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, this was pretty darn tasty! It was even kiddo approved by Sutton! :) I would think if you have a thing against hot dogs, you could use some low fat sausage in it's place. This wouldn't be something I would make every week, but good for a fun dinner once in awhile.

Corn Dog Casserole (7 WW points)

o 1 cups finely minced celery

o ¼ c diced sweet onion

o 14 oz Oscar Mayer turkey dogs

o 14 oz Hormel turkey chili, no beans

o 1 8.5 oz Jiffy corn muffin mix

o 1 egg white

o ½ c. skim milk

o ¼ c. water

o 1/4 tsp black pepper

o 4 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Spray skillet with butter flavor cooking spray. Sauté celery and onion for 5 minutes. Slice hot dogs into thin discs and add to skillet. Cook over med-hi heat for 5-7 minutes. Add turkey chili and heat through. Spray 11x7 pan with cooking spray. Pour skillet contents into pan. Top with cheese. Combine muffin mix, egg white, milk, water, and pepper; pour over hot dog mixture. Bake uncovered 400* for 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings= 349 Calories; 11g Fat (27.5% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 1523mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch) ; 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.

Couch to 5K

2010-01-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, here it goes! My attempt at the Couch to 5K program started this morning. I had heard about this program the first time I was on Weight Watchers before I had Sutton. I had absolutely no interest in running! I thought to myself, you go people who want to do this. Well, fast forward 3 years later and here I am attempting it myself. I did the first workout this morning and so far so good! Who knew those treadmills at the gym had a speed interval setting on them that you can set for the program? (Thanks, Traci!) There are even podcasts and applications you can download to your I-pod, touch or I-phone. It can't get much easier for lazy people like myself!

We'll see how I feel tomorrow. :) I figured if I wrote about it, you all could help keep me accountable. I will keep you updated on my progress! If you are interested in checking out the program, you can find it at www.c25k.com. Happy running!

Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup

2010-01-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, once I get something stuck in my head that sounds good for dinner, I HAVE to make it. I thought that I had a package of chopped ham in the freezer to make this. It turns out I didn't. However, I did have that ham that I got at Hy-Vee when they had the buy a ham, get the turkey for free coupon. So, in keeping with cleaning out the freezer, I cooked the whole ham so that I could make this soup. Killed two birds with one stone, as my mom used to say!

This was pretty tasty but a little runny for my taste. I should note that I didn't have the ff evaporated milk, but did have some half and half so I used that. I also just substituted chicken broth for the water and bouillon cubes. I think if I make this again I would cut down to 4 cups instead of 6 cups of broth.

Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup

Serves 8

6 md Potatoes Raw Peeled,diced

1 c Ham Extra Lean,Cubed

1 c carrots,sliced

1 c Celery,chopped

1/2 c onion,Chopped

6 c water

4 t bouillon Chicken,Or 4 Cubes

parsley flakes to taste

12 oz Milk Evaporated,Fat Free

6 oz Velveeta 2% Milk Fat,Cut

In Crockpot, combine diced potatoes, ham, sliced carrots, chopped

celery and

onion, water, chicken bouillon, and parsley flakes.

Cook 6 1/2 to 9 hours on LOW or 3 to 4 hours on high.

30 to 40 minutes before soup is done (20 minutes if cooking on HIGH),

add evaporated milk and velveeta cheese.

Serving: 189 Cal (14% from Fat, 26% from Protein, 59% from Carb); 3 g

Tot Fat; 3 g Fiber

Chicken Pasta Bake

2010-01-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the meal planning didn't go as well as expected this week. However, we did eat at home pretty much all week, I just made different things. Thursday was Sean's birthday, so he got to pick what he wanted me to make for dinner since it was way too cold to take Sutton out! He wanted something Italian with chicken, so this is what I made. You can definitely lighten it up with lower fat cheeses and use whole wheat or high fiber pasta. I unfortunately didn't have any spinach, so I had to leave that out. It was delicious, but I think it would be even better with the spinach, not to mention the health benefits of adding it! Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta Bake

8 oz. penne pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 3 oz. package cream cheese (I used Neufchatel, a lower fat cream cheese)
2 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (use 2% if wanting to cut some fat)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente." Drain. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. While oil is heating, cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
Brown chicken in oil. Add Italian seasoning, half of the spaghetti sauce and the drained tomatoes. Let simmer 2-3 minutes.
Cut cream cheese into small chunks. Add to chicken and tomato sauce mixture. Simmer until cream cheese is melted.
Stir in spinach. Cook another minute, until spinach wilts slightly.
Pour chicken mixture over pasta. Top with one cup of the shredded mozzarella. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

Pork Chops Yum Yum & Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2010-01-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

This is what we had for dinner tonight. Two new recipes that were pretty good and healthy! :)

Pork Chops Yum Yum

1 pound lean pork loin

1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth

1/8 cup honey

1/8 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp minced garlic

Brown chops on both sides.

Place in casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Ellie Krieger)

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and put in a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until potatoes are tender.

Beef and Potato Nacho Casserole

2010-01-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

I must admit this was more points than I usually eat for dinner, but had already planned to make it before I ran it through the WW recipe builder. It came out to 10 points per serving, but it was really good. I guess once I get into the swing of earning activity points again, I can have it more often! There's a bit of motivation! :)

SERVINGS: 8

CATEGORY: Main Dish

METHOD: Baked

TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours + standing

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds lean ground beef

* 3/4 cup chopped onion, divided

* 1 envelope taco seasoning

* 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

* 3/4 cup water

* 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained

* 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

* 1 package (24 ounces) frozen O'Brien potatoes, thawed

* 1 can (11 ounces) nacho cheese soup, undiluted

* 1/2 cup milk

* 1/4 cup chopped green pepper

* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

* 1/4 teaspoon sugar

* Paprika

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook beef and 1/2 cup onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with the green chilies, beans and potatoes. In large bowl, combine the soup, milk, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and remaining onions; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Yield: 8 servings

Meal Planning

2010-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to clean out my pantry and freezer, as well as try some new recipes, I am going to try more meal planning this month. It is so much easier and stress free to cook dinner when you have a plan. It also makes counting points on Weight Watchers much easier as well. One of my favorite places to get recipes is the Weight Watcher Recipe Review message board. You would be surprised at all of the great recipes I've gotten from there that definitely don't taste like diet food! They are all family friendly yummy things. I have become somewhat of a casserole queen. They wonderful way to satisfy the whole family. With Sutton starting to eat what we eat this is very important. I refuse to be a short order cook and have her only eat "kid food". I will keep you posted on how that goes. :)

So far on the list this week:

   Beef and Potato Nacho Casserole
   Bubble Up Chicken
   Crazy Crust or Deep Dish Pizza
   Corn Dog Casserole

I will post the recipes as I try them. They are all new, so stay tuned!