Thanksgiving 2011 and Christmas Preview

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

We had a nice and relaxing time. I tried out several new recipes, and here they are to share with you!
Creamy Pumpkin Trifle
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Southern Cornbread Stuffing
Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Acorns

We also got almost all of our Christmas decorating done. Just need to put up lights outside.

John and I cut our own tree for the first time. Neither of us had done this before. But after a trip to Lowe's that ended in apathy due to the trees already looking a little dry and the height we wanted being so pricey, we decided to give it a try. The tree farm has been in our city for years, I'd just never been. But when we researched and found out ALL trees are $30, regardless of size, we were curious. So we got there right when they opened. We looked at lots and lots of trees. I was disappointed because the only large full trees were Sand Pines. I've always preferred firs or spruces. I thought a pine would be scrubby and prickly.

Well after much debate, we hacked one down. When we got it home it was about 8 inches too tall for our ceiling! But after a little trimming it fits great and looks great. I'm actually really pleased with it. It has a nice green color. So green it almost looks fake. The long needles are surprisingly soft and once we got it setup, it has not dropped many needles at all. This may be an annual tradition for us!

It was about 9-10 feet tall!

All gussied up

Feathers in the tree! I was so excited to use all the new ornaments I bought on post-Christmas sales last year!

"Our First Christmas" ornament

And here's what I've done around the house so far:

I've already starting getting my Christmas cards out too! I'm on the ball this year!

I have one to share with all of you, but I'm holding off til it's actually December! Lol

Weekend Update 11-19-11

Hi all!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I had a fairly busy but productive one. And just as I sit down to write this post, I realize I don't have much of anything in the way of photos. I don't have my phone and I can't get my Picasa account to do uploads right now. Boo!

I do have this one though!

Aren't these so cute! I've not been posting each week's yard sale finds. But I got the boots for $3! Then I got the flats for $7 at a thrift store. A little pricey for thrift if you ask me (they're just cheap-o Charlotte Russe) but I liked them so much I gave in. Too bad the right one is rubbing my heel :( Gonna have to buy some pads.

Anyway, Friday when I got home it was a whirlwind of activity. The carpet cleaners had arrived and we were unprepared! They were extremely pleasant about it though. They did not mind 4 dogs losing the minds at the sight of visitors and big machines. I also had a friend arrive in the midst of it all. She was just picking up something then ended up staying for awhile. We were scouting out bridesmaids dresses online for her upcoming nuptials! John went to an auction and I stayed behind. I ended up cleaning and intermittently paying attention to Say Yes to the Dress :)
When John got home around nine we ate dinner .

Saturday we only were out YSLing for about 2 hours when it started to rain. So we headed home. I was exceptionally cranky about rising early that day, so I took a nap for my own good and everyone else's. The rest of the day was a blur of activity. I painted the inside of our new backdoor, cleaned more, did laundry, went grocery shopping, put up the indoor Christmas decor (still have tree and outside light to go) and got busy in the kitchen doing prep for Sunday lunch. I did not go to bed til about 1:30 am.

Sunday I had a wonderful time at church. Then my friend and her fiance who is in town visiting came over for lunch. I laid out all my hard work and goodies and we enjoyed a feast!
Then we went out and I did my best to get some engagement photos for them. I had a great time practicing. I wish I could share but first I have to share with the couple! Soon though.
We ended the night by having dinner at a friend's house. After I ate I passed out on their couch. That's the result of staying up til 1:30 am the night before!
I did "make up" a really tasty desert we brought to dinner:
Use skinny taste's recipe for Pumpkin Pie Dip (1/2 batch!), make a spice cake according to mix directions, and 1 tub Cool Whip (I used "Free"). Crumble cake and layer all ingredients. I was a trifle of sorts and a very good way for me to use up all that leftover tip! I sprinkled some Splenda brown sugar mix on the top too. Very tasty!

Hope you are all looking forward to Thanksgiving! I know I am!

What we've been eating lately!

Ok for awhile I've been trying all kinds of new recipes. All but a few have been a big hit, and even those that weren't a hit were still good!

Maybe you are looking for some new (healthy!) dishes to try! Read along and you can choose a recipe you know has been tested by two fairly picky eaters :)

And if you want to know where I find my recipes, all are exclusively from:

DashingDish.com This lady is wonderful and so beautiful too! She's definitely one of those ladies I'd love to look just like if I could. Her insides are pretty too! She loves Jesus and often shares about him on her blog. All her recipes are healthy and delicious! She does a lot of great creative things with desserts. Most of the recipes I've tried were not sweets, since they were for dinner.

My newest go-to is SkinnyTaste.com My great friend introduced me to her! She has a TON of recipes in every meal genre :) You can even choose recipes based on the amount of Weight Watchers points. There are several new recipes a week and she's been doing it for quite a while so there's a large database to choose from!

So here's what I've tried so far from Dashing Dish:
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing
Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken Strips
those were sooo good. You can even subsitute Agave nectar for the honey and it tastes just as great!
Ten Minute Taco Salad
Chicken Enchilada Pockets
I recommend going a little easier on the salsa/taco sauce. It can easily overhwelm the cheese flavor.
Greek-Style Feta Burgers 
OMG- so so good!

And from Skinny Taste:
Pumpkin Butter
I would make a 1/2 recipe- it makes a ton and you only use a little at a time
Chicken Cordon Bleu 
But good luck getting the chicken to make a complete seal around the stuffing! Was delicious anyway!
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Was not so much a fan of this
Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken Tenders
Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage
Kinda like Zuppa Toscana!
Potato Leek Soup
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Do not fear this gourd! It was super yummy!
Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas
Pumpkin Pie Dip
I would make a 1/2 recipe of this too. Original recipe serves about 20-30.

Now get to cookin!!!!!!!

Homemade Meatballs (Recipe)

So I adapted this recipe from E-Mealz. It was my first time to make my own meatballs and to me, it was Ahhhhmazing! But, it's the most amazing when you combine it with this sauce:

Bertolli pasta sauce, Italian Sausage flavor

And now, for the star player, the meatballs:

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef (leanness of your choice, we get 90/10 or 93/7 usually)
2/3 c plain bread crumbs
4 Tonion, minced (adjust amount for desired flavor)
4 T green bell pepper, minced
1/4 c finely grated parmesan cheese (the kind in a can, not the shredded)
1/3 c fat free milk
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1-2 t garlic powder
1 t Italian seasoning

Mix all ingredients together by hand. Roll into a ball of desired size in the palm of your hand. Place into a casserole dish, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees. They will be a grey-ish color when they come out but will brown up as they cool.

Alternatively- you could cook them on the stove top. As the original recipe called for baking them an hour and I was short on time and hungry, I browned mine on the stove top in an iron skillet, turning once, then I placed the skillet in the oven for 10-15 minutes just to make sure they were cooked through.

Combine with a sauce of your choice and serve!

Chicken portfolios (Recipe)

This is another E-Mealz recipe. It was a HUGE hit with my husband. If you had pre-cooked chicken this recipe would be pretty quick to make!

Ingredients:

2 cans (8oz each) reduced fat crescent rolls
2 c cooked chicken, chopped into bite size pieces or shredded/pulled
2 T minced onion
8oz 1/2 fat cream cheese
4 T margarine, melted
1/2 c FF milk
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder

Blend cream cheese and margarine until smooth. Soften cream cheese a bit if necessary. Mix in all remaining ingredients except crescents. Lay out crescent rolls onto baking sheet, keeping them together in pairs so that you have a rectangle, pressing the seams together to make the rectangle whole. Place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture into the center. Pull the corners of the dough together in the middle and then pull up remaining dough to make a sachet of sorts. (As you can see in the picture mine was too full, but tasted good!). Bake at 350 15-20 minutes until crescent is golden brown.

Applause and Raves and a Recipe

So if I ever attempt home-made biscuits again, I will be making these:

These beauties are courtesy of my sister-in-law Hali. She kindly made us breakfast Sunday morning. These bad boys are light, fluffy and flaky. The great secret? The biscuit recipe on the back of Publix self-rising flour. Too funny! Although this is not where she first got it, it's an easy way to find it now.

A couple tips- make sure all your ingredients are as cold as possible. Helps with rising. Also, don't twist the cutter (or rim of the drinking glass if you're like me) when cutting the biscuits. It seals off the tiny air pockets and doesn't allow them to rise as much.

And someday I'll be lucky enough to make some of this to go with it:

Mmm mmm sausage gravy

Also, I just want to give a "shout out" for the excellent customer service I received today. If you read my previous post, you know about my issues with the new laptop. I sent an email to their customer service Friday night but with the long weekend and time change I hadn't gotten a response yet. So I called this morning and the gentleman who answered the phone was extremely pleasant and sorry for the delay. He stated they would have all their e-mails returned by the end of the day. When I explained the problem he stated they would be happy to fix it. He really seemed concerned about the problem. Within 20 minutes I had a prepaid return shipping label in my inbox.
He told me I was now part of their "customer family and we will make it right." He told me my options would be exchange, repair if possible and reship (only if I consented) or full refund. I told him the ordeal I've been through and that I really wanted an exchange if possible.
I then got a return phone call letting me know they did have another of my item in stock and as soon as the UPS tracking number showed that my return was in transit they would ship the replacement to me! Yay!
So hopefully I'll only be waiting another week or so to be back in business!
If you are ever looking for an item on eBay, I can recommend with confidence seller Newopenbox

Recipe: Dorito Casserole

In this one I boiled chicken legs and used that meat, so it's dark

From one of our weekly menus via E-Mealz

This recipe serves about 4. I would double for more than 5 people.

Dorito Casserole

1/2 bag nacho Doritos
1 can evaporated milk (I use FF)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or chicken, or celery)
1/4lb Velveeta or 1 cup shredded cheddar
1 small onion, minced and cooked til translucent (or dehydrated minced onion)
1 and 1/2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1/4 c cheddar for garnish

Bring milk and soup to a high simmer/almost boil in the microwave or sauce pan. Add in cheese and stir until melted. Add in onions. Set aside.
In a casserole dish, layer chips, then 1/2 the chicken, then 1/2 the sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until golden/bubbly. Remove from oven and top with grated cheese.

I used chicken or celery soup because the hubby hates mushrooms, but that's what the recipe calls for.

I think you could change up a few ingredients and have a totally new flavor. Like maybe ranch Doritos and a white cheese, like mozzarella or Swiss.

Anyway, it's fairly easy and a crowd pleaser!
Enjoy!

Recipe: Fruity Chicken Salad

You will need:

1.5lbs chicken breast, cooked (I chopped and boiled mine)
1-3 cups peeled chopped apples
1-3 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1-3 cups celery, chopped fine
The mix should have 5-6 cups total of produce, so you choose which. The recipes call for 3c apples and 3c grapes. I made mine with only 2c grapes because that many grapes did not sound good to me. So I had 5 cups total. But I think next time I might do 2c apples, 2c grapes and 1c celery. Moving on.
1/3 cup fat free sour cream
1T low-fat mayo
1T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped nuts, walnuts recommended
Juice of 1 lime or 1-2T prepared lime juice

Toss the apples and lime juice together in a large bowl (to prevent browning). Add in the grapes (and celery if desired). In a separate small bowl blend together mayo, sour cream and mustard. Mix into fruit, coating well. Take cooked chicken and shred or chop it. Fold nuts and chicken into fruit mixture, coating well.

If divided into 6 servings (with 3c apple 2c grape) it would be 250 cal/serving.

Serve with crackers, on a salad, on a sandwich or in a wrap. We ate them on Flat Out! Sun dried Tomato wraps.

Whip Dip (Recipe)

So I just randomly overheard a lady at the beach last week telling her friend about this recipe, and decided it was good enough to try, and then share :)

VERY simple!

You can also make this as low-calorie as you like.

You only need 3 ingredients:

1 8 oz block cream cheese

1 regular (not the large one) tub of whipped topping

Vanilla extract to taste

I used full-fat cream cheese (I've had that block in the fridge for some time and it needed to be used)

and light whipped topping

Only about 1 tsp extract. I think it could be great with almond or amaretto extract too.

I think the lady at the beach used light or fat free cream cheese. Add Splenda if needed.

Using a hand mixer beat together on high.

Store in the fridge.

Mild but tasty dip for pretzels, fruit, or whatever you'd like.

Happy Friday and Easter weekend! HE is risen, just as He said!!!!!

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Food love- Hearty Rice

Ok, this is not a recipe so much as a suggestion for a dish.
I say this because there are no measurements. The amounts are to your liking.

We originally got this recipe when we were doing E-Mealz. They called it "Hearty Rice". It's cheap, quick and easy anytime.

What you need:
Cooked rice
Cooked taco meat
Corn (canned or frozen then heated)
Salsa
Cheese

Combine and eat. To me, it's very comfort food-esque. And a little fancier than Ramen :)

I had it for lunch today.
This round we had about 4 cups rice (cooked amount) and it was a mixture of brown and white, made in our "set it and forget it" rice cooker (love it!). I cooked up 2 lbs of meat, mixture of ground beef and ground turkey. I kept it separate because I use onions in my taco meat, which hubby hates. So I made 2 kinds of meat. I usually season mine with a LOT of cumin (love the stuff), chopped onion, salt, pepper, some garlic and chili powder. Or you can use a packet :) This time I used one small bag of frozen super sweet shoepeg corn, which steamed over our rice as it as cooking thanks to the handy insert our cooker came with. I really liked this corn. But I like just about any corn. I would say I put about a cup or cup and a half of shredded cheddar. And about 1 cup of salsa.

More or less of anything as you like it!

That's it! I think a can of beans would also be a nice addition. Basically you just mix it all together and serve. You can sprinkle more cheese on top for presentation. It's definitely not a fancy lookin' dish :)

Add something green (salad, veggie, guacamole) and you're good to go!

Leftovers for lunch

The more I look at it, I guess it's like eating the filling to a beef and rice burrito. Like a step up from Hamburger Helper :) But I like it!

Spice up that Spinach dip!

So, I fell in love with an amazing spinach dip.
You know the recipe that uses the Knorr Vegetable soup mix? Try it with their Leek soup mix instead!
Only use 1/2 a package, or double the mayo and sour cream.

So a small bowl would be:
10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c mayo
16oz container sour cream
1/2 pkg leek soup mix

The whole pkg makes for a pretty strong onion flavor, so if you use it all, double the mayo and sour cream, but not the spinach.

Adding some toasted nuts of your choice in is also nice.

Spicy Sausage Potato Soup

So, this is the link to the recipe I started with:

Super Delicious Zuppa Toscana

It's still very spicy so you may want to start with just a quarter tsp of cayenne and work your way up.


But I did it this way:


Ingredients

* 1 package smoked turkey sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
* 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 large onion, pureed/finely minced (to hide it from an onion hater) : )
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 5 standard cans lower-sodium chicken broth
* 6 small potatoes, peel on thinly sliced
* 1 cup fat free milk
* 1/2 can evaporated milk
* 2 handfuls fresh spinach, stems removed and torn into bite-size pieces
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the turkey sausage in a stock pot over med-high heat, browning/searing thoroughly to create some glaze to stick to the bottom of the pot.
2. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the pot with the sausage and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the milk and evaporated milk; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

I personally thought this soup was too spicy. But some other people LOVED it :)
I am going to try the original recipe with much less substitutions because I really love Zuppa Toscana from OG. But maybe you too will like Spicy Sausage Potato Soup :)

Thanksgiving Recipes!

Hi all!

So- I made three things for Thanksgiving. I am going to put the Internet links for each one, and then list the modifications I made or the tips I have.

My fave:

Brie en croute

Pepperidge Farm Recipe

There is a link to the specific brie I made, but it is malfunctioning.
So, to fancy it up like I did, add this:
Before you lay the cheese on the pastry-
Mix 1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary, 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup dried fruit of your choice (I used cranberries, original recipe calls for cherries). Soften fruit first by soaking in hot water for 1 min, then pat dry on paper towel. Place the mix in the center of the pastry and lay brie round on top. Then proceed with basic recipe linked above.
Tip- I think that technically the thick "rind" that comes on brie is supposed to be left on. But ours (purchased at Wal-Mart) had a very thick, not tasty, "skin". We used the side edge of a spoon turned upside down to scrape the rind off. A veggie/potato peeler also works well along the rim.
Serve warm. Reheats well in the microwave. 

So, I sent my fab sis-in-law/owner of  this somewhat neglected blog :) I found out you are technically supposed to leave the rind (mold) on. But it's up to your taste buds.
Opinion 1
Opinion 2
Opinion 3

Pepperidge Farm's website has a few other brie recipes that sound yummy!

Cheese's Baked Mac n Cheese

Allrecipes.com
So I definitely "healthied" this one up.
I used only 1 link (about 8 oz) of smoked turkey sausage, reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese blend, fat free milk and whole wheat flour. I also recommend only using 1/4 to 1/3 cup of bread crumbs. They recommend waaaay too many IMO.

Classy Green Bean Casserole

Allrecipes.com
I used fat free sour cream, low-fat/sodium mushroom soup and reduced fat crackers. IMO- the sour cream probably should have been at least light, maybe even full-fat. Or maybe I'm just not a fan of this recipe. But if you make the modifications, it would be pretty low-cal.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday!

Recipes for low cal alfredo, pasta bake and skillet taters

Alfredo Sauce

2 Tbsp light butter or margarine
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (any flour really)
2 cups fat free milk or soy milk
1 Tbsp garlic powder (more or less to your taste)
8 oz shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese

Over med-high heat make a roux with the flour and butter. Don't brown. Add 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth. After heated through, add 2 additional cups of milk. Heath through. Add Parmesan and garlic, stirring with a spatula to keep from sticking to bottom of pot. I takes a while for the mixture to thicken. I raised the heat on mine to a low boil/ high simmer for a few min then reduced it to med-low and just let it go for awhile. I also added salt and pepper to taste. 200 calories per 1/2 cup of sauce.

I used that sauce to make this:

That's just regular spaghetti I had on hand. I sauteed chicken breast on the stove top with garlic salt, pepper and a little soy sauce. Then I added in thawed sweat peas with the chicken until they were heated through. I have to admit, it was good. I'm having those leftover for dinner tonight :)

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
Very quick and easy!
1 9 oz package frozen creamed spinach (thawed)
1 14 oz (standard size) can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained (I also crumbled mine further to avoid chunks)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
8oz of a short pasta (I used penne but an even shorter one is recommended)
I used WW penne but didn't like it.

Set oven to broil. Boil pasta until tender, drain. Add in all remaining ingredients (but only 1 cup mozzarella) and stir to combine. Place in a shallow boiler-proof (I used a Pyrex glass casserole dish). Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is golden and browning in spots.
IMO- this needs more cheese or like some evap milk or heavy cream or FF sour cream or something. It tasted a bit too healthy to me :) Needed to be a bit creamier.

Skillet Potatoes
This is not so much a recipe but rather a method for cooking potatoes that we really enjoy

Bake potato of choice in the microwave (pierce with a fork first) until just a little underdone (needs to be able to hold it's shape when cut). We use Yukon golds or butter golds for everything! And I usually cook for about 4 min, for starters. If potatoes are still hard when squeezed, cook more. They should be firm but not hard. Cut potatoes into large bites (like quartered for small potatoes, may need to cut into more pieces for larger ones) but I try to have a piece of skin on each section. Heat iron skillet on stove to medium-high heat. Add enough canola oil to make a layer in the skillet about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Enough to pan-fry the potatoes. They should sizzle when placed in pan. Put in pan in a single layer. Turn as each side sitting in the oil becomes dark golden brown. Season with salt and pepper (or whatever you want. I like a little garlic salt)
Anyway, they don't take nearly as long to cook this way (about 10 min) and are not as unhealthy as deep-fried ones. The outsides are just a little crispy and the insides are soft and tasty. We love em!

What I did this weekend (w/more Recipes)

I need to get some more pics to do Part 2. Oh the bummers of not having your own camera.
Got em ladies and gents! See end of post

But Friday and Saturday included a lot of cooking. I've been getting quite a bit of satisfaction lately out of trying new recipes. This weekend I made hummus (the 5-minute one referenced here). Forgot to take a pic. I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. A little too thick. But that may be because I used a stick blender. Maybe it would be better with the tahini.
I also made Chicken Enchiladas Verde, but we did not like the topping (neither one of us are fans of cilantro) so we used sour cream and salsa.

The filling

I used 3 of these since I only had 7 flour tortillas

The topping we didn't eat :)

Down and dirty recipe for these:
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken (can use a rotisserie one, boil it, grill it, whatever)
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1/2 cup diced green onion
10 flour tortillas or wraps (just need to be flexible)
1/2 Tbsp of fat free half and half per tortilla (so like 5 Tbsp)
Topping:
1 cup tomatillos, diced
1 cup fresh cilantro, diced
1 cup fat free sour cream
(I would do it the easy way and use 1 cup sour cream and 1 or 2 cans of salsa verde [green salsa]. The small cans are sold in the ethnic section of most supermarkets)

Fill each tortilla with a rounded 1/3 cup scoop of the chicken/onion/cheese mix. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp of FF half and half over it. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased dish. Bake at 375 for 20 min or until slightly browned and filling is melting and thoroughly heated. Top with the sauce once out of the oven. Makes 10.

Then we carved this- our first one together! John said we could have a girly one! :)

We carved it on the tile floor in front of this- our first one of this season

Then we did this with the seeds:

The bottom half is spicy- top half is salted with a hint of garlic

Hubby had never had them before and thankfully liked them :) In our experience- 20 min at 350 gives a good roast. But I checked them every 5 min after 10 had elapsed to make sure they didn't burn.

Then Saturday was more cooking. We had a get-together to go to that night. So I made this:

2 cans of crescent rolls flattened out to 12"w by 15" length. Cuts 1.5" apart and 3" deep towards the center

Take each strip and twist once as you fold it in to the middle

Fold up ends

Can you tell my oven bakes a little un-evenly? But it tasted fabulous!

Chicken Broccoli Braid
4 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (I boiled mine)
1 cup chopped broccoli (floret part only)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbsp dill weed (or 2 Tbsp dill seasoning mix)
I chopped it all up in a food processor and made the filling 1 day in advance
Mix well in a bowl
Also need 3 egg whites and salt
Roll out 2 cans crescent rolls to 12x15 on foil or a baking stone. (Transfer to a baking sheet if just using foil)
Perform the cuts as pictured above (width of uncut area should be about 6 inches) and lay mix down the center. Fold cuts toward center, twisting once to make a faux braid. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Can be served warm or cool. This is so tasty, if there are more than 4 people you may wanna make 2 :)

Then I made a "just add" mix of apple-cinnamon muffins for the new neighbors. They haven't been home when we are to give them out just yet :(

This is where I took the broccoli braid-

The couple in the middle- the wife is a long-time friend of mine. They just got married in July and this was the first get-together in their new house!

Sunday evening was our Fall Festival at church. Mom and I manned our "trunk" while John had to work :(
He was still at church but occupied with other obligations. Thank goodness for mom. Could not have handled 2 dogs and a bunch of little kids wanting candy. Mom took a pic of all of us I've yet to see. I will post these once I get them. They are now posted below
Overall it was a fun time. Can't wait to see what I whip up this weekend! :) I'm recipe obsessed!

Our trunk

Prisoner Eby

Sheriff Ernie

She loves kids

Wacky tacky country girl

The fam

Recipe

So here is what I cooked Tuesday. Recipe can be found here
I used WW rotini instead of linguine. I also decreased the mushrooms (hubby doesn't like them).
For DFL plan- noodle serving is 1 cup females, 1 1/3 cup males
As always, you probably need to increase the seasonings (in my opinion).
I did use chopped chx breast instead of ground or ground turkey. I think this would be great with lean ground beef also.

Recipes and Fall tips

Our ladies' group decided to start sharing recipes at our bi-monthly meetings. This is what I'm sharing this week:


Tasty Salsa Lime Chicken

Note: Requires at least 30 min of marinating time- (prepare morning of or night before if possible)

Ingredients:

1 cup chunky salsa

2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard

3 tbsp lime juice (fresh recommended)

1 lime, segmented

2 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (filet/split to reduce cooking time if desired)

Salt, cumin and garlic powder to taste

Fresh cilantro for topping if desired


1.       In a shallow nonporous dish (casserole dish works well) combine the salsa, mustard and lime juice. Mix well, add chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

2.       Heat large skillet on medium heat with olive oil. Remove chicken from marinade and add to skillet. Season with 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cumin and 1 tbsp garlic powder. Sauté until browned on all sides. Meanwhile, boil remaining marinade in a saucepan for 4-5 min. (Be careful not to burn! May need to add water to avoid this)

3.       Add boiled marinade to chicken and sauté another 5 minutes or more until chicken juices run clear and marinade starts to glaze. Remove chicken to serving platter and then raise heat in skillet and boil marinade for 1 additional minute. Water may be added to make the glaze the consistency you prefer. Spoon marinade over chicken and top each breast with 1 tbsp fat free sour cream, 1 lime wedge and fresh cilantro if desired.

You can also grill the chicken and cook the marinade separately then spoon over chicken.

This recipe courtesy of the message boards at Diet Free Life


Apple Pork Chop Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb pork loin chops (can use boneless if desired)

Seasoned flour coating (1/2 c flour, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 2 tsp paprika, cayenne to taste if desired)

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

½ c chopped onions

1 c thinly sliced cored apples, leave peel on

¼ c honey barbeque sauce

3 tbsp minced garlic or 1.5 garlic cloves


1.       Combine flour and spices listed except salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Season chops liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge chops in flour mixture until well coated.

2.       In a large skillet, brown the chops on both sides in olive oil and butter. Add onions, apple slices, BBQ sauce and garlic. Cover and simmer 30 min or until chops are cooked through and tender.

We like to add a can of drained and rinsed green beans to this so our veggies have a sweet BBQ flavor.

This recipe courtesy of subscription based meal planning service we loved! $5 a month people!


5-minute Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed

1 clove garlic (or minced garlic)

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste), optional

1 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp paprika, ¾ tsp salt to taste

1.       In a food processor or blender, puree the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt and tahini (if using) until smooth and creamy. Add 1-2 tbsp water as needed to achieve desired consistency.

2.       Drizzle with olive oil and top with paprika before serving.

This one is from a blog I subscribe to. She also has a great recipe blog. Show some love to Megan.


Then today I was able to pick through my latest Real Simple magazine.

I confess I've been getting these since before I was married, but rarely looked through them. Today I took the time to, and I must say, there are a lot of helpful hints! Here are just a few things I took from this issue.


1. Use old books as Christmas and gift deco: Tear pages from unwanted books, shape into a cone, secure with 1 piece of tape. Multiples of these in different page sizes would be great to grace a mantle or shelf for some modern holiday flair. Adding a pre-made sticky bow to the top would be so simple to jazz it up even more!

2. Use a box cutter to make a well in a book to hold and disguise a small gift. Wrap book.

3. For giving jewelry, back a poignant page from a book with cardboard and then pierce jewelry through page as a display.

4. Go to tgiblackfriday.com to get the inside scoop on black Friday deals before the ads are printed.

5. Want Christmas e-cards that look more like the real deal? Try paperlesspost.com $10 for 150 e-cards.

6. Add 1 or 2 spoonfuls of pumpkin puree to spice up traditional pancakes.

7. Visit Kleenex.com to send a free Share Pack of tissues to a sick friend or family member.

8. Diyornot.com- a website with the estimated time and cost (with instructions) for over 300 DIY projects and cost of hiring it out. Recommendations to pay or DIY. Written by 2 former NYT columnists.

And a random tip from a Yahoo! article on holiday scams and safety- Do not put your actual home address into your "home" favorite in your GPS. If a thief steals your vehicle, or just your GPS- they'll know exactly where you live. Instead- put a nearby place like a gas station, church or school. I contend that if they steal your actual car- they'll get your address from your registration or some other identifying information in the car. But I guess if they just steal your GPS it could be worthwhile for them not to know where you live too.

I also copied several recipes out of the mag. Once I try them I will share if they're any good! :)

Happy start of the work week, lol!

Recipes

So, as promised, here are the recipes. You better be grateful, these aren't quick to type out! :)
Let me say the mission of these recipes is to avoid salt, added sugars and processed foods, so if you need to substitute, try to follow those guidelines. 

Lasagna: serves 12
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground turkey
 2 jars (6cups/52oz) Classico tomato basil sauce
(or any sauce without added sugar and salt or trans fats)
4c low fat cottage cheese
1/4c grated Parmesan
1 lg egg
1 T EVOO
1 diced red bell pepper
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced medium zucchini
1 bag fresh spinach (6 or 9oz) (or frozen with no additives)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 t minced garlic from jar)
1/2 box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Lasagna noodles
(or any whole wheat or mostly whole wheat lasagna)

Prepare noodles according to package direction (kudos to you if you can find no-boil healthy noodles, and if you do let me know!) Rinse in strainer with cold water and set aside. (make sure they don't stick together)
Steam spinach and press out excess water.Or just thaw out if frozen and then squeeze out liquid. In a 3 quart or larger pan, brown turkey. Season generously, Italian style. Ground turkey needs almost twice the seasoning of ground beef. Drain meat and set aside. In the same pan spray with cooking spray and saute vegetables and garlic for 2-3min. Add meat and sauce and simmer for 5 min or until sauce is heated through. In a separate medium bowl combine egg, spinach, cottage cheese and mix well.
Heat oven to 350. Spray 15x11x2 casserole dish with Pam. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom. Then a layer of noodles, then a layer of the cheese and spinach mix topped with some mozzarella, then noodles, then sauce mix, then cheese mix, repeat until dish full. Finish with a layer of noodles topped with sauce mix then mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. Let stand 10 min before serving. Makes 12 equal portions. 370 cal each.

Chicken Pot Pie: serves 3
Ingredients
1 medium onion finely chopped
4 medium carrots chopped
4 medium celery stalks chopped
1/2 c peas
2 T EVOO or cooking spray (Pam)
1 large chicken breast, pre-cooked and then cubed.
1 garlic clove minced or 1/2 t minced garlic
1/2t salt
1/4t fresh ground pepper
1/4t thyme
2T flour
1.5 c no salt added chicken broth
6 sheets phyllo dough, whole wheat if you can find it

Read directions for use for your phyllo when you buy it. You made need to thaw it for 2 hours or in the fridge overnight for use.
Preheat oven to 425. Heat 1T EVOO in medium-large saucepan. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in 1 cup broth. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining broth and the flour. Whisk this mixture into the already cooking saucepan. Bring to a boil, still whisking. Reduce to a high simmer and cook 4 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add carrots and celery and bring mix to a boil. Add chicken and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat. Add thyme and peas, allow to cool til only warm. Spoon into a 9" round deep dish pie pan or a small (9x11ish) casserole dish.
If using a pie dish stack phyllo and cut into an 11" round circle. if using casserole dish use whole sheet.
Place 2 layers of phyllo, brush with 1t oil or spray with Pam. Repeat til phyllo is used. Press phyllo down into sides of pan to hold in veggies. Bake 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. 430 cal per serving.

Personal Pizzas: Serves 1
1 medium 100% whole wheat pita
4T prepared tomato sauce or make your own
1/4c part-skim shredded mozzarella
1/4 of a red or green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a small zucchini, diced
2 mushrooms, sliced
2 oz cooked cubed chicken breast or gr. turkey or extra lean ground beef (consider adding a little extra meat in the above recipes when cooking and then reserve for use for pizza later)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Saute peppers, mushrooms and zucchini for 1-2min. Place pita "upside down" on baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread sauce, then cheese, then veggies then meat. Bake 15-20 min or until golden and bubbling. 372 cal per serving.

Chili: Serves 12
2 lbs gr turkey
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium red bell pepper diced
1 medium green bell pepper diced
1 medium onion chopped
2 15 oz cans each of kidneys, black and garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 28oz can no salt added diced tomatoes, not drained
3t minced garlic
1T chili powder
1t paprika
1t oregano
fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste

We like this but thought their seasoning left it bland. So taste and add more if desired.
In a large pot brown turkey with onions and then drain. Place veggies, oil and 1/2 the garlic in pot and saute til tender. Add beans and tomatoes and drained meat and onions. Bring to boil and then simmer 15-20min. Add spices and remaining garlic, mix well. Simmer 5 more min. Add salt n pepper to taste. 378 cal per 1.5 cups.

Southern Oven-Fried Chicken: Serves 6
Ingredients
6 (about 4oz each) bone-in chicken breast (we used boneless anyway)
2 lg eggs
1/4c nonfat milk
1/2c finely chopped pecans
1/3c cornmeal
1/3c WW flour
1t salt
1t onion powder
1/2t cayenne
1/2t fresh ground pepper
1T smart balance buttery spread, cut into thin slices

Preheat oven for 425 with rack in center position. Line at 9x13 pan with foil. In a bowl wide enough for dredging the chicken whisk egg and milk. In a shallow dish mix pecans, cornmeal, flour and seasonings. Rinse chicken under cold water then pat dry with a paper towel. Dip chicken in egg mixture then dredge in flour mix. Place in dish. Dot each coated breast with butter spread and bake until golden brown, approx. 40min. Be careful not to over cook. 295 cal per breast.

Brownies: Serves16 2x2" brownies
Ingredients
1c evaporated cane juice (like Florida Natural Crystals)
1c WW flour
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 heaping scoop vanilla protein powder
1t baking soda
1T 60% cocoa chips (found at Publix by Ghiradelli)
1/2c walnut pieces
2 egg whites
1c unsweetened applesauce
2T nonfat or soy milk
1t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside 1T of chocolate chips and walnuts for topping. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk until lump free. In separate bowl mix wed ingredients. Slowly add dry to wet mixing well to prevent lumps. Spray 8x8 pan with Pam. Pour mixture into pan, top with leftover chips and nuts. Bake 30-40 minutes. Cool and serve. 169 cal per brownie.

My fingers hurt. Goodbye for today.