Oven- Barbecued Pork Chops

This recipe is super easy, quick, and calls for ingredients that are usually around the house. Goes great with rice or baked potatoes! Works with chicken breasts too -- just increase the cooking time a little.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds bone-in, 3/4-inch-thick pork rib chops, trimmed of fat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

Oven Roasted Meatballs

From the "Deceptively Healthy" Pass the Plate, here is the recipe:


Oven Roasted Meatballs

2 slices firm white bread, coarsely chopped
1 small (8 ounces) zucchini, shredded
1 large egg white
1/3 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey breast

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In large bowl, with hand, mix bread, zucchini, egg white, Romano, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly moistened. Add ground turkey and mix just until evenly combined.

With wet hands, shape turkey mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs. Place meatballs in 15 1/2-inch by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.


I serve them with pasta and pasta sauce. My husband loves them more than the last set of meatballs he swore were the best!

Stuffed Peppers

I don't usually crave foods that scream "healthy"---I'm much more into the comfort foods. But I found myself craving these one day and tried them out. Really easy, and really tasty, too!

Thank you, Betty Crocker!


Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozerella cheese (3 ounces)

Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover in a 4-quart Dutch oven about 5 minutes; drain. (Now, if you're like me and don't have a Dutch oven, just use a large pot.)

Cook beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until hot.

Heat oven to 350.

Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.

Cover (I used aluminum foil) and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.


Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Cake

8 eggs
1 c sugar, divided
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c toasted ground walnuts
2 t vanilla
6 T flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 c fruit jam
1 t powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil & flour 9-in spring form pan.
Crack 2 eggs into large bowl. Separate 2 more eggs, placing whites in 2nd large bowl, & yolks in 1st bowl. Separate remaining 4 eggs, adding whites to 2nd bowl (yolks not needed).
Beat egg whites on high til foamy. Add 1/3 c sugar, & beat til soft peaks form. Set aside.
Add brown sugar & remaining 2/3 c sugar to 1st bowl, & beat on medium speed til thick & light brown. Beat in nuts & vanilla. Beat in flour, cocoa, salt, & cinnamon. With rubber spatula, fold in 1 c beaten egg whites, til smooth. Fold in remaining egg whites very gently (some white streaks may be visible). Gently pour into pan.
Place pan in oven & reduce heat to 325. Bake til set, 40-45 mins. Cool completely on wire rack.
Remove pan's side. Release cake from pan's bottom with long, thin, metal spatula, & transfer to serving plate. Slice cake in 1/2 horizontally with long, thin knife. Lift off top, spread jam over bottom layer, & replace top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

It seems like just about every family has a recipe for Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. They all have chilies, onions, soups, and so forth, and everyone loves them.

I love them too, but don’t make them often since they take a lot of work (I hate shredding chicken), so when I told Josh that they were on the docket for the week he was pretty pumped. What I didn’t tell him at the time was that I had a diabolical plan to try a new (and pink) idea for the enchilada sauce.


I’m glad that I did – changing up the sauce to be chili-lime cream was a stroke of pure genius (not that I want to toot my own horn, but seriously, I’m drooling just thinking about it).

Maybe I’ll start making these a bit more often.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

• 3-4 c. shredded cooked chicken


• 2 (4 oz) cans green chiles


• 1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup


• ½ c. non-fat sour cream


• 1 med-large onion, chopped very fine


• 8-10 medium sized flour tortillas (soft taco, fajita, gordita style)


• Grated cheddar cheese

For sauce:

• ½ c. non-fat sour cream


• ¼ c. milk


• ½ Tbs. chili powder


• 1 Tbs lime juice

In a skillet sauté onion and chilies in their own juices until just tender. In a large bowl combine onion and chili mixture with chicken, soup and sour cream. Mix until well combined. Spoon filling mixture onto tortillas and roll them up, placing enchiladas in a sprayed casserole pan. Once all enchiladas have been rolled and placed, combine the ingredients for the sauce in the same bowl that the filling was in. Mix until evenly blended then pour over enchiladas, smearing it around with the back of a spoon until every enchilada gets coated. Top lightly with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and sauce bubbles at edges (about 20-30 minutes).

Kim's Notes: This serves well with rice and corn. If you want something a bit more special than plain rice, add 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili pepper, and 1 Tbs of fresh chopped cilantro.

Don't want to make the pink sauce? Try a green enchilada sauce or simply mix milk with about 1/3 of a can of cream of chicken soup.

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe. The cookie is SO moist, so soft, and SOOO yummy! Just try not to fall over dead when you read the ingredients.....

Ingredients
1 c butter
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

Carmel Popcorn

Homemade caramel corn is buttery, crunchy, sweet and best of all it's naturally gluten free. And it's so buttery fresh, a quality hard to find in a can or bag!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 5 quarts fresh popcorn ( I used about 3 bags of microwave popcorn in Natural flavor, NO Butter)
• 1/2 cup agave syrup OR light corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°

1. Pop 5 quarts of popcorn and place in a large roasting pan.
2. Put butter, sugar, agave syrup OR corn syrup and cream of tartar in a large pan. Over medium heat, melt the mixture, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
4. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir to mix.
5. Carefully pour this mixture over the popcorn. Gently stir to thoroughly coat the popcorn.
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Remove and pour on a large baking sheet to cool. Use a spatula to separate the warm clumps.

Graveyard Cake AKA Red Velvet Doggie Bone Cake

This recipe comes from the Ladies Home Journal. I think the bone's recipe could be used in many ways for different shapes, letters or fun decorations!

Prep: 30 min
Start to Finish: 2 hr

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 two-layer red velvet cake (see recipe center) **I added a package of instant pudding to the cake mix to make a more moist cake!**
  
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk gently until sugar is dissolved, about 3 min. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, whisk on medium-high until a stiff meringue forms, about 10 min.

2. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a #12 plain tip, then pipe 3-1/2- to 4-inch-long bone shapes on baking sheets. Bake 20 min. Turn oven off and let meringues dry in oven for 30 min more. Let bones cool before carefully removing from parchment paper.

3. Coat one cake layer with 1/2 cup frosting and top with second layer. Frost entire cake and refrigerate to set, 30 min or overnight. Decorate with whole and broken bones before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:In a mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and 1, 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened together until creamy, about 2 min. Stir in 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Add 1 lb (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 to 4 tbsp milk and stir until smooth. Can be refrigerated up to one week; bring to room temperature and stir before using Makes 3 cups.

Pumpkin Muffins

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
3 1/3 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
2/3 c chopped nuts (opt)
1/3 c chocolate chips (opt)

Mix together wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in nuts & chocolate chips last. Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 20-25 mins at 350. Makes about 33 muffins.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

Not wanting to relinquish my recent love-affair with pork chops just yet, I thought to myself - Why not try your Slow Cooker Swiss Steak recipe on them?I'm so glad I did - these might even be better than the beef.

They turned out so tender and subtly sweet that I think this is going to become a new favorite of mine. I'm sure my boys won't complain about that since they gobbled them up with as much enthusiasm as I did. I'm also really glad that I tried my idea to lessen the number of potatoes in the pot and make mashed potatoes on the side. We had a few roasted ones with dinner, but what we didn't eat saved well to go with Josh to work as leftovers.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

* 1.5 lbs pork chops, trimmed of fat
* pepper
* 2 medium red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
* 1.5 c. baby carrots
* 1 med onion, cut into wedges
* 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
* 2 packets pork gravy mix
* 1 c. cold water
* mashed potatoes, if desired

Layer potatoes, onion and pork in your slow cooker. Sprinkle chops with pepper. Add tomatoes. Mix up one packet of gravy with 1 cup cold water and pour into crock pot. Top everything with the baby carrots.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. I did 5 hours on low, then one more hour on high with great results.

Kim's notes: If you want to serve this meal with mashed potatoes, then make them near the end of your cooking time. Use the second packet of gravy for serving, or add liquid from the slow cooker to the package gravy and and then thicken it.

Never thickened your own gravy? It's easy as can be - add 1/4 c. of flour to 1 c. of water, shake until combined, or if you don't have a shaker of some sort you can use a wire whisk to get the clumps out. Add just a little of the flour mixture at a time to your gravy so that you don't over thicken it. Be sure to taste the gravy along the way so that you don't over flour it or so that you can add spices/pepper if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Nut Belgian Waffles

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 oz finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I put more a little more than a tsp.)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup REAL maple syrup (not the artificial stuff made with corn syrup etc.)
3 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, chopped nuts, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir to blend and reserve.

In a second bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, 2 egg yolks, milk, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla; stir until smooth. Add to the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend until smooth, using a wisk.

In a clean dry bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.

Do not open waffle iron during cooking process.

Eating Out at Home: Baked Chicken Parmesan

Josh’s favorite Italian meal is Chicken Parmesan. He will often order it at restaurants and savor every deep fried bite.

Only, I don’t do deep fried at home. This became the challenge, make Josh’s fav, but make it healthy. I did a little of this, a little of that, and presto he loved it! This will definitely be a repeat at our house.

Chicken Parmesan

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenders, trimmed of fat
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Beat egg whites with fork on a plate until slightly fluffy. Combine all dry ingredients on another plate and mix until combined. Dip chicken tenders in egg, then roll in crumb mixture until coated. Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish and repeat for all chicken pieces. Discard leftover egg and crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve over pasta and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese if desired.

Kim’s note: Counting the calories, but don’t want to miss out on cheese? Stir a little non-fat cottage cheese into the pasta for a little added creamy-ness.

Happy Cooking!

Apricot Smokies

2 14-oz pkgs smokies (mini sausages)
1 14-oz jar apricot preserves
1 c mustard

Mix preserves & mustard together in saucepan, over med heat. Add smokies, & let simmer til heated through.

*If you like a sweeter sauce, use just 1/2 c mustard.*

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

I don’t have a lot of witty commentary to say about this soup, only that it’s awesome, all American, easy, and that I tweaked it to be a bit healthier and loaded it with extra veggies (I’m sure no one is surprised by this). Both of my boys devoured it, which is the best recommendation that I can give.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

• 1.5 pounds chicken breast meat cut into ½ in. pieces
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 celery ribs, cut fine
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 c. frozen corn kernels
• 2 cans cream of potato soup
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1 tsp curry powder (optional – this isn’t enough to make it taste like curry, but does add a depth and richness to the flavor that I love for chowder)
• pepper to your liking
• ½ c. fat-free half and half

Using a little cooking spray, brown the chicken breast pieces with onion and garlic in a skilled over med-high heat. Put in slow cooker. Next add celery and carrots to pan and sauté with a little water for a few minutes until just tender, then add to slow cooker. Next add corn, soup, broth, curry, pepper, and dill to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring ingredients together after half the time. During the last 10 minutes, stir in half and half.

Happy Cooking!

Bringing Healthy Back to Navajo Tacos

Mmm, navajo tacos are so good. Warm, buttery fry bread, covered in slimey chili and salad. When they made these for lunch at my old job I got giddy, I frolicked, I didn't think about how bad they are.

But, I've been thinking about that lately, and have come up with a solution.

Start with a low-cal healthy pita bread such as:The best part about them:This isn't a fancy health-food store item, I got it as Super Wal Mart right next to the unhealthy pitas, and the even more unhealthy tortillas.

Healthier Navajo Taco

5 pita breads
2 c. vegetarian chili (I used a red bean and lentil that they're selling in bulk packages at Costco now - Amazing!)
lettuce (I also mixed some fresh cilantro into my lettuce)
black beans, drained rinsed
corn, drained
tomato
cucumber
guacamole
fat free sour cream
a few tortilla chips for crunch, if desired.

Warm the pita bread in your microwave for 30 seconds, it becomes warm, soft, and pliable. Top the pita with vegetarian chili, and every other awesome taco salad food that you like. Sticking with the healthy theme of the evening, I left the cheese off and used only fat-free sour cream.

*Leave off the sour cream for the lactose-free version.

Happy Cooking!

Fudge

1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c milk
1 T vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 c nuts (optional)
flavoring options: 1/2 c cocoa; 1/4 c peanut butter; 1 t extract (maple, mint, citrus...); basically any flavor or mixture of flavors you want

Melt butter in saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Whisk in milk, vanilla, & flavoring. Turn to low heat. Whisk in powdered sugar til smooth. Mix in nuts. Pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Chill in refrigerator til firm (or freezer for faster time). Store in refrigerator.

Hominy Ranch Casserole

Hominy Ranch Casserole (from Pass the Plate 8-6-09) I accidentally got hominy instead of corn once, and finally found a recipe to use it with, and we love it! I got this from the can of enchilada sauce.

1 can (30 oz) Golden Hominy, drained
1 can (14 oz) Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
½ cup sour cream
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 eggs beaten
1 cup shredded Jalapeno Jack Cheese

---Combine all ingredients, excepting the cheese. Evenly spread mixture in 2 quart baking dish. Top with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

• 1 lb stir fry steak, cut into strips


• 2 c. brown Minute Rice


• 1 ¼ c. water


• ½ c. teriyaki sauce


• 3-4 c. fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, carrots, and zucchini)

Using a little cooking spray, brown steak strips in a large frying pan until about medium doneness. Next add water and teriyaki sauce, and return to a boil. Once boiling add minute rice, stirring to mix into liquid. Set veggies on top of meat and rice, cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff all together and serve.

Kim’s notes:

• Adding extra veggies means extra moisture. I cut back the original amount of water, but still there was excess – adjust your recipe according to the amount of veggies you use.


• My boys like their veggies a little softer, so steamed them in the microwave for about 3 minutes before adding them to the rice mixture. For crisper veggies don’t bother steaming.


• This recipe is only as good and flavorful as the teriyaki sauce that you pick, so go for one that is rich and flavorful – I used Soy Vay teriyaki sauce and would recommend it. I don’t know if it’s a national brand, so I’d also recommend Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce.
  

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

Last weekend I was challenged to cutting eggs out of baking. Since I’d never really thought about taking out eggs I decided to give two of the suggestions a try in one recipe – Chocolate Banana Biscotti. These turned out 100 times better than I ever imagined! First out of the oven they have crip outsides, a warm and chewy inside, and a flavor that is sweet, but not too sweet. I could have eaten them all day, but I stopped myself after two. : )

The best part is the calorie count – I sliced my logs to make 19 cookies, and with a little math I discovered that puts the average sized ones at 93.42 calories. And with the fat corners I cut, the only fat involved is what comes in the original batter, and what’s in the chocolate chips. Not a bad treat!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

• 1 package banana bread mix (I used Pilsbury)


• 3 Tbs water


• ½ banana, mashed


• 4 oz plain, fat free yogurt


• 2 Tbs natural applesauce


• 2 servings of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I actually counted them so that I could do the calorie math and I used 64)

Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add wet ingredients to banana bread mix and stir until mixed. Chop half of the chocolate chip pieces until slivered, then add them and the rest of the chocolate chips to the batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Since I took all of the oil out of the recipe, I sprayed the foil with cooking spray until well coated for ease of removing logs. Divide dough in half and form two rectangular logs (about 4.5 inches x 8 inches) – dough will be sticky, but touchable (use wet hands if needed).

Bake logs for 30 minutes, remove from oven and cookie sheet, and allow to cool on wire racks. Once the logs are cooled cut them into ½ inch strips. Put strips back on the cookie sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip strips to other side and bake another 10 minutes.

Kim’s note: Mine were crisp on the outside with a chewy center using the method described above, but have softened even more as I’ve stored them. If you want them to be truly crispy throughout like a coffee house biscotti, I’d suggest baking the strips longer, but still doing the 10-minute flip so that the edges don’t have the chance to burn.

Happy Cooking!

Eating Out at Home: Earl Cobb Wrap

Have you ever had the Earl of Sandwich’s Earl Cobb wrap? They claim it to be on their Lighter Side menu, but to see the huge chunks of cheese they use made me question just how low cal it could be.

And yet, I adore it. Here I’ve done my best to recreate its glory at my house, but cut some calorie corners. In doing so I’ve discovered the perfect meal for both men and women. Just look at what happened at our house (somewhat romanticized, but not too far from true):

Josh comes home from work to find the whole house smelling like fresh cooked bacon.

Josh: Mmm, bacon. Whatcha cookin’ good-lookin’?
Me: Bacon, chicken, buttermilk ranch sauce, you know, nothing special.
Josh: Wow, sounds great.
Me: Hmm, this bacon is so crumbly and this sauce is so slimy, we should keep it together with these vegetables and low-cal wraps.
Josh: Sounds good, let’s eat.

And we did and we were both thrilled. I didn’t even tell Jay that it was turkey bacon until the meal was over. He only shrugged and said, Huh?

Here’s the game plan to make this scene a reality at your house:

Earl’s Cobb Wrap

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, roughly cut
• 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked till crispy, crumbled
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced in half moons
• chopped tomato
• dried cranberries
• cubed cheddar cheese
• non-fat buttermilk Ranch dressing*
• low-cal wraps (I used Flat-Out light wraps, they’re only 90 calories, but still really big and soft)

Combine ingredients in the quantities that you like, wrap up and enjoy!
Kim’s notes:

I first cooked the bacon, then cooked the chicken in the same pan with the drippings, but any cooked chicken will do. I combined them both in one bowl, stirred and then refrigerated them until needed.

*To make the fat-free Ranch sauce, I used a packet of Buttermilk Ranch dressing powder, stirred it into a container of fat free sour cream, and then mixed about half of the ranch-sour cream with skim milk until I had the consistency I wanted. This made for a great and normal Ranch flavor, instead of a diet flavor.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

HEB offers a bagged "rainbow salad:" hearts of broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage and carrots - which adds some color. I usually cut the recipe in half for the fam. Add some cubed grilled chicken and make it a meal. I think it's even better the second day!

2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental flavor
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 ramen noodle seasoning packets

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions. Refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

I’ve tried my hand at baked risotto in the past and it’s always been a big flop, so I went into this project with low expectations and an apprehensive heart. As Josh will attest, it really crushes me when a recipe fails – not that it’s just a little groady, but when it’s completely inedible as were the other risottos.

But enough about them, because I’ve found a gem that trumps all the others! When Josh came home he looked at the pan and said “Where’s the chicken?” I told him to just try it and before I knew it he and Caleb were gobbling these veggies down. I served it as a main dish, but it could go great as a side too. The only drawback is the method – you pretty much have to stir this constantly, but that won’t stop me from making it again (in a week when Caleb and I aren’t sick).

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

• 4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 ¼ c. long grain rice
• 1 ½ c. zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 c. carrots, finely chopped
• 15 oz can white kidney beans (Cannellini), drained and rinsed
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• Parsley as garnish if desired

Begin by sauteing garlic and onion in a little cooking spray on medium heat until onions are softened. Add rice and continue sautéing until rice becomes golden (3-5 min). Add pepper. During the sautéing process, warm broth in a microwave safe dish, preferably one that pours easily. It is important that the broth be warm when it is added to the rice mixture, so continue to microwave it as needed during the cooking process.

After rice is cooked, slowly add 1 cup of broth to the rice mixture stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ c. of broth with the zucchini and carrots, stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue the pattern of adding the warm broth by half cups, stirring until absorbed, then adding more. When adding the final half cup, add the beans as well and stir to combine. Cover the rice mixture and allow it to heat through for about 4 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the rice, making sure to scrap the pan so that no rice sticks or burns. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until evenly blended. Simmer until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Happy Cooking!

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas & Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

• 2 cans (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 can (4 ounces) diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper chopped
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 heaping Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish if desired)
• 2 cups shredded pepper-Jack cheese (10 ounces)
• 1 can (20 ounces) enchilada sauce
• 8-10 flour tortillas (depending on how full you like your enchiladas)

Directions

Chop onion and pepper then sauté them on med-high heat with the frozen corn until just softened. Add chili powder, salt, cumin, and cilantro. Drain and rinse beans, then mash slightly with hands. Add them to the veggie mixture.

Pour about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 13×9in baking dish, turning dish until the sauce coats the entire bottom. Place desired amount of bean mixture in a line on one side of a tortilla shell then roll up. Place rolled enchilada, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until bean mixture is gone. Top tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese and additional cilantro if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and Mexican rice.

Kim’s hint: If you would like to serve this dish with rice, a quick way to take white rice to Mexican rice is to reserve about 3-4 Tbs of the enchilada sauce and add it to 2 cups of plain rice with cilantro, some splashes of lime juice, and dashes of onion powder.

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In my house, if I suggest that we have fruit as a side dish I usually get met with dull, bored stares. But when I threw this little treat together I had both of my guys scraping the bowl for every last drop. The thinner Oreo crackers really soak in the moisture from the cool whip and become a smooth chocolate – delicious!

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

• 3-4 c. fresh fruit cut to bite size pieces
• Light Cool Whip
• 1 – 100 calorie package Oreo snacks (these are the Oreos that are more like crackers)

Put all fruit in large mixing bowl. Add cool whip until everything is just coated. Crush Oreo crackers into crumbs of all sizes and mix in to salad. Chill until time to serve.

*Kim’s notes: For my salad I used 1 apple, 2 bananas, and 1 mango, but you could use any fruit based on your family’s preferences. Can be served as a dessert or side. Also, if you aren’t trying to be calorie conscious, another fun way to make this salad is replacing the Oreo crackers with chopped Snicker’s bar.

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Brownies with Andies Mint Candies

Brownies
1 box Betty Crocker brownie mix
Bake according to directions. Let cool.

Frosting
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 bag chocolate chips
powdered sugar
1 bag chopped Andies Mint Candies

Melt chocolate chips and mix with whipping cream. Add powdered sugar until consistency is thick enough to spread on brownies.

Spread frosting on brownies. Sprinkle with Andies Mint Candies. Place in fridge or freezer ... these are really good chilled.

Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

I recently found an awesome cupcake recipe on Bakerella .... a really cool blog dedicated to all things yummy & bake-able. (just click on the word Bakerella if you wish to see the website) She made cupcakes by scratch. Whoa.... by scratch? Never done it before! I'm usually using my trusty box of cake mix. However, this recipe was from Martha Stewart, and how could it be bad if it's from Martha Stewart??!! Well, the recipe was SO simple, so easy..... and involved few ingredients and ONE bowl! Away I baked...... and they were SO delicious! WAY better than cake mix cupcakes, I must say!

My fudge frosting is from my Betty Crocker recipe book. I use it on ALL of my chocolate cakes. So incredibly yummy!

Ingredients
Makes 18 to 24
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Amy's Notes: This was very runny batter ~ and I was very hesitant that I did it right (since cake mix batter isn't very runny)... but it's supposed to be runny, so you did it right! If you don't have buttermilk, just take 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar & add enough whole milk to make a cup, let sit for 5 minutes!

No-Cook Fudge Frosting
(from Betty Crocker's recipe book)

Cast of Characters:
4 3/4 c sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c margarine or butter, softened
1/3 c boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix powdered sugar & cocoa. Add margarine, boiling water, and vanilla. Best w/ an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Cool for 20-30 minutes or till or spreading consistency. Frosts tops & sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

Snowball Cookies

1 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1-2 c finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 c powdered sugar

Cream together first 5 ingred. Mix in flour. Mix in nuts. Chill dough at least 1/2 hr. Form into 1-in balls, & bake on ungreased cookie sheets 12-15 mins, at 350 degrees. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Raspberry Shortbread

1 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla
2/3 c sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 jar raspberry jam (or preferred flavor)
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 T milk or water
1/2 t almond extract

Beat butter, vanilla, & sugar at medium speed til light & fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions, & roll each portion into a 12-in-long x 1-in-wide strip. Place strips on greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2-in-wide x 1/4-in-deep indentation down center of each strip. Bake 15 mins at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven, & spoon jam into indentations. Bake 5 more mins, or til lightly browned.

Whisk powdered sugar, milk or water, & almond extract, 7 drizzle over warm shortbread. Cut strips into 2-in pieces, & cool.

Nod to Cesar, That's a Wrap!

Doing salad bars for dinner is fun and it pleases everyone since they get to pick what they like. Tonight we went for Chicken Cesar wraps, with homemade dressing. This is lactose-free, fat free, and has a lot of tang, but I was pleasantly surprised to see both of my boys gobble it up.

Homemade Cesar Dressing
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard (I used a honey dijon)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbs lemon juice (I think I might reduce this the next time to 2 and taste it)
1/4 c. fat-free mayo

Combine all ingredients and mix well until there is an even, creamy consistency.

Helpful hint: Make the dressing in the morning allowing it to sit and chill in fridge for most of the day for the flavors to really blend.

Use dressing sparingly since it has plenty of kick. For our wraps we used black beans, carrots, Romaine lettuce, green onions, tomato, shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, and croutons, but you can use whatever would be most enjoyable for your family.

chipotle's basmati rice

I LOVE Chipotle's... especially their rice in my burrito bowl! I went online looking for an awesome recipe that would compare to Chipotle's. Imagine my surprise when I found the ACTUAL recipe from Chipotle's executive itself! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter

2 tsp. fresh cilantro

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Add cilantro after fluffing rice.

Amy's Notes: The first time I tried this recipe, I didn't have basmati rice. It turned out good ... but not as good as basmati when I finally did buy it! Also, watch the time as usually my rice didn't need a full 25 minutes! The basic recipe above makes a small portion. You might need to double or triple for a regular sized family!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I hate mayo. I always have, and therefore tend to steer clear of classic summer "salad recipes" that consist of some yummy food smothered in the stuff. But with this Chicken Salad the mayo is altered so drastically that Josh and I both were singing its praises. This is definitely a recipe that will stick, especially in the hot months ahead.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, cut into half rings
1.3 c fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. roughly chopped cashews
1 heaping Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
toasted bread or buns and other sandwich toppings including tomatoes, spinach leaves, and cucumbers.

In a frying pan over med heat cook the onion slices with only a little cooking spray, adding water if needed to keep onions slightly moist. Allow to cook about 10 minutes or until the onions have a caramelized color. If you really want them "caramel-y" add a little sugar near the end of the cooking time, I did and it was pretty tasty. While the onions cook combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, cashews, and the cooked onion. Add the dressing mixture and stir until all is well combined and lightly coated.

Serve chicken salad on toasted buns or sourdough bread (I used a multi-grain bun which was tasty and really filling) topping with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever you like.

Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Banana Upside Down Cake

(from Lauren S.)

Bananas:
5 T butter, cut in small pieces, plus more for crock pot
¾ c brown sugar
1 T molasses
2 T pineapple juice
6 ripe, medium bananas, peeled & halved lengthwise

Butter inside of crock pot, line completely with foil, & then butter foil. Turn crock pot onto high. Sprinkle butter, brown sugar, & mixture of molasses & pineapple juice over bottom of crock pot. Cover with banana halves, cut side down, slightly overlapping, & press them into the sugar.

Cake:
¾ c flour
¾ t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t salt
4 T butter, softened
2/3 c sugar
1 egg, at room temp
1 egg yolk, at room temp
2 T milk, at room temp

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt in bowl. In another bowl, beat butter & sugar on high, til light & fluffy (about 10 mins). Beat in egg. Beat in egg yolk. Turn mixer to low, & mix in 1/3 part flour mixture. Mix in 1 T milk. Mix in 1/3 part flour mixture. Mix in 1 T milk. Mix in last of flour mixture. Briefly mix batter on medium to smooth it out. Pour batter over bananas, & even out with spatula.

Lay doubled length of paper towels from end to end over top of crock pot, to line lid & create tighter seal. Put lid on crock pot, & continue cooking on high, til cake begins to slightly brown on sides, & springs back when touched in middle (about 3 ½ hrs).

Turn off crock pot, & let cake sit 20 mins more. Lift cake from crock pot using the foil, & set on counter to cool 30 mins. Fold back foil, & carefully invert cake onto platter so you can see bananas. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

slow cooked pulled pork

(from Valerie C.)

Ingredients:

1 med onion, chopped
½ c ketchup
½ c cider vinegar
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c tomato paste
2 T sweet paprika
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
1 ½ t salt
1 ¼ t pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces
12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls, warmed
Hot sauce, opt
Dill pickles, opt
Potato chips, opt

In 4 ½ - 6 quart crock pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, & pepper til combined. Add pork & turn to coat well with sauce.

Cover crock pot with lid & cook on low 8-10 hrs, or til pork is very tender.

With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn crock pot to high, & cover & heat sauce to boiling to thicken & slightly reduce. While sauce boils, use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to crock pot & mix into sauce. Cover crock pot & heat through, on high setting if necessary.

Serve pulled pork with sandwich buns, & hot sauce, pickles, & chips, if you like.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Josh has always been a fan of a dish I make that is similar to this one, so I just had to try this version to see how it compared. We both liked it a lot, but next time I'm going to make it even more like mine and add some sun dried tomatoes.

Chicken Tortellini
Bake 19 ounce package of cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite size pieces
2 green onions finely chopped (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 carrot, coin sliced
2 broccoli heads, cut into bite size pieces (about 1.5-2 cups)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used non-fat which turned out great)
1 c. shredded cheese (I used a combo of mozzarella and parmesan)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain spread out in a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

In a skillet, saute the chicken with the green onion and garlic until chicken is done. While the chicken is cooking microwave the broccoli and carrots for about 1-2 minutes until colors become vibrant and they are slightly steamed. Add veggies to chicken and coat all with the flour. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Sprinkle about of half the cheese over the tortellini then pour the chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

Kim's note: the recipe I followed called for a much longer baking time resulting in slightly chewy pasta on the bottom. I'd suggest keeping an eye on it and only baking it as long as needed.

chocolate covered bananas

My grandma made this for me when I was a kid... and I.LOVED.IT!


I think she dipped hers in chocolate chips that were melted. Then sometimes she rolled the banana in nuts.

My mom made some too, but she used Magic Shell, and those were so yummy too!

Peel & cut your bananas in half, and stick a popsicle stick in the middle of each one. Place on a tray and put in freezer for 3 hours.

Maddie brought home some Heath Magic Shell from a leftover ice cream party. I put it in the fridge.

Apparently it is the WRONG thing to do, because it was hard. There was a little section on the back (in tiny letters, I have to add!) that says "DO NOT REFRIGERATE!" Oops! So, I ran under hot water for a few minutes until I had some that poured out. The Magic Shell will harden almost immediately, so you will not be able to roll in nuts, M&M's or anything fun.

If you wish to use melted chocolate chips, don't freeze your banana first.... chop your banana in half, then roll in chocolate, then you can easily roll in a bowl full of nuts, chopped M&M's, etc. Just place in freezer for a few hours.

Ta-da! You'll have a very happy kid eating a frozen treat that is semi-good for you!

I'm on a scone making kick, and I found this recipe online (joyofbaking.com), and just HAD to try it out! When blueberries finally went on sale, I bought a pint and went to work!

Ingredients

2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp chilled butter
1 c fresh blueberries
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c cream or milk

Streusel Topping
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chilled butter

For the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into small pieces & blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg & vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently for or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the streusel topping: in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender (or fork), cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned @ 425 degrees, about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days!

Amy's Notes: I used buttermilk instead of milk or cream, just because I've been using buttermilk with all my other scone recipes. If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first! Also, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I never have on hand. I used both salt & salted butter, and it tasted fine. You could just omit the salt if using salted butter. I also make sure all the items I bake is on parchment paper!!

Minestrone Soup

Oh my gosh, my house smells so delicious with Minestrone Soup on the stove! Here's the simple recipe:

2 cans of beans, drained (kidney, garbanzo, pinto, navy, whatever)

8 c chicken broth

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes

Baby carrots chopped in half length wise

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

2 medium or 1 large onion chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic

1 c whole wheat macaroni, uncooked

2 Tb parsley

2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil leaves

¼ tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

1 ½ c or 1 can of cut green beans, drained

2 zucchini, cut small

Grated parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients except green beans and zuchinni. Simmer until tender, then add remaining two vegetables and cook until tender. Remove bay leaf, then serve with cheese on top.

Pass the Plate: Crock Pot Lasagna

Hi Sisters! Thanks to everyone who came to Pass the Plate last night, and to those that couldn't make it, we missed you! Our theme for the night was crock pots, and since I wanted to show that there's more to crock pots than merely pot roast, I made crock pot lasagna. This is a super easy way to get real lasagna without the heat from an oven, or big pots of boiling water.

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb lean ground beef
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
6 regular lasagna noodles - UNCOOKED
1/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended. Line crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine). Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Kim's Special Note: If you noticed the plastic lining in the pictures, that is a Reynold's crock pot liner. You cook your meal in it just like normal, but then after serving the bag removes for virtually no clean up. If you want to try them, they are at the grocery store near the foils. I'm addicted to these things!

Happy Cooking!

Orange Chicken (from your cupboard)

I love to make ordinary things into something special, and this is one of my all-time favs. This recipe takes Chicken Rice-a-Roni and turns it into a yummy Asian treat that Josh and I both love.

Orange Chicken
1 pound cubed chicken breast
1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni
1 c. orange juice
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 1/2 c. frozen carrots, thawed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp butter or margarine

Saute chicken in frying pan until fully cooked, then set aside. In same frying pan melt butter. Add rice from package and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic powders, Rice a Roni flavor packet, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. After simmering, add carrots and chicken to the rice mixture and simmer covered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and water is absorbed.

Happy Cooking!

Cake Batter Cookies

This recipe is a dessert staple in our house. It throws together fast, is delicious, moderately healthy, and the cookies stay moist and delicious for days!

Cake Batter Cookies
1 box cake batter, any flavor (I think that Betty Crocker's Super Moist batter yields the best results, but any mix will do)
1 egg
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. applesauce

Mix all ingredients together. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray, then spoon dough onto sheet in heaping tablespoons. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until cooked through.

What's best about this recipe is that it lends well to creativity. Use any flavor of cake, stir in chips or other cookie items, or top with you favorite things. Some of my favorite variations are to make lemon cake cookies and dust with powdered sugar, make carrot cake cookies and drizzle with chocolate, chocolate cake cookies with mint chips, or add pumpkin to spice cake mix and make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Cooking!

Orange Cranberry Scones

picture by me

This is the same similar scone recipe as the Cinnamon Raisin Scones, but a few ingredients have changed.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c cranberries (or Craisins)
zest of 1 orange

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add cranberries & orange zest. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

picture by me

My sister in law gave me this recipe. I made this for the first time yesterday, and WOW! It was amazing!!

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

3 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c raisins

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp milk

couple shakes of cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add raisins. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cook Yourself Thin: Turkey Mini-Meatloves

I cannot say enough about this yummy recipe! Josh and I were blown away by the flavor and have given up on normal meatloaf after trying this. The best part is that each meatloaf is only 227 calories (and over a quarter pound, so it's very filling).

Cook Yourself Thin has quickly become one of my favorite shows, and I'm going to post this recipe as they presented it (although I did make a few changes that I'll note at the bottom of the page).

Turkey Mini-Meatloves

For the meatloaves
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
5-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the glaze
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grind the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl, and pour milk over crumbs.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and stir until just wilted. Transfer to bowl with soaked crumbs. Add the turkey, cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Combine the mixture with your hands until well mixed; it will be quite wet.
4. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a 1-cup dry measuring cup. Invert the cup onto a rimmed baking sheet, gently shaking the cup to release the mixture. Gently pat the mound to smooth its shape. Repeat three times with remaining mixture. Bake mini meatloaves until cooked through and golden, about 40 minutes.
5. While the meatloaves are cooking, make the glaze: In a small bowl combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Brush over meatloaves before serving.

*Kim's changes: I didn't use oil when I made this. Just a little cooking spray in the pan with the onions and on the cookie sheet that I baked the meatloaves on. I cut the amount of hot sauce in half since my husband doesn't like a lot of spice, but I think that next time I'll just leave it out entirely. I also didn't use the milk because I spaced it and forgot to throw it in, but they still turned out amazing and moist.

Happy Cooking!