Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 whole eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 cups butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla

1.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon with a whisk.  Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

2.  In a separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture. 

3.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium low heat.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle.  Brown on both sides.

4.  Serve warm with icing drizzled over the top.

There was no icing recipe with this recipe, however, the recipe does say that you can use syrup or just mix powdered sugar and milk until you reach the desired consistency.  I wanted something a little more cinnamon roll icing like, so I improvised a recipe that I use for maple cinnamon roll frosting.  However, the bad thing about this was, that I cut a recipe down significantly, because the recipe makes enough icing to frost 7 dozen cinnamon rolls.  So you can use this recipe

Maple Icing

1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/8 cup milk
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1/16 cup strongly brewed coffee
half of a dash of salt
1/4 tbsp maple extract

1. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt.  Add in the maple flavoring.  Whisk until smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches desired consistency.  In order for the best results on the pancakes, the icing should be thick, but still pourable.

I was really surprised by this recipe.  It wasn't what I was expecting in all.  Cinnamon bun is exactly right.  With the icing used as syrup, these taste just like an old fashioned cinnamon role.  They are fairly easy to make, and they are very filling.  They were good leftover, a little drier than I would have cared for, but still very good.  It's definitely something that I would make again.  They are fancy enough for a special breakfast, yet simple enough for an everyday meal.

Fiesta Smothered Chicken

Fiesta Smothered Chicken

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz each)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
6 tsp butter, divided
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder; add the chicken.  Seal bag and turn to coat; set aside.

2.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the mushrooms, onion, and jalapeno in 2 tsp butter until tender.  Remove and keep warm.

3.  Drain and discard marinade.  In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Spoon vegetable mixture over each chicken breast, sprinkle with cheeses.  Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Makes 2 servings
1 breast, prepared with reduced fat butter and reduced fat cheddar cheese
Cal 314; fat 17; fiber 1

I was kinda disappointed in this recipe.  Don't get me wrong, it was very good, yet it seemed to be missing something.  I had a hard time to get my chicken to cook, so I ended up throwing the lid on the skillet and putting it in the oven.  When the chicken was finally done, I put the sauteed veggies on top and added the cheese, put the lid back on and turned the burner on, long enough to melt the cheese.  Worked out really well.  I had more veggies than chicken, so there was a lot of veggies, but the breasts were fairly large size.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

Cauliflower Au Gratin

3 packages (16 oz each) frozen cauliflower, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups fat free milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

TOPPING:
1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp paprika

1.  In a Dutch oven, bring 1 inch of water to a boil.  Add cauliflower; return to a boil.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.  Stir in the flour, salt, mustard and pepper until blended; gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat.  Add cheese; stir until melted

3.  Place cauliflower in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Pour sauce over the top.

4.  For topping, combine the bread crumbs, butter and paprika.  Sprinkle over the sauce.  Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 12 servings; 3/4 cup each
Cal 142; fat 8; fiber 3

I was really surprised.  I love cauliflower, but have only had it plain and with cheese, so I was a little leery of making this.  This stuff is awesome.  I did half the recipe, because it was just for 2 people and I didn't want leftovers for days.  So I used 1 full bag, and part of another bag of frozen cauliflower.  I put it in a large glass bowl, added an inch or so of water and covered the top with plastic wrap.  I microwaved for 4-5 minutes, then let it sit in the microwave for about 5 minutes or so.  The cauliflower was slightly warm, probably close to room temperature.  I drained the water, and then dumped the cauliflower on a paper towel to get any remaining water off of it.  Then I started the sauce, and I followed the directions, just used half of the ingredients.  The sauce comes together and thickens quickly, so have your cauliflower in the pan ready to pour.  Because my sauce sat a little bit, it was very thick and not very pourable.  So I ended up stirring the cauliflower all up in order to coat the cauliflower a little better. I also sprinkled just a little more paprika over the top before I baked it.

Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies

Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Nutella - melted
1/4 cup caramel sauce - melted
1 bag (8 oz) small bag of hazelnuts, or more if desired

1.  Preheat oven to 350*.

2.  In a mixing bowl, add your flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.  Using a whisk, mix together and set aside.  Into your stand mixer, add the sugar and butter; cream together.  Add in eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add in your vanilla.  Gradually add in your flour mixture until it's well combined.  Batter should be thick and sticky.

3.  Spray an ovenproof dish with cooking spray.  Place a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than your dish to allow for handles) inside.  It will adhere to the bottom of the dish.

4.  Take half of your brownie batter and smooth it on top of the parchment paper.  Take your caramel sauce and spoon it on top of the brownie mixture, covering the entire layer of brownie.  Place the remaining brownie batter on top, smoothing it out.  Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until sides are firm and center is no longer jiggly.

5.  Allow brownies to cool completely before removing.  Cut your brownies to your desired size using a serrated knife.  Make a small indention with your finger into each brownie.  Take your melted Nutella and drizzle over the tops of the brownies.  Garnish with the hazelnuts.



I was very, very disappointed in these.  They tasted a lot like frosted brownies, except with a helluva mess.  I didn't use a stand mixer, just a hand mixer.  The brownies looked overcooked after 30 minutes, yet they were still moist and gooey.  I had a hard time finding hazelnuts, and when I finally found some they had to be toasted, and they just didn't taste right.  So I didn't use the nuts.  I was really looking forward to trying this and was disappointed enough, that I seriously doubt, I will ever make them again.

If you make them and do something different let me know. Sorry for the poor quality pictures, these just fell all apart.

Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

 Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tbsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
3 cups water

2 tbsp plus 2 tsps beef bouillon granules

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp pepper

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tbsp butter

5 cups milk, divided

6 tbsp all purpose flour
1 package (16 oz) Velveeta cheese, cubed
crumbled cooked bacon

1.  In a soup kettle, combine the first nine ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add to soup.  Stir in 4 cups milk; heat through.

3.  In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted.  Garnish with bacon.

Makes 14 servings (about 3 1/2 quarts)

What is a soup kettle?!?  I put the potatoes in a large stockpot.  I had to add more water than the 3 cups to cover my potatoes.  I either had more than they did (the soup was perfect) or they didn't completely cover theirs with water.  I had planned on scooping out some of the water when my potatoes were done, but I forgot and did not do that.  The soup wasn't watery either.  Probably not as thick as they had in mind, but it was still soup consistency. 

I seasoned my meat with a some gourmet burger seasoning.  You could leave it plain, but I didn't want the meat bland.  The soup tastes great, yet, it is still a little bland.  So I would taste it, and adjust accordingly.  I also didn't dump all the stuff in with the potatoes.  I browned the ground turkey (beef) and when it was about halfway to 3/4 done I added all the vegetables and cooked it in with the meat.  Once the potatoes were done I just dumped it all in with the potatoes.

Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope taco seasonings
2 cups nacho tortilla chips, crushed

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add the cheese, salsa, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.  Drain pasta; stir in beef mixture.

2.  Transfer to a greased 11x7 baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with tortilla chips.  Bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

I was a little worried as I made this that there would be overwhelming amounts of tomato.  However, this came out perfect.  It wasn't saucy at all.  I sprinkled a little bit of cheese over the top and then put the chips on it and baked it.  This really helped the chips to stick to it instead of being "loose".  This makes quite a bit of casserole, and the leftovers are good, but the chips get soggy.  I just crumbled up a few fresh ones over the top, and it was just as good as it was the night before.  However, the next time that I make this, I'm only going to put chips on half, and the just crumble fresh chips over the leftovers the next day.

Bombay Chicken

Bombay Chicken

1 1/2 cups (12 oz) plain yogurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 pounds bone in chicken thighs and legs, skin removed

1.  In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 11 ingredients.  Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate overnight. 

2.  Rub grill rack with oil or coat with cooking spray before starting the grill.  Drain and discard marinade.

3.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium hot heat for 10-15 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 180*.

makes 8 servings; one servings (4 oz cooked dark meat)
Cal 255; fat 13; fiber 1

I was a little leery of this while I was making the marinade.  It is about the color of chili - only a little lighter.  I didn't taste of the marinade because of the oil in it.  But, we dumped in the chicken, squished it all around to get it all nicely coated and plopped it in the fridge. 

It was a little windy, so we had a few issues while we were grilling it, but it could be easily baked.  I would just line the pan with foil, as the chicken wanted to stick to grill. 

I was really surprised at how mildly flavored the chicken turned out.  It was very good, this would make a very, very good base, to make BBQ chicken or something else will as well.  It's a definite keeper!

Chili Verde Stew

Chili Verde Stew

3/4 pound boneless pork roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1 cup diced canned tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tbsp canned chopped green chilies, divided
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sugar
dash ground cloves
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1.  In a large saucepan, cook the pork in oil over medium heat until no longer pink; remove and set aside.  In the same pan, saute the green pepper, onion, and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until tender.  Stir in the pork, wine or broth, tomatoes, salsa, 1 tbsp chilies, cumin, sugar, and cloves.  Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Stir in the parsley, jalapeno and remaining chilies.  Cover and cook 20-25 minutes longer or until meat is tender.

Makes 2 servings; 1 1/2 cups each
Cal 385; fat 17; fiber 4

This stuff was amazing.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I was afraid that there was going to be a little more spicy than it turned out.  It had the perfect amount of spice.  My only complaint was that it was awfully tomatoey.  My only suggestions or adjustments would include using only part of the salsa and substituting it for Verde salsa.  It would cut down on the tomatoes being quite so overwhelming.  We made cornbread and a salad, and fought over who got the leftovers.

Apple Bread

Apple Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups chopped peeled tart apples

TOPPING:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/3 cup cold butter

1.  In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in apples.  Transfer to two 8x4 inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

2.  For topping, combine the flour, sugar, and walnuts; cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over batter.

3.  Bake at 350* for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 
Yield 2 loaves (12 slices each)
1 slice equals cal 200, fat 7, fiber 1

This bread is amazing.  I was really surprised by how little you can actually taste the apples.  I ended up reducing the amount of apples to around 2 cups.  It just seemed like 3 cups was so much.  Perhaps if I had added it, you would get more of the apple flavor.  As it stands it has a great cinnamon flavor.  It reminds me of the cinnamon swirl bread that you can buy at most grocery stores.  I am a little disappointed in how quickly the bread began to dry out.  We have been microwaving a slice for a few seconds, and adding a little bit of butter to help bring the moisture back. 

The dough was very sticky, I was worried that perhaps the ingredient amounts were incorrect.  You definitely can't pour it into your loaf pans.  I ended up only using 1 loaf pan, and 3 mini loaf pans.  Realistically, I could have fit it all the larger loaf pan and been fine.  Just watch how much filling you are putting into the pan, because this stuff does rise quite a bit while baking.  You will want to make sure that you leave plenty of room for the topping as well as the rising while the bread bakes.  It makes quite a bit of topping, it appeared to be too much, but flavor wise, it is pretty perfect.

Key Lime Cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) softened butter, divided
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lime zest, divided
3 whole large eggs
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (see note below)
8 oz, cream cheese, softened
1/2 cups condensed milk
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Note: for self rising flour whisk 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt into 1 1/2 cups bleached all purpose flour

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400*.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake papers.  Beat 12 tablespoons butter, sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp lime zest until light and fluffy.

2.  Starting and ending with an egg, alternate beating in eggs and flour until each is thoroughly incorporated.  Beat in lime juice and vanilla until just incorporated.  Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.  Bake until golden brown, 15-17 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cupcakes stand a couple of minutes; turn into a wire rack to cool.

3.  Meanwhile, beat remaining 4 tbsps butter, 1 1/2 tsps zest, and the cream cheese until smooth; beat in condensed milk and sugar.  Frost and serve.

Makes 12 cupcakes


These are amazing. The recipe makes a lot of icing.  Although, the cupcakes really do need the extra frosting.  I ended up putting them in the fridge hoping that they would set up a little better.  Don't do it, it's a trick.  It totally changed the consistency of the frosting.  So I would avoid putting them in the refrigerator until absolutely necessary, but because of the cream cheese I wouldn't leave them out.  The recipe doesn't say, and the message board that I got them off of didn't specify whether or not the leftovers needed to be refrigerated.

Praline Cheesecake

Praline Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
16 whole vanilla wafers

FILLING:
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten

TOPPING:
25 caramels
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1.  In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 inch springform pan.  Stand whole wafers around edge of pan, pressing lightly into crumbs; set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in sour cream and vanilla.  Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.  Pour into crust.  Place pan on a baking sheet.

3.  Bake at 325* for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.  Refrigerate overnight.

4.  Place caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minutes; stir until smooth.  Drizzle caramel mixture over cheesecake; sprinkle with pecans.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 12 servings; 1 slice
Cal 422; fat 22; fiber 1



This cheesecake rocks!!  I did use 1 package of reduced fat cream cheese, fat free sour cream, and ICBINB for baking, and the reduced fat vanilla wafers.  The cheesecake came out fine.  I did do something a little different when I made the toppings.  I put the pecans in a skillet, and added butter and brown sugar so that I could make them more praline-like.  I let them sit a little too long before I sprinkled them on cheesecake and they kinda stuck together, otherwise it was amazing.  You could also buy the already glazed ones and spinkle those on instead.  I added a few extra caramals, and really regretted it.  This makes a lot of caramel.  So unless you are a caramel addict, don't make extra, you could even cut it down and still have plenty.

Marbled Orange Fudge

Marbled Orange Fudge

2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 pkg (10 to 12 oz) white baking chips
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
3 tsp orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
9 drops red food coloring

1. Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil and coat with cooking spray; set aside.  In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk and butter.  Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat; stir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.

2.  Remove 1 cup and set aside.  Add extract and food coloring to the remaining mixture; stir until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.  Pour reserved marshmallow mixture over the top; cut through mixture with a knife to swirl.  Cover and refrigerate until set.

3.  Using foil, lift fudge out of pan.  Discard foil; cut fudge into 1 inch squares.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 1/2 pounds, 1 - 1 inch cube
Cal 45; fat 2; fiber 0


This stuff is awesome.  It's a little orangey.  I wouldn't add as much orange extract as the recipe calls for.  It is very, very, very sweet.  We pawned this stuff on just about everyone we knew, because it was just so rich that it is hard to eat very much.

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

1 package (18 1/4 ounces white cake mix)
1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin
4 egg whites
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup water

Icing:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar

1.  Line two 9 inch round baking pans with waxed paper.  Coat pans with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin.  Add egg whites and oil; beat until well blended.

2.  In a small bowl or food processor, mash strawberries in their juice.  Set aside 3 tablespoons for icing.  Add water and remaining berries to the batter; mix well.  Pour into prepared pans.  Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3.  For icing, in a small bowl, combine butter and reserved strawberries.  Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.  Place one cake layer on a serving platter; top with half of the icing.  Repeat layers.

Makes 16 servings; 1 slice each
Cal 287; fat 11; fiber trace


This cake is fabulous.  It is strawberry heaven.  It is even better than the one that my grandmother made as a child.  It is not too sweet, and just generally wonderful.

Enchilada Lasagna

Enchilada Lasagna

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz) fat free cream cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
6 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
salsa and sour cream, optional

1.  In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion, and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.

2.  Pour enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl.  Dip tortillas in sauce to coat.  Place two tortillas in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray; spread with half of the turkey mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

3. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake, uncovered, at 400* for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

4.  To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Bake as directed.

Makes 8 servings; 1 piece (calculated without salsa and sour cream)
Cal 282; fat 11; fiber 2


This was really good.  The tortillas were kinda soggy, which made them have a weird consistency.  I think that the next time I make this I'm going to try corn tortillas, or lay my tortillas out and let them dry out a little.  I didn't freeze it, I made it and baked it up.

Nutty Monkey Malts

Nutty Monkey Malts

1/4 cup fat free milk
1 small banana, cut into chunks
1/4 cup chocolate malted milk powder
2 tbsp reduced fat creamy peanut butter
2 cups fat free frozen chocolate yogurt
whipped cream, optional

1.  In a blender, combine the milk, banana, malted milk powder, and peanut butter.  Cover and process for 10 seconds or until smooth.  Add frozen yogurt.  Cover and process 10 seconds longer or until blended.  Stir if necessary.  Pour into chilled glasses; garnish with whipped cream if desired.  Serve immediately.

Makes 5 servings; 1/2 cup each
Cal 203, fat 3, fiber 3



These are awesome milkshakes.  They are chocolately and very rich.  I'm not too crazy about the whipped cream on top.  The last time that I made these, I didn't have quite enough chocolate yogurt, so I ended up using half chocolate and half vanilla ice cream.  I was kinda worried about how they would come out, but we actually ended up liking them better with the chocolate vanilla mixture.  They weren't near as sweet, but still very good.

Lean Mean Cooking Machine

I have been a lean mean cooking machine.  Well, more like chubby, sweet cooking maniac, but there's really no need to be that technical.

My husband went on strike.  He told me that I better fix the old standbys that he was tired of being a guienna pig.  So this week, we are eating old boring stuff.  Like stir fry.  Although I am trying out at least 1 new recipe, maybe 2 if I can sneak them by him. 

I'm also going to start adding photo's to my blog.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.  But if you have a professional style camera that you really want to donate to a good cause, just email me and I'll send you my address.  M'kay.

So until I get that awesome camera, just be prepared to have really weird photos.  You can thank me later.

Buttery Cinna-bun Cake

Buttery Cinnabun Cake


3 Cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ Cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Stick real butter, melted

2 sticks real butter, softened
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 Cups nuts, optional

2 Cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.

4. Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

 
This cake is like a cinnamon swirl cake.  It is really very good.  However, I would recommend that you put part of your batter in the pan, dump your swirl mixture, then finish off with more batter and swirl.  The swirl mixture makes little holes and valleys in the top of your cake, and the icing gets lost later.  This is really very good, and not overly sweet.  My husband keeps threatening to hold my kitchen hostage until I make it again, so it must not be that bad. 

Zippy Turkey and Rice

Zippy Turkey and Rice



1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 lb. Lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
2/3 cup picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided


1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, and cumin; heat through. Remove from the heat, stir in kidney beans, ½ cup cheese and cooked rice. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Makes 8 servings; 1 ¼ cups
Cal 294; fat 9; fiber 5

 
I was pleasantly surprised by this dish.  It wasn't at all what I expected it to come out like.  I used ground turkey and added garlic, pepper, paprika and a little bit of salt.  Cumin just wasn't enough for me as far as seasonings go.  I didn't bake it.  These recipes that want you to cook it, then sprinkle cheese on it and throw it in the oven make me crazy.  I just let it simmer in a big skillet until most of the liquid was gone.  Then I sprinkled it with cheese, threw the lid on, turned the burner off, made a salad and fixed drinks and the voila dinner was done.  And no extra pan to wash; that's always a bonus.

Crunchy Onion Barbeque Chicken

Crunchy Onion Barbeque Chicken



½ cup barbecue sauce
1 1/3 cups French fried onions, crushed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)

1. Place barbeque sauce in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the onions, cheese and pepper. Dip both sides of chicken in barbecue sauce, then one side in onion mixture.

2. Place chicken, crumb side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400* for 22-27 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170*.


Makes 4 servings; 1 breast half
Cal 286; fat 10; fiber trace

 
I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful these turned out to be.  However, I didn't have enough onions, so the last breast was a little sparse on the onions.  I thought it would be enough, but after crushing the small bag I got from Wally World, we were a little short on onions.  The recipe tastes like it should have taken a lot longer to make that it did. 

Parmesan Chicken Fingers

Parmesan Chicken Fingers



1 ¼ cups buttermilk, divided
¾ tsp hot pepper sauce
1 pound chicken tenderloins
5 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs


1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine ½ cup buttermilk and pepper sauce; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. For the dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp cheese, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder and remaining buttermilk until blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, combine bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Drain and discard marinade. Add chicken to crumb mixture; seal bag and shake to coat.

4. Place chicken in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake at 450* for 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve with dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings


These are really good.  I didn't make the dipping sauce though, my husband opted for ranch, so I don't know how the sauce comes out.  If any of you actually read this and make this and make the sauce, post a comment so those of us with picky husband's can live vicariously through you.  I was a little surprised at the vinegar flavor that you get from the hot pepper sauce.  I used Tabasco, which I think tastes like spicy vinegar.  So if you aren't cracked up about Tabasco, then let the chicken marinate for less time, or use something different.  They were good, in spite of the tabasco. 

Mini Shepherd's Pies

Mini Shepherd’s Pies


1 pound ground beef
3 tbsp chopped onion
½ tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup chili sauce or ketchup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups water
3 tbsp butter
1 ¼ cups mashed potato flakes
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 tube (12 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
½ cup crushed potato chips
Paprika, optional

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until tender; drain. Stir in the chili sauce, vinegar and salt; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Pour into a small bowl. Whisk in potato flakes until blended. Beat in cream cheese until smooth.

3. Press 1 biscuit dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each of 10 greased muffin cups. Fill with beef mixture. Spread potato mixture over beef. Sprinkle with potato chips; press down lightly.

4. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Serve immediately, or cool before placing in a single layer in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months.

To use frozen pies: Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375* for 15-18 minutes or until heated through.

 
 
These little guys are bite sized geniuses.  We loved them.  I used ground turkey instead of the beef, and I used the ketchup.  I didn't know what chili sauce was and don't want to know.  Ketchup and I are likethis close.  We are BFF's.  I also used whole wheat buttermilk biscuits, because I'm weird and healthy like that.  I didn't use the potatoes chips, I'm not sure why, but I didn't use them, and I couldn't really tell that they were missing anything.  I did use flavored instant potatoes, they were baby reds with parmesan and garlic, mostly because I didn't want to buy plain ones.  They are great, but not that great leftover.  So I would recommend fixing just what you need and freezing the rest or attempting to cut the recipe in half.  They are actually pretty filling, we had green beans and a salad to go with them.

Potato Smashers

Potato Smashers


6 small red potatoes (about ¾)
½ cup water
2 center cut bacon strips
2 tbsp reduced fat Italian salad dressing
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Reduced fat sour cream optional


1. Place potatoes in a small microwave – safe dish; add water. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 8-9 minutes or until tender, stirring once.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon and set aside.

3. With the bottom of a glass, flatten potatoes to ½ inch thickness. In the same skillet coated with cooking spray, cook potatoes in dressing over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

4. Turn potatoes; sprinkle with cheese and reserved bacon. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.


Makes 2 servings; 3 potatoes (calculated without sour cream)
Cal 224; fat 8; fiber 3


I was a little disappointed in these, but I didn't follow the directions, so ignore me.  My potatoes were kinda large, so I was worried how they would turn out, so I chopped them up and boiled them until they were almost done.  Don't be like me.  Just nuke bigger taters longer.  I was delusional.  Then I dumped them in the pan with the dressing and they just wouldn't brown, they more or less became smashed over time, so I repeat don't do what I did.  Follow the directions.  I will definately make them again, I'll just follow the directions this time.  Either that or bake the potatoes and then smash 'em! 

Crab-stuffed Filet Mignon

Crab-stuffed Filet Mignon


½ cup lump crabmeat, drained
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tsp butter melted
2 beef tenderloin steaks (6 oz each)
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper


1. In a small bowl, combine the crabmeat, cheese, onion and butter. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Cut a horizontal slit through each steak to within ½ in. of the opposite side, forming a pocket. Fill with ½ cup crab mixture. Secure with kitchen string if necessary.

2. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145* medium, 160* well done, 170*). Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.


Makes 2 servings;1 stuffed filet each
Cal 318; fat 14; fiber trace

 
These steaks were absolutely amazing.  My husband liked them so much that he has told everyone (literally) that he has met about them.  I'm pretty sure our waiter the other night wasn't impressed with the tasty factor of my steaks compared to the steak house he worked at.  They were definitely something different, and they have a gourmet feel to them, it seems like you slaved for hours when you didn't.  I did do a few things different, because, I'm weird like that.  I added a little bit of garlic powder and pepper to the crab mixture.  I couldn't find beef tenderloin at our local grocery store, so I ended up using rib-eyes.  Probably not the best choice, but they were the only ones that were thick enough for me to cut the pocket into without cutting through the meat.  I highly recommend securing the pockets closed with something.  I used toothpicks, and I didn't broil them.  I had my husband grill them up.  We sprinkled salt and pepper on the outside of the steak, but next time I think I will just use the regular steak seasoning that we do, just a little lighter on it so it doesn't take away from the crab.  These were amazing, and my husband asks on a daily basis when we are going to have them again.

Chicken Shrimp Creole

Chicken Shrimp Creole


2 bacon strips
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
1 lb. Uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups cooked brown rice


1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tbsp drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute the chicken, onion, green pepper and celery in drippings for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and reserved bacon; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaf. Serve with rice.


Makes 6 servings; 2/3 cup shrimp mixture with ½ cup rice
Cal 272; fat 6; fiber 4

 
 
I was really disappointed in this.  It looked really great, it smelled good, but the final product was BLAND!!!  There was no flavor to this whatsoever, and I didn't even follow the recipe from the beginning.  As I started making this and realized the blandness factor, I started adding and doctoring and seasoning.  I added more garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder and that's just what I remember.  I seasoned the chicken while it was cooking; I added almost double, if not a little closer to triple on the hot pepper sauce.  It had heat, but I'm not sure if that was from the Tabasco, or the cayenne pepper. 
 
The next day, I had leftovers for lunch and had mixed the rice in the night before, I definitely liked what that did to the rice, so I would recommend, cutting your liquid in your rice down, and when you run out of liquid, dump the rice into the pot and let it all simmer and bubble for about 10-15 minutes, then serve it.  It was a lot better that way, and there was a lot less "juice".  I will definitely make it again, but there will be some serious seasoning going on.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole


1 40 oz can of sweet potatoes, drained
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs

Topping:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, mash potatoes, stir in sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and eggs. Spoon into prepared dish. Mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and topping is browned.

Makes 6 servings

This stuff is awesome. It is very sweet and rich, and should be a dessert not a side dish. The only subbing I do is occasionally use egg beaters instead of eggs and use the <a href="http://www.bakeittobelieveit.com/BakingGame/#/product/faqs">ICBINB</a> baking butter. You can substitute Splenda I'm sure, but I have never, nor will I try that substitution. I'm anti-splenda.

Lemon Chicken with Pasta

Lemon Chicken with Pasta

1 1/2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
6 tsp canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup reduced fat chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large resealable bag, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Add chicken a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

2.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute chicken in 4 tsp oil until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

3.  In the same skillet, cook onion in remaining oil over medium heat until tender.  Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended.  Gradually stir in broth and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

4.  Drain pasta; toss with lemon sauce.  Serve with chicken, sprinkle with cheese.

makes 4 servings

Cal 428; fat 12; fiber 2

I loved this, it was creamy, and lemony and just all around fabulous.  It was something that you would expect to find on a resturant menu.  My husband thought it was a little too lemony, so if you aren't a fan of the tart stuff, I would use a little less than the 1/4 cup of lemon juice called for. 

Taco Pasta Shells

Taco Pasta Shells

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 bottle (16 oz) taco sauce, divided
3 oz fat free cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
20 baked tortilla chip scoops, coarsely crushed

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink; drain.  Add 1/2 cup taco sauce, cream cheese and chili powder; cook and stir until blended.  Stir in 1/4 cup cheese blend.

2.  Drain pasta and rinse with cold water; stuff each shell with about 2 tbsp beef mixture.  Arrange in an baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Spoon remaining taco sauce over the top.

3.  Cover and bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese blend.  Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with chips.

Makes 18 shells, 3 per serving
Cal 384; fat 13; fiber 3

These things are fabulous.  We like them the best with Pace brand taco sauce.  I also use the ground turkey and I typically only use a 1 pound package and it's more than enough to stuff the shells with.

South of the Border Casserole

South of the Border Casserole

1 tsp olive oil
1 pound extra lean ground beef
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced sweet green peppers
2 seeded, fresh jalapeno peppers, minced
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
2 cups nonfat sour cream
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz uncooked penne or macaroni pasta

1.  Add the olive oil to a nonstick pan and place over medium high heat.

2.  Add the ground beef, breaking it up, cook until no longer pink.  Drain any fat from the pan.

3.  Add the onions, green pepper, cooking until softened.  Stir in the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, sour cream, honey, chili powder and salt.

4. Add the pasta. Stir, cover, lower the heat and gently simmer until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes.  Stir every five minutes, to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.


We love this stuff.  But I do things a whole lot differently than the recipe suggests.  I use ground turkey and add it, the onions, and green pepper to the pan at the same time.  Once that is finished up, I just dump.  I use diced tomatoes instead of whole, because otherwise you have to break up the tomatoes, and that just saves a step.  I don't use fresh jalapenos, I typically just use pickled, and depnding on how spicy we want it, depends on how much I add, but I don't add anywhere near 2 whole peppers.  If I actually have the fresh jalapeno, I typically only use half of one pepper.  Do it to your own liking.

Enchilada Casser-Ole!

Enchilada Casser-Ole!

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup reduced fat Italian dressing
2 tbsp reduced sodium taco seasoning
1/4 tsp ground cumin
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup (4 oz) shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1.  In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin.  Place three tortillas in a 2 qt baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese.  Repeat layers.

2.  Cover and bake at 400* for 25 minutes.  Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.  Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce tomato and cilantro.

makes 8 servings; 1 piece each
Cal 357; fat 12; fiber 3

I was really worried about this, I'm not much of a fan of black beans, but it came out really good.  I don't use taco seasoning, I have enough spices in my cabinet that I just throw in garlic, chili powder, paprika, a little bit of cayenne, cumin and oregano.  I do not, under any circumstances recommend making this ahead of time.  The tortillas get really, really soggy and it's kind awful.  It also doesn't make good leftovers for the same reason.  I had thought about trying corn tortillas, so that it would perhaps work out better leftover.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp finely shredded lemon zest (optional)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1.  Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a loaf pan; set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp salt.  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.

2.  In another bowl, combine the egg, bananas, sugar, cooking oil, and if desired lemon peel.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in nuts.

3.  Spoon batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in a 350* oven 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan; cool on rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices

Rich Peach Ice Cream

Rich Peach Ice Cream

2 cups cold fat free milk
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 medium peaches, peeled and chopped
2 cans (12 oz each) fat free evaporated milk
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 carton (8 oz) fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1.  In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes.  Beat in the peaches, evaporated milk, condensed milk, sugar, lemon juice, extracts and salt.  beat in whipped toppng just until combined.

2.  Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.  Transfer to freezer containers; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

Makes 4 quarts; 2/3 cup
Cal 140; fat 2; fiber trace

This stuff rocks!!  It does make a ton though, so make sure you are either feeding a crowd, or that you really like peach ice cream.  I usually use the sugar free, fat free versions of everything in this, and it comes out just fine.  I have used canned and frozen peaches as well, and they both work great, just make sure that they are fairly dry, otherwise the ice cream doesn't set up as well.

Chicken Parmesan

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne.  Coat chicken breast in flour, dip in egg, and then in bread crumbs.  Brown breast in olive oil, then bake at 375* for 20 minutes.

This recipe was only half copied down when I recieved it.  So I don't know how many chicken breasts exactly this recipe makes.  I usually make anywhere between 4-6 and have leftover breading materials.  I don't brown it in the olive oil, I just throw them in a pan and bake them until the chicken is done.  When I had this (got the recipe from a friend), she had made the spaghetti, placed it in the bottom of the pan, placed the chicken on top, then sprinkled chees all over it, and baked it until the chicken was finished cooking.  She follows recipes better than I do.  It comes out really great, very resturant like taste.

Strawberry Cake

Box white cake mix
2/3 cup oil
1 box strawberry jello
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1/2 pkg frozen strawberries

Icing:
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 lb butter
1/2 package frozen strawberries

Mix cake mix, jello and flour in bowl.  Add water and eggs and beat, add strawberries.  Beat, pour into prepared pan bake at 350* until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To prepare icing:
Beat butter, add strawberries and beat, add powdered sugar and beat until creamy, ice cool cake.


This is my grandmothers recipe, and she was a dumper.  So the measurements are estimates not exacts, so don't go for perfection here.  The strawberries work best if you use the strawberries that are frozen in syrup.  Yes, it's not good for you, and yes, it makes for a very sweet, very rich cake.  But it is absolutely amazing.  I also swear that they are doing something to powdered sugar and butter now, because my icing always comes out more glaze like than icing like.  So if you want a thicker icing, then keep adding powdered sugar, or drain your strawberries well. 

Texas Ranch Chicken Casserole

Texas Ranch Chicken Casserole


1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups cooked chicken breast
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced fat reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 tbsp chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1 inch strips
2 cups (8 oz) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes and chili powder.

2. Line the bottom of a 3 qt baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 8 - 1 cup servings
Calories 329; fat 12g; saturated fat; 5g; cholesterol; 65mg; sodium 719; carbs 31g; fiber 3; protein 26 g


This is absolutely fabulous. It is kinda like inside out enchiladas. Next time, I am going to cut the tortillas down to 10 and cut them in strips and then in half again, it was a little hard to manage with the larger strips. Plus the ones on the bottom didn't get as soggy and were a little tougher. I substituted extra virgin olive oil instead of canola. I didn't spray the pan, because frankly why do you need it to saute the veggies, that's what the oil is for. I also used leftover rotisserie chicken. Because the chicken was seasoned, I didn't add the chili powder. And I probably never will. This will be one of those recipes that I call a leftover. Since it requires that you use cooked chicken, this will probably be planned in on a week when we have "extra" cooked chicken.

Ham N Taters Crockpot

Ham N Taters Crockpot


1 pound tater tots
1/2 pound ham cubes
1/2 cup onion - chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper - sliced
3/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese - shredded
6 large eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk

1. In a crockpot, layer ingredients in order: tater tots, ham, onions, green pepper and cheese.

2. Repeat two more times, ending with a layer of cheese.

3. In a bowl, beat eggs and milk

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Pour mixture over layers in crockpot.

6. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Makes 6 servings
Calories 303; fat 12; protein 24g; carbs 24; fiber 2g; cholesterol; 26mg; sodium 1135mg.

This recipe came out fabulous. It looks really icky, but it tastes amazing. I won't be making any changes. I did use egg beaters and 1% milk.

NOTE: I have a gianormous crockpot, so I more or less ended up doubling the recipe. Not intentionally, well sort of intentionally. Otherwise I would have basically had it all dumped in the bottoma and not exactly layered. So, I have added my alterations so that if you have a large crockpot you can get it to come out ok.

I used an entire average size bag of tater tots which is actually 2 pounds.

I used a pound of ham cubes.

I sprinkled just enough cheese to lightly cover the top (it's a low fat recipe I wanted it to stay that way)

I used a small carton of egg beaters which is equivalent to 7 eggs, I then added an additional 4 regular eggs and 1/4 cup milk.


I highly recommend that you use the crockpot liners.  It did stick and burn on the bottom and sides. No scrubbing required!! I started it about 7pm and let it cook until around 7:40. My crockpot cooks for the set time and then it switches to warm. I don't recommend the 10 hours, unless your crockpot cooks that slowly on low. Next time I make this, I am going to start it when I get ready for bed - around 9:30 and let it cook until the next morning. This is very filing and just all around fabulous. I may play with it and add some veggies to it, just to give it a little more flavor.

Sticky Caramel Pecan Rolls

Sticky Caramel Pecan Rolls


1/4 cup fat free caramel flavored sundae syrup
cooking spray
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated reduced fat crescent dinner rolls
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 375*. Use cooking spray to coat 8 muffin cups.

2. Spoon 1 1/2 tsp syrup into each muffin cup; set aside.

3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and separate into rectangles..

4. Combine brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over each rectangle, pressing gently into dough. Beginning at one long edge, roll up jellyroll fashion. Pinch ends of dough to seal. Cut each roll into 6 slices. Place 3 slices, cut sides down, in prepared muffin cups.

5. Bake for 14 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cups; invert onto a platter.

Makes 8 servings
Cal 172; fat 5.8g;
These were good. I think some of my disappointment with them was a lack of experience. If you make these, when they come out of the oven let them sit at most 5 minutes. Then immediately remove them. Otherwise the caramel becomes like glue and you have to reheat them in order to get them out. Because I had to reheat them the caramel was kinda chewy and the rolls themselves were over cooked. Otherwise they were really good. Cleanup was a pain, I figure mostly because I let them sit. I want to make them again now that I know how to do it right.

Healthified Apple Crisp

Healthified Apple Crisp


6 cups sliced unpeeled cooking apples (6 medium)
1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (i used I can't believe it's not butter for baking)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Reduced fat vanilla ice cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375*. Spray an 8 inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix apples, apple juice concentrate, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until well mixed. Spread in baking dish.

2. In the same medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.

3. Bake uncovered 25-35 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream

Makes 8 servings
Figured without ice cream - Cal 190; fat 6; 

This stuff is fabulous. It isn't the full of fat and sugar stuff that my grandmother made, but it was wonderful just the same. The only substitution that I made was the whole wheat flour, I didn't have any, and I sure wasn't going to buy a 5 pound bag just to use a 1/4 of a cup of it and then end up throwing the rest away, so I did use white flour, and it came out fine. I also noticed that I left it about 30 minutes and the apples were a little overcooked. So I plan on knocking the temp or the time down next batch.

Cookies and Creme Pudding Pops

Cookies and Crème Pudding Pops


1 pkg (3.9 oz) Jell-O Chocolate instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
6 Oreo cookies
1/2 cup whipped cream

1. Beat pudding mix and milk in a large bowl with whisk 2 minutes.

2. Place cookies in resealable plastic bag, seal bag. Using a rolling pan, crush cookies;

3. Add cookies and whipped topping to pudding; stir just until blended.
4. Spoon into 9 small paper or plastic cups.

5. Insert pop stick or plastic spoon into each for a handle. Freeze 5 hours or until firm.

These were disappointing. They freeze so hard that even after letting it sit about 10-15 minutes, it was still so hard that it was hard to eat. On a plus note, when you finally do get around to eating them, they taste great. I did make some substitutions.

I used a package of Sugar free fat free white chocolate pudding. I'm not much of a chocolate person. I used the reduced fat oreos, 1% milk and fat free whipped cream. We licked the spoon before we froze and it makes great pudding. So that's how we will keep it, no more freezing.

Swiss Steak Supper

Swiss Steak Supper


1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
3 medium potatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh baby carrots
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian diced tomatoes
1 jar (12 oz) home style beef gravy
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1. Cut steak into six serving size pieces; flatten to 1/4 inch thickness. Rub with seasoned salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown beef in oil on both sides; drain.

2. Cut each potato into eight wedges. In a 5 quart slow cooker, layer the potatoes, carrots, beef and onion. combine tomatoes and gravy; pour over the top. Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings

Cal 402; fat 6; fiber 5
This is absolutely awful. We let it cook roughly 7 hours, the meat was so tough that we could hardly eat it. The potatoes were halfway done as were the carrots. The onions were still more or less raw. The gravy disappeared, and there was all this liquid in the bottom, my guess is that most of it is the liquid in the tomatoes and what cooked out of the veggies. I do not plan on making this recipe again. It did have good flavor, if you didn't mind the chewing of a tennis shoe. I don't even know where to begin to make this more edible. Different cut of meat. Cut into bite size pieces, no browning, dump everything in, cut carrots down as well as potatoes and make it more stew like. I honestly don't know. I do know that there wasn't enough liquid by any means.  So if you attempt to make this add additional liquids in the form of water, broth, gravy, it doesn't really matter.  Otherwise I'm afraid that you will have the same results that I had.  I have thrown the recipe away and we will not be having this again.

Baja Chipotle Fish Tacos

Baja Chipotle Fish Tacos


1 pound fresh halibut or tilapia fillet
1 1/4 cup Lawry's Baja Chipotle with Lime juice Marinade
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
12 corn tortillas

For Slaw:
2 to 3 cups coleslaw
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
juice of 1 lime or 2 tbsp bottled lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place fish in a large baking dish or zip lock bag with 3/4 cup marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes or longer. Transfer fish to foil-lined baking sheet or fish basket (if grilling). Discard used marinade. Broil or grill fish, basting with 1/4 cup of marinade, until flesh flakes easily with a fork.

2. While fish is cooking, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and remaining 1/4 cup of marinade; stir until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine coleslaw, cilantro and tomato; toss to combine. Sprinkle lime juice, salt and peper over coleslaw mixture; toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Steam tortillas or dip them briefly in hot oil. To serve, spread cream sauce on a tortilla, fill with crumbled fish, and top with coleslaw.

makes 12 tacos

Notes: Unless you are planning on really piling on the sauce, I highly recommend that you cut the sauce in half. Of course, this is assuming that you are feeding 2. It made a tremendous amount, and while it is fabulous, it is hard to use the leftovers when there are no more tacos. I also cut the coleslaw ingredients in half, the first time I made it we had coleslaw leftover for days. The longer it sits the more the lime juice comes through, and it is so sour that you can't eat it. Unless you REALLY like cilantro, I would highly recommend not using one "bunch". Unless my bunch was different than theres, there was so much cilantro that you couldn't taste much of anything else. I would suggest adding a small amount, and then tasting and adjusting accordingly.

I was leary of fish tacos. It was just a little too weird for me. However, our local grocery store is kinda gourment and on the weekends they make recipes and have samples available. So my husband talked me into trying them, and I was plesantly surprised. It's not as fishy as you would think, or as weird either.

Bacon Mac

Bacon Mac


3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
12 oz penne pasta
4 tsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
2 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add pasta, cook 8 minutes or until al-dente; drain.

3. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155*. stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 tsp salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2 quart broiler safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.

makes 6 servings; about 1 cup each.

Cal 399; fat 13.8, fiber 2

Notes: I didn't add the salt to the water, I see no purpose, other than to waste salt and add sodium, so I never add salt to pasta water. My pasta always comes out just fine too. I used whole wheat pasta, don't use anything else anymore. I also used the Kraft 2% cheese.

This was really good the night I made it, however it was used as a side dish, Mac & Cheese was never a meal itself, so it's hard to adjust to that fact as an adult. The longer it sits in the fridge, the drier it gets. So make sure you can eat it all within a day or so of cooking it. Next time, I am going to "doctor" it up. Instead of just plain ole mac & cheese, I'm going to double the sauce recipe, and add chicken, broccoli, cauliflower and probably a few baby carrots. I'll steam the veggies and have the chicken already cooked and chopped and throw it in before I broil it. I also have a cheese sauce recipe that I may substitute and see if I can't cut the calories down once I doctor it. It's not that great leftover as it tastes like plain noodles.  So I highly reccomend doing something else with it if you have leftovers.

Sausage with Beans and Rice


2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup instant brown rice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until onion is crisp tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish.

2. Cover and bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Uncover, bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Makes 6 servings; 1 cup serving size
Cal 529; fat 23g; fiber 8; cholesterol 51mg; sodium 1504mg

Well, this stuff is pretty fabulous. I was looking for a healthier version to red beans and rice, mostly for my father. This didn't come exactly out like red beans and rice, but it was still really good.  However, I did make some changes, so my actual stats are a lot better. I used EVOO instead of vegetable oil, the sausage that I used is by Johnsonville (follow link for exact product). I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.

Pizza Spaghetti

Pizza Spaghetti


1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
4 cans (8 oz each) no salt added tomato sauce
3 oz, sliced turkey pepperoni
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp minced fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
9 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce, pepperoni, sugar, parsley and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.

3. Drain spaghetti; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

makes 6 servings 1 1/3 cups each
Cal 369; fat 9; fiber 7


This stuff is great. It's like a supreme pizza, spaghettified. My husband isn't much of a spaghetti fan, but he regularly requests this. I substitute (surprise, surprise) ground turkey for the beef and I don't use the Italian sausage, mostly because of personal preference. I can get the turkey sausage links that are just plain and I use those, mostly because I don't like the fennel in the other stuff. The package that I buy has 5 links, and I use 2 1/2 and freeze the other rest for another go round of this stuff. I typically add the 1/2 log of turkey that's leftover too and label it for pizza spaghetti. I didn't think about it until I was typing this up, but this might be really good to add a little green pepper too to give it a more supreme pizza taste.

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken Skillet


12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
1 - 15 oz jar salsa
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup ripe olives - sliced
1 cup brown rice - quick cooking
1/2 cup fat free cheddar cheese – shredded

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet cook and stir chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in salsa, chicken broth, chopped sweet pepper, and, if desired olives.

2. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand covered 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings


This particular recipe has a unique story and name behind it. The first time I had planned on making this recipe as I was making my grocery list, I put down olives. My husband and I both like black olives, yet unless I am making pizza or a specific recipe I never have them on hand. As we were shopping, we were unable to find the sliced, and figuring that it wouldn't make that much difference, I bought a small can of the chopped olives. If you have never used these, chopped is an understatement. The olives are in very small pieces. That, if you have a husband with an unusual sense of humor they could be mistaken as ..... rat turds. My husband came home from work, and lifted the lid off the pan to see what smelled good, and proceeded to ask me if we were having rat turd casserole for dinner. So consequently my husband asks for Rat Turd Casserole now.

I don't change up anything.  This is what I call a planned-over meal.  I only make it when I have leftover chicken in the fridge.  So sometimes it has a spicy punch, and other times not.  Just depends on what the chicken started out as.  I do suggest that you use whatever type of salsa that you prefer. I typically use medium as my husband and I like it a little spicy.

Fajita Lasagna

Fajita Lasagna


1 bag (1 pound) frozen stir fry bell peppers and onions, thawed
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope (1.4 oz) fajita seasoning mix
12 no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded Colby Monterey jack cheese (12 oz)
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
Guacamole, salsa and sour cream if desired

1. Heat oven to 350*. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches with cooking spray. Drain thawed bell pepper mixture on several layers of paper towels; set aside.

2. Cook beef in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Spread pepper mixture evenly over sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping on top of cheese. Spread about 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese and the olives over sauce. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping on olives. Spread remaining sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Spray piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Tightly cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream if desired.

Makes 8 servings


Substitutions - I never have been able to find frozen bell peppers that just has onion and peppers in it. So I always just slice up the fresh stuff. It comes out just fine. I also use ground turkey or leftover chicken, chopped up in smaller than bite size pieces. I have yet to put the olives in it, mostly because we are always making this to enjoy with others who don't like olives.  I was worried about this one the first tried this. But it tastes like fajitas with noodles. Make sure you cover the noodles with sauce, if not where they aren't covered, they are chewy. You can always pre-cook your noodles and cut your sauce down if you prefer. I tried this once, and it's hard to not have too much or not enough sauce. Plus, what do you do with the rest of the mix and tomato sauce?  So just follow the directions and don't pre-cook your noodles.

Crazy Delicious Cherry Cheese Danish

Crazy Delicious Cherry Cheese Danish

For Danish:
1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated dough
1/2 an 8 oz tub fat free cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
1/4 cup regular oats (not instant)
2 tbsp splenda
1 tbsp light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1/4 tsp almond extract

For Icing:
1 tbsp jet-puffed marshmallow creme
1 tbsp cool whip free, thawed
1/2 tbsp splenda
1 tsp powdered sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 drop vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the icing, combine Splenda, powdered sugar, and cornstarch in a small microwave safe bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp cold water and the vanilla extract, and mix until ingredients have dissolved. Add marshmallow creme and microwave for 5 seconds, or until creme is soft enough to fold into mixture. Stir until smooth. Add Cool Whip and stir again, until evenly combined. Refrigerate icing until you're ready to ice the Danish.

3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, oats, splenda, milk, and almond extract and stir until thoroughly mixed. Fold in cherries and set aside. This is your filling.

4. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay out your dough on the sheet and (using a rolling pin, a can, or your hands) lightly roll it out into a long rectangle of even thickness. Arrange baking sheet in front of you so that the short sides are on the left and right and the long sides are on the top and bottom. Spoon cherry filling lengthwise across the middle third of the dough, leaving 1 inch borders on the left and right of the filling.

5. Along the top third of the dough, cut slits down from the top of the dough toward the filling, stopping about 1/2 inch away from the filling - space slits about 1 inch apart from each other. repeat on the bottom part of the rectangle, cutting upward toward the filling. This will create 1 inch wide strips of dough on both the top and bottom of the filling.

6. Starting at one side, alternate folding the 1 inch strips from the top and the bottom over the filling, covering filling completely and creating a criss-crossed, "braided" appearance. After all the strips have been folded, fold the short sides of the dough in toward the filling, so filling cannot escape, and pat firmly to seal.

7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until pastry is crispy and golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

8. Just before serving, drizzle entire Danish with icing. Cut into 9 slices and indulge! (Refrigerate leftovers)

makes 9 servings; 1/9 of danish

cal 118; fat 4.25; sodium 275mg; carbs 17g; Fiber 0.5 - Points 3

This is Hungry Girl creation.

I was so disappointed in this. First I couldn't find the recipe creations stuff, so I attempted to make the recipe with regular crescent rolls. Words of advice - don't go down that road. I managed to get it put together and baked. It made a huge mess, which I'm blaming on the crescent rolls. But the filling was very, very sweet - like you had put too much splenda. We didn't like the icing either. So this recipe was a bust. Best thing to do to "fix it", is find a completely different recipe and try again.