Broccoli Apple Slaw

This is my favorite quick cold salad. It's super healthy, low calorie and highly tasty! This whole meal was great. Wouldn't it be nice if I could eat this great everyday and all day??

This is linked with:
Meatless Mondays from My Sweet and Savory. 
Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum
Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker

Broccoli Apple Slaw

2 apples (I used a granny smith and a fugi)

2 cups of broccoli slaw

1/2 cup vanilla fat free yogurt (I used lite n fit)

1 tbsp. honey

Cut both apples into matchstick sized strips and place in a large bowl. Add slaw and mix. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and honey. Pour into the apple slaw and mix until coated. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Total calories = 359 calories

4 servings = 90 calories per serving

Maple Glazed Pork Loin + Apple Slaw + Oven Baked French Fries = 473 calorie dinner

Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded and approximate.

Almond Joy Amish Friendship Bread

Round 2 of the Amish Friendship bread. Round 1 went really fast.

I actually chuckle when I call this "bread". I mean really, look at this. (look up). This is cake. Delicious, chocolaty, crunchy, sweet, moist cake. Not bread.
I found a website with a ton of different versions of this bread. They all sound fantastic. I can't see myself stopping anytime soon.

Suzy's blog recommended the Almond Joy version. This sounded fantastic! The only things that I missed from her version was the cocoa and the espresso powder. I didn't have any espresso powder and I just plain forgot the cocoa powder. I wish I had remembered because it needed a bit more of a chocolate boost.

But it was good. SOOOOOOOO good!






I also overcooked mine a bit. I do that. A lot. It was still good. Just a little harder around the edges and the coconut got a bit brown on the top.

My next round will be made right before I go on vacation. Though I have many idea's and thoughts for what kind to make, I haven't decided. I guess I have 10 days to decide.

Coconut is the Monthly Mystery Ingredient for the challenge over at Our Krazy Kitchen! Check out all the awesome coconut recipes over there!
This is also my submission to Ultimate Recipe Swap from Life As Mom!  Topic this week is NUTS!
This is submitted to Amish Bread Recipes at Susie QT Pies!
Ingredient Spotlight: Coconut at Eat at Home

Almond Joy Amish Friendship Bread

Adapted from Kitchen Bouquet

About a cup of starter mix

3 eggs

1 cup of oil

1/2 cup of milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1 large box of instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup whole almonds

Mix all bread ingredients together thoroughly. Spray 2 muffin loafs with cooking spray and sprinkle with a bit of sugar to coat. Divide batter between both pans. Mix topping together in a small bowl, sprinkle both with toppings. Bake for about an hour at 325.

Maple Glazed Pork Loin

I like things sweet. A lot of my recipes have a nice sweet sauce.

This was a nice sweet maple glaze for this pork loin. Everyone loved it. Even the 8 year old who never tries anything new, wanted to try it and he loved it! Yeah!

I like when that happens.





So this marinated in my frig for several hours and then I stuck it in the oven and after about 25 minutes I poured a bit more of the marinade over it and then cooked it for another 25 minutes. I still had some left in the bag, I wish I would have been smart enough to put it on the stove to cook it and thicken it and use as a sauce.

That would have been tasty.
Still, there was enough glaze on it to make it nice and sweet. Yum.


This is my submission to Flashback Friday over at Kitchen Bouquet! This reminds me of something that my mom would have made many years ago!

This is also linked with Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home and Foodie Fridays at Designs by Gollum!

I also hopped today at Blog Hop Friday and New Friend Friday! There are a lot of these hops and I don't do too many but these are from blogs that I really like so check them out! (not to insult the other blogs! :-)


Maple Glazed Pork Loin

1 pork loin (mine was about 1 1/2 lbs. I think)
1/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup brown sugar

Place the roast in a big plastic resealable bag. In a small bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients and pour into bag and seal. Turn to coat, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 375. Place the roast onto a foil lined pan and pour about 1/3 of the marinade over it. Cook for about 25 minutes and then pour about 1/3 of the marinade over the top again. Cook for about 25 - 30 more minutes or until temperature is at least 160.

Total calories - about 1110 (all the glaze wasn't used so I approximated on the glaze)
5 servings = 222 per serving


Maple Glazed Pork Loin + Apple Slaw + Oven Baked French Fries = 473 calorie dinner




Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers may be approximate or rounded.

Summer Squash Casserole

My husband is not a zucchini or a squash fan. He'll put up with what I make without too much grumbling but I often stick a baked potato in the microwave for him. That usually keeps him happy.

Today. He gave this recipe 2 thumbs up! He loved it! I was really impressed. I asked him,

"You know it's summer squash, right?"

"Of course, I was the one who bought it for you!"



Tee-hee. That's right. I asked him to pick up a few things at the grocery store and I snuck in that I needed 2 lbs. of summer squash.

Such a nice guy.

Little did he know that he would be loving it two days later!




These tasted like augratin potatoes but with zucchini instead of potatoes. Seriously. They were awesome.

My brother said that this was his favorite way that I make zucchini. Wow! This was a hit!

I'm pretty sure this will be made again. Soon.

This is linkd with:
Ultimate Recipe Swap from Life as Mom
Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.
Vegetarian Foodie Fridays at Breastfeeding Mom's Unite.
What's for Dinner Wednesday over at Hon, What's for Dinner?
Two For Tuesdays at A Moderate Life.  Real food!  Good food!
This Weeks Cravings: Summer Vegetables at Moms Crazy Cooking



Summer Squash Casserole
Adapted from Eats Well With Others

2 lbs. yellow summer squash, sliced thin
2 tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, light
1/2 cup sour cream, light
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 2 oz. (I used colby jack but would use cheddar next time)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, light, melted
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko Italian Style)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350. Put all the cut squash in a bowl and add a tbsp. of water, cover and microwave until tender. About 5 minutes, maybe? In a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. butter, sour cream, cheese, salt and paprika until smooth. Whisk a small bit of the warm cheese sauce into the eggs so that they become tempered and don't cook upon contact. Drain squash and put in all into a 9 x 13 casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Pour cheese sauce evenly over the squash. Mix the ingredients for the topping, green onions, melted, bread crumbs and parmesan. Spread evenly over the sauce. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Total calories = 1060
6 servings = 177 calories per serving
8 servings = 133 calories per serving

Sloppy Buffalo Joes + Summer Squash Casserole = 452 calorie dinner


Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are approximate or rounded.

Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits

Wow.

We were all super impressed by these biscuits. I was skeptical because they didn't have any butter. How good can they be without a ton of butter?

But they were good. Very good. Like smacking each other in the hand to get the last one kind of good. Really.

My pans are less than impressive but they do the job.





They came together really quick and baked up fast. We'll for sure be making these again.

Soon.

This is linked with No Whine Wednesday over at Food on the Table!  Check it out for some fantastic recipes!

Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits

Adapted from Lauries Food Files

2 cups Bisquick mix

2/3 cup milk, 1%

2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

Mix all ingredients together. Spray a pan with cooking spray and place a drop on the pan. Like a spoonful maybe? I didn't make them too big as I didn't want any issues with the middle not getting done. Bake at 400 for about 12 - 14 minutes or until just starting to brown on top.

Total calories = 1394

18 muffins - 77 calories per muffin

I THINK there were 18 muffins. Seriously, they were grabbed immediately so I lost count. I ate 3 of these guys for dinner. Oh, they were GOOD!

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded and approximate.

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

Yes, another sloppy joe recipe.

This one seemed different though. It used Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce. I've recently come to appreciate this sauce.

So when I saw this recipe, I knew for sure this would be an easy weeknight meal.

I should have read the reviews.

Don't get me wrong, they turned out very good. I just had to make some last minute adjustments and have some patience at the end.




The meat was initially very soupy. It calls for a cup of tomato sauce and a cup of chicken stock. Way too much liquid. I should have seen it coming.

So as I am staring at this awesome smelling soup, I quick put a couple tablespoons of cornstarch in a bit of water and add it to the joes. Better.

But still too goopy. I like my sloppy joes thicker.

So I just let it hang out on the stove for about 20 minutes bubbling away and enough liquid went away and they turned out fine.

Whew!

Dinner saved. Still, I should have read the reviews.

This is my submission to Tuedays at the Table from All The Small Stuff.
This is also linked with Tasty Tuesday from Crazy Daisy.

Also go to Tuesday Tastes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
I also linked up with Saturday's with Rachael Ray over at Taste and Tell.  Check her out for some more recipes! Also linked up with Tuesday Night Supper Club from Fudge Ripple




Sloppy Buffalo Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 carrot, chopped or grated
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup hot sauce, I used Franks Wing Sauce
1/2 can tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock (or however much you need to get the right consistency)
Optional toppings: Blue cheese crumbles or pickles

Total calories = 1712 calories without buns or bread

I didn't calculate how many cups there were. We used the Arnold Selects Sandwich Thins at 100 calories a piece. 4 of us at this for dinner with plenty of leftovers for several days worth of lunches for me. I am estimating that one sandwich was about 275 calories.

1 Sloppy Buffalo Joe + Summer Squash Casserole = 452 calories




Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are approximate or rounded.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple

I need help. I am on the lookout for a great sweet and sour meatball recipe!

Not that these weren't good, they were awesome, I couldn't stop eating them. But they just weren't as good as I am thinking they could be. Does that make sense? It's like I'm looking for the "perfect sauce".

The meatballs were great. The sweet and sour sauce was great. I'm not sure they were great together though. I might be over analyzing this though. I seriously ate 100 of these trying to sort out my opinion.

I used Pioneer Womans meatballs. I love how they have oats rather than bread crumbs and they just are my favorite meatballs in the whole wide world.

I used a recipe for sweet and sour sauce from Allrecipes.

So I don't know if I should change meatballs to suit the sauce or change the sauce to suit the meatballs. I have a couple of different recipes out there for sweet and sour sauces that I want to try. Feel free to give me any ideas for the "perfect sauce".

This is my submission to Just Something I Whipped Up Mondays hosted by The Girl Creative.
Recipe of the Week: Superbowl Snacks at Family Fresh Meals



Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I usually use ground turkey though)
3/4 cup oats
1 cup milk, 1%
2 tbsp. finely minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Plenty of pepper, to taste
1/2 cup flour (for coating meatballs)

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 cup pineapple juice (or however much you get from a can + water to get 1 cup)
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
About 1 cup pineapple or however much you like

For meatballs, combine all ingredients, roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove meatballs from freezer and dredge in flour. Brown meatballs in pan with cooking spray until just brown. They will cook longer in the oven so they don't need to be completely cooked. Transfer meatballs to a 9 x 13 baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray.

For sauce: Combine everything, making sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch. Cook in small saucepan until thick. Add pineapple and pour sauce over meatballs. Bake in oven for about 25 - 35 minutes or until meatballs are done. Mine were pretty small so they cooked quickly.

Total calories = 2622

6 servings = 437 calories per serving

I used regular brown sugar for this but I am pretty sure that I will sub splenda and molasses next time and get a similar result. I was making this for guests who don't eat splenda.




Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread

Many of us, if not most of us, probably have heard of the Amish Friendship bread. You know, the pile of goo in a baggie that sits endlessly on your counter until you are ready to mix it into bread?

I did this many, many years ago and had good result. We completed the cycle a few times, gained some weight and then moved on.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, another bag fell into my hands. I don't do a lot of breads so I was intrigued. Not to mention it of course ran through my head that this could have a great blog segment potential. Isn't it amazing once you become a food blogger you tend to see things as "how can I blog about this"?


Ok, back on track. So I played with the bag for the 10 days and then came baking day. Now, I've said before that I am NOT a baker and have had some disastrous results. So I tried to keep my expectations in check, realistically predicting that the first batch could turn out horribly and thus, end my cycle before it really even began.

Wrong.

This was unbelievably delicious. Words cannot express how good this was. Granted there was more sugar in this than I eat in a year but it was GOOOOOOOD! Seriously, the ingredients are like sugar, sugar, vanilla pudding, cinnamon and sugar. So how can it not be good!

Clearly I am not trying to sell this as a healthy bread. Actually, lets be honest, this isn't bread, it's cake. There is no redeeming quality in this bread but for the fact that it will make your mouth ginormously happy and temporarily help you to forget all your stresses and troubles as it is swimming deliciously in your mouth.

So go ahead and make it as therapy. :-)

So this required a starter to ferment for 10 days until ready to bake. My recipe that I received says that "only the Amish know how to create the secret starter". Well, apparently they have let the cat out of the bag shared it with the internet as there are many recipes for a starter. Like this.

So my starter came with a recipe for Cinnamon Bread. I knew there were other varieties. So I looked up on the internet and found about 150,000 tasty ideas for this bread. So, my plan is to bake several kinds and share the results with you. If you have any ideas, let me know, I'd love to hear them!

This is my submission to Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum. This is also linked with Flashback Friday from Kitchen Bouquet as these create quite the flashback from years ago. Also linked with Friday Favorites from Simple Sweet Home. Also I just found Vegetarian Foodie Fridays at Breastfeeding Moms Unite. Check them all out, they rock.

Not to forget, Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory!!

Amish Cinnamon Bread

About a cup of starter or more (after the 10 days)

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Spray 2 large loaf pans with cooking spray (the Amish probably don't use cooking spray but I'm not Amish). Mix the topping and dust the pans with about 1/2 the mixture.

Combine all the bread ingredients and stir to combine. Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle with remaining sugar over the top. Bake for about 1 hour (one of my larger loafs took about 10 minutes longer). Cool until bread loosens from pan, about 10 minutes. Turn out onto serving dish and back away as the family stampedes to get at this bread.

**I'm not going to keep track of calories for this bread. I don't even want to THINK about how many calories are in this. I do plan on gifting one loaf every time. There are plenty of people who I know who would love a loaf or a half of a loaf. With 6 of us here plus daycare kids, the other loaf will get eaten hopefully without one person (me) consuming TOO many calories.

White Bean and Apple Chili

This was a different chili for me. It almost didn't even seem like chili. But it was. The apple really does disappear, I wouldn't know it was apple if I hadn't put it in there myself. It was quite thick, which is how I like chili or soup to be. It was also pretty mild, so if you like a kick, add some more spices or hot sauce. I thought it was very good just the way it was.

This is linked with Ultimate Recipe Swap from Life As Mom.

Also linked with Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

This is also my submission to Souper Sundays from Kahakai Kitchen.
 Also linked with Gluten Free Wednesdays at Gluten Free Homemaker

White Bean & Apple Chili

Recipe adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern)

1 onion, chopped

2 apples, cut in chunks, no need to peel

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper (I don't really measure)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt

Put butter into a large crock pot. Dump in the beans, onion and apple. Add the spices and pour in the broth. Stir in the yogurt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 - 5 hours.

Total calories = 1325 calories

6 servings = 221 calories per serving

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Herbed Slow Cooker Chicken

I had a whole cut up chicken and a crock pot. Not much else.


So this was the perfect recipe. I added some more spices than usual and I might have over did it by a bit. It had a pretty strong flavor. I liked it but my daughter said there was a bit too much of the spices for her. Maybe the poultry spice was a bit much. Phooey on her, she just dips it in ketchup anyways!

This is my submission to Slow Cooker Wednesday from Dining with Debbie.

Herbed Slow Cooker Chicken

Adapted from A Taste of Home

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. poultry spice

pinch of allspice

1 whole chicken, cut up

1/3 cup chicken broth

Remove skin from chicken. In a small bowl, combine herbs and spices and olive oil. Rub over chicken. Place in large crockpot, add broth around the edges. Cover and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Calories will vary as to what kind of chicken piece you eat and how many ounces of chicken you eat. I ate:

1 small Herbed Chicken Thigh + Coleslaw + small baked potato & sour cream = under 500 calorie dinner

Peking Chicken Wraps

My new favorite wrap. These were awesome. Very healthy, flavorful and just the right crunch. I don't think I would change a thing.

I did simplify the recipe that I had though. The recipe I had wanted you to assemble the wrap with the sauce, chicken, rice mixture and then the veggies. I found it much simpler just to chuck it all in a bowl. Except for the hoisin sauce. We all have different opinions about hoisin sauce here. One puts a ton on his wrap, one doesn't like it at all and I like just a bit.


I did think that blanching the peapods was annoying. When I make it again, I might just cook them briefly with the onions. One less step. I'm all about cutting steps out of things and making it easier.




This is my submission to Tuesday Tastes at Crazy Daisy. She has an awesome food contest going on each week, check it out!

Also linked with Tuesday's at the Table at All the Small Stuff. Great blog!

I also linked with Pot Luck Wednesday from Honey, Does This Blog Make Me Look Fat?

Check out Once A Month Mom for more great chicken recipes too!

I also just linked this with Two For Tuesdays, a new way to share fantastic real food recipes!

Also my submission the $5 dinner challenge. This is a fairly cheap, quick meal!! 

Peking Chicken Wraps

Adapted from Eat Better America

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

2 tsp. sesame oil

4 green onions

1/4 lb. snow peas, trimmed

1 heaping cup of shredded cabbage (I used cabbage mix)

1 cup shredded carrot (I used a bit less as I had cabbage in my mix)

2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar (recipe called for unseasoned, I like seasoned better)

2 tsp. ginger (I used from a jar)

2 cups shredded chicken, cooked (I used 10 oz)

8 whole wheat tortillas

8 tbsp. hoisin sauce

Cook rice according to directions, set aside.

Heat water in saucepan to boiling, add snowpeas and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Cut lengthwise into small strips. In a bowl, stir together snow peas, cabbage, carrot, rice vinegar and ginger.

Heat sesame oil in pan, add green onions, cook and stir for a minute, then stir green onions and oil into cooked rice. Add rice mixture to the bowl of veggies.

Add chicken to veggies and rice. My chicken was cooked, but frozen so I threw it in the pan and thawed it out and made it warm.

**The actual recipe called for the rice, veggie mixture and chicken to be all separate. I prefered to throw it all in the same bowl. We liked this warm but you could eat it cold as well. We put the hoisin sauce on the bottom of a toasted tortilla and then a scoop of the chicken/rice/veggie mixture. This made 8 wraps using 8 inch whole wheat tortillas.

Total calories = 2140

8 servings = 268 calories per wrap

2 Peking Chicken Wraps = 536 calorie dinner

Caloried calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are approximate or rounded.

Apple Cheddar Muffins

These were awesome muffins. I meant to take a picture of a muffin on a plate but we dug right in and before I knew it, they were gone and no picture on a plate.

I was tempted to try these with whole wheat flour. I was making them for the kids and was afraid they wouldn't like them as much so I wimped out and just used the regular flour. Next time.

The apple was really good in this, I think I would up it to an apple and 1/2 or make sure to use a very large apple next time. I got this recipe from Holy Cannoli Recipes but just subbed apple juice for the apple cider.

This is my submission to Just Something I Whipped Up Mondays from The Girl Creative.

This is also linked with Meatless Mondays from My Sweet and Savory.


Apple Cheddar Muffins
Adapted from Holy Cannoli Recipes

1 - 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese + 2 tbsp. cheddar cheese
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, cheddar cheese, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat egg with fork. Stir in milk, juice, diced apple and apple sauce. Pour all at once in dry mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but no not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups. Sprinkle the top with 2 tbsp. cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. I got 17 muffins.

Total calories = 2180 calories
17 muffins = 128 calories per muffin

1 Apple Cheddar Muffin = 128 calorie snack

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers may be rounded or approximate.

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day. While there are many holidays I don't chose to celebrate, this one seems pretty special.

I don't make cookies too often. I'm not good at it. I burn batches, I over cook many and the ones that I don't burn, just often aren't too pretty. I've never been a good baker. Even cakes and muffins, I have a hard time telling when they are done and I'm just not very good at it.

Part of it is because you actually have to measure. I like to just throw things in. Now that I have been counting calories, I tend to measure more but still, it's not unlike me to skip an ingredient in a recipe and not realize it until after.

Or put a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon or vice versa.

Or grab the wrong spice out of the cabinet. Usually it turns out fine. But with baking, it's much more precise. If I'm making fajitas and I grab cinnamon instead of cumin, it will be okay. Not so much with cookies. Grabbing cumin could be bad. Real bad.

I saw this recipe from The Tidy Nest, actually, my kids were lurking behind me when I saw this recipe and they asked er, demanded that I make these cookies. It didn't take much arm twisting. I hadn't made cookies in a long time. It was time.

Alisa deemed these the best chocolate chip cookies. She may not be far off. They were quite good. Interestingly though, she said they are soft and chewy. Mine came out thin and crispy. I like them both ways so it was good.

Also, I liked these WAY better the next day. While they were good right out of the oven, they were superb the next day. Like, keep-eating-them-until-your-sick kind of superb. Really. We ate a lot of these.

Now I remember why I don't make cookies too often. At least I didn't use cumin.

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from The Tidy Nest

2 cups unsalted butter, softened (4 sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add vanilla. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together. Gradually add flour mixture to to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and toasted pecans. (to toast pecans, put in pan on stove for a few minute on medium heat, stirring often not to burn). Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. I used a tsp. to measure and mine spread quite a bit and were quite thin.

Calories? More than you and I can possibly imagine. I will live blissfully in denial for today. After all, it's a holiday! :-)

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

I am not a fan of buffalo wings. The typical buffalo wing sauce is just "okay" to me usually. It's not just the sauce though, I don't like eating chicken wings. You get super messy and I don't like eating chicken meat off the bones. So you can see why I would hesitate to try a buffalo sauce recipe.

I've been hanging onto this Betty Crocker recipe for awhile. I finally bought wing sauce and made the recipe with boneless chicken strips. I've seen many recommendations for Franks hot sauce or wing sauce. So I went with it.

This recipe and the wing sauce most certainly did not disappoint. We all loved this and said we'd make it again for sure. It was very simple to put together and super tasty.

I used ranch as we are not blue cheese fans but those who do like blue cheese, may want to go that route. I'll let you.

It also gives the idea to use other sauces rather than hot sauce, like barbeque sauce, teriyaki and sweet and sour. I LOVED the wing sauce but don't be surprised if you see me with this same recipe and some other sauces. They sound really good!

The only think I would change for next time, would be to leave off the corn flake crumb topping. The crunch was okay but the extra calories for the butter and corn flakes wasn't that good. Although...

Some of the reviewers said they used crushed cheez-it crackers over the boneless wings or spread on top and that sounds awesome! SO - I might do that. So much for cutting calories, huh.

This is linked to:
 Foodie Friday from Designs by Gollum.
Friday Favorites from Simply Sweet Home.
Flashback Friday at Kitchen Boutique
Ingredient Spotlight: Hot Sauce at Eat at Home
Recipe of the Week: Cheese at Family Fresh Meals




Buffalo Chicken & Potatoes
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken strips
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Franks Wing Sauce)
1 - 24 oz. bag shredded potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup light ranch (or blue cheese if you prefer)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1 can (10 oz) cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
2 tbsp. butter
3 - 4 green onions (for topping)


Heat oven to 375. Spray 13 x 9 in. baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together, potatoes, onion, green pepper, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. In same bowl, put the chicken strips and buffalo wing sauce and mix together. Spread in a single layer over potato mixture. Stir together corn flake crumbs and butter and sprinkle in baking dish over chicken. Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done. Sprinkle with green onions.


Total calories = 3031 calories**
6 servings = 505 calories


Buffalo Chicken & Potatoes + 1/2 cup Green Beans = 525 calorie dinner



** I would leave off the corn flake crumbs and butter saving over 300 calories next time, saving each portion by 50 calories. It didn't need the crumb topping.




Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded and approximate.

Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Corn

Got some quinoa? And some sun dried tomatoes? Make this side dish. It's awesome. It's a little spicy so tame the heat if you'd like but I liked it. And I'm typically not a super spicy person. Many different flavors and textures that went super together. I liked it more and more with every bite.

We ate this with an awesome Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Glaze. Awesome summer meal!

Now, if summer would just get here!!

This is my submission to Side Dish Showdown hosted by Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.

This is linked to Cooking Thursday from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.
 Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom.
Ingredient Spotlight: Quinoa at Eat at Home
Recipe of the Week: Corn at Family Fresh Meals

Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Corn

Adapted from Eats Well With Others

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained &chopped

2 cups chicken broth (water if going vegetarian)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

Cook onion and garlic in a pan with cooking spray for a few minutes until softened. Add sundried tomatoes and jalapeno. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add quinoa, spices and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the broth has evaporated. Fluff with fork.

Total calories = 767 calories

4 servings = 192 calories per serving

Grilled chicken with Ginger Peach Glaze & Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Corn = 473 calorie dinner.

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Grilled Cheese Onion Burgers

Grilled cheese is very popular in this house. We make it all the time. Sometimes we use different cheeses, sometime with ham but usually just pretty basic grilled cheese.

Reeni from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice enlightened me to Katie Lee's Award Winning Logan County Grilled Cheese Burgers. She has an awesome blog with some great recipes.

So Reeni of course chose this burger for her Burger Club to make, taste and rate.

We all loved this. I loved how the cheese and onions were the main attraction rather than the burger. Usually it's all about the burger but this was a nice change from the normal burger.

I did try to cut as many calories as possible. The calories aren't too bad considering it was ooey gooey buttery and cheesy!

4 of us ate these tonight and we all rated them a 4. We will for sure make them again.

Grilled Cheese Onion Burgers

Logan County Burgers

From The Comfort Table by Katie Lee

1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 large egg, lightly beaten (I'll use egg beaters next time to lower calories)

1 medium onion, half grated, the other half thinly sliced

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

12 slices wheat bread (I used Wonder Whole Wheat, 55 calories slice)

2 tbsp. butter (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, light)

12 slices American cheese (I used 2%)

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, grated onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Form into 6 thin patties. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers until done. Drain on paper towels. Clean skillet, place bread butter slice down. Top each with a slice of cheese, some onions and a burger. Top with another slice of cheese. Then place bread, butter side up. Cook until toasted, carefully flip sandwich and toast on the other side.

Total calories = 2128 calories

6 sandwiches = 355 calories per sandwich

1 Grilled Cheese Onion Burger + leftover chili = 552 calorie dinner

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Glaze

We are big chicken eaters around here. We have yet to get bored of it. It's because you can do so many different things with it! I am constantly on the look out for different ways to make chicken.


This was a super simple grilled chicken with a simple glaze. It was delicious. I do like things sweet too so I thought this was awesome. I did use a sugar free peach jam which tastes great. Tonight we had bone in breasts but of course this would be fine with boneless chicken or pork too.


We ate this with a superb Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes and Corn. It was seriously awesome.

This is my submission to Tuesday at the Table from All the Small Stuff. Also linked to Tuesday Tastes from Crazy Daisy. Also linked with Tasty Tuesday from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

This is also my first time submission to On The Grill hosted this week by Our Homeschool Home. I homeschool my 3 kids and this is a great blog to visit!

Grilled Chicken with Ginger Peach Glaze

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. splenda (or sugar)

2 tsp. minced ginger (I use it from a jar)

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 cup peach jam or preserves (I used Smuckers Sugar Free)

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I used 3 bone in breasts)

In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and sugar over medium heat until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the peach jam, whisk the mixture together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, grill the chicken until almost done, about 6 - 8 minutes per side, brush with ginger peach glaze and continue cooking until done.

Total calories = 842 calories

3 chicken breasts = 281 calories

5 oz. Chicken Breast with Ginger Peach Glaze + Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Corn = 473 calorie dinner


Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

This was my first time roasting peppers. Seriously. I usually just buy the jar of roasted red peppers. I love them but that can get really expensive. So I buy my peppers at Costco which makes roasting them in the oven, way more economical. So this was the way to go. It really was pretty simple and kinda fun too!

I used my mini chopper food processor which worked great to puree the red peppers. I left mine a bit chunky but you could puree it smoother if you wanted a smoother sauce.

This was really good sauce. I've made red pepper sauce before but this was my first time putting cream in it for a cream sauce. I loved how it came together and the cheese ravioli were perfect with it. I used the extra over the broccoli and it was delicious.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog.

This is also linked to Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory.


Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

2 large red bell peppers
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups half and half, fat free
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper


Preheat broiler. Light coat the red peppers with olive oil. Grill peppers under the broiler until the skin is blackened and the flesh has softened slightly. Place peppers in a plastic bag to cool for approximately 45 minutes. Remove seeds and skin from the peppers, the skin should come off the peppers easily now. Cut peppers into small pieces.


In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil and red peppers in the olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender or food processor. I used my little food processor. Puree to desired consistency. I like mine a bit chunky. Return puree to skillet and heat. Stir in the half and half and the Parmesan cheese, cook and stir until the cheese melts. Do not boil though. Keep it low. Add the butter, stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with pasta, ravioli or whatever floats your boat.


Total calories for sauce only = 824 calories
6 servings = 137 calories

Cheese Ravioli with Red Pepper Cream Sauce = 632 calorie dinner



Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.

Chunky Chili & Sweet Corn Bread

This is one of my original chili recipes. This was before I experimented with different flavors and spices. I have many, many chili recipes I like to make but this one is simple and is very good. It uses the chili packet. Actually, this time, I put two chili packets in here. It needed more flavor and I wasn't in the mood to deal with chili powder and spices.

I always put chili in the crockpot. Slow cookers were MADE for chili in my opinion. The longer it cooks, the tastier it seems to get. I just cook the meat and veggies, dump it all in and BAM. Dinners done.

Except for the corn bread. Although, this was a simple and tasty cornbread to make. Funny how it worked out actually. I had just enough sugar, just enough brown sugar and just enough oil to make these.

Clearly I need to go shopping after this.

They turned out perfect and it was just what I needed on a cloudy, dreary day. I ate way too much but left super full and happy.

This is my submission to Souper Sunday with Kahakai Kitchen.

This is also linked to Foodie Friday from Designs by Gollum and Friday Favorites from Simply Sweet Home and Flashback Friday from Kitchen Bouquet.

Chunky Chili

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

2 onions, rough chopped

2 carrots, cut in half and chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 pkgs. McCormick chili seasoning (I had one mild and one regular)

1 can tomato paste

1 can chili beans, undrained

1 can baked beans, undrained

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, undrained

1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce

Cook ground turkey with onion and the rest of the chopped veggies. Cook until ground turkey is done. Put in crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and cook for several hours until hot and flavors meld together nicely. Yum.

Total calories = 2957 calories

15 - 1 cup servings = 197 calories per cup

Golden Sweet Cornbread

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line pans for 15 muffins. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in the egg, milk and oil until well combined. Pour into 15 muffins liners. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 - 25 minutes. Mine cooked for 22 minutes.

Total calories = 2327

15 servings = 155 calories per corn muffin

2 cups of Chunky Chili + 2 Sweet Corn Muffins = 704 calorie dinner

Calories calculated from Calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded and approximate.

Summer Spiced Carrot Salad

I didn't know what to call this salad. I didn't want to call it carrot/raisin salad as images of not-so-appealing salad buffets with the typical carrot/raisin salad come to mind. This does not resemble that. Not to offend those who DO like that salad.

It seemed to have an Asian flair to it and I served it with a teriyaki pork loin and egg rolls, but it isn't REALLY Asian? I'm not really sure what constitutes as Asian.

It is a nice summer salad and it has a wonderful spiced dressing on it. The different flavors seem to hit your tongue at different times and you're left with that "What IS that awesome flavor" question in your head.

I would actually like to try this same dressing with a broccoli slaw/carrot mix next time. While I like carrots, not all in the family are fans of JUST carrots and it's really the dressing that make it outstanding.


This is my submission to Cooking Thurdays from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Also linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Summer Spiced Carrot Salad

1 lb. carrots, cut diagonally very thin
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. splenda
1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (I used the minced in a jar)
1/8 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 cup golden raisins

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add carrots and continue to boil for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Rinse with cold water, drain well and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except raisins. Stir in carrots and raisins. Cove and refrigerate for several hours. I shook everything several times throughout the afternoon to make sure it was all covered.

Total calories -= 492 calories
4 servings = 123 calories per serving

Teriyaki pork loin + Carrot Salad + Egg Roll with sauce = 433 calorie dinner



Calories calculated from calorieking.com. Some numbers are rounded or approximate.