Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I love this dish and love that I can make it Low Carb.

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast pounded thin
4 thin slices deli ham
4 slices swiss cheese
1 large bag pork rinds (ground to look like bread crumbs)
3 eggs (whisked with some water to thin out)
1 cup parmessan cheese

Layer chicken breast, ham and then cheese. Start at on end and roll to the other and pin together with two toothpicks. Set aside until all breast have been rolled.

Whisk eggs with some water. I used my Ninja blender, it works great! Set aside.

I put, in batches, the pork rinds in my food processor, to grind to look like bread crumbs. I mixed the ground pork rinds with the parm cheese and set aside.

Dip the chicken in the egg and let most of the egg drip off then press the chicken into the breading mixture. Set aside until all chicken is breaded.

I used my baking stone to bake the chicken on and didn't have to grease it first and they didn't stick at all.

I baked the chicken at 375 for 40 minutes

It's a must try and you'll never taste the pork rinds if your not a fan.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

How Do You Cook.com: White Sangria Punch

How Do You Cook.com: White Sangria Punch: This lovely summer sangria floats white peaches and grapes in white wine and peach vodka. 1 (750 milliliter) Bottle Dry White Wine 3/4 cu...

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

VELVET CHICKEN with BABY BOK CHOY

I ran across this recipe in the Eating Well magazine and thought I would share it with you. 
Looks like a meal for me to make to take for my lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick bite-size slices
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
  • 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 6 cups water
  • 2/3 cup chopped scallions, divided
  • 1 tablespoon finely julienned or minced fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 8 cups trimmed and halved baby bok choy (about 12 ounces)

Preparation

  1. Combine chicken, egg white, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons rice wine (or sherry) and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir until the cornstarch is totally dissolved and no clumps are visible. Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine broth, soy sauce, white pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons rice wine in a small bowl.
  3. When the chicken has 10 minutes to go, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Reduce the heat to low. Carefully add the chicken to the barely simmering water; gently stir so it doesn’t clump together. Cook just until opaque but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Carefully drain the chicken in a colander and shake to remove excess water.
  4. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1/3 cup scallions, ginger and crushed red pepper; using a metal spatula, stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add bok choy and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir-fry until the bok choy is almost crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Stir the broth mixture again, swirl it into the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and lightly coated with sauce, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/3 cup scallions.

Nutrition

Per serving: 251 calories; 13 g fat ( 2 g sat , 6 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 1 g fiber; 526 mg sodium; 597 mg potassium.

Recipe found in Eating Well magazine 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Portobello Pizza

My husband and two sons are pizza-aholics BIG TIME.. They eat it so often that if I ate it with them, I would be 200 lbs heavier then I am now.

My husband and I  were sitting here wondering where we should go to dinner. After thinking about where we should go and just how expensive it would be, we decided to just stay in and make our own family dinner and that way we would have left overs.

So we headed to the store. Guess what they chose to make, yep, Pizza!!! WHAT?? Are you kidding me? How about something low carb so mom can have something with ya'll?

So as we were strolling the produce isle for the veggie toppings I found the portobello mushrooms were on sale so I snagged one for my pizza crust.

As we were looking for the sauce, I noticed the carb count was very high, around 6g per serving ouch!!! Ding, the light bulb above my head went on, duh Stace use salsa!!! So I turned my big booty around and there was three rows of salsa to chose from. So many, but I did take the time to look at the carb count and found one that was 2g per serving so I grabbed it.

As the boys were making a HUGE mess in my kitchen, I was in my corner making my pretty little pizza. I was so excited I totally forgot to take pictures :(  I borrowed a photo of what it looked like from http://www.familyspice.com/recipe_html/portabella_pizzas.html. My pizza looked just like this.

I made it in this order:

1 portobello mushroom (clean out the blackish web from underneath the shroom & cut off the stem)
2 T. salsa or enough to just cover the mushroom just as you would a pizza
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
2 slices hard salami

I placed it right on the oven rack and baked it at 380 until golden brown and bubbly. I would say about 20 minutes

Feel free to add more toppings if you like.
The mushroom itself was 5g of carbs and the salsa was 3g Carbs for a total of 8 Carbs not bad.

I'm totally stuffed as well.

The boys are eating like 4 or more pieces of pizza and I don't have to eat more hahahahaha sucka's

Try it, you'll love it.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Latte anyone?

It's that time of year where I start to drink hot latte's, yep Autumn is in the air. I'm usually an iced coffee type of gall. Now that I'm into this low carb eating habit, I've been watching my carb intake. Man oh man are some of my favorite drinks filled with over 30g of carbs alone!!! Yikes.

With this recipe use as much as you want and save the rest for another cup.

I've found a few recipes for a low carb coffee latte and thought I would share.


Ingredients:

1 cup brewed coffee (Any flavor you like)
1/4 cup coconut milk (Unsweetened) I make sure it's less then 2g in carbs
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk  (I use the brand that is in the refrigerator section) Make sure its 2g of carbs or under
Dash cinnamon or pumpkin spice *Optional
3 T sugar free vanilla syrup or any other sugar free syrup you like. Chocolate or caramel is good too.



Directions:
Using a small blender (or just a jar with a lid) blend the coconut milk and almond milk. I will then heat this milk mixture on the stove just till steaming hot..

Add whipped coconut milk mixture to brewed coffee along with the sugar free vanilla syrup and top with a dash of cinnamon.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Atkins Recipe - Mini Mexican Pizza Squares

What child doesn't like pizza right? I'm trying to get my youngest son to eat a low carb lifestyle along with the rest of the gang.

Everyone in the house loves pizza. With the high carb count in regular pizza, I find it to risky.

I found this recipe today and think my kids and husband will love it.

Give it a try and let me know what you think

Atkins Recipe - Mini Mexican Pizza Squares

Atkins Recipe - Maple Chicken Strips

What child doesn't like to eat anything off of a stick? LOL

This recipe link below will give you dinner idea your child will love.

Add some trees (aka broccoli) to go along with it

Atkins Recipe - Maple Chicken Strips

Monday, September 12, 2011

Low Carb Chicken Marinade

Creamy Italian Low Carb Marinade for Chicken

1/2 cup Grey Poupon Mustard
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 bottle Newmans Italian Salad Dressing
1 minced Garlic clove 
1 Tablespoon Oregano

Place all ingredients into a zip lock bag or large bowl.
Place raw chicken pieces into bag/bowl and make sure chicken is covered in marinade
let sit covered in refrigerator for at least one hour prior to bbq'ing or baking


Sunday, September 11, 2011

Low Carb Pancakes/Crepe


I am a Low Carb blog stalker LOL

I have found so many blogs I can't even remember them all.

I ran across a forum that had so many different types to this one recipe, I thought I would try it my self.


What you will need:

4oz soften cream cheese
4 eggs
2 packets or more to taste of Stevia or any artificial sweetener
Cinnamon or any other flavoring you like. I used coconut flavoring the first batch.

I placed all the above in my Ninja blender and pulsed till all blended together. You will have a thin batter

Heat a skillet and spary Pam or use butter.

Pour batter to make a small to medium pancake. I made them small so it would be easier to flip.
They cook fast so stay near the stove.

As with normal pancakes, you will see bubbles. Once you see them, flip.

It won't take much longer once you flip them.

After a few were made, placed them on a plate with some butter and sugar free syrup I had. I am going to look for another syrup because the one I have is 8 carbs per serving which is a tad high for my count.

I think the next batch I will put some pumpkin puree and cinnamon.

You can also make them savory by omitting the sugar substitute and add some green onion or what ever you like.

Let's enjoy and explore this recipe together. Please share you experiments with me.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011


ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AGRATIN

Tonight is our family dinner night at my mother and father in laws house. My husbands sister, husband and two sons also attend.
My inlaws use to cook weight watcher recipes but lately they have not been so weight watcher friendly.
I usually end up with a plate full of salad and I'm hungry as soon as we get home. :(
I love having the family time so it really doesn't matter if I'm eating what they are or not.

Since my youngest son was not feeling so hot tonight, I decided to stay home with him while my older son and husband went for dinner.

It's the end of the pay period so that just means my cupboards are bare at the moment until payday.
Every payday I do a grocery shopping trip for 14 days worth of meals and if I didn't get enough, we are pretty much out of luck for a few days LOL.

This week that was just about right... Tomorrow is pay day so that makes me happy.

My son loves eating low carb. He wanted me to make something off the top of my head.

I took out the 1 bag of frozen cauliflower and nuked it till it was thawed.

I placed the cauliflower in my Ninja and pulsed it till it looked like rice.
I placed the riced veggie into a large bowl.

I seasoned it with some garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper etc. Anything you like will do.

I fried up some bacon and crumbled that into the bowl with the C.flower as well.

I took about 4 T. of organic butter and mixed it into a mixture.

I had some small dishes for a single serving and a large one for my lunch tomorrow.

I stuffed the bowls and topped with grated Swiss cheese.

I placed it into the oven at 350 degrees just until the cheese was golden brown and bubbly.

We couldn't wait till it cooled off just a bit and dug right in. Of course we burnt our mouth but it was so worth it.

I have no idea how many net carbs are in this but I really didn't care at this point of the day.

Tomorrow is a new day. Time to get my binder out, pad of paper and pen. We are going to surf the net and find great low carb breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas to make the next two weeks a breeze at staying on our low carb eating habit.

Happy Hump Day everyone
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Favorite Low Carb Blog So Far

I am always on the hunt for a great blog with recipes and words of advice for my low carb way of life.

I have found what I've been looking for.

Please check out Lynn Terrys blog, Traveling Low Carb

Here is the link http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/

She is helping me get to the healthy me!!!!!

Thank you for having a blog we all can enjoy!!

Stace

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Atkins Recipe - Pumpkin Cheesecake

Atkins Recipe - Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oh my oh my... Look what I found...

It is a must try. You'll enjoy it.

Hear comes Fall

This is my MOST FAVORITE time of the year.

With my new way of eating, low carb, I'm so excited to research new Fall recipes that my whole family can enjoy.

Please stay tuned for what is to come, you won't want to miss the yumminess!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Your Lighter Side...: Chili Cheese Tots

"Ohhh My Ganny" as my friend and I would say way back in the day for something wonderful. I can't wait to make this. You will be amazed at what you can make with cauliflower!! Just the other day I made faux fried rice with cauliflower and gave my friend a bite. She had no clue there was no rice in the dish!! I'll have to post that recipe later.

This blog, Your Lighter Side, is amazing and I get many recipes from there. Please check it out.

Your Lighter Side...: Chili Cheese Tots: "Sonic Drive Thru is a restaurant chain known to many, and in no small part thanks to their chili cheese tots. Tots slathered in chili and ch..."

Garlic Rosemary Chicken

Back in late May I decided it was time to lose some weight. I've tried this for about 8 years with no weight loss. I decided to try out the Atkins diet and after a few weeks I could tell the inches where disappearing. I've lost over 20lbs and several inches and I'm still going. I have till June 2012 to lose the weight I want. We are heading to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and the Caribbean so I want to look great for the photos and my new bathing suit LOL

Chicken is a big staple in our meal planning and I just love Rosemary and garlic with chicken. Please try this recipe and tell me how you like it.




Garlic Rosemary Lemon Chicken

2 sprigs of rosemary (use a knife to cut Rosemary into tiny pieces)

5 cloves of garlic

1 large lemon squeezed for the juice

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar

Place your chicken into a bowl or large zip lock bag.

Pour marinade over chicken.

Place chicken into fridge for 1 - 2 hours.

We like to bbq the chicken but it would also come out great if you baked it.

Enjoy

Monday, March 14, 2011

Hawaiian BBQ Teriyaki Chicken

Last night I was prepping the steaks to be bbq'd.

I was marinating them in Teriyaki sauce.

I had some chicken breast out as well and thought I could toss something together and have the left overs for lunches.

I pounded out two breast and placed a lean slice of deli ham, slice of low fat swiss cheese and a half slice of pineapple in the middle and rolled up the edges and secured with two toothpicks.

I placed the chicken in the marinate as well.

My dear husband bbq'd them up and OMG they were so good.

I would highly recommend you trying them that way.

They were gone in a split second so I was not able to take a picture to post LOL

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Cashew Oat Milk with cinnamon and agave

I love trying new things.

I'll head to trader joes to get my raw cashews and other fixins to make other goodies for some friends.

Once I'm back I'll have to prep for this lovely cashew oat milk.

I'll keep you posted on how I like it, I'm sure I'll love it.

Cashew Oat Milk with cinnamon and agave

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Lemon Cake w/ Butter Cream frosting drizzled with Lemon Glaze


I found a recipe that I wanted to try out from Sunshine and Carousels She also found this recipe from the Food Networks Ina Garten Who I just adore.

The cake comes out like a pound cake which isn't too sweet. The pairing of the butter cream frosting works well. I made a white lemon butter cream and a made a yellow lemon butter cream. I pipped the two colors together and drizzled the cupakes with a lemon glaze.

Recipe for cupcakes:

* 1 stick of soften butter (1/2 a cup)
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 extra-large eggs
* 3 tablespoons cup grated lemon zest
* 2 cups of flour
* 1 cup of cake flower
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 3/4 cup of milk (whole)
* 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.

Add one egg at a time and then your lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, the milk, and vanilla.

Add the flour and milk mixture alternating each addition, beginning and ending with the flour.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Let cupcakes cool before icing.

For the frosting:

4 sticks of soften butter
1 block of soften cream cheese
1 two pound bag of powder sugar
lemon juice just enough to make it as thin or thick as you like.

I mixed all this together for about 3-5 minutes until it was very creamy.

I took about two cups of frosting out into another bowl and tinted it yellow.

Placed the yellow frosting into a small pipping bag with no tip.

Placed the white frosting into a small pipping bag with no tip.

I placed a pipping tip into a large pastry bag and placed both small filled pipping bags into the large and pipped the frosting onto the cupcakes.

For the glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar
enough lemon juice to make it thin
yellow food coloring

Mix well and set aside.

Once cupcakes are frosting drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes and place in fridge.

Enjoy
(recipe adapted from the food network's lemon glaze cake).

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Cupcake Project: How to Make Grenadine and Why You Should Bother

Picture courtesy of Cupcake Project


I'm into baking wacky style of cupcakes. I'm not the best cake decorator or anything but I still have the love to make them.

I found this wonderful website that had a recipe for homemade grenadine which I adore to bake with. Please take a moment to check it out.

Cupcake Project: How to Make Grenadine and Why You Should Bother: " Kristen of Bakesweet contacted me wondering if I had a recipe for a cupcake with grenadine. I did not, but immediately got excited abo..."

Citrus Chicken Salad


I came across this recipe and I can't remember for the life of me where I found it.

I made some grilled chicken last night and saved a grilled chicken breast for this recipe.

I diced it up into bite size pieces.
Juice from 3 limes but I used lemons because that is what I had handy.
1/2 cup coleslaw mix
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 kiwi's cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Lemon pepper to taste. You can use salt and pepper if you like.

Mix all together and chill til you are ready to eat. My container I brought to work was too small LOL I had the kiwi's here in my office so I diced them here and topped the salad.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Kitchen Karate - a food blog with kick: Mini Low Carb Chocolate and Orange Cheesecakes and...

Kitchen Karate - a food blog with kick: Mini Low Carb Chocolate and Orange Cheesecakes and...: "Remember when you were a kid and you had all these dreams about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Like, how you wanted to be a dentis..."

You know, life is just too short. Eat what you want but just in moderation.

I've been following this blog Kitchen Karate and just love everything they make.

I ran across this dessert they posted and just had to give a shout out to them for a job well done!!

Take some time and make this for your next dessert.

Jenny Craigs Beef Veggie Soup


I love searching the recipes on Jenny Craig website. I'm not a member of J.C. but love the recipes I find. I made a batch of this wonderful soup and have put it in containers for a single serving and froze them. Along with other healthy dishes like bbq beans, healthy style of course, are all ready for me to pop into my bag to take to work. When ever I'm hungry and really not a good time to eat something large, I'll pop one of them in the microwave and enjoy.

1/2 lb lean boneless top round steak
nonstick vegetable spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp salt (I'm trying to not use salt so I'll use Lemon Pepper)
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups water
2 cans (14.75 oz) no-salt-added beef broth
1 can (14.75 oz) no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, sliced
1 medium-size yellow squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

1. Trim fat from steak; cut steak into 1-inch pieces.

2. Remove steak from Dutch oven, and set aside.

3. Add oil to large pot or Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low; add lemon pepper. Cook 15 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.

5. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

6. Add beef, water, and next 5 ingredients to onion mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

7. Add cabbage and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

8. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Makes 10 servings
Calories 79
Carbohydrate 9g
Protein 6.8g
Fat 1.6g
Cholesterol 13mg
Sodium 216mg (Will be less if you use lemon pepper instead of salt)

Friday, February 25, 2011

Homemade Nutella

My boys love Nutella. I'm not so much a fan as they are. If I'm going to allow them to eat it, I would much rather they eat something I made because I know what has gone into it. Not like I'm such a healthy eater all the time but I try when I can.

I ran across this recipe at one of my favorite websites David Lebovitz who posted this recipe on Recipe Nut

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Two jars (about 1 cup each)
Picture is courtesy of David Lebovitz

Adapted from the Encyclopédie du Chocolat under the direction of Frédéric Bau

1/3 cup (40g) whole almonds
1 1/3 cup (160g) hazelnuts
1 3/4 cup (400g) whole milk (see Notes)
7/8 cup (60g) powdered whole milk
3 tablespoons (40g) mild-flavored honey
pinch of salt
11 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped


1. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet, keeping the almond separate, and toast the nuts in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven, stirring a few times, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the hazelnuts are browned.

2. While they are roasting, warm the whole milk and powdered milk in a small saucepan with the honey and salt just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat.

3. In a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, or in a microwave oven, melt the chocolate until smooth.

4. Once the nuts are well-toasted, remove them from oven and use a spatula to place the warm hazelnuts in a clean tea towel, then fold them inside the towel and rub them vigorously to remove any loose skins. They don’t need to be pristine; just try to get as much off as possible.

5. In a food processor, grind the warm hazelnuts and almonds until they’re as fine as possible. You may not be able to get them completely smooth, depending on your food processor.

6. Add the melted chocolate and continue to process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl, as necessary.

7. Once the mixture is smooth, add the warm milk mixture and process until everything is well-combined.


8. Transfer the mixture into two jars and refrigerate until ready to use.

Storage: The Chocolate-Hazelnut Paste will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. It may seem too thin after you make it, don't worry it will thicken once in the refrigerator.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Tuesday Turkey Burgers

Happy Tuesday everyone.


I took out ground turkey this morning to make something for dinner.

As always, I posted a question on my facebook for help on what to make with it.

A special friend mentioned turkey burgers. I LOVE a good juicy turkey burger.

Stay tuned for the recipe.

Monday, February 21, 2011


I love Hungry Girl. I have made my own cookbook of her recipes that I have collected.

Tonight it's just the boys and I so I decided to come right home and cook dinner so Chris could eat before he heads over to the station.

I grilled up some pork tenderloin and made a Hungry Girl side dish.

My son, Michael, who is 8 years old loves the Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese so I made up some whole wheat pasta and mixed in the broccoli and cheese. I used two boxes to 1 box of pasta. I also added three triangles of Laughing Cow garlic cheese.

All these ingredients are great for a person eating healthy.

I would say one serving of the pasta is about 1 cup. And of course a deck of cards size of the tenderloin.

I didn't have great timing tonight since my butter squash fries are still in the oven LOL

I peeled and sliced up into fry size and sprayed some olive oil over the fries and baked until crispy.

Just a quick meal I thought I would share with all my friends.

Michael just saw a commercial for pie. Great, I have nothing in this house to make a pie and of course, who on a diet eats pie??

Back to my Hungry Girl site to find a great recipe we all would enjoy. YES!!! Found a recipe in less then a minute and I have all the ingredients on hand, no running to the store.



My Lava Chocolate Cake


Ingredients:

For Cake
1 cup moist-style chocolate cake mix (1/4 of an 18.25-oz. box)
One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
2 dashes salt

For Filling
One-half Jell-O Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Snack (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. fat-free liquid creamer (like Coffee-mate Fat Free Original)
1/2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips for the filling in a glass and set aside. Pour the creamer in a microwave-safe bowl with the butter, and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds, until butter has melted and mixture is very hot. Pour the mixture over the chocolate chips and stir until they have dissolved. Allow to cool for several minutes. Add the pudding to the mixture and stir well. Spoon the chocolate mixture into four evenly spaced mounds on a plate. Place in the freezer for 25 minutes. (Don't over-freeze -- the mounds could stick to the plate.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chocolate chips for the cake in a tall glass along with the contents of the cocoa packet. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until chips and cocoa have dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cold water and stir well. Pour the contents of the glass into a mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the cake (cake mix, egg substitute, Splenda, and salt) to the mixing bowl, and whip batter with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes.

Once the chocolate mounds in the freezer are a little firm, spray four baking ramekins (each about 4 inches in diameter) with nonstick spray. Evenly spoon the cake batter (which will be a little thin, but don't worry!) into the ramekins. Remove chocolate mounds from the freezer, and place one in the center of each batter-filled ramekin. Put the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cakes will look shiny when done.

Carefully remove each ramekin from the oven. You can eat the cake right out of the ramekin (while the center is still gooey!), but make sure to let it cool a little bit, because the ramekin will be hot. Or you can wait until it has cooled completely and plate the cake by running a knife along the edges and flipping it upside down. (Then just pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to heat it back up.) Enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS


Serving Size: 1 individual lava cake
Calories: 182
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 433mg
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sugars: 18g
Protein: 4g

PointsPlus™ value 5*

Monday, February 14, 2011

Semi Homemade Valentines Cake


I couldn't spend my whole Valentines Day sitting in my office and not doing anything fun for my boys.

I know how sad they get when I bake up tons of cupcakes and take them to someone other then our house.

So I stopped by the store to pick up some rib eyes and all the ingredients to have a wonderful dinner at home.

Instead of cupcakes, I thought I would get out of my comfort zone and make a double layer cake.

I received a checker board cake pan set from my Aunt Judy and just love to make cakes and I should actually make them one this week and bring it to them as a surprise.

So I made batter for a red velvet cake, yes out of a box does the trick, and a vanilla cake batter.

I baked the cakes as directed on the box and let cool. I leveled off the tops of each.

Placed one layer on my cake dish and put down a layer of frosting.

I topped the frosting layered cake with the second cake.

I placed the cake in the freezer to set up a bit.

I frosted the remaining cake and I'm just so shocked, it came out great.

It reminded me of my Grandmother Agnes' cakes she would make.

The frosting I made was a pecan frosting.

I took a large bag of whole pecans from my local grocery store and blended them into tiny pieces.

I placed 5 soften sticks of organic Irish butter, 1 two pound bag of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, you can add a bit of water until you get it to the thinness you like. I didn't have to use any water.

I found the recipe for the frosting from my good friends blog, Sweet Creations by Stephanie

Please try this recipe, you won't be sorry.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

I'm now loving breakfast foods


My favorite girl, Hungry Girl brought to my attention these wonderful frozen waffles from Kellogs Fiber Plus

They are 80 calories per waffle, can't beat that!!

I'm not fond of the pure sugar syrups so I had a bag of frozen strawberries in the freezer. I grabbed a few and put it in my Ninja Blender and pureed with a bit of water.

It came out so creamy and was perfect as a topping on my amazing waffles.

I will be eating breakfast from now on with out a fight LOL

Please try it and see how you like it.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Chicken Piccata

I love the Food Network.

I find so many recipes that I remake to be a little bit healthier.

Don't let anyone tell you that you have to stay away from butter. Organic butter in moderation is good for you. If you have never tried it, you will love it. Just the feel and taste of it is amazing. You will never go back to the fake butter ever!

Tonight I took out some chicken and thought I would make up some chicken piccata for the boys and I for dinner.

Here is my favorite recipe for that dish. Hope you enjoy it as we do.




* 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
* garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper
* All-purpose flour, for dredging
* 6 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
* 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 1/4 cup brine capers, rinsed
* 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped


Season chicken with garlic powder and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of organic butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes.

Remove and transfer to plate lined with paper towels.

Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil.

When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner.

Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers.

Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.

Check for seasoning.

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove chicken to platter.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously.

Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

I'll be serving this with wild rice and broccoli.

**Healthier version**

Just take the chicken breast, slice it in half length wise. Season and bake. You can make a great lemon sauce with just the following ingredients:

* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 1/4 cup brine capers, rinsed
* 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
* 3 tablespoons organic butter

Bring to a boil and pour over baked chicken.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Apple Squares with Maple Glaze

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Apple Squares with Maple Glaze: "I saw this recipe over on Sprinkled with Flour's website.  I made it the other day and took it to our friends house..."

I always love my dear friend Stephanies creations.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Valentines Goody Thoughts

So it's almost Valentines Day and I started to think of cupcakes I could make for my friends at work. I wanted to make something out of the norm for me and thought I could make a dark chocolate cupcake filled with either chocolate ganache or a raspberry fluff filling. I was thinking, "Ok, that is boring", so I decided to make a raspberry chipotle butter cream to top that delish dark chocolate cupcake.

I am going to start playing around with royal icing so while out on our walk around town, I stopped by our local candy store, Robitailles to pick up some Valentines candies and some of their famous mints. I'll be decorating the mints to top my cupcakes. Should turn out really great.

Please stay tuned for the finished project and recipes.

Happy Love Month

Aint Yo Mamas Salsa




I was on the hunt for another dip to make for the Big Game tomorrow. I have the hummus all ready to go and now I found this great recipe at Food.com


1 (6 ounce) can chopped green olives
1 (8 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives
2 small onion, chopped fine
2 large chopped tomato
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 to taste corn chips

Mix all ingredients (except corn chips) in a bowl and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve with corn chips.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Sunday, January 23, 2011


I'm a sucker for ideas on how to lose weight. I've bought almost ever work out equipment to have it just sit there because I'm not into, but I can work out at the gym and have a different attitude about it LOL

I watched the Rachel Ray talk show that I had taped today and they had, The Carb Lovers Diet, on her show and had a woman who tried it out for 6 months. She wasn't that heavy to begin with but you could see a difference and she had lost 40lbs. If I can only lose that much, I would be excited.

I was thinking to my self, 6 months isn't a long time, I could eat like that and still continue to work out at the gym and swim like I have been. I've already seen a difference in the inches on my body and losing some weight so how could this hurt?

I went to Amazon.com and ordered up my copy of the diet book and will start as soon as it arrives. I will probably stalk the UPS man the day it arrives since he delivers to my office before my house LOL

I'll be making a monthly blog of my 6 month journey to see how it goes. I have to have a bikini beach body by June 2012 because our whole family is having a vacation in Puerto Vallarta so I must be ready. I'm giving my self plenty of time to get in shape.

Stay tuned

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Cozy recipes for when your under the weather


The Food Network is full of wonderful recipes and just when everyone is sick, they come out with these wonderful recipes for us to try.

I must make all of these this weekend. Everyone around our area seems to have the case of the cold/flu bug. I will not welcome it in my house! :)

There are countless supplements that promise to cure the sniffles, but they can be waste of money, or downright dangerous. You can’t go wrong with the real thing: fresh foods. Here are 5 cozy recipes packed with nutrients to help your winter woes.

Mexican Chicken Soup
Soothe a scratchy throat with a warm bowl of soup. The protein-rich broth helps achy muscles, while canned tomatoes and fresh veggies pack in the antioxidants.

Ingredients
nocoupons

* 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
* Good olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
* 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
* 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
* 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
* 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
* 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
* 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Directions

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

3-Bean Chili
When made with the right ingredients, chili is a warm and bubbly superfood! Meat and beans are packed with zinc, a mineral that helps with immune function. Don’t count out a kick from chili powder to help clear out those sinuses.

Favorite 3-Bean Chili

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Spice Mix:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
½ teaspoon celery salt
2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound ground turkey breast or extra lean ground beef
½ medium red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
½ cup chopped celery
1 clove minced garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 fl oz dark beer (Guinness recommended)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Suggested garnishes: Greek yogurt or sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, chopped scallion, diced avocado, hot sauce

Directions:
Combine spice mix ingredients in a small bowl, set aside. Heat oil in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add meat and cook until browned. Add onion, peppers, celery and garlic; season with salt and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until tender. Stir in broth, Worcestershire sauce, beer, crushed and diced tomatoes. Add spice mix and stir well to combine. Stir in beans and corn, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

Calories: 310; Total Fat: 3 grams; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Carbohydrate: 43 grams; Protein: 26 grams; Fiber: 15 grams; Sodium: 600 milligrams




Ginger-Spiced Hot Chocolate

Get comfy with a mug of hot chocolate. Ginger and cocoa contain inflammation-fighting antioxidants and ginger can help tame an uneasy stomach.

Ingredients

* 8 ounces 1 percent low-fat milk
* 1/4-inch piece peeled, fresh ginger, sliced into 2 rounds
* 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons water
* 1/4 teaspoon dark chocolate shavings (about 1/8-ounce)

Directions

In a small saucepan heat the milk and ginger over a medium-low heat until scalding, about 4 minutes. While the milk is warming, put cocoa powder and sugar into a mug. Add the water to the mug and stir until the mixture has the consistency of a paste. Remove the ginger from the warmed milk. Add the chocolate mixture to the milk and whisk until slightly frothy. Pour the hot chocolate into the mug and top with chocolate shavings.


Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
Nothing says comfort like pasta. Toss it with protein-packed shrimp and fresh lemon for a dose of vitamin C.

Ingredients

* 2 pounds (17 to 21 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
* Good olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound angel hair pasta
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* 2 lemons, zested and juiced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well, spread them in 1 layer, and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they're pink and cooked through.

Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair, and cook al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.



Quinoa with Garlic Pine Nuts and Raisins
Quinoa and pine nuts are good sources of zinc and dried fruit, like raisins will help you get more iron, another important mineral for your immune system.

Ingredients

* 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water (or use low-sodium chicken broth) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the plate, reserving the oil.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, raisins and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Per serving (3/4 cup): Calories 300; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 5 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 8 g

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Healthy Snacks You Will Enjoy

FROZEN CHOCOLATE BANANAS
Servings: 12

Ingredients

* 4 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into thirds crosswise
* 3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
* 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Peel 4 large ripe bananas, cut in thirds and insert a popsicle stick into the cut end of each piece. Melt ¾ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. Cover each piece of banana with melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut. (Reheat chocolate, as needed, to keep it melted.) Place the bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours.

Per serving: 100 calories; 4 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 6 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 7 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.



CHEESY POPCORN

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients

* 4 cups hot air-popped popcorn
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* Cayenne pepper, to taste

Toss popcorn with Parmesan and cayenne to taste.

Per serving: 75 calories; 3 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 1 g fiber; 153 mg sodium; 43 mg potassium.



HAWAIIAN SMOOTHIE

Makes 2 servings at 1 cup each

Ingredients

* 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
* 1/2 cup chopped peeled papaya
* 1/4 cup guava nectar,
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
* 1 teaspoon grenadine,
* 1/2 cup ice

Place ingredients in the order listed in a blender. Pulse three times to chop the fruit, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 81 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 201 mg potassium.

I love, Eating Well, magazine and website. I can find the best healthy recipes there. Please take a moment and head on over to their website to check it out.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Healthy Pesto Pasta



I found this Pesto recipe from my favorite website and now cooking show, The Hungry Girl.

Simply the Pesto
PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe, about 2 tbsp.): 68 calories, 5g fat, 228mg sodium, 3g carbs, 0.25g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus™ value 2*

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper, or more to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a small blender or food processor, and blend/process until a smooth paste forms. If you like, add additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I will toss this with a package of Shirataki Noodles. Rinse the noodles, pat completely dry with a paper towel. Heat noodles in a frying pan to dry up any liquid left behind and to heat the noodles. Cut the noodles into smaller pieces, they are very long. Toss with the pest and serve.





Add these to your favorite soups, salads, frozen diet meals such as Lean Cuisine to make it a large portion with out added calories or anywhere else you'd normally use pasta. I cannot possibly begin to explain to you how much we love these noodles. They WILL change your life.

Nutritional Info:

Serving Size: 4 oz.
Calories: 20
Fat: .5g
Carbs: 3g
Protein: 1g
Fiber: 2g

Monday, January 17, 2011

Amazing Sandwich Wraps


I've tried several kinds of wraps to make a healthy sandwich and some of them really do taste like twigs and berries.

I bought this package of La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wraps. I have to admit, they have been sitting in my fridge for a week because I was afraid to find them.

This afternoon right after work, I had to run down to Ventura to pick up my son from church camp so I had no time to run to the grocery store.

This past weekend I roasted two chickens to make several meals from. I have already finished the chicken soup. It came out great but I'm not a chicken soup fan so I froze it for the days the kids are home sick.

I made a nice chicken salad with some of the meat yesterday for lunch. Here is the recipe.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/3 cup dried fruit mix. It comes in a bag all diced up together. Usually has raisins, apricots, apples etc..

4 T lite mayo

1 T mustard

1 tsp. Thyme

1 tsp black pepper

Mixed well and let sit to chill for about 30 minutes. It was a great little lunch.

**********************************************************************************

Tonight as I said above, I didn't have time to get to the store.

I was going to make breakfast for dinner but the husband cooked all the eggs this morning so scratch that idea.

I saw the bacon in there. I fried that up and pressed a paper towel on them to get as much grease off of them as I could.

I placed the tortilla down, didn't have to heat at all. Spread some avocado on the first layer, chicken salad then 1 slice of bacon.

They were so easy to wrap up and were DELICIOUS!!! Just as the package stated.

I would rate this product a 5 star for sure.

Mimic Creme



Mimic Creme is the ultimate BFF of a healthy eater.

You can make all your fatty recipes that call for cream, sour cream etc.. by just replacing the fatty ingredients with Mimic Creme.

You must give it a try.

Check out their website for a retailer near you that sells it.

www.mimiccreme.com


Sunday, January 16, 2011

Weekends are the hardest time for me to eat healthy


I hate to say it but I like it when my husband is not home. I don't over eat, I stay on my healthy eating habit and all things are good in my healthy eating land LOL

Today is Sunday and all my husband and son are doing is eating.. eating and more eating.

They just made some nachos. OH MY GOODNESS they smell so good. It's taking all my power to not get a plate and make my own.

My husband thought I was having a brain fart but I was really just thinking of how I can make a healthy version of nachos.

I have the cheese part down. I'll take 1 low fat string cheese. Place it in my Ninja blender to shred the cheese into small pieces so it melts easily. I saw this on the Hungry Girl show on the Cooking channel.

Now the question is, what do I use as the chip? I'm coming up with blank ideas. Sure I could go and get a bag of the "baked" chips.. but I don't want a processed product.. I want a healthy choice.

Hmmm...

I found something that might be nice to try from www.food.com

I'll just give in and make it.

Vegetable Nachos

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup diced jalapeno pepper
* 2 cups fresh or Canned Pinto Beans
* 1 cup Shredded 2% Cheddar Cheese or 1 cup shredded L/F string cheese
* 1 cup Corn
* 1 cup Salsa
* chopped Cilantro
* Lime Wedges
* 2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
* 2 tablespoons chopped green chilies
* chopped green onion


Corn Tortilla Chips

* 9 6-inch corn tortillas
* cold water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.

2. Spoon 2 tsp. vegetable mixture on each tortilla chip; divide cheese evenly among chips.

4. Broil 6 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese melts.

5. Yield: 26 appetizers

To make Corn Tortilla Chips:


Cut 3 (2 1/2 inch) circles from each tortilla using a biscuit cutter.

6. Dip tortillas in water; drain on paper towels.

7. Place rounds in a single layer on an un-greased baking sheet.

8. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until chips are crisp and begin to brown.

9. Remove from oven, and let cool.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Super Bowl Saucy Asian Meatballs


I love the website for Taste of Home and their magazine. I can become a hoarder of those magazines, real quick LOL

Surfing their website this morning for healthy recipes to make for game day, I ran across this recipe and thought I would share. Who doesn't like saucy meatballs? I'm sure not many.

* 36 Servings
* Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
* 1 pound lean ground turkey
* 1/4 cup rice vinegar
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
* Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
* In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, tomato paste, molasses, pepper sauce and remaining soy sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the meatballs; heat through. Yield: 3 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 meatball equals 32 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 fat.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Grace Young's Vinegar Glazed Chicken

I follow this blog and when I came across this recipe, I just had to try it.

I've changed a few of the ingredients to meet my dietary needs and I'm crossing my fingers that it will turn out as amazing as this recipe.


Grace Young's Vinegar-Glazed Chicken
from Stir-Frying To The Sky's Edge

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce (try to find the low sodium kind)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar (I'm going to use Agave Nectar)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon roasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns (I didn't use these but I know they would make everything taste even better)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. In a medium bowl combine the chicken, 2 teaspoons of the dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the rice wine, agave nectar, cornstarch, ground Sichuan peppercorns. Stir to combine. In a small bowl combine the sesame oil and the remaining 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon rice wine.

2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the peanut oil, add the scallions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until the aromatics are fragrant.

I just might leave out the olive oil all together and put a few tablespoons of veggie broth instead.


Push the aromatics to the sides of the wok, carefully add the chicken, and spread it evenly in one layer in the wok. Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting the chicken begin to sear.


Then stir-fry 1 minute or until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through.


Swirl the soy sauce mixture into the wok and stir-fry 1 minute, or until the chicken is well glazed with the soy sauce. Swirl in the vinegar and stir-fry 30 seconds or until the chicken is just cooked through.

To see The Amateur Gourmet blog, please visit www.amateurgourmet.com

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sweet and Savory Beef Kabobs


Tonight it will be just the boys and I home for dinner. I thought to my self, "What in the world can I fix that is easy and they would love to eat?" Well the answer is, Beef Kabobs!!!

Michael will enjoy helping me put them together.

The marinade I will use consists of:

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice unsweetened
1 T freshly grated ginger
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
2lbs flank steak or london broil
Any veggies that you like and will work well on the skewer

I like to marinate the steak for at least 2 hours but tonight will not be the case due to the time I get home. I'll have a good hour though, to let it all soak in. While your marinating the meat, go ahead and toss in the veggies while your at it.

Since my husband will not be home and I have no clue how to start our bbq, I'll be broiling them and turning them every 5 minutes and it should only take about 10 minutes to cook.

Thinking about making a brown rice dish to serve along with it.

Enjoy

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

A wonderful friend of mine is the best baker I know.

I want to share her blog with you.

I will for sure be making these cupcakes for my next batch to take to my coworkers.

Sweet Creations by Stephanie: Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes: "We were headed north to have dinner with friends and his birthday was coming up the folowing week so I decided I'd make him some cupcake..."

Under the weather Sunday

I have been feeling like a cold has been trying to settle into my system for several weeks now. Last Thursday I felt it in my chest and just knew I was doomed. I've been taking meds for the symptoms and feel alright if I don't over do it.

With that said, I really didn't want to head to the grocery store for a full load trip. I had to get something, our kitchen was empty.. Growing teenager, enough said LOL

Sitting in my La Z Boy with my lap top on my lap working, my husband and I started talking about a challenge. He said, "Hey I bet you can't go to the store with $30 in my pocket and get lunch and dinner"..

Hmmmm I started to think Oh heck ya I can.

So I headed to the store, not feeling my best, and bought the following items.

1 flat of chicken thighs
1 onion
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
4 cans tuna
1 large bag of lunch chips
2 bags of bread
1 carton eggs
2 bags of whole wheat english muffins
1 jug water
1 bag hamburger buns

I already had lunch meat so there is the finishing touch on the school lunches.

I had a box of stuffing left over from the holidays so I'll mix that with some chicken stock I have and add the onion. I'll lay that into a baking dish and top with the chicken thighs and bake until golden brown.

So there is dinner, probably for two nights.

I even bought items for another dinner.. sloppy joes and breakfast, the english muffins and eggs, so I actually bought more then what the challenge stated!!! So there hubby.. I WIN!!!!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Banana Split Delight

I have a wonderful new friend, Marsha Joy Baker, who has a wonderful blog that brings back family memories of my childhood, mainly the food LOL

She has on her blog a recipe for a caramel apple salad. I haven't been in the mood for caramel apples since I totally over did it during the holiday season so I ran to the store after dinner to see what kind of dessert I could make.

I found a few flavors of sugar free instant pudding so I thought hey, lets give it a try.


Banana Split Delight

1 regular sized fat free cool whip
1 small box sugar free banana cream instant pudding mix
1 20oz crushed pineapple in it's own juice

Slightly drain the pineapple, should have about 2 tablespoons of juice coming out. That can be tossed.

Mix all ingredients together (cool whip, pineapple and dry pudding mix).

It may look watery but it does set up.

I put it in the refrigerator for about 20 min and it was great.

It's a rich dessert so about a 1/2 cup will do ya good.

Enjoy

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Bobby's Lighter Corn Chowder

I'm a huge fan of Paula Deen and her boys. I so want to be her :)

I see that her son, Bobby Deen, has been remaking recipes that are a healthier version of the original recipe, like I have been doing.

Here is a great recipe from Bobby that I wanted to share with you.


Bobby’s Lighter Corn Chowder
By Bobby Deen

240 Fewer Calories
35mg Less Cholesterol

Ingredients:
3 strips center-cut reduced-fat bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (32-ounce) container chicken stock
2 russet potatoes, cubed (I'm staying away from spuds so I'll use cauliflower)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) package frozen baby gold and white corn kernels (3 cups)
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Spray a large nonstick saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Add the onion and jalapeno to the saucepan. Cook, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour; cook 1 minute. Add the broth, potatoes, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add the corn, milk, half-and half. Cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese and cilantro; sprinkle with the bacon.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Yield: 8 cups

Per Serving (1 cup): 167 Cal (15% from Fat, 23% from Protein, 62% from Carb); 10 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 27 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar; 117 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 668 mg Sodium; 6 mg Cholesterol

Original recipe courtesy Paula Deen (Chef Jack’s Corn Chowder)
Lightened Up recipe courtesy of Bobby Deen and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Progress in two weeks

I'm so happy.

In the two weeks that I've been watching, not so closely but still watching my intake of food and exercising at the gym in the morning, I've lost 5 pounds.

This little accomplishment is so huge for me.

Thought I would share.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Green Salad with Shrimp

I love reading all the wonderful recipes from Eating Well website. Eating salads for lunch is so refreshing to me and I love to have at least 1 salad a day. I know the dressing has tons of calories in the bottled version so I like to make my own.

When I came across this recipes I was delighted and had to give it a try.

I hope you like it as well.

4 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients

* 1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
* 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon or chives
* 2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar, or white-wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or minced anchovy fillet
* 8 cups bite-size pieces green leaf lettuce
* 12 ounces peeled cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound)
* 1/2 cucumber, sliced
* 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
* 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
* 1 cup rinsed and chopped canned artichoke hearts
* 1/2 cup chopped celery

Preparation

1. Puree avocado, buttermilk, herbs, vinegar and anchovy in a blender until smooth.
2. Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Top with shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and celery. Drizzle the dressing over the salads.

Per serving: 292 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 134 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 9 g fiber; 790 mg sodium; 843 mg potassium.