Lion House Pecan Caramel Turtles

Every year for our Christmas Eve dinner I make homemade Caramels, I have been wanting to try Turtles for a long time, but didn't dare. I found a recipe in my Lion House cookbook, and it was so easy and soooo yummy. They will definately be a hit if your in charge of bringing chocolate to the next family party.


2 cups sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups light cream (I could not find light cream in the dairy isle, I purchased regular cream...it's labeled heavy whipping cream, it's in a purple milk box. Note: This is not the same as Cool Whip).
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
6 Tbsp. Butter
Pecan Halves (I just purchased Western Family's in the large bag, they are about $7.99)
Melted Chocolate (optional-if you want them dipped. I would suggest it though...yum!!) Note: Purchase good DIPPING chocolate. The stuff that comes wrapped in plastic wrap, you can buy this at Lee's or any specialty kitchen store.

Combine Sugar, corn syrup, cream, and salt in a HEAVY saucepan. This will rise as it thickens and boils! Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Adjust temperature to maintain a steady boil and cook, stirring often, until mixture reaches soft-ball stage, 236 degrees (a soft ball should form when mixture is dropped into cold water.) SLOWLY-so boiling doesn't stop-add evaporated milk and butter. Continue cooking and stirring until candy reaches firm ball stage, 245 degrees (mixture forms a ball when dropped into cold water and won't flatten when removed); remove from heat. Arrage pecans in clusters on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. (Note: I would spray the wax paper with a little PAM and I used 4 pecan halves per Turtle and that was perfect). Drop a spoonful of caramel onto each pecan cluster. Cool. (NOTE: I let the clusters set up overnight and did the dipping the next day, and that worked out really nice).

Dip candies in melted chocolate. I melted the dipping chocolate in a double boiler, Use a med/large pot and get the water boiling and place a glass bowl over it (make sure the glass bowl doesn't actually touch the boiling water). And let the chocolate melt over med/high heat. Makes 2 1/2 pounds of candy. Which ended up being about 40+ turtles. Happy Holidays!

Candy coated Peppermint sticks

Ingredients
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. shortening
2/3 cup pecans or your favorite nuts, chopped
16 3- to 4-inch soft peppermint sticks

Directions
1. In a small saucepan combine chocolate and shortening; cook over low heat just until melted. Transfer to a bowl. Place pecans on waxed paper.
2. Dip one end of each peppermint stick into melted chocolate and then roll in chopped nuts. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Wrap each individually to give as a gift. Makes 16 gifts.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 113,
Total Fat (g) 6,
Saturated Fat (g) 2,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 0,
Sodium (mg) 1,
Carbohydrate (g) 16,
Total Sugar (g) 14,
Fiber (g) 1,
Protein (g) 1,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 1,
Iron (DV%) 2,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

recipe taken from BHG

Candy box caramels

It's the holidays, I don't know how many healthy recipes will be posted on my blog from now until Jan., probably none....it's time for the good stuff!

Ingredients
12 ounces chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped
1 cup toffee pieces, or favorite candy topping

48 short plastic or wooden skewers (optional)
1 14-ounce package vanilla caramels (about 48), unwrapped
2 ounces chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions
1. In a microwave-safe 4-cup measure, place the 12 ounces candy coating. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 3 minutes or just until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Place toffee pieces, in a shallow dish. If desired, insert a skewer into each caramel. Dip one caramel into melted candy coating; turn to coat as much of the caramel as desired, allowing excess coating to drip off caramel. (If not using skewers, use a fork to lift caramel out of candy coating, drawing the fork across the rim of the glass measure to remove excess coating from caramel.) Place dipped caramel in toffee pieces to coat. Place coated caramel on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with remaining caramels. Let caramels stand about 1 hour or until coating dries.
3. If desired, microwave 2 ounces of a contrasting color of candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl on 100% power (high) for 2 minutes or just until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Transfer coating to a small, heavy plastic bag; cut a small hole in one corner of bag and drizzle additional coating over coated caramels. Let caramels stand until set. Makes 48 pieces.
4. To Store: Layer caramels between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
5. *If desired, substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and/or white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter for candy coating.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 92,
Total Fat (g) 4,
Saturated Fat (g) 3,
Cholesterol (mg) 2,
Sodium (mg) 32,
Carbohydrate (g) 13,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 1,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 1,
Iron (DV%) 0,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Recipe taken from BHG

Triple Layer Mud Pie

As IF I would post something healthy right before the holidays are getting ready to kick off..Palease!

Chris made his request already for Thanksgiving. He mentioned that he likes Pumpkin Pie, but there are always too many Pumpkin Pies, so this is what we will be serving along the side of the Pumpkin Pies next week. Enjoy!



Prep: 15 min. plus refrigerating
Makes: 10 servings, one piece each

What you need
3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/4 cup canned sweetened condensed milk
1 OREO Pie Crust
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted
2 cups 2% milk
2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided


MIX chocolate and condensed milk. Pour into crust; sprinkle with pecans.
BEAT milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min.; spoon 1-1/2 cups over pecans. Stir half the COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spread over pudding in crust. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours.

Recipe taken from Kraft Foods

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Okay gals, if you have never tried this, you MUST! It's sinful! It's also a fun science project for your kids, when you put everything together it's a runny mess, but then after it cooks, the top part is a cake, and the underneath part is HOT chocolate fudge...to die for, and super easy to cook!



1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup hot tap water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. oil
Ice cream or (my personal favorite-whip cream for this recipe)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In ungreased 9x9 pan, stir together flour, sugar, 2 Tbsp. coca, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour hot water over batter. Bake 40 min's. Let stand 15 min's so the pudding can set up. Spoon into dessert dishes, invert each spoonful onto dessert plate so the pudding runs down. Top with ice cream or whip cream. You can even top with hershey's topping if you are a chocoholic!!

Note: We always double this recipe, and make it for dessert and have leftovers for breakfast. If you want to double it, double the ingredients and put into 13x9 casserole dish!

Garden Chicken and Stuffing

We had this for dinner last night, and Chris loved it! It's a perfect recipe to get excited for Thanksgiving!! We served it with toast and honey on the side. Yum!


1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
(Hint: if you chop these up pretty fine, your kids don't even know they are there, it looks like part of the stuffing)
1 clove garlic (This was not in the recipe, but I LOVE garlic so I added some, and it was yummy)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 can (10.5 oz.) Campbell's condensed chicken broth (or your favorite broth)
1 cup milk
1 pkg. herb seasoned cubed stuffing (like Stove Top)-1 box
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup shredded cheese (4 oz.)

In saucepan over med. heat, in hot margarine, cook celery, onion, carrot, garlic until tender. Add flour, cook 1 min more, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

Add stuffing and chicken; toss to coat. Spoon into casserole dish (13x9). Bake 350 for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 min more.

Recipe taken from Campbell's Delicious Easy Recipes Cookbook.

Ham and Cheese Roll ups and Cheese Dip

Here is the recipe for the scary Skeleton Ham and Cheese Roll ups and the Orange Cheese Ball. These are so tasty!



HAM AND CHEESE ROLL UPS
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Thinly sliced cooked ham (deli ham)
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients except ham and spread thinly on the ham slices. Roll up and put flap side down. Chill atleast 2 hours, covered. Just before serving, cut across the roll into thin slices.


CHEESE PINE CONE
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup mayo or sour cream
5 slices diced crisp bacon
1 1/4 c. whole unblanched almonds

Mix everything together except almonds. Chill overnight. Form into ball. Starting at one end, press the pine cones in at an angle.
(NOte: I don't think my brother in law added the almonds, in the picture above, he just died the cheese ball orange and put it in a cute container and sat it on dry ice.) These are great served with wheat thins or your favorite crackers.

Scary Ham and Swiss Stromboli Sandwiches

This weekend was our annual Halloween party, my brother in law makes the best food. This one is a famiy favorite. We dress up the recipe to make a scary snake, but the original recipe is a great recipe you can use year round. Enjoy!

1 tube refrigerated French Bread
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 c (6oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
6 oz. deli ham, thinly sliced
6 sliced green onions

Unroll dough on a greased baking sheet. Place ham over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges; sprinkle evenly with onions, bacon and cheese. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with a long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut several 1/4 inch deep slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 26-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm. 5-6 servings.

Chex Muddy Buddies

Tonight I went over to my in-laws after a good swimming work-out, there on the table sat a bowl of Muddy Buddies, "Oh well, at least I burned a few calories before racking them right back up with these yummy treats."



9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Substitution
Peanut butter and chocolate are a favorite flavor combo, but peanut butter lovers can substitute peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips to intensify that flavor.
1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Part II-This was on the same website, I think I might have to give these babies a try!


8 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

Substitution
Instead of using waxed paper, you can spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with nonstick foil.
1. Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 1 minute 30 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle over snack. Refrigerate until set. Store in tightly covered container.

Baked Potato Soup

Last week we had a play date at my friend Cassie's house. She made an awesome Baked Potato Soup and put it in bread bowls (which you can buy at Wal-Mart in the bakery). I begged her for this recipe because it's starting to get real chilly outside, this is the perfect recipe for a cold night! Enjoy!



2/3 cup margarine or butter (which ever you prefer)
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4-6 baked potatos (depending on how chunky you want your soup, I used 6 and thought it was perfect)-baked, cooled, peeled and cut up in cubes
4-6 green onions (I LOOVE green onions so I went for 6 and it was delic!)
1 package bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 1/4 -2 cups shredded cheese (Again, I went for 2 cups, it made it really creamy)
1 cup sour cream
Salt and Pepper
Parsley

I cooked my baked potatos the night before, it made the soup quick and easy to make the next day.

Melt butter/margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and serve in bread bowls.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp (with Caramel)

This is a recipe that I made up. I loved my dad's Apple Crisp growing up, I love Chris's family's recipe, and I love Apple Pie (minus the crust...I know, I must be crazy)...so I came up with this recipe to combine all 3 recipes and I added a few twists of my own. Enjoy!!

Instead of taking my entire afternoon peeling and cutting up fresh apples, I buy canned apple pie filling (this makes the recipe very rich and tasty). I buy the WILDERNESS brand with the Cinnamon N' Spice Apple Filling. You don't have to buy this brand, but just FYI I have never been able to find this at Wal-Mart, so I pick it up at regular grocery stores.

For the filling:
Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick spray and pour 2 cans of the pie filling in the pan. I take a bottle of lemon juice and just drizzle a small amount over the apples. Then I take cinnamon and sprinkle a little bit over the apples.

For the Apple Crisp Topping: (Note: The Topping Recipe below is already doubled, so don't double it or you will have way toooo much topping....if that's possible :O) )

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup instant oatmeal

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2/3 cup Sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cube butter

In a dish combine these ingredients. I use a pastry blender and you want to blend it until it all sticks together. Sprinkle over the top of apples.

I sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top, it makes the color look really pretty.

Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. butter cut up over the topping. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered.

I top with Whip cream (or vanilla ice cream)

And then drizzle with Smucker's Caramel Ice Cream Topping.

Pumpkin Roll

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. It makes the house smell sooo yummy!
Note: If the pumpkin roll is too much work, you can leave the cake in the cake pan and add the frosting to the top and eat it just like that.

3 eggs-put in a blender and blend 5 minutes

In a seperate bowl put 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. pumpkin spice or 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. ginger and mix together.

2/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1 tsp.lemon juice. Mix together and add to egg mixture. Spray a cookie sheet and the sides really really good with PAM no stick spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Turn onto a dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar and roll up-being very careful as you roll. Cool.

Frosting:
1 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together, unroll the cake and spread over pumpkin roll.

Roll bakc up, cover with tin foil and I put in fridge until ready to eat.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I don't know what it is about fall that makes me want to throw away my diet and bake something with lots of flour, sugar and shortening? I made these into mini muffins, using a mini muffin tin, which made 24 mini muffins (and I still had dough left over), or you can put these in regular muffins tins.

3 Lg. or 4 small ripe banans mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
Chocolate Chips (I used jumbo milk chocolate chips)

Cream together first 3 ingredients, don't overmix
Beat egg in
Gradually add last ingredients.
Bake 350 15-20 min's or until toothpick is inserted and comes out clean

Snicker's Harvest Apples

RU kidding me, that's all I have to say about this recipe

What you'll need:
1 bag SNICKERS® Brand Miniatures, unwrapped
1 bag DOVE® Brand Milk Chocolate, unwrapped
6 apples, washed and patted dry
2 tablespoons water
2 bags soft caramels, unwrapped
6 craft sticks
Waxed paper
What to do:
Press the craft sticks into the tops of the apples.
Melt the caramels with water in a 4-cup heat-safe glass measuring cup for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave. Stir occasionally until smooth.
Dip the apples into the caramels, rolling each apple to cover it completely. Set them on the waxed paper and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, melt the DOVE® Brand Milk Chocolate in the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Roughly chop the SNICKERS® Brand Miniatures.
Dip the chilled apples into the melted chocolate and immediately roll in the chopped SNICKERS® Brand Miniatures, covering each entire apple.
Makes 6 apples.

Recipe from brightideas.com (you can go to brightideas.com and sign up for their newsletters-it's from the M&M company, it's really fun!!)

Chicken Veggie Casserole

I can 98% Fat Free Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Fat Free (skim) milk
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 large boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can (16oz.) whole kernal corn, drained (but I used a can of creamed corn-undrained and I really liked it)
2 cups frozen cut green beens
2 cups sliced cooked potatoes
small amount of cheese

I boil my chicken so it's cooked though and easy to shred.
In a large bowl combine the soup, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, corn, beans, and potatoes. Pour mixture into a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. I topped it with a very small amount of cheese, just enough to barely cover the top (but you can leave this out if you want to make it more healthy). Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servins.

Recipe from: Taste of Home's/Budget Suppers

Peaches n' Cream

Okay, I have seriously been missing out!! My mother in law got some peaches this week from Brigham City (the best peaches ever). The other day we sat down and she introduced me to "light" peaches and cream and it was heavenly!!

1 peach, with the skin removed, diced
Half and Half dairy product
Splenda/Equal

Dice the peaches in a bowl, pour half and half on top, cover with Splenda or Equal and enjoy a healthy snack!!!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This one is a favorite at my house, we have to cook this at least twice a month.



I love this recipe because I make 2 different recipes with the same ingredients, you can make enchiladas or casserole, here is the recipe for both:

Ingredients (same for both)
3-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (boiled and cooked through)
1/2 pint Sour Cream
2 cans 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
4 oz. can of chopped green chillies
grated cheese (as much or as little as you would like)
Tortillas

Boil your chicken, then I run the chicken through my grater food processor to make it thin. Mix the chicken in with the Sour Cream and Chicken Soup, add green chillies and about a cup of cheese.

For the Enchiladas:
Add as much as you would like to the center of a tortilla, save some remaining chicken mixture to pour over the top of all the enchiladas. fold and put seam side down on greased 13x9 pan. pour remaining chicken mixture on top and add a little more cheese. Cook 350 for 25-30 min's or until cheese is melted and center is warm.

For the Casserols.
Layer 1: Rip apart tortillas into pieces and layer on the bottom of greased 13x9 pan. Follow same instructions for the enchiladas and pour 1/3 of mixture on top of tortillas.
Layer 2:Rip up more tortillas and follow previous steps
Layer 3:Same as above, but top with more cheese.
Bake 350 for 30 min's or until cheese is melted.

Once baked, you can add more sour cream and add salsa before serving.

I like to serve Mexican Style Rice-a-Roni with this meal

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 servings
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Thin Sliced Smoked Ham
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
6 KRAFT DELI FRESH Swiss Cheese Slices
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.

PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with ham. Mix soup and mustard; spoon over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing.

BAKE 25 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165°F). Top with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

From: Kraft Food and Family

Note: If you have thick pieces of chicken, you might want to put the stove top stuffing on the chicken when they are half way done. Otherwise the Stove Top can get crunchy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cups

My mom brought this recipe last time she came out for a visit. They are to die for!




I large tube of Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough
24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Take a heaping Teaspoon full of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough in a mini-muffin tin (one pan makes 24).
Using the back side of a melon baller (or something similar in shape) press the center of the dough down.
Bake 375 for 9-11 minutes
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a Peanut Butter Cup into the center of the cookie and let them cool completely before trying to remove them from the muffin tin.

Tator Tot Casserole

If you grew up in the 80's, I am guessing this was a weekly recipe your mom would use. I have to whip it out now and then, it just reminds me of my childhood!



1 Lb. hamburger (I use lean meat)
1 can cream of chicken AND cream of mushroom soup (or 2 cans of cream of chicken) depeding on your likeings!! I use 2 cans of the 98% fat free cream of chicken
1 soup can full of milk (you can use skim milk to make it healthier)
shredded cheese
1 bag tator tots

Brown hamburger. Mix hamburger, soups, and can of milk. Pour mixture into bottom of pan. Sprinkle Cheese. Line the tator tots on top of the casserole. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until tots are brown and crisp.

Salsa

We went to a BBQ on Sunday, and our friend was telling us that she's got so many Tomatoes in her garden she needs a good recipe for Salsa. This is a Hernandez Family recipe, and it is to die for. Enjoy. P.s. you will need a large bag of chips to go with this, you will eat the entire batch!

Roma Tomatoes (6)
Green Onions (3)
Cloves Garlic (2)
Jalepeno's (2-3 depending on how hot you like your salsa )
Cilantro
Salt and pepper and juice from a lime.

Puree

Season to taste.

Semi-Homemade Mini-Pizza's

This is a SUPER quick and easy meal to fix.

1 pkg. of Rhodes White Rolls
1 small jar of pizza sauce (or the homemade sauce recipe on my blog)
Your favorite cheese (I use cheddar and mozerella on mine)
Your favorite toppings (We use Pepperoni and Olives, I know boring!!)
Corn Meal

Spray a couple cookie sheets with Cooking Spray. Defrost your Roll dough just enough that it's easy to roll into a mini-pizza crust. DON'T over defrost or it will dry out your dough. Using the palm of your hand flatten the roll to make a nice circle. I sprinkle a little bit of corn meal on the bottom of my pizza's but this is optional.

Spread about 1 Tbsp. pizza sauce on each pizza and then top with your cheese and favorite toppings. Bake 350 degrees until bottom of crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Red Lobster Cheese Garlic Biscuits

This one is for you dad!

Okay, so when I go to Red Lobster I swear I get full on these before my meal even comes out. I have an aunt who can go home and mock up a recipe in a couple of days, so here is her recipe:

2 c. buttermilk baking mix

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 t. garlic powder

2/3 cup milk

1/4 c. melted butter

Combine baking mix, milk, and cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon till a soft dough forms (adding more milk if needed). Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by heaping Tbsp. full onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 450 for 8-10 minutes. Combine butter and garlic powder (if you want you can add parsley here too, to make it pretty). Brush over warm buscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

**CHEATING** and for those of you who don't want to slave away in the kitchen, I found one of those packages (you know the betty crocker/Bisquick things that come in a package and all you have to do is add an egg and water to get brownies or cookies)..anywho..they make one that is called cheese-garlic bisquits. Ummm...so, try that one too!!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

In a couple nights, we are making homemade mini pizza's-my mother in law has a secret weapon when she makes her pizza's-the homemade sauce...here is the recipe...

64 oz. Tomato sauce
1/2 lg. onion
3 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1/2 cup Paremesan
9 cloves garlic (I know you can smell it in your head can't you?)
1/2 tsp. salt-to taste

Medium-low heat. Cover with a tilted lid-stir often- and cook 45 minutes or until thick

Hide your Pepperoni's, this stuff is so good, that Chris get's the pepperoni's out and dips the pepperoni's in the sauce and eats them just like that.

Because this makes such a large batch (keep your old salsa bottles or pickle bottles) and store the sauce in them and freeze for the next use.

Manhatten Rolls

This is a family recipe from Chris's family, it brings back lots of memories from his childhood. This is an AWESOME recipe for kids. They think they are getting a really yummy homemade roll from mom, but when they bite into it, it's a cheeseburger. You can double the batch and freeze the second batch and pull them out for "emergency" meal days. They are soooo yummy!

2 pkg. (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
3/4 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)- I never check the temp., if it's warm, not hot, it's good!
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2-4 cups flour
1 1/2 Lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
8 slices American Cheese

In a mixing blowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 2 c. flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce. Remove from heat, set aside. Punch dough down, divide into 16 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out and stetch each piece into a 5 inch circle. Cut the cheese slices in half. Top each circle with one slice (1/2 piece) of cheese and about 3 Tbsp. beef mixture. Bring dough over filling to the top center and pinch the edges real tight to seal it.

Place seam side down on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate or freese leftovers. 16 sandwiches.

Mom's Lasagna

My mom came into town this weekend and so I made one of our family favorites and took it up to her and my grandpa to munch on. When I used to work at Bear River Head Start I would take leftovers for lunch the next day and I always had to bring an extra piece for my friend Kelli. It's the BEST!

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean beef
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Mozzerella
Cheddar
4 cheese Italian blend (parmesan, Romano, etc.) I just buy the wal-mart brand
olives

Cook your lasagna noodles as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook up your beef. Mix together 1 can of Tomatoa Sauce (just a small size) and 1 can Tomato Paste (small size)-mix them together so the paste is nice and smooth. Add this to your beef. Add quite a bit of Garlic Salt and Italian Seasoning. Let it come to boil and then simmer 5-10 minutes
Layer 1:3 noodles, meat mixture, mozerrella, cheddar and 4 cheese blend
Layer 2: same as Layer 1
Last Layer: Same as Layer 1 and 2, but top with sliced up olives (use a whole can) the salt in the olives makes this recipe Yum-O.

Bake 350 for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the center is hot.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

So I can't take the credit for this fab recipe, so I give all credit to my friend Haley. I did change a few things so I can add this to my cooking light recipes. But, I also love this recipe because I changed it from grilled chicken to using Rotisserie Chicken. Every other Monday I make a trip to Wal-mart to get 2 weeks worth of groceries. I hate grocery shopping soo bad, and it helps me stay on a budget to plan for 2 weeks. By the time I am done grocery shopping the last thing I want to do is spend another hour of my night cooking and cleaning up dinner. So, every other Monday is my Rotisserie Chicken night, I pick one up at Wal-mart and it's an easy dinner. So, this is one of my new Shopping Monday recipes. Enjoy!

So this is a no measurement recipe....but just do what tastes right.

1 Rotisserie Chicken OR Instead of using Rotisserie chicken, used grilled and chilled chicken.

Next add some celery. chopped.

Green onions. chopped.

Toasted Walnuts or Slivered almonds. (Great for crunch)

Purple grapes cut into halves or quarters

Add garlic salt.

Pepper.

Add a few dashes of lemon Juice.

Fat Free Cream Cheese at Room Temp. (make sure it's at Room Temp.)

Add softened cream cheese and Light mayo...maybe equal parts. It gives your chicken mixture a great rich taste.

Mix it all together, making sure that there is plenty of the mayo/cream cheese mixture...so it doesn't taste dry, and serve on a croissant or if you want it to be a light recipe, serve on Wheat Bread

Butter Caramel Popcorn

Okay, this is so far from a Cooking Light recipe. But, this weekend Chris and I had a movie night and made my dad's famous caramel popcorn. Most caramel popcorn I have tried is done by baking it and making it crunchy. This is more of a glaze that's poured over the top of air popped popcorn, and it's heaven. Enjoy this yummy splurge!

1/2 Lb. Butter (yes, you read that correctly, that's why it's so delicious!)
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. Light Corn Syrup

Bring to a boil for 1 minute
Take off heat and add 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pour over large bowl of popcorn. I do 2 batches of popcorn in my popper, and that makes the perfect amount for this recipe.

Crackers and Cheese (a new twist)

I don't know if I would really call this a "recipe" but I had to share it. This weekend we headed to the lake with Chris's family. My sister in law brought up a box of

Wheatable crackers or Reduced Fat Ritz (or your favorite cracker)
Low fat Cottage Cheese

I know this sounds like an interesting combination, but I am so hooked. All you do is dip your crackers in the container of cottage cheese, and it's soooo yummy.

Homemade French Fries

Believe it or not this is a Cooking Light Recipe, and sooo yummy. Every time we have a BBQ at my in-laws, I'm requested to bring these French Fries.



Potatoes (as many as you want)
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Ground Pepper
Paprika
Emeril's Orignal Essence
Chilli Powder
Season All Salt
Cayenne Pepper


Cut your Potoatoes in half, and then each half, you can get about 4-6 slices of fries.
Coat a Cookie Sheet with PAM spray and then spread out your frech fries so they don't overlap. Coat them lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and then sprinkle all of your seasonings on top.

Bake 350 for 1 hour. Half way through toss them so both sides get cooked. After one hour if they aren't as crispy as you'd like them, broil for a few minutes to make more crispy

Blackened Beef Stir Fry

Okay, so I have been a total slacker about adding new recipes to my blog. But with Young Women's camp and my parents coming to visit for the 4th of July who had time to cook. And let's be realistc, my cooking days are limited in the summer, who wants to cook when you can be outside soaking up the sun!!

But here's a new recipe I tried this week, it was delic and it's a Cooking Light Recips. the only confusion I had on this was that it called for Blackened seasoning. I had never heard of this, the closest thing I could find was seasoned black pepper. If anyone knows what this ingredient is, please let me know!!!

* 12 ounces boneless beef top sirloin steak or top round steak
* 2-1/4 teaspoons blackened seasoning for beef
* 2/3 cup water
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 16-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetables (any combination)
* 3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

1. If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into thin bite-size strips. Sprinkle steak strips with 2 teaspoons of the blackened seasoning; toss to coat well.

2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together the water, tomato paste, cornstarch, beef bouillon granules, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon blackened seasoning; set aside.

3. In a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add stir-fry vegetables. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add beef strips to hot wok. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

4. Push meat from center of wok. Stir sauce. Add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to wok. Stir together to coat all ingredients with sauce. Heat through. Serve over rice.

5. Makes 4 servings

Taken from Better Homes and Garden

Iron Gate Grill Salad

1 pg. (5 oz.) mixed baby greens, I buy an extra bag of Spinach because this is really good with lots and lots of spinach greens

fresh sliced strawberries
crumbled feta cheese
toasted chopped walnuts

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dry minced onion
3/4 cup vinegar (add more to thin)
Blend
Slowly pour in 2 cups vegetable or canola oil, then add 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Mix just right before you are ready to serve otherwise the strawberries get really soft and also turn the feta cheese red. So add the strawberries 2nd to last and mix real well with dressing, and top with feta

Mormon Strawberry Ice Tea

2 lb. fresh strawberries or 2-16 oz. pkg. frozen
1 cup packed br. sugar
1 cup water
2 lemons
3Tbsp. snipped fresh rosemary (opt.)
Ice Cubes
1 Liter CLub soda, chilled
Fresh strawberries (opt.)

In a large saucepan combine fresh or frozen strawberries, br. sugar and water and cook and stir over med. heat until sugar dissolves.

Using a veggie peeler, remove strips of peel from lemons, juice the lemons (should have about 1/2 cup)
Add strips of lemon peel, lemon juice and rosemary to mixture in saucepan. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cover, cool to room temp.

Press mixture through fine mesh sieve, dissolve solids. You should have about 1 qt. syrup. To serve, fill glass with ice. To each glass add 1/2 cup club soda and syrup. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Lime Punch

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries with sugar, thawed
4 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda

Add all juices an sugar. Mix well. Add strawberries. Slowly add lemon lime soda. Garnish with fresh lemons or limes

Yields 16 (1/2 cup) servings
Approx, 86 calories

Clam Dip

This is really good with any kind of potato chips, but we really like the kettle cooked potato chips with these!

1 pkg. cream cheese
2 tsp. grated onion
1 tsp. worchestshire sauce (however you spell it)
1 can clams (7 oz.), drained, set juice aside
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 drops Tobasco
1 Tbsp. parsley
pinch salt

Mix and chill. As you mix add necessary juice from the clam juice to make it the right consistency.

Fried Ice Cream

This is soooo yummy!

3 cups crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar

mix 3 ingredients with melted 1 cube of butter

sprinkle 2/3 on bottom of 9x13 pan
spread 1/2 gallon SOFTENEND vanilla ice cream (I use a frosting spreader, dipped in warm water, it spreads the ice cream really smooth)

Sprinkle remaining topping

Drizze with Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel topping

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have been a slacker for a couple weeks, but I have been on vacation, and who cooks while they are on vacation? I am back and this is what we had for supper last night. It was delic, and healthy!!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup prechopped fresh onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of ground red pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, divided
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) jar green salsa
10 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)


Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prechopped onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, and 7 tablespoons ripe olives; stir well.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 6 tortillas.

Combine milk, chopped cilantro, and salsa in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over top of tortillas. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 cup green onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon olives. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 casserole slice and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 353(30% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.8g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 396mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.8g; SODIUM 734mg; PROTEIN 23.5g; FIBER 7.9g

Maureen Callahan , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Southwestern Chicken Wraps

These were so so fast and easy! This was taken from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup dairy sour cream (I use fat free, so that might make the nutritional value in fat and calories even lower)
Guacamole (Just purchase the packet in the produce isle, and 2 avacados)

4 10-inch dried tomato, spinach, and/or plain flour tortillas (I purchased Jalepeno and Cheddar tortillas from Wal-mart and they ended up being more healthy than plain tortillas)
2 5.5-ounce packages Southwestern-flavored refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips (I couldn't find this, so I purchased Chipotle flavored at Lee's marketplace, and they were just as tasty)
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
2 cups shredded lettuce
Directions
1. In a small bowl stir together sour cream and guacamole. Divide sour cream mixture among tortillas, spreading over one side of each tortilla. Divide chicken, tomatoes, and lettuce among tortillas. Roll up. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories 395
Total Fat (g) 13
Saturated Fat (g) 4
Cholesterol (mg) 49
Sodium (mg) 1015
Carbohydrate (g) 45
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 25

Black and White Strawberries

I had a sick baby this week, so i didn't have a lot of time to try new recipes. I did make my Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwiches, so if you haven't tried that one, it's a must. It's under my cooking light recipes. But, I can always find time for some good chocolate. I tried this recipe out of a weight watcher's cookbook. How can this be bad??? Strawberries and chocolate, yum! And yes, this will be listed under my cooking light recipes. Also, I eliminated the raspberry liquer and I think next time I am going to try milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I am kind of a sucker for milk chocolate. I made these for our playdate, so I also used the chocolate to dip Animal Cookies. I just dipped the bottoms of the animals feet.They turned out really cute.Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1½ teaspoons raspberry liqueur (framboise)
1½ teaspoons water8 large strawberries, with stems
½ ounce white chocolate, chopped, or 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In a small microwavable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, liqueur, and water; microwave on High, stirring twice, until melted and smooth, about 1½ minutes. Holding a berry by the hull, dip the berry halfway into the chocolate; set on the wax paper. Repeat with the remaining berries and chocolate.
2. In another small microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave on High, stirring once, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. Serve chilled.

Per serving (2 dipped strawberries): 97 Cal, 4 g Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 4 mg Sod, 15 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 1 g Prot, 21 mg Calc.
POINTS value: 2
Tip:Try this with other fruits, too: Grapes, orange sections, apple or pear wedges, or banana chunks (soak the apples, pears, or bananas for a minute or two in a mixture of lemon juice and water to prevent browning). It’s also delicious with fat-free pretzels.
from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. Copyright © 2005 by Weight Watchers Staff.

Super Burritos

Okay, so i probably won't put this one under the Cooking Light Tab. It sounded really good in my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, but I failed to look at the nutritional value. But, every diet deserves a splurge night and I would highly recommend this one! It was so yummy!



Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon medium or hot chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked rice
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained
8 10-inch flour tortillas
1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup chopped tomato (1 large)
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 recipe Guacamole or frozen avocado dip (guacamole), thawed
Bottled salsa (optional)

Directions
For filling, in a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in water, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook about 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked rice and chile peppers.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes to soften. (When ready to fill tortillas, remove only half of them at a time, keeping remaining tortillas warm in the oven.)

Spoon about 1/2 cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top filling with cheese and tomato. Fold bottom edge of each tortilla up and over filling. Fold opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up from the bottom. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

Arrange burritos on a baking sheet, seam sides down. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through. Remove and discard toothpicks. Serve warm burritos on lettuce with Guacamole and, if desired, salsa.

Makes 8 burritos

Chicken or Steak Burritos: Prepare as above, except omit the ground beef. Partially freeze 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 pound beef flank steak for easier slicing. Cut chicken into thin, bite-size strips and cut beef across the grain into thin, bite-size strips. Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in skillet. Cook chicken or beef, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until desired doneness for steak or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir in water, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook about 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked rice and chile peppers. Continue with step 2 as above.

Per Burrito: 415 cal., 20 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 52 mg chol., 472 mg sodium, 37 g carbo., 5 g fiber, 24 g pro.
Daily Values: 32% vit. A, 44% vit. C, 26% calcium, 17% iron

Hernandez Fam Guacamole

If you have never had fresh guacamole, you have to try this recipe. It puts all the mexican resteraunts recipes to shame!! Remember Avacados are loaded with the "good" fat, so if you eat this in moderation, without a lot of tortilla chips, this is healthy for you!

2 ripe avacados, pitted and peeled
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Run all the ingredients together in a food processor. Make sure you don't over puree it, you want it to be a "little" chunky.

Note: I add the green chilli seeds in with this, but if you are a wuss, you might want to remove the chilli seeds and then taste the guacamole, then if it still needs a kick, then add the seeds. Also, depending on the ripeness of all the fresh ingredients you may want to add more lemon juice and more salt, just add a little at a time until it tastes just right. Enjoy!

Shredded Pork Tacos

I really like this recipe, it was reallly yummy, it just takes awhile for the roast to cook in the oven, but other than that, it was really simple to make.

1 pork roast
cumin
onion
salt
pepper
garlic powder
12 taco shells or six 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup bottled salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese or anejo enchilado cheese (2 ounces)
Dairy sour cream (optional)
1 recipe for Guacamole (look at Guacamole Recipe)
Directions
1. I sprinkled my roast with cumin, dried onion (you could probably use a half of lipton onion packet if you don't have dried onion,) salt, pepper and garlic powder, just enough to cover the top of the roast. I put it in a roasting dish and added a little bit of water and baked it for 30 minutes on 325, and then turned it down to 275 and let it cook for another 1-2 hours.
Shred pork using two forks to pull through meat in opposite directions. Drain pork and return the pok to the stove top. Stir in salsa, additional cumin, garlic powder and salt and pepper and a little water. If you would rather use a small can of whole tomatoes instead of adding water that would taste even better. Then just let it cook slowly on the stove stirring, to make sure that it stays moist and doesn't get dry.
2. To assemble tacos, place pork mixture in warm taco shells. Top with lettuce, cheese, and guacamole. (If using flour tortillas, place pork mixture in center of warm tortillas and add remaining ingredients; fold tortillas in half.) If desired, serve with sour cream.
4. Makes 12 tacos

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained


Preparation
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 249(30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 23.3g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 106mg; SODIUM 650mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.1g

David Bonom , Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Chilli Con Carne

1 1/2 pounds of extra lean beef (we use turkey because it's healthier)
2 medium onions-chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 Beef Boullian cube
2 Tbsp. diced bell pepper (I like it hot so we use one whole pepper)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. Chilli powder
1 whole Bay leaf
4 16 oz. can peans (a mix of pinto, kidney and black)

Brown hamburger and onions in a large pan. Drain fat. In a slow cooker add meat mixture and all other ingredients. Cover and simmer 2-3 hours on low/med. Remove bay leaf and serve.

***Your house will smell so yummy as this cooks really slow!!

Meatless Chilli Verde

8-10 Anaheim Peppers (the long green ones)
2-3 Chillies (the small green ones)

Lay your chillies out on a baking sheet. Turn on your broiler to heat. Broil the Peppers and Chillies. You will need to turn them about 3 times until they start to turn black and blister. This takes about 15-20 minutes.

Place the Peppers and Chillies in a plastic sealable bag to cool. This will make it easier to peel the skin off later. Let them cool completely.

Remove from plastic bag and peel off all the skin. (Note: I buy cleaning gloves to do this, otherwise your hands will be burning all night long and this is pain like you have never experienced before!!!)

In a food processor add 1 cup of water and the peeled peppers and chillies. Blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, add one chopped onion to a pan sprayed with Pam and cook onions until soft. Pour the chilli mixture in with the onions. Add water if it's too thick. (You do want it thick enough that you can scoop it up with a soft flour tortilla. Add 1 tsp. of salt and let it cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. Add a few blocks of low fat cheese) to thicken. I add about a 2-3" inch thick piece.

Serve with fat free refried bean and tortillas.

Hot Chicken Dip

My sister in law's mom came to visit us one weekend from Pittsburgh and she brought this recipe for game night. It was the talk of the night! Every time I take this recipe to a party it's a hit, and I have found a way to make it low fat. Sorry I don't have the calorie and fat info, but you can make this as healthy as you want by adding as much cheese as you want.

2 fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup Fat Free Ranch
2 cans Chicken (find this in the tuna section of the grocery store)

Mix these first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Then mix in Cheddar Jack cheese (add as little or as much as you'd like).
Add Tobasco (depending on how spicy you want it, we like it spicy so we add quite a bit, probably 10 drops)
Add cracked black pepper
Mix all together and put in a 8x8 square pan. Top with more Cheddar Jack cheese

Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min's or until the center is warm and the cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite crackers, we like Triscuit (blacked pepper and olive oil) and Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

With this recipe I saved time by just using store bought salsa. It was just as yummy. But, the recipe for the salsa sounds really good! I also saved a few more calories by not using any oil, and just using Pam cooking spray to cook the veggies and the chicken.



1 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut lengthwise into 8 thick strips

To make the salsa:
2 cup cherry tomato(es), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallion(s), chopped, green and white parts
1 small jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (don't touch seeds with bare hands)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional (see note below)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

To finish the fajitas:
1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), thinly sliced
1/2 medium green pepper(s), thinly sliced
1 tsp canola oil
4 medium whole wheat tortilla(s)
Instructions
In a medium-size glass bowl, combine garlic, red pepper flakes, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper; add chicken to bowl and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Meanhwhile, to make salsa, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.


Coat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add onion and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes; spoon vegetables into a small serving bowl and cover to keep warm.


Add oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and any marinade remaining in bowl, but discard garlic (juices will sizzle so be careful of splattering liquid). Cook chicken until well-browned on bottom, about 3 minutes; flip chicken and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes more. If chicken is not cooked through, reduce heat to low and cook an additional 2 or 3 minutes.


To serve, place 2 chicken strips on each tortilla; top with about 1/2 cup of vegetables and 1/2 cup of salsa. Yields 1 fajita per serving.
Notes

Recipe taken from Weight Watchers Cookbook
If you’re short on time, substitute 1 cup of store-bought salsa for the fresh salsa (could affect POINTS values).

Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

**This is not a cooking light recipe, but I saw this on Good Things Utah and thought it sounded really good!

Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 bags (10 oz. each) torn romaine lettuce

2 cans (15 oz. each) mandarin orange segments, drained

4 cups sliced strawberries

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 cup caramelized almonds*

1 cup poppy seed dressing (Litehouse or homemade)*

6 oz grilled chicken breast

TOSS
lettuce with oranges, strawberries and onion in large bowl.

SPRINKLE with Caramelized Almonds.

ADD
Poppy Seed Dressing; mix lightly. Serve immediately.

*Caramelized Almonds
1 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

6 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation

TOSS almonds with sugar in nonstick skillet; cook on medium-high heat until sugar is caramelized, stirring frequently.

SPREAD into single layer on greased baking sheet or sheet of wax paper; cool at least 1 hour.

BREAK into small pieces. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.


Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Dressing:

Place ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until blended. Dressing keeps several days in refrigerator.

Blackened Chicken and Avacado Tacos

The avocado will dry slightly in the pan, intensifying its flavor. Choose a ripe but firm avocado so it will hold its shape as it cooks. For a piquant variation, try adding a blend of 1 1/2 teaspoons of Hungarian hot paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked Spanish paprika to the spice rub for a more intense flavor.

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup bottled low-sodium salsa (such as Green Mountain Gringo)
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion


Preparation
Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine paprika and next 7 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over chicken; let stand 10 minutes.
Combine juice and avocado in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Grill avocado 2 minutes on each side or until well marked; remove from pan.

Place chicken in pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; cut chicken crosswise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide the chicken evenly among tortillas; top each with 2 avocado slices, 1/4 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons salsa, 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 423(25% from fat); FAT 11.6g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 2.6g); PROTEIN 45.2g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 158mg; SODIUM 675mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g



David Bonom , Cooking Light, MAY 2006

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (about 8 ounces), divided
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cooking spray
3/4 cup salsa


Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended.
Place 1/4 cup chopped chicken over half of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon onion mixture; fold in half. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese, and onion mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla in half. Serve with salsa.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 3 tablespoons salsa)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 328(30% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 4.8g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 27.9g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 248mg; SODIUM 786mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.4g



Allison Fishman , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Pan-Grilled Flank Steak with Chermoula

Chermoula is a versatile North African herb-and-spice sauce. Use a cast-iron grill pan for this dish, as a nonstick grill pan can't handle high heat.

Ingredients
Chermoula:
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons less-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Steak:
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray


Preparation
To prepare sauce, place the first 11 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
To prepare steak, sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Cook steak 4 minutes; turn and look for red beads forming on the surface to indicate the steak is approaching medium rare. Cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with sauce.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 195(41% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 25.3g; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 55mg; SODIUM 284mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.6g


Mark Bittman , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I love food that looks "pretty," so if you want to make a really yummy sandwich with lots of flavor, that even looks nice, this is an easy and super yummy recipe.



Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup commercial pesto (such as Buitoni)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cubed skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 (1-pound) focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally, toasted, and cut into 20 slices
1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
10 romaine lettuce leaves


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in chicken, celery, and walnuts.
Spread 1/2 cup of salad onto each of 10 bread slices. Top each serving with about 2 tablespoons bell pepper, 1 lettuce leaf, and one bread slice.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 324(28% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.6g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 26.4g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 39mg; SODIUM 725mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.6g

Taken from Cooking Light

Conference Sticky Buns

Girl Scout Brownies

Recipe provided by The Girl Scouts of Utah
Ingredients: Yields 6 servings

1/2 box of crushed Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies (or if out of season, Grasshopper cookies from any grocery store).
1 box of brownie mix
2 eggs (3 eggs for cake-like brownies)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
Directions:
Crush Thin Mints into medium size chunks. Mix all ingredients into mixing bowl. Do not use electric mixer — batter will be stiff. Spread batter evenly in greased baking pan (13 x 9 x 2 inch). Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

Easter eggs

Ingredients
Easter Eggs (see Vanilla Variation, lower right):
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 package (about 3 ounces, 4 servings) chocolate pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds
Chocolate Coatings (recipes follow)

Directions
1. Eggs: Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in pudding mix until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract. Turn into large bowl. Cover surface of pudding directly with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. When pudding is completely cooled, beat in confectioners' sugar with wooden spoon until smooth (mixture will be stiff). Stir in 1/2 cup almonds. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes or until mixture holds its shape.

3. Using 2 level measuring tablespoonfuls cream for each large candy or 1 level tablespoonful for each small candy, form into egg shapes. Place on small baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until eggs are firm.

4. Prepare desired chocolate coating: Melt together chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water, until smooth. Pour into bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.

5. Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Reshape eggs if necessary. Place eggs, one at a time, in chocolate coating; using a fork, roll egg around in chocolate to coat completely. Remove egg with fork, letting as much excess chocolate as possible drip back into bowl.

6. Place eggs on waxed paper–lined baking sheet. Touch up coating with small metal spatula, if necessary. Let stand at room temperature until firm. If eggs become too soft while dipping, refrigerate to firm. Repeat process, dipping eggs in chocolate coating again. Let eggs firm completely.

7. Decorate with swirls of contrasting melted chocolate. Using thin spatula, loosen; place on serving platter.

8. Chocolate Coatings: 12 ounces (2 cups) milk chocolate chips + 6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening.12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chips + 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening. 16 ounces (3 cups) white baking chips or 8 bars (2 ounces each) premier white "chocolate" baking bars + 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening.

Vanilla Variation: Substitute 1 package (about 3 ounces, 4 servings) vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (not instant) for chocolate, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla for almond extract, and 1/4 cup finely chopped red candied cherries for almonds. This variation is harder to shape than the chocolate egg; refrigerate overnight. Makes about 10 large or 20 small eggs.