Nau-Dee Creations

2011-01-29T23:21:00.005+01:00

Southwestern Black Bean Soup

This is quick, easy, and gooood! I was impressed how quick this was to fix and how flavorful and hearty it was. Defiantly a keeper! I found this recipe on a website called EatingWell.

It was icy and cold out the night we had this soup. It was also late in the evening by the time we got home from work and school -so I wanted something warm, hearty, and quick! I saw this recipe a few nights before and thought it sounded good, easy to make and I had everything in my kitchen - which was defiantly awesome! I don't recall how long it took to make this, but it was not long at all. I made it all in one pot and got everything ready to toss together while I was sauteing the onion. I totally didn't think to take a photo as we were so eager to eat, so below is the photo from the website. Perhaps the next time I make this I'll get a photo of it, as ours was garnished with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and some chopped fresh cilantro. Very good - enjoy!

From EatingWell: January/February 2010 —This is a zippy Southwestern-flavored black bean soup. It is made with canned beans so it comes together in minutes. If you have leftovers, pack them up in individual serving containers for lunch the next day.

4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
3 cups water (I used 1 can beef broth and enough water to make 3 cups)
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste -I added a little at the end)
1 tablespoon lime juice (I used just a little splash at the end)

optional (but totally recommended) garnish:

dollop of sour cream
a pinch or two fresh cilantro, chopped
a pinch or two shredded cheese

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat (I did this right in the big stock pot I was going to use). Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add water, salsa and beans. The recipe says to add the salt at this point too, but I suggest to wait until the end - you may find you don't need it. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice.
Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir the puree back into the saucepan. I used a hand immersion blender right in the pot, and as always - it worked like a charm. I blended to the consistency I wanted . Serve and Enjoy!

Note: I garnished with sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro and some shredded cheese and it was wonderful!

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, if desired, just before serving.

ENJOY!

2011-01-29T22:45:00.005+01:00

Cream of Chicken/Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

This is a very good soup. The flavor and texture makes this one I'll defiantly make again!!!! Below is where I got the recipe from as well as a few things I did differently. Enjoy!!!!!

From EatingWell: November/December 2008 — Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine Today!

This is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.

4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms, (about 4 ounces, but I used a little more) )
3/4 cup chopped celery (I used a little more)
3/4 cup chopped carrots (I used a little more)
1/4 cup chopped shallots (I used a little more)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used some broth as well as seasoned chicken bullion and omitted the above salt)
1 cup quick-cooking or instant wild rice, (see Ingredient Note) (I used 2 boxes of a store brand rice-a-roni, omitting the season pkt)
3 cups shredded cooked chicken, or turkey (12 ounces; see Tip) (I used rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in turkey (or chicken), sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more

** I did a few things differently - I got a rotisserie chicken from the store and pulled the meat I wanted to use. I used a store brand wild rice mix, similar to rice-a-roni (2 boxes gave me just a little more than 1cup of rice and I discarded the enclosed seasoning pkt). I boiled the rice in a sauce pan w/ broth until cooked and tender and then incorporated it all together. I also diced and added more of the veggies and thus added more broth to compensate. This was very good and I will defiantly make this again! Perhaps I'll use left over Thanksgiving turkey next time.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient note: Quick-cooking or instant wild rice has been parboiled to reduce the cooking time. Conventional wild rice takes 40 to 50 minutes to cook. Be sure to check the cooking directions when selecting your rice—some brands labeled “quick” take about 30 minutes to cook. If you can't find the quick-cooking variety, just add cooked conventional wild rice along with the turkey at the end of Step 2.
Tip: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 354 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 87 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 36 g protein; 3 g fiber; 378 mg sodium; 577 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Zinc (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Chocolate Cream Pie

2011-01-21T04:01:00.004+01:00

I found this recipe on the web at cabcooks.com about a year ago and am soooo thankful I did!!! This chocolate cream pie is easy to make, really thick, rich and creamy!!!! I've made this pie many times and every time it gets great reviews that start with the first bite - "Mmmmm this is good!" Each slice holds together instead of oozing out all over the plate - this recipe is a total keeper!!! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pie crust for a 9″ pie pan
1 1/2 C sugar
1/3 C cornstarch
2 1-oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk
2 C heavy cream
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tsp real vanilla extract
Sweeten whipped cream

Line a 9″ pie pan with crust. Finish the edges as desired. Bake pie shell as directed by recipe or package. Cool on rack until needed.

In a saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Blend the milk and egg yolks. I used a whisk to incorporate the two ingredients. Stir egg mixture slowly into the dry ingredients, making sure to combine everything together. Whisk in melted chocolate.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the saucepan to avoid any browning or burning of the cream. It took about 12 minutes before I saw signs of thickening. Don’t walk away at this point and stir, stir, stir. Don’t be alarmed if you start to see clumps of thickening cream on the spoon/spatula. The rest of the cream will thicken completely a few minutes later. Once the cream thickens and starts to bubble/boil, continue to cook for one more minute, always stirring! Remove from heat and mix in vanilla extract. Immediately fill pie crust. Press plastic wrap onto the filling to prevent crust from developing on top of the filling.

Chill pie for at least 2 hours. I took out the pie about an hour before serving and scooped large dollops of sweetened whipped cream on top. Here’s a picture of it after chilling in the fridge for 2 hours.

This tasted like a very rich and creamy chocolate pudding. The filling looks very dense but had a surprising lightness to it. I don’t know if it’s because I used a whisk the last minute of cooking and to incorporate the vanilla. But if you like chocolate pudding, you'll love this!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Mixed Mushrooms

2009-07-13T02:52:00.004+02:00

Here is another wonderful dish from the blog: Lisa's Kitchen. She adapted it from a book called Lucy's Kitchen (link below). I've cut and pasted her post on my page, as I followed the recipe exactly and figured it would be just as easy to do it this way. After all, why mess with perfection :D .....OK - ok, and my camera's battery totally died on me so I couldn't get any Pict's.

I will tell you that has a wonderful flavor. Its very rich, creamy and hearty - much like the dishes we ate when in Italy. I served ours with a nice chewy piece of Italian bread and a salad of mixed deep greens w/ a light oil and wine vinegar dressing. ENJOY!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Mixed Mushrooms

1 ounce (30 grams) of dried porcini mushrooms (or a mixture of shiitake, portabello, porcini and oyster)
1 pound (500 grams) of tube shaped pasta (I used rigatoni)

1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of unbleached white flour
2 cups of milk
2 cups of soft goat cheese
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of chopped onion
1 pound 9500 grams) of fresh mixed mushrooms, sliced
2 - 3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)
1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic
1/4 - 1/2 cup of olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
juice from one lemon
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze excess liquid from soaked mushrooms and roughly chop.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for to thicken - approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and stir and fry for 3 - 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the fresh mushrooms, jalapeno peppers and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release their liquid.

Next, add the garlic, dried mushrooms and the soaking liquid used for the dried mushrooms to the wok. Bring to a boil and cook for about one minute. Stir in the olives, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the cheese sauce, and mushroom mixture into the cooked noodles along with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a large oiled baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until heated throughout and lightly browned.

Serves 6 - 8.

Homemade Eggnog

2009-07-12T05:41:00.008+02:00

I went looking for a homemade eggnog after I found a yummy looking recipe for eggnog and rum french toast, that I wanted to try. Being that its July I find no pre-made eggnog at the store so I started looking on line for one. I found many variations but the one I settled on was posted by a Denise on allrecipes.com. It had over 60 positive ratings and it sounded really good. I've never made eggnog before so I was a bit skeptical but wow was I impressed with this one. (I added rum for the french toast recipe, and it was really tasty this way too. It was also the way my husband preferred it - lol).
For Homemade Eggnog
(posted by Denise on allrecipes.com)
NOTE: I cut this recipe in half as I only needed about a cup of it for the french toast and wanted a lil to enjoy without having a lot left over....come the
holidays this year I think
we'll end up double for get-to-gethers)
6 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart milk
1/3 pint heavy whipping cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, vanilla, quart of milk and salt.
Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in to egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve chilled. ***Note: depending on your preference, you can also add rum to taste...or whatever alcohol you like in your nog. Its all a matter of taste preference. Enjoy!!

Eggnog French Toast

2009-07-12T04:01:00.019+02:00

So I've been away for awhile and I wish I had my camera handy on many new dishes that we've had and enjoyed, but I'm sad to say this has not been the case. However, I got it out today and I'd like to share a definate noteworthy

recipe..infact there are two (homemade

eggnog and eggnog and rum french toast). And all I gotta say is Oh YUMMMMM were they good!!!!!

Eggnog & Rum French Toast

The other day I came across a

blog called Lisa's Kitchen (foodandspice.blogspot.com). She has some really yummy looking recipes on this, site so do go visit. I've only tried a couple of her dishes so far and they were really good...and this one for Eggnog and Rum French Toast is wonderful!

Being that its July I find no pre-made eggnog at the store so this took me to look for recipes for homemade eggnog on line.I found many variations but the one I settled on was posted by a Denise on allrecipes.com. It had over 60 positive ratings and it

sounded really good. I've never made eggnog before so I was a bit skeptical but wow was I impressed. I'm posting a combination of Lisa's recipe

with my additions and will provide a link to Denise's recipe for her homemade eggnog as it worked really well with this dish.Click here for the

eggnog link.

Both recipes were really quick and easy to make and well worth any effort to make

them! Hope you enjoy them as much my family did. We will defiantly make these again!!!

Eggnog & Rum French Toast
(for the original recipe click here)

1 cup eggnog (store bought or homemade eggnog)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons dark rum (or extract if you rather)
ground cinnamon to taste
ground nutmeg to taste
6 thick slices of bread (French, Italian bread, Texas toast etc...) butter
for grasing the pan (or vegetable oil)

Heat a large cast iron frying pan (I used a non-stick skillet) on medium-low heat. Meanwhile, beat the eggnog together with the eggs, rum and spices to taste (I also added 1 to 2 Tab of sweet condensed milk and mix well).

When the pan or skillet is hot, lightly grease the surface with butter or vegetable oil.

Dip each slice of bread through the eggnog mixture and let it soak in slightly. Sprinkly both sides with cinnamon and place in the hot pan. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Dust the french toast with a light sprinkle of powder sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.

ENJOY!!!

Claudia's Sweet -n- Zesty Italian Totrellini Salad (P3)

2007-06-30T19:01:00.000+02:00

I have a very dear friend named Claudia. She was my first German friend when we moved to Europe years back. I have so much respect for her awesome artistic talents, eye for detail, cooking abilities and over all sweet nature. She is also extremely hard working and is an inspiration to me in many ways. She and her family currently reside in the USA and I do miss her, but we still visit now and again via emails, messengers and myspace.

Years back when Claudia and her husband played table top DND with my husband and I, we'd enjoy going to each others homes for game nights. We'd all bring food, get the wine flowing, set back, visit and enjoy playing the game. During one visit to their home Claudia made this WONDERFUL side dish that I just LOVED! Its so every simple but its flavor packed and so hearty that one might think its more complicated.

Claudia was sweet enough to share this recipe with me years ago and I've made and enjoyed it many times since. When I make it I ALWAYS think of her and thus why I have lovingly named the dish after her.

I recently asked Claudia where she got this recipe from. She said the recipe comes from her brother's mother-in-law. She is not sure if she created this dish or got the recipe elsewhere but agrees that its very simple and it has many variations to its possibilities.

Claudia's Sweet N Zesty Italian Tortellini Salad (p3)
This is really a very simple dish and you can add or delete what ever you like. Below is the way I like to make it.

1 large pkg Meat stuffed tortellini pasta. ( other kinds of stuffing may be used instead but I find this to be the best).
fresh, soft mozzarella (the kind packed in water), drained and torn into bite size pieces.
1 can of black olives, drained
1 bunch of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half.
1 small purple or other sweet onion, sliced
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
about 1/2 c. of good tasting quality Olive oil
about 1/4c. of good tasting quality balsamic vinegar
Splenda or sugar to taste (its to have a sweet/tangy flavor)
a dash of salt

Bring water to rolling boil, add tortellini and cook pasta. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Meanwhile toss sliced tomatoes in a large mixing bowl, along with black olives, sliced onion, torn mozzarella, and fresh chopped basil.

When pasta is cooked and cooled add it to this bowl as well.

In a small bowl mix olive oil, vinegar, splenda/sugar and a dash of salt and pepper. When mixed pour over salad and mix well.
Serve or chill up to 30 mins and serve.

ENJOY!!!!!

Macadamia Nut Piña Colada Bars (Not SB friendly)

2007-06-26T14:01:00.000+02:00

I came across this recipe at the Betty Crocker Recipe Site (bettycrocker.com). I was going to make and take this desert to a BBQ but was too pressed for time that day. I had family visiting from the states this past week and decided to make them this weekend to give them a try. Everyone loved them and they went really fast. ENJOY!!

(** Note: let the bars cool completely before adding the glaze. We couldn't wait to give them a try so we rushed the cooling time and they didn't come out as pretty as I'm sure they would have. We ate them while warm and gooey and they were still wonderful).

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:1 hr 55 min

Makes:2 dozen bars

Bars
1	can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple
1	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
3	tablespoons powdered sugar
2	eggs
1	cup granulated sugar
3/4	cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2	cup flaked coconut
1/4	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon rum extract
Pineapple Glaze
1/2	cup powdered sugar
2	to 3 teaspoons reserved pineapple juice

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of square pan, 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches, with shortening. Drain pineapple well, reserving 3 teaspoons juice for Pineapple Glaze. In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the butter and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar with spoon until flour is moistened. Press in pan. Bake 10 minutes.
2.	In medium bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk until blended. Stir in pineapple and all remaining Bar ingredients. Spread over partially baked crust.
3.	Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4.	In small bowl, mix all Pineapple Glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over bars. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat ncg); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 70mg; Total Carbohydrate 20g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars ncg); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbo

Chinese Cole Slaw (p2 )

2007-06-03T22:25:00.001+02:00

I got this recipe years and years ago in Kansas, from a woman named Debbie. She and I had Glass forming classes together and she brought it to an open house that the ESU glass guild has annually. Everyone loved this dish and I must say every time I take it to a party, BBQ or get-to-gather I always recipe requests. This dish is makes a lot, is easy to make and is VERY good. Hope you enjoy it too!!

(I will be making this again soon and will try to get a better pict of this dish once its been mixed.)

Salad Ingredients:
(mix an hour before serving)
1 large pkg pre-cut raw coleslaw
1c slivered almonds
1 c sunflower seeds
2 small bunches of green onions, chopped
2 pkg Beef flavored Ramen noodles (uncooked and broken into small bits)

Dressing Ingredients:
(Mix a day ahead so it can age)
1 c mayo
1/2 c granular sugar (or splenda)
1/3 c white vinegar
the 2 beef seasonings (from noodles)

The day before: Mix dressing ingredients and chill in the refrigerator.

The next day:In a large mixing bowl toss salad ingredients.

An hour before serving:Shake or stir the dressing and pour over salad; mix well. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

**Note: I've never tried to make this dish Sb friendly, as it calls for Ramon Noodles and Sugar. You could exchange the sugar with splenda and possibly the Ramon Noodles with something else, but the noodle season packets are also required and give it so much of its flavor that I don't know how it would be substitute. If you are extremely strict with the rules of SB than perhaps this dish isn't for you...or you could change it up a bit and get it to work. If you do, I'd love to hear the suggestions...but for special occasions this would still be good and not be too much of a cheat, in my opinion.

Independent USANA Associates

2007-05-24T15:50:00.000+02:00

For anyone that checks in on my page now and again (like my wonderful Mindi!) I apologize for not posting lately. We have started our own business and it has opened up my world to so many new people and things. We have totally been enjoying it and are thrilled we made the decision to do this....in fact we are wondering what took us so long :D For anyone interested you are welcome to view a short clip about what we do and you are welcome to provide feedback and what you think about the presentation at the "contact me" section at our website: SeymourDreams.usana.com / Presentation link

We have also just started a SeymourDreams blog that highlights the USANA company as well as our business experiences and opportunities within it.

For the rest of you we have been eating the low glycemic shakes and bars to give them a try and live our business. So far its been great! My husband and daughter both started out with the "Reset" (its not a "diet" but it restarts your metabolism and thus weight loss is common). My Husband has lost 7 lbs and my Daughter lost 5lbs that first week. They continue to drop lbs as they enjoy the shakes and bars, which blend nicely with our South beach. I'm waiting on my restart to get in and I'll do the same.

USANA is about to celebrate its 15th year and we are looking into going to it and Convention and experience all that we are a part. I'll defiantly post Pict's of our adventure on our Seymourdreams blog spot when we come back and get settled back in. So more to come!

USANA received an official patent on May 8 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that guarantees proprietary rights to the self-preserving technology used in Sensé skin- and personal-care products.The patent covers USANA’s formulation for manufacturing Sensé products so that they are capable of maintaining their shelf life without the need for added chemical preservatives. The products are “self-preserving” in that they don't require traditional chemical preservatives to maintain their shelf life.This is revolutionary technology that USANA’s respected team of scientists spent nearly 10 years perfecting.

Be sure to check out our sites:
SeymourDreams website And SeymourDreams blog

Day trip to Metz, France (2005)

2007-04-20T06:04:00.001+02:00

Back in 2005 my family went on a short day trip to Metz, France with some wonderful friends of ours, the Kirks. We went to see the weekend flea market out in front of the old Saint Etienne Cathedral - which features stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. The St. Etienne cathedral in Metz, was made in the 14th century by joining together two perpendicular churches: the nave of Saint-Etienne, built in the 13th century, was attached to the north side of an older Roman church. In the 15th century, a transept and a choir were added. This nave is the third highest in France.

On our day visit, we visited the Cathedral, ate some wonderful sweets at a coffee shop located just across the street, and drove around the city a bit before heading back. It was a nice morning and we would have loved to stayed longer but were not able to. Here are some Pict's of our little adventure that day. Hope you enjoy.

Walking down the very narrow "sidewalk"

Along the store fronts there was this little tunnel of stairs leading to private apartments

Some beautifully ornate windows and doors along the way

A neat looking stop light

My daughter and dog walking along the way to the cathedral. My dog Euro felt it was his duty to run and chase the birds away that were walking around the plaza (the people that saw this all laughed and enjoyed watching him at work. It was pretty cute and funny to say the least)

We stopped off at little coffee shop across the way from the cathedral and enjoyed some treats!

The flea market was really big and we were rather busy shopping, but we did manage to get a few Pict's of a few merchants.

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz

The inside...

The Saint Etienne Cathedral is world famous for its stained glass windows by Chagall (below are some of them). Chagall is among the celebrated painters of the 20th century, he is associated with the modern movements after impressionism.

There were some more Pict's I took this day but I've been working on sorting them still. Hope you enjoyed these at least. :D

REESE’S Peanut Butter Cookie Bites (not SB friendly)

2007-04-20T04:13:00.001+02:00

These cookies are SOOOO easy to make and are SOOOO Good!!! It's one of the first cookie recipes I learned to make as a child and its one that I've enjoyed over the years as well. I really don't recall where we got the recipe from so I can't really give any credit, but I can pass the recipe on to you all..... Enjoy!

FUN FACT: REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups turn 80 years old in 2008!!!! (for more interesting things about Hershey Products click here)

REESE’S Peanut Butter Cookie Bites (not SB friendly)

To make the cookies:
Take 1 Pillsbury refrigerated Peanut butter cookie log
1 pkg. Reeses Peanut butter cups miniatures, unwrapped

Slice the raw cookie log in 1/2 inch slices. Each slice cut in half, and then in half again to make 4 little triangles.
Take an ungreased mini muffin tin and place one cookie triangle in each muffin hole.
Bake as directed on cookie package.
Take out of the oven and place one Reeses Peanut Butter cup on top of each cookie and let melt (I press the candy lightly down into the cookie).
Let cool and the pop out and onto a serving plate.

Hint:If the cookie seems to stick, run a butter knife around the edge of each cookie to release it. Make sure the cookies cool completely (the chocolate in the candy needs to set up) before serving.

NOTE: I have also made these cookies with a Peanut butter cookie mix. I mixed the cookie dough as directed in the recipe or on the pkg.
Take a little less than 1 Tab of cookie dough and roll into a little ball, placed in the miniature muffin tin as stated above and cook to the time suggested on the cookie recipe or package. After they came out of the oven, and while still hot, I placed a Recesses Peanut butter cup in each cookie center.

ENJOY!!!

YUMMMMMMMY!!!!!!

Lipton's Spinach Dip (p1-2)

2007-04-20T00:54:00.000+02:00

I went to a friends pot luck - BBQ a few weeks back and enjoyed some really great food. One of the guests, a friend of mine named Sunny, always comes with many wonderful yummy dishes to share. One of the items she brought to this BBQ - I almost made myself sick from as it was SO good, I couldn't stop eating it. It was a spinach dip with some fresh French bread for dipping. This dip not only looked really pretty and impressive in the pretty serving dish, but it tasted so good!!

I loved the texture as its creamy yet has a bit of a crunch (chopped water chestnuts). I had to inquire about this wonderful dip and was shocked to find out it was as simple as it was. Sunny said she got the recipe from the back of a Lipton's vegetable soup box. How great is that....its good and easy to make! Recently I went to the store and I picked up some Vegetable Soup mix as well as the rest of the ingredients and whipped up some for the family to enjoy. Its a great dip and one that I will defiantly make again!!!! Thanks Sunny for another wonderful recipe!!!!
For other Lipton recipes click here

"Perfect Party Spinach Dip"

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Vegetable Soup Mix
1 (8oz) sour cream
1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (8oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients; chill 2 hours. Serve in a pretty dish with your favorite dippers.... like fresh French or Italian bread, crackers, cheese & or assorted veggies. ENJOY!!!

( A note for strict South Beachers: Some people do not recommend Liptons Soup mix due to the high sodium and such in the packets. Others feel that if its not indulged in often than its not a problem. Personally I don't think it would really be that bad if you had this once in a great while and balance it out with loads of veggie dippers. Another suggestion I'd offer is to share this dip with friends and family and not eat it all, like I almost did...ha ha.)

Rum Cake (Not SB friendly)

2007-04-03T22:23:00.001+02:00

This wonderful cake recipe comes from a site called: Bake or Break; Adventures of an amateur baker.They have some wonderful recipes so do visit their blog link above.
This recipe is very easy to make and is extremely good. I loved the texture extreme of this cake from the moist butter rum to the slight crunch of the toasted pecans. I made this and took it to a BBQ and everyone LOVED it. Enjoy!
Rum Cake (Not SB friendly)
Cake:

1 cup chopped pecans
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease/flour/spray a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.Mix together cake mix and remaining ingredients. Pour batter into pan over nuts. Bake for about an hour, or until done. Let cake cool.Invert cake onto serving plate. Prick all over the top of the cake with a toothpick.

Rum Glaze:

1/2 c butter
1/4 cup water
1 c granulated sugar (or see note below)
1/2 cup rum

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and gradually add rum while continuing to stir. Drizzle part of the glaze over cake. Allow cake to absorb the glaze. Repeat with remaining glaze until all used.
***Note: As an alternative, use 3/4 cup sugar and add 1/4 cup corn syrup to help prevent the granulated sugar from crystallizing.

Ready to bake

Fresh out of the oven

Just after pouring the butter rum
on top

(this is not a very good picture of the cut cake, but trust me.....Yum!!!!!)

Rosemary Steak (p1)

2007-03-24T02:17:00.000+01:00

In November 2004 some really wonderful friends of ours (The Kirks) went and stayed a week in Italy with us. We all stayed at Podere Cortinova in the La Corte house, a very old but wonderful Tuscan villa (Farmhouse) that was so rich with history and warmth that we were totally at peace that Thanksgiving week. The night before we were to come back home to Germany we ate at a really great restaurant called “ La Scuderia ” , located in Palazzuolo, Italy. Their specialty was the house steak. It was cooked with LOADS of rosemary, olive oil and other herbs and spices and it was served rare on a HUGE platter. We all shared this dish and it just melted in your mouth.
** For more photos and what we ate at La Scuderia click here.

A few months after we came back home I pan fried some steak with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Its not the same as the Italian steak we had, but its close enough that it was still enjoyable and reminds us of our last night there.
Here is a picture of the Italy Steak (and my hubby totally devouring it, ha ha)

The other night we had a friend over for dinner and I made this steak, along with roasted veggies and had a nice mixed green salad. It was very good, even if I do say so myself. Hope you give it a try and like it as well.

This is all ya need:
steak
Olive oil (good quality oil...the greener the better)
salt
pepper
dried rosemary leaves
dried ground rosemary (I grid dried rosemary in a mill)

In a skillet heat Olive oil and add steak (flip over to cover with oil). Sprinkle each piece of oiled steak with ground rosemary, dried rosemary leaves, salt and pepper and flip to repeat on the other side. Cook on med/low til the meat is cooked to your liking. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
This time around I added a bit of "I can't believe its not butter" and some more olive oil and tossed in sliced mushrooms. I sauteed them until soft, salted to taste and poured the mushrooms and pan juices over steak and served. It was really great!
ENJOY!!!

Amaretto Cake (Not SB friendly)

2007-03-24T01:24:00.000+01:00

I got this wonderful recipe on line but I totally don't recall where. I suppose it doesn't really matter as I looked to see if I could find it, and found that it was posted on many different sites and non state where it originated from. It almost has a buttery flavor to it but the Amaretto is defiantly there! This was extremely easy to make and very tasty. My friend Raina who LOVES Amaretto totally flipped for this one!

Amaretto Cake (Not SB friendly)

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, instant vanilla pudding, water, oil, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons of the amaretto; blend together well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and while it is still warm, poke holes in the surface. Drizzle with the Amaretto Glaze, insuring that some of the glaze fills the holes. Let the cake cool for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan.
To make Amaretto Glaze: Sift the confectioners' sugar, and combine it with the remaining 1/2 cup amaretto. Blend until smooth. You may add more amaretto as needed.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 12

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 426
Total Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 72mg
Sodium: 477mg
Total Carbs: 61.5g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 4g

Gina's Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Not Sb friendly)

2007-03-21T21:34:00.000+01:00

Gina is a wonderful friend that I've known since the 4th grade. We were best friends while growing up and she is still extreemly dear to me and my family. She is awesome and I love her dearly. I hear she is a wonderful cook but we haven't lived in the same town as one another since we were kids and so I've never been fortunate enough to be at her table when she welcomes everyone in to eat. She is such a dear that she took her Pineapple upside down cake to my folks one evening for a visit and I herd how wonderful it was. I asked her for the recipe and she emailed it to me immediately.....like I said she is such a doll! She said she read about a pineapple upside down cake in Better homes and Gardens magazine but it was more work and only made an 8x8 pan. She adapted it and made it even easier and bigger. She also said she always gets compliments on it and its so easy as you "cheat when you make it"....it uses a boxed cake mix. I made Gina's cake tonight for a friend of mine and it was really easy and tasted wonderful. Thanks Gina!!!!

Gina's Pineapple Upside Down Cake (not Sb friendly)

This is what ya do:

Just buy a yellow cake mix at the store, replace the water with pineapple juice. Mix as directed and set aside.

You need two cans of pineapple rings as it makes a 9x11 or 9x13 pan. In the bottom of the pan you use a stick of butter (melted), 2 cups of packed brown sugar and another ½ cup or so of pineapple juice. Stir this into a syrupy paste, drop the rings in how you want them then pour on the cake batter.
Bake as directed, but keep an eye on it as it might take a little longer to cook as its very moist,. Its done when the center springs back when you touch it. Let it cool at least 30 Min's and invert.

Note: We ate it while it was still warm but I think it tasted even better after it was completely cooled.

Thai Chicken w/ Fresh Basil (p1)

2007-03-14T22:32:00.000+01:00

This recipe comes from the Atkins site. We tried it years ago and its been a family favorite ever since.

Here are my suggestions:

Use all fresh ingredients as it will taste better.
Chicken thighs aren't as good in this dish as breast meat.
DON'T use dry ground basil, fresh basil adds so much to this dish!!!
We like adding salted cashews to compliment this dish in flavor and texture.
"Thai basil (available in Asian markets) is more fragrant than the usual varieties, but you can use Italian basil in a pinch"....and that's what I have always used.
As the site says "Don't skip the fish sauce in this recipe as it a lot of the flavor".

Warning: If you have never used Fish sauce before try not to smell it...it stinks! In fact years ago when I first tried this dish I was not familiar with fish sauce and took a BIG whiff of it. Boy was that a mistake!!! During the entire time the chicken was cooking, I was worried it would stick up my house as I felt the smell was so strong. Really the smell was just in my nose and I was more focused on it. Due to my HUGE sniff of it however, the odor totally turned my stomach and I didn't want to even try the dish. I decided I would let my husband just have all of it. I'd fix him his plate that night and the rest would all go to him for leftovers over the next few days (he'll eat anything).

When the dish was done it looked pretty, but again I just couldn't get the smell out of my mind. I couldn't even bring myself to taste it, which is odd for me but the smell really did a number on my stomach. But as I was dishing the chicken out onto his plate I got some on my finger and without even realizing it, habit kicked in and I licked it!! WOW, was I shocked. It didn't taste at all like the fish sauce, in fact it didn't taste at all like I has imagined. It was mildly sweet and tangy/spicy. It was very good and I ended up fixing myself a plate of it.

It was so good that I even got my daughter to try it (I kept her out of the kitchen cuz I KNEW if she saw that it had fish sauce in it she'd refuse to even try it) but she did and LOVED IT!!! She would even ask for it...only she'd refer to it as that "Chicken Teriyaki"??? I'd tell her there was no Teriyaki in it but she has always called it that...in fact we now refer to it as: "Martina's Chicken Teriyaki", Ha ha. Now she can be a pretty picky kid at times and for her to enjoy it so much is really impressive! I hope you give this dish a try and enjoy it as much as we have!

Atkins Thai Chicken w/ Fresh Basil (p1)
(recipe from Atkins site, adaptions from Nau-Dee)
1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2- by 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce, (such as nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons Splenda
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic (fresh or from a jar)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, small leaf variety or chopped
2 to 2 1/2 T water (its never been listed in the ingredients but I usually use this amount. You don't want any more than this as it will be too runny).
1/3 to 1/2 c salted Cashew halves or pieces.

Combine chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, water and sugar substitute in a zip lock bag and let stand 30 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Heat until hot but not smoking. Add green onion, garlic and pepper flakes and stir-fry 1 to 2 Min's.
Remove chicken and marinade and add to onion mixture. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. If there is still a lot of liquid left remove the chicken and boil marinade down until it reduces and thickens a bit. Add chicken back to skillet and remove from heat.
Stir in 1 cup basil 1/3 to 1/2 c cashews. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining basil. ENJOY!!!

Chopped onion, garlic and red pepper flake

Chicken marinating for 30 Min's.
Stir fried in the skillet
stir frying all of it together
All done and looking colorful, pretty and ready to eat!

Spinach & Chickpea Pasta in Garlic Sauce (p2)

2007-03-13T19:52:00.001+01:00

OH WOW WAS THIS GOOD!!!! It tasted like the authentic Italian dishes here in Europe! I got this recipe from Ruth's blog at: Once Upon a Feast. She said its a variation of one from a book called: Quick Vegetarian Pleasures. This is fast and easy to make and with a nice side salad it's a great meal and very filling. A dish I will defiantly make again!!!! Below is how I made this dish (I just make it a bit more SB friendly)

Spinach & Chickpea Pasta in Garlic Sauce (p2)
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 bag baby spinach (10 oz/285 g)
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (I just used small button mushrooms)
1 lb/450 g whole wheat Penne or other short pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp dried, crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 medium tomato's, seeded and diced
2 cans chickpeas, rinse & drain well
½ cup fresh grated Parmesano Romano cheese
½ cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Clean and cut/chop baby spinach. Place in a microwave bowl and microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 mins or until wilted. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil salted water for noodles in a large pot and cook the pasta for 10-13 minutes or until it’s al dente.
3. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms and tomatoes until much of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes or so). Add the chick peas, garlic and chili pepper flakes and toss for another couple of minutes. You want to smell the garlic, but you don’t want to burn it. Add the spinach and white wine and toss. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Turn it all out into a large serving bowl, toss, taste and sprinkle with some fresh grated Parmesano Romano. ENJOY!!!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Plum-Raspberry Compote (p2)

2007-03-12T22:15:00.001+01:00

These delicate pancakes contain only a small amount of flour. Instead of baking powder, eggs make them airy.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
(p1 w/ flax or p2 w/ ww flour)
(Recipe from the SB forum and Adapted by Nau-Dee)
3 eggs, separated
3/4 c ricotta cheese (reduced fat)
1/4 c flour Whole wheat (I used 4 T Flax meal instead, for more fiber)
1/4 t salt
3 pkt splenda
1/4 t lemon extract
1 t lemon zest, finely chopped
Oil for cooking pancakes

INSTRUCTIONS:
Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Add in ricotta, flour, salt and lemon zest, stirring just to combine. Put egg whites in a bowl and beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into batter until just combined.

Lightly oil a griddle over medium heat. Portion batter with a 2-ounce ladle onto hot griddle, leaving space between pancakes (I had to spread the batter out a bit or they were too thick) Cook until bubbles cover surface of pancakes and undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gently turn pancakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve with Plum-Raspberry Compote (see recipe below) or jam.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plum-Raspberry Compote (p2) If the compote is too juicy, remove the fruit and boil the juice longer or strain some of the syrup and use it in cocktails, over ice cream, shakes or in tea. You can vary the compote by adding a small amount of red wine or liqueur such as Cointreau or amaretto before the fruit cools. Or use other fruits.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup splenda
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split
2 pounds plums, pitted and diced chunks
1/2 pint raspberries
Orange zest to taste, chopped (lemon zest would be good too)
1 to 2 Tab Da Vinci Sugar Free Amaretto syrup
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine splenda and water in saucepan and stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into water mixture, add the bean and bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes and remove vanilla pod.

Add plums and Amaretto syrup. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until plums are soft but still hold some shape. Remove from heat and stir in raspberries and zest. Taste and add more sugar if desired; let cool. Serve with Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes or other pancakes & waffles.

Kalyn's Pot Roast w/Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce (p1)

2007-03-12T22:14:00.002+01:00

When I make Pot Roast I make it real simple & easy. I trim all the fat and let it boil in Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Sometimes I'll add additional sliced onions but that's basically it. Although my roast is very good and my family loves it, I wanted something a bit different.
This Pot Roast recipe came from the blog of Kalyn's Kitchen. Being one of Kalyn's, it was very good as always. Kalyn states that some of her sauce ideas came from a recipe for Ginger Beef in the book: 500 Low Carb Recipes.
Kalyn's recipe calls to be made in a Crockpot. Being that I live in Europe and can only use my old (American) Crokpot if I use a transformer, and since I've never invested in a German one...I decided to try and make this recipe on the stove in a large pot. Below is what I did and it was very good! Oh and thanks Kalyn for another great recipe.

Kalyn's Pot Roast w/Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce

(About 6 servings)

3 1/2 - 4 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed well
1 T olive oil
steak rub, to season meat
black pepper, to season meat
1/2 c water with 1 t. beef soup base (1/4 c if using a crockpot)
1 T onion powder (or use 1/2 small onion finely chopped)
2 T garlic puree (in a jar, also called ground garlic)
2 T ginger puree (in a jar, also called ground ginger)
2 T Splenda
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes w/ juice
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp. anchovy paste, optional

Trim as much fat as you can from roast, and cut if necessary to fit into Pot (or Crockpot). Rub meat well with steak seasoning and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes; don't rush the browning step.

While meat browns, combine onion powder or onion, garlic, ginger, Splenda, rice vinegar,diced tomatoes, soy sauce, & anchovy paste (if using) in food processor. Process several minutes with steel blade until tomatoes are pureed and ingredients are well combined.

Put browned roast into a large pot (or 3 1/2 qt.Crockpot slow cooker). Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water to which you have added beef soup base (1/4c if cooking in Crockpot). Add the sauce mixture from the food processor & cook approximately 3 minutes. Pour sauce mixture over the meat.

Cook on low til meat is very tender, I think it was about 3 hours in the Pot ( 7-8 hours or more, if using slow cooker/crockpot. Turn now and again so it doesn't get too brown on one side. Add a little more water if needed but as it cooks it should release some juice and should be fine. Remove meat from Crockpot and keep warm. Skim off any visible fat from sauce and transfer to a small saucepan, simmer and reduce 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by about 1/3).

Serve hot, with sauce spooned over meat. ENJOY

Apple Cinnamon Nut Oatmeal (p2)

2007-03-12T22:12:00.001+01:00

Here is a really great Oatmeal recipe that came from the SB forum. There are so many recipes on this site I have yet to try and many that I have tried but just haven't posted yet. All have been really good however.
Apple Cinnamon Nut Oatmeal (p2)
(makes 2 servings)
2 c Oats (Quaker Oats)
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 T vanilla
1/8 t salt
1 to 2 T Splenda
1 T cinnamon
2 to 4 T SF Maple Syrup, divided
2 to 4 T Skim milk or FF half & half, divided
2 T chopped pecans, divided
2 T Raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

In a sauce pan boil 2 c water. Stir in oats , 1 peeled & chopped apple, Splenda, vanilla, 2 T maple syrup and some cinnamon (apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice would work well too).

Let the oats and apples cook until they're tender. Toss in some cranberries or raisins if desired and mix well.
Place apple cinnamon oatmeal in 2 to 3 serving bowls, drizzle a touch of FF half and half or skim milk, a drizzle of SF maple syrup (I like Log Cabin Sugar Free brand) and top off with some chopped pecans. ENJOY!!

Taco Soup (p1)

2007-03-12T22:11:00.000+01:00

I wasn't sure what I wanted to cook last night and so I started to poke around the many recipes on my "to try" list. I happened to find this one that I saved long time ago...no big surprise its from Kalyn's blog (love her posts!). It looked really good and since I had all the ingredients, I thought I'd give it a try. Its easy and tastes great!!!! A definite keeper!This reminds me of the Santa Fe Soup recipe I have but its definitely one that I will make again.
To get the Original recipe (from the book: A Pinch of Salt Lake) or the adaptions of Kalyn's (Kalyn's Kitchen) clink on their links. Below is how I made mine.
Easy Taco Soup (p1)
(Makes 6-8 servings)

1 lb. very lean ground beef
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped small
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cans beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (what ever heat you like)
1 cans pinto beans with juice
1 can kidney beans with juice
2 T dried oregano
2 T ground cumin
2 T Chile powder
Optional toppings:
grated cheese (like a Mexican blend)
low fat or fat free sour cream
fresh chopped cilantro

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in frying pan, add ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Remove and place in a large soup pot.

In same frying pan heat second tsp. of olive oil, add onions and garlic, and saute until onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes: Add to soup pot.

To loosen any bits from the skillet add 1 cup of the beef broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Add this as well as the rest of the ingredients into the soup pot.

Let soup simmer at very low simmer 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally and adding a bit more water if it cooks down very much. (If you want a thicker soup, cook 30 minutes, then remove a few cups of soup, puree with food processor or immersion blender and add back into the soup, then cook remaining time.) Serve hot, with toppings as desired. ENJOY!

Tex Mex Stew (P1)

2007-03-12T14:29:00.000+01:00

This recipe came from the SB site and is really yummy. Its one of the first recipes I tried when we first went on SB.
(I used the just green bell peppers as thats all I had and thus is being so green...its good but not as colorful as when you also use a red bell pepper.)

Tex Mex Stew (p1)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1 sm. can green chiles (what ever heat you like)
Onion soup mix
2 cups water
Cumin
Salt
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
(top with some cheese and fat free sour cream if you like)

You can make this in one pot....
Brown the beef
Add peepers, beans, chilies, water, onion soup mix, cumin, salt, oregano and caynne pepper.
Let it cook down, I cooked mine for like fifteen minutes or so.

(If you want it thicker you can add whole wheat flower. [Mix 2 TAB flour with some water until creamy, then add to the pot. Cook a little bit longer till it thickens and its done] NOTE: This would then make this a P2 & P3 dish. I didn't add flour and I think its just fine)

Dee's Sauted Apple Cinnamon Yogurt (P2)

2007-03-10T18:26:00.001+01:00

I don't like the flavor of plan yogurt so I always doctor mine up to taste better. A really easy way to do this is to simply add some splenda & vanilla extract. Its sweet, easy and still very light in flavor (p1). Dee's fro-gurt is a great and yummy way to enjoy yogurt as well. It uses the splenda & vanilla method above, and also includes mixed berries and homemade granola (p2). Another way I like to doctor plan yougurt up, is to make Jellow Yogurt . It's very easy as it calls for a pkt of dry black cherry or regular cherry sugar free jello to be blended in (p1) (these are the only two flavors I think are close to the presweetened and preflavored varietys at the store).
The past few weeks I've had an idea for another way to doctor up some plan yogurt. My idea is not orrigional, but its nothing i've had since I've been on Sb and thought it sounded good, AND IT WAS!!!!

Dee's Sauteed Apple Cinnamon Yogurt (p2)
(makes approxmatly 5 to 6 servings)

For the apples:
5 to 6 apples, peeled and chopped
1 T I can't belileve its not butter
1 T Da Vinci sugar free Carmel Syrup
2 T Da Vinci sugar free Amaretto Syrup
2 to 3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 to 1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract
a tiny dash of salt
2 heaping T splenda
1 T lemon juice

For the Yogurt:
Yogurt (about a cup per person)
1 tsp splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl mix yogurt, splenda and vanilla extract and pour into a serving dish/bowl and set aside.
In a non-stick skillet: Add 1 T lemon juice and toss in the peeled and chopped apples. Place on a med high heat and start cooking them.
Add all the rest of the ingredents and stire often until the apples are cooked soft and hot. (**IF you have a lot of liquid in the skillet after the apples are done, than scoop out apple chunks and set aside. Continue to heat the liquid until its reduced and starts to thinken; then pour over apples. )
Spoon sauted apples over prepaired yogurt and garnish with a little more ground cinnamon if you wish.

** Keep the cooked apples in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can mix the yogurt up ahead of time and also store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dish is good served with reheated apples over the cold yogurt or cold apples over the cold yogurt....either way is good!!
ENJOY!!!

Ricotta Stuffed Chicken (P1)

2007-03-08T11:23:00.003+01:00

This dish is one of the MANY wonderful recipes posted on the Sb forum. Here is my slight adaption of the recipe.
Ricotta Stuffed Chicken (p1)
(makes 4 to 5 servings)
4 to 5 skinless boneless chicken breast, partially thawed
1 to 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning (plus a bit more for topping)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil
1 jar of low sugar marinara sauce Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice chicken breasts to make a pocket (I find scissors work really well, and often better than a knife for this).
Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, egg, garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; mix well. Spoon cheese mixture into the chicken pockets until full and secure with toothpicks to hold the opening together. Brown in hot olive oil for approximately 30 seconds to 1 min on each side.
Remove and place in a glass baking dish coated with a small amount of olive oil. Repeat with other chicken breasts. Sprinkle a bit more Italian seasoning on each chicken breasts and bake at 350 for 30 mins and serve with hot marinara sauce.

NOTE: I often make this dish even faster by doing this:

Add a little marinara sauce to the bottom of a baking dish, fill the chicken breasts with the cheese mixture and place directly in the baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake at 350 uncovered for 4 to 45 mins. Remove from oven and top each with more marinara sauce,shredded Mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake 10 to 20 mins longer, or until chicken is cooked and the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned. ENJOY!!!

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken (p1)

2007-03-08T11:23:00.000+01:00

I'll be honest these Pict's do NOT do this dish justice!!!!! The flavor of this chicken is so good and impressive that I've made this a few times and still get raves about it. Not only does it taste great but it's easy to make (and looks better in person) :D It's another great stuffed chicken recipe that I got from the SB forum.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken (p1)
4 skinless boneless chicken breast
1 box frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c low fat mayo
1/2 c low fat feta
4 to 8 strips turkey bacon (1 to 2 per chicken breast)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice chicken breasts to make a pocket (I find scissors work really well, and often better than a knife for this). Squeeze out all the water from the thawed spinach and mix in the garlic, mayo, feta, salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken pockets with the spinach cheese mixture, place in a baking dish and bake for 30 mins. Cut turkey bacon strips in half and lay 2 to 4 half slices across each chicken breast and bake an additional 30 mins or until chicken is done. ENJOY!!!

Taco Lentils (p1)

2007-02-09T15:24:00.000+01:00

I love recipes and when I come across one that sounds interesting and or yummy I'll save it so I can give it a try some day. I have so many recipes that I could eat a new dish for each meal the rest of the year and still have more recipes left yet to try. Ha ha. Here is one that I found a month or so ago and thought I'd give it a try as I had everything to make it. Its extremely easy to make and tastes really good! This is one recipe that has many possibilities in how or what you put with it. The orrigional recipe is at a blog called: The Bakehouse (along with some other good looking recipes to yet to try).

Taco Lentils (p1)

In a lage skillet Saute:
1 c. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil

When onion is translucent add and bring to a boil
c dry lentils
1 t (heaping) ground cumin
1/2 to 1 T chili powder
1 t oregano
2 1/2 t chicken broth Powder
2 1/2 c water 1 c salsa

Reduce temperature, cover and cook 30 minutes, until lentils are tender (mine were done at this point so do check them now and again!). If not done, uncover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until mix is thickened. Mash lentils slightly if you wish. Note: I think this would be good on a taco salad, in a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, cheese and what ever additional toppings you like, toasted in a whole wheat tortilla with some cheese as a quesadillas and dipped in sour cream and or fresh guacamole, or serve as is on a plate with some roasted veggies or a side salad. No matter what you do with these lentils they will be yummy I'm sure! ENJOY!

Dee's Jambalaya (p2)

2007-02-09T14:09:00.000+01:00

It was one of those days when ya go to the fridge and find a lot of things that need to be cooked up, but ya just don't know what ya want to do with them....that's what I was thinking in the kitchen last night. I've never made a jambalaya before but felt I had the ingredients to make a good one, and I figured I'd give it a try. The recipe idea is one I pulled off of the South Beach forum. Someone had adapted theirs from a recipe on cookinglight.com and I adapted it a bit further for my needs, taste and ingredients. It tasted SO good and has so much flavor and texture that I was very pleased and know we'll have it again in the future!

Dee's Jambalaya (p2)

1 lb (Hillshire Farm) smoked turkey sausage, medium diced
2 c medium to small precooked shrimp (with tail and shell)
2 large chicken or turkey breasts (boneless and skinless)
2 bell peppers (one green and one red), diced
5 to 6 celery stalks, chopped
1 to 2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 1/2 t finely chopped jalapeño pepper
4 c fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c brown rice (Success brand)
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning 1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t ground red pepper
1 1/2 t garlic, minced (jar) 2 c low sugar tomato sauce
1 t dried basil
2 bay leaves
1 t salt (or more to taste) olive oil

In a Large stock pot add: tomato sauce, chicken broth, all the seasonings expect the creole, and the chopped jalapeno pepper. Set to medium low heat and add other ingredients as they are ready.

Season both sides of chicken breasts with Creole seasoning and place in a large skillet along with about 1 T of olive oil. Cook the chicken well on one side and flip over. As chicken is almost done on other side, dice up the Turkey sausage and toss around the chicken in the skillet. I added about a 1/3 c of water and continued cooking.

Meanwhile dice up the veggies and de-shell and or remove the tail off of the shrimp and set aside.

When the chicken is browned well on both sides place it on a carving plate and continue to stir sausage until its lightly browned. Add the sausage and any pan drippings to the stock pot. (do not wipe or clean the skillet)

Dice chicken and add to the stock pot ( or if need be, cook a little longer in the skillet with a little more water until cooked).

Add 1 to 2 T of olive oil and toss in all the diced veggies and season with salt. Saute this for approximately 5 mins or just until soften but not overly done. (I liked the texture of the veggies not overly cooked). When veggies are done add to the stock pot.

Still in the same skillet (I never wiped mine clean from one ingredient to the next to keep the flavor going) toss in the shrimp with about 1 to 2 tsp of olive oil and a little creole seasoning, stir and heat slightly to mix the seasoning (about 3 to 5 min). When finished add this to the stock pot and stir well.

Let all the ingredients simmer on medium heat with lid. Stir now and again. After about 20 to 30 min add in Success brow rice, place lid back on and turn off heat. The rice will soak up the juice and so if you like more liquid you may add a little more chicken broth and tomato sauce, but I found this to be just fine as is. When rice is cooked through serve and ENJOY!!!

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms (p1)

2007-02-03T23:50:00.000+01:00

(this top photo is from the Kraft site, below are mine)
I got this from the Kraft site and thought it looked really good, and it was!
Our store had HUGE but flat Portabello's and so that's what I used. I also had a thicker cut deli roast beef and so I only used two slices per mushroom - and I made the mistake of adding more liquid and oil...(fight this urge as the mushrooms soaked it all up and then released it later on the plate. they tasted good but were a bit more soggy.)

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Prep time: 5 min
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 2 servings, 1 topped mushroom each

2 whole Portabello mushroom caps
1 T butter
1 tsp minced garlic
2 slices tomato
4 lg fresh basil leaves
10 to 12 shaved Roasted Beef
1 T water
2 slices of Provolone cheese
(I'd suggest to add a little salt on each mushroom, just before topping them)

Remove and discard stems (I'd suggest to save them for broth or casseroles). Clean the caps by wiping with a clean, kitchen towel, soft brush or paper towel.

Melt butter in medium skillet on a medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 min or until tender. Add caps, with top-sides down on skillet and top evenly with tomatoes, basil, meat and a little salt.

Add water to skillet; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8 min or until mushrooms are tender. (don't add more liquids or the mushrooms will soak it up and release it later and they'll be soggy)

Place 1 cheese slice on each topped mushroom; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 1 min or until cheese melts. (I popped mine in the microwave for a bit and melted further)

These are really good. Have one as a snack or make two and serve along with a salad for a yummy meal! ENJOY!!!!!

Pork Chops w/ an Onion Mushroom Sauce (p1)

2007-01-24T04:46:00.000+01:00

We haven't gotten pork chops in a long time as they can be rather expensive here and the last two times they had an odd taste. The other day however we picked up a package of 4 pork chops. They were on sale, pretty trim and looked very good. I figured I'd fix pork chops and eggs for breakfast or something but these looked and sounded good so I'd come up with something. Well the day it came down to make making them I really had no idea what I wanted to do with them. They has been in the fridge a little while and needed to be cooked up but what was I going to make??? I got on line and started to look around. I ended up going to Kaylin's Kitchen as she usually has some great ideas. She often show case other bloggers and their recipes and this is where I found the Pork chops with Mushroom Sauce. Glenna, from A Fridge Full of Food, has some really good recipes posted. I've visited her blog a few times before and and found some recipes to try, but I just haven't made any...til now. I didn't make this dish exactly as the recipe was posted, but I came pretty close. I was just too lazy to print it out and its a pretty easy recipe to make. Below is what I did.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce (p1)
4 lean pork chops,with bone
Olive oil 1 to 2 T of " I cant believe its not butter"
Salt
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 can beef broth
2 tsp corn starch
a dash of red wine vinegar

1) In a large non stick skillet heat 1 T of olive oil and toss in diced onion. Cook til almost translucent and soft. Add 1 to 2 T of "I cant believe its not butter", the sliced mushrooms, and some salt. Saute until the mushrooms are soft and tender and then remove from skillet, along with all the pan juices, and set aside. Do NOT clean or wipe out the skillet!

2) Generously season both sides of pork with Cavender's seasoning and a little salt and place in the skillet, along with a little more olive oil. Cook over medium heat til cooked and golden/browned. Set aside and keep warm.

3) Still using the same skillet (and NOT cleaning or wiping it out). Add a can of beef broth and deglaze the pan, making sure you get all the browned bits from the skillet loosened and mixed in. Poor in the onion and mushroom juices, and a dashes or two of red wine vinegar; heat and stir occasionally.

4) In a small dish add corn starch and a few T of the skillet broth; mix til smooth (add more broth if needed). Add this corn starch liquid into the skillet and cook until sauce reduces and thickens. When thick, add sauteed onions and mushrooms, mix well and remove from heat. Place chops on plates or serving platter and pour mushroom sauce on top and ENJOY!

Note: Despite the red wine vinegar and corn starch, this dish is still very South Beach friendly. There isn't enough of either to really effect this dish yet they both add to the sauce in zippiness and thickening.

Beef Stew with Dried Shitake Mushrooms (p1)

2007-01-21T20:52:00.001+01:00

This recipe is one that came from Kayln's Kitchen site. She adapted the recipe from the book: The Best Recipes in the World book, by Mark Bittman (p 381). This is a very good beef stew recipe, that is nice and hearty...especially on a cold day.

Beef Stew with Dried Shitake Mushrooms
(Crockpot or Stove top Recipe)

2 c beef stock, heated to boiling
2 c dried shitake mushrooms (more or less to your liking) 1 large onion, chopped
2 lb beef chuck, all fat trimmed, cut into pieces about 1" or slightly larger
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 c water (use 1 c for stove top cooking)
1/2 c slow roasted tomatoes, chopped (If you don't have roasted tomatoes, use 1/2 cup diced sun dried, or 1 can diced tomatoes. NOTE: If using diced tomatoes for Crockpot version, drain tomatoes well, measure liquid and reduce the amount of stock by that amount.)
2 T tomato paste (remember you can freeze the rest.)
3 dried bay leaves
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Bring beef stock to a boil in large pot. Break dried mushrooms into 1" pieces (this is easier than cutting them after you soak them). When the stock is at boil remove from heat and add the mushroom pieces and allow mushrooms to soak while you brown onions and meat.

In large skillet, heat 1 T olive oil and add chopped onion. Saute about 5 minutes, until onions are softened but not browned and then place in crockpot or stockpot.

In same pan add rest of olive oil (if needed) and brown meat, turning so it browns well on all sides. (Don't rush this step. It will take about 15 minutes to brown well.) Add meat to Crockpot or stockpot. Pour 1/2 cup water into hot pan, use a turner to scrape all browned bits off, and add liquid and meat bits to crockpot or stockpot.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms and beef stock, and bay leaves.

For Crockpot: cook on low 5-6 hours, until meat is tender and flavors are well combined. (Don't be tempted to add more liquid to the Crockpot, even if it looks like it won't be enough. Foods release liquid while cooking in crockpots).
For stove top: simmer on low about 2 hours. You may need to add more water for stove top.

Season to taste with salt, fresh ground black pepper and Enjoy!

Chicken Kaya Spica (p1)

2007-01-18T16:40:00.001+01:00

My daughters best friend Kaya just lives down the street from us and comes over a lot to hang out for a few hours, stay the night, weekend, or stay a week or two when her family goes to Poland. We really enjoy her coming around as she is a sweetheart and a lot of fun. We feel many times we have a second daughter and have taken her under out wing, sort of speak. Sometimes when her parents goes to Poland to visit family, she stays with us as she rather stay a bit closer to her friends and social life and avoid that very LONG drive. One week she stayed with us I made a particular chicken that she just LOVED. Kaya was so amazed that I "just came up with it" and she raved on about how good it was. I told her that since I created it I get to name it - and I'd let her help me with that. She was so tickled and said I needed to call it "Kaya's favorite chicken", ha ha. After some brainstorming and a discussion about how the chicken has a bit of a Mexican flair, its spicy but not hot and its very flavorful - Oh and again "how Kaya liked it" :D I finally came up with calling it "Chicken Kaya Spica"and she loved that idea and I think was a bit shocked that I really put her name in its title. Anyways, its really easy to make and its very flavorful. Hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Kaya Spica
(created by Dee)

Chicken:
6 to 7 chicken breasts (no skin or bone)
1 to 2 Tab olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 pkt Sazon Goya seasoning

Topping: fresh chopped cilantro
shredded cheese blend
sour cream
salsa

Put all of the first 8 ingredients in a large non stick skillet and cook til chicken is done (flip the chicken over a few times during cooking). Transfer chicken to a serving plate and pour the juices over (If there seems to be a lot of juice left I reduce it first). Then when ready to serve place chicken on a plate, top with mixed cheese and melt in the microwave. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and add a dollop of sour cream and salsa on the side. Note: The cilantro, cheese, sour cream and or salsa are not just garnish they really add to this chicken and seem to complete it! ENJOY!!

Broiler Cinnamon Toast (not Sb friendly)

2007-01-18T16:39:00.002+01:00

While growing up and before I had my own child, I did a lot of babysitting. I often would make meals and treats for the kids I watched and it was a little like playing house for me, and aways a lot of fun. One summer I had a full time babysitting job watching my favorite pair of siblings. One evening I had them help me make cinnamon toast for their evening treat. They said their mommy made it, but I was doing it wrong (ha ha). I told them that I was making it like my mommy taught me and another time we'd make it like their mommy made it. They were very skeptical that mine would turn out yucky but went along and helped me anyways. As we made my family's version of this treat, they told me how their mom made hers. They said she put bread in the toaster and when it popped up she'd put butter, cinnamon and sugar on it and served it on a plate or napkin. This was extremely odd to me as I had NEVER had it that way, so I could understand how foreign my methods had to look to them. After the cinnamon toast was out of the oven and they sat down at the table with their pieces of cinnamon bread and glasses of milk they found that it was REALLY GOOD!!! In fact, they told me that my mommy was smart and made the best way (kids are so cute....at the time these two were 4 and 6 ... now they are in their 20's)

Anyways, I made this treat tonight for Martina and Kaya and Kaya said she has never had it like this either. She said her family doesn't make it but she had it before and it was made in a toaster just like the method I mentioned above. So, I thought I'd just mention it here for anyone else that may not be used to making it in a broiler like I do. Its not a crunchy toast (unless you bake it longer) but one that is oozy gooey good!

Broiler Cinnamon Toast
1 to 2 bread slices per person
soft butter or margarine (a generous 1/2 T per slice)
white granular sugar (a generous 1/2 T per slice)
ground cinnamon

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and spread butter or margarine all over the topside of each slice. A generous 1/2 T of butter is just the right amount so you can get to the edges of the bread and be able to hold the sugar in place, without making the bread greasy.

Sprinkle a generous 1/2 T sugar all over each slice and then sprinkle with cinnamon. Place under the broiler and bake until hot, melted and bubbly. ENJOY!!

Broiler Carmel Toast (not SB friendly)

2007-01-18T16:39:00.001+01:00

I got this recipe when I was in 7th grade Home Economics cooking class. Its really simple and the kids I baby sat for really enjoyed it.

4 slices of bread
2 T butter or margarine
2 T brown sugar

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and toast one side in a toasting oven or broiler. Meanwhile, cream butter and brown sugar until smooth and set aside. When the bread is toasted take out and turn over each slice. Spread carmel mixture on the untoasted side making sure to spread it to the edges. Put the bread back in the broiler until carmel mixture is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and Enjoy!

Sb Broiler Cinnamon Toast (p2)

2007-01-18T16:38:00.000+01:00

In Making Cinnamon and Carmel toast tonight for the kids I decided to see If I could make it Sb friendly for me...and I did! I was so excited as it tasted really good and something Sb legal that I can have and not feel guilty about :D
South beach Cinnamon Toast (p2)
1 to 2 slices of bread per person
a generous 1/2 T "I can't believe its not butter" spread (per bread slice)
a generous 1/2 T splenda (per bread slice)
cinnamon

Places bread slices on baking sheet and cover with ICBINB spread (all the way to the edges). Sprinkle a generous 1/2 T splenda on each slice and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in the broiler or toasting oven til hot and bubbly (5 to 10 min usually).

ENJOY!!!

Pizza stuffed Mushrooms (p1)

2007-01-12T16:43:00.000+01:00

While at the store the other night (starved after my workout at the gym and gathering things to make Kayln's Southwest Chicken Salad, I saw some beautiful Portabella mushrooms. I started to walk away and then I thought making some Pizza mushrooms sounded like a nice light snack/lunch but as I went back to get some I saw they were priced at $6 something a pound(!!!!!) I started to walk away again, shocked and sadden when I saw that these jumbo blond mushrooms were cheaper and just as nice.

I took these mushrooms and popped out the stems and pulled the excess away to create a little bigger "bowl" in the mushrooms.

Placed them on a foil lined baking sheet, lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bowl side down I sprayed them lightly with some cooking spray and baked these for 15 to 20 min at 350 degrees.

When done I drained the juice from the baking sheet, turned the mushrooms bowl side up, spay again with cooking spray and sprinkle with some salt and pop them in the oven for 10 mins longer.

After 10 min's (drain again if needed) filled each mushroom with a little pizza or pasta sauce and what ever toppings you like on your pizza's. I added a little sauteed diced onion and bell pepper, about 4 turkey pepperoni slices, a little black olive, salt some Mozzarella cheese. Bake these 15 to 20 min's longer or til cheese is melted and golden. YUMMY!!!!

2007-01-12T14:56:00.000+01:00

Kalyn's Southwest Chicken Salad With Chipotle Ranch Dressing (p1)
(1 serving as a main dish salad, recipe created by Kalyn with much inspiration from Rubio's)

The Salad:
3/4 - 1 cup diced cooked chicken
(1 chicken breast)
3 or 4 T Chipotle Ranch Dressing
(recipe follows)
2-3 cups washed and torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese like a low-fat Mexican Blend
1/2 cup (more or less to taste) chopped fresh cilantro

Mix diced chicken with desired amount of salad dressing and set aside while you prep other ingredients. Combine lettuce, red pepper and cilantro in large mixing bowl (not the bowl you're serving salad in.) Stir in chicken with dressing and mix lightly, until dressing is distributed throughout salad. Sprinkle with cheese and stir gently a few more times, then serve.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
(Makes 2 1/2 cups. Recipe created by Kalyn. Keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.)

1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Season packet (it makes up about 2 cups worth of Ranch)
1c Skim milk
1c mayo
a splash or two of lemon juice (added to the milk to make a buttermilk)
1/2 c salsa (I used Pace Picante Sauce Mild)
1/2 tsp ground Chipotle Chile Powder (I used 1 tsp Mrs. Dash [salt free] Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend)
Kayln says: "If you don't have Chipotle Chile powder, could substitute regular chile powder and a small amount of hot sauce."

Put 1 to 2 splashes of lemon juice in 1 cup of skim milk and set aside to curdle. In a small mixing bowl add dry Ranch dressing powder and 1 cup mayo. Add the lemon milk, aka buttermilk, mix well and set aside. Put salsa in food processor or blender and puree for about a minute or so (with steel blade). Add all of the Ranch Dressing and 1/2 to 1 tsp ground Chipotle and process until well combined. ENJOY!!!

~~After my workout at the gym I went to the store for their evening markdown on rotisserie chicken. They were out (!!!) so I got a couple of boxes of Tyson frozen grilled chicken strips and the rest of the salad fixings and took my starving self home to get this made up :D Instead of premixing the ingredients before serving I just laid the lettuce down on the plates, topped with chopped red and orange bell peppers, mounded the (microwaved) diced chicken in the center , sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro and drizzled the Chipotle Ranch Dressing over each beautiful salad. I totally forgot the cheese (strange for me as I LOVE cheese, but I think I was just so eager about getting started on this awesome salad) yet cheese-less it still was very pretty and OH SO GOOD!!!

Kayln's Meatloaf (p1)

2007-01-10T13:50:00.000+01:00

Once again Kayln ( of Kalyn's Kitchen blog) is awesome! She created a phase 1 South beach friendly Meatloaf that has loads of flavor and is really easy to make. When growing up I HATED meatloaf but now that I'm older I have acquired a taste for it and this one is very yummy. My picky teen even liked it!!!!! If fact she wanted to know just what that smell was when she walked in the door as she headed straight for the kitchen. :D She ate hers with some ketchup but my entire family enjoyed this. Thanks Again Kayln!!! For the original recipe go to Kayln's site, as I have listed below how I made it. Its really not too different but I didn't note all the suggestions or other possibilities that Kayln posted on her blog. Besides go visit her blog as I'm sure you'll find something really yummy there you'd also like to try....after all, Kalyn's Kitchen was named Best Food Blog - Theme in the 2006 Food Blog Awards (CONGRATS Kayln, its well deserved!!!). :D

Kayln's Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed Meal
(Makes two meat loaves, about 8-10 servings)

2 lbs. lean ground beef (I didn't have a lean so I just drained off the fat once during baking)
1 pkg. (19.5 oz.) Turkey Sausage
2 T dried chopped onion
1 T garlic powder
1 T dried basil
1 T dried parsley
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 tsp salt
1 T ground fennel
1 cup finely chopped slow roasted tomatoes
(or use sun-dried tomatoes - rinse with hot water if oil packed)
2 eggs slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove ground beef and turkey sausage links from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. In bowl, combine dried onion, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, flax seed meal, salt, and ground fennel. (She states that she purposely used dried herbs since she wasn't adding much binder to the meatloaf and didn't want added moisture.)

Squeeze turkey sausage out of casings into large mixing bowl. Break ground beef into pieces and place in same bowl. Add dried herb/flax seed meal mixture and eggs to meat mixture and use your hands to combine well. Try to mix the meat enough to get spices and eggs evenly distributed without over mixing.

Shape meat into two loaves. (Kayln prefers to bake meatloaf on a roasting rack, so any fat can drip out and it browns the meatloaf well on three sides.) I just baked mine in a baking dish and after about 30 to 40 min' drained our the drippings and still got a good brown all over).

Total baking time is going to an hour or so. Cutting one meat loaf open is the still the best way to see if the inside is done. But remember this contains turkey and needs to be fairly well done. ENJOY!

Peanut butter Milk Shake (p1)

2007-01-06T21:54:00.000+01:00

When on South beach P1 you are to drink 2 glasses of milk and or have some yogurt for your dairy. Sometimes for a little added treat, that's not counted as a desert I make this:
Peanut butter Milk Shake
(2 servings)
1 1/2 to 2 cups of skim milk
1 to 2 T splenda 2 to 4 T natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
a little ice
sometimes I add a splash of vanilla extract and or
a little sf Hershey chocolate syrup.

Mix this all up in a blender and Enjoy!
Depending on how much milk and Pb you use, this will count towards one of your milks and your nut allowance for the day.

Note: Don't add too much ice as the texture is a bit funky. You want it more milky thank icy.

Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake Bites (p1)

2007-01-06T20:37:00.000+01:00

I got this recipe from of the Hungry Girl Site. It was very easy to make and tasted really good. Its not one of my favorite deserts but it isn't bad and defiantly a nice change. I ended up adding a little extra splenda to sweeten the cream mixture up a bit more and I think using melted semi sweet chocolate for the top would be better as I found the sugar free syrup a bit tart.

Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake Bites! (p1)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Cool Whip Free

5 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese; softened

1 tbsp. SPLENDA, Granular

10 tsp. HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Syrup OR melted semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Using a fork or hand mixer, vigorously mix Cool Whip, cream cheese and Splenda until smooth and well blended. Evenly distribute mixture into 10 sections of an ice cube tray. Tap tray firmly on the counter a few times to get mixture to settle flat. Next, top each with a teaspoon of chocolate syrup or melted semi sweet chocolate chips. Tap tray again to settle. Place tray in freezer until Bites are solid -- at least 2 hours. Once frozen, Cheesecake Bites should pop out easily (if not, set in some warm water for a few seconds so the bottom will loosen). Makes 10 Bites!

On the site it listed these stats: (2 Bites: 40 calories, 0g fat, 100mg sodium, 6.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 2g protein = 1 Point)

Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup (p1)

2007-01-06T18:08:00.000+01:00

This is another wonder recipe that i got from Kalyn's Kitchen. She posted a recipe about a Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup that looked really interesting. I gave it a try last night and my hubby and I really enjoyed it. Below is what I did - the only difference I made was the addition of sauteed mushrooms. For Kalyn's exact recipe please visit her blog via the link above. Kalyn states that this recipe was inspired by a recipe she saw somewhere, but can't remember where. To me it has a very German flavor yet its like nothing I've had so far - but its good! Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup
(about 8 servings)
1 lb. very lean ground beef
2-3 tsp. olive oil 1 cup lg onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic (from jar) 1 14 oz. can chicken broth
2 14 oz. cans beef broth
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 14 oz. can sauerkraut with juice
1 cup water (if needed)
1 T Splenda or brown sugar (I use splenda and a little sf maple syrup for a brown sugar flavor)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3-4 dried bay leaves
3 T minced parsley or 1-2 T dried parsley
1 tsp. rubbed sage
fresh ground black pepper to taste
sour cream
1 to 2 T I can't believe its not butter
1/2 to 1 c sliced mushrooms

In heavy frying pan, heat 1 tsp. olive oil, add ground beef and brown well, breaking into small pieces with turner. This will take as much as ten minutes but don't rush the browning step.

While ground beef browns, combine chicken stock, beef stock, canned tomatoes, sauerkraut, Splenda or brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, parsley and sage in large stock pot. Bring to a low simmer.

When beef is well browned, add to soup in pot. Deglaze pan with a bit of the soup liquid, scraping off any browned bits, and add to soup.

Wipe out frying pan and add other 2 tsp. olive oil. Saute onions 2-3 minutes, until starting to soften, then add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more and add to soup. Add a little "I can't believe its not butter" to the pan and toss in some sliced mushrooms and saute til tender. Add mushrooms to soup pot, reduce heat and let soup simmer at low heat about one hour. After an hour, taste for seasoning and add water if soup seems too strong. Simmer 15 minutes more if adding water. Season to taste with fresh-ground black pepper before serving. Serve hot, with sour cream on top. ENJOY!

Dee's French Toast (p2)

2007-01-06T17:42:00.000+01:00

Growing up I never cared for pancakes. It wasn't until I was pregnant with my daughter that I ate them...in fact I craved them along with cream of mushroom soup, brown sugar oatmeal and dry toast, -of all things, ha ha. Ever since then however, I've enjoed pancakes - but my true breakfast love has ALWAYS been French Toast!!!!!
This is how I make mine (I've never measured so I'm really not sure of the measurement here but this will give you the basic idea):

Dee's French Toast
WW Bread (a few pieces per person)
2 to 3 eggs, beaten
milk
cinnamon
vanilla extract, a splash or two
nutmeg, just a little for added flavor
powder sugar
a good tasting syrup

Beat the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract together. Dip each bread slice in the mixture, covering both sides well and placing in a large nonstick skillet that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
Brown on both sides and cut into triangles using a plastic or wooden flipping spatula. Place the triangles slightly on one another as if they are fallen Damiano's and sprinkle with powder sugar and syrup. ENJOY!
NOTE: If you use a sugar free syrup, omit the powder sugar (or use splenda) and limit the amount of slices of bread,than this is South beach friendly, P2.

2007-01-06T17:11:00.000+01:00

Happy New Years 06/07!!!!!
We had a very good one! Our daughter had a few friends over and the girls stayed the night. A good friend of ours come over too and helped bring in the new year. We made virgin Piña Colada and Strawberry Daiquiris, sweet BBQ cheesy sausages, cheese chunks, chips and dip (store bought cheese Queso and french onion), carrots and pebble treats (like rice crispy treats). I had the fixings for the kids to make a couple of large pizza's but they were so excited to think they were gonna get to make their own personal pizzas (like at our daughter birthday) so I couldn't let them down. (I thought that was such a great compliment in that they had such a good time making them last time they wanted to do it again). We all had a wonderful time watching, playing Phase 10 (its a really fun card game) and then seeing and participating in the German tradition of fireworks. My friend Raina and I went to the castle that is just down the mountain a bit from us and looked over the villages. It was awesome! Afterwords we stopped by our friends and neighbors as the kids went there to shoot off fireworks of their own. It was pouring down rain but everyone still had a great time! Below are some Pict's of our night.

Setting the table and waiting for our friends to come over

Here euro was looking out the sun room windows as the neighbors setting off fireworks. He and Mozes did NOT like all the nose and commotion!!!
Rina is getting the coconut rum just right in hers and my cups :D
These were really good. They were made just like Rice crispy treats only with Fruity Pebbles. This was new flavor called Ice Berry. We weren't too wild about it as cereal but thought it was really good as these treats. Either way we got the cereal when it was on sell for 99 cents a box so it was a really cheep treat too. I just rolled them into balls for something different.

These have always been a tradition ours for New Years. They are cheese smokies. I mix up a sweet BBQ sauce that consists of:
dark brown sugar
ketchup
a little spicy brown mustard
salt and pepper
a little liquid smoke
a little Worcestershire sauce.

Heat this all up in a large nonstick skillet til it thickens and add the smokies and cook til heated. They are so yummy!!!!

Lounging around watching movies....well Mozes is cuddling and Euro is catching some Zzz's. Ha ha.

Making their own pizza's...

Playing dance party as they are teaching one another new dance moves and blaring the music!!!

At the castle (Burg Nanstein in Landstuhl Germany). Watching the German tradition of lighting off fireworks. Some are setting them off here at the castle but we wanted to see the view of the villages below as they set off theirs. It was GREAT!!!!

Over at Kaya's house. Her Father and Brother were setting off fireworks too. This is where the kids went and we later joined them.

Back at home and hours later the girls stayed the night and we decide to play a card game, Phase 10. It a lot of fun!!! We did this while snacking some more and drinking our virgin drinks. The Strawberry Daiquiris are just premade mixes and ice we blended together.
The Piña Colada's we used:
House brand premade liquid mix
ice
a few scoops of vanilla ice cream
a few large table spoons of canned cream of coconut (NOT coconut milk)
and some pineapple chucks with juice.

Blend in a blender and then just before serving drizzle just a little grenadine syrup on top and insert a straw. Its so yummy! (Sorry I didn't get any good Pict's of this)

Now that things are back to normal and quiet again the boys are happy... we caught them getting some luv. Yeah they are spoiled but they are just so darn cute and lovable!

Happy Holiday's 2006!!!!

2006-12-27T00:57:00.000+01:00

From our home to yours....

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-27T00:06:00.001+01:00

Aunt Nancy's Creamed Corn (p 2- 3)

This is so easy but very rich and tasty!

1 large frozen bag of corn
1 (8 oz) pkt of cream cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste

In a large crock pot add all the ingredients and cook until creamy and hot. Stir now and again as it heats up.

Note: This year I made this on top of the stove in a large pot. I don't have a German crock pot so I had to improvise. I love the ease of setting the corn up in a crock pot and pretty much forgetting about it until its done, but no such luck this year. I did add a 1 tsp of "I can't believe its not butter" and a few tsp of water in the pot with the rest of this and it turned out really good. Cover and Cook it on LOW (otherwise it will scorch). ENJOY!!!

Our Xmas....

2006-12-27T00:06:00.000+01:00

We had a really nice Xmas this year, hope you and yours did too!
My hubby had to work Christmas day so we enjoyed our dinner that evening when he was finished. We enjoyed Egg nog and holiday treats while we opened gifts Xmas even. He invited two of his coworkers to join us and it was very nice!!!!
We had our family traditional Holiday Ham, creamed corn, twice baked cauliflower, green bean casserole, glass guild potato casserole, pistachio salad, deviled eggs, Hawaiian sweet rolls, and assorted veggies, cheeses and olives. We also enjoyed German wine and had deep dish cherry pie and pecan pie for desert. It was yummy!!!!!!!!

The snack table with loads of veggies, cheese, olives, wine and holiday treats

Our Dinner Table....

Funeral Taters (p3)

2006-12-25T06:32:00.000+01:00

Glass Guild Potato Casserole (aka: Funeral Taters)
I got this recipe years ago when my husband and I were attending Emporia State University.We were art majors and both were into the Glass Forming Classes. My hubby was secretary of the ESU Glass guild at the time and we met and we started a relationship at one of annual ESU Glass Blowouts. (Check out the ESU glass guild site: http://www.emporia.edu/art/glassguild/index.htm).

Anyways we were getting ready for a glass show/ exhibit to get the community down to see what we were doing. We were all offering to bring some food for the event when a Sr of the department said he'd bring his mothers "Funeral Taters". He explained that his mother was on the committee in their Catholic Church and she would always make this when the group took meals to those that had a death in the family. He said he and his siblings loved this dish and referred to it as her funeral taters. He said it was really good and it made a lot so he'd call her and get the recipe. The night of the exhibition I asked him for the recipe as many others did too. Its extremely easy to make too.

Funeral Taters

1pkg. frozen hash brown cubes w/ diced onion and bell peppers
1 carton sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup

Mix thoroughly and place in a large baking dish. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 350 degrees. I usually bake til the top is starting to brown and i mix it up a bit and bake again til it browns again. You can also use mushroom or celery soup instead of the cream of chicken and instead of the cheddar soup you can use 1 cup of Velveeta cheese. I've never made it with these substitutions, but his mother said she has and its still very good. ENJOY!!!!!

Before being baked...still looks good doesnt it.

Holiday Treats (not SB friendly)

2006-12-25T03:00:00.003+01:00

This year I had some help in making the holiday treats we give to some of our friends for Xmas. My daughter and two of her friends helped me and we all had a blast! We made two kinds of fudge, candy cane almond bark, chocolate covered pretzels, thumb print cookies, peanut brittle, Bourbon balls, M&M cookies, and coffee cake muffins.
These were my helpers!!!
Antoine,
Christina,
and my daughter, Martina.
Oh, and my littlest pup, Mozes.
Being goofy in the kitchen but still being very productive!

Chocolate covered pretzels.....its really very easy! Melt white almond bark or white chocolate chips in the microwave and dip pretzels in to coat. Lay out on wax paper and decorate if desired. We used colored sugar. Allow to dry/harden and then lift off the wax paper and store at room temperature in an air tight container or a large Ziploc bag.

This was sooo funny! The girls were teasing one another and Martina got Christina with Chocolate... the looks on their faces are just priceless! Total shock!!! and true laughter....I Love these three Pict's!

Candy Cane bark is extremely easy to make. You melt white chocolate chips or While Almond bark til creamy and smooth. You stir in Crush Candy Canes (I also used some colored sugar for extra color). Spread out thinly on wax paper and allow to harden back up. Break up into small chunks and store room temperature in Ziploc bags or an air tight container. Its that simple!

I cheated and used boxed Coffee Cake muffin mix.

M&M Cookies:
1 c shorting
1/2 c sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cream until fluffy

fold in 2 well beaten eggs and beat entire mixture. Sift together 2 1/2 c sifted flower, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt.
Add sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir in 1 large bag of M & M candy (and chopped nuts if you like)
Mix well and drop my small balls/spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for
10 min.

Peanut Brittle
2 c sugar
1 c light Karo syrup
1/2 c water
1 c butter
2 c peanuts
1 teaspoon soda

Combine sugar, syrup and water. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and add butter. Stir frequently after it reaches 230 degrees. Add peanuts at soft crack (280 degrees). Stir constantly until it reaches hard crack (305 degrees). Remove from heat quickly and stir in 1 teaspoon soda, mix thoroughly. Pour onto 2 baking sheets that have been well buttered. Cool and break by tapping with a knife handle.

Thumb Print Kiss Cookies. I am not sure where my mom got this recipe but I got it from her. These didn't have deep enough thumb prints so the cream filling didn't want to stay in...but ordinarily these are pretty and tasty!

1/2 c butter
2/3 sugar
1 egg, separated
2 TAB milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c unsifted flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/3 tsp salt
chopped pecans or walnuts or granulate sugar

Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla. In a different bowl combine flour, salt, cocoa, and blend well. Chill dough about 1 hour or until its firm to the touch. While waiting for the dough to chill chop up nuts, unwrap the Hershey's Kisses and make the cream filling.

Cream Filling:
1/2 c powder sugar
1 TAB butter
1 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Mix together and set aside.

When the dough is ready, roll into 1 in balls. Dip into a beaten egg white and roll cookie ball in nuts or granulated sugar. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and press a thumb print in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 mins. When the cookies are done and slightly cooled fill each cookie center with the cream filling and place a kiss in the center of it and enjoy!

I got both Fudge recipes from Gretchen (The Kitchen Goddess) both were WONDERFUL!!!!
Coffee Shop Fudge

3 c semisweet chip

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Ham (Not SB friendly)

2006-12-25T03:00:00.002+01:00

Our Traditional Holiday Ham
(Not SB friendly)

Every since I can remember we have had our family's Holiday Ham for Christmas and Easter. Its very easy to make and tastes wonderful!

1 Bone in Ham (shoulder/butt)
1 bottle of very cheep sweet white wine
1 lb box of brown sugar
1 bottle of cherries in juice
1 can pineapple rings with juice
ground cloves

With a sharp knife make punctures all over the ham. Place in a roasting pan and pour wine, pineapple and the cherry juice all over the ham. sprinkle with cloves...be rather generous with this as this adds a lot of good flavor! Using the palm of your hand pack brown sugar all over the ham. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for a few hours (20 min's per lb). Take ham out, ladle with pan drippings and repack with brown sugar as needed.

About 20 to 30 min's before the ham is done cooking take the foil off and place pineapple rings all over the ham. Take toothpicks and pierce two cherries on each toothpick and place just under the top pineapple ring to help secure it and place back in oven to bake the addition time. Let the ham rest a about 10 to 15 Min's before carving and serving. ENJOY!!!