Chocolate Velvet Dessert

Chocolate Velvet Dessert

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
2 Tbs  sugar
1/4 c butter, melted

2 c semisweet chocolate chips
6 egg yolks
1  3/4 c  whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 c butter
3 c powedered sugar
3 Tbs  cocoa
3-4 Tbs milk


Combine first three ingredients until crumbly. Press onto bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9in springform pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in saucepan on the stove, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool. In mixing bowl combine egg yolks, whipping cream and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually stir 1/3 of the cream mixture into the melted chocolate. Continue adding remaining cream, beating well to combine. Pour into colled crust.

Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen. Cool for an hoour before topping with frosting.

For frosting, beat first four ingredients until combined; Then add milk by tablespoonfuls, beating after each addition until smooth.

Refrigerate after completely assembled. (and we found this to be even richer on day #2...if you can make it last until then!)

DIY Frame Desk Organizer

I saw this idea on Pinterest awhile ago and when I saw this I thought it would the perfect use for some scraps I had leftover from a skirt refashion.

It was really simple.

Here's what you need:

- an old frame with a removable back that can stand on its own
- three (or more) pieces of fabric
- hot glue
- paint (optional)

First off, this was originally a brown frame. I painted it black to match my fabric choice. (Think about the paint/fabric possibilities here!)

I cut three pieces of fabric so they stretched tightly across the back insert piece of the frame. I chose to have three pockets, but you can choose to have more or less. Starting at the top, I hot glued each piece along the bottom and sides, then inserted the back into the frame.

I'm Craving Thanksgiving Dinner Casserole

Imagine Roasted Turkey, Stuffing and Green Bean Casserole all rolled into one. It may sound odd, but the results last night were SO good. This recipe reminds me of "Impossible Pie"s which use a certain "convenience" product...which I don't use, but have fond memories of growing up.

Turkey & Vegetable "Thanksgiving" Casserole 

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

16 oz. ground turkey

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. chopped fresh green beans

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1/2 c. skim milk

1 T. light olive oil

1/2 c. fried onions (Durkee)

Preheat oven to 350. Saute onion, carrot and celery in 1 T. butter or oil until slightly softened. Add ground turkey and seasonings. Cook and and stir until meat is browned. Add the chicken stock and green beans and cook until liquid has evaporated and beans are cooked. Remove from the heat and mix in 1 T. of parsley. Turn meat mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small small whisk together the eggs, milk,oil and remaining parsley. Mix wet into the dry mixture. Pour evenly over meat mixture. Sprinkle with fried onions. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.

  

Yum.

Scooby Doo- Where Are You?

 One of my husband's imaginary friends as a child was Daphne - from Scooby-Doo .:) So it is only fitting that our daughter be her for Halloween - especially since it's her dada's favorite holiday and this is probably the last year we will be able to pick her costume. 

 I re-sized a small women's long sleeve t-shirt (from Goodwill for $1.75) to a 2T dress. For the light purple I used and old t-shirt of mine! The bottom of the dress was the bottom hem of my shirt and the ends of her sleeves were cut from the neck of the shirt - giving the edges a finished look that I didn't have to sew! The light green scarf was cut from one of my daughter's old shirts. 

Bonus! The dress doesn't scream costume, so she has a new outfit to wear.

Not bad for $1.75!

Easy Dill Pickles

In our house we go through insane amounts of pickles. Pickles on sandwiches, chopped pickles in salads, pickles eaten while they drip on my kitchen floor (ahem).

Despite the nearly rain-free summer we've had here in Indiana, our local farmer's market still has cucumbers, which means I can have homemade pickles. In the past I've made the kind that mirrors bread starter where you have to feed it floue every day or it dies (you know, the Ziploc baggie full of sludge your 'friends' give you to show how much their friendship means... but DOES produce dang good cake-like bread in the end.)

Anyway, this year I wanted simple. Not only has Indiana been rain-free here, it has been HOT. So the less I have to stand over the stove, the better.


Easy Dill Pickles

Prepare jars for pickles (which means make 'em clean with hot, soapy water). You decide how many jars you're making based on how thin you cut your cukes. The liquid is enough for 2-3 pint jars.

4-6 medium cucumbers    (I judge by how big around I want my pickles)
1 cup white-wine vinegar 
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBS salt
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 

          (smashing tip: place clove on cutting board after peeled; take a wide butcher knife and lay it flat on the clove; pound down with your fist and voila! smashed garlic)

2 sprigs fresh dill per jar

Place dill springs in jars. Set aside.

In medium saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, salt, water and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Cut pickles into desired thickness....we like ours a bit thick. Place inside, leaving 1" head space. Pour liquid over pickles in jars, screw on seals/lids tightly. Let jars stand at room temperature to cool 1 hour. Store in fridge up to 2 weeks.

Red Onion Jam

My new favorite topping for chicken or fish? Red onion jam.

Red Onion Jam

2 Tbs olive oil

3 medium red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/2 c red wine vinegar

1/4 c sugar

Heat oil in saucepan with lid. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft - about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar; simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered,until thick and jam-like, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to one week.

Slow-Cooked Sausage Ragout

12-oz ground pork sausage

3 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz cans diced tomatoes with their juice

1 medium onion, diced

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook sausage until well browned. Place sausage in slow-cooker along with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

* I served the ragout over pan-fried polenta with Parmesan cheese, as in the picture. I froze the leftovers and reheated later to serve with pasta.

12 servings of ragout

134 calories

8.2g carbs

8.4g fat

7g protein

Use-Up-What-Ya-Got Bars

Every several months I tend to have random baking ingredients in only small amounts taking up space in my pantry. This is when I make a layered bar cookie! The beauty of these is you can mix up all kinds of ingredients and there are endless possibilities. Here's what I made this time. I'll call them:

Almond Chocolate Cherry Bars

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 c. sliced almonds

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. dried cherries

1 c. rolled oats

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Mix together melted butter and graham crumbs; press onto the bottom of a 9x9-inch cake pan. Mix together almonds, chocolate, cherries & oats; spread evenly over graham crust. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

*Any 3-4 cup combination of nuts, dried fruit, baking chips, coconut - really any cookie addition you can think of, can be used in the "filling".  Just always use at least 1 cup of desired chocolate or baking chips. 

* Easily doubled in a 9x13-inch pan!  

Buffalo-Style Spaghetti

Several weeks ago I made an amazing wing sauce that I used as the base of this recipe, but any good hot sauce could be substituted. Just make sure it's a thicker one. This spaghetti definitely has some heat,but it's a sweet and spicy mix that just...works. If you have a wing lover in your life - this pasta will satisfy.

2 T. light olive oil

1 large sweet Vidalia onion, small diced

2 carrots, small diced

3 cloves garlic

2 c. freshly diced tomatoes, mostly seeded

1 roasted red pepper, small diced (I used jarred)

1/2 c. mild to spicy wing sauce - use your favorite

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

13.25 oz. whole grain spaghetti (I used Dreamfields), cooked according to package

In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and carrots to the pan and gently saute until onions become translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and peppers to the pan then cook, covered, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce. Stir in tihe wing sauce and let simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until vegetables are very tender and sauce is desired thickness. Add parsley and pasta to the pan and toss over low heat then serve. 

* This pasta reheats wonderfully! My husband gladly polished off the leftovers for lunch 2 days in a row! 

8 servings

218 calories

5.1g fat

39.2g carbs 5.3g fiber

6.5 g protein

Cheddar-Ranch Baking Powder Biscuits

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
2 T. butter
1/2 c. light ranch dressing
1/2 c. skim milk
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt & parsley in a large bowl. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Add ranch, milk & cheese and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth. Pat or roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet and chill in fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until golden and wonderfully puffed. Makes about 10 delicious biscuits!

* I made these to go with my Buffalo-Style Spaghetti!

Cookie Crumb Truffles

Cookie Crumb Truffles. 

Doesn't that sound better than Cake Balls? (hint: the right answer is 'yes')

We tend  to have extra cookies and my M.O. is to throw extra chocolate chip or sugar cookies in the freezer and use them as bases for ice cream cakes or in marshmallow treats (yes, that can be your top for the day - add crumbled cookies into your rice krispie treats and you'll never make them any other way).

I digress....

The girl made sprinkle sugar cookies the other week and we had TOO many left over so into the freezer they went. yesterday I had the idea to crumble them up, mix them with homemade icing, ball them, dip them, drizzle them and serve.





Pretty, eh?


So here's the thing (always a thing with inventive cooks). There's no official recipe to follow. This is a gut thing. Here's what I did.

Crumble up cookies into a bowl. 

Make favorite buttercream (or use store-bought). Add to the crumbs a couple scoops at a time, mixing with your hands until it's sticky enough to hold together but not nasty. Make into balls.

Melt white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli white chips) with a little shortening to extend it. Dip balls until covered.  Place on wax paper-lined trays.

I then used a little food coloring int he remaining chocolate to drizzle over the tops.  I let them firm up in the fridge before transferring to serving tray.

(At this point small fingers liked peeling and eating the hardened chocolate drips off the wax paper)

Salmon Rice Salad

May. June. Those are the months I start wanting cool main dishes. No more oven, no more standing over hot skillets. This salad is a huge hit with my family.
 
Salmon Rice Salad

1 can salmon, skin and bones removed
1 cup uncooked rice, prepared according to directions on  package
20 black olives, halved
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients well in bowl.


Stir together:


2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Pour dressing over mixture until well coated. Chill at least an hour to let flavors meld.

Orange-Zucchini Loaf with Orange Glaze

I LOVE zucchini bread! My inspiration for this recipe can be found here. I chose orange instead of lemon - just because. The use of wheat flour and applesauce make this a healthier loaf than the original. I knocked off about 100 calories and 11g of fat per slice! The texture of this bread is almost like that of a pound cake.

• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 orange (or 2 Tablespoons orange juice)
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 cup grated zucchini

Please go to NancyCreative for directions! I followed what she did there.

10 slices

168 calories

1.2g fat

34g carbs

4.3g protein

Cream-Filled Ginger Crisps

Get ready to die. This recipe takes a bit of patience but it is well worth it in the end.

Cream-Filled Ginger Crisps

Ginger Crisps

1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 c dark corn syrup
3/4 c flour
1/2  tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with foil; Grease foil.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat.

Mix the flour and ginger in a bowl. Slowly add the butter mixture, stirring well. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto prepared sheet. These will spread, so space them 2-3 per sheet.

Bake until bubbly, about 9 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 seconds before carefully peeling them from the foil. I found using my fingers was easier than using a spatula. Stack and allow to harden fully.

Cream Filling

1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c butter
1/2 c milk
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer (or use a hand-held mixer, if preferred). Beat for 10 minutes until fluffy. (be patient...this goes through a weird lumpy/wet stage before smoothing into a whipped cream-like consistency). Refrigerate until ready to assemble cookies.

Scoop a dollop of filling onto a crisp, top with another. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

This recipe was the product of needing to use up some leftover sweet potatoes we had last night. There weren't enough to go around a second time (yes, we DO eat leftovers at our house). I had already put together a chicken and red pepper nacho bake. I wanted to keep with the pseudo-Hispanic theme and decided to mix them into a black bean cake. The results were a perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

1 can black beans, drained
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered and baked
3 green onions, roots  and tips removed
1 tsp each, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder 

1/2 c whole wheat flour (or other preferred flour/cracker coating)

Blend all ingredients in food processor until to desired smoothness (we liked ours a little chunky). Scoop into 1/4 c balls and dredge in flour. Sprinkle with additional spices as desired (I used cumin and chili powder). Place on greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping at the halfway point.

Serve with lime and sour cream.

Serves: 8
Calories: 157

Total Carbohydrates: 31.9g

Dietary Fiber: 5.6g

Sugars: 0.8g

Protein: 6.7g

Applesauce Oat Cakes

These make a big batch and freeze well! Just pop them in the toaster for a quick, healthy breakfast or snack! Awesome smeared with peanut butter & drizzled with a little honey.

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. baking powder
2 T. honey
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
6 T. natural applesauce
Butter for the pan

Whisk together all the ingredients and let stand 5 minutes. Brush a non-stick pan or griddle with butter and dollop 1/4 c. circles of batter onto the surface. Cook until you see lots of little popped bubbles on the surface.

 Flip and cook for about 1 minute more until cooked through. Remove from pan and place
on a baking sheet.

If you are eating them soon, put in a warm oven while  you continue to make more cakes. If freezing, let cool completely on the baking sheet. Then stack in a large freezer bag with wax paper or parchment between the layers. Recipe will make about 32 small pancakes.

2 Cakes

calories 116

fat 2.5g

total carbs 19g

fiber 1.7g

sugars 4.2g

protein 4.7g

approx using caloriecount

Popcorn w/ Mustard Butter, Black Pepper & Fresh Thyme

 I recently checked out Heidi Swanson's new cook book Super Natural Every Day and made this twist on her popcorn recipe in the Snacks chapter. Microwave popcorn and black pepper instead of popping corn on the stove and adding fresh chives.

3 bags plain- no butter- microwave popcorn
6 T. unsalted butter
2 T. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt - plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

Melt together the butter, mustard, salt and pepper. Pop the popcorn according to the package directions, being careful not to burn it. Pour 2 bags of the popcorn in a very large mixing bowl and drizzle with 1/2 of the mustard butter. Toss gently. I used two flat wooden spatulas for this step. Add the remaining popcorn and drizzle with remaining butter. Toss again. Sprinkle with thyme, toss and taste for salt.

This stuff is deliciously addictive.

 

Monkey Party!

 My daughter turned 2 last week and we had a monkey-filled day to celebrate!

Monkey Toss!

inspired from Michael's

Not a professional job, but it was fun to make from materials I had around the house. Basically cardboard, sharpies & a glue gun. I found some small plastic balls at the Dollar Store that worked perfectly for this. 

Also a Dollar Store find - I hid these adorable monkeys all over for the birthday girl to find. This game was her favorite part of the day. 

Made a sweet & simple Monkey Cake! 

Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting & Peanut Butter Buttercream

and some little monkey cakes too :) 

Happy Birthday to my girl :). 

Ricotta Vegetable Pancakes with Spinach, Zucchini & Corn

15 oz. part-skim Ricotta Cheese

8 oz. cooked spinach, well drained

1 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. fresh corn, thawed if frozen

2 T. pesto or chopped fresh basil

1/3 c. plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1/3 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

light olive oil for frying

Whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet and drop 1/4 cup mounds of batter into the pan. Let brown on one side for 2-3 minutes before flipping and browning on the other side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Place on a sheet pan in a warm oven and repeat with remaining pancake batter, adding small amounts of oil as needed to keep cakes from sticking. These are wonderful served with a simple marinara sauce on the side. I just opened a jar for that. :) 

 Hooray for fried food you can feel good about!

Reusable Snack Bag

Every time we go on a long car trip, I pack each child a 'snack bag'. It ends up being some combination of whatever sweet and/or salty things I have on hand. However, I hate pulling out baggies only to end up with a backseat full of empty ones that end up in the trash.

Enter in the vinyl place mats I found at garage sale last summer that I fell for but I knew did not match our dining room AT ALL. I knew I'd find some cool new purpose for them. 

This is about as easy a sewing project as it gets. I folded up one end and stitched up each side. Mine already had the angled edges, which I thought would mean escaping pretzels and whatnot, so I sewed up the angle a bit (see picture above).

Then I hand sewed a button and made a slit which I hand serged (but hey, vinyl doesn't fray).

Voila! Washable, reusable snack bags.

Light as Air Egg Squares

First things first: make these the night before or in the morning - needs to chill at least 8 hours.

Light as Air Egg Squares

9 slices of bread (crusts removed)
softened butter
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt

* Filling choices: cooked bacon or sausage, spinach, diced ham, onions,etc.

Spread each slice of bread with softened butter. Cut into cubes and spread evenly into 9x13in pan (I prefer glass for eggs). Top with *filling (if desired) and then shredded cheese.

Beat together eggs, milk, and salt. Pour over fillings in pan. CHILL 8 HOURS.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Serves: 16
Calories per serving (with no meat): 261
Total Carbs: 5.2 g
Fat: 14.8 g

Easter Sonshine Cake

 This Easter I wanted to depart from what I've made the last couple years: egg-shaped cakes covered in layers of colorful butter cream icing. This was a combination of (sorta) healthier ideas. BUT....check these numbers. Cut this into 12 pieces and you can eat a whole piece (minus the peeps) and it's only 260 calories.
 
It was such a hit, it might be my new 'tradition'.


Sonshine Easter Cake

1 box white cake mix (I used funfetti)
12 oz diet orange soda

1 tub Fat-free Cool Whip
15 marshmallow Peeps (optional)

Mix cake mix and soda. Pour into two greased/floured 8' cake  tins. Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool fully. Remove from pans carefully! My tip is to run a plastic knife around the edges of the pan and then place the serving plate over the pan and quickly flip it out.

Spread Cool Whip between the two layers and another layer on top. Arrange Peeps (or other desired decoration) around edges.

Chill until ready to serve. (You can also freeze this and allow to thaw at room temperature 1 hr before serving)

Chocolate Brownie Bird's Nest Cookies

HAPPY EASTER!

We are taking our little one to an Easter Egg Hunt party tomorrow and I want to take a treat that will appeal to both kids and adults - so I made these. Cute for the kids! Chocolate for the moms and dads that need it.

I chose to use yogurt-covered raisins for more natural-looking eggs, instead of the traditional candies. I hope everyone enjoys them!

Brownie Cookies

20-oz pkg. Fudge Brownie Mix

2 eggs

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Scoop out 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until just set. Let cookies rest on sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

 Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

**subbed Neufchatel Cheese for regular Cream Cheese 

**also subbed Whole Milk for the Half & Half

When cookies are cool, top with about 2 teaspoons of frosting and dip into green coconut or crushed chow mien noodles. Nestle in 3 yogurt-covered raisins. Stand back and revel in the cuteness you have created.

** I recommend chilling for at least 30 minutes to let cookies set up!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad & a Contest

That's right people - the sweet potatoes are sick of being covered in sickeningly sweet little white puffs of air with zero nutritional qualities. It's time for change! 

Let us also break away from traditional potato salads that are coated in fattening white mayo. Yuck. 

Bring in some color to your life!

Try my recipe for Roasted Sweet & Yukon Potato Salad with Honey-Lime & Cumin Dressing!

It's a little spicy, a little sweet, good warm, good cold and really good for you.
Low in fat
NO cholesterol
High in fiber
High in potassium
High in vitaminB6
Very High in vitamin C

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sweet Potatoes, peeled

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. light tasting olive oil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

2 c. fresh green beans

1 roasted red pepper (I used jarred)

small bunch or about 1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro

1 T. honey

2 tsp. cumin

1 T. cider vinegar

2 T. lime juice

To Make:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cube the sweet potatoes  & Yukon potatoes into roughly 1-inch pieces. Combine with the garlic and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out in a large baking dish and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until golden and easily pierced with a fork. 

Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook the green beans for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

In a large serving bowl combine the remaining ingredients.

When potatoes are done, turn out into the serving bowl and toss gently with the dressing. Let stand for 5 minutes for the flavors to be absorbed. Gently mix in the green beans and serve.   

I am posting this recipe as an entry into the  No More ‘Mallows! Blogger Recipe Contest 

I created this amazing salad tonight and my husband, who is NOT a sweet potato or green bean man, loved it. I'm always proud when I get him to eat his veggies. Especially sweet potatoes - for they are so nutrient packed and extremely versatile, not to mention easy on the wallet.  

6 Servings

232 calories

5g total fat

44.6g total carbs

6.3g fiber

5.3g sugars

4.1g protein

approx . using caloriecount

Five Pepper Spaghetti with Cilantro & Queso Cotija

 

13.25 oz. pkg. Dreamfields spaghetti or whole wheat spaghetti
3 T. light olive oil
2 cubanelle peppers
1 sweet red pepper 
1 sweet orange pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. whole fennel seed, crushed
1 c. dry white wine
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. part-skim Cotija cheese, divided
1/2 c. chopped, fresh cilantro

Cook the pasts according to package directions and drain. Toss with 1 T. of olive oil and set aside.
While pasta in cooking, halve and thinly slice the peppers and onion. 
Mince the garlic.
In a large skillet (or use the same pot you cooked the pasta in, like I did), heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Saute the peppers, onion, garlic and fennel seed in the oil until almost tender. Add the white wine and let bubble away until absorbed by the vegetables. Salt and pepper to your taste. Turn off the heat.
Add the spaghetti and 1/2 c. of the Cotija. Toss, toss, mix, mix well to combine. 
Dump pasta into a large serving bowl and top with chopped cilantro and remaining Cotija cheese. 

*This recipe is good hot or cold!
** I used the fennel seed to create the illusion of "sausage" in this dish. 

6 servings

311 calories

15.5 g. fat

25.9g total carbs

5.3g fiber

5.6g sugars

11.8g protein

approx. using caloriecount

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Torte

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Torte

Cookies:


1 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
9 Tbs cocoa
3 Tsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour


Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add cocoa, oil and vanilla. Mix well.  At low speed, add flour until combined.

Place 3 scoops of the dough onto a 11x7 in piece of waxed paper. Cover it with another piece of waxed paper and roll into a thin shape. (Mine ended up in all sorts of fun, non-round shapes). Carefully remove the top piece of wax paper and place the cookie-topped piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. *

Bake for 6 minutes. Slide waxed paper with bake cookie onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before peeling waxed paper off of cookie.

Continue with all the layers.

* I reused the 'top' piece of wax paper every time I rolled. But you will need enough wax paper for baking the 10+ layers. :)  

Once all the layers are baked, alternate cookies with filling on large serving plate.

Filling:

1 tub Cool Whip
4 Tbs peanut butter (or more/less to your personal taste)

Store in fridge until ready to serve! (And I do recommend bringing the intact dessert to the table to wow your friends/spouse. No serving this behind the scenes...)

Beer Bottle Cap Coasters

Know someone with a big bottle cap collection? Up-cycle the caps & show them off by making coasters! I made these for my husband as a gift, using only part of his hoard. He's been saving them for years and keeping them in an old popcorn tin. Each coaster is unique!

To make:

3.5in x 3.5in plywood squares

3.25in x 3.25in cork squares

small translucent craft gems (find at any craft store in the floral section)

extra strength super glue

bottle caps (make sure they are mostly flat)

1. glue cork squares to rough side of plywood and let dry

2. dab a bit of glue onto back of a bottle cap, then press the rounded side of 1 stone onto the cap.

3. Dab a bit of glue onto the flat side of the stone, then press onto the plywood square.

4.Hold in place for several seconds.

5. Repeat steps for desired number of coasters.

Pesto Pizza Grilled Cheese

Easy way satisfy a pizza craving!

Take:

2 slices 12-Grain Bread

2 slices Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar

9 pieces Turkey Pepperoni

2 T. leftover Spinach Pesto

Grill with a little butter.

Amazing.

Greek Turkey Meatballs with Spinach Pesto & Feta

1 lb.lean ground turkey

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 c. Italian-style breadcrumbs

1/2 c. spinach pesto (followed this recipe, but substituted walnuts)

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, UNdrained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Combine all but tomatoes in a large mixing bowl, using a fork to gently mix. Roll meat mixture into 2-inch balls and place in baking dish, spacing them so them do not touch. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Pour the diced tomatoes and their juice over the meatballs. Cover the dish with foil and return to the oven for 20 more minutes. Serve with rice or noodles if desired.

6 servings

342 Calories

14g Fat

22.7g Total Carbs

2.7g Fiber

4g Sugar

30.3g Protein

approx. using caloriecount