South Beach Cookies!

So I've decided I need to go back to Phase 1, because of how much weight I have to lose and because last week was a bit of a bad one diet-wise. Well, tonight I was really wanting something sweet after dinner but obviously wasn't about to cheat on my diet. So I finally decided to try the Phase 1 friendly PB cookies that were posted on 3fatchicks.com :) Here is the recipe and I must say even though they certainly aren't as good as my usual recipe (also posted on my blog) they are definitely a good substitute and pretty darn good for "diet cookies."


Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 egg
1 cup granulated splenda
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup part skim ricotta
1 tablespoon vanilla


For chocolate peanut butter add 2 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and add additional splenda to sweeten cocoa powder.

Mix ingredients, spoon on to cookie sheet (lightly coated with cooking spray -canola spray is best) and bake 300 for 10 to 15 minutes


I did not try them with the cocoa powder this time but plan to next time I make them, and while it sounds pretty odd to make cookies with ricotta cheese, I must say I was pleasantly surprised, so if you are trying to watch your weight or even just your sugar intake, give them a shot!

Turkey Loaf Florentine

So last night I took a South Beach recipe that I had made in the past and sort of made it my own (because I couldn't find the recipe.) So here it is for you, all of my readers. :) (The measurements are rough as I didn't measure anything.)

2 packages of ground turkey
2 cups of finely chopped spinach
2 eggs
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1-2 cups grated mozz

Preheat over to 350, combine all ingredients except for the cheese, take a casserole dish and lay half the mixture in the bottom, top with cheese (leaving about a half inch around the edges) and then top with remaining turkey mixture. Bake for approx an hour. Enjoy!

A sidenote, I enjoyed mine along with some fresh avocado. That may not be your thing but if it is, it was tasty together.

Picadillo

So I recently got back on the beach. South Beach Diet that is :) after a couple of months with minimal success on Weight Watchers, I thought it was time to go back to the low carb option that gave me much success a few years ago. I have been trying new recipes and absolutely love this one so I thought I'd share with you! For those who aren't familiar with SBD, this recipe is approved for Phase 1 of the diet, which is the first two weeks.

I found the recipe here.

Picadillo (a Cuban dish)
Phase 1


1/4 cup of olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 medium-sized green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound of boiled ham, (find it in the cold cut section), finely chopped
1/2 cup of fresh tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup of pimento-stuffed green olives cut in half and a tablespoon if its juice
1 tablespoon of salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup of cooking wine (if desired)
1/2 tablespoon of your favorite seasoning, such as ACCENT Seasoning or Mrs. Dash


Directions:

In a casserole, heat the oil over low heat until fragrant, then add the onion, pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Add the beef and ham and cook, stirring until brown (the ham will stay pink), 10 to 15 minutes, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon. Drain off any excess fat. Add the cooking wine (or red wide if you are on Phase II), tomatoes, salt and seasoning, along with the olives and a tablespoon of the olive juice. Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Now, my guys are all pretty picky and wouldn't like this; so I made a batch for myself to have for lunch for the week. MMM nom nom!

Taco Bowls

This is probably my family's favorite meal. One that all of us just LOVE! I used to use ground beef then ground turkey, but now I use cut up chicken breast. I had actually blogged it before (here) But here is the revised version of how I make it. :)

You need:
2-3 boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut up
taco seasoning
spanish or mexican rice (I use the Dainty kit, not sure it's avail in the US tho)
taco sauce (recipe below)
your favorite toppings (ours include sour cream, salsa, cheese)
hard taco shells (to crumble into your bowl)

Cook chicken breast and then stir in taco seasoning & water
Cook rice
once both are done, combine

serve in bowls & top with taco sauce and toppings

simple! :)

I have come up with a homemade taco/enchilada sauce :)

1 small can of tomato sauce, a bit of water, chili powder and a bit of garlic powder & salt (season to your liking) just combine all and there you have it! :)

Scrumptious Sunday

Okay so really this is for Monday but I made them tonight, and I'm sure I'll have one tonight *L* Breakfast for tomorrow is:

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins mmmmm

You will need:
3 medium very ripe bananas
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp chocolate chips

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350* (325 for dark or non stick pans)
Lighly coat 12 muffin liners with cooking spray and place in muffin tin
In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork and then whisk in the egg, milk, and sugars. In a seperate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt, add to the banana mixture and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips and spoon equal amounts into the 12 muffin cups. Bake 30 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan then remove to wire rack. Enjoy!




For another of our favorite banana muffin recipes check out this post!

Feliz Navidad!

And for Christmas, I let Gavin choose the cuisine... he chose Mexican. :) It. Was. DELISH! We started early afternoon with a nice spread of Mexican noodle dishes (two kinds,) Mexican rice salad, chips, guacamole, salsa, queso, sour cream, black olives, jalapenos... then we enjoyed some yummy chicken tortilla soup...

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil


Directions
1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.


taken from: www.allrecipes.com




and some yummy delish shredded beef tacos!


Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Tacos

1 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 package taco shell (12)
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

1 Place beef and onion in slow cooker. 2 Combine water and seasoning mix in small bowl. 3 Pour over beef and onion. 4 Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until tender. 5 Shred beef with two forks. 6 Place beef in large bowl. 7 Stir in taco sauce and chiles. 8 Fill warmed taco shells with beef mixture. 9 Top with lettuce, tomato,cheese, and sour cream.


taken from www.food.com (formerly recipezaar)




and because it was so darn good I made the pumpkin chocolate cake again for dessert lol Enjoy!

An Italian Thanksgiving

My guys do not care for all those yummy Thanksgiving side dishes (that I love *L*) so I have stepped away from the "traditional" and we have created our own tradition. An Italian feast for Thanksgiving! We start (around lunchtime, noonish) with a yummy antipasti (consisting of some greens, fresh cut veggies, Italian meats, cheeses, artichokes, roasted peppers, olives, beets...)



a little later on (say 2ish) we enjoy some yummy sausage & peppers over rolls

1 package of sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 fresh tomato
1 each (green, red, yellow, orange) bell pepper, chopped in big chunks
1 med onion sliced
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
3-4 cloves of fresh chopped garlic
pepper
1 small can of tomato sauce (I think they are 4oz) to thicken it up a lil

Start by browning your sausage with the spices, add fresh tomato, cook for a few minutes then add your can of tomatoes, peppers and onions and more seasonings (this will be to your taste) lower the heat and let simmer for 30-45mins, add the can of sauce and cook for 5min longer, serve with rolls (we usually have leftovers which we heat up the next day and serve over noodles)




And finally we have our pasta a little later on (5-6ish?)

This year I tried something new, some chicken and cheese stuffed shells (last time I used sausage but with the sausage and peppers before it was too much) these were perfect!

1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Separate shells and let stand, so they are not touching, on waxed paper or foil.
2.In large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, onion, egg and bread crumbs. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in three-quarters of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar; cook until cheeses melt.
3.Fill shells with chicken mixture, using a tablespoon, and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover the shells with the tomato sauce and top with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly.

This one was taken from:
www.allrecipes.com




And for dessert I made pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars (storebought box mix) and the best cake ever... pumpkin chocolate cake! MMMMMM

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar


Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2.In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Mix in 1/2 cup heavy cream and pumpkin. Stir into the flour mixture just until blended. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
3.Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan over a wire rack. Invert cake onto a serving plate.
4.Place the brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring to blend until smooth. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the confectioner's sugar, and drizzle over the cake immediately.


Also taken from:

www.allrecipes.com





mmmm enjoy!

Bakerellaaahhhh

I <3 her and her recipes!!! Here are a few holiday treats we made (you can find a lot more yummy recipes on her website) http://www.bakerella.com

Cake balls & Cookie Balls (I'm just linking since I used several of her recipes, she explains them well)



http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

http://www.bakerella.com/grocery-item-goes-gourmet-part-2/

http://www.bakerella.com/grocery-item-goes-gourmet/

http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-revisited/


And these.... mmmmmm


Brownie Candy Cups



http://www.bakerella.com/brownie-candy-cups/

Tasty Thursday

Peanut Butter Brownies (oh yes!)

Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup margarine, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan

2.In a medium bowl, cream together peanut butter and margarine. Gradually blend in the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

3.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until the top springs back when touched. Cool, and cut into 16 squares


***I also added some chocolate chips :) I poured half the batter in the pan, drizzled a few chips, and then poured the rest of the batter over it. MMMM Mmmm

Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole

I got this recipe from Kittencal on recipezaar.com and made it for friends last night, it. was. fantastic! Stay tuned as I attempt it with alfredo & chicken as well! ;)

1 lb ground beef (made into you favorite meatball recipe)
1 (16 ounce) package thin spaghetti
3 tablespoons oil
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
black pepper (to taste) 2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (or use your own favorite sauce)
parmesan cheese (optional)

1 Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

2 Prepare your own favorite meatball recipe, then shape into about 1-1/2-inch balls.

3 Place the meatballs onto a greased baking sheet and bake until thoroughly cooked (about 22-25 minutes at 375 degrees) set the meatballs aside.

4 Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until just al dente; drain then place into a large bowl.

5 Toss the spaghetti with 3 tablespoons oil; cool slightly, then add in eggs, 1-1/2 cups mozzeralla cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; using clean hands toss until thoroughly combined (you can use a spoon but hands are better!).

6 Place the spaghetti into prepared baking dish, then press down slightly with hands.

7 Scatter the cooked meatballs over the spaghetti.

8 Top with spaghetti sauce over the top making certain to cover the pasta completely.

9 Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

10 Remove from oven then sprinkle about 1-1/2 cups mozzeralla cheese (or amount desired) over the top, then return to oven uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

11 Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tasty Tuesday

Apple Brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
3 medium apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar, and egg until fluffy. Fold in the apples and walnuts. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.

Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tasty Tuesday

This is what I'll be making us for dinner tonight mmmmm mmmmm



Zesty Italian Shrimp & Chicken Gumbo



½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp evoo
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes and juice, cut up
1 14.5oz can chicken broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp dried crushed basil
2 tsp dried crushed thyme
2 tsp paprika
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1in pcs
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra (optional)
1/2lb med shrimp shelled and deveined
hot cooked rice


pre-cook chicken in a frying pan (or boil if you prefer that method)
in a sperate pan- cook onion, green pepper, and garlic in saucepan til tender
stir in tomatoes and juice, broth, tomato sauce, basil, thyme and paprika
bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10min
stir in chicken and okra, cook 5 min, add shrimp, cook 2 min or until pink.

serve with rice

Tasty Thursday

What is tastier than my husband's amazing turkey burgers?

Watching him make them of course! Nothing sexier than a man in the kitchen! :>

Tasty Thursday

I made an old favorite for dinner tonight, some major comfort food! Pate chinois! And it is very simple, all you need is ground beef, onions (brown together) and then some creamed corn and mashed potatoes (real, not boxed). Layer in a casserole beef/onions, creamed corn and smooth the potatoes onto the top! Bake it at 350 for approx 30 min (basically to heat it all up) =) And there you have it!

Scrumptious Sunday

Meatball Subs

garlic french bread (warning if you use this it will be BIG, we are going to try some hoagies next time, perhaps I'll add some garlic butter)

jar of your favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce

meatballs (make your own or frozen, I used frozen this time to make it a quick dinner)

sliced provolone or mozz

Cook your garlic bread per instructions (or if using hoagies, just heat them up a little if desired)

meanwhile cook (or heat) meatballs with sauce, when all is done top bread with sliced cheese and meatball/sauce and serve with a side salad... mmmm

Foodie Friday

Tonight I made one of my favorites! Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Yum-O! I normally make a whole wheat crust from scratch but things are so hectic around here lately so I went with the easy store bought crust! LOL Here is what you need:

crust (homemade or store bought)

ranch dressing (Kroger has this YUMMY garlic ranch that we just discovered, mmmm)

hot wing seasoning or hot sauce (your pref.)

boneless skinless chicken breast (3 med size breast is enough for two pizzas, two pizzas feeds four of us, I'm sure later on once the boys are older I'll have to make more haha

grated mozz/provolone cheese blend

cut up chicken breast in bite size pieces and mix with sauce mix, cook in a frying pan until done.

okay assuming your dough is made or you took the easy route, brush your dough with a few drops of EVOO, and then brush on some dressing (as much or as lil as you like) we only put a very thin layer, basically enough to keep the dough moist, then top with a little bit of cheese, then the chicken and finally top with more cheese, bake according to crust directions and voila! Serve with a nice garden salad!

Foodie Friday

I really want to share this recipe I made today, mmmm mmmm! It was the start to a very busy but lovely and fun day, we ran some errands, did a lil shopping, had an awesome dinner, went for ice cream, more shopping, and then watched some great family movies. What a nice start to a long weekend! Tomorrow we have a birthday party to attend, and who knows what else the day holds for us! :) Well, enjoy this recipe I know I sure did!

Tex Mex Black Bean Dip

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup mild picante sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS
Place black beans in a medium size mixing bowl, partially mash beans -- beans should remain a little chunky.

In a medium size frying pan, heat oil over a medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes.

Mix beans, corn, tomato, picante sauce, cumin, and chili powder into the frying pan; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese, cilantro and lime juice; stir until cheese is melted.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for training holidays! Hubby has a 4 day weekend, yay! :) Tho he is probably going to put in some ER hours one or two of those days.

I am also thankful for my ability to bake & cook...

Last night I made:

Gooey Butter Cake

MMMMM~

2 boxes yellow cake mix

2 eggs

2 sticks of butter, melted

2 8oz pkgs of cream cheese, softened

4 eggs, beaten

4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix first three ingredients together and spread across the bottom of a 9x12 pan. Mix together cream cheese and eggs until smooth and then add the powdered sugar. Pour powdered sugar mix into the pan and bake until golden brown (40-45 minutes approx). The middle will be gooey and will firm up a bit as it cools.

Foodie Friday

Tonight's dinner was not so much a recipe so for this foodie friday I'd simply like to share one of my favorite websites with you: PioneerWoman has some awesome recipes (I've tried several) and she often has fantastic giveaways also! (and be sure to check out the other areas of her site)

Millions of Peaches

"Peaches for Me!"

So when James' aunt came to visit, she brought us 25lbs of Peaches!


We all ate plenty but I also sliced/diced quite a bit and froze it to make some bread & crisp! I made the peach crisp last night and it was DELISH! Here is the recipe.


Fresh Peach Crisp (from recipezaar)

Ingredients

6 cups fresh peaches, peeled, sliced fresh
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground (divided)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed (divided)
1/2 cup butter, softened



Directions


1 Place sliced peaches in a mixing bowl.


2 Mix together 1/2 cup of the flour, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, then mix well with sliced peaches in bowl.


3 Place peach mixture in the bottom of a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish; set aside.


4 Combine remaining flour, sugar, and cinnamon with the salt in a medium mixing bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.


5 Sprinkle mixture evenly over peaches in dish.


6 Bake in a preheated 375 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.


7 Spoon into individual serving bowls; serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.