#688: Green Beans with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Here's an easy green bean side dish I made for dinner one night.  I hoped the girls would like it (they like CANNED green beans but not fresh), but they barely ate it at all.  I wasn't sure it was going to taste good with cheese on it (because it was melting), but it actually was quite good.  The lemon really came out in this recipe.   

 

2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 pints grape tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

Dash white pepper

1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, combine oil and lemon peel. Place tomatoes in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; drizzle with oil mixture. Sprinkle with celery salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until very tender, stirring once.

Meanwhile, place beans in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 7-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a serving plate.
Place tomatoes over beans; sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

#687: Crescent Cinnamon Rolls

This was a perfect, easy breakfast to make on a cool fall morning.  I had Allison help me make them so they aren't perfectly formed, but that sure didn't effect the taste!

Oh my goodness are these yummy.  So easy and SO yummy!  We are absolutely, definitely making these again.  Soon. 

1 tube (8 count) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, unrolled and separated

5 tablespoons butter,softened

1/4 cup white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered Sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Place the unrolled and separate crescent rolls on an ungreased rimmed cookie sheet (one with sides).

 

In a small bowl, mix together the 5 tbsp butter, white sugar and cinnamon.  Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the crescent rolls and roll up.  Place tip side down on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

 

Glaze

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Place in a zip lock bag and snip a tiny corner off.  Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon rolls.

Product Review Smartfood Selects Snacks

I had the opportunity to participate in another Bzzagent Bzz Campaign, this time for Smartfood Selects Snacks.  I had not heard of these snacks before this campaign so I was excited to try them.  No, let me rephrase that, I've had the Smartfoods White Cheddar Popcorn before (which I LOVE) but I had not heard of the popped chips or the granola coated popcorn before.  (I cannot wait to try the Honey Cinnamon Pecan flavored Granola Coated Popcorn! Could it have a slightly shorter name though?!) 

In my Bzzkit I received 1 large bag of popcorn and 2 smaller bags (single servings) of their popped chips.  The popped chips (shown above) come in a .8 oz bag which contain 110 calories, 4.5 g fat, and 3 g protein.  (I'd eat it just to get the added protein!).

Both flavors were really good, however I preferred the Garlic Tomato Basil over the Feta Herb.  Although this says "Feta and Herb," I really could only taste the herbs.  Not that it was a bad thing, but I LOVE feta and was searching to find the flavor of it, and sadly I could not.  I felt the Garlic Tomato Basil flavors were more prevalent and easier to detect.  These have a great crunch.  I ate the Feta Herb ones while working during lunch one day and apparently I inhaled them because they were gone before I knew it. :(

I also was able to try the Buffalo Cheddar Popcorn.  Oh my is that spicy!  You can really taste the cayenne pepper in this snack.  I am not a huge fan of spicy foods but I could not stop eating this popcorn.  My mouth was on fire after eating a few pieces but I was completely addicted to eating it as long as I could before I couldn't stand the heat anymore. :)  I can't eat it all the time, but it was so good I would definitely eat it again...and probably again.  It's GOOD!  I am super eager to try the Parmesan Herb popcorn too! 

What I love about this brand is that there are both sweet and savory snacks to enjoy. Basically there is something for you for whatever mood you are in!  On "it's-been-a-rough-day-at-work" day, the Buffalo Cheddar Popcorn will get your aggression out.  And the Sour Cream Onion Puffed Corn is perfect for the "I-need-something-healthy-to-eat-with-my-take-out-sandwich" days.  The next time I'm in a "I-need-a-pick-me-up" mood, I'm going to grab a bag of the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Popcorn.  So many great choices with this line of snacks!

#686: Squash and Lentil Stew

I love squash and I love lentils, so when I found this recipe in a recent Family Circe Magazine, I was more than eager to try it.  Since no one in my family will eat this with me, I figured it would be the perfect meal to try out on my co-workers for my weekly lunch day. 

This is a very easy recipe.  The hardest part is peeling the squash (but I just put it in the microwave for 2 minutes first and then it was easier to peel). 

I am really enjoying eating this, but I love lentils.  Personally, I think this would be even better on top of some small noodles, but that's probably mainly because that's how MY family eats lentils normally.  I hope my co-workers enjoy it as much as I do/did!

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and diced (I used about 7)

2 ribs celery, trimmed and diced (I omitted)

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 3/4 lbs), peeled, seeded and diced (5 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 14 1/2 ounce can light and fat-free chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 cups small brown or French green lentils, picked through

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook 5 minutes. Add squash and season with chili powder and ground cumin. Cook 1 minute.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, 1/2 cup water and lentils. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in salt. Simmer, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve.

#685: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

If you are going to be gone ALL day I would not recommend this recipe because it will be very over done.  This recipe needs to cook for about 4 hours, so it's a perfect recipe to put on around noon and it will be ready for you at dinner time. 

This certainly isn't a pretty meal and I wouldn't serve it to company, but for our family, we enjoyed it.  It was simple, healthy and all ready to eat when we were.

4 thawed chicken breasts (I used tenders and threw them in frozen)
6oz. package of Stove Top stuffing mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can of cream of chicken soup (I used cream of celery)
1/4 c water

Put the chicken in the crockpot, then pour the dry stuffing mix on top. 

In a small bowl combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup and water.  Pour on top of the stuffing, place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.  (Mine cooked for about 5 hours)

#684: Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes

It is fall, so that means one thing....PUMPKIN recipes!  Yeah!!  We were talking at work one day about healthy cupcake/muffins that use canned pumpkin instead of eggs and oil.  So when I came across this one I decide to make it right away.

Oh my goodness, are these good.  GOOD.  And since there isn't any egg in the batter, it was very hard not to eat the raw batter/dough before it actually cooked.  Yes, it is that good.  Or at least I think so!

1 boxed chocolate cake mix (I used spiced cake mix)

15 oz can of pumpkin puree

6 ounces of chocolate chips (I was looking for cinnamon chips but couldn't find them...chocolate is the next best thing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cake mix and canned pumpkin. Use a mixer and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in chocolate chips.

Put in a muffin tin with liners. Batter is dense and does not rise much so these can be filled to the top. Bake for 22-25 min until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!

#683: Crockpot Bacon Cheese Potatoes

So my mom was coming to visit and I wanted to make lunch for us all but wanted it to be crockpot ready meals.  So when Chloe woke me up at 4 am (to climb into bed with us) I got up and finished these potatoes and turned them on so they would be ready for us at lunch. 

This recipe says that it should cook for 10-12 hours, but these would be mush if you left it cook that long.  Mine cooked for about 8 1/2 hours and they were perfectly cooked. I also cut my potatoes into fairly large chunks, so if you cut these into thin slices it would cook even faster.

1/4 pound bacon, diced (I put it in uncooked but if you cook it first if might be a bit crispier)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

butter

Green Onions (I forgot to add these!)
 

Line the crockpot with a crockpot liner (it will save you so much time cleaning up when done!)  Layer half each of the bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese in crockpot. Season to taste and dot with butter.  Repeat layers of bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese. Dot with butter.  Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

#682: Green Pumpkin Smoothie

I saw this as a link on a fan page I follow on Facebook.  I don't know where the original recipe comes from.  This was very good, except it wasn't sweet.  The girls were not big fans so I added some sugar and then it literally got 2 thumbs up (from Allison) and Chloe said it was "so good."  I have to agree.  I didn't love it like other pumpkin smoothies, but for having some spinach in it, I did like it a lot (also preferred w/the extra sugar to sweeten it up though).

2 c canned pumpkin
2 frozen bananas
2 c spinach
2 c almond milk (I used skim)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. 

#681:Pizza in a Crescent

Okay, let me start by saying this is NOT a very healthy meal.  It's also not fancy or gourmet by any means.  And it would probably be better as an appetizer or snack than it is a dinner.  Regardless, this non-gourmet family enjoyed this dinner.  It didn't reheat super well (it was a little wet, but might have been okay if I would have let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge) but we popped it into the toaster oven and it reheated alright. 

Also, I have no idea how Pillsbury got this to look so nice...mine were all popping open!  (Click here to see the original recipe/photo).

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 package pepperoni slices (3 1/2 oz)
4 tablespoons spaghetti or pizza sauce
1 package (6 oz) mozzarella cheese slices

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Press or roll into four 7x5-inch rectangles.  Arrange 9 pepperoni slices in center third of each rectangle. Spread 1 tablespoon spaghetti sauce over pepperoni.  Fold each slice of cheese in half; place over pepperoni. Fold short sides of dough to almost meet in center; securely pinch edges together, leaving middle open. Tuck 4 or 5 pepperoni slices into middle opening. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

#680: Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I'm not a super huge banana smoothie fan, but I AM a big peanut butter fan.  So when this recipe was pinned by my friend Kim on Pinterest, I couldn't help but give it a try.  The recipe below serves 2 so I made it for Allison and I to take to school with us for breakfast.  She liked taking the smoothie with us this morning!

We both loved this smoothie.  Allison told everyone who came into our room that morning that she was drinking it!  I'd say it's a keeper in our house!

2 whole Chiquita Bananas, frozen*, peeled and sliced
1 (6-oz.) carton non-fat Vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup creamy Peanut butter
1/2 cup non-fat Milk

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

#679: Chocolate-Fudge Cookie Bites

I actually got this website from Weight Watchers.com.  It says that each cookie (marble sized cookie) is 1 ww+ pt.  I didn't make these marble sized...I made them bigger than that!  Who wants to eat a marble sized cookie?!  Regardless, I thought these were super yummy. Little chocolate ball bites are a perfect way to end your meal! The only thing I did not like about these cookies were the powdered sugar that is supposed to be dusted on top...so after the first batch, I stopped using it.  :)

I would absolutely make these again!!  Definitely!

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c margarine, softened
3/4 c sugar
4 oz unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat two nonstick cookie sheets with cooking spray.
Place cocoa, margarine and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer. Add applesauce and vanilla; beat to blend. In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into cocoa batter with a wooden spoon.

Shape batter into 48 marble-sized balls. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to stand for 1 minute. Remove to wire rack and cool; sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Note: Store extra cookies in freezer-safe containers or plastic bags to maintain their freshness.) Yields 1 cookie per serving.

#678: Spring Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Artichokes

I don't know if my co-workers enjoyed this as much as I did, but I LOVED this orzo salad.  The only thing that would have made it better, would have been if it has crumbled feta cheese in it too. (Next time!)  The combo of the lemon, with the asparagus and artichokes were fabulous!  Love, love, loved it!

1 bunch asparagus, about 3 cups diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces orzo pasta, cooked to al dente and cooled
15-ounce can artichoke hearts
1-1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Turn off the burner, add in asparagus pieces and blanch for 2-3 minutes. While the asparagus is in the water, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add in shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until tender. Drain the asparagus and rinse with cool water.

In a large bowl add cooked orzo pasta, asparagus pieces and sautéed shallots and garlic. Drain artichoke hearts and quarter them, adding them to the bowl. Add in sun-dried tomatoes with oil and lemon zest. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl or container, whisk together lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. While continuously whisking, slowly pour olive oil into the vinegar. Once emulsified, stir the dressing into the salad. Move to the refrigerator for at least 5 hours for flavors to combine. Serve cold.

#677: Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables

I KNOW I took a picture of these...but cannot find it on my camera.  Guess that means I have to make it again.  In the meantime, check out the original website to see a photo of it!
 

Let me just say, I LOVED these pickled veggies.  My husband however thinks it is the most foul smelling stuff and is refusing to let me make it again...ever.  :(  He didn't notice the "smell" until I brought the jars of pickling juice home and put them in the sink.  He was practically gagging while doing the dishes.  Several hours later I called him at a volleyball game and told him our house smelled and I was concerned (I thought it was a gas leak)...turned out to still be remnants of the pickling juice.  :)  I think it was the daikon!  That sure is an acquired taste and scent. 

The hardest part of this recipe is julienning the veggies.  A mandolin slicer would probably help but I hate using one after my mandolin mishap!

1/4 lb. cucumber, julienned
1 lb. daikon, peeled and julienned
1 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
2 tbps kosher or sea salt
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Make sure the vegetables are fairly dry (pat them dry) so they don’t dilute the pickling liquid with excess water. Combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, and water together until the sugar dissolves. Place the vegetables in a jar large enough to fit them all and pour the pickling liquid into the jar so that all of the vegetables are submerged. Store them sealed in the jar in the refrigerator for 5 days for best flavor.

#676: Three Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

We enjoyed this too much and I forgot to take a picture.  Photo courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff

What an easy recipe and we all loved this.  Even the girls enjoyed this and they don't normally eat/like pot roast.  This is a great recipe to make when company is coming over because it's easy but looks like you've put quite a bit of effort into it!  :)
 

For the roast:

1 3-4 lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Whisk together water, salsa and seasoning packets. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

To make into sliders:

Three Envelope Pot Roast recipe (above), shredded

1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Rolls

Sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice per slider)

 

Cut each roll in half and place on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place baking sheet in oven with broiler on low. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until edges of the rolls are golden and cheese has melted (be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn!). Remove baking sheet from oven.  Place a spoonful of shredded beef on top of each roll with Swiss cheese on it.

#675: Glitter Grapes

 

This is a recipe to serve your kids when you are tired of eating "just grapes."  So super easy and you could easily mix and match different colors/kinds of grapes and jello mix.  We love it.  I used red grapes and black cherry jello powder.  So sweet, so yummy! 

1 pound of green seedless grapes, pulled from the stems and rinsed (I used red grapes)
1 3-oz. package of Melon Fusion Jell-O (I used black cherry)
Water

Rinse the grapes under water until all are clean and wet. Spread the gelatin mix on a plate, about 1/3 at a time. Place a handful of grapes on the plate and gently roll each grape in the gelatin powder until it is covered. Place the coated grapes into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients until all of the grapes are covered.  (Or make it easier by placing it all in a Ziploc bag and shaking until all are lightly coated).

Place the bowl and let set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, until the gelatin is set. The colder these are, the better they taste!

#674: Sausage Rolls

Oh my, did I love these little sausage bites!  They were so, so easy to make and I could not stop eating them.  I will definitely make these again!  Not only are they easy, but they only require 3 ingredients, can be eaten hot, cold or at room temperature and you can make quite a few puffs at a time!!

The recipe says to cut each crescent roll triangle in half, but I started cutting each of mine in thirds and it hardly made a difference at all.  Once these puff up, even the smaller ones were still a perfect bite size portion!

Unfortunately I can't fine the link to the original recipe...sorry!

1 lb bulk pork sausage
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 packages of crescent rolls

Brown the sausage, drain and mix it into softened cream cheese. Next, fill up the crescent rolls with the mixture and roll them up, bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  (Keep an eye on these, mine only needed 10 minutes).

#673: Triple Chocolate Muffins

I don't know if my weekly teacher lunch girls like that I'm adding a dessert into our menu when I cook, but obviously this mama loves her chocolate, so I'm using this as a way to try healthy, chocolate (or just sweet) desserts and new recipes.  I absolutely loved these muffins.  I made some of the muffins in silicone muffin tins and some were in paper liners.  Personally, for whatever reason, the silicone liner ones came out a little more moist.  Something to keep in mind maybe?! 
1 3/4 c oats
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
1 cup sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) 
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.
Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!Cool muffins before removing from pan.
Servings: 12 Big Muffins or 24 Smaller Muffins

#672: Sopapilla Cheesecake

I was looking for something to make for breakfast for a "camp out" with the in laws.  I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and not worry about reheating.  I decided to make this super easy Sopapilla Cheesecake.  Let me say it again...THIS.IS.SO.EASY. 

This would be a great breakfast OR dessert.  Definitely going to make this again.  Definitely!

2 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls (use the crescent sheets!)
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon and sugar

Instructions:
Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

#671: Homemade Thin Mints

Calling all Girl Scout Cookie Lovers: Do you hate that you can only get Thin Mints once a year?  Here is the solution to your Thin Mint cravings!  These are so easy and so good!  I think I'm going to make these for Christmas cookies this year. 

1 bag of Andes Mint pieces coated about 1 1/2 sleeves of crackers for me. 

Ritz Crackers
Andes Mint pieces (found with the chocolate chips)

Place 1/4 of the mint pieces in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir to combine and continue stirring until all of the chocolate is melted.  Dip one cracker at a time into the chocolate mixture and completely cover each cracker.  Place on a piece of wax paper to harden. 

Continue melting chocolate and dipping crackers. 

#670: Cold Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

In an attempt to use up my leftover quinoa, I decided to make some breakfast meals for me this week.  I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try.  I thought this was fantastic!  I wish I would have made more of it.  Definitely going into my breakfast rotation when I have leftover quinoa.

4 cups cooked and chilled plain quinoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
smidge stevia powder (I used sugar)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts

Put the cold quinoa in a mixing bowl. Break it up with a wooden spoon so the grains are separated. Add the cinnamon, stevia, raisins, coconut and walnuts.