#156: "Starbucks" Cinnamon Scones

MAKE THESE!  Run to your pantry to double check that you have all of the ingredients (I'm sure you do!) and then make these.  Make them for dessert tonight or for breakfast tomorrow.  In fact, you might as well make a double batch and eat one today and one tomorrow.  These are yummy!  YUMMY!!! 

I made these for the girls to take to school with them tomorrow and stupidly I tried one.  I should have just packed them in a tin and put them aside until tomorrow.  But no, I wanted to try a super small piece so I could "review" it....BIG mistake.  A super little piece turned into eating any little piece that might have "accidentally" fallen off while moving to the cooling rack...which ultimately lead to eating another one.  Grrr....do you know how many points I'm going to add just because of this?!  Going to have to workout tonight too.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, separated
3 tablespoons honey (I used maple syrup)
1/3 cup buttermilk (I made my own)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used more like 1/4)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 1 tbsp)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly. In another bowl, mix the egg yolk (save the white for later) with honey (or maple syrup) and buttermilk until blended. Then, add to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.


Using floured hands, form the dough into a ball on a floured surface.  Roll or pat it out until it’s roughly a half an inch thick and 8 inches in diameter. Cut pizza style into equally sized pieces.  Put onto a greased baking pan. (I used a pizza pan) Then, whisk the egg white until frothy and coat the tops of the scones. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top.


Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  Top with a powdered sugar/milk/vanilla glaze.

#155: Pastitsio

Yours probably won't brown up this much.  When I got home from church Brian said he was broiling the cheese because it wasn't browning....it's not supposed to since it's a milk/flour/egg mix topping.  : )

I ripped this recipe out of my taste of home magazine.  I was a little leary of making it because it called for ground lamb...which I do not eat.  But I figured I could subsitute one bird for another and used ground chicken instead. 

Chloe loved this, Allison liked this, and Brian and I both totally cleared our plates (we must have liked it!) and would totally eat it again, but thought the cinnamon gave it an different taste, as did the cheese topping.  Then after dinner tonight, as I was looking over the recipe I realized I was supposed to use grated parmesan....I used shredded Mexican blend cheese.  Might have made a difference!  We'll try this again though and hopefully will enjoy it as much as we did tonight.

Ingredients

1 package (7 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound ground beef or lamb (I used ground chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (8 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional (I added 2 shakes, next time I'll omit)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons butter (I used smart balance butter)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk (I used skim)
1 egg, beaten

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper and cinnamon if desired; heat through.  (I did this step and then froze the filling until ready to use)

Drain macaroni; place half of macaroni in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Layer with meat mixture and remaining macaroni. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and remaining salt until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

My version = 14 ww+ pts for 1/4 of the pan (however, I used 2/3 of the butter/flour/egg mixture, so it actually was even less than that)

#154: Meal in One Casserole

I intended to run home during lunch to make this in the crockpot like the recipe suggests, but I really didn't want to have to run home, so I put it in the crockpot (w/out the noodles) the night before and let it go for about 2 1/2 hours.  Then I got tired of waiting for it to finish, so I just stuck it in a bowl in the fridge and finished it when I got home from work the next day. 

Brian gave this a 1.  He tried it, but ended up making himself a pita pizza instead because he said it had way too many vegetables for him.  Chloe thought it was just okay, but Allison and I loved it!1 lb ground beef (I used ground chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (I omitted)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (11 ounce) jar salsa
5 cups cooked medium egg noodles (I used farfalle noodles)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used 1/2 can of petite diced)
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar or mexican cheese blend


Original Directions:
In skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and drain. Transfer to crock pot. Add green pepper, corn and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour salsa over mushrooms. Top with noodles.

Pour tomatoes and water over all. Then sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through.

My directions:
In skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and drain. Transfer to crock pot. Add green pepper, corn, mushrooms, salt, pepper, salsa and diced tomatoes.  Mix to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through.



Make noodles in a pot of water according to package directions. 

Place cooked noodles in a bowl, top with meat mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. 

My version = 8 ww+ pts for the meat mixture, plus 5 ww+ pts for 1 c noodles 

#153: Southwest Chicken Roll-ups

The filling squished out a bit when I took the picture...

I found this recipe on my regular search of posts from moneysavingmom and since this looked like a ridiculously easy recipe to make on my freezer cooking day, I decided to give it a try.  This was VERY easy to prepare!

First of all, I halved the recipe, just in case my family wasn't a fan.  I poached my chicken in some chicken broth the day before and then let it cool in the fridge overnight.  Then when I was ready to start cooking, this was a snap to put together.  Of course I made some additions/changes though.

This went over pretty well with my gang.  Chloe (not a Mexican food lover...can't be MY child!) wasn't a fan and preferred to eat about a cup of blueberries instead.  Allison ate all of hers and I had planned that Brian and I would both eat 2 at dinner, but instead ended up only eating one a piece...these were more filling that I expected.  Overall, I'd make these again.  They sure were easy!!

Southwest Roll-ups (this version made 7 for me)

1 cans refried beans (I used 1/2 can)
1/2 cup salsa (I used picante sauce)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Mexican Blend cheese)
I added 1/4 c orange puree (mix of sweet potatoes and carrots)
8 tortillas

I used my Pampered Chef hand chop to dice/chop the heck out of my chicken!  A baby with no teeth could have eaten this filling!  (But I don't like big pieces of chicken).  Mix together beans, salsa, and chicken.  Add in and mix in cheese.  Put the tortillas in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds to soften up and so they won't break when rolled.  Spread 1/8 of mixture onto one tortilla.  Roll up and turn ends under. Stick in a freezer bag or in a 9×13 baking pan and freeze.

When ready to bake, thaw and bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese, if desired. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

My roll-ups (w/our sour cream and only 1/2 c cheese sprinkled on top of all) = 8 ww+ pts each

#152: Grands Taco Melts

I decided to flip my taco melts over half way through cooking, so that's why the tops are a little flat and very browned.

Mine did not turn out as pretty as the picture from Pillsbury, but these still tasted pretty good!  They were a little spicy, but I would still make these again.  I topped mine with sour cream, but if you added shredded lettuce and tomatoes that would be really good too!


Allison did a pretty good job eating these, Chloe wasn't a fan, and Brian liked them and said he'd eat them again. 

1 package taco seasoning
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c salsa (I used picante sauce)
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Refigerated Biscuits (any variety)
1 C shredded mexican blend cheese
1/3 c fat free refried beans
Sour Cream (if desired)

Heat oven to 375°F.  In medium saucepan, cook taco seasoning mix, water, 1/2 cup of the salsa, refried beans, and cooked ground beef until thickened.  (I added the cheese to the mixture too so I could skip a step later on).

Press each biscuit into 6-inch round.  Fill each with taco mixture (and 1 tablespoon cheese--if not already added in).  Fold dough over filling and press to seal.  Place on greased cookie sheet. 

This is where I flash froze mine until ready to use. 
Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. (I baked mine frozen for about 25 mintues).  Serve with remaining salsa, extra cheese and sour cream.
This filling made enough for 8 taco melts plus extra filling for 4 or 5 more for another meal.

My version is 13 ww+ pts for TWO taco melts (I can't really say 6.5 pts each since the new plan doesn't do half points)

#151: Slow Cook Chicken Cacciatore

That is NOT a pretty picture.

Always looking for a crockpot recipe involving chicken, I came across this one at Taste of Home.  I prepped this on my freezer cooking day, took it out of the freezer the day before so I could defrost it enough to fit it into my crockpot and then just let it cook (mostly still frozen) all day. 

The girls weren't big fans of this, but since it's served with spaghetti they don't care what else is for dinner.  That was my mistake!  Brian enjoyed it though and even took the chicken for leftovers for lunch today.  I however, had mixed feelings on this one.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fantastic either.  Something in the Italian Seasoning was giving it an odd flavor.  Maybe it was because I didn't brown the chicken first, but that was a step I wasn't willing to do since it was going in the crock.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (I omitted...see time saving tip below)
3 pounds chicken parts, skin removed (I used chicken breast tenders)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
1 pound mushrooms, cut in half (about 5 cups) (I omitted)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups) (I used 1, and quartered it)
1 medium green pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups) (I used 3/4 c)
1 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/4 cup cornstarch (I forgot to add this)
1 package (16 ounces) pappardelle or fettuccine, cooked and drained (I used spaghetti since that's what we had on hand)


Directions
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on all sides.


Stir the garlic, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, pepper and 1 cup stock in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the cooker and keep warm.


(I totally forgot this step, so our "juice" was REALLY runny.) Stir the cornstarch and remaining stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve with the chicken and pappardelle. Yield: 6 servings.


Time-Saving Tips: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.  To save on prep time, you can skip browning the chicken and just add it to the cooker as directed in the second step.

#150: Chocolate Chip Breakfast Biscuits

If we stay within our grocery budget this month I'll be totally amazed!  So when I was looking for a recipe to make for the girls to take to school with them to share with their friends, I needed a recipe that I already had all of the ingredients for.  Thankfully I stumbled upon this one!!

We liked these biscuits.  These would make a nice breakfast treat to take to someone's house, especially if you took the time to roll it out and made them all look the same.  (See below for my opinion on rolling out though).  Yep, I'd make these again!


3 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1-2 c. chocolate chips
1/2-1 c. milk (I used just short of 1 c)


1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. (This did not get crumbly for me).  Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Add the milk, a little at a time, just until dough comes together. If you accidentally add too much milk and the dough becomes sticky, just add a little more flour. 

3. Roll out dough and cut, or just drop 1/4 c. portions onto a baking sheet. (Why roll it out when you can make it easier?!  This dough does not spread out when baked, so I just pulled off pieces of dough and plopped it onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  SO easy!)  Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until fully cooked and lightly browned on top.

#149: Crockpot Chicken and Brown Rice

Looks appealing doesn't it??  Everything is one color!

I almost always use instant (brown) rice.  This recipe called for regular brown rice...in a crock pot...that makes me nervous that I'm going to have a very mushy dinner.  And Mr. Must-Have-Texture doesn't like a mushy dinner.  So I was very leery of making this recipe.  (As you can see it didn't stop me from putting it on the menu though!)


For a crock pot meal, it had a few more steps than I would have liked.  All crock pot meals should be 1 step...put in crock; turn on. 

The chicken was good, it was fairly moist and good, yet, nothing super special.  The rice, however although was a little sticky had an odd taste/texture.  The recipe calls for flour, and I used whole wheat flour.  That might have made a little bit of a difference, but overall I'd have much preferred grilled chicken with a side of instant brown rice.   Sadly, this is NOT a recipe we will be making again. 

1 1/2 cups of brown rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk, divided
3/4 cup flour
1 small yellow onion, diced
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted)
3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika


Combine chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.


When milk and broth begin to boil, reduce heat. Slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. Mix well and set aside to cool.


Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put remaining ingredients, except chicken, in crock pot. Mix in cooled milk/broth. Place chicken breasts on top and sprinkle with more paprika. Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 6-7 hours. When you remove the top, if rice is too wet, cook another 15-30 minutes without lid.

#148: Italian Asparagus Sticks

Don't judge by the picture, these are over done!

I love asparagus, especially when it is in season and freshly picked from a u-pick farm (muddy but fun!).  I wish it was available fresh year round.  : (  So I was excited to see if I could get my girls to eat these since they were hidden in panko bread crumbs.  Who doesn't love Panko?? 


The hardest part of this recipe was finding the right container to dip it into so that all the pieces were easily coated.  Next time, I'll whisk the eggs and put them in a ziplock bag and just shake it on.

I had Brian make these while Allison and I were at Church.  I told him what time to put them in the oven...but I never told him for how long.  So when church ran way over, I came home to very over (they were  burnt!) cooked asparagus.  The tops were better than the bottoms and for most of the sticks, I pulled of the panko breading and tried to salvage any asapagus that I could.  So unfortunately I can't give this recipe a true rating, however I will definitely make these again because what I did/couldy try to eat was good!  And I think the girls might try a bite or two of these as well.
Serves 4 (yeah right--try 2)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Panko or Bread Crumbs (I used white panko)

1 Tbsp Italian Herbs (you can find them in any grocery’s spice section)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Bunch Asparagus, cleaned and stems removed
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. Make an assembly line with the bowls. Dip the asparagus first into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the sticks.
6. Place all of the coated sticks on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray lightly with oil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden.


*If freezing: after step 5, place sticks on a baking sheet flash freeze. When ready to eat – remove from freezer and put sticks in the oven, adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

#147: Beef and Spice

When I found this recipe I was excited to see that the original recipe came from someone in Bloomington, Il!  Of course I had to try it then!! 

We were a little leery of trying this recipe only because it called for mixed pickling spice, and I normally try to use spices I have on hand.  So I went to the grocery store figuring I wouldn't be able to find this one since I've never heard of it.  Well I did find it...for $5 a container.  I really didn't want to spend that much on a recipe I might only use once.  Then in the produce section (w/the bulk spices) I actually found a bag of mixed pickling spice for $2.99!!  Now that's a spice I can afford!  So I threw all of this together (spices and all) and froze it until we were ready to eat it.  I let it defrost a little in the fridge overnight and then stuck it in the crockpot when I left for work.  This was yummy!  I will definitely use this new spice when I make this again.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb beef pot roast
1-lb can tomatoes (I used 14 oz petite diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3tbsp)
6 whole cloves  (I omitted)
1/2 tsp mixed pickling spice (I used 1 tsp)
1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut to fit slow cooker.
2. Put all ingredients into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours.
Can be doubled or adjusted to a larger roast if your crockpot is big enough.

#146: Homemade Pizza Pockets

I found this recipe on heavenly homemakers and put it on our January menu. Then I joined ww and realized this was NOT going to be a points friendly meal. So I had to come up with a way to keep it on the menu (it was pizza after all!) but still be able to eat it. So I found a whole wheat pizza crust recipe and substituted that crust instead.
Here is the recipe for the whole wheat pizza crust that I used as my base.  It was an easy recipe, but since you have to let the dough rise, it took a little while to make. 
The original recipe had you make your own pizza sauce. Yeah, that's one step I knew I could cut down since I had pizza sauce already open! So I skipped that step too.  So basically I used this recipe to follow the steps to assemble and bake. : ) (See below)

Overall we really liked these pizza pockets, however my dough was too thick because these were basically stuffed crusts pizza pockets.  : )  Lots of dough, barely any filling.  I'll make these again, but I have to work on my technique on rolling out the dough. 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1.In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

2.Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. (Or just continue to let it run in your kitchen aid w/the dough hook attachment for 5+ minutes.)  :)
Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3.When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

4.  Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, cut into desired amount of pizza pockets (I got 16 out of my dough)

Then I followed most of the rest of the original recipe:
Place one tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center. (Mine must have been smaller, because I got 1 tsp of sauce on each of mine). Put in a small amount of your choice of toppings. Fold the dough in half. Use a fork to pinch the edges together.

Lay Pizza Pockets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment (or wax) paper. Freeze for about one hour. Pop them off the cookie sheet and put them into a freezer bag…and back into the freezer

To Bake your Pizza Pockets

For frozen Pizza Pockets, bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. If the Pizza Pockets are thawed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

WW + points will depend on toppings and number of crusts/pockets you get.  Ours (for 16) was 6 pts each (filling was sauce, cheese, peppers and black olives)

#145: Cheddar Cauliflower

This picture is not a good representation of this recipe since I was trying not to use too much cheese

I knew making this that Brian wouldn't dare eat this, so obviously I made this for the girls and I.  I found this recipe on Weeliscious and was eager to see if the girls would enjoy it.  I was really the only one who at it, as Allison and Chloe weren't huge fans of cauliflower.  You have to try this recipe though, anything with cheese on it has to be good right?!

Cheddar Cauliflower (Serves 4)

1 Head Cauliflower

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated (I used about 1/4 c)
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Olive Oil or Olive Oil Spray to coat

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets, place onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil (or coat with olive oil spray), salt and toss to coat.
3. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, stir, sprinkle with cheese and roast another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Using less cheese this is 2  ww points plus per serving.

#144: Salsa Soup

I was struggling to find something healthy, filling and low points for lunch today and through a bunch of random clicks through other people's posts/blogs, I came upon a link for Salsa soup.  It sounded a little gross (the thought of eating salsa as a soup that is!), yet hopefully healthy, I decided to take a look at it.  Then I looked in my pantry.  And I was amazed that I had all of the ingredients on hand to make a half batch!  Which worked our perfectly because it totally filled my smaller crockpot and gave me lots of leftovers for lunches. 

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 (16 ounce) can dark kidney beans
2 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can of chicken broth
2 (10 ounce) cans of Rotel, undrained 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:
Place the onion, kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired. (I DO desire, but don't want the extra points today.  Tomorrow, maybe.  Today, no.)

Soup (12 servings) w/out cheese, sour cream or tortillas = 4 ww+ pts per serving

#143: Homemade Turkey Meatballs

Sorry, picture of just the meatballs.  I forgot to take one!
Since I was making the Meatball and Stuffing Bake, I didn't want to use store bought, frozen meatballs because they are SO unhealthy.  I had 10 lbs of ground turkey in my fridge, so I decided to make my own instead.  I found the recipe from Deep South Dish and they turned out great!  In fact, I think I ate 5 or 6 before they got bagged up and put in the freezer.  They were a little soft/mushy when they first came out of the oven, so I thought we were going to hate them, but as they sat on the cookie sheet, the firmed up and tasted delish!

1 pound of ground beef

1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs (regular or Italian)

1/3 cup of onion, finely minced

1/4 cup of milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Gently shape into 1-inch balls. I used a small cookie scoop to keep them uniform and then gently molded them into ball-ish shapes.  Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick spray, and bake on the center rack of the oven, for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees, turning once halfway through.

To Freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely, then transfer to a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with non-stick spray (or place on wax paper). Place into the freezer until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Makes about 24 meatballs.

#142: Meatball and Stuffing Bake

I found this recipe at Deep South Dish, and I made a few subsititutions to make this easier and more MY family friendly.  As I put this together for dinner my first thought was "I'm going to love this, Brian is going to hate this one."  I was happily WRONG!  He enjoyed it...except for my trying to kill him by putting peas in the dish!  I will definitely make this again.  I loved it!

1 box prepared stuffing (any kind) (I made 2 cups of stuffing for this)
2 cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup (I used 1 can light cream of chicken)
1/2 cup of milk (I used 1/4 c skim milk)
2 (one pound) packages of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs (I used 25 homemade turkey meatballs)
2 cups of frozen peas (I used 1/4 c)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used 3/4 c)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an oblong baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a small saucepan, sautee onion in non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare stuffing according to box directions.
When done, add the onions to the stuffing. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soup and milk.

Add the meatballs to the baking dish, top with the frozen peas, and pour the soup mix on top. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and top with the stuffing mixture. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until casserole is well heated through and bubbly. If you prefer your stuffing to have a crunchy top, cook uncovered and check dish at about 30 minutes.

My version prepared is: 8 meatballs = 6 ww+ pts; 1/4 of pan of stuffing (w/the cream sauce and some peas)= 6 pts

#141: Sausage and Cheese Turnovers

I made these a few days ago and then stuck them in the freezer until we planned to eat them tonight.  While they were cooling on a cooling rack (and I was napping), Allison took THREE of them off  the cooling rack and had herself a little (or big) snack.  These are yummy!  SUPER YUMMY!  I'm still thinking about them since dinner.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................


I found this recipe on a new blog I came across called Cooking during stolen moments...I knew right then and there, this website was meant for me!!


3 cans of cresent rolls
1 lb. bulk pork sausage, fully cooked and drained (I used turkey breakfast sausage patties, cooked, and crumbled)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (next time I'll only use 6 oz)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. sliced green onions (green parts only) (I used regular onions that I sauteed w/the sausage)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper


In a large mixing bowl, combine fully cooked sausage, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and seasonings. Stir to combine well.

Roll out crescent rolls to make one large sheet.  Cut into 8 rectangles.  Place about 1 tablespoon of the sausage mixture into the center of each section of dough.  Fold over the dough and seal the seams with a fork.  Continue this process with the remaining sections and portions of dough.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
****I baked these fully before freezing. To reheat, do not thaw first. Just place desired number of turnovers on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

WW+ pts = 6 each

January Freezer Cooking

I FINALLY finished my January Dinner Freezer Cooking Meals/Menu.  I initially planned on spending all day today (Monday) cooking but since almost all of the recipes were new recipes, I figured it would take me a lot longer and I better get started on it sooner.  So when we got home from vacation on Friday I went grocery shopping.  I started cooking that night, did quite a few things on Saturday, a little more yesterday and finally finished the pizza/ground turkey recipes today.  Phew, done!  As you can see there are no planned days out, so I'm sure things will get bumped around eventually, but as of now, I do not have to think about our dinners again until February 11th.  You will also notice that "spaghetti" has shown up several times this month.  It is Brian and Allison's most requested food and we are trying to stay under $400 a month grocery budget this year.  (In 2010 we averaged $500 a month) So far I have $194 left until the end of the month -- or $48.50 a week (that includes diapers, hair/bath products, misc. groceries, produce, lunch/snack items, etc.)  This could be a challenge!!  Stay tuned as A LOT of new recipes will be reviewed and posted this month!! 

#140: Apples and Pears over sweetened ricotta

found this recipe on the weight watchers website, and I LOVE it!  I'm letting the apple/pear mixture cool and plan to take this for my breakfast when school starts up again in a couple of days.  This is yummy!!  (But I love ricotta!)

Ingredients:

1 small apple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small pear, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp of your favorite no calorie sweetener like stevia, Equal, Splenda, etc. – adjust for taste
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
splash of vanilla

Directions:
Place apple, pear, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of your favorite no calories sweetener in a small sauce pan.  Cover and cook over medium heat until somewhat soft, about 4 to 5minutes.  (Next time I will microwave this for about 2-3 min to cut down on the prep/mess).
Meanwhile, combine remaining sweetener, cinnamon and vanilla with ricotta in a small bowl.  Serve hot fruit over ricotta.


WW+ pts = 1

#139: Italian Herb Potatoes

These potatoes are YUMMY!  This will definitely be making it on our menu again...this month...maybe more than once!  I didn't have (or want to buy) fingerling potatoes so I just cut russet potatoes into 12 pieces instead. 

1 Lb Fingerling Potatoes, cut in half

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Sea or Kosher Salt
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Italian Herbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and herbs on a sheet tray.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden on the exterior and tender inside.

#138: Pumpkin Sloppy Joes

I NEVER thought Brian would 1. eat this; 2. save the leftovers for another meal and agree to take this for leftovers.  Chloe also loved this and Allison thought it was just okay.  I will admit, I tried this right after I made it and you could tell there was something different in this recipe, so I was afraid it was going to be a total bust of a meal, but after sitting (in our freezer for a month), the flavors blended nicely and you could taste the cloves, but not the pumpkin.  It's not my favorite version of sloppy joes so I don't think this is a recipe I'll make all the time, but I snuck in a veggie to my 3 non-veggie-loving eaters so this one will show up on our menu again eventually.  : )   And Brian, when you read this, your portions DID NOT have pumpkin in it!
 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean) (I used ground turkey)
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato juice (I used the drained juice from a can of petite diced tomatoes)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Dash ground cloves and nutmeg (I didn't have ground clove so I threw a few whole ones in)
Dash pepper
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
hamburger buns or rolls


Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Add the ketchup, tomato juice, chili powder, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in pumpkin. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serve on buns.

#137: Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Bars

I recently came across this website thanks to my friend Tracy Lynn from Texas. There are several recipes on my January menu from this site. When I make recipes for the girls to take to school with them, ideally I'd like them to be healthy. That's not always the case (like when I made sausage balls or when I will be making maple-bacon breakfast rolls eventually!), but I do try! I decided not to make these into cookies and follow the bar recipe instead because I was also freezer cooking dinners at the same time and the bars were 100x's easier!


3 Bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas) (I used 1 1/2--that's all I had on hand)
1/4 c applesauce (to make up for the lack of bananas)
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Dried Dates, pitted and chopped (I used 1/2 c raisins instead)
1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips, Walnuts or Raisins (I used choc chips)
1/4 Tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 Minutes. Cool and serve.
** To make into bars – place dough in a greased 7×11 dish (I used an 8x8 foil lined and greased pan), bake for 35-40 minutes then allow to cool. Cut into bars or squares.

**To Freeze: allow cookies to cool after baking then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.

#136: Crunchy Chicken Balls

I had some leftover cooked chicken from my freezer cooking day, so I quickly searched for a recipe that I could make to use up the chicken.  I was hoping to find a main course recipe but since I was limited to the ingredients I had on hand, this was the recipe I decided to try.  I thought I would hate this...I didn't love it, yet I couldn't stop eating them.  I think it was the pecans...they're addicting!  These are weird.  People are either going to love them or hate them.

1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup minced green onions (I omitted)
1/2 cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or chopped fresh parsley (I used pecans)


Directions
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Roll in pecans or parsley. Cover and chill.

#135: Easy-Five Ingredient Mexican Dip

In the words of Eileen (Mike's girlfriend): "I LOVE the dip, because I speak Mexican."  : )   I enjoyed this too, but it wasn't hot or spicy at all, so a little bit of rotel tomatoes in this would make it perfect!!  This was super easy to make.   I found this recipe on Kraftfoods.

Ingredients:
16 oz Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz cream cheese
2-15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tomatoes, chopped
cilantro

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and cilantro in microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on HIGH 5 min. or until Velveeta and cream cheese are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 min. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

#134: Sauce for green beans

I forgot to take a picture of this, so this photo is courtesy of lowcalorieideas.com

I made dinner for the extended family when we were together over Christmas break.  I quickly googled "sauce for green beans" and found this recipe.  I liked the sauce for this and would definitely make it again.  It even reheated well!

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp worchester sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients except butter in a small sauce pan. Add the butter and heat slowly, stirring occasionally until butter has melted. Pour over steamed veggies. Enjoy!

#133: Sausage Pinwheels

Sorry, the only picture I took was the one on my plate before I ate it.  : )

My recipe definitely looks better than the one in the original picture.  This was EASY and I think it was enjoyed by all who ate it.  I know my nephew Logan liked it!!  I liked this recipe because I could make it earlier in the day, stuck it in the fridge after they cooled on a cooling rack, and then just let warm up to room temperature to serve.  Yep, I'd make this again.

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 pound uncooked bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons minced chives
I added about 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Unroll crescent roll dough on a lightly floured surface; press seams and perforations together.  Roll into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle.  Spread sausage to within 1/2 in. of edges (I mainly sprinkled, and spread around).  Sprinkle with chives and shredded cheddar.  Carefully roll up from a long side; cut into 12 slices (I cut mine into 16).  Place 1 in. apart in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown.

#132: Quick Lasagna

Why do I love freezer cooking and having meals prepared in the freezer for when we need it?  Because we were supposed to go to Auntie Mar's house for xmas eve and was unable to because of the weather.  So after we drove 10 miles and then turned around, I came home and needed to make something semi-special for Christmas eve dinner, and THIS was sitting in the freezer.  Thank goodness...dinner was ready and I just needed to pop it in the oven.

Although we like our lasagna with a little ground beef in it, this still was quite a yummy cheesy lasagna.  I would make this again! 


Apparently this recipe is from Richard Simmons.  Don't know why, but that makes me laugh.  : ) 


30 ounces nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup nonfat parmesan cheese -- divided
1 large egg
28 ounces low-fat spaghetti sauce -- divided
1/2 package lasagna noodles -- divided
2 1/2 cups part skim milk mozzarella cheese -- divided, shredded


Heat the oven to 375 º.  In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 2 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese and the egg.  In a 13 x 9" baking dish, spread 3/4 cup of the sauce. Top with 3 noodles, then 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat all the layers (sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella), then top with the remaining noodles and sauce.  Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.


Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, until the noodles are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This claims to be "5 Points Per Serving"

#131: Phyllo Dough Baklava Concontion

This is actually an original recipe created by me!  I had some leftover phyllo dough from the sausage roll-ups I made for dinner and I didn't want to throw them out so I decided to make my own version of Baklava with whatever ingredients I had on hand.

I did not pour any syrup over the top when it came out of the oven, like a regular baklava recipe calls for, so the top layers just pulled/flaked off and I ended up tossing most of the top layers.  The bottom layers were pretty yummy though.  Next time I make this, I'll definitely make the syrup to go over it.  I'll post  the syrup recipe below in case you are interested. 

20 sheets of phyllo dough
3/4 c chopped pecans
1/3 c flaked coconut
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp melted butter
non-stick cooking spray
Combine the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter.  Set aside.  In an 8x8 pan, spray bottom with non-stick cooking spray.  Layer about 10 sheets of phyllo dough that has been cut in half (vertically) so that it fits nicely inside the pan.  As you lay the sheets down, spray each one with cooking spray so all of the sheets stick together.  Next, pour the pecan mixture on top of the phyllo dough and spread out.  Continue layering the remaining phyllo dough on top of the pecan mixture, and spray each sheet with non-stick spray just as you did the bottom layers. 

Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Pour syrup (recipe below) over the top and let cool.  Cut into squares and serve.

Syrup:
In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 c honey, 1 cup water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice; bring to a boil. Boil baklava syrup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until syrupy. Cool and pour over baklava.

#130: Simply Fruit

I made this recipe for our Christmas Morning Breakfast for the girls and I.  Chloe enjoyed eating the yogurt more than she did the fruit.  I enjoyed this though and would make it again. 

Ingredients

2 medium navel oranges, peeled and sliced (I used canned mandarine oranges)
2 kiwifruit, peeled and cubed (I substituted fresh pineapple)
1 medium firm banana, sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes
1/2 cup reduced-fat vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the oranges, kiwi, banana and grapes. Divide among six serving bowls. Combine yogurt and brown sugar; dollop over fruit. Serve immediately.