Product Review: Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Recently I was invited to join a BzzCampaingn thru BzzAgent for Kroger Spring Dinners.  One of the products I was able to try for free was a "Moist and Tender" pork tenderloin.  So I started going thru my recipes on Pinterest to see which bookmarked meal I would make.  I decided to try this recipe with my pork tenderloin.

Well it certainly was easy to put together in the morning.  I just had to pretty much throw it all in the crockpot and turn it on.  And my house smelled really good when I got home. 

If you like pork, you'll probably enjoy this recipe.  Brian liked it, and I thought it was just ok.  The kids didn't really eat much of it.  I don't know if I'd make this exact recipe again for my family, but I would definitely get another pork tenderloin from Kroger and try a different recipe with it.  In fact, I have another recipe in mind already (on the grill).  So I'm sure you'll be seeing another pork post coming soon!  
 
3 lbs pork tenderloin

8 ounces of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 small onion (minced)
2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper pork loin and place in crock pot.  Add garlic and onion.  Pour BBQ sauce over meat.  Add hot sauce and stir to evenly distribute.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.

Want to find out more about what's going on at your local Kroger?  Head on over to their website for more information and don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Twitter! 

#902: Crockpot Pork Chops

Apparently we are on a small pork kick.  Actually it's because pork and pork chops were on sale this week and I'm trying to keep our grocery budget down (even though that is one area I'm not very good at budgeting!)  Anyhow, I made this recipe because I was going to be home late one night for dinner and I wanted it to be an easy meal for Brian to get ready with the kids in tow. 

Personally, I really enjoyed these pork chops.  They were really moist and tender.  Brian thought they tasted like crockpot round steak and wasn't a huge fan.  He said he'd prefer the round steak instead.  The girls didn't eat much of it and Matthew wouldn't eat it at all until I let him sit on my lap and eat if off my plate...then he ate all of it.  :)  Of course he did. 

I personally would make these again but since Brian wasn't in love with them (and I have other ways I enjoy making pork chops) I probably won't make them again.  Not that they weren't good though. 

6 lean pork chops
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup chicken broth

 

Place pork chops in slow cooker.  In a separate bowl, combine soup mix and chicken broth, stir. Pour over chops.  Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

#901: Crockpot BBQ Pork Tenderloin

When I found this recipe on Food.com it was actually called Couldn't Be Easier BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the Crockpot.  Yep, I'd say that sums up this recipe.  A little long for a recipe name, but at least it tells you how it is.  As I've mentioned before (and from the very few recipes posted in the pork category) I'm not a fan of pork.  I was a little nervous making this recipe for fear I wouldn't eat it and I'd be wasting my money.  But pork was on sale so I figured I'd give it a try.

Well it certainly was easy to put together in the morning.  And my house smelled really good when I got home. 

If you like pork, you'll probably enjoy this recipe.  Brian liked it, and I thought it was just ok.  The kids didn't really eat much of it.  Would I make this again for my family, probably not.  Would I eat this if someone served it to me, definitely.
 
3 lbs pork tenderloin

8 ounces of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 small onion (minced)
2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper pork loin and place in crock pot.  Add garlic and onion.  Pour BBQ sauce over meat.  Add hot sauce and stir to evenly distribute.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours

#900: Green Beans with Citrus Vinaigrette

I may have gone a little crazy with vegetable side dishes for Easter lunch.  I wanted to have several healthy options though.  And I cut out one or two other dishes I had planned on making.  Can you tell I come from a bigger family and enjoy cooking for a crowd.  Sometimes I can't figure out how to scale down my meals! 

This recipe looked super easy but just a tad more special than just regular green beans. I know the picture just makes it look like plain 'ole green beans but it has a nice fresh, citrus-y dressing on it.  I loved it.  It went over really well too.  Another veggie winner in my opinion!

2 pounds green beans, trimmed

5 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and add green beans. Cook beans for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender, and drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until shallots begin to brown, stirring constantly.

Combine the shallots, lemon rind, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Slowly add 4 1/2 teaspoons oil, stirring well. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the beans, tossing gently to coat.

#899: Roasted Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

I was looking for healthy, easy side dishes to go with the ham I was preparing for Easter lunch and came across this recipe.  It was almost too simple to pass up, yet the asparagus seemed festive and the bacon was...well just yummy.  I know this called for Prosciutto but I didn't feel like trying to find it in the grocery store so I went with bacon. 

This was so easy and it was ridiculously easy to put together.  I would definitely make this again...with bacon too! 
1 1/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
extra virgin olive oil spray
fresh cracked pepper to taste
4 slices (2 oz) thin sliced prosciutto

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly spritz asparagus spears with extra virgin oil. Season with fresh cracked pepper and divide into 4 bundles.

Gather 1/4 of the asparagus and use a slice of prosciutto to wrap each bundle and place on a baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining, place on baking dish and bake 12 minutes or until asparagus is tender crisp.

#898: Copy Cat Honey Baked Ham

When my mom asked me if I would have Easter this year I asked if I had free reign over the menu.  She made me promise I'd make a ham (of course I would).  However, I've never made a ham before except for a small boneless one we get from Meijer that weighs about 3 lbs.  I knew this was not the kind of ham I was supposed to get.  In fact she was adamant that I needed a Honey Baked Ham.  Well I didn't know where to get one so I Googled it and was thrilled to find this recipe.  I'll admit I was also a little thrilled by the butane torch it called for using!

The recipe below is for a  3 1/2 lb ham.  My ham was 11 lbs!  I quadrupled this recipe.  And I ran to my friend Kim's house to borrow her butane torch.  :)   Personally the butane torch is not needed.  Yes I used it because I borrowed it and Kim went thru the trouble of finding it for me and dropping it off, but honestly it really didn't do anything for our meal. 

This was such an easy recipe and really, really good.  The juice and brown sugar mixture do NOT need to be doubled or quadrupled like I did.  It is way too much and I threw most of it out.  I would definitely make this again and I would say my first attempt at a ham was a success!

3 1/2- lbs ham (spiral cut smoked, fully cooked)
1/2 - cup pear or apple juice (I used a apple harvest blend)
1/2 - cup orange juice
1/2 - cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 - cup honey
hand held butane torch

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the ham, cut end down, in a large baking pan.

Mix the pear or apple juice with the orange juice in a bowl and mix.

Pour the juice mixture over the ham and bake for 15 minutes basting frequently with juices. Remove from oven.

Mix brown sugar and honey together in a small bowl.

Brush mixture over ham and bake for another hour or until internal temperature reads 140°F.

Using a butane torch carefully caramelize the glaze to the crust using small strokes.

#897: Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I was looking for a super easy, yet festive fruit side dish to go with our Easter menu.  I debated for about a week between this one and another recipe and ultimately (obviously) went with this one.  I liked that it had some canned fruit (one less step in prepping) and some fresh fruit as well. 

This was really good.  I loved the slight flavor of the lime in this one.  It doesn't last very long though because the kiwi and strawberries get soft.  I would make this just a few hours before you plan to serve it.  Or at least add the strawberries and kiwi at the end. 

 

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well

1 can mandarin oranges, drained well

2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons

1 cup green grapes, halved

1 cup strawberries, quartered

Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

 

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. 

 

Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey.

#896: Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Scallions (and Edamame)

The original recipe for this corn sautee did not call for shelled edamame, but looking at the photo I totally thought it had it in there.  So I decided to add it in.  I love edamame so why not?!  This was so easy to make and was delicious.  I loved it.  It would make a great side dish to just about any meal, any time of the year.  Next time I'm adding more bacon.  Everything is better with MORE bacon. 

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
4 cups corn kernels (I used frozen corn, thawed)

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Pinch of red-pepper flakes

2 to 3 scallions, sliced
12 oz package of shelled edamame, thawed

 

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add corn kernels and edamame; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in scallions. Serve immediately.

#895: BLT Deviled Eggs

Since it's Easter, I couldn't just make regular old deviled eggs, I had to make them a tad more special so I found a recipe for BLT Deviled Eggs.  Now those sounded good to me and they looked super simple to make.  I was hoping to impress my brother.  And it's a Paula Deen recipe so you know it has to be good. 

These went over very well.  Just like the classic deviled eggs I made, I also didn't eat these because I don't like deviled eggs, but I did try a little bit of the filling and I thought it was pretty good.  I'm happy to report that there were very few of these left and my brother took all the leftovers home with him.  I would definitely make these again (No, that's not true.  I'm never making deviled eggs again.  They are a pain in the butt to cook and peel.  But if I was going to make deviled eggs again, I would make these.) :)

6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled plus more for garnish, if desired

2 cherry tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add them to a medium bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and stir in the mayonnaise, bacon, tomatoes, and parsley. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and blend well.

Fill the egg whites evenly with the yolk mixture and garnish with bacon, if desired. Arrange them in a container and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

#894: Classic Deviled Eggs

I'm a little embarrassed to admit, with all of the cooking I do, I've never made deviled eggs.  That is partly due to the fact that I don't like deviled eggs.  But it's Easter and my brother Mike loves them so I was happy to make them for him.  I don't know if this is the recipe my mom uses or not, but it looked good enough for me to try. 

I also dyed these in food coloring before filling so I could easily distinguish between the two different kinds of deviled eggs I made.  (Super easy to do, just fill a glass with water and add about 4-6 drops of food coloring.  Let egg halves soak for about 15 minutes.)

I can't really review these because I didn't eat any.  But there were only a few left and my brother took the leftovers, so that's always a good sign.
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

Paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.

Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, parsley and seasoned salt until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2.2

#893: Chocolate Chip Raspberries

Here's another "almost-not-a-recipe" post.  :)  I'm not even going to put directions on this one because you can obviously tell what to do with the chocolate chips.  You can use any kind of chocolate chips you have on hand (although I personally wouldn't use butterscotch or mint chips).  Dark chocolate chips would definitely be a good pairing though. 

Can I please tell you how delicious this is!?  I seriously might not ever be able to eat a raspberry plain again.  The chocolate chips give it a nice extra sweet crunch.  To die for!!

Ingredients:
Chocolate chips (I used white chocolate and semi-sweet)
Raspberries, washed and dried thoroughly

#892: Easy Pudding Tiramisu

This delicious looking dish is one of our desserts for Easter lunch tomorrow.  Doesn't it look yummy??  It is.  It was so easy to make too!  I actually changed the name of the original recipe though because it was called "Easy Jell-O Tiramisu," but there's no "Jell-o" in this recipe, just the brand name.  So now it's pudding tiramisu.  Or at least it is to me. 

Besides changing the name, the only thing I did different to the recipe was to add 1 1/2 tsp of instant espresso powder to the pudding mixture to give it a more "tiramisu" taste.  Easy, delicious and a tiny bit upscale looking.  I loved it.  So did Matthew and the girls.  I'm starting to wonder if this is why Matthew isn't sleeping well tonight.  Is the espresso powder keeping him up?!  No way...maybe??   No more for him just in case.  I really hope this tastes just as good tomorrow (18 hours later) as it was tonight!  
Oh, and instead of using my box grater to grate the chocolate square, I bought a bar of Ghirardelli and threw it in my food processor.  Just as good, ten times as fast.  Also, although that looks like a pretty single serving, I actually made this in an 8x8 pan.  And I doubled the recipe.  The above photo was what I had leftover that didn't fit in the pan.
 
1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups  cold milk
¾ cup  thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
8 soft ladyfingers
1 square Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, finely grated
1 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso powder

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in Cool Whip. Place 1 ladyfinger in each of 4 dessert dishes; cover with half each of the pudding mixture and grated chocolate. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 1 hour.

#891: Skinny Shamrock Shake

Pretend this is a super bright green color.  I just bought and now cannot find my food coloring!  Brian, Allison and I all looked all over the place to see if I maybe put it away in some obscure place but alas it is gone (hopefully temporarily because I need it for my colored deviled eggs!).  (PS...I eventually found my food coloring stuck in the bag w/my shallots in the pantry.  I knew I saw them somewhere!!) 

I love Shamrock Shakes.  I never get them though because I know they aren't very healthy and once I drink one, I want to go back daily to get another one.  So when I came across this healthier version I was excited to try it. 

This is quite close to the original recipe.  No it's not the same, but maybe if I had a McDonald's cup and their ridiculously large-holed straws, and if I had topped it with whipped cream, then maybe it would have been exactly the same.  Regardless, I loved it.  I loved it A LOT.  I want to make another one right now but I have to convince Brian to eat the rest of the frozen yogurt so I DON'T make more.  Mmmmm!!

¾ cup fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt (I used no sugar added vanilla ice cream from Edy's)
½ cup fat-free milk
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract
5 drops green food coloring
2 packages Stevia, your favorite sugar substitute (I omitted, it doesn't need it!)
3-4 ice cubes

Ingredients for Topping: (I omitted)
Fat-free or Light whipped cream, optional

Combine all shake ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.  Stop blender to stir with a spoon, if necessary, to help blend everything.

Pour into a 16 oz glass. Top with light whipped cream, if desired and enjoy immediately.

Makes 1 (16 oz) serving at 5.5 ww+ pts.

#890: Blackened Chicken (with Avocado Salsa)

The recipe below is for Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa.  You may have noticed in my title above I have "with avocado salsa" in quotes.  That's because in the end I didn't make it that way.  But I wanted to post the whole recipe and not just "blackened chicken."  Which one sounds more appealing?  Yeah I agree with you, avocado salsa sounds wonderful.  It sounds so good in fact, I might have to make it just to eat with tortilla chips in the near future. 

Anyhow, I didn't have avocado or papaya so I just omitted the salsa and ate the chicken.  We enjoyed this chicken and everyone ate it, but I personally thought it was a little rubbery.  I think it's because I finished it off in the oven.  It would have been really good and crispy if I would have just pan fried it like it starts out, but that's certainly not the healthiest way to eat chicken so I went with the recipe as described.  Would I eat this again, yes.  Would I make this particular recipe again, no. 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. total)

2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash ground black pepper

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped

2/3 cup chopped fresh or refrigerated papaya

1/3 cup chopped red sweet pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly sprinkle both sides of chicken with blackened steak seasoning. In a large ovenproof skillet heat the 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, turning once. Bake about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).

 

Meanwhile, for salsa, in large bowl whisk rice vinegar, the 2 Tbsp. oil, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir in avocado, papaya, sweet pepper, and chopped cilantro. Serve with chicken. If desired, garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

#889: Weight Watchers Perfect Roast Chicken

I have no idea if this is an actual Weight Watcher's approved recipe or not.  I found this recipe on Slender Kitchen so I'm assuming the points are accurate/correct.  Let me just say how much I hate whole chickens.  I saw way too many chicken body parts for my liking.  I had to bleach my kitchen afterwards and now my house stinks!  Blech. 

Look at how crispy that skin is though!  Granted we didn't eat it because it isn't healthy, but it still looked good and crispy.  This chicken was super moist.  I'd say that we will eat this again but we really hate picking through the bones to get the meat out.  I'd rather eat a boneless, skinless chicken breast.  But if you don't mind digging thru the chicken to get the meat out, then this is a great recipe.

1 5-6 lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

1 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425.  Wash the chicken and pat it dry completely. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff with the lemon, 3/4 of the thyme bunch, and the garlic.

 

Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 90 minutes or until the juice run clear. Let rest for 30 minutes, tented with foil, before serving.

 

According to Slender Kitchen WW+ Points: 4 oz. breast 5 points plus, drumstick 3 points plus, wing 4 points plus, thigh 5 points plus.

#888: Stuffed Zucchini Boats

These stuffed zucchini boats are quite yummy and can definitely be changed up to use whatever ingredients you have on hand.  I added zucchini to this batch since I had some in the fridge.  I loved the bacon in this but it would be really good with ground breakfast sausage too. 
 
1 zucchini
1/4 large onion, chopped fine
3-4 slices crispy bacon, chopped (I used 4 tbsp real bacon bits)
1 tbsp sour cream (I used ricotta cheese)
salt, to taste
curry powder, to taste (I didn't have any so I omitted)
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used about 3 tbsp)
fresh cracked black pepper

Give the zucchini a quick wash for good measure.  Slice in half lengthwise. Leave the ends on to keep the filling in. Scoop out the flesh with a melon ball or a spoon.  Leave a ledge of zucchini around the edges.  Arrange the zucchini boats in a baking dish. Chop the zucchini flesh as small as you like.

Finely chop half a sweet onion and saute with the bacon.  When done, add the curry powder, sour cream, tomatoes and thyme. Refill the zucchini shells with the filling mixture.

Grate some good aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

One of my entire zucchini (both halves) was 3 1/2 ww+ pts.

#887: Cowboy Turkey Burgers

My two sisters and my mom have been telling me how good these burgers are and that I needed to try it.  We are a burger loving family (okay some of us are!) so I finally got this recipe on our menu.  Unfortunately our grill is super finicky so we had to grill in the garage which kept setting off the smoke alarm and giving my husband a mini heart attack thinking it was going to blow up our house.  He's informed me that we are NOT doing that again.  :)  Our garage smells delicious though! 

We really enjoyed these.  Okay the kids and I enjoyed these, Brian got a plain burger because he wouldn't have eaten it with cheese inside.  I also omitted the jalapenos so my kids would actually eat this.  If you like heat, definitely add it in.  As much as I enjoyed these though, I honestly didn't think they were any different/more special than some of the other turkey burger recipes I've tried and enjoyed. 

1 lb 93% lean ground turkey (sorry this is too lean for my liking, we used 85%)

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup red onion, chopped finely

1-2 jalapenos, chopped finely

1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

1 tbsp mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until just combined.

Divide into four patties and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cook burgers on the grill for 5-6 minutes each side or until cooked through completely. You can also cook in a skillet for 5-6 minutes on each side.

If you make the recipe as directed (not my changes) this makes 4 burgers at 6 ww+ pts each (not including the bun).

#886: Low Carb Egg Muffins

This is actually a South Beach recipe, but you certainly don't need to be following a low/no-carb diet to enjoy these.  Personally, I would prefer these with more veggies and a lot more cheese, but I was trying to keep these super healthy.

16 oz egg substitute
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Garlic Powder, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. In a bowl combine egg substitute, diced veggies and cheese.  (I also added 2 turkey sausage patties, diced to mine).  Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour into muffin tins filling 2/3 full.

Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Muffins will keep at least a week in the refrigerator without freezing. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 2 minutes to reheat.

These muffins are 1 ww+ pt each (makes 12 muffins).  I personally am eating these cold right out of the fridge, but they were definitely best hot.  :) 

#885: Green Machine Smoothie

Here's another healthy smoothie recipe that will get in several servings of fruit in one meal.  When I found this recipe it claimed: "The green machine! Drink this daily and watch the pounds come off without fuss."  That definitely caught my eye!  I have no idea if the claim of weight loss to this recipe is true or not, but I'm willing to try it.

This smoothie is delicious.  As you can see below, Matthew loved it.  The girls enjoyed their drink too.  I will definitely make this again, and again.  Yummy!  

1/2 c frozen peaches
1/2 c frozen pineapple
5-8 spinach leaves
1 banana
3/4 c of Greek yogurt (I used 3 oz)
3/4 c of juice (I used 4 oz 100% apple juice and 4 oz of water)

Blend well and serve immediately. 

One serving is 6 ww+ pts.  I refused to drink that much for my breakfast so I cut down on the yogurt and replaced half of the juice with water.  My drink was 3 ww+ pts (much better!)

And because I think he's cute, here's one of him smiling:

#884: Mango Ginger Water

Sometimes I have a hard time actually considering a recipe a "new recipe" when it is so ridiculously simple to make and doesn't require actual cooking.  This is one of those recipes.   I found this idea on Pinterest to make metabolism boosting flavored water.  I'll be thrilled if it helps in the weight loss department.  If not, at least I'm getting more water in right?!  I'm hoping my weekly weight in after this week will be an improvement to what I've been seeing on the scale lately.  (I know, every little bit counts, but a little bit MORE would make me very happy!)

This tastes pretty good.  You can definitely taste the ginger so you have to like the flavor of it if you're going to like this water. 

1 inch Ginger Root, peeled and sliced
1 cup Frozen Mango- fresh is fine too

Peel the ginger and slice into 3-4 coin sized slices. You want them about the size and thickness of the coin. Drop into your pitcher and add in the mango. Top with 3 cups of ice and then add with water.(the ice is important, it holds down the ginger and mango to help infuse the water).  Place in your fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.  This lasts 24 hours. 

Note: This recipe calls for a 4 liter sun tea container. If you want to use a smaller pitcher cut the recipe in half, just divide by two. If you only want to make 1 liter divide recipe ingredients by 4.
Makes 4 liters, refill 4 liter pitcher 2-4 times until flavor is lost.

#883: Creamy Layered Fruit Sensation

I've had this recipe bookmarked on one of my Pinterest boards for almost a year now.  I'm not sure why I waited do long to make this!  Not only was it super, super easy to make, but it was delicious!  I think I'm always going to eat angel food cake with a little orange juice/almond extract poured on it.  It was wonderful.  I will definitely make this recipe again.  It went over well with our family at Easter and it was just good! 

The only thing I did wrong was to let Matthew finish the extra cool whip because it was supposed to be topped with cool whip.  Since I didn't have any left, I didn't have a middle layer of pudding and used it as the topper instead.  Not a big deal in flavor/taste, but it would have looked prettier if that big middle part in the bowl wasn't all cake.  :)

3 Tbsp  orange juice 

¼ tsp.  almond extract

1 pkg. (10 oz.) prepared angel food cake, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 pkg. (1 oz. each) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding

2-1/2 cups  cold fat-free milk

1-1/2 cups  thawed Cool Whip Sugar Free Whipped Topping, divided

2 pkgs  (12 oz. each) frozen unsweetened mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries), thawed, well drained

 

Mix juice and extract. Drizzle over cake cubes in large bowl; toss to coat.

Beat pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip.

 

Reserve a few berries for garnish. Place half the cake cubes in 2-qt. glass bowl; top with layers of half each of the remaining berries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 2 hours. Top with remaining Cool Whip and reserved berries just before serving.

Dessert can be stored in refrigerator up to 6 hours before serving.