#830: Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

I had planned to make this recipe months ago, but somehow it kept getting bumped from our menu.  I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't make it sooner because we all really enjoyed this dinner.  The only thing I really had to change was that I didn't put the chicken (once I shredded it) back into the salsa mixture because my family would have never eaten it.  The salsa was super thick and chunky, which I like, but they sure don't. 

This was great for dinner and reheated for lunch the next day.  Another addition to our family favorite dinner recipes!

24-ounce jar medium salsa

Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
.4 oz package taco seasoning (I used 1/2 a package)
2 jalapenos, finely chopped (I used 1 can of dice green chilies)
6 boneless chicken breast halves

In a slow cooker, mix together the salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning and jalapenos. Add the chicken and coat with the salsa mixture. Allow the chicken to cook, covered, in the slow cooker on Low setting for 6 hours. Serve chicken with salsa mixture spooned over top, or shred and use as a taco filling.

#829: Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups

This week I decided to use broccoli in several of my recipes.  This is the first one I tried, and planned to eat it either as a breakfast food or as a side dish to one of my dinners.  It was actually fairly easy to prepare with cooking the rice and broccoli being the hardest steps.  The rest of the recipe you just toss together.  My kind of recipe!!  I pretty much halved this recipe for fear that I wouldn't like it (that wasn't the case by the way!).

When these were about done cooking, I flipped them over and let them go for another 10 minutes or so to help the bottoms brown up a little too.  These are actually quite delightful, even with the removal of a lot of the cheese.  I think I've decided to eat this for dinner tonight and then eat the rest for breakfast this week at school. 

Definitely a keeper in my book!

1 cup quick-cooking rice (I used 1/2 cup minute brown rice)
1 cup chicken stock (I used 1/2 c)
1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out (I used about 1 1/2 c fresh broccoli which I steamed)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Homemade Ranch Dressing, or store bought (I used 1/8 c of fat free ranch)
2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used 1/4 c of egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare rice as directed on package, substituting stock for water. Place cooked rice in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to eight well-greased muffin cups–I like to use an ice cream scoop–and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are lightly browned and edges are starting to get crispy.


I got 6 muffin cups out of this at 1 ww+ pts per muffin.  (The entire batch was 8 ww+ pts).

#828: Turkey Sage Meatball Soup

I decided to make this recipe for lunches for Matthew and I.  Let's be honest, no one else in my family is going to eat this.  Well they'd eat the meatballs but that's about it.  Instead of cartons or canned chicken broth I decided to use my fresh chicken stock I made in the crockpot last week.  I think that was a bad idea.  This is oily.  I diluted it with probably 6 cups of water too!  This recipe also didn't call for browning the meatballs first (which I liked the idea of) and although these are definitely cooked thru, they are too light in color for my liking.  Part of that is probably because I used ground chicken instead of turkey. 

I wanted to like this.  I really did.  But it was SO bland!  Neither he nor I would eat this.  :(  Not making this one again unless I doctor it up A LOT.  No thanks. 

2 (32-oz.) cartons lower-sodium chicken broth (I used fresh chicken stock)
1 lb. ground turkey (I used ground chicken)
3/4 cup panko
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg (I used 3 tbsp of skim milk)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided (I used dried thyme)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 1/2 cups orzo (I used ditalini pasta)
1 carrot, sliced (1/4 inch)(1/2 cup)
1 rib celery, sliced (1/4 inch)(3/4 cup) (I use zucchini and thew in a diced yellow pepper too)

Bring broth to a boil in large pot over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, combine turkey, panko, cheese, egg, 1 tablespoon of the sage, garlic, salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper in large bowl. Using 1 heaping tablespoon per meatball, form into 24 meatballs.

Add meatballs, orzo, carrot, celery and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper to broth; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low; simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink in center and orzo is al dente, stirring occasionally. Garnish with remaining 1/2 tablespoon sage.

Homemade Idea: 2 Liter Bottles for Drink Mixes

Did you ever have a moment searching Pinterest (or the Internet) and see something and you thought, "Duh.  Why didn't I think of that?!"  I have those moments all the time.  All.The.Time.

I drink a lot of powdered drink mixes like Crystal Light.  (I'm particularly fond of the Mojito Mocktails).  But I hate having to stir up the pitcher every time I want to drink it.  It also leaves a residue behind sometimes.  Yes I know that's probably something that's not good for me...I know and I don't care. 

So as I was about to make my pitcher of mojito I noticed an empty 2 liter pop bottle sitting on the counter and realized it would be perfect for filling it up and being able to shake up the crystal light before pouring...thus eliminating the need to stir it up.  So I measured out my regular pitcher of water and poured it into the 2 liter bottle.  Obviously I am not a math person or I could have figured out how many cups were in a liter and if it would fit.  Anyway, it filled up the 2 liter bottle.  It's a perfect match. 

So...fill the empty, clean/rinsed 2 liter bottle about 1/3 of the way with water.  Add your packet of powdered drink mix and then fill the rest of the way up to the top (leave about 1 inch so it has room to mix up).  Place the cap on tightly and shake away to mix up the drink mix and dissolve the powder. 

Viola....it's perfect!  And I'm proud of myself for figuring this one out...even if I'm not the first one to realize this!  :)

Now I'm going to go pour myself a glass of Mojito and make another bottle with peach tea. 

#827: Pomegranate Banana Smoothie

The recipe below claims to serve 3.  Personally, this makes a great breakfast smoothie for 1.  Three servings would be awfully little.  See the photo above?  That's the entire recipe.  This was a nice thick smoothie.  It would be easy to change this up to things you have in your fridge (other fruit/veggie combo drinks, different flavored yogurts, etc.).   

1 c plain nonfat yogurt
1 c pure pomegranate juice, well chilled
1 large banana, thickly sliced

Product Review: Cafe Escapes K-cups

I finally got a Keurig coffee maker for Christmas this past December.  It truly was one of my favorite gifts to open!  I love it.  We all use it too...me for coffee, Brian for hot chocolate.  So when I was invited to join a BzzCampaign for Cafe Escapes K-Cups I was ecstatic!  I was sent 2 boxes (8 K-cups) of different coffee, lattes and hot chocolate to try for free.  Of course the very first thing I tried was the Chai Latte.  Black tea, cinnamon and "milky sweetness"...doesn't that sound wonderful??  It sure does to me! 

Cafe Escapes is from the Green Mountain Family. It's no wonder this stuff is good...it's a wonderful brand of coffees!

Back to my drink: It came out of my Keurig as a very light brown liquid.  Normally I have to put a lot of sweetener into my drinks but NOT with this one!  It was wonderful.  I asked Allison to try it and she immediately tasted the cinnamon.  (A little impressive for a 6 year old!)  I'm sad that my box doesn't have more Chai Latte in it to drink!  :(  That's okay though because I plan to look for them the next time I go to the grocery store.  And if I can't find them, I can buy them directly online at their website.  I definitely plan to get a box...or three!

Want to learn more about Cafe Escapes??  Check out their website, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

#826: Simple Turkey Chili

I love chili!  My family doesn't love chili mainly because of the beans.  When I served this for dinner Brian tried to inconspicuously pick out all the beans and Chloe declared that she didn't like chili just upon seeing her dinner.  :(  Matthew would only eat the noodles covered in chili but if I tried to give him just the ground beef, he would spit it out.  (Great...another picky eater!)  Fortunately Allison loved this and tried to encourage everyone to eat the beans by telling them "it gives it great flavor!"  Thanks Allison. 

Although I totally enjoyed this dinner (as obviously did Allison) there really wasn't anything special to it and if you like heat...this isn't for you.  It was actually a little bland in my opinion.  We doctored ours up with a little shredded cheese, oyster crackers and sour cream (still no heat).  Would I make this again, yes.  Would I make this again over my mom's chili, no.  This recipe would be a good starting off point for you if you like to throw things together and add to a recipe. 

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed, and mashed
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper  

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.

Pour water into the pot. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
If I figured this out correctly, if you divide the chili into 6 servings (which actually isn't a whole lot) it would be 4 ww+ pts per serving (not including noodles, or any extra toppings).

#825: Lemony Green Beans

This green bean side dish is extremely easy to prepare and would be a great accompaniment to almost any meal.  I ate it with meatloaf and loved it.  I tried to get the kids to eat it but they would barely put it in their mouth.  Even Matthew was spitting it out.  Don't let that dissuade you though, my kids are not the best judges of veggies.

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

3/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

Lemon wedges

 

In a large skillet, heat chicken broth and oil over medium-high heat. Add green beans; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with lemon-pepper. Serve with lemon wedges. Yield: 6 servings.

This is an excellent low point weight watchers meal.  The only thing you have to account for is the olive oil, so use as little as you can!

#824: Mini Skillet Meatloaves

Once I started making meatloaves in the crockpot, I rarely make them any other way now (unless I'm making super easy meatloaf muffins!).  So when I came across this recipe, I had to seriously debate if I wanted to stand over the stove cooking these or not.  But since we are now into the 800's for number of new recipes tried (shameless pat on the back for myself), I figured we should give this one a go. 

This was definitely easy to make.  I got 6 (unevenly sized) mini meatloaves from this recipe.  All 5 of us enjoyed this, although it wasn't my favorite meatloaf I've ever eaten.  It was still good though.  I liked that it cooked a lot faster than a typical meatloaf in the oven.  It was done in about 25 minutes...a lot more do-able when coming home from work and not having to wait an hour or more for dinner to be done (like regular meatloaf does). 

Would I make this again, yes.  Would I make this again on a regular basis, probably not.
 

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 large egg

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 small onion, finely minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced

1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and/or veal) (I used ground turkey)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 to 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

 

Mix the breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into six 3-to-4-inch oval loaves.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the loaves and brown about 3 minutes per side.

Whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the meat. Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the loaves to a plate. Add the remaining ketchup mixture to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes.

Product Review: Glade Expressions Oil Diffusers

 

I was recently invited to join a BzzCampaign through BzzAgent for Glade Expressions. One of the products I was able to try for free was one of their Oil Diffuser Starter Kits.  There were three choices to choose from: Lavender and Juniper Berry, Pineapple and Mangosteen, and Fuji Apple and Cardamom Spice.  I stood in the cleaning/fragrance aisle for probably a full five minutes debating about which diffuser I should get.  Should I get one I wanted or one my husband would like.  I couldn't decide.  So I went with one that I think my husband would tolerate.  :) 

The kit cost $7.99 at Meijer.  It comes with a diffuser card, and oil bottle and a decorative holder.  The holder has a pretty leaf pattern on it in white and black.  It's very room-neutral and would go with pretty much any decoration and in any room.  I decided to put mine in our hallway on top of our cubbies.  I wanted to see many rooms I could smell this from and this was a central location for the diffuser.  The box says it lasts 30 days.

The diffuser is very easy to assemble.  You just push the diffuser card into the oil bottle.  It clicks in very easily and you can smell the scent almost as soon as it is inserted.  See the picture on the left, that's a picture of the diffuser card and the oil bottle.  The picture at the top is the beautiful oil diffuser all put together and working. 

Almost right after putting this together you could smell the scent.  Within about 30 minutes I could smell it in almost every room on our first floor.  In the morning when we woke up I could even smell it upstairs.  It was strong.  Too strong for my liking unfortunately.  Eventually I had to move it to the garage because it was so over powering.  We like the scent but it's too much for us.  This would be great if you like strong scents or if you are putting it in a very large room.  I'm sure once this scent dissipates just a little it will be great in our house but for now (it's been about 1 week in) it's a little too much.

Would I get a refill, yes.  In fact, I actually enjoy it in our garage. For my home though, we would all have to really love the scent since it's strong. 

Want to know more about the Glade products, check out their website, join them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.   

#823: Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole

I just came across this recipe today and was so excited to try it, I made it almost instantly.  I added some extra veggies in it to bulk up the amount this makes and the healthiness factor, and LOVED it.  It is delicious.  I cannot wait to eat this again this week for breakfast.

4 strips bacon or turkey bacon (I used 2 turkey sausage patties, chopped)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, rinsed and drained (I didn't bother to rinse or drain)
3 oz. (1/3 cup) crumbled Feta (I used 1/4 c shredded Mexican blend cheese)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
Spike Seasoning to taste (or use other all purpose seasoning mix)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
8 eggs, well beaten (I used 1 cup of egg beaters)
I also added: 1/3 zucchini, diced
4 baby carrots, grated
3/4 of a red pepper, diced
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray an 8"x8" glass casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Cook bacon in the microwave until it's very crisp and blot away the fat with paper towels, then crumble. Drain the cottage cheese into a fine-mesh colander, spray with cold water until the creamy part washes away and only the curds remain, and let drain. Crumble the feta, slice the green onions, and beat the eggs.

Combine the crumbled bacon, cottage cheese, Feta, and green onions in the casserole dish. Season the ingredients with Spike Seasoning and pepper, pour over the beaten eggs, and gently stir so all ingredients are combined.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is firm and starting to slightly brown on top. (It will puff a bit while it cooks and then settle back down as it cools. Serve hot. This keeps well in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

 

My version (see red notes above) made 4 large servings at 3 ww+ pts each!  That's a very filling, low point breakfast for me.

#822: Turkey Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of my favorite things to make on a freezer cooking day because you can make a lot of them in very little time.  It's basically a dump-it-all-together and freeze kind of thing.  That's what I love about it! 

We use ground turkey instead of beef for almost everything we eat.  We don't notice a difference in taste and it's much healthier for our family.  This recipe is very, very easy to throw together and besides the ground turkey, we had all of the other ingredients in our pantry or on hand. 

We all loved this one.  This is definitely a keeper for our family and we will be making this again soon.

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 tsp. olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup chicken stock

½ tsp. tomato paste

26 oz. ground turkey breast

½ cups bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup ketchup

 

Preheat oven to 325°. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with two slices of bread to soak up the grease during cooking.

In a medium sauté pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until translucent but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste. Mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well. Press into the loaf pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 ½ hours until the internal temperature is 160° and the meatloaf is cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

We got about 4 (large) servings out of this recipe at 6.5 ww+ pts each.

Homemade Idea: Keeping Basil Fresh

I don't know about you guys, but I cannot keep basil fresh in the fridge for long at all.  I pretty much need to buy it right before I need to use it.  It always ends up getting wilty and turning brown.  So when I came across this idea on Pinterest to keep it in a jar on your fridge, I was more than happy to test out the theory to see if it worked.  So far the basil has been on my counter for 3 days now and is still looking super green and fresh.  I'll try to remember to update this later and let you know how long it lasted. 

All you need to do is put a wet paper towel on the bottom of a mason jar, add the basil and put the lid on really tightly.  Keep in a cool spot on your counter.  (So not on the stove or above the dishwasher).   Every 2 days I plan to get the paper towel wet again.  Finally, I have a way to keep basil!!

Update: Okay this only lasted 4 days for me on my counter.  Although I did not think that was long enough, it definitely lasted longer for me on the counter than it normally does on the fridge. Next time I'm going to try doing the same thing but putting it in the fridge. 

#821: Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Technically this probably isn't a Pasta e Fagioli soup since I left out the noodles.  Don't get me wrong, I love noodles in my pasta (I love mini meatballs in it too!) but was trying to keep it a little healthier.  I'd actually call this more of a tomato and veggie soup.  As far as soups go, this isn't my favorite soup.  It's good, but I like a lot more stuff in my soup (like meat, noodles, etc).  As far as a healthy, filling soup...this is delicious.  Or at least I think so!

2 tablespoons olive oil (I omitted)

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped  (I used zucchini instead)

2 carrots, chopped1 clove garlic, minced

2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2/3 c frozen peas

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1 cup small pasta such as shells or elbows (I omitted)

Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Season again with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth if desired.

Let cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Without the noodles, but the addition of the peas, this came to 2 ww+ pts per bowl (I got 4 bowls).

#820: Amish Breakfast Casserole

I am really into egg casseroles lately.  I love eating eggs for breakfast and I cannot get enough of egg substitutes lately (so healthy!).  So I found this recipe and couldn't wait for it to come out of the oven.  I LOVED this.  It was delicious.  This would be a great thing to serve for breakfast when company was coming over.  BUT it was too unhealthy for my liking, so I changed it a little.  Below is my version.  You'll find the original recipe posted at the bottom.  Enjoy!

3 tablespoons real bacon bits

2 green onions, chopped

2 servings (1/2 c) egg substitute

1 1/2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 bell pepper, diced

In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients.  Mix well and transfer to a greased 8x8-in. baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 4 servings.

My version serves 4 and is 5 ww+ pts each.


This is the original recipe. 

1 pound sliced bacon, diced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese

1-1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

#819: Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Basil

This side dish could not be easier to make.  It was a snap to throw together with cutting the tomatoes being the most time consuming part (and that took about 2 minutes total!).  This has great flavor and the basil really comes out with this one.  It's delicious. 

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
25 large basil leaves, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp honey (I omitted)
pinch of salt

 

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Without the honey, this makes 3 servings at 5 ww+ pts each.

Homemade Idea: Cleaning Fruit with Vinegar

Here's another homemade idea I found on Pinterest that I've been eager to try: Cleaning fruit with vinegar.

The recipe says to let it sit for an hour but I don't have time for that.  :)  SO after about 25 minutes I took my fruit out and rinsed it.  No scrubbing, just soaking.  It actually worked pretty well.  I was happy with how well it came out.  Hopefully it truly did help get the residue and pesticides off our fruit!


Fill the sink with cold water.  Add 1 cup of vinegar and let soak for 1 hour minutes.

#818: Cottage Cheese and Egg Salad Sandwich

I have leftover cottage cheese so I'm excited to try some different, healthy cottage cheese recipes. I am NOT an egg salad sandwich fan, but that didn't stop me from trying this recipe (and I had eggs to use up). 

Now if you love egg salad, you'll probably really enjoy this.  For me, I liked this but didn't love, love, love it.  Don't get me wrong, I ate the entire sandwich so obviously I enjoyed it.  You can definitely taste the butter in it which I oddly liked.  I might cut down on it a little bit next time though.  Would I make this again, probably not.  Would I eat this again if someone offered it to me, yes.  It's good...just not my favorite thing to eat.

Serves 1:
1 egg
1 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 c cottage cheese
sea salt
fresh chives, finely chopped

Hard-boil the eggs using your favourite method, cool to room temperature, then peel. Separate the cooked egg yolks and whites.

Place the butter and egg yolks into a bowl and use the back of a wooden spoon to cream the mixture (that gives the gorgeous yellow colour!).
Finely chop the cooked egg whites, stir into the rest of the ingredients alongside the chives. Season with salt.

I made this with "I can't believe it's not butter" and 35 calories (per slice) bread.  My version came to 6.5 ww+ pts per sandwich (including the bread). 

Homemade Idea: Oven "boiled" Eggs

 

I have never been good at hard boiling eggs.  They middles are almost always overcooked and shells are frequently cracked.  I know, I'm not boiling them right.  Yes, I know.  So when I found this idea to bake the eggs on Pinterest, I was super excited to try it. 

Look at how easy this is.  Place eggs in muffin tins and bake.  Not hard at all.  When the time was up I ran them under cold water and look at how perfect the middles are!

I'm always going to make my eggs like this now.  Imagine how fast I can get my "hard boiled" eggs for Easter?! 
Here are the directions as shown on Pinterest:
Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove.

#817: Turkey and Quinoa Muffins

The picture about does NOT do this recipe justice. In fact, if I saw this picture I would never try it. So don't let this stop you from trying it. I was pretty sure Brian was going to hate this recipe. I usually try not to tell him what is in a recipe until after he starts eating it, but he saw the word "quinoa" before we ate and I would have put money on him not even trying this AT ALL. He happily surprised me by not only eating this, but liking it. We all enjoyed it. So much so, that the kids kept asking for more and there were no more left to give them. So next time I'm going to double this recipe. Matthew loved it too! It was a little crumbly and a little dense but we still enjoyed it a lot. I was trying to outsmart the stupid muffin tin by making these in an 8x8 pan instead and that did NOT work out for us. I had to crisp up the bottom of the muffins in a pan for a few minutes. DON'T make this in a pan unless you put this into an actual loaf pan instead of muffins.

1lb ground lean turkey 2 egg whites
1/3c cooked quinoa
Cumin
Balsamic vinegar
Garlic powder
Spicy mustard
Chile powder
Crushed red pepper
Fresh chives
Poppy seeds (I omitted)
Dash of hot sauce (I omitted)
 

This is exactly what the recipe directions stated: "For the spices, vinegar, & mustard... I didn't measure. I just sprinkled until I thought it looked like enough. So... "to taste.'"

This is my kind of recipe.  I can just dump stuff in??  Yes please! 

Preheat your oven to 425. Coat a muffin pan with non stick spray. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Fill the tins almost full. Then bake for about 30 minutes or until cooked thru.