Monday, July 27, 2009

Wake-Me-Up Coffee Shake, South Beach Diet - Phase 1

Wake-Me-Up Coffee Shake, South Beach Diet - Phase 1
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low fat, no sugar vanilla or plain yogurt
1/2 cup low calorie, no sugar vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon or tablespoon instant coffee (to your taste- can be decaf or regular)
1 tablespoon sugar free, fat free, calorie free chocolate syrup
1 cup ice

Blend.
Enjoy!

South Beach Diet PB & Choco Shake - Phase 1

South Beach Diet PB & Choco Shake - Phase 1

Ingredients:
All natural, no sugar or honey added Peanut Butter
Sugar free, fat free fudgesicles
1/2 cup fat free, low calorie plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup low fat soymilk
1 cup ice cubes

Blend
Enjoy!

Protein Powder Cookies

Protein Powder Cookies

I have tried a few different diets, and for everyday eating, I use some of these recipes. They are convenient (God knows that important to me!), and easy! These are little 3-4 bite cookies that freeze well, and are great for on-the-go! These are perfect on the Body For Life Plan.

Ingredients:
1 serving
1/3 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 scoop protein powder (any flavor)
2 packets sugar substitute
2 tbsp. skim milk

Directions:
Preheat oven 300. mix. spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Cook 7-10 mins. makes one meal.

Beefy Doggie Biscuits

Beefy Doggie Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4cup wheat germ
2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon yeast extract (adds additional meaty flavour)

Directions:
Mix above ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add: 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and 1 cup hot water.
Stir well. Roll out on a well-floured surface to 1/2 inch thickness. Place on ungreased cooking sheet. Bake on center rack, (275 F. or 140 C) for about 2 hours until dry and very hard. Let stand overnight to dry thoroughly.

Makes 10 big bones and 14 puppy bones.

Fried Pickles (Southern Living)

Fried Pickles (Southern Living)

Fried pickles have always been a favorite of mine! When I mention them to some people, they reply with "EWWWWW!!!" I guess they're not for everyone, but most people that have tried them at my house are fast fans. Try this recipe for yourself, and let me know what you think!

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
2 (16-oz.) jars dill pickle sandwich slices, drained **I like to use the slices instead of the spears, but many restaurants serve the spears.***
1 large egg
1 (12-oz.) can beer **quality is not as important here as it is when making beer bread, etc**
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
And, it's nice to have some Ranch Dressing to dip them in! YUM!

Directions:
1. Pat pickles dry with paper towels.
2. Whisk together egg and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; add 1 1/2 cups flour, and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat to 375°.
4. Dip pickle slices into batter, allowing excess batter to drip off. Fry pickles, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Drain and pat dry on paper towels; serve immediately with Ranch Dressing.

Southern Living, JULY 2007

Lotsa Beans Salad

Lotsa Beans Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can wax beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Mix beans with onion and bell peppers in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, oil, sugar, and herbs. Season to taste with salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves; do not boil.
Pour warm dressing over bean mixture, and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

AMAZING Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I LOVE my chocolate chip cookies. And these are hands-down the BEST I've ever had. The pudding added makes the perfect texture, and everyone will love them!

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla
pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown, but do NOT overcook! They're best when left a little tender!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 325

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup sugar
1 stick margarine or butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts
2 Tbsp. buttermilk

Blend first 3 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake 1 hour 20-30 minutes or when toothpick comes out clean.

****NOTE: I bake bread 1 hour then loosely cover the top with aluminum foil so it won't burn & bake the remaining time. Also, to pack more vitamins in, change the 2 cups of all-purpose flour to: 1 cup all-purpose flour, and 1 cup whole wheat flour. Then, substitute 1 mashed ripe banana for 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana and 1/2 cup pureed sweet potato!****

Sunday, July 26, 2009

HERSHEY'S Easy Fudgey Pudding Cake

HERSHEY'S Easy Fudgey Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose biscuit baking mix
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Syrup, divided
3/4 cup hot water
Whipped topping or ice cream(optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Combine baking mix and cocoa in medium bowl; stir in 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup syrup and vanilla until blended. Spoon evenly into prepared pan.
3. Combine remaining sweetened condensed milk, remaining 1/2 cup syrup and water in small bowl. Pour liquid mixture carefully over top of mixture in pan; do not stir.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Let stand 10 minutes; spoon into dessert dishes, spooning pudding from bottom of pan over top. Serve warm; garnish with whipped topping, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert. 6 to 8 servings.

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted
and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild Cheddar
cheese, shredded


DIRECTIONS:

1.Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Buscuits
(My lab, Mosby the Grey Ghost, and my Chihuahua, Stonewall Jackson, have approved them 100%!)

Ingredients:

4 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, or as needed
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine wheat flour and oats in large bowl. Stir in water and peanut butter. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in more flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with small cookie cutters into desired shapes, and place 3/4 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 40 minutes. Turn oven off; leave biscuits in oven until completely cool.

May want to refrigerate to avoid molding.

Drunk Deer and Chicken Chili!

Drunk Deer and Chicken Chili!

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1 pound ground venison
1 pound cubed beef stew meat- optional (I use shredded)
1 pound shredded pork stew meat (I use shredded)
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans pilsner-style beer
2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the venison, beef, and pork in the melted butter until completely browned. Add the onion; cook until tender. Season with chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.
Stir in the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and beef bouillon. Pour the bourbon, beer, and water into the mixture and stir. Bring the chili to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer about 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Anna's Chicken Marsala

Anna's Chicken Marsala

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients:


Marsala Sauce:

1/4 cup Marsala Cooking Wine

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup butter, chilled
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken and Pasta:
1/2 pound dry ziti
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -
cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces bacon
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional)
6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and
halved
chopped fresh parsley for garnish


Directions:


1. To make the sauce, pour the wine and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
3. To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
4. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
5. To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional marsala sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley.

****NOTE: Often, I do not bread the chicken. I like to cook the chicken in 1 tsp of etra virgin olive oil to cut some of the calories out. You can also use whole wheat pasta!****

Chocolate Peanut Butter Healthy Ribbon Loaf

Chocolate Peanut Butter Healthy Ribbon Loaf

From Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking Magazine. Submitted by Sharon Giljum of San Diego, CA.

"With chocolate, bananas, and peanut butter, this bread has it all. At less than 275 calories per slice, it's perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack."

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut butter chip
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; gradually beat into the butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in chocolate until well blended. Pour half of remaining batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; top with half of the chocolate batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

**** NOTE: I like to change these up a bit. Sometimes I don't make them "ribboned" at all. Sometimes I will add chocolate chips instead of melted chocolate, and pour the batter in mini muffin pans. Very often, I will cut the banana amount in half, and substitute pureed carrot for the rest! The kids have no idea, and EVERYONE loves them!****

Vidalia Onion Dip

Vidalia Onion Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese or shredded Swiss cheese (about 4 oz.)
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine all ingredients in 1-quart casserole. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Tomato Mozzarella Bites

Tomato Mozzarella Bites

Ingredients:

20 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
20 fresh basil leaves
20 small balls fresh mozzarella cheese (often
labeled bocconcini)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
20 toothpicks

Directions:

Using a toothpick, spear a half of a tomato, a piece of basil, a mozzarella ball, and another half of a tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl to serve as a dipping sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

"This tangy, creamy dip tastes just like buffalo chicken wings. It's best served hot with crackers and celery sticks. Everyone loves the results!"

Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken,
drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as
Franks® Red Hot®
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into
4 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored
crackers

Directions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com
Printed from Allrecipes.com 2/8/2009

Vegan Bean Salad

Vegan Bean Salad

3 cans pinto beans
1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cup onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
1 large cucumber
3/4 cup vinegar (to taste)

Mix it, Chill it, Eat it, LOVE IT!!

INCREDIBLE Corn Pudding!!!

INCREDIBLE Corn Pudding!!!

1 stick butter, melted
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 16 oz. can whole corn, with juice
1 16 oz. can cream corn
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a 2 qt., greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 uncovered for 45-50 minutes. It should get slightly brown on top.

ENJOY!