Friday, January 3, 2014

Spaghetti Pasta Bake


Ingredients:
1lb Dream-fields lo Carb Spaghetti
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Lb Lean ground Beef or Turkey
4 cloves of Garlic or 2 tsp Minced garlic
1/2 Sweet Onion chopped
1/2 Green Pepper chopped
1 7oz. package sliced pepperoni
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1 Tbs oregano
2 Tbs Tomato paste
1 32oz can Crushed tomatoes
2-3 cups Shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Pre Heat oven to 375 degrees

Cook pasta as directed on box.
Heat oil in large pot and add Beef or Turkey
Drain off oil when browned and return to pot.
Add spices , onion, and peppers and saute until onions and peppers are slightly softened and then add 1/2 bag of pepperoni. ( I cut the sliced rounds into four)
Add Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well.
Mix in pasta making sure to coat pasta well with the sauce.
Add mixed ingredients to a 13x9 baking dish and top with mozzarella and
remaining pepperoni slices.
Bake for 25 minutes uncovered.
ENJOY!!!!!  

No Bake Cake

from Sylvia 

This NO BAKE CAKE is like heaven in your mouth!!! It's just that good!!! And you don't even have to turn on the oven to make it!! Easy and Delicious is always the best!!! Your going to want to share this one!!
Ingredients:
1 Box of Vanilla Wafers
1 20oz Can of Crushed Pineapples with Juice
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package of coconut
1 (8oz) Container Cool Whip
1 small jar of cherries
1 cup of pecans (optional)
Directions:
Layer the bottom of dish with Vanilla Wafers. Mix in a bowl the lemon juice and condensed milk, then add the pineapples and mix all together. Pour this over the vanilla wafers in the dish. Add another layer of the Vanilla Wafers on top of the pineapple mix. Then top with cool whip, and coconut and cherries. Refrigerate overnight. Serve and Enjoy!
Note: You can replace coconut with pecans if you'd like.

Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake



For the batter~
3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping~
1 cup butter, soft to the point of almost melted*
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the butter.
once mixed ...slowly pour in the butter.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Glaze~
2 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

While the cake is warm ~ drizzle the glaze over the cake.

All things in moderation...

Biggest Loser Pancakes

Biggest loser oatmeal & egg white pancakes. They say once you try these, you will never go back. Tastes like French toast!

Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1 cup rolled oats, dry
1 cup cottage cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle. Flip when they start to bubble. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batches, spraying the griddle as needed. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Number of Servings: 3

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
181 Calories, 2.7g Fat, 10mg Cholesterol, 361mg Sodium, 20g Carbs, 2.8g

Crock Pot Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole



Here's what you need
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg tater tots
1/2 cup bacon pieces - you can use the precooked stuff like I did or just dice up some cooked bacon slices
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, lightly greased crock pot, layer 1/2 the tater tots, then half the bacon pieces and half the cheese.

Layer the chicken pieces over the cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Repeat the tater tot, bacon and cheese layer. Pour the milk over all.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

The bacon provides a great deal of flavor and is perfect with the chicken and cheese. The tater tots lose their shape and resemble hash browns, so if you want to substitute hash browns, it would work wonderfully.  

Skillet Cabbage

Skillet Cabbage!!

Ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into round pieces
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes or rotel tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in large skillet. Add cabbage, onion, and cook on medium high for about 5 minutes stirring to keep from sticking to pan. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.
Makes about 8 servings. 

Apple Enchiladas

"Apples rolled in flour tortillas. VERY delicious, easy and fast to make. Substitute apples with peaches or cherries if desired"

1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Spoon fruit evenly onto all tortillas, sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down on lightly greased 8x8 baking pan
Spoon fruit evenly onto all tortillas, sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down on lightly greased 8x8 baking pan
Bring margarine, sugars and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 3 minutes
Pour sauce evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with extra cinnamon on top if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes
Makes 6 large tortillas; may be cut in half to serve 12

DIY Shower Pucks

Cold Season is coming into full swing & I'm sure I'll be needing this soon...Such A Great Idea!!!

DIY Vicks Shower Pucks ~ put theses in the bottom of your shower when your sick and let them melt away while you have a hot shower. Leaves you feeling less stuffy and helps to clear up colds faster.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Baking soda
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/3 - 1/2 Cup Water
2 - 3 tsp Vicks vapor rub

Heat water enough to melt vicks in. Add in baking soda and cornstarch and mix into a think paste, if you need to add more water. Line a muffin tin with paper cups, fill each cup about half way with mixture. Let dry overnight. Remove from paper cups when discs are hard and store in an airtight container.


Apple Tini

Party Drink Idea! 

Apple-tini 

Ingredients
Cinnamon and sugar for rimming glass (optional)
5 tablespoons vodka
5 tablespoons sour-apple schnapps
5 tablespoons lemonade
5 tablespoons lemon-lime soda (such as 7-Up or Sprite)

Directions
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, schnapps, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Cover and shake vigorously. Dip rim edge of martini glasses in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch water, then in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch of equal parts sugar and cinnamon mixture. Strain shaken mixture into prepared glasses and serve.

Optional: serve with apple slice or marachino cherry 

Stainless Steel Cleaner

Eco-Friendly Stainless Steel Cleaner
from Nathalie 

Removes smudges from stainless steel appliances!

What you need:

1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP White Vinegar

Directions:

1- Drip Olive Oil onto rag ; rub surface to get rid of smudges.
2- Drip White Vinegar on other side of rag. Wipe and let dry.

Voilà!!!

Eco-Friendly, Affordable & Homemade!! Never buy chemical filled stainless steel cleaners again!!! : )

Homemade Bathroom/Shower Cleaner

1 Cup Dawn Dish washing Liquid
1 Cup Vinegar
Place in spray bottle and shake to mix
Spray on surfaces and let sit for 15 minutes
Wipe down/Rinse*

*Be sure to rinse thoroughly. The Dawn can make things slippery. Don't want any falls in the shower



Apple Rolls


All you need is:
-1 Medium-Sized Apple
-1 Package Buttery Crescent Rolls (or Regular Crescent Rolls with some softened butter)
-2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
It's easy! Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peal and slice the apple into 8 slices. On a baking dish, roll out your Crescent Rolls, placing 1 apple slice in each roll. (If using non-buttery crescent roll, add approximately 1/2 tsp. of softened butter on top of apple.) Sprinkle approximately 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon in the crescent roll. Roll up each apple roll and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until outside of crescent roll is light brown. See... easy peasy!



Mama's Salmon Croquettes

1 can (15oz) pink salmon, drain, reserve juice
1 egg
1/2 cup self rising flour
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup juice from drained salmon
oil for deep frying
Preparation:

Mix salmon with the egg; stir in the sifted flour. Add pepper and onions. Mix flour into the salmon juice and beat till foamy. Pour into salmon mixture and mix with a fork. Drop by small spoonfuls into hot fat and fry until golden brown.
Serves 4.

Cabbage Stew

from the mother-in-law

1 lb ground beef
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
8 oz tomato juice
4 carrots chopped, or about a cup of baby carrots
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 medium head cabbage
1/4 cup chopped onion (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)

Brown hamburger meat with onions in a pan. Drain grease. combine all ingredients in a boiler or large skillet with water ( enough to cover, but barely unless you want it real runny) and bring to a boil then simmer until carrots and cabbage are tender.



Crab Croissant

From Keri 

Lol... check it out. Cute snack for the kids. 

Use a croissant, 2 black olives cut in half, 2 peas, 6 peas in a pod, 2 strawberries. You could stuff with tuna salad, egg salad, salmon salad, etc.... but most likely crab salad would be appropriate!

3 Envelope Roast

3 Envelope Roast

this is my most shared and most requested recipe of the year!! 

1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages brown gravy mix, dry
1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages ranch dressing mix, dry
1/2 cup water
*Those who are worried about the sodium may wish to make homemade mixes

Directions
Place beef roast in crock pot.
Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.
Pour the water around the roast.
Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

For the veggies, I put them in about halfway through cooking the roast so that they don't get too mushy



Jodi's Skinny Fiber Update!!

Woohoo Jodi's update!

My name is Jodi and this is my Skinny Fiber story: I was making some good progress with a low carb diet(Wheat Belly, Atkins, Low Carb in general) but I kept seeing all these people losing so much weight with a product called Skinny Fiber. I finally decided I would try it and see how it affected my weight loss. Well, after a month I realized I was losing even faster with adding Skinny Fiber to my regimen! I love how it never makes you feel jittery and it really helps take the edge off my hunger so when I am ready to eat, I am still in control. 55 lbs down in about 5 mos. Yay, Skinny Fiber!

Get started today www.sbctina.com



Low Carb Italian Squash

Talk about GOOD... Tastes Just like spaghetti without the calories.... You could even do a meat sauce on top if you want...
I have a spiral cutter and LOVE it...

You will Need
1 -2 Med. Zucchini Squash
1-2 Med. Summer Squash
1/4 Cup of Chicken Stalk
1 Tbsp of Minced Garlic
1/4 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
Heat your chicken stock and seasonings over a med heat...let simmer for 2 min.
Add squash and toss till well mixed..
Cook for 5 min. or until the "noodles" are tender
You can Top with Parmesan Cheese and chopped Parsley if desired

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

8 oz egg noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 c onion, diced small
1/3 c carrot, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups skim milk
4 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp mustard (Dijon is best)
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and Pepper TT (to taste)
¾ c frozen green peas, thawed
½ c (2 oz) grated Parm cheese
2 (5 oz) cans Albacore Tuna; packed in water, drained

Preheat broiler in the oven. Spray your baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the package and drain. Over med heat in a large skillet, sauté the onion and the carrot in olive until the onion is translucent and the carrot is softened. Add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Add the milk and whisk until slightly thickened; approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese, mustard, onion powder and S & P. Stir constantly and cook til incorporated well. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining ingredients along with the noodles. Spoon into the prepared dish and top with a little more Parm cheese, if desired. Cook under the broiler until the top is slightly browned and the dish is warmed through. Let stand a few minutes and enjoy! ~

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons fat-free Italian salad dressing, divided
2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
2/3 cup Stove Top low-sodium chicken stuffing mix
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped roasted red pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring water and 1 tbsp of the dressing to boil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in spinach, stuffing mix and peppers; cover. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place chicken, top-sides down, on large cutting board; spread evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one of the short ends, tightly roll up each chicken breast. Place, seam sides down, in 8 inch square baking dish. Brush with remaining 1 T. dressing.
Bake 35 minutes, sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheeses is melted and chicken in cooked through (170 degrees).

Cabbage Casserole

1 head cabbage, shredded ( about 12 cups)
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 onion, chopped
5 tablespoons butter or 5 tablespoons margarine, divided
6 ounces American cheese, cubed
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
salt (optional)
pepper (optional)
Directions
Cook cabbage in salted water until tender; drain thoroughly.
In a large skillet, sauté onion in 4 Tbsp.
of butter until tender.
Add soup and cheese, heat and stir until melted.
Stir in cabbage (salt& pepper if desired).
Transfer to an un-greased 2-quart baking dish.
In a small skillet, melt remaining 1 Tbsp.
butter; stir in breadcrumbs.
Brown lightly.
Remove from heat and sprinkle over casserole.
Bake uncovered at 350ºF.
for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through



Italian Sauage Stromboli

1 lb frozen pizza dough, defrosted
1/2-3/4 lb Italian sausage
1 green pepper, 1/4 inch wide slices
1 medium onion, 1/4 inch wide slices
italian seasoning
1 -1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 -3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
pizza sauce (optional)
Directions
Lay pizza dough on a lightly floured surface so it can rest.
Slice Italian sausage into 1/2 inch slices; fry in a 10" skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water, peppers and onions; bring to boil and cover.
Reduce heat to low and cook about 5-10 minutes more, or until veggies are tender and sausage is heated through.
Drain liquid from skillet and sprinkle sausage mixture with Italian seasoning; set aside.
***If you have leftover sausage, onions and peppers, like I did, you just need to warm it up***.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Roll pizza dough (on a lightly floured counter) into a rectangle, approximately 11 x 17.
Sprinkle with sausage mixture, then the cheeses.
Start at the bottom of the long side and roll jellyroll fashion, stopping occasionally to stuff sides it. When you get to the end, pinch seam together, trying to squeeze air out as you go.
Place seam side down on baking sheet; bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
Remove from oven and lay a clean dish towel on top of loaf; this will allow the crust to soften up and it will be easier to slice and eat.
After about 10 minutes or so, slice into 1 inch slices. Serve with warmed sauce for dipping, if desired.