My Kitchen Adventures

Chicken Parmesan Bites w/ Cheesy Marinara and Whole Wheat Pasta

2012-03-02T10:05:00.002-05:00

Yummy pieces of golden brown chicken over a bed of whole wheat thin spaghetti topped with a jarred marinara ( keeping it simple and easy! )

This dish is a perfect dish for the weeknight. Pair it with a garden vegetable salad and you have a complete meal in no time.

It's fun, because the boneless chicken breasts are cut into thirds, giving the chicken more area for the crispy breading...plus I think it looks pretty and sort of special plated up!

The chicken pieces are coated in eggbeaters and then dipped in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and Italian style breadcrumbs, then browned in a little olive oil in a nonstick pan...I like the mixture of the panko and the regular dried breadcrumbs, as each one plays a role in making the breading. The panko gives them a great crisp, and the dried breadcrumbs are small, so they really adhere to the chicken. I also really love using eggbeaters to begin with when breading things. It's thick and really adheres to whatever you are coating...plus...it's fat free, so that's a bonus!

They finish cooking in a warm oven, while you make the pasta and the sauce. Cheesy Marinara is simply a jarred marinara sauce with the addition of two Laughing Cow Light Herbs and Garlic cheese wedges melted in. Simple as can be!

Chicken Parmesan Bites w/ Cheesy Marinara and Whole Wheat Pasta

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4 Serving Size - 3 chicken "bites", 1/2 cup cheesy marinara, 2 oz. (dry) whole wheat pasta Points Plus per Serving - 13 Points+

Calories - 503.7, Total Fat - 9.8g, Carb. - 66.7g, Protein - 39.5g, Fiber - 7.9g

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ( 4 boneless breasts ) cut into 3 chunks each

1/2 cup eggbeaters ( you will have leftover to discard )

1/2 cup dry, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup plain panko breadcrumbs

2 TBS. grated Parmesan cheese

dash of garlic powder

salt and pepper, to liking

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 TBS olive oil

8 oz., dry, whole wheat pasta of your choice ( I used thin spaghetti )

2 cups marinara sauce ( such as Mids )

2 wedges of Light Laughing Cow Garlic and Herbs cheese

extra Parmesan and parsley for garnish ( optional )

1. In shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, panko, 2 TBS Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt and pepper. Dredge the cut chicken pieces in eggbeaters and then coat in breadcrumb mixture.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with foil and put an oven safe rack on top. Spray all with cooking spray. Set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 TBS olive oil over med-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces, being careful not to overcrowd pan, on all sides. Chicken does not have to be done all the way. It will finish cooking in oven while you prepare pasta and sauce. Remove browned chicken pieces to prepared rack and place in preheated oven to cook all the way through.

3. Fill large pot with generously salted water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce with Laughing Cow Cheese wedges, stirring often to break apart the wedges and help them melt. ( They don't melt very easily...so you will need to tend to them a bit to help them along) Drain pasta when done. Check the chicken for doneness. At this point it should be cooked all the way through.

4. Plate dishes with pasta, 1/2 cup sauce, and three pieces of chicken. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

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This meal is a bit of a splurge, but paired with a vegetable salad and fat free dressing or some steamed green beans, it really is not that bad for a dinner. I like to keep my dinner points right around 10ish or so...so this actually works out just fine.

My son and I stopped in at Applebees yesterday for lunch. I saw they had new menus and some new WW items on them. I didn't try them, because they were all around 12p+ and it was lunch, and they were rather expensive items to have for lunch....point wise and money wise. I was disappointed that they have removed some of the more "lunch friendly" menu items such as salads and sandwiches. Why couldn't they do both lunch items and dinner items? I settled on a plain salad and a cup of tomato basil soup. The table next to us had an older couple, who also were having a salad/soup combo. I don't know what soup or salad they were having, but the wait staff must have brought out three dishes of salad and at least three soups to the gentleman...who was rather large. My son asked if they offered "unlimited soup and salad"...I was pretty sure they didn't. I wonder what their bill was like?

Beef Vegetable and Barley Soup

2012-02-28T09:58:00.003-05:00

I don't often cook with beef, but the other day, I just had a taste for some good old fashion beef barley soup, and lucky for me, I found a really nice chunk of sirloin steak on clearance at the grocery store!

This hearty soup starts with browning up some cubed beef. I used sirloin, but you could use round as well. I think the sirloin gets nice and tender though, with less cooking time.

Once the cubed up beef is browned, it's removed and the vegetables get sauted before the liquid is added. I used A LOT ( 1 lb.) of baby bella sliced mushrooms ( creminis ) because we LOVE mushrooms, but you could halve that amount if you are not a huge fan. I like using the creminis in this recipe because the juice they are so "meaty" and they help flavor the broth.

Beef Vegetable and Barley Soup

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - ( approx. 6 quarts ) 12 Serving Size - approx. 1 1/2 cups Points Plus per Serving - 4 Points+

Calories - 190.8, Total Fat - 3.9g, Carb. - 21.7g, Protein - 16g, Fiber - 5.2g

12 oz. Beef, sirloin, cut into small cubes

1 TBS olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cups sliced carrots

4 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine

16 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms

2 - 32 oz. boxes of fat free beef flavored broth ( such as Pacific brand )

2 - 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup quick cooking pearled barley

10 oz. frozen peas

salt and pepper, as you like

1. In large dutch oven ( I love my cast iron enamel coated one ), heat oil. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and brown in hot pan. Once browned, remove and set aside. Leave heat on pan.

2. Add onion, carrots and celery to pan. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Saute until the onion starts to become translucent and the other veggies begin to soften. Add in the garlic and saute another minute or so, until it becomes fragrant. Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and allow it to coat the vegetables and cook a bit. Add in the wine and stir, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan from the beef. Add in the thyme and bay leaf.

3. Add in the canned tomatoes and both boxes of beef broth and add the browned beef cubes back into the pan. Allow the soup to come to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Simmer until the vegetables and the meat become tender. ( I think I simmered for about an hour or so).

4. Once the vegetables and meat are tender, stir in the barley and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes to allow barley to cook. Once the barley is done, add the frozen peas and cook for another few minutes until they are done.

5. Remove bay leaf and discard. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

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This was yet another soup I was sad to see the last go. I had it several times for lunch during the week and it tasted better each time. Like most soups, this soup will taste better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to really meld together. No matter how you look at it though, homemade soups are just sooooo much better than their canned counterparts!!!

Like I said, you could substitute other cuts of beef if you wish, but keep in mind the nutritional information provided above are for beef sirloin and changing the cut of meat might change the PP value.

It's going to be a busy week for me this week, as we are getting ready to celebrate my in-laws birthdays ( 85 & 90! ) this weekend. Hoping the weather will be nice all week so I can get walks in when I can!! Looks gorgeous out today! Even though the weather is nice....I still think it will be "soup" weather for a little while yet. I generally only make soup when it's cold out...how about you? Do you only do soup in cold weather?

This post is being shared with:
BSI Beef @ MyBizzyKitchen

Light Laughing Cow® Mac n'Cheese

2012-02-24T09:20:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love the tangy creaminess of Laughing Cow® wedges?

The other day I received a package from the people at Laughing Cow Cheese! (The Laughing Cow® provided me with product for this review for free. However, the opinions and photos are exclusively mine) What was inside was a recipe and the ingredients to make a really delicious, easy, and comforting macaroni and cheese dish. Having used Laughing Cow Cheese in my lighter cooking quest in the past many times, and in fact, a package of Light Laughing Cow Cheese is almost ALWAYS in my fridge, I was really excited to try the recipe!

I only needed to tweak the original recipe a bit, by replacing the 1% milk with skim milk (because that is what I buy), reducing the butter to 1 TBS and by adding a few dashes of garlic powder. I reworked the nutrition information to reflect my changes, and it worked out to 7 points+ for 1 cup or 1/4 of the prepared recipe. (* Please note that the original nutrition information on the recipe card does not reflect the fiber in the pasta, which for this particular pasta, is 5g per serving. Make sure the whole wheat pasta you use has 5g fiber per serving to keep the nutritional information I provide accurate.)

I have to tell you, even with the few changes I made...this dish is a keeper. The sauce is rich and creamy and cheesy. My boys, including my husband, gave this mac n' cheese two thumbs up on taste. The preparation could not be easier either! Which is always a bonus!

So thank you to Laughing Cow for this great recipe!!! Be sure to check out their website HERE for other great recipes and ideas using Laughing Cow Cheese. I am already trying to figure out the next time I can fit this into my weekly menus!

Light Laughing Cow® Mac n' Cheese

adapted from The The Laughing Cow®

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4 Serving Size - approx. 1 cup (1/4th of recipe) Points Plus per Serving - 7 Points+

Calories - 299.1, Total Fat - 6.5g, Carb. - 44.6g, Protein - 14.7g, Fiber - 5g

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat rotini noodles ( I used 365 whole wheat fusilli )

3 wedges of The Laughing Cow® Light Creamy Swiss Cheese

3/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

1 TBS. unsalted butter

salt and pepper, to taste

dash garlic powder ( optional )

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water, but not until completely dry. Unwrap The Laughing Cow® Light Cheese Wedges, and add to pan you cooked pasta in along with reduced fat cheddar cheese, milk, and butter and garlic powder, if using. Add back in pasta and stir until the cheeses are all melted into a thickened cheesy sauce. ( I actually let the mixture start to melt in the pan before I added back in the pasta...and used the heat of the stove to help) Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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As I have said, we really enjoyed this dish. I do love Laughing Cow® cheese. I can only imagine how creative you could get with subbing some of their awesome flavors, like mozzarella and sundried tomatoes or garlic and herbs, for the creamy swiss!

This recipe is great as a meatless main dish, or as a side dish ( decrease the serving size to 1/2 cup). You could easily add some veggies and some grilled chicken for a great lower cal pasta dish too!

Quick, Easy, Delicious!

Soo good I had to share with:
Tastastic Thursdays @ A Little Nosh

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2012-02-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

Jambalaya is one of my boys favorite dishes, so when this was on the table last night for dinner, they were very happy! I served it with some garlic bread and a side salad for a great meal....and since today is Mardi Gras...this one pot meal would be a perfect way to celebrate!

Whenever I make any kind of one pot dish that requires browned chicken pieces, more often than not, I grill up the chicken breast whole. I do this because I find you can have better control over the chicken without overcooking it, leaving it moist and tender. It also eliminates cutting up raw chicken, which is a plus in my books! Once the chicken is just about done, I transfer it to a warm oven to cook through and then when I am ready to add it back to the dish, I slice it up or dice it up and add it in at the end. So that is exactly how I made the chicken in this dish. Try it sometime...you will be amazed at the difference.

You can see how moist and tender this chicken stayed. It gets added back into the dish just before serving....

Once the chicken is browned, all the diced up vegetables are added along with some spice...

Next the rice, tomatoes, and chicken broth are added...if you can, try to buy the no added salt canned tomatoes to help decrease the overall sodium in this dish, as well as low sodium chicken broth...

The dish is covered, simmered for about 20 minutes, and then the meats are added...and voila!

For added kick, I usually add liberal amounts of this hot sauce...

But that is up to you!

*I also want to note that I used Texmati Light Brown Rice ( Long Grain American Basmati ). The nutritional stats for this rice are as follows: Svg size - 1/4c dry, calories - 160, total fat - 1g, carb. - 33g, protein - 4g, and fiber - 1g. If you are using the nutritional information below, be sure you use this rice or one with similar stats.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6 Serving Size - 1/6th of recipe Points Plus per serving - 7 Points+

Calories - 270.4, Total Fat - 5.9g, Carb. - 31.9g, Protein - 21.4g, Fiber - 2.9g

12 oz. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tsp. Cajun seasoning, divided

2 tsp. olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

3 ribs celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice ( I used Texmati Light Brown Long Grain)

4 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes, undrained

8 oz. fully cooked turkey smoked sausage, sliced into rounds ( I used Hillshire Farms brand)

Hot sauce, to taste, optional

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat nonstick skillet with olive oil over med high heat. Season chicken breasts with 2 tsp. cajun seasoning, and salt and black pepper. Cook chicken in hot skillet until browned on each side, but not necessarily done all the way through. Transfer the chicken to a warm oven to continue cooking through while you prepare the rest of the dish.

2. To same skillet you removed the chicken from, add in the onion, green and red peppers, and celery. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning, thyme ( and salt and pepper, if you desire). Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add in the garlic, cook for another few minutes.

3. Next add in the uncooked rice. Allow it to saute a little bit with the vegetables. ( 1 - 2 minutes ) Add in the canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Take the chicken out of the oven and slice or dice as desired. Once the rice and vegetables are done, add in the chicken and the sausage. Stir and continue to heat briefly until the sausage is warm.

(I took the pan off the heat and just let the heat of the rice and vegetables heat up the sausage) Season with hot sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if desired.

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I decided we would celebrate Mardi Gras one day early so I could bring to you a Jambalaya recipe! It is a really good one pot dish...with as little or as much kick as you desire!

Another great Mardi Gras recipe to make is this authentic New Orleans bread pudding. It's unique in that it uses canned fruit..which you will find is pretty much the standard when making bread pudding in New Orleans...but it gives it the most wonderful flavor and texture.

New Orleans Style Bread Pudding

So with that I leave you with these words:

"Laissez les bon temps rouler!"

Pizza Rolls

2012-02-20T09:26:00.002-05:00

Hot from the oven, oozing with with mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni, these are a great snack for 4 points plus each! Thanks to flaky reduced fat refrigerated cresecent rolls and a few ingredients, you can have a fun snack in no time...totally kid approved too!

I used Weight Watchers brand smoked mozzarella cheese sticks for the middle and loved the smokey flavor it gave them, but you could use any reduced fat mozzarella cheese stick you have. I found there was no need to freeze the cheese in order to keep it from oozing out of the roll when I used the Weight Watchers brand though. It melted just enough to make a gooey middle without making a mess. You will have an extra third left over, because you will only need 8 pieces. I gave my extra to the dog...who was patiently waiting at my side. What can I say? Pizza is on the top ten lists of favorites for my dog...right next to toast! lol

Serve extra sauce along side for dipping...and make your family happy! :)

Pizza Rolls

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8 Serving Size - 1 roll Points Plus per serving - 4 Points Plus

Calories - 132.8, Total Fat - 6.8g, Carb. - 13g, Protein - 6.2g, Fiber - 0.1g

1 package of refrigerated Reduced Fat Crescent Roll dough in the can

8 tsp. plain pizza sauce or marinara sauce

16 turkey pepperoni slices

3 reduced fat string cheese ( I used Weight Watchers Smoked Mozzarella ) , cut into thirds

extra pizza sauce for dipping ( optional and not included in nutrition information above)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or regular foil sprayed with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. ( the sauce tends to ooze out when rolling them and this will prevent sticking)

2. Open up the can of crescent rolls and tear apart at perforations to give you 8 triangles. Spread 1 tsp. pizza sauce on each triangle. Next place two pepperoni slices on each triangle next to each other, starting at wide end. Place one piece of string cheese ( 1/3 ) toward the wide end of the triangle, and roll up triangle to point. Place point side down on baking sheet and pinch in open ends on side to prevent cheese from leaking out.

3. Bake in oven for 11 - 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Best served warm while cheese is still melted. Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

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The boys in my family are hooked on the show Walking Dead. Yesterday, we had dinner early and they all settled down to watch the newest episode...so I quickly made up a batch of these snacks to enjoy. Everyone really liked them and said that I should definitely post the recipe on my blog today...so here I am. I did end up watching the show for the first time yesterday...but I think I need to watch the first and second season so I can figure out who is who. Luckily, hubby borrowed the first season dvd's from a friend...so it's a just a matter of finding time to watch them.

I still like my current most favorite show though....Revenge. Just can't get enough of it.

How about you? Are you watching any MUST SEE tv these days?

Green Tea Protein Smoothie

2012-02-15T15:03:00.004-05:00

I have never been one to drink my calories...nor been one to be swooned by the lure of fruit smoothies...but I will admit, there are days when whipping up a really quick drink I can take on the fly that keeps me full all morning, is priceless. Insert Green Tea Protein Smoothie.

Matcha Green Tea powder is essential in this drink. It's pricey, but a little goes a long way. It's really green....deep dark green! You get all the benefits of a glass of green tea in this drink. If you are a fan of the green tea frappuccino at Starbucks...you will like this smoothie. The green tea flavor really shines in this drink.

I am not that knowledgeable about whey protein powder. I know I like the store brand ( Archer Farms) vanilla flavor that Target sells for the flavor, as well as the price. So that is the whey protein powder I buy. One scoop is 140 calories, 2.5g total fat, 3g carbohydrates, 25g protein, and 0g fiber. To save on points, I use half a scoop. It still thickens the smoothie even when you use only half.

For the liquid part, you can use skim milk or unsweetened almond milk. I like to use the unsweetened almond milk because it is only 1p+ per serving vs. 2p+ per serving for skim milk.

You can opt to not use any sweetener at all, use artificial sweetener ( I often use a few drops of Nunaturals liquid stevia), use a bit of honey or agave to add more sweetness.

My favorite way to blend up this drink is in my Magic Bullet. It is fast and easy to use. Clean up is also a breeze and you can drink out of the container used to blend in.

The last ingredient in this smoothie is one medium sized banana. Now...there brews ongoing controversy over whether the banana should be included in the overall point+ count on this drink or any smoothie type drinks with fruit in it since fruit is a free ingredient by WW pp standards. It is up to you if you decide to count it or not. I have decided to include it in the overall nutritional information provided and calculated the pp according to those numbers.

The nutrition information given is for the smoothie made the way it is written in the recipe. If you choose to use optional ingredients, the information will change, and so might the pp value.

Green Tea Protein Smoothie

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 1 Serving size - 1 recipe Points Plus per Serving - 6 Points+

Calories - 218.5, Total Fat - 4.9g, Carb. - 31.2g, Protein - 14.7g, Fiber - 3.8g

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk ( I used Silk brand)

1/2 scoop Archer Farms Vanilla flavored Whey protein powder

1 medium banana, cut into chunks

a few drops Nunaturals liquid stevia

1 tsp. matcha green tea powder

ice

Place all ingredients in blender or magic bullet. Blend until ice is gone and smoothie is fluffy and thick. Enjoy immediately.

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Like I said, I have never been a drink my points kind of girl. I pretty much like to chew stuff..but there are definitely times when it is hard to find the time to get a decent filling breakfast in in a hurry. I am really amazed at how long this smoothie keeps me full. Paired with an apple or other fruit you can take with you ...it is honestly, a great breakfast!

I really love the taste of green tea. You can really taste it in this smoothie. How about you? Do you like the taste of green tea?

If you have visited this blog in the past, you probably noticed I have changed up the look a bit. Still going with what blogger has to offer, but I increased the text size ( easier to read) and changed the template so I could increase the size of the pictures. Let me know what you think! I am still messing with some minor adjustments and any feedback is appreciated!

Lightened Up Twice-Baked Potatoes

2012-02-13T09:55:00.008-05:00

These twice baked potatoes were the perfect accompaniment to my fancy shamcy Valentine's Day dinner over the weekend. I served steamed green beans and strip steak cooked perfectly to medium rare and these gems. Since the steak and green beans were anything but fancy....the addition of this potato side dish really jazzed up the meal and made it special. The best part of this side dish, is that most of the work is done ahead of time.

The potatoes are baked ahead of time, cooled long enough to handle, then cut in half. The pulp is scooped out and cheese, Greek yogurt, turkey bacon bits and green onions are added to the pulp, which is then spooned back into the potato shell and then topped with more cheese and a sprinkle of paprika for color. They are flavorful and creamy and we loved them!

I used shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese in and to top these potatoes..but you can use whatever reduced fat cheese you like. Cheddar or Colby would be awesome too! If you don't have the laughing cow cheese on hand, you could substitute reduced fat cream cheese, for about the same calories..but a bit more fat.

Lightened Up Twice-Baked Potatoes

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8 Serving size - 1 twice baked potato ( 1 cut half of a whole potato with filling) Points Plus per serving - 3 Points+

Calories - 125.1, Total Fat - 1.9g, Carb. - 19.3g, Protein - 7.8g, Fiber - 1.9g

4 medium russet potatoes ( 2 1/4" - 3 1/4" diameter ) , scrubbed

1/2 cup non fat plain Greek yogurt

2 wedges of Light Creamy Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese

2 TBS. Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Bits

2 green onions ( whites and greens), chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

fat free half and half, if needed to thin out potato mixture ( optional )

1 cup reduced fat cheese ( Swiss, cheddar, colby...your choice), divided

sprinkle of paprika

1. Poke each potato with a fork and wrap in foil ( to help keep skin soft so it's easier to cut). Bake in oven ( 350 degrees F ) until they are soft.

2. Allow potatoes too cool enough to handle. Unwrap a potato and slice down middle longways. With spoon, scoop out insides leaving about a 1/8" potato in skin all around. Place scooped out potato in large bowl. Set "potato shell" on baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat with all potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. To the scooped out potato in the bowl, add the Greek yogurt and Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges. With electric mixer, whip until fluffy. You might need to add a bit of fat free half and half or skim milk at this point to thin them out enough to fluff...maybe not. Depends on the potato. Stir in the turkey bacon bits, green onion, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper,to taste.

4. Spoon mixture evenly into the 8 potato shell halves. Top with remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

5. At this point you can cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until you are ready to bake them or you can bake them right away. Set oven at 350 degrees F. Place potatoes uncovered in oven and bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 min for refrigerated potatoes and about 15 minutes for unrefrigerated ones.

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Because this recipe makes 8, we had leftovers which will definitely be part of my lunch today! I'm excited about that....cheese....what's not to love? lol

Winter made an appearance over the weekend...much to my dismay. But I do have to keep reminding myself it is only FEBRUARY after all. One good thing about the snow is that I can take the dog for a walk in the woods, as the ground is covered and not muddy right now. I hate winter, but I do love walking through the woods in the winter time...so peaceful and siren. Really beautiful. How about you? Do you like to walk outside in the winter?

This post is being shared with:
Tastetastic Thursday @ A Little Nosh
Full Plate Thursday @ MizHelens'CountryCottage
submitted for BSI-Potato @ MyBizzyKitchen

Low-Fat Chocolate "Love" Cakes w/Strawberry Creme

2012-02-08T09:03:00.007-05:00

Thank you Pinterest for yet another great inspiration. After seeing these absolutely adorable cupcakes on Pinterest last week, I knew I could lighten them up and turn them into a guilt free dessert to serve to your sweetie(s) for Valentine's Day next week! I was really happy with how these turned out! And yes, they taste as wonderful as they look!

The cake part of this dessert begins with a boxed mix. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge. I did the old Weight Watchers standby of mixing in soda and some egg white. No oil. No egg yolk. I like to use flavorless club soda, but any diet soda will work. For the filling, I pureed some fresh strawberries and folded the puree into a tub of Cool Whip FREE. Really simple.

To make the heart "window", I carefully cut the top off of half of the cupcakes and then used a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the shape into the top. I found cutting the shape out of the top was easier if I put the cut side up to do it. The cake is very tender, and this prevented the cake from sticking to the cutting board.

Once the cupcake top was cut out, I dropped a dollop of strawberry creme on the cut side of the cupcake and replaced the top, cut side down. Then I dusted them with powdered sugar. I did this with half the cupcakes.

For the remainder of the cupcakes, I frosted with the strawberry creme and then topped them with the cut outs from the first half of the cupcakes. Sooo cute!

What I ended up with was a half and half mixture sure to please any Valentine looking to keep their waistbands from expanding!

Low-Fat Chocolate "Love" Cakes w/Strawberry Creme

inspired by a post by Glorious Treats

Printable Recipe

Servings - 18 Servings Size - 1 cake Points Plus per servings - 3 Points +

Calories - 137.6, Total Fat - 1g, Carb - 25.4g, Protein - 1.6g, Fiber - 1.5g

For Cakes:
1 (18.25 oz.) box of chocolate cake mix without the pudding ( I used Duncan Hines)

1 egg white

1 + 1/4 cup club soda or any diet soda

For Strawberry Creme:

1 (8 oz.) container of cool whip FREE, thawed

1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree ( about 1 cup sliced strawberries whizzed in food processor or blender)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners. ( Use paper liners here, as this cake is very tender and tends to fall apart...the liners will prevent that)

2. Combine the boxed mix with the egg white and the club soda and mix with electric mixer on low until combined then on med speed for about 2 minutes.

3. Divide batter up equally into 18 cupcakes. You want to fill them enough to get a little crown but not too much that they spill over while baking. ( I found 18 was just about the right amount to achieve this. You end up filling them somewhere between 2/3rds of the way and 3/4th of the way up)

4. Bake according to box directions, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. I baked mine about 22 minutes.

5. Allow the cakes to sit for a few minutes in the hot pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. For the strawberry creme: Fold the puree into the cool whip gently. I was very surprised at how well this stood together. Be gentle though, you don't want to loose the fluffy part of the cool whip. It's ok to have a few white streaks.

7. Once the cakes are completely cool, slice the tops off of half of them right at the base of the liner with a sharp knife. Turn the tops cut side up, and with a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts. Reserve the cut outs for the tops of the other half of the cupcakes. ( see pictures above ) * tip, wipe off the cake that sticks to the cookie cutter and the knife between cakes for an easier cleaner cut.

8. Top all the cakes with a dollop of the strawberry creme. Top the cut cakes with the cut out tops and the non cut cakes with the cut out middles. Dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Everyone in my house agreed these were the cutest! I loved the cool whip mixed with the fresh strawberry puree. It really complimented the cakes nicely. Next time I might throw a few mini chocolate chips into the cake batter for a bigger chocolate punch.

I am not going to lie, cutting out the hearts was a bit intense, because this low fat cake is so tender. I found wiping off my knife and the cutter between cuts made life easier, as the cake really wanted to stick to the utensils. This is probably why I elected to do only half...besides...what else was I going to do with those pretty hearts I cut out? I liked how they both looked and I liked how they both looked on the serving platter together and 3p+ per cake? I am so in!
They are a little messy to eat, so I suggest a fork...instead of out of hand....

We don't have any big plans for next week. We really never do. But who knows? Maybe hubby will surprise me this year? Sometimes he does that. How about you? Do you have any plans for VD?

This post is being shared with:
Tastetastic Thursday@A Little Nosh

Mini Quiches (1 Point+ each)

2012-02-07T14:04:00.005-05:00

OMG...are these little hand held mini quiches good...and 1 Point+ each? Are you kidding me? They even have a "crust"...and straight from the oven...it's crispy! Ever since I bought wonton wrappers, I have been having a lot of fun finding uses for them. I can see why Hungry Girl is in love with these things.

I had two for breakfast this morning with some mango on the side. So good. You can use any kind of filling additions you like. ( the filling additions you choose may change pp values) I used turkey bacon bits, baby spinach, roasted red peppers and reduced fat Swiss cheese. Great combo! But honestly, the possibilities are endless.

I found these new ( well new to me anyway) turkey bacon bits at my store a few weeks ago. This recipe was the perfect use for them. You can't go wrong with 20 calories and 1.5g fat per tablespoon.

These mini quiches make a great breakfast or brunch or a great lunch or fun light dinner when served with a side salad! Or how about for a snack? Low in fat and calories but higher in protein.

Mini Quiches

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8 Serving size - 1 mini quiche Points Plus per serving - 1 Points+

Calories - 51.3, Total Fat - 0.8g, Carb. - 5.3g, Protein - 5.3g, Fiber - 0.3g

8 wonton wraps

1 cup eggbeaters

2 TBS. Oscar Mayer Turkey bacon bits

1/4 cup shredded, reduced fat Swiss cheese

1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

2 TBS. chopped roasted red peppers

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 8 wells of nonstick muffin tin liberally with cooking spray. ( this will help the "crust" brown and get crispy. Push a wonton wrapper into each prepared well, pressing it to the sides

2. In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Fill each wonton wrapper muffin tin with the egg mixture equally. ( don't worry if some of the egg mixture goes above where the wrapper ends in the wells or seems to seep under)

3. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the egg is completely set and the bottoms are brown. ( the eggs will puff up in the oven then settle down once out) Allow to cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing. Serve warm.

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I used Swiss cheese in this quiche because Swiss is my favorite flavor of cheese with eggs. I am anxious to play around with other ingredients and cheese flavors in the future. I could definitely see making these for a brunch buffet, as they are so portable. Love that you can just pick them up and eat them without a fork or plate! The wonton wrapper really does mimic crust here in this recipe...and for only 51 calories each? How cool is that??

Easy Butterfinger Dessert

2012-02-06T16:40:00.007-05:00

I have become totally addicted to Pinterest. I think I might check it as often as my facebook these days...but honestly...you can find sooo much great stuff there. That is where I found the link to this delicious and easy dessert that literally takes minutes to prepare. No cooking involved. My family loved, loved, loved this dish..and so will yours.

This dessert would make a wonderful dish to take to a potluck or a dinner with friends. Divided up into 16 servings, each serving is 5 points+.

The original recipe used vanilla fat free, sugar free pudding mix..but I subbed butterscotch flavor...and I don't think I would make it any other way. The butterscotch and the butterfinger flavors were great together, and since you dilute the pudding with quite a bit of cool whip free, it is becomes a very subtle flavor in the "fluff" part of the dessert.

The super simple preparation involves cutting up a pre made angel food cake into cubes. ( I purchased a cake from my grocer's bakery department) Then mixing the pudding mix with skim milk and the cool whip free to make a fluff. Then you just layer the ingredients into a 13 x 9 inch pan.

My mini food processor made an easy job of chopping up the fun sized butterfinger bars for the butterfinger part of the dessert. The whole thing came together in minutes.

I will be making this dessert often....I am sure of it!

Butterfinger Dessert

adapted from Yummly.com

Printable Recipe

Servings - 16 Serving size - 1/16th of recipe Points Plus per serving - 5 Points+

Calories - 177.7, Total Fat - 1g, Carb - 37g, Protein - 3.3g, Fiber - 0.1g

*Please note that if you follow the link to the original recipe, it says 4points per serving. This may be the old points. I put all the nutrition info into the site I use, using exact size of cake ( which is not listed in the original recipe) and I came up with 5 points+ per serving.

1 (10") prepared angel food cake, cut into 1' cubes

1 ( 1 oz.) package of sugar free, fat free butterscotch pudding mix

1 1/2 cups skim milk

2 ( 8 oz. ) containers of cool whip FREE, thawed

10 fun-sized butterfingers candy bars, crushed ( I used mini food processor)

1. Spray 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray. Arrange half the angel food cake cubes in bottom of pan.

2. In large bowl, combine the pudding mix with skim milk. Whisk until starting to thicken. Fold in both containers of cool whip FREE.

3. Pour half the "fluff" mixture over the cubed angel food cake in pan. Top with half the crushed butterfinger candies. Repeat with rest of cake, fluff and candy. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, or overnight. Enjoy!

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It literally took me minutes to throw this dessert together, and everyone in my family agreed it was a thumbs up dessert all the way. No one will ever believe it is a Weight watchers friendly dish! It's that good.

We are having such spectacular winter weather here in NE Ohio this year! I got out to clean the outside of my windows today....FEBRUARY 6th! Unbelievable! I usually dread the month of February every year..but with such great weather and so much sunshine...it hasn't been too hard of a pill to swallow this year. How about you? What month of the year is your least favorite?

"like" this recipe on RecipeLion : FavDiets Feb Blog Hop-Favorite Desserts and help me win a new cookbook! It's number 59. Just click the "like" link...it's that easy!

Lightened Up Classic Spinach Dip w/ Roasted Red Peppers

2012-02-03T12:57:00.002-05:00

I gotta tell you....I LOVE spinach dip. Just love it. So to have a lighter version of the classic spinach dip with all the flavor of the full fat version is priceless to me. THIS is that dip! Perfect for this weekend's football festivities. And the best part? A 1/4 cup serving comes in at 2 p+! Amazing.

Nonfat Greek yogurt replaces the sour cream and the addition of roasted red peppers and lemon zest jazz up the flavor. For the base I used Knorr vegetable recipe mix. You could leave out all the mix ins ( water chestnuts, roasted red peppers, green onions, lemon zest) or use just a few..but one of the secrets of making lighter fare food taste good is adding in low calorie high flavored foods such as the zest and the peppers, but it's your call. Quick, easy and delicious.

Lightened Up Classic Spinach Dip w/Roasted Red Peppers

adapted from Knorr

Printable Recipe

Servings - about 12 Serving Size - 1/4 cup Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+

Calories - 70, Total Fat - 3g, Carb. - 6g, Protein - 4g, Fiber - 1g

1 package Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix

16 oz. plain non fat Greek yogurt

1 cup light mayonnaise ( I used Hellmans)

1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all liquid ( I squeeze mine with my hands over a colander once it's thawed either at room temp, overnight in the fridge, or in the microwave)

1 (8 oz.) can chopped water chestnuts

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper

1 tsp. lemon zest

1. In a med bowl mix yogurt, mayonnaise, and Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix. Add in drained spinach, water chestnuts, green onions, roasted red pepper and lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Looking for more ideas for this weekend? Here are a few suggestions:

Festive Feta Dip - 2p+

Stuffed Mushrooms - 1p+

Raspberry Zinger Cake - 4p+

Oven Baked Chicken Strips - 6p+

Less Guilt Brownies - 3p+

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I'm not really much of a football fan, but I am a HUGE fan of football food. Unfortunately, so much of it can be so bad for you...it's nice to have some diet friendly alternatives!

Are you a football fan? Who will you be rooting for this weekend?

Bursting Berry Muffins

2012-01-26T16:19:00.002-05:00

Bursting Berry Muffins is not the name the creator of this recipe originally gave it...but they really WERE bursting with berries...so that is what I am calling my version! I got this recipe from a new cookbook I picked up last weekend. Did I need another cookbook? Of course not. Did I want another cookbook? Of course I did...and it was 20% off too, so I treated myself! The cookbook I picked up is called 400 Calorie Fix by Liz Vaccariello. It's a really nice cookbook and diet plan of sorts. I haven't really had a chance to give it the attention it deserves, but from what I have glanced at you are given ideas of what to eat to keep your meal under or around 400 calories. At the end of the book, there are recipes. The author offers very practical advice with lots of easy ideas and recipes that are readily available to most. I like it because it has great pictures and easy to follow recipes WITH nutritional information! One of the first recipes that caught my eye was the one for these muffins.

Each muffin is 180 calories. Not bad. Plugging the numbers into WW calculator, each muffin comes in at 5p+. They are nice sized muffins as well. And did I mention they were EASY?

Bursting Berry Muffins

adapted from 400 Calorie Fix

Printable Recipe

Servings - 12 Serving size - 1 muffin Points Plus per serving - 5 Points+

Calories - 180, Total Fat - 5g, Carb. - 30g, Protein - 4g, Fiber - 1g

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBS. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 TBS. canola oil

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

1 cup frozen mixed berries ( I used raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper or foil liners.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large bowl.

3. In small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and almond extract with whisk.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until JUST COMBINED! Don't over-mix. Gently fold in frozen berries.

5. With spoon or ice cream scoop, ( ice cream scoop works well because batter is thick) portion batter into 12 lined wells of muffin tin.

6. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until pick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

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Like all low fat baked goods, take care not to overwork the batter. Over mixing the batter will give you a tough end product! These were a really nice afternoon treat with a cup of coffee. The berries really did burst out of the muffins, giving them so much character! lol

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

2012-01-23T16:34:00.006-05:00

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup was one word....amazing! Let me start off by saying...Chicken soup is NOT one of my favorite kinds of soups...I am more of a vegetable soup girl...but the flavors of this soup worked so well together, I might have to amend my list of "favorites" because of it. I've never much been much of a soup fan. Probably because when I was young, Campbells was the gold standard for soup in my house. Not that I have anything against canned soup...but homemade soup is just sooo much better! And truth be told, not that much more work than opening up a can and heating it up...

ok...maybe a bit more work...but so worth it.

Chicken in a lemony broth with orzo pasta, carrots, onions, celery and baby spinach. It was quick and easy since I used what was leftover from a rotisserie chicken from dinner previously in the week and a couple of boxes of chicken stock. I parcooked the orzo in some salted water before adding to the soup to help keep the starch from muddying up the broth.

Luckily, I took one serving and froze it for myself for lunch one day in the future...because once my family got at this soup, leftovers were a thing of the past.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

inspired by Panera Bread's version

Printable Recipe

Servings - approx. 12 ( 6 quarts) Serving size - approx. 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups Points Plus per Serving - 3 Points+

Calories - 126, Total Fat - 1.1g, Carb. - 19.6g, Protein - 10.8g, Fiber - 2.1g

1 tsp. Olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

3 - 4 med carrots, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

3 - 32 oz. boxes of fat free, low sodium chicken stock

8 oz. cooked and chopped chicken breast

8 oz. orzo pasta, parboiled in salted water for half the time called for on the package and drained

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice ( about 2 lemons)

zest from one lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

8 oz. organic baby spinach

lemon slices and Parmesan cheese for garnish ( optional )

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven heat oil on med heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables begin to soften and onion starts to become translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add in the bay leaf, thyme, oregano and some salt and pepper. ( as much as you like on the salt and pepper) Cook for another 30 seconds or so, and add in all the broth. Bring to a boil and then partially cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are just soft.

2. Add in the parboiled pasta, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir. Add in the cooked chicken. Allow to heat through. ( Pasta will continue to cook at this point) Before serving, stir in baby spinach and allow to get wilted in hot broth. Check for salt and pepper and add as needed and remove bay leaf. Check pasta to see if it is soft enough. Spoon into bowls and garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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I never really used to consider soup a meal...but since WW, I have decided it actually makes an excellent meal. Homemade soups can be full of wonderful vegetables and are generally very WW friendly in the PP department. Paired with a salad and some fresh bread, you can have a nice sized meal for relatively low points. Plus, when you make a big pot of soup, you can freeze leftovers for lunches and dinners on busy weeknights! Yes, I am definitely coming around to the value of homemade soup in my new WW life!

I absolutely LOVED the lemon flavor in this broth! You could cut back on the juice or the zest, if you would like less lemony flavor..but I am a huge fan of lemons...so the more lemony for me the better! Last week I purchased two bags of Meyer lemons from of all places, Walmart for $1.98 a bag! Woo hoo! Although I didn't use them in this recipe, if I had them when I made it, I totally could have. I am truly a fan of all things lemon! How about you? Do you like lemon?

This post is being shared with:
Favorite Comfort Foods blog hop @ Recipe Lion
Tasty Tuesday @ iBlog4me
Tastetastic Thursday @ A Little Nosh

And the Winner is of the Good Earth Herbal Tea is...

2012-01-22T21:17:00.002-05:00

Biz!

Biz said:

"BizJan 13, 2012 12:37 PM

First off, hooray for a loss on the scale - not sure I'll be that lucky this week - the pretzels got in my way dammit!
I would love the tea so I could fill my mouth with something other than pretzels!"

Congratulations to Biz! Biz's comment was chosen randomly from the list of qualifying comments on the giveaway post. I will be emailing you to notify you of your winnings, and you will have 24 hours to respond with contact information so I can send you your box of tea.

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway and for all the continued support for Mykitchenadventures! Remember, you can visit the Good Earth website for a coupon to try a box of this wonderful tea which is available at many retailers throughout the country.

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

2012-01-20T16:35:00.004-05:00

This delicious baked ziti recipe comes from one of this month's Weight Watchers Weekly handouts. I made several adjustments from the original recipe..but was pretty happy with the results. It makes a fairly easy weeknight meal paired with a veggie salad. One hearty serving comes in at 8p+.

Since the original recipe called for 3/4 of a pound of spicy turkey sausage, I used my scale to measure out that much raw sausage. It came out to 3 links of the sausage I used. My sausage wasn't "spicy" so I added some crushed red pepper and smoked paprika to the sauce when I made it. ( I can find a use for smoked paprika in just about anything, I love the stuff!) I also added 2 garlic cloves to the sauce, that wasn't called for in the original version.

I had to substitute red bell pepper for the green. I would have used green, but my market was all out of green peppers! ( how does that even happen?) Doesn't matter though, I prefer the red peppers anyway. They are less bitter than green ones. I also subbed whole wheat penne pasta for the ziti. Could not find ziti in the whole wheat variety anywhere. Since the pasta came in a box of "13-point-some-ounce" size, I once again used my scale to measure out 12 oz. Maybe the elusive whole wheat ziti already comes in a 12 oz box? IDK. My scale was used once again to perfectly measure out 6 oz. of mozzarella cheese, since most preshredded cheeses come in at least an 8 oz. package. The last adjustment I made to the original recipe was to add water to the sauce. I like a lot of sauce and I don't care for a dry pasta dish. The addition of water did not effect the finished product's taste, but I believe it greatly improved the texture.

When cooking your pasta, remember to under cook it by a few minutes. It will finish cooking in the oven...and nobody likes mushy pasta!

After all the changes and adjustments...my family gave this dish two thumbs up. I actually liked the addition of the peas.

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

adapted from Weight Watchers Weekly Handout

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8 Serving Size - 1/8th of recipe Points Plus per Serving - 8 Points+

Calories - 312.5, Total Fat - 7.4g, Carb. - 45.5g, Protein - 21.1g, Fiber - 7.7g

3/4 lb raw, spicy ( or not) turkey sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped ( or green)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( or to taste)

smoked paprika, to taste (optional)

2 TBS tomato paste

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. fennel seed

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 - 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1/2 of one of the empty 14 oz. cans of tomatoes filled with water (optional)

10 oz. frozen green peas

12 oz. uncooked whole-wheat ziti OR penne, UNDER cooked according to package directions by a few minutes

6 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, open the frozen peas and place on top of the hot pasta.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

3. In a large nonstick skillet , crumble the sausage and brown over medium heat. Drain off any fat, and add garlic, onion and pepper. Cook stirring often until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed pepper flakes,smoked paprika, both cans of tomatoes, water (if using), oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the cooked pasta and peas and half the cheese. Spread evenly in the 13 x 9 " baking pan. Top evenly with remaining cheese.

5. Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

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Great weeknight meal! ( with enough leftovers for lunch the next day!)

I missed my WW meeting this week due to some bad weather we had forecasted. That totally doesn't give me a free pass to eat off plan and not exercise! According to my home scale, I am down about another pound...but not officially. Even though we have had a really easy winter this year so far ( with a few snowstorms and arctic blasts thrown in for fun) I will be happy when weather isn't a factor in determining where and how I spend my time.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for the BEST vegetable soup recipe on FavDiets Blog Hop! I won! Woo hoo! I wish I could share my prize with everyone...but a product review will have to do. I am looking forward to trying some of the new Quaker products that was the prize.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

2012-01-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

When fresh blueberries are abundant and reasonably priced, I pick up a bunch. Blueberries are a great source of fiber and antioxidants. When buying look for plump firm berries covered with the dusty silvery bloom that indicates a sign of freshness. What we don't eat I freeze for future use...but what a better way to transform fresh berries and fancy up your pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or dare I say, frozen yogurt or a slice of angel food cake than with a simple and quick blueberry sauce?

The sauce is only 1p+ per 1/4cup serving and makes just about anything you put it on special. It would be fantastic on these Luscious Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or The BEST Protein Pancakes.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce *EASY*

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 8 Serving Size - about 1/4 cup of sauce Points Plus per Serving - 1 Point+

Calories - 48.3, Total Fat - 0g, Carb. - 12.3g, Protein - 0.3g, Fiber - 1g

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 TBS cornstarch

juice of 1/2 lemon

In small saucepan, mix the berries with sugar. Combine the water, lemon juice and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Pour onto the blueberries and sugar mixture. Heat over medium heat until the blueberries soften and the sauce becomes bubbly and thick. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated.

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I like fresh fruit just fine, but let's face it, it can get really boring and predictable after a while. It's nice to change it up a bit without too much work to get there. This sauce is just that. You could change this sauce up by adding ginger or using juice instead of water and omitting the sugar for a totally different taste too. ( may alter pp values)

Today is the last day to vote for The BEST Vegetable Soup HERE. It is in the lead and I thank all of you who took the time to vote! :)))))

Tomorrow is the last day to leave a comment on THIS POST to enter to win a box of herbal tea from Good Earth. I have to admit to you, I have been enjoying this tea just about every night and I don't know how they do it, but it really hits the sweet tooth spot for ZERO calories! Amazing!

Baked Egg " Muffins"

2012-01-18T09:23:00.006-05:00

I can be certain I am not the first person who has done this idea, nor will I be the last...but with half a package of wonton wrappers left in the fridge and baked eggs on my mind, I put this cute little cup together in no time...and it was a HIT! I have to say, the perfect solution to serving eggs at a brunch buffet or to a crowd for sure. The wonton wrappers hold the egg perfectly in place and you don't even need utensils to eat them if you don't want to! You can just eat them like a muffin!

My entire family adored these babies...and at 2 pp each, I have a fondness for them as well! I made 6 egg "muffins", but you could make as many as you need. They are super easy too!

It basically just involves spraying a muffin tin with nonstick spray, placing one wonton wrapper per well, cracking an egg inside, topping with salt, pepper and dried parsley then baking in a 375 degree F oven until done ( you decide how well you like your eggs done ) Once they come out, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese!

We like our eggs runny in the middle, so I cooked them just long enough to keep it that way!

MMMMMM......Wish I had one right now!

Baked Egg "Muffins"

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6 Serving Size - 1 egg "muffin" Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+

Calories - 92.9, Total Fat - 6.3g, Carb. - 0.9g, Protein - 8.1g, Fiber - 0g

6 wonton wrappers ( found in refrigerated section of grocery store)

6 whole eggs ( I used large eggs )

salt and fresh ground pepper

dried parsley or dried herb of your choice ( optional)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

chopped fresh parsley or chives or herbs of your choice for garnish ( optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 6 wells of nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray. Insert ONE wonton wrapper to each well, pressing down. ( it's ok if it pops back up, the egg will keep in in place)

2. Crack one egg per wonton wrapper. Place in the middle. ( Its ok if it looks like part of the whites are seeping out of the wrapper. ) Sprinkle each egg with salt, pepper and dried parsley ( if using).

3. Bake eggs to desired doneness. I baked mine for about 6 - 7 minutes. You might want to go longer or shorter. Just watch them.

4. Once out of the oven, sprinkle each with a bit of Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley or chives.

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Like I said, yummy, elegant looking and portable! What more could you ask for? Oh ya....low cal too! This recipe is sure to become a regular for my family as I make a Sunday breakfast every week. You could even jazz them up more by adding other ingredients to the cups, like turkey sausage, sauteed spinach, or bacon! The possibilities are endless!

If you haven't had a chance to enter my giveaway for Good Earth Tea, there is still time. The contest is open until Friday, January 20th. Go HERE for details!

Also, I have entered The BEST Vegetable Soup in a contest...and am currently in the lead! I'd love to win the the prize being offered for the most "liked" soup recipe on that post. It only takes a minute to vote and there is no commitment like registering or signing up with an email, you simply scroll down to the soup picture and link ( #11) and press the "like?" link. That's it. You can vote once every 24 hours. If you would like to help out...go HERE! Thank you!

This post is being shared with:
Tastetastic Thursday @ A Little Nosh

Great Product Find! Good Earth Original Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea Blend and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-12T16:39:00.002-05:00

When a representative from Good Earth Tea contacted me last week and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their signature tea blend, Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea Blend, I quickly replied, YES! I often use teas in the evening to help stop me from the dreaded evening munching. I have seen this brand in my store, but had never purchased it before. That will be changing! This tea blend is fantastic! Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea blend is an aromatic sweet cinnamon tea blend with hints of orange. It is sugar and calorie free and it is caffeine free...which is great if I want to enjoy a cup at night. It is a nice bold tea blend, which smells as wonderful as it tastes. The first thing that will happen when you brew a cup is enjoy the wonderful aroma of the cinnamon as you open the foil packet. Once you pour your water over the tea bag, your whole room will fill with the scent. When it's done seeping, and you take your first drink, you will taste warm, spicy and sweet cinnamon, followed by a hint of ginger and orange. Delicious!

One of my favorite things about this tea ( besides the sweet, no sugar or sweetener added taste ) is the awesome quotes that come on the label of each tea bag. I found myself looking forward to opening a new tea bag just to see what words of wisdom I would read for the day. Love this!

The Good Earth Tea was one of the first herbal tea companies in America during the 1970's. In the late 1970's they began developing trademark tea blends for Good Earth restaurants which eventually led to the retail bagged tea they now sell in markets across the US. They produce over 25 unique and delicious tea blends!

If you visit their website HERE, you can place an order for tea, find retailers in your area, learn some awesome tea brewing tips, and sign up for some money saving coupons!

The popularity of herbal teas and tea drinking in general is increasing in the US. Teas and herbal blends have been shown in studies to have many health benefits. If you are interested in learning more about the health benefits of herbal teas, I stumbled across THIS article that does a pretty good job of highlighting them for you.

AND NOW ONTO THE GOOD PART!!

I am going to share the wealth with one lucky reader! I will send the winner a box of Good Earth's Original Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea Blend (25 ct.) so you can see for yourself how wonderful this tea blend is!

Here is what you need to do to enter:

Leave me a comment telling me what tricks you do to curb those evening munchies and letting me know you would like to try Good Earth's Original Sweet & Spicy Herbal Tea Blend to help curb those munchies!

For additional entries: ( for each one, please leave a separate comment )

1. Follow MKA on Facebook or Twitter, if you don't already do so, and leave me a separate comment letting me know you added MKA.

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog, facebook status, pin this post to Pinterest, or tweet about it on twitter and provide appropriate links to this post. Leave me a comment letting me know you did so.

* I MUST be able to contact you to let you know you have won and so that your prize can be delivered. If you do not have a blog that shows a contact email I can contact you on, please include an email in your comment and a name( you can write out the (at) and the (dot) to help avoid getting spam) or send me your email address through my email ( mykitchenadventures (at) yahoo (dot) com) and let me know who you are and which comment is yours. Anonymous comments will NOT be included in the contest, UNLESS somewhere in the comment you have left me a name and contact information. Contest is open to all Continental US residents. ( sorry to anyone not eligible )

This giveaway will end on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 8:00 pm EST. Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced either that night or the following day. Winners must claim their prize within 24 hours of notification, or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!!

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Did you notice Blogger added a few new features, one of which is the ability to reply to comments? woooo hooo! I have wanted to have this feature for some time now, but wasn't tech savvy enough to figure out how to implement it. So thank you blogger.

Loved my WW meeting today. We discussed....FOOD. ( Right up my alley! ) Down 1.2 pounds today....but still working on getting that holiday weight off. In time.....

Lightened Up Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake

2012-01-10T10:44:00.004-05:00

I'll be honest with you...I really thought it would take longer for me to recover from the sugar coma of the holidays...but 2 weeks into the new year, I found myself with a wicked craving for cinnamon coffee cake! I found the original recipe for this delicious treat in the Holiday catalog 2011 for Penzeys Spices. Have you ever been to Penzeys? I got to visit one for the first time over the holidays...and I was in heaven. I have been getting their catalogs at home for about a year now. I love them. Filled with great recipes using Penzeys products. I drool over them and make a mental wish list as I browse the pages. Once inside the store, I was sort of dazed. LOL I made some choices I am happy with, and have been using them in my daily cooking. I am looking forward to another trip there soon though!

Back to the coffee cake....

I lightened up the original recipe by reducing the sugar, using low fat buttermilk, and omitting the nuts. The result was outstanding. ( or maybe it was just because I had such a bad craving! ) It is an easy recipe that comes together quickly. The original recipe does say the batter can be made ahead, layered in the pan, and then refrigerated overnight and baked off the next morning. I haven't tested this tough. It is best eaten warm...and leftovers can be reheated gently in the microwave. Take care to not overwork the batter, as a less tender cake will result. I imagine it would also make awesome muffins!

I was happy to find out once it was cut into 16 servings, each serving worked out to a respectable 4pp. Not bad for a buttery, cinnamon-y, warm sweet treat! If you prefer bigger pieces, you could cut the cake into 12 servings, making each piece 6pp.

Lightened Up Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake

adapted from Penzeys Spices Holiday Catalog 2011

Printable Recipe

Servings - 16 Serving Size - 1/16th of cake Points Plus per Serving - 4 Points+

Calories - 143.4, Total Fat - 4.9g, Carb. - 25.7g, Protein - 2.1g, Fiber - 0.3g

Servings - 12 Servings Size - 1/12th of cake Points Plus per Serving - 6 Points+

Calories - 191.2, Total Fat - 6.5g, Carb. - 34.2g, Protein - 2.8g, Fiber - 0.5g

Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold room temp and cut into small pieces

1 egg

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk ( you could use 1/2 cup skim milk instead, it won't change nut stats much)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Streusel Filling:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 TBS all purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 TBS unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with a cooking spray with flour added ( like baker's joy) OR grease and flour pan. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. Cut in cold butter pieces with a pastry blender until the mixture is like fine cornmeal. ( you could also do this in a food processor to save time) Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the streusel topping. Set aside.

3. In another small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry cake ingredients. Mix to just combine. DO NOT OVERWORK...or you will get a tough cake.

5. Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture on top. Top that with the remaining batter and then repeat with remaining streusel. ( Unbaked cake and be covered with plastic wrap and put into refrigerator at this point for baking at a further time. Just bring it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temp and remove plastic wrap before baking)

6. Bake cake at 375 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes, or until done. Best enjoyed warm!

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Sweet Temptations

No-Bake Macaroni and Cheese w/ Broccoli

2012-01-05T15:13:00.002-05:00

While this wasn't the most fantastic mac and cheese recipe I have ever had...it certainly was quick and easy and uses ingredients readily found in most pantries, freezers and refrigerators. The original recipe is from Eating Well. I've made recipes from them before and I find their recipes tend to be hit or miss. Many of the recipes I try from this source are sort of bland, but this dish was not. The original recipe called for full fat cheddar cheese and low-fat milk, but I used skim milk and reduced fat cheddar, because that is what I had on hand, and I think it came out just fine. It uses NO BUTTER...sorry Paula Deen! lol Yet despite the lack of butter, still had good flavor, I think because of the garlic powder and the dijon mustard. I made this as a side dish, but I really think it would be terrific as a main dish with the addition of some sliced grilled chicken breast. This recipe made quite a bit. According to Eating Well it makes 4 servings, but honestly, I found it made closer to 6. A cup and a quarter seemed too big of a serving if you were serving it as a side dish. Perhaps if you make it as a main meal it would be about right. I topped my version with a few crushed club brand crackers for presentation.

No-Bake Macaroni and Cheese w/Broccoli

adapted from Eating Well

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6 Serving Size - 1/6th of recipe ( about 1 cup) Points Plus per serving - 6pp

Calories - 250.9, Total Fat - 4.4g, Carb. - 37.1g, Protein - 16g, Fiber - 4.3g

8 oz. whole-wheat elbow noodles ( 2 cups ) ( I used my scale to weigh out the portion - and I used Barilla Plus pasta)

1 - 10 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli

1 3/4 cup skim milk, divided

3 TBS. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dijon mustard

4 Club crackers, crushed ( for topping )

1. Bring large pot of water, which has been liberally salted, to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli to pasta and continue to cook for 4 - 5 minutes longer or until broccoli is tender and pasta is al dente. Drain.

2. While pasta and broccoli are cooking, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another pot until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl or large glass measure. ( use the glass measure! Less dishes to clean!) Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk and whisk constantly over med heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar and the Parmesan cheeses and the dijon.

3. Add the drained pasta/broccoli to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour into serving dish, and top with crushed crackers.

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Like I said...not the greatest mac and cheese that ever existed...but not bad for a quick week night meal and better than a boxed mix. The boys all liked this dish...and no one complained about the broccoli nestled between the pasta! I also think a cup-ish serving of a pasta and cheese dish for 6 pp is pretty darn good!

I went to my WW meeting today. I am afraid the holiday indiscretions have caught up with me. That's ok though....moving forward. This week's topic was believing in yourself. This is truly something I struggle with. I have more faith in others than I do in myself sometimes. I am going to work hard this year to change that. I am going to believe I can achieve! How about you? Are you a believer or a doubter?

Editors Top 10 Favorite Recipes of 2011

2011-12-30T10:38:00.001-05:00

Wow....who else is amazed at how fast this year flew by? It seems like just yesterday it was January 2011...and now in a mere two days, we will be ascending into a new year once again. A new year filled with hope, promise, and opportunity. Of course, the beginning of a new year traditionally holds the promise of some healthier eating and exercise habits. MKA is dedicated to helping you make healthier food choices throughout the year.

I've gathered MY favorite recipes of 2011 and highlighted them for you. Every single recipe I post has been made by me in my kitchen and tested on my average American family. There are plenty of recipes that I try and if we give it thumbs down, they don't get published on this blog. But of the ones I test that get approval from my family...I share with you here. I have showcased my favorites....my criteria is first taste and next ease of preparation. So without further adieu, in no particular order....I give you MY top 10 of 2011!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

This WW cheesecake combines three types of low fat and fat free cheeses to create a super creamy end result for a mere 6p+ a piece. It's easy to make too!

Portabella Mushroom "Pizzas"

All three of these little babies come to 5p+! A fantastic meal with a big pizza taste! Low carb too!

Chicken Teriyaki Bugers

Easy to grind up your own ground chicken breast in the food processor! Delicious grilled and topped with a grilled fresh pineapple slice! My mom can't stop raving about these.

Heavenly Deviled Eggs

Secret ingredient is cauliflower puree...and no one can ever tell it's in there. I have been making deviled eggs like this for a few years now. So light and delicious! Only 1p+ per half!

Best Light Chicken Parmesean

ATK recipe that hands down deserves the" best" title! Learned to brine chicken with this recipe...and I haven't gone back to eating chicken without letting it brine first! It makes the chicken so tender and juicy!

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

A fantastic feast for your mouth....full of fall flavor and comforting gooey-ness! ( and that's not even a word!) 5p+ per serving! Wow!

The Best Vegetable Soup

Another "best" recipe that lives up to it's name. Several other bloggers have made this and can testify to it's deliciousness. BIG 2 cup serving for 2p+! I think it's the Brussels sprouts that make it special!

Crockpot Garden Chicken Cacciatore

Another recipe that several other bloggers have made and enjoyed! Super easy, because it's a slow cooker recipe! Very tasty and full of good for you veggies!

Almond Crusted Tilapia

I love to buy the tilapia loins at Costco...and this is a fantastic way to prepare them. Love the nutrition you get from the crunchy almond coating. Take care in browning them...they do brown quickly!

Turkey Gyro Burgers

A recipe in regular rotation in my family. LOVE the cucumber sauce! Uses store bought dry ranch mix to flavor the meat and the sauce. We love ours on flatbread!

And the readers 2011 number one post.....

Jiffy Corndog Mini Muffins

The photos don't do this super easy and tasty appetizer justice! Thanks to pinterest...this is the most popular post of 2011!!

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I want to wish each and everyone of you health and happiness in the upcoming year and thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping make MKA what I consider a success!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/Maple-Balsamic Drizzle

2011-12-28T19:50:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays! Mine were one word....busy! Wow...I think I was going from 3pm Christmas Eve straight to 12am Christmas night! It was great family time though, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

To change gears from the posts of treats and cookies highlighting December, I want to share a fabulous healthy side dish I prepared for Christmas Day....Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Maple-Balsamic Drizzle. If you don't like Brussels sprouts, THIS is the recipe that WILL change your mind! The original recipe is from WW Online, and I did not change a thing. It is super easy and so tasty. It goes great with just about any kind of meat you choose to serve it with.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Maple-Balsamic Drizzle

from WW Online

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6 Serving Size - about 3/4 cup cooked brussels sprouts Points Plus per Serving - 3 points+

Calories - 122, Total Fat - 5g, Carb. - 18g, Protein - 5.1g, Fiber 5.7g

2 cups uncooked Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil

2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

3 TBS. balsamic vinegar

2 TBS pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, coat the Brussels sprouts with extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp. kosher salt and pepper. Pour sprouts onto cookie sheet lined with silpat OR nonstick aluminum foil. Arrange them in single layer. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until caramelized and soft.

2. While sprouts are baking, in a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, syrup and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat on stove on med heat to boiling until thick and saucy, about 3 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

3. When sprouts are done, spoon into serving dish and drizzle with syrup. Serve and enjoy!

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As I mentioned, Christmas was super busy for me! ( not unlike the rest of December!) I am so ready to have some boring in my life already! lol I got a really nice new gift for Christmas though, a new computer! I am still trying to get used to it. It is very different working from a laptop when you are used to a desktop! I am slowly adding all the bookmarks and trying to figure out all the passwords I need. I also got some new cookbooks ( inspiration!) and a really awesome herb chopper I haven't had the chance to use yet.

I hope that I will be able to find more time to actually COOK now that the holidays are almost behind us! What kind of nice things did you get for Christmas?

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies...and some quick treat ideas to make last minute

2011-12-22T11:13:00.006-05:00

Once again, I am apologizing for my lack of attention to this blog this month. This month is busy for everyone...and I took on a job of baking and selling boxed Christmas cookies, so I added that chore to the already long list of "to do's" this season brings. Basically something in my life had to be put on hold, and it ended up being the blog. But the baking is done now....and all the cookies have been delivered. :)

One new cookie recipe I tried this year is the one I am going to share with you right now....Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies. While they don't taste exactly like the Little Debbie version...they really are delicious and unique. I ended up doubling the recipe and only making one batch of filling, which was plenty for all the cookies. I also made the cookies much smaller than the original recipe called for. The filling is made with marshmallow creme, so it doesn't "set up" and get hard, so be sure to store these cookies flat.

The original recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens online. BHG magazine has always been on my favorite sources for recipes. Over the years, I have not often been disappointed by their printed recipes. When I was getting a subscription delivered to my home...the first thing I would do is flip the magazine to the back and read from the back to the front of the publication! I do this with most magazines I happen to pick up! LOL Does anyone else do this?

If you have time...give this recipe a try!

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Printable Recipe

For cookies:

3/4 cup all purpose flour ( you could use whole wheat pastry flour if you like)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter ( smooth or chunky)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup quick cooking oats

For Filling:

2 tsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. salt

1- 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme

1/2 cup shortening ( like crisco)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment or spray with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and the peanut butter. Beat with electric mixer until combined. Add in the granulated sugar and the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon fulls onto prepared cookie sheet. ( for a rounder more uniform appearance, gently roll the dough into a ball and slightly flatten with your hand ) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, and transfer to rack to cool completely.

3. For filling: In medium bowl, combine the hot water and salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Add marshmallow creme, shortening and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.

4. Spread about a tsp of marshmallow mixture on underside of one cookie, then top with another cookie. Repeat for all cookies. Store cookies flat, as the filling will not set and harden.

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These cookies were a yummy addition to my boxes! You can definitely taste the peanut butter in them...which is different from the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies most of us are familiar with.

I've captured a few photos of the various kinds of cookies I have been busy making for the past month!

But if you have run out of time to make something sweet and don't know what to do....here are two ideas of super quick treats to whip up in no time!

Do these even have a name? I don't think so. They are delicious though...and super easy! Perfect combination of sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy! I guess I will call them Peppermint Kiss Gems! Here is all you need to make these:

1 bag of snap pretzels ( like the kind by Snyder's)

1 bag of Hershey Peppermint Kisses

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. On a foil lined baking sheet, line up pretzels. Top each one with an unwrapped kiss. ( unwrapping all the kisses is the hardest part of this whole thing....do like I did. Get your kids to unwrap them for you! Why doesn't Hershey sell kisses naked? ) Pop the baking sheet into the preheated oven for 5 minutes. This will soften the kiss enough to be squished. Top each kiss with another pretzel. Put tray in cool place to harden back up the chocolate. Quick and yummy! Experiment with other flavored kisses ( non filled ones only though) . We liked the peppermint/pretzel combo best!

Printable Recipe for Peppermint Kiss Gems

Another quick treat idea is appropriately named...Christmas Crack. It's basically a foul proof toffee recipe. I think it's because of the addition of the baking soda. I've seen versions that don't use it, but then that requires cooking the butter/sugar recipe to the right temperature. Too much work! lol I got this recipe from Nicole @ Preventionrd last year, and it quickly became a favorite of mine. It really does live up to it's name...so consider yourself warned!

1 sleeve of saltine crackers ( I used Town House)

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. baking soda

12 oz. bag of semi sweet or milk chocolate chips ( I used milk)

topping of your choice ( I've used various nuts in the past, this year I opted for Christmas nonpareils)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Completely line a 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" cookie sheet with nonstick foil. ( Pan size is important, if you go too big, like a half sheet size, there won't be enough toffee mixture to completely cover the crackers. If you go too small, you might have a bubble over in the oven)

Lay crackers on the bottom of the lined sheet pan, with sides touching in one big rectangle. The square might not quite be big enough to cover the entire cookie sheet.

In a med sauce pan, melt the butter with the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add in the baking soda. Mixture may become frothy. Carefully pour the hot mixture over the crackers. Spread around to cover the crackers as best you can. Pop the sheet into the oven for 8 minutes. It will bubble up in the oven.

Remove from oven, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Return to oven for 2 minutes. Smooth chocolate over the surface of the crackers using a spatula. Top with sprinkles or nuts. Allow to harden and cut into small squares. Store in airtight container.

Printable Recipe for Christmas Crack

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So with this, my friends, I leave you with sincere wishes for a very Merry Christmas or a happy whatever holiday you are celebrating this season!!! And I send you all a "cyber" box of cookies....you will thank me...they have NO CALORIES! :)

This post is being shared with Tastetasic Thursday @ A Little Nosh

And the Winner of the Cookiepedia Cookbook is....

2011-12-11T14:13:00.002-05:00

Nicole, RD!!!!

"These looks look wonderful. I LOVE coconut! I think my favorite cookie this time of year is my Grannie's Potato Chip Cookies. Sounds like, they're incredible! November 30, 2011 8:32 AM"

Nicole's comment was chosen randomly amongst the qualifying comments left on the giveaway post. Congratulations to Nicole! I will be sending you an email notifying you that you have won this giveaway, and you will have 24 hours to contact me with your mailing info so I can get your cookbook sent out to you!

I apologize for the announcement of the winner being a day late! Soooo busy. I haven't even had a chance to post any recipes this week! Not only have I been busy, but a pesky upper respiratory infection has slowed me down as well! But the good news is, I am feeling better today! :) I do have a few more cookie recipes for the holidays to post....hoping to get those up this week sometime. Cooking around here has been pretty much repeat easy stuff...since I haven't been feeling great and been so busy.

I have been attending my WW meetings regularly though, and as of this week, since the new "restart", I am down 5.6 pounds. I am really kind of excited about the new changes WW launched last week with the PointsPlus program. I am going to give a try with the Simply Filling Technique one day soon. I am really liking that you no longer have to commit to an entire week to use this method now.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup....Leftover Magic!

2011-11-30T13:22:00.003-05:00

If you haven't used up all of your Thanksgiving leftovers yet....this is a wonderful soup recipe that should do the trick! It uses cooked leftover turkey, leftover carrots ( from dinner and from the raw veg tray), leftover celery ( from the veg tray), leftover corn ( from dinner), leftover fresh herbs ( from the turkey and the stuffing that you didn't use up), and all that chicken broth you overbought "just in case"! lol I didn't have a turkey carcass at my disposal, but you could certainly add that to enhance the broth if you have one. And if you don't have the leftovers to make this soup, you could start from scratch too!

There is no denying it....soup is a great bargain for the weight conscious eater! What a great way to get back on track after Thanksgiving!

The real secret to this soup is the Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice original recipe rice mix. The seasonings in this rice are wonderful and help flavor the soup nicely. Just had some for lunch on this cold and snowy Ohio day!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

from the kitchen of MKA

Printable Recipe

Servings - approx. 16 Serving size - approx. 1 1/2 cup Points Plus per serving - 3 Points+

Calories - 115.5, Total Fat - 1.7g, Carb. - 17.7g, Protein - 8.1g, Fiber - 1.8g

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped celery ( use the leafy parts too if you have them )

2 cups raw cut carrots OR 2 cups cooked carrot slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh bay leaves ( or one dried bay leaf )

1 - 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups sliced and then roughly chopped fresh mushrooms ( I sometimes get the presliced ones to save time and they are often sliced way too big...so I just run the knife though them to make them rough chopped)

2 - (32 oz.) boxes of low sodium, fat free chicken stock

1 cup leftover corn kernels OR 1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 cups diced, cooked turkey breast meat

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

juice of half a lemon

1. Prepare the rice according to pkg directions WITHOUT adding any fat ( butter or olive oil). Cook the rice until it is almost done ( 15 - 20 min). It's ok if there is still a lot of liquid. Take off heat and set aside.

2. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and raw carrots, if using. If you are using cooked carrots, you will add them later. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes or until they start to soften. Add in the garlic, bay leaf ( leaves), and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add in the mushrooms. Allow mushrooms to start to soften, 2 - 3 minutes. Add in all of the chicken stock.

3. Cover the pot loosely and allow the soup to come to a boil. Turn down to simmer. Simmer, loosely covered until the vegetables are soft. ( 15 - 20 minutes or so) Add in the reserved rice mixture, cooked or frozen corn, cooked carrots ( if using cooked ones), parsley and turkey. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to simmer until heated through. Squeeze half a lemon into the soup. Remove bay leaf ( leaves). Enjoy!

At our house, on Thanksgiving, we not only have turkey, but we also have a Spiral Sliced Honeybaked Ham each year. One of my favorite ways to use up the leftover ham and the ham bone is making my Classic Ham and Bean Soup...but I also like to make a ham salad spread. It's so easy. I don't have the exact measurements for this recipe, so I can't tell you what the nutrition information is...but I can tell you, it is delicious!

It's super easy too! Just pulse some leftover ham slices in the food processor until ground up. Remove to a bowl. Add one or two stalks of roughly cut celery and pulse until finely diced. Add the celery to the ham in the bowl, along with some light mayo, some sweet pickle relish and just a bit of horseradish sauce. OMG...I dream about this spread! The boys all love it too.

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If you haven't left a comment yet to try your luck at winning The Cookiepedia...there is still time! Now that the holiday baking season is getting into full swing, this cookbook would be a wonderful addition to your collection! Go HERE for details!