Christmas Eve Cocktail

I never celebrate the holidays without a bit of cheer. While we're waiting to eat dinner before mass with hubs, mom, and dad, I thought I'd whip up a little fancy for me to enjoy...AZ style. I'm so glad I'm here and not here.Christmas Eve Cocktail

• 1 part ice
• 1 part Trader Joe's Cherry Cider
• 2 parts Prosecco

Mix and enjoy!!

Easy Yummy Reduced Fat Alfredo Sauce

While I love Mexican food (I could eat queso dip for BL&D), I've always had a spot in my tummy for Alfredo Sauce. The bad side to it--it's enormous fat and calorie content! When B and I go to Olive Garden we order a side of it for our bread sticks and refer to it as our "lard boat." I never order the whole dish, it's just a gut bomb.

I came across this recipe and thought, "Hey, that looks like it'd be good." So I made a few modifications and came up with my version. It was divine!! Tons of flavor and yummy texture too. I love it with Dreamfield's Rotini.


Reduced Fat Alfredo Sauce
adapted from Our Best Bites

1/2 C skim milk
1/8 C reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 C fat free evaporated milk
1 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t dried basil
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1. Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, pepper, basil and salt in a large cup and process with an immersion blender (or regular blender). Process until smooth and set aside.
2. In a pan, melt butter on med heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. It should be nice and bubbly.
3. Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now. When it's nice and thick (it's almost as thick as a normal Alfredo sauce) remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Add additional garlic powder to your taste.
4. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and enjoy!

(I hate the flash on my food, I swear it's not cafeteria food)

I can't believe I wasn't being bad...until my second helping. Hey that's spinach salad on that plate so I consider that nutritious.

Fabulous Pie Crust and a Cutie Pie

I decided to be nice to my co-workers and make my favorite Autumn Apple Pie to spice up a fun fall Friday. I think baking for people really makes them happy and brightens up a dreary day like it's been here lately in the Midwest.
After misplacing (I don't lose, I misplace things ;-) my pie crust recipe, I came across this one and it's divine. It has vodka in it!! Now that's my kind of pie crust. Don't worry goody goodies, it cooks out and ads no flavor. It just ads moisture without aiding in gluten formation. It rolled out beautifully! Please try and let me know how you like it.
Foolproof Pie Dough by Cooks Illustrated
- makes one 9-inch double-crust pie -

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar (I added a smidgen more for sweetness)
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water

Procedure
1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

And now for the CUTIE PIE recipe:

Any Animal Shelter in the U.S.

Look at that sweet face!! This is the "Dukie stare down."

"Mommy, can I have a slice of pie please? I've been a good boy, I promise!!"

Fast Broccoli Cheese Soup

On cold dreary evenings like last night, I love to just stay in and cozy up with some yummy soup. I had a craving for broccoli cheese soup but I didn't have cream in the fridge so I concocted this recipe with what I had on hand. I don't know how low fat this is but I feel it can't be worse than the restaurant recipe. Plus I used real broccoli to boot! I love using real veggies not from a can. I also think the Velveeta adds a nice creamyness to the soup without the heavy cream.1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c chicken broth
1 c broccoli (I used frozen)
1 c skim milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 in. slices of Velveeta from the big brick
2/3 c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese

Directions:

1. Heat up olive oil over medium heat and cook onion and garlic until translucent. About 3 minutes.
2. Toss in broccoli and cook together for another couple minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the shredded cheese and cream cheese. Allow Velveeta to melt.
4. Toss in shredded and cream cheeses. Stir until smooth.
5. I have a stick or immersion blender I love to use for soups so I used it here. If you like big broccoli chunks in your soup, omit this step. I think I might have overdone it a bit though.

Spoon into a bowl and serve with yummy cheddar biscuits!

Chicken Artichoke Marsala

If you follow me you've figured out by now my husband eats like a 5 yr old, I don't like to eat out much during the week, I'm always watching what I eat, I don't like boxed foods and I don't have a lot of time. With that information, I'm always looking for recipes that are nutritious, not too sugary, not artificial, easy and something both B and I can eat! Whew, no one wants to be me now :-(.

One weeknight I really wanted some sort of fancy meal (that's what I call it when I have to actually saute, and create, not just add sauce and mix. B already had a gourmet sandwich from the swanky joint down the street, Arby's, so it was just me for dinner when I found this recipe.

I follow Katie and love several dished I've tried, I just made a few changes since I don't like mushrooms.
Chicken Marsala
adapted from Good Things Catered and Americas Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 oz ), fat trimmed
• 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 c. chopped canned artichokes
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 3/4 c. Marsala wine
• 1/2 packet of True Lemon (crystallized lemon) in 1 tbsp water, I was out of lemons.
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Place flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate.
2. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Coat both sides of chicken with flour. Lift the breast from the tapered end and shake to remove excess flour and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
5. Place the floured chicken in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
6. Using tongs, turn the cutlets and cook on the second side until golden brown and the meat feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 5 min longer).
7. Transfer chicken to a heated plate and cover.
8. Return the skillet to low heat and add artichokes.
9. Saute, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until the artichokes are lightly browned.
10. Add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 min.
11. Off the heat, add the Marsala.-
12. Return the pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from the pan bottom, until the sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced, about 5 min.
13. Off the heat, add the lemon juice and accumulated juices from the chicken.
14. Whisk in the butter until incorporated.
15. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
16. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Note: I like to place the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 1 min, flipping once, before serving to coat chicken in sauce. I also tossed the ziti with it for few moments as well. It turned out very yummy.

Easy Jalepeno Poppers

My co-worker grows jalapenos in her backyard for her bird, knowing I'm from the great state of Arizona and love spicy things, she was gracious enough to bring a some for me one day. Not knowing what to do with them (since hubby is a wuss when it comes to spices), jalapeno poppers 'popped' into my head. After a while of searching online for a good recipe, nothing really caught my eye. They all seemed to involved or fatty because they were fried, so I just came up with my own. This obviously isn't very detailed but it's a guide more than a recipe. I hope you all enjoy!

• Jalapenos
• 1/3 fat cream cheese
• shredded cheddar cheese
• old bay seasoning
• rice crispies cereal
• butter or margarine
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut each jalapeno in half and remove seeds. (I'd suggest using gloves for this since jalapeno juices can be irritating for your skin and eyes). Mix the cheeses and sprinkle a little Old Bay Seasoning (be conservative, a little goes a long way), salt, and pepper into the bowl. Stuff the jalapenos full of the cream cheese mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the rice crispies with a little melted butter for flavor. Press the cheese filled jalapenos in the rice crispies/butter and place on a baking sheet and bake until bubbly brown. I checked the bottom of the jalapeno to see if they were starting to brown and I removed them soon after and they were perfect.

They really satified my craving for this appetizer without all the needless fat.

Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Ever since I had blueberry pancakes last weekend, I've been craving more. I'm an easy cooking kind of girl so I searched cooks.com and found a decent recipe and made a few changes. I think they came out pretty good!

• 3/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup regular flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  

Preheat griddle to 350°. Mix all ingredients, except blueberries together,until incorporated. Pour batter on griddle until desired pancake size is achieved. Sprinkle pancake with blueberries. Cook until bubbles in pancakes arise. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden on other side. Serve immediately with butter and REAL maple syrup. (Not that corn syrup crap that is colored and flavored to be maple.)

Eggplant Parmesan

As I've stated in previous posts, I love Italian food. One of my favorite Italian ingredients is basil and I just started growing some and thought this recipe would be great to make with fresh basil. This is sort of a fudge/hodge podge of my favorite recipes to make this with some shortcuts. You can bake it like a casserole or eat it fresh from being sauteed topped with marinara (when I don't want to wait for baking) and cheese. Either way it's yummy!

• 1 Eggplant
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 big hunk of mozzarella cheese (fresh is best but any can work), shredded.
  
• 3 sprigs of fresh basil, minced
  
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2-3 eggs, whisked
  
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• oil for sauteing
• salt and pepper for taste
  

1. Slice peeled eggplant 1/2" thick. (I don't like Eggplant skin, so I peel it before slicing).
2. Get two bowls and fill one with flour, salt, and pepper; the other with egg and Parmesan cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat up saute pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
4. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then in egg mixture, and saute until golden, transfer to plate. Continue until all slices are done.
5. Spread pasta sauce in a greased casserole dish. Layer sauteed eggplant, mozzarella cheese, minced basil, and sauce until completed. Finish with mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Strawberry Basil Viniagrette

I'm a sucker for homemade vinaigrette and since I now have a basil plant I can't find enough things to do with basil so I decided to pair it up with some strawberries recently. This recipe isn't an exact science so please adjust to your taste.

4-5 strawberries, cut in half
1/8 cup of red wine vinegar (or apple cider, or balsamic)
1/4 cup of EVOO
3 basil leaves
1 garlic clove minced
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning (optional)

Put all into a blender and emulsify until smooth. (I used my immersion blender and it was done in seconds.) I made the salad with butter lettuce, Gorgonzola, and roasted chopped almonds.

Easy Spring Fruit Dessert

As some of you who know me know I love cheesecake. I love it so much I wanted a cheesecake wedding cake but the idea was vetoed by the hubs. If there were heaven on earth, I'd say it's puppies and cheesecake, I can't get enough of either.

In keeping with the Spring vibe I decided to make up a little concoction with some items in my pantry. When I was in St. Charles, MO my cousin's wife and I came across this super cute place selling all kinds of jellies and spices and I spotted this cheesecake/ball mix that I finally decided to make...problem was, I didn't know what exactly to do with it. The cheese ball alone was too rich but on fruit, now I'm in the money!!

• White Chocolate Cheesecake/Ball Mix by Wind and Willow (I used the cheese ball recipe on the back)
• Low-Fat Daisy Girl Scout cookies (or Teddy Grahams)
• Chopped fruit of your choice

1. Using a mini trifle bowl pile the items accordingly and you have a wonderfully yummy summer/spring dessert!

It can't get easier than this.

Easter Cookies

So sorry for being absent and not posting in forever. I've been very busy with work. Not too busy to make Easter sugar cookies though. I got the cookie recipe from Picky Palate. She has an amazing collection of recipes that are very yummy.

Soft Perfect Sugar Cookies
by Picky Palate

• 2 Cups sugar
• 1 Cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 6 Cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.

2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

3. Once chilled, roll and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes depending on how thick you cut your cookies. Remove and let cool. Frost and decorate as desired.

For the frosting, I used royal icing in different colors.

Spaghetti Pie

I have been a follower of the blog, Warm Pie, Happy Home for almost a year now and simply loved it! She's such a great homemaker who's from the west (like me) who now resides in the Midwest (again like me!). Recently she gave her her blog a makeover, changing it to Sugar Pie Farmhouse. It's the absolute cutest country website ever!

Since my hubs will be home for dinner every night this week (normally he's traveling for work), I decided to make something he'd like. I found this recipe on Sugar Pie Farmhouse's Home Cookin' section...It does not disappoint. It's soo comforting, especially on a cold Nebraska day.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef (I doubled)
  
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, 4 links (sweet or hot) casings removed (I didn't use this)
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I add two more pinches to give it a kick!)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces (I used half of a 16 ounce package–Thin spaghetti–not Angel Hair– but you can use regular )
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Saute green onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium heat 5 minutes.
2. Add beef and sausage, brown over medium-hi heat.
3. While almost brown, add garlic, pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.
4. Once browned, stir in crushed tomatoes, water and salt.
5. Add broken spaghetti. Push spaghetti into liquid, and cover for 8 minutes.
6. After 8 minutes, stir pasta so the noodles won’t stick together. Reduce heat to medium low simmer for 6 more minutes until pasta is al dente (almost cooked but still a little firm).
7. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and cream, stir well.
8. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, put in oven to broil until spotty brown. (stand there and keep watch or set a timer for 3 minutes at a time until it’s ready, or else you may end up with Blackened Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!)

Healthy Rolled Chicken Tacos

I make these about once a week since they are so easy and very yummy. I love Mexican food so much but I'd live at the gym if I ate it as much as I want. The key to this is the salsa. It makes this tasty dish so moist and tangy.

2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
6 corn tortillas
1/2- 3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (either Mexican or cheddar blend)
2-3 tablespoons of salsa
olive oil spray
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken on grill and set to rest for 5 minutes. Cut chicken breasts in half and place in food processor with salsa and pulse until shredded but not a paste. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add cheese, set aside. Heat up corn tortillas in the microwave for one minute (covered with a damp paper towel to keep moist). Spoon mixture in a row in the middle of the tortilla, like you would an enchilada, and roll. Set on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Continue doing this until all the mixture is used up. Sometimes you might need another tortilla, based on how thick you'd like your tacos to be. Spritz tacos with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tacos turn golden. Remove from oven and serve immediately with salsa and low fat sour cream.

Banana Berry Smoothie

Finally it's "normal" temperatures here in Nebraska in February. Well normal for me is 50's + since I'm from AZ, but this 'heat wave' isn't normal for the Midwest. In the Southwest, it's springtime by now and we're sporting summer attire. I still haven't adjusted to that type of season yet here. I made a smoothie before work this week on one of the warmest days ever that was very tasty. I can't drink smoothies in the winter and have been dying for one so I jumped at the chance.

This drink is a healthy alternative to store/restaurant smoothies since I'm controlling the ingredients. It's wholesome and yummy and hits the spot on a sunny spring day!

1/2 banana
5 small fresh strawberries
10 fresh blueberries
1/4 cup crushed ice
2 Tbsp fat free plain yogurt (I just used the grocery store generic)
Tbsp flax seed
Tbsp wheat germ
serving of vanilla protein shake mix
8 oz of skim milk


Mix all ingredients with blender and enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Chicken

I'm not a pork fan so when hubs finally agreed to host the Superbowl party at our home, I decided to make it chicken. It's a super easy recipe and you can't really go wrong. The beer gives the chicken some tenderness.

4 Boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of ale
1 cup barbecue sauce

Place all items in a pot, crock-pot, or rice cooker and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Pull the chicken out and shred on a plate, returning to pot after finished. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes without the lid, allowing the liquid to reduce to a sauce like consistency. Adjust flavor by adding more BBQ sauce to taste.

The Best Salsa Ever!

I am a huge salsa fan. It's one of the best things on the Mexican menu. I'm pretty picky about as well. Piling that canned chunky crap on a great chip is such a disgrace. My good friend Alecia gave me her favorite recipe for salsa she says is to die for. She definitely did not disappoint with this recipe and the people at my Superbowl party paid lots of compliments.

1 Can El Pato Sauce
Cilantro
Chopped Onion
1 can of diced tomatoes (or chopped fresh tomatoes)
Cilantro
Cumin
Garlic Salt
Tapatio Sauce


I have a food chopper/blender, so I throw in some cilantro, about a can of tomatoes, 4 shakes of garlic salt, about 1 ½ handful of onion, can of El Pato Sauce, 2 shakes of Cumin, 4 shakes of Tapatio sauce and mix it all up. Like I said, you really have to taste it to see if it’s hot enough for you or not, but these are the basic ingredients and the salsa is to die for.

Homemade Pinto Beans

Growing up I always loved homemade beans. There's something about their taste that sets them apart from canned. Making them is the easiest thing in the world too, so lets do it.

(let me preface you, I don't use measurements on this but I'll try my best to give you an idea.)

bag of pinto beans (I'd suggest trying a small batch first + they cook faster.)
4 cups of water
1 clove of minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
pepper


Wash beans in colander and make sure to pick out any abnormal ones, they usually don't cook well anyway.

Dump the beans, garlic and pepper into crock pot and cover well with water. Set on low if you have time (like overnight etc.) or high if you're wanting them to cook faster, under 4 hrs. I'd recommend for your first batch if cooking on high, to be at home. Sometimes my crock pot gets too hot on high and if I'm at work, I can come home and almost be burning the beans.

Periodically check/test the beans as they cook making sure they are immersed in the water. It's not a bad thing if there's a lot of water, you can always dump the excess but if the beans dry out, you can't fix that. Once the beans turn a solid tan color and are no longer spotted, they're ready to be tested. If the beans are soft they're done, if they're sort of chalky, they need to cook a bit more. These beans work great for the Healthy Tostadas.

Pita Lunch

I am constantly trying to find new ideas when it comes to quick lunches. This is one of my favorites. My mom used to make me these pitas for my lunch box when I was little.


1 half of a Pita
turkey slices
low-Fat cream cheese
green leaf lettuce

Just spread the cream cheese along one side of the pita and add the rest of the ingredients. I ate my pita with cottage cheese and chips and guacamole today,(I was very hungry)and voila--lunch!

Oh and just because he's so darn cute, my bub Duke!!





He loves snacks!! He's a little angel, we don't know what we'd do without him. Right now he's enjoying an afternoon at doggy daycare. It's so cold here, he can't go out and play :-(

Kid Friendly Chili

I have a picky husband who doesn't eat anything green. This is his mom's recipe that she cooked for them growing up. It's a good recipe for kids since there's not a ton of ingredients for kiddos to complain about.

1 large can of tomato juice
1/2 onion minced
1 can of Mrs. Grimes chili beans
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef (I use lean 93/7)
1 packet of your favorite chili seasoning (I use either Carrol Shelby's Original Texas Chili Mix or McCormicks)

Cook beef and onions until cooked thorough. Sprinkle half of the chili seasoning in beef mixture and stir. Add tomato juice, tomatoes, beans and ground beef to your crock pot and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 on low. Enjoy!

Breakfast for Healthy Eaters

I'm getting back on the saddle of healthy eating. Today I started with a breakfast of Kashi Honey and Cinnamon and a skinny, sugar-free caramel latte. Hopefully I can stay on the healthy track for the rest of the day.