Peanut Butter Blossoms! (Too Yummy for Words)

Peanut butter blossoms are one of my favorite cookies, and one of the first cookies my mom taught me how to make.  You can easily make these using refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough, but I suggest making them from scratch.  The ingredients are less harmful, and they just taste better!

• 48 chocolate kisses (I used caramel filled ones)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1  egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•   Additional granulated sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. (I like to use salted butter and leave out adding the salt.  Less sodium, no change in flavor.)

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each 
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 
About 4 dozen cookies.

*******VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!******* When moving the cookies, be very gentle and no giggling.  The chocolate will look firm, but it is melted and will fall if giggled.  

Cold Tuna Macaroni Salad

This is always a simple recipe.  A lot of people would use this as a side dish, but I sometimes use it as a small supper, which is what I am doing tonight!  The picture is NOT mine, but my camera is not working, so I "borrowed" an online image that resembles mine. lol 

• 12 ounces whole wheat pasta
• 1 1/2 cups kraft mayo with olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onions
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 cup peas
• 12 ounces tuna
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least an hour.  Serves 6-8

This is just a basic recipe.  My actual recipe is completely different.  Its kind of a secret, but I don't think I could share it if I wanted to.  I throw things in without measuring and do it all by taste.  I start with this recipe, but then leave out the peas, and add hot sauce, relish, a bit of sugar, and a couple other things.  Feel free to try it out, but I couldn't give you the measurements if I tried. lol

Use Your Leftovers!!!! (Stuffing Casserole Recipe)

In this economy, we all have to try to find ways to stretch our budget, especially our grocery budget.  One way of doing that is making a whole other meal out of our leftovers.  Yesterday I shared my slow cooker recipe for a whole chicken.  Well, with there being only two of us we had plenty of chicken left.  A great way to stretch meat is....a casserole!  This recipe is very quick and very easy.  Its another one that you can make quite a few different ways.

• 2 cups chopped leftover chicken
• 2 -3 cups fresh or frozen vegetables of your choice(I used broccoli this time)
• 1 can (10 oz) fat free and low sodium cream of chicken
• 1/3 cup fat free light sour cream
• 1 box turkey stuffing...or...make your own!

Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water to the box of  stuffing.  Let it set for a few minutes while the water absorbs.  Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. (My dish was 11x7 but you can use a 13x9) Spread stuffing evenly over mixture.  Bake for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

With using the chicken in a casserole, I have enough chicken for ANOTHER meal, which I will probably do a stir fry or something.  Plus, the casserole itself will last us 2 nights, so I paid a little more than $5 for the chicken, and have used it for 4 nights!  I know some people wouldn't want to eat chicken 4 nights in a row, but be creative!  Besides the casserole 2 nights in a row, not a single recipe was like the other.  It will be worth it in the long run.  For my husband and I, most weeks I am able to spend $30 a week on groceries.  It is do-able!

*All ingredients, not including chicken, you can buy for a total of under $5.  If your budget calls for buying canned veggies, make sure you rinse those off a few times to get out as much sodium as possible.

Slow Cooked Caribbean Chicken

Using a crock pot is very simple, convenient, and if you are just learning to cook, a great way to start.

This turned out so delicious!  It is really a generic recipe.  What I mean by that is you can take a whole chicken and add any marinade to it.  Wash the chicken as usual and pull out the insides.  No need to add water, pour 1/2 a cup of the marinade into the bottom of the crock pot.  Put the chicken in.  Pour the rest over the chicken rubbing it in.  Cover at cook on low for 4 hours and then turn it on high for 2 more hours.  I know a lot of people cook for EITHER on low for 8 or high for 4, but I find it to be juicier this way.

DO NOT TAKE THE LID OFF WHILE COOKING!  People get curious when slow cooking, but by lifting the lid, you let out all the steam.  If you absolutely have to lift the lid, add another 20 minutes to the cook time for each time it is lifted.  There is really no need to lift it though unless it is a creamy soup and the sides are sticking.  A little trick to seeing through the lid is to keep the lid down, but just twist it in a circle.  The moisture will fall off the lid and see can see how it is cooking.  If you have an oval crock pot, like mine, just shake the lid a bit and you can see in.

When it comes to marinades, be careful when using a pre-made one.  There is tons of sodium in most pre-made marinades and sauces.  I recommend always making your own.  You can control the calorie and sodium intake by making your own.  Yes, it is more expensive, but eating right and healthier always is more expensive.  I "cheated" tonight and used KC Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk Sauce.  I only used it because its all I had, I prefer making my own.

I hope this has not just provided you with a yummy recipe that you can use a million ways, but i hope that it has helped someone to learn how to use a slow cooker and maybe start cooking! Enjoy!!!!

Garlic Tilapia

Tonight I made garlic tilapia.  I am trying to eat more fish and it is quite a challenge for me.  I am NOT a fish person!  But it is good for me, good for my diet, and I dont want to eat as much of it...lol.  I went very simple with this one.  It is simply a nice fresh piece of tilapia, seasoned with Mrs. Dash.  To lower my sodium intake I have been using Mrs. Dash.  The only one that I really like is the garlic version.  It gives it a great flavor without all of the sodium or added calories.  There is no breading on it so you can have carbs elsewhere.   I fixed with it a beef rice and in preparation for the upcoming holidays, green bean casserole.  For the fish I cooked it at 400 for 30 minutes and it was cooked beautifully!

Pray for me in my weight struggle.  It is an everyday fight to eat right and exercise.  Ive been having motivation problems in the exercise department.  I seem to always find an excuse.  I dont want to give myself excuses and I am my own worst enemy.  Please help with some motivation.  I try to motivate as much as possible because thats what we have each other for.  One day I am sure you will get some in return. :) 

Recipe of the Week (Chicken Alfredo Lasagna)

This was from a packet of recipe cards that I was given for my birthday. It turned out very nice! Everyone loved it...even David would have loved it if he would have just tried it...he's not much of an alfreo person...lol

1 jar of alfredo sauce (I made my own sauce...it will cut back on the sodium and preservatives AND it just tastes better!)

1 3/4 milk

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

12 oz. small curd cottage cheese

1/4 c grated parm cheese

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 package no boil lasagna noodles (again you can make your own for a fresher and healthier recipe using wheat flour)

4 cups shredded mozzerella cheese, divided

desired seasonings

(I also added green peppers...add whatever veggies you want!)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine alfredo sauce and milk in a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in the chicken. Set aside. Combine the cottage cheese, parm, tomatoes, onion, other veggies, and seasonings. Mix well. Set aside.

Spread 1 cup chicken mixture in the bottom of the baking dish (13x9). Cover with 3 noodles. Spoon 1 cup cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 3/4 cup chicken mixture over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers twice. Top with the remaining noodles. Top noodles with remaining chicken and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned, 10-15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cinny Update

Wow...it has been a month since I have posted...but so much has been going on! I sick for 3 weeks! When I say sick, I mean S-I-C-K! Even had a trip to the ER...was not fun. I felt better, got back to the gym, and then BOOM! My body decided to do its own thing, once again, and I have been down for another week. I am just now started to be able to walk around the house and hoping to be healed up by thanksgiving time.

Well my weight has leveled off a bit with all of this going on. I am at 442 right now, which I OK. I get weighed again in 2 weeks and am hoping for a few pounds or inches. As long as I have lost something, I will be good. These months will come and go in my life and I can either accept them, or throw a fit and binge on food. I would rather accept them!

With being sick I haven't made too many new recipes let alone take pictures of them. Here is a couple of yummy pictures that I HAVE made this month. Made my famous lasagna, and then a plate of chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin bread. Love, love, LOVE, the first loaf of pumpkin bread for the season....nothing like it!

Recipe of the Week (Hearty Steak Dinner)

Another "hit it out of the ball park" recipe! I love, love, LOVE when I find recipes like this...the protein is high, and the calories are low...the sodium isn't bad either! I would be nice for a cold winter day, a potluck, or just a nice, one-dish meal.

1 lb. round steak, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, well trimmed

1/4 cup A.1. Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce

1/4 cup KRAFT FREE Italian Dressing

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 small cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. new potatoes, quartered

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot

CUT steak into 6 equal portions; place in large baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Mix steak sauce, dressing, onion and garlic; pour over steak. Cover. Marinate 1 hour in refrigerator.ADD potatoes and mushrooms to ingredients in baking dish; cover.

BAKE at 350°F for 1 hour or until steak is cooked through and potatoes are tender, adding frozen vegetable blend to baking dish after 45 minutes.

* It says to marinate the meat for one hour...I did more than an hour and it came out VERY tender.

Calories

190

Total fat

3 g

Saturated fat

1 g

Cholesterol

35 mg

Sodium

390 mg

Carbohydrate

25 g

Dietary fiber

4 g

Sugars

5 g

Protein

18 g

Vitamin A

30 %DV

Vitamin C

40 %DV

Calcium

4 %DV

Iron

15 %DV

Recipe of the Week (Swirled Pumpkin Bars)

This recipe is soooo yummy!!!! We took these to the Halloween parade with us as a snack. Very festive for the holidays.

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• 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
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• 1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, and 1/3 cup water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg; stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan.
• 2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.
• 3. Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1-tablespoon portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.
• 4. Bake in a 350° oven until center of pumpkin batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.
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Note:

You can chill them airtight for up to 3 days.




• Calories: 164
• Calories from fat: 38%
• Protein: 2.6g
• Fat: 7g
• Saturated fat: 4.2g
• Carbohydrate: 23g
• Fiber: 0.4g
• Sodium: 130mg
• Cholesterol: 45mg




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Playing Catch Up

Hello my dear friends and supporters! I have missed you all! Did you think I wasn't coming back? As of today, we are completely moved! YAY! So much has happened in the last couple of months. Last time I was on here, I believe I was 455...I am now 441! In the last month I have had so many victories...I got rid of all of my 5x clothes and am officially into 4x! I played football and went for my first jog! With my husband working, a lot of the move has fallen on me and my sister in law and I have accomplished so many things I never thought I could do, or lift. I FINALLY was able to get onto the leg press at the gym, and every day since then! I am sure there is more that I am missing..I will post as I think of them.

I got my sister in law and my niece to join Curves with me. With moving, we have only been able to go 3 or 4 days a week, but now it is back to 6 days a week. I have taken my 6 month pictures, even though it has been almost 7 months.

Here are a few pictures of some of the yummy foods I have made. Starting in a couple of weeks I am going to start my "recipe of the week" again. This is a java chiller you can easily make non or low fat...and then a version of pork low mien.

Our whole life is changing in so many ways and it is going to take some time to get a routine and schedule down. I get weighed again on Monday and am hoping to hit 440. I will post when I know! Its good to be back!

Quiche!

This is an old favorite of mine that I tweaked a bit. My mommy use to make this every Sunday morning. This is a DOUBLE recipe.

2 frozen pie crusts (deep dish is best)

1 c. cooked and crumbled turkey sausage

2 c. mixed veggies of your choice, diced

a small amount of cheese is optional

1 dozen eggs, scrambled

Mix everything together. Fill pie crusts a little over half way. DO NOT fill to the top, it will over run when cooking. Set both on cooking tray and place in a preheated 350 oven. Bake for at least 30 minutes. If not done, bake in 10 minute intervals until egg is cooked and crust is brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.

If you want to make it a day early, you can bake it half way, refrigerate, and then finish baking in the morning to save time. Remember this is egg so leftovers must be put in the fridge. ENJOY!

Cinny's Italian Pork Foil Pack

This is very simple and very delish!

4 lean boneless pork chops (marinated a few hours in fat free italian dressing)

8 Tbs. fat free italian dressing

4 cups of your favorite veggies

Preheat oven to 425...tear off 4 (8x12) sheets of foil. Lay one pork chop on each piece of foil. Top with one cup of veggies and drizzle with 2 Tbs. dressing. Fold foil into 4 packs and put onto a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or depending on size of chops, until cooked. Serve by itself or with 1/2 cup brown rice. Enjoy! Calories 298 protein 30mg

In the next coming week I will be trying at least 5 new recipes, a couple of them using foil packs, but all nice and healthy.

Cindy's Turkey Enchiladas! (Spanish Rice and Flour Tortillas too!)

All I can say is WOW! This recipe turned out WONDERFUL! The only recipe that isn't my own is the four tortilla recipe. Its a little early for supper, but I went ahead and made everything so I just have to pop it in the oven. Had a little taste though, I wouldn't post it without tasting it! lol

Flour Tortillas

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbs. lard

1 1/2 c. luke warm water

Mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk. Mix in lard with hands until it resembles cornmeal. Slowly add water. Lightly flour flat surface and rolling pin. Divide dough into 24 balls...let sit for at least 10 minutes. Roll each one out until quite thin and round. Heat Skillet on med-high heat. Flip every ten seconds until golden bubbles on both sides. Unless using all at once, you want to put them into a large Ziploc bag while still warm so they stay moist. You can freeze, or store them at room temp for about a week. Per Serving: 86 calories, 138 sodium, 16 carbs, 2.2 protein, and 1.3 fat.

Cindy's Turkey Enchiladas

1 lb. ground beef or turkey, extra lean

1-2 pkg. enchilada sauce ( depending on how saucy you like it)

1/2 c onion and pepper mix

8 oz. shredded taco blend cheese

1 can low sodium re fried beans

8-12 flour tortillas

Brown ground beef with onion and pepper mix, drain. add 1/2 cup sauce to mixture. Add enough sauce to bottom of baking dish to cover it. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 c beef mixture, roll, and put into dish. Finish by covering with the rest of the sauce and cheese (you can add cheese to beef mixture if you would like) Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

Per Serving: 352 calories, 19 carbs, 16 fat, 15 protein, and 404 sodium

Cindy's Spanish Rice

2 c instant brown rice

2 c chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added

chili powder (you can add any spice depending on your liking)

In a medium sauce pan, bring broth, chili powder, and tomatoes to a boil. Add rice and cook, COVERED, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Take off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 more minutes. ENJOY! Per serving: 185 calories, 39 carbs, 1 fat, 5 protein, 285 sodium

All of these separate are not that bad, but put them all together for one meal and it is a lot more calories, carbs, and sodium that I eat on a daily basis. So if you are trying to lose weight, I would use this meal as your "cheat day". And it is worth it!

Cindy's French Fried Chicken (with roasted garlic mashed potatoes)

Now, in order to enjoy this recipe, you will have to like french fried onions. I WISH I could say I created this recipe, it was delish! I got it from French's, hence the fried onions...lol. The recipe calls for BONELESS chicken, which would probably make it better, but I used bone in thighs because that is what I had.

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center (I had to put it in for another 20 minutes, but it was bone in).

It also says that for a tangier taste, you can sub 1/4 c. mustard for the egg. I will try that next time I make this.

Calories 360, Carbs 13, Protein 32, Sodium 225...I was quite impressed with the sodium in this, thought it would be a lot more. Hope you enjoy!

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Cindy's Triple B

If you are wondering what triple B stands for it is "beef, bacon, and Benedict"! I like to try new recipes as often as finances allow me to, and SOMETIMES I actually come up with my own recipes, which I love the most! This is one of them, and one of the best ones I should say. It was sooooo good! Not hard to make at all, only a couple of steps and FOUR ingredients!

1 round beef steak

1-2 slices of turkey bacon

1 egg

2 Tbs. hollandaise sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Season steak to your liking (you can add any kind you like, just make sure it will match the sauce) Wrap bacon around the edge of the steak and hold in place with a WET toothpick. Place in small baking dish and bake for ABOUT 30 minutes, or until it is cooked to your liking. I checked mine at 30 minutes and it was too pink for me so I put it in for 15 more minutes. If it starts to brown too much, you can place a piece of aluminum over it.

While that is baking, cook some brown rice to go with it. Do not make anything else until the meat is done...the egg will get rubbery and the sauce lumpy if they are not fresh. As soon as the meat IS done, set it aside and make the sauce and egg. For ultimate taste, you will want to do both at the same time. For a creamier sauce, use 1/2 c water and 1/2 c milk instead of 1 c water. For the least fat, fry the egg using an olive oil cooking spray. Cook to your liking.

Take out toothpick. Place egg on top of steak and drizzle with sauce. Serve with rice and veggies and enjoy! Calories 242, sodium 458, protein 28, and only 1 carb!!!!!

If you try this recipe, please give me feedback on how it was!

Beef Steak and Veggies

This is a picture of it uncooked....wanted to post it while supper was cooking. This is always a fave of mine. Some kind of meat, your choice, marinade it in fat free Italian dressing, add your favorite veggies to the mix! Cover and cook at 400 for 30 minutes and add some brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or sweet potatoes to go with it. Always comes out yummy!

On another note, I get weighed and measured next week. Cant wait to see how I did!

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops!

Well this certainly was a oober yummy dish! Never made it before and I had the pork chops, but no italian dressing to put on them and did not want plain old chops. So I got creative! I seasoned the chops with salt and pepper, wrapped 3 pieces of turkey bacon around each chop, and then sprinkled, NO POURING!!!!, just sprinkled low sodium soy sauce on top. Cover and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. I served it with mashed potatoes made with fat free sour cream. It was after 9pm when I made this and forgot to make a veggie...I know, shame, shame! lol

Per serving: 174 calories, 1 carb, 28g protein, 742 sodium....if you cut back to 2 pieces bacon and no soy sauce the sodium will decrease to 389! Enjoy!!!!!

Whole Wheat Pizza

Made a yummy whole wheat pizza tonight. You can either buy the dough or make it yourself. It is ALWAYS better if you make it yourself. When I browned the ground turkey, I added green and red bell peppers, and onions to bring out the taste. I usually would not add pizza sauce, but i did this time. Then added the ground turkey and TONS of veggies! For pizza I really like to load up on the bell peppers and onions, but you can add just about any veggie to your pizza. They also have all kinds of different healthy meats. They make almost anything out of turkey, or you can always sub it for veggie meat. Top it with some cheese, bake at 400 for 20 minutes and enjoy!

NEW Chicken Enchilada Verde

This looked sooo yummy when I found it, and all I did was substitute a few things. I tried to get a better picture but once i cut it was not so pretty, but tasted awesome! If you are looking for your favorite foods in a healthy way, www.hungrygirl.com is a GREAT reference, especially for fast food and restaurants. So here's what I used...

1 can 98% fat free Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4 cup water

1 can chopped green chilies, drained

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup low fat shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 2 ounces)

6 whole wheat (6-inch), warmed

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the soup, water, chilies, oregano and chili powder in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and 1 1/4 cup cheese in a medium bowl.Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover the baking dish.Bake for 30 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling.

Serve with some brown rice and enjoy! I know we did! And it is about 241 calories per serving...not including rice. And this dish sounds spicier than it actually is. If you like super spicy, you will want to add more chili powder.