Final Post (at least for now)

It's been fun.
No really, I've loved being able to share some of my favorite recipes and have them all in one spot. However, starting next Monday, I'm going to be a regular contributer to one of my favorite "Mom blogs". I'll be sharing some kid/family friendly recipes and foodie-type things over there. And even though I've enjoyed this little space, having to worry about three different blogs just isn't something I'm interested in at the moment.
I'm going to keep the blog up, just in case anyone happens to have a favorite recipe on here.

In the future, you can find me both on my regular family blog and here.

See ya 'round!

Perfect Pot Roast

A couple of weeks ago, our local Target ad had chuck roasts on sale for really cheap.

And if there's one thing I love in the winter (even if it is 65 out...), it's comfort food. I'm a big fan of the pioneer woman (who isn't?), and I knew she had a pot roast recipe that looked great. Time to give it a whirl!

First, let me tell you that the smell of this cooking is absolute heaven. It's all I could stand to let it cook completely, because I sure wanted to dig in after the first hour. Don't skip out on the herbs. It makes it smell that much more amazing.

Perfect Pot Roast

(Recipe by Ree Drummond)

via

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 3 to 5-pound chuck roast
• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole onions, peeled and halved
• 6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup red wine, optional
• 3 cups beef broth (my roast was only 2.5 lbs, so I didn't need this much at all)
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.

Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.

Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.

Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender. 

Valentine's Day Round-Up

I honestly couldn't decide what to post for today.

There are just way too many cute and yummy Valentine's Day treats out there!

So instead of focusing on one recipe, I thought I'd do a round-up of a bunch of fun recipe ideas!

Just click the link on the recipe you want to try out.

Nutella Stuffed Pastry Hearts

Chocolate Treasure Box

(it's not as difficult as it looks... promise!)

I'm making a variation of these for my little guy's V-day gift.

Aren't they cute?

Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies

 Hope everyone has a LOVE-ly Valentine's Day!!

xoxo.



Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I made these this week for our Bible study luncheon.

They were so good! And since we had a Valentine's Day theme, I thought the strawberry jam went along nicely. Over half the pan was empty by the time we were done... and our group was small that day, about 12-15 people. So that oughta tell you how great these were! Plus, I received several compliments. They're great as dessert, but I think they'd make a cute Valentine's Day breakfast treat.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

(Recipe by Ree Drummond)

(I'm sure she'd do a much better job of photographing them, but unfortunately, she didn't. So you're left with my sad depiction...)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• One 10 to 12-ounce jar strawberry preserves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares. Makes 24 bars.

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Anyone else seen this recipe floating around Pinterest?

I've been following Gina for a while now, and as soon as she posted this one, I pinned it right away. It sounded too good to be true. Cheesy, crunchy, tasty mozzarella sticks that weren't loaded with calories and fat? No way.

Since I'm trying to be a little more health conscious, I decided to give these a whirl for the Superbowl. My husband's family was coming over for the game, and this included our teenage nephews. What better chance to try out a (sneaky) healthy recipe than when I've got teenage boys in the house?!

When I told them I was making them, I immediately got a "Oh, those are gonna be good..." from the 15 yr old. And wouldn't you know it? They loved them.

The only thing I need to stress for these to work is to make sure you follow the freezing process. Otherwise, you run the risk of them turning into a pile of cheesy goo.

Thankfully, it didn't happen to me. They were amazing. For you WW peeps, each one is only 2 points. Crazy, right?!

I also recommend getting Sargento cheese. I went the cheaper route, and even though nobody else seemed bothered, I could tell there was more salt in them than I would've liked. Sargento is just better anyway, I think. So yeah. These were a hit.

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks

(Recipe by Gina)

via

Ingredients

12 sticks part-skim, reduced sodium mozzarella string cheese (Sargento)

1 large egg, beaten

2 tbsp flour

5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

5 tbsp panko crumbs

2 tsp parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried parsley

olive oil cooking spray

Directions

Cut

cheese in half to give you 24 pieces.

Place

cheese in the freezer until cheese is frozen.

In small bowl,

whisk

the egg.

Place

the flour on another small dish. In separate bowl,

combine

bread crumbs, panko, parmesan cheese and dried parsley.

Dip

the frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs.

Repeat

this process with the remaining cheese placing them on a tray with wax paper. Place cheese back into the freezer until ready to bake (this is a must or they will melt before the crumbs get golden).

When ready to bake

preheat

oven to 400° F.

Line

a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly

spray

with oil.

Place frozen cheese sticks on baking sheet.

Spray

the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and

bake

in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn

and

bake

an additional 4 - 5 minutes watching them closely so they don't melt.

Makes 24 pieces.

1-2-3 Mexican Bean Dip

This is one of my most requested recipes ever.
If you're looking for a great Superbowl snack, this is it.

My husband had a friend come to town last year, and I had just made this. Hubs decided he wanted it all to himself and didn't share with his friend. I ended up having to make two the next time he had friends over. In fact, the same buddy helped me with some computer stuff, and when I asked him how he wanted me to pay him? He asked me to make this dip.

Whenever I take it to family functions, parties, etc; it's always devoured in like 10 minutes.

1-2-3 Mexican Bean Dip

(Recipe by Mary Corpening Barber & Sara Corpening Whiteford)

(sorry. no matter how great of a camera you have,

Mexican food never seems to photograph all that well... or maybe it's just me?)

Ingredients

•  1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups medium salsa
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (even if you hate mayo, don't skip this. my husband can't stand mayo, yet he can't get enough of this stuff)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
• 1 cup (2 ounces) grated extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese (sometimes I'll use the "Mexican blend" instead... both are great)
• 1 jalapeno chili, cut into rounds (about 20)
• Tortilla chips for serving

Directions

Combine the refried beans, 1/4 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, cumin, and oregano in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round ceramic casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) or an 8-by-8-by-2 1/4-inch glass baking dish.
Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro, and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread over the top of the beans mixture.
Combine the bell pepper and the remaining 1 1/4 cups salsa in a small bowl. Gently spread over the sour cream mixture, being careful not to mix the layers. Top with the cheese and jalapeno and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do Ahead: This dip can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Swoon Pies

I saw these in the most recent issue of Southern Living and had to try them.

We were invited to a ProBowl party last night and were asked to bring a dessert. I figured it was a perfect excuse to make them. Unfortunately, both my husband and little man got sick, so we had to miss out. Consequently, I'm left with a ton of these things (I made a double batch).

This recipe is one of those that's not hard to make, there are just several steps. But if you do give them a go, I promise you won't regret it. It's like eating a s'more in the form of a whoopie pie!

Swoon Pies

(Recipe by Southern Living)

via

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

Parchment paper

Marshmallow Filling

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

2 teaspoons shortening

Toppings: chopped roasted salted pecans, chopped crystallized ginger, sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in graham cracker crumbs.
Beat butter and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.
Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake, in batches, at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are golden brown. Remove cookies (on parchment paper) to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Turn 12 cookies over, bottom sides up.
Spread each with 1 heaping tablespoonful Marshmallow Filling. Top with remaining 12 cookies, bottom sides down, and press gently to spread filling to edges. Freeze on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 30 minutes or until filling is set.

Pour water to depth of 1 inch in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer; place chocolate and shortening in a medium-size heatproof bowl over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove cookies from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes.

Dip half of each cookie sandwich into melted chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings, and freeze 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.
Makes 1 dozen whoopie pies.

Marshmallow Filling

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add remaining ingredients, beating until well blended.

TRY THIS TWIST!
Full Swoon Pies: Increase semisweet chocolate morsels to 1 (16-oz.) package and shortening to 3 tsp. Prepare recipe as directed, dipping cookie sandwiches completely in chocolate mixture. (Use a fork to easily remove sandwiches from chocolate.)

Note:
Cookie sandwiches may be covered with plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

I love Chicken Parmesan. It was actually one of my favorite meals to eat at the cafeteria back in college, because they actually made it perfectly (can you believe it??).

I've never made it myself, though. I've always been too nervous I'd mess it up.

But when I saw this recipe, it sounded so simple, and I knew I had to give it a try. Especially since it's "skinny"! It definitely did NOT disappoint. Even my husband loved it. In fact, he devoured two pieces. I'm thinking this may have made it into one of our "regulars". :)

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

(Recipe by Allison)

 via

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) chicken breasts, sliced in half (horizontally, or butterflied but cut all the way through. You will end up with 4 pieces of chicken)
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (I added a little more than this... maybe about 3/4 to 1 tsp)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (This does not have to be fresh. In fact a use the stuff in the green bottle more times than not)
• 1 1/2-2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce
• cooking spray      

Directions

 Preheat oven to 450°. Line large baking sheet with foil (easy clean up) and spray lightly with cooking spray.Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave in another bowl (this is usually melted after about 20 seconds, so watch it closely.) Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking spray on top (this makes it nice and crispy) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Spoon sauce over each piece and top with mozzarella cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yields: 4 servings


(255 calories per chicken breast, 6 WW Points+)

Low and Slow Dutch Oven Fajitas

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this one.
I've only really made fajitas either by skillet or on the grill. But the flavor combos in this recipe just seemed too good, so I had to give it a try. SO glad I did!
It's super super easy and full of flavor. Plus, health-wise, it's great! You can add as many veggies as you like. I topped mine with a little bit of cheddar jack cheese and avocado. SO good.

Low and Slow Dutch Oven Fajitas

(Recipe by Country Cleaver)

via

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds Flank Steak
• 1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds (I didn't have any, so I skipped it)
• 1 tsp Ground Pepper
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped
• 1/2 cup Jarred Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 2 Fresh Bell Peppers, sliced
• 8 Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Sliced lime for garnish

Avocado for topping

1 bunch Cilantro

1 Avocado

Directions:

In a dutch oven, stir together all spices, soy sauce, coriander seeds, jarred red peppers, chopped onion, jalapeno and garlic.
With half of the mixture in the bottom of the dutch oven, place flank steak on top. With remaining second half of mixture, pour over the flank steak coating it.
Place on stove over medium low heat for 5 hours, or until the meat pull apart with a pair of forks. During last hour of cooking, slice bell peppers, removing the seeds and place into dutch oven to steam and cook.
The fresh peppers will retain their structure, where the jarred peppers will be nearly indistinguishable after cooking.
Serve with warm tortillas, and any other extra toppings you like - such as, cheese, cilantro, avocado, and slices of lime for spritzing on top.
Makes 4 servings.

Five-Layer Bars

These things are absolutely sinful.

I'm not even a fan of coconut, normally, but I've loved them ever since I was a kid. My mom used to make them for class parties at school, and they were always a hit. Kind of surprising since they have so many ingredients most kids wouldn't usually gravitate towards (coconut and nuts).

They're super easy to throw together too.

Enjoy!

Five-Layer Bars

via

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick salted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle pecans, chips and coconut on top. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Th

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

To be honest, this isn't technically lasagna, so this recipe got an odd review from my husband.

He said it was "confusing, but good". Confusing, because he kept expecting to bite into some pasta. Good, because it is. I've joined Weight Watchers in a last-ditch effort to lose a few pounds and just eat healthier all-around. When I found this recipe, I really wanted to give it a try. I'd never had spaghetti squash before, so it was a fun new experiment for me.

I loved it, and it's a great healthy substitute for pasta. You could also use this as a side to some chicken or fish, if you like.

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

(Recipe by Gina)

via

Ingredients

2 cups marinara sauce

3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash (follow the link to see how to bake a spaghetti squash)

1 cup part skim ricotta

8 tsp parmesan cheese

6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella (I used Sargento)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

In four individual 5 x 7-inch oven safe baking dishes, ladle 1/4 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom of each dish. Top each with 3/4 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Top each with 1/4 cup ricotta.

*Note* If you don't have these particular baking dishes, use an 8x8 baking dish. It will still yield 4 servings.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese and .75 oz mozzarella on each. Add the remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 lasagna • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 291.0 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Carb: 21.0 g • Fiber: 2.7 g
Sodium: 358.3 mg 



Deluxe Twice Baked Potatoes with Shrimp

Back when I was pregnant, Paula Deen came out with The Deen Family Cookbook . She was actually in town for a book signing. So I dragged my pregnant self out to see her, stood in line for two hours, got to meet her (and Michael!), got my book signed, and my ankles didn't shrink back down for the next four months. But it was so worth it. Anyway, one of my favorite recipes out of that book is Michael's Deluxe Twice-Baked Potatoes with Shrimp.
I'll go on and be honest with you though. It's not going to win any top spots in a health magazine, that's for sure. This is totally a splurge. However, with a little tweaking? You could easily make this healthier. Use some light sour cream, cut back on the butter and bacon, and you've prevented your arteries from clogging for at least another day. :)
But really.
It's so easy, so filling, and so delish. Definitely worth the splurge.

Deluxe Twice Baked Potatoes with Shrimp
(recipe by Michael Groover)

via

Ingredients

• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) russet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked all over with a fork
• Vegetable oil, to coat potatoes
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed (I just used the frozen, cooked kind you buy at the store. Much cheaper and easier. Plus, if you're lucky, you can get a decent sized bag for around $5)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts; dark green parts chopped, for garnish
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened (in usual Paula fashion, she tends to over-do it a tad on the butter. Feel free to cut back if you like...)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Rub the potatoes with vegetable oil and put them on a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour.
While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet.
Cut the shrimp into thirds. Reheat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, Cajun seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the shrimp are opaque, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (since my shrimp were already cooked, I just tossed it for a few seconds... just enough to heat up and catch the flavor).
When the potatoes are done, let them cool slightly (leave the oven on). Slice off the top third of each potato and carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Scoop out the potato from the top third, and add that to the bowl, then discard the skin. Leave about 1/4-inch border of potato inside the skin. Mash the potato flesh with 1 teaspoon salt, the green onion, cheese, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Stuff the potato skins with the filling, mounding any extra on top. Divide the shrimp on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. Return the potatoes to the oven on the baking sheet and bake them until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with the reserved chopped green onions and serve.

So have you made your New Years resolutions yet?

I don't know about you, but this definitely needs to be the year I get back to my normal pre-baby weight. I mean, it's only been 2 years...

Whether you're looking to shed a couple of pounds or just want to include some healthier meals in your repertoire, this recipe fits the bill. And who doesn't love the added bonus of it being a slow-cooker meal??

I've included the nutritional info, as recorded by the original website, for your convenience.

Skinny Zucchini Ziti

(Recipe by fabfitfun.com)

via

Ingredients

• 1 1-lb., 7.8-oz. jar marinara sauce (no sugar added)
• 3 cups penne shells, whole grain, dry)
• 2 cups fat free cottage cheese
• 2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil, and black pepper.
In the slow cooker, spoon 1/4 of marinara sauce onto the bottom, add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 of zucchini slices and top with 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have three layers. Top with the remaining marinara and lastly, cheese. Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1 inch. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.
Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until penne noodles are al dente (took my slowcooker almost 3 hours... after 2, the noodles were still too tough!) . Not all slow cookers cook the same, so be sure that the penne is done before serving. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Pair a serving of this with a chicken breast and a helping of veggies for a wonderfully balanced meal!
Tip: If you prefer your ziti a little more on the thick side, allow to cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Tip: If you’re on a tight budget, try Ragu Lite (no sugar added) and if you’re not, try Amy’s Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce.

Minimum Slow Cooker Size: 5 quarts

Check out other skinny Crock-Pot recipes here.
Nutritional Information:
Makes 13 servings
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 168
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 476mg
Carbohydrates: 25g
Sugars: 4g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 15g