m & m party pretzels.

these are super yummy and very easy to make.  they are great for any occasion or just as a tasty sweet & salty snack to have at home.  (just ask jay!)

here is what you'll need to make them:

     *jelly roll pan (or any baking sheet with sides

     *square pretzels

     *chocolate candy melts (I use Wilton's)

     *m & m's (I use the solid colors for baby showers and the holiday mixes for those events)

     *room in your freezer for your pan

preheat oven to 200 degrees.  place pretzels on cookie sheet until full.

next, place the chocolate melts in the center of each pretzel.

place the cookie sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes and chocolate begins to melt.  (you can test this by trying to place an m & m in the center of the chocolate on one pretzel- if it places easily, they're done!

then place your m & m's in the center of each piece of melted chocolate.

once complete, place the pan in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, or until chocolate rehardens.

store in an air-tight container and enjoy!

frozen pupsicles.

yep.  you read right.  not popsicles.  but pupsicles.  why can't our four-legged furry friends enjoy a frozen treat every now and then?  these are dog tested and dog approved.  they are healthy, too.  i found the recipe in my dog treat recipe book.  cotton and barley are happy to share the delectable deliciousness with your fur-babies too.

what you need:

Frozen Pupsicles

32 ounces low-fat or non-fat yogurt

2 mashed bananas

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Blend well.  Fill small paper cups (like 3-ounce bathroom size Dixie cups) with the mixture.  Freeze at least two hours.  To serve, let thaw slightly and pop pupsicle out of the cup and into a bowl by pressing onto the bottom of the cup.  (The recipe says it makes about 10 cups worth... it actually made 16 cups.  The dogs aren't complaining!  They eat theirs outside.  In the yard.  No bowl.)

(Make sure you have room in your freezer!)

my favorite cooking utensil

this is it. my favorite utensil for cooking that usually lives in or very near my kitchen. if i can't find it, and jay asks what i'm looking for and i say my cookbook... he knows it's this one. i received this cookbook from my dear friend ashley many years ago.

(this picture was 4 years ago... time sure does fly)

she started me out with a few of her favorite recipes and since then, i have continued to add to it with favorites i have discovered along my way. i have new recipes, old recipes, family recipes, cut-outs from magazines. some of them i have made and love, some of them have sounded delicious but i have never made them (one day). this is my trusty kitchen companion- better than anything i could ever get from the pampered chef or bed, bath, and beyond.

speaking of kitchens and cooking... weight watchers continues to make a difference in our lives and home. i'm not sure of jay's weight loss total to date, but in 2 months, i have lost 6.4 lbs. i can see and feel the difference and am thankful that the weight is coming off slowly. i feel that i am taking the time to lose it and by doing so, i am learning new, healthy habits that will remain long after tracking every single thing i eat ends.

what is that, you ask? well, yesterday we had some very ripe bananas and not enough yogurt (or room in our stomachs) for 3 smoothies. so, i was determined to find a delicious recipe from weight watchers for those bananas. and i did! i had every ingredient in the house already, too. so, i made some delicious banana oatmeal bread. yummy. at 4 points per slice (10 slices per loaf), it is a yummy treat for breakfast. it has made it into my little companion, too.

BANANA OATMEAL BREAD

1 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats

3 large bananas

2 med. egg whites

1 lg. egg

3 tsp. canola oil

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unpacked brown sugar

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients (except oats). Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.

2. In a small bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oats to batter.

3. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

and voila! tasty banana oatmeal bread. and it smells wonderful while it is baking, too. enjoy!

the recipe post

i spent much of yesterday afternoon in my kitchen. i made all sorts of good, yummy treats... so many that now i really need to clean out my fridge. many of the recipes came from weight watchers, so hopefully they don't mind me sharing their recipes. well, i'm sure they do, but i am giving them all the credit for them. i also modified the recipes just a bit, and adjusted the points as necessary, so technically i made the recipe my own.

yeah, yeah, i know... justifications.

but, just in case i haven't posted it, i have a great salsa recipe that i got from my friend ashley that i would love to share with you, too. as you know, salsa is 0 points, so with some baked tostitos, you can really enjoy it. (i made this first yesterday.)

PICANTE SALSA

1 can rotel brand tomatoes with green chiles (or if you like it hot, use the habanero version)

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

2 cans stewed tomatoes

2 green onions, chopped

1 lime- juice and pulp

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to your liking)

fresh cilantro (30ish leaves)

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt (to taste)

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. tabasco (or more if you like)

tortilla chips

Trim onions, coarsely chop onions; pick off 30 cilantro leaves. Juice lime and get pulp! Add all ingredients EXCEPT stewed tomatoes to food processor with chopping blade attachment. Chop well until onion and cilantro are reduced to small fragments. Add stewed tomatoes but leave them fairly chunky. Serve cool or at room temp.

*i have a small food processor- so i do everything and the rotel first, as the recipe guides, and then put it in a bowl. then i do each can of stewed tomatoes separately and then mix it all together.

after making the salsa, i tried out a WW recipe. they taste a bit like they're missing something... maybe the fat! ha! but they are decent for 2 points each.

GRANDMA'S PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 spray cooking spray

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

2/3 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 c. canned pumpkin

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. fat-free egg substitute

2/3 c. fat-free skim milk

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray. Line with cupcake wrappers if desired.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Combine applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, egg substitute and milk in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Add applesauce mixture to flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.

Pour batter into muffin tins so each hole is about 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Yields one muffin per serving.

*the recipe states it makes 12 muffins- i got 18 out of it, and that drops the points from 3 to 2 per muffin. i also used 2 1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice mixture instead of the separate spices. oh, and the muffins stuck to the wrappers, so... good luck!

after that, i was inspired to make something yummy to take to work. i really miss chicken salad, so i thought i would try WW's recipe. it's no maggie's cafe/sweet pea's recipe, but it'll do for now. i may continue to try to tweak it a bit.

CHICKEN SALAD

3/4 lbs. cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 c. celery, finely diced

1/3 c. dill pickle, finely diced

1/4 c. reduced-calorie mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. parsley, fresh, chopped

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl; mix until blended. Yields about 2/3 c. per serving. 3 points per serving.

*i did not add the pickles to my recipe and i also used low-fat miracle whip in place of mayo. i also used canned chicken. i may try mayo and fresh chicken next go around. it did satisfy the craving, though.

so, when i bought my pumpkin the other day, the only can left was a ginormous one... so needless to say, i had some pumpkin left over. so, i found my handy dog treat cookbook, remembering they had one with pumpkin in it, too. so, the next course in my cooking extravaganza yesterday was for the dogs. (they were anxiously waiting...)

PUMPKIN DROP COOKIES

1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

3 Tbsp. applesauce

2 egg whites

1/2 c. solid-pack pumpkin

1 Tbsp. molasses

1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together to a cookie-dough-like consistency. Drop by the teaspoonful onto a greased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies should be firm when done. Turn off oven and let cookies cool in the oven to harden somewhat, 1-2 hours or overnight.

*the girls gobble them up!

then i still had a little time, so i made some delicious soup to take to work, too. it is also a WW recipe, but i modified it just a bit, so i will be posting my modified recipe, with modified point value, too. it turned out better than i thought it would.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 c. onion, minced

20 oz. frozen chopped broccoli

29 oz. canned chicken broth

8 oz. light velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 c. fat-free skim milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. (cold) water

1/4 c. cornstarch

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add broccoli and broth and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes, until broccoli is tender.


Reduce heat to low, add cheese and stir until cheese melts; stir in milk and garlic powder.


Whisk together water and cornstarch. Add mixture to pan and simmer 2 minutes, until thick. Serve hot. Yields about 1 1/2 c. per serving. 5 points per serving.



i still have one more recipe to try out for oatmeal cookies (sans raisins for this girl). i will add it to the list if they're good. have fun trying out these recipes. let me know what you try, if any of them! happy cooking!

mmm... smoothies

well, we have started weight watchers again around here. the last time we started, it was right before the holidays... that is so not a good idea. however, by starting it now, we should be at our goal weights by the holidays. at least i hope to be. anyway, we've been really enjoying some smoothies and our blender has earned a permanent spot on the counter. (thanks, janet!) i thought i would share two of our favorite recipes, plus points, for you to try out, too. i found these on the food network website.

Mixed Berries and Banana Smoothie

1 c. frozen mixed berries

1 (frozen) ripe banana

1/2 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/4 c. orange juice

1 tsp. honey (optional)

Combine all ingredients together in a blender and puree until smooth. (Entire amount = 4 pts)

Wake-Up Smoothie

1 1/4 c. orange juice, preferably calcium-fortified

1 banana

1 1/4 c. frozen berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and/or strawberries

1/2 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 tbsp. sugar or splenda

Combine OJ, banana, berries, yogurt and sugar/splenda, in a blender. Cover and blend until creamy. Serve immediately. (2 servings= 4 pts. each)

i prefer to use simply orange brand orange juice and dannon light 'n' fit vanilla yogurt.

walmart brand frozen berries are really good, but any brand will do. enjoy!

crunchy granola

okay, i wouldn't say that i am being converted to granola-ism and hippie-ness.  but i do love this recipe for homemade granola.  it tastes good and the smell of it baking is almost the best smell in the world.  i have finally gotten my hands back on this recipe (courtesy of the fabulous ashley lovell dalton) and i am going to make sure it is documented in many places.  so, because of that, i am going to share it with all of you.

homemade granola

4 c. old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds (or nut/seed of your choice)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. canola oil

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. raisins or craisins

*preheat oven to 300 degrees F

*in a bowl, combine oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

*in a saucepan, warm the oil and honey- whisk or stir in vanilla.  carefully pour liquid over oat mix.  stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand.

*spread granola in a 15x10x1 inch baking/jelly roll pan.

*bake 40 minutes, carefully stirring every 10 minutes.

*transfer granola-filled pan to a rack; cool completely.  after cooled, stir in raisins/craisins.

-store at room temperature for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

make it yourself and enjoy.  you will thank me (and ashley) for sharing its goodness with you.

*p.s.  i am still having a blog identity crisis.  it may change colors and styles frequently over the next few days/weeks, whatever.  

nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven

mmm... can you imagine what i made with these huge blackberries? and let me tell you that, honestly, i am not the biggest fan of blackberries. but these berries where sweet and lovely. i used them, because i'm sure you have guessed by now, to make a cobbler. i have an old recipe that has been in my friend's family for many generations and now i am going to share it with you. it's super simple and super delicious. (i will type it as its written, but make a few notes.)

Mam Maw's Fruit Cobbler

2 c. fresh fruit (the original is for peaches... these berries were so big, i needed 4 measured cups)

1 c. sugar

1 stick butter

3/4 c. milk

2 tsp. baking powder

dash salt

1 c. flour

Melt butter in 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Pour over melted butter. Put fruit over top. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of sugar over top. Bake 1 hour or until crust is golden brown @ 350 degrees. (Maybe 30 minutes is enough.)

*Okay, while you preheat the oven, put a stick of butter in your baking dish and put it in the oven to melt. Mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. (I add a dash of cinnamon, too.) By now, your butter should be melted and the oven heated, so pour the wet ingredients over your melted butter and follow the above directions. And, I usually have to bake mine for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

black bean chicken salad- our style

jay and i truly miss calypso cafe back home in franklin/nashville. one of our favorite menu items is the black bean chicken salad. they have a barbecue sauce dressing that cannot be duplicated, but we have come up with our own sauce that comes close enough for our liking. you can make your own variation, and as we looked around the table last night, all of the salads looked a little different. so here are the ingredients, or your own variation, that you will need:

if you are like me, you like dinner to be quick and easy. i use a rotisserie chicken (1 chicken for every 4 people) from the grocery store and just pull the chicken off the bones and then the chicken is ready. it is sometimes even more cost effective to do it this way, too, unless you have some leftover grilled chicken. bush's makes some great seasoned black beans that are perfect after warmed on the stove. if black beans aren't your style, grab some pintos. if you don't like beans, use rice. we use tostitos crispy rounds tortilla chips, but your favorite will do, or whatever happens to be in your pantry. i bought some romaine leaf lettuce today, b/c i realized yesterday i get more lettuce than i do from the bagged variety and it's cheaper. but, if you don't have time, just grab a bag. i can't say i've never done that before. some grocery stores even have tomatoes pre-diced in the produce department. if you don't feel like doing your own, grab those! however, when it's summer and the produce is fresh, i like to dice my own tomatoes. true to calypso form, they use red onion diced on their salads. it's not our favorite, so we omit. if you like black olives, you could add that to the mix, too. top with shredded cheese, of course. we then make our own sauce out of taco sauce and jerk sauce. (mixed to your own liking.) and then, last but not least, top with a dollop of sour cream. (our friend, steven, even adds ranch to his. most of us also add salsa too. be creative!)


not sure what those ingredients were again?

rotisserie chicken, black beans, tortilla chips

lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, taco sauce, and jerk sauce

here's my favorite layering order:

lettuce

tortilla chips

black beans

chicken

tomato

cheese

sauce

salsa

sour cream

i don't have a picture of the finished product because of two things: 1. most of the camera batteries were dead and being charged. 2. i forgot. but my salad was beautiful and tasty. let me know if you make your own and your own variations. enjoy!

turtle cake squares

1 (18.25oz) pkg. devil's food cake mix

1 1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 lg. eggs

1 (14 oz) pkg. caramels

1/4 c. milk

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans (i used only a 1/2 c. pecans, and this was plenty)

Beat cake mix and next 3 ingredients at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 in. disposable aluminum pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 38-42 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Combine caramels and 1/4 c. milk in a glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2.5-3 minutes, stirring the mixture every 30 seconds until smooth. Pour half of the mixture over the baked cake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle evenly with remaining caramel mixture. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares before serving.

semi-homemade with stacie lynn

ok. so who doesn't love a hearty, yummy soup when it is cold outside. so this recipe is easy breezy. all you need are a few ingredients and some time. this delicious soup recipe was passed along to me from my fabulous friend, ashley (lovell) dalton. it was passed along to her from another wonderful woman, julie hunt.

baked potato soup

2/3 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. flour
6 c. milk
1 bag frozen chunky hash browns
3/4 tsp. salt (or to your taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper (or to your taste)
4 green onions (i used 3 tsp. of freeze-dried chives)
6 pieces bacon or bacon bits (i used one bag oscar meyer bacon bits found in the salad dressing aisle)
1 c. cheddar cheese (or more if you like!)
8 oz. sour cream

~Melt butter and add flour and milk. Stir until thick.
~Add potatoes, salt, pepper, green onions, and bacon.
~Add shredded cheese.
~Cook until thoroughly heated. (This takes about 2-3 hours.) Stir in sour cream. Allow time for soup to "reheat."
~Add more milk if necessary, or water, if soup is too thick.

jay and i enjoyed this soup tonight and will be enjoying left overs for many more days and nights to come. hope you enjoy it soon, too.

blueberry goodness

ok. so not everything lowfat tastes bad. proof positive are these delicious muffins. and thanks to aunt brenda (conkin), i have a kitchenaid mixer to handle the load of my baking! two nights ago i made a homemade key lime pie for jay's birthday. it is delicious as well. but i digress... i thought i would share this recipe from weight watchers for the muffins pictured above. and yes, they taste as good as they look. and if you count points, they are 4 points per muffin.





blueberry streusel muffins

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk, divided
2 cups blueberries, washed and picked over
2 tbsp butter, melted


preheat oven to 375 degrees. place muffin liners in a 12-hole muffin tin. (i did not use liners. would have been cleaner.)


in a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking soda ,baking powder and salt; set aside.


using an electric mixer, beat egg with 3/4 cup of sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. add sour cream and beat until thoroughly combined; blend in vanilla extract.


add half of flour mixture and half of milk to sugar mixture; beat until just combined. add remaining flour mixture and milk; beat until smooth.


fold in blueberries and fill each muffin liner about 3/4 full; set aside.


to make streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup each of sugar and flour. pour in melted butter and combine with fingertips. deivide crumb mixture over muffins; gently press into top of muffin batter with fingertips.


bake until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. (be careful- in my old oven, it took only 17 minutes.) cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes and then transfer muffins onto racks to cool completely. yield one muffin per serving.