Easy peanut butter cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 egg
1 cup sugar (plus extra to sprinkle on top)
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Mix ingredients together and form into balls. Crisscross with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

These cookies are simple to make with ingredients always on hand and your kids will love them. They are gluten-free too!

Pumpkiny goodness

Turtle Pumpkin Pie (from Kraft Foods Magazine)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Pecan Pieces, divided
1 cup cold milk
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
BEAT milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP. Spread into crust.
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and pecans just before serving.

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Pumpkin Cookies (more like perfect little pumpkin cakes than crunchy cookies)

1/2 cup Shortening
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 cups Flour

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add other cookie ingredients. Spoon out small amounts on cookie sheet (about the size of a walnut). Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and remove from the pan because they continue to cook. Cool on wax paper, then frost.

Frosting
1/2 cup Margarine
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cream three ingredients together and add a small bag of powder sugar.

Green Chile Mac & Cheese

Green Chile Mac & Cheese

1 lb hamburger meat or ground turkey

1 jar Cookwell Green Chile Stew (can also use canned chile puree)

1 block Easy Melt Queso Blanco, cubed (by the Velveeta)

1/2 pkg. large elbow macaroni pasta

Shredded cheese, your choice (I like Colby jack)

Brown hamburger meat. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Mix hamburger with cooked pasta, cubed Queso Blanco & Green Chile Stew. Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

I served this dish with green beans & it was delicious! My picky 2 year old gobbled it up!

Chicken rings

Spinach Chicken Ring

1 can (10 oz.) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked ( I use rotissery chicken and eyeball the amount)
1/2 cup red bell pepper
chopped 1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen chop spinach, thawed & well drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Flake or shred chicken. Add chopped bell pepper, spinach, cheese and mayo, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg. Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle with wide ends overlapping in the center and points toward the outside. Scoop chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center. Filling WILL NOT be completely covered. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 20-25 min. or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.
Approx. 400 cal. & 27 g of fat per serving.


I usually use a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breast instead of canned chicken. I never add in nutmeg or lemon zest and it's still yummy. I also usually simmer the spinach in some chicken broth so it's flavored well and my picky eaters will eat it. Both these chicken rings are Pampered Chef recipes. YUM!



Turkey Cranberry Wreath

2 pkg. (235g each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. honey Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 C. cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1/2 C. celery, sliced
3 T. fresh parsley, snipped
1/2 C. dried cranberries
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (1cup)
1/4 C. walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 egg, separated

Preheat oven to 375°F. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center. arrange 8 triangles in a circle on Large Round Stone. Corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend 1 inch beyond of baking stone. Arrange remaining 8 triangles in center. matching ends. Seal seams using pizza roller. (Points will overlap in center; do not seal.)
Measure mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper into a bowl. Grate cheese into a bowl. Mix filling. Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle.
Coarsely chop walnuts; sprinkle over filling. Beginning in center, lift one dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangle, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first.
Separate egg over bowl. Beat egg white lightly; brush over dough. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 10 servings.
Per serving: 363 calories; 17 g protein; 24g fat; 20g carbohydrates; 521 mg sodium

I usually use rotisserie chicken for this unless it's the day after Thanksgiving and I have leftover turkey. I never have celery and it's just fine without it. The savory chicken and Swiss combined with the cranberries is so yummy!

Tandoori Chicken and Mango Rice

Tandoori Chicken and Mango Rice

Mangoes are used two ways in this Indian dish — grilled with the chicken and tossed into rice. This chicken and rice is so good you will be craving it the next day-trust me on this one!!

Makes 8 servings.


1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 (2 1/2-pound) chickens, quartered

2 large ripe mangoes, peeled; 1 cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, 1 cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups jasmine rice
3 cups water
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

6 fresh cilantro sprigs

How to Prepare and Cook:

Purée first 7 ingredients in processor. With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube and process until blended. Transfer 1/4 cup herb mixture to small bowl; reserve. Add yogurt and lemon juice to remaining mixture in processor and blend.

Place chicken in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Cover and grill until chicken is cooked through, turning every 5 minutes, about 30 minutes total. Grill mango slices 2 minutes per side; set aside. Meanwhile, combine rice, 3 cups water, and reserved 1/4 cup herb mixture. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fold in mango cubes and pine nuts.

Arrange chicken on large platter; garnish with grilled mango slices and cilantro sprigs. Serve mango jasmine rice alongside.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Salsa

4 tablespoons canola oil
2 small zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1/2 cup)
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
Kosher salt and pepper
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeño, seeded
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and corn and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, Monterey Jack, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.
Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining oil over medium heat. One at a time, cook the tortillas in the oil until softened, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, roll them up, and place seam-side down in a large baking dish. Bake until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a food processor, pulse the tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Serve the enchiladas with the salsa and sour cream, if using.

This recipe is one I found in my Real Simple magazine. The dinner was awesome!

I did not follow the recipe completely. I am the only one in the family who likes zucchini so I left that out. And I did not mix the corn with the chicken- the little people in the house are quite picky. We had corn on the side.

Instead of softening tortillas in oil, I splashed some water on them, put them between two plates and stuck them in the microwave. I did 3 at a time for about 30-40 seconds. After I rolled the enchiladas, I sprinkled a tiny bit of olive oil on top of them.

And the last thing I changed up, I added one garlic clove and some red onions to the salsa. The salsa is really good.

I served these enchiladas with corn (since I did not mix it with the chicken) and black beans.

Breakfast ideas

These are not really recipes, but just some different ideas of how to fix things and foods you may not have tried before.

First is a different version of pancakes. I discovered a whole wheat blend pancake mix (Aunt Jemima) that I really like. 100% whole wheat pancakes just don't taste very good, but I wanted to try and have them be as healthy as possible, so when I came across this mix I was very happy. It's delicious too. The different idea I wanted to share with you though came from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. The idea is to add 1/2 cup of sweet potato puree to the mix. (You can buy a canned version a lot like canned pumpkin. It's pure mashed sweet potato with nothing added- at HEB in the canned vegetable aisle) I also like to add a little cinnamon and some vanilla. The pancakes are delicious and a lot healthier!

Tip: When you add the purees I find it works best to use a little less water in the mix or the batter becomes too thin.

Just the other day I saw on Jon and Kate plus 8 that she had made banana pancakes. I don't know why I had never thought of that or heard of it before, but I thought it sounded good, so I tried it just by mashing up a banana and adding to the mix. (I also wanted to add nuts, but didn't think the kids would like it, so I put some on top of mine.) They were awesome! They tasted just like banana bread!

Another one of my favorite finds is Weetabix. They are reportedly the most popular cereal in the U.K., but the English aren't known for their great food, right? I decided to try them after seeing commercials for them and being quite intrigued. When you first see them you may be taken aback. They are odd shaped cereal "biscuits". But I LOVE them. My favorite way to eat them is to toast them and then put peanut butter and chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella, only I found one with no partially hydrogenated oils and less fat and calories called Racconto Nocello at HEB) on them. Yummmm!!! Sometimes I do just chocolate and add some strawberries or a banana.

Another great thing to do with them is to break one up an put yogurt and cut up strawberries on it!! It's like a yogurt parfait. It's a delicious and filling, yet nutritious snack!

Another of my new faves is a granola Erica introduced me to called Bear Naked. I usually eat this as more of a snack though. The Heavenly Chocolate is to die for!! It's awesome just to munch on by itself. It's also great in a bowl with milk or with a banana!! Yummmmm!

It's the only flavor I've tried just because I love it so much and it's kind of expensive (almost $5 a bag), but I saw on their website some new flavors that look really good!!

Home-baked Mac N' Cheese

This is a recipe from Kraft Foods magazine. It's super easy and really good, I think. I've tried lots of recipes that are much more complicated than this and aren't as good. I hope you agree. (I did take my own picture, but it didn't look very appetizing, so I went with the stock pic.)

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:45 min
Makes:5 servings, 1 cup each.

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper(cayenne) or black pepper
6 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Prepare Dinner as directed on package. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese, the sour cream and pepper.

SPOON into greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and the combined cracker crumbs and butter.

BAKE 20 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

If your kids are going to eat it I would reduce the pepper to about an 1/8th tsp. The cayenne pepper gives it a really nice zip though. Also, I usually use the 2% reduced fat version of Kraft Deluxe and when I can't find that the 2% Velveeta shells and cheese does just as well. You can reduce the fat and calories by using light versions of sour cream and shredded cheese as well. We all really like this and like I said, it doesn't get any easier than this!

Roasted Nectarines with Buttermilk Custard

I made these the other night and fell in LOVE!
Just make sure your nectarines or peaches are organic and if I could do anything differently, I would add a mint sprig. Other than that perfect-o!

Ingredients
Sauce:
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nectarines:
6 medium nectarines, halved and pitted (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon sugar
Verbena sprigs (optional)


Preparation
To prepare sauce, combine salt and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating 2 minutes with a mixer at medium-high speed.
Heat 1% low-fat milk over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until slightly thick and mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly (do not boil). Remove from heat. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl until mixture cools completely, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare nectarines, place nectarines, cut sides up, in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle nectarines evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until nectarines are soft and lightly browned. Serve with chilled sauce. Garnish with verbena sprigs, if desired.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 nectarine halves and 1/4 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 176(17% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 138mg; CALCIUM 70mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.8g; SODIUM 80mg; PROTEIN 4.3g; FIBER 1g



Jackie Mills , Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Corn and Summer Vegetable Saute

Corn and Summer Vegetable Sauté



We love all these ingredients so its a no brainer in our house.




Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 4)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup sliced fresh okra (about 4 ounces)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1)
1 finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add okra; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and jalapeño; cook 5 minutes. Add corn; cook 5 minutes. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro; sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 90(27% from fat); FAT 2.7g (sat 0.2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.9g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 43mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.9g; SODIUM 232mg; PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 4.8g



Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Cheez-it Chicken

I was just talking to Lisa about what I could post and I totally forgot about this little treasure. I actually made it last night (and didn't take a picture, sorry Lisa). It's a delicious, unbelievably easy recipe that kids and adults love!! My sister, Susan told me about it. It's actually from Epicurious magazine, but it totally seems like a recipe from Kraft or something being so simple.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups Cheez-It Cheddar crackers (3 oz)

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/4 lb chicken tenders (not coated or cooked)

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 475°F. Brush a large shallow baking pan with oil (2 tablespoons).Pulse crackers in a food processor until finely ground, then transfer to a wide shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss tenders with mustard in a large bowl until coated, then dredge, 2 at a time, in cracker crumbs until evenly coated. Arrange tenders in 1 layer, without crowding, in oiled pan. Bake, turning over once, until golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

Last night when I made it I just sprayed the pan with cooking spray and omitted the oil. I also didn't do the pepper. It's good both ways, but I didn't want any complaints from the peanut gallery. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, so it comes in really handy sometimes when you don't know what to make for dinner. Yummm!!

Mexican shrimp cocktail

2 large tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1/4 cup cilantro to taste
3-4 avocados
1 pound cooked shrimp

Chop above ingredients and mix together.
Add:

salt and pepper to taste
2 limes squeezed on top

Serve with tortilla chips or make your own by frying corn tortillas until crispy.

Grilled Pork Chops with Tomatillo, Corn, and Avocado Salsa

I have cooked this Cooking Light recipe several times. I love it. In the magazine they recommend serving this meal with a jicama salad which completes the meal perfectly.

Salsa:
3/4 pound tomatillos
1 ear shucked corn
Cooking spray
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

Pork:
6 (6-ounce) bone-in loin pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

PreparationPrepare grill.
To prepare salsa, discard husks and stems from tomatillos. Place tomatillos and corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned, turning tomatillos and corn occasionally. Place tomatillos in a food processor; process until smooth. Cut kernels from ear of corn. Combine tomatillo puree, corn, onion, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; gently stir in avocado just before serving.
To prepare pork, sprinkle pork with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve pork with salsa.

~Grilling the tomatillos enhances their natural tartness and softens their tough skin. Serve over basmati rice.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1/3 cup salsa)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 235(37% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 2.9g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 27.2g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 37mg; SODIUM 350mg; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.4g
Joanne Weir , Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Citrus-Spiked Jicama and Carrot Slaw

Ingredients

4 cups (1 1/2-inch) julienne-cut peeled jicama (about 1 pound)
2 cups (1 1/2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro just before serving. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 65(3% from fat); FAT 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 1.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 116mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.5g
David Bonom , Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Banana Split Cake

This is now my favorite summer dessert. It's cold and has the perfect mix of graham crackers, bananas, cream cheese, Cool Whip and pineapple. I got it from Kraft Foods magazine.

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:5 hr 15 min
Makes:24 servings, one piece each

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
6 medium bananas, divided
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
1 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans

MIX crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the butter; press firmly onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Freeze 10 min.

BEAT cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple. Slice 4 of the bananas; arrange over pineapple.

POUR milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping; spread over banana layer in pan. Top with remaining 1 cup whipped topping; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 5 hours. Slice remaining 2 bananas just before serving; arrange over dessert. Store any leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

Hi! Sorry I'm so late to join this blog. It's fabulous!!!


These meatloaves are super easy, quick and delicious. I try and keep Stove Top stuffing in my pantry since it's so handy for so many recipes. You can do any of the variations they have. I usually do the Italian one with spaghetti sauce. We just had it tonight and everyone loves it. You can make it with pasta (since it's kind of like meatballs) or mashed potatoes or rice, whatever!

Take 1 lb. extra lean ground beef, 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix and 1 cup water and mix & match your recipe from these options...

Click to Enlarge	seasoning options	add-in choices	cheese possibilities
	1 tsp. Italian seasoning	3/4 cup spaghetti sauce	3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
	2 tsp. chili powder	3/4 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa	3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mexican Style Cheese
	1 tsp. dried oregano leaves	3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers	3/4 cup ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
	1 tsp. garlic powder	3/4 cup KRAFT or BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce	3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Then follow our 3 simple steps:

---

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and the seasoning until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon.

SPOON add-ins evenly into indentations in meatloaves.

BAKE 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through (160°F). Top evenly with cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

sliced pork tenderloin

I stole this idea from Eric's mom and I'm so glad I did.

All you need is:
1 pork loin

1/2 bottle KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki Marinade

Cut pork loin into 1 inch slices and marinate in a zip top bag for at least 20 minutes. Grill and enjoy! The meat is tender, flavorful and you don't have to mess with any bones. I served it with green beans and HEB loaded baked potatoes in the produce isle. Yum!

Oreo & Fudge Ice Cream Cake

I made this ice cream cake again last weekend. It's sooooo easy to make, but it comes out looking exactly like it does in the picture. Whenever I serve it, someone always asks, "Did you make that?"

I do have one recommendation. Make sure you have some extra whipped cream in case you run out when you're frosting the cake. It seems like I always have a few thin patches that need some extra coverage.

Click here for how-to video.

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:4 hr 10 min
Makes:12 servings

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped
POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.

ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Smoothies

Eric and I have these smoothies for breakfast every morning. You can use any fruit you like and can just eye ball the amounts. They taste amazing and are good for you too!

Mix the following ingredients in a blender to get two servings:

- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
- 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
- banana
- 2 Tbsp flax seed oil
- 1 Tbsp green powder
- 4 Tbsp whey protein
- 3 heaping Tbsp non-fat plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice

Crispy Salmon with Risotto

and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

This Cooking Light recipe is one of my all time favorites. I have cooked it several times while entertaining and it has always been a hit. If you decide to cook this recipe be sure to include all three components (tomatoes,salmon and risotto) it's amazing how they all compliment each other. Also, set aside plenty of time to stand in front of the stove(about 30 min) for the risotto it is worth every minute!

Roasted Tomatoes:

Cooking spray
9 plum tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

Risotto:

4 1/2 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups (1/2-inch-thick) sliced leek
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cups torn arugula or spinach
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 ounce grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:

2 teaspoons olive oil
6 (5-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: Thyme sprigs (optional)

PreparationPreheat oven to 350°.
To prepare tomatoes, coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatoes, cut sides up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic. Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until very soft and slightly shriveled, turning occasionally.
To prepare risotto, bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.
Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Stir in arugula, half-and-half, cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
To prepare salmon, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place fillets, skin sides up, in pan; cook 5 minutes. Turn fillets over, and cook an additional 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Arrange 3 tomato halves, cut sides up, in a spoke-like pattern in center of each of 6 plates. Mound 2/3 cup risotto in center of each plate (leaving about a 1 1/2-inch edge of tomatoes uncovered). Arrange fillets on risotto. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Yield
6 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 569(30% from fat); FAT 18.8g (sat 5.2g,mono 9.4g,poly 2.9g); PROTEIN 36.9g; CHOLESTEROL 81mg; CALCIUM 186mg; SODIUM 992mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58.1g
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Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

yummy pizza

-1/4 cup mayo
-1 teaspoon dijon mustard
-Sliced spicy sausage links or other meat of choice
-Chopped green onions
-Chopped green pepper
-Shredded swiss cheese
-Boboli pizza crust
'
Mix mayo and dijon together and spread on crust. Add remaining ingredients to pizza crust and bake for 15 minutes at 425.
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The mayo base may sound a little strange, but it is really yummy! You can add more veggies or a different meat to please any picky eaters in your family.