New Recipe Traditions!

I decided that I will try a new dessert recipe each holiday instead of the same old recipes that I've made every year.

This was my first new one!

BLACK FOREST BROWNIE PECAN PIE

1 cup Karo corn syrup. Dark or Light

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate pieces

3 Tbs. butter

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 large graham cracker pie crust

1 can cherry pie filling

whipped cream

Combine the corn syrup, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and butter to syrup mixture, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Pour chocolate mixture slowly over eggs, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and pecans; mix well. Place pie crust on a baking sheet for stability. Pour mixture into crust.

Bake in preheated 350* oven for about 45 minutes until center of pie is puffed; cool at least 1 hour.

Top each slice with cherry pie filling and whipped cream when serving.

Everyone loved it and my grandson requested that I make it again for Christmas!

*****

This was the second recipe of my new tradition!

LAYERED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE DESSERT

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

cream cheese filling:

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

pumpkin filling:

1 can (15oz) solid pack pumpkin

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar & 1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

topping:

whipped cream

In large bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press into ungreased 13x9 baking dish. In large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sugar and eggs until fluffy. Pour over the crust. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack.

While bottom later is cooling use large saucepan to combine pumpkin, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk cinnamon and salt. Cook and stir over low heat for 10-12 minutes or until mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat.

In small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; Let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture; cool.

In large saucepan, combine egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Use mixer & beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating over low heat for approx 12 minutes.

Remove from heat; beat until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.

Just before serving top with whipped cream.

This was a surprising replacement for the usual pumpkin pie!

It was a little more tricky to make with all the steps in the recipe but everyone loved it!

Just try it

I had no recipe today but had these ingredients so put them together and into the oven and there ya go!

Peeled potatoes

Peeled sweet potatoes

Peeled parsnips

Peeled carrots

Cut all into pieces about one inch in size

Slice one whole onion

Toss potatoes, parsnips & carrots in olive oil. Then spread then in baking dish.

Sprinkle with desired seasoning.

Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Spread sliced onion over the top.

Put into oven at 425*

Bake for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Eat :)

I cooked chicken tenders in skillet with olive oil and seasoning.

&

Added some mixed salad to the plate.

Yummy Fish or Shrimp Tacos!

My daughter found this recipe on a different blog or website. I can't remember where exactly. So I can't take any credit for it but it is really easy to make and taste very yummy!

There are three "recipes" here. Don't let that scare you and think it's hard because it only takes a few minutes to make each one and it all goes together .

YOGURT-DILL DRESSING

1/2 cup lain yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. dried dill weed

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

SPICY SEAFOOD RUB

1 Tbs paprika

1 tsp sesame seed

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

(I wanted less spicy so I did not use the cayenne)

2-6 fish steaks such as cod, shark, Maui, or tilapia.

and/or

1 lb. shrimp peeled and rinsed.

Place shrimp or fish in shallow container. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with the spicy seafood rub.

Let sit and marinate while you prepare the rest of ingredients.

Shred lettuce or cabbage (or combine both)

Dice tomatoes

Chopped onions

Diced avocados

Lime wedges to squeeze over tacos when filled.

Corn tortillas cooked as desired which could be just heated up or cooked hot oil.

After preparing all the ingredients then grill the shrimp / fish either over the BBQ , broiler or in a grilling pan on stove until done and flaky.

Flake the fish apart into small pieces.

After the fish is ready fill taco shells as desired with all the ingredients. Add the yogurt-dill dressing as desired.

Serve with tortilla chips and re-fried beans!

Crock Pot Stew

2 lbs of stewing beef cut into same size pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 carrots peeled and chopped

1 small can tomato paste

2-3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 box of broth

1 packet of onion soup mix

dash of garlic salt

unsalted mixed seasoning

Put beef cubes, onion soup mix, garlic salt, and seasoning into crock pot.

Put tomato paste in and mix until all of beef cubes are coated evenly.

Toss celery, carrots and potatoes on top of beef.

Pour entire box of broth over everything.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Rainy Day Soup

Love using my crock pot on a cold rainy day. Best invention ever!

CROCK POT VEGETABLE SOUP

1 pkg ground turkey meat

1 qt. vegetable broth & 1 qt water

1 Tbs no salt seasoning & 1 tsp celery salt

1 sm onion, chopped

4 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks ( I added the leaves), diced

2 medium potatoes, diced

1 lb canned or frozen (thawed) corn

1 lb canned diced tomatoes

& if desired 2 turnips, peeled & finely chopped ( I didn't have any)

Brown meat in skillet. Put everything in crock pot and cook on low 4-6 hours. YUM, WARM, EASY

:)

Broccoli, Beef & Potato Hotdish

I found this in a magazine.

1 1/2 lb broccoli
2 tbs oil
1 1/2 lbs 95% lean ground turkey
1 large onion
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs soy sauce
4 cups low fat milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups shredded Mexican mix shredded cheese
4 cups frozen has brown shredded potatoes
1 large lightly beaten egg
mixed seasoning
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450*

toss broccoli with 1 Tbs oil in large bowl. Spread out on baking sheet and roast stirring once halfway through until soft and browned in spots about 15 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add beef and onion and cook until browned. Stir in soy sauce, garlic powder and salt if desired.

Whisk milk and cornstarch in large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat whisking often until bubbling and thickened enough to coat back of spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Spread the beef mixture in 9x13 inch baking dish.

Top with broccoli and pour the cheese sauce evenly over top.

Combine potatoes, egg, and seasoning. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Coat top with cooking spray.

Bake casserole until bubbling and potatoes are beginning to brown, about 40 minutes.

Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Jim loved this!! It also is a very healthy meal and cost less than $2.50 per servings!

Some of this....Some of that...Chili

Busy days are good days for crock pots! I knew that the day ahead of me was going to be full of driving around and running in and out of the house so Wednesday night I got busy preparing for some kind of meal that I could put in the crock pot on Thursday morning. I wasn't sure what I was going to make. Just looked in my refrigerator/freezer to see what was available!

I already had a lot of ground turkey meat left over from our taco meal we'd just had. So thought that Chili would work!

I chopped up a whole onion and put in container to keep in refrigerator.

Decided that some veggies included would be good so;

chopped up a whole green bell pepper in very small pieces

chopped up two carrots into very small pieces

chopped up the top leaves of three celery stalks into very small pieces

Then I put all the chopped up veggies into a container and stored overnight in the refrigerator.

Now most is prepared which will make the morning easier.

On Thursday morning I put into the crock pot -

the cooked ground turkey meat which was about one full package of the Jenny-O brand.

the one whole chopped up onion

the container of chopped up bell pepper, celery, and carrots

two crushed garlic cloves

two cans of rinsed & drained kidney beans

one can of rinsed and drained white beans

two cans of diced tomatoes

3 Tbls. of brown sugar

about 3/4 cup of apple juice

and then shook the container of Kirkland Organic Salt Free Mixed Seasoning into the crock pot until it looked like enough :)

gently stirred all the ingredients to mix them together and then turned the crock pot onto low for the day.

later that afternoon it was hot and bubbly and we were hungry! Sprinkled a little touch of cheese on top of each serving and ate....................YUMMY!!

Simple Summer

So I have two things going on right now. I need to get back into keeping track of what I eat to be sure that it's healthy for me and posting on this blog is very helpful with that plan.
Second, I'm trying to make this summer as simple as possible so that I may enjoy it.

So this is my idea of a very simple , very tasty lunch which is also healthy. I try to stay away from the breads and carbs as much as possible. I bought these "Oroweat Thins" and I really like them because ....well, they are thin! They don't fill you up with the bread part of the sandwich yet they are just enough to make it a sandwich. They taste good and each one has - 100 calories, 0 trans fat, 0 cholesterol, and only 2g sugar.
I smashed up a fresh avocado to spread on them. No mayo, butter or anything else.
I had some large grape tomatoes. I love those because they always taste good and are easy to use in salads, etc. Yes they are small for a sandwich but I just sliced them and laid them on.
I then laid a slice of the rotisserie style chicken breast lunch meat I had bought yesterday at Costco. It's a "Columbus" brand and says it has no gluten, no msg, 0g trans fat, and 98% fat free.

YUM!!! This was really good!

Quick & Easy

Lately my life has all been about making life as easy as possible. Summer is busy. So I haven't spent much time on here.

It's been very hot here and cooking hasn't been too comfortable. We've just been eating a lot of simple salads and whatever is quick and easy to make and doesn't require the oven.

But I was at the store and that flank steak was speaking to me so I bought it. We don't have a BBQ. I wish we did because I love the grilled foods but we just don't have the yard to do it in. So last night I took that flank steak out of the freezer and let it thaw some. Then before I called it a night I rubbed the mostly thawed steak with some olive oil and sprinkled it heavily with my mixed seasoning. Then I let it sit in the refrigerator over night.

This morning I got up at 6am. I turned on the broiler and put the steak in. Broiled it until it was just slightly pink in the middle and still juicy. Then let it sit covered with foil for about 15 minutes. Then I sliced it up in very thin slices and wrapped it in foil and put it in a container back into the refrigerator.

When we got hungry today I simply took out that sliced up meat. I sliced up some tomatoes, lettuce, avocado. Then using a tortilla sprinkled a slight amount of cheese on it and rolled it up.............YUM!

I will also use the slices of meat to make a salad. Same ingredients just no tortilla and a little salad dressing instead.

I need to get creative and think of some more good summer meals....................I shall return!

Salmon with Asparagus Foil packet

Spray two sheets of foil with Pam spray or use non-stick foil packets.

Clean and pop off stems of asparagus.

Lay asparagus evenly on each sheet of foil

Put thawed out salmon fillets on top of asparagus

Sprinkle seasoning over top.

Put approx. 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes on top of Salmon.

I use the packed in olive oil tomatoes that I bought at Costco.

Then drizzle a Tbs. of balsamic vinaigrette over each fillet.

I forgot to get a photo of the sun-dried tomatoes I use but here are photos of the dressing and the seasoning that I love to use.
I bought the sun-dried tomatoes from Costco and they are packed in olive oil with garlic seasoning.

After you put all the ingredients on the foil you wrap it all up with the foil. Fold up the sides and seal the top to keep in the juices but also leave it loose enough to allow the heat to circulate

-

Bake in 450* oven for 30 minutes

-

We LOVE this meal!

-

The dressing and tomatoes give it such a good flavor and takes away any fishy taste. The salmon is tender and moist. The asparagus is flavorful and tender.

-

I put my meal on a plate but you could leave it in the foil if you wish.

Would be really good with brown rice also!

A great healthy meal!

-

And to make it even better the clean up is so easy!

This wasn't one of my favorites. I can't eat salsa. I'd like to but I'm allergic to some of the ingredients. I did not put the salsa in the mix. I also do not eat much cheese. So the chicken, FOR ME, was very dry and had no flavor. Those of you who can eat salsa and can enjoy the flavors it gives may like this dish.

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Crock Pot Southwestern Chicken

-

2 cans corn, drained

1-2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup salsa

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

shredded cheese

Combine the corn, black beans and salsa in crock pot.

Top with chicken breasts.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve with brown rice.

Soup for a Cold

I've had a head cold for the past few days.

So today when wondering what I should make for the days main meal I figured what better than good ol' chicken vegetable soup!

So I opened my refrigerator and grabbed what I had and made it.

I didn't measure. Just threw it all together.

<:>

Brown chicken strips in olive oil until cooked.

Remove from skillet and set chicken aside.

-

Cut up some carrots, onion, broccoli, & celery into small pieces.

Saute the vegetables in skillet until tender.

-

Cut the chicken into small pieces.

Put the chicken and the vegetables into crock pot.

Pour some chicken broth into the crock pot.

Pour a can of diced tomatoes in.

Add two minced garlic cloves.

Add some no salt seasoning.

-

I cooked about one cup of Orzo pasta.

It's what I had in my pantry. I was out of whole grain rice.

So I cooked the Orzo then poured it into the crock pot.

-

After pouring the Orzo in I then judged how much more liquid it may need to create a good broth and put some water in until it looked right.

-

Then I let it cook in the crock pot four hours.

<:>

Perfect!

Quick Crock Pot Chili

I have posted a chili crock pot recipe before but what I find so great about these recipes is that you can just make them up as you go!

This one is slightly different than my last one. I think I like this one better. Maybe it was the corn which gave it a slightly crunchy sweet taste.

:)

1 pkg ground turkey meat , cooked

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 small can of green chilies

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can black beans

2 cans kidney beans

16 oz low sodium chicken broth

Costco's no salt seasoning

(:

Make sure to drain and rinse all the beans and corn.

Put all ingredients into the crock pot and cook on high four hours or low 8 hours.

VERY GOOD!

VERY EASY!

LOW FAT!

FILLING!

HEALTHY!

Dog Treats ????

Ok, I know this is about my quest to eat healthier and share my journey to loose weight and lower my cholesterol so your asking why am I posting about doggie treats?
Those of you who are animal lovers will understand. I take my dog for regular visits to the groomer which is also his Vet office. They do little "report cards" each time. I constantly am getting little warnings about his weight. Being a small dog every tiny bit of weight is obvious and also can be dangerous to his overall health. Also, I spend way too much money on dog bones and greenies and treats. Which the vet has told me are too fattening for him.

So I figure that since he is a part of our family why should I feed him unhealthy treats while I am feeding myself healthy ones?

One thing the Vet office told me is to try feeding him baby carrots as treats. They are non-fattening and filling. So I gave him one.........which promptly was spit onto the floor. Later as I was getting our dinner out of the crock-pot I took one of the carrots that had cooked in the chicken broth and let it cool. I put some on a dish on the floor and he ate every bite!

I began searching for healthy dog treat recipes online. I have found several and today I began with the one that is the most simple. Only four ingredients. NO sugar.

2 cups flour ( either whole wheat or white)

1 cup rolled oats ( I used steel cut)

1/3 cup peanut butter ( I used smooth)

1 1/4 cup hot water

Combine dry ingredients. Then mix in the peanut butter and hot water.

Knead the dough together. Roll out the dough into 1/4 " thickness and cut into shapes. ( I used my grandsons playdoh cutters!).

Bake at 350* for approx. 25 minutes.

SUCCESS! He loved them!

You can store these in an air tight container in the refrigerator for three weeks.

Yummy marinaded steak!

We don't have steak very often. Very seldom actually. But when we do I like to use a flank steak.

I found this recipe for a citrus marinade and we love it!

1 Flank Steak

1 Tsp. chili powder

Zest peel and juice of 1 lemon

Zest peel and juice of 2 oranges

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Mix the ingredients together. Put the steak in a container that seals. Pour the marinade over the steak. Put in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

( I leave it in overnight until the following afternoon!).

Either grill or broil.

Slice on the bias into strips.

YUM!

When ever I can't figure out what to make I go for a stir-fry.

If you have some kind of meat and some vegetables in your refrigerator then you can make a stir-fry.

The thing with stir-fries is that there are so many ways you can make them. There really is no right or wrong way.

Here are the ingredients to the one I just made.

If your looking for measurements there won't be any.

I just throw in whatever looks right.

Chicken strips

Bell Peppers

Broccoli

Celery

Green onion

Baby bok coy

Crushed pineapple

Light soy sauce/low sodium

whatever seasoning you like

It was VERY good! The chicken strips I have frozen that I had bought from Costco . I just take it out of the bag frozen and put in pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and cook. Then I remove chicken from pan and throw in all the vegetable ingredients. Soon as those ingredients are tender enough I put the chicken back in the pan and add the soy sauce and pineapple.

I cooked up some brown wild rice to go with it.

Yum, healthy and easy :)

Fruits & Veggies

Fruits & Veggies - Fruits & Veggies - Fruits & Veggies

The one main thing that has really helped me stay on track and eat what I should eat is to always have fresh fruits and veggies cleaned, cut and ready to grab! I go shopping and browse the section of the grocery store and buy as much of it as I can. Then spend the time in the kitchen to clean it, cut it and prepare it so all I have to do is open the refrigerator door and grab it.

I just don't buy the sweets, salty or junk food anymore so it is never a temptation to grab & eat it.

You'll find that the more you eat the fresh veggies and fruits the less you will even think about the junk.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

4 green peppers

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 onion,

chopped 1 can corn, rinsed and drained

2 cups brown rice, cooked

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup tomato sauce, sodium free

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp pepper

Slice off top of peppers, rinse and clean out seeds & membrane. Preheat oven to 350*

In large bowl, combine cooked rice and herbs. Mix together thoroughly. In large, non-stick pan, saute onion, garlic, and meat until fully cooked.

Stir meat into the rice mixture. Add tomato sauce and corn then mix all together thoroughly.

Place peppers in a non-stick baking dish. Fill each pepper with mixture. Add any remaining mixture in dish around peppers.

Cover dish and bake 1 hour. Sprinkle with light cheese if desired.

Frozen Grapes

Frozen grapes have become my favorite evening snack. I love the pretty colors also.

First I clean them and take them off the vines.




Then I pour them onto a paper towel and gently pat to dry them off. It helps if they aren't as wet before you put them in the freezer. They get less "frosty" when they are less wet.



Then I separate them into little zip lock freezer bags. Put in whatever amount you want that would be a good snack amount.




Then just put the bags in the freezer. Great to grab whenever your in need of a sweet snack! I eat them right out of the bag. No need to defrost. They are crispy but not hard and not mushy at all. Green or purple they are just good to eat! And freezing them means you can buy as many as you want and don't have to worry about them going bad before you can eat them all. Actually I find I eat them more often this way than I ever did before I started freezing them!

Health Update

Well I started this blog to keep track of my venture towards better health so it's time for an update.
I've been eating nothing but healthy low fat foods. Lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and fiber. Very little starch, sugars or sodium. There are always times when you gotta have the treats such as holidays or birthdays etc. and one needs that once in a while, but those times are very rare now when before they were a pretty regular habit.

I'm working on my recipe copies and putting together my own cookbook. I'm enjoying when I discover new ideas to taste test.

I am now on my 10th day of a six week challenge using the Wii Active exercise routine. I feel muscles in my arms & legs that I hadn't felt for a while. I can fit into jeans that had been stuffed away in my closet. I now need to use the next set of hooks on my bra because it was beginning to feel too loose.
I've lost 9 pounds!

Just one week ago I had my cholesterol tested. The beginning of December it was 327. Now it is 317. It's only ten points but it did go down. I am unable to take the Statin prescriptions and I am trying the natural way to lower it. I searched different sources and found a supplement called "Guggul". I have been taking it. But the points only went down 10 points and my doctor says that the bad cholesterol actually went up. I don't quite understand how that happens but it did.
So I'm now starting something else. I'm still taking the Guggul supplements and also added some Niacin pills & Fish Oil capsules.
I've heard that Red Yeast Rice pills help but I've tried them and they make me feel very bloated. My body doesn't tolerate yeast very well.

I am happy to say that my blood pressure has stayed at a lower level than it was before. I check it on & off at home with a wrist monitor.

So onward and downward......downward in pounds and cholesterol that is. I'll get my cholesterol checked again in April so will be posting an update at that time! Wish me luck!

Here's something I never tried before and now has become one of my favorite snacks.
I bought a big box at Costco which has several individual bags of Edamame still in the shells. All I do is put one of the bags in the microwave for 3 minutes. I then empty the bag into a small bowl and sprinkle LIGHTLY with sea salt. I can easily sit and eat the entire bowl myself.
Where I used to grab a bag of chips to munch on I now enjoy these. You can buy them already shelled but I like to pop them out of the shell into my mouth and it seems , well sort of feel more of a treat that way.
Jim also loves them!
Besides the popping of them out of their shells for something fun to do while snacking, you can use them in several types of recipes.
They are known to have many health benefits.
Here is a website about them:
http://aerogreen.tripod.com/edamame.htm

THESE DIPS ARE SO GOOD !

TACO JOE DIP

1 can(16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can(15oz) kernel corn, drained
1 can(15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can(14oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can( 8oz) tomato sauce
1 can( 4oz) chopped green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours.

GARBANZO GUACAMOLE

1 can(15oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
1 can(4oz) chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add beans, lemon juice, and garlic.
Process 20 seconds, stopping once to scrape sides.
Add onion and next 4 ingredients; pulse 10 times or until mixture is chunky.
Transfer to a bowl.
Chill for 1 hour.
Stir in tomato and green onions.

YUM, YUM, YUM!