Yummy Treat!

Val brought these little guys over the night before they left. Her cousin made them and told her how, so this recipe is more like a method and I have never done it myself. I have, however, eaten them myself and they are GOOD!! And they sound very easy too!

Have you heard of cakeballs? They're very trendy right now. Not quite as trendy as cupcakes, but still popular. I imagine that you can do the same cute things with these babies as you can with cakeballs.

And "these babies" need a name...anyone want to take that on?

Ingredients:
1 package of oreos
1 package of cream cheese
meltable chocolate for dipping
sprinkles (jimmies) for sprinkling

1. Val's cousin used a stand mixer, I don't have one so I might try the food processor, but crush the oreos in the mixer. Add in the cream cheese and mix til combined.

2. Form the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and put in the fridge to harden.

3. Melt your chocolate and dip the balls.

4. Top with sprinkles (or anything really).

5. Keep them stored in the fridge.

Easy Turkey Stromboli

I found this recipe in Parents magazine and it looked pretty easy and tasty so we decided to try it.

1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 pkg (11 oz.) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust
1 cup pasta sauce, divided (I would probably have double what they recommend)
2 tsp low fat milk
1/2 cup shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 tsp grated Parmesan
1 lb. turkey-breast tenderloins, cut into strips (it would be good with this I am sure but we used chicken instead)


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a cup of water on medium in a large skillet; add turkey and return to boiling. Cover; simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then chop.
Unroll crust into a 14"x12" rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet (I just greased my pan). Spoon half the sauce down the center, lengthwise, leaving 3" on either side. Layer spinach, turkey, and cheese over sauce. Cut 12 strips on both sides of crust. Fold strips over filling, so they overlap. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 12 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce (this is where we used more sauce.)

For those interested, if made to their specifications, the Nutrition Info is as follows:
Per serving (makes 6 servings):
305 calories; 27g protein; 8g fat; (3g sat. fat); 31 carb; 2g fiber; 157mg calcium; 3mg iron; 553mg sodium.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

This is Leah's recipe. Since our church doesn't get out until 4:30 this year, it's nice to have something going in the crock pot so we can just eat when we get home. This was a crowd-pleaser last weekend and our friends are salivating for the recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:
2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese

Directions:
Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans, and taco seasoning over the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place on serving dish. Stir in sour cream and cheese to slow cooker and then pour over chicken. Serve with warm tortillas and spanish rice.

Leah's (and now mine) variations:
Cut the chicken into bite ssize pieces before cooking. Then don't remove them at the end. Just stir in the cheese and sour cream and serve over white or brown rice with tortillas.

I also used rotel cause I was out of salsa and I used chicken taco seasoning.

Chicken & Potato Bake

I got this recipe from a friend. I love that it was yummy and not complicated. And while it cooks for awhile prep time is minimal. I made a couple of substitutions using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and red potatoes. Enjoy!

Chicken & Potato Bake
4 bone-in chicken pieces
4 large potatoes, cut in wedges
1 small onion, sliced or wedged (optional)
¼ cup zesty Italian dressing
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken, potatoes, and onions in a baking dish and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake one hour or until done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is that fall time of year and pumpkin treats come to mind. I love this recipe and have received many compliments and requests for the recipe, so I hope you have a chance to enjoy it this year too!

1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
½ cup butter, melted (one stick)
8 oz of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Blend wet ingredients separately. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Stir only until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. The batter does not rise a lot while cooking so fill cups about the size you want the muffins. Makes 12 big muffins or 15 small muffins. Original recipe says cook 17-18 minutes but really seems to be more like 20-25, depending on how big you made your muffins.

Another note: The canned plain pumpkin seems to come in two sizes, less than you need or more than you need. I have found that if you double the recipe you can use the whole big can (even though it is technically still more than you need) and they turn out yummy!

Black Bean, Mushroom and Cheese Enchiladas

I was a little leery of this recipe because I am not a fan of mushrooms but Chris likes them so I decided to go for it and just cut up the mushrooms really little. It worked and we really liked them. They were quite flavorful and you never missed the fact that there was no meat-the price of meat being another reason we wanted to try it. I also think that this could be managed in some form from food storage food.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Approximate cost: $3 per serving, (factor an additional $5 to $7 if pantry staples are needed).

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces white mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4.5 ounces) diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 large flour tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and mushrooms and sauté just until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, stir in cumin and chili powder. Let cool slightly and stir in the black beans, diced green chilies, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, sour cream and cilantro. Stir until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide mixture between the 8 tortillas, placing filling just off center of each tortilla. Roll tortillas into loose cylinders. Place the seam side down in the prepared dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with additional cheese.
6. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Remember, black beans, either dried or canned, are inexpensive, nutritious and versatile. They’re low in fat and high in fiber, protein and iron. Just a cup of black beans can provide a good portion of your daily protein and fiber with hardly any fat.

Parmesan Tilapia

Dan's response when I told him we were having Tilapia for dinner: "Ugh. Okay"

Dan's response when he tried his first bite: "This might be the best fish I've ever had!"
(He doesn't eat much fish, though)

This is quick and easy and delicious. I used 4 tilapia fillets and cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
3 Tbs. mayo (I used fat free Miracle Whip)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

1. Preheat your broiler and place the rack on the 2 setting from the top. Line a pan with foil or grease a broiling pan.
2. Mix together the cheese, butter, mayo, and lemon juice. Then add the basil, pepper, onion powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Broil the fillets for 2-3 minutes. Flip them over and broil another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from oven, cover them with the parmesan mixture and broil for 2 more minutes until the topping browns and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.