Raspberry Sauce

I don't have much to say about this recipe, as I haven't made it yet. I'm posting it because I want to drizzle it on top of the Crunch French Toast Sticks. There were so many raspberry sauce recipes to pick from, I looked for one that used frozen raspberries and did not involve any type of straining. I wanted the quickest/easiest recipe I could find. Feel free to do an internet search if you want one with more ingredients, etc...it may turn out better??? I love raspberries and that's the main ingredient so I'm pretty sure this sauce will turn out just fine :-)

Ingredients: Yields about 1-1.5 cups

1 10oz package of frozen raspberries (thawed)
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 Tbs cornstarch

Directions:

 Drain thawed raspberries, reserving sauce. 

 In a small saucepan, stir reserved syrup (1/2 to 2/3 cup), raspberry jam and cornstarch. 

 Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and clears. 

 Cool. Stir in raspberries. 

 .

Crunchy French Toast Sticks

Normally I do not post a recipe until I have made it, tasted it, and approved it. There's an exception to every rule, and this recipe is it. Since I am a member of so many different food sites, I get at least 30 recipes emailed to me daily. I file them away in a folder and pull them as needed. The other day I made the mistake of looking at the photo for this french toast recipe and I wanted to make it so bad, but didn't have any bread. Sounds crazy...no bread...well my fiance goes through about a loaf every two days....so it's kind of hard to keep in stock.

I love french toast. It was the only thing I could actually make on my own for years. My mom, who passed away almost two years ago, taught me how to make it as a teenager and I could actually make it without burning it, so at one point I made it every single morning!

This is not a "healthy" recipe. It's not a super unhealthy one either.  When I make it, I plan on substituting a few things...like using egg whites instead of eggs, whole wheat bread instead of regular, and 2% milk. If it tastes horrible with my healthy substitutes, I'm just gonna make it by the orginal recipe because a) I need to gain weight b) a little bit of unhealthy in moderatin is okay and c) you have no idea how much I love french toast!

Normally, I would just eat these Crunchy French Toast Sticks plain, or with low fat/calorie syrup (which is disgusting)...but I like the idea of a dab of cool whip and whatever fruit drizzle is in the photo. I'm thinking it's some kind of raspberry sauce, so I will post a recipe to for that too :-)

 

Ingredients: 4 servings (small servings!!!!)

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups corn flakes, crushed (you can buy crushed corn flakes, store them, and they'll last forever!)
• 4 slices bread, cut into thirds
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• NOTE: Upon reading reviews for this recipe, I am going to add cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of vanilla to the egg mixture.

Directions:

1. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl (add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla if desired). Spread the crushed corn flakes onto a plate.
2. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and then press gently into the cereal, turning to coat completely. Place the breadsticks onto a plate while breading the rest; do not stack.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook the coated breadsticks in the melted butter until golden, about 4 minutes each side. 
4. Serve with your choice of topping.  

Nutrition Info:
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 204 | Total Fat: 7.8g | Cholesterol: 167mg
 
Call me crazy, but after reading this....it does not seem enough to serve 4 people, at least not as the main course. It would be a nice addition to an egg white omelet. In order for this to be the main dish (and I'm just guessing because I haven't made it yet) I think this recipe really yields about 2 servings. If anyone makes this before me - please let me know how it turns out!

Eating on a Budget - Can it be done???

One thing I have always struggled with is budgeting my groceries. I either spend an insane amount of money at each shopping trip or go months living with the bare necessities and a lot of eating out - which is not cheap either. Now that I want to start cooking/baking again, I need to lean how to buy groceries without spending an arm and a leg. 

I already shop at either Walmart or Bilo (the cheaper stores). It's hard shopping there since I live adjacent to an amazing Whole Foods store and Harris Teeter, where I could get much better quality produce, meat, etc but they are both so expensive. Now, I make a list and send my fiance so I don't go overboard...he can stick to list, I can't.  The best tool I have found to control how much I spend and still assure that there is a enough food for healthy dinners is Kraft's "1 bag 5 dinners". I choose the "healthy living" bags and it gives you a variety of 5 different dinner recipes in which all the ingredients can fit into one grocery bag. You should check out the site: 1 bag 5 dinners. It's really more like 1 bag 4 dinners because one "dinner" seems to always be a frozen pizza, which doesn't really count. 

I'm still having a hard time with the whole budgeting thing. I'm not a coupon clipper - I tried that and don't have the patience. The closest thing I come to bargain shopping is going to the cheap grocery stores and checking Bi-Lo's weekly add for buy one get one free products and other specials. Any advice would be much appreciated! 

Thank you!

Super Easy 33 Calorie Coleslaw

I love coleslaw...especially in the summer...but coleslaw can be extremely fattening. Not anymore! This recipe is low fat, so simple to make, and tastes just like the real deal, if not better! It is the perfect side dish to almost anything and great to munch on as a snack as it is very filling. It took me less than 5 minutes to prepare the coleslaw. It needs to chill for 2-3 hours so be sure to make it in advance! And guess what...one serving is under 1 gram of fat and only 33 calories!

Ingredients: 5 servings (1.5 cup = 1 serving)

1 package of shredded cabbage/carrots (coleslaw mix)
3 tbsp low fat mayo
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sweet mustard (I used Dijon mustard because I had it in the fridge and it turned out great)
2 packets Splenda (I used Splenda Blend Sugar since I already had it. I just sprinkled some in until it tasted right...I'm not sure of the exact amount I used, but it wasn't much.
Salt - a few dashes
Lemon Juice - a few drops

FYI - my coleslaw looked exactly like the image below (minus the fancy serving bowl).

Steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, apple cider vinegar, sweet mustard, salt and Splenda. Add two cups of the coleslaw (or cabbage/carrots), and toss thoroughly. Keep adding small amounts of the coleslaw to the mix, making sure to toss thoroughly, until everything is mixed together. Sprinkle some lemon juice over the coleslaw and give it another few stirs. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and then serve.

HOW EASY IS THAT? If you are a coleslaw lover, you will love me for this recipe!

Nutritional Information: 1.5 cup = 1 serving

• Servings Per Recipe: 5
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 33.0

• Total Fat: 0.6 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 226.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 1.0 g

Cheesey Meatball Subs

I don't have much of a story behind this recipe. As usual, I was just looking for a healthy, simple, budget friendly recipe. To make the original recipe healthier, I used turkey instead of beef meatballs and 2% cheese instead of regular. For a side dish I made super easy (and healthy) coleslaw. The ingredients are for 4 servings/sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 cup Spaghetti Sauce
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 lb frozen, fully cooked meatballs (turkey, chicken, or beef)
4 Crusty Sandwich Rolls, split
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese  (2% or regular)

Steps:

COMBINE first 4 ingredients in large skillet. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
SIMMER on medium heat 8 min. or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.
SPOON into rolls; top with mozzarella. 
If you want your sub roll toasted, after you top with cheese, throw the subs in the oven and broil them for a few minutes - that's what we did.

Note: The picture is very pretty and basically exactly how the sub turned out...until you try to eat it. They are very messy. Messy but good :-)

Sorry guys, but I don't have the nutritional information for this recipe. Using turkey/chicken meatballs, 2% cheese and portion control still makes this a healthy and filling meal.
 

Cake in a Mug - The best thing ever!

"Cake in a Cup" was on of the first recipes I ever blogged. I made it a few times, thought it was great for being so easy to make and basically fat and calorie free...then I forgot about it. The other night I was craving something sweet and I remembered the recipe. It was good, but a little bitter - so I changed the recipe a tad and am now obsessed with my new Chocolate Cake in a Mug recipe. My fiance makes this 2-3 times a day. I just did a google image search to find a pretty picture to go with this recipe. In reality, cake in a mug is not that pretty. I guess you could take the time to make it appealing to the eye - but when it only takes 2 minutes to make and bake....who cares what it looks like! The possibilities are endless with this instant chocolate cake recipe. It's fantastic plain, but you could put a scoop of ice cream on top,whipped cream, fresh fruit, etc to spice it up. There is literally NO FAT in this recipe and the few calories come from what type of sugar you use. The fact that you make the "cake batter" in a coffee mug and then just microwave it makes it the easiest thing to make ever and it's the perfect portion if you are trying to watch what you eat.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Pure Cocoa
2 Tbsp Splenda Sugar Blend (if you're not counting calories, use the real deal)
2 Tbsp Self Rising Flour
2 Tbsp 2% Milk (you can use any milk, except for Skim)
1 Tbsp Water

Steps:

Put all of the dry ingredients into a coffee mug and mix well.

Add the milk and water to the dry ingredients and stir together until you have reached the consistency of cake batter. Stir hard and fast and make sure everything is mixed well. If the "batter" seems really thick and dry, just add a little milk until the consistency is a little lighter.

Place the mug in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and you will have a dessert that will love.

It may take you one or two attempts to get the recipe the way you like it. If you want more a more fluffy cake, microwave longer. If you want a combination of fluffy cake and gooey pockets of uncooked batter (which tastes like hot fudge) then you will want to stay around 30-35 seconds. Personally, I like the hot gooey pockets, so I go with less time. Whereas my fiance prefers a drier cake so he zaps it for about 40 seconds.

This is seriously the best recipe ever for when you are craving something sweet. I've been trying to think of things to add into the cake batter to change it up. So far I have added peanut butter and it didn't do much besides make the cake a little more moist and added an aftertaste of peanut butter. The image I posted came from a recipe for Chocolate-Coffee-Kahlua Cake in a Mug. I just read the ingredients and it is NOT healthy and not super simple to make...but it did just give me an idea for how to change up the basic chocolate cake recipe. I'm thinking add some instant coffee and  flavored creamer or Kahlua into the batter then top it off with cool whip/vanilla ice cream and drizzle some caramel over it. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. If you come up with your own version...please share it with me!

Chicken Ramen Stir Fry

The other night my fiance and I wanted a quick, low budget, healthy home cooked meal. I have a pantry full of Ramen Noodles so I did a quick Internet search to find a Ramen Noodle recipe - what can be more budget friendly than Ramen Noodles??? The Chicken Ramen Stir Fry took less than 20 minutes to make and under $10 for all ingredients (most of which you probably already have - or at least half of them). I am not a fan of beef, but sirloin steak could easily be substituted for chicken. In fact, the original recipe used steak. I know I usually post home photos of the recipes, but it's so time consuming, so I will probably just post the pretty recipe photo that someone else already took. I will include my own version of the recipe (as I tweaked it a bit). My fiance and I were both so pleased with this recipe, we actually fought over the left overs the next day!

Prep time is about 15 minutes. Cook time about 20. The recipe said it would yield 4 servings...we got 3 servings out of it. One of the variations I made to the recipe was adding an second packet of Ramen Noodles, which called for more water, stir fry sauce, and soy sauce. If you don't want more noodles, add more veggies, chicken or add some Jasmine rice (I did not feel like there was enough substance based off of the original ingredients). Next time I make this, I will add  a second bag of frozen stir fry veggies and a little more chicken as that will give me more than 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 lb chicken, cut into thin strips (or steak)

3 cups water

2 packages (3 oz) Oriental-flavor Ramen Noodles

1 package (16 oz) fresh stir-fry vegetables

4 tablespoons stir-fry sauce

3 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 

 

Steps: 

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.

In same skillet, heat water to boiling. Break Ramen Noodles into water; stir until slightly softened. Stir in vegetables. Heat to boiling. Boil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in contents of seasoning packet from Ramen Noodles, stir-fry sauce, soy sauce and chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated.

And that's it! You have made a meal out of Ramen Noodles...and a good one at that. Not only does this meal taste fantastic, it is healthy and clean up is a breeze. You only use one pan!  


Nutritional Information: This information is based off of the original recipe, which used steak instead of chicken and only one packet of Ramen Noodles - so it may not be 100% accurate, but it's in the ball part.


1 serving = 290 calories, 8 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein, and 21 grams of carbohydrates.

I'M BACK!!!!!

Wow a lot has changed since I last blogged a recipe. I have lost a dramatic amount of weight - mainly due to medication I am having to take for a medical condition. In fact, I can eat/drink whatever I want and not gain weight. This is both a blessing and a curse as I prefer to have curves and the initial dramatic weight loss (which has stabalized) created numerous other health problems, thankfully all of which are under control. I am now 5'8 and 110 pounds.

 I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I believe I have discussed it before in some of my other blogs. I have been experiencing the worst flare up ever since I was initially diagnosed as a freshman in college. This particular flare started in November and is still ongoing. In addition to posting new recipes, I also plan on posting exercise regimens that I plan on doing to help build muscle. These will not be your average exercises because due to my medical condition I am physically limited in what I can do.

My new approach to exercise may be helpful in addition to my recipes if you are trying to lose weight or just improve your health. I have been so busy with life I have stopped cooking...until now. I plan on cooking more in order to be thin and HEALTHY. Before, my goal was to lose weight and not eat bland food...now my goal is to either maintain my current weight (or even put on a few pounds) while still cooking healthy recipes that do not taste like diet food. I won't be posting as many recipes as I did before, but stay tuned as I plan to add as many recipes as I can.

Below are some current photos of me. And for those of you that have been reading my blog, I am now engaged to the same wonderful man from my previous blog entries. Our one year anniversary of our engagement will be tomorrow....which is also my 29th birthday :-)

Chiken Taco Pizza

Healthy Pizza??? Yep, it can be done. Just make sure you don't eat the WHOLE pizza! 2 slices is a good portion with a hearty side of steamed veggies. I really like the chicken taco pizza because you can set out the ingredients on the table, and you can make your pizza slice with whatever you want on it. Great family dinner. I just cook for myself and my fiance so if you are cooking for more, you will probably want to make 2 pizzas!

Basic Pizza Ingredients:

1 prebaked thin Italian Pizza Crust
1/2 cup Taco Sauce
2 cups chopped deli rotisserie chicken
1 and 1/2 cups shredded 2% mozzarella and 2% cheddar cheese blend

Toppings (You can use anything you want...the ingredients below are what I used)

Light Sour Cream (just a dollop)
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomato
Southwestern Bean Salad
Crushed tortilla chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 450. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Mix together taco sauce and chicken in a bowl.

Spread chicken mixture over pizza crust, leaving 1 inch border. Top with cheese blend. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizza is heated.

Cut pizza into wedges and top with your favorite ingredients.

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Soy Protein Smoothie

Since I spent almost a year working at Smoothie King for almost a year as a teenager, I consider myself somewhat of a pro at making smoothies. My fiance makes protein shakes/smoothies and uses whey protein...but I don't like the taste or consistency of the smoothie when you add whey protein to it. Instead, I use soy protein powder that has 20 vitamins and minerals...made by Genisoy. I didn't take a photo of my smoothie - it's not very attractive, but it tastes so good and is perfect for a snack or before/after working out!

1 cup Chocolate Soy Milk
1 banana - sliced
1 Tbsp Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp soy protein powder
5-6 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients and blend together. Enjoy!

Asian Peanut Beef and Noodles

This is a great healthy alternative if you are craving Chinese food. This recipe is very simple to make and a great meal for two people and it is ready in 30 minutes or less. The photo below is my fiance's portion...if you are watching what you eat then you will probably want to make your serving size a little bit less. If you are cooking for more than two people, just adjust the amount of ingredients accordingly.

4 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas (I used fresh ones, not frozen)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips (You can find jarred roasted red peppers in the grocery store...just cut them up into strips).
1/4 cup LIGHT Catalina Dressing
1/2 lb (8oz) well-trimmed boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (use the REAL thing, not reduced fat)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cups Dry Roasted Peanuts

Directions:

Cook spaghetti as directed on package, adding snap peas to the cooking water for the last 2 minutes of the spaghetti cooking time. 

Meanwhile, heat dressing in a LARGE skillet on med-high heat. Add meat; stir-fry for 3 minutes or until meat is barely pink in center. Add peanut butter and soy sauce; stir-fry for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Drain spaghetti and peas. Add to skillet. Toss with meat mixture. Stir in green onions and roasted red pepper strips. Plate beef and noodles, then sprinkle with peanuts.

Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

I brought these to a dinner party as an appetizer. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I loved them and I'm not even a big fan of mushrooms!

24	large fresh whole mushrooms (1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
2	tablespoons reduced-fat balsamic vinaigrette
2	slices bacon
1 1/2	teaspoons olive oil
1/2	cup chopped red onion
1/3	cup finely shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend
1/3	cup reduced-fat garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese
1/2	teaspoon Dijon mustard
2	tablespoons plain bread crumbs (I used Italian flavored)
2	teaspoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.
Remove stems from mushrooms; reserve caps.
Chop enough steams to fill 3/4 of a cup. Discard remaining stems or reserve for another use.
In a large bowl toss mushroom caps with balsamic vinaigrette. Then place stem side down in an ungreased glass pan.
Bake mushroom caps for 10 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle; drain.
Meanwhile, in a 10 inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp (I used precooked bacon that you microwave).
In same skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and chopped mushroom stems. Cook 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.
In a medium bowl, stir onion mixture, bacon, cheeses and mustard until blended. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps and place in pan.
In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil; stir in parsley. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over filled mushroom caps.
Bake 10-15 minutes until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Serve warm.

1 serving = 3 stuffed mushrooms
90 calories and 4.5 grams of fat :-)

Cheddar Ranch Burgers

If I didn't live with my boyfriend, I would probably never make any recipes with beef in them. But since I cook for both of us, I have to have red meat on the menu at least once a week. Surprisingly, I have found that I actually do like red meet - especially ground beef. I am constantly on the search for new burger recipes, so if you have any suggestions, please post!

Make 4 Burgers:

4 rolls/hamburger buns
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
1 packet ranch seasoning
1/4 cub and 2 Tbsp Crushed Saltine Crackers
2 Tbsp substitute egg product (do not use egg whites)
1/2 small red onion (diced)
4 slices 2% American Cheese (optional)
4 slices tomato
Low Fat/Fat Free Ranch Dressing (for burger topping)
-- To spice things up, add in some chopped jalapenos.

Directions:
Add ground beef, ranch seasoning, crushed crackers, egg product, and onion into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients together and form 4 patties.

Cook patties on a grill or grill pan. If desired, melt cheese on burger right before it is done cooking.

I don't like my rolls toasted, but if you do, toast your hamburger rolls.

Assemble your burger and enjoy!

Note: I either spend my time cooking the main dish or a side dish. For quick and simple side dishes I buy the cheap low fat frozen dinners. I microwave them right as the main meal is almost done and then divide it between my boyfriend and myself. It's perfect if cooking for two. I served the burger with a frozen dinner macaroni and cheese bake.

Grilled Chicken Greek Wrap

I eat this wrap at least twice a week for lunch. It super easy to make and so good. You can either use grilled chicken (I use the cheap, frozen chicken when I make these) or sliced turkey or chicken.

Ingredients:

1 tortilla or flatbread (I like the spinach tortilla wraps)
1 Tbsp low fat sour cream
Dill Weed (add as much as you want)
Diced Red Onion
Grilled Chicken (sliced into thin pieces)
Feta Cheese (I just sprinkle a little over mine - I like the garlic and herb flavored feta)

Directions:

Cook chicken in skillet over medium heat. When chicken is done, cut into thin strips.
Spread sour cream on tortilla.
Sprinkle dill over sour cream.
Throw in some diced red onion.
Place chicken strips on tortilla.
Sprinkle feta cheese on top and wrap it up!

Strawberry Cupcakes With Cheese Cake Icing (made with Sierra Mist)

While searching for healthy dessert recipes I came across dozens of cake/cupcake recipes that are made using diet soda. I have never heard of this before and thought they would be horrible. This is now my new favorite thing to bake. You can pick any cake batter, any soda, any icing and create so many tasty goodies! It is so simple and cuts out almost all the fat and calories! You can make this dessert as a cake or pour in a muffin pan. I like to make desserts as muffins (if possible) so I can control my portions, otherwise I think I might have eaten the whole cake! The cake mix will make 24 cupcakes. Since I am just cooking for my boyfriend and I, I cut the ingredients listed below in half.

 Makes 24 Cupcakes.

1 box Duncan Hines Moist Supreme Strawberry Cake mix
12 oz Sierra Mist (I couldn't find diet)
1 package sugar free/fat free Cheesecake Instant Pudding
1 package fat free cool whip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Pour cake mix into a bowl and add 12 oz of Sierra Mist. Whisk together until blended.

Bake cupcakes for 18-22 minutes.

While cupcakes are cooking, make your icing.

Make instant pudding according to package. Then whisk in cool whip. Refridgerate for an hour.

When ready to serve, spoon 1 Tbsp of icing on top of cupcake.

ENJOY!

A friend told me a trick to the diet soda cake recipes...if using dark cake mix use diet coke or diet cherry coke. If using white cake mix or flavored cake mix (like strawberry) then use diet Sprite, Sierra Mist, etc. If using a plain white cake mix you can get creative and use diet Sunkist or a flavored soda.

BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joes

This recipe is a deviation from a dish Rachael Ray created. The original recipe calls for cheesy waffle fries to be piled on top of the sloppy joes. Since I am watching what I eat, I opted to not use the waffle fries. I also modified the ingredients according to what I had on hand. To save time, I used veggies that are already diced. Do not cut corners and use bottled BBQ sauce...use the ingredients to make your own! This recipe is in my top 5 of things I have made so far.

Makes 4 Servings

1 1/4 lb ground chicken
1 Medium red onion, chopped
1 Small Red Bell Pepper, chopped
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar (I used Splenda Brown Sugar)
3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Grill Seasoning
1 Tbsp Worcesteshire Sauce
1/2 Can Pasta/Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Hot Sauce
4 Crusty Rolls (or Hamburger Buns)

Directions:

Pour some olive oil, or use a spray to coat a large non stick skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and break it up so it browns evenly.

When the chicken has browned, add the onion and pepper.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the BBQ sauce. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, vinegar, grill seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, tomato/pasta sauce, and hot sauce. Stir until blended.

When the vegetables become tender, add the BBQ sauce to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

If desired toast the rolls/buns. Pile on the sloppy joe filling and enjoy! You will need a lot of napkins!

Note: The sloppy joe mix is even better the next day as leftovers. When I heated up the leftovers I put the sloppy joe mix in a tortilla wrap and it was really good and less messy!

Healthified Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

This dessert was fabulous! Strawberry Shortcake is one of my favorite desserts and I love that this recipe is healthy! I got this recipe from a website and followed the directions exactly, so I will just post the link here. The only difference is that I poured my batter into a muffin tin instead of a pan. I like making desserts as muffins (if possible) because it is very helpful for portion control! The picture isn't that great because I wanted to try the dessert so bad, I did not give it enough time to cool down, so the toppings kept slipping off. I also used my camera phone. We finished the last of the Strawberry Shortcake Muffins last night and poured a little bit of chocolate syrup over it...and it tasted even better! Link here to get the recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Squares.

Ginger-Peach Chicken (Cooking for 2)

This recipe was supposed to be Lemon-Apricot Chicken. Turns out my boyfriend does not like Apricots and I did not have a fresh lemon, so I modified the recipe and made it my own. It was great. I served it with Asparagus cooked in a grill pan with a little olive oil and onion powder...perfect pairing!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 30 minutes (until chicken is done)

Ingredients:

Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts (you will need to flatten them with whatever method you chose, I used a wine bottle!)
2 Tbsp fat free egg product or 1 egg white
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart Mix (makes chicken have a little crisp!)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used a lot more than this to coat the chicken because I love garlic!)
Cooking Spray

Ginger-Peach Sauce
1/3 cup peach preserves (you can also use apricot or orange)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 Tsp soy sauce
1/8 Tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Heat oven to 425. Spray a glass dish (large enough to fit flattened chicken breasts) with cooking spray. Flatten chicken breasts (if not done already).

In a shallow dish, beat egg product and water slightly.

In another shallow dish, stir together Bisquick mix and garlic powder.

Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mix. Place in pan. Repeat until all breasts are coated and in pan. Spray chicken directly with cooking spray.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn; bake 10 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

In a small, microwavable bowl, stir together all ginger-peach sauce ingredients. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Pour sauce over baked chicken and serve.

270 calories, 4.5 grams of fat

Creamy Chicken With Bacon And Penne

When I saw this recipe, I wasn't sure if it would be great, but it was a hit! My boyfriend and I loved it and it has been added to the "make again" pile of recipes I have tried. The original recipe serves 4 people and calls for 4 small chicken breasts. I didn't have chicken breasts on hand, but did have chicken cutlets. I thought these worked much better because it was easy to wrap the bacon around them. You can play around a lot with this dish, add in more veggies, more or less bacon, different cuts of chicken, types of pasta etc. Regardless, it was very good and super easy to make!

4 slices precooked bacon (use more if desired)
4 small boneless chicken breast halves (or chicken equivalent of chicken cutlets)
1/2 cup Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
3/4 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I just diced a tomato I had in the fridge)
2 green onions, chopped (I used yellow)

Note: If using chicken cutlets, they cook much quicker than a breast.

Directions:

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until done. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, cook cream cheese and broth in skillet until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and well blended, stirring constantly with wire whisk.

Stir in tomatoes and onions. Cook 2 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Microwave bacon and wrap around chicken breasts/cutlets.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Add sauce; mix lightly.  Serve with topped chicken and pour any remaining sauce on top :-)

Nutrition:
420 calories, 15 grams fat, 35 grams Carbohydrates, 35 grams protein

Honey and Mustard Marinated Pork Chops

I found this simple marinade online and it was so good. You can let the pork chops marinate for an hour or overnight (I chose overnight). I used lean, thin, pork chops. This marinade would probably be good on chicken as well. Sorry, but I don't have a photo of this recipe :-(

The ingredients yielded enough for me to marinate 8 pork chops. I made extra for my boyfriend to take to work.

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
4 tbsp mustard (your favorite)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tsp dried basil
4 Tbsp honey

Place pork chops in bowl or glass baking dish with marinade and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Heat a large grill pan or frying pan and cook pork chops for about 4-5 minutes on each side, turning only once.