Recipe Share: Spinach Lasagna Rolls

These Spinach Lasagna Rolls come from Gina at Skinny Taste. They are perfectly portioned. They are only 6 WW points plus per serving, not bad at all. I added onion powder, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the mix. (seasonings don't change the points.) I think next time, I might add some lean ground turkey, and just add the points in. :)

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Source: from Skinny Taste

1 Roll = 224 calories and 6 WW Points Plus

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained

1 (15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt and fresh pepper

32 oz tomato sauce

9 Tablespoons part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Make sure you drain the spinach well. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry by patting them with a paper towel. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Makes 9 rolls.To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Applesauce!

Guess What I did today?

Any ideas?

Do you need a hint?

Lookin' Good!

MMM blend, blend, blend!

That's right~ I made applesauce!!

What's Cooking Wednesday

Hey! What's cookin' good lookin'? :)

If your answer is "Nothin" or "I don't know" then look no further.

Here are a few recipes for you to try.

(All of them are Weight Watchers friendly!)

2 Point Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 can (15 oz) black beans

Open the can of black beans, rinse well. With beans back in the can, add enough water to cover beans. Put in blender or food processor and puree. Add puree to brownie mix, and then bake according to package directions. You DO NOT add the eggs or oil that the recipe calls for, JUST the black bean puree! Makes 20 brownies-- 2 Weight Watcher Points each! These are pretty rich and fudgy, and have lots of protein and fiber, too. Diet saved! haha.

Snazzed-Up Snickers Pie
Ingredients:

12 oz. (1.5 cups) fat-free vanilla frozen-yogurt, slightly softened

1 small box Jell-O Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding mix (Instant)

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup Cool Whip Free

3 oz. Grape Nuts

2 Tbsp. Hershey's Lite Chocolate Syrup

Mix all ingredients together (except for the chocolate syrup), and pour into 8" dish.

Drizzle with syrup and freeze.
Serves 8. Each serving contains 137 calories, 4g of fat, 4g protein, 21 carbs, 1g fiber. (Only 3 points! I've actually made this one, it's really good.)

WW friendly General Tso's chicken

(I, personally love General Tso's chicken, but the pts. aren't worth it.

I'll definitely be giving this recipe a try!!)

Ingredients
3/4 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, minced or 1 dried chili, minced
1 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked white rice, kept hot

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce,

vinegar and ginger; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

Yields about 1 cup of chicken and sauce and 1/2 cup of rice per serving @ 6 pts. per serving.

Weight Watchers "Haystacks"

(These are so good, even my kids like them!)

Ingredients
1 cup fiber one cereal
1 (1.5 oz) hersheys candy bar
1 tsp. reduced fat peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
Directions
Melt candy bar and peanut butter in microwave on low -med heat until smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals. Be careful not to burn or overcook. Stir chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Add cereal and gently stir until coated. Drop onto wax paper and refrigerate until hardened. About 30 minutes Makes 6
1 stack is 71 calories, 4 G Fat, 12 carbs. 5 G fiber, 2 G protein, 1 WW Point

So tell me, what are YOU cooking?

What's cooking Wednesday

It's time once again for What's cooking Wednesday.

Here are two recipes for you to enjoy.

If you make them, please come back to my blog

and let me know how they turned out. :)

WW Diet Soda cake

servings: 12 pieces • Bake Time: 29 minutes • Points: 3.5 ww points

Ingredients:

1 dry box cake, any flavor
10 oz diet soda, any flavor
2 egg whites
Baking spray

Preheat oven according to box directions. Spray 9 x 13 pan. Beat cake mix, diet soda and egg whites. Pour into pan. Bake as directed on box, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let cake cool about 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 12 pieces. Top with fat free whipped cream if you wish. You can also make cup cakes which would be only 1.75 points each!

Czech Crepes filled with Berries and

Servings: 10-12 servings • Time: 20 minutes • Points: 1 ww point

1 point crepes (makes about 12):
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
1/3 cup egg whites (or 2 large egg whites)
1 whole egg
1 tsp oil
Butter flavored spray
Powdered sugarBerry Filling:
1 - 6 0z package blackberries
1 - 6 0z package rasberries
1 - 12 oz package strawberries, cut in quarters
2 tbsp sugar
Fat Free Cool Whip

In a medium bowl, combine all berries and sugar. Let stand at least 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk flour, milk, eggs and oil until smooth using a wire whisk or you can put in the blender. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium-low flame. When hot, spray with buttered flavored spray to coat bottom of skillet. Pour about 1/4 cup crepe mixture into pan, swirling pan slightly to make crepe thin and smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom of crepe is light golden brown. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining buttered flavored spray and crepe mixture.To serve, spoon whipped cream into center of each crepe. Top with berry mixture and fold each edge of crepe over filling. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Best if served warm.

What's cooking Wednesday

Here for your enjoyment are some Weight Watchers friendly dessert recipes for my

"What's cooking Wednesday".

Chocolate Éclair Dessert

24 Low Fat Graham Cracker Sheets

2 (1 oz.) Boxes Sugar-Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

1 (8 oz.) Container Fat Free Cool Whip

1 (1.4 oz.) Box Sugar-Free Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix

3 1/2 cups Skim Milk

Place 8 graham crackers in bottom of 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish. Mix vanilla pudding and 1 1/2 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Gently fold in Cool Whip. Pour half of vanilla pudding on graham crackers. Top with another 8 graham crackers. Pour remaining vanilla pudding over graham crackers. Top with last 8 graham crackers. Mix the chocolate pudding mix with 2 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Spread over graham crackers. Let it sit overnight in the refrigerator to soften the graham crackers.

Serves: 18 Per Serving: 132 Calories; 1g Fat (7.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 318mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Non-Fat Milk.

Key lime pie

reduced fat graham cracker crust

1 (1/16 ounce) package sugar-free lime gelatin

1/4 cup boiling water

1 (8 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping

2 (6 ounce)light key lime pie yogurt

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in yogurt with wire whisk. Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon. Spread in crust.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

You can easily change flavors by just matching up the yogurt and jello. (lemon/lemon; strawberry/strawberry etc.)

What's Cooking Wednesday

As you may have guessed, from reading my other

"What's Cooking Wednesday" posts, I love soup.

Especially hearty, thick, creamy soups.

Of course, these are not the healthiest soups to eat.

So I searched the web for some yummy sounding,

WW point friendly soups and chowders,

and here are some of the ones that I found.

Cheesy veggie soup

2 bags frozen veggies

5 Cups chicken stock (fat free)

1 can diced tomatoes

a bit of chopped garlic (if wanted)

8 oz light velveeta cheese, cubed

Bring chicken stock to a boil and add frozen veggies.

Let cook for 10 minutes and then remove from heat.

Add diced tomatoes with its juice and stir.

Add cubed cheese and once it melts, stir again.

Makes about 8-10 Cups of soup for 1 pt each cup.

*****************************************************

Creamy Spinach Soup

1 10 1/2 ounce can reduced-fat, reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

green onion, sliced (2 tablespoons)

Dash ground nutmeg

Dash pepper

4 cups cleaned spinach leaves, stems removed

1 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk

In a blender container or food processor bowl combine soup, green onion,

nutmeg, and pepper. Add spinach leaves, a few at a time, while blending or

processing till mixture is nearly smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan.

Stir in evaporated milk. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered,

for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve.

POINTS: 2

PER SERVING: 114 Calories, 10 g Protein, 1 g Fat,

17 g Carbohydrate,316 mg Sodium, 7 mg Cholesterol, 2 g Dietary Fiber

Makes 4 Servings

***********************************************************************

2 lbs of baby carrots (halved)

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

ginger to taste (around 1/4 tsp.)

Boil carrots in broth for 10-15 minutes until tender.

Let cool a bit and then add broth and carrots to a blender and puree.

Add ginger. Serve.

1 cup= 1pt.

************************************************************************

Crockpot Potato Chowder

2 cups potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large carrot, diced

1 cup chopped leek, white part only

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup pearl barley

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp. dried, crushed thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 oz. Canadian bacon cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth,

barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper, and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low

for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in evaporated milk

and Half-and half and heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes.

Yields 8 (1 1/4 cups) servings, 2 points per serving.

*****************************************************************************

Low Fat Shrimp Chowder

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 diced red or green bell pepper

2 1/2 cups skim milk

1 can (12-ounce size) evaporated skim milk

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups frozen or canned whole-kernel yellow corn

1 pound large or medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large pot, sauté onion and pepper in olive oil until soft, about 12 minutes.

Add milk, corn, potatoes. Cover. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer over low heat

until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook about

3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Do not overcook shrimp.

Add more skim milk if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro.

Makes 6 servings.

5 POINTS per serving

Per serving: 278 calories, 24g protein, 4.2g fat (0.8g saturated), 2.7g fiber,

38g carbohydrates, 224mg sodium.

*************************************************************************

Ham And Corn Chowder - 5 Ww Points

1/2 cup chopped thinly sliced fully cooked smoked ham
1 1/2 cups milk
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen corn and peppers
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2 to 3 medium)

Instructions
Mix ham, milk, frozen corn and soup in 3-quart saucepan.

Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes,

stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with onions.

Makes 4 servings -- Per Serving: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 70); Fat 8g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 1090mg; Potassium 510mg; Carbohydrate 31g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 11g -- % Daily Value: Vitamin A 14%; Vitamin C 14%; Vitamin D 10%; Calcium 16%; Iron 6%; Folic Acid 12% -- Diet Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 Medium-Fat Meat -- Weight Watcher Points - 5 Points

****************************************************************************

Weight Watchers Crock Pot Cream of Sweet Potato Soup recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fat-free chicken broth

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half

3 teaspoons Splenda sugar substitute

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Preparation

1. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes. Place them with the chicken broth the your slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours (or until the potatoes are tender).

3. Using an immersion blender

(or putting the sweet potatoes and broth into a food processor), blend until smooth.

4. Put the soup back into the crock pot.

5. Add the half-and-half, Splenda and allspice.

6. Cover and cook on high for about 1-3 hours.
Servings: 6 Points per serving: 2

***********************************************************************

Weight Watchers Creamy Vegetable Chowder recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup peeled and diced carrots

1 cup zucchini, diced

1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups milk

3 cups water or basic light vegetable stock

1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

2 ounces neuchatel cheese or cream cheese

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot on medium heat,

saute the onion in the butter and oil for about 3-4 minutes.

2. Stir in the celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots, water or stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes

(until the vegetables are just tender).

4. With a slotted spoon or strainer, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked vegetables and set aside in a blender or food processor.

5. Add the bell peppers, green beans and zucchini to the soup pot and cook for about 5 minutes (until the green beans are tender).

6. Stir in the peas and parsley, simmer for about 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat.

7. Discard the bay leaf.

8. Puree the reserved vegetables with the milk and cheeses to make a smooth sauce.

9. Stir the sauce into the soup and gently reheat.

10. Serve the soup hot.
WW POINTS per serving: 4

**********************************************************************************

That's what I'll be cooking sometime soon, How about you?

Any good recipes to share?

What's cooking Wednesday

So, I can't do anything about the cold weather, but I can

make a nice warm dinner for my family!

Here are a few recipes to keep you warm, while it's cold outside.

Creamed Peas

(My mom used to make these when we were kids... so yummy!)

1 can green peas

flour

1 TBS margerine

Salt

milk, if needed.

Pour an entire can of peas (even liquid) into a microwave safe bowl. Add margerine.

Heat for 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Add enough flour to thicken, as desired. Add

salt to taste. If you accidentally add a little too much flour, you can add a bit of milk to thin. Heat

another minute. Stir & enjoy.

Corn Chowder

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups potatoes, diced

2 cups water

1 can cream style corn

1 can evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, saute onion and pepper in butter until onion is translucent.

Add potatoes and water; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in creamed corn and evaporated milk.

Add 1 cup water (may use empty milk can). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Simmer 15 minutes and remove from heat. May serve warm or cool.

Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients
• 2 pounds ground turkey• 1 cup chopped onion• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped• 1/2 cup green peppers, diced• 1 cup chicken broth• 2 teaspoon dried cumin• 1 teaspoon dried oregano• 1teaspoon chili powder• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper• 1 can refried beans• 2 15 to 16oz cans of kidney beans (not drained)

Directions
In a large skillet, brown ground turkey and drain. Add all ingredients to crock pot except the can of refried beans. Cover and cook on low 2 hours. Add refried beans to chili for thickening. Cover and cook on low for an additional 2 hours.

What's Cooking Wednesday

Well, feels as though it has been forever and a day since I last posted.

Instead of a bunch of jibber jabber, I thought that I would just jump right back in to my regularly scheduled posting (haha.) So, here for your enjoyment, is my

What's cooking Wednesday.

Weight Watchers points friendly french onion soup

ingredients:

1 teaspoon unsalted stick margarine

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

2 ounces French bread, cut into two slices and toasted

1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the onion and cook, stirring as needed, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the onion is very tender, about 3 minutes.

2. Place one slice of the toast in each of two flameproof soup bowls; pour the soup over the toast. Sprinkle each with the cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Serve at once.

PER SERVING: 180 Calories, 6 g Total Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 12 mg Cholesterol, 326 mg Sodium, 19 g Total Carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 12 g Protein, 168 mg Calcium.

POINTS PER SERVING: 4.

What's cooking Wednesday

So, it's time again for What's cooking Wednesday.

I thought I would post two easy, low fat recipes that I have made before.

Pineapple Angel food Cake

Ingredients:

1 box Angel food cake mix

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple

Cool Whip lite

Directions:

Combine Pineapple and cake mix in a bowl.

Pour into angel food cake pan.

Bake according to box directions.

Serve with a dollop of lite cool whip. Yummy!

2 ingredient low fat Chocolate cake

ingredients:
1 -chocolate cake mix
1 -15 ounce can pumpkin

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and canned pumpkin until well blended.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven,

or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, frost with a low fat or

sugar free frosting and serve.

What's cooking Wednesday

So, it's time for What's cooking Wednesday, and with the cold weather,

I thought some comfort food recipes would be a great idea.

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

For the bread crumb topping:

4 slices of white sandwich bread

4 tablespoons (55 g) melted butter

1/4 cup (35 g) grated Parmesan cheese

The rest of the ingredients needed are:

5 Tbs. (45 g) all-purpose flour

1 lb. (450 g) elbow macaroni

3 12-oz. cans (1 L) evaporated milk

5 oz. (140 g) American cheese

8 oz. (225 g) extra sharp cheddar cheese

3 oz. (85 g) Monterey Jack cheese

1/8 tsp. (0.3 g) ground nutmeg

1 tsp. (3.3 g) ground mustard seed

2 tsp. (12 g) table salt

4 Tbs. (55 g) melted butter

and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of hot sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring four quarts of water to a hard boil. Dissolve at least 1 Tbs. (18 g) table salt into the water and add the macaroni. Cook until al dente (when the macaroni no longer shows white in center of the pasta when you bite into it but still has chew). Check the instructions on the package of your macaroni product and use the time listed as a guide. I generally start checking the macaroni a minute or two early to make sure I don't over cook it.

Once it's ready, ladle out 1/2 cup water to be reserved for the cheese sauce later. Immediately drain the macaroni and rinse it thoroughly in cold water to stop the cooking. Use a colander and rinse pasta with cold water (in most cases, pasta used in casseroles benefits from this procedure).

Break the sandwich bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor with 4 Tbs. of melted butter and the Parmesan cheese until bread crumbs are formed.

Set aside in a bowl for topping the casserole later.

Shred the American, Monterey Jack, and cheddar cheeses. I found this was done fastest by using the grating disc on my food processor.

Prepare a roux by heating (over medium heat) 4 Tbs. butter until it foams. Then stir in the flour and cook while stirring until light brown (about 1 minute).

Slowly add evaporated milk while stirring until all the evaporated milk has been added to the pot and no clumps of roux remain. Stir in the hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, and salt.

Cook the mixture for about 4 more minutes on medium heat.

The mixture should have thickened up.

Move the pot off the heat source and stir in the grated cheeses and 1/2 cup reserve water. Keep stirring until the cheese completely melts into the mixture.

Stir in the cooked macaroni so that the sauce completely coats all the pasta.

Pour the macaroni and cheese into a 9x13-in. baking pan.

Cover the top of the macaroni and cheese with the bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes (when the edges begin to bubble). Remove from the oven and let the casserole sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it to serve.

Cheesy Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice

1/8 teaspoon parsley

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon basil

Sharp Cheddar cheese

1 pkg frozen spinach - cooked and chopped

1/8 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 cup milk

4 eggs

4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Beat eggs well, add milk and seasonings.

Fold in cheese, spinach and rice. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

Bake 35 minutes. Serve Hot.

What's cooking Wednesday

For this week's What's cooking Wednesday,

I thought that I would post some Christmas cookie recipes.

Here is one that I use every year, and I have given it to my sister and my mom

who has passed it on to others.

3 ingredient, "Santa's favorite" Peanut Butter Cookies

ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1cup peanut butter

1 egg

granulated sugar

directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls

(or you can use your Pampered Chef® scoop-that's what I do and they come out the

perfect size.)

Dip the tongs of a fork in granulated sugar, and make a criss cross pattern across the

cookie. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Cool and enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Another type of cookies that I've made before are

Stained glass cookies

I just used refrigerated sugar cookie dough.

Start by crushing brightly colored candy (such as lifesavers®) into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the sugar cookie dough and cut into

desired shapes. Inside the shapes, cut smaller shapes in the middle.

Fill the small opening in the cookie with crushed candy pieces.

Bake for 10-15 min. until cookies are lightly browned and candy is melted.

Cool completely before eating.

(*Remember that the candy will become hard again.*)

This next recipe is for my FAVORITE cookies, that my Mother-in-law, Helen,

makes. They are sooo good. (and not-so-good for you! LOL)

Buried Cherry cookies

ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) jar Maraschino Cherries (42-48)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 (6 ounce) package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Drain cherries, reserving juice. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer in medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour using a wooden spoon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Place a cherry in each center. Bake in a 350 oven for 10 min or until edges are firm. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover (frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice if necessary). Allow frosting to cool and set before eating.

So, those are some of the cookies I've made before for the holidays and

will probably be making again this year.

I hope that they sound good to you! Happy baking!

What's cooking Wednesday

What's cookin', Good lookin'?

It's time for what's cooking Wednesday so, here are a

few recipes that I found online that sounded yummy!

What's cooking Wednesday

“This is the day the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

So, as you may have noticed, my recent posts have been revolving around the upcoming Holiday, Thanksgiving. I will be sticking to the theme today, posting recipes you can use for your Thanksgiving meal.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. soy sauce

Dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Directions:
MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.
BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.
STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

Enjoy!

Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celerey (with leaves)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup butter
9 cups soft bread cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook and stir onion and celery in butter in 10 to 12 inch skillet until onion is tender.

Stir in about 1/3 of the bread cubes.

Turn into a deep bowl.

Add remaining ingredients; toss.

Stuff turkey just before roasting. 9 cups stuffing.

NOTE: To make Corn Bread Stuffing, you can substitute corn

bread cubes for the soft bread cubes.

Whole Cranberry sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 lb. fresh cranberries

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. grated orange rind

Directions:

In a saucepan, boil water and sugar for 5 minutes, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add washed cranberries; reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes,

without stirring. Add orange rind.
Cool to set; store in refrigerator.
Makes about 2 cups.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered length-wise

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 Tbsp heavy cream

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp milk

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Put potatoes into a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add water until potatoes are covered. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes,

or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them.
Warm cream and melt butter, together, either in microwave or in a pan on the stove. Drain water from potatoes. Put hot potatoes into a bowl. Add cream and melted butter. Use potato masher to mash potatoes until well mashed. Mix in cheese and onion powder. Use a strong spoon to beat further, adding milk to achieve the consistency you desire. (Do not over-beat or your potatoes will get gluey.) Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.

I hope that one (or more) of these recipes sound good to you.

I can't wait to see what you're cooking!

What's cooking Wednesday

So, it's time once again for What's cooking Wednesday. I thought this week I'd post

some Thanksgiving recipes.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
Dash salt
1-1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
MERINGUE:
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 additional minutes. Gradually stir in 1 cup of hot filling to egg yolks; return to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice and peel. Pour hot filling into pastry shell. For meringue, beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff and glossy. Immediately spread over pie, sealing edges to pastry. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden. Cool. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
TOPPING:
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs and sugar. Stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour into crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread over pie. Bake 8-12 minutes longer or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
4 cups sliced peeled tart apples
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add apples and cranberries; toss gently. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll the remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents in pastry, using a small apple cutter if desired. Place over filling; seal and flute the edges. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup milk
1 unbaked deep-dish pastry shell (9 inches)
PECAN TOPPING:
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugars, flour, pie spice and salt until smooth. Mix in pumpkin. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350° and bake 15 minutes.

Crescent-Wrapped Brie
(Serve this elegant, yet easy, appetizer with one or more of the following toppings: chutney, jalapeño jelly, fruit preserves or salsa)

ingredients:

1 can refidgerated crescent rolls or refridgerated flaky dough sheet

1 8oz round Brie cheese

1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 350.

Unroll dough; separate crosswise into 2 sections. Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal, forming 2 squares. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut crosswise into 2 rectangles. Pat dough to form 2 squares.

Place 1 square on ungreased cookie sheet. Place cheese on center of dough. With small cookie or canapé cutter, cut 1 shape from each corner of remaining square; set cutouts aside.

Place remaining square on top of cheese round. Press dough evenly around cheese; fold bottom edges over top edges. Gently stretch dough evenly around cheese; press to seal completely. Brush with beaten egg. Top with cutouts; brush with additional beaten egg.

Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.

I hope that one of these recipes sounded good to you. I can't wait to see your recipe(s)!!

What's cooking Wednesday

It's time again to post our What's cooking Wednesday Recipe :)

I decided that I would post two, so hopefully one (or both) will appeal to you! :)

ORZO CHICKEN SOUP

4 chicken bouillon cubes

6 heaping Tbsp. Orzo

Parsley

4 c. water

Butter

Combine bouillon cubes, water and Orzo. Add parsley and a pat of butter. Cook until tender. You can also add some shredded chicken.

You can replace half of the water with milk to make a thicker, richer soup.

Here's another recipe that I found that sounds good. :)

“Real New York Style” Cheesecake Supreme

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 cup butter

1 slightly beaten egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese or (3 low fat & 2 reg. Pkgs.)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 or 5 eggs (enough to make 1 cup)

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:
Make crust: Combine first three ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Pat 1/3 of the dough on bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan (sides removed). Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) about 8 minutes or until golden; cool. Butter sides of pan, attach to bottom, and pat remaining dough on sides to height of 1-3/4 inches. Turn oven up to 450 degrees. Place a 9×13 inch pan of hot water in bottom of oven. This helps to keep the custard creamy. The cookie sides will not bake right if cheesecake is placed in hot water bath. Make filling: Beat softened cheese until creamy. Add vanilla. Mix next four ingredients, (note: important to put lemon peel in flour to coat it), gradually blend into cheese. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating after each just to blend. Gently stir in whipping cream. Turn into crust-lined pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking for 1 hour. May need a little time longer because of the water. (Note: if cheesecake is getting too brown cover top with foil with hole torn out of the center so that middle of cheesecake continues baking) Remove from oven; cool. Loosen sides with spatula after 1/2 hour. Remove sides at end of 1 hour. (Note: This cheesecake is at it’s very best if refrigerated overnight)

I can't wait to see what recipe(s) you have to share!

What's cooking Wednesdays

So, I'm starting a post called What's cooking Wednesdays.
Every Wednesday, I (and hopefully You!) will post a favorite recipe!
I thought that since it's cold, a soup recipe would be a great one to share.

I don't have any soup recipes of my own, so I decided to search,

and this one sounded yummy.

Chunky Potato Onion Soup (crock pot recipe)

6 Large potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes

2-3 Onions chopped

5 Carrots sliced

4 tsp Chicken bullion

4 tbsp Butter

5 cups Water

1 can Evaporated milk

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients (except milk) in a crock pot. Cook on high 4-6 hours.

Add Milk 30 minutes before serving.

Well that's my What's cooking Wednesday Recipe. Let's see yours! :)