Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

One day, several years ago, I was in the checkout line at the grocery store.  As the cashier picked up my bag of Heath Bits {found by the chocolate chips} she told me about a great recipe I could make with them.  Just four simple ingredients....

Ice cream sandwiches

Whipped topping

Heath bits

Chocolate Syrup

    

Instructions:

Layer ingredients in this order....ice cream sandwiches {might need to cut some to fit}, whipped topping {thawed}, Heath bits, chocolate syrup.  Return to freezer until whipped topping has refrozen.  

Don't you love how it looks like I spent hours making a fancy layered dessert?  The truth is, it only took about 5 minutes.  The most difficult part was unwrapping the ice cream sandwiches!  This makes a great last minute dessert, and it's easy to double or triple if you're feeding a crowd.

Where's The Beef?

Remember that old Wendy's commercial?

Maybe I just dated myself, but when I made dinner, that's what I thought about.  :)

The kids wanted spaghetti tonight, and as I searched the freezer for ground beef, I came across this....

{much healthier than ground beef}

I've tried to sneak veggie crumbles into tacos before and was mildly successful.  The fam could tell something was different, they just couldn't quite figure out what. This time, I thought I'd try my hand at veggie spaghetti. 

First, I sauteed some onions....it never hurts add a little something fresh.  Then I added the veggie crumbles {straight from the freezer} and some marinara sauce.  It looked pretty good to me, so I crossed my fingers and served it to my family. 

Scott and the kids ate theirs over regular pasta and I had mine over spaghetti squash.  The verdict?  Only the hubs could tell a difference, and the kids went back for seconds even after I told them what it was.  As for me, I loved not having to cook raw meat....draining the grease, trying to blot out the rest with paper towels and then not knowing what to do with the cup of solidified fat sitting on the counter later that night. {Gross.}  I liked the taste too!  Where's the beef, you ask?  Who cares!   

Breakfast Smoothie

{170 calories, 3g fat, 9g carbs, 4g fiber, 27g protein}

Once again, I find myself starting at square one on Monday morning.  I have a bad habit of undoing all my hard work on the weekends.  I really need to work on that! Among this weekend's culprits....leftover peanut butter cheese ball {What did I tell you?!}, ice cream sandwich dessert {recipe to come} and homemade whoopie pies made by a friend {It's rude not to try them....at least that's what I tell myself!}. 

Today, I started my day with a low-carb protein smoothie.  It was just what I needed to get back on track!  

Ingredients:

     1 cup unsweetened almond milk

     1 scoop vanilla protein powder

     1/2 cup frozen raspberries {no added sugar}

     liquid stevia {to taste}

     ice {about 3 cubes}

Instructions:

     Mix all ingredients in a blender.  Garnish with extra raspberries.

**You can find liquid stevia in the organic section of your grocery store.

Cherry Chobani

Another high-protein, low-calorie snack....

{110 calories, 0g fat, 12g carbs, 3g fiber, 18g protein}

Cottage Cheese Pistachio "Pudding"

A couple days ago, my husband brought home an enormous pistachio muffin from work....a gift from his boss all the way from The Outer Banks.  You know something's good when people carry it over state lines just to give you a taste.  I love stuff like that!  Scott once brought me a pint of ice cream all the way from Cincinnati when we were living in Utah.  He had the flight attendant store it with the ice.  How sweet is that?!  Of course, that was back when we were first married. I wonder if he'd do that now, 14 years later?  

But I digress.  Where were we?  Oh, yeah....GIANT PISTACHIO MUFFIN!  The hubs gave me a bite and it was every bit as moist and delicious as you can imagine. 

Here's a little something I whipped up to keep me from stealing that mouth-watering muffin, locking myself in my closet, eating the whole darn thing and not emerging until I'd sucked every last crumb from the wrapper.

Cottage cheese pistachio pudding....

{105 calories, 3g fat, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 10g protein}

Ingredients:

     1 serving lowfat cottage cheese

     1 tbsp sugar free, fat free pistachio pudding mix

I'll be honest, it's not quite as good as the road-trip muffin {and some might consider the texture a little "pasty"....I happen to like things with weird textures.} but it did satisfy my need for something sweet and pistachio-y without all the fat, sugar and carbs.  Just think of all the different flavor possibilities! 

Leftovers Reincarnated....

With soccer practices two nights a week, basketball practices three nights a week and scouts once a week, I'm starting to love "leftover night."  Its so nice to just pull everything out of the fridge and let everyone create their own dinner.  There's usually something everyone likes and always enough ingredients for me to throw together a quick salad.

Here's my most recent "leftover night" salad creation....

*romaine lettuce

*reheated veggies

*cold salmon {reheating fish in the microwave makes my skin crawl!}

*a sprinkle of reduced-fat feta

*a drizzle of one of my new favorite dressings....

What's in your fridge???

Peanut Butter Cheese Ball

***Warning!  Not Healthy!***

So, I went to a "Pinterest Party" the other night and each person had to bring a treat they found on Pinterest.  Then the hostess had a couple of fun crafts for all of us to do {also from Pinterest}.  Fun idea, right?  This was a no-brainer for me.  I'd made this recipe before and it was a huge hit.  {Not to mention - EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE!} If you're not in the mood to indulge, do not make this!!!  

I found the recipe here.

Go ahead and try it....just don't blame me when you eat the whole thing!

We like it best with apple slices, but it's also great with graham crackers, pretzels or A SPOON!

Happy snacking!!!

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.
2. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.
3. Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.
4. Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Easy Side Dish

Ingredients:

Asparagus

Mini bell peppers

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

Trim tough ends off asparagus and chop into thirds.  Slice peppers.  Saute in olive oil until crisp-tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I love how colorful this is!  I've never paired these two veggies together before, but I really liked how it turned out....so fresh with just the right amount of crunch.

Broiled Tomatoes With Feta and Cracked Pepper

Remember when they used to serve meals on airplanes?  Not just a cold sandwich you have to pay extra for, but a full-on warm meal on a tray???  I never liked airplane food that much {but now appreciate the fact that they gave it to you at no extra cost} and could never stand the smell.  There was however, one thing I always looked forward to....broiled tomatoes.  It doesn't sound like something a kid would like, but then again, I've always been a little strange.  

Today I recreated a childhood memory, but I used roma tomatoes and feta cheese.  

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes

1/4 cup reduced fat feta

fresh cracked pepper

Start by cutting the tomatoes in half, lengthwise.  {Cut a small slice off the back sides just so they'll lay flat.}  Sprinkle the feta on top and place under the broiler until cheese starts to brown.

Add fresh cracked pepper to taste and enjoy!

{124 calories, 4g fat, 15g carbs, 4g fiber, 13g protein}

I broiled mine in the toaster oven....no sense in heating the whole oven for two tomatoes if I don't have to. This makes a great snack or a fun side dish for dinner.  I can picture it now with salmon and grilled asparagus.  Yum!

Date Night!

Scott and I went out on a much needed date night with some friends this past weekend.  We went to a local Thai place we love, but I wanted to order something a little different this time.  I went with the chicken Satay {I wanted to see how mine from a few nights before compared....pretty close!} and a side salad.  I couldn't decide which dressing I wanted, so they brought them both out for me to try.  One was basically peanut sauce {how can you go wrong with that?} and the other was a low-fat Thai style dressing {a little spicy, a little sweet}.  They were both delicious. In fact, I ended up putting them both on my salad.  I will definitely be ordering that again!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork & Oven-Roasted Corn

With soccer and basketball practices last night, I needed to make something I could easily pull together at dinner time....crock pot to the rescue!  I got this idea from my mother-in-law. {Thanks, Grandma Weez!}  She cooks her pork tenderloin on the stove {slow cooks it in simmering water} but I'm more comfortable with the crock pot.

I put one pork tenderloin in my crock pot with 1/2 cup water.  Then I seasoned it with grill seasoning and garlic salt and let it cook on high for 3-4 hours.  When it was done, I shredded it and put it in an oven-save dish.

I used Montgomery Inn bbq sauce {you can buy it at Kroger}, but you can use whatever you like.  Just pour it over the top, cover with foil and heat in the oven....OR you can drain the juices from the crock pot and put the pork and sauce back in until warmed through.  I made this early in the day, so I just stuck it in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner.

I saw this season's first batch of corn on the cob at the store yesterday and had to get some.  I knew it would be the perfect side dish for our bbq pork.  Nothing says summer like corn on the cob!

I decided to try something new and cook the corn in the oven.  I've heard you can roast them in their husks, but I'd already removed them at the store.  Instead, I decided to try cooking them "baked potato style."

I wrapped each ear in foil, placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them at 450 for 20-30 minutes.  I also popped the bbq in the oven at the same time {I normally warm it at 350}.  How easy is that?  I did all the work ahead of time, so the only thing I had to do at the last minute was a salad....

Which turned out pretty awesome, if I don't say so myself.  

The bbq was delicious and the corn turned out perfectly.  I'm never boiling corn again!  The kernels were so plump and juicy while still being a little crisp, and they popped in my mouth when I ate them.  Mmmmm!

And yes, we use paper plates way too often.  :)

Greek Veggie Salad

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a salad without lettuce.  Is that weird?  For some reason, when I make myself a "lettuce-less" salad, it's almost always Greek....how can you not love feta? Today, I just chopped up whatever veggies I had and added fat-free Italian dressing, reduced fat feta and some fresh ground pepper.  Yum!

{80 calories, 2g fat, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g protein}

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 tbsp fat-free zesty Italian dressing

2 tbsp reduced fat feta 

fresh ground pepper

Mix it all together for a great snack or a light lunch.

Thai Chicken Satay

I love Thai food, and one of my very favorite appetizers is chicken satay.  I had some chicken tenders in the fridge and crossed my fingers that I'd be able to find a good recipe I already had the ingredients for.  Lucky for me, I came across this recipe from Tyler Florence.  

I did a couple things differently, but it still turned out really good.  I used plain greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and cooked mine under the broiler instead of on the grill.  {I'm slightly afraid of the grill and have made it a goal to learn how to use it this summer.}  

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp minced or crushed garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp curry powder

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced {or chicken tenderloins}

Mix yogurt, garlic, ginger and curry powder in a shallow bowl.  Add chicken, cover and let marinate up to 2 hours in fridge.  Thread chicken onto skewers that have been soaking in water for 20-30 minutes {you don't want them to catch fire while under the broiler}.  Spray broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray and place chicken on top.  Broil on high about 6 minutes on each side.  Serve with peanut sauce.  You can make Tyler's or use store bought.  I used a mix from A Taste of Thai and mixed it with lite coconut milk.

When my oldest son came downstairs for dinner, he said our house smelled like a restaurant.  ALMOST everyone loved it....I couldn't quite get our pickiest eater to try it.  He preferred eating grapes off of his skewer.  

If you can't tell, he's a total goofball.  He's definitely the "life of the party" at our house.

Cajun Kielbasa Pasta

This is something I came up with one night when I hadn't been to the grocery store all week and the cupboards were almost bare.  It's amazing how creative you can be when you don't have much to work with.  I usually use regular pasta {like penne} but last night it was tortellini {per the kids' request}.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  In the meantime, brown 1 lb. of kielbasa {I used light....not that it makes much of a difference in this recipe}.

Add one jar of alfredo sauce....

And some veggies {optional}.  I usually use peas, but all I had this time was edamame....

Drain pasta and add to alfredo/kielbasa mixture....

Season with cajun seasoning to taste {I like Luzianne, but use whatever you have}....

And there you have cajun kielbasa pasta....

Notice I don't always calculate the nutrition info?  It's usually one of two things....A.) too many ingredients to figure out quickly or B.) I just don't want to know.  This one is the latter!

If I make something like this for dinner, I usually serve a salad as well.  That way, I can fill up something healthy and just have a few bites of the indulgent stuff.  {Or not....just depends on the day!}

******

Ingredients:

1 box pasta {any kind}

1 lb. kielbasa

1 jar alfredo sauce

fresh or frozen veggies {any kind}

cajun seasoning

Cook pasta.  Brown kielbasa in a skillet.  Add alfredo sauce and veggies and heat through.  Stir in cooked pasta.  Add cajun seasoning to taste.  

  

Easy As {Key Lime} Pie

We had family dinner at my parents' house last night and I was given the dessert assignment.  The weather here has been beautiful, so I felt like bringing something fresh and summery....especially since I knew we'd be eating outside.  What better than key lime pie, right?  This recipe is so easy {like most things I make} but is fancy enough for entertaining {minus the paper plate, I suppose}.  You've really gotta try this one.

**Not healthy, but delicious!**

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block cream cheese {I used full fat.  If you're gonna have pie, HAVE PIE!}

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's key lime juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 graham cracker crust {You could make your own, but I use store bought.}

Blend softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a hand mixer. Add key lime juice and vanilla and blend some more.  Pour into graham cracker crust and refrigerate until set.  Garnish with whipped cream and lime wedges.  

**This is great the next day, so make it the night before and you'll be good to go! 

Surprise Party....80's Style!

So, my big brother is turning 40 this month.  His wife is totally awesome and threw a rockin' surprise party for him.  Everyone dressed up in 80's costumes {which aren't hard to find these days!} Seriously though, I'm not sure I'm ready for all this crazy 80's stuff be back in style.  Now I understand why my mom hated it when the 70's came back....when you've already lived it once, the second time around isn't too exciting.

*Sorry for the bad picture quality.  My phone doesn't take great pics in the dark.* 

As you can tell, my 80's wear was a little understated {I'm the giant in the middle}. Most people went all out.  Don't you love the "mom jeans" and the acid-washed jeans?  Don't even get me started on the hair!  I knew I should have found a crimper! Oh, well.  I'll know better for the next 80's bash.

Check out my parents!  Aren't they cute?  Gotta love those shirts!

And here's my brother, his wife and their two youngest....love them!

Since this is a food blog, I guess I should show you what I ate too....

There was an awesome Mexican/fajita bar.  I stayed away from the rice and tortillas, but piled on the chicken, steak, veggies and guacamole!  I think there's even a drumstick in there!  Notice the Rubix Cube???  Talk about a flashback!

And how about this {Man, I really wish these pics had turned out better!}....  

It was a glass filled with shrimp, tomatoes, jalapenos, lime, cilantro, etc.  It was so fresh and delicious!  I added the guacamole myself.  It was AMAZING! 

And, what's a party without a cake?  How cool is this???

Nothing like a boombox cake to top off your 40th birthday!  I'd like to tell you how it tasted, but I was actually good tonight and refrained.  I waited to have dessert until I got home and downed a whole pint of Arctic Zero!  {With 0 grams of fat and only 150 calories, I didn't even feel bad about it.}  :)

Happy 40th big bro!  Love you!

Something Sweet

When I was growing up, my mom would make the best warm raspberry sauce and we'd drizzle it over vanilla ice cream.  It was so good!  This isn't quite the same, but makes me feel a little nostalgic without all the calories.

{84 calories, 0g fat, 17g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g protein}

Ingredients:

1 cup {1/2 pint} Vanilla Maple Arctic Zero

1 tbsp sugar free raspberry jelly 

Heat jelly in microwave about 10-15 seconds and pour over Arctic Zero.

It kind of reminds me of raspberry cobbler.  I bet it would be good with a sprinkle of granola on top too!

Chicken Curry in a Hurry & Cauliflower Rice

My mouth is watering just writing this post!  I found this recipe in a magazine once and forgot about it until it showed up in our church cookbook.  I love just about anything curry and this is no exception.  It might even be one of my favorite curry recipes.  Here's what you'll need {plus chicken}....

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 tsp curry powder

1 can unsweetened coconut milk {I used lite}

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained {I used the whole can}

2 tbsp tomato paste {1/2 small can}

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded

3 cups fresh spinach

salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and lightly salt.  Cook until soft. Add curry powder and cook 1 minute more.  Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and stir until heated through {3-4 min}.  

Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes.  It'll look like a lot, but you'll be surprised at how much it wilts down....

Salt to taste and serve over rice {or cauliflower rice!}.

*****

Now for the CAULIFLOWER "RICE" portion of this post....

If you're watching calories and/or carbs, you're gonna want to try this!  I was so excited when I discovered this little trick.

Just finely chop cauliflower with a knife or one of these handy-dandy hand choppers {you could probably use a food processor, but I've never tried that}....

Put chopped cauliflower in a microwave-safe glass bowl with a lid or one of these Pampered Chef Micro Cookers....

Do not add water!  Just microwave for 5-7 minutes and use in place of rice.  Here it is again for you to see....

Go ahead and try it!  It might just transform some of your favorite dishes into something a little more healthy!