Pear Cranberry bars

I saw a recipe similar to this in a Kids Cooking magazine a while back. I was burning a candle tonight that smelled like toasted apple butter and that made me want a sweet treat that comibined apples with other good things like oatmeal. I realized that I didn't have enough apples to make the original, but I had some pears that I peeled and sliced a while back in my freezer. Now this is what happens when I crave something and don't have the ingredients to make it!

PEAR CRANBERRY BARS

CRUST:

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup toasted almonds or pecans, chopped

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of baking powder

3 Tbsp mashed white beans (the recipe called for butter, but I wanted my healthy boost)

3 Tbsp applesauce (the recipe originally calls for oil, but why not healthify it??)

FILLING:

4 apples (or in my case, pears), diced

1/4 cup craisins or raisins

2 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup or brown sugar)

1 Tbsp whole wheat flour

Mix the dry ingredients for the crust together in 1 bowl. Add mashed beans and applesauce and mix until crumbly. Press half of the crust into the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan.

Add filling ingredients in a different bowl and mix well.

Dump onto crust and top with remaining crust from the bowl and pat down.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes for fresh apples or 30 minutes for frozen.

It tastes kinda like apple pie with a twist. When serving, I like to serve the pieces upside down. It just looks a little nicer to me!

This recipe has 215 calories for each piece, with 5 grams of fiber and 2.5 grams of protein.

Healthified Chicken Pockets

Since my hubby and I started our diets, we have really had to sacrifice. I managed to make one of our favorite dinners a little healthier. One serving is 318 calories and 20 gr. of protein. I added a litte carrot for a boost of beta carotene and just to get some veggies in!

Healthified Chicken Pockets - 8 servings - 2 crescents=1 serving

1-1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded

8 oz fat free cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp I can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup crushed croutons

1 carrot, grated

cilantro

pepper

2 pkgs reduced fat crescent rolls

shred chicken and place in a bowl with softened cream cheese and melted margarine. Add milk and stir. Grate carrots into the mixture. Crush croutons into crumbs and add. Cut cilantro and mix into filling. Spoon onto uncooked crescents and roll up like a normal crescent.Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

To make the filling a little more flavorful, you can add craisins and celery and make it like a yummy Thanksgiving dinner in a crescent!

Tasty Tacos with Black Bean Mango Salsa

TOnight I was feeling a little experimental and I think the fruits of my labors were delicious! Easy too!

We had chicken hard shelled tacos with a black bean, corn, and mango salsa.

Step 1: take corn tortillas and fry them up into shells in olive oil.

Step 2. Make Salsa:

1 can black beans

1 can whole kernel corn

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 mango, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

juice from 1 lime

MIX TOGETHER AND LET SIT 20 MIN

Step 3: Prepeare chicken (mine was bbq-ed last week and frozen so that made it easy)

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and chunked or shredded

1/2 tomato, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1-2 TBSP taco seasoning

COMBINE AND FILL SHELLS. TOP WITH SALSA!

The surprising thing about this dinner is that my picky 2 year old sat down and ate it right up (I guess it helps that I tell him everything in it will make his muscles bigger)

MOODY bars (aka PMS Bars)

Every now and then people need a sweet pick me up. I wanted to share my new pick-me-up with others so they can satisfy that craving for sweet, salty, and a good amount of fat in there!

MOODY BARS!

(aka PMS cookie bars)

1 box of yellow or white cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup butter (I used I can't believe its not butter)

2 TBSP water

1/2 chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips (or if you want to keep it simple, use all chocolate)

topping:

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, heated in microwave for 30 seconds

1/2 cup hot fudge sauce

1/2 carmel sauce

1 chopped candy bar of your choice

mix the cake mix with egg, butter,water, and chips. Pour batter into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

While the cookie is still hot, pour hot peanut butter on top. Heat the hot fudge and carmel and pour over peanut butter. Spread toppings over the entire cookie. Chop/Crush cand bar and sprinkle over the top. It is a VERY rich dessert, but worth the calories in my opinion!

Sugar Free Mini Pavlovas

Perfect little place to put some fresh fruit! My mom actually made these a few years ago for me and I really like them! The vanilla in them takes away from the artifical sugar taste and these literally melt in your mouth.

Sugar Free Mini Pavlovas

4 egg whites

1 cup Splenda + 4 Tbsp

1 tsp vanilla

Whip in mixer until stiff peaks form. Spoon or use a ziplock to squeeze pavlovas onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes and 250 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool

Top with Sugar Free whipped cream (recipe below) and fresh berries.

SUGAR FREE WHIPPED CREAM

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp Splenda

whip until stiff

Sugar Free Sub"Lime" Strawberry Sauce

For my usual breakfast for dinner tradition on Sunday nights, My wonderful husband made me French Toast(with my favorite recipe!! :) ) To top the toast, I made a sauce/chutney the night before and was taken back by the flavor combination. I had heard that strawberries and limes went well together, but I had no idea how well.

SUBLIME STRAWBERRY SAUCE

1 lb fresh strawberries cut into slices (I actually like chunks to make it like a chutney)

juice and zest of 2 key limes

1/2 cup Splenda (I like it sweet, but 1/4 cup will do)

THATS IT!!!! Combine the ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes. Use as a topping for pancakes, waffles, french toast, shortcake, etc... or as a filling for crepes and other yummy stuff!

Green and Bean Chicken Quesadillas

With my spring garden prep going on, I have a nice patch of spinach growing. It comes back every year and I LOVE IT!!! I am surpised at how well those little seeds keep on producing(I have extra seeds if anyone is interested). The best part about these leafy greens is that they produce while it is still cold outside so I don't have to worry about a May Frost taking them away! To use up some of the leaves, I came up with a Green and Bean Chicken Quesadilla.

GREEN AND BEAN CHICKEN QUESADILLA

6 whole wheat tortillas

1 LARGE cooked chicken breast (I grilled mine up the other day while the BBQ was fired up)

1 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves

1 can diced green chiles

On a medium/hot skillet, place a tortilla sprinkled with cheese on and add some chicken, beans, spinach, and chiles and a little more cheese and cook until slightly melted. Place another tortilla over the top and use a pan to press the tortillas together. Flip and cook until both sides have browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with other tortillas. Cut into 6 pieces per quesadilla and serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole!