Pina Colada Zuchinni Bread

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I just finished a boot camp workout at the gym and treated myself to a slice of this homemade goodness and I am feeling GOOD!!! I made the loaves and took them out of the oven just before I left. I gotta say that this is what I am doing with the rest of my zuchinni...watch out neighobrs because these are coming to your doorsteps! :)

Pina Colada Zuchinni Bread

4 cups flour (I used 2 all-purpose and 2 whole wheat)

3 cups sugar ( I used 1 1/2 white and 1 1/2 brown)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups canola oil (I substituted applesauce or you can even sub pureed white beans)

1 teaspoon each coconut, rum, and vanilla extracts

3 cups shredded zuchinni (FRESH FROM THE GARDEN:))

1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained REALLY well

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 cup coconut (optional)

Grease 3 loaf pans and preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, oil (or substitute) and extracts. Mix into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zuchinni and pineapple and nuts.

Transfer to prepared pans and sprinkle tops with toasted coconut(optional). Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool at least 10 min. before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Makes 3 delicious "what's your recipe" loaves!

Yummy Plummy Leather

I had an abundance of plums this week and I have officially finished them. I made 25 jars of plum jam and 2 large cookie sheets of fruit leather. It was soo easy and I was able to make it without making my house a sauna!!

YUMMY PLUMMY FRUIT LEATHER (or any fruit)

6-8 cups pureed fruit ( I pitted and put it in a fruit processor)

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Parchment or plastic lined baking sheets

Start by pureeing fruit until smoothie consistency. Add honey and lemon juice and stir in.

Line baking sheets with parchement or plastic wrap and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour fruit until 1/8 in thickness onto lined baking sheets.

INDOOR METHOD:

heat oven to 200 degrees and bake for 2-5 hours until dried out and dry to the touch.

OUTDOOR METHOD:

Place baking sheets on a flat surface outside where they will get lots of sunlight. Cover with a screen, cheesecloth or tulle to keep bugs or anything out without taking the sun away. Place a few cookie sheets covered with foil (shiny side out) to reflect sun onto leather. Let the sun bake it for 4-8 hours or until dry to the touch.

use a knife or pizza roller to cut leather into strips and wrap in wax paper or plastic. Make pieces as big or small as you like.

I stared out in the oven, but my house started to get really hot so I moved it outside. It was ready by the time naptime was over and my kids just ate it up!

Wannabe Chili's Margarita Chicken

Everytime that I go to Chili's, I get the same thing. Their margarita chicken and chips and salsa. I wanted to see if I could re-create the tasty dinner at home and so I got on the ball and came up with this!

Margarita Chicken Knock-off

1 1/2 lbs chicken

1 pkgs McCormick Grill Mates Mojito Lime marinade mix

1 1/2 cups white rice

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

8 oz pineapple chunks, diced

1 jalapeno pepper

5 oz cherry tomatoes, grilled

1 Tbsp vinegar

4 Tbsps olive oils, separated

1 cup whole kernal corn

Place chicken in a bag or pie plate with 2-3 Tbsp marinade mix and 1/2 cup pineapple juice from the can. Let sit to marinate. Grill unil juices run clear.

In a bowl, combine beans, jalapeno and diced pineapple chunks (reserve the remaining pineapple juice for the rice) Dice and add tomatoes and 1/2 cup corn with 1 tsp seasoning mix, vinegar, and 2 Tbsp oil.

In a 2 qt saucepan, heat oil and rice until browned. Add remaining pineapple juice with water (total 3 cups liquid) and remaining seasoning mix. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed into rice. Add remaining corn to rice when cooked through.

Serve 1 cup rice with 1/2 cup black bean salsa and top with grilled chicken.

It is less than 400 calories per serving and much cheaper to make than going out!

New Cookie recipe from an author that I LOVE!!!

So I was just browsing some of my favorite blogs and websites and came across this decadent cookie recipe that sounds like it is TO DIE FOR!!!! The webiste is through EVERYDAY FOOD STORAGE. and she just came up with a new cookbook that reduces fat and adds fiber with BEANS!!! I am excited to check the book out and take it for a spin. You can bet that it will be on Christmas list this year (if I don't give in and buy it before! :))

LOW FAT ULITIMATE DEATH BY CHOCOLATE COOKIE

1 pkg devils food cake mix

1/2 cup bean puree (white or black - pureed in processor or blender until smoothie like consistency)

2 eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 8 oz pkg cool whip (fat free)

1/2 pkg dark chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Combine half of the cake mix, beans, eggs and vanilla in mixer for 2 minutes or until thouroughly combined. Add in second half of cake mix unitl thouroughly combined. Drop balls of cookie dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10-13 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and drop sheet onto counter or stovetop from about 6-12 inches to flatten cookies and make them chewy. Allow to cool

mix cool whip and melted chocolate to make a mouse. Sandwich between 2 cookie.

Lemon Zester Cookies

I swear these are some of the easiest knock-offs EVER!!!! I really like going to Paradise Cafe for their AWSOME cookies! They have some of the tastiest Chocolate Chip Cookies (my knock off recipe to be posted soon!) and in the summertime, I look forward to the Lemon Zester cookies. I decided to try and make my own because I am a Cheap-o and The cookies are expensive at the store. Here is my knock off recipe!

Lemon Zester Cookies (like Paradise Cafe)

1 box lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil (for chewier version - if you like them crumbly, use cold shortening)

1/4 cup lemon zest

Easy peasy...mix it all together and shape into balls. Bake at 375 for 7-11 minutes or until set around the edges. When the cookies are done, drop the cookie sheet about 4 inches to cooling rack. Let cool 1-5 minutes and remove from sheet.

Have a bowl or plate of powdered sugar right there and just cover cookie in the powdered sugar or else sprinkle over the tops before they are completely cooled.

Its as simple as that. I had 2-3 dozen cookies made and plated in 30 minutes....perfect for moments when you forget that you volunteered desserts for a party!

Curry Chickpea Quinoa

SO I have to give someone else the credit for coming up with this recipe. I actually got it from the July 2011 issue of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Recieving these magazines is actually what got me off my fanny and got me cooking even in the summer heat (I am really stingy and do not turn on my air conditioning unless it is making my kids uncomfortable). For those of you who are not familiar with quinoa, it is a very high protein grain that cooks up like rice or couscous.

This recipe took me 20 minutes from start to finish and its a good thing. My husband had to get to work and the cafeteria at his work is under construction, so hello brown bag! I had 25 minutes to get him out the door and luckily, I had a leftover bbq chicken breast in the fridge and some carrots for the veggie, but he needs something substantial to help fill him up...enter todays recipe!!!

Curry Chickpea Quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup orange juice

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 medium tomatoes, shopped

1 medium bell pepper, julienned

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 small red onion, finely chopped (I left this out as my husband does not like onions)

1/2 cup raisins or craisins

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, bring water and juice to a boil. Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, pepper, quinoa, onion, raisins, and curry. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cilantro.

This healthy side makes 8 servings (3/4 cups each) and has 178 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 78 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrates; 4.5 g fiber and 6 g protein.

Key Hanger in 30 min

I have been feeling really lazy lately and decided that tonight I am going to make something. My husband is working late and so I had about and hour until he got off. In that time, I managed to make something useful and not too shabby if I do say so myself
It was super easy to make and it only took 30 minutes from start to finish.

Step 1: gather materials
Step 2: Sand wood block
Step 3: Prime wood with sealer
Step 4: Paint the block
Step 5: Glue or Mod Podge KEY writing onto block
Step 6: Seal the paper onto block and finish the whole block
Step 7: Screw key hooks onto bottom of the block
Step 8: Hang and give yourself a pat on the back!

Healthified Sloppy Joes

So as of this week, my husband has lost 30 lbs on good ol' home cooking and regular exercise. This blog has actually played a big part in that . Having it actually inspired me to try new recipes or take older ones and "healthify" them. I have found a few blogs to help there and wanted to share one with my readers. I love this one because it is run by a registered dietitian that just wants to raise healthy eaters. I changed just a few things and doubled the recipe so that I have another night's dinner already cooked

Healthified Sloppy Joes!

1 lb. ground turkey, beef or vegetarian ground meat,

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 red or yellow bell pepper, finely diced (I used a yellow and several small sweet peppers)

1 large carrot, grated

2 large tomatoes, diced (or 15 oz tomato sauce)

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. ketchup

8 whole wheat buns, (I used sandwich Thins)
Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat in its own juices until it is almost cooked through. . Drain off the excess liquid, if necessary, and add the diced vegetables to the skillet. Sauté the mixture for 2 minutes and add all the remaining ingredients, except the buns. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer it for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. At this point you can refrigerate or freeze the mixture, or proceed to the next step.
To serve the sandwiches, lightly toast the buns and fill each one with a large spoonful of the meat mixture.

I used to have a pretty picky eater, but he ate this right up so I am thinking that the pickiness was subdued by the tasty sloppy Joes!

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values)

(with turkey)

Calories: 261

Total Fat: 10g, 15%

Saturated Fat: 2g, 5%

Cholesterol: 40mg, 15%

Sodium: 550mg, 22%

Total Carbohydrate: 30g, 10%; Dietary Fiber: 4g, 16%; Sugar: 5g

Protein: 17g

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!