Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

These little cuties are easy to make ahead and stick in the fridge until you’re ready to pop them in the oven before all your guests arrive.

Ingredients:
Canned Whole Green beans
Thinly sliced bacon
Catalina dressing (I used light)

Wrap 4-5 green beans with half a slice of bacon. Make the bundles and lay them in a casserole dish. Once all made, pour some dressing in there and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm!

SUNDAY SLOW COOKER: Super Bowl Salsa-Bean Dip

With Super Bowl Sunday looming around the corner, it's time to start planning that menu. This one is a quick fix you can throw in the crock-pot so you can concentrate on your other items. Requires little time to prep and easy to find ingredients.

Source: Weight Watchers Nov/Dec 2010 issue

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c salsa

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 c crumbled low-fat goat cheese

2 Tbs finely chopped red onion

1. Combine beans, salsa, garlic, cumin, and oregano in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are hot, 1-2 hours on high or 2-4 hours on low.

2. At end of cooking time, stir lime zest and juice into slow cooker. With large spoon or potato masher, coarsely mash bean mixture. If making ahead, keep warm on low or warm up to 2 hours. Stir in cilantro. Serve sprinkled with goat cheese and onion and garnished with cherry tomatoes (if using)

*I totally forgot the chopped onion and I thought it was still good. Oops!

Honey Bun Cake

Today I celebrate my birthday as well as being with Weight Watchers for six years!! No, it did not take me six years to lose my weight; but I still go to meetings on a regular basis, track what I eat and follow the Weight Watchers plan. Someone cannot be on a “diet” for six years….Weight Watchers is truly a way of life and I feel like I am living proof of that every day.

So…in celebration of two milestones in my life…I decided to make myself a cake! Of course I made alterations from the original recipe but I have been waiting for a special occasion to make this cake and it turned out GREAT!

Source: AllRecipes Cookbook
Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbl ground cinnamon
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
1 Tbl vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream. Stir by hand approximately 50 strokes or until most large lumps are gone. Pour half of the batter into an ungreased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter in the cake pan. Spoon the other half of the batter into the cake pan, covering the brown sugar and cinnamon. Swirl the cake with a knife until it looks like a honey bun.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting on cake while it’s still warm. Serve warm.

Substitutions:
Applesauce for oil
Fat free sour cream for regular
Egg beaters for eggs
I also found that 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with 2 tsp vanilla and 1/8 cup milk was sufficient for the icing

Happy whatever you may be celebrating!

Spiced Honey Pretzels

It never fails, after the Christmas/New Year’s season is gone and all of the chex mix making is complete….I find myself with a bag of pretzel sticks that I will never eat just by themselves.

So getting ready for some of my friends to get into town to help me celebrate my birthday, I decided to look for a way to “spice” them up and to have a nice new improved snack for us. I found a great new recipe in “Taste of Home’s Comfort Food Diet Cookbook” that turned boring hum drum pretzels sticks into something with a little hmmm, what is that?

Ingredients:
4 cups thin pretzel sticks
3 Tbl honey
2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder

Line a large baking pan with foil; coat with cooking spray. Place pretzels in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine honey, butter, onion powder and chili powder and mix well. I warmed mine up for about 20 secs so it would pour easier. Pour over pretzels; toss to coat evenly. Spread onto the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes, stirring once. Cool on a wire rack, stirring gently several times to separate.

*Note: I did find it quite odd putting sticks on a wire rack (hello! they’re just going to fall through), so I put a plate underneath to catch them when they did indeed fall through. It doesn’t take these interesting sticks long to cool off….so start breaking them up as soon as you take them out of oven. Also, don’t overcook them! They have honey and the sugars will burn.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes

Whenever I see "blueberries" in a recipe, my eyes are drawn towards it to see the other ingredients. I have found some spectacular recipes out there such as: Lemon-Blueberry Bread and Blueberry Cobblers and who can live without Blueberry Muffins. So when I found one for Blueberry pancakes, I thought, "Why not?"

I'm not a huge fan of pancakes because I find myself hungry in oh about an hour and then I think that was a waste of points, but I think these might stick just a little bit longer.

This one comes to us by a great line of books called "Eat This Not That". Actually, the recipe is in "Cook This Not That" but you can find more about them here.

Ingredients:- I altered for 2 servings (7 points plus). Feel free to adjust up if you are cooking for more.

1 cup frozen blueberries (I'm sure you could use fresh as well)

1/4 cup water

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta

1 egg

1/8 cup egg beaters

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (you can use white flour you just won't have as much fiber)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

*Mix the blueberries, water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 mins or until the blueberries begin to break apart. Whisk together the yogurt, ricotta cheese, eggs and lemon juice in a bowl.

*Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the yogurt mixture and stir just until blended. (This will not be the consistency of the pancake batter you are used to. MUCH thicker)

*Heat a large skillet and coat with cooking spray. Add batter in large spoonfuls. Flip the pancakes when the tops begin to bubble, 3-5 mins and cook the other side until browned. Serve with the warm blueberries.

*I made 4 large pancakes

You will notice there is no syrup in these instructions. I actually agree with that. Believe me, I tried it for you and don't add it. Takes away from the taste of the blueberry sauce.

If you think your sauce is a little too runny, use a few Tbls of the blueberry juice and mix with some cornstarch and then add back to the sauce, should thicken up.

White Bean Chili

When I first found this recipe in a magazine, I thought there would definitely be possibilities with this warm and fiber packed soup. But when I put it to the test I was more than pleased with the results. I altered it from the original one I found and this is what I came up with….enjoy!

Ingredients: makes three large servings

1 can great northern white beans
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
½ cup chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp chili powder
2/3 cup frozen or fresh corn (I used frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced (about 9 oz)
Monterey jack cheese- 1/3 cup is 1 serving

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except corn, chicken and cheese in a large pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are soft; stir in corn and chicken, and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

From this point, you can either add the cheese to the pot or divide into single servings and let the individuals add their own cheese.

I divided mine into single servings and then added 1/3 cup cheese to each. Total points plus with cheese is 9. Soup alone is 6 points plus.

Lemon-Blueberry Bread

After a long and stressful day at work, I decided to try one of the recipes I discovered looking for new material. I had all the ingredients on hand so it worked out great. In my eyes, there is nothing more relaxing than putting a few simple ingredients together and watching it turn into a wonderful smelling beautiful looking and magnificently tasting treat.

If you like the taste of lemon then you are sure to love this easy to make bread.

Source: All Recipes Cookbook
12 servings

Ingredients:
5 Tbl melted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 Tbl fresh lemon juice
2 eggs (1/2 cup egg beaters)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl grated lemon zest
½ cup milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbl lemon juice
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar


1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, beat butter, 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbl lemon juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in nuts and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbl lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on wire rack and serve!


Notes: I used egg beaters instead of eggs. Used chopped pecans instead of walnuts. I also used frozen blueberries. If you let them thaw, they’re going to turn your batter purple so use straight from the freezer or fresh.

Leek and Potato Soup

This versatile soup is good as a side dish, a warm creamy appetizer at a party or even as a main course.

Serves: 2-3 for main dish
Ingredients:
10 oz potato, peeled and chopped, about 2 cups
2 cups sliced leeks, about 2 leeks if using the green parts
3 cups water
¾ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
3 Tbl heavy whipping cream

Bring leeks, potatoes, water and salt to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender. To finish the soup, puree the soup through a food processor or blender and add cream. You can serve right from the blender or put back in the soup pot.

I tried to just use a potato masher but the blender is the way to go to get a thick creamy stick to your ribs soup.

*Note: If you don’t mind a green tint to your soup, feel free to use the stalks of the leeks. I also used a can of chicken broth in place of 14 oz of the water.

TUESDAY TIPS: Bean Facts

Edamame: Has nearly twice the protein of other beans and their soy protein will keep you feeling full for hours. Buy them at Sam's in individual microwave safe bags for a quick snack during the day or on the weekends.

Pinto Beans: Eating ½ cup a day is another great way to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Breakfast idea: mix a helping of beans in with your scrambled egg whites and salsa.

Black Beans: I’ve heard it but never tried it….Next time you’re whipping up a batch of brownies, substitute a 16oz can of pureed black beans for the eggs and oil. They also contain the cancer fighting antioxidant anthocyanin (as much as grapes or cranberries).

Navy Beans: High in calcium. One cup has almost 12% of the calcium needed each day; almost double any other type of bean.

Butter Beans and Lima Beans: Full of blood pressure lowering potassium

Red Beans and Kidney Beans: Have almost as much antioxidants as wild blueberries. Half a cup of these red beauties have almost the same amount of protein as 1 oz of red meat- without any of the fat or cholesterol.

Canned vs. dried:
*If you soak the dried beans it will loosen the skins which will reduce the amount of gas they cause.
*The US Dept of Agriculture considers dried beans a vegetable serving while canned beans are not
*A cup of dried beans has less than 10mg of sodium while a canned beans can have more than 700mg. If you use canned, reduce the sodium by rinsing the beans in a strainer for at least a minute.
*Dried beans cost less

Baked Potato with Chili

Ok, I know this looks like a big pile of chili but I promise there is a potato under there! This is a great go to for weekend lunches, sack lunch at work or even a quick mid-week dinner.

I used a 3 oz potato just to save on points but feel free to use a larger one; just remember to adjust your points accordingly.

Ingredients:
1 cup Hormel Vegetarian Chili with beans 99% fat free
1 baked potato
Green onions to taste
Scoop of sour cream

I don’t normally use canned chili but this is a great alternative if you are in a pinch and need something in a hurry. Hormel has lots of different varieties but last time I checked, this vegetarian bean chili was pretty conservative in the points department. An entire cup has only 4 points plus, making the entire meal 5 points plus! Pretty good for a warm and filling lunch.

*Note: Hormel has listed the serving size as one cup and it states there are two servings in the can….I didn’t get quite two cups, so next time I’ll probably cut it down to ¾ cup.

SUNDAY SLOW COOKER: Crock pot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 frozen chicken- giblets and neck removed

1 packet of onion soup mix

Place frozen chicken in crock pot, sprinkle onion soup mix on top, turn on low and leave for 8-9 hours! Yes, it is that simple and super good.

You'll leave roasting a whole chicken to someone else after you've tried this one. Never any question if the meat is done, no need for a thermometer or a knife to carve the bird. The meat falls off the bone and has wonderful flavor. The leftovers are even better and you can even use the carcass to make your own chicken broth.

Serve with green beans, salad and maybe even some macaroni and cheese. Remember, a serving a chicken is 3 oz....you would be surprised how fast you can eat 3 oz.

*Note: Do not add water....it may seem strange to put the bird in frozen but I promise, it will produce enough juice. I also use one of those handy crock pot liners, it definitely helps with clean up on this one.

Black Beans and Rice

This is one of my favorite staples for those nights/days I have nothing planned and don’t feel like a real time taker of a meal. A lot of the ingredients are personal preference so feel free to experiment and make it your own.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, semi-drained
Cooked rice- amount depends on the number of people you’re serving.

For the pico de gallo:
Cilantro
Tomato
Bell pepper
Red onion
Balsamic Vinegar- 2 Tbl
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Dry ground mustard- 1/8 tsp

This recipe is not precise at all….it’s all pretty much to taste so you’re just going to have to experiment. You can do it!!!

Cook the rice according to the directions. Meanwhile, warm the black beans and make the pico. Sometimes I add a little cumin to the beans for additional flavoring. Once rice is cooked and beans are warm you’re ready to go! I serve mine with 1 cup of rice, ½ cup black beans, couple spoonfuls of the pico and a dollop of fat free sour cream.

If your household looks at you like “what, are we vegetarian now?” I’m sure some grilled chicken would be an excellent addition. But I’m just simple and like it just like this. Enjoy!

Black beans: ½ cup is 2 points plus/2 points
Rice: 1 cup of white rice is 5 points plus/4 points
Pico de gallo: free

Broccoli Bacon Quiches

A breakfast quiche normally includes tons of cheese, eggs, milk and a flakey crust. This slimmed down version still has the cheese, eggs and milk but you’ll never miss the crust. The rest of the ingredients meld together nicely for a wonderful, filling and delicious meal that is sure to please your spouse or a crowd.

Source: Taste of Home Comfort Food diet cookbook
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
½ cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
½ cup reduced fat Swiss cheese
1 bacon strip, cooked and crumbled
½ cup egg substitute
½ cup half-and-half cream
1/8 tsp salt
Dash garlic powder (just a few sprinkles)
Dash lemon-pepper seasoning

Divide the broccoli, cheese and bacon between two 5-in. pie plates coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk the egg substitute, cream, salt, garlic powder and lemon-pepper. Pour over bacon mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

*I didn’t have two 5 inch pie plates so I just used a regular 9 inch and cooked it for 30 minutes.
*Substituted the Swiss cheese for some shredded some Parmesan. I also didn’t have any lemon pepper so I sprinkled a little Mrs. Dashs’ seasoning in there.
*Next time I’ll double the broccoli and maybe add some other stuff like chopped onions, bell peppers, mushrooms. The sky is endless with this one!! Canadian bacon would also be a good addition. And I’ll probably slim down on the ½ and ½ and see what happens.
*You could easily serve this to more than two people but I would suggest bulking up on the ingredients to make it go a little further. Feel free to serve with a side of toast, grapes or some oranges.

TUESDAY TIPS: The New Year

*With the new program, add fruit as much as possible. If nothing is in season, buy frozen and then defrost in little snack bags. I’ve been adding blueberries and strawberries to my morning cereal. My leader is adding apple to her yogurt. The road is endless!

*Have you ever tried anything OTHER than chips with cheese dip? Next time slice up some zucchini and try that. Raw zucchini has very little taste and is a great alternative to the unavoidable cheese dip.

*Water, water, water. It’s just as important in January as it is in July.

*Do weight loss for yourself. Make sure you give yourself the personal time and devotion it takes to get the weight off and keep it off. The most important piece of advice I have ever received from a leader was “Give the 30 minutes it takes to go to a Weight Watchers meeting to yourself. It’s your time to get away from the kids, spouse, cleaning, work or whatever keeps your mind busy all the other time. Give it to yourself.” And that’s what I think about every week when deciding to go or not….this is MY time!!

*With the New Year and the endless resolutions revolving around weight loss and diets, give Weight Watchers a chance. It’s been around forever, many doctors suggest it and it’s just a great way of life. This January will be my 6th year with the program and I’ve lost 80 lbs and still go to meetings. No…it didn’t take me six years to lose my weight…but attending meetings on a regular basis is something that I believe in very strongly and enjoy. Weight Watchers is not a diet, it truly is a way of life.

*Really evaluate what you are eating on a day to day basis. Get back to the basics….remember the food pyramid we all learned about in elementary? Get those fruits, vegetables, milks and proteins!

*Here’s to all of us having another successful year in whatever your resolution may be. Cheers from the Everyday Cook

Happy New Year!! How many of these traditions do you follow?

I'm sure all of us have our very own New Years food traditions....mine eating at least a spoon full of black eyed peas...but it seems like every year I hear of new ones so I thought I would share some interesting facts out about our traditions or superstitions if you may.

*Legumes: beans, peas and lentils are symbolic for money. Apparently different parts of the world choose different legumes....I.E- Brazilians have lentil soup; Japanese eat sweet black beans; Germans traditionally have lentil or split pea soup with sausage; and us Southerns in the United States, we eat Black Eyed Peas. This tradition traces back to the time of the Civil War in a small town in Mississippi. They ran out of food while under attack and apparently the residents of the city found some black eyes peas thus dawning the small legume "lucky".

*Pork: Symbolizing progress. The animal that continues to push forward, rooting itself in the ground before going forward. Again, a vast variety of pork dishes throughout the world but here in the U S of A, we eat it because we feel the rich fat of the meat is an indicator of wealth and prosperity.

*Cooked greens: green leaves look like money!!! And don't we all want just a little more of that from time to time. Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon; Germans enjoy sauerkraut (of course they would!) and the United States eats collard greens. Never tried collard greens?? Try this for a tasty green treat.

*Grapes: This one was a first for me. The people of Spain eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight....one for each bell tole. This interesting tradition started when there was a grape surplus in the country and it stuck. Each grape represents a different month and the goal is to consume all 12 grapes before the last stroke of midnight.

*Fish: Cod more specifically. This started long before the time of refrigeration and cod was easily preserved and transported. Danish eat boiled cod; Italians enjoy dried salt cod between Christmas and the New Year; The Polish and Germans consume herring at midnight; Japanese eat herring roe for fertility, shrimp for long life and dried sardines for a good harvest.

*Germans leave a little bit of food on their plate past midnight to guarantee a stocked pantry in the New Year. And the Philippines believe it is important to leave food on the table at midnight. Why?? Eat as much lucky food as you can, just don't get too greedy or you'll spend the first part of the New Year in the gym!

I hope everyone had there traditional food today because I sure ate my spoon full of black eyes peas and maybe next year I'll try for another one of these interesting traditions.

Source: Epicurious