Frozen Lemon Pie

Wow I made a third pie tonight. This one is an old favorite among Weight Watchers. You can probably do this with Key Lime juice as well. This one you can make ahead and freeze taking it out shortly before serving to your guests.


Frozen Lemon Pie
(Weight Watcher Points per serving = 3 )

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 (11 oz) fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) fat free whipped topping, thawed
Juice of three lemons

Mix together the condensed milk, the whipped topping and the lemon juice. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover and freeze until frozen. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.


Enjoy,
Patti

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Well was up late going through some healthy recipes looking for something yummy to make. I found this recipe and I had all the ingredients and decided to make it. I wasn't too sure how it would turn out but I think it came out pretty tasty for a light treat and each square is only 3 points for Weight Watcher followers.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake
(Weight Watcher Points per serving = 3)

1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

Combine the dry cake mix and the pineapple, including juice. Mix well. Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes

Yield: 12 servings


Enjoy!
Patti

Key Lime Pie

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that I am using to make for my group tomorrow night. As it was baking it smelled so yummy. I also used it to make a Lemon Pie as well.

Key Lime Pie
(Weight Watcher points per serving = 5)

6 oz graham cracker pie crust
14 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk
8 oz fat-free egg substitute
8 oz fat-free whipped topping, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, from key limes


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place graham cracker crust on a baking sheet; set aside.

Whisk together condensed milk, egg substitute and lime juice. Pour mixture into crust.

Bake until center looks set but still slightly quivery, like gelatin, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely, about 1 to 2 hours.

Spread whipped topping over cooled pie. Cut into 10 slices and serve.

Enjoy,
Patti

Frozen Cheesecake Bites

I am hoping to try to make this recipe within the next week. As some of you may know I am now on the Weight Watchers program full time. So I am on the hunt for yummy low point goodies. I love cheesecake but am trying to find ways to satisfy that craving without binging on cheesecake. I am going to try these and it looks like they can be kept in the freezer and taken out as wanted.


Frozen Cheesecake Bites
(Weight Watcher points = 2 points per serving)

3 pkgs (8oz ea) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
9 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup English toffee bits, crushed

Line the bottom of a 9-in springform pan with parchment paper; coat paper and sides of pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Cover and freeze overnight.

Remove from the freezer and let stand for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with cream; stir until blended. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until the mixture reaches spreading consistency, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and remaining sugar. Using a melon baller, scoop out 1 in ball of the cheesecake; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Top each with a heaping teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Sprinkle crumb mixture over half of the balls, and toffee bits over remaining balls. Cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.

Yield. 5 1/2 dozen. Serving size: 1 cheesecake bite.

I'm back!

Ok folks, I've been away for awhile. I am sorry. But I am back now and now I am on Weight Watchers trying to lose weight. So I will be researching healthier meal ideas and will be back to posting on here soon! I pray you will forgive my absence and look forward to new and interesting meal ideas.

Take care and enjoy,
Patti

Apple Pie Smoothie

In my effort to eat healthier and hopefully lose weight, I have been searching for good and healthy recipes. I found this smoothie recipe on 24 hour fitness' website. It is soooooooooooooooooooooo good!!!

Apple Pie Smoothie
(Weight Watcher Points per serving = 5)

1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
8 ounces nonfat milk
2 tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate
dash ground cinnamon
1/2 whole green apple, seeded and cut in pieces

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. You can add ice while blending if desired.

Makes 1 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces

Enjoy!
Patti

Monterey Jack Casserole

Hello all, I apologize for not posting in awhile. I have been eating a lot of freeze ahead meals. Now I will be working on finding a lot more healthier recipes as I am making more of an effort to eat healthier. This was well enjoyed at a pot luck I took this to recently.

Monterey Jack Casserole
(Weight Watcher points per serving = 16 without sour cream)

1 lb ground beef
1 Tablespoon instant minced onion
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 can (15 oz) mild enchilada sauce
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup (6 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In skillet, brown ground beef. Add onion; reduce heat and saute 5 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in kidney beans.

Place 2 cups crushed tortilla chips in bottom of greased 1 1/2 quart dish. Layer ground beef mixture over chips. Pour enchilada sauce over beef. Top with cheese.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Sprinkle remaining corn chips over top of casserole. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Top individual servings with sour cream, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Fabulous Feta Salad

This was a very yummy and filling salad. It makes a ton of salad, but if you make the salad before hand wait until before serving or allow people to add the dressing themselves according to their own taste. I waited till before I ate the salad to put on the dressing and then I did on my individual plate. This recipe makes for 9 servings so I didn't want the dressing to make the lettuce wilted after awhile. I would recommend this as I mentioned before, it was a very filling meal.


Fabulous Feta Salad
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 4)

2 1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup cubed cooked chicken (I used canned chicken)
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, romaine, chicken and Feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Serves 9

Enjoy!
Patti

Mushroom Feta Pasta

This is a very yummy recipe. I got the Feta cheese on sale at Trader Joes and though the recipe called for angel hair pasta, I used macaroni pasta as I had a ton of that. And I found at the 99 cent store a chicken broth that had the white wine in it so I was set, also I used regular feta cheese instead of tomato and feta cheese but I went with what was on sale and it was still good.

I highly recommend this pasta salad. It would be good at a pot luck (but I would make more than one batch). It will be great for lunch for the next few days and dinner one night.


Mushroom Feta Pasta
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 5)

4 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 pkg (4 oz) crumbled tomato and feta cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add the wine or broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook uncovered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until liquid is evaporated.

Drain pasta. Stir into mushroom mixture; sprinkle with feta. Toss to coat.

Serves 4


Enjoy,
Patti

Spicy Sour Cream Chicken

This was terrific, the two ladies whom I made dinner for tonight gave it a 10 out of 10. I only cooked this 6 hours but if I had let it cook the full 8 I know I could have shredded the chicken and made a taco from it. I got this recipe from a Weight Watcher recipe group. I couldn't believe something that was only 4 points would be as good as it was. It suggests that you make rice or noodles for the sauce but I found you didn't need it. It was great as it was. We made baked fries to go with it which were another 4 points so our total meal was 8 points. Which was great. So I highly recommend this recipe and the ladies I cooked for would enjoy it again.


Spicy Sour Cream Chicken
(Weight Watcher points per serving 4)

Ingredients:

32 Ounces boneless, skinless, Chicken Breast
1 package Taco Seasoning Mix
1 cup salsa
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Water
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray. Put in the chicken. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Top with salsa. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Place about 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a little water. Stir well. Stir the cornstarch into the liquid. Stir in 1/4 cup fat free sour cream. Stir well.


Enjoy!
Patti

Italian Beef Roast

This was a pretty good roast. Especially when you got to the cloves of garlic, after they had been cooking in the crock pot all day they were so yummy. Though next time I may add more, but then I've always been a big garlic lover. I also used Mrs. Dash instead of salt to cut back on the salt intake.

Italian Beef Roast
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 7)

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4 lb) lean rump roast
2 tsp salt, divided
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (12 oz) can beef broth
1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

Set rump roast in slow cooker. Using a sharp knife, cut four 1 1/2" to 2" deep slits into top of roast. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt into each cut. Place 1 garlic clove in each cut and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cheese over garlic in each cut.

Pour beef broth over roast and sprinkle with dried oregano. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours. To serve, remove roast from slow cooker. Cut roast into slices or shred meat. Divide shredded meat on buns. Ladle remaining liquid into individual bowls and serve with sandwiches for dipping.

Serves 6 to 8.

Enjoy,
Patti

Sicilian Casserole

This was sooooooo good. This one beats the Casserole Italiano by a landslide. The addition of the cream cheese and the sour cream to the macaroni noodles gave it such a great flavor. Two thumbs WAY up on this recipe!!!!!

Sicilian Casserole
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 10)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 cups elbow macaroni
8 oz pkg cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brown ground beef and onion in heavy saucepan, stirring to break up ground beef. Add green bell pepper when beef is almost cooked; continue to simmer until beef is done. Drain well. Add to the beef mixture in the large saucepan, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, and dried Italian seasoning, stir well to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.

Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. While macaroni is cooking, combine cream cheese and milk in a medium bowl. Cook in microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove from microwave and stir with a wire wish until sauce begins to thicken and blends to form a smooth sauce. Drain noodles and combine with cream cheese mixture and half the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine.

In a 2 quart casserole dish, place all of the cream cheese mixture. Top with all of the ground beef mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until casserole is bubbly.

To freeze ahead, add 1 Tbsp cornstarch to cream cheese sauce. Prepare casserole as directed but instead of baking, chill in the refrigerator. Wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake covered, for 25-35 minutes (5 minutes longer) until bubbly.

Serves 8

Enjoy! (I know I did)
Patti

Lemon Blossoms

This yummy recipe is a Paula Deen recipe. I made this during the past year for a tea for cancer survivors. This is a very yummy and fragrant dessert. The serving size is 3 mini blossoms which is a very satisfying amount. I would make this again for a gathering to be enjoyed.


Lemon Blossoms
(Weight Watcher points per serving (3 blossoms) is 8 points)

Ingredients

1 (18 1/2 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 (3 1/2 oz) package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:

4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon zested
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel

To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.

With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.

Makes 5 dozen cakes.

Enjoy,
Patti

BBQ Cola Ham

This was sooo yummy. The ham was so tender and juicy from sitting in the crock pot all day. This is definately on my keeper list. I can imagine making this for a holiday meal for sure. You can reduce the calories I am sure by using the Splenda brown sugar and possibly Diet Coke instead of regular Coke. Also make sure you use a low sodium ham for best flavor.


BBQ Cola Ham
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 12)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup cola (Coca Cola)
3 to 4 lb pre-cooked ham

Directions:

Combine brown sugar and mustard. Moisten with cola to make a smooth paste. Reserve remaining cola. Score ham with shallow slashes in a diamond pattern. Rub ham with mixture. Place ham in crock pot and add remaining cola. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Enjoy!
Patti

Pizza Spaghetti Style

I can only say one thing about this dish. YUMMM-O!!!! Sorry to borrow Rachael Ray's favorite saying but I took one bite of this and it was sooooo good. I thought the woman who wrote that when you are craving pizza this will cure the craving. I can see it now. This is a dish that you can definately make ahead and either have in the refrigerator a couple days before, or you can freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months ahead. This is going to be a favorite with me.

Pizza Spaghetti Style
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 11)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced or 2 cup chopped green bell pepper
26 oz jar of pasta sauce
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 lb spaghetti pasta, broken into 2" pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (5oz) package sliced pepperoni
3 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend I had on hand, but you can use an Italian blend)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of water to boil for cooking spaghetti. Cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in a large heavy skillet until beef is browned and crumbled. Drain well, then add pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning; stir well and let simmer while preparing spaghetti.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain spaghetti, and in the pot you used to cook the spaghetti, mix the eggs and milk until well blended. Then toss the cooked spaghetti pasta back into the pot with the egg and milk mixture and toss until well coated. Spread half of the spaghetti/egg/milk mixture into the bottom of a 13"x9" glass baking dish. Top with half of sauce and beef mixture. Repeat layers.

To freeze ahead, cool the casserole in the refrigerator. When cold, wrap well, label and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350F for 40-50 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and edges of the casserole bubble.

To refrigerate overnight and bake the next day, cover the casserole and chill for 2 to 24 hours. When ready to eat, cover, and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and edges of the casserole bubble.

If baking without freezing or refrigerating, cover, and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and edges of the casserole bubble.

When baked, let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve. Makes 10 servings.

Cake Mix Cookies

This is a definite tried and true recipe in my house. I always keep a box of cake mix on hand for you never know when you have to make a dessert, so if you have to make a batch of cookies in a hurry, grab your favorite cake mix from your cupboard and have fun! You can also make the dough ahead of time and freeze it in an air tight container, just defrost before you bake.

Cake Mix Cookies
(Weight Watcher points per Serving of 2 cookies a serving = 6)

1 box cake mix (pick your favorite flavor)
2 eggs
1/4 pound (or 1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 to 1 cup of nuts/chips/what you would use to compliment the mix

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Drop into tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. It often works better if you let the dough sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up a bit more, then you can roll the dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes at least 1 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookies.


Enjoy,
Patti

Ice Cream Bread

I was craving ice cream today so I splurged at the store on the way home tonight. When I was standing in front of the ice cream freezers at the store I remembered this recipe I wanted to try called Ice Cream Bread. It had only two ingredients and sounded interesting. The people I received the email from on a recipe group raved about it.

Honestly, I thought it sucked! It was easy to make, but the bread did not rise at all and when I cut into it after it cooled, it was still gooey at the bottom even though when I inserted a toothpick into it, it came out clean.

This is definitely a recipe I will NOT make again. Feel free to try it if you like, maybe you will have better results.


Ice Cream Bread
(Weight Watcher Points per slice 3)

Ingredients:

1 pint premium ice cream, softened (I used Ben & Jerry's Triple Caramel Chunk)
1 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Blend together in a mixing bowl, the softened ice cream and the flour. When thoroughly mixed, pour into a well greased loaf pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool then slice into 1-inch slices and serve.

Enjoy,
Patti

Chicken Divan Casserole

This was a pretty good recipe.  I made it early in the day and refrigerated it, but it looks like it could be made ahead in a aluminum pan and frozen to be thawed in the refrigerator and cooked the day you want it.  It says it serves 4 but I believe that you can get out of it 5 one cup servings out of this dish.  My friend whom I made it for said they wouldn't mind having it again, and that this was definitely a keeper recipe.

Chicken Divan Casserole
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 13)

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen rice medley
1 (10 oz) pkg broccoli with cheese or butter sauce
1 (12.5 oz) canned cooked chicken,drained
2 cups garlic Parmesan Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook rice and broccoli as directed on packages. Spread rice medley in the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with broccoli with sauce and chicken. Spoon the Alfredo sauce over the dish, and then sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until casserole bubbles around the edge and food is thoroughly heated. Serves 4-5 people.

Enjoy,
Patti

Casserole Italiano -- the long awaited recipe

Well this I now consider a make ahead recipe.  I had a late lunch at Chili's yesterday so I wasn't feeling like eating at dinner time.  So I went ahead and made up the recipe and put the pan in the refrigerator to bake today.  I put it in thinking I would make it for lunch for some friends but they could not stay after my hair cut.  But it is good and I will have it for dinner and lunch for the next few days. =)

It is pretty good, kind of a tomato-y beefy macaroni dish.  Once I put it in the oven it took only 45 minutes to cook and that was straight from the fridge to the oven.  I would say this was a definite make again dish!


Casserole Italiano
(Weight Watcher Points per serving 9)

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 pounds lea ground sirloin (I used really lean ground beef)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
8-ounce package elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1 can (3 oz) button mushrooms, drained
1 can (8.75 oz) tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with italian seasoning, drained
1/2 cup grated fat free parmesan cheese

Preheat ove to 375 F.

In a large skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, saute onion and green pepper over medium heat until tender.

Add ground round, cooking until brown.  Add salt, pepper, oregano and Worcestershire sauce.

In a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish, combine cooked macaroni, ground round mixture, mushrooms, tomato soup and diced tomatoes.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle cheese on top and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and brown.

Makes 6 servings.

NOTE:  If you are watching your salt intake, instead of the salt and pepper, I used 2 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash, and it tasted great!


Enjoy,
Patti

Hey there

Sorry folks, have been called out of town this weekend. I will be cooking as soon as I get home tomorrow. I am sorry for the delay.

Enjoy,
Patti

The next five recipes I will try.

Ok, I was going to start with making the recipes tomorrow but I just found out tonight that I am going to be taking someone out of town up the coast for the weekend. So I won't be cooking until Monday. But these are the next five recipes that will be made.

1. Casserole Italiano
2. Crock Pot BBQ Cola Ham
3. Sicilian Casserole
4. Chicken Divan
5. Pizza Spagetti Bake

So keep an eye out on the blog next week starting Monday!!!!! Sorry for the delay though, I am really looking forward to making these goodies and trying them out.

Talk to you all soon,

Enjoy,
Patti

You might be wondering...

If I am going to make the Casserole Italiano tonight after the closing of the poll. The answer to that is no. But, before you get that frustrated look on your face, let me explain. I am setting this day aside for meal planning, grocery list making and basic organization for my challenge to myself. I am hoping if I get all this done I will be able to run to the store and pick up everything and be prepared. I am looking at making more freeze ahead meals and trying to figure out how to post tips and suggestions that I have found to be helpful. So please bear with me today, tomorrow I should be back up to posting recipes and comments. I shall be making the casserole tomorrow.

Thank you and enjoy,
Patti

Impossible Easy Coconut Pie

This is a super quick and easy dessert dish to make. I have had it many times before, but this is the first time I've ever made it. It was greatly enjoyed by all.

Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie
(Weight Watcher points per serving 8)

Ingredients

1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick (I used Jiffy Baking mix which is the same thing)
1/4 butter or margarine, softened
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate with shortening or vegetable spray.

In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients until blended. (You can also mix the ingredients into a blender as well). Pour into pie plate.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown and when you insert a knife into the center of the pie and it comes out clean. Cover and refrigerate remaining pie.

Serves 6 to 8 depending on size of slices.

Enjoy,
Patti

Tonights posting will be on....

An impossible coconut pie. I have had this many times before but have never made it myself. So I thought what the heck, as I have friends who I am treating to the Beef Tamale Pie made in the crock pot, I should bring them a dessert as well. Well right now looking at the poll, it looks like the dish I will be making next will be the Casserole Italiano. But we still have voting time left so we shall see. Thank you for all of you who are following this blog... See you tonight when I post the recipe for the pie...

Enjoy,
Patti

Kluck Kluck Pretzel Chicken

Even though this recipe has a funny name, this was a wonderful recipe. My only suggestion is when prepare the chicken and put it in to cook right away, make sure the chicken is thoroughly thawed and is not chilled, you may want to let it sit out for about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven. The colder the meat is I found tonight the longer it took to cook. As I had prepared the chicken several hours before it was to be cooked, I had put it in the refrigerator. Because the meat was chilled I had to cook it for an additional 5-8 minutes. And I made two batches, one with regular mustard and one batch with deli mustard (spicy brown mustard) The friends I served this dinner to, loved them both but if they had to pick a favorite the chicken with the regular mustard had more of a pronounced flavor. But I think this easy 3 ingredient recipe will become a favorite.


Kluck Kluck Pretzel Chicken
(Weight Watcher points per serving 8)

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup prepared mustard
2 cups crushed pretzels

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chicken into 2-inch strips. Pour mustard into a shallow bowl. Using a brush, coat the chicken strips with the mustard on both sides. Roll the coated chicken in the crushed pretzels. Place the chicken on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve on a platter with extra mustard for dipping and frilly-ended or theme-ended toothpicks.

Makes 4 servings

Enjoy,
Patti

The results of the first poll --- Kluck Kluck Chicken

Well thanks for all who voted! It seems tonight I will be making Kluck Kluck Chicken. It won by 3 votes. I will give you a little insight into the dish. It will be a 5 ingredient or less dish (actually only 3 ingredients) The recipe is very simple and requires no exotic ingredients. Keep posted for the recipe and the review!

Thanks again, I hope you will all participate in the next poll.

Enjoy!
Patti

Added Weight Watcher Points to the recipes

It has been requested by many of you reading this blog that I include the Weight Watcher Points for the recipes. Thanks to the help of a good friend, I was able to access the Weight Watcher calculator. Please keep in mind that these point totals I have posted are for regular and not light or fat free items. If you use these items it will reduce the amount of points per serving. If you email me privately at (prbrat@aol.com) I can get you the information for the reduce calorie items in the recipes.

I hope this helps many of you with your cooking!

Enjoy!
Patti

Wow, Who would have thought?

When I started this blog, I didn't think too many people would be that excited, but wow, you all sure surprised me! Just an update, will be back in the kitchen tomorrow and will be posting again tomorrow. I am looking into finding a way to get the nutritional information and Weight Watcher points for each of the recipes so be sure to check back on the older recipes. Thank you all of you who have voted in the poll. I will be putting up a poll at least once a week to allow you all more input into what recipes are posted. I will also be putting more detail on the poll question for example, if it is a 5 ingredient or less, Freeze Ahead, Crock Pot, or Microwave meal. Please be sure to let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.


Enjoy,
Patti

Beef Mushroom Spagetti Bake

This dish I made tonight. It was good and it is a great dish to make and freeze ahead for those nights when you are pressed for time. The only thing I was disappointed with about this dish was the fact that based on the title, you would think you would taste some sort of mushroom flavor. I didn't. The cream of mushroom soup gave it a great creamy flavor and texture but the tomato sauce over powered the mushroom flavor and totally masked it. I will make this again, but I think I may just call it a Spagetti Bake with Beef. I am thinking of altering the recipe completely and making a chicken alfredo bake using the same concept. If I do, I'll be sure to post the recipe. =)

Beef Mushroom Spagetti Bake
(Weight Watcher Points 16 per serving)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup water
1 package (7 ounces) thin spaghetti, cooked and drained

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, soup and water. Add spaghetti; toss to coat.

Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator. Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.

Enjoy,
Patti

Beef Stroganoff (version 2)

Between this recipe and the one I posted before. This one was my favorite! When I found it on the Safeway website, I didn't think it would be tangy but it was and it blew me away! I tweaked it a little and added half a tablespoon more of the Worcestershire sauce and it made it so much better. What leftover there were, were quickly eaten and even cold was delicious! This is on my high list of keepers. I may even include it as a favorite of mine in a future version of my family's cookbook.


Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
(Weight Watcher Points 19 per serving)

Ingredients:

1 lb cubed beef stew meat (you can also use frozen meatballs if that is what you have)
1 (10.75 oz) can of Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 oz cream cheese
Approx 8 oz cooked wide egg noodles (do not cook until ready to serve)

Directions:
In a slow cooker, combine meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese before serving.

Pour the stroganoff over the cooked egg noodles and serve

You're gonna love this one!
Patti

Beef Tamale Pie

This one I was so good. I made last night for a friend of mine and she absolutely loved it. She looked at me and said, this recipe is a keeper. I made it mild as she does not like things too spicy so instead of the hot enchilada sauce, I used mild. But if you ever decide to make it you can use the more spicy sauce. You might begin to notice I have been using the crock pot a lot. I love it because you can do a bit of prep work throw it in the pot turn it on and forget it for awhile. And with meat it makes it so tender and more often than not, juicy too.


Beef Tamale Crock pot Pie
(Weight Watcher Points 17 per serving)

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 6-oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

In nonstick skillet, cook ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat
until meat is cooked. Drain thoroughly and stir in drained kidney beans and
enchilada sauce. Pour into 3-4 quart crockpot.

In large bowl, mix together corn muffin mix, milk, butter and egg just until
combined. Then add cheese and chilies, including chili liquid. Spoon over
beef in crockpot.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until a toothpick inserted
in the corn bread mixture comes out clean. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

4 servings

Enjoy,
Patti

Beef Stronganoff Casserole (version 1)

I found this recipe in my emails. When I started going through all the emails I had saved over the years, I found in all the recipe folders I created, I had over 6,000 emails. So slowly I have been working my way in going through them and finding recipes that interested me. I found this one right away and put it on my list of dishes to try.

I have always loved this dish as a kid and was eager to make it. It was really good, I liked the fact that it was everything put in the crock pot and forget it. But the only thing I didn't like about it was it wasn't as tangy as I thought it would be with the sour cream. And make sure you stop cooking it after 6 hours otherwise the sauce/broth begins to evaporate and the noodles get too soggy.

Beef Stroganoff Casserole
(Weight Watcher Points 8 per serving)

Ingredients:

2 lbs chuck roast, cubed in 2-3 inch cubes or 1 (8 oz) bag of frozen meatballs.
Approx 6 oz uncooked wide egg noodles
1 (16 oz) can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 (8 oz) can of beef broth
8 oz warm water
4 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp of Mrs Dash Onion & Herb blend as I try to cut back on salt)

Directions:

In crock pot, add meat cubes, salt and pepper, and then the uncooked noodles on top of the meat. Then add beef broth, water, sour cream and mushroom soup. Cook on medium heat for at least 6 hours covered. There is no need to stir or mix ingredients. The soup , broth and water will make a tasty broth with the sour cream, meat and noodles.

Note: Make sure you place the meat and noodles in the crock pot first so that the noodles absorb the sauce and cook evenly.

Enjoy,
Patti

Southwestern Chicken made in the Crock Pot

This is the first recipe I started to play with. It turned out to be fantastic!

Southwestern Chicken
(Weight Watcher Points 6 per serving)


Ingredients:

2 cans (15 1/4 oz) whole kearnel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa, divided
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the corn, black beans and 1/2 cup of salsa Top with chicken; pour the remaining salsa over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.



Where I got this recipe I don't remember. After deciding to take a break after working for months on a family cookbook, filled with favorites, I decided to go through all the recipes that I have been sent and have collected over the years. I saw this one and it it seemed to be such an easy recipe and I had all the ingredients already in the house, well with the exception of the can of black beans. Boy was that a hunt to find around here. And where did I find them, well at the Dollar Tree and also at Walmart. So one fateful morning I put all the ingredients in the crock pot and waited. I informed a friend that day that I was going to surprise her with dinner as it would have been too much for a single person. Needless to say she was excited.

By mid day the house was filled with wonderful smells. I began to anticipate dinner. The dinner was sooooo good. The chicken was so tender and moist that you didn't even need a fork in which to cut it. Needless to say there was no leftovers! I know this will definately be a recipe that will be made again. Kept on the easy to throw together recipe list. It was great with a salad for a side. The corn and black beans that are cooked with the chicken go great with it.

Enjoy,
Patti

Starting the blog

Well I figured since a lot of people have been following my cooking experiments on Facebook, I might as well blog about it. So far I have tried, a chicken vegetable bake, a southwestern chicken, two different kinds of beef stroganoff, and last night I made a beef tamale crock pot pie. Tonight's experiment, Beefy Mushroom Spaghetti bake. I wonder if I should post the recipes I am trying on here as well as so many ask for them once I've baked them.

I love to cook, for me it is a way to be creative and give something to people that they enjoy. It is not to say I don't have other hobbies, but not everyone loves to knit, or read, or even scrapbook like I do. But everyone loves to eat. Problem is with my budget, it's hard to cook a lot of the things that sound so good. So one sleepless night, (ok for those who know me really well, there are a lot of those!) I decided to go through all the recipes I have been saving on my computer for years and see what I can do with my budget.

I guess it also doesn't hurt that I am working with many of the members of my family to create a family cookbook that we can pass down to our children, and our children's children. That's been so much fun, but as I worked on that, I realized I was putting in recipes other family members had as favorites, and while some were my childhood favorites, none were of my own making or that I brought to the table, rather it was a recipe of mom's or my brothers, cousins, etc. you get the idea.

So as I go through my recipes, I find ones that I can fit into my budget, and that are easy, or are just plain fun. And to be able to share them with people. So I'll keep you all posted. So wish me luck!!!!