Baked Apples

This post is a touch overdue since the snow has been flying for the past few weeks, but this is an amazing fall recipe. Truthfully, this is great any season as long as you have some apples sitting around! This recipe is from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, which is an amazingly awesome website that lightens up while still maintaining all the great flavor.

Baked apples are fantastic dessert treats since they get a fruit serving in for the day, and they fulfill that need to have a little something sweet and warm at the end of supper.

Soft tender apples are paired with a delicious sweet crumble filling. Serve it up along with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Baked Apples
Yield 4 servings, 1 serving = 1/2 apple
From Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes
 
*4 POINTS+ per serving


2 large apples, cut in half
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. quick cooking oats
pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a melon baller or a spoon and pairing knife, remove the core and seeds of each apple half, leaving a hole in the center of the apple for the filling.

In small bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Divide equally into each apple. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with fat free whipped cream/cool whip or light vanilla ice cream (this may affect the pts+ value).

Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts

Who doesn't love doughnuts...but most of our waistlines don't love them as much as our tastebuds! These hit the spot to fulfill that tasty craving without breaking your calorie bank.

To make these more doughnut authentic, I went out a bought a Wilton mini-bundt pan at Walmart. It gave the doughnut the hole in the middle, and since we eat with our eyes first, I wanted it to look like I was eating a doughnut. However, if you don't have one, you could probably make these in a muffin pan (you'd really end up with more of a French Puff Muffin).

These baked cake doughnuts are rolled in a delicious cinnamon-sugar coating to echo the cinnamon and nutmeg that is in the batter. But you could really make a nice glaze to dip these in or roll them in powdered sugar. I am planning on modifying these to produce a pumpkin doughnut some time soon. This recipe will make 12 mini doughnuts (which I thought were a great size) or 6 regular sized doughnuts.

Pair this up with a cup of coffee and a piece of fruit, and you have a delicious breakfast that is a healthier indulgence.

Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts
From King Arthur Flour
Yield: 12 mini doughnuts for 3 POINTS+
or 6 regular doughnuts for 6 POINTS+


1 cup (4 ounces) Round Table Unbleached Pastry Flour or 7/8 cup (4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons dried buttermilk powder (or use 2 tablespoons buttermilk or yogurt in place of the 2 tablespoons water)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl, set aside.

In separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil, and water/buttermilk/yogurt until foamy.

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.

Spray a mini bundt pan or doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each section half full with batter.

Bake mini doughnuts for about 7 minutes or regular sized doughnuts for 10-12 minutes. (Be careful to not over bake, because these are low fat, they can dry out easily). When done they will spring back when touched and be browned on top, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove doughnuts from pan and roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy!!

Chili...the best I've ever made

Chili is one of my all time favorite fall and winter meals. It makes a warm and comforting supper and rolls over nicely to make delicious and filling lunches for days to come. I've never actually followed a recipe for chili and so it always turned out differently. Some batches were good and others were not. What I wanted was one recipe that I could use to consistently make good chili. I was sick of winging it and have my craving for warm comfort unsatisfied because my pot of chili turned out to be a flop. So, I did my research. I wanted a hearty and meaty chili that wasn't overly spicy and wasn't too watery.

I found my inspiration over at Brown Eyed Baker. One of her chili recipes fit the bill perfectly and I made one small modification to better suit our tastes. This is a great recipe. It is thick and hearty and has amazing flavor. You can adjust the spices to suit your own tastes. Serve this up with some shredded cheddar cheese on top and a slice of cornbread and you are in business. As the weather continues to cool down and the snow begins to fly, I know this recipe will be gracing our table frequently.

Chili
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Yields: 11 cups
1 cup = 6 POINTS+

2 lbs. lean ground beef (93/7)
1 - 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz. can Bush's Chili Beans with Sauce (I used mild)
2 - 15 oz. cans Pinto beans, undrained
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
2 c. water

In a large pot, brown beef and break into crumbles over medium heat. Drain off fat.

To beef, add all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over low to medium low heat.

Simmer partially covered for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

I should make a note that I'll be making some healthy changes to my food blog. Don't get me wrong, I'll still post yummy cakes and cookies...but all my recipes from here on out will include Weight Watchers POINTS values and serving size. I'll also start making updates to previous posts to include the Weight Watchers POINTS values. We still live Simply Delicious Lives without added calories and fat. I've been doing Weight Watchers the Simply Delicious Living way for about 7 weeks now without feeling deprived at all and I'm 13 pounds lighter already!

Pita Wrap Bread

I love pita bread. It is soft, chewy and delicious. I love to make gyros, chicken sandwich wraps, or just gnaw on a big ol' round of it. It is delicious. Usually I would just buy it at the store, but then I saw on the King Arthur Flour Website Blog a recipe for it and it also popped up on one of my favorite blogs Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I knew I had to try it, and boy am I glad I did!

Initially I was intimidated. Could I possibly make my own pita bread? Could I produce such a blissful food? Oh yes I did!! For this recipe, the toughest thing was finding the yeast. This isn't the usual active dry yeast, instead, this is an instant yeast found in the refrigerator section that is more like a crumbly paste. It is very different to work with, but it turned out great!

The fresh warm pita bread that came off my griddle was pure heaven! Never again will I buy the pre-made packaged stuff at the store. I'm now an official pita bread snob.

Pita Wrap Bread
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Yields 8 bread rounds
7 POINTS+ per bread round

3 -3 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 c. potato flour or 1/2 c. potato buds or flakes (I used potato flour)
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp instant yeast

Place 2 c. flour in bowl and pour boiling water over top of flour. Stir until smooth. Cover bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

In seperate bowl, whisk together potato flour & 1 c. remaining flour with salt, oil and yeast. Add this to cooled flour/water mix. Knead for several minutes by hand or mixer to for a soft dough. Dough should be somewhat sticky but will be fairly stiff. Add additional flour (1/4 c.) only if necessary. If kneading by hand keep hands and surface lightly oiled. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover and let rise 1-2 hours (I did 2 hours and it was perfect).

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Cover and let rest 15-30 minutes. Roll each 7"-8" circle and dry fry with oil in a griddle or skillet/fry pan. Fry until puffed and flecked with brown spots, over medium heat about 1 minute per side. Do not cook too quickly or slowly or they will dry out or have raw middles.

Transfer to rack and stack them to keep them warm and soft. Serve immediately or cool completely before storing in plastic bag.

Transformed into a Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap...Yum!

Canadian Cookies on Bars

Hold on to your seats because these bars will change your life! No, I'm not joking. These are rich, chocolaty and moist. Get ready to have your life rocked!!

This recipe has been in my family for years. I believe it came from my Great Grandma Shoe, and it has been making appearances at family functions for as long as I can remember. Everyone loves these bars, especially my sister. After we went to college, these were a frequent requests on a visits home.

You have got to try these!

Canadian Cookies on Bars
Yields 1 9x13 pan

1st layer:
1/2 c. margarine
5 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. pecans
2 c. graham crackers, crushed
1 c. coconut

Mix together margarine, sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla. Melt over double boiler, stirring until the consistency of pudding. Then stir in nuts, graham crackers and coconuts. Press into 9x13 pan.

2nd layer:
4 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
2 c. powdered sugar
1 pkg. (12 oz) chocolate chips, melted

Mix butter, milk, pudding and powdered sugar. Spread over the first layer. Melt chocolate chips and spread on bars. Allow to chill and set. Cut into bars. Store in the fridge.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Lunchtime is always one of my greatest struggles. I want something that tastes great, but doesn't require a lot of prep time and usually it needs to be portable to take to work. I don't like to eat last night's dinner for lunch because chances are since I'm only cooking for the 2 of us, it will be making a second appearance on leftover night. This chicken spread is just the answer for the lunchtime rut. It takes some prep work on one day and stores great for lunches to come. It is tasty and satisfying, plus packs great for work lunches.

Now, I'm quite familiar with the typical chicken spread, and let me tell you...this isn't it! This has so many great extras to take chicken spread to the next level. Cardamom is the secret ingredient, giving it a warmth and spice that had my husband dumbfounded asking me "What is that?!?!" Now, I can't take the credit for coming up with adding that ingredient on me own. It was my dad, brave in the kitchen as he is, that came up with it. We are all hooked!

To keep this chicken spread tasting the best and with the best texture, leave out the cashews and grapes for fridge storage and only stir in what you need so they stay crisp and fresh tasting. There is no right or wrong measurement to the grapes and the cashews, just add enough for your own preference. I also find that the best mix for these "salad" type sandwiches is using both miracle whip and mayonnaise. The mayonnaise adds the texture and richness, while the miracle whip keeps it from being too rich, adds some tang and cuts down on the fat and calorie content. Serve this up on some nice bread, croissant (if you are feeling especially naughty), or even on a bed of lettuce (if you're into that kind of thing). I'm salivating already!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Makes 1 big batch, probably enough for 8-10 sandwiches

4 medium to large chicken breasts, cooked and cooled (I usually poach mine)
3/4 c. miracle whip
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. celery, chopped
1/8 tsp cardamom (or more to taste)
Scant 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Cashews, roughly chopped
Red Grapes, halved

Pulse chicken breasts in food processor to desired consistency. (A nice medium chunkiness is usually what I like.) Mix chicken, celery and onion in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, miracle whip, garlic powder, and cardamom. Stir into chicken mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Adjust other seasonings to taste. Cover and chill. Mix in desired amount of grape halves and cashews prior to serving.

Hamburger and Mushroom Stroganoff

I love Beef Stroganoff. Sad to say, I haven't found the perfect recipe for real from scratch Beef Stroganoff. My meat is usually dry and my sauce isn't very flavorful. So far, I've tried about 3 or 4 different recipes and cooking methods. However, this stroganoff is pretty darn tasty. This isn't usual Beef Stroganoff, because it uses hamburger and canned Cream of Mushroom Soup. This is also much quicker than traditional stroganoff. There isn't any cutting up of the meat and browning it in batches.

This recipe is actually from the back of a bag of Creamette Egg Noodles. I did modify it slightly. The original recipe calls for canned mushrooms. I love mushroom and much much much prefer freshly sliced baby bella mushrooms. I also added way more than the original recipe calls for. This way I'm am making it slightly more figure-friendly and upping the fiber content. Plus, it really stretches this recipe. Sometimes I just use 1 package of baby bellas and sometimes I use up to 2 if I happen to have that many on hand. The recipe calls to be served over egg noodles, but it would also be great over rice as well.

This comes together in a cinch and I always know that it will be a warm and comforting meal. My quest continues for the perfect traditional beef stroganoff with pieces of tender flavorful meat and a perfect homemade cream sauce, but for a weeknight meal this one is a definite keeper for a quick and easy stroganoff. (Also, I know the pictures don't look that appetizing, but trust me, this tastes way better than these pictures look).

Hamburger and Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 6-8 
8 servings = 10 PTS+ per servings
6 servings = 13 PTS+ per serving
Adapted from Creamette

1 pkg (1 lb.) Creamette Extra Wide Egg Noodles**
1 lb. lean ground beef, 93/7
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. beef flavor granules (or 2 cubes instant beef bouillon)
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
10 3/4 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup, 98% Fat Free
1 c. water
1 - 1 1/2 pkgs Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced and sauteed (try to saute in cooking spray and chicken or beef broth for a low cal saute, or add appropriate points to saute in your healthy oil)
8 oz sour cream, reduced fat
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Cook noodles according to package directions.

In large skillet, over medium heat, brown beef. Add onion and garlic, cooking and stirring until onion is tender. Add mushrooms. Stir in 1 Tbsp flour and bouillon and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add water and soup. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Combine sour cream with remaining 1 Tbsp flour and parsley. Stir into beef mixture. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve over hot noodles.

**To lessen the pts, reduce the amount of pasta in your serving.  If you omit the pasta from your PTS+ totals this recipe equals:
8 servings = 4 PTS+ per servings (add PTS+ for pasta)
6 servings = 5 PTS+ per servings (add PTS+ for pasta)

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways. 1) Your creamy warm comforting goodness. 2) Your little bit of chicken married perfectly with gooey cheese. 3) You reheat and make amazing leftovers. 4)..... Well, we better stop there because I could go on and on about this amazing recipe!

Whether you call them casseroles or hotdishes, you have to admit these are usually great go to meals. They bring you warm creamy comfort and always hit the spot. For us, these are great because they are something I can prep ahead of time and are a quick and easy meal that reheats great for the 2 of us. I'm always on the look out for great new casseroles. I usually use the same 2 over and over, but now this one is being added to the rotation as #3.

This casserole is from Pioneer Woman's Blog. I love her blog. If you haven't check it out, it is a must! Here is the direct link to the recipe. I followed her direction for poaching chicken, which is a poaching a full cut up chicken with the skin on, then you cook the spaghetti in the chicken water. The result is perfectly moist and flavorful chicken and noodles for the casserole.

Chicken Spaghetti
From Pioneer Woman
Serves 12 (1 serving = 7 POINTS+)

1 whole chicken, cut up
3 cups dry thin spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup, 98% fat free
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, reduced fat
1/4 cup green pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 jar (4 oz) diced pimentos, drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Water from pot
1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoning Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, reduced fat

In large pot, boil water and add chicken. Poach until cooked. After poaching chicken, add spaghetti to the same water you poached the chicken in. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Be careful to not overcook because the noodles will finish cooking with casserole. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid.

Shred chicken (discarding the skin...or you can add a little skin in with the casserole if you are feeling daring) and combine 2 cups worth of chicken with cooked spaghetti, cream of mushroom soup, onion, green pepper, 2 cups shredded cheddar, pimentos, seasoning salt, cooking liquid, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Pour into casserole pan and top with 1 cup shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and bubbly. (If the cheese gets too brown, cover with foil). This can be stored uncooked in freezer for up to 6 months or in the fridge for 2 days.

Chicken Curry Pasta Salad

I love summer, but summer and I only really get along when I have a nice cool place to retreat during those hot and humid dog days of summer. We spent one whole summer without any air conditioning at all...it was HOT. It was that summer that I discovered my love of cold pasta salads for supper. No need to turn on the oven and heat up an already sweltering house. After that summer, we moved into a place with central air and I slowly forgot how much I detest using an oven in the summer. Now we are living in an apartment that we use window air conditioning units and they don't quite get the kitchen as cool as I would like during theses hotter July days....and now I remember why I love cold pasta salads for supper. I'm always looking for new pasta salads to try.

The quest for this pasta salad begins back in the summer of 2008. It was the summer of my sister's wedding and I was throwing a bridal shower for her with one of her best friends, Joy. We had her shower at the Tea Room that Joy's mom, Cindy, owns. My sister, Hilary, specially requested a Chicken Curry Pasta Salad. Cindy is an amazing cook, and this salad is no exception. It revolutionized my pasta salad life and I began the quest of trying to recreate this at home. I had dreams about this salad. Dreams about its spicy warmness. Dreams about is creamy goodness. Dreams of it taunting me because I couldn't figure out that magical ingredient to recreate it. I tried again and again to make something similar and now I think I've gotten pretty close.

The secret ingredient that really pushed this over the edge was mango chutney. It provided the perfect blend of spices and warmth. I used the brand Patak's which I was able to find in the international section at Cub Foods. The dressing is a simple mayonnaise based dressing with some chutney and curry. I used a half and half mixture of light miracle whip and mayonnaise. I thought this combo lended the best of both worlds. If you wanted to lighten it up, you could use a lower fat mayo or do all miracle whip. The ingredients are pretty variable. If you like more chicken or grapes or nuts you can increase those amounts, so I left the recipe pretty variable.

This salad is delish and we will definitely be making this one again and again.

Chicken Curry Pasta Salad
Feel free to toy with the amounts of pasta, chicken, grapes & nuts
This makes one large batch that probably is 8-10 main dish servings

1 lb. pasta, cooked and cooled (recommended shapes bowtie or rotini)
6-8 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and chopped (I roasted mine in the oven, but you could poach or grill as well)
2 stalks celery
8-10 oz whole cashews
6 cups red seedless grapes
1 c + 2 Tbsp. Light Miracle Whip
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. Patak's Sweet Mango Chutney
4 scant tsp. curry powder
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
Small squeeze of lemon juice, about 1 tsp

In large bowl, toss together the pasta, chicken, grapes, celery and nuts. Set aside. In a seperate bowl mix together the miracle whip, mayo, chutney, curry powder, cinnamon and salt. Squeeze enough lemon juice to reach desired consistency. (I left mine somewhat thicker, so I probably used only about 1-2 tsp) Serve as is or cover and chill.

Bacon, Asparagus and Parmesan Egg Bake

I love egg bakes. They combine so many of my favorite things about breakfast into one bite...eggs, cheese, hashbrowns, cereal, veggies...oh, yum! Not only are egg bakes delicious, but they are such a low maintenance breakfast. They are truly one of my favorite ways to make Saturday morning breakfast when I have to work later in the day. I don't have to spend time babysitting something at the stove and doing tons of dishes from prep work. I can just pop it in the oven and sit down and enjoy my cup of coffee. Oh egg bake, I love you. My preference for egg bakes are the ones with the hashbrowns baked into them instead of slices of bread. Don't get me wrong the bread ones are good too, but I'm a hashbrown girl at heart.

This egg bake was a shocker for me. This isn't your typical combo of egg bake suspects. Parmesan makes a lovely appearance in this one and it adds the perfect touch. Asparagus is your veggie friend here and it is perfect for spring and summertime when asparagus is at its very best. The original recipe calls for ham, but I much prefer the salty smokey bacon for this one.

Bacon, Asparagus and Parmesan Egg Bake
Yield 12 servings
Adapted from Betty Crocker


1/2 -1 lb. bacon, cooked and cut up
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bag (30 oz.) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
12 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
2 tsp. ground mustard
1 cup cornflake crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Spray 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, toss bacon, asparagus, hashbrowns, onion, and cheeses. Spoon into baking dish.

In same bowl, beat eggs, milk, sour cream, lemon-pepper seasoning & mustard with wire whisk until well mixed. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. (Baking dish will be very full) Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Uncover baking dish; bake 35 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, toss cornflake crumbs and butter.

Sprinkle cornflake mixture over partially baked egg bake. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean an thermometer inserted in center reads 160 degrees F. Remove from oven; let stand 15 full minutes before serving.

**Make sure the casserole meets the center temp and sits for a full 15 minutes otherwise you'll have a soupy mess in your pan**

Carrot Cake

There is a magical place in Bloomington, MN. This is a place where the cakes really are a slice of heaven. This place is called Taste of Scandinavia. They have amazing breakfasts and amazing lefse besides these magnificent towers of creamy indulgence. The very first time I was introduced to the wonder that was this blissful bakery of cakes the only existed in my dreams was by my sister. She wanted one of these cakes for her birthday...I remember the first time I met this cake. It was chocolate raspberry and it forever changed my life and my view of cake. But my rendezvous didn't end there. Bailey's Irish Cream Cake, Creme De Menthe Cake, Black Forest Torte, Chocolate Symphony Torte...and the cake that inspired this quest...Carrot Cake. Oh, the carrot cake. If I were to only eat carrot cake one more time, I would order it from them!

Now this cake is nowhere near their carrot cake. Their carrot cake is full of crushed pineapple, golden raisins and walnuts. This is a simpler carrot cake that I stumbled upon on my quest to their carrot cake of nirvana. My quest does still continue for the ultimate carrot cake with all the fixings, but I think this is my go to basic carrot cake and may provide the perfect base to build off of to reach the ultimate carrot cake full of nuts and fruit. No fluff or fruffy business here though, just good solid basic carrot cake.

Alton Brown from the Food Network has never steered my wrong, so I knew his carrot cake would be worth a shot. Since baking is an exact science, everything in his recipe is measured by weight which is a must with his recipes. The end product is a moist and flavorful cake. I only made one change to this recipe. It calls for grated carrrots; however, after I grated my carrots, I pulsed them in the food processor to have a finer shred of carrot. I should also mention that the recipe calls to make this into 1 layer, but this is a super thick layer. The super thick layer is good...but if you prefer a higher frosting to cake ratio, divide the batter into 2 layers and watch your baking time. If you are going to make this as one large layer, I can't stress the importance of checking the temperature of the center of the cake. It is the only sure fire way to make sure you are cooking through without over cooking. You can also increase the spices from 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp if you like a more spiced carrot cake.

You'll have to excuse the excess of pictures. I made this for Easter and was able to use my parents camera which is leaps and bounds better than mine, so enjoy some better quality pictures.

Carrot Cake
Adapted slightly from Alton Brown
Yield 12 servings

unsalted butter or cooking spray for pan coating
12 oz. all purpose flour
12 oz. grated carrot at a medium grate (and pulse in food processor to fine shavings, if preferred)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 oz. brown sugar
6 oz. plain yogurt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground all spice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
10 oz. sugar
3 large eggs
6 oz. vegetable oil
Toasted Chopped Pecans for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake round. Line bottom with parchment paper (or butter and line 2 pans if making 2 layers).

Put carrots in mixing bowl and set aside. In food processor, process flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to carrots and toss until well coated. In bowl of food processor combine sugar, brown sugar, eggs and yogurt. Drizzle in vegetable oil while food processor is running. Pour into carrot mixtures and stir until just combined.

Pour into cake pan and bake on middle rack 45 minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and cook an additional 20 minutes until center of cake reaches 205-210 degrees F. Remove from oven and cook 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. Frost and chill at least 1 hour prior to serving. Garnish with pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. unsalted butter at room temperature
9 oz. powdered sugar, sifted.

Beat butter and cream cheese until just blended. Add vanilla and beat until combined. On low, beat in powdered sugar in 4 batches. Chill 5-10 minutes. Frost cake.

That is thick cake!

But...oh...so...good!

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

OK, this post is way past due. These cookies are AMAZING!! I made them for Christmas this past year and everyone went gaga for them. The cookie is like a brownie in texture and the pecans add some crunch that goes great with the creamy caramel center. No need to pre-toast your pecans because the get nice and toasty in the oven. This recipe is from Cook's Country and says it makes about 2 dozen. I only got about 12 or so cookies. Perhaps I made them on the bigger side, but truthfully you'll want these to be a little bigger since they are AMAZING!! I should have chopped the nuts smaller because these had some bigger chunks on them.

Turtle Thumbprints
Recipe from Cook's Country
Yield 21 cookies

*5 POINTS+ per cookie

1 c. flour
1/3c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 large egg, seperated
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1c. pecans, finely chopped
14 soft caramel candies
3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to upper middle and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silpat liner or parchment paper.

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes in a separate bowl. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low & add flour mixture until just combined. Chill 1 hour until firm.

Whisk egg whites in another bowl until frothy. Place pecans in a separate bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip in egg whites & roll in pecans. Make indent in ball.

Bake until set 10-12 minutes. Switch and rotate cookie sheets half way through baking. Microwave caramels & cream in bowl, mix until smooth 1-2 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack or parchment paper on counter. Re-indent cookies. Fill with caramel. Allow to cool.

P.S. Chop your pecans smaller than most of mine are in the pictures!  They'll turn out prettier.

Dutch Baby (aka German Pancake)

I better start this post with an apology for being MIA for the past few months. Between my computer going dead, a nasty bout of kidney stones, moving and a now broken oven, there hasn't been a ton of cooking and baking much of anything. And the few things I did make, I forgot or didn't have a chance to take a picture.

My husband, Mike, and I recently moved to an apartment on the top floor of a house. This will be our home for a year as Mike finishes his schooling with his vicarage (like an internship for pastors) at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in North Mankato, MN. This years challenge will be doing all my cooking and baking in an apartment size oven. I don't plan to let that stop me from cooking and baking up a storm. Right now the oven is non-functioning but our landlord is working on it, and I'm anxiously awaiting with full lists of things to make in it!

Now onto the goods! Mike has told me on several occasions about how his mom always made this flat pancake type dish that was custardy in the middle but set and crisp on the edges. After doing some research, I discovered this dish is a German Pancake or also known as "Dutch Baby".

This is life changing! (And no, I'm not exaggerating) It is the epitome of breakfasts; combining the deliciousness of eggs with the wonder of pancakes and as easy as pouring a bowl of cereal. Ok, it requires a little more work than pouring a bowl of cereal. The middle is a custard type consistency with the edges how a nice browned firmness. In the oven it souffles and then falls when you take it out, so it is also pretty impressive to serve to guests.

A cast iron skillet is pretty important to get a nice crustiness on the edges. But if you don't have one, use a nonstick skillet. This particular time I served mine with some homemade raspberry sauce and dusted with powdered sugar, but it is equally as good with maple syrup. I've gotten thumbs up from everyone I've made this one for.

Dutch Baby
Serves 4
1 serving = 8 POINTS+ (not including toppings)

3 eggs
3/4 c. low fat 1% milk
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, place butter. Put skillet in oven to melt butter. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed with electric hand mixer. Slowly add the milk while continuing to mix. Then slowly add sugar and flour. Mix until smooth. Pour batter into hot skillet and bake 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar. Cut into 4 wedges and serve with jam, syrup or fruit sauce.

Yum!!

Raspberry Sauce
1 Tbsp = 1 POINTS+

1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 c. cold water

Combine raspberries, sugar and orange juice in a saucepan. In a bowel whisk cornstarch into cold water until no lumps remain. Add cornstarch to saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until desired thickness/consistency is reached. (It will thicken more as it cools). Puree with immersion blender and strain through fine sieve. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I know it is spring and soup whether is no longer upon us, but crack a window and let the cool night air in and give this one a try. One of my favorite soups in the whole world is Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. I've been on a quest to find the best recipe to make it at home. This is it! It is perfectly creamy and full of flavor. It reheats well and actually is quite thick and less soup like when you eat it the next day. This soup will send you into soup nirvana. Your head will be spinning with sweet carrots, tender rice and moist chicken all perfectly mingled a bowl of soul warming goodness.

The recipe uses fat free half-and-half, but don't be fooled by the non-fat dairy. This is still wonderful and creamy. The fat free half-and-half has a sweetness to it. If you don't want the sweetness, you could use full fat half-and-half mixed with some milk to thin it down a little.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

½ cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ – 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won’t thicken properly – let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Chocolate Trifle

This Chocolate Trifle is fantastic and a cinch to whip up. You'll have to excuse my not so great pictures. (A new camera is on my to do list, as is a residence with better lighting). This dessert looks super impressive in person. I brought it to my a picnic for my husband's school and people practically licked the bowl clean and I got oodles of compliments on how great it looked. Sadly, that day I forgot to take a picture because we were running late. But, I made it again for a presentation my husband did at school and there were no leftovers to be had.

This dessert starts with brownies, and you can use any brownie recipe you like. You want a brownie that isn't super fudgy for this, otherwise you'll have a mouth full of goo while eating this. You want a nice moist cakey brownie for this. Not too dry, not too fudgy is the way to go for this dessert. Then these wonderful brownies are layered amongst fantastic chocolate pudding-based mousse like filling and cool-whip. Yum, Yum, Yum!! Next time I make this, I would really like to try it with homemade whipped cream instead of cool-whip. But don't worry, the cool-whip tastes great in this. Your taste buds will be thank you for making this one.

Chocolate Trifle

1 9x13 pan of brownies, cooled and cut into 1 inch squares
1 (3.9 0z) package instant Jello Chocolate Pudding
1/2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
1 (12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 (1.5 oz) bar chocolate or crumbled Oreos

In large bowl combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. Fold in 8 oz. Cool Whip, until no streaks remain.

In trifle bowl, place half of brownies in bottom. Top with half of pudding mix, followed with half of the 12 oz container of Cool Whip. Repeat layers with remaining brownies, pudding mix and ending with remaining Cool Whip. Chill for 8 hours. Garnish with shaved chocolate or crumbled Oreos. Serve in bowls.

BBQ Chicken Bread Braid

It has been quite a while since I posted. I'm going to get better at it, I promise. I've had a couple of recipe flops and my computer died and I lost all my pictures. But with a new computer in hand and a few successful recipes to share, I'm back.

My husband loves BBQ chicken pizza. Whenever we make pizza or order pizza, that is always what he wants. As an alternative to BBQ chicken pizza, I found this recipe over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe for a BBQ Chicken Bread Braid. It looks impressive when it is all done and tastes fantastic. The crust is this perfectly tender, fluffy caspsule to store tender chicken, tangy BBQ, spicy red onion and gooey cheese. I'm salivating just reliving the experience. I slightly adapted the recipe by adding celery, because I love celery on my BBQ Chicken Pizza, otherwise everything else is the same.

This is a pretty versatile recipe too. If you don't want BBQ chicken fillings, go ahead and sub pizza fillings. Or maybe you want some breakfast and you can make some scrambled eggs, bacon, milk gravy and cheese in the middle. So many possibilities to add to my list.

BBQ Chicken Bread Braid
(yields 2 bread braids)
Slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 recipe French Bread Rolls (recipe follows)
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 red onion, thinly slice into half moons
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees.

After french bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, divide dough into 2 equal parts. Roll the first portion out into an 11x17 rectangle directly on parchment paper or baking sheet liner. Using a knife, cut 1-inch wide strips down the long side of the rectangle on both sides (looking like a fringe on the long side of the dough), leaving about a 2-3 inch strip down the middle for fillings. About 16-18 strips on each side. Spread half BBQ sauce down the middle and top with half of the chicken, celery, onion, and both cheese. Fold the strips diagonally over the toppings in a criss-cross fashion to the opposite side, alternating sides to create a braid effect. Pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with second half of dough.

Move braid to baking sheet on the parchment paper. Rest for 15 minutes. Bake each braid separately for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and dough is baked through. Rest for 5 minutes, before cutting with a serrated knife or pizza cutter. Serve warm.

French Bread Rolls
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.