White Bean Soup with Kale and Chorizo

For the recipe click here

Cooking Light Magazine just keeps getting better and better...really inspiring!

I knew as soon as I opened the November issue and saw this recipe
I'd be making it ASAP!

We had it last night for dinner and boy is it good.

It took me about 10 minutes to fix.

I let it simmer while the cornbread baked.

If you are not sure about Kale, this is the recipe to give it a go.

Yummy to the very last drop!

If you haven't tried Marie Callender's low-fat cornbread...you gotta!

Tasty!

Paula Deen..eating healthy??!!

Bobby Lightens It Up Intro from Paula Deen on Vimeo.

Oh man...maybe I'm the last to know, 

 I AM THRILLED!

Paula's got Bobbie cooking healthy and sharing with us!!

Bobby’s Lighter Iced Double Chocolate Iced Mocha

Ingredients

1/2 cup boiling water

1 (.55-ounce) packet fat-free hot cocoa mix (Swiss Miss Fat-Free Sensible Sweets)

4 teaspoons instant coffee

1/4 cup fat-free chocolate syrup

3 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half

2 cups ice cubes

Directions

Whisk together the water, cocoa mix, and coffee in a small bowl until the cocoa and coffee are completely dissolved. Whisk in the chocolate syrup and half-and-half. Let the mocha mixture cool 5 minutes.

Place the ice cubes in a blender. Add the mocha mixture and blend until the mixture is smooth and the ice is finely crushed. Serve immediately.

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Love Paula's new website!

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Bobby’s Lighter Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

This is an awesome recipe...watermelon and feta...delish!

Ingredients:



Grated zest and juice from 1 lemon


1 tablespoon olive oil


1/4 teaspoon salt


1 (4-pound) seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks


1 shallot, thinly sliced


2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint


2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (did not use lowfat)


Directions


To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon zest, juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. Combine the watermelon, shallot, mint, and basil in a large bowl. Lightly toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with the feta; serve immediately or chill up to 1 hour before serving.

Gratin Potatoes

I make this gratin from time to time.... the recipe is in my head.
I was able to find it printed here at recipe zaar

It's from Rosie Daley's cook book.

For a time she was Oprah's chef.

It's delicious and low fat.

Ingredients:
cooking spray


3 medium baking potatoes, thinly sliced


2 tablespoons flour


1 medium onion, thinly sliced


1/8 teaspoon cayenne


1 teaspoon paprika


1/2 teaspoon black pepper


2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated


1 small zucchini, thinly sliced


1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1/2 teaspoon spike seasoning


12 ounces evaporated milk ( I believe the original had fat free evaporated milk)


2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped


Directions


1 Preheat oven to 400ºF.


2 Coat a 10-inch gratin dish or glass pie plate with 3 sprays of the vegetable oil.


3 Layer 1/3 of the potatoes over the bottom of the prepared gratin dish, overlapping the slices in a spiral  pattern.


4 Over the potatoes, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour and arrange the onion rings.


5 Dust with the cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika.


6 Layer another third of the potatoes, adding the remaining tablespoon of flour, the black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan.


7 Scatter the zucchini, dusting with the nutmeg and Spike seasoning.


8 Top with a spiral layer of the remaining potatoes.


9 Pour the evaporated milk over the gratin and add the remaining paprika and parmesan.


10 Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.


11 Remove the foil, lower to 350ºF, and bake for about 15 minutes more, until the top is golden brown.


12 Remove the gratin from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.


13 Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Three Berry Spinach Salad....

Dick and I have this salad at least twice a week if not more..

Great with grilled chicken if you'd like.

For each salad I add:

2 cups fresh organic baby spinach

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup blackberries

1/8 cup crumbled feta or goat's cheese

1/8 cup pecans or slivered toasted almonds

or grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the assembled salad

~Dressing~

Ken's Lite Raspberry Pecan Vinaigrette

or any dressing you like.

YUM!

Yummy Mummy Dogs...

These were a hit this past weekend at Rachel and Rich's neighborhood party...great for big kids too!

Get the recipe from myrecipes.com

First Day Of Fall....it's time for some Cincinnati Turkey Chili

It's that time of year again....soups, chili's, stews, yum! Around these parts we LOVE Cincinnati chili. In the past I have just added cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar to chili to give it that extra zing Cincinnati chili has. This recipe has a healthy spin and so tasty. Since starting on this journey of weight loss and health we have rediscovered the joy of cooking again. Here's a good article from livestrong.com "How to Eat Healthy at Home and Save Money."

Diffidently 5 stars!

Yield
4 servings

(serving size: about 1/2 cup spaghetti, 1 1/2 cups chili, 2 tablespoons onion, and 3 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients
4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
Cooking spray
8 ounces lean ground turkey ( I used 1lb ground turkey)
1 1/2 cups prechopped onion, divided
1 cup chopped green bell pepper ( I used a red pepper)
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic ( I used 3 garlic cloves minced)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through allspice); cook 1 minute. Add broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt. Serve chili over spaghetti; top with remaining 1/2 cup onion and cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:408
Fat:13.8g (sat 6.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:24.5g
Carbohydrate:47.4g
Fiber:7.9g
Cholesterol:67mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:765mg
Calcium:237mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2009

To print recipe

Cincinnati Turkey Chili

Dick and I will use this recipe time and again...perfect!

Happy Fall!!

Cupcake Pops..thanks Bakerella!

I made these cupcake pops this past weekend for my girls Leah and Kate. Sis had a bunch of their friends over for tennis and Karaoke. I'd been wanting to try making the pops I'd seen on Bakerella's website, this was the perfect time to do so. Bakerella made these cupcake pops on The Martha Stewart Show. I followed the from scratch cake and cheesecake frosting found on Martha's website. Bakerella has so much information on her website to make these that I'm including it here, she used a cake mix and canned frosting. I found everything but the bark at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I found the bark at Krogers. I added 6 drops of red food coloring to the white bark to make pink tops.

Purchased the cutest bags to wrap them in at Jo-Ann's too...they were all Wilton.

Pink M&M's are supposed to be in stores for Breast Cancer Awareness

I found these pink store brand M&M's at Fresh Market

Perfect size for little ones.

A couple of my favorite photo's Sis took of our girls this summer...

Love my girls....

Sissy's Blog.....

Pressed Cubano with Bacon...

These sandwiches are yet another reason for Dick and I to use our

Panini Press. Quick easy and different.

I think using the Hawaiian Rolls is genius!

Delish!

You can print the recipe here

For a look at 20 yummy low-fat sandwiches from Cooking Light

Sorry I think the lens has a finger print on it...sigh

We LOVE these sandwiches ...

I don't usually like yellow mustard or pickles on a sandwich...

Together all the ingredients just work

Cubans can cook!!

Mikey Likes!

This would be great with those Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers I posted last year

To print the recipe for Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers over Tomatoes

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Grilled Chicken With Green Beans and Tomatoes Recipe

For the recipe and calorie info from Real Simple.....

Grilled Chicken With Green Beans and Tomatoes Recipe

Ours looks a little different...I apologize for the shot...we were starving by the time dinner was ready and I threw the food on the plate...

Tasted divine!

This recipe was so similar to our grilled chicken....

pat on olive oil with salt and pepper...

we use Kosher salt and ground pepper

the cilantro lime vinaigrette is what sparked my attention in this recipe.

Wow! This vinaigrette puts this dish above the rest!

Simple, quick and tasty

what more could you ask?

We grilled zucinni instead of the beans,

since I'm not a fan of cooked tomatoes, I fixed

black beans and rice.....Moros Y Christianos

Nueva Cocina

The website for Nueva Cocina

Where to buy Nueva Cocina

Why didn't I ever think of this...

The story is here love this guy
Be sure an watch the video. Peach cherry cobbler of sorts..

Lemon Meringue Baked Alaska...and that funny wedding dance video

Oh my goodness this pie is GOOD!

I made this for our family this weekend along with brownies and a cherry pie. Very smooth and creamy. You could easily make it way ahead if you have the freezer space...the meringue piles up high with peaks. I thought it was so much fun to make...5 stars for sure!

I used Graeters lemon sorbet and Edy's 1/2 fat ice cream.

The layer of meringue insulates the ice cream mixture, keeping it from melting under the broiler.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients
32 vanilla wafers
2 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream, softened
2 cups lemon sorbet, softened
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Preparation
Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with wafers;

set aside.
Place softened ice cream and sorbet in a large bowl;

beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Spoon mixture into prepared pie plate; place in freezer.
Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 238°.

Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites,

beating at medium speed.

Increase speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold in rind.

Spread over ice cream.

Loosely cover, and freeze 4 hours or until firm.

Preheat broiler.

Broil frozen pie for 1 minute or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 290 (12% from fat)
Fat: 3.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 1g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 4.1g
Carbohydrate: 61.6g
Fiber: 0.9g
Cholesterol: 11mg
Iron: 0.6mg
Sodium: 105mg
Calcium: 51mg
Lorrie Corvin, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2005

To print recipe
I had issues with my gas oven broiler...burnt the peaks off...no big deal....

just scraped off the top ...I need one of those fancy burners I guess.``````````````````````````````````````````````
Surprise Wedding Dance...I imagine most of you have seen this, but if you haven't and need a smile....I just wonder what the reception was like????

Two Yummy Shrimp Salad Recipes And A New Snack...

Coconut Crab and Shrimp Salad

I'm really sorry we didn't take pictures of this salad last night after I prepared it....this photo does not do it justice! I used frozen shrimp and imitation crab meat....told Dick it was the poor man's version....sure didn't taste poor though. Next time I make this dish, I will use fresh shrimp and crab meat and

make it special.

Since I used frozen shrimp I skipped the first step...just ran the shrimp under water to thaw and then chop. This recipe uses half an avocado, so I used the other half to make guacamole...served it with tortilla chips which Dick used to scope up the leftovers. Yum!

Fresh, light, so easy to make. 4 stars!

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups lettuce, about 1 cup salad, and 1 tablespoon coconut)


Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed (about 2 ears)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup diced peeled avocado
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
6 cups torn Boston lettuce (about 3 small heads)
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted


Preparation
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 4 minutes or until shrimp are done, turning once. Remove from the pan. Coarsely chop shrimp.
Combine corn and the next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a medium bowl. Gently stir in the shrimp. Combine juice, oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over shrimp mixture; toss gently to coat. Divide lettuce among each of 4 plates; top with shrimp mixture.

Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 223 (34% from fat)
Fat: 8.5g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 24g
Carbohydrate: 16g
Fiber: 3g
Cholesterol: 124mg
Iron: 3mg
Sodium: 613mg
Calcium: 94mg
Julianna Grimes Bottcher, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

To print recipe

Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Salad

Found this awesome blog http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/

All her recipes are original.

To see the recipe....

Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Salad

If you use center cut bacon and low fat mayo in this recipe that would really cut down on the calories.

Shared via AddThis (I need to find out how to add this to my blog!)

Found a new snack

Ritz Crackerfuls

3 grams of fiber

130 calories..2 grams saturated fat

Really, really good

arghh....

Yesterday was Dick's 62nd ( oh my!!) birthday, we had a great day!

Started off with breakfast at

Wild Eggs
Dick got his beloved pancakes. He did mention these were the healthy kind.....

he likes the pancakes with the crispy edge from the oil frying around them.

( Oh dear!)

I fixed this Caesar Salad Club for dinner.

Dick's favorite food is Chicken Caesar Salad at Panera...loves it!

I found this recipe on the The Noble Pig blog.....

she said she got it from Ina Garten.

This sandwich is seriously good.

I used low-fat mayo...

we also used leaf lettuce because we really don't like arugula.

Left off the sun dried tomatoes too.

The dressing is awesome and will be a staple for us now.

Made two, one with anchovy paste, one without.

We had asparagus, zucchini, corn on the cob and Spaghetti Carbonara

(used bacon instead of ham) for the girls.

Now to the arghh...part

Tres Leches Cake ( Three Milks Cake)

We have always eaten this cake at Spanish restaurants...

there we share one and I eat a few bites.

I've never made one.

Dick wanted one....

I made one.

It was really, really good..too good.

The recipe calls for milk, I used half and half to make it richer.

I am human I err...

Dick and I decided to throw away this very delicious cake this morning

Ate a piece before we went to bed because I knew we were getting back on The Daily Plate today....( My pants are getting snug)

I couldn't sleep

At all

I feel really stupid to take so long figuring this one out....

Sweets keep me up at night.

Thought it was just caffeine.

Still on this journey trying to figure things out....

Anyway...I'm back at www.thedailyplate.com come join me...

This is a glimpse into one of our down home birthdays...I kept the cake in the pan because I'd never made it before and I knew that would be "safe".

However, a glass pan or decorative pan would have been better...

I just know my family understands!

Love that man!

Shawn is the best daddy...Kate is all about the food right now, she is discovering new dishes everyday. Corn on the cob was a big hit with her!

Leah is all about noodles...loves them! Me too!

I'm so proud of Leah, she has made so many adjustments from being an "only" to big sis. Leah is a big help in the kitchen, she whipped the cream, added the confectioners sugar and helped put the Happy Birthday candles on....

Love you sweety!!

To hear little Kate say mama...be still my heart. Sissy is the best mommy!!

Love my girls!!

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Max came to our church this past weekend. His sermon sent chills through my soul. If you would like to hear and see his message on " Why are we afraid?" here it is.

He said,"fear never wrote a poem"....fear does nothing but take, reduce.....puts us in prision....Can you imagine your life without fear? .....How would our days be different?....

Max Lucado has written a new book called Fearless. He ask the question..Would you like a life where you had no fear?

You can read and download the first chapter here and learn more about the book.

Creamy Salsa Dip, Refrigerator Ice Tea and Fruit Tea

Creamy Salsa Dip

Ingredients

2 cups Natural Plain yogurt

1 cup salsa

3 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp sea salt

In a bowl mix well. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

A couple of shots of hot sauce would work well in this dip if you need a kick

Serve with fresh veggies, tortilla chips and crackers

Really light and fresh...About 150 calories per cup

You could eat half of this dip and be okay!

Refrigerator Ice Tea

Dick got this recipe while listening to The Splendid Table broadcast. Just fill a pitcher with cold water add tea bags to taste and put it in the refrigerator to steep. We like to use 2 family size tea bags or 8 small bags to 2 quarts of water. Leave overnight or make in the morning for dinner. Viola!

Adding sliced lemons and limes would be wonderful

Another wonderful fresh tea is Fruit Tea

I have used this recipe for years and it always gets rave reviews!

Fruit Tea

Makes one gallon

Ingredients

6oz lime juice concentrate

6oz lemonade concentrate

6oz orange juice concentrate

1 cup sugar or Splenda (18 packets I believe if you use those)

8 small tea bags or 2 family size tea bags ( I use Lipton)

Brew tea

Then combine everything into a gallon container, adding water to fill to the top.

( I use an empty gallon milk jug)

Shake or stir, refrigerate until ready to use

Enjoy!

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches....

Really the pictures say enough .....

Bacon......Oscar Mayer Center Cut

Mayo.....Hellman's Light

Lettuce.......Red Leaf

Tomatoes......Tennessee

Bread.....Sour Dough

The Slaw is simple too....

4 cups...coarsely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup.... light Hellman's mayonnaise

2 tbsp....wine vinegar

2 tbsp....sugar or Splenda

2 tbsp....sliced green scallions

1/4 tsp....dry mustard

1/8 tsp....celery seed

Combine and chill...yum.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are really economical. I buy two big bags every week full of tomatoes, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, asparagus, cabbage, corn, zucchini, squash, watermelon, grapes, peaches, cantalope, bananas, apples..(little Fuji's are so sweet!), strawberries, blueberries, lemons, limes, and slaw mixes.

It averages about $25-$30. Heaven. ;-)

You have to check out Bakerella's Blog for her Fathers Day Idea..

It rocks!!

Thanks everyone for your concern for baby Jack....

We are all learning about "all in the Lord's good time"....

Keep Rachel and Rich in your prayers...

no one wants to see little Jack more than these two!