*Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes - only 90 cal per serving!*

Now, these potatoes were definitely worth the trouble!  Jay O. even said they were the best mashed potatoes he had ever had, so that made it worth it!  Whether they were actually his favorite, who reallyyy knows :)

These potatoes only have 90 calories per serving, and you aren't losing the flavor you're looking for!  I highly recommend trying this.

Ingredients:
2 whole garlic heads
3 pounds cubed, peeled yukon gold potatoes 
1 cup chopped onion
1 4 oz. container light sour cream
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
(you can add up to one Tbsp. light butter if you would like)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves).  
Wrap each head separately in foil.  
Bake at 350 for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes.
Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp & discard the skins.

In the meantime, place potato and onion in a saucepan.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 min. or until potatoes are tender.
Drain in a colander over a measuring cup or bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.
Combine garlic, potato mixture, 1/4 cup cooking liquid, light sour cream, rosemary, salt & freshly ground pepper.
Mash with a fork or large spoon.
If you have a hand mixer, mix until it is at your desired consistency.

  Mmmm, Mmmm Good!

Man Food = Meatloaf

Last night I made meatloaf & mashed potatoes w/corn per Jay O.'s request.  I had never made meatloaf, nor had I ever peeled a potato or made homemade mashed potatoes...there are just some things I suppose I've always tried to avoid :)  I am not really a "meat & potatoes" kinda gal, but since Jay O. let me venture off on a girls trip to DC for the weekend I figured he deserved a treat!  

By the way, I feel like this meal could have fed an army.  So invite over friends, or expect to have lotsa' leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 cup Milk (anything higher than skim will work)

6 slices white bread                                                                   2 pounds LEAN ground beef
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cups minced flat-leaf Parsley
4 whole eggs, beaten
9 slices turkey bacon (you can use regular if you wish...just trying to reduce calories as much as possible)

Sauce:
1 1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Tabasco to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Pour milk over the bread slices & allow it to soak in for several minutes.
Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl.  Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.  

Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan. (line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid an unnecessary mess!)

Lay turkey bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce:  add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl & stir together.  

Pout 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon & spread with a spoon.

Bake for 1 hour, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top.  Bake for another 30 minutes.  (every oven is different...make sure to check the center before serving)

Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Serve with my roasted garlic mashed potato recipe & your vegetable of choice!

 

Enjoy and make sure your man remembers you going through the trouble! ;)

Enchiladas w/Zuchini, Mushrooms, Spinach & Chicken - Mmm Mmm Good!

This past weekend my wonderful mother-in-law Mrs. Cathy stayed with us and my parents came over to join us for dinner Friday night.  We had a lovely evening, and this recipe is definitely a keeper!  I have been eating leftovers ever since.  I would say it makes 8-10 servings.  You can make this as veggie enchiladas, or add shredded chicken.  It would be delicious either way!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
1 large onion (sliced)
1 pound portobello mushrooms (diced)
3 zucchini (diced)

1 pkg frozen spinach (or 1 fresh bag)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoon cumin (toasted and ground)
2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste 

1 jar salsa verde

1 can cream of mushroom soup (condensed)

2 cups light sour cream

12-14 small corn tortillas

1 pkg jack and cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 rotisserie chicken (shredded/if you choose to add meat)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes at medium-high heat.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and it has evaporated.
Add the spinach and zucchini and cook until just tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
In a large mixing bowl combine salsa verde, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream.
Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Heat each individual corn tortilla in a skillet on the stove on each side.
Fill the corn tortillas with salsa mixture, veggies, and cheese.

Roll them up and place them in the baking dish with the seam on the bottom.

After all of the enchiladas are in the baking dish, sprinkle chicken over the veggie enchiladas (if you choose)
Pour the remaining salsa verde mixture over the chicken and sprinkle on the cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese is nice and bubbling and starts to brown, about 25-30 min.


I served mine with a side salad & made homemade guacamole for a starter!

Good ole' January

When January rolls around I tend to be a slacker when it comes to cooking (I promise to try & continue to post one new recipe a week).  I don't know about you all but when the holiday's come to an end I am ready for a break from the kitchen & ready to be on top of things when it comes to my diet to recover from the bit of indulging I had done on food & wine over the holiday season, eek!  I highly recommend this product to kick start your New Year to get you back to feeling like your fabulous self! (and no, I am not getting paid for telling you this...I wish!)  :

Shakeology:   This meal replacement shake  contains a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics that help your body eliminate built-up toxins caused by eating today’s highly processed foods. It’s also packed with super nutritious, whole food ingredients that deliver the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that your body needs to curb cravings, accelerating your body’s ability to shed stored fat.  It  also includes more than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients which help reduce free radical damage that leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.   

Results from drinking shakeology  include weight loss, increased energy, improved digestion & regularity, & lower cholesterol.

I recommend the chocolate flavor, I personally did not like the green berry flavor AT ALL!!  If you are on the go a lot, I would buy the individual packets to make it easier to carry with you.

To purchase shakeology go to this site:  http://www.shakenutrition.com/  
They will give you the option of using home direct shipping for free, or paying the shipping fee.  Realize, if you choose home direct it ties you down to getting a 2 month supply, so it will automatically bill you again & ship you another order the following month.  SO, I suggest paying for the shipping the first time to make sure that you like it & are satisfied.  


I ordered my shakeology yesterday & plan on starting the cleanse this coming Monday.  I did it last year & got great results.

To read more info on shakeology go to this site:  http://shakeology.com/web/shakeology

To read people's reviews on shakeology check this out:  http://www.fatlossblogger.com/shakeology-review/.

To find different recipes you can use to change things up a bit with your shakeology visit this site:  http://www.shakenutrition.com/shakeology-recipes/

I recommend starting with the 3 day cleanse & then replacing ONLY one meal a day with shakeology after the first 3 day's while eating a balanced diet.  When I have done shakeology before I would replace either breakfast or lunch with my shake.  Here is the info on the 3 day cleanse.  For women, I recommend only using 2 shakes per day during the cleanse unless you are doing intense workouts!  And, I only use 2 so it doesn't burn through my pocket book so quickly, too :)  : 

SHAKEOLOGY CLEANSE ESSENTIALS 

• 3 Shakeology shakes per day
• 2 cups of green tea per day
• 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional)
• 1 salad for dinner-can include fish or poultry
• No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)!
• Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
• Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
• 2 snacks before/after any of the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
• Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
• Power-workout participants (those who are already super conditioned) are recommended the higher numbers of calories
• For maximum results, do NOT use additives
• Dinner salad may include WHITE GRILLED PROTEIN-poultry or fish only
• Daily Regimen:
  
  1 cup of green tea to start the day
  
  Breakfast:
  1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
  1/2 cup of fruit (60 to 90 calories)-optional
  Ice to taste
  8 to10 oz. of water
  
  Snack 1 (85 calories): 1 piece of fruit (apple, pear, orange, banana mango, etc.)
  
  Lunch: 1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories) Ice to taste 8 to 10 oz. of water 1 cup of green tea or a detox tea
  
  Snack 2: (you can have the second snack before or after dinner) 1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories) Ice to taste 8 to10 oz. of water
  
  Dinner: Salad with grilled white fish or poultry (roughly 340 calories)
  Greens-3 servings of vegetables, plus 4 oz. of grilled white meat (fish or poultry)
  2 tablespoons of dressing-no more!

Now, Happy New Year, or more like Happy New REAR!!! :)

Happy New Year / Citrus Champagne Punch!!!

Friday night Jay O. & I hosted a New Year's dinner & cocktail party.  We really enjoyed having over some of our favorite people to celebrate!  And, of course, for New Year's Eve you always have to have a celebratory cocktail, and this is what we served.  It is Emeril Lagasse's punch recipe & everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I recommend sipping slowly! ;) 

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup limoncello
• 2 teaspoons vermouth 
• 1 (750 ml) bottle chilled dry champagne or sparkling wine
• Ice
• Lemon twists, for garnish

Directions

Combine the lemon juice, sugar, vodka, Limoncello, and vermouth in a large nonreactive bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours. Add the Champagne and stir to combine.

Serve over ice in highball glasses, garnished with lemon twists.(The first 2 batches I did refrigerate the mixed ingredients, but the last 2 I just used extra ice to chill & it really made no difference). 

Here's to 2011!!!

New Year's Chicken

This has always been a family recipe that Hatley & I really enjoy.  Rebekah made this for the main course at our progressive dinner.  Great job, by the way!
It is always a big hit with the guys.  And, it is simple to make!  Easy + delicious = perfect :)

Serves 12

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups chicken, chopped

1 lb. sausage

1- 6 oz Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice mix with seasonings

2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth (make sure to pay close attention to this, you don't want it to turn out too dry)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup(undiluted)

1 cup herb stuffing mix (Kraft Stove Top brand)

1 T. melted butter

Cut up chicken into small pieces(cooked).  Cook sausage in frying pan.  Follow directions for rice, using broth instead of water.  Stir all ingredients together.  Add additional broth if necessary.  Place in Casserole (9x12).  Toss butter and herb stuffing mix and place on top of casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Holiday Salad w/vinaigrette dressing

Friday night a group of our friends had a progressive dinner party.  It was a great time and thank you to each of you for all you contributed, everything was delicious!!!  

Jay O. & I were co-hosts at Chris's house & I made this holiday salad.  It is definitely a recipe I will be making again!  I HIGHLY recommend it :)

I doubled this recipe for the dinner. 

Servings: Serves 10

Ingredients:

Dressing (can be made up to 2 days in advance, refrigerated in an airtight container & whisked before serving):

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 1 cup cashews
• 5 cups mixed baby greens or baby arugula
• 1 head romaine lettuce , coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1 container cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, about 4 ounces (I used a garlic & herb feta cheese blend)
• 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup red onion , chopped

Directions:

To make dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallots, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until well blended.  I actually did my dressing in a blender so the shallots would blend in well, I was happy w/the way it turned out.  Either way works!

To make salad: In a large bowl, toss together baby greens, romaine, tomatoes, cashews and dressing. Add feta cheese and 1/2 cup bacon; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cranberries, red onion and remaining bacon before serving.

Now enjoy this flavorful salad without any guilt!!!

Cranberry Daiquiri's - the perfect holiday cocktail

This is a family recipe as well.  My Mom & Aunt Kim have always made them during the holiday season, and everyone loves them!  They are almost like a dessert, definitely a tasty treat.

It was funny because my Mom was in a hurry writing down the recipe for us & forgot to add in the fact that you add FIVE cups of water, makes a big difference!!  Jay O. & I knew something was missing :) 

Ingredients:                                                                       
1 can frozen cranberry juice cocktail
2 Tablespoons real lemon
1 1/2 cups rum - 2 cups rum
1 10 oz. frozen strawberries
5 cups water

Directions:
Blend the strawberries & the rum in the blender.
Mix in Large pitcher or container.
Place in freezer overnight.

*Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites*

I think that this recipe was the biggest hit of the party.  I got the recipe from my Mom & have always loved it!!

This concludes the new food recipes we used.  I also prepared an earlier post, the spinach-artichoke dip, mini caprese salad's on toothpicks, fresh veggies, & Jay O. made venison meatballs.  We had cream puffs & strawberries w/chocolate fondue & bon bon's for dessert. 

We enjoyed the night and the great company!!! 

Ingredients:
3 large chicken breast halves (cut into 1 inch pieces)
8 slices bacon cut into 3rds
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
vegetable spray
wooden toothpicks

Directions:
- Wrap each chicken cube w/bacon & secure with a wooden toothpick.
- Stir together ingredients and pour over chicken.  Marinate all day or over night.
- Coat broiler pan with cooking spray
- Bake at 450 degrees for 10 min, turn chicken over & bake for 10 more minutes.
I tripled the amount of chicken for supper club & doubled the marinade. 

Pesto Torte

This isn't the easiest thing to prepare...but it is delicious & well worth the effort!  And, the colors are perfect for a Christmas party :)  I found snowflake Ritz crackers at the grocery store for serving.

Ingredients:
2 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg salad dressing mix (Ranch or Italian)
1 jar pesto
1 jar sundried tomatoes in oil (chopped)

Directions:
Mix cream cheese and dressing mix.
Layer the cream cheese & pesto in a round tupperware dish lined with plastic wrap/saran wrap.  End with the cream cheese mixture.
Refrigerate overnight. 
Transfer to serving dish and top with the sundried tomatoes.
Serve w/crackers