Sweet Potato Chips

Super easy and tasty!

• Thinly slice up a few sweet potatoes. I use a mandolin slicer.
• Lay chips in a single layer on baking sheets, lightly spray with an olive oil baking spray
• Bake at 375 for 5 mins.
• Flip chips, lightly spray with oil, sprinkle with seasoning of your choice
• Bake until chips are crisp, they will start browning.

I used salt, but here are a few ideas for seasoning:

*seasoning salt

*cinnamon and sugar

*cumin and salt

*chili powder

Well...didn't last long, should have made a few more pans full

Turkey Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz spinach (thawed if frozed, briefly flash steam if fresh)
• 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• whole wheat lasagna noodles cooked (about 10-12)
• 3/4 lb cooked turkey or chicken slices
• 12 oz alfredo sauce (mine was premade- I recommend Bertolli light alfredo in fridge section of grocery store)
• 8 oz shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown turkey 
2. Cook noodles, drain, allow to cool till you can handle them then cut each long noodle in half
3. Mix Ricotta, spinach, parm, seasonings and mix till well incorporated
4. Add in turkey into ricotta mix
5. Take about 2-3 tbsp of mix and wrap it in half a noodle
6. Repeat this and place rolls in a baking dish
7. Pour alfredo sauce over noodle rolls, add shredded cheese
8. Bake at 375 until bubbly and cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Mixing ricotta, seasonings, spinach

I had left over cooked chicken breasts I sliced up and tossed in

The yummy rolls prior to sauce and baking

I think it is time to plate and eat!!

Delicious!

Cold & Popcorn (Recipes too!)

Is it possible to sweat in 34 degree weather. Yes.

Running today burned my lungs but well worth it!



On a lighter note..

Today is National Popcorn Day.

Fun Facts about popcorn...

• Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of popcorn.
• I alone eat half of that LOL
• Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped is only 55 per cup.
• SEE why I LOVE this stuff.
• Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.
• Thank you all you states I think flat and boring, you will now 'pop' into my gratitude as I munch daily on my fave snack!
• The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.
• Ummm...they haven't checked my purchase records obviously!
• Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.
• Even so, I prefer my air popper!
• "Popability" is popcorn lingo that refers to the percentage of kernels that pop.
• "Old Maids" refers to the kernels that don't pop
• Popping kernels can pop up to 3 feet in the air.

HAPPY NATIONAL POPCORN DAY!!!

I will be proudly popping my 8 cup bowl to the brim in celebration...I may even have seconds!

My fave recipes:

1. Lightly misted with olive oil spray and sprinkle salt and pepper
2. Cheddar cheese sprinkles (yes I know...not 'green' or 'natural')
3. Spritz of lime juice and salt, VERY great on Mexican night!!
4. Parmesan
5. Garlic powder and Parmesan!!
6. Cinnamon and Ideal Sugar
7. Chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt...delish Southwestern flair
8. Dried buttermilk, onion powder, mustard powder, garlic powder, white pepper, taste like Ranch

Grilled Pimento Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4-1/2 c low fat or fat free mayo
• small jar of pimentos
• 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 4 oz shredded fat free cheddar
• 4 oz reduced fat Mexican (without spices) cheese blend
• 1/2 salt
• bread (I used focaccia buns)
• low fat butter or baking spray

DIRECTIONS:

• Beat cream cheese, pimentos spices, and mayo till creamy
• Fold in shredded cheese
• Cut focaccia bread in half, spray or place butter to melt in a heated pan
• place a good heap of pimento cheese on one slice, cover with other and 'grill' in the heated sprayed/buttered pan
• press down on sandwich and flip it to cook other side once (If you have a panini maker USE IT!!...we now own one, but didn't then)

Almost looks like a cheese ball

SO delicious, cheesy, melty and GREAT paired with a bowl of tomato soup

Salt Dough

Well, this post is a bit late, but we plan on making heart shaped bowls for Valentine's Day using this recipe and maybe a few shamrocks for St. Patricks Day.  This is a great craft to do with those special little people in your lives. So bring out your inner artist and have fun!

My little helper!

Stirring proved to hard for this body builder so mom had to step in!

Gross looking HUH?

The dough kneaded out

Ready to bake

I failed to take a painted picture afterwards, but they looked like the above, just painted Picasso style thanks to my visionary and colorful daughter :o)

RECIPE

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water (may need more if dough is too stiff or dry)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients well
2. Knead the dough a few times till pliable (you can add food coloring at this point if you want colored dough---WEAR GLOVES---)
3. For cut outs:
1. Take a rolling pin and roll it flat
2. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes
4. For shaped art:
1. Take kneaded dough and mold with hands or tools to desired shape
5. Bake for 2 hours at 200*
6. After cooling you can paint and decorate away

Giving things a second chance

I coveted, loved, adored, admired a buffet at Pottery Barn, but let's face it...their prices are ASTRONOMICAL.

So while perusing my local HomeGoods, I found something I kind of liked, it just wasn't quite right, but I saw great potential in it.

I bought the buffet for under $400 with tax and the one from Pottery Barn would have been $1500, plus shipping, plus tax OUCH!!  SO I saved a cool $1,000. My dearest husband should be proud!! And with only 3 cans of paint, a few sheets of scrapbook paper VOILA...my DREAM buffet.  I love this one WAY more than the one I first desired...

The Pottery Barn Buffet I wanted

BEFORE

Homegoods buffet before

 Before

Finished and in place in my kitchen

A view of the paper I used in the back of the cabinets

Four Cheese Florentine

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 servings of pasta (cooked)-I used Barilla Ricotta and Spinach Tortellini
• 3/4 c low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 c parmesan
• 1 c cooked, drained spinach
• 6 oz shredded mozzarella 
• 4 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta, drain.
2. Cook spinach, drain.
3. In pot over low heat add cream cheese to spinach, melt
4. Add cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan & seasonings. Mix well.
5. Bake in a sprayed baking dish at 400* for 20 mins

Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-CHANGES...

How will you "turn things around" this year?


I set a goal last year (completing a half marathon before turning 30) and to my amazement, I did it.

I don't really like the term resolution...why?

Check out the definitions of resolution versus goal


To me having goals makes more sense than resolutions.  Here are mine...

1. Complete a full marathon, preferably  by the end of 2012
2. Complete a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon before turning 33
3. Start a cookbook
1. By the end of the year have at least 20-30 recipes ready to put in it

SO what are your goals?  Remember that 'they' say people who have goals set AND written down are more likely to see them come to pass.

Share!!