BBQ Ribs

**These ribs were so fall off the bone tender and yummy. I actually cooked 8lbs of ribs and it all fit in my crock pot. I tripled the recipe below for the marinade. **

* I just made these ribs again for my husbands birthday and this time I used boneless ribs and they were yummy too! I took them out of the crock pot and just stuck them under broiler for about 7 minutes with extra BBQ sauce added on top, and Voila! *

Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs
1/4 cup brown sugar -- packed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 medium onion -- sliced (I used dried minced onion)
1/2 cup cola
1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce


Directions:
Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker with cooking spray. (I put mine in a crock pot bag to reduce the clean up mess afterwards.)

Cut ribs into 4"-6" pieces. Mix brown sugar, pepper, liquid smoke, garlic and minced onion. Put ribs in crock pot bag or in a large bowl. Pour mixture into ribs. Let marinate overnight. The next morning layer ribs in slow cooker with marinade. Pour cola over ribs.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker. Drain and discard liquid.

Place ribs back in slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 1 hour longer."

Healthier Potato Cheese Soup

**This was really good even using lower fat ingredients. My girls both loved it.

Potato Cheese Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 TB olive oil

2 15oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth

5 small red potatoes diced with skins on

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4-1/2 cup chopped carrot

2 cups nonfat milk

1/4 cup flour

2 cups reduced fat cheese

1tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

**I added also about 1/2 tsp onion salt because I wanted a little more flavor**

In a medium stock pot add 2 cans of chicken broth. Saute onion in small skillet on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add to chicken broth. Add potatoes, carrots and celery. Bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile add the milk and flour in a blender and blend well. Pour into soup mixture that is boiling. Stir until thickened. Turn heat off. Add cheese, parsley and basil. Stir until cheese is all melted and mixed in.

Serve with crackers or cornbread.

Elbows on the Table

This super-quick meal can be made with italian sausage or without, making it vegetarian. This recipe feeds 6-8 people so adjust if your family is smaller or eats less.

Elbows on the Table

Yield: 8 cups Prep & cook time: 15 minutes

1/2 lb or 3 cups dry elbow macaroni

1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp pre-minced garlic)

1 tsp ground cumin (optional - we've never used this since I don't like spicy foods)

2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite)

1/4 cup water

1 can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained & rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. While macaroni is cooking: Brown sausage well in heated large skillet. Reduce heat to medium & add garlic & cumin; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. ** if you're not using sausage, just add garlic & cumin to step #4 **
4. Stir in marinara sauce, water, chickpeas & kidney beans. Reduce heat to low
& cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Drain pasta & transfer to large bowl. Toss with sausage (or marinara)

mixture. Sprinkle with cheese & parsley.

Serve & enjoy!

We like this with a green salad. SUPER yummy!

Black Bean Burger

I bought this box of black bean burgers at Costco and can I say that these are yummy!! It would be nice to find this flavor at the store that maybe have a little smaller patty, but I say give them a try. You still need to watch your fat with these, they are 7g fat per patty, but they have alot protein other than animal protein, and 7g of dietary fiber.


Lunch or Dinner

I had a half of a patty in a whole wheat pita pocket for lunch with a tomato slice, lettuce and some avocado.

You can also have it burger style on a whole wheat sandwich thin.

Do you like the Southwest Eggrolls at Chili's?? This burger tastes just like the inside of those eggrolls. So, heat one up in the microwave instead of the skillet and then mash it. Roll it into a whole wheat tortilla. 1 tortilla will be stuffed more like a burrito, 2 tortillas will be more like taquitos. Brush them with some olive oil and bake them until crispy. Yum!

Orange Chicken

**For those of you lucky enough to have a Trader Joes (which is a store that carries healthy alternatives) you have to try the Orange chicken.....YUM! It tastes just like or better than the Orange chicken at Panda Express, AND the good part is the nutritional information. Look at the information above compared to Panda....

400 calories, 20g fat, 3.5g sat fat, 90mg cholesterol, 640mg sodium, 42g carbs, 18g sugar, 15g protein. You still don't want to eat it often, but it is a great alternative.

Homemade Granola

**This ended up being a yummy snack, and pardon the picture, but I even tried it as a cereal and added some raisins. Yum!**

Granola

4 cups Quick Quaker oats ( I used half old fashioned, half quick)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 sliced almonds

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts chopped

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, coconut, almonds, pecans or walnuts. Set aside. In a saucepan, stir together water, oil, honey and peanut butter; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Add to the oat mixture and stir well. Spread out onto large baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you don't stir well throughout baking, the outer edges can start burning.

Sausage and Bean Pasta

**Another new recipe that is healthier. When I make this again, I will use at least 1 tsp of fennel seed. I think it would be best to make the sauce ahead of time and let it sit and let the flavors all combine. Then closer to dinner re-heat it, make the pasta, and add it to the tomato mixture and serve. ALSO, next time I make it, I was even thinking of possibly adding a little cornstarch and milk mixture to thicken the sauce. ** THIS DOES NOT MAKE THAT GOOD OF A LEFT OVER. THE WHOLE GRAIN NOODLES SEEM TO GET MORE MUSHY. Just a thought. :)

Sausage and Bean Pasta

1 13oz box whole grain pasta - I used shells ( I didn't use whole box, and next time I may even use a little less. )

1TB olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 lb turkey italian sausage

1 cup less sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1 15oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 15oz cans cannelini or northern white beans

romano cheese for garnish

Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. Add sausage. Cook until browned. Stir in chicken broth scraping pan to loosen any bits. Add all seasonings, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Add pasta and serve immediately with cheese for garnish.

Fiesta Rice and Vegetable Bake

*This is a recipe we just tried. We are trying to eat more healthy and to eat meat more "sparingly." We thought it was good enough to post." If you wanted to you could add some cooked chicken or ground meat.

Fiesta Rice and Vegetable Bake
2 cups low sodium organic vegetable broth (I did buy the organic low sodium because it only had 140g of sodium vs the 900g sodium in the swansons.)
1 cup long grain brown rice
16oz salsa
1 15oz can black beans
1 1/2 cups fresh brocoli (I lightly steamed mine first)
1 TB Taco seasoning

1/3 - 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mexican blend shredded cheese

*This recipe has been updated from original post. (See comment section) I updated it to how I remember making it the first time and enjoyed it better. The difference is adding parmesan cheese to the main mixture.*

Combine broth and rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 50minutes. When rice is done Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" baking dish with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine rice and all remaining ingredients except the shredded mexican cheese. Stir well. Spoon in to prepared dish and top with mexican blend cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

**UPDATE--We had this the next day for lunch in a whole whet pita pocket. YUM! My parents made this the night after I posted it, and they all loved it too**

Mini-Meatloaf "Muffins"

This recipe is adapted from one I found on the Kraft Foods website. It's quick & easy & delicious.

Mini-Meatloaf "muffins"

1 lb of your favorite meatloaf recipe, mixed & ready to work with

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Spray 1 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Spoon meatloaf mixture into muffin cups, filling them all the way. Don't press down, just allow the meatloaf mixture to mound up. It will look like there's a big meatball sitting in each muffin cup.
3. Bake 30 minutes, or until done through.
4. Serve & enjoy!

We love this recipe with cheddar cheese sprinkled on top, but it's not necessary.

I make these 2 lbs/2 muffin tins at a time. It feeds my family of 6 (with teenagers) and leaves just enough for my husband to take to work for lunch the next day.

Noodles, Cheese and Brocoli soup

I posted this one way back a long time ago when I started my own blog...but I thought it was worth resurrecting because it tastes so good! My kids LOVE eating this one. I've changed it a bit over the years...I'll add different noodles or whatever, but the basic recipe remains the same. Just remember, if you add a noodle that is "thicker" than egg noodles (our favorite is Cellentani), you'll probably want to adjust by adding a bit more broth or water/boullion. We also add LOTS of noodles (up to 1 lb.!). You can also thicken the soup by taking part of the milk and adding flour or cornstarch, then adding it to the soup at the end. Enjoy!

Noodle, Cheese, and Broccoli Soup

6 cups milk (don't use whole milk--it curdles)

1 1/2 head of fresh broccoli (or more, if you like!)

1 lb. Velveeta cheese (don't use the imitation stuff, it doesn't melt right)

6 chicken bouillon cubes

8 oz. EXTRA FINE egg noodles (or subst. Cellentani pasta or any other pasta)

dash of garlic salt (or more)

6 cups water

dash of pepper

--Pour 6 cups of water in a big pot. Bring to a boil. Add bouillon cubes and dissolve them in boiling water. Add fine egg noodles, cook 2 minutes. Add broccoli (already chopped) and cook until barely tender. Add dash of garlic salt and pepper. Stir in 6 cups of milk. (I like to take 1/2 cup of the milk and add it to flour to make a thicker soup). Turn heat to medium. Cut up Velveeta cheese into small cubes. Add cubes of cheese to milk. Stir until melted. DON'T BOIL.

Crusty Baked Chicken

CRUSTY BAKED CHICKEN

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk or half-and-half

1 - 1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes

2 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp poultry seasoning

2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

4 Tblsp butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Line 2 9x13" pans with foil, or spray pans with non-stick cooking spray. Clean chicken breasts (trim fat, etc) & pat dry. Set aside.

2. In one bowl, beat eggs & milk/half-and-half.

3. In another bowl, mix potato flakes, garlic salt, paprika, poultry seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.

4. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture, then in the potato flake mixture. Coat evenly on all sides. Place chicken pieces in baking pans, 3 breasts each pan.

5. Drizzle each with melted butter.

6. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until heated through. Turn once halfway through cooking time.

7. SERVE & ENJOY! :)





We like to have these with mashed potatoes & gravy, corn & broccoli or peas.

Also really good with cornbread & salad. Also good cold for picnics or barbecues!


FOR BONE-IN CHICKEN PIECES:

Use 3-5 lbs chicken (frying chicken, cut into pieces) for 4-6 servings.

Everything else is the same, except for baking -

Bake at 400*F for 35 minutes, turning chicken once during baking time.

Increase temperature to 425*F and bake another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices (from thigh pieces) run clear when pierced with a fork.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

**This recipe came from my friend Jennifer M. She sent it over when we were doing a recipe swap online. It was fun to see a new and different recipe.**

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

2 cans evaporated milk (not fat-free)

1 1oz pkg Ranch dressing mix

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1/8 tsp pepper

1 16oz lasagna noodles, cooked (I only used 12 noodles)

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 cups mozarella cheese

Cook chicken and noodles first. Once noodles are done, rinse in cold water and set aside. Combine evaporated milk and ranch dressing mix in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in Chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered 25 minutes (the directions say not to do less than 25 minutes), stirring frequently. In a well buttered or greased 9x13 baking dish, layer the lasagna noodles, sauce, and cheese. Repeat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

VARIATION:

Cook Penne Pasta instead of Lasagna noodles. Make sauce as directed and add the mozarella cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and noodles. Stir and let the sauce melt the cheese until you have a nice creamy sauce. Add to baking dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Cranberry Mousse

If you're not very fond of cranberries, but like the idea of having them because they are traditional and festive, then you might like this recipe as much as I do. It's become a regular part of our Thanksgiving and/or Christmas meal.

1 lg. (6 oz.) box raspberry jello (sugar free works perfectly)
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 8 oz. carton Cool Whip
1 C. chopped walnuts
1 lg. can whole-berry cranberries

Make jello using only 2 cups water. (You can use pineapple juice as part of the 2 cups.) Let jello set until just starting to gel, not solid. Empty can of cranberries, Cool Whip, drained pineapple and walnuts in a large bowl. Add jello and mix all together. Best if refrigerated a couple more hours.

This makes a pretty large batch. If you don't have a lot to feed I would half it.

Make the cranberry bowl by freezing water in between two bowls and letting cranberries float in the water. Add enough water to the top bowl to make it heavy enough to give you the thickness you want.

Yams

Yam Crisp--This was a yummy sweet yam with a nice pretty thick crunchy topping.
Yam mixture
3 cups yams cooked mashed by hand (peel off skin)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs (well beaten)
1 stick butter (room temperature)

Crust mixture
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans (chopped)
1/3 stick butter

In mixing bowl, combine crust mixture ingredients and stir well. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl add all the ingredients listed above for yam mixture. Stir all ingredients together until well blended.

Pour yam mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish (9x9). Bake for approx 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot in the center.

Remove from oven and spread crust mixture over the top. Turn on the broiler and place dish back in over close to the top of the oven. Brown the crust mixture

Let stand 30 minutes, then enjoy.



Yam Filled Pumpkin--This one was a sweet yam mixture, and the topping on top reminded me of homemade german chocolate cake frosting. It was delicious.
**I personally would not make this in a pumpkin. I would make this in a 9x9 dish.

Yam mixture
3 cups yams cooked and mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 qt size pumpkin-cleaned and hollowed out

Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine all the ingredients for the yam mixture. Blend until smooth. Fill hollowed out pumpkin with the yam mixture.

Mix all the topping ingredients together. stir well. Sprinkle over the yam mixture.

Place the filled pumpkin in a greased baking dish. Top with the lid to the pumpkin and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Potato Soup

5 cups cut red potatoes

2 1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 cups ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese + more for garnish.

In a large pot, cook potatoes in water until tender. Drain water from the potatoes, saving 1 1/2 cups of the water and returning to the pot with the potatoes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add pepper and flour and mix well.

Put all ingredients in with the potatoes and water and cook on medium-low, simmering for 25 minutes. Add cheese and simmer for 5 more minutes. Dish into bowls and sprinkle with cheese if desired. Makes about 5-6 servings.