Crockpot Pulled Pork and Sauteed Squash

 Recipe adapted from here.

2.5 lb boneless pork loin roast center cut, trimmed of fat

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp mesquite liquid smoke

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

Barbecue Sauce ( I used Stubb's and it's the best!)

Directions:

Place pork in crockpot and season with salt, vinegar, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. Cover and set to high for 6 hours. Remove pork and transfer onto a large plate. Reserve all liquid. Shred pork and put back into slower with 3/4 cup reserved liquid and barbecue sauce. Cook on high one more hour.

 Enjoy!

3 oz pork is about 5 points + (Make sure you calculate your sauce, though.)

 I made sauteed squash to go with the sandwiches and it's the perfect side dish for it! 

Ingredients:

Yellow Squash, sliced

Diced Onions (I used frozen.)

2 tbsp butter

Heat skillet and add butter. Add sliced squash and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until squash browns. 

Hot Crash Potatoes

12 whole small potatoes (like new potatoes or klondike)

3 tbs olive oil

Black pepper

Salt

Rosemary (or I used an Italian Seasoning blend)

Preheat oven to 450. 

First boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Place on baking sheet and gently smash twice with potato masher. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle spices. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and roasted.

Recipe from here.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

 Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

4 ounces butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. First, cream the butter and sugar. Then, beat in the mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chips. If making a loaf, spray loaf pan with cooking spray. If making muffins, line muffin pan with cupcake liners. For loaf, baking about 1 hour or until done in the middle. For muffins, bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

 Ingredients

12 reduced fat mozzarella string cheese (cut in half)

2 tbsp flour

1 egg

5 tbsp Italian bread crumbs

5 tbsp Panko bread crumbs

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried parsley

olive oil spray

Freeze sting cheese.

Preheat oven to 400. Whisk egg in one bowl, in another bowl place flour. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley. When cheese is frozen, remove from freezer. Dip cheese in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. After all cheese is breaded, lightly spray the tops with olive oil spray. Bake for 4-5 minutes on bottom rack. Turn cheese over and bake additional 4-5 minutes, watching carefully.

Recipe from Skinny Taste

2points+ for two sticks

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips

 This is SOOO delicious! Definitely worth trying!

Fruit Salsa

 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
3 types of apples (I used Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Pink Lady) - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries

1 carton of blackberries
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
2 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)

Directions

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes. 

Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips

(Tip: If your grocery store sells Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita chips, just buy those! Mine doesn't, so I made my own! :) They were good, though!)

Ingredients

Plain Pita Chips

Cinnamon (to taste)

Sugar (to taste)

1 tbsp melted butter

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Place chips in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Pepperjack Salsa Turkey Burgers and Cuban Black Beans

 Pepperjack Salsa Turkey Burgers

 For two turkey burgers, you will need:

1/2 lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 can Rotel (I used Mild.)

Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 slices 2% Pepperjack cheese

2 Nature's Own Thin Buns

In a bowl, place ground turkey, Rotel, Taco Seasoning, and bread crumbs. Mix together. Form patties and cook until done. Top each patty with a slice of Pepperjack cheese and melt. Place on buns.

I served mine with sweet potato fries and Cuban black beans (recipe below).

For the ingredients I used, each burger was only 7 WW points plus!

Cuban Black Beans

1 can black beans

1/4 cup diced onions (I use frozen white onions. So easy!)

2 tbsp light sour cream

Place black beans and onions in a bowl and microwave for 3-5 minutes. Top with sour cream. Enjoy!

For 1/2 cup black beans and 1 tbsp light sour cream, it is 3 WW points plus.

Crepes

Not really a recipe, but a meal idea.

fresh fruit

whipped cream

crepes

Other ideas, Nutella and strawberries; chocolate chips, peanut butter, banana, and whipped cream; or a savory crepe with chicken, mushrooms, and cheese. The possibilities are endless!

Hash Brown Casserole

 1 bag of Ore Ida frozen hashbrowns

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 container light sour cream

2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese

1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first four ingredients and place in casserole dish. Top with butter and cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Deviled Eggs

 2 tbs Plain Greek Yogurt

6 Hardboiled Eggs

1 tsp Dijon mustard (I used a combo of regular and Jack Daniel's mustard.)

Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut hard boiled eggs in half longways. Scoop yolks into bowl, add all ingredients, except paprika and mix. Scoop mixture back into eggs. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Creamy Grape Salad

 Ingredients

1 lb green seedless grapes, washed and dried well
1 lb red seedless grapes, washed and dried well
8 oz fat free Plain or Greek yogurt
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Directions

Mix yogurt, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until blended well. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving dish.

Combine brown sugar and crushed walnuts. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely. Chill until ready to serve.

8 servings, 1/8th is serving size and has 4 WW points! It's so yummy!

Vintage Recipe: Green Congealed Salad

This is a recipe that's been in my husband's family forever! When I first saw what was in it, I wasn't so sure about it. But, y'all, it's so yummy! I love it!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water, divided
2 (3-ounce) boxes lime gelatin
1 (16-ounce) carton cottage cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
1 cup chopped pecans, more for garnish, if desired 

Instructions

Bring 1 cup water to boil. Place the gelatin in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir until dissolved. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cold water. Let cool to lukewarm (you can place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, but do not let it set). In a separate bowl, combine the cottage cheese and mayonnaise. Stir in the pineapple with its juice. Stir in the cooled gelatin mixture. Stir in the nuts. Carefully pour the mixture into a large ring mold or serving bowl. Chill until firm. Garnish with nuts, if desired.

Our family always has it on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here it is on our Thanksgiving table.

Southern Cornbread

This is true southern cornbread! It's not sweet and you'll need a cast iron skillet and buttermilk! :)

Ingredients

2 cups Self Rising Enriched white corn meal

2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

2-3 tbs corn oil

cast iron skillet

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Mix corn meal, buttermilk, and egg in bowl. Place cast iron skillet on an eye of the stove. Pour 2-3 tbs of corn oil and heat. When oil starts to sizzle, turn eye off. Pour oil into the corn meal mix. Stir. Pour corn meal mix back into cast iron skillet. Place on bottom rack and bake for 20-25 minutes until it doesn't jiggle in the middle. Then move to the middle rack and continue to bake for 5 minutes until top is golden brown.

Use a knife to loosen the sides when it comes out. Flip onto rack to cool.

Slice it and eat it! Butter makes it even more divine!

This is what I will be using in my cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving.

P.S. 

Come check out Piece of Cake's new Christmas design! It makes me want to bake! :)

Baked Mac and Cheesy

This recipe is, indeed, very CHEESY! 

 Ingredients

1 pound Cooked Pasta
½ cups Butter
½ cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
3-¾ cups Milk
¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2-½ cups Shredded Cheese Of Your Choice
½ packages (6.6 Oz. Package) Goldfish Crackers, Smashed

 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Once the water comes to a boil and you put the pasta in your water, you can start making your sauce.
3. Melt the butter over low heat until melted.
4. Raise the heat to medium-low and add in the flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly.
5. Remove from heat and add the milk. Return to the stove and heat to boiling, stirring constantly until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. This will take about 10-15 minutes. You are basically making a bechamel sauce.
6. Add the nutmeg and Dijon mustard and stir.
7. Grate half a block of cheese. I used extra sharp cheddar, then also bought a package of already-shredded cheese to help save some time. You can use any cheese you like though. Some Gruyere, bleu, Swiss, provolone, jalapeno cheddar … all those would be super tasty.
8. Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, add in your cheese and stir. The cheese sauce will now be very thick!
9. Your pasta should be done before all this, so just make sure you drain it—but do not rinse! Return the pasta to your boiling pot.
10. Pour the cheese sauce into the pot and stir well.
11. Pour the macaroni and cheese into an ungreased 9 x 13 glass dish.
12. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top.
13. Pour half the package of Goldfish crackers into a food storage bag. Use your hand, a rolling pin or a pan to smash the crackers into crumbles. Sprinkle the mixture on top of your macaroni and cheese.
14. Bake the macaroni and cheese for 20-25 minutes.

Here it is straight out of the oven. I also let it broil for a few minutes to get the top nice and crunchy!

 Serve and enjoy!

Baked Hush Puppies

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix or 2 cups self rising cornmeal mix
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1. Combine cornmeal mix and red pepper in a larger bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into miniature muffin pans coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 425 for 13 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans and serve immediately.

Makes about 3 dozen

Marshmallow Fruit Salad

My father-in-law always makes this on every holiday. It's so yummy and a great low fat snack or dessert!

You will need:

Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream (Nonfat or light)

1 bag of mini marshmallows
1 can of fruit cocktail
1 can of Mandarin oranges

Notes:
You can use whatever kind of fruit you prefer! I love Mandarin oranges, so I use a big can of them!
I also use two sweet-n-lows to make it sweeter.

Mix together and serve!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I can't find the exact recipe that I used, but this looks close. I always use real sweet potatoes, instead of canned.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) can sweet potatoes
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 pkg. marshmallows

Directions:

Butter baking dish. Place 1/2 of mixture in dish. Dot with marshmallows, then add remaining mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, dot top with marshmallows and replace in oven about 10 minutes or until brown.

The Lady's Cheesy Mac by Paula Deen

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Oven Roasted New Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds small new red potatoes (about 15), scrubbed and dried
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pare a narrow strip of peel from the middle of each potato. In a large bowl mix the oil, garlic, and rosemary; add the potatoes and toss well. Transfer the potatoes to a shallow baking pan and roast until potatoes are tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Serve hot.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 ounces smoked bacon
2-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
fresh Rosemary for garnish

Directions:

In a skillet over medium high heat cook bacon until crispy; drain on paper towels. Crumble into small pieces; set aside.

Cut Yukon Gold potatoes into 1-inch cubes; put in saucepan with cold water, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and continue to cook until fork tender. Drain and mash until there are no lumps. Add sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, continue mashing until smooth and creamy.

Fold cheese, then bacon (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish) into the mashed mixture. Serve in a large bowl, top with rosemary, reserved bacon and serve.