Smoked Turkey Baked Chimichangas

Smoked Turkey Baked Chimichangas (compliments of 30 minute meals, foodnetwork.com)


1 pound thickly sliced smoked turkey from deli counter, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups shredded slaw cabbage, available in produce department
1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, available with Mexican and Spanish foods in market -- use 1 for moderate heat, 2 for extra hot chimichangas
1 cup tomato sauce
3 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper
4 (12-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups, 6 ounces, shredded sharp cheddar, smoked white cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley
1 vine ripe orange or yellow tomato, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat your toaster oven to 400 degrees F or high.

Place turkey in a bowl and season with chili powder. Add shredded cabbage, chipotles in adobo, tomato sauce, scallions. Toss filling to combine and season with salt and pepper. Place tortillas in a kitchen towel and set in microwave. Microwave on high for 1 minute. To build, place a generous handful of cheese near one edge of the tortilla. Pile 1/4 of your filling in the tortilla. Tuck sides up and roll tortilla tightly. Repeat to make 4 large stuffed tortilla wraps. Brush the toaster oven baking tray with vegetable or olive oil. Brush the wraps with oil and bake until deep golden all over, 15 to 17 minutes. Top with sour cream, cilantro or parsley and chopped orange or yellow tomato, as garnishes.

Moussaka - A Greek Casserole

Moussaka - greek casserole (compliments of weight watchers)


1 medium eggplant(s), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
8 oz canned tomato sauce
1/3 cup wine, red
1 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg white, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place eggplant slices in a colander; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let stand 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; sauté eggplant until lightly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté beef, onion and garlic until beef is brown and onion is tender, about 4 minutes; drain off fat. Stir in 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, wine, parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, oregano and cinnamon; simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir 1/4 cup of beef mixture into egg white; return to skillet, mix well. Cook 1 minute.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce into bottom of 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Place 1/2 of eggplant slices on top of sauce, then spoon on beef mixture; top with remaining eggplant slices and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.

French Onion Soup

Crockpot French Onion Soup (compliments of cammi-pea, twopeasinabucket.com)


2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 onions, sliced and separated into rings
1 package gravy mix
3 cups water
4 slices French bread, cubed
4 slices Swiss Cheese

Place the sliced onions in the slow cooker. Pour in the butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in the bread and add the water and gravy mix. Stir well. Cover cook on Low for 10 to 18 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Cover with Swiss cheese before serving.

favours of cooking....

compliments of marthastewart.com

Italian Meringue Kisses (makes about 400)



2 2/3 cups sugar
9 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons plus 2 1/4 teaspoons coffee extract
2 teaspoons chocolate extract
12 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder




1. Preheat oven to 175°. Bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until syrup registers 238°on a candy thermometer.

2. Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Raise speed to medium-high. Beat until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.

3. With mixer running, slowly pour in hot sugar syrup. Raise speed to high. Beat until cooled, about 10 minutes. Place one-third of meringue in each of 2 bowls. Fold vanilla into 1 bowl. Fold 3 tablespoons coffee extract into other bowl. Sift cocoa over the mixer bowl; add chocolate extract and remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons coffee extract, and beat on high speed until combined.

4. Transfer each batch to a separate pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1-inch kisses onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing about 3/4 inch apart. Bake until hard to the touch but not browned, 5 hours or overnight .Transfer kisses to wire racks; let cool completely. Kisses can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 week.

5. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in oil. Dip bottoms of kisses in melted chocolate; transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper to set, about 1 hour.

Mexican Pork Chops

Mexican Pork Chops (compliments of **Carrie**, twopeasinabucket.com)

6 Pork Chops
1 ½ C. water
¾ C. long grain rice, uncooked
8 oz. Tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. Taco seasoning mix
1 med. Green pepper, chopped
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese


Brown pork chops in large skillet with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Mix rice, water, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning and stir well. Cool chops and spread rice mixture in sprayed 9x13 container. Arrange chops over rice, and sprinkle pepper over chops. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour. Top with cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (compliments of sparkpeople.com)


1 cup loose-pack frozen corn
3/4 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsps nonfat dry milk powder
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 - 8oz low-sodium tomato sauce
1 - 4oz can diced green chilie peppers, drained (may substitute canned jalapeno peppers, rinsed, seeded & chopped if you like it hot)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
nonstick spray
8 - 6" corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheese
2 Tbsps snipped cilantro or parsley (optional)


In a medium saucepan stir together corn, water, onion, bouillon granules, garlic & cayenne. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Do NOT drain.

In a small mixing bowl stir together sour cream, nonfat dry milk powder, and flour; add to onion mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in chopped up chicken. Set aside.

In another small bowl stir together tomato sauce, green chili peppers, and coriander. Set aside.

Spray (8x8x2 or 10x6x2) baking dish with nonstick spray. Lay half of the tortillas in the baking dish, overlapping as necessary. Top with chicken filling. Place remaining tortillas on top of chicken filling. Top with tomato sauce.

Bake, covered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes or unitl heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving.

4 servings

Per serving
371 calories
10g fat
48mg cholesterol
5g fiber
48g carbs
536mg sodium
25g protein

Simple Turkey Soup

Crockpot Simple Turkey Soup (compliments of cammi-pea, twopeasinabucket.com)


2 lbs. ground turkey, cooked and drained
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14 oz) beef broth
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed soup vegetables (such as carrots, beans, okra, corn or onion)
1/2 C uncooked barley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground coriander
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Add water to cover. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until barley and vegetables are tender. *TIP* Try adding other frozen or canned vegetables or diced potatoes and extra carrots. Sliced, diced or stewed tomatoes can be substituted for the whole tomatoes.

Cheddar Cheese Chicken

Crockpot Cheddar Cheese Chicken (compliments of Cammi-pea, twopeasinabucket.com)

6 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (can use the Healthy Request from Campbells)
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

Rinse chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix undiluted soup and pour over chicken in a crock-pot. Cook on low all day (6 to 8 hours). Serve over rice or noodles.

Grilled Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich

Grilled Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich (compliments of Food 911, foodnetwork.com)


8 slices good quality white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1/2 cup grape jelly
2 ripe bananas, sliced

Butter the bread slices on 1 side with butter and place them butter side down. Spread 4 slices with peanut butter and top with the banana slices. Spread the remaining slices with jelly and put them, jelly side down, on top of the bananas. Press them gently to flatten them slightly.

Place each sandwich on a preheated panini press and grill until the bread is toasted, about 5 minutes. Alternately, preheat a dry cast iron or non stick pan. Place the sandwich in the pan and weight it down with another pan or a clean brick wrapped in foil. Grill 5 minutes, turn the sandwich over, re-weight it, and grill for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Peach French Toast Bake

Peach French Toast Bake (compliments of ellie krieger, foodnetwork.com)

Cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat baguette (about 8 ounces)
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
1/2 lemon, juiced about 1 1/2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and arrange the slices in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. In a medium bowl, toss peaches with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Scatter the peach slices evenly on top of the bread. Combine the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 40 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of Canadian bacon.

Nutritional Analysis - per Serving
Calories 263
Total fat 5 grams
Saturated fat 1.3 grams
Protein 12 grams
Carbohydrates 42 grams
Fiber 3 grams

digital artist, you ask

the BIBLE of digital scrapbooking tutorials, you seek - a resounding applause goes to Michelle of Scrapability.

oh, and the answer to my question.....not today, but perhaps someday.

organizational dreams

I only wish my bookshelves looked this clean and pristine.....


(the image is from Kolo - it advertises their new line of cortina albums)

*****

In other news.....

Check out this blog - Jessica Sprague - from the same lady who puts together the photoshop friday threads! Awesome :) She has recently moved from her home here on blogger - click here for her previous work.

Fettucini Alfredo

Fettucini Alfredo (compliments of Sparkpeople.com)


1 1/2 cups nonfat evaporated milk
10 cloves garlic
1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lowfat cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Combine 1 1/2 cup evaporated milk and garlic cloves in a pan, heat and simmer until garlic is soft (about 15-20 minutes). Milk will reduce a little. In a blender, puree milk and garlic mixture with cream cheese until smooth. Return mixture to pan and add 1/2 cup nonfat milk and cornstarch. Heat to simmer. Sauce will thicken slightly. Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley sprinkled on top. Serve remaining parmesan cheese separately.


Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 291
Total Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Sodium: 195mg
Total Carbs: 49.6g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 15g

Pineapple Daquiri Sundaes

Pineapple Daquiri Sundaes (compliments of Cammi-pea, twopeasinabucket.com)


1 pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 C dark rum
1/2 C sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
Peel of 2 limes, cut in long strands
1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh raspberries and mint leaves (optional)


Place pineapple, rum, sugar, lime juice, peel and cornstarch in slow cooker; mix well. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot over ice cream. Sprinkle with raspberries and mint leaves, if desired. *TIP* Substitute 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple (drained) for fresh pineapple. Cook on HIGH 3 hours. For a variation, serve sauce over pound cake instead of ice cream.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup (compliments of **Carrie**, twopeasinabucket.com)

1 cup Carrots, sliced thin
½ cup Chopped onion
½ cup Celery, sliced thin
1 cup cooked cubed chicken breast
6 cup Reduced fat chicken broth
1 cup Cheese filled tortellini, dried and uncooked
½ Tsp Dried thyme
¼ Tsp Black pepper
1 Bay leaf
2 Tbsp Parsley

Bring broth to a boil, add carrots, onion, celery, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cover, simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add chicken, pasta and parsley. Continue cook over medium heat until pasta is cooked.

Fresh Asparagus and Beef Stir-Fry

Fresh Asparagus and Beef Stir-Fry (compliments of sparkpeople.com)


2 tsps unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 lb lean beef strips
9 oz sugar snap peas
1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped


Melt butter in a heavy nonstick skilletover medium heat. Saute red pepper, beef, snap peas and asparagus 4-5 minutes. Add stock and cook another 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with peanuts.

Makes 4 servings.

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It can't get much better than this....





or perhaps this???





I love internet window shopping....

Crockpot Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken (compliments of Cammi-pea, twopeasinabucket.com)


4-6 chicken breasts or tenderloins
1 can pineapple chunks
1 bottle Lawry's Teriyaki marinade

Place chicken in crock-pot, pour marinade on top. Drain half the juice from the pineapple and pour remaining juice and pineapple chunks into crock-pot. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Serve over rice.

Orange Chicken Fingers

Orange Chicken Fingers (compliments of Sparkpeople.com)

1 lb skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
salt to taste

1. Cut chicken crosswise into 3/4 inch wide strips. Shisk together mustard, Orange juice, honey, sesame oil and pepper in medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken toss to combine. Let marinate in fridge 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile prepare grill, or preheat broiler. Remove chicken strips from marinade discard remaining marinade. Grill or broil 2-3 min per side until no longer pink. Season with salt and serve.

4 servings
per serving 174 calories, 4g fart, 10 carbs.

Veggie Tortilla Roll Up

A healthy lunch recipe (compliments of Sparkpeople.com):

Veggie Tortilla Roll Up

4 whole wheat tortillas
6 tablespoons nonfat cream cheese
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce or fresh spinach
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup diced green chilies
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (red, green, orange, yellow, or a mixture of these.


1. Spread each tortilla with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream cheese.
2. Top tortillas with equal amounts of vegetables. Roll up tightly to enclose filling.


Makes 4 servings. 1 tortilla roll per serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 144, Carbs 25 g, Protein 8 g, Total Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 2 mg, Sodium 386 mg, Dietary Fiber 5 g.

Simple Tomato Sauce

compliments of Everyday Italian....

Simple Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.

Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.