Skinny Recipes from my new favorite site

So I recently stumbled across Skinnykitchen.com and I'm LOVING all the healthy and delicious recipes on there!  Thought I'd share a few of my favorites because they are just so awesome : )

CPK's original BBQ chopped chicken Salad Make Skinny

Click HERE for recipe

In Taber's world, you can NEVER have too much BBQ sauce, so this salad has quickly become his all time favorite.  For dressing I used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and Nancy's skinny Ranch Dressing (found HERE)  SOOOOO GOOOD!!

We've also tried it with tortilla chips (she recommends using reduced fat chips but I couldn't find any so we just used a few to keep it lower calorie. Anyway, this salad is AMAZING. You should seriously make it for dinner, tonight. : )

Skinnyfied Chicken Pad Thai

for Recipe click HERE

Sorry my picture didn't come out as pretty for this one but it is another huge winner and I love how simple the recipe is. You don't need any crazy ingredients and it just tastes so light and zingy!

Cheeseburger in Paradise Skinny Soup

For Recipe click HERE

I know the title sounds kind of weird, and I'll admit, I thought the concept was strange at first, (putting ketchup and pickles on your soup?) But it was actually super delish and I made some for my friend's family and they loved it too! So yeah, this one is easy to make and a fun way to eat a "cheeseburger" : )

Low Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For recipe click HERE   

                                                                  

Okay so this one has been by far the biggest hit at our house. Some of the ingredients are things I don't usually have around (like sesame oil and hoisin sauce) but now that I have them in my cupboards these are so easy to whip up and my whole family is CRAZY about them!

The kids have a hard time wrapping them in lettuce so I just combine the chicken mixture with brown rice and they chow it down.

Even Cam scarfs this stuff!

 (at one point his food was on a plate, I promise, he just likes to dump it all on his tray and chuck the plate across the room before he really can dig in. : )

Anyway, just wanted to share this awesome site for anyone who is looking for healthy recipes that don't compromise on flavor : )

Banana Crumble Muffin Recipe

Here it is for those who asked! Click here: Awesome banana muffins

I added a 1/2 tsp vanilla and substituted 1/3 cup of olive oil for the butter to lose the trans fats : )

If you like Samoa Girl Scout Cookies...

Then I bet you'll like this!

(click to enlarge)

Very EASY toasted coconut ice cream Sundae recipe which tastes to me, like a cold and creamy Samoa girl scout cookie.

Just pour about a cup (or however much you want) of shredded coconut (the baking kind) on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven at about 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring it up occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. You want it to be a tan color.

Meanwhile stick your ice cream on the counter so it can soften up. When the coconut is toasted, dump it onto a plate and let it cool down for a minute. Then make a ball with the ice cream and roll it in the coconut till it's covered. Top with hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream. Heaven in a bowl!!!

Delicious GUILTLESS Recipes!!

Being a foodie has it's disadvantages, mainly the toll it takes on your waistline. Which is why I am SO pumped about these recipes I found on the weightwatchers website. I know, I know...You're thinking, "weightwatchers....diet food? Bleh!"

But this is not diet food!! At least, it doesn't taste like it. It's rich, savory and DELICIOUS!!! My family went crazy over it, even Brinley was chowing it down! And when you find a recipe that's good for you and that your kids will actually eat, well, it's only right to share.

Recipe 1: Mushroom Risotto: 5 ww points per serving

I made two risottos, I'll share both recipes but this one was hands down the family favorite. So flavorful and creamy. Taber was just sad I didn't double the recipe! (by the way, I took this picture when the food was still piping hot and you can kind of see the yummy aromatic steam coming off it. mmmmmmm....)

Ingredients

	5 cup(s) vegetable broth, mushroom-flavor recommended (I coudn't find mushroom flavor but I still thought it tasted awesome with regular vegetable broth)
	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	2 tsp unsalted butter, divided
	1 small onion(s), minced
	1 pound(s) cremini mushrooms, shredded or thinly sliced (also known as baby bellas)
	1/3 cup(s) white wine (They have cooking wine in the vinegar section)
	1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked arborio rice (found this by the regular rice in a little box)
	1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano recommended
	1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
	1/2 cup(s) parsley, fresh, minced

Instructions

• Place broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm.
  
  
• Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add1 teaspoon butter and cook until melted.
  
  
• Add onion; cook, stirring, until onion begins to caramelize, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release moisture, about 5 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; reduce liquid by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside.
  
  
• Add remaining teaspoon of butter to same pan; cook until melted. Add rice; stir to coat with butter. Pour about 1/2 cup warm broth into rice; stir to keep grains from sticking to sides of pan. Keep stirring until all of broth is absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup warm broth and repeat process. Keep adding broth and stirring in this manner until all of broth is used and rice is just cooked but not mushy (should still be slightly chewy), about 18 to 20 minutes. (this is the most time consuming part because you really have to babysit it for the whole 20 minutes, but again, totally worth it!)
  
  
• Stir in vegetables and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in parsley. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving.

Recipe 2: Creamy Orzo Risotto with Butternut Squash 5 ww points per serving

The butternut squash was a beast to cut up, but I did that while Brinley was napping so when it was time to make dinner everything went really smoothly. Taber and I loved this one, the butternut squash has a subtle sweetness to it that really balances the creamy parmesan flavor of the pasta.

Ingredients

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	2 cup(s) butternut squash, cut into small cubes
	1/2 tsp olive oil
	1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
	1 cup(s) uncooked orzo
	1 1/2 cup(s) water
	1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
	1 tsp thyme, fresh, or 8 whole sprigs (sprigs preferred) (I didn't have fresh thyme so I used 1/2 tsp of dried)
	2 Tbsp fat-free half-and-half
	1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
	1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
  
  
• In a medium bowl, toss squash with oil and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between squash cubes. Roast, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  
  
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add orzo. Stir constantly until orzo begins to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Add water, broth and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  
  
• Remove thyme sprigs; stir in half-and-half, cheese and roasted squash. Season well with salt and pepper; serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Recipe 3: chocolate dipped macaroons: 1 ww point per serving

And you can't have a great dinner without dessert right? This recipe looked easy and I had all the ingredients so I figured why not? We tried them with and without the chocolate. Taber liked them better without and I liked them better with! I probably ate more than I needed but hey, at one point each I didn't feel too bad : )

Ingredients

	3 large egg white(s)
	2/3 cup(s) sugar
	1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
	2 1/2 cup(s) packaged shredded coconut, unsweetened
	3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  
  
• In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with sugar. Add vanilla and coconut; stir to combine.
  
  
• Scoop up a level tablespoon of batter and form into a ball with your hands; repeat with remaining batter. Place each ball about 1-inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
  
  
• Bake until tops just start to turn light tan, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cookies to a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
  
  
• Place chocolate in a double boiler or heavy pot; melt over low heat, stirring occasionally (do not allow to burn). Keep chocolate warm and pliable as you dip tops of cookies into chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a metal tray evenly spread apart so they’re not touching; freeze until chocolate sets, about 20 to 30 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

Hope you enjoy these! I know I did : )

Easy and Delicious

The other day I had some extra bread stick dough and I remembered a great little recipe we used to make when we were kids. I don't know what we called them, Sticky buns maybe? Gooey yum yums? Cinnamon tasties? Something along those lines. Anyway, I made them again and they were as easy and as scrumptious as I remembered. I thought I'd share the recipe since it is the season for sweet indulgences. Plus, this is a great one to make with kids : )


Ingredients:
10-12 large marshmallows (one marshmallow for each bun, so just depends on how many you want to make)
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 cup of sugar
1 T cinnamon (you can use more or less, just depends on how you like your cinnamon and sugar topping)
1 package of Pillsbury dough ( I used bread stick dough this time but I've used crescent roll dough too and they came out great)
Muffin pan
Cooking spray

Directions:
1) Spray muffin pan with cooking spray
2) Combine cinnamon and sugar
3) Take a strip of dough and wrap it completely around a marshmallow. Pull it over the top and bottom so it's closed up to make a marshmallow dough ball.
4) Dip entire dough ball in butter
5) Roll dough ball in cinnamon sugar mix till it's completely covered
6) Place dough ball in muffin pan

Cook at 375 for 10-12 minutes and Wah Lah!!! Gooey, delicious, cinnamon heaven!

Crock Pot Fever!

There are a lot of things I love about my job, but cooking isn't one of them. Dinner time is usually very stressful for me. I never know what to make, and then I put it off until the last minute so at 5 o'clock I'm stressing out in the kitchen trying to throw something half decent together. I'm usually starving though and fried from my day and the kids are grouchy and hungry too, so most the time I just bag the idea of cooking and call Taber to tell him to bring home take out. Yeah, not good for our diets, or our budget, or poor Taber's sanity. He's had a long day too and I'm sure the last thing he wants to do is wait in line for take out (or eat Ramen, which is the other alternative.)

So anyway, long story short, I went to a fireside where Julie Beck was speaking, and SHE said that she puts her dinner on as soon as she cleans up breakfast. Genius!! Mornings are much more sane than late afternoons. If I could get my dinner on early it would make everything so smooth and easy. So I asked my friends for their crock pot recipes and got to work. We had a fabulous week of tasty meals, and best of all, it was soooo EASY!! And made my afternoons so much more calm and peaceful. I'm going to try some more but here are 4 that I loved from last week.

Savory Whole Chicken:
This chicken was out of this world delicious!! Click here for the recipe. After you make the rub you spread it all over the chicken and then just stick it in the pot, no water or anything. The chicken makes it's own juices as it cooks and OH MAN!! That broth is mouth watering! Next time I'll throw some carrots and potatoes in the broth an hour before it finishes. I also pulled the chicken out of the crock pot and put it in the oven on broil for 5 minutes to crisp the skin. (oh yeah, and I only used half a tsp of cayenne pepper and it still had a little kick)

Chicken in the fabulous broth after cooking all day.

Chicken after crisping the skin in the oven.

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

Another tasty one. I've actually done this one twice it was so good! (also makes GREAT leftovers!)
4 chicken breast halves (mine were still frozen)
2 15 oz cans of black beans, undrained
2 15 oz cans of Mexican stewed tomatoes, or Rotel Tomatoes (I used the mild rotel ones)
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, whichever you prefer) I used pace picante mild.
4 oz can chopped green chilies
14 1/2 oz can tomato sace
Tortilla chips
2 cups grated cheese

1)combine all ingreidents except chips and cheese in large slow cooker
2)Cover, cook on low 8 hours
3) Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite size pieces. Stir into soup.
4) Serve with Chips and cheese on top.

Tortilla soup in the pot and below with chips and cheese.

Nicole's Creamy Chicken
I didn't know what to call this one so I named it after my friend who gave me the recipe! It's super easy. Just combine an 8oz brick of cream cheese, 1 packet of lipton onion soup, and one can of cream of chicken soup (I used a hand mixer to blend them) Then put the mixture on top of 4 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cook on low for about 5 hours. Shred the chicken and serve with rice. The flavor is rich and my KIDS LOVED IT!! Teya had seconds both times I made this and ate the leftovers the next day. Taber loved this too and seriously ate like 5 servings worth.


Salsa Chicken
Another super easy one. Just dump a jar of salsa on top of 3 or 4 frozen chicken breasts. Cook on low for 5 hours or so. Shred the chicken and serve on tortillas with all the fixins!

Salsa chicken in the pot and with the fixin's below!

Hope you enjoy the recipes and that they help make your dinner time a more relaxing part of your day! (p.s. I'm always looking for more crock pot recipes, if you have a good one please send it my way!)

Kitchen Warriors

It may have taken us 3 1/2 hours, and I may never attempt such an ambitious recipe again, but Maria and I are claiming kitchen warrior status for the homemade lasagna we made for our men last night! Here is a link to the recipe http://mylasagnarecipe.com/ Let's just say it involved us cutting up fresh basil leaves, grating a pound a real mozzarella, and throwing in spices I've never cooked with, like fennel seed. Oh yeah, we are hard core!!! (all you REAL hard core chefs are like, "aw, cute, Becca thinks she can cook now... bless her heart") But seriously! We felt so accomplished! (Of course, I think it would've taken me 5 hours without Maria and I probably would've had a meltdown somewhere in the middle) Still, I'm patting myself on the back for trying something new. I'd also like to mention that we made homemade bread rolls, fresh green beans, and a strawberry poppyseed salad for extra credit. Our men were quite appropriately blown away, and I'm giving myself the weekend off cooking because I EARNED it! : )