Mint Brownies

Think Thin Mint Cookies!

Recipe:
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Butter-Softened
3 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 Milk
1 Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips-Melted

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13inch
pan and set aside. Measure all dry ingredients
and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream
together butter and sugar, add in eggs 1 at
a time, mixing well after each egg. Mix in
cocoa powder,vanilla and milk,blend well.
Add in remaining dry ingredients and mix
until well Incorporated and smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

For Frosting:
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 Butter Softened
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 Teaspoons Peppermint Extract
Green Food Coloring

Beat butter until smooth, slowly add in
powdered sugar and milk, mix well.
Mix in peppermint extract and
green food coloring.

Spread frosting over cooled brownies and
then top the frosting with the melted
chocolate chips.

Steak Fajiatas

2 Sirlion Steaks or Rounds Steaks Pounded Thin and Cut into Strips

1 Package Fajiata Seasoning

12 Flour or Whole Wheat Tortiallas

1 Cup Shredded Monetary Jack Cheese

Misc Chopped Veggies

Taco Seasoning

Sour Cream

In a large skillet, sear all your steak strip add in seasoning

and continue to cook until done.

Serve on warm tortialls with your choice

of toppings.

Chicken Noodles

Recipe:

2 Boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1 lb Favorite Noodle's(we love the old fashion/Amish style)*

**cooked according to package directions**

In a large crock pot, add 1 cup chicken broth,chicken breasts,and

black pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours until chicken is falling apart.

Once chicken is done add your cooked noodles and remaining broth.

Let cook on low for an additional 1 hour.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

This recipe makes enough for left overs and to freeze.

Have a wonderful week.

Menu Week of March 27-April 2

We are back and running!!

Sunday March 27-Chicken and Noodles w/ Mashed Potatoes

Monday March 28-Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Tuesday March 29-Beef Taco's or Fajitas

Wednesday March 30-Left Overs

Thursday March 31-Oven Baked Pork Chops

Friday April 1-Pancakes

Saturday April 2-Order Out

M.I.A. :(

Sorry there is no menu and

there are no recipes this week.

We have been down with the stomach flu

in this house.

I hope to have a menu and

recipes up next week.

Enjoy the end of your weeks.

Spagetti with Meat Sauce

No pics :(

Recipe:

12 oz whole wheat pasta-cooked according to package directions

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 small onion diced

1 glove garlic minced

1 cup fat free cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1 recipe Amanda's Pasta Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large skillet saute onion and garlic in olive

oil, add ground turkey and cook till meat

is done. Mix in the pasta sauce,cottage

cheese,parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, bring

to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes(until

cottage cheese breaks up).

Stir in cooked pasta and remove

from heat.

Strawberry,Cranberry and Almond Oat Bars

These are to die for!!

So easy,so yummy and really good for you!

And my kids LOVE them!

look at those layers....

Golden brown and crispy

So good!!!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons fiber powder(optional)

1/2 cup chopped almonds

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter-melted

1 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 1/2 cup all fruit-no or low sugar strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl mix dried fruit and preserves until

blended,set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine rolled oats,flour,

almonds,brown sugar,melted butter,eggs,baking soda,

and baking powder. Divide in half and press half down

into the bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan.

Spread fruit mixture on top of oat mixture and then top

with the remaining oat mixture, spread evenly and

lightly press down.

Bake in a preheated oven for

20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy your week!

Vanilla Almond Baked French Toast

This is DELICIOUS!!

Was perfect with a little butter melted on top!!

So easy and so yummy!

Recipe:

1/2 loaf french bread cubed

6 eggs

1 cup skim milk

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds(optional)

Place bread in a butter 9x13 in baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together well; eggs,milk,

seasonings and vanilla extract.

Poor mixture over bread

and smash bread down, till well coated,

let stand in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours

before baking.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes,

until knife comes out clean.

ENJOY!! Hope you

are all having a wonderful weekend!

Lowfat Chicken Almond Pasta

This turned out better then I had thought it
might!!! It was really good, and the best part..
THE KIDS LOVED IT!!

Recipe:
2 boneless skinless chicken breast-cubed
1 lb whole wheat pasta(rotini or penne work great)
1 cup blanched almonds
1 glove garlic
1/2 -3/4 cup of skim milk
1 cup reduced fat parmesean cheese
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
In the blender or food processor: add almonds,1/2 cup milk,
all the seasonings,garlic clove and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.
Blend until smooth and creamy, transfer to a large pan.
Bring sauce to a boil, adding more milk if to thick, at this point
taste to check the need for salt. Add pasta and chicken to
the sauce, mix well and then stir in remaining cheese
. If sauce is to thin add in some of
the reserved pasta water a little at a time until
desired consistency
Want to make it extra healthy? Add chopped and steamed
carrots,broccoli and/or cauliflower.

Menu week March 13-19

Sunday March 13- Easy Meal or Left Overs

Monday March 14-Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Tuesday March 15-Chicken Taco Bake

Wednesday March 16-Left Overs

Thursday March 17-Homemade Pizza and Dessert Pizza

Friday March 18-Taco Soup

Saturday March 19-Order Out



Menu Week of 3/6 through 3/12

Sunday March 6- pizza at a friends house

Monday March 7-Roasted Whole Chicken(from last week)

Tuesday March 8-Chicken Pasta in Almond Sauce

Wednesday March 9- Potato Soup

Thursday March 10-Left Overs

Friday March 11-Breakfast

Saturday March 12-Order out

Cheese Steak Sandwhich

Cheese and steak together?
Does it get much better?
I vote no!

Recipe:
2 lbs beef steak thinly sliced(I used patio steaks, flank or skirt would work well)
1/2 onion sliced
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove minced
1 teaspoon salt

In a large pan or skillet place all
ingredients and saute until
meat is tender and cooked through about 12 minutes.
 

For Cheese Sauce:
1 lb yellow cheese(cheddar or colby jack)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add
flour and black pepper and mix until flour is cooked
out(2 minutes). Add in milk and whisk
until most of the lumps are gone, add in cheese.
Cook on low stirring occasionally until cheese
is melted and the sauce is thick and smooth.

Place your steak and onions in a large bun top
with cheese sauce and enjoy.


Enjoy your weekend!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes turned out so
great!! They are rich and moist, I
couldn't even wait to post it before I
got a picture of it.
You MUST try these!!

Recipe:
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
3 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Preheat oven to 350, place cupcake liners
in your muffin pan and set aside.
Pour milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl
set aside for 5 minutes and then microwave
for 1 minutes. Sift together flour,sugar,cocoa 
powder,salt,baking soda and baking powder.
Stir together the eggs,oil,warm water and
milk mixture. Add to the dry ingredients and mix
well. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way
full and bake for 15 minutes.
 


Frosting:
1/4cup shortening or butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

In the bowl to your stand mixer,
cream together shortening and peanut butter.
Add in milk and cocoa powder, mix well.
Finally mix in all of the powdered sugar and
mix until smooth and creamy. Pipe or
spread on top of cooled cupcakes and
if desired top with a peanut butter cup.

Lowfat Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These were wonderful!!!
I like them better then enchiladas made

with red sauce.  And I tried to make them

as healthy as possible.

Recipe:

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast

1 can of low fat cheese soup

2 cans of low fat/reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion-minced

1 glove garlic-minced

1 1/2 packets taco seasoning (about 6 tablespoons)

1 cup of skim milk

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

8 tortillas(flour or wheat)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic, add in chicken and

shred as you cook. Next add in 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 2 tablespoons of

the cheese soup and 1/2 of milk, and 1/2 a packet of taco

seasoning,  mix well and bring to a boil.

Once mixed well and thickened remove from heat.

Now assemble your enchiladas, by place 2-3 tablespoons of

chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and tightly roll up and

place seam side down in the baking pan. Continue until

all meat is used.

Finally in the same pan add the remaining soups,milk and the whole packet

of taco seasoning and bring a boil. Remove from heat and

pour over the enchiladas in the baking pan. Top with shredded

cheese and bake covered for 45minutes. Let stand

10 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve with salsa and cream cheese.

Hope you all try these and enjoy them.

* If preparing ahead to freeze, prepare

as above and the day before baking remove from

freezer and let thaw over night in the refrigerator.