peach upside down cake - LOVE

• Ingredients:

  
  

  1/4 Cup butter

  1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced, pitted, and peeled peaches or frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and large slices cut in half length wise

  1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  1 1/4 tsp baking powder

  1/4 tsp salt

  1/2 cup butter softened

  3/4 cup granulated sugar

  1 egg

  1 tsp vanilla

  1/2 cup milk (i use nonfat)

  
  

directions

1.

Place 1/4 cup butter in an 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Warm in a 350 degrees F oven about 5 minutes or until butter is melted. (Be sure to watch carefully to avoid overbrowning the butter). Remove pan from oven. Add brown sugar, stirring until sugar is completely moistened. Spread sugar mixture evenly in pan. Arrange peach slices evenly over brown sugar mixture. Set aside.

2.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until well combined. Add egg and vanilla, beating until combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to beaten butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter evenly over the peaches in the pan.

3.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan; invert onto a large serving plate. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Sweet potato, red pepper, coconut milk soup - HEALTHY AND EASY

Sweet Potato Red Pepper and Coconut Milk Soup (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, microwave-friendly)

Makes about one quart, 32 to 36 ounces (4 to 4 1/2 cups)

1 extra-large sweet potato (or 2 to 3 smaller sweet potatoes), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

about 3/4 cup water

1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped into large pieces

one 14-ounce can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s Light Coconut Milk)

optional seasonings – any included should be seasoned to taste : salt and pepper; red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder; cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg; garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder

**I used cinnamon

optional additional vegetables – while steaming the sweet potato, steam carrots, squash, zucchini, or other vegetables on hand (***I did not add any extra veggies)

Place sweet potato cubes in a large microwave-safe bowl or baking dish, add 3/4 cup water or until the water comes up about 1-inch high in the base bowl (the cubes do not need to be fully submerged in water; water simply needs to be present to create steam), cover bowl with plastic wrap, and heat on high-power for 13 to 15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are very fork-tender (microwave temperatures and strengths vary and so will cooking times). Transfer cooked potatoes to a high-speed blender or food processor, add the red pepper, coconut milk, and blend on high power until very smooth and creamy. (*** BE CAREFUL MICROWAVE BOWL WILL BE VERY HOT)

Taste the soup and wait five minutes before seasoning it, and if desired season to taste. Let soup sit for a while before you serve so all the flavors can blend together. If you eat too soon it will not taste as yummy!

dollop of sour cream or yogurt; a dash of salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Super Easy Pumpkin Cake

This was so moist and yummy...

Very few ingredients!

I box of Pillsbury moist classic yellow cake mix
1 can of pumpkin puree

bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. might be longer than 28 minutes
I used a 7x11x2 greased pan
for glaze:

apple cider (non alcoholic)
powdered sugar
pumpkin pie spice

3 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp apple cider
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
combine. glaze should be thick but pourable
add more sugar or cider if needed
if you prefer less glaze you can half this recipe

Yummy (but not the healthiest =\) Hash brown casserole!

Ingredients 

1/4 cup butter, plus more for dish
1 onion, chopped
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

In a small skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, garlic powder, hash browns, and salt and pepper. Combine until well blended.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with crushed corn flakes mixed with butter and bake for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Mac and Cheese

16 oz macaroni pasta (any shape shape you like) (I like shells)
1/2 C butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C flour
3 1/2 C milk, warmed (I used nonfat)
1/4 C white wine (or sub w/chicken broth)
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 lb cheddar, cubed (I used white cheddar)
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs (seasoned with spices including parsley*)
2 Tbl butter, melted

Heat 350' oven. Grease 9x13 glass dish ( 8x8 or round casserole, if making half the recipe).
Cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than called for, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 C butter, salt pepper, once melted add flour, stir until smooth. Let cook for 1 minute. Add milk, wine, bring to a boil, whisking. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over cooked pasta and add to greased dish. Combine the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle macaroni with bread crumb topping, bake uncovered 30 minutes. (or until topping is golden brown)

Crock Pot Cashew Nut Chicken - even Grandma loved this!

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
****I double the sauce recipe because I serve over white rice**
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup (you might want to use a little less ketchup)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (be modest with the ginger .. can have strong taste)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I hate spicy foods so I don't use this)
1/2 cup cashews (**I add the cashews to the crock pot during the last half hour so they get a little soft)

Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.

Did you know you can make zeppoles at home?

All you have to do is follow the Bisquick pancake directions and deep fry balls in deep pan with hot canola oil! Add powdered sugar and enjoy!

Weight Watcher's Beef Tips in Mushroom Sauce Crock Pot Recipe .. YUM!

Here is the recipe: I will add my alterations ...

Beef Tips in Mushroom Sauce Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean chuck – cut in 1 – 3/4 inch pieces
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup - I used 2
1 pkg. onion soup mix - I used 2
1 can Diet Sprite or 7up (I believe I used Sprite zero)

*Feel free to bulk this up with any zero point vegetables that you choose! *****I added mushrooms, peas, and carrots

Directions:
Put meat in crock pot. Pour soup & onion soup mix over meat. Add Diet Sprite/7up. Cook in crock pot all day on low (or high for at least 4 hours). Turn off and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

****I cooked egg noodles and served meat dish on top. Super easy, healthy, and delicious - just what I love !

Makes 8 servings.
Each serving = 6 Weight Watchers Points

For Veggie Lovers!

I have already made this recipe several times and it is a healthy favorite!

1 tbsp olive oil
1 diced medium yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium zucchini (I typically use more than this) sliced
1 sliced yellow squash
1 medium sliced white potato (I typically use more than this)
1 medium sliced tomato
1 tsp parsley
dash of salt and pepper
approximately one bag of shredded italian cheese (can use low fat)

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and parsley.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

I want to hear your responses!

PS everyone -

I want to hear if you make these recipes! I want to know what you think of them and any suggestions you have. If you make any changes, let me know how it comes out! Thanks!

Cooking and baking are so relaxing for me .. how about you?

Delicious and Healthy Mango Salsa!

3/4 Cup Mangos, finely diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Red Pepper, finely chopped
1 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

Let sit in fridge for an hour then serve with pita chips!

Italian Wedding Soup - a dad/boyfriend favorite!

This is the recipe I found online ... I will add my *revisions

Ingredients:

MEATBALLS:
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound turkey sausage, casings removed (*I did not use sausage. I used about one pound of the turkey)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
2 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Locatelli)
3 Tbsp. milk (I used non-fat milk)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper  (a dash of each*)

SOUP:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 large stalks) (I don't know about you, but i HATE celery, so I left this out!*)
10 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium... otherwise too salty for me!)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta (I used mini bow-tie pasta) (The store was out of this, so I used elbows. You might want to add more broth because the pasta will absorb a lot of it**)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill (I did not use any dill***)
8 ounces fresh baby spinach- trimmed, washed & patted dry (I added a little extra spinach)
extra Parmesan cheese, for serving (Locatelli.... a must have to garnish ... adds AWESOME flavor!**)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare meatballs: Place ground meats, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (you'll make somewhere around 40 meatballs). Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

3. Prepare soup: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add pasta to the simmering broth and cook an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

******If you find the soup to be too salty, you can add some potatoes to absorb the salt, and remove before serving

****Great the next day as well!

Amazingly Delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake for Chocolate Lovers!!

I totally improvised with this recipe and was thrilled with the results! It was so delicious... we couldn't stop eating it! (especially when warm ... mmmmm).....

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• Ganache:
• 8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. (if you don't have this pan, feel free to use another) Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Set aside.
3. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa and salt.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with ½ cup of the sugar until thick and pale yellow in color. Fold the chocolate mixture into the yolks and mix well.
5. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until thick. Whisking, add the remaining ½ cup sugar gradually and continue to beat to form a light meringue. In several additions, fold into the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the meringue. Gently pour into the prepared pan and bake until the edges are set but the center is still moist and a few crumbs stick to a tester, about 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
7. Run a thin, sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the pan sides and gently lift away the cake. Invert onto a cake plate, remove the bottom and peel away the parchment.
8. For the Ganache: In a double boiler or microwave, melt together chocolate and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Use to top cake if desired. (I definitely recommend using the ganache!)

Healthy Green Tea Walnut Loaf or Muffins

This recipe is both delicious and healthy.  I like to make a batch and refrigerate it so I can grab an on-the-go breakfast.  If you microwave it for a few seconds it is even more delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole grain pastry flour (I couldn't find this so I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon (try to use all organic to avoid preservatives)
2 egg whites
1/2 cup plain greek nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup steeped green tea, cooled to room temp
1/4 cup safflower or canola oil (sometimes I opt out of the oil)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat 8x4 loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray (or muffin tray)
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon in large bowl.
whisk egg whites, yogurt, green tea, oil, and vanilla in small bowl.
mix small bowl into large bowl then add walnuts
pour batter into pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. (time may differ with muffins)

Enjoy!

Healthy Easy Delicious Chicken Breast Recipe

I made this recipe for the first time the other night for my dad and me.

I used four thin boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Preheat the oven to 375
line baking pan with tin foil

create topping:

1/2 cup grated locatelli cheese (the recipe I saw called for parmesan but I only had locatelli. you can use whichever you prefer. personally I prefer locatelli (I'm Italian what can I say))
1 cup of plain nonfat greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
the recipe called for 1 1/2 tsp salt. I found this to be a little too much but I am sensitive to salt. If you like salty foods, use this amount. If not, use 1 tsp
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Mix together in bowl and spread over chicken breasts

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until inside of chicken is white and no longer pink.

Grand's Monkey Bread Recipe - slightly altered (a decadent treat)

This recipe is ABSOLUTELY delicious and is sure to please guests! My boyfriend asks me to make him one once a week!

This is the Grand's! Recipe: (*I will add my alterations)

1/2

cup granulated sugar *(you may need more sugar and cinnamon)

1

teaspoon cinnamon

2

cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2

cup chopped walnuts, if desired (* I don't include)

1/2

cup raisins, if desired (* I don't include)

1

cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4

cup butter or margarine, melted (*If you want it to be gooey, which I do, I use a stick and a half of butter, and probably about one and a half cups of brown sugar... This mixture should be thick, but pourable)

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
• 2Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces. (* I do not shake in bag. If you want each piece to be covered in cinnamon sugar, dip each individual piece in mixture in bowl, I also flatten these pieces so it bakes better. Toss the pieces into a bundt pan and do not smush together)
• 3In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
• 4Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm. (*Be very careful when turning upside down! To be sure goo does not leak, make sure you have a very large plate to place under the pan and flip bread over onto! ******Sometimes I melt white icing and drizzle over top. Enjoy!!!!!)

Weight Loss Shake

Recently I started drinking a shake for breakfast to help me lose a few pounds.

I will admit, this shake works, but it is not very delicious...

The main ingredient in the shake is Almased (powder form).  You can really add anything to the shake.  However, if you want to keep it healthy, here is what I do:

Water

Almased

Ice

Banana

Mango

(or any fruits you prefer)

Spinach

Honey

Cinnamon

This shake will fill you up and provide you with plenty of vitamins!

Enjoy!

Hello

Hi everyone!

This is very  new to me ... I have never had a blog before.

Lately I have been very into cooking and baking and I wanted to share my experiences and recipes with you all!

I have been preparing recipes of all sorts! Healthy, unhealthy, in the crock pot, etc.  I hope you enjoy!