olympic goodies

The Olympics sort of sprung up on me, but luckily my fun sister-in-law was prepared. Look at these fun "Olympic rings" she put together.

Some Olympic ring sugar cookies, and gold medals ;)

And our crew of the 7 kiddos. (Note the 3 photographers in the mirror). Haha!

We always have such a fun time getting together. Family is AWESOME!!

{January} what's cookin'?

Here are some feel good, tried and true recipes for a wintry month like the January we just had.

Find them all HERE on my Recipe Index.

Beef-

Slow cooker roast Beef

(OBB) spaghetti and meatballs

Bars & Brownies-

Congo squares

Double chocolate brownies

Chicken-

Chicken and Bacon Crockpot Chowder

(The Pioneer Woman's) Chicken & Noodles- coming soon

Cilantro lime chicken tacos

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken

Cookies-

peanut butter banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Ham-

Mozzarella & ham Stromboli

Pasta-

Baked Ziti, Green Salad, and garlic bread (using my Garlic butter spread)

(OBB) Guiltess fettuccine Alfredo

Skillet Mac and cheese, with fish sticks on the side

(OBB) spaghetti and meatballs

Primal/Paleo/Pork-

Italian sausage and mushroom bake

Pork & sauerkraut

Seafood-

crab cakes with rice pilaf and veggies on the side

Side dish & veggies-

Roasted red potatoes and pearl onions

Slow cooker-

Chicken and Bacon Crockpot Chowder

Cilantro lime chicken tacos

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken

Slow cooker roast Beef

Snacks-

Healthy banana oat snack bars

Soup-

Chicken and Bacon Crockpot Chowder

Lasagna soup

{OBB} roasted red potatoes and pearl onions

I am always on the lookout for a good veggie side dish. This is just one of those dishes. The ENTIRE family loved this. Woohoo! Looks like this will be put on the side dish rotation. And it's healthy and flavorful! Thank you Our Best Bites! (This is ONLY in their new cookbook; not on their blog.)

Roasted Red potatoes with Pearl Onions

Ingredients:

2 T butter

1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil (just used my regular OO)

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t dried dill weed, plus additional for garnish

1 1/2 lbs. Baby red potatoes (1-2" in diameter or larger potatoes halved or quarter to size)

1 (4 oz.) bag frozen pearl onions, thawed

Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 T)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*.

2. Place butter, oil and garlic in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat until butter is melted, about 20-30 seconds. Add salt, pepper and dill weed. Stir and set aside.

3. Place potatoes and onions in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle with butter mixture, scraping sides of bowl, and toss to coat evenly. 

4. Bake 30 minutes and then gently stir potatoes and onions. Cook 20-30 minutes more, until potatoes are tender and onions are soft and starting to caramelize. Remove pan from oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over potatoes. Toss and sprinkle with a little extra dill, if desired. 

{our best bites} guiltless Alfredo sauce

I love my "Our Best Bites" cookbooks! This is another INSTANT FAVORITE! This will be put into heavy rotation. It is so easy, and I don't feel guilty eating it- no whole milk or heavy cream required!

Ingredients:

2 c. low fat milk 

1/3 c (3 oz.) low fat cream cheese

2 T flour

1 t kosher salt

1 T butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese* (see tip)

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth and set aside. 

2. In a large, nonstick saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from sticking and burning. 

3. Add the milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more or until the sauce thickens, about 6-7 minutes.

4. Once the sauce has started to thicken, remove from heat. Whisk the cheese into the sauce and immediately cover the pan.

5. Allow the sauce to stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. 

6. Seve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days. The sauce will becom every thick once refrigerated. To use it, reheat sauce and add a little milk until the desired consistency is reached. 

*Tip: for the Parmesan cheese in this recipe, use a wedge if ungraded oarmesand and grate it yourself with a. Micro plane or even in your food processor. Pregrated Parmesan is too dry and while your sauce will still taste great, it will be lumpy. 

SERVING SUGGESTION: this sauce is super versatile. Drizzle it over steamed vegetables, use it as a dip for breadsticks, or as a sauce to dip for Pizza. 

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: after step 3, transfer the mixture to an 8x8 disposable aluminum baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400* and bake covered for 90 minutes or until the casserole is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

(Low carb) chicken and bacon crockpot soup

I give hubby the credit for finding this one. He sent me the link and said "this looks good". I made it this past week and he was right! It was delicious- Low carb and loaded with flavor. Hubby was VERY pleased with this recipe discovery. It's a very filling, man-pleasing chowder.

 

I think I'll be checking out more recipes from Peace Love & Low Carb! 

Chicken Bacon Crock Pot Chowder

This chowder is deliciously rich and flavorful.  If you are looking to impress your friends with your cooking skills, this would be the dish to make them. Although it keeps well in the fridge, good luck having any leftovers.

 

 INGREDIENTS

4 Cloves Garlic – Minced

1 Shallot – Finely Chopped

1 Leek – Cleaned, Trimmed, and Sliced

2 Ribs Celery – Diced

6 oz. Cremini Mushrooms – Sliced

1 Medium Sweet Onion – Thinly Sliced

4 Tbs. Butter – Divided

2 Cups Chicken Stock – Divided

1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1 lb. Bacon – Cooked Crisp, and Crumbled

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Thyme

(2 Tbs. Peace and Love)

 

DIRECTIONS

Heat slow cooker on low setting

 

To slow cooker, add garlic, shallot, leek, celery, mushrooms, onions, 2 Tbs. butter, 1 cup chicken stock, and salt and pepper.  Cover, and cook vegetables on low for 1 hour. (I love how pretty all the veggies look at this point! Don't worry, they simmer down and just melt in your mouth.) 

 

Complete this next step while the vegetables are cooking – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pan-sear the chicken breasts in the remaining 2 Tbs. butter until they are browned on both sides. – About 5 minutes each side. (Chicken will not be fully cooked during this stage.)

 

Remove chicken from pan and set aside. De-glaze the pan with the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up any bits of chicken that may be stuck to the pan.  Add chicken stock to slow cooker.

 

Add heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, and thyme to slow cooker.  Stir until well combined and there are no longer any visible chunks of cream cheese.

 

Once chicken has cooled, cut into cubes and add to slow cooker, along with bacon.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Cover and let cook for 6-8 hours.  (There is a yummy smoky flavor to this chowder, no doubt from the bacon.) DELICIOUS! 

 

 

Makes 16 Servings: 

1 Serving:  1 cup

Calories: 236

Carbs:   2.5 net grams

Fat:   13 g

Protein:   16 g

Prep Time – 45 Minutes

Cook Time – 6-8 Hours

fruit & cheese plate

For our New Year's Eve party I thought I'd try putting together a fruit & cheese plate. Sounds pretty easy and healthy and it was. I was so happy I came across THIS GREAT POST FROM OUR BEST BITES to tell me how to do it, some tips, and suggestions.

Picture from Our Best Bites

Here's what I ended up taking:

-pears

-strawberries

-red seedless grapes

-various crackers

-smoked gouda- so yummy!

-yarlsberg (similar to swiss)

-sharp cheddar

 

I REALLY liked this. I'll be doing this again. Very fresh, simple and tasty.

Favorite Christmas treats

Probably everyone has certain foods they associate with various occasions, including holidays such as Christmas.

These babies are one of the treats I look forward too at Christmas.  My parents have been spoiling us with these the past few years and I love it! They are so wonderful and creamy and just heavenly. I love love love these little nuggets of happiness. :)

Here are some of the other goodies we've made this holiday season-
easy reindeer cookies
Fluffernutter Fudge
Caramel-Chocolate Squares
Turtle Graham Bars
Congo Bars
Orange Sweet Rolls
O Christmas Tree Munch Mix
Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Peanut Blossoms
Italian Sodas

As happy as I am to get back to eating healthier, I sure do love my sweets! :) We had a DELICIOUS holiday season! I hope you and your's did too!