Cute & Delicious

I love when I find them in cute moments like this!

Delicious New Recipe 

(NOT figure friendly! But, once in a while is fine, right?)

"Cinnabon" Cinnamon Rolls - adapted from this site: 

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Cinnabon-Cinnamon-Rolls-Recipe.html

Rolls

Combine 3 Cups of flour, 1/4 C. sugar, 3/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp. yeast, and 1/8 tsp. baking soda in mixer

Add 2 eggs, 1 C. water, and 1 TBS Buttermilk (I used reg. milk this time) until blended

Then, add 1/4 C. softened butter

Knead for 15 minutes with dough hook

Wrap and refrigerate overnight

Roll out to 17x20 rectangle

Filling

Spread 1/4 C. softened butter over rolled out dough

Mix together 1 C. firmly packed dark brown sugar, 2 TBS. Cinnamon (I'll use more next time) and sprinkle evenly over the butter. (Leave one inch at the end not covered with butter or sugar mix). Use a little water to wet the uncovered inch of dough so it will seal.

Roll the dough and cut, using a serrated knife, the ends off, then cut the remaining roll into 8 equal parts.

Place on top of parchment paper in a baking dish. Set in warm place for 1 hr. until full size. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

While baking, mix frosting. 

Frost immediately after rolls are removed from oven.

Frosting

1/4 C. softened butter

4 oz. cream cheese

3/4 C. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 drops of lemon extract (I used orange extract this time)

Using mixer, blend together and whisk for 10 minutes.

The BEST PB Cookie Recipe Ever

This recipe comes from a super old cookbook! It is so old the pages have all fallen out and I keep it in a gallon sized ziploc bag! My goal is to go through the cookbook, make the recipes, and put the ones I love into a file on my computer. Well, this is one that I often make and so it seemed like the perfect one to start with. These PB cookies are SO yummy, and soft! Delicious! Be careful, they go fast!

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F
Makes 5 Dozen 1 inch cookies

1. Thoroughly cream together:
     1 C. shortening
     1 C. Granulated sugar
     1 C. Brown sugar - lightly packed
     2 eggs
     1 tsp. vanilla

2. Stir in:
     1 C. Peanut Butter

3. Mix in dry ingredients: (the recipe actually says to sift in the ingredients, but I don't)
     2 C. Flour
     2 tsp. baking soda
     1/2 tsp. salt

Roll into one-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each cookie with back of fork to make crisscross. Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes or until light brown.

Chicken Thyme Turnovers

Mom and Cameron wanted me to enter this recipe contest. I was going to, but they wanted a 100 word limit for the directions. I couldn't cut it down enough. Here is my recipe. It came from not going shopping and wondering what to have for dinner. I grabbed some stuff from the pantry. Cameron said, "What are you making." I said, "Chicken turnover thingys; hopefully. It may be a pizza night." He laughed and said ok. Long story short and lots of creativity later, these came out of the oven. He LOVED them! Sorry, no picture. Hope you enjoy.

Chicken Thyme Turnovers

Entrée

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees F

For the dough:

1 ½ C. all purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. ground thyme

½ tsp. baking powder

3 TBS. shortening or butter

½ C. cool water

For the chicken:

½ TBS. extra virgin olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders, thawed

To taste: salt, pepper, and thyme

For the sauce:

1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup

Milk – fill the soup can half way

½ tsp. each of the following: ground thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder

½ TBS. chili powder

½ TBS Dijon style mustard

¼ C. low fat Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven.

Dough:

1. Mix dry ingredients together, cut in shortening, and slowly stir in water. Dough should not be sticky.
2. Roll out 1/8 inch thick; cut into four squares.

Sauce:

3. Place soup and milk in 2-qt. saucepan over low heat.
4. Stir in spices, mustard, cheese.

Chicken:

Heat olive oil in 10 – inch skillet over med. heat.

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme to taste.
2. Place seasoned side down in skillet; season other side.
3. Cook chicken for 7-10 minutes each side; shred.

Assemble:

1. Place 2 TBS. sauce, 1/8 chicken on each square.
2. Fold square over and press edges to seal.

Bake and Enjoy:

1. Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place turnovers in baking pan.
3. Bake turnovers for 20 – 25 minutes, until dough is golden brown.
4. Place 1/8 shredded chicken on each serving plate.
5. Place cooked turnover on top of shredded chicken.
6. Pour 1/4C. Sauce over the turnover.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of turnovers.

Update and Recipe

I had my first weekly weigh in today. On Friday, I noticed that my clothes were just a little more comfortable than normal. Well, this morning I found out why. We have been eating well, maintaining our blood sugar levels naturally and in 10 days I lost 8 and 1/2 pounds! What?!? I am so excited! I just want to shout it to all I know that eating well does not mean you have to choke down tiny portions of food you don't like! I have learned so much and feel like we are going to be successful. My reasons for doing this were to increase my energy (done), stop shaking between meals (done), not get Type 2 Diabetes (which runs in my family), and help my body maintain appropriate levels of sugars and hormones. I was not, in any way, thinking this would help me lose weight! I feel like I actually eat more than I was before; but I guess it is the quality of what we are eating. I am not complaining.

Last night we had an amazing meal! Here is the recipe.
********** Chicken Pesto Pizza **********
1 TBSP cornmeal
1 tube (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough **or make your own**
1/3 C. low fat prepared pesto **or make your own**
1/4 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small strips
1 roasted red pepper, cut into small strips
1/2 C. rinsed and drained water-packed canned artichoke hearts, patted dry and quartered
1/2 C. (2 oz.) crumbled low fat goat cheese or shredded low fat Jarlsberg cheese

Preheat oven to 450F. Coat a large round pizza pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 12" circle and place on the prepared pan. Spread with the pesto, leaving a 1/4" border. Arrange the chicken, peppers, and artichokes over the top. Dot with the goat cheese or sprinkle with the Jarlsberg. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Makes 8 servings
SO YUMMY!!!!!!!

Day 3 and First Weigh In

Day 3 was good, too.

Breakfast: Smoothie! 1 C. low fat milk or yogurt, a small banana, a cup of frozen berries, and 1 TBS. of ground flaxseed. Yummy!

Lunch: Chicken Salad Rolls. Again, yummy. We also had 1 C. of honeydew melon.
SEE RECIPE BELOW

Dinner: A veggie burger (we like the Boca Burgers) on a whole wheat bun with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mustard, a small amount of ketchup, and a small amount of relish (all optional). With a side of salad.

Dessert: 1/2 C. of low fat frozen dessert (we made Orange Julius, but you could also have fruit popsicles, low fat ice cream, etc.)

Snacks: raw veggies, string cheese, veggies with 3 TBSP Hummus.

Since today is Sunday, I needed to weigh myself so that I can be on track to weigh every Sunday morning. I know it has only been three days of the new lifestyle, so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had lost 5 pounds! I will be happy with 2 pounds by next week, but that makes me super happy.

Chicken Salad Roll-Ups (Serves 4 people)

1-8 oz. can mandarin oranges 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 C. Asian plum sauce 1/2 C. chopped seeded cucumber
1 TBS. rice wine vinegar or wine vinegar 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 2 1/2 C. packed chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 pound cold cooked boneless, skinless 4 Whole wheat tortillas (8" diameter)
chicken breast, cut into small strips

1. Drain the oranges, reserving 2 TBS. of the juice.
2. In a large bowl, combine the plum sauce, vinegar, ginger, and reserved orange juice. Add the chicken, pepper, cucumber, scallions, lettuce, and oranges. Toss to coat.
3. Place the tortillas on a work surface. Dived the salad evenly on top. Roll into cylinders and slice in half diagonally.

Nutritional Information per serving: 331 calories, 22 g Protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 416 mg sodium, 6 g dietary fiber
Diet exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 bread, 3 meat
Carb choices: 3