Crock Pot.. Roast

I've have never in my life made a pot roast, so this one is definitely new to me and there are a LOT of recipes out there. Unfortunately I didn't have the ingredients in my cupboard for the recipe I wanted to try so I found another that seemed to work with what I already had here in my cupboard. I choose to make the "To Die For" Pot Roast from Food.com. I wanted something with basic ingredients and this seemed to fit.
I only made minor changes to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix (I didn't have this so I substituted italian seasoning and beef broth instead of the 1/2 cup water to make up for the salt)
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
1/2 cup beef broth or water
garlic
liquid smoke

Directions:


1. Place beef roast in crock pot. Add garlic and liquid smoke

2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.

3. Pour the water/broth around the roast.

4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

After cooking....

This turned out delicious and fell apart with a fork.
I put some in smaller containers and froze for later, which after defrosting was just as good!

Homemade Chicken Pockets

Homemade creamy chicken pot pockets.... yes please!! I came across this recipe initially on Pinterest and it seemed like a fun, different recipe to try. The original recipe can be found here.

This recipe turned out delicious! I found that I had a lot of extra "stuffing" so probably would either only make 1-2 chicken breasts or have 2 packages of crescents. This is definitely one that I would make again and it was relatively simply to make.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls (or 2 if you decide you want to try less stuffing in each!)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken with the onions and garlic.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter until smooth.

4. Stir in the cooked chicken, onions and garlic. Add the salts, pepper and milk. Mix well.

5. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Place approximately a tablespoon of filling into the center of each triangle and fold the corners up to seal.

6. Press and seal firmly. Place on ungreased baking sheet or stone and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

7. Bake for 11 – 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

Crock Pot Lasagna

I came across this recipe for crock pot lasagna - and I said, "really? no way.. how would that work? how would it come out of the crock pot? In slices? " Well I tried it... it works and it was delicious! Was it easier? Sure, I guess. Kind of. Not really. It still involved layering and cooking so how much easier could it be? The sauce didn't need to simmer then cool on the stove - that was about the only difference. Regardless, I would suggest giving it a try. Why not?

The original recipe can be found at Kraft.com. I made some minor changes to recipe after reading some of the reviews, but some people cooked the recipe as is and said it turned out just fine!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup water
1container (15 oz.) Polly-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 egg
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
Onion and Garlic

Directions:

1. Saute garlic and onion in large skillet.

2. Add meat, brown, drain.

3. Stir in spaghetti sauce, water, wine, and italian seasoning.

4. Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley.

5. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles (broken to fit) and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (broken to fit), cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.

6. Cook on Low 4 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.

Last look....

I had read a lot of the reviews of the recipe and people had warned about burning the bottom, so I only cooked it for 4 hours and pulled it out of the cooker to cool. It didn't burn, but I could have likely cooked it 3.5 hours and been fine as well. It came out looking terrific!

I was busy, so I let it cool in the crock pot and I think this was the best thing to do because once it cooled it came out of the crock pot in perfect slices.

Baked Ziti

As I explore different recipes and try to determine which recipe really is my "go to" recipe, I am trying out different versions of some of my favorites. They may not always be "skinny," but I think that a good cook needs two versions of things - the real version of a favorite and a skinny version.
The original version of this Baked Ziti recipe was from AllRecipes.com. I really enjoyed the casserole overall. As I was looking for which version I wanted to cook, I was very skeptical of the sour cream as an ingredient. The sour cream gave it a slightly unique taste but also made it incredibly creamy. This dish was delicious, however I look forward to continuing to search and seeing if this really was my favorite.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

5. Layer in the following order: 1/2 of the ziti, sauce, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

It comes out of the oven looking like this... enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I absolutely LOVE fall and all the pumpkin foods that go along with it! One of my favorite things to make are pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is a family recipe and these cookies tend to turn up not only around Thanksgiving, but Christmas too.
They turn out very moist and freeze well if you choose to do that.

Ingredients:
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract
1 (6 oz.) bag of semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 c. chopped pecans (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon).

2. Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg and pumpkin mixing well.

3. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture.

4. Stir in vanilla, chocolate morsels, and pecans (if desired).

5. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 mins (first batch may be a little longer). Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield 5 1/2 doz

Enjoy :)

What Happens When You Begin Crossfit...?

Came across an article called "The Ten Things That Happen When You Begin Crossfit" and it definitely rings true!

Breakfast Croissants with Sausage and Cheese

Just a different way to serve the same breakfast foods....

Ingredients:

Croissants (reduced fat)
Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles
Shredded Mozzarella (low fat)

Directions:

1. Unroll croissants on greased pan. "Stuff" with turkey sausage crumbles and cheese.

2. Wrap and bake according to package directions.

Serve with eggs.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

For the last couple of years, some friends and I get together to celebrate the fall "holidays," which includes Canadian Thanksgiving even though none of us are Canadian. It gives us an opportunity to gather before the busy holiday season.

The first year I brought my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin whoopie pies. I hadn't made whoopie pies before, so I thought I would try it. They were a hit and have been requested each Thanksgiving ever since. The original recipe can be found on allrecipes.com.

Make sure to get your gym time in before enjoying these :)

Ingredients:

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets (I actually used muffin pans to make a nice shape).

3.Combine oil and brown sugar. Mix in pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix well.

4. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Let cookies cool then make sandwiches from two cookies filled with Whoopie Pie Filling.

To Make Whoopie Pie Filling:
1. Beat egg white and mix with the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar.
2. Mix well then beat in the shortening and the remaining cup of confectioners' sugar. 3. Beat until light and fluffy.

Yum!

Asian Turkey Meatballs

This recipe from Skinny Taste is for turkey meatballs with asian flavor and a sesame lime dipping sauce. I made this for an appetizer since you can make the meatballs whatever size you like (with toothpicks for easy maneuvering). These turned out so well and were so delicious that I had to put them away because we were filling up on these instead of dinner!

I also tried this same recipe without the Panko to make it more low carb.... it was still tasty, but there was definitely something missing.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup panko crumbs
1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

Dipping Sauce
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp chopped scallion

Directions:

1. Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, ginger, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp oil into a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until combined well.

2. Shape meat mixture into a ball to desired size and transfer to a baking dish until all of the mixture is used.

3. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

4. For the dipping sauce: mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.

5. Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.

6. Serve meatballs with remaining sauce.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Muffins with Ham "Crust"

This is a variation of the Skinny Egg White Muffins that I have posted previously.

Ingredients:
1 Carton of egg whites
Sliced Deli Ham
Red & Green bell peppers
Onion
Pam Spray
Jimmy Dean Turkey Crumbles

Direction:
1. Spray muffin pan with Pam. Place ham in bottom of muffin pan to act like a crust.

2. Dice onion and peppers and add to muffin pan.

3. Add turkey sausage crumbles (if desired). Fill muffin pan cups with egg white (about 3/4 of the way up).

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Make sure they are completely cool before refrigerating (this will reduce the extra moisture).