Healthier Watergate Salad

TOP O' THE MORNIN' TO YA!

I'm not a big St. Patrick's Day party girl, but I do love going with a theme...and since GREEN is the color of today, I've decided to share a couple of recipes to add to the fun...

This salad/dessert makes a great dish to share with company.

And this version has a tad bit more of 'healthy eating' added. This recipe calls for fat free yogurt which makes this creamier than the traditional recipe without the yogurt.

You just can't beat a dish that whips up in just a couple of minutes now can you???

HEALTHIER  WATERGATE SALAD

1 pkg. (4 serving size) pistachio flavor (fat-free sugar-free) instant pudding & pie filling

8 ozs. can crushed pineapple in own juice, undrained

8 ozs. fat free vanilla (Greek) yogurt

2-1/2 cup thawed (fat free) whipped topping, divided

1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows, divided

Stir pudding mix, pineapple with juice and yogurt in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in  2 cups of the whipped topping; add 1 cup marshmallows; cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve. Top with remaining whipped topping and marshmallows before serving. (Or just stir them in if you want the green to show=) 

 Yield: 8 servings

Weight Watchers points - 2  (Prior to Points Plus)

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Nutritional info: Calories: 100; fat: 1.5 gr.; Fiber: 0 gr.



Linked to Weekend Potluck
           Meal Plan Monday

For some added GREEN fun - check out St.Patty's Day Candied Popcorn at Skip to My Lou...I LOVE Cindy's simple and fun ideas!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mint Chocolate Cookies - MMMM!

I came across this delicious cookie recipe at Angie's A'lil Country Sugar and knew I had to try them.

After all, I am a cookie monster (& a chocolate monster to boot!)

I wasn't disappointed!

Wonderfully chocolate-y. Mint-y too!  MMMM!

I only made a couple of minor changes...

Instead of using the store-bought Andes chips, I chopped my own.  I had found a pkg. of Andes mints on sale, and scooped them up, just waiting for the right recipe to come along....

This was it!

I chopped them in larger chunks and used a full cup.

Then...because I was making these for an upcoming bake sale, with plans to freeze the cookies until it's time, I rolled them in balls so they would be smooth.  (more pleasing to the eye?)

They were a bit messy (you could use a spring-loaded scoop), but were nice and thick and sooo yummy.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

10 TBS butter, soft

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. Andes baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until blended.

Add the flour mixture slowly, and mix until combined. Fold in the Andes mints.

Drop dough by teaspoonsful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (I rolled them between my hands for a smooth cookie - a bit messy, but fun)

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until no longer doughy. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Linked to Mandy's Totally Tasty Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday

Recipe of the Week

Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup {WW style}

We've enjoyed many soups this cold and snowy winter. 

Trusting spring is just around the corner, but I wanted to share another soup recipe before it warms up too much outside.

Thick creamy soups are at the top of my list!

The same day I printed this recipe for Cheeseburger Chowder at my good friend Angie's A'lil Country Sugar, I came across this revised version from my Weight Watchers file.

Be sure and check out her version before making, just to get a variety of ideas!

I was sooo excited!  I decided I was destined to make this delicious dish!  *-*

I didn't have time to wait for the crockpot, so I just cooked mine on top of the stove.

I'll share the ingredient revisions I made below...

SLOW COOKER CHEESEBURGER SOUP

2 sprays cooking spray

(I used a little olive oil too...WW wants you to have oil daily, soo)

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)

2 Tb. all purpose flour

(I used 3 because I like it thick)

3 cups canned chicken broth, divided

1 cup low-fat evaporated milk

8 ozs. Velveeta 2% reduced fat cheese, cubed

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

baked lowfat tortilla chips, crumbled

I also added a can of fire-roasted tomatoes - it gave it great ZIP!

Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over med-high heat for about 30 seconds.  Add garlic, onion, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender, about 5 - 10 minutes.  Coat a 3-qt. or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.  (A crockpot liner would work nicely too).

Place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef; breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 - 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.

In small cup, combine flour and 1/2 c. broth; stir until lump-free.  Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2-1/2 c. broth.  Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with wooden spoon, then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hrs. Serve soup topped with crumbled chips. 

Yield: 8 servings - 3/4 c. of soup and 3 Tb. of chips per serving

Weight Watcher points per serving: 5  (Prior to Points Plus)

And without my revisions...

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Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Made it on Monday

Recipe of the Week
Mix it up Monday
Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Cheese 
Weekend Potluck
Whatcha Crockin Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Meal Plan Monday

Kielbasa and Red Beans from halfmysize.com

I had this cookbook laying open on my cupboard, so I would have a reminder to make the casserole recipe on this same page.

It was lunchtime and I didn't have any leftovers when I saw this recipe...just tempting me to try it.

So I threw it together and we really enjoyed it.

Reminded me of the time we enjoyed chili over rice while on the beach in Hawaii 28 years ago this week - when we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 

AAAHHHH - Sweet memories!!!!!!!

I appreciate that this cookbook gives nutritional info so you can fit it into the eating plan you're trying to follow.

Hope you'll enjoy it one day soon - we think it's delicious and will enjoy this simple dish again soon.

I used peach salsa and brown rice, because that's what I had on hand, but of course, you have that option to use what YOU have....

KIELBASA AND RED BEANS

(From halfmysize.com and The Better Baker)

1 - 14 ozs. pkg. smoked turkey sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces

nonstick cooking spray

1 sm. onion, sliced or chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 - 15 ozs. can kidney beans, drained

1 c. salsa

(the peach salsa worked its 'magic' in this dish)

Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Dash of hot sauce, optional

Spray medium saucepan with nonstick cooking spray.  Saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes, until softened but not mushy.  Add smoked sausage; stir and cook sausage for 2 minutes.  Add beans, salsa, spices and hot sauce.  Just before it boils, lower heat;cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Serve over rice, if desired.  Serves 4

I didn't add salt or pepper while cooking, but added fresh ground pepper to the top when serving.

Nutritional info per serving: (doesn't include rice) Calories: 257; Fat: 5.3 gr., Fiber 4.3 gr.  

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY SUGARBEAR

TO MY PRECIOUS HUSBAND OF 43 YEARS!

MY MAN OF STEEL & VELVET....

HE'S THE

                                          L - Loving Leatherneck

                                          O - Outrageous Generosity

                                          V- Very Needed

                                          E - Eyes that still melt my heart 

        OF MY LIFE!


TIME SURE FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN!


Here's a picture of us after Ron and his best buddy had just installed new backsplash (believe it or not, it's beautiful plastic) in my kitchen in the summer of '09!

(Only appropriate I would share a kitchen shot, don't you think? =)

My love of creating in the kitchen has surely added to our waistlines after 43 years!

As I placed in the dedication of my cookbook to him...he always eats anything I fix for him...what a guy!

A humorous story from our whirlwind wedding weekend...

Ron had just returned from his 3rd tour (2 voluntary) of Vietnam in February 1968. We had been engaged for about 9 months. (We began dating two weeks before he graduated from high school.  I was a sophomore).

A week before he was heading to South Carolina to go through USMC Drill Instructor school...we decided to get married.  We planned our wedding in 3 days! We had 150 guests at our ceremony!

Because of the short notice, we kinda figured we'd get fewer gifts and more $$.

When we walked into the reception room, there were two long tables piled high with gifts.

We received $7 in cash on our wedding day!

(Yes, someone put $2 in a card for us!=)

We still chuckle over that one.

Don't get me wrong - we were thankful...just surprised!

         <3  <3  <3  <3  <3  <3  <3  <3 

I just happened to come across this a few days ago...it's my post for our anniversary last year...if you have time, feel free to take a look-see....=)
We do love our country and the US flag!

HAPPY 42ND ANNIVERSARY TO US!