Cinnamon Sugar Squares

Found this tonight and my sweet tooth was calling. These are really good with coffee. Mmmmmm...

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter (Blue Bonnet light)
2 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil (use applesauce next time!)
2 eggs
1/2 c milk (1%)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I was out...)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 T cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Beat the butter, sugar, oil (applesauce), eggs, milk and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
3. Continue beating and add salt, baking soda and flour. Mix until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into a 9"x13" baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and spread evenly using a spatula. Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Cut into 24 squares.

 Nutritional Information: (values if made with applesauce in parentheses)

Calories: 195 (157)
Fat:  7g (2.5g)
Saturated: 1g (0.5g)
Carbs: 31g (32g)
Fiber: 0.5g (0.5g)
Protein: 2.5g (2.5g)

Calzone

I made a calzone for dinner tonight. I'm only blogging it because it's pretty. :) It's just a store-bought Pillsbury pizza crust with filling. You can put whatever you want inside! I used pizza sauce, mozzarella, and green pepper, plus pepperoni in Dave's half. I got the idea to make it pretty here (found on pinterest).

Gingerbread French Toast

This recipe comes from Lindsay Nixon's cookbook, The Happy Herbivore. I checked it out from the library on Friday and there are SO MANY things I want to make from it.
Here is a version of the recipe that she had previously posted on her website. The one in the cookbook is a little different. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients:
8 slices Koepplinger's Country French bread
1 c unsweetened almond milk
1/4 c whole wheat flour (chickpea flour would be better, but I didn't have any and I was too hungry to run to the store!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients (except bread) together in a shallow dish.
Dredge bread slices (cut into triangles) in the mixture and place in a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook 2-3 minutes per side.
Re-spray the skillet and repeat with remaining slices.
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 175
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 2.5g
Protein: 6.5g

Rating:
Kristen: 4

Stuffing

This is the stuffing that Dave makes me for Thanksgiving. It is about my favorite food on the planet- no joke. He makes the best stuffing ever- just like his grandma! He makes his also with onions, and chicken broth. I can't tell the difference between the vegetable broth and chicken broth at all. Neither could any of my family when we took this to Thanksgiving at my aunt's yesterday.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread (this year we used Bimbo brand, which is 60 cal/slice- obviously the bread you use is going to determine how many calories... but white bread is a must)
2 c chopped celery
1/2 c butter, melted (I used Bestlife Buttery Spread, 60 cal/T)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) vegetable or no-chicken broth
onion powder, paprika, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Directions:
Tear the bread into small pieces in a large bowl. Add chopped celery. Pour in the melted butter and the broth and mix well. Pour into a baking dish and bake at 350, covered, for an hour and a half. Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15-30 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 250
Fat: 7.5g
Saturated: 2g
Carbs: 37g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 6g

Pita Pockets

This recipe came with my bread machine. It's very simple and very good!

Ingredients:
1-1/3 c warm water
2 T + 2 tsp olive oil
1 T + 1 tsp sugar
1-1/4 tsp salt
2 c bread flour
1-1/2 c whole wheat flour
1-3/4 tsp bread machine yeast (or Red Star Quick Rise yeast, or 2-1/2 tsp Red Star active dry yeast)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in bread machine on dough program. When finished (mine takes 1:20), place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball.
Place 5 balls on a large baking sheet. Place the remaining 5 balls on another baking sheet. Let rise 20 minutes. With fingertips, flatten each ball into a 6" circle.
Bake at 500F for 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown.
Makes 10 pita rounds.

Nutritional Information: (one whole pocket)
Calories: 140
Fat: 4g
Saturated: 0.5g
Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
Monounsaturated: 2.5g
Carbs: 24g
Fiber: 2.5g
Protein: 4g

Cream Cheese Clouds

I made these a while ago, but I never uploaded the picture so it hadn't gotten posted before now.

Original Recipe

Ingredients:
12 oz  pkg Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits (I used 9 of the 10 biscuits... random)
3 oz fat free cream cheese, cut into 9 cubes
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Separate 9 biscuits from the dough; press or roll each to 1/4" thickness.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll cream cheese cubes in the cinnamon sugar. Place 1 cheese cube in center of each dough circle; gather up sides of dough to enclose filling. Press edges of dough together to seal. Place, seam sides up, on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. (I put the remaining cinnamon sugar on the inside instead of the outside.)
Bake 15 min or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 116
Fat: 3.5g
Saturated Fat: 0.5g
Carbs: 16g
Protein: 3g

Ratings
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4.5

Easy Bake Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c cold butter, cubed (Imperial 1/3 less fat)
1 c shredded cheddar (Sargento Reduced Fat)
1/3 c milk (1/2%)

 Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F. Mix flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheddar. Add milk; stir until mixture forms soft dough.
Place on lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times or until smooth. Pat out dough into 6" square. Cut into 9 squares. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 122
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 12g
Protein: 5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

Cheesy Good Cornbread Muffins

A Hungry Girl recipe!

Ingredients:
1/2 c canned cream-style corn
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 c fat-free liquid egg substitute, like Egg Beaters
1/4 c fat-free sour cream (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
1/4 c reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 c chopped scallions (I used onion powder)
1 T Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated (I used sugar)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Optional: 1/4 tsp. hot sauce  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together all other ingredients -- then add the contents of the small bowl to the large one, and stir until well mixed.
Spray a 6-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with baking cups. Evenly distribute muffin batter among the cups. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes (until muffins are firm and a light golden brown). Allow to cool and then enjoy!
Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 90
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 4g

Ratings:
Kristen: 2
Dave: 3

I don't like creamed corn... thought it might be different in this recipe but... nope...