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)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. I think she credits someone else with it as well. Here's my version. It is hands down the best soup I have ever made. Perhaps even the best soup I have ever eaten. Really. It's that good.


Ingredients:
1-3/4 c vegetable broth
1/3 c all-purpose flour
4 T butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 c milk
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped


Directions:
In the microwave, heat milk and veggie broth (I think I heated mine about 2 min each.) Also cook the broccoli in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap for 3-4 min.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a pot and then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, and then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed broth and continue to stir until well blended.
Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in cooked broccoli.
Makes about 6 cups.

Nutritional Information:
I don't want to know.

Ratings:
Kristen: 5!!!! 6!!!!
Dave: 4

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Orignal recipe found here. I changed it just a bit to make it vegetarian and take out the yucky tomatoes.

Ingredients:

18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1-1/2 c sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
1 T butter
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 c vegetable broth
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c milk
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
1 T lemon juice

1 green pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 12" skillet. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.

3. Shake together veggie broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a sealed container until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture and green pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir.

If desired, top with parmesan cheese.

The recipe says it makes 12 servings but I sure don't think we got that many out of it!

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare as directed but don't bake it. Instead, cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven about 55 minutes or until hot.

Nutritional Info: (Not my calculation-- from website based on 12 svgs with chicken) 

Calories: 247

Fat: 12g

Saturated: 5g

Carbs: 17g

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 15g

Ratings:

Kristen: 3

Dave: 3

Yeah, we thought this one was just okay. Didn't take a picture.

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).

Flower Power Eggs

I found this recipe (and lots of others!!) on pinterest.

The website says to:
1) Cut bell peppers into 1/2 inch rings; 2) Place in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet; and 3) Crack an egg in the middle of each ring and cover and cook over low heat until done. If you like your yolks runny, just cook over low heat until whites are done. If you like your yolks firm, break the yolks and then cook over low heat until both whites and yolks are firm.

I did this, but as you can see from the picture, mine did not turn out as pretty as theirs. :) The peppers worked pretty well to corral the eggs- a little egg white seeped out the bottoms but mostly the eggs stayed in their pepper rings.
I did not keep the heat on low, so the egg whites started to brown on the bottom while they were still liquid on top. I solved this by flipping the whole thing over once the bottom was cooked. If I had paid attention and left it on low, maybe they would have turned out as pretty as the original picture. (Go look at it in the original link, if you didn't already!) I'll try again sometime.
Either way, they were good. :)

Oatmeal Waffles

This recipe is from allrecipes.com and I stuck pretty close to it!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1 c quick-cooking rolled oats
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1-1/2 c milk (1%)
6 T butter, melted (Blue Bonnet)
2 T brown sugar (white sugar + molasses)

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and brown sugar. Add to flour mixture; stir until blended. Pour batter on to grids of preheated, lightly greased waffle iron (amount will vary with size of waffle iron). Close lid quickly; do not open during baking. Use fork to remove baked waffle.
Mine made 8 waffle squares.

Nutritional Information:                    Forgot to take a picture! They look like...waffles!
(for 2 waffle squares)                                                                         
Calories: 435
Fat: 16g
Saturated: 3g
Carbs: 61g
Fiber: 5.5g
Protein: 14g


Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

Crispy Potatoes with Green Beans and Eggs

I made this for dinner tonight. Here's the original recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 T grape seed oil
9 oz potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice 
1/2 c frozen green beans, defrosted in the microwave
2 stalks celery, diced
garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg

Directions: 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of potato. Cook potatoes (season with salt and pepper) until tender and browned. Add the green beans, celery, red pepper flakes, onion powder and garlic powder. Cook a few minutes.

Crack an egg into a small bowl and slip it into the pan on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook over medium heat until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your taste, 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 350

Fat: 11.5g

Saturated: 2g

Carbs: 51g

Fiber: 6.5g

Protein: 12.5g

Rating:

Kristen: 4