Kristin's Yummy Stuff

1 1/4 cup flour 3/4 cup yellow corn meal a few tablespoons sugar ( I hate sweet cornbread!) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 - 1 tsp salt 1 cup milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil or butter (if using butter use slightly more) 2 eggs Heat over to 400 Bake in 8-9 inch pan for 20-25 min Combine dry ingredients.  Stir in milk, oil and egg.  Do not over mix.

1 Cup red or green bell pepper chunks (no more as it won't set properly.) 2 cups cider vinegar 1/3 cup canned or fresh jalapeños stemmed and seeded 1 1/4  cups dried apricots, finely slivered 6 cups sugar 3 oz liquid pectin Puree the peppers, vinegar and jalapeño chilis in a blender or food processor.  Do not liquefy.  Combine the apricots, sugar and ground peppers in a pan and boil 5 min.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.  Cool 2 min.   Add pectin.  Pour into hot sterilized jars.  Makes 8 cups. I mix with some soy sauce and use to marinate chicken or any meats.  Lovely and not too spicy at all!

So I am back on the Weight Watchers trail.  Not so much to lose weight this time, but just to be more mindful of my portions and eating habits.  This site was recommended to me skinnytaste.com.  So far I am really impressed.  This recipe was so good I scarfed it down and then ran to my computer so that I could put it here on the old blog so as never to lose it. Cuban Picadillo Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings:  6  •  Serving Size:  1/2 cup  •  Old  Points:  4 pts •   Points+:  4 pts Calories:  170  • Fat:  7 g  • Protein:  22.5 g  • Carb:  4.5 g  • Fiber:  1 g  • Sugar:  1.5 g Sodium:  237 mg   (without the salt) Ingredients: 1/2 large chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tomato, chopped 1/2 pepper, finely chopped 2 tbsp cilantro 1-1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef 4 oz (1/2 can) tomato sauce kosher salt fresh ground pepper 1 tsp ground ...

Found these online and they sound yummy.  New Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3 pts 1 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon Baking soda 1 tablespoon Baking powder 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon Ground ginger 1 Egg 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil 1/4 cup Raisins 1/2 cup Lowfat milk 1 Can crushed pineapple -- (8 oz) 1 1/2 cups Grated carrots 1/4 cup brown sugar -- (sugar twin) Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Spoon into sprayed muffin tins or paper muffin cups. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 large muffins I tried this recipe in the Recipe Builder and removed the raisins, and added whole grain flour and brown splenda and it still came to 3 points plus.

I'm on yet another diet.  Ho hum.  So I got this recipe from the 17 Day Diet and I LOVED IT.  I have never before taken seconds of fish.  I can tolerate fish but far from enjoy it usually. Ingredients: Wild Atlantic salmon cut into serving size pieces Olive oil garlic chopped or minced Lemon juice - fresh is best Oregano Place salmon in a glass baking dish Lightly brush each salmon filet with olive oil Season with oregano to taste Place minced garlic (liberally) on each piece of fish - I say the more the merrier Squeeze a few lemons over the fish Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

Crushed Ramen Noodles and slivered almonds ( roasted about 10 or 15 min until browned) Napa (Chinese) Cabbage - shredded Celery - chopped Green onion - chopped I also add sesame seeds Mandarin oranges (optional) Shredded chicken Dressing: 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup peanut oil 2 or 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1/4 vinegar Bring to a rolling boil and let it boil together for at least 2 min, to mix. Keep all parts separated and add together just before serving or it will all get soggy.

I HATE dry scones.  These are sweet and yummy.  It was passed down to me by one of our COWs. (That is CO's wife for you non military people - LOL) Coconut Scones: yield: 16 scones baking temp.: 375 degrees baking time: 22-25 min. This recipe is designed to be customized to your taste. You can make these scones a little sweeter and chewier, by using shredded, sweetened coconut in the dough. If you want a scone that's a little less sweet so the chocolate is more noticeable, use unsweetened coconut inside. The whole wheat flour and coconut milk make a dough that handles and cuts with ease. The curly coconut topping on these scones toasts up beautifully while they're baking. 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or ww.pastry flour works well too) 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter ...

When I make this dip....I gorge myself.  Delicious 1 pkg cream cheese 1 pkg lite cream cheese 1 small onion  diced 2 cans black olives  finely chopped 1/2 jar green olives finely chopped garlic powder  to taste olive juice  to taste - maybe a teaspoon or 2   Mix together and serve with a variety of crackers

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and boiled in corned beef brine 2 sticks butter 1 1/4 cups hot milk Freshly ground black pepper 1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded 1 slice of ham steak 1 jar of real bacon bits 4 scallions, finely chopped Directions Mash potatoes thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper. Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color (I cooked mine with the corned beef as well). Chop into small pieces. Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces. Add cabbage, scallions, and ham and bacon to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently. Serve with corned beef and cabbage.  Happy St. Paddy's Day!! **Adapted from a recipe on Foodnetwork.com

These were delicious and are acceptable on the South Beach Diet. This would make an excellent side dish for a holiday or just your average Tuesday. Very simple. 1 lb Brussels Sprouts 1/4 cup Gorgonzola 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used macadamia nuts, but you could use walnuts, pecans, even peanuts or pine nuts) tbsp olive oil Shred/chop the Brussels sprouts. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the Brussels sprouts until tender and slightly browned. Toss in Gorgonzola and nuts. Serve hot. You could also get creative and try feta or goat cheese. Yum!

I adapted this from a Kalyn's Kitchen recipe.  6 red or green peppers ...2 lbs Ground Turkey 2 Italian sausage (hot or mild) 1 cup diced onion 1 cup diced crimini mushroom 1 cup diced pepper (tops of peppers) olive oil for browning meat and veggies Salt and pepper 2 big handfuls grated Parmesan (you could use 2 cups low fat mozzarella which the SB recipe calls for but I did not have. YUM!) 1 cup tomato sauce or substitute tomato paste and some beef broth. Preheat oven to 375. Cut tops off peppers, making a deep enough cut that you have some red pepper to chop for the filling. If needed, "square" off the bottom of the pepper to make them stand up. Clean out inside of peppers and wash if needed. In very large frying pan, cook ground turkey and sausage (squished from the links) until lightly browned. I used a potato masher to break up the sausage into smaller bits. Add to meat to a colander to drain fat if desired. In a pan add oil to and coo...

Got this recipe from Kayln's Kitchen.  A wonderful blog with lots of South Beach diet recipes.  I've never really had risotto and was wary...but this was a great surprise and so YUM-O! 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or use 4 cups stock and 2 cups water) Kayln's Kitchen recommends 1 tsp Better than Boullion Mushroom base.  I did not have and did not use. 1 1/2 T olive oil 1/2 cup finely diced celery 1/2 large onion, finely diced 3/4 lb. mushrooms, finely diced  - I used Crimini 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 T fresh thyme chopped.  Or 1 tsp dried. fresh ground black pepper to taste 3/4 cups barley 1 bay leaf 2-3 T chopped parsley to garnish (optional) Put chicken stock (plus mushroom base if using) in sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil then turn heat to very low and keep hot. In medium-sized heavy pot, heat 1 T olive oil, then add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots, and thyme an...

I am a huge fan of Olive Garden. I don't get to go very often, but I love their soup and salad. MMMM.... I don't usually order Zuppa Toscana but my friend invited me over the other night and she made Olive Garden's recipe. I am now a forever fan. I loved her twist on it WAY more. Enjoy! Makes: 6-8 servings INGREDIENTS • 1 lb ground Italian sausage (you can use sweet basil sausage) • 1½ tsp crushed red peppers (you can omit if you don't like spice) • 1 large diced white onion • 4 Tbsp bacon pieces (real bacon bits work great! not mushy) • 2 tsp garlic puree • 10 cups water • 5 cubes of chicken bouillon • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes • ¼ of a bunch of kale 1. Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. 2. In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft. 3. M...

I took and adapted this recipe from Kayln's Kitchen. It is a South Beach Phase 1 meal. And was DELICIOUS. The kids scarfed it. I made plenty for leftovers so that I could have a quick lunch this week. 6 chicken thighs (with skin and bone) 1 cup soy sauce (low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari is probably best, since the sauce gets reduced) 1/2 cup white wine vinegar (I used half white vinegar and half white cooking wine since our commisary did not have this) 1 1/4 cup water 2 tsp. garlic puree 3 bay leaves 1 small onion, sliced in large slices fresh ground black pepper to taste Trim excess skin and fat from chicken, but leave some on. Put chicken in single layer, skin side down, in heavy pan on Med High. Brown on each side. Mix other ingredients and pour over chicken. Simmer for 1/2 hour or so until cooked nearly cooked through, turning once. Remove chicken and place on broiler tray or in shallow glass casserole which will fit under your broiler. Strain liquid to remove ...

This is a creation I thought up. The tortillas were good, but I think puff pastry or phyllo dough would be really good too. I was inspired by a sauce used in Kailua at BOOTS & KIMOS restaurant that is served over pancakes. I adapted the sauce recipe from one I found online. 1 fresh pineapple (you could use a large can of crushed too) 1/4 c brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch Peel and core pineapple, chop finely or put in a food processor/blender to make crushed. Put in a pot and cook over medium heat with brown sugar and vanilla. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then add corstarch mixed with a little water to thicken. You don't want it totally dry, but not watery either. In a smaller pot, melt 1/2 stick of butter with a few tbsp sugar (brown or white) and stir until sugar is melted. Take approximately 8 snack size flour tortillas (or dough, pastry) and fill with pineapple filling. Roll into enchiladas and place in a 9x9 pan. (you may have a lot of pineapple leftover a...

1 small onion chopped 1 4oz can chopped green chilies drained 2 cloves of garlic crushed 1 tabl veg oil 1 cup peeled & chopped tomatoes (I use canned diced) 1 can beef boullion 1 can chicken broth 1 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp worcesthire sause 1 Tablespoon steak sauce Saute onions, chillies & garlic in oil - add rest of ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour I add shredded chicken Serve with toppings: Corn Tortillas : cut in strips and fry to crisp - salt and pepper This is the best part!!! 1 cup Cheddar Cheese grated avacado diced Sour Cream I usually double the recipe - leftovers are good.

This sounded horrible to me when I went to a Pampered Chef party when I first arrived in Hawaii. I had no idea how I would become obsessed with it! Yummers!!! 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored. You can buy a pineapple/apple corer from Pampered Chef which is expensive although I much much covet it....it is not necessary. You may also used canned pineapple, but if you have the chance to get a fresh one it is worth it. 1 small onion (red, maui, white...your choice) 1/2 cup or so cilantro. (Until recently I loathed cilantro and made this without it....turns out just great) Garlic to taste...me I like TONS. 1 clove or 2 is standard 1 Cucumber peeled and seeded 1 tomato seeded and cored. 1 jalepeno stem removed Juice of 1 lime. I like to add some lemon or lime zest as well. Salt to taste You can chop all these by hand or place in a food processor etc. It makes a fun and different appetizer or snack.

Ingredients 1 box chocolate cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines) 1/2 cup coffee liqueur (Khalua) 2 cups fudge sauce (CLick here for my personal recipe), or 1 (16-ounce) jar fudge sauce 3 chocolate covered toffee candy bars , broken into pieces 1 1/2 cups heavy cream whipped and sweetened with 1/3 cup sugar Directions Prepare the cake according to the package directions for a 9 by 13-inch cake. Cool thoroughly. Prick the entire top of the cake with a fork. Pour coffee liqueur over the cake and allow it to soak in. Wrap the cake with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Slice the cake into 1-inch thick pieces. Line the bottom of a large glass bowl with a single layer of cake. Pour 1/4 of the fudge sauce over the cake, top with 1/4 of the candy bar-bits then 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layering 2 more times ending with fudge sauce and candy bits. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cook's Note: Assemble the trifle shortly before serving or it will get soggy.

2-3 avocados, 1 bunch cilantro, juice of 2 limes, 1 garlic clove or some garlic salt or powder, salt, 1/2 onion, couple shakes of chili powder- Blend in food processor or blender for a creamy aioli texture. Or hand chop/mash for a more traditional guacamole.

2 cans fireroasted diced tomatoes, 1 bunch of cilantro(end cut off), juice of 3 limes, 2-3 garlic cloves, salt, 1 jalepeno with seeds, 1 small onion Toss is food processer. Tastes great! I mix with a little ranch to make a low fat yummy salad dressing.