The Liebster Blog Award

Oh my goodness! I just won my very first blog award! Holy crap! That's awesome!!! [LOL]

This award is called the Liebster Blog Award.  I found out from Lisa at I Heard Its Yummy that in German, Liebster means, "beloved, dear, dearest and it is so very special to me."  Lisa, thank you so much for passing the award along to me and my blog.  You are so sweet and you have no clue how much you totally made my day.  Thank you so much for the award, for reading and liking my blog, and for sending other folks my way.  I would also like to thank every single one of my readers who take the time to listen to my rambling, to look at the food pictures, and those who take a chance to try a recipe that I created. You too will never know just how much I appreciate you.  I thank you again. 

[Ok, I just totally had a Grammy award acceptance speech going there... LOL]

So, according to the rules, I'm going to pass  this award along to 5 other pages that I have enjoyed reading lately. 

Great Cooking Ideas

The Southern Lady Cooks

Best Southern Recipes From the Deep South

Everyday Mom's Meals

Angie's Big Love of Food

Trust me when I say that it was REALLY REALLY hard to pick 5 out of all the blogs I follow.  There are some amazingly talented folks online who can seriously cook their butts off.  All these new pictures and recipes have given me so much inspiration. I am absolutely loving it.

Here are the rules that come with this
award:

1.) Show your thanks to the blogger that gave you the
award by linking back to them.

2.) Reveal your top 5 picks by leaving a comment on their
blog.

3.) Post the award on your blog.

4.) Enjoy the love of some of the most supportive people
on the internet!

Thanks again, Lisa! You rock!

KITCHEN KREATION: Southern Meatloaf

Who doesn't love a delicious juicy slice of meatloaf? I mean, seriously, it's one of those memories of the ultimate comfort food to me. I don't know about you guys, but as a child, we didn't have meatloaf that often, so when we did it was kind of a treat. The leftovers the next day were always even better than the 1st night. I'm sitting here thinking about how good our meatloaf is going to be tomorrow after it's sat overnight in the fridge! Mmm mmm...

So anyway, for tonight's Sunday dinner, I made a Southern-style meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas and carrots. It was so good, I think I surprised myself with this one.  I'm pretty sure it's not all that healthy since I didn't really try to adapt any recipes or anything. I had to rely on my imagination and my childhood memories of watching my mama make her delicious meatloaf.  I have to admit, I think my version has her's beat.
Progress indeed...

INGREDIENTS
1 pound meatloaf mix (beef, veal, and pork - next time I will get 2 packages for 2 pounds)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Progresso's Garlic & Herb - for 2 pounds of meat, use 1 cup)
1 egg - beaten (again, for 2 pounds, use 2 eggs)
1/2 cup onions - chopped
1/2 cup onion/bell pepper mix (found in the frozen vegetable section)- chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Meatloaf Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1.  I used the meatloaf mix found at my local grocer. It consists of ground beef, veal, and pork. It was a little shy of a pound of meat so next time I will use 2 packages and adjust my seasonings accordingly.

 

2.  Beat 1 egg in small bowl.

3.  Measure 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

4.  In medium-sized bowl, place meat, beaten egg, and bread crumbs.

5.  Add 1 Tbsp minced garlic (approximately 3 cloves).

6.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion.

7.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion/bell pepper mix.

8.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.

 

9.  Add 1 tsp black pepper.

 

10.  Add 1 tsp smoked paprika.

11.  Add 2 tsp Italian seasoning.



12. Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

13.  Mix well. Works best to use hands but I have issues with having raw meat under my nails (hence the use of gloves)...

14.  I lined my baking dish with foil (I think the size is a 9x5 loaf pan). 

This makes clean up a lot easier!

Pack the meat in the baking dish forming it into a loaf.

Now to make the glaze!

1.  Add 1/2 cup ketchup to small bowl. (Feel free to use tomato sauce, I just prefer my meatloaf glaze sweeter.)

2.  Add 2 Tbsp brown sugar.

3.  Add 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix well.

4.  Add half of glaze mixture to top of meat (approximately 3 Tbsp).

5.  Smooth over entire loaf, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

6.  After 30 minutes, remove foil cover, place remaining amount of glaze and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.

7.  Let sit for 10 minutes, cut and enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Crockpot Zuppa Toscana Soup

So this weekend I was in the mood for my favorite soup from the Olive Garden, the wonderful Zuppa Toscana soup.  The only problem was that this was one of our few lazy weekends and neither the hubby nor I felt like actually leaving the house. I had gone to the grocery store on Friday so I already had everything that I needed to make this copycat version of the soup. I combined a couple of recipes, the original clone from CopyKat recipes and a healthier version found on my favorite SparkPeople site. I added a few more seasonings than could be found at either site and made my own version. This is a really good soup, hearty and healthy weighing in at an awesome 154 calories/serving! Not bad for a version that has more potatoes and more veggies.  Hope you try it and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound turkey sausage - browned & drained
3 medium-sized russet potatoes - washed and chopped
1 bunch fresh kale - (approx. 2 cups) - washed and chopped
2 cups fat free low sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups water
1 cup fat free half and half
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup onion - chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS

1.  Thoroughly wash your potatoes.

2.  Cut potatoes in half and then slice thinly.

 

3.  Meanwhile, in medium sized skillet, brown turkey sausage. 

If you have to use the turkey sausage links, remove the casings first, then brown.

4.  Add potatoes and onions to crock pot.

5.  Rinse 1 bunch of fresh kale.

6.  Chop thinly and add kale to crock pot.

7.  After sausage has browned, remove from heat and set aside. Drain if necessary.

8.  Add browned turkey sausage to crock pot.

 9.  Add minced garlic to crock pot.

10.  Add 2 cups of  low fat/low sodium chicken broth.

11.  Add 4 cups of water.

12.  Add 1/2 cup of fat free half and half.

13. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika to crock pot. Stir well.

14.  Cook on high temperature for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender or cook on low for 8 hours.

Enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

Good evening, blogger family! Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend. 

For tonight's menu, I decided to try my first German recipe.  The dental director on my job brought some red cabbage for lunch last week and she let me try it.  Oh my goodness, it was sooo good.  She didn't know everything that her husband had put in it except that it had some balsamic vinegar, onions, and sugar.  I went online and found a couple of recipes that looked promising.  I finally decided to try the German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage recipe from SparkPeople combined with a more traditional one from SimplyRecipes.com. This is my first time trying to cook any kind of German food, but all things considered, I think I did pretty well.  The cabbage came out really tender and flavorful.  I actually can't wait to see how it tastes tomorrow after it has marinated overnight.

I'm going to try something new with my blog posting in an attempt to show you step by step how I made this delicious side dish.  Let me know if you guys like the new format, ok?

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red cabbage - washed & sliced thinly
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - light
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 apple - cored, peeled, and sliced thinly (I used a Honeycrisp apple
dash salt - optional
dash black pepper - optional
2 Tbsp Splenda - brown sugar blend (equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1.  In large skillet and over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute onions until tender. 

(Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the 1st step.)

2.  Add chopped apple slices.

  

3.  Add I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, salt, & pepper. Stir well to combine.

4.  Add washed and chopped red cabbage to mix.

5.  Cover and allow to start wilting. 

6.  In separate container or measuring cup, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

7.  When cabbage is tender, add vinegar and sugar mixture to pot.  Stir well and cover. Allow to steam for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8.  Reduce heat and allow to cook for approximately 15 more minutes.

9.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe was pretty easy and came out great.  According to my sparkpeople recipe calculator, for 6 servings, this side dish weighs in at 123 calories per serving.  If you leave out the olive oil and use cooking spray, the calories drop down to about 103 calories per serving.  I'll probably do that next time.

So anyway, folks, here was my dinner for tonight.  For my first foray into German cooking, I have to say I'm pretty pleased.  In his horrible German accent, hubby said, "Dat vas good, ja!" LOL

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Crustless Spinach & Bacon Quiche

Bonjour, mes amis! I know, I know, I've been gone for a minute. Don't think that I haven't still been cooking my version of healthier foods.  No, I've just been lazy lately about posting my creations on here.

Last weekend I decided to dive into the art of french cooking.  Well, as close as I can get anyway...
I  love love love quiche, but I don't love all the calories that come from the homemade pie crust, the cheese, the butter, the cream, etc etc...
I decided to jump on google to see if there was a recipe online for a crustless quiche. Low and behold I found a couple but I couldn't find any heart healthy versions. So you know what I did, I made my own. With that being said, I realized this morning that this blog is SUPPOSED to be celebrating recipes from around the world. It seems that hubby and I apparently spend a lot of time in Mexico and Italy, however, so it is now time to branch out to the wonderful country of France.

And yes, I do realize that my version is not an actual authentic French recipe, but this is my creation and it turned out good. Let me know if you decide to try it. I think you'll enjoy it!  I'm going to make another one this weekend with turkey sausage and more veggies. I'll let you know how it comes out.

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Kraft fat free shredded cheddar
1 BabyBel Light Cheese round - shredded
1/2 cup onions-chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
6 slices of turkey bacon - chopped
10 oz. bag of frozen spinach - thawed & drained
salt & pepper - to taste
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Microwave spinach according to package directions, drain excess liquid and set aside.
2. Chop onions & turkey bacon, set aside.
3. In medium-sized bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, and skim milk. Whisk until well mixed.
4. Add salt, pepper, onions, garlic, turkey bacon and cheese to mixture. Stir well until combined.
5. Add drained spinach. Stir well.
6. Spray pie plate with cooking spray and gently pour egg mixture into pan.
7. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until center of quiche is firm.
8. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
9. Cut and enjoy.

Our quiche made 6 servings.
According to SparkPeople, that came out to be 121.4 calories/serving!
An excellent source of protein and a quick and easy breakfast for the rest of the week. I just placed the extra servings in a container in the refrigerator. On my protein days (Mon, Wed, Fri), I took one out and microwaved it to have a healthy and quick breakfast with a side of fruit.  Can't get any better (or easier) than that.

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Cheesy Chicken & Spinach Bake

I have had this casserole recipe rolling around in my head for about a week and finally decided to give it a go. After making the donuts, I decided that I would go ahead and cook our meal for the weekend since I was in such a cooking mood. That way, breakfast, lunch, and dinner would be done all before 10:30. Yes, you read right, BEFORE 10:30.

That left the rest of the day to completely veg out, which I did... LOL

Hubby said our lunch/dinner casserole was great. It was even better today for dinner accompanied with a delicious side salad and a piece of garlic toast.


INGREDIENTS

32 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo sauce
1 can Campbells Healthy Choice Cream of Mushroom sauce
1/2 medium onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup fat free (or low fat) mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
salt & pepper - to taste
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook whole wheat pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside.
3. Lightly spray skillet with cooking spray.
4. Wash, pat dry, and cut chicken into bite-sized 1 inch pieces
5. Cook chicken in skillet until almost cooked through (should still be able to see some pink).
6. Toss in onions, stir and cook until tender.
7. Make a small clear space in skillet and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately one minute.
8. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
9. Spray 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
10. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken and onion mixture, whole wheat pasta, alfredo sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
11. Add Italian seasoning and stir well to combine.
12. Pour mixture into glass baking dish.
13. Add additional 1/2 cup of cheese to top of mixture.
14. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover baking dish.
15. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until cheese is all melted & bubbly.
16. After done, let sit for 10 minutes and enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Baked Cinnamon Donuts with Vanilla Glaze

Yum. Yum. Yum.
Since moving up north where there is a Dunkin' Donuts literally on every other corner, I have been fighting this intense urge to give in and have one of those delicious deep fried pieces of sugar covered dough...
(sigh...)
The hubby and I have been doing so good with our workouts that I just didn't want to cave. I know myself and if I give in once, I'll keep going back. Deep fried donuts are like crack to me. Y'all don't want me to end up looking like Pookie from New Jack City, right???

Trust and believe, that is NOT a good look for ANYBODY!!!

So, like anyone else with an addiction, you recognize it and don't put yourself in a situation where you can be tempted. Above all else, you have to stay strong and believe that you can get through whatever cravings are running through your head at that time. So far that's what has been working for me.

So, even though they have a donut shop on every other corner up here in Philly. I have refrained from getting one. I'm quite proud of myself for that, now that I think about it...
Anyway, back to the recipe.

A few months ago, I was on my girl Kristin's blog at IowaGirlEats.com and she was talking about the wonders of baking donuts to make them healthier for you, in other words, "delicious and nutritious". I immediately ordered one of the Wilton donut pans from amazon that she mentioned in her post but never had the chance to make any donuts until this morning.

The recipe came from Kate who has a page on foodbuzz. Her recipe can be found here. I looked at the recipe and thought, hey, I have everything on that list, I'll make those for Saturday morning. Imagine my dismay when I woke up bright and early this morning to realize that I didn't have any all purpose flour. I had cake flour, but no all purpose flour. Who does that? I mean, really...

Before I got too disappointed, however, I looked at the back of the Wilton's donut pan and lo and behold they had a basic donut recipe using cake flour.
Did anyone else hear the angels singing this morning? LOL

I immediately started measuring and whisking things together. What resulted was a delicious dozen of donuts that came out moist, semi-healthy, and they helped to kick that deep fried donut craving right in the butt. Here's my adaptation of both recipes, let me know what you guys think...

INGREDIENTS - FOR DONUTS
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar (feel free to use the equivalent of Splenda)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup skim milk
3/4 tsp white vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted (use real butter for more calories)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS - FOR GLAZE
2 Tbsp skim milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan bring together the milk, white vinegar, vanilla, egg, and butter.Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the butter melts, about one minute. Remove from heat.
4. Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture; mix until combined.Fill each donut cup approximately 2/3 full.
5. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the top of teh donuts spring back when touched.
6. Let cool in pan before removing.

While the donuts are cooling, start working on the glaze.

FOR GLAZE:

1. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium-heat, stirring until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
2. Set the saucepan in a bowl with hot water.
3. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze, one at a time, and set on a rack, glaze side up. Be sure to place something (parchment paper, wax paper, etc) underneath the rack because some of that glaze will drip off.
4. Re-dip until you have the glaze thickness you like and enjoy!

Now wasn't that easy???