Eat for Joy

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2012-02-06T12:03:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3-reduced fat Philadelphia)
- 1/4 c. ranch dressing (I use light)
- 1/4 c. buffalo wing sauce (My favorite is Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce, but you could pick a different one)
- 1 (5 oz) can low-fat chicken breast, drained (fresh, shredded chicken is even better)

Preheat oven to 375. Make sure cream cheese is soft (I just microwave it, since it's a hot dip anyway). Mix all the ingredients together until they are a uniform texture and color. Dump into oven-safe serving dish (I have a fairly shallow, oval baking dish I love to use, but really any oven-safe dish will work). Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with Fritos Scoops. Yum!

I usually have to double or triple this recipe if I'm taking it to a party. This dip is a real crowd pleaser!

Lemon Supreme Special

2012-01-06T09:19:00.000-06:00

Cake Ingredients:

1 package Lemon Supreme cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup apricot nectar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour cake pan. (You can use a 9x13 baking dish, bundt pan, or even some other dish--but it does not layer well). Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.

Cool right side up for 15 minutes, then remove from baking dish and set on serving plate.

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2 TBS lemon juice

Blend sugar and lemon juice. Pour glaze over warm cake.

This is mama's favorite birthday cake. It's a recipe from her mama, and I was thrilled when I found it so I could start making it for her.

Fantasy Fudge

2011-11-30T11:26:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
12 oz. (1-1/2 packages) BAKER's Simi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
1 (7 oz) jar JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla (I'm gonna try it with Mexico vanilla this year and see if it's better.)

1. Grease your pan. I usually use butter instead of spray or lining with foil. I typically use a 9-inch square pan, but I'm considering going for thinner pieces this year and using a 9x13-inch pan instead.

2. Place sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in large, heavy saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

3. Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted. Add walnuts and vanilla; mix well.

4. Pour immediately into prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled; cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

I like to keep this a Christmas-only treat. It's way too many fat/calories to keep it around for more than a couple of weeks out of the year, but way too delicious to forego altogether! One year, I bought see-through tins in the shape of Texas and made a batch for each of husband's relatives (because they all live in Texas). I love the idea of shaped tins of fudge as Christmas treats for co-workers and other people you'd like to give "a little something" over the holidays.

I'm also considering trying a variation of this recipe with white chocolate instead of semi-sweet and crumbled Oreo cookies in place of the nuts. I will let you know how my "cookies and cream" fudge turns out.

Kelly's Healthified Kitchen

2011-11-28T16:13:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to come up with a way to post my favorite recipes from the Healthified Kitchen to my recipe blog without stealing credit. It seems like such a shame to copy and paste Kelly's recipes into my own blog when her presentation is so much better than mine (I mean, she has real pictures of each dish, and she has bazillions of healthy, delicious meals posted). In my dreams, my recipe blog is as fabulous as hers. But, alas, I am lazy and forgetful. I hardly ever remember to take a picture of my creations, let alone upload them if I do snap a shot. And I don't cook nearly as much as she does, either. So, here's the solution. Below are links to my favorite Healthified Kitchen recipes. I'd be cheating visitors to my page if I didn't send you to her page so you can experience it!

Honey Lime Enchiladas - 6 PointsPlus per enchilada (makes 10 enchiladas)
Chicken and Cheese Crescent Pockets - 11 PointsPlus per pocket (makes 4 servings)
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto - 9 PointsPlus per serving (makes 6 servings)

Thanksgiving Corn Casserole

2011-11-28T13:39:00.000-06:00

1 stick of butter, melted
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 can of creamed corn
12 oz. cornbread mix (I like Jiffy corn muffin mix)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Dump mixture into 9x13 dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until edges start to pull away from sides of pan and top begins to brown.

I pretty much stole this recipe, in whole, from allrecipes.com (Baked Corn by Rhonda Mellott). I'm only relisting it here so I don't end up forgetting which recipe I fell in love with. I'm willing to bet this would be pretty delicious with low-fat butter (or Brummel and Brown), egg whites, and light sour cream. That would cut PointsPlus value tremendously. I'm going to try the lighter version for Christmas this year, so I'll let you know how it turns out. Might just have to "healthify" this one permanently if it works out like I hope.

Angela's Enchiladas Verdes

2011-11-28T13:28:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 lb raw boneless, skinless chicken breast (not diced)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken condensed soup
1 TBS chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 oz. grated Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (divided)
16 oz. green enchilada sauce (divided)
1/2 c. light sour cream
10 small/medium flour tortillas

Cook the Chicken. Put chicken in single layer in a pot. Cover chicken with water, and add minced garlic. Cook covered on medium-high heat until boiling. Remove lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook until all water has evaporated and chicken is cooked through.

Make the Filling. Shred chicken, putting it into a bowl. Add cream of chicken soup, chili powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin. Mix thoroughly and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350.

Fill the Tortillas. Add half of the cheese to the chicken/soup mixture and stir it together until the cheese is evenly distributed. Pour 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas evenly with the chicken/soup/cheese mixture. Wrap each tortilla and place tightly in baking dish (I can usually line 8 up and place 2 across the top).

Top and Bake. Mix remaining 12 oz. of enchilada sauce with sour cream and pour over the filled enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until brown and starting to crisp on top.

A couple of weeks ago, I made Honey Lime Enchiladas, courtesy of Kelly's Healthified Kitchen (visit the link, you won't regret it). They were the BEST thing I'd ever eaten, but husband didn't love them quite as much as I did, so I thought I would take the same concept and adapt it to a more traditional enchiladas verdes recipe. Voila! Angela's Enchiladas Verdes were born. I think I still liked them more than husband did, but they were fantastically delicious if I do say so myself.

At only 11 PointsPlus per serving (for 2 enchiladas... 6 PointsPlus for just one), I really do LOVE this recipe!

Monkey Casserole

2011-11-28T11:42:00.000-06:00

Step 1: Make the Dough. Preheat the oven to 350. Dump all but the Bisquick into a bowl and mix it up. Add Bisquick and mix it in thoroughly. Separate dough into small balls (a little larger than the diameter of a quarter).

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 stick melted butter
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Mexico vanilla
1 c. Bisquick

Step 2: Build the Casserole. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in the bottom of a small, fairly deep casserole pan (mine is about 6 x 6 x 4). Melt the rest of the stick of butter in a dish. Add about a cup of sugar and cinnamon to taste to another dish. Roll each dough ball in the butter, then the sugar/cinnamon mix, and place it in the casserole dish. Stack them fairly evenly. If you run out of either butter or sugar/cinnamon, you can always add more. This won't hurt the recipe. Dump several TBS of the ramaining sugar/cinnamon mix on top of the stacked dough balls.

1 stick of butter, divided 2 TBS and 6 TBS
1 c. sugar
Cinnamon (to taste... not too much or it will be bitter)

Step 3: Bake. Place casserole in the oven so that the dish is closer to the top than the bottom. Bake anywhere from 30-45 minutes. You'll know it's done with the top forms a crunchy, browned layer.

Step 4: Glaze. While casserole is baking, mix melted butter, water, Mexico vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until the glaze is smooth and the butter isn't separating out any more. It should be fairly shiny, creamy, and not-too-solid. Once casserole is done, pour glaze mix over the cruchy crust, while still very hot. Glaze will melt and spread out into a fairly even layer on top.

1/2 stick butter
1 TBS water
1/2 tsp Mexico vanilla
1/2 - 1 c. confectioner sugar (until it's smooth and looks right)

Easy Shepherd's Pie

2011-11-28T11:24:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 bag mixed frozen veggies
1 lb lean ground beef
1 packet of McCormick's brown gravy mix
1 packet (4 servings) instant mashed potatoes
Seasoning: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, etc. (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown the Meat. Begin browning ground beef. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper while cooking (if desired).

Cook the Veggies. While the meat is cooking, prepare the frozen veggies according to the package directions. I used a mix of green beans, corn, and carrots because husband doesn't hate any of those. I also bought the "steam in bag" variety, purely by accident, but they were delicious and super easy. When the veggies are done, drain them (if necessary), and put them in a fairly even layer in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Make the Gravy. Just follow the packet instructions. Dump the packet mix in with a cup of water and blend/stir with a whisk over medium heat until boiling. Then continue simmering for another minute. Once the meat is done, dump the gravy in the pan with the meat and mix them together. Then dump the meat/gravy mix over the veggies in another even layer.

Make the Mashed Potatoes. Again, just follow the packet instructions. The ones I bought were pretty simple. Add 2 cups of boiling water to the potato mix, cover, wait 5 minutes, fluff with a fork. You can either spread the potatoes over the meat layer or use a froster to make the dish more decorative. Either way, fully cover the meat layer with a potato layer.

Bake on middle-to-top row for at least 35 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown. Serve hot.

At 6 servings, this recipe comes out to about 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus. That's amazing for a totally instant meat and potatoes meal!

This recipe is my own invention. Husband loves shepherd's pie, but I'd never even tried making it. I found a recipe in a Hungry Girl cookbook, but it had a lot of replacements, and I knew that would just disappoint husband. So, I decided to invent my own healthy version of this meal, and husband really loved it. Said it didn't taste like diet food at all. I call that a winning recipe!

Five Cup Salad

2011-11-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup flaked coconut
6-8 ounces sour cream

Combine all ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

I had Five Cup Salad a couple of years ago at a Thanksgiving gathering. It was absolutely delicious, and I asked what was in it, but I didn't get the recipe. Yesterday, I searched for recipes and found this one on allrecipes.com. I used 8 ounces of sour cream (instead of 6), and I think the next time I make it, I will cut the coconut down to 1/2 cup and crush up the mandarin oranges. The flavors are delicious, but the balance didn't seem just right.

This is the easiest side dish ever, and if I can get the balance right, it might become my "dish of choice" when I'm asked to bring food to a potluck. So nice to spend 5 minutes on it with only one or two dirty dishes instead of spending an hour or more and having a whole kitchen to clean when the baking is done.

Yeilds about 12 servings at 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus per serving.

The Best Cookies On the Planet

2011-09-09T10:32:00.001-05:00

- 1 c. salted butter, mostly melted (2 sticks)
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (not Mexico vanilla... it changes the taste)
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (maybe a bit more, if needed)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 bags of chocolate chips (or substitute filling)
- 1 c. chopped pecans (other nuts work, too, or you can go "no nuts")

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with foil (or use silicone baking sheets).

In large bowl, stir together melted butter, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Add vanilla. Stir. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together. Slowly stir the flour mix into the butter/sugar mixture. The dough should not be too sticky or too dry. Add the chips and nuts to the dough and mix until ingredients are spread evenly. I usually have to use my hands to get the dough to absorb all of the chips and nuts.

Bake for about 11 minutes, switching the top and bottom sheet about half-way through.

Tips and Tricks:

Be creative! You can use variations of this recipe to make lots of different kinds of cookies. I have substituted some flour for oatmeal and added raisins and nuts as the filler, used white chocoloate chips and macadamia nuts (a crowd favorite), made plain ol' chocolate chip cookies, used peanut butter chips and peanuts, mixed chocolate and peanut butter chips, etc. I've even made M&M or Reese's Pieces cookies.
One of the most important things to getting these cookies right is making sure you underbake them a bit. When they come out of the oven, they should be too soft to lift off with a spatula. When they cool, they will harden, but still remain soft and taste fresher longer.
Add as many chips/nuts as the dough can hold. Two 11.5 oz. bags of chocolate chips and a cup of nuts is a whole lot of filling. And it's delicious. Reducing the amount changes the taste dramatically and simply isn't as good.

Makes 2-3 dozen large cookies, depending on how big you make 'em.

This recipe is similar to the one on the back of the Nestle package and very much like the recipe given to my mom at a church potluck many years ago. However, over time, it has morphed into an Angela original, and between my mom and I, we take full credit for how delicious these cookies are.

Chocolate Stuff

2011-09-06T15:09:00.000-05:00

- 2 eggs
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 stick real butter (salted)
- 2 heaping TBS Hershey's cocoa (brown box)
- 1 running over tsp. vanilla
- 1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300.

In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and flour. Add salt. In a second bowl, melt together butter and cocoa. Dump this mixture in with the egg/sugar/flour mixture and stir it well. Add vanilla and stir. If you want nuts, stir them in.

Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and set the loaf pan in a pan of water. Put the pan-inside-the-pan in the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes. It will be done when the top is crunchy. The bottom should be gooey, so don't overbake it.

Good warm or cooled. I like to add powdered sugar on top.

Recipe taken from Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook by Jill Conner Browne.

Mama's Brownies

2011-08-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

- 3/4 c. flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/3 c. shortening
- 5 TBS cocoa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (unbeaten)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Put everything except nuts in a bowl. Beat with mixer for 3 minutes. Add nuts and stir. Bake for 25-30 minutes. For moister brownies add an extra egg and some pudding.

You can never have enough brownie recipes! And this one is great... especially with the extra egg and pudding. What can I say? Mama knows how to bake.

Tomato-Basil Squares

2011-08-22T09:08:00.002-05:00

- 1 package (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
- 2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 oz. (1/4 c.) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (I buy it pre-grated!)
- 2 TBS fresh basil leaves or 2 tsp dried basil leaves
- 2/3 c. mayonnaise (I use light!)
- 1 garlic clove, pressed (I buy it minced!)
- 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375.

Using lightly floured dough and pizza roller, roll out pizza crust on 12x15-inch rectangle baking pan or stone (to within 1 inch of the edge). Sprinkle crust with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese; set aside.

Grate parmesan cheese (I buy it pre-grated!). Combine remaining 1 c. of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and mayonnaise; mix well. Press garlic (I buy minced!) over cheese mixture; mix well. Spread mixture over crust. Thinly slice tomatoes; spread to cover evenly.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm. Yields ~20 squares.

This is a The Pampered Chef recipe I ate at a party in Colorado. It is absolutely delicious and will impress anyone you serve it to!

Onion Meat Loaf

2011-08-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 1/2 c. chopped onions
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned (or 2 slices bread, shredded)
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- 1 1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 TBS milk
- 3 TBS A1 Steak Sauce
- 2 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring until tender (about 7 to 9 minutes).

In a bowl, mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, and A1 Steak sauce. Set half of this mixture away for topping.

In a bread pan, shape meat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, dump remaining sauce mixture over the top of the loaf and return, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, slice, and serve.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Minky's Brownies

2011-08-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

Brownies
- 1 c. flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 can Hershey syrup (16 oz.)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Frost while still warm.

Frosting
- 1 1/3 c. sugar
- 6 TBS butter
- 6 TBS milk
- 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Add the sugar, butter, and milk to a medium pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, and stir while boiling for about 4 minutes. Turn stove off, and add chocolate chips to the mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour immediately over warm brownies.

This recipe posted as a welcome to my newest blog subscriber... whose mother is an awesome cook, an even better hostess, and the source of some of the best recipes on earth!

Scott's Hodgepodge Chili

2011-08-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can Campbell's minestrone soup
- 1 can Ranch Style beans
- 1 lb ground beef (I use lean)

Combine tomatoes, soup, and beans in large pot. Cover and turn on medium-low heat. Brown and drain ground beef. Add meat to pot with other ingredients. Stir. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes (or until warm enough to serve). Serve with Fritos, shredded cheese (I use 2%), and sour cream (I use light).

Actually tastes better the second or third day, so I usually double or triple the batch!

Easy Taco Soup

2011-08-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

- 1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (I use lean)
- 1 can black beans, undrained
- 1 can kernel corn, undrained
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 small, diced onion
- 1 envelope Taco Seasoning
- 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook 4-6 hours. Garnish with sour cream (I use light), shredded cheese (I use 2%), and chips (I like fritos or baked Tostitos).

Pancakes Supreme

2011-08-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

- 2 c. Bisquick mix

- 1 c. milk

- 2 eggs

- 2 TBS sugar

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp vanilla

Stir ingredients until blended. Pour slightly less than 1/4 cupsfuls onto hot greased griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Flip. Cook until golden.

I've tried making this recipe healthier. Skim milk doesn't seem to hurt the pancakes, but egg whites seem to make the batter a little too runny.

Recipe can also be found on the back of the Bisquick box.

Angel Food Cake

2011-08-15T16:43:00.001-05:00

- 1.5 c. egg whites, room temp. (about 13 egg whites)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar (find it in the spice section!)
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 c. sifted cake flour
- 1 c. powdered sugar

Separate eggs about 2 hours before baking. Whites must be at room temperature! And make sure egg whites aren't scant. You really need about 1.5 cups.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Add salt & cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with mixer until it holds a peak (but isn't too dry).

Gradually beat in granulated sugar and vanilla.

Sift, sifted cake flour and powdered sugar together several times. Then, gradually fold the in well.

Put mixture in ungreased angelfood cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and hang upside down on a bottle until cool. Then, remove from pan.

Great served with fresh strawberries, sugared strawberries, and/or cool whip topping.

When I was in college, for some reason, I decided to make an angel food cake. I called my mama to get a recipe, and this is the one she gave me. She's one of those waste-not-want-not women, so she always makes pound cake out of the egg yolks. Two cake varieties = heck yeah! However, now that I'm a *little* older, I can't keep the pounds off like I used to, and I tend to just dump the yolks or buy liquid egg yolks to avoid the whole egg separation process altogether.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2011-08-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

- 2 c. plain flour
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 1 c. vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients well. Beat for 2 minutes. Grease tube or bundt pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool completely in pan. Place on pretty cake plate & frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Hint: Place a glass measuring cup filled with 3/4 c. water in the oven beside the cake. The water will steam the cake and make it extra moist!

Daddy's Perked-Up Picante

2011-08-15T16:25:00.001-05:00

- 12 oz. Pace Medium Picante sauce
- 1 c. picked cilantro
- 1 tsp. garlic pepper
- 1 TBS Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce

Put all ingredients in blender and grind til well combined.

Best Banana Pudding

2011-08-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

- vanilla wafers
- 4 to 6 bananas (2-3 for a small pan)
- large pack of vanilla pudding mix (small pack for small pan)
- 3 c. milk (less milk for small pan)
- whipped cream

Layer wafers on bottom of dish. Cut up bananas and layer on top of wafers. Mix pudding with milk, according to package directions, and layer on top of bananas. Add cool whip on top. Sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers.

I had this at a company potluck and loved it. Come to find out, the guy's wife made the whole thing with sugar-free vanilla pudding, skim milk, and light cool whip. It was absolutely delicious, so there's no reason to add extra fat and calories by using full-flavor ingredients! Yeah, and Yum!

Simple Red Velvet Cake

2011-08-15T11:17:00.001-05:00

This was my first attempt at a red velvet cake, and it was such a hit at the party that people were literally fighting over who got to take home how much! Yes, it's THAT good!

- Shortening, for greasing pan (I used Brummel & Brown)
- Flour, for dusting the baking pans
- 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring (yep, a WHOLE bottle)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used Mexico vanilla)

Move oven rack to center of oven, and preheat to 350. Grease two 9-in. round cake pans. Sprinkle cake pans with flour, then remove excess flour. Set pans aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer on low for 1-2 minutes. Stop. Scrape sides of bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 additional minutes.

Divide batter among prepared cake pans, and place them in the oven. Bake about 25-30 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost, with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter or cake pan. Spread top with frosting. Put second layer on top of first layer and frost top and sides.

Next time I'm considering making this triple layer (instead of just double). And maybe I will add some pecans to the exterior frosting. Also, as a side note, 1/16 of this cake (frosted) is 11 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

This recipe taken from Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Bryn.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-08-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 TBS butter, at room temperature
- 3 3/4 c. confectioners' suger, well sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used Mexico Vanilla--it makes a difference!)

Place cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on low about 30-45 seconds. Stop mixer. Add confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time, mixing on low speed until the sugar is well mixed (1-2 minutes). Mix on medium speed until fluffy (about 1-2 more minutes). Frost!

May be the best frosting I ever ate. Husband agreed! It's very creamy and absolutely delicious. I used it for simple frosting of a cake (not real decorating). I'm not sure it is stiff enough to hold a real shape. If I ever try it, I will update you.

Recipe similar to Simple Red Velvet Cake frosting recipe from the "Cake Mix Doctor" book. I added vanilla at a different time and used Mexico Vanilla instead of regular vanilla extract.

Chicken Cheese Dip/Ball

2011-08-10T09:33:00.002-05:00

- 1 block of Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (use generic at your own risk)
- 1/2 c. Light Sour Cream (Breakstone or Daisy; light generic brands seem runny)
- 1 tsp California Style Garlic Salt
- 1 small can chicken breast, drained
- 1 small packet of sliced almonds

Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic salt until completely mixed.

Option 1 (easier): Add chicken and almonds at the same time, then stir until the dip looks uniform in texture. Refrigerate dip until ready to serve. Serve as Chicken Cheese Dip.

Option 2 (fancier): Add chicken and stir until evenly distributed in mixture. Form mixture into a rounded ball and refrigerate several hours. Roll ball in almonds until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as Chicken Cheese Ball.

Serve with crackers. I like TownHouse butter crackers best, but Ritz work just fine, and you could serve with veggies to keep it a bit lighter/healthier.

Garlic Meatloaf

2011-08-10T09:21:00.001-05:00

Sending lots of love to e-mealz for this one, but I modified it enough (a whole lot, really), so I claim it as my own! My husband's favorite!

- 1 egg
- 1/4 c. ketchup mixed
- 1/4 c. A-1 Steak Sauce
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 c. quick cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix ketchup with A-1 until you can't tell they were ever two different sauces. Mix together half of the ketchup/A-1 mixture and the rest of the ingredients. When the mixture looks the same throughout, put it in a sprayed loaf pan, spreading it and flattening it out to fill the pan. Top with other half of ketchup/A-1 mixture. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes at 350.

Makes 4 servings. 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving.

I usually serve 1/4 of the loaf with a point-free veggie (like broccoli) and corn on the cob (at only 2 points per ear) or a baked potato. The left-over meatloaf is actually better than the first night, so it's a double treat!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

2011-08-09T14:56:00.002-05:00

This was FANTASTIC banana bread. It's not the most diet-friendly item in the world, but it could certainly be worse! And with whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar, at least I feel like I'm eating healthier... even if it's not technically low-fat or low-cal.

Gotta give credit where credit is due, so instead of pretending this is my recipe, here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/whole-wheat-banana-nut-bread/detail.aspx

I'm following Weight Watchers, and 1/12 of the loaf is 5 points. I liked it with Brummel & Brown Butter, which is ZERO points as long as you don't glob it on (1 pointplus for 1 TBS).

Apple Crisp

2011-08-09T14:42:00.002-05:00

- 2 cans apple pie filling (you may substitute any fruit, light filling works just fine)
- 1 box yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Hines' Moist Deluxe Butter Golden)
- 1 stick butter, softened (you can use light butter, margerine, or a butter substitute)
- chopped pecans

Cut in butter to cake mix until well mixed and moist. Spread over pie filling in a 9x13 pan. Top with chopped pecans. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Great with icecream!

My fabulous hostess friend and fellow foodie made this for us at college girls weekend. I am telling you... it is amazing. You will be loved by anyone you serve this to!

Healthier Tips & Tricks: When I made this, I used light apple pie filling and brummel and brown butter (made with yogurt) to reduce the pointsplus to 7 per serving (1/12 of the 9x13 dish). I served it with 1 scoop of Light Blue Bell vanilla icecream for an additional 2 pointsplus. It was JUST as delicious as if I'd made it with full-fat and full-sugar ingredients.

Bekah's Black Bean Salsa

2011-08-09T13:56:00.003-05:00

- 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 can shoepeg corn
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 purple onion, chopped
- 3 T chopped cilantro
- 1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1/2 c. canola oil (Bekah cut the oil to 1/4 c., and it was delicious!)
- lime juice & chopped garlic to tast (optional)
Mix all ingredients; best if refrigerated over night. Serve with your favorite chips or crackers.

I ate this on Baked Tostitos, and it was perfect! Again, this is a fabulous Bekah recipe, and I am so grateful she shared it with me. I can't wait to make this for my next get-together!