Will They Eat It?
Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares
Courtesy of Moody Mom.
I would tell you where I got this recipe from but I can’t remember. I have it written down in one of my recipes books. I don’t recall ever trying it out, but Hubby made this quick and easy breakfast dish to take to our Sunday school class last week.
In all its cheesy goodness ...
Ingredients:
2 cans of crescent rolls
1 lb. sausage
2 cups of shredded cheese
Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of 13×9 baking dish. Place 1 can of crescent rolls in bottom of baking dish. Brown sausage. Layer sausage
on top of crescent rolls, add the cheese and top with second can of crescent rolls. Hubby loves cheese so he added a little bit of cheese on top. Bake
21 to 26 minutes.
Did they eat it?
One word – YUMMY! I think we should have made two batches. It was gone in no time.
Mini Soft Pretzels & Dip
Moody Mom here.
I recently hosted a baby shower for my friend, Klansee. I found this recipe on Pillsbury’s website and decided to try it. The outcome? DELICIOUS!
Ingredients:
1 can of Pilsbury refrigerated breadsticks
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt
1 jar process cheese spread with bacon (I just used regular cheese spread)
2 tablespoons of milk
Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Unroll dough, separate into 12 breadsticks. Cut each in half lengthwise. Roll each breadstick lightly to form 10-inch rope. To shape pretzel, shape rope into circle, overlapping dough about 2 inches from each end, leaving ends free. Take 1 end in each hand; twist once at point where dough overlaps. Lift ends over opposite side of circle. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush each with beaten egg, sprinkle with kosher salt.
Sprinkle.
Ready for baking.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile in small microwave bowl, mix cheese spread and milk. Microwave on high 1 minute, stirring once halfway through cooking, until melted and hot. Make 24 pretzels.
Remove pretzels from cookie sheet. Serve warm pretzels and warm cheese dip. I also served honey mustard for dipping.
Tasty!
Did they eat it?
I ate at least seven pretzels myself. I made two batches, a total of 48 pretzels. There were not any left. YUMMY!
Hashbrown Casserole a crowd pleaser
Here’s another recipe that was an hit with adults and kids alike at my recent Virginia family reunion. If it’s possible, I think this was even better as leftovers, reheated.
HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
1 30-32 oz. bag of frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup (may use reduced fat)
1 pt. sour cream (may use low fat)
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ cup melted butter or margarine
Mix everything and spread in greased 9×13 pan.
Mix another ¼ cup melted butter with 21/2 cups crushed cornflakes and spread over top.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
(I forgot about the cornflake topping and skipped this step. It is good either way.)
submission by Cindy Murphy of Mom on a Wire
Summery, yummy cocktails, and most of these are low-cal!
These first few come to us from Hungry Girl.
I (Arkie Mama) am a huge fan of Hungry Girl and subscribe to her daily email tips! Any comments or suggestions within these recipes are from the Hungry Girl herself. Also, I love, love her many healthy recipes and swaps. And her cookbook.
Anyway —
Watermelon Frojito
PER SERVING (1 glass, entire recipe): 154 calories, <0.5g fat, 3mg sodium, 15.5g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 8g sugars, 1g protein — POINTS® value 3*
Yummy!
Mojito recipes usually call for a fancy bartending tool called a muddler. Don’t have one? Neither do we. Try using one of the beaters from an electric hand mixer. That’s what we did…
Ingredients:
3/4 cup watermelon chunks, seedless or seeds removed
1 shot (1.5 oz.) rum
1 lime, cut into wedges
3 – 4 mint leaves
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia)
1 cup crushed ice or 5 – 7 ice cubes
Directions:
Place the mint leaves, half the lime wedges, and the sweetener in a tall glass. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime wedges into the glass and discard those wedges. Crush and “muddle” the mixture until the juice has been released from the lime wedges, the mint leaves are thoroughly bruised, and the sweetener has dissolved. Set aside.
Place the watermelon, rum, and ice in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into the glass with the lime-mint mixture and stir well. Drink up and be refreshed!
MAKES 1 SERVING
Upside-Down Tequila Sunrise
PER SERVING (1 glass, entire recipe): 134 calories, 0g fat, 10mg sodium, 10g carbs, 0g fiber, 7.5g sugars, 0g protein — POINTS® value 3*
Too pretty to drink? Nah...
We do not recommend drinking this while upside down… or at sunrise, for that matter.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Trop50 orange juice beverage
1 shot (1.5 oz.) tequila
1 tsp. sugar-free calorie-free raspberry syrup (like the kind by Torani)
4 – 5 ice cubes
Directions:
Place ice cubes in a mid-sized glass, and pour Trop50 and tequila over the ice. Stir to mix. Add raspberry syrup to the top of the drink and gently swirl. Sip and smile (just not at the same time, or your drink will dribble down your chin)!
MAKES 1 SERVING
Party-in-a-Pitcher Sangria
PER SERVING (1 generous cup): 125 calories, 0g fat, 5mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 0.5g protein — POINTS® value 2*
Time to invite the guests!
This sangria is CHOCK-FULL of fruit and deliciousness. Just don’t underestimate the alcoholic intensity of fruit chunks that have been chilling in there for a while — they’re POTENT, people!
Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine
1 can Sprite Zero (or 1 1/2 cups of any diet lemon-lime soda)
1 cup Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate (or another flavor of Diet Ocean Spray)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
Half a Fuji apple, chopped
Half a slightly under-ripe banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (if canned, packed in juice)
Directions:
Place fruit in a large container that will not stain easily (like a glass pitcher or a high-quality plastic one). Cover fruit with wine and cranberry drink, and give mixture a good stir.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours. (It’s TOTALLY worth it. Quit whining.)
Once ready to serve, add soda and give it a good stir. Pour and be sure to get a nice amount of fruit in each glass. Enjoy!
P.S. If you like your sangria with less alcohol per glass, add more of the cranberry drink until it tastes juuuuuust right.
MAKES 7 SERVINGS
**************************
This next cocktail comes to us from Moody Mom’s friend Susan Janski. If you remember, we enjoyed a few drinks while attending a bra party. Go here and here for details.
This concoction isn’t low-cal, but we can attest the the yumminess.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice.
1 cup raspberry vodka
Directions:
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the water with the sugar, heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Add remaining 1 cup of water and 1 cup raspberry vodka and the lemon juice. Pour into a 9×13 glass baking dish and freeze till slushy, about 2 hrs. Using a fork scrape it all around and put back in freezer. Do this every 30 min., for a total of 4 times. Put in small glasses and eat it with a spoon.
Summer Cocktails — and most of these are low-cal!
These first few come to us from Hungry Girl.
I (Arkie Mama) am a huge fan of Hungry Girl and subscribe to her daily email tips! Any comments or suggestions within these recipes are from the Hungry Girl herself. Also, I love, love her many healthy recipes and swaps. And her cookbook.
Anyway —
Watermelon Frojito
PER SERVING (1 glass, entire recipe): 154 calories, <0.5g fat, 3mg sodium, 15.5g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 8g sugars, 1g protein — POINTS® value 3*
Yummy!
Mojito recipes usually call for a fancy bartending tool called a muddler. Don’t have one? Neither do we. Try using one of the beaters from an electric hand mixer. That’s what we did…
Ingredients:
3/4 cup watermelon chunks, seedless or seeds removed
1 shot (1.5 oz.) rum
1 lime, cut into wedges
3 – 4 mint leaves
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia)
1 cup crushed ice or 5 – 7 ice cubes
Directions:
Place the mint leaves, half the lime wedges, and the sweetener in a tall glass. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime wedges into the glass and discard those wedges. Crush and “muddle” the mixture until the juice has been released from the lime wedges, the mint leaves are thoroughly bruised, and the sweetener has dissolved. Set aside.
Place the watermelon, rum, and ice in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into the glass with the lime-mint mixture and stir well. Drink up and be refreshed!
MAKES 1 SERVING
Upside-Down Tequila Sunrise
PER SERVING (1 glass, entire recipe): 134 calories, 0g fat, 10mg sodium, 10g carbs, 0g fiber, 7.5g sugars, 0g protein — POINTS® value 3*
Too pretty to drink? Nah...
We do not recommend drinking this while upside down… or at sunrise, for that matter.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Trop50 orange juice beverage
1 shot (1.5 oz.) tequila
1 tsp. sugar-free calorie-free raspberry syrup (like the kind by Torani)
4 – 5 ice cubes
Directions:
Place ice cubes in a mid-sized glass, and pour Trop50 and tequila over the ice. Stir to mix. Add raspberry syrup to the top of the drink and gently swirl. Sip and smile (just not at the same time, or your drink will dribble down your chin)!
MAKES 1 SERVING
Party-in-a-Pitcher Sangria
PER SERVING (1 generous cup): 125 calories, 0g fat, 5mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 0.5g protein — POINTS® value 2*
Time to invite the guests!
This sangria is CHOCK-FULL of fruit and deliciousness. Just don’t underestimate the alcoholic intensity of fruit chunks that have been chilling in there for a while — they’re POTENT, people!
Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine
1 can Sprite Zero (or 1 1/2 cups of any diet lemon-lime soda)
1 cup Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate (or another flavor of Diet Ocean Spray)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
Half a Fuji apple, chopped
Half a slightly under-ripe banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (if canned, packed in juice)
Directions:
Place fruit in a large container that will not stain easily (like a glass pitcher or a high-quality plastic one). Cover fruit with wine and cranberry drink, and give mixture a good stir.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours. (It’s TOTALLY worth it. Quit whining.)
Once ready to serve, add soda and give it a good stir. Pour and be sure to get a nice amount of fruit in each glass. Enjoy!
P.S. If you like your sangria with less alcohol per glass, add more of the cranberry drink until it tastes juuuuuust right.
MAKES 7 SERVINGS
**************************
This next cocktail comes to us from Moody Mom’s friend Susan Janski. If you remember, we enjoyed a few drinks while attending a bra party. Go here and here for details.
This concoction isn’t low-cal, but we can attest the the yumminess.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice.
1 cup raspberry vodka
Directions:
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the water with the sugar, heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Add remaining 1 cup of water and 1 cup raspberry vodka and the lemon juice. Pour into a 9×13 glass baking dish and freeze till slushy, about 2 hrs. Using a fork scrape it all around and put back in freezer. Do this every 30 min., for a total of 4 times. Put in small glasses and eat it with a spoon.
Summer Garden Couscous Salad
Submitted by Mom on a Wire
I recently attended a family reunion in Virginia and my step-mother Jane made this delicious salad. Everyone there, including the children, raved about it. Full disclosure: I should tell you it doesn’t LOOK fantastic to
children. Adults at the gathering were drawn to it because of all the colorful veggies. But the kids were a little turned off until we nudged them a bit. Once they tasted it, though, they gobbled it down. It was so fresh and summery, I couldn’t wait to make it when I got home. So many people asked for the recipe, that Jane mailed it out to the lot of us.
Ingredients
3 medium ears of sweet corn, cooked, drained, and cut from ears
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 medium cucumber, halved and diced
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
½ cup feta cheese
¼ cup chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tsp. oregano
¾ Tsp. cumin
½ Tsp. salt and pepper
Prepare couscous according to package with chicken broth. In large bowl combine cucumber, tomato, cheese onion, and parsley. Add corn. Stir in couscous. In small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Pour over salad mixture, toss and refrigerate.
Spinach Dip (a lower-calorie version!)
Tasty!
That’s it, you’re done! Serve with your favorite crackers and you have one heck of a yummy dip.
Did they eat it?
1-1/2 starch plus 1 fat, without the added black olives and sliced mushrooms.
Cookies & Cream Freeze
I found this easy dessert recipe on kraftrecipes.com about a year ago. I just now got around to making it. Super fast and super easy. Great way to cool off on a hot summer day.
Voila!
Ingredients:
4 squares of Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
14 Oreo Cookies, divided
1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup of sugar
12 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8 oz) tub of cool whip
The cast.
Directions:
Melt chocolate as directed on package; set aside until ready to use. Line loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Arrange 8 of the cookies evenly on bottom of pan. Crumble remaining 6 cookies, set aside.
Crushing cookies!
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Stir in whipped topping. Remove about 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture, place in medium bowl. Stir in melted chocolate.
Can I lick the spoon?
Spread remaining cream cheese mixture over cookies in pan; sprinkle with crumbled cookies. Gently press cookies into cream cheese mixture with back of spoon; top with chocolate mixture. Cover. Freeze for three hours or until firm. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving; invert onto serving plate. Peel off foil.
Almost done ...
Ready for tasting!
Did they eat it?
Rebecca asked when she could have a piece every 30 minutes during the three-hour freeze time. When she finally got a piece, she requested it for her birthday. Hubby thought it was rich and delicious. I served this cake at a recent party, everyone thought it was YUMMY!
Fruit Cake: The perfect summer party recipe
I recently hosted a ladies-only birthday party in honor of my friend, Victoria.
All the girls were coming over for wine and snacks before heading over to the Rave to see Twilight Saga: Eclipse. My friends, Cathy and Char got my hooked on Twilight and I have been loving it ever since. I have seen Eclipse two times already. I LOVE EDWARD THE MOVIE!
Anyway, I was in search of some sort of fruit dish to serve at the party. I stumbled across this fun and very easy recipe on FamilyFun.com.
Our fruit cake
Ingredients:
Large seedless watermelon
Other fresh fruit such as melons, berries and sliced kiwi. (I decided on cantaloupe, blueberries and kiwi.)
Directions:
Start by slicing the watermelon into wedges and then arranging them in a stack of circles (rinds facing out) to create a cake shape.
Cutting the watermelon.
Decorate the cake with the other fruit.
Time for the fun part!
This project turned out to be a wonderful family affair: Hubby cut up the watermelon and helped Rebecca arrange them into a cake shape while I finished getting ready for the party.
I used the melon baller and scooped out some cantaloupe and watermelon and Rebecca arranged the fruit to make our very own fruit castle.
Scooping!
Yum!
Did they eat it?
Rebecca had a great time helping make the cake and sampling some of the fruit instead of putting it on the cake. She loved everything but the kiwi, she said it was too sour.
All my friends raved about the fruit cake and at the end of the night, only the bottom layer of watermelon was left.
Roasted (or grilled) Corn w/ Cilantro Lime Butter
I found this recipe on Food Networks’ website several months ago. Since then, we’ve used it a lot. We usually grill ours, but the roasted version is just as tasty!
photo from Food Network
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn, shucked
- Cilantro Lime Butter, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat each ear of corn in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro lime butter and wrap individually in foil. Roast until hot and steaming, about 25 minutes. Serve with extra butter on the side.
Cilantro Lime Butter:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Put the butter in a mixing bowl and, using a rubber spatula, mix in the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and cayenne. Use immediately or refrigerate.
