Cheese and Chive Bread(breamaker)

7 oz warm water
2 1/2 Tbsp butter(softened)
3 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese(sharper the better)
2 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh chives OR green onion OR onion
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in breadmaker according to the manufacturer. Choose white bread setting for 1 lb loaf.

Chocolate Peanut butter cookie pie

1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2-4 squares semi-sweet chocolate ( chocolate chips)

• Mix egg, PB and sugar until smooth.
• Spread mixture evenly into a pie plate.
• Bake at 325 for about 15-20 minutes.
• Melt chocolate and drizzle over the "pie"
• Let it cool completely until cutting it into slices.

Note: I added chopped peanuts to the mixture the last time I made this and it was really good.

Rice and lentil salad

2-3 cups of brown rice, cooked and cooled
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped finely
3-4 celery sticks, diced
1/2 cucumber peeled and diced

Dressing #1:
1/4 cup kraft balsamic vinagrette (or similar dressing)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup bbq sauce
italian seasoning

Curried Couscous

5 cups cooked couscous, cooled
1 can Chick peas rinsed and drained
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped green onion
3-4 celery sticks chopped
1 cup chopped red pepper
juice from 1 orange
juice from 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp brown sugar (more makes it sweeter)
1-2 Tbsp curry powder (depending on taste)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Hummus

1 can chick peas drained
2 tbsp tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice ( give or take...depends on your taste preference)
2 tbsp fresh crushed garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
water ( add according to how thick you want your hummus)

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. I often need more lemon juice or water to make it smooth. Every tiem I make it it turns out different.
Variations:
1. Curry hummus...add 1 tbsp curry
2. add sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers to taste
3. Olive hummus...add 1/4 cup black olives

Serve with baked pitas

Baked pita chips

6 whole wheat pita pockets, cut into 8ths
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp sundried tomtato and oregano dressing, greek dressing or other similar dressing
2 tsp greek spices
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed garlic

Place all ingredients into a ziploc bag and shake until the pitas are covered evenly
Bake at 350 F for about 8 minutes or until crisp and brown
Serve with hummus

NOTE: Watch these closely or they can burn very quickly

Oatmeal Cookies

OATMEAL COOKIES
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins or 1 cup white or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips.
For large cookies, use 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and space the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheet. Then wet your hand and flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers or a spoon so they are about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Bake the cookies for about 12 - 14 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft in the centers. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 20 - 24 large cookies

I used walnuts chopped and chocolate chips and they turned out awesome!!!

Maple Oatmeal muffins

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup maple flavoured syrup
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or almonds)

Heat oven to 400F. Line muffin tins with paper cups. In large bowl mix oats and milk, let stand for 5 minutes. Add syrup, margarine and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking pwder, cinnamon and nuts; stir until moistened(DO NOT OVER STIR) Fill muffin cups to 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

These are best if served warm and fresh out of the oven.

Miranda's porkchops

Ingredients
- 1 small bottle of Kraft (or other small bottle) salad dressing
I used Sundried tomtato and oregano but many of the vinagrettes would be good
-8-10 thinly sliced pork chops
-half a bag of any frozen mixed vegetables

Directions:
1. Place pork chops in casserole dish or pan
2. Pour veggies(frozen) on top
3. Top with bottle of dressing and bake at 350 F until the pork chops are done. I baked mine 40 minutes but the pork chops were very thin. Thicker ones would need more time.

Serve with rice

Sauce variation:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp soya sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp ground or fresh grated ginger

Honey sundried tomato sole

Ingredients:
1 cup Kraft Sundried Tomato and oregano salad dressing
2 tbsp French's honey mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
greek spices
4 cups whole wheat spaghettini cooked(or other pasta)
steamed or stir fried vegetables( Iused Arctic gardens Thai veggies)
4-6 sole fillets

1. Bake sole fillets in mixture of 1/2 cup salad dressing, honey mustard and lemon juice
2. cook pasta and stir fry or steam veggies
3. Pour remaining salad dressing over hot pasta and toss
4. Layer with pasta on the bottom, then veggies and sole

Makes 4 servings
SUBSTITUTIONS: Can substitute salmon fillets or chicken breasts and this will work just as well.

Banana dippers

Peeled banana, cut in half
yogurt
popsicle sticks
sprinkles

Poke half bananas onto the popsicle sticks lengthwise.
Dip in yogurt and then add sprinkles.
Put in the freezer for 50-60 minutes.
Then EAT!!!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients:


3/4 cup pumpkin purée

1 egg

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

2 cups old-fashion rolled oats

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts, toasted almonds or hazelnuts

1/4 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit, such as pears, apricots, or apples

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Zest of 1 orange


Directions:

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, butter, and honey.
Step 4
Add the oats, nuts, dried fruit, wheat germ, cinnamon, and orange zest.
Step 5
Scrape the batter into the baking pan, and bake for 40 minutes.
Step 6
Cool completely before cutting into 1- by 2-inch sticks. These bars firm up as they cool, so wrap them individually and freeze.

Recipe by Rena Coyle, author of My First Cookbook

Au Gratin Potatoes

Weight Watchers

1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion chopped or thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk OR 1 cup milk and 1 cup fat free sour cream
2 lbs potatoes thinly sliced
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese grated
1 tsp salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 374°F. Coat a2 quart baking dish with cooking spray
2. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until browns, 5 minutes
3. Stir in flour. Add milk slowly. Add Potatoes and mix.
4. Bring to a boil. Add cheese, salt and pepper
5. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake for one hour, uncovered. Then bake covered for 2 more minutes or til potatoes are tender.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or til cheese melts.

Makes 8 servings
3 WW points per serving

Miranda’s famous roll ups

12 large tortillas
3 blocks (pkgs.) cream cheese softened
3 cups grated sharp cheddar
3 tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapenos
1 large red pepper diced
½ cup real bacon bits
¼ cup chopped green onions (optional)


1. Cut tortillas edges so they are square
2. Mix all other ingredients together in large bowl.
3. Spread ¼ inch layer of mixture onto tortilla and roll. Then slice into ¾ inch circles
4. Place onto cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 10-12 minutes or until each brown and cheese starts to melt.

Cinnamon pull-apart bread

I think I got this from Kraft but I can't remember

3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 cans Pillsbury country biscuits
½ cup melted butter or margarine

Glaze:
½ pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
½ cup icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut biscuit dough into quarters with scissors
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Roll dough quarters in cinnamon sugar.
3. Place half of biscuits into greased 12 cup fluted tube pan (bunt pan). Drizzle with1/4 cup of the melted butter. Top with remaining biscuit quarters and melted butter
4. Top unbaked loaf with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool for 5 minutes inverted.
5. Meanwhile prepare glaze. Beat half pkg. of cream cheese softened, and ½ cup icing sugar in bowl with electric mixer until blended
6. Add 1-2 tbsp of milk, beating until desired consistently is reached.
7. Spoon over the warm loaf and enjoy!

Curry Chicken Penne

3-4 cups uncooked whole wheat Penne pasta
1 can pineapple tidbits
2 chicken breasts cooked, cubed
1 red pepper diced or thinly sliced
½ jar alfredo sauce
½ cup fat free miracle whip
½ cup fat free sour cream
1 tbsp brown sugar
2-4 Tbsp curry powder (depends how much you like curry)
Crushed garlic

1. Cook cubed chicken breasts in skillet or baked in the oven. OR grill the chicken breasts and then cube them.
2. Cook about 3 cups of Penne pasta according to package directions
3. Mix in large saucepan, alfredo sauce, sour cream, miracle whip, brown sugar and garlic. Heat until hot but do not boil
4. add pineapple, red pepper, and chicken
5. Stir in Pasta OR pour sauce over hot pasta and serve

Marinated salad

Any amount of the following:

Broccoli florets
Cauliflower florets
Sliced carrots
Sliced celery
Sliced onion
Sliced red pepper
Sliced green pepper
Canned whole or sliced mushrooms
Chick peas

Pour Kraft Caesar Vinaigrette dressing (or Italian dressing of your choice) over vegetables until they are “saucy.” Leave refrigerated for 3 hours or evernight.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

6 cups mixed greens or romaine lettuce
2 chicken breasts grilled with light BBQ sauce, sliced or diced
1 Diced red pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn
3 roma tomatoes diced
½ cup matchstick carrots
¼ red onion sliced thinly
1 small can sliced black olives
½ cup crushed tortilla chips
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup bacon bits (optional)
Chopped pickled jalepeno peppers to taste (optional)

Dressing:
Mix one part low fat ranch dressing with 1 part BBQ sauce

Layer all ingredients over mixed greens and top with dressing. I prefer to let each person make their own salad with the available toppings.

Curried Chicken and Rice

This is a super fast recipe. :)

¾ lb chicken breast cubed
11/3 cups water
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup raisins
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1- 2tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger
1 cup Uncle Ben’s long grain rice

1. cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink
2. add ALL ingredients to a medium saucepan
3. simmer for about 2-5 minutes or until rice is done

Sweet & Sour Pork

cubed pork (however much you need - I usually do two chops)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce

Mix brown sugar, water, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl. Put pork and brown sugar mixture into crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours. Use 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to thicken if needed and cook for 15 minutes longer.

Alternative: add in 2 cups of water, a scoop of brown rice, and a scoop of barley