STUFFED POTATOES WHICH BECOME POTATO CHOWDER TO FOLLOW

I cruise food blogs to the point that if I were getting paid for it I would be rich. It's an incurable addiction for me. This recipe comes from a very funny lady and I always enjoy reading her posts. You can check her out at www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com  I modified it only a very little.

You start out making the STUFFED POTATOES.....
2 large baking potatoes, baked until done
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped fine
1 cup carrots, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling
 In a medium skillet, heat oil. Saute onion about 5 minutes. Add broccoli, carrot and garlic, stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and cook 4 minutes longer. Halve potatoes and scoop out pulp. In a large bowl combine potato pulp, sauteed veggies, sour cream, parsley, parm cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mash everything with a potato masher. Spoon mixture into potato skins, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little more Parm cheese and baked until through, around 15 minutes.
One potato half = 3 WW Points

POTATO CHOWDER
Chop up leftover stuffed potatoes. (I just had one half for dinner last night so that left me with 3 for chopping-if you're sharing ;>) say for instance with your mate then you can just chop the two remaining, but I think you need at least two).
1/4 cup of an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced ( I use bottled)
32 oz. low sodium low fat chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 cup fat-free skim milk
2 handfuls of baby spinach (no chopping necessary)
 In a Dutch oven over medium heat combine chopped potatoes through spinach.. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
1 1/2 cups has only 4 WW points
*Cheesy-It's Provolone flavored crackers make a nice accompaniment...just be sure to calculate the points for them.

"Imagine, if you can, what the rest of the evening was like. How they crouched by the fire which blazed and leaped and made much of itself in the little grate. How they removed the covers of the dishes, and found rich, hot savory soup, which was a meal in itself, and sandwiches and toast and muffins enough for both of them."~Frances Hodgson Burnett

BROCCOLI & CHEESE SOUP~4 WW Points+

I have lost 4 lbs. in 6 days following Weight Watchers Points + system. I am faithfully keeping a journal, logging in every morsel of food that has entered my mouth. It is working. I am also lifting weights, doing set-ups and push-ups, leg lifts and walking the dogs each day. It is a journey that I do not intend to fail at. By the time that I get back to work this Spring, I will be well on my way to a new me. A stronger more confident me.

1 (24 oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli with 3 cheese sauce
3/4 cup low-fat chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1  (12 oz.) can evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine broccoli, broth, pepper and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender and cheese is melted. Place half of the mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, place lid on blender. Place a towel over opening in blender lid, blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining mixture. Ladle into bowls, top with cheese.

5 servings-1 cup soup-1 Tbsp. cheese-4 Points +

"Everyone's just laughing at me. I hate it. Big breasts, big ass, big deal, Can't I be anything else ? Gee, how long can you be sexy?"~Marilyn Monroe

THAI TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS with DIPPING SAUCE

Thai food flips my trigger! The tastes, the smells, the visual aspects.....all of these rolled into one makes me a very happy camper. One of my best friends has a new girlfriend and she is part American, part Thai. When he told me this and that she cooked the best spring rolls like EVER, I was down on my knees begging him to sign me up for that class. No other food does this for me the way that Thai food does. I can simply just see a picture of it and my taste buds immediately awaken.

1 lb. ground turkey
1 lg green onion or 3 small green onions, chopped
1 apple, chopped-I used a Golden Delicious simply because that was what I had-use what you like
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I love this stuff)
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger-I buy this in the jars already ground in the grocery store
1 to 2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil ( I simply adore this oil)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 hydroponic head of leafy butter lettuce, washed and individual leaves dried

In large nonstick saute pan, brown the meat over medium heat, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon as you go. When it is browned and in small crumbles pour it into a colander and drain all of the fat off. Return to the pan and add onions, apple, red bell pepper, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, water, sesame oil and garlic. Cook until the onions and red pepper softens. Set aside and keep warm. (I just sat it on the back of the stove and covered it with a lid.)

DIPPING SAUCE:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup or sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
Combine all the sauce ingredients, stirring with a spoon.

Assembly: Spoon 1/4 cup of the filling onto each lettuce leaf. Use a small kitchen spoon to dip the sauce over the filling. Enjoy.

From a Weight Watchers standpoint, 16 servings = 2 point + each

"NASA asked me to create meals for the space shuttle. Thai chicken was the favorite. I flew in a fake space shuttle, but I have no desire to go into space after seeing the toilet."~Rachael Ray 

HE MAN MEATLOAF MAKES MEN GO CRAZY

This wonderful recipe comes from one of my all time favorite food blogs, twirlandtaste.com ! Every single food item in this blog sets my mouth to watering and my taste buds to tingling.

It is for certain not your everyday ordinary meatloaf as it contains a total of 13 ingredients including BACON. Now we all know that everything goes better with Bacon.

2 lb. ground round
1 lb. ground pork
18 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 bell pepper, diced (I used orange and yellow ones because that's what I had)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 onion, diced
2 big eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 slices partially cooked bacon, cut in half

Combine beef through brown sugar with your hands just until combined. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes, then form into a 10X5 loaf. Top with the halved bacon slices. Place meatloaf on a rack lined with foil. Punch holes in foil to allow drippings. Place rack on baking sheet, bake 1 hour. Turn the broiler on for just a few minutes so bacon will crisp. Watch it closely so the bacon does not burn.

Now whisk together 1/2 cup brown sugar with 3/4 cup of ketchup and 1 tablespoon vinegar, pour over the top and allow it to drip over the sides of the meatloaf. Bake 15 more minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.

http://www.twirlandtaste.com/2013/01/he-man-meatloaf-makes-men-go-crazy.html

"I never met a meatloaf that I did not love, but this one holds a very special place in my heart of meatloaf's."~Adele Forbes

THE BEST COWBOY CANDY TACO SOUP ON THE PLANET

Kudo's to my gal pal Bev Staring for sharing a jar of her Cowboy Candy (sweet pickled jalapeno pepper slices) with me yesterday. I had previously made a pot of my taco soup the day before and garnished my bowl full with a simple dollop of sour cream and grated sharp cheddar. It was totally delicious on its own but when I added the Cowboy Candy to it for my lunch today, just let me say that my head is in a sweat and my taste buds are doing flip flops all across my tongue. Literally!

1 lb. ground round
1 packet taco seasoning
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 each of a red and yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn kernels, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup salsa (I used my homemade)
8 oz. tomato sauce

Brown the ground round, add onions and cook, stirring, until onions become translucent. Add all remaining ingredients and then let it simmer for 30 minutes, being sure to stir occasionally. If it's to thick add some water, but you don't want it to soupy. 

To Serve: Ladle into a pretty bowl and slap a dollop of sour cream in the middle and top with the Cowboy Candy and shredded sharp cheddar. 

Here is a link to the COWBOY CANDY: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/canning/candied-jalapenos-cowboy-candy/

"When they lay me down to rest put my spurs and rope upon my chest get my friends to carry me and then go turn my horses free."~Epitaph for a Cowboy

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Sometimes I just cannot stop myself, Lord I wish I could because when I get in the notion to make something sweet and delicious the idea nags at me like a toothache until I give in to the little red devil who is sitting on my shoulder with his fire poker in his hand. 

So I just go on and dive in to the sweet temptation of rich fudgey  (well the little devil is trying to explain to me that 'fudgey' is not a word.) Do I look like I care? I know what fudgey is. 

Fudgey is:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and salt
1 stick of real butter (get off of my shoulder devil!)
3/4 cup cocoa powder (the best you can afford to buy)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (that there devil done went and set that bottle of vanilla on his shoulder)
2/3 cup full fat buttermilk 
2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate All Natural Premium Baking Chips (even that devil is smiling now)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line about 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. This step means NO CLEAN UP. Whisk together the all-purpose flour with the baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in the microwave or on top of the stove. (You would use a pot for that you old devil.) Immediately mix in the cocoa powder until completely and utterly smooth. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla and that good ol' buttermilk. Slowly stir in the flour mixture until just nicely combined. Add those luscious chocolate chips. Place 1-inch balls of dough 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for no more than 11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for only a few minutes then remove to a kitchen towel to cool. (But that ol' devil is going to try and tempt you into eating them while they are still nice and warm and gooey).

"In the cookies of life, sister's are the chocolate chips."~Anon

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE SQUARES~LOW CARB

Strawberries are a girls best friend. 9 out of 10 times I will go for the strawberries over any other fruit. God could have built a better berry but alas he did not...not in my eyes anyway. They are low calorie, low-carb, and absolutely brimming with vitamins and minerals. What's not to love about a succulent strawberry....that's not a question!

I follow a low-carb lifestyle diet, or try to anyway. This recipe just happens to be one of my very favorite desserts. It's ultra creamy and bejeweled with ruby red strawberries. Makes my mouth water just typing this.

2 teaspoons sugar-free strawberry Jell-O
1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
8 oz. softened cream cheese
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Splenda 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spray an 8X11-inch dish with cooking spray, set aside. In small bowl dissolve Jell-O in boiling water until dissolved. Stir in cold water, refrigerate until syrupy. (This takes about 12 minutes or so.) Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add cream, sweeteners and extract and beat until thick and smooth. Spread evenly into prepared pan, refrigerate until Jell-O is ready. When ready, place sliced strawberries over cream cheese layer in a pretty fashion. Carefully pour Jell-O over berries. Chill until set. Cut into 8 equal squares. Serves 8 with only 3 grams carbs per serving!

On the subject of strawberries: "Upon the nipples of Julia's breast, have ye beheld (with much delight) a red rose peeping through a white? Or else a cherry (double graced) within a lily?  Center placed? Or ever marked the pretty beam a strawberry shows half drowned in cream."~Robert Herrick