Hello Blog World!  It’s me, Jay ~ “The Husband” with my not so “secret” spaghetti sauce recipe for you.  I am pretty lucky guy in that Danica is a great cook and does 95% (actually 99.9%) of the cooking in our house.  This is one of the recipes that I like to surprise her with by making on occasion to give her a break from cooking. 

It’s not really a recipe because I usually just throw things together by emptying out the fridge in my sauce.  I really like chunky, chunky spaghetti sauce so I usually bulk it up with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and whatever else I can find.  My spaghetti sauce usually starts with a jar or a can of pasta sauce.

In this recipe I used Jennie-O Turkey Sausage (a la Biggest Loser) along with lean ground beef because it’s the only kind Danica buys lol. From there, just run through all the spices and add  dashes of whatever you think sounds good in pasta sauce.  The two “secret” ingredients that make this sauce taste homemade are adding the wine and the fire roasted tomatoes.

Get Ready For Spaghetti ~ Chunky Sausage & Tomato Pasta Sauce

(print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb 96% lean ground beef
• 3 Jennie-O Lean Hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms, siced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup good quality red wine (something you would drink)
• 25 oz Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
• 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (my wife snuck these in!)
• 2 tsp sugar
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 14.5 oz Barilla Angel Hair Pasta
• Fresh parmesan and parsley for topping, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground beef, turkey, onion, mushrooms, and garlic.  Cook until the meats are browned and cooked through.  Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.

2.  Add the Arrabiata Pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and sugar.  Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to medium low and allow to simmer.  Your sauce will thicken as it cooks.  Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper just before serving.

3.  As the sauce cooks, bring a large pot full of water with a splash of salt and olive oil to boil.  Add pasta and cook for 6 minutes.  Drain pasta and set aside

4.  To serve, add 1 cup of pasta then top with a heaping 1/2 cup “secret sauce”, a sprinkle of parmesan and parsley, if using.

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup pasta, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tsp parmesan, points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Danica is doing well in her recovery, but, I am pretty sure she will not be able to stay away from here for long.  She will be back tomorrow for our weekly menu and a new recipe or two!

It is super easy to make your own Pumpkin Butter.  If you are a fall fanatic like me, then, Pumpkin Butter, Cinnamon, and Spice are all things that show up in your house during this time of year.  I have put a new spin on the traditional pumpkin butter by replacing the white sugar with Organic Agave Nectar & a little pure maple syrup.  The agave makes it so rich, thick and creamy that no pectin is required at all.  I think you’ll find this version better than any jar you will ever open….The best part is your house will smell just like fall as you make this sweet treat.

HEALTHY PUMPKIN BUTTER (Click here to print this recipe!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey
• 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4  tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice*
• Pinch of salt

* You can make your own pumpkin pie type spice by combining 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.  You do not need to add cinnamon since it is already included above, however, if using this spice for another recipe, you would want to add 1 tsp ground cinnamon to the mix.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Combine the pumpkin, agave nectar, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, mixing until well combined.

2.  Stir constantly, cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the spices and salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

3.  Remove the pan from heat, and transfer your pumpkin butter to a small bowl or jar. Let cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

4.  Pumpkin butter will keep for about 2 weeks in a covered air tight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE:  Continuously stirring is really important in this recipe to keep your pumpkin butter from burning. If you have to walk away, add a few tablespoons of apple juice and turn down the stove heat to low, still continuing to stir as you can. (Add about 5-7 minutes additional cooking time if you do this.)

Makes about 2 cups ~ 32 Tablespoons, 1 points+ per 2 Tablespoons!

Nutritional information per 2 Tbsp serving:

STEP – BY – STEP

Here is everything you need to make your own pumpkin butter.  You should always use the best ingredients (organic pumpkin) when you can for optimal flavor.  Ok, well, the REAL pumpkin is just for decoration, but, you could get inventive and make your own from scratch pumpkin puree by following this Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter Recipe.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir continuously for 15 minutes ~ do not stop stirring or your pumpkin butter will burn.

Stirring….

Still stirring – it gets thicker and creamier as it cooks.

Add your spices and salt.

Tadah!  After 20 minutes of continuous stirring & chatting on the phone with The Husband, it’s all done!

Transfer to a glass bowl or jar to cool.

Super thick, creamy and pumpkin-Y!!!  This pumpkin butter is awesome straight off the spoon, on bread, pita chips with laughing cow cheese or in your favorite baked goods. Once you make your own, you’ll never want to go back to the jarred stuff Enjoy!

This year I am so anxious for fall weather and all that goes with this time of year. I am sharing one of my all time favorite fall recipes as part of the Recipe Lion Blog Hop and because I ate my chicken noodle soup twice today with fruit lol. Hopefully you enjoy this recipe from the archives.  I am looking forward to a new Weight Watchers Week tomorrow and getting back into the swing of things.

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  Who knew that so many of you would be interested in the new way I learned on how to “peel” an orange.  This method is PERFECT if you are anything like me and hate having your hands smell like oranges all day.  Thanks again to Becky for showing me this method ~ I LOVE it.

Rinse your orange off and place it on a plate or cutting board.

Slice off the top and the bottom.

Slice your orange in half.

Slice those halves into this pieces.

Fan your halves out on a plate because it makes it FEEL and LOOK like more and well, it makes it fun to eat.

I eat just the middle but The Husband eats the peel too.

I PROMISE I froze the rest of my Turkey Meatloaf Muffins so I can stop pretending they are sausages too

Did I mention I LOVE them?! (3 points+)

1 Slice of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread topped with ICBINB Olive Oil Spray (1 points+)

All served up with Coconut Coffee ~ an awesome 4 points+ start.

Lunch today involved a little Panda Express and a whole lot of fiber goodness (maybe a tad bit too much)!

Mixed Veggies instead of Chow Mein or Fried Rice.

Kung Pao Chicken because sometimes you just need a little spice.

Broccoli Beef!  I put my entire meal into their Build a Meal and it came up to 13 points+! AWESOME!! I think that’s A LOT of Chinese food for the points+ and I probably checked off my 5 a day Veggies LOL

As promised, I made my first attempt at making Mary’s Mini Pizza Meatball Sliders.  I’d venture to say they were downright fantastic, but, I’ll you all make them and be the judge.

There are 3 options to making Mini Saucy Meatball Sliders.

1.  Buy pre-made frozen meatballs, bottled pasta sauce, store bought buns, cheese and basil.

2.  Make these delicious homemade meatballs and use store bought for the sauce, buns, cheese and basil.

3. GO ALL OUT and impress everyone with your Saucy Balls ~ Making the sauce, meatballs, and buns from scratch served up with cheese and basil!

Tonight, I went ALL OUT with one shortcut (Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough ~ why make it when you can buy it delicious!)

MINI PIZZA MEATBALL SLIDERS

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb Lean Turkey Sausage
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• A few shakes of sea salt and black pepper

Marinara Sauce

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, chop tomatoes
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine, I used Merlot
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

2 packages Store Bought Pizza Dough

1/2 cup part skin mozzarella, shredded

1/4 cup fresh basil, minced for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray.  Finely chop your veggies by hand or using your food processor.  The veggies are similar for the meatballs and sauce so you can chop them all at one time.

2.  Combine ground beef through parmesan in a large mixing bowl.  Mix up meatball ingredients.  Add the Greek yogurt and continue mixing until well combined, yet not over-mixed.  

3.  Use a tablespoon to scoop out 1.5 inch round meatballs and space equally onto your prepared baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 15 minutes.

Optional: You can “fry” your meatballs in a large NONSTICK sauce pan with 1 Tbsp Olive Oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.

4.  Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add oil and onion, celery, garlic.  Cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes.

5.  Add meatballs and continue simmering for 15 minutes.  If using store bought pizza dough, divide into 30, 1.5 inch balls or rounds.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and parmesan.  Reduce oven heat to 400 and bake for 10 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

6.  Slice rolls in half, add 1 meatball, 1 Tbsp sauce, 1 tsp mozzarella and a sprinkle of basil leaves. Serve at once.

Makes 30 Mini Pizza Meatball Sliders! Each slider contains 1 Mini Pizza Dough Roll, 1 Meatball, 2 Tbsp Sauce, 1 tsp Mozzarella 3 points+ (calculated using caloriecount.com)

Nutritional information per meatball based on 30 meatballs, 1 points+ EACH!

Nutritional information for the marinara sauce, based on 20, 1/2 cup servings, 1 points+ each. 2 Tbsps = 0 points+

STEP-BY-STEP

My “secret” ingredient. 

I divided my bag into 15 servings to make my pizza dough buns, 2 points+ each.

After letting your dough “rise” for 20 minutes. roll it out on a floured surface until it’s 1/2 an inch thick.  I used my small circle cookie cutter to cut circles, then, brushed each with a little olive oil, sea salt and parmesan before baking at 400 for 10 minutes.

You could make them into balls too, but, I thought rounds worked better for sliders.

I didn’t waste any time finely chopping anything and let my food processor do the work.  It’s a bazillion times faster.

Combine your meatloaf ingredients in a big mixing bowl.

After combining, I felt like they needed more moisture.  Some people use water, milk or oil, but, I used Greek Yogurt for added.  It really keeps your meatballs light and soft when you bite into them without making them watery.

There are TWO options for cooking.  I thought originally I’d “Brown” them in my pan, but, they stuck like crazy (probably because I refused to use mass amounts of oil).

Enter option 2, which actually is easier….baking them in the oven!

I think it’s REALLY important to cook your meatballs in your sauce (whether you made your own or are using store bought) because they help to flavor your marinara and make it more than just a red sauce.  Cook them for 15 minutes.

Assemble ~ split your buns, add your saucy balls, 1 Tbsp sauce for good measure, a sprinkle of cheese and basil.

Put a lid on it and dig in!  I had 2 for 6 points+

Along with another crunchy salad topped with Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette (2 points+)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Shannon is back with her MINI Series showing us how to make 1 points+ Granola Cups!

Just TWO MORE DAYS until BLOGHERFOOD 11!!!

Q’s

Have you ever made sliders or eaten them while dining out? If so, what was on them and what were your favorite versions?

My favorite BEFORE I tried Mini Pizza Meatball Sliders, included BBQ Sauce, Beer Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese!

Night all!

Here is recipe #3 in my Cooking with Beer Series ~ Honey Chipotle Beer Barbecue Sauce.  I figured since I keep telling you all we hosted a Beer-BBQ using New Belgium’s Beers. , I needed to throw something on the grill to make it complete.

Making your own homemade barbecue sauce is as simple as putting everything in a pan and simmering it down into sauce.  I LOVE sweeter barbecue sauces that have a spicy kick.  Since beer can sometimes make a sauce a little bitter, I added the addition of creamy honey to make one delicious sauce.

It’s smoky, slightly sweet, slightly spicy and you can definitely taste the BEER! I am pretty sure if BEER is a Food Group to you, then, you will be using this Beer-BBQ sauce on anything you can find

HONEY CHIPOTLE BEER BBQ SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp Chipotle Adobe sauce only, add 1 minced chipotle pepper if you like it H-O-T
• 1 cup Ranger India Pale Ale
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken**:

4-6 pieces chicken (any combination of breast or leg-and-thigh pieces)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Apple Wood Smoked Wood Chips, Optional

** Works great with ~ chicken, turkey, steak, bison, burgers, extra firm tofu, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for about 35 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.

3.  Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer while the meat cooks.

4.  Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Flip and repeat until chicken is cooked through and all sides are coated.

5. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

NOTE:  The chicken can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Makes about 2 cups of BBQ sauce, 1 points+ per tablespoon

Nutritional information per tablespoon

STEP – BY – STEP

The “Beer Mate” used in this recipe was a Ranger India Pale Ale.

This Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Honey is my FAVORITE honey to use because it is creamy and has a strong “honey” taste to help take the bite off the beer and heat.  However, any type of honey would work.

Combine everything in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add 1 cup of beer 8 ounces (not the bottle or it will be bitter).  This leaves you 4 oz you can drink while everything cooks

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Until the mixture reduces by 1/3 and is slightly thickened.

If you do not want to have the “chunks” of the garlic and chipotle, then, drain through a sieve.

Tadah….simple, easy, sweet & spicy BBQ Sauce.

Grill up your favorite “meats” brushed with your Beer-BBQ Sauce!  One chicken leg is ONLY 3 points+!

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES POSTED

* Slow Cooked Chipotle BEER Baked Beans, 4 points+

* Chipotle Cheddar BEER Corn Muffins. 4 points+

* Honey Chipotle BBQ BEER Sauce, points+

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES COMING UP NEXT

* Chili Lime BEER Buttered Corn

* Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler

* Plus all the “fixin’s” you need to go on the side for one awesome BEER-Becue!

Stay tuned for more from my last two recipes for Cooking with BEER Series coming up tonight along with my Beer-BBQ Recap and My Weekly Menu!

Happy Spring everyone ~ although with all the crazy rain we are having in California it’s hard to believe it’s Spring!  It’s ok, I know our sunshine is just around the corner.

I started off my day by going to my Weight Watchers meeting.  I LOVED that we had a smaller group due to the rain and it was just like a bunch of gabbing about our successes/challenges this past week.

I actually weighed in backwards this week so I didn’t see my number.  I didn’t want to know good or bad how I did because honestly sometimes the scale dictates my mood.  I am in my own little zone working the program ~ I am motivated and slowly getting back into my groove!  I feel like I have had a successful week and I am proud of the fact that I worked out 5 days.  I don’t want anything to break that, but, I did  want my weight to be recorded LOL.  I will give you all the full 2 week update when I take a peak next week.

When I got home, I whipped up Eggwiches for The Husband and I.

* 2 slices of Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (3 points+)

* 1 “fried” egg (2 points+)

* 1 tsp Whipped Butter (1 point+)

After breakfast we decided to brave the crazy rain we have been having to head to Starbuck’s and stock up for the week.  I got a Grande Dirty Latte (4 points+)

When we got home all I really wanted was Cilantro Potsticker Soup.  But, The Husband talked me into to having our Homemade Chicken Potstickers and making soup for dinner.

8 Chicken Potstickers for 5 Points+

Spicy Asian Peanut Slaw (2 Points+)

* 1 cup Trader Joe’s Organic Broccoli Slaw

* 1/2 cup Organic Carrots

* 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

* Sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

Dessert was as big bowl of cantaloupe ~ it totally hit that “sweet” spot when you want something sweet after a saltier meal.

Seeing all this food I got to eat for 7 Points+ made it worth having to wash all these dishes

Mid-afternoon I wanted to snack away as I worked and watched movies.  I really eyed the chips but in the end I opted for a Trader Joe’s Lite String Cheese (1 points+) and a banana.

Since I am determined to NOT get sick, dinner was chicken noodle soup.  I have wanted to make Giada’s Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti ever since I saw the episode air.

It is super easy to make, but, I think next time I’d use from scratch broth as I think it just makes soup taste better and I’d bulk up the veggies. 

I pretty much followed her recipe except I used only 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and I doubled the spaghetti noodles (6 points+)

I LOVE pesto and bread so I knew I had to make Giada’s Pea Pesto Crostini to go with the soup.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this spin on Pesto!  First off before you make it, know it tastes nothing like pesto.  It tastes like peas with hints of garlic and cheese.  I could eat it by the spoon, but, having it on the toasted bread with the tomatoes was AWESOME!

I only used 2 Tbsp Olive Oil and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to lighten up her recipe.

I had one serving with the bread (I used a mini sourdough baguette) for 5 points+

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* New Tip of the Week & Cheesy BBQ Pita Pizza Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!

* This week’s Challenge ~ If you bite it, you write it ~ are you in???

* Only TWO days left to enter to win a $50 Trader Joe’s Shopping Spree

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

I think I personally do better when I have more protein in my diet so this week’s menu is all about protein. I will be posting these recipes as I make them ~ I can’t wait!

* TJ’s Turkey Tostadas

* Spicy Teriyaki Steak with Sweet Potato Fries and Green Beans

* Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork, Parmesan Risotto, Parmesan Squash

* Broccoli Chicken with Black Bean Sauce over Brown Rice

* Slow Cooker Southwestern Steak Tacos

* CEiMB ~ Blueberry Streusel Cake

Q’s

What is on your menu this week?  Are you making anything new?

Majority of our menu is all NEW ~ I know The Husband cannot wait to try my “science projects”!  I am actually really excited about this week’s menu since I know I will need fast eats with my new work schedule.

I know I am behind on your emails and comments ~ I promise to get caught up this week!  It has been a super busy weekend.

Night all!

One of the ingredients I ALWAYS have on hand is Organic Diced and Stewed Tomatoes. No Salt Added, Fire Roasted with Roasted Garlic and Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies are staples I use often in recipes.

I honestly never thought about making my own since they are fairly inexpensive to buy.  Recently I read an article that really shocked me about 7 things that should NEVER cross your lips….guess what ~ “CANNED TOMATO PRODUCTS” was one of them.  The reason ~ the acid in the tomatoes causes BPA to leach into your food. 

Their recommendation is to buy jarred tomato products only, but, for me this only seems to work for pizza and pasta sauces.  In fact, I am not sure I’ve ever seen diced tomatoes sold in a jar.

MY SOLUTION is to harvest Mr. Stripey and instead of making only salsa, whip up some Homemade Slow Cooker Stewed Tomatoes that I can freeze in “15 oz can” servings and pull out whenever needed.  I like being able to control what goes into my tomatoes and I think you will find that they are sweet enough on their own, no additional sugar is needed.

It is surprisingly easy and a little fun to make homemade stewed tomatoes.  The best part is after all the prep work is done, you simply turn your crockpot on and a few hours later they are done. 

HOMEMADE CROCKPOT STEWED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs tomatoes, any variety

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peper

2 bay leaves

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Variations:

Add 1/2 cup chopped basil for Stewed Tomatoes with Basil

Add 2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies for Stewed Tomatoes with Diced Green Chilies

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Rinse tomatoes, core and slice off the bottom stem.  Add tomatoes to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove to an ice bath for 1 minute to stop cooking.

2.  Remove tomato skins and roughly chop or cut into wedges.  Add tomatoes to your slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients.

3.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Serve as a side dish, add to your favorite recipes or freeze in individual “canned – think 15 oz or 28 oz ) servings for use in future recipes.

Makes one 28 oz batch of stewed tomatoes, approximately 4 cups

STEP-BY-STEP

You can use any variety of tomatoes ~ I used Mr. Stripey Heirloom tomatoes because it’s what we had in our garden.

Core your tomatoes by slicing out the stem and then slice off the bottom.

Meanwhile, add enough water to cover the tomatoes to a large stock pot and bring to a boil.

Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add your tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Prepare your “ice bath” and have it ready next to your boiling tomatoes.

Immediately scoop your tomatoes out of the boiling water and place in the ice batch to stop the cooking process.

After tomatoes have cooled, about 1 minute, remove from ice bath and place in a boil.

The peels should come right off.  DO NOT SKIP this step as you will end up with funky, hard peels in your stewed tomatoes.

They look so weird, but, kinda cool too when the tomatoes are peeled

Roughly chop the tomatoes or slice into wedges, whatever your preference.  You could leave them whole as well and just put them straight into your slow cooker.

Chop your celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic.

Add everything to the crockpot starting with the tomatoes.

Then, your chopped veggies.

Finishing with your spices ~ bay leaf, italian seasoning, sea salt and a black pepper.

Stir to combine and set your slow cooker to cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Tadah!!! Remove your Bay Leaves and you are done.  Homemade stewed tomatoes that can be frozen and used in all your favorite recipes that require diced or stewed tomatoes.  Think chili, soups, pasta sauces, salsas and more.

One benefit I never realized ~ the flavor of homemade diced stewed tomatoes is so much tastier than store bought.  I guess it’s that whole a tomato off the vine taste 10 x’s better than one bought at the store.

What is your favorite way to use extra tomatoes?  Mine used to be to make salsa, but, I  think this might be my new favorite thing.  Who knows, I may tackle tomato paste next

I am guest posting with some pumpkin-ney goodness over at Zesty Cook tomorrow.  Be sure to stop by and check it out if you want a little fall baking inspiration.

Night all!

I had originally planned to take you all through our vacation photos, but, today’s food was too good NOT to share   So, our vacation recaps are to be continued in order to bring you today’s deliciousness!

Even though we had eggs on vacation, I found myself missing my quick veggie scrambles (1 pt).

1 zucchini, halved and sliced

Cherry Tomatoes

Smack my @$$ and Call Me Sally Hot Sauce

1/2 cup egg beaters

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Finished with a delicious Iced Grande Nonfat Latte (2 pts).

I’d like to think my breakfast (versus being slammed at work) held me over all the way until lunch. 

Mayo-Less Tuna Salad ~ My favorite goto use for tuna and lunch when I have nothing packed up and ready to go.

I topped my lettuce with Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette. some delicious bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and AVOCADO! (6 pts)

You all know I am IN LOVE with Cabot LIGHT Cheeses…but, did you know they are coming out with FOUR NEW LIGHT FLAVORS?!

* 75% Reduced Fat Habanero (if you like a lot of spice in your life)

* 50% Reduced Fat Sharp (for that traditional flavor

* 50% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack

*50% Reduced Fat Garlic & Herb Cheddar (smooth, flavorful and delightful!)

The folks at Cabot Creamery constantly here me rave about their cheese and I am pretty sure they knew I’d hunt these new flavors down.  They were nice enough to give me a head start by sending their SPICY HABANERO CHEDDAR CHEESE.

45 calories ~ 1 point a square!

Served up with some snap peas to cool the HEAT of this cheese from the Habanero Peppers.

Dinner tonight came about based on one of my AWESOME friends raving about how her and her husband LOVED Spaghetti Squash with Spaghetti Sauce.

I really LOVE roasting squash in the oven over the microwave because it brings out the flavors of the squash and gives it a great nuttiness.

A quick look took me to Jenna’s Quick How To Roast Spaghetti Squash.  It’s pretty simple ~ cut in half, seed, spray with nonstick spray and roast at 400 for 45 minutes or until soft.

I have actually NEVER had Spaghetti Squash before and I have to admit, I showed The Husband, his mom and called my sis to tell her how cool it is when you shred it  

I always thought it was hard to make it like noodles, but, it’s as simple as sliding your fork to shred it.

1 CUP = 0 POINTS!!!

While the squash roasted, I whipped up Mary’s Cabernet Meat Sauce.  I pretty much followed her recipe, but, added a bunch of mushrooms for the carrot, some Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt and lots of crushed red pepper flakes.

This sauce ROCKS, Mary!  I LOVE the addition of an entire cup of WINE ~ it really enhances the flavor and makes it so The Husband couldn’t tell I used ground turkey He didn’t fall for my “spaghetti” noodles though (4 pts)

The Husband whipped up our side salads and included Parmesan Almond Crackers! (2 pts)

After dinner, I finally got to bust open My KitchenAid Mixer that arrived while we were gone….THIS IS WHY I BLOG!!! Seriously….it helps to feed my kitchen gadget addiction

LOVE!!!! I have forever put off buying a mixer because well, I do just fine with my hand mixer.  I blame the Food Network for showing me all the ways I can use it

Soooo, I totally need ideas on how I should use my mixer.  What is one way you LOVE to use your mixer or one thing you’ve always wanted to have a mixer for??

Night all!

Most people will tell you when eating healthy, you should avoid anything that is made with a cream sauce, like Alfredo Sauce.  However, I say, why avoid it when you can make a healthy Low Fat Alfredo sauce that tastes just as good, if not better than the real deal.  I know there are several different variations using Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges to make a Mock Alfredo, however, this is the version that I find works the best.

I used 1/2 Garlic & Herb and 1/2 Original Swiss Laughing Cow Cheeses when I created the sauce for my Sweet Potato Gnocchi with a Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Sauce.  Although my Gnocchi wasn’t perfect, this sauce was absolutely AMAZING!

I think this thick & creamy Alfredo sauce would be awesome served up over some whole wheat fettuccine with steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms and grilled chicken.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

8 Laughing Cow Lite Original Swiss Wedges, garlic & herb or French onion (any combination works)

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 c fat free milk

1/2 tbsp butter

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste, about 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper

If you’d like more of a fresh garlic taste, add 1 clove of minced garlic when you first start to cook the sauce.

INSTRUCTIONS::

1.  Combine all the above ingredients in a small sauce place.  Place on heat over medium low, stirring often using a wire whisk until melted and creamy.  The sauce will thicken as the cheese melts.

2.  Serve at once over your favorite pasta, veggies, gnocchi or as The Husband says, dip for your bread.

Yields about 1 cup of sauce, 16 Tablespoons

Nutritional information per serving, 2 Tbsp:

Calories 52.1, Total Fat 2.8 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 12.5 mg, Sodium 281.0 mg, Potassium 51.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2.5 g, Dietary Fiber 0.0 g, Sugars 1.0 g, Protein 3.6 g

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I never used to like beets at all until I tried them roasted.  I know it’s obvious that FRESH beets should be better than canned beets, but, wow ~ what a HUGE difference it makes to have fresh, crunchy beets versus the soggy canned versions.  Roasting beets brings out their sweetness and I think gives them a tab bit of a nutty flavor.

This recipe was inspired by the BEST Beet & Orange Salad I’ve ever had at Mammarella’s.  They serve up HUGE beets with pistachios, mixed greens and a fantastic citrus dressing.  I always add a little grilled chicken for protein and it makes a complete meal.

Who knew that I could make a version at home that has FANTASTIC stats and is only 6 points a serving.  Roasting beets is really easy so I’ve included a How-To at the end of this recipe to show you all you do not have to be scared to make your own. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do

CARIBBEAN CITRUS & BEET SALAD

SALAD:

8 cups Organic Romaine Lettuce, chopped

2 beets, roasted and cut into cubes (one yellow & one red beet) ~ see below

2 oranges, segmented

4 Tbsp blueberries, optional

4 Tbsp shelled pistachios

1 lb chicken breast sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus Spice & Grilled, sliced

4 tsp shaved parmesan

DRESSING:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 orange, juiced, approximately 1/4 c

1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Roast your beets as noted below.  While your beets are roasting, grill your Caribbean Citrus Chicken and prepare all vegetables.

2.  Create 4 salads by layer your salad starting with 2 cups Romaine, 1/4 beets, 1/4 orange segments, 1 Tbsp pistachios and blueberries, 4 oz grilled chicken and ending with 1 Tbsp parmesan. 

3.  Drizzle each salad with 2 Tbsp dressing.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 LARGE salads

Approximate Nutritional information per salad, calculated using sparkrecipes.com:

Calories 310.4,  Total Fat 9.7 g, Saturated Fat 1.9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g, Cholesterol 67.0 mg, Sodium 220.1 mg, Potassium 1,229.7 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.6 g, Dietary Fiber ,7.8 g, Sugars 10.9 g, Protein 32.9 g

HOW TO ROAST BEETS

WHAT YOU NEED:

Beets, I used two large beets I picked up at Whole Foods

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt & Pepper, if desired

Foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with a layer of foil or parchment paper.

1.  Rinse/scrub your beets to remove any residual dirt.  Trim  the stem and and the bottom so that it can stand up on its own.

2.  Place two layers of foil down and place your prepare beet on top.  Drizzle with 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

3.  Drizzle with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper if desired.

4.  Wrap your beet up tightly in the foil to make sure it seals and will steam as it roasts.  Repeat this for your second beet.

5.  Place on your prepared cookie sheet and roast for 20-60 minutes depending on the size of your beets.  Since I had large beets, I roasted them for 60 minutes.  You should be able to poke with a fork and have it be soft yet crunchy.

6.  Allow your beets to cool then carefully unwrap them.  You may with to wear gloves for this next part.  Use a paper towel to rub the skin off the outside and it should come off fairly easily.

Perfectly roasted deliciousness!!!

7.  Slice your beets into circles and quarter.  They are awesome straight up or in salads such as the Caribbean Citrus and Beet Salad above.

  RED BEET!

Golden Beet!

All together with my FAVORITE new salad.  Super easy, right?

See, I think this salad totally deserves it’s own post, what do you think?

We both have the day off ~ woohoo!  I am hopefully doing a little blog catch up, taxes and having some fun too this weekend.  Off to enjoy the sunshine and maybe a movie!

Have a great Friday all!

Do you all remember me falling IN LOVE with that Trader Joe’s Cranberry Orange Relish?  One of my loyal readers (Thanks Suzanne ~ you rock!!!) offered up her FAVORITE version that she uses for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.  I cannot WAIT to make this when I get back, but, I thought I’d share the recipe with you all in case you wanted to try it out next week!

Cranberry Orange Relish

1 bag of fresh cranberries (approx. 2 cups)
1 cup of orange juice
1/2-3/4 cup of sugar (this could be modified with a mixture of sugar/agave)

** Danica’s optional add would be to add 2-3 tsp of orange zest for color and flavor

Heat orange juice and sugar in pan on low until sugar dissolves.  Add cranberries.  Simmer on low.  Cranberries will start ‘popping’.  Simmer approx. 10 minutes until cranberries break down.  Careful not to boil over as it makes a mess!  Cool and refrigerate.  Yummy!

I buy the bags of Ocean Spray cranberries when they’re in season and throw them in the freezer.

Enjoy and be sure to leave a comment letting me know if you make it!!!

BON VOYAGE!!!

Happy Early Turkey Day all!  (Our Anniversary is actually ON Turkey Day this year so we definitely have Extra Thanks this year!!!)  The Husband has a special Guest Post on that day but I have to wait to read it – AHHHHH!

Be sure to check back each day as I have an AWESOME group of guest posters lined up for you all

xoxo,

Danica & Jay, A.K.A. The Husban