Crockpot Pumpkin Turkey Chili

More pumpkin! This chili was part of my project last weekend - making frozen meals for the crockpot. So I did all the prep work last weekend, froze it in a ziploc freezer bag, and just broke it apart and dumped it in the crockpot today with a can of chicken broth and a couple bay leaves. Totally brill.

Right out of the freezer!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 lb lean ground turkey (I used 85% fat free Jenni-O brand)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 tsp chili powder (or more, to taste)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 15 oz cans of white navy beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling! I cannot stress this enough!)
4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 15 oz can fat free low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with some nonstick cooking spray. Add meat and cook, crumbling as you go, until it's no longer pink. Remove from pan and let cool.
2. Add olive oil and onions to the pan and saute for 3 minutes. Add cumin and cook an additional minute or so until the onions turn translucent. Remove from pan and let cool.
3. Once everything has cooled, add turkey, onions, beans, pumpkin, green chilis, chili powder, and oregano to a freezer safe gallon size ziploc bag. Freeze immediately (lay it flat in your freezer to make it easy to store).
4. Once you're ready to make an easy, no fuss meal, let it thaw a little in the refrigerator overnight. When you're ready to put it in the crockpot, just slam the ziploc bag on the counter a couple of times to break it up into pieces that will fit in your crockpot. Empty the bag into the crockpot and add the can of chicken broth and 2 bay leaves on top. Cook on low for about 6 hours and voila!
5. Remove bay leaves before serving. Top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, chives, tortilla strips, more chili powder - whatever!

PS: I used this recipe from SkinnyTaste and modified it! She has a lot of great recipe ideas but I find that hers are a little bland for me.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

Happy fall! ESPN is hosting College GameDay at Notre Dame today, football is in the air, and I am making a lot of pumpkin food today. I can't wait.

I started with these great pumpkin pancakes with some sugar free syrup. Yum!

Yield: About 10 pancakes, 2 pancakes per serving for nutrition purposes

Ingredients: 
1 c all purpose flour
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp canola oil
1 c 2% milk
1/3 c canned pumpkin
1 tbsp vanilla extract


Preparation:
1. Whisk all the dry ingredients together - flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Stir the wet ingredients together - egg, oil, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract.
3. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and let the batter sit for five minutes.
4. Heat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray on medium heat. Drop the batter in 1/4 cups onto the skillet, cook until bubbles start forming on the top of the pancake. Flip with a spatula and cook another minute to minute and a half.

I refrigerate these or freeze them and pull them out when I need a treat in the morning. Top them with sugar-free syrup or some powdered sugar!

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

This recipe is so delicious and it is South Beach Diet Phase 1 approved! Next time I'll probably make it in the crockpot but I couldn't wait to try it tonight.

Can you blame me?

Yield: 5 servings (It was supposed to be 6 but I couldn't find another piece of tupperware sooo...)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 oz can of diced green chiles
4 oz can diced jalapenos
2 cans fat free chicken broth
 3 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
16 oz chicken breast, ground or shredded and cooked
Toppings (not included in nutrition):
2% Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Low fat sour cream

Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add onions and stir until softened (4-5 minutes). If you haven't precooked your chicken, you can cook it now in a skillet.
2. Add the chiles and jalapenos, stir, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, beans, and chicken broth, turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Top with cheese and sour cream. Yum!

Mason Jar Salads

Since my addiction to all things Pinterest has been growing, I kept seeing posts of these mason jar salads. I've been wanting to try them for a few weeks and I finally have my kitchen in a state where I can start cooking (sort of) again. I made enough for lunch this week - so five salads total, two buffalo chicken and three Cobb. These are supposed to last 7-10 days in the fridge. I was skeptical but they totally last over a week! I think I ate my last one 8 days after I made it. Unbelievable!! I did not put the dressing in the bottom as many of the links said I could - that was too big of a leap of faith for me - but it's easy enough to add that in at work or wherever you're eating your meal.

Mason Jar Cobb Salad
This was not my favorite and I don't know that I'll make it again - seemed too high in calories to be worth eating a salad - but since it's pretty and some of you may like it I'll post the recipe.

Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1 large hard boiled egg
1.5 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked crispy
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips (I used Costco brand)
6 grape tomatoes
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand)



Mason Jar Buffalo Chicken Salad
This one was really, really good and so easy - especially if you cheat and use precooked chicken and pregrated carrots like me!

Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1/2 cup carrots, grated
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips mixed with 2 tbsp wing sauce (I used the medium Kroger brand and it's really good!)
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand) OR light ranch, if you prefer



Mason Jar Pear and Walnut Salad
After first drafting this post I made a third jar salad, but didn't remember to take a picture of it. For what it's worth, I think this was my favorite of all of them, but because of the pears it would only last 3 days I suspect.

Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):

1/2 pear, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup dried cherries
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

Keep separate: 2 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing (I used the Wendy's pomegranate vinaigrette since I had some packets leftover.)
2 tbsp Fresh Gourmet glazed walnut pieces

Summer Squash Sausage Skillet (See what I did there?)

My first of (hopefully) many recipes for the new lower-carb plan I'm trying. A lot of these will be appropriate for the South Beach Diet Phase 1 - when I started in January 2011 I was on the South Beach diet and lost quite a bit of weight on it, but without the horrible effects of Atkins since you still get to eat vegetables. So without further ado...

I forgot to take a picture with the cheese on it - too hungry.

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients: 
3 zucchini
3 yellow summer squash
3 Jenni-O hot Italian turkey sausage links
30 grape tomatoes
3/4 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste







Preparation:
1. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray - I used the olive oil flavor but it really doesn't matter. Turn the stove on medium-high heat and put the turkey sausage links in the skillet to brown.
2. While your sausage is cooking, slice up your squash and zucchini. I used my new favorite kitchen tool, my mandolin, but if you're slicing by hand you want them about a quarter inch thick. Put all your slices in a big bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, red pepper, and italian spices to taste and then mix it all up to coat in the olive oil. (Make sure you are watching your sausage - they'll need to be turned!)
3. Once the sausage is completely cooked through, take it out of the skillet and add in the squash and zucchini. Let it cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
4. While the zucchini and squash is cooking, slice up your sausages into 10 pieces each (this just makes it easier to portion evenly). Add the sausage back in after the squash and zucchini has started to turn translucent, throw the tomatoes in, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of low fat mozzerella cheese. Devour.

Recipe: Baked Eggplant Parmesan

So I'm not really sure if this counts as eggplant parmesan even though there's no actual parmesan cheese, but let's go with it.

I've never cooked an eggplant before, but I picked one up at the store this weekend and since I'll be out of town at the teambuilding event in Kansas City this week, I figured I better go ahead and cook it. I will definitely make this again, especially when it gets a little colder. I didn't even miss the meat in this meal.

Yield: 3 servings


Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup italian style breadcrumbs
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of pasta sauce (I use Newman's Own Sockarooni - it's a little spicy!)
3/4 cups italian cheese blend
5-6 fresh basil leaves, sliced
salt and pepper to taste



Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a sheet pan inside while the oven heats up.
2. Slice the eggplant lengthwise (long way) in half-inch thick pieces. You should get about 8 pieces out of one eggplant. Do not peel the eggplant!
3. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs.
4. Coat the sheet pan in olive oil and place the eggplant slices on the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the slices, and bake on the other side for 10 minutes.
5. In a small casserole dish (I used an 8x8 pan) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, layer the pasta sauce, eggplant slices, and cheese (use 1/3 of the pasta sauce and 1/2 the cheese). Make another layer of pasta sauce and eggplant slices. Top with remaining pasta sauce and cheese. Lay the basil slices over the top and season with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for another 15 minutes at 475 degrees. Serve over spaghetti or with a salad (or both)!

10 Minute Incredibly Easy Fish Tacos

This recipe was so quick and easy tonight, I just had to share it! These literally took less than 10 minutes to put together, and they tasted so good!

Yield: 2 tacos (super easy to multiply the recipe though)

Ingredients:
1 tilapia filet (I get these frozen and then thaw them in the sink under running water)
Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's is my fav!), about 1 1/2 tbsp
2 corn tortillas
1/2 c shredded cabbage
1/2 avocado, diced
2 tbsp salsa
1/4 lime
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream


Preparation:
1. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle tilapia filet with cajun seasoning on both sides until covered (I probably used one to one and a half tablespoons).
3. Cook tilapia for 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork. Cut the filet in half.
4. Microwave the corn tortillas for 10-15 seconds until warmed and split the cabbage, salsa, sour cream, avocado, and fish between the two tortillas. Squeeze the lime over the two tacos and you're ready to go!

I didn't have the ingredients on hand tonight, but this would be amazing with this black bean soup. Both super easy!!

Crab Cakes and Football, That's What Maryland DOES!

Bonus points for getting the reference. Sadly, there is no football today, but I did make crab cakes! I made some crab cakes years ago, but they were expensive to make and pretty disappointing, so I resigned myself to ordering them at restaurants whenever I wanted some.

I was looking in the frozen seafood section at the grocery store, about to get another bag of tilapia fillets, when I saw some frozen crab cakes. That sounded better than boring tilapia again, so I turned the package over to check the label - 190 calories per cake, not bad - and then checked the price. $8! For two cakes! Yikes! I put the package back and sadly grabbed the tilapia fillets. But in the cajun foods section, Zatarain's had some mixes for salmon, tuna, and crab cakes! They were a little pricey compared to Zatarain's other mixes (I'm in love with their jambalaya) but it's pretty much all-inclusive; all I had to get was the canned seafood and then add mayonnaise, an egg, water, and olive oil, and I was ready to go!

Yield: 8 cakes (2 per serving)

Ingredients:
1 package Zatarain's New Orleans Style Crab Cake Mix
8 oz crabmeat (I used canned Bumble Bee white crabmeat)
1 egg
1/4 c Hellman's Light Mayonnaise
1/2 c water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided


Preparation:
1. Combine Zatarain's mix, crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, and water together in a non-metal bowl. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil in oven-safe skillet, place in oven, and heat to 375 degrees.
3. Form mixture into 8 balls, then flatten into patties. Place the cakes in the skillet with the oil, and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the cakes, flip each cake, and place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve on top of mixed baby greens with fresh lemon juice. Yum!

Rule #76: No excuses, play like a champion.

Weekend Brunch: Breakfast Burritos

Good morning! I woke up craving Whataburger taquitos (SO good). Instead of going through the drive thru, I made some healthier breakfast burritos. For less than the calories of one Whataburger taquito (450 calories, 28 grams of fat), I got to eat two yummy egg, sausage, and cheese burritos.

Yield: 2 burritos per serving

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup egg beaters
1 slice low fat cheddar cheese
4 turkey sausage links
4 tbsp chunky salsa

Preparation:
1. Cook egg beaters in a skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over high heat; stir constantly until done.
2. Heat turkey sausage links in microwave according to package instructions.
3. Heat tortillas in microwave for 15 seconds.
4. Split eggs, sausage, cheese, and salsa evenly between the tortillas. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

I also cut up half of a grapefruit and half of a tangelo and topped it with 1/4 tsp of sugar for a quick citrus salad. Delicious!

Opa! Baked Falafel

The only other time I've made Greek food before was a horrible attempt at tabbouleh a few years ago. However, I've been craving falafel and I can't find a restaurant around me that makes it the way I like it. So I tried this recipe, and I'm so glad I did! 

Yield: I got 7 patties out of this, but I probably could've gotten 8 to make it even. Nutrition is per falafel, so 1/7 of the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 c diced onion (use frozen if desired)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp dried cilantro

Zest of small lemon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 c flour

1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

1. Coat a metal pan (I used a skillet) with cooking spray and 1 tbsp olive oil and put it in oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. Pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic powder, cilantro, lemon zest, parsley, salt, cumin, pepper flakes, and baking powder in food processor until minced (not a paste). Transfer to bowl and stir in the egg and flour.

3. Drop mixture in golf ball sized amounts in the pan and bake 20 minutes.


4. Brush (or drizzle) falafel with remaining oil, flip, and bake another 15-20 minutes until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with pita bread, tabbouleh, and yogurt sauce (6 oz fat free Greek yogurt, juice of 1/2 lemon, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste). For the bread I used multi-grain Itsy-Bitsy Pita Pockets - they are only 40 calories each, and they were the perfect size for the falafel!

Shredded Chicken Nachos (with Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips!)

Today was my first day back to work and I decided to have a really good dinner to clear my head. I'm feeling much better except for my ears, which are still stopped up (like that feeling you get when your ears pop on a plane), and I'm about to go nuts listening to myself breathe really loudly all day. Couple that with the fact that I could only hear about 80% of what people were saying all day -- you get the idea. I needed some good food.

This started out as tostadas and by the time I got done, it ended up as delicious nachos. Mmm!

Servings: Listed as serving 1, but of course multiply by as many as you want

Ingredients:

1/2 chicken breast, grilled and shredded (or really any protein you like...lean ground beef, steak strips, ground turkey, meatless crumbles, etc)

3 six-inch corn tortillas, each cut into six to make 18 pre-chips

1/2 c fat free refried beans

1/4 c Mexican blend shredded 2% cheese

1/2 c shredded lettuce

1/2 c chunky salsa/pico de gallo

1 tbsp diced jalapeños

1 1/2 tbsp light sour cream

Canola oil cooking spray

Salt and lime juice to taste (optional)

Preparation:

I almost burned these...

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay the tortilla pieces in a single layer. Make sure that there is space between the edges of each chip - if you put them too close together, they won't crisp up. Spray the tops of the chips with the cooking spray, and then sprinkle salt as desired. Once the oven is heated, put the chips in and bake for 8-10 minutes, until chips become crisp. Be careful not to let them turn brown, they can burn quickly!

2. While the chips are baking, heat the refried beans in the microwave for about one minute fifteen seconds, until hot. Get all your delicious toppings ready!

3. When the chips come out, scoop them on a plate and start layering. My order? Beans, chicken, cheese, lettuce, salsa, jalapeños, and sour cream, with a little fresh lime juice drizzled on the top. If you like your cheese extra melty, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds after the cheese goes on top, then finish with the cold toppings.

Just Another Meatball Monday

It was just another meatball Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I-don't-have-to-run day
It's just another meatball Monday

So if you don't get the joke, you need to watch this video immediately.

Now that you've done that and laughed at my hilarious reference, take a look at my Valentine's Day dinner. I have been craving beef for a few days and I finally decided to make some penne and meatballs with arrabiata sauce. It was amazing.

Yield: 5 servings (about 15 meatballs if you make them pretty big)


Ingredients: 
1 lb lean ground beef (93% lean)
Jennie-O hot italian turkey sausage (3 links)
1/3 c breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning
2 eggs
1/4 c shredded Parmesan
18 oz jar pasta sauce (I used Safeway brand arrabiata)
Salt and pepper to taste



Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove turkey sausage from the casing and set aside.
2. Pour breadcrumbs into a large bowl and add 1/3 cup of hot water. Stir until moistened and let sit until the water is fully absorbed. Add eggs, Parmesan, and salt and pepper.
3. Mix in beef and turkey sausage - don't be afraid to use your hands! Form the meatballs, making sure they are equally sized so they will cook evenly.
4. Brown the meatballs in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until some of the fat drains off.
5. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and place the meatballs in the dish. Make sure there is a little room between the edges. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes until bubbling. Serve with penne and mozzarella or Parmesan on top.

This was so good, and I'm definitely planning on freezing these for when I get another craving! In case you're curious, I used Barilla Plus pasta since it has extra fiber and I hate the taste of whole wheat pasta.

Quick Lunch: Sweet Salad and Soup

Salad nutritional breakdown

Today was another snow day which is crazy. It's not supposed to stick around until tomorrow, but it was nice having another work from home in my pajamas day. It's always dangerous to hang around the house all day though because there's the temptation to snack on things laying around the house. I did really well today and landed under 1300 calories with the help of my delicious lunch! I hunted for things I had around the house (including some of Wendy's pomegranate vinaigrette that I need to find in a store or online somewhere so I don't have to keep the leftover packets like a hoarder). I came up with two cups of organic baby greens, half a granny smith apple, 1/8 cup of craisins, 1/8 cup of goat cheese crumbles, and that packet of pomegranate vinaigrette. I ate it with a cup of jarred tomato basil soup and it was fantastic.

I also have to give a shout out to La Madeleine. Not only do I love their fat free Caesar dressing, they just came out with a low fat version of their tomato basil soup. That soup is pretty much the only reason I ever go to La Madeleine, but with the regular version, a cup has 340 calories and 32 grams of fat, so I would definitely have to save it for a special treat. The low fat version that they also sell in jars is 150 calories and 11 grams of fat for a cup, so I am thrilled. The best part? It tastes just as good as the regular fat version! They sell them online, and if you order some, you might as well pick up some of the Caesar dressing as well.

Takeout Swap: Chicken Fried Rice

This was a particularly rough Monday since I hadn't been to work in a week because of all the snow and ice. I didn't get to eat breakfast today, I had a pretty light lunch, I had to go grocery shopping on the way home, and by the time I got back I was starving. I really just wanted to stop and get takeout, but I made this instead and saved myself a LOT of fat and calories (an order of takeout fried rice can add up to 1500 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 2,700mg of sodium)!

This recipe makes enough for leftovers the next day, and it's really a HUGE portion. You could probably get away with dividing this into 3 servings if you added a little more chicken.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 c uncooked jasmati rice
2 tbsp canola oil
6 oz cooked chicken breast, diced
1/2 c egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
2 scallions, sliced
1 small can of peas and carrots
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce






Preparation:
1. Cook rice according to directions on the package. I love my rice cooker since, for some reason, I can never cook rice over the stove.

2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and pour in egg substitute. Leave on medium until completely cooked through and you have a sort of egg pancake. Remove from the skillet and cut into strips. Set aside.

3. Heat the chicken, peas and carrots, scallions, and oyster sauce in the skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

4. Heat the canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat and empty rice into the hot oil. Stir to coat rice and let the rice crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken mixture to the rice and pour in soy sauce. Stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add egg strips and cook until egg is reheated.

Just as good as takeout but it saves almost 1/3 of the calories!

Broccoli Rice Cheese Chicken Casserole

I've had to get creative with the meals since I haven't been able to get to the store. I'm still at my mom's friend's house, so I've been raiding her fridge and pantry to come up with a few meals to tide us over. This is what I had to work with for lunch and dinner today. It turned out to be the perfect warm comfort food for a snowy day.

The way I had to make it I wouldn't call it low fat, but with some substitutions (2% cheeses, low fat cream of mushroom soup) it could be a dish that is in my regular rotation, and I don't think it would change the flavor that much, if at all. Note that the calories listed are for the full-fat version.

Yield: 6 servings, 1/6 of an 8x12 casserole dish each, so about a 4x4 inch square.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked white rice
10 oz cooked chicken breast
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 c skim milk
1 12 oz package of frozen broccoli
6 oz Velveeta
1/2 c shredded cheese, cheddar or colby jack blend


Preparation:
1. Cook rice as instructed on package. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. While rice is cooking, steam the broccoli and chop it into pieces. You could use frozen chopped broccoli to make this step easier, but I prefer the Steam Fresh Florets; it seems like in the other packages all you get are stems.

3. Dice the Velveeta cheese into 1/2 inch cubes.

4. Dice the chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes. All I had on hand was a bag of frozen, pre-cooked diced chicken from Kroger, so I just popped it in the microwave according to the directions. It was good! I am definitely putting it on my shopping list!

5. Once the rice is completely cooked, mix the rice, Velveeta, chicken, broccoli, cream of mushroom soup, water, and milk together in an 8x12 (13x9 is fine if that's all you have, just shave 10 minutes or so off the oven time) casserole dish and press down to even out the top. Put pats of margarine on the top. NOTE: If you want some additional texture, you can also put in a small can of water chestnuts or 1/2 of a small onion. I didn't have either of these on hand this time.

6. Bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees. At 25 minutes, sprinkle the casserole with the shredded cheese and then return to oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. I put the broiler on for the last minute just to get a good crispy texture on the top.

Low Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's my first dessert post! Since I've been cooped up with basically nothing to eat the past couple days, I decided to make some cookies to snack on while I'm at my mom's friends house. I only thought about taking pictures with my phone after I'd made the dough, but I'm sure you'll get the idea.

The best part? These are made without butter (okay, okay, I used margarine, but technically not butter), without oil, limited sugar, and only egg whites! For under 100 calories each! And these are normal sized cookies, I promise. 


Yield: 22 cookies (that's how I counted the calories, but I'm sure you could stretch it to two dozen)

Ingredients:

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c white sugar

6 tablespoons margarine, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white

3 tbsp water

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. In a medium bowl, mix the melted margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar thoroughly. 
4. Stir in egg white, water, and vanilla extract. 
5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture and stir until dough forms. 
6. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
7. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. This is important because we started with melted margarine! It will help you form perfect dough balls so your cookies come out pretty, and they'll retain their shape instead of coming out too flat. 
8. Form dough balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. They look a little funny like they aren't done yet, but pull them out at 12 minutes and let them sit for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will reduce to a normal shape and texture. 

Perfect with a hot cup of coffee!

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Since today was a snow day I cooked all three meals and have plenty of leftovers in case I can't make it out tomorrow either! I made scrambled egg beaters with cheese, a light english muffin with light butter, and a turkey sausage patty for breakfast (with a big cup of coffee, of course), for lunch I made some ravioli soup (recipe found here), and for dinner I made this yummy Mexican casserole. 

Before

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients:

16 oz ground turkey

1/3 c chopped onions

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

10 corn tortillas 

1 1/3 c shredded 2% Mexican cheese blend 

29 oz can red enchilada sauce

Preparation:

1. In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat, stir turkey, onion, oregano, and cumin until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink. Reduce to low heat and stir in a cup of enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth (2.5 tortillas each) of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole dish, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese (1/3 cup each) evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth (1/2 cup each) of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

4. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. 

5. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and top with low fat sour cream if desired. 

After!

And tonight, I'll have hot chocolate for dessert! Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!