Construction Site Cake

My little boy just turned three on New Years Day.  Since we have the celebration from the holidays still coercing through our blood I usually don't do much for his birthday besides a cake and presents.  This year he is fascinated by Bob the Builder and Construction Equipment, or "diggers" as we call them.  My mom was already giving him little diggers for his birthday present so I decided to use them on the cake instead.

 

 I stacked two 9" white cakes and frosted them with white frosting (we are a white cake family!) I then took kit kat candy bars and cut them in half and put them around the edges.  

I used chocolate rocks and chocolate covered peanuts for the dirt and gravel.  I smashed up some of the chocolate covered peanuts to make it look like smaller clumps of dirt and used some large pieces to fill in the top of the cake.  

 I used the frosting to help build up the rock piles into each digger.  Chocolate frosting would have blended in a little better than the white frosting but I think it wouldn't have shown the details of the "dirt" as well.  I wish I would have had some crushed oreo cookies to fill in the white spaces.

This cake was fun to make and was pretty stress free.  I didn't try to make it even or frost it perfectly and got to dump dirt and rocks where they needed to be.  My kind of cake!

Can you tell he was excited about his birthday cake?

 The best part was watching him eat his cake with his diggers.  

Parties I'm linking up too

    

    

Turkey Rolls!

For Thanksgiving Day last year, I decided to liven up my rolls.  

I used Black Peppercorns for the eyes and shaped the body and face to look like a turkey.  Then, I fanned out the other balls of dough to look like the feathers.  I gave each ball of dough enough room for them to rise.

Next time I'll put the feet on top of the turkey body as if the turkey is sitting down.  

Spread some butter on the rolls and now you have a fun way to display your rolls!  

Tomato Parmesan Crostini

This is just one of those recipes you have to share!  Mouth Watering DELICIOUS!!  The recipe calls for bread, unfortunately, I didn't take a picture when I made this recipe with the baguette.  The mushrooms and Triscuits were a good substitute but they couldn't match up to the flavor of the baguette!  I also used fresh basil and dried basil and the fresh was much better. ENJOY!!!!


Tomato Parmesan Crostini

4-5 plum, roma, or campari tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves minced, or 2-3 tsp. minced garlic from jar
2 T. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. grated fresh Parmesan1/2 c. mayonnaise
 bread of choice: I use a french baguette, sliced 1/2 " rounds

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil and salt & pepper in bowl and mix well. Set aside

Mix parmesan cheese and mayo in a small bowl and spread on each bread round.

Place rounds on baking sheet and top each with spoonful of tomato mixture.  

Bake at 400*F for 10 minutes or until bubbly.  


Thanks Leslie for sharing with me!

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2c. peanut butter(divided)

3/4c. butter, softened

2c. powdered sugar

3c. graham cracker crumbs (approx 2 packages of graham crackers)

2c. semi-sweet chocolate chips(divided)

Beat 1 1/4c. peanut butter and butter in a large bowl. Beat in powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2c. chocolate chips. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt remaining chocolate chips & peanut butter. Spread over the crumb mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator.

*Sorry I forgot to take a picture but this recipe is so good it must be shared even without a visual.*

Ice Cream Cake

My husband isn't a fan of cake but he loves ice cream. With the help of my mother I found an excellent but simple ice cream cake recipe. It was so good and so easy to do.

I also love the way it looks inside.Usually, ice cream cakes are really dull when they are cut apart.

This will be one that I will make over and over again. This can also be made months in advanced and then used when needed.

Oreo & Fudge Ice Cream "Cake" (I doubled the recipe)

1/2 cup fudge ice cream topping warmed

1 tub cool whip divided

1 pkg (4oz) jellow chocolate instant pudding (I used Cookies & Cream)

12 Orea Chocolate sandwich cookies

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches (When I doubled the recipe I got 12 Cookies & Cream sandwiches plus 12 vanilla sandwiches)

Pour the fudge topping into a medium bowl.  Stir in 1 cup whipped topping with a wire wisk until it's well blended.  Add in the dry pudding mix, stir 2 minutes or until well blended.  The consistency of fudge topping can vary depending on what brand you purchase.  If your fudge topping mixture is too thick to spread easily, add in 1/4 cup milk.

Chop Oreo cookies roughly into chunks.  Stir into the pudding mixture.  Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a 24x12 inch piece of foil; top with half of the pudding mixture.  Repeat the layers.  Top the pudding mixture with the remaining 4 sandwiches.  The layers create a neat striped effect when sliced.  Frost the top and sides with the remaining cool whip.  It doesn't have to look perfect.  Bring up the foil sides.  Double fold top and ends to loosely seal the packet.  Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.  Let stand at room temperature to soften before serving.  Makes 12 servings.

First Birthday Cake

(Sorry for the bad photos.  We got a new camera that we are now taking back!)

I decided to make my son's first cake.  It was fun but a lot more work then I'll probably do most of the time. (I even used cake mixes and it still took me forever to do!)

I decided I wanted it colorful inside so I made up the cake mixes like the box instruct you too and then I divided it up into four bowls.  I used Gel food coloring to die the cake the different colors.  I then randomly spooned in the cake mix into my two pans.  I baked it like normal and then when the cake was done and cooled I put them in the freezer.  The next day I stacked the two cakes on top of each other and cut them into the number one. 

I made up some frosting and put frosting between the two cakes and then the sides and top.  The coolest way that I learned to get the frosting to look smooth is to use wax paper.  After you have your frosting on the cake take your wax paper and push it a long the frosting with your fingers until the frosting is smooth.  The frosting won't stick to the wax paper.  (Sorry I couldn't find where I found this helpful tip.)  Also all I had was whole milk when I made the frosting and it made the best frosting I've ever made.  It was the perfect consistency.   So next time you have to make a bunch of frosting, keep that in mind. 

I then used a decorative tip to decorate the outside.  To help me get the star shape I just lightly pressed a star cookie cutter on the icing.  It left just enough of an indent for me to follower with my decorative tip. I made Alex's little cake just from the scraps of the big cake and again used the cookie cutter as a guide for the frosting.

My favorite part about the cake was when you cut into it and saw all of the colors.  I looked and tasted amazing!

Soup & Salad

I made these for dinner one night when the weather was cold and wet outside and I couldn't help but think about summer!  They were both so rich and flavorful.

Curried Zucchini Soup

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 20 minutes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, ginger, curry powder, and garam masala, if using.  Cook 3 more minutes.

Add broth and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, or use a hand blender.  Whisk in yogurt just before serving.

Crab and Avocado Salad
PREP TIME: 10 minutes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound lump crabmeat
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
   Salt and Pepper

Combine cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and cayenne in a medium mixing bowl, Mix in crab meat and season with salt and pepper.  Gently fold in avocado and serve.

(Both recipes were taken from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, MD)

Some of my favorite HEALTHY whole wheat food

My husband and I have switched over to just eating whole grain food. We do have exceptions in our diet but for the most part we just eat exclusively whole grain. At first the switch was very difficult because white flour tastes SOOO good! We had to retrain our taste buds and dig deep for the best tasting products. I've come to really love eating whole wheat. I get full so much sooner and I have a lot more energy throughout my day. Unfortunately, not all whole wheat products are worth eating. Even with us being used to the whole grains, some food just doesn't taste good. I would like to share with you some of the things that I've found that are by far the best whole grain products (and in my price range) that I can get at my local supermarket.

First, noodles! These are a few that I've seen in several different supermarkets. I absolutely love the Hodgson Mill Lasagna noodles. In my lasagna, I can't even taste that they are whole wheat. They also help my lasagna stay together easier. I do have to say though that I don't like Hodgson Mill's linguine noodles. I don't know why but they have such a strong bitter taste to me. I have yet to find a spaghetti that I absolutely love. The Barilla kind is pretty good but it could use some improving.

This is my favorite brown rice. I've tried other kinds and it tastes like you are eating something that should be fed to cows. I have a rice cooker so it makes cooking brown rice easy. You can cook rice in a pan but after much learning I've discovered you need to add a lot of water. I try to double the water. So if my rice goes up and inch in my pan I put another inch of water. I usually just do it by looking at it. I'm sure there is a much better way to get it good but I haven't discovered it yet. This works for me.

These tortillas are the cheapest ones and by far the best tasting ones. The Mission brand ones are disgusting! I find these ones frequently sold out from the store so make sure you stock up and freeze them. Don't settle for the other brands!

Oroweat is one of my new favorite brands. They are a little more expensive then other brands but worth it. The english muffins are soooo fresh tasting EVERY time I've got them. They make great little sandwiches and snacks. I could eat a whole bag easily!

Another Oroweat product that I just discovered is there Sandwich Thins. They are thin buns! It is about time someone came out with this! I have a lot of favorite foods that you eat on a bun and I've always felt guilty when I eat them because I have yet to found a good whole wheat hamburger bun AND they still contain A LOT of extra carbs. These are perfect. They taste wonderful too!

This is the whole wheat flour that I use because it is cheaper then other kinds and to me it tastes better than some other brands that I've had. It also has whole wheat pastry flour that works great as a thickener instead of white flour or cornstarch.

I am a strong believer in healthy eating and switching to whole grains has really helped Mike and I to loose weight and feel so much better every day.

Simple Lasagna

This is my favorite lasagna recipe of all time.  I find it really simple and it always turns out.  For my lasagnas I use whole wheat noodles instead of the white noodles like this recipe suggests.  I can't taste a difference.  I also use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese.  Personally, I think it tastes better.  If you left click on the picture below and then open in a new window/tab it will give you a larger version of the recipe.  You can tell that it is well used!

Before

After

If you can't get the picture from above here is the recipe typed out.  

Simple Lasagna

1 container (15 oz.) part skim ricotta cheese (I prefer cottage cheese)

2 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

¼ cup parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce

1 lb. ground beef, browned, drained

1 cup water

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1.  Preheat oven to 350F. Mix ricotta cheese, 1 ¼ cups of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, parsley and egg until well blended; set aside.

2.  Pour spaghetti sauce into meat in skillet.  Pour water into empty sauce jar; cover and shake well. Pour into skillet; stir until well mixed.  (This will yield about 5 cups sauce.)

3.  Place 1 cup meat sauce on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.  (This way the noodles won’t stick to the pan.)

4.  Layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce.  Repeat layers 2 more times.  Top with remaining 3 noodles and sauce. 

5.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 ¼ cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.  Cover tightly with greased aluminum foil. Bake 45 min. or until cooked through.

6.  Remove foil and bake an additional 15 min. or until bubbling.  Let stand 15 min. before cutting for easier serving.

Salsa Roast and Mexican Rice

I have found that putting salsa with meat makes a flavorful dish that is also really moist and low in fat.  I usually just let the meat simmer with some broth and salsa on the stove.  I decided to try it in the crock pot this time. 

(Sorry about the blurry picture.  I didn’t realize that the lens was dirty.)

1 Top Round Roast (Sirloin, Tenderloin, and Top Round cuts of meat have less fat)

1 cup salsa

Brown Rice

Water

Put the roast in the crock pot with the salsa on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  When the pot roast is done, take the juice (salsa) out of the crock pot and mix with uncooked rice.  Cook the rice like you normally would but with the salsa incorporated in the water.  For me, the best way to cook brown rice is to not follow the instructions but to use double the liquid.  So if you get 1 cups of liquid off of the meat, add 1 more cup of water or broth and then add 1 cup of rice. The extra water helps to make the brown rice much more moist. 

 

This meal is great if you are on a limited budget.  Add a green salad and you have a wonderful, flavorful meal for dinner!

Whole Wheat Bread

I found a yummy and healthy whole wheat bread recipe.  It does have sugar substitute (Splenda) in it but if you don't like using that in your food you can just put normal sugar into the bread.  I think Splenda is a lot sweeter than normal sugar in foods so if you do replace the sugar substitute put a little more than the recipe calls for. 

Makes 1 bread loaf

1 1/2 cups water (at room temperature)

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar substitute (use more than 2 Tbsp. if you are using real sugar)

3-3 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour

1 tablespoons gluten flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons quick rise yeast

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the water, oil, sugar substitute, whole wheat bread flour, gluten flour, salt, and yeast to form a rough dough.  Let the dough stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with a damp cloth.  Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until it has doubled.  Preheat the oven to 350 F

Turn the dough onto a board and shape it into an oblong loaf.  Coat a bread pan with cooking spray.  Place the dough in the pan.  Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes.  Remove the bread from the oven and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack.

Nutrition per slice:  130 calories, 5 g fat, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 220 mg sodium

Chicken and Red Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 large ribs celery, finely chopped
½ large onion, sliced
1 ½ cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
¾ cup red lentils
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
2 cups water
Sliced green peppers, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, curry powder, ginger, cumin, and pepper flakes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the lentils and place the chicken on top. Add the broth.

In a cup, combine the tomato paste with a small amount of water, then stir into the vegetable mixture. Add the remaining water. Partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the chicken from the pot, place on a cutting board, and cut into shreds. In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the soup, then return it to the pot, along with the shredded chicken. Evenly divide the soup among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle the scallion on top for garnish.

Creamy Chicken Paprikash

8 ounces whole wheat linguine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground paprika
1 ½ cups broccoli florets
1 cup fat-free sour cream

Prepare the linguine according to package directions. Drain and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the pieces begin to brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, and 3 tablespoons of the broth to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender. (Add more broth if necessary to prevent burning.) Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining broth, then add the chicken and broccoli. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir the sour cream into the chicken mixture. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through. (Do not boil.) Serve the chicken over the linguine.

Cilantro Mayonnaise

This is great for wraps or sandwiches. Roll up turkey, lettuce, peppers and cilantro mayonnaise for a great snack. It is also a really good vegetable dip.

¾ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
¾ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 small clove garlic

Place the mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Chicken in Scallion and Ginger Sauce

½ cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 pound chicken breasts

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Place the chicken in an ovenproof casserole dish or pan. Drizzle the marinade over the chicken and bake until chicken is cooked through. Flip chicken once during cooking time.

The chicken will developed a stronger taste if it marinated in the sauce in the fridge for a few hours. This recipe is also good with fish.

Savory Chicken Sauté

This is a great summer meal. It is fast and doesn't heat up the kitchen.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
½ cup fat-free chicken broth
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chicken breasts in the oil for 4 minutes, then turn them over and add the onion. Cover and cook for 3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, rosemary, and broth. Cover and cook until the onion is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Wholesome Oat Muffins

These muffins are great for those who love to eat muffins but don’t want to feel guilty about it. I think they are wonderful and to me they taste very similar to a brown sugar muffin.

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 ¼ cups whole grain flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup of the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons oats over the muffins. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins.

Brown Sugar substitute was hard for me to find but I did find some half Splenda half brown sugar with the other Splenda products. I also really like cinnamon so I added another ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to my mix.

Vegetarian Chili with Avocado Salsa

Avocado Salsa

• 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1 large lime
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetarian Chili

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I prefer more beans so I used 2 cans)
• 1 can (14 oz) tomatoes
• 1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
• 1 can (4 oz) green chili peppers, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup fat-free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To make the avocado salsa: In a large bowl, combine the avocado, tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and pepper. Lightly toss. Let stand for 30 minutes

To make the vegetarian chili: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 6 qt. pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes (with juice), broth, chili peppers, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and oregano and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with the avocado salsa and sour cream. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

When I made this I didn’t have time to make the salsa. I just made guacamole dip out of the avocado, fat-free sour cream and some chili powder and put that on my chili. This recipe doesn’t include meat but that could easily be added. Just cook and cut up some chicken, sirloin or tenderloin (use healthier red meats).