Lighten Up! - Chicken Cordon Bleu

I wasn't purposely trying to find a light chicken cordon bleu recipe when I found this guy on myrecipes.com. The person who posted it found it through Cooking Light, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I love it when I can make something for dinner and it doesn't taste like it's as light as it really is. Another thing I love about this recipe: I don't have to use my stove top, just the microwave and the oven. Woo hoo! For dinner, pair this chicken with some light fettuccine alfredo, smashed potatoes, or some green beans. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 pieces)

• 1/4 c. fat free, low sodium chicken broth
• 5 tsp butter, melted
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 thin slices prosciutto (If you can't find prosciutto at your grocery store you can just use ham instead.)
• 1/4 c. shredded part-skim mozzarrella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place broth in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave for 15 seconds or until warm. Stir in the butter and garlic. In a medium-sized, shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and paprika. Set aside.
2. Place each piece of meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound flat with a meat mallet (or roll with a rolling pin) till 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano. Top each breast half with 1 slice of prociutto (or ham) and 1 tablespoon of mozzarrella. Roll up each breast jelly roll style. Dip each roll in the broth mixture; dredge in the bread crumb mixture.
3. Place rolls seam side down in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the remaining broth mixture over the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until tops are golden.

Nutrition Information (per serving - serving size 1 chicken breast half)

Calories: 297 Fat: 9.9g Protein: 45.5g Carbohydrates: 3.8g Fiber: 0.5g Cholesterol: 125mg Sodium: 619mg Calcium: 94mg

Rosemary Chips

I love a good side dish with my steak, burger, chicken, etc. Especially when that side dish is super easy to make! These rosemary chips have a great flavor and they're baked, not fried. Even better! image via foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced russet potatoes
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary
• 1 grated garlic clove
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Toss the sliced potatoes with all ingredients (except for the salt) and spread the potatoes on a baking sheet. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes.
2. Flip the potatoes and cook until golden and crips, about 8 more minutes. Season with salt.

Lighten Up! - Fettuccine Alfredo

Food Network has once again slimmed down an indulgent favorite. I worked at an Italian restaurant for almost 10 years, and out of all the different pasta options a lot of guests couldn't seem to get away from their favorite fettuccine alfredo. (Am I right, fellow Carino's staffers?) It seems to be the safe haven of pasta dishes.

Food Network managed to cut 318 calories and 33 grams of fat from the classic bowl of fettuccine alfredo. Wondering how in the world fettuccine alfredo could possibly have fat and calories cut from it? Here's the secret:

• Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese: used to make the sauce thick and rich
• Parmesan cheese: It's a strong cheese that packs a lot of flavor, so less cheese can be used.
• Low-fat milk: Instead of cream the sauce is thickened with low-fat milk and flour, cutting 150 calories per serving with that alone.
  

Let's get to it! Here's what you'll need (for 4 servings):

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for topping if desired
• 3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 12 oz fettuccine
• freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook two minutes less than what the box says to cook it. (The pasta will continue to cook when the sauce is added to it.) Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the minced garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 tsp salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel or cream cheese and the Parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
2. When the pasta is cooked, save 1 cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the saved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine. Add more cooking water as needed to loosen the pasta. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with Parmesan and pepper.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 490 Fat: 15 g Cholesterol: 48 mg Sodium: 734 mg Carbohydrates: 66 g Fiber: 3 g Protein: 20 g

Lighten Up! - Chicken Potpie

image via foodnetwork.com

The Food Network has trimmed down a comfort-food favorite. Woo hoo! They were able to cut about 235 calories and 24 grams of fat per serving from the classic potpie. And I think it tastes the same. I love that part! WARNING: This dish can be time consuming. Emphasis on the word "can". If you prepare all your ingredients and get everything measured the process will be a lot quicker. You can prepare the chicken, potatoes, and crust earlier in the day and store them in the fridge till you need them. The total prep time is about 1 hour (that includes baking the potatoes), and after all is said and done it takes about 2 hours to make this dish. But it is totally worth it!

Gadgets You Will Need

• food processor, electric mixer, or KitchenAid
• pastry brush
• 2-quart casserole dish
• baking sheet or cookie sheet
• rolling pin

Ingredients (Crust)

• 1 c. flour, plus a little more for dusting
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp milk

Tip: When I make this dish again I am going to do one and a half of the crust recipe to make it bigger. (So 1 1/2 c. flour, 6 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp milk, etc. My crust didn't look like theirs. I had to stretch mine super thin and far and it started to tear. I needed just a little bit more. If you do this you can use 2 eggs, since it's hard to half an egg. But you can definitely try it!

Ingredients (Filling)

• 2 small potatoes
• 4 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 to 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (I didn't use the thyme)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (I didn't use the onion. Not big fans over here.)
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/3 c. milk
• 3 stalks celery, sliced (I didn't use the celery. I don't like it so my husband didn't get any of it either. Sorry, Dear!)
• 3 c. shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
• 1/2 c. fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1 c. frozen peas (I used more peas to make up for the celery and onion)
• 1/2 c. minced fresh parsley (I didn't use the parsley)
• salt and pepper
  

Directions

1. Prepare the crust: In your food processor pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. I just use my little 4-cup chopper/processor and it works great for this. (Don't have a food processor? An electric mixer will work just fine. If using your KitchenAid use the paddle attachment.) Add the butter one piece at a time, pulsing until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Separate the egg and refrigerate the egg white for later use. Beat the egg yolk and milk together in a bowl then add to the food processor, pulsing until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Making the filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then peel and break into small pieces.
3. Bring the chicken broth, carrots, and thyme to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook 2 minutes; cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. (Because I didn't use onion I skipped this part all together. I didn't use the oil at all in this dish.) Sprinkle in the flour and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. (I just added the flour but didn't toast it.) Add the milk, celery, potato pieces, and the warm broth mixture and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chicken, yogurt, peas, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the filling to a 2-quart casserole dish. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick and slightly larger than the dish (see photo). Beat the egg white you saved in the fridge and brush over the dough. Season with salt and pepper. Press the dough against the sides of the dish. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition Information (makes 6 servings - each serving 1 1/2 cups)

Calories: 482 Fat: 19 g Cholesterol: 137 mg Fiber: 5 g Carbohydrates: 47 g Protein: 31 g Sodium: 795 g

Weekend Foodie Review: The Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread

There are few times in my life where I have come across a food that I could just die over. A product that brings me to the point of closing my eyes and focusing on that magical moment that I so badly want to last forever. Two days ago I had such an experience with this stuff: The Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread.

Here's how it happened: My mom and I were at Sam's Club picking up a few random items when we entered the produce department. There were probably five or six little stands where Sam's Club employees were handing out food samples. I happened to come across a stand with this delicious spread over crackers. I tried a cracker...and decided at that moment that my life would never be the same.

I wish I could thoroughly describe the awesomeness that is this cheese spread. It is so creamy and has an amazing flavor. Each pack comes with eight little "wedges" of cheese (35 calories a piece, I might add) that you can put on anything from crackers to carrot sticks to flour tortillas...The Laughing Cow website even gives a variety of recipes with this cheese, like Garlic and Herb Veggie Pizza. Click here if you'd like to learn more.

Now that my mouth is watering for some cheese and crackers, it's time for me to tell you to go out and get some of your own! You can buy it at any grocery story. You won't be let down!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

I love casseroles because they are so darn easy. There are some nights where it's just really hard to stay in the kitchen for awhile preparing dinner. My husband and I tried this casserole from Campbell's soup recently and it turned out great! It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and less than a half hour to bake. Not only is it easy to make but it's packed full of protein and all those veggies we all need. Everybody will be happy with this one!

Ingredients

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. frozen mixed veggies
• 2 c. cubed cooked chicken

Here's the thing with the chicken: I used shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken I bought at Walmart. Why, you ask? I bought that chicken to use in a light chicken potpie dish that I will be posting the recipe for next and I had the perfect amount of rotisserie chicken left for this casserole. So I recommend buying a large rotisserie chicken to make this casserole, then save the rest for the chicken potpie recipe I'll be posting or for sandwiches or another dish! But it's up to you, of course. :)

• 2 c. medium egg noodles

A lot of readers have asked for ways these dishes can be cut down in calories. For this dish we used Ronzoni healthy harvest whole grain egg noodles instead of white egg noodles. Your family will get the extra whole grain they need and you cut down on fat and calories at the same time. And we couldn't even taste the difference!

• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (You can also cut the cheese down to cut calories.)
  

Directions

1. Begin by cooking the egg noodles. (Check out the directions on the back of the bag, but they only need to cook about 6 minutes.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees in the mean time.
2. While the noodles are cooking, get a medium sized bowl and stir together the soup, milk, vegetables, chicken, pepper, and parmesan cheese. When the noodles are done cooking, strain and rinse them then add them to the soup mixture in the bowl. Stir together.
3. Place the mixture in a 1 1/2-quart or a 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. Then take it out of the oven and sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top. Allow the cheese to melt a little before serving.

Lighten Up! - Lemon Chicken (Crock Pot)

It's time for another light dish that we love. We're talking 150 calories per serving. This is lemon chicken made in the crockpot. The crockpot makes the chicken so juicy and tender. Yum! I heated up some garden green beans to go along with our chicken. The whole meal was very refreshing and delicious. I cut the recipe in half for just Tyson and I. We had one piece leftover and Tyson took it to work for lunch the next day. PS This recipe comes from the cookbook Fix It and Forget It Lightly. Also, I used the same amount of liquid that the recipe calls for regularly, even though I cut the recipe in half. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough liquid in the crockpot for the chicken to keep from drying out.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
• 2 tsp chicken buillon granules (paste or granules, or 2 cubes)
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Directions

1. Pat thawed chicken with paper towels to dry it off. Combine oregano, seasoned salt, and pepper. Rub over the chicken.
2. Brown the chicken in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then place the chicken in the crockpot.
3. Combine water, lemon juice, garlic, and buillon in skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen the browned bits. Pour over the chicken.
4. Cover the chicken and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
5. Baste the chicken and add the parsley, if desired. Remove the lid and cook for another 15-30 minutes, allowing the juices to thicken slightly.
6. Serve the chicken and juices over rice or with sides such as veggies, rolls, or whatever sounds good to you!

XOXOXO

I have two valentines this year: my husband, and then I asked this guy to be my valentine. And he said yes:

My 10-month-old little guy, Brycen, was happy to receive his Mickey and heart-shaped sucker for his first Valentine's Day.

***

And how about a special treat to help celebrate the day? Throughout the week I've shared all sorts of fun ideas for this day of love. Our final v-day treat comes from allrecipes.com. My friend Kristen gave me this tip last week, and it's a good one! They're called Sweetheart Cupcakes and they're so cute. The fun thing about these cupcakes is you can get creative with them for other holidays and make them all sorts of colors.

image via allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 1/4 c. water
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• 8 drops red food coloring
• 2 drops raspberry candy oil (or raspberry extract found in grocery store)
• 1 container of white frosting
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Beat cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes until smooth. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with the white batter; set aside.
3. Stir 4 drops of red food coloring into the remaining bowl of batter to to make the batter pink, then stir in the raspberry oil. Pour 1/3 of that pink batter into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
4. Mix more food coloring (about 4 more drops) into the remaining bowl of pink batter until it is a red color and pour the batter into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a corner off the bag, stick the open tip into the center of each cupcake liner of white batter and squeeze in about 2 tablespoons of red batter.
5. Cut a corner off the bag with pink batter, stick the open tip in the center of the red batter and squeeze about 1 tablespoon of pink batter into each cupcake liner.
6. Bake the layered cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Day 8: Valentine Chex Mix

image via chex.com

Let's just keep these fun Valentine's Day treats going!

I love how many different Chex mix recipes there are on the Chex website. Don't red, white, and pink make a lovely Chex mix? I love a holiday where a Chex mix is involved. And this one really is quite delish. It's a fun treat that the whole family will love, and also fun to put in little bags for a visiting teaching treat or for a friend. Another yummy option is to make the gooey Chex treat from back in December and just use Valentine's Day m&m's instead of Christmas m&m's.

Ingredients

• 9 c. Rice Chex or Corn Chex cereal
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. butter or margarine
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. plain Valentine's Day m&m's
• 1/4 c. red sprinkles

Directions

1. Place the cereal in a large bowl. In a small microwavable bowl, melt white chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter uncovered 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture over the cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
2. Place half the mixture in a 1-gallon food storage bag. Add the powdered sugar, seal, and shake well until coated. Spread on wax paper or foil and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir m&m's and sprinkles into the remaining cereal mixture. Spread on wax paper or foil and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
4. Mix both cereal mixtures together in a serving bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Day 7: Valentine Cut-Out Rice Krispy Treats

image via ricekrispies.com

Growing up my siblings and I always woke up on Valentine's Day to see a valentine from our parents sitting on our dressers. Sometimes they gave us chocolates, other times a stuffed animal or conversation hearts...every year was different. Some years after school we would come home to a fun valentine treat that my mom had made, including rice krispy treats with little pink, red, and white sprinkles on them. When I saw this idea on ricekrispies.com it reminded me of all of those Valentine's Day memories as a kid. This simple treat always puts a smile on my face, even as an adult. I love it when you can make a treat that is fun for both kids and adults!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz, about 40) regular marshmallows OR 4 c. miniature marshmallows
• 6 c. Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal
• food coloring (optional)
• canned frosting or decorating gel
• assorted candies

Stove top Directions

1. In a large saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in food coloring (if desired). Remove from heat.
2. Add the Rice Krispies. Stir until well coated.
3. Press the mixture into a slightly-greased cookie sheet with a buttered spatula, wax paper, or by wetting your hand with water. Let them cool slightly, then take your cookie cutter (coat with cooking spray) and cut out the treats. Decorate with icing and/or candies.

Microwave Directions

1. In a microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on high for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth.
2. Follow steps 2 and 3 above.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Day 6: Sugar Cookies Rated G, PG & PG-13

WARNING: If you get easily offended you might not want to scroll down to view what's coming up! But really, how bad can it be if we're talking about sugar cookies? I almost didn't post these cookies, but then I decided that more people need to know about them. They're just way too fun!

First off, the 'Rated G' cookies. These are the sweet little frosted hearts on the plate. And perfect for the kids! Use royal icing to outline and fill the base of the cookie. Then add dots of another color around the edge and slide a toothpick through each dot.

Next, the 'Rated PG' cookies - the lingerie bra heart shaped cookies. Find some cute sprinkles that can be used to imitate lace. Outline the bra with royal icing, fill it in, and smooth out with a toothpick. Pretty cute, huh!

Finally, the 'Rated PG-13' cookies - the undies. You need matching bottoms for the cute top! (Again, I'm sorry if this is offending anybody. That's why the picture is a little farther down in this post.) I'll let Shelley at howdoesshe.com explain these! In fact, you can get step-by-step directions on all these cookies from their website. Click here for the link to the cookies.

Wouldn't these be a great little treat for your man? They would even be so cute for a bridal shower or bachelor/bachelorette party!

Everybody needs a good sugar cookie recipe. And a lot of people probably already have one. But just in case you don't have one and you want to make these cookies, I'll provide one for you!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 c. flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with the cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Day 5: Red Velvet Cake Balls

My friend Joanie sent me a great tip for an awesome Valentine's Day idea. Remember that recipe for oreo truffles back at Christmas time? Well here's a real treasure for you that is perfect for Valentine's Day and just about as dangerously delicious as the oreo truffles. Bakerella brings us these little balls of red velvet cake dipped in creamy chocolate. Talk about a perfect Valentine's Day treat for your sweetheart! And it sounds like a lot of people make these at Christmas time too. The photo is also from Bakerella. Let's just dive right into this one.

Ingredients (makes about 45-50)

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz)
• 1 package chocolate bark (white, milk or both!)
• wax paper

Directions

1. Bake cake as directed in a 9x13 pan. After the cake is cooled completely, crumble into a large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with the can of frosting. And use your fingers! You'll get it mixed together the best if you use your fingers. It gets a little messy, but messy can be fun!
3. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of quarters. Place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. (You can use a cookie scoop to form the balls, but you'll get a better look if you roll them by hand.)
4. Chill for several hours in the fridge or place them in the freezer for about an hour. (As with the oreo truffles, it is good to do this so they will firm up and be easier to coat in chocolate.)
5. Melt the chocolate in microwave or over a pot of hot water (depending on your preference).
6. Roll the balls in the chocolate and place back on the wax paper on the cookie sheet. Allow the chocolate to cool and dry before serving.
   

A few tips I used with the oreo truffles that you can also use for these:

• Only melt a few pieces of chocolate at a time. When it starts to cool it gets really thick and won't coat the balls well.
• Use a spoon to dip and roll each ball in the chocolate. Then tap off the extra chocolate.
• If the cake balls start to get too soft after coating some of them with chocolate you can put them back in the fridge or freezer to form up again.

Bbq Chicken Wraps

I think it seems only fitting to talk about a meal that is wrapped in a lovely shade of green, in honor of the Super Bowl champs the Green Bay Packers! (Sorry, little sister. I know how much the Steelers mean to you.) Wasn't the game a great one? I was picturing all the parties going on out there and the smorgasbord of food at each one. Party food is the best. What were some of the featured items at your parties? Now that I've brought up the sad news to all you Steelers fans once more and tears have most likely been shed, let's talk about today's recipe. This dish will bring some smiles. It comes from my twin sister, Amber, and her husband, Che'. (Did I mention I have a twin? She's my best pal.) My husband and I were talking to them about quick recipes and they told us about how much they love this one. For a couple that comes home from work late some days they needed something for dinner that they could put together quickly. We loved the idea, and when we tried this wrap we were in heaven! It is so tasty and very filling. (And stay tuned for more Valentine's Day ideas throughout the week!) Ingredients

• Mission brand spinach wraps (found at any grocery store)


• ranch dressing


• Members Mark (Sam's Club freezer section) mesquite grilled chicken breasts (If you don't purchase grocerys from Sam's Club or have a Sam's Club near you, you can always get the Tyson brand of grilled chicken breasts. But I recommend the mesquite if you can find it somewhere!)


• hickory bbq sauce (or your favorite)


• romaine lettuce


• bag of Kraft grated Mexican style four cheese blend

Directions

1. Set one spinach wrap flat on a plate. Squirt about a tablespoon of ranch dressing on the wrap and spread around the entire surface.


2. Take one chicken breast and cook in the microwave according to the time on the bag (about 2 minutes for the Members Mark mesquite chicken). Slice the chicken in small strips (or dice it) and arrange down the middle of the spinach wrap. Then squirt a few drops of the barbecue sauce over the chicken.


3. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken after the barbecue sauce, then top with some romaine lettuce. To roll, fold in the ends on the top and bottom of the wrap where the chicken meets the edges. Take one side of the wrap and tightly bring it around the ingredients in the middle. Continue to roll until the wrap is completely rolled up.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Day 4: Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

This brownie recipe was created with a genuine love for chocolate. It comes from Alma Carey from Florida, who won first place in the Nestle Toll House Share the Very Best Recipe contest in 2000. And they're plump full of layers and layers of chocolatey love. Another thing I like about this recipe: the difficulty level is "Easy". Yes! Just my style. (And thanks to Nestle Toll House's verybestbaking.com for the picture!)

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. baking cocoa (I actually prefer Hershey's cocoa or Nestle Toll House baking cocoa)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, cut in pieces
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs, divided
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c. chopped pecans
• 3/4 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping
• 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in your KitchenAid or with your electric hand mixer until creamy.
3. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Gradually beat in the flour.
4. Take aside 3/4 c. of the batter. Spread the rest of the batter into the greased baking pan. Sprinkle the nuts and white morsels over the batter in the pan. Then drizzle the caramel over the top of that.
5. Beat remaining egg into the batter set aside until the batter is light in color. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spread evenly over the caramel layer.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is set. I baked them for 35 minutes and it was too much. They ended up a little dry. Next time I'll bake them for around 32 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

And here's a cute idea if you need a treat for your visiting teaching or for friends:

This idea comes from Wants and Wishes Design. Individual brownies are wrapped in decorative cellophane then tied with a ribbon. But to insure the brownies stayed pretty they are wrapped in wax paper first. This way the cellophane won't get greasy. Great idea! Thanks, ladies!

Marinated Chicken Tenders

I've always been a big fan of marinating meat. And it's even better when the marinade isn't bad for you! Which brings us to another dish to add to the "Lighten Up" category, so it's going to be low in calories and low in fat. Perfect for those of us trying to watch what we put in our mouths! This dish comes from Elsie in Ohio, a contributor to "Fix it and Forget it Lightly" cookbook. From the looks of the picture below it seems that I made a third of the recipe instead of halfing it. But what we ended up with was perfect for one meal.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. chicken tenders (or chicken breasts - you will be cutting the chicken up in pieces anyway)
• 15-oz bottle fat-free Italian salad dressing
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Directions

1. After getting the chicken thawed (if frozen), rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Cut chicken into 1 inch square pieces and place them in a container that can be covered with a lid or plastic wrap.
3. Pour Italian dressing over meat and marinate for at least 3 hours (see picture below).
   

4. Place flour and seasonings in sturdy plastic bag. Add one-third of the cubed chicken. Toss until all pieces are well coated.
5. Remove the chicken, but keep the flour mixture in the bag. Cook the chicken in the vegetable oil in a good skillet. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon when cooked.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all chicken is cooked.

If you don't want to put the flour coating on the chicken that is also an excellent option! We also make that, and sometimes we put the chicken over spinach leaves and make a yummy salad.

Party Meatballs (Crock Pot)

**May 15, 2013: Hello to all of you who are coming and viewing this recipe!! I've noticed a huge spike in visitors to this recipe over the last couple of days, a lot coming from Facebook. If you're one of those people, could you please leave a comment with the info of where you're all coming from?? I would really appreciate that! Thanks so much for visiting!

The Super Bowl is on Sunday and I have an incredibly easy and delicious appetizer to go along with game day. My husband makes these meatballs for all the family parties on my side, by request from my siblings. Ask any one of them. They all love these meatballs! Normally we use one bag of meatballs when we make these for parties. But this Christmas we decided to surprise my siblings by having twice the amount of meatballs. They were all thrilled, and it was the best Christmas they ever had. Ok, maybe not the BEST Christmas they've ever had. But these meatballs have the ability to make a party that much better! This is another one of those recipes that people will be asking for when you bring this dish somewhere. *By the way, I didn't have a batch of these made up so I picked a photo that looked most like this recipe and borrowed it from culinarycircle.com. Thank you for use of the image!!


Party Meatballs

• 1 bag frozen meatballs (regular-sized bag)
• 1 bottle chili sauce (I've only seen one size of this stuff at the grocery store, maybe around 12-14 oz, but just get the basic one on the shelf.)
• 1 jar grape jelly (Just a small one, not the beasty large one.)

And that's it! Isnt' that crazy? Only three ingredients, including the meatballs. That's just about as good as you can get.


DIRECTIONS

1. Get your crock pot out and dump the bag of frozen meatballs in. Then pour the entire bottle of chili sauce and entire jar of grape jelly over the meatballs.
2. Close the lid and set the crock pot to low. Cook for 7 to 8 hours. Come back and stir the meatballs a couple of times to get the sauce all mixed together well with the meatballs.