Lemon Feta Chicken

*Another Weight Watchers Winner!!!  Crazy Easy and so yummy! Got it from www.skinnytaste.com

The direct link for this recipe (with pretty pictures)  is...
Lemon Feta Chicken with Oregano


I made this exactly as directed and we served it diced over spinach with feta sprinkled over the top and balsalmic vinagrette spray salad dressing.

Ingredients:  

• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tsp oregano
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Trim all fat off chicken. Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and lemon juice. Place in a roasting pan and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes. When chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle with feta.

Broil on low for about 2-3 minutes, until cheese is golden brown (careful not to burn).

Slow Roasted Pernil

We are on the Weight Watchers quest to find good recipes.  I have found a website that has not let us down so I wanted to share what we have tried.  Every recipe has been amazing and so easy!  Win - Win!

I was a bit hesitant with this one, even as I prepared it I was concerned there wasn't enough liquid or flavor, but it was delicious and I didn't even marinate it overnight like suggested.  It is a great crockpot recipe!
The website is www.skinnytaste.com and she has beautiful pictures to go with each recipe.

On the website she even lists the points for each recipe...

This is the exact link for this recipe if you want to go directly there...
Skinny Slow Cooked Pernil

Ingredients:  

• 3 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
• 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 3 oranges, juice of (1/2 cup)
• 2 limes, juice of

Directions: 

Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pork and stuff holes with half of the crushed garlic. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Place in the ceramic part of the crock pot, cover and refrigerate, turning pork occasionally so the marinade covers all of pork.


The next day, remove the crock pot and cook on low, 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks. Remove liquid from crock pot and add pork back to crock. Add about 1 cup of the liquid back and adjust salt, pepper and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

***Ours was a little salty and I only had 1 lime so I didn't add as much lime juice as called for.  I will reduce the salt in half next time and possibly just add salt to taste after shredding the pork.

I served ours in tortillas for the kids with cheese and salsa, for my husband he ate it over spinach with salsa and jasmine rice.

Laura's Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

** I got this recipe from Kim and I always forget where I wrote it down, so I figured I would post it here for easy finding.  And I think it came from her sister Laura -- so when you think they are delicious, thank them!!

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soft margarine
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Hershey's kisses
(1 bag did exactly one batch of cookies)

Mix sugars, peanut butter, margarine, shortening and egg.  Then add dry ingredients after blending.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Press kiss into center of cookie immediately after taking out of oven.

YUM!! 

White Chicken Chili

4 Cups Northern Beans
2 lbs. Cooked Chicken cubed
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 medium onion chopped
1-  4 oz can green chilis
2 T. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 cups cream

Put everything in a crock pot on low for at least 4 hours.  You can make this on the stove as well and just cook for 1 hour over med/low heat after bringing to a boil.

Boston Cream Pie

This cake is so delicious and it looks pretty fancy, but is easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix
oil and eggs according to cake mix directions

1 large instant vanilla pudding
1 tub of Cool Whip

8 oz chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream (not whipped)


Instructions:

Bake the cake mix according to directions in a 9x13 pan.  Cool and remove from the pan. 

Slice it across the middle, and then put the bottom back in the pan or on a platter.

Mix up the pudding using only two cups of milk.  Fold in the tub of whipped topping.  Spread on to the bottom layer of cake and then add the top layer.

Put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl.  Bring the whipping cream just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over the chocolate chips.  Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir with a small whisk.  When it gets shiny you know you are almost done.  Let it cool for just a minute or so, then pour on top of the cake.

Put the whole thing in the fridge for at least an hour.  YUM!

Rice Krispies 4- Layer Bars

I got this recipe from a teacher and tried it tonight.  It was delicious.  Hope you enjoy

24	48	INGREDIENT:
¾C	1½C	Butter, softened
¾C	1½C	Brown Sugar
1	2	Egg Yolk
1¼C	2½C	Flour
2 C	4 C	Rice Krispies®, divided
14 oz	28 OZ	Vanilla Caramels (about 48)
3 T	6 T	Milk
2 C	4 C	Semi-Sweet Chocolate
½ C	1 C	Pecans, toasted/coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large bowl combine butter & brown sugar; stir in egg yolk. 

2.  Stir in flour & 1 cup of RICE KRISPIES. 

3.  Spread mixture into 13x9 baking pan lined with foil. 

4.  Bake at 350º for 18-20 minutes or until light brown.

5.  In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine caramels & milk. 

6.  Cook, uncovered, at medium (50% power) for 4-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until melted & smooth. 

7.  Spread melted caramel atop crust layer.  Chill until firm. 

8.  In a medium bowl place chocolate morsels; cook, uncovered, at medium (50% power) for 2-3 minutes, stirring once until melted & smooth.

9.  Spread half the chocolate mixture over caramel. 

10.                   Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cereal & pecan pieces. 

11.                   Drizzle remaining melted chocolate evenly over cereal mixture. 

12.                   Let stand until chocolate is set.  

San Diego Temple Chicken

Brett and I went to the San Diego Temple recently. After a wonderful experience there, we decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria. The chicken we ate there was sooooo good. I asked the cook if he would share the recipe with me. He didn't give me any exact measurements, but from his instructions, I was able to recreate it at home. Enjoy!

1 sweet onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

Saute onion with spices in 2 T. olive oil until softened. Remove the onion and spices to a plate. Brown chicken 8 chicken thighs in the pan with all the juices. Remove chicken and add slices of a red and green pepper to the pan along with the onion and spices again. Place chicken in crock pot and put the contents of the pan on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve with rice.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

We LOVED this soup!  Once again, I found it on allrecipes.com I made a few small changes but made "as is" it would be just as good!

Ingredients


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1 pound cooked, cubed chicken breast
4 cups chicken broth
1 (16 ounce) package mini potato gnocchi
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
2 cups half-and-half cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1.Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.

2.Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes.

3.Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup. Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

**I couldn't find mini gnocchi, so I just cut each one in half and they were perfect.  I also forgot the spinach - but I did add some the next day to my serving at lunch and it was delicious but the soup was just as tasty without it.  (and I didn't add the cornstarch - I was out - but the soup did thicken a bit without it and just with the cream.)

Pumpkin Spice Bread

*This recipe made 3 loaves for our family.  I found it on allrecipes.com

So YUMMY and SO moist!

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup water

Directions
1.In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely.

Creamy Angel Food Frosting

1 3/4 heavy whipping cream
1 box instant french vanilla pudding
1 cup milk

Be sure cake has cooled completely before making frosting. Then cut the cake into two layers. Chill beaters and bowl before whipping 1 3/4 pints of whipping cream. Beat until stiff and return to the refrigerator. (be careful you don't over beat)


Beat 1 small box of instant French vanilla pudding and 1 cup cold milk until creamy, just enough to fold into whipping cream. Fold pudding into whipping cream at once, frosting cake right away, as frosting sets quickly. (the frosting won't get stiff though, it will be creamy but firm.)

Store in refrigerator. Add fruit of your choice at last minute. (Example: slice strawberries in half and press into frosting all around.)

 *We added the strawberries right away, somehow I missed that last detail.  But it was just fine and the strawberries stayed in place perfectly.

**I found this recipe on cooks.com and I cut the recipe in half.  We definitely had enough frosting for two cakes and I packed tons of frosting in the middle and all around.