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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Product Review: ZonePerfect Greek Yogurt bars

I recently became involved with Influenster. They send trendy people (and the not-so-trendy like yours truly ;) ) different products to test and write reviews. As part of the box I received this week I was able to sample ZonePerfect Greek Yogurt bars.

Here's the deal: they're good. I'm not saying that because I got one for free. I really mean they're good. There was no weird diet food after-taste. If you've eaten "diet" food before, you know what I'm talking about.

There's just one problem: corn syrup. I ate about half of it before my husband grabbed it & finished it off. Only then did I read the ingredient list. My fault, I should have read it before I scarfed half of it down. It was worth having to take an allergy pill though :)

I tried the vanilla berry flavor, but since my husband liked it I may have to get him the raspberry flavor for him to eat as a breakfast on the go. There is a chocolate flavor as well, but he tends to like fruity flavored bars.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Stuffed Peppers

These little guys are divine!

You'll need:
2c cooked rice
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
3Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 peppers
1/2c water
salt & pepper to taste
(You could also add 1/2lb cooked ground beef if you'd like)


Stir the rice, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl. Cut the tops off the peppers & remove the seeds. Cram the peppers full of the rice mixture. Set the peppers in your slow cooker and pour water into bottom.

Set on low for 8 hours.
Yum!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

I got this recipe from here and it's so good I've made it at least once a month since I discovered it. When my family come to visit, they ask for this every time!

You'll need:
1 can biscuits (I use Grands)
1/4c melted butter
1/2c brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon (I add 1/2tsp more)
1tsp vanilla
1 1/2c powdered sugar
2Tbsp milk

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and add the vanilla to your melted butter. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Roll the biscuits in the butter then in the cinnamon mixture, making sure every inch is covered. Place the biscuits in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker with a paper towel then place the lid on top. The paper towel catches the condensation and prevents your rolls from getting soggy. ...Ugh, soggy rolls! Gross!

Cook on low for 2 hours. Mix powdered sugar & milk & pour over rolls when done.


Monday, July 8, 2013

Tex-Mex Calzones

I love spicy foods! I love easy foods! This is a perfect marriage of the two.

You'll need:
1 can pizza dough
1lb ground beef
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1c shredded cheese
taco seasoning

Cook the beef, pepper, and onion. Drain. Add taco seasoning according to package directions.

Unroll pizza crust and cut into fourths. Top one half of each section with the meat and cheese. Fold over and seal edges.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until dough is done.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Hand Trees

I saw an idea a few years back, but I can't remember where I originally saw this posted.

Anyway, I kept this idea in the back of my mind to save for when we have kids. Fast forward a few years and I decided to make this with my sister's kids.

It's really easy. You'll need about a yard or 2 of a solid fabric. Trace the kids hands and arms (to the elbows) on this fabric.

I bought fat quarters in coordinating fabric to cut out leaves and circles. The circles became the clouds. It takes a butt-ton of leaves. If you're not used to this form of measurement, cut out leaves until your hands cramp, stop for the day, start again the next day, and cut out more leaves until your hands cramp again. Then you may have enough.

Mod Podge it all onto a canvas. I think this one is 17x20.

Remember how I said a while back we redid our guest bathroom...well, this fit in nicely with our gray & yellow color scheme! Super happy dance!


Monday, June 24, 2013

Gooey Butter Cake

I have a really hard time with sweets. Most have some form of corn and I can't have them. I really wanted a delicious birthday cake that I didn't have to worry about having a reaction to later. If the cake mix doesn't have it, the frosting does. It made celebrating my birthday a little bit of a hassle. I wanted an easy recipe that my husband could make without having to take all day or use 100 ingredients.

Paula Deen came to my rescue. But, as fate would have it, my oven stopped working 2 days before my birthday. We were able to find a sugar-free cake that didn't have corn syrup (it did, however, have maltodextrin, but I was just so tired of trying to find a cake I just said, "The heck with it") and I saved this recipe until after my oven was fixed.

I did make changes to Paula Deen's recipe because I don't love butter as much as she does and I wanted to make this a little healthier. (I said a little, don't get too excited.) Also, this recipe uses powdered sugar. If you're watching out for corn, be sure to read the ingredients on the package. Most powdered sugar contains corn starch.

You'll need:
1 box Lemon Supreme cake mix (no corn syrup or maltodextrin)
3 eggs
1 1/4 sticks of butter, divided
8oz cream cheese, softened
3c powdered sugar
2tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix with 1 egg and 3/4 stick of melted butter. It will be super thick and have the consistency of cookie dough. Press into a greased 9x13 pan.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/2 stick of melted butter and 2 eggs and beat. Add vanilla and sugar, one cup at a time. Pour onto cake.

Bake 40-50 minutes. It will be soft in the middle.

This recipe saved about 800-900 calories by eliminating 3/4 stick of butter & 1 cup of sugar.