Chocolate Passion Triffle

For my last birthday, my mom got me this glass triffle bowl that is perfect for making layered desserts, salads, or dips. This past weekend was my friend Tiff's birthday, so I decided to make her a triffle to bring to her wine party she was having. I just searched Kraft's website and found this awesome & easy recipe. I read all the reviews and everyone raved about how easy it was and what a great presentation it was for bringing to parties. I made a few alterations: instead of raspberries I used strawberries, and I added two additional layers to the triffle because while picking up some cool whip I spotted the new Cool Whip Dips (pictured below) in strawberry and chocolate flavor that I hadn't seen before. I figured they would make great extra layers! (the chocolate one is realllly good!) I will be making thing again! For one, I love brownies and number two, it looks really impressive as if it took a lot of work, but is really simple!
Btw, it was a hit at the party:)
Ingredients:
1 brownie mix box (+ eggs, water, oil to make brownies--I used applesauce in place of oil)
2 pkgs instant chocolate pudding mix (used sugar free/fat free)
1 c skim milk
1 c cool whip
Sliced strawberries
Strawberry & chocolate Cool Whip Dips (optional)

Directions:
1. Bake brownies according to directions.
2. Cut brownies into 1 inch squares.

3. Add milk to 2 pkgs of chocolate pudding mix. Whisk for 2 minutes or until set.
4. Mix in 1 cup Cool Whip.

5. Slice strawberries

6. Place 1/2 of brownie pieces in bottom of trifle bowl.
7. Spoon 1/2 of pudding mixture onto brownies.
8. Layer 1/2 of strawberries on top of pudding.
9. This is wear I then did the Strawberry Dips layer (using almost the entire container, but saved about 1/3 cup to put on the very top, center).
10. Then I placed the rest of the brownies on top of the Strawberry Dip layer.
11. Layer of Chocolate Dips layer
12. Rest of pudding
13. Rest of strawberries around the remaining Strawberry Dip. (As you can see in the picture, I kept a few pieces of brownie out to put on top).





















You can really layer this triffle any way you'd like! Enjoy!

Semi-Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

I've realized a lot of what I make is "semi-homemade." There are a lot of pre-packaged foods that taste great, are healthy, so I choose to use them as a HUGE time saver! I quickly made this pizza in less than 30 mins this weekend to have while watching football on Sunday. I would have been cooking throughout the entire game if it wasn't for Mama Mary's pizza crusts:)
Ingredients:
Mama Mary's Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 T olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 purple onion
shredded mozz. cheese
favorite BBQ sauce
parsley














Preheat oven to 425
1. Cook chicken breast on stove top; cut into cubes.
2. Lightly brush crust with olive oil.
3. Brush top of crust with BBQ sauce.
4. Spread chopped onion, chicken over BBQ sauce.















5. Cover toppings with mozzarella cheese.
6. Sprinkle with parsley














7. Lower oven to 400 degrees.
8. Place pizza directly on center oven rack.
9. Bake 10-12 minutes

Crock Pot Beans

Wahooooo it's football season!! My family and I have always been fans of football, so Fall ties with Summer for my favorite time of year, because of that reason. Trevor is starting his last season playing for USF, so we went to his 3rd game this past weekend @ the USF stadium.

It's tradition for parents/fans to tailgate in the parking lot before the home games and bring whatever food/beverages you'd like. We brought these Crock Pot Beans and the crock pot was scraped clean before we headed into the game. Several people commented on how good they were. If looking for a recipe to bring to a pot luck type event this is a good choice...(it's especially a hit with the guys!)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. bacon, cooked
1lb ground beef, browned

1 onion, chopped

1 c ketchup

3/4 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c vinegar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp worchestershire

1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can chick peas, drained
1 can butter beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 large can Bush's baked beans
Crock pot















Directions:
1. Brown onion, burger, bacon. Drain. Chop bacon into 1/2 inch squares















2. Add ALL ingredients to crock pot. Stir to combine.

3. Cook on low for about 8 hours (I just plugged it in overnight!)

EASY!

Laughing Turkey Wrap

Hopefully this title was an attention graber:) It's a goofy name, but I wanted to take a minute to tell you all about a match made in heaven. It is...drum rollll...Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges and Light Flat Out Wraps!!!(pictured below) This really shouldn't be considered a recipe, but variations of this wrap have become a lunch staple for me. I often bring my lunch to work, and this is a good way to jazz up the boring turkey sandwich. Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges are spreadable, soft cheese wedges that come in original flavor or a few others (ie. Garlic & Herb, etc.) I have tried them all and love them! They are great on wraps, crackers, in sauces. The bonus part is they are only 35 calories a wedge, so work well as a cheese slice alternative. The Flat Out Wraps also come in a few different flavors (I think there is a multi-grain or tomato. I used Italian in this one) and are 90-100 calories.

The nice thing about this quick lunch fix is that I often make a cold version if I'm taking my lunch to work.

What you'll need:

Flat Out Wrap

1 Laughing Cow Cheese wedge

diced onions (or mushrooms, olives, peppers,etc)

Deli Turkey (or ham, chicken)

Cooking Spray
Sour cream & Salsa (optional)

Directions:
1. Spray pan w/nonstick spray and heat diced onions for a few minutes (until golden)

2. Meanwhile, Spread wrap with Laughing Cow (@ this same time, sometimes I heat the turkey in the pan with the onions or throw it in the micro for a few seconds to make sure it gets heated all the way through when inside the wrap).

3. Layer wrap with onion and about 4-5 slices turkey

4. Fold ends in burrito style.

5. Place in sprayed pan seem-side down.

6. Heat on medium-low for a few minutes each side (Until browned)

7. Slice and Eat!

Apple Walnut Bread

Ok...apple recipe #3: Apple Bread. It is obvious that I like making quick breads. They are super easy and I love them for breakfast or just snacking. A loaf doesn't last long around me! Again, with this recipe, I think the apples are the best part..so next time I will add more!
MAKES 2 LOAVES
Ingredients:
3 c all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c vegetable oil (I used unsweetened apple sauce instead, and used a little over 1/2c)
2 c sugar (I used half&half sugar & Splenda)
2 eggs, beaten (used egg beaters)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c apples, peeled, chopped
1 cup coarsley chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, bakign soda/powder, salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, place oil (or applesauce), sugar, eggs, vanilla, apples. Stir to combine.














3. Add wet to dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Add walnuts.














5. Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans.
6. Bake @ 350 for 40 mins. (I baked mine a few minutes less).Remove from pans, cool on wire rack.

Caramel-Apple Nut Bars

In the spirit of autumn quickly approaching, I am adding two apple recipes. (I mentioned earlier that my family has a boat-load of apples right now, so I've found a couple of recipes to use some of them up..along with the apple pie recipe previously posted).

This first apple recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens. I altered a few things, however...I used about double the amount of apples it called for, and I think it still could have used more! The moist, caramelly-apples were the best part, so feel free to load the apple layer up! PS- I thought these even tasted better the next day

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

2 c quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar (I used half b.sugar, half splenda brown sugar)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c butter (This is a LOT of butter..I only used half! The bars were a bit crumbly, but I enjoyed them w/less butter, so feel free to experiment)

1/2 c caramel topping (used sugar free caramel topping--picture below)

3 T flour

1 c apples, chopped (**Use @ least 3 cups! The more the better in my opinion)

1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 13x9 pan

2. In large bowl, beat 2 c flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, butter with a mixer on low until crumbly.

3. Press about 3 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. (I pressed it firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup). Bake 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix caramel topping and 3 T flour.

5. Sprinkle apple and pecans over partially baked crust.

6. Drizzle with caramel mixture.

7. Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.

8. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Cut/serve.

Nutrit Info: This info was from the original recipe, so if using the alterations I used, they will be lower in calories/fat...

1 bar: Calories-160, fat-8g, carbohydrates-21g, sodium- 130mg

Semi-Homemade Salsa

Welcome to my first-ever attempt at making salsa! Because I was a little intimidated by the process, I decided to go with a 'semi-homemade' approach for my first timer salsa experience. It was a success! I ended up using a package of salsa mix, but I added in 1 can of black beans and 2 ears of sweet corn. I love this salsa!! The only tedius part about it was peeling the skins from the tomotes...have plenty of paper towels around, because juice goes evvvverywhere:)















The picture above shoes the only ingredients you'll need! (along with the 18--or so--tomatoes pictured below).















Ingredients:
18 medium tomatoes
1 pkg Mrs. Wages create salsa mix (I used the Medium pkg and it is plenty spicy for me)
1/2 c apple cider or white vinegar
2 ears sweet corn (optional)--I just microwaved them for a few minutes before cutting them off the cobs
1 can black beans (optional)--I recommend the corn & beans!!
















1. First bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes for 10 minutes.
You will begin to see some of the skins splitting. This is what you want, as the next step is to peel the skins off of the tomatoes.















3. Next take the tip of your knife and carve a small circle around the center of the tomatoe, where the stems are; remove.
















4. Dice the tomatoes and add to the empty pot. (Drain the water from the boiling of the tomatoes first).














5. Add remaining ingredients to the tomatoes.
















6. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. THATS IT!!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

Put the lime in the coconut and...make banana bread?? Here is a recipe for banana bread with a twist..of lime. It sounds interesting, but if you are a fan of coconut you will definately enjoy this moist quick bread. This recipe makes a tall, large loaf that is very moist and filled with the sweetness of coconut and banana. The glaze is really good when the bread is fresh and gives it a sweet sort of tang on top.

*While baking, I decided to leave the bread in the oven about 10 mins longer than called for, because it was still pretty gooey inside. Even when I took the bread out I was worried it was undercooked, but once it cooled it was the perfect moistness.
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used light sour cream instead)
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.
4. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute).

5. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended.
7. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

8. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

9. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut.

10. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (I baked about 10 minutes longer, because I was worried the middle was too gooey)
Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan.

See what I mean by a large, tall loaf! (I had to move it to the top rack because it was rising up into the above rack).

For Glaze: Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

Nutrit. Info:

Makes 16 Servings

Calories- 193, Fat-4.5g, Protein-2.9g, Carb- 35g, Sodium-179 mg