S'mores Cupcakes

The recipe was just ok...but they were so pretty, I had to share these vegan s'mores cupcakes Phil and I whipped up the other day!

http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2008/08/vegan-smores-cupcake-recipe.html

A day in the Garden

My garden is winding down, but I have really enjoyed it this year. I have a few more tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash and am awaiting my pumpkins. We'll see!

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

I found this recipe in the Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook from the American Heart Association. This is nice and can be served as is or over pasta. It serves 8, has only 162 calories and 2.5 grams fat. It takes about 5 minutes to prep.

Ingredients:

2 LBS boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used 5 tomatoes, chopped)
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup chicken broth
1 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Discard all visible fat from chicken. Sprinkle both sides with basil and oregano. Put chicken in 4-quart slow cooker.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Susan's Fresh Garden Spaghetti

I have a plethora of tomatoes and bell peppers in my garden and have been trying to keep up with them. I have filled my freezer as well as Edie's and am now making many of my dishes with fresh tomatoes in lieu of canned. What a concept. Tonight I made spaghetti, much as I used to make it, with a dollop here and a sprinkle there. It was delicious. My problem when I make up recipes is that I rarely measure. This is my attempt at unmeasured spaghetti sauce reproduction.

Ingredients (or as close as I can recall):

20 tomatoes, washed and diced (I didn't peel or seed)
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red onion chopped in the food processor
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/8 cup Italian seasoning
2 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 LBS chicken breast, diced
Italian seasoning
Your favorite pasta

1. Dice the tomatoes, bell pepper and garlic directly in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Continue cooking while you;

2. Cook your pasta

3. Heat olive oil in small skillet. Add chicken. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Cook through. Add to tomato sauce.

Put over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Our New Mary Kay Lady

Hey Everyone,

Our Apron Club Member and my little sister Jeanne is now selling Mary Kay products. The products are wonderful and if you are looking for an equally wonderful beauty consultant, you might want to try Jeanne's site. Let us know what you think.

1jelliott4445@marykay.com

Spicy Pork and Vegetable Soup (Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes)

Edie told me about this recipe and Ron cooked it for me. I do lead the good life. It was really delicious and Ron and Ronny even enjoyed it. This recipe serves 6, has 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein. The guys did not want spinach in theirs, so I just added it to my bowl and it worked great.

Ingredients:
1 LB boneless pork
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
3 cups water
3 medium carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 LB winter squash cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 8 3/4 ounce can whole kernel corn
4 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 cups torn fresh spinach (optional)

1. Cut meat into 1/2 inch cubes. In large skillet brown half of meat in hot oil. Remove meat, set aside. Brown remaining meat with onion, garlic, and paprika.

2. meanwhile, in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker place water, carrots, squash, sweet potato, undrained corn, beef bouillon granules, salt, and red pepper. Stir in all meat and onion mixture. Cover, cook on low heat setting for 10-11 hours or on high heat setting for 5 to 5 1/2 hours.

3. Before serving, add torn spinach to soup and stir until slightly wilted.

Layered Mexican Chicken

This looks kind of pasty white and tasteless when you take it out of the oven. Don't let that fool you. Put on some salsa and enjoy. Very tasty. This recipe serves 12, has 7 grams of fat, 5 grams fiber, 27 grams of protein and 310 calories.

ingredients:
2 Lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 cups fat-free sour cream
2 (151/2 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup salsa

1. Combine chicken and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
3. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and place in large bowl. Add sour cream, beans, chiles, 1 cup cheese, cumin and pepper; combine.
4. Place half of tortilla strips in overlapping layer in bottom of pan. Spoon half of chicken mixture on top. Place remaining tortilla strips over chicken mixture, top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Serve with salsa.