Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Melissa's Notes: These cookies are so good! And I love that they're different than any other cookie you normally make. My husband is a huge chocolate fan, and he says he loves these cookies just as much as his Mom's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. Make it with or without the icing, they're great either way.

recipe courtesy of Katie

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. pumpkin
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375. Cream sugar and shortening together then add pumpkin and egg. Mix dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet while making the icing.

Brown Sugar Icing

3 Tbsp. butter
4 tsp. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Cook first three ingredients in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cool and add 1 cup powdered sugar and 3/4 tsp. vanilla. Ice cookies while frosting is still warm.

Sauteed Shredded Zucchini

Melissa's Notes: This is a great side dish that is super easy, but just a little fancier than your usual sauteed vegetables. It's good to mix things up a bit. I bought the zucchini when it was on sale, then shredded it in my Cuisinart and froze what I didn't use in the side dish to put in soups and such.

Sauteed Shredded Zucchini

1-2 zucchini shredded (if you don't have a cuisinart, you can use a plain old cheese grater)
1-2 Tbsp. shallot, or onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1-2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute shallot or onion in the butter for about 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add zucchini and salt and pepper. Saute for another couple minutes, and then stir in whipping cream. Start with 1 Tbsp. and add more as needed. Voila!

Steak Sandwiches

Melissa's Notes: Another easy meal that is so tasty! You kind of feel like you're eating out with this one, but paying so much less! I bought these ciabatta rolls from Albertson's that you take home and finish baking in your oven, and they really give you that fresh bread experience. I don't know if this is a very kid friendly meal (at least for younger kids), but James and I loved it. Serve with oven fries, or sweet-potato fries.

Steak Sandwich

1 rib-eye steak (about an inch thick)
McCormick steak seasoning (or another brand that you like)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. ketchup
ciabatta rolls
sliced tomatoes
lettuce

Cut the steak in half crosswise, so you have two thinner steaks (kind of like butterflying, I think). Sprinkle both sides generously with steak seasoning. Cook at medium high heat on an oiled grill pan, about 3 minutes each side. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and a little bit of steak seasoning in bowl. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the ciabatta rolls. Top rolls with steak, tomatoes, and lettuce (or anything else that sounds good to you). Use the rest of the mayonnaise mixture to dip your fries in!

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Melissa's Notes: I made this last week for Sunday dinner and it was great, it made good leftovers too (in James' opinion, the leftovers were better!). Although, I didn't think it was really "tangy", and I probably would use a little more salt next time I make it. You could do a double duty dinner with this and have pork sandwiches for the second dinner. I added purple potatoes to the crockpot, and you have to do this, the potatoes may have been the best part!! Serve over egg noodles or rice. We served it with jello and sauteed shredded zucchini.

recipe courtesy of All Recipes

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Pumpkin Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Melissa's Notes: These were so good that I don't think I can make them again because I end up eating way too many! But if you need to bring a dessert somewhere this Fall, and you can share them without bringing home too many leftovers, make these!! I didn't have nutmeg or cloves on hand, so I used allspice instead. If you like pumpkin desserts, you will love this.

recipe courtesy of Favorites

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin till light and fluffy (Once I added the pumpkin, it got super runny, so I would beat the eggs, sugar, and oil until light and fluffy, and then add the pumpkin). Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, soda, and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture. Spread in greased 10x15 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz. cream cheese
1 c. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.

Coca-Cola Cake and Frosting

Melissa's Notes: I made this for James' birthday yesterday. It's a lot like Texas Sheet Cake-super moist and sweet. For James, I added a bit more cocoa then the recipe calls for, I just used heaping tablespoonfuls instead of measuring exactly. Also, I left out the marshmallows, but I'm sure that would be a really good addition. And no nuts for James, it gets in the way of the chocolate! Try this, you won't regret it!

recipe courtesy of Favorites cookbook

Coca-Cola Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. Coke (not diet)
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows

Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Melt butter in saucepan, add Coke and cocoa and bring to a boil. Let cool for 5 minutes or so. Blend in buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 35 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle marshmallows and bake an additional 3-5 min. until melted. Cool cake and frost with Coca-Cola Frosting.

Coca-Cola Frosting

1/2 c. butter
6 Tbsp. Coke
2 Tbsp. cocoa
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. nuts (optional)

Melt butter. Add Coke and cocoa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and mix into powdered sugar. Add vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread onto cake and top with nuts, if desired. (The frosting is pretty thin, but don't worry, that's how it's supposed to be!)

Loaded French Bread Pizzas

Melissa's Notes: So I love this recipe because I'm a big fan of recipes that have a lot of veggies in them, but it doesn't seem like it, and it's still very satisfying to eat. I don't think my kids would really eat this, but it would be easy enough to just make a cheese french bread pizza for the kiddos along side the grown up version.

recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
2 links sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)
1 loaf french bread (I used the skinny kind)
mozzarella cheese, shredded.

Preheat oven to 425. While oven is heating, add olive oil to skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, onions, and pepper and cook until veggies are soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the veggies during this at some point. Add the italian sausage and brown, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add in your marinara sauce and heat through. Cut your french bread into 4-6 "boats". Top with the sauce and shredded mozzarella. Bake in oven until cheese browns, about 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Dip

Melissa's Notes: This is a nice alternative to the same old seven layer dip for tortilla chips. It is a Mexican twist on hummus, so it would go very nicely with pita bread as well. My brother Jeff, who is a connoisseur of anything resembling nachos, liked the dip, success!

recipe courtesy of Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook

1 c. packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped red onion
2 14.5-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1 bag tortilla chips

In a food processor, process the cilantro, garlic, and onion until finely minced. Add the cannellini beans, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, milk, salt, and pepper and process until a smooth puree forms. Transfer to a serving bowl, stir in the tomatoes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before serving. Remove the dip from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. Accompany with tortilla chips. (Makes enough dip for 1 bag of chips)

Corn Chowder

Melissa's Notes: I've tried a lot of different recipes for Corn Chowder, and most of the time, it just doesn't do it for me. But when I had my second child, Annie, my good friend Jen brought this over for dinner one night and it was delicious! So even if you don't get excited at the thought of Corn Chowder, give this one a try, it might just change your mind. Serve with Cornbread Muffins.

recipe courtesy of Jen

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1/2 c. flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 c. fat-free half and half
1 c. onions, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
2 c. potatoes, cubed (I used yukon gold)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 can corn

Melt butter and add flour, quickly stirring. Cook about 1 minute, then slowly add chicken broth and half and half, continually stirring. Add the salt, and all the vegetables, except corn. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender. Add extra chicken broth or milk if soup is too thick. Add the canned corn, and heat through. This makes enough for 6-8 adult servings.

Cornbread Muffins

Melissa's Notes: These are so good! I just finished off my fifth muffin (three yesterday, two today), yikes! My girls loved these too, Natalie wanted three last night at dinner. I made them with Corn Chowder, it was a great combination. They were also super easy to whip up, they use only one bowl, and if you use muffin cups, you don't even have to wash the pan!

recipe courtesy of Favorites cookbook

Ingredients

2/3 c. cornmeal
1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil and milk and stir just until moistened. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with Pam, or lined with muffin cups. Fill a little more than half full. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. If you want mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken Tacos w/ Mango Salsa

Melissa's Notes: I had a bit of help coming up with this recipe from a Trader Joe's cookbook, it's so easy and delicious, my favorite combo! James raved about this, and I made quesadillas with the chicken for my kids, Annie's was gone before I even sat down to the table. I served it with corn on the cob...yum!

Pineapple Salsa Chicken:

chicken tenders
Pineapple salsa from Trader Joe's (or something similar)
flour or corn tortillas
mild cheddar or pepper jack cheese, grated

Heat oven to 375. Put chicken tenders in a baking dish and cover with salsa, you don't even need to defrost them! Cook about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Warm tortillas. Cut up chicken and put in tortillas. Top with cheese, melt in microwave if needed. Top with mango salsa.

Mango and Avocado Salsa:

1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 avocado, cubed
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Summer Tomato and Basil Soup w/ Grown-up Grilled Cheese

Melissa's Notes: This meal was soooo good. I am not a huge fan of tomato soup (esp. the Campbell's soup kind), but I love the tomato soup at Nordstroms Cafe. My Mom bought this cookbook years ago, and I finally tried this recipe, YUM! I made up the grilled cheese recipe myself (I know, not so hard to do, but you have to start small), and it was so satisfying to eat together. It got rave reviews from hubby and kids, they ate it all up! A winner in my book if my 2 year old is getting some vegetables in her. I halved this recipe and it still made plenty. I love that you don't need fresh basil to make the soup, very convenient. And I am positive that if you left the whipping cream out it would still be super good (for the health conscious).

courtesy of Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook
For the soup:
1/3 cup EVOO
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. dried basil
3 28-oz. cans whole Italian-style tomatoes in puree
1 14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons

In a 6-8 quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, onion, and dried basil and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes, including the puree, and the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Remove from the heat. Puree the soup in the saucepan using a wand type immersion blender or working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the cream, and place over medium heat. Warm until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into a warmed soup tureen or individual bowls, garnish with the basil, and serve immediately.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (my own recipe)

fresh French bread from the store
Havarti cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese (I just used the Kraft kind)

Assemble the sandwiches by cutting thick slices of bread, and putting about 2 slices cheese on each. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Melt some butter and olive oil together on skillet. Put sandwiches on skillet, and flip right away to make sure the butter/oil mixture soaks in on both sides. Sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan. Get another skillet and squish down the bread, leaving the skillet on top (kind of like Panini). When browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Smoosh the bread again so it's a nice thin sandwich.

Southwest Burgers with Guacamole

Melissa's Notes: A nice twist on a classic, sometimes you just need to change things up a bit!

Ingredients

1 lb. hamburger
1-2 Tbsp. taco seasoning blend (I used Blend it Up Southwest blend, you can buy it at Costco)
Monterey Jack cheese
sliced tomato

For the Guacamole:

1 avocado
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Mix hamburger with southwest seasoning, grill outside or on a grill pan. Top with cheese, tomatoes and guacamole. Makes 4 burgers.

Root Beer Can Chicken

Melissa's Notes: We had this tonight and it was sooooo good! James wanted to try a barbecue recipe that was more of a slow-cooked meat, so we tried this one out. The whole family loved it and we can't wait to try it again. We served it with coleslaw and mashed red potatoes, it would be good with roasted red potatoes, but I left it too late, so I didn't have time to roast them in the oven.

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Root Beer Can Chicken

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Melissa's Notes: I kind of tried this recipe on a whim. That day, I received a loaf of homemade bread from some cute girls in my ward, and as I was perusing a new recipe book I had checked out from the library I came across this. I haven't had a lot of bread pudding in my life, but I have had a couple dishes at restaurants that were so yummy. This was easy and so satisfying as a dessert. Especially with vanilla ice cream on top!

courtesy of Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals

Ingredients

3 cups milk (I used non-fat, but I'm sure you can use anything from skim to heavy whipping cream)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
one 13-14 inch loaf soft crust supermarket Italian bread, cut into small cubes
3 large eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
whipped cream or ice cream, to top

1. Heat 1 cup milk in a small saucepan over low heat until bubbles begin to form at the edge. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until the chocolate has melted; stir to combine.
2. Arrange the bread cubes in a buttered 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy; whisk in the remaining 2 cups milk, the sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined; stir in the chocolate mixture. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture; pour the rest evenly over the bread. Set aside, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Uncover the baking dish and pour the reserved chocolate mixture evenly over the bread. Bake in the center of the oven until the bread has puffed and is set throughout, about 20 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Breakfast Parfaits

Melissa's Notes: Natalie picked out a picture from a cookbook we got from the library and told me she wanted to make these. They were fun for the girls to make themselves, and they looked so good, I had to try one for myself. It was really good, and I'm not even a big yogurt fan. Try making these with your little ones!

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray's Yum-O

yogurt
cereal
fruit

Layer the yogurt, cereal, and fruit in glasses. Enjoy! Can't get any simpler than this. =)

Tangy Garlic and Sour Cream Marinated Chicken

Melissa's Notes: This is a great marinade to make chicken a little more interesting when you're getting sick of the same old. I just used chicken tenders, and halved the recipe. I also left out the celery salt, because I didn't have any, and it was still very tasty!

recipe courtesy of The Mormon Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 tsp. lemon pepper
3/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 fryer, cut up, or 6 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients but chicken. Pour over chicken pieces, covering all surfaces. Cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Remove chicken from marinade, and broil on grill or bake in oven set at 350 until tender. (I just pan-fried the chicken).

What Should I Make?

Menu:

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli (recipe follows)
Brown or White Rice
Orange slices and Avocado over butter lettuce, with Asian dressing

Melissa's Notes: This dinner was really good, and really healthy, too. Stir fry takes no time at all, as long as you prep during the day when you get a moment. Sometimes I'll just put all the veggies in a bowl, chopped up, and store it in the refrigerator until it's time for dinner. You could do this with the meat and sauce as well. I love the brown rice in the frozen section at Trader Joe's. You pop it in the microwave for three minutes and it's done, it tastes great! A really good Asian dressing is Brianna's Ginger Mandarin. I halved this recipe and it was enough for James, Annie, and I (Nat was at her cousin's house), plus leftovers for James' lunch.

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli

recipe courtesy of a Junior League Cookbook

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (add more if it needs more salt)
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco (I left this out)
1/4 c. peanut oil (I used Canola)
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 slices fresh ginger (1/2 tsp. powdered)
3 c. broccoli flowerets
1 medium, sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares (I left this out and instead added yellow squash)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I left this out)
1 bunch scallions, slivered
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c. dry roasted cashews (I used honey roasted peanuts)

Combine the cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce, and Tabasco in a small bowl. (I also added some orange juice from the orange I segmented for the salad)

Ten minutes before serving, heat the oil in a hot skillet or wok. When oil is very hot, add chicken and ginger (I used powdered ginger, and coated the chicken with it before putting it in the skillet). Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken turns white. Remove chicken and discard ginger slices.

Place the broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms, scallions, and minced garlic in the skillet. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Combine the chicken and cornstarch mixture with the vegetables and continue stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. Sprinkle with the cashews and serve immediately with steaming hot rice.

Summer Tomato Basil Pasta

Melissa's Notes: This is a perfect summer dinner, especially if you grow your own tomatoes and basil. I don't grow my own tomatoes, but I bought a basil plant at Trader Joe's the other day, and was so excited to use it. I didn't use fresh mozzarella (just the block kind), but I thought it was fine, although fresh would be best, I'm sure.

Summer Tomato Basil Pasta

recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Ingredients
4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced (I used only 2 cloves, and minced them)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (I left this out)
1/4 c. basil chiffonade
salt
1 pound pasta of your choice (I used angel hair), cooked al dente
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and basil, season with salt. Add the pasta and mozzarella and stir to combine.

Amish Friendship Bread

Melissa's Notes:

This bread is so delicious, a friend gave the starter to me and I was so excited because I've had this bread before and LOVE it! And if you don't have a starter, you can make your own, here's how to do it. I added chocolate pudding instead of vanilla, and almond extract instead of vanilla. I also sprinkled some chocolate chips in there, why not? When you have a choc-o-holic husband, there's really no other way to make it!

Amish Friendship Bread

Do not use metal. Do not refrigerate. If air gets in the bag, let it out.

Day 1-received
Day 2-3-4-5-squeeze the bag (knead, don't open the bag, unless to let air out)
Day 6-add 1 c. each: flour, sugar, and milk; squeeze
Day 7-8-9-squeeze the bag
Day 10-Combine in large mixing bowl (not metal) the batter, 1 c. each of flour, sugar, milk. Mix.

Pour (4) 1 cup starters into dated zip lock bags.

Keep 1, give 3 starters to friends with instructions.

To the remaining batter in the bowl add:

1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 large instant vanilla pudding mix

Pour into 2 large, greased and sugared (cinnamon and sugar combination) loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Stick a knife in to make sure it's cooked in the center.

If you have any variations that you've tried that are good, I'd love to hear them, leave a comment!

What Should I Make?

I make dinner about 5-6 times a week. And I like to mix it up. So, I'm often asking the question: what should I make? I thought I would start posting "What Should I Make?" ideas for myself (and hopefully others). That way I can just refer to these when I'm wondering what to make; there will even be a link on my side-bar titled "What should I make?". So here's a menu for a great dinner, that is minimal effort:

The Menu

Easy Grilled Tri Tip
Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe to follow)
Caesar Salad-use a mix or toss romaine lettuce with parmesan cheese and your favorite dressing, add croutons if desired.

Twice Baked Potatoes
this recipe takes awhile, but it's not very labor intensive, you just need to leave enough time for the potatoes to bake in the oven.

Serves 4

2 medium baking potatoes
oil, for rubbing potatoes
2 Tbsp. light sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk (or buttermilk)
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
Cheddar cheese, shredded (for topping potatoes)

Preheat oven to 400. Clean potatoes, rub with oil and prick with a fork multiple times. Bake in oven for about an hour (just stick them on the rack). Cool for 5 minutes or so. Cut in half, scoop out potato and put in a medium bowl. Mix milk, sour cream, and butter in a measuring cup with spout, stick it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the butter. Use a mixer to mash the potatoes, gradually stir in liquid until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put mashed potatoes back into their skins and top with cheddar cheese. Put into a 350 degree oven until heated through and cheese is melted.

Hootenannies - with whole wheat

Melissa's Notes: This is a Cook family favorite, and no, they are not German Pancakes or Dutch Babies, the correct name for them is Hootenannies. This morning, Annie asked me what they were called, and after I told her she said, "My name's Annie, too!" Pretty cute. Sometimes James even calls them "Hoote-Natskers" for the Nat girl. Anyway, I have always wanted to try them with whole wheat, but have never had the guts to change what was already a perfect recipe! But this morning, I went for it, I substituted 1 cup flour with 1/2 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup regular flour. And instead of 1/4 c. butter, I used 3 Tbsp. light butter (Smart Balance 50/50). Now I'm not going to claim that I improved upon the recipe...I didn't. But, I will say that my girls did not say a thing and ate their usual 2 pieces. And James approved as well, although he prefers the normal version, he said he still thought this one was good. Here is the original recipe, make substitutions if you're feeling daring that morning. With my substitutions it is 150 calories for 1/8 of the recipe.

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter (3 Tbsp. works for me)

Preheat oven to 425. Combine eggs, flour, milk and salt in a mixing bowl or blender. Stir well, until all lumps are gone. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in microwave, and pour into pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until sides are rising over the pan and browning. Serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

Raspberry (or Blackberry) Almond Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers Magazine

Melissa's Notes: I made this for book club, it turned out great! I needed a dessert I could enjoy while on my diet, and came across this one. I went to two stores and both were out of raspberries, so I used blackberries instead and it didn't seem to make any difference. The sauce was really the star of the recipe, IMO, it was delicious and looked very gourmet. I used Splenda, and didn't think it took away from the taste at all. However, you could tell a couple days later, so if you use Splenda, eat the cake that night. The best part is each serving is only around 150 calories!! I also served it with a dollop of low fat Cool Whip.

Cake Ingredients

2 Tbsp. chopped almonds
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. low fat baking mix (like Bisquick)
1/2 c. sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 c. fat-free milk
1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt (or vanilla flavored)
1/4 c. egg substitute or 1 egg
3 Tbsp. light stick butter, melted (I used Smart Balance)
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries (or blackberries)
Raspberry Sauce (below)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Wrap bottom of 10-in. springform pan with foil; attach springform ring. Spray foil and sides of springform pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl.
3. Combine baking mix and sugar in large bowl. Whisk milk, yogurt, egg, melted butter, and almond extract in small bowl until blended. Add milk mixture to baking-mix mixture; stir just until blended.
4. With rubber spatula, gently fold in raspberries just until blended. Pour batter into springform pan; sprinkle top evenly with nut mixture.
5. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove springform ring and bottom of pan (leaving foil on) and let cool completely on rack. Cut into 12 wedges. Serve with Raspberry Sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

Puree 3 c. fresh raspberries in food processor or blender. Strain through sieve set over bowl; discard seeds. Puree raspberry puree, 1/2 c. raspberry spreadable fruit, 2 Tbsp. honey, and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Makes 12 servings.

Brown Rice Salad

recipe courtesy of Penzey Spices

Melissa's Notes: This would be a great side salad to bring to a potluck, or a nice light lunch. I wouldn't serve it as a main dish, personally. I just cooked my rice in my steamer and added the garlic cloves whole, then took them out before making the salad. You could eat it right away, or put it in the fridge and let the flavors meld together overnight. I ate it cold the next day, and really liked it, it was very filling. I think marinated artichoke hearts would taste great in it as well. I love the citrusy hints in the dish.

Ingredients

1 c. uncooked brown basmati rice, or white if preferred
3 cloves garlic
2-3 c. diced, cooked chicken
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped sundried tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh lemon rind
1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans, juice reserved
1 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Cook rice with garlic. Add other ingredients and drizzle with dressing.

Dressing

1/4 c. garbanzo broth
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano

Sugar Cookies (with Lemon)

Melissa's notes: I made these as mini cookies for a baby shower. I halved the recipe and it made about 60 2" cookies. I made them with the lemon extract. I used a scoop to put the dough onto the cookie sheet, then took the bottom of a glass (a cookie press would work nicely too--if you're fancy like that), dipped it in granulated sugar and pressed the cookies down with it. I thought it would have been cute to add some yellow food coloring to the dough or dip the glass in colored sugar. These were super easy and very yummy, my girls loved them!

Cream:

2 c. shortening or 1 c. butter, 1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
1 eggs

Add:

5 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla, or 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond or lemon extract

Bake at 350 for 7-9 min. Can make any size: 2", 4", 6"