Aunt Adeline's Marinated Vegetables

Marinated veggies, makes a huge amount, lasts a long time, perfect for any picnic.     

Blanche 2 heads cauliflower florets, 

1 pound carrots cut in strips, 

1 pound green beans trimmed. 

Cool the veggies in ice water, drain and 

add 

2 cans cut artichoke hearts, 

16 oz mushrooms and 

8 oz grape tomatoes.  

Mix 3/4 cup oil,

 1 cup white wine vinegar, 

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 

2 tsp salt and 

2 crushed garlic cloves. 

Pour over veggies and marinate, tossing occasionally. Enjoy! Her recipe also calls for 1 head of broccoli.

Skinny Banana Biscotti!

Oh, I know, it has been a long time since I last posted.  Please forgive me. And I will offer you a cookie...it is that kind of day.  It's cold outside and you want an warm cup of Yorkshire Tea, thanks Liz Babbs, and the smell of fresh baked banana bread.  Only, you don't want all those calories.  This recipe lets you have it all.

Banana Biscotti

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
 Mix above ingredients in one bowl,

Mix in a second bowl:
1/3 cup very ripe mashed banana ( 1, in my case)
1  tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Mix the contents of the two bowls, dough will be sticky. Turn dough onto floured surface. Shape into two 9" long rolls with floured hands.  Place rolls on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Flatten to 1/2 " thick.  Bake at 350 F for 23 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Cut each roll diagonally into 12 slices. Place slices cut side down on a baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 250 F and bake  15 minutes on each side . Cookies will harden as they cool.

1 biscotti is 72 calories, 2 grams of fat .4 grams fiber, 2 ww points,  4 syns.
I got this recipe years ago from Kristin Kinser, who nicknamed it eyeball biscotti after poking her eyeball with a pot handle when she went for her cookie sheet to make these!  I hope you enjoy. I love them, but then, I do have loads of biscotti recipes that I love.

S'More Trifle Please!

Okay, okay...it is still calorie-laden but I made it about as skinny as possible and I needed a dessert for a crowd.  You can probably do better using Walden Farms products but this is what I did.

1 box cake mix, chocolate
1 14 oz. can pumpkin

2 small boxes of sugar free, fat free Instant Chocolate pudding
8 whole reduced fat graham crackers, crumbled
2 1/2 cups fat free milk, plus 2 Tablespoons
7 oz. Marshmellow cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Chocolate bar for decorating
1 12 oz carton lite Cool Whip

Mix Box Cake mix with 1 can pumpkin and spread in sprayed baking pan and bake with time according to box directions.  Remove from oven, cool and cut in 1 inch squares.  Mix 2 packages pudding mix together with 2 cups of milk using a wire whisk.  Allow it to set for 2 minutes and fold in 8 oz. cool whip.  Melt chocolate chips, mixed with 2 TBSPs milk in the microwave fo 90 seconds.

Construct trifle:
Layer cake cubes topped with 1/2 pudding mixture.  Add crushed Graham cracker, drizzle with melted chocolate and spoons of marshmellow cream.  Repeat layers and top with rremaining Cool Whip and shaved chocolate. (I use a vegetable peeler to shave the edges of the chocolate bar.)
Assemble at least an hour in advance.  Serves 24.

Mark's Morning Frittata

Ooooooh, I love it when I wake up smelling this!  Mark gets up before me and I wake up to the most delicious aromas...yes, and he delivers coffe and breakfast in bed when I wish but I would rather have coffee in bed and breakfast at the table.  I am not a breakfast in bed sort of girl, you might be relieved to know, lol.

This recipe is a keeper, I promise...so is Mark, sorry, you can't have him!

First, you slice a few potatoes on a mandoline, or we use the Pampered Chef Simple Slicer. You lay them in a pan sprayed with Pam Spray and brown them in the oven at 350 until beginning to brown.

While they are browning, saute onion, asparagus cut in small pieces, a bit of cubed ham, and he tosses in a bit of frozen chopped up hot red pepper from the freezer.

Distribute evenly over the potato crust.

Add a small sprinkle of fat free cheddar.

In a blender, combine 4 eggs and 4 oz of Fat free Cream cheese.  Pour this over the vegetables.

Now bake for 1/2 hour or until set for the most delicious breakfast Mark will ever deliver to your bed and you will carry to the table to eat!  YUM!  Thanks Mark, kiss kiss x.

Fruited Jello

I know, Jello on my blog...IMPOSSIBLE!  I am the one who can't make Jello afterall.  I know you are thinking that.  Maybe you just are not caught up to date.  When I turned 50 I discovered how to make Jello. Okay, busted.  I did not make this one but I can make it now, um, well usually I can make it.

This is 1 box Sugar Free Strawberry Banana Jello
1 banana, sliced
1 carton Strawberries, sliced
 a handful of frozen dark sweet cherries
2 cups boiling water
1 cup of ice, then filled with water
2 1/2 oz fat free cream cheese
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt, unflavored

Mix Jello with hot water and dissolve well.  Blend cream cheese, yogurt, ice and water.  Then add hot mixture and blend.  Pour over fruit and allow to set in refrigerator.  It sets quickly.  The whole recipe has 2 syns and 1/2 A choice.  Very nice, thanks Mark!

Chicken Fiesta ala Alma!

It was so easy looking even my husband was motivated to cook it for dinner when Alma posted it on facebook.  Here it is,  because it was just that yummy and easy to make.  It would be a great filling for tortillas for a crowd also but we served it over rice.  I may try it over pasta next time and remember to add a nice big green salad!  Free plus 1 "A" choice if you eat half of it, but that is really alot of food!

Crock pot soup

1 can of rotel
2 cans of corn
1 can of black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 frozen chicken breasts (you could add a third)
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1 packet buttermilk dry ranch dressing
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-8 hours. Shred chicken, and enjoy!

Thanks Avery!

SEEFORYOURSELFANDTAKETHECHALLENGE!

Avery started losing weight about the same time our family did.  I would love this special little piggy to be the reason that millions of people get healthy and I know that if you want to lose weight and get healthy and KEEP that weight off the best way to do it is on Slimming World USA's weight loss program. 

I love that it has been the same plan for 43 years. 
I love that it is SO AFFORDABLE! 
I love that it has changed my life.
I love that all I have to do is make family meals and buy grocery store food. 
I love that they don't sell anything, no pills, no potions, no shakes, no supplements.
I love that our "losers are our real winners". 
I love that we don't pay celebrities who don't need to lose weight to represent us.
I love that every week people come off of their diabetic medications, even eating unlimited amounds of real food, fruits, veggies, lean meats, non fat dairy, pasta, potatoes and rice!
I love that a whole church can be a support system. 
I love that kids from 11-15 are FREE.
I love that Slimming World is about caring for people. 
I love that I can give hope to people who have given up a long time ago.
I love that you don't need to be hungry, it is a fully balanced healthy plan and you don't need to be deprived. 
I love that I get to tell everyone about it and you can to...because, together WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  We can make the US the healthiest country in the world.  We have the resources.  Will you join me?  Will you take Avery's challenge?

It has made a difference in my life and it will make one in yours too, no matter where you live.  Will you let me help you?  It would make Avery one happy pig. Yeah, I know, my before picture looks like an old lady.  That's what it does to you.  I'm here for you, together we can...

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