Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 large chicken breasts
8 slices of lunch meat ham
shredded swiss cheese (could use slices, but I had shredded)
italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.  Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.  Place ham and about 1/4 cup swiss on top of each piece of chicken.  Roll up and hold in place with a toothpick.  Sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs.  Bake 30 minutes.  Pull out and sprinkle a little more swiss on top.  Put back into oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp butter
2 medium butternut squash
2-3 cans of chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like a kick!)
1 package of cream cheese (8oz)

Preheat oven to 375.  Start by cutting your squash in half and removing the seeds.  Place cut side down on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

When squash is done, in a 4quart pan, melt butter and saute onions.  Add spices, chicken broth, and scooped insides of squash.  Heat until hot.  Add cream cheese and put mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Serve hot, but do not boil.

Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

8 oz package of pasta
1 cup broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.5oz)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed

Boil pasta according to package directions.  When there is 4 minutes left for the pasta to boil, add your broccoli.  When time is up, drain.

Brown your chicken cubes in butter or oil.  When chicken is done, add soup, cheese, milk, and pasta/broccoli mix.  Heat through.  Add salt and pepper to your preference.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Thanks to elegantemily @ Allrecipes.com

3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can pumpkin puree (15oz)
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix sugar, oil, pumpkin, eggs and water until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (except chips and nuts).  Pour dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.  Mix until blended.  Fold in chips and nuts.

Evenly pour batter in 3 bread pans.  Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Freezes well.

Buck Taters

Apparently not a nationwide thing, but my hubby loves them!

2lb pork roast
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce)
Russet Potatoes

Put pork roast in the crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Drain some of the juices and shred the meat.  (I use the Pampered Chef Mix N Chop.. awesome!)  Add your BBQ sauce.  Set crockpot on warm for at least 15 minutes.  (I get big jugs of sauce that are in the fridge.. so I need the time for the sauce to warm up.)

Bake your potatoes.  I cheat and microwaved mine.  Super easy.. wash potatoes, poke a few times with a fork and microwave until soft.

Cut your potato in half and open it up a little.  Put the desired amount of butter on it.  Top with BBQ pork.

Enjoy a super easy dinner... literally takes 2 minutes in the morning to throw your roast in.  Come home, pop your potatoes in the microwave and finish up your pork.. maybe 5 minutes of actual work.

Makes 4-8 potatoes (depending on the amount of pork you like!)

Time for a change.....

I have been neglecting to update this blog.. I have been bad!  However, before I can begin to try new and exciting foods, I have decided I need to do some clearing out of the pantry and fridge.

At my other blog http://iwannallnoe.blogspot.com/ I am posting my progress as I attempt to use up my stockpiles and spend no more than $150/month on groceries, paper products and toiletries for the months of October and November.  Please feel free to follow my progress... there will be real food during these months, no beans and rice.

On my other blog, I will also be posting ways I am using up my massive supply of craft items, how I'm saving money and getting myself in a better financial position to tackle life.  Feel free to use it to inspire change in your life!

So I am not sure how many new recipes will be coming this way.. .although I will need to be creative towards the end!

Thanks for popping by!
Jen

Mexican Style Chicken Roll Ups

Slightly modified Hungry Girl's cooking show....

1 can (9.5 - 10oz) 98% fat free white chicken breast (in water)

1/2 cup salsa

8 small corn tortillas (6-inch)

1/3 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese

1/4tsp taco seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 375. Drain canned chicken and flake it into a bowl. Stir in salsa and put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Drain any excess fluid. Stir in cheese and taco seasoning.

Place tortillas in between 2 wet paper towel and microwave for 1 minute.

Cover each tortilla with a few Tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each one up (hold in place with a toothpick). Put seam side down onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Bake in the oven until crispy. (about 15 minutes). Don't panic if the tortillas crack.. they are still yummy!

Allow to cool for a few minutes, remove toothpicks and serve with salsa. (You can also add light sour cream for 1DOT per 30gram serving.... I can't get myself to serve fat-free just yet..)

Serving size: 2 roll ups

DOTS: 5 (add additional points for sour cream)

Butternut fries

Modified from Weight Watchers recipe.... Burger simple 4oz. 93% lean beef patty, 1 slice of 2% cheese on a whole wheat bun, with all the toppings! (Burger: DOTS=8, 1 of which is from Miracle Whip)

1lb Butternut squash, peeled and seeded

cooking spray

salt

cayenne pepper powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut squash into strips (Think french fries). I used my Pampered Chef crinkle cutter to make them pretty.

3. Spray baking sheet. Spread squash evenly on sheet. Spray squash with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper.

4. Bake about 8 minutes. Turn the fries over and bake another 8-10 minutes.

Servings: 4

DOTS: ZERO

*Don't like cayenne pepper? Try your own seasonings!

Enormous Breakfast Wrap To Go

The exact contents change every time, due to changing up the veggies, but this one weighed in at 12.1 oz...yep 3/4lb!!

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

2oz diced ham (or any other meat that costs 2 DOTS)

1 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese

1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup tomatoes, diced

2 scallions, chopped

1/8cup red bell pepper, diced

1 large low carb, high fiber wheat tortilla (should have a DOT value of 2)

cooking spray

Spray skillet with cooking spray. In a bowl, scramble together eggs, add meat, cheese and veggies. Pour into skillet and scramble until done. Pour contents of skillet out onto a triple layer paper towel to absorb the moisture.

When egg mixture is cooled down, place in the tortilla and wrap in plastic wrap. When ready to eat, heat and enjoy!

**If you are going to eat this immediately, pour the egg mixture directly from the skillet onto the tortilla. I'd heat the tortilla first in the microwave too!

Serving: 1

DOTS: 9

**Play around with your own meat/veggie combos. If this is too big, simply pare it down to one whole egg, less cheese, less meat and a smaller tortilla.

Tuna/Red Pepper Salad

Modified from a Weight Watchers recipe.. I can't bring myself to take Jason down to completely fat free goodies!

12oz canned tuna (in water), drained

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 Tbsp light sour cream

1/4 cup roasted red peppers (in water), chopped

1 tsp. dried dill

Mix together all ingredients. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve.

Servings: 4 (approx 1/2 cup each or 3.6oz)

DOTS: 3.5

Eggplant Bruschetta

From the Biggest Loser cookbook...

1 eggplant (approx. 1lb in weight), peeled and cut into 1" pieces

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

olive oil cooking spray

garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place eggplant cubes on the sheet, being sure the pieces do not touch. Lightly spray with olive oil. Place in oven about 10 minutes.

While eggplant is cooking, mix together tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions. When timer goes off, turn over eggplant cubes and bake for another 7-10 minutes.

When eggplant is done, dump it in the bowl with the tomato mixture. Stir well. Serve immediately.

DOTS: Conflicting information.. based on the fact that everything in this is a freebie, I'd say ZERO dots. However, upon entering it in the Recipebuilder at ww.com, it says 1 point. You decide!

Servings: 4

Plain Jane pancakes

Jason likes those blueberry pancakes, but personally, I'm not a fan of the berries popping in my mouth! I set out on a mission to find a good pancake mix and then cut the recipe down to a single serving batch.

1/2c. Heart Smart Bisquick baking mix

1/3c. skim milk

1Tbsp egg substitute.

Mix together and pour onto a prepared, preheated griddle or skillet. (Personally, I spray mine with a little bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.)

Cook until golden brown and set. Eat immediately, or place in a 200 degree preheated oven to keep warm.

DOTS: 7 (without syrup)

**We use Log Cabin sugar free syrup. It's 1 DOT for up to 1/4cup.

Lightened Up Baked Potato Soup

	1 small uncooked red onion(s)
	1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
	1 tsp Lawry's® Seasoned salt 25% less sodium
	1/2 tsp black pepper
	1/4 cup real bacon bits
	1 cup(s) fat-free half-and-half
	2 tsp dried parsley
	2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	2 pound(s) uncooked red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
	2 cans (14.5 each) chicken broth
	1. Cut potatoes into small pieces (leave skin on!). Place potatoes in crockpot and sprinkle flour over potatoes and mix together so that potatoes are lightly coated. 2. Stir in parsley, pepper, season salt, chicken broth, onion, garlic and bacon bits. 3. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-5. During the last hour of cooking, stir in the half and half. Makes 5 servings (Approx. 1-1/2 cups each) DOTS: 5 **Optional: We top ours with 28g of 2% cheddar cheese. This adds 2 DOTS per serving.

Meat Cake

Yes, I have always called it meat LOAF, but Jason swears it's meat CAKE... all tastes yummy to me!

2lbs 93% lean ground beef

2 whole eggs

1 cup water

1 box Stovetop Stuffing (I use chicken flavor.)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all the above ingredients. Form into 2 equal size loaves. Bake 45 minutes.

Makes 10 servings (approximately 4.25oz each)

DOTS: 5

Shrimp Gumbo in the Crockpot

2 -1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with celery, onions, and green peppers

1 cup chicken broth

1 package (10oz) frozen sliced okra

3/4 tsp thyme, dried

1-1/2lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined (if using frozen, thaw first)

In a saucepan, melt better over medium high heat. Add flour and stir constantly until the mixture turns a red-brown color (About 4 minutes)

Pour butter mixture into crockpot and add tomatoes, chicken broth, okra and thyme. Cook on low 6-8 or on high 3-4 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, switch slow cooker to high heat and add shimp. Stir well and replace lid.

Serving size: Approx. 1-1/2 cups

DOTS: 7 per serving

Rueben Sandwich - low cal style

2 slices thin sliced Rye Bread (should be 3 DOTS for 2 slices)

1 Tbsp Kraft Free Thousand Island Dressing

1 oz. Jarlsberg Lite swiss cheese (from Walmart deli counter)

1/2 cup sauerkraut

2oz Carl Budding corned beef lunch meat

ICBINB spray

Heat sandwich press. Spread both slices of bread with dressing (1-1/2tsp on each slice). On the bottom slice(dressing side up), place the corned beef. Top with sauerkraut and swiss cheese. Place second slice of bread (dressing side down) on top. Spray the outsides of the bread with ICBINB spray (Just need a light coating, I used 5 sprays on each side). Place in sandwich press and grill until dark golden brown.

DOTS: 7

*If you cannot find the Jarlsberg Lite, look for another cheese that is 1 DOT per ounce.

Veggie Soup - WW Style

Modified from WW Garden Soup recipe.

4 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup diced onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 cup kale, chopped in small pieces

1/2 cup spinach (I used frozen)

1Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 cup zucchini , diced

Spray saucepan with cooking spray. Saute carrots, peppers, onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Add chicken broth, kale, spinach, tomato paste, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover and then turn down to simmer 20 minutes. Add zucchini and cook an additional 4 minutes.

DOTS: ZERO! (Enjoy!)

**Using the same base, you can change up the veggies! You can also substitute veggie or beef broth for the chicken broth.. just make sure it's fat free.

Blueberry pancakes

Thanks Biggest Loser for this morning's breakfast recipe!

1/2 cup whole wheat oat flour

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

1 large egg white

1/4 tsp salt

1/4tsp vanilla extract

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2 cup blueberries (if you use frozen, do NOT thaw them out)

Sugar free, fat free syrup (OPTIONAL)

Mix together everything except blueberries. When thoroughly blended, gently stir in blueberries. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Pour onto hot griddle. (1/8c each..Think silver dollar pancakes!) Cook until golden brown, then flip. When other side is golden brown, remove and eat.

If you need to keep them warm, preheat the oven to 200 degrees before you start. Add pancakes to a baking sheet in the oven as they are finished.

Makes 2 servings.

DOTS: 3 (without syrup)

Please check your syrup. Log cabin sugar free is only 1 DOT for 1/4 cup... others came in at 2.

Tomato/Green bean salad

1 cup fresh green beans (trim the ends)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half width wise)

1 Tbsp fresh basil (cut into strips) [In a pinch, you can use 1 tsp dried basil]

1/2 tsp garlic (minced)

Cooking Spray

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Place green beans on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Put in oven for about 15 minutes. While green beans are baking, mix tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt and pepper together. When green beans are finished, mix them into the tomato mixture.

Makes 1 serving

Dot: 1