Stuffed Chicken Rolls

This is one of Greg's favorite recipes. It's so easy to make.

Stuffed Chicken Rolls

* 1 package Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken

* 2 eggs, lightly beaten

* 6 small bonless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

* 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

* 1/2 cup milk

* 1 tsp paprika

If you've never pounded out chicken before, it's very easy. You want to cover it with saran wrap, and use a chicken pounder (I have no idea if that's what that hammer looking thing is called) and start from the middle of the chicken and work your way around.

1. Combine stuffing mix and 1 cup of water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in eggs. Spread mixture over chicken, to whtin 1/2 inch of edges. Roll chicken from short end to enclose stuffing mixture.

2. Place chicken rolls, seam down in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and milk; pour over hicken. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

WW Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

This is my favorite weight watcher recipe!

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps. 3 points

Ingredients

* 1 pound 93% lean ground beef

* 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots

* 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

* 1/4 cup soy sauce

* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

* 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

* 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

* 8 iceberg lettuce leaves

* 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef, carrots, and ginger; saute 6 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan. Stir in soy sauce and next 3 ingredients; cook 1 minute.

2.Remove beef mixture from heat; stir in green onions and cilantro. Spoon beef filling evenly into center of each lettuce leaf; top evenly with sliced cucumber. Makes 4 servings, serving size is 2 wraps.

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Cream

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Cream

This isn't a weight watcher recipe, but it's a great, healthy snack. I didn't take a picture of the finished product because it looked awful! I would suggest putting the pinapple, pudding, cool whip mixture in a container and just putting a dallop on an individual slice of cake. The cake will last longer that way since it won't get soggy and it takes up less room in the fridge since you don't have to refrigerate the cake without the topping on it.

Ingredients

* Angel Food Cake

* 1 can crushed pineapple, drained

* 1 small container of fat free cool whip

* 1 large box of fat-free vanilla pudding

Bake angel food cake according to directions. Make the pudding with fat free milk and let set. Add pinapple and cool whip to pudding and use to top cake.

WW Mexican Bean Dip

WW Mexican Bean Dip. 2 points

Ingredients

* 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

* 1 can diced tomatoes and greene chiles, undrained

* 1 teaspoon olive oil

* 2/3 cup chopped onion

* 1 garlic clove, minced

* 1/4 tsp. sald

* 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

* 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

* 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

* 6 ounces baked tortilla chips

1. Place half of beans in a bowl; mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in remaining whole beans. Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.

2. Heat oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute 2 minutes or until tender. Add beans tomatoes, 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid, salt, and cumin; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, sitrring constantly. Remove from heat, and let stand 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Spoon bean mixture into a serving bowl.

3. Sprinkle cheese over dip; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with chips. Makes 24 servings, serving size: 2 tablespoons dip and 5 chips.

Weight Watcher Cheesy Macaroni

WW Cheesy Macaroni. 5 points per serving

Ingredients

* 8 ounces uncooked macaroni (I used pasta wheels)

* 1 pound ground beef (I used Italian style ground turkey)

* 1 1/4 cups prechopped onion

* 2 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 (26-ounce) jar tomato-basil pasta sauce

* 1 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

2. While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef, onion, and garlic; saute 6 minutes or until beef is borned, stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan.

3. Add pasta sauce to beef mixture; cook 2 minutes or until hot. Stir in pasta and 1/2 cup cheese; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts. Remove from heat; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Tortellini Salad

Weight Watchers Tortellini Salad. Makes 4 servings and has 4 points per serving.

Ingredients

* 1 (9-ounce) package fresh three-cheese tortellini

* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

* 1 cup diced zucchini

* 1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 black pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain in a colander over a bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons pasta water. Combine tortellini, 2 tablespoons pasta water, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Weight Watcher's Taco Soup

Almost 2 weeks ago, we started a "Biggest Loser" competition at work. The girls divided into 2 teams of 4 and each week we weigh in and compete in "challenges". Right now, my team is winning and in order for us to keep winning, I've bought some Weight Watcher magazines/cookbooks and have been trying new healthy recipes on the weekends instead of eating out. Last weekend, I made Taco Soup which only has 4 points per serving and is so quick and easy to make.

Taco Soup

* 3/4 lb ground turkey

* 1 package of taco seasoning mix

* 1 can (15oz)of pinto beans (I also added a can of kidney beans), drained

* 1 can of corn, drained

* 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes (I used 1 mild and 1 hot)

* 2 cups of water

Brown beef. Add ingredients to beef, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. I topped mine with low fat sour cream and 1/2 a 100 calorie pack of crushed doritos.

Busy Weekend

So, this weekend we decided to paint the dining room. We've been wanting to do it for awhile now but we just never got around to it, then a month or so ago we went to see our friend, Bill's new house. In the first weekend he practically painted the entire place and it looked great. Seeing how much he got done in such a short time really motivated us, we realized how little we've done and how much we need to do. So, we went to Lowe's and bought some paint to finish the living room and to paint the dining room. I only painted an accent wall in the living room when we first moved in, but Greg likes the color so much that we've decided to paint the whole living room. We have sort of a wine theme in the dining room, with pictures of wine, a wine clock, and a wine rack so we wanted a color that would match that. We were debating between green and bordeaux. We went with the bordeaux and love it!! I'm so lucky to have a husband that isn't afraid of fun colors. We're going to have to put on a second coat and do some touch ups next weekend, but I decided to go ahead and post some pictures so you can get an idea of what it looks like. I think we're going to go with a light brown/cream on the below the chair railing and in the family room that's attached to the dining room.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The weather was so nice this weekend! It was perfect shopping weather. I went out to Madison to a store called "Yoder's" to look around. It's such a fun store, it's mennonite owned and everything is fresh. They have such a unique variety of items. I went up there to pick up some of their hot cocoa marshmellows. These things are so good and so inexpensive. I usually buy the 25 calorie packs of hot cocoa and they don't have marshmellows in them so I just add my own.


I also discovered a scrapbooking store in Madison, less than 10 miles from our house. It's called Handcraft House (www.handcrafthouse.com). They have workrooms, classes and lots of scrapbooking and card making material. I'm very behind on my scrapbooking, so just going in there and seeing all the examples and fun scrapbooking material inspired me to come home and do some scrapbooking.

Ginger Steak

This is hands down my favorite steak seasoning/marinade. I saw it on "30 Minute Meals" awhile ago and use it almost every time we have steak. The recipe is actually called "ginger flank steak" but I use it on any type of steak we buy. The side Rachel Ray made with it on the show was wasabi mashed potatoes, which I love, but Greg hates-so I usually make it with broccoli cole slaw, which I included the recipe for after the ginger steak recipe. Ginger Steak calls for, you guessed it, fresh ginger. :) Ginger is so inexpensive and easy to work with, if it's not available then you can buy it in a jar already peeled, grated, and ready to use. It's in the produce section next to jars of minced garlic, but I suggest using fresh ginger if possible. Also, if you can't find tamari, you could substitute soy sauce, but tamari does have a stronger flavor that I personally like much better.

Ginger Flank Steak

Ingredients

* 2 inches fresh giner root, peeled & grated

* 1/2 cup tamari aged soy sauce.

* 2 limes, zested and juiced

* 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

* 2 tablespoons of Montreal Steak Seasoning

* 2 pounds flank steak

1. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high

2. Combine ginger, tamari, lime juice, oil and grill seasoning in a large sealable plastic bag. Add meat to marinade and coat evenly.

3. Let stand 10 minutes then grill meat 6 to 7 minutes on each side. This meat is great with a garnish of chopped scallion and/or cilantro.

Broccoli Cole Slaw

Ingredients

* 2 bags (3oz) Ramen Noodles in Oriental (other flavors will work, too)

* 3/4 stick of butter

* 1/4 cup of slivered almonds

* 2 bags (12oz) broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)

* 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

* chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix

* 3/4 cup canola oil

* 1/4 cup brown or white sugar

* 1/4 cup apple cide vinegar

* 1 ramen noodle season packet

Directions

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

California Dreaming

So, it's late and I should be in bed, but I wanted to write a quick update about my trip to California for Valentine's day weekend. I meant to write about it sooner, but just never got around to it. Greg had a 2 week class for work in California and flew out on February 8th and was coming back on February 20th. One of my oldest friends, Brandi Milloy lives in Hollywood now, so they were going to meet up for dinner on Friday night and then she was going to show him around Hollywood afterwards. I was so jealous that he got to see her and get to sightseeing in Hollywood. Wednesday night we were on the phone and Greg told me he bought me a plane ticket to come out there for Valentine's weekend and that my flight took off in about 4 hours from D.C.!! I was so excited, luckily I was already packed since I was planning on driving down and spending the weekend in Augusta with my family, so I got off the phone and drove to D.C. and was on a plane a couple of hours later. I got to spend Valentine's day with Greg and see my friend Brandi. I had a great time, Brandi was such a great host. She took us to a great italian restaurant, Pinkberry for dessert, an outdoor mall, and drove around most of Hollywood showing us around. It was so much fun!! I even ran into an actor from one of my favorite movies, Cloverfield, while walking around in Hollywood and got a picture with him. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Thanks Brandi for showing us such a great time and thanks Greg for the wonderful surprise!

Peruvian Roast Chicken

I have been trying to eat healthier, so that means eating at home more. I've been trying a lot of new recipes, so I'll be posting them on here when they turn out good. The chicken we had tonight was fabulous! It was very easy and inexpensive to make and it was healthy. It's definiltely one of my favorite chicken recipes.

Peruvian Roast Chicken

Ingredients

*6 gloves garlic, chopped

*salt and pepper

*1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

*1 teaspoon ground cumin

*1/2 teaspoon paprika

*1/2 cup of white wine vinegar

*One 4-pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

1. Using the flat side of a chef's kinfe, smear together the garlic and 2 tablespoons salt on a cutting board to form a paste; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the oregano, ginger, cumin, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika. Stir in the vinegar.

2. Slide your fingers between the chicken skin and the breast and loosen teh skin from the meat, working your way to the legs. Spread the marinade under and over the skin and inside teh cavity. Transfer to a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheatt he oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the bag and place breast side up on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife between teh breast and the wing, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let reast for 10 minutes before carving.

Asian Noodle Salad

I saw this recipe on thepioneerwoman.com and thought it looked delicious. It uses fresh ginger, which is one of my favorite ingredients, so I had to try it. I made a few little changes--for example, I tried to use extra veggies and replaced regular pasta with wheat pasta to make it even healthier. Greg does not like to have a meal without meat, so I made some teriyaki chicken to go with it. Greg and I both loved it.

Asian Noodle Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled (I used wheat noodles)
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage

1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)

3 sliced scallions

3 peeled, sliced cucumbers

LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch

DRESSING

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons of fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.

*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving*