Egg Nog Cake!

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine... and I have to say I'm not a drinker of Egg Nog - it kinda' grosses me out to think of 'drinking' eggs... but this recipe sounded good and my Mother-in-law saw it too and said I should make it & bring it to our Christmas Eve dinner... So I did and here is the recipe - it was AWESOME! It was very moist and reminded me of a breakfast coffee cake.. the only way I changed the recipe was that I used pumpkin pie spice (like usual) in place of nutmeg and I omitted the golden raisins. Oh, and I don't own a 9 inch round baking pan (only 8 inch) so I used an 8 x 8 square pan and it worked just fine... Hope you enjoy!!!

Eggnog Cake

¾ cup reduced-fat eggnog
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 egg

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp chopped pecans

Topping:
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp cold butter
2 Tbsp chopped pecans


1. In a large bowl, beat the eggnog, sugar, oil, applesauce & egg until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; gradually beat into eggnog mixture until blended. Stir in raisins and pecans. Pour into a 9 inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray.

2. For topping, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over batter.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Banana Bread - updated!

Wow! It's been a while since I shared a recipe, and trust me, I've been baking and making things alot and taking pictures, too... but just haven't had the time to post them!

So I got a little loaf of bread from a neighbor yesterday and I thought it smelled like banana bread, but when I cut it, I found it to be orange-y in color, and when I ate it, I thought it tasted like a mix of pumpkin & banana (which was awesome!) so then I was inspired to find a recipe for such a kind of bread & I just found the one below and it sounds quite good (and healthy!) So I thought I'd share it with you before I even try it... And later on I'll let you know how it turns out and how I manage to adapt the recipe to my own liking! :)

Pumpkin Banana Bread

• 2 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup Splenda or granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a large loaf pan (approx. 8 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined well.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, erythritol (or sugar), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt.
5. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in large bowl and stir until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until top is deeply browned and springs back when touched gently, about 70 to 85 minutes.

UPDATE: I've made the bread and I highly recommend this recipe! The only thing I changed is that I used all-purpose flour instead of wheat flour and pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, ginger and allspice. It turned out delicious! I really wish I would have had 4 mini loaf pans though, since the amount of batter left after filling the 2 mini pans was not enough to make a decent size loaf in the large pan, but that was okay since we ate the 'large' loaf ourselves anyway :)

Super Simple Chili

Welcome to Winter! Where I live, Winter is definitely upon us... temperatures are freezing and it's bitterly cold outside! So I'd say this is the perfect time to make something warm for dinner... like chili!


...And you know it's the time of year to make chili when you can go to the grocery store and they have a whole little display featuring ALL the ingredients you need for making a pot!


I have never made chili myself, so I bought the McCormick chili seasoning packet and then turned it over to find a recipe - which I then bought all the ingredients for. Then I got home and found a chili recipe my Mom gave me... which was quite different... so I came up with my own recipe, and I'm sharing it below! And I was excited that it turned out very yummy - though my husband said it needed more hamburger and less beans. (He hates beans.) I thought it was just right, though... and even my 4 year old liked it. :) Oh, and my husband grew up eating chili this way... throw a few dollops of sour cream on top and also cover it in shredded cheese. I thought that was weird... until I tried it for myself and now I love eating chili this way! :) Hope you enjoy! Oh, and this recipe makes about 4-5 servings... depending on how much you eat in one sitting :)

Super Simple Chili

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 package mild chili seasoning
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. each -- pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced onion

I brown the hamburger in a skillet after sprinkling all the 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp seasonings on top.

In a small pot, mix the kidney beans (do not drain), diced tomatoes (do not drain) and tomato sauce and chili seasoning. Add browned hamburger. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Creamy Fruit Dip!

Creamy Fruit Dip

1 package (8 oz) fat free cream cheese
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup (8 oz) reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese & brown sugar until smooth.
Beat in sour cream, extracts and cinnamon until smooth.
Add milk, mix well.
Add pudding mix, beat on low speed for 2 mins.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Serve with fruit.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1/4 cup) equals 118 calories, 2 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 211 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch.


This dip is SOO delicious... I am not a person who sits around and snacks on fresh fruit but give me a bowl of this dip to dunk some fruit in, and I will eat TONS of fruit! :) You will surely like it...

(This recipe is taken from Taste of Home magazine.)

Easy Crescent Taco Bake

I made this for dinner a few weeks ago and it was SO delicious AND easy! We topped ours with a little sour cream and some lettuce. Hope you enjoy trying!

Easy Crescent Taco Bake

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
3/4 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 tablespoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Shredded lettuce, as desired
Diced tomato, as desired

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9-inch square pan or 10-inch pie plate; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.

2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture in crust-lined pan; sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.

Dutch Apple Pie

This recipe post (and picture) is coming from my very own Mom who made this pie just last week! :)

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH APPLE PIE

7-10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Place sliced apples in 9 inch unbaked pie shell.

Mix and sprinkle over apples:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water (or fresh lemon juice if you have it) over top.

Crumb Crust:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 stick butter

Mix together sugar and flour. Cut the butter into the sugar and flour mixture using a fork, pastry blender or food processor. Sprinkle over top of pie.

Bake at 400 F for 40-45 minutes. If the pie begins to brown too rapidly, cover lightly with foil.
Served every Fall in Pennsylvania Dutch country. A combination of green (such as Granny Smith) and red (such as Cortland or Mcintosh) works best. A few drops of vanilla can be mixed into sugar.

My Mom's Review: It seemed kinda juicy. I used 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, but next time I wouldn’t put lemon juice or water in.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup (2 sticks) margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups Quaker oats
1 cup chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs & vanilla, beating well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. Makes 4 dozen.



This is a recipe from a little book my Mom made me of her favorite recipes and these are the BEST chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ever!! So moist and delicious! And they are SO good when they're warm & fresh that my Mom usually makes a few at a time and then refrigerates the dough until they're ready for more. :)

Strawberry Cream Crescent Braid

This recipe and this picture is from the Pillsbury.com website.

Strawberry Cream Crescent Braid

1 can (8 0z) Pillsbury refrig. crescent dinner rolls (reduced fat kind is great!)

(OR 1 can (8 0z) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations)

1/4 cream cheese spread (from 8 oz. tub) (1/3 less fat kind is great!)

1/3 cup strawberry preserves (or your choice of flavor)

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1. Heat oven to 375. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray or grease w/shortening.

2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place dough on cookie sheet; overlap long sides to form 13 x 7 rectangle. Firmly press perforations and edges to seal. (see my photo below). If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 2 long rectangles and then follow same directions as above.

3. Spread cream cheese in 2-inch-wide strip lengthwise down center of dough. Top with preserves. Make cuts 1 inch apart on each side of rectangle just to edge of filling.


4. Alternating from side to side, fold cut strips of dough at an angle halfway across filling, slightly overlapping ends.


5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool at least 15 minutes.


6. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and almond extract, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; mix well. Drizzle over warm crescent braid.

Enjoy!!

I have made this recipe twice now, for an easy
and delicious Saturday morning breakfast...
and I highly recommend it! :)

What's cookin' in your kitchen?

If you ever try out a recipe I've posted, please let me know how it turns out, especially if you adapted the recipe at all... I would just love to hear feedback from anyone who reads this silly blog of mine. :)

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

So I tried a new recipe for dinner yesterday and I got it from kraftfoods.com and it turned out really yummy! I don't try new dinner recipes frequently - I hate making sure I have all the ingredients on hand, taking the time to make it, and then NOT knowing whether it's going to even taste good in the end.... So I was glad when this turned out delicious! I told Chris it tasted like the fettucine alfredo I get at Carrabba's - I was amazed I cooked such a good dinner. :)

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Makes: 4 servings, 2 cups each

8 oz. (half of a 1 lb. package) fettucine or spaghetti, uncooked

(I used linguine, since I wanted to use whole-grain noodles)

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 and 2/3 cups milk

4 oz. (half of an 8 oz. package) Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed

1/4 cup Kraft grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain pasta mixture.

Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on med - high heat. Add chicken - cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Sir in milk, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and basil. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is blended and heated through. (* Note: It was still reallly runny when I added it to the noodles and broccoli, but it got a little thicker as it stood.)

.

Add chicken mixture to pasta mixture; mix lightly.

** Save 70 calories and 8 grams of fat, including 4 grams of saturated fat per serving by preparing with "Light" Zesty Italian dressing and Philadelphia Neufchatel cheese.

** You can substitute the broccoli with frozen peas, chopped red peppers or any of your favorite veggies.

Nutrition Info:

Calories - 570

Cholesterol - 120 mg

Total fat - 21 grams

Sodium - 510 mg

Saturated fat - 10 grams

Carbohydrate - 52 grams

Help!

So I am asking for your help. This morning I finally did it - I stepped on the scale. And I was not happy with the numbers which popped up. I have known for the past month or so that I've gained weight (because I could see it and feel it and my pants weren't fitting!) but I didn't know just how much. Well, I weigh more now than I ever have before (for not being pregnant..)

I have to do something or it's just going to get worse... so I need some ideas - ideas for eating healthy & snacking healthy. But I don't want to feel like I'm "dieting" - I just want to feel better about what I'm eating and make better food choices. So I know that I get hungry in between meals and I know that I don't usually eat things that are good for me. I just now searched the cupboards for a snack and decided to have a bowl of frosted flakes & milk (yeah, is that healthy? haha) - but after looking at the calories on the box - it seemed healthier than many other things!

So I wonder if you could e-mail me some ideas... especially for snacks... either post a comment on this blog or send me an email at kschrinel@yahoo.com

Goodbye evening bowls of ice cream!!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup applesauce
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

Chloe helped me! :)

Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients (not oats); add alternately with applesauce to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper lined muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes (or 10 minutes for mini muffins).

Yield: 12 muffins (or 52 mini muffins)

So how I adapted this recipe slightly..

1) I used "quick" oats instead of "rolled" oats. The only difference I've found is that the rolled oats are larger and quick oats are more.. what's the word... processed? I'm not sure if this makes a serious difference in recipes when it calls for one and you use the other.

2) I tasted a bit before pouring the mixture into the muffin pans and it tasted funny - I feel like whenever you put applesauce in a recipe, it turns out tasting really apple-y... which in some cases is NOT a good thing... and besides tasting the slight apple flavor, it didn't taste like much else... so I added 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract at the last minute because I figure that always gives all other baked things a good flavor!

3) So then I used a spoon and put the mix in a 12 cup mini-muffin pan and a 12 cup large muffin pan - totally ignoring how many muffins the mix was supposed to make. (haha - just now realizing this!) Oh well, though... that means I had smaller muffins.

4) I put them in at 350 degrees and set the timer for 10 minutes... at that point the mini-muffins didn't seem completely done, so I left them in for 3 more minutes. The regular size muffins ended up being in the oven a total of 19 minutes.

5) No matter how eager you are to try one, don't take them out of the pan too soon (lesson learned here). :) They fell apart... they stuck to the pan... you name it. It's best to leave them sit & cool for at least 10 minutes or so. Oh, and for some reason I used mini chocolate chips and alot of them stuck to the bottom of the pan! Arghh!

6) I was not too impresed at first, but once I finished my entire muffin, after it had cooled, I realized they were pretty tasty after all! The texture is unique - I mean, I've had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but never muffins... and it's just different. (By the way, they didn't turn out tasting like apple!)

I still recommend you try the recipe, especially if you're a lover of anything chocolate, like me. :)

Orange Blueberry Coffee Cake

I made this recipe a couple months ago and took some to work with me for a Staff Meeting and got tons of compliments, so I'm sharing it with you! I am not real sure why I made it in a loaf pan - but it turned out fine. :)

Orange Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 or 2 cups blueberries

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbs. flour
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Stir together flour, sugar and baking powder. Combine egg, orange juice, and oil and add to flour mixture. (My recommendation: Add some orange zest for more orange-y flavor!) Add blueberries. Turn into greased 9x9x2 baking pan. Combine butter, 1 tbs. flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over batter. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Pillsbury Simply Cookies

So I've been tempted to buy these cookies since they showed up on the shelves next to the 800 other kinds of refrigerated cookie dough in the grocery store. But I haven't bought them, despite having a $1.00 off coupon and being able to get them pretty cheap when they're on sale.... Because I'm in "baking mode" lately and I would prefer homemade cookies than store-boughten any day! But my husband likes to snack on raw cookie dough and so we bought a package of each of these flavors of Simply cookies. I made some of the peanut butter cookies tonight after dinner. Now, the package only has 12 cookies in it, but that's because they are 12 normal sized cookies and not tiny ones, like most of the other brands! :) So anyway, I was pleasantly surprised - these peanut butter cookies were AMAZING. I undercooked them - but it's always better to have gooey cookies than burnt and crispy cookies, in mine & Chris' opinions! So anyhow, if you're looking for a yummy cookie and have no time to whip up a batch, find a coupon and go to the store and buy these. I'll let you know if the chocolate chip are just as good as the peanut butter!

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

I have a new recipe to share with you! This recipe is coming from the Taste of Home "Celebrations" cookbook and was created by Edna Hoffman from Indiana. (Thanks Edna!) haha.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup prepared apple butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. each ground ginger, cloves & nutmeg

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

Whipped cream (optional)

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.

Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg; whisk until well blended.

Pour into pastry shell.

Bake at 400 for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges loosely with foil during the last 20 minutes if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings. Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with commerically prepared apple butter.

** So here is how I adapted the recipe, ever so slightly...

1) Like in the last recipe, I used pumpkin pie spice instead of the ginger, cloves & nutmeg. I still added the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon the recipe calls for, and then I added 1/4 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice.

2) I also took the Editor's advice and instead of using locally made, fresh apple butter, I purchased apple butter in the jam section of the grocery store.

3) In almost every recipe I make, I never set the oven at the temp. it tells me to! This is just because I know my oven. :) I set my oven to 385 instead of 400.

4) I also did not use foil strips to cover the crust like the recipe suggests. I am the proud owner of a "pie crust shield" which sits nicely on the crust to prevent it from burning.

5) So I put the pie in the oven for 15 mins. and then I put the 'shield' on the crust... and then I reset the oven timer for exactly 30 mins. My pie baked for 45 mins, close to 50 total, before I tested it and took it out. My knife didn't come out perfectly clean, but it seemed like the crust and pie were both getting a little dark, so I removed it from the oven anyway.

** Okay, I just tasted the pie now that it has cooled for over an hour... and I topped a piece with some light cool whip... and well, I think I could've left it in a little longer, despite the burnt looking crust! It was a little mushy, instead of firm... but I'm wondering if that is simply because it's still warm. It also says to store the pie in the fridge, so I'm thinking it'll probably firm up once it's been in the fridge a while. I'm still thinking that next time I will turn up the oven temp. a bit, and put the pie crust shield on the crust right when I put it in the oven instead of waiting. As for the taste, not exactly what I was expecting... I could taste the apple butter in it much more before it was baked. It pretty much just tasted like a pumpkin pie after the fact.

Well, I would love to hear feedback if any of you try this recipe! I still recommend it, it just didn't turn out tasting exactly the way I expected! :)

Foods that "Fight Fat?"

So I just ran across this article while checking my e-mail tonight... and I'm completely in the mood for eating food that fights fat right now! I've had a pretty crummy eating week - ate TOO much pizza for lunch and too many wonderful cookies & high calorie snacks and well, my waist-line is definitely not getting any smaller because of it!! Then tonight Chris and I went out to dinner and instead of getting decent meals to eat (like we usually do), we splurged and shared 3 different appetizers and that was our dinner and then to make matters worse - we went shopping afterward - and for what else - PANTS! Are you kidding me? What a bad idea. hah! Yeah, I tried on several pairs of dress pants in my 'usual' size and NONE of them fit... I bought one pair just because they were cute, but they are pretty tight around the waist.. but I am certain I will fit into them, one of these days! So yes, I have an obsession with food and perhaps it's not just food in general, but UNHEALTHY food. Soo.. here we go, an article about supposed "foods that fight fat" ...And let me know if you think the 'facts' this lady is sharing is true or just silly. :) As for me, I think I'm going to be buying some almonds at the grocery store soon! :)

8 Foods That Fight Fat

by Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief

Want to lose weight as you chow down? Your wish is granted! (I promise, this is no fairy tale.) Your supermarket is filled with foods that studies show have lipid-melting powers to help melt fat and keep you slim. Stock up on these fat-fighting super bites, and you'll be trimmer even as you indulge. Read on to discover the eight foods that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge—and in your diet!

Almonds - These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). I get a pack at Starbucks and nibble throughout my day. Or sprinkle them into a recipe such as Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken. Go nuts!

Berries - I tell my daughter, "These are nature's candy!" Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.

Cinnamon - Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.

Mustard - It's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.

Oranges - This citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.

Soybeans - Reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.

Sweet potatoes - The colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.

Swiss cheese - Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!

If you want to read more about foods that might help you shed some pounds - visit this site:

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2008/07/foods-for-weight-loss?mbid=yahoo

Welcome!! / Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Welcome to my new blog! I am so excited to have a blog about something I am passionate about - food! :) This idea came to me from a friend from college, Emily, who told me that I'm always writing about food on my facebook page, and that I should be a food columnist or something! I thought her comment was funny at first, but then I started to think about it, and thought about it some more... and finally decided to start a new blog, ALL about food!

First let me clarify that I am NOT a professional cook, or baker... (far from it really!) and the recipes and ideas I will be posting are probably ones that have been given to me and that I have tried & are simply recommending! I actually don't really like cooking, and coming up with ideas for meals each week is a chore for me... But I LOVE baking... I love desserts.. and I love trying new dessert recipes...

So this is my fun attempt to share my favorite recipes and meal ideas with everyone I know.... And I'd also like this blog to be a place where others share their recipes & meal ideas with me... So if you have something that is your absolute favorite dish (and even better, you have a picture of it!) - let me know and I'll be glad to post it and share it with all who read this blog. :)

And now, let me share with you my first recipe.... This recipe is where the whole idea for a blog came from... I wrote on facebook the other day that I was making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and then a couple people said they wanted the recipe... So here it is...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Crisco (or 2 margarine sticks)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ½ cups flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves

Mix all together and add one 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins. or until firm.

* This recipe was given to me by my friend Kelly from college, whose Mom sent her these cookies in the form of a care package (and Kelly graciously shared some with me!) and I loved them so much, that I got the recipe from Kelly's Mom and gave it to my Mom to make and now I'm baking them myself! :) Anyway, they make a huge batch and my arm was sore from stirring them in my huge mixing bowl... but they are SOO moist and tasty and just perfect! They disappeared quickly at my house - my husband and kids loved them!

I also have another version of this recipe which I got out of my "light cooking" cookbook.. It makes a smaller batch and is a bit healthier for you and I've included the nutrition facts, as well.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ cup solid pack pumpkin
½ granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup caramel-flavored low-fat yogurt
1 egg
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Combine pumpkin, sugars, yogurt, and egg in large bowl. Blend in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 mins. or until firm to touch.
Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Nutrition Facts per serving
(1 serving = 1 cookie)

Calories: 63
Carbohydrate: 13 grams
Calories from fat: 14%
Fiber: <>
Total fat: 1 gram
Protein: 1 gram
Saturated fat: <>
Sodium: 72 mg
Cholesterol: 6 mg
In both recipes, I substituted "pumpkin pie spice" for the nutmeg and cloves and still added a bit of ground cinnamon, too - enough of each until it tastes good! Also, for this "light" recipe, only a few brands make caramel-flavored yogurt - Yoplait makes a "crème caramel" flavor which I'm sure would work fine and I think I usually buy the Stonyfield Farm organic kind which makes a caramel flavor.

I hope you enjoy trying either of these recipes and please feel free to leave a comment if you do!