Chicken Cordon Bleu

I received an email from the biggest loser club with one of the best recipes I've tried in a very long time. Chicken Cordon Bleu. The recipe is from the Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook. It was reprinted in Prevention so I don't feel guilty for sharing the recipe. Because of this recipe I did purchase the whole cookbook. Now, by request..

Photo from Prevention Magazine

Ingredients2 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, visible fat removed, pounded to 1/2" thickness
Olive oil spray (propellant free)
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
2 ounces thinly sliced lean, nitrate-free ham
1 ounce thinly sliced all- natural reduced-fat Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, or more to taste

InstructionsPreheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly mist the chicken with olive oil spray on both sides. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Place a medium ovenproof, nonstick skillet over high heat. When it's hot, lightly mist it with the spray and add the chicken. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the outside.

Remove the pan from the heat. Top each chicken breast with half of the ham and half of the cheese, making sure they do not hang over. Sprinkle each evenly with the thyme. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

Per serving: 193 calories, 36 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates (0 g sugar), 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 337 mg sodium

Here is a picture of the finished product. 

Weight Watchers Points Plus - 6 pts.

**Note** The first time I made this I didn't have any swiss cheese and substituted colby jack cheese. I also put the cheese between the 2 meats to help the ham stay on the chicken. The 2nd time I made it I used swiss cheese but cut the slice in half and placed half between the meats and the other half on top. Both versions were extremely delicious. :)



Click here for the link to the Prevention page:

Terrific Tacos

For many years I have tried to loose weight. I have joined several fitness/weightloss sites hoping to find the program that would work best for me. After my son was born, I advised a doctor and was told to try the Slimfast method, so I did. I was highly surprised at how wonderful the food was. One thing I really like about the recipe is that it lists everything for the meal: Main dish, side dish and dessert. It's really nice. The thing I don't like about the recipe is that each recipe (then) was only set up for 1 person. So depending on the recipe it sometimes gets a little tricky adjusting the recipe for more than 1. This recipe was pretty easy to adjust. Here's some very Terrific Tacos. I hope you enjoy!

Terrific Tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

·  1/4 onion, yellow

·  1 garlic clove

·  1/2 bell pepper, green, medium

·  5 ounces ground beef, extra lean

·  1 tablespoon taco seasoning

·  1/8 pound lettuce, romaine, chopped

·  1 tomato, medium

·  2 taco shells

·  2 tablespoons sour cream, fat-free

·  1 ounce cheddar cheese, low-fat

·  1 apple, medium

Preparation

Wash, peel and chop onion and garlic; wash, core and chop green pepper, reserving half for salad. Brown the ground beef, onion, garlic and half of the green pepper in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the seasoning mix along with 1 to 2 tbsp. of water. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and chop lettuce (1/8 pound is approximately 1 cup) and tomato, and arrange on a serving plate. When meat mixture is done cooking, spoon into taco shells and bake in a 350-degree oven or toaster oven for approximately 5 minutes, if desired, to enhance crispiness. (Alternatively, taco shells may heated without meat mixture.) Top tacos with sour cream (1 tbsp. each), cheese (1/2 ounce each), and prepared lettuce, tomato and reserved green pepper. Eat remaining meat and vegetables as a salad, including everything that falls out of tacos while eating. Enjoy a crisp apple for dessert.

Nutrition Information Amount Per Serving Calories 600 Calories from Fat 200 Total Fat 22 g Saturated Fat 7 g Cholesterol 60 mg Sodium 650 mg Total Carbohydrate 60 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 26 g Protein 44 g Vitamin A 60% Vitamin C 170% Calcium 30% Iron 30%

Book Review: Nighttime is My Time

Historian Jean Sheridan returns to Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, excited about her twenty-year high-school reunion at Stonecroft Academy. But a dear friend of hers soon becomes the fifth woman in the class to meet a sudden, mysterious end. Then Jean receives a taunting fax about a child she gave up for adoption, whose existence she had kept a secret but whose life may now be in danger. For present at the reunion is The Owl, a murderer on a mission of vengeance against women who once humiliated him...and Jean is his final intended victim.

The Queen of suspense has done it again. This gripping page turner kept me on the edge of my seat and craving for more from the very first page. A deranged maniac decided to take revenge on the popular girls from high school and murdered them off one by one in the order they sat at their lunch table. The only person smart enough to figure out a connection to the murders is high school a newspaper reporter that is craving national exposure. The concept of this book was truly terrifying. I can't wait to read her next book.

Basil Chicken with Tomatoes

This recipe is perfect as is, (well minus the cooked tomatoes). It is very flavorful and if you have a basting brush, it is the easiest way to get the fluid onto all of the chicken and potatoes. As you can see, I highly enjoyed my dinner.

Basil Chicken with Tomatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

·  8 basil leaves

·  1 fluid ounce chicken broth, fat-free, low-sodium

·  1 garlic clove

·  2 teaspoons olive oil, extra virgin

·  1/8 teaspoon thyme, ground

·  1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·  1/8 teaspoon salt

·  5 ounces chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, raw

·  1/4 pound potato, raw

·  1 tomato, medium

·  2 olives, black

·  1/4 pound lettuce, romaine, chopped

·  1 peach, fresh

·  3/4 dry cup fresh grapes (any color)

·  2 ounces yogurt, fat-free, favorite flavor

·  2 teaspoons almonds, slivered

Preparation

Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a food processor or blender, combine the basil leaves (washed), chicken stock, garlic clove, olive oil, thyme, pepper and salt, and process until pureed. Place the chicken in the baking dish and rub both sides with 1/2 of the basil mixture; set aside. Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash potato and cut into wedges. Place the potato wedges in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Wash the tomato and cut into wedges. Arrange the potato and tomato wedges around the chicken breast and spoon remaining basil mixture over the vegetables. Chop the olives and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside and potatoes are tender. Meanwhile prepare salad. Wash and chop lettuce (1/4 pound is approximately 2 cups chopped) and peach; wash grapes and toss with peach chunks; place mixed fruit on bed of lettuce and top with yogurt and slivered almonds.

Nutrition Information Amount Per Serving Calories 630 Calories from Fat 180 Total Fat 20 g Saturated Fat 3 g Cholesterol 120 mg Sodium 550 mg Total Carbohydrate 61 g Dietary Fiber 9 g Sugars 29 g Protein 54 g Vitamin A 90% Vitamin C 140% Calcium 20% Iron 25%

Book Review: The Mystic Wolves

The Mystic Wolves Volumn 1 By Belinda Boring

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator? Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason’s commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she’ll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength – once given, oaths are unbreakable … even if it means risking it all.


Belinda Boring's first published book originally started out as three separate novella's that she eventually combined to create her first full length book. While the paranormal genera isn't my normal read, I knew when the book came out that I had to read it because Belinda is my niece.

While I enjoyed the premise of her book, the first time I read her novella, I was extremely confused. I ended up having to read it twice. My confusion came from the main character Darcy interacting with her inner wolf. Again, I have never read books about werewolves so I wasn't use to the lingo and such. Once I figured out what was going on, I didn't have any additional issues. I also noticed that when Boring published the book, she did not go back and create transitions between each of the novellas. You can tell where one novella ends and the next one begins. It has been a while since I've read this book so she may have corrected the issue.

Boring has created a wonderful storyline for the whole series. A quick trip to the store ends up becoming a kidnapping and murder and the after effects of that trip. The bond between the main characters, Darcy and Mason is very strong and the love Mason feels for Darcy is very palpable. Boring did decide to throw her readers for a loops with a cliffhanger ending that no one saw coming. The ending definitely created a "must read" vibe for the 2nd book in the series.

Happy reading!

Sweet And Sour Chicken

I found this recipe on Slimfast.com many many years ago. They have since removed the recipe, but I will forever be making this wonderful dish for my family for years to come. I have modified my recipe and removed the bell pepper and tomatoes. I do not like the flavor of bell peppers and I do not like my tomatoes cooked. I also pair the chicken with steamed white rice (that is until my rice is gone, then I will switch to brown rice *shivers*. lol. I will have to add a picture next time I make it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Tomato Wedges

Prep Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

·  5 ounces chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, raw

·  1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium

·  1 garlic clove

·  3 teaspoons canola oil

·  1 bell pepper, green, medium

·  1 onion, yellow

·  1/2 dry cup pineapple chunks, canned in juice

·  1 1/2 tablespoons white rice vinegar

·  1 tomato, medium

·  1/4 pound mixed salad greens

·  8 baby carrots

·  1 tablespoon fat-free salad dressing, favorite flavor

Preparation

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken, soy sauce and garlic (minced) in a resealable bag. Marinate 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Saute´ chicken in 2 tsp. of the canola oil until browned. Place in a medium casserole dish lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Wash bell pepper and cut into thin strips. Wash, peel and slice onion. Saute´ green pepper and onion in remaining 1 tsp. of oil. Add to the chicken in the casserole dish. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving 2 tbsp. of the juice. Combine pineapple juice, 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of water, and 1/2 tbsp. of the vinegar in a small bowl; stirring to blend. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Wash pineapple and cut into 8 wedges. Top casserole with pineapple chunks and 4 tomato wedges (half of tomato). Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare tossed salad with washed lettuce greens (1/4 pound is approximately 2 cups), remaining 4 tomato wedges, baby carrots cut lengthwise into strips, and dressing mixed with remaining 1 tbsp. of vinegar.

Nutrition Information Amount Per Serving Calories 610 Calories from Fat 180 Total Fat 20 g Saturated Fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 120 mg Sodium 890 mg Total Carbohydrate 58 g Dietary Fiber 11 g Sugars 36 g Protein 51 g Vitamin A 330% Vitamin C 290% Calcium 15% Iron 30%

Honey Glazed Garlic Pork Chops

Ok, so I know I've been slacking on posting new recipes... NO MORE! I made this very yummy dish yesterday for dinner. It was super easy and very flavorful.  (Doesn't that just look finger licking good?) I found the recipe on Sparkpeople.com. It received high reviews from all the readers.

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

1/4 + 1/8 cup honey 3 tbsp soy sauce 6 cloves garlic, minced 6 pork loin chops, boneless, trimmed of excess fat, 4 oz each

Directions

In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic.
Coat chops in mixture.
Reserve left over honey mixture for basting.
Place chops on greased grill over med high heat, close lid and cook. basting 2 times.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 214.5

• Total Fat: 6.0 g
• Cholesterol: 50.8 mg
• Sodium: 544.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 19.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
• Protein: 20.9 g

***One thing I would do differently next time would be to add in less soy sauce. I cut my recipe in half since it was for me and my 2 kids. My pork chops were a total of 10oz. I would also probably buy fresh garlic instead of the minced garlic or blend all the ingredients in a blender to make it less "chunky". And as other readers posted I will probably add in a little corn startch to thicken it a touch so it doesn't just run off the meat. ***

I hope you enjoy and if you make it, let me know how it went for you and if you changed the recipe any.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I found this recipe on Slimfast.com many many years ago. They have since removed the recipe, but I will forever be making this wonderful dish for my family for years to come. I have modified my recipe and removed the bell pepper and tomatoes. I do not like the flavor of bell peppers and I do not like my tomatoes cooked. I also pair the chicken with steamed white rice (that is until my rice is gone, then I will switch to brown rice *shivers*. lol. I will have to add a picture next time I make it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Tomato Wedges

Prep Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

·  5 ounces chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, raw

·  1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium

·  1 garlic clove

·  3 teaspoons canola oil

·  1 bell pepper, green, medium

·  1 onion, yellow

·  1/2 dry cup pineapple chunks, canned in juice

·  1 1/2 tablespoons white rice vinegar

·  1 tomato, medium

·  1/4 pound mixed salad greens

·  8 baby carrots

·  1 tablespoon fat-free salad dressing, favorite flavor

Preparation

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken, soy sauce and garlic (minced) in a resealable bag. Marinate 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Saute´ chicken in 2 tsp. of the canola oil until browned. Place in a medium casserole dish lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Wash bell pepper and cut into thin strips. Wash, peel and slice onion. Saute´ green pepper and onion in remaining 1 tsp. of oil. Add to the chicken in the casserole dish. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving 2 tbsp. of the juice. Combine pineapple juice, 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of water, and 1/2 tbsp. of the vinegar in a small bowl; stirring to blend. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Wash pineapple and cut into 8 wedges. Top casserole with pineapple chunks and 4 tomato wedges (half of tomato). Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare tossed salad with washed lettuce greens (1/4 pound is approximately 2 cups), remaining 4 tomato wedges, baby carrots cut lengthwise into strips, and dressing mixed with remaining 1 tbsp. of vinegar.

Nutrition Information Amount Per Serving Calories 610 Calories from Fat 180 Total Fat 20 g Saturated Fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 120 mg Sodium 890 mg Total Carbohydrate 58 g Dietary Fiber 11 g Sugars 36 g Protein 51 g Vitamin A 330% Vitamin C 290% Calcium 15% Iron 30%

Book Review: Divine Deception

Divine Deception By Marcia Lynn McClure - Life experience had harshly turned its cruel countenance on the young Fallon Ashby. Her father deceased and her mother suffering with a fatal illness, Fallon was given over to her uncle, Charles Ashby, until she would reach the age of independence. Abused, neglected, and disheartened, Fallon found herself suddenly blessed with unexpected liberation at the hand of the mysterious Trader Donavon. A wealthy landowner and respected denizen of the town, Trader Donavon concealed his feature of face within the shadows of a black cowl. When Fallon's secretive deliverer offered two choices of true escape from her uncle, her captive heart chose its own path. Thus, Fallon married the enormous structure of mortal man-without having seen the horrid secret he hid beneath an ominous hood. But the malicious Charles Ashby, intent on avenging his own losses at Trader Donavon's hand, set out to destroy the husband that Fallon herself held secrets concerning. Would her wicked uncle succeed and perhaps annihilate the man that his niece secretly loved above all else?

This was my first Marcia book that I ever read. I finished it in a single day. It's a small book, maybe around 150-200 pages, but from the moment I started reading it I was hooked. Marcia has a special talent of grabbing the reader's attention and keeping it. The story opens up with poor Fallon being mistreated and abused by her horrible uncle. The uncle is visited by the mysterous Trader Donavon...aka Landlord who is in the process of evicting the uncle from the property. After Trader leaves, he later comes back because he was seeking shelter from the winter storm. Fallon's uncle later finds both Trader and Fallon curled up together in front of the fireplace and demands Trader marry Fallon within the week. Fallon is already in love with Trader even though she has never seen his face since he always wears a hood. She is determined to win Trader's love. Through events her uncle creates, she falls into dangerous trouble and Trader has to save her life. The story is very well written. My only complaint is that the "kissing scenes" aren't as good as some of her other books. They are still good, but some of ther other books such as Dusty Britches and The Highwayman of Tanglewood have scenes in them that can curl your toes with expectation. But don't let that stop you from reading this book, the storyline is so worth it, and the final plot twist will have you go, no wonder!!!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My sweet tooth kicked into full gear last night, and I started craving cookies. I have been buying the pre-made cookie dough, but decided that I would rather make a full batch of cookies, and save myself a little money, so I started looking through my food supply and realized that I had 4 containers of oatmeal. Since I don't usually make regular oatmeal, I decided this was a good time to bake oatmeal cookies, so off to the store for a couple of crucial ingredients; Chocolate Chips. The recipe under the lid of the oatmeal was titled Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Although that sounds yummy, I wasn't in the mood for raisin cookies. Chocolate was the only thing on my mind, so I decided to change it up a bit, and make Vanishing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. Mmm. Just the sound of that makes my mouth water. I am going to post the recipe just as I made it, then I will Bold the changes that need to be made to make these raisin cookies. I hope you enjoy them!

Just a little tip, I ended up making 1/2 dozen dropped cookies and the rest into bar cookies because the dough looked like it was going to spread and end up making the cookies bars anyway. I was wrong. The cookies did not spread out much, so don't be afraid to make them into drop cookies like I was. :-)

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time Time: 10-12 min

Yield - 4 DOZEN

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

For Chocolate Chip cookies:
1 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

For Raisin Cookies:
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda,  and salt; mix well. Add oats and chocolate chips; mix well.

• Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Variations

Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered. 24 BARS. VARIATIONS: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Substitute 1 cup Raisins chocolate; include cinnamon. Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit. HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

Any fear can be conquered

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I took the kids to the park to play. My daughter found the fireman's pole and started sliding down it having a blast. My son decided that the girl shouldn't be the only one having that much fun, and so they both started sliding down the shorter pole. Since my son is now 10, he decided that he was tough enough to go down the taller pole, yet when he was standing on the platform looking down, he became very terrified. Now mind you this pole was only 2 feet taller than the other pole. The girl (who is now 5) showed her brother how easy it was to go down the tall pole, but the boy could only see himself dying from the height. I don't think I helped matters much, but I tried to give him encouragement, "if sister can do it, you can!" At one point he started crying because he was so scared. I told him it was ok, he didn't have to do it, and a little later, he started getting the courage to go down the pole again, but the height still terrified him. With me standing under him with my arms stretched out, my son finally conquered his fear of heights and slid down the pole. I was so proud of him. There aren't a lot of people that will continue pushing themselves to over come their fears like he did. Good job boy! I love ya!

Book Review: My Lucky Day

The fox  thinks it's his lucky day when a piglet knocks on his door. He plans to eat the piglet for dinner, but the piglet outfoxes him in the end!

Yes, I know, this is not the normal books that I have been reviewing, but I felt it was important for other parents to have good book options for their children. I just have to say though, this book is super cute and a fun book to read to 3-5 year olds. My daughter absolutely adores it. She wants me to read it over and over. We received the book in the mail from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. It was a free book and we receive a new book each month. My daughter loves getting books in the mail.

Ok so now that the PSA info has been added, time to get down and dirty with Mr. Piglet. LOL. This pig is freaking awesome. In the beginning of the book, the reader is led to believe that the poor piglet ended up on the fox's door by accident, but through his actions, we find out that really wasn't the case. It was never Mr. Fox's lucky day, it was always Mr. Piglet's day. Keiko Kasza did a wonderful job writing the book. I'm not sure if Kasza also illustrated the book (I'm assuming since I cannot find an illustrator) but the artwork is great. Kasza really made the reader feel as if they were in the fox's home by putting funny "family" pictures on the wall... Pictures of Mr. Fox with some of his hunting kills, Mr. Fox lifting weights, that kind of thing. It really is a cute book and while it may or may not give young readers a moral (other than to be careful what you wish for), it's a great read. Good job Kasza!

Mountains of Books

I'm in deep trouble. Today I decided to try to find a few new books to put on my ipod (kindle app) for my kids. I love to read, but I have decided I really do not like real books. They take too much space, I have to remember to carry it, etc. By having the kindle app on my ipod I can have mounds of books in 1 very small space. I do not mind the smaller screen compared to a real kindle or Ipad/tablet, I'm not a fast reader, so the smaller screen is awesome, and it doesn't bother me in the least that on my ipod there might be 12309172317 pages, where as on a kindle/tablet there's only 1234. I'm ok with this. And besides, I keep my ipod with me 24/7. I watch netflix on it, play video games, watch videos I've downloaded, listen to music, read my subscriptions, etc. so why not read regular books? A friend of mine introduced me to the free books on Amazon.com. That was a bad bad thing. I've "purchased" several books before today, but this was the first time that I have gone crazy getting the free books. I love free. :) So right at this moment, I think I have close to 100 books. I guess that's my New Year's resolution... Reading all these books and reviewing them. I hope you enjoy!

Potato and Egg Sandwich

Ok, now before I post the recipe, I just wanted to share how I found this. I had to go to the doctor a couple weeks ago, and picked up a Woman's World magazine to read because of 2 reasons... #1, It was talking about Oprah's Diet world, and that sounded interesting to me. #2, There was a picture of a VERY yummy looking cake on the cover. lol. Anyway, while I was flipping through the magazine to find those two treasures, I found an article titled Money-$aving cooking with Grandma Clara! Grandma Clara gave a little blurb about life as she knew it growing up, which included this recipe. It was interesting to find out that they use to buy 100lb sacks of potatoes and they never went to waste. That's completely amazing! I have a hard time using up a 10lb bag of potatoes. Anyway, I've been stewing over this recipe for almost 3 weeks now, wanting to make it, but not sure if I would have enough time in the mornings before my son had to go to school. Since I had just made a loaf of fresh bread last night, I decided that this morning was a good morning to give this recipe a shot. It was completely finished in 30 minutes, which was a wonderful thing! The only fault I could find with it is that it was a little dry, and that could have been because I had over cooked the eggs, but maybe not. To compensate, I put some ketchup on the kid's sandwiches, and mayo on my sandwich and it was fine. Other than the dryness, this was a yummy meal, and I'll be sure to make it again soon (maybe on the weekend though. lol)

Potatoes and Eggs Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 TBSP oil

3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

8 eggs

8 slices of bread

Directions:

• Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat.
• Add potatoes and sauté for about 20 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
• While potatoes are cooking, crack eggs in a medium sized bowl and whip until mixed well.
• Once potatoes are cooked through, add eggs to the potatoes and stir eggs until they become scrambled and golden in color.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Lightly toast bread and spoon egg mixture between slices of bread. Enjoy.

Bella Ruffle Purse

I love purses. Usually I am too broke to purchase them, but I still love to look. I have had a hard time finding a purse that will fit all my needs. So, since my last purse needs to be retired, I decided that I would make my next purse. That way, I can make it to fit my needs. I searched and searched until I found a purse that I liked, and stumbled upon the Bella Purse. The best part is that the pattern was free. Click here for the free PDF pattern.

The pattern maker did a good job of explaining and showing how to make the purse, but there were some very unnecessary steps. On Round 8, the pattern calls for a round of slip stitches. So not necessary. Instead of the slipstitches, just crochet in the back loop only and leave the front loops for the ruffles. By taking out that extra round I got confused on which round I was on (I actually set the purse aside for a couple months, so when I went back to it, I forgot that was what I had done.) To help keep counting the rounds easy, count the round and the front loops separate. I hope that makes sense. Also, the pattern says to crochet the purse up to the ruffles, then crochet the ruffles with another skein. That's not necessary either. The way I did it was to crochet the purse part first, then I went back later and added on the ruffles once I was finished. 

The final modification I made was for the handle. I wanted a bigger handle than the 2 inch handle that I would have got had I followed the directions. To fix this, at the end of round the pattern's Round 21 (I think that's actually Round 18 with removing the slip stitches) I finished off the round. Then I flattened the purse and rejoined my yarn on the end. Instead of chaining 15, I chained 20 for the handle. Finally on the final round, I did a single crochet decrease at the corners where the handle is to give the handle a little more of a curved look. All in all, I think it turned out pretty good. I enjoyed making this purse and will probably be making more. I plan on making a change purse that I can attach to the purse and also a pocket on the inside for my cell/ipod, money, etc. 

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Just reading the title of these cookies makes me drool. I love these cookies. They are so soft and chewy and so heavenly! I choose to only make them around the Christmas Holiday because otherwise I would end up the size of an elephant if I didn't. They are very addicting. I baked two batches of these cookies which yielded around 5 dozen cookies for a work Christmas potluck which ended up not happening. I decided to share the cookies with my co-workers anyway and one even told me he would take 2 dozen of the cookies. LOL. I guess he really likes my baking skills. :-) Enough of my sorry life, here's the information you are looking for.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies



Preheat oven 350

1 box duncan Hines red velvet cake mix
1 box chocolate instant pudding(or vanilla)
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup egg whites adjust as needed
1 bag semi sweet shocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix all dry ingredents together
add egg white and sour cream
mixture will be thick so you can add alittle more egg white

Easiest way to drop on pan is to take sppon & sppon cookie mixture into plastic storage bag or freezer bag.

move cookie mix into corner of bag with hands
cut corner off bag & squeeze out onto lightly greased cookie sheet
Bake to 10-14 minutes.

You can top cookie with a dap cream cheese frosting in middle of cookie or sprinkle with white powder sugar!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! Enjoy your baking!

***NOTE!!!*** I first got this recipe when I was working as an event specialist (food demo person) last year. I made it so much and thought I would never forget the recipe so I didn't write it down. Well guess what, I forgot. I finally found the recipe on the Duncan Hines website. The girl that posted the recipe did the same job I was doing but in a different area. I'm very thankful for her for posting the recipe. The only problem is, she diesn't specify the size of box for the pudding. I believe it is the small box though. I purchased the large box and did 2 batches at once just in case and they tasted just fine. So I would use the small box of pudding.***