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Spicy Corn Muffins

I love these!

Spicy Corn Muffins

1 c. reduced fat Bisquick
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup Splenda
14 oz can cream-style corn
2 egg whites
6 oz Chobani greek yogurt
½ c. cooked pork sausage
¼ c. diced roasted green chilies
¼ c. diced tamed jalapenos

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix Bisquick, cornmeal, and Splenda.
Add cream-style corn, egg whites, and yogurt. Fold in sausage, green chilies and jalapenos. Evenly distribute batter among 20 lined or sprayed cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Yield: 20 muffins. Per muffin= 87 Calories; 2g Fat (25.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium.

 

Angel Macaroons

A nice light cookie. These spread out a lot while baking so space them apart and use about 1 tablespoon of batter for each cookie.

Angel Macaroons
16 oz box angel food cake mix
1 c. water
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 c. flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients. Place by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Yield: 32 cookies. Per cookie= 64 Calories; 1g Fat (11.1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 111mg Sodium.

Chipotle Bacon Onion Dip

This is a good dip with a little kick.

Chipotle Bacon Onion Dip

8 oz light cream cheese
1 tsp onion powder
2 slices bacon, crumbled, divided
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (with 1 tsp. sauce), finely chopped
1  tsp. smoked paprika
2 green onions, sliced
 

Combine cream cheese, onion powder, bacon, chipotle pepper and paprika. Sprinkle with green onions and refrigerate at least one hour.

Yield: 8 servings. Per serving= 78 Calories; 6g Fat (67.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 197mg Sodium.

Lemon Lime Poppy Seed Cake

Yummy!

Lemon Lime Poppy Seed Cake

18.25 oz white cake mix
¼ c. lime juice

2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites
1 egg
3 TB poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Pour into a Bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 deg for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert to serving plate. Could also make a glaze to drizzle over cake.  
Yield: 16 servings. Per serving= 154 Calories; 5g Fat (26.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 225mg Sodium

Everything...and then some

I've been reading Everything by Mary DeMuth and I keep being amazed at the number of quality books promoting a relationship with Jesus. And I don't mean, "oh here's just another book about Jesus." I mean I really believe God is speaking through several people right now and we should all listen.
Mary's book describes how we seem to want a comfortable life, but what God wants for us is that crazy love relationship with Jesus where we give him our everything and he is OUR everything. We leave the comfortable life and follow hard after Jesus.
But wait, Crazy Love--yeah, that's a book by Francis Chan. Also talking about being so in love with Jesus you live your life for him.
But wait, there's more! I started reading Jeff Goins' book Wrecked while waiting for an oil change. Right away I was hooked as Jeff describes how we want to sit on our couches and wonder why life seems to be missing something, when what we should be doing is getting out of our comfort zones and reaching out to others. It's an example of of our crazy love for our Everything. I don't think it's an accident these books were written and released so near each other. I often find repetive nudges like these when God is speaking. But I don't think he's just speaking to me. What could we do this week to stretch beyond our comfort zones?

Grasshopper Brownies

I made these for a family reunion yesterday. They are very tasty, but not healthy!

Grasshopper Brownies
1 box (makes 13x9) brownie mix
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 egg whites
20 Cool Mint Oreos
7 oz marshmallow cream
4 drops green food coloring
1/2 tsp mint extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine brownie mix, applesauce, egg and egg whites. Add a splash of water if needed. Crunch the Oreos in a plastic bag; add to brownie mixture. Pour mixture into 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Combine marshmallow cream, food coloring and mint extract. Swirl into brownie mixture. Bake until brownies are done.

Everything by Mary DeMuth

I'm reading Everything by Mary DeMuth so periodically I'm going to be posting bits of the book that speak to me. I hope they speak to you too.

Our need for control shoves away God's ownership in our lives, and keeps us at the helm. In relinquishing control, growth flourishes. We learn to trust the sovereign One with our lives, to no longer micromanage even our relationship with Him. That type of journey thrives from the inside out.

Pumpkin Soup

I thought this was pretty tasty. I drink it out of a mug, rather than spooning it out of a bowl.

CINNAMON SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP
15 ounces pumpkin
14 ½ ounces low sodium chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 T. brown sugar

1 TB Splenda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
dash salt

Stir together pumpkin, chicken broth, and milk n a large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Heat just to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with chives, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings. Per serving (over 1 cup)= 64 Calories; 1g Fat (10.8% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 323mg Sodium.  

 

Hot Spinach Dip

I made this at work today in a 2 quart crock. We gobbled it up! It was very tasty!

Hot Spinach Dip

10 3/4 oz can reduced fat broccoli cheese soup
8 oz light cream cheese
1 tsp onion powder
10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Combine all ingredients in 2 quart crock and cook on high 2-3 hours, until can easily be combined and has no lumps.
Yield: 8 servings. Per serving (about 1/2 cup)= 97 Calories; 6g Fat (50.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 437mg Sodium

Apples in a Bag

I had this with a little Cool Whip Lite. yum!

Apples in a Bag

1 small apple
1 packet of Splenda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Core and slice the apple. Place in freezer-quality plastic zippered bag along with remaining ingredients. Seal bag and shake well to mix ingredients. Reopen bag just a touch to vent. Microwave on High for 2 minutes– longer if you use a big apple.
Carefully (it will be HOT and steamy) open bag and pour over plain or cinnamon-sugar pita chips, flour tortilla chips, oatmeal or ice cream.

Nutritionals: Serving Size 123 g 
Calories 59 
Total Fat 0.2g 
Fat 0.0g 
Cholesterol 0mg 
Sodium 2mg 
Total Carbohydrates 16.7g 
Dietary Fiber 2.9g 
Sugars 11.0 g 
Protein 0.3g

Impossibly Easy Breakfast Pie

This WAS easy and I got to use my tiny fiestaware pie plate!

Impossibly Easy Breakfast Pie
2 oz pork sausage, cooked
1 TB diced green chilies
1 slice reduced fat cheese
1/3 c. reduced fat Bisquick
1 egg white
2 TB water

Preheat oven to 375*. Spray small pie plate with cooking spray. Place cooked sausage in bottom of pie plate; add chilies. Top with cheese. Combine Bisquick, egg white and water; pour over meat. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Yield: 1 serving= 417 Calories; 25g Fat (54.9% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 997mg Sodium.

Applesauce Bread

This had a pretty good flavor, but I think it needs more sugar. I think I'd add a 1/2 cup of Splenda. And maybe another 1/2 cup of applesauce.

Applesauce Bread

Easy   Yield: 1 loaf

1 TB butter

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups reduced fat Bisquick
Dash  teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1 egg white
 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 by 4 by 3-inch loaf pan.  Combine the butter and brown sugar. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well until blended. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

 Yield: 10 servings. Per serving= 145 Calories; 3g Fat (19.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 328mg Sodium.

Rut Climbing?

Rut Climbing?

      Are you bored?  Or maybe stuck in a rut? Boredom is defined as tedium.  To me, boredom is a having nothing to do. I don’t often feel like that, but sometimes I feel like every day is the same and every week is the same. I’m in a rut and don’t want to do any of the usually fun things I can think to do.

      The house I grew up in was on a dirt road so I know about ruts.  Every time it rains and cars and trucks drive down the muddy road they leave deep ruts. The longer it’s wet and the more vehicles drive down the road the deeper the ruts get.  How do you get out of a rut like that? 

     Sometimes life can become too routine.  We need some spontaneous diversions.  Maybe take a road trip to someplace new or not often seen.  I love to drive to a little town near me known for its antique stores.  I can browse the stores and see if they have items to add to my collections.

     Hobbies are also a fun diversion.  A new hobby just might help you out of that rut.  We like having something to feel excited about.  (Sometimes why marriage goes bad—we no longer feel excited about our partner and we feel excited about someone else.)  Is there a hobby you haven’t had time for lately?  Dust that hobby off and make time for it.

     Volunteering can also get us out of a rut. Focusing on someone else brings to light our own blessings. 

      Using our spiritual gifts can give us something to feel excited about.  What are you good at?  What do you enjoy? It may be related to your spiritual gifts.

     Goal setting can pull us out of a rut. Is there a list of things you want to accomplish this year? Start planning the steps you need to take to meet those goals.

     Learn something new.  Take a class. There are online classes you can take at your own speed and if there is a vocational school near you, they may have cooking classes, computer classes, foreign language classes—you get the idea. They are fairly inexpensive and you also have the opportunity to meet new friends who share your interests. Something new is definitely the opposite of boredom and ruts.

     What are you thankful for? Counting our blessings can help us out of a rut by reminding us of all for which we have to be grateful.

     There are lots of ways out of a rut. What is your favorite way to get out of a rut?

Bean Trio with Citrus Cumin Dressing

I liked this citrus dressing! It made it a very unique salad.

Bean Trio with Citrus Cumin Dressing

1(15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz can corn kernels, drained
½ tsp onion powder
½ cup celery hearts, small chop
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
¼ cup lemon juice, fresh
⅓ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin, ground

 

Mix together beans, corn kernels, chopped onion, celery, and parsley in large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together SPLENDA^® Granulated Sweetener, lemon, lime, and orange juices, olive oil, salt, and cumin in medium bowl. Pour over bean mixture and toss. Refrigerate for two hours before serving. Toss and serve.

Calories: 200, Fat 8 g, Carbs 26g, Fiber 8 g, Protein 7

Banana Pudding Pie

Making the Rootbeer Float Pie made me wonder why I couldn't make a Banana Pudding Pie. So, I did!

Banana Pudding Pie
28 reduced fat Nilla wafers
1 c. skim milk
1 oz sugar free fat free banana cream pudding mix
2 bananas
8 oz Cool Whip Lite, thawed

Place 28 Nilla wafers in a pie plate. Slice bananas over the wafers. Combine the milk and pudding mix with mixer. Fold in half the Cool Whip. Pour over the bananas. Top with remaining Cool Whip.
Yield: 6 servings. Per serving=229 Calories; 6g Fat (25.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 305mg Sodium.

Root Beer Float Pie

This was delicious!

Root Beer Float Pie
3/4 c. diet root beer
1/4 c. skim milk
1 oz pkg sugar free fat free vanilla pudding mix
8 oz Cool Whip Lite, thawed
9 oz reduced fat graham cracker crust
6 marachino cherries

Combine the root beer, milk and pudding mix with mixer until smooth (about 2 minutes). Let it sit to thicken; fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Pour into crust and top with remaining Cool Whip. Place a cherry on each piece.
Yield: 6 servings. Per serving=304 Calories; 12g Fat (36.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 404mg Sodium. 

Do Low Fat Diets Work?

Do Low-fat Diets Work?

By Raquel Haggard

            A few years ago, when she was 52, Donna Paddock thought she was getting the flu, but what she actually had was a heart attack.  Before that she ate what she wanted, did not exercise and was 35 pounds overweight.  This heart attack was a warning and after recovering Donna began walking daily and following a low fat diet, but she had a hard time continuing the healthy eating program.  One year later Donna’s intestines became twisted and she had colon surgery.  “My diet was killing me. Because of no protein and no fiber, my body couldn't function properly and went haywire,” Donna said.  After this she was desperate for a healthy eating plan she could maintain.  Donna began following a plan that focused on healthy oils, low fat proteins and vegetables and high fiber carbohydrates.  “It is more about the balance of what I eat and never eating a carb without a protein,” she said.  “I also eat six times a day--3 meals, and 3 protein/carb snacks.”  Donna lost 35 pounds and has maintained the loss for over one year by continuing the diet and walking her dog each day for 30 minutes.  Her cardiologist is amazed by her progress.  “This summer, when I had all the routine heart check-ups, such as running the treadmill, I did fantastic and the nurses and doctor could not believe the improvement -- majorly due to this diet.” 

            The low-fat diet craze began in the 1980s and in 1990s, the federal government hopped on the band wagon and began recommending low-fat diets and canola oil to reduce the risk for heart disease, but 18 years later the problems still exist.  According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.  In addition, about two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.  Researchers and physicians are now considering the idea that fat is not what makes us fat and causes heart disease. 

            What is a low-fat diet?  Many low fat diets seem to decrease fat and protein and replace them with processed carbohydrates.  The American Heart Association says 30 percent of daily calories should come from healthy fats.  AHA also indicates that we need fat, but not as much as most people eat each day.   In her book, Ten Years Thinner, Christine Lydon, M.D. states, “…eliminating dietary fat from your meal plan is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent counterproductive to eliminating stored fat…when your diet lacks sufficient amounts of the right kinds of fat, stored fat becomes largely inaccessible as an energy source…if you don’t eat fat, you won’t burn fat.”  Lydon also recommends certain exercises to build muscle as muscle burns more calories.  In addition, she says, “Active people have increased protein requirements.”  Lydon also says to have a firm, youthful body you should eat three fists’ worth of protein per day because lean animal protein sources promote simultaneous muscle toning and fat burning. 

            According to Naturopathic Doctor Bruce Fife, a diet lacking in fat can reduce the efficiency of the immune system, making us more susceptible to disease.  Fat is necessary for the absorption of essential nutrients and vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as calcium.

            In their book Eat, Drink & Weigh Less, Mollie Katzen and Walter Willett, M.D. state “A calorie is a calorie, so making the healthiest possible choices about where you get your calories is everything.”  They also explain that the fats we eat do not increase weight any more than carbohydrates or protein.  Every food has calories and can cause you to gain weight if you eat too much and don’t burn the calories you eat.  Eating the right kinds of foods is key, rather than indiscriminately cutting fat, carbohydrates or protein.  Katzen and Willett say, “Keep your total caloric intake and your activity level constant and shift the ratio of the kinds of fat you eat to include more unsaturated fats and less saturated ones, you won’t gain weight.  Add to this a small reduction in carbohydrates and you’ll lose weight.”  Unsaturated fats are important to a healthy diet.  They not only reduce risk for heart disease, they make food taste good. 

Legally Sneaky

Legally Sneaky: How the Candy Makers Fool Us

By Raquel Haggard

Healthy Candy?  Is that an oxymoron?   We like candy and want to believe that it is also good for us.  Candy makers play this up by stretching the truth--and it’s legal.

Candy makers actually pay people to fool us.  Ken Mundy, a Quality and Process Consultant, is one such person.  A big part of his job is to oversee the packaging of candy.  He makes sure the candy corn is not broken, starlight mints have definite lines, and the packaging is inviting.  Mundy says many companies are indicating terms on their packaging such as “reduced sugar, sugar free, light, fat free, reduced fat, contains real fruit juice” and “contains real honey” in ways that could be construed by the consumers as misleading.

“Reduced sugar” and “reduced fat” may mean this product simply has a little less than the original product made by this company; not that it is a “low sugar or low fat” product.  For instance, Pepsi created Pepsi Edge which has half the sugar of regular Pepsi, so it has reduced sugar, but not necessarily low sugar.  Kellog’s created Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops with 33% less sugar. 

“Light” could mean just the color of the product is of a pale hue and does not necessarily mean the product is lower in fat or calories.  Read the small print.

“Fat free” is currently being used on items such as jelly beans and gummi bears, but these items were always fat free.  Jelly beans, for instance, contain Sugar, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Natural and/or Artificial Flavors, Artificial Colors.  There is no fat in these ingredients.  Suddenly companies started putting “fat free” prominently on packaging and sales increased.  Mundy says, “[This] wording …let the consumers know something they might not have been aware of when just browsing the shelves and comparing the products.  It’s not a lie- they are fat free.”

“Sugar free” does not contain more than 1% sucrose, but instead may contain corn syrup or  a sugar replacement.  One such sugar replacement is Sorbitol.  Sorbitol is a naturally occurring sweetener found primarily in fruits and berries. This product is manufactured from glucose, but is only 50-75% as sweet as regular sugar and contains two thirds the calories of sugar. Because it is absorbed and metabolized slowly, sorbitol has little effect on blood sugar levels, which makes it useful in replacing regular sugar in recipes for diabetic diets.

Mannitol is another sugar replacement used in diabetic foods, and "breath-freshening" candies.  According to the USFDA, in doses larger than 20 grams, mannitol acts as a laxative, which can make it unpopular with consumers.   Products containing mannitol are required to state the following on the package: "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect."

“Contains real fruit juice”, says Mundy “could mean there’s 50% or 1% in the product.  People see the label and think ‘Oh, it’s healthier.’ When actually it may not be healthier than the product sitting next to it that does not have fruit juice.  It’s the same for ‘contains honey.’  The product may not have much honey in it.  But it’s not a lie.  It does have some in it.”

The only sure way to know what is in your candy is to read the label.  As of May 8, 1994, every candy product  (along with other packaged foods) must have a label including an ingredients list.   Labels include calories content, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, key vitamins and minerals, and for each, the daily value percentage on the basis of a 2000-calorie diet.  

The nutrition label lists the amount of sugars in grams (4 grams is equivalent to 1 teaspoon) in a serving of the food.  The sugar amount provided on the label includes sugars that are naturally present (such as fructose in fruit), as well as, sugars added during processing.  To see if a sweetener has been added to the food you are about to eat, check the ingredient list for terms such as "sugar (sucrose)," "fructose," "maltose," "lactose," "honey," "syrup," "corn syrup," "high-fructose corn syrup," "molasses," and "fruit juice concentrate."

Ingredients are listed on labels in order of most content to least content, so if one of the above terms is listed first or second, or if several are listed, you can be pretty sure the product is high in sugar.

Maybe it is our own fault for wanting to believe that candy might be healthy. Do not be fooled- study the labels. 

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Spicy Southwest Bean & Corn Salad

It's salad weather!

Spicy Southwest Bean & Corn Salad

1/2 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing
1/4 tsp.  hot pepper sauce
1 pkg. (10 oz.) torn mixed salad greens
1 can  (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed, drained
1/2 cup  red pepper strips
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/2 cup  KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese

MIX dressing and hot pepper sauce. TOSS greens with beans and vegetables in large bowl.

ADD dressing mixture; toss to coat. Top with cheese.

Calories  280 Total fat  8 g Saturated fat  2.5 g Cholesterol  20 mg Sodium  680 mg Carbohydrate  43 g Dietary fiber  10 g Sugars  5 g Protein  13 g Vitamin A  30 %DV Vitamin C  60 %DV Calcium  25 %DV Iron  15 %DV