1/2 loaf day old french bread but into cubes
3 whole eggs
5 egg whites
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup splenda sugar blend
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 banana chopped into small pieces



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and Splenda sugar mix until combined. Add bread, chocolate chips, and bananas to egg mixture and mix together.
Pour everything into the baking dish and cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes and then remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy! Really good with Fat Free Whipped Topping!

Southern Sweet Tea Pie

Crust

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

Beat together cream cheese and butter until combined. Add flour, mix until dough forms a ball. Pat dough into 9-inch pie pan. Chill until ready for use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup strong steeped orange pekoe tea, cooled
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt


Beat butter and sugar on medium until creamy. Add yolks one at a time. Slowly add the tea, zest and lemon juice. Scrape down bowl. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and mix well. Pour into crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until set. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then chill for 2 hours in refrigerator.

Garnish with candied lemon peeland fresh mint.

1 (14 ounce) package sweetened coconut
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup melted milk chocolate


Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites (not whipped) and almond extract until well blended. Drop by tablespoonful onto greased and floured cookie sheets.

Bake 325F for 20 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate, allow to set and enjoy!

Fudgey Chocolate Pie

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. In a medium bowl, beat milk and egg yolks until smooth. Gradually stir into sugar mixture. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. Boil and stir for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla. Stir until melted.
Pour into pie shell. Place plastic wrap over filling to prevent skin from forming and chill for several hours. Top with meringue or whipped cream and chocolate curls if so desired.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 1 quart fresh strawberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate, melted

Arrange half of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Mash remaining berries and combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over berries in pastry shell. Chill for several hours. When cool, drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the pie. Allow to set and serve!

Nutella Pinwheels

½ c. of softened butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
¼ cup Nutella to spread
2-3 tablespoon, toasted, chopped hazelnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix butter and sugar together till creamy.
3. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Mix till well combined.
4. Stir in the flour and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes so that it can firm.
5. Next, roll out the dough into a rectangle ¼ inch.
6. Spread the Nutella making sure to leave a little space on all four sides, so the Nutella will not ooze out!
7. Sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts and roll up the dough.
8. Refrigerate for ten minutes before cutting the slices.
9. Lay the slices on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes till slightly golden.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 lb baked chicken breast, diced
32 oz. Fat Free, less sodium chicken broth
1 10.5 oz can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5 oz can fat free cream of celery soup

1/2 cup slice button mushrooms
16 oz bag frozen asparagus stir fry mix
1 cup frozen peas

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked back pepper

4 Grands buttermilk biscuits


Combine broth and both soups in a large soup pot. Whisk together. Add in all veggies as well as salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add in diced chicken breast. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Cover pan and turn off heat. Allow chicken and dumplings to sit with lid on for 10 minutes so dumplings will cook thru.

Skillet BBQ Chicken and Shredded Brussels Sprouts w/Pancetta and Walnuts

Skillet BBQ Chicken
4 skinless,boneless chicken breast halves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. Mrs. Dash salt-free southwest chipotle
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c BBQ sauce of choice
1/4 c. water

Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thick. Rub with garlic and then sprinkle with salt and Mrs. Dash.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Add BBQ sauce and water. Cook for 3-4 more minutes or until chicken is cooked thru.



Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Walnuts

1 T. brown sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
2 ounces thinly slice Pancetta
1 lb Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
2 T. chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 t. black pepper

Combine sugar and vinegar in a small bowl.
Cook pancetta in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from pan and reserve drippings in pan. Add Brussels sprouts to the hot drippings in the pan, saute for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, pour in vinegar mix. Top with walnuts and pancetta and black pepper. Serve hot!

Orange Beef and Broccoli w/ Rice

12 ounces broccoli florets
1/3 c. fat free, low-sodium beef broth
1/3 c. sugar free orange marmalade
2 T low sodium soy sauce
1/4 t salt
2 T corn starch
1 lb flank steak, sliced thin
White Rice

Steam broccoli and set aside.
Whisk together the next 4 ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place cornstarch in a shallow dish and dust flank steak in cornstarch.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and preheat on med. high.

Saute steak in skillet for about 5minutes or until browned on all sides. Add broth mixture. Broccoli can now be added or served alongside the steak dish.

Prepare rice per package directions.

Place rice in middle of serving dish, spoon steak around rice as well as broccoli.

Purpose

Anyone who is reading this knows that my main passion is my son and that my other blog details our life together. My second passion is cooking so decided it was time to start a blog about just that. I hope to being to have recipes and photos of recipes on here. Some will be my own, some will be recipes I have gotten from other sources that I particularly enjoy.

I hope you come back often and maybe find something you want to try. But if you do, I would love to hear how your turned out!