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It's hard for me to believe that I've never publicly shared this recipe.  It's one of my ABSOLUTE favorites and I would eat it every day if I could get away with it.  Instead I save it for special occasions because somehow I believe that I savor it so much more that way (and it's better for my waistline because, seriously, I can never eat just one small bowl.)  I often pull it out for company because it's easy, everyone loves it, and it impresses even the toughest critics.  This is another one of those "this will be my breakfast specialty at my bed and breakfast someday" recipes... the kind that always makes me say "I don't mean to toot my own horn... but this is amazing!!" And since I have it hand written on a recipe card with my own alterations, I can't give credit where credit is due because I honestly don't remember where I got the original so I apologize for that... but enjoy... because I know you will...


Baked Blueberry Peach Oatmeal

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 1/4 cups fat free milk
2 T. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can sliced peaches drained and chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk together the egg whites, egg, milk, oil and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in fruit.

Transfer to an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned.  Serve in bowls with additional milk if desired.

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I love to grill.  This is a well known fact.  I love summertime because I love my barbecue (among other reasons of course...)  But make no mistake, I can be found barbecuing into the winter since my grill sits just feet from the glass sliding door off of our kitchen.

So I love my grill and I love finding new recipes.  And when I find one I enjoy, I love sharing them...

This chicken was amazing.  The sweet and salty teriyaki-like Hawaiian flavors combined wonderfully together for a flavorful meal.  I, again, used a mixture of boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs but both turned out equally as delicious so use whatever you prefer!


Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup sherry or chicken broth
2 1/2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3-4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, or both...)

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except chicken.  Reserve 1 1/3 cups for basting; cover and refrigerate.  Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag (or two) and add marinade to bag.  Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken.  Preheat grill to medium heat.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes.

*Courtesy of Taste of Home*

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Sometime within the last few years or so, Cooking Light has developed a section of their magazine called "Super Fast: 20-Minute Cooking."  Meant to help you figure out quick weeknight meals, this section is ideal for any busy mom and always seems to catch my eye.  Especially when the recipes look and sound so gourmet yet are so quick and easy.

My 15-year-old niece came to stay with us last month when this recipe made its debut. And while 15-year-olds, in general, are adverse to trying new things, I truly believe she enjoyed the results of my culinary adventures. She started out by asking "what's couscous" and ended by cleaning her plate.  I'll take that as a compliment :)


Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4-ounce) boneless pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 peaches, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons butter

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper.  Add chops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chops from pan and keep warm.  Add shallots, thyme and peaches to pan; cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced slightly.  remove from heat and stir in butter.  Spoon sauce over chops (Serving size: 1 chop, 4 peach wedges and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.)

CAL: 235, FAT: 8.6g (sat: 2.8g), PRO: 26.2g, CARB: 13.6g, FIBER: 1.1g, CHOL: 83mg

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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I ran across this recipe in Parents magazine awhile back and finally got around to trying it out.  I'm a sucker for sweet and savory together and this recipe highlights that concept well.  I figure it also usually gets my kids to eat whatever it is I've made too and this was no exception.  Every plate was cleaned and even I couldn't believe how much flavor these things had.  Incredible.


Apple Glazed Meatballs

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (I used the heels to my bread, stuck 'em in my mini cuisinart and voila!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 medium apple, coarsely grated
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese, egg, apple, mustard, parsley, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Add chicken and mix together well.

In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat.  Roll mixture into 12 balls.  Fry in oil, turning occasionally until meatballs are browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Glaze: In a pot, mix apple cider, maple syrup and vinegar.  Simmer over low heat until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.  Toss meatballs in glaze and serve.  Makes 4 servings.

*Courtesy of Parents magazine*
Calories: 349  Fat: 11g (sat 2g)  Protein: 31g  Carb: 29g  Fiber: 2g

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These bad boys were so easy and fun to make, so yummy looking and absolutely, without a doubt incredibly delicious.  Joe raved and the kids devoured them.  I got a good 4 cups or so of shredded meat from my rotisserie chicken so I just bagged up half and stuck it in the freezer... even easier to make the second time around!  Serve with some mexican rice and a fresh green salad for a hearty meal.


Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1/2 cup refrigerated salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese blend

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.

Combine beans and salsa.  Spoon 1/4 cup mixture and 1/2 cup chicken down center of each tortilla.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese (I put a little more in mine.)  Roll up.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add 2 burritos.  Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan and repeat procedure with remaining burritos.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole if desired.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*
Calories: 353  Fat: 9.8 (sat 4.1)  Protein: 30.9g  Carb: 33.1g  Fiber: 2.4g

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