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I love that this is the time of year for frozen desserts.  I've torn out several recipes for mouth-watering frozen yogurts and ice creams but somehow seem to forget that I even OWN an ice cream maker.  But when I got this incredibly easy recipe in an email, it gave me the inspiration I needed to dig the darn thing out of the garage and get freezing!  The kids were thrilled to be making our "own" frozen yogurt and Brendan (as with nearly all of my food creations) proclaimed that it was better than any frozen yogurt he'd ever had.  Have I mentioned I love that boy? :)

I must admit that this requires an ice cream maker.  If you don't own one you can get one relatively cheap here at under $40.  My ice cream maker is simple.  Cuisinart brand, 1 1/2 quart capacity.  Store the freezer bowl in the big freezer.  Nothing fancy but SO worth the excitement of "homemade!"


Lemonade Frozen Yogurt

1 quart (32 oz.) vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 can (12 0z.) lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients.  Chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until motor stops or dasher is hard to turn.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm enough to scoop, about 2 hours (frozen yogurt will keep in freezer for up to 2 weeks.)

Serving size = 1/2 cup

Cal: 190, Pro: 4.4g, Fat: 3.3g, Sat: 2.1g, Carb: 37g, Fiber: 0.1g, Chol: 11mg
*recipe courtesy of Sunset magazine*

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I tried not to delay in posting this recipe.  If you're willing to put the time and effort into it, this meal will not fail to please.  I couldn't believe the amount of flavor (and the way the ingredients complimented each other) in the filling.  Seriously amazing.  I found myself feeling like it was a meal I ordered at a restaurant.  Brendan couldn't stop raving and happily cleaned his plate.  I served it with baked sweet potatoes and rice pilaf but really any side dishes would do... nothing could steal the spotlight from this outstanding main dish!


Chicken Breasts stuffed with 
Artichokes, Lemon and Goat Cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (3-ounce) package herbed goat cheese, softened
4 small (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well.

Pound each chicken breast to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Divide filling evenly among breasts.  Roll up, tuck in sides and secure with toothpicks.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan and brown on all sides. Cover handle of pan with foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Yield: 4 servings

*courtesy of Cooking Light*
Cal: 234, Fat: 7.8g (sat 3.5g), Protein: 33g, Carb: 7.2g, Fiber: 1.5g, Chol: 78mg  

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I was pretty much in heaven and felt like I was indulging in some serious southern cooking.  These thighs were amazing, albeit not the healthiest option Cooking Light has ever offered.  But I reminded myself it was still a lightened version of the real thing, and really it didn't matter once I took my first bite... I was lost in the flavors and careless to fat and calorie content...


Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs with Buttermilk-Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Spoon 1/4 cup of mixture into a shallow bowl; reserve remaining mixture.

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl.  Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.  Place on a plate and chill 15 minutes.  Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and place in oven for 5 minutes.

Place chicken on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes, turn each piece and bake another 12 minutes.  Microwave reserved buttermilk mixture on high 20 seconds or until warm. Drizzle sauce over chicken (best served atop mashed potatoes!)

*original recipe courtesy of Cooking Light*

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So this is yet another one of my "oops" I didn't follow the recipe right stories.  The end result was so fabulous that I had a hard time deciding exactly how to post the recipe.  Since I am curious to try it the "right" way I will post the original recipe and then explain what I did wrong.  Although the recipe also only calls for chicken breasts, I had a mixture of boneless skinless breasts and thighs that I used... both equally delicious.


Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup cola (I used regular Coca-Cola)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet (I used smoked) paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add garlic; saute1 minute.  Stir in cola and next 4 ingredients (through chili powder.)  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until sauce reduces to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally.  Set 6 tablespoons sauce aside.

Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through cumin), stirring well.  Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of chicken.  Arrange chicken on a grill rack; grill 5 minutes on each side, basting with remaining sauce (or until done.)  Serve with reserved sauce.

*courtesy of Cooking Light*

*So here's where I went wrong.... I must have been in an altered sleep state because I know in my heart of cooking hearts that the biggest mistakes can come from not pre-reading the recipe. So, as I was preparing the sauce in the saucepan, I just started adding all of the ingredients (through the cumin!!)  Once I realized my mistake I decided to just go ahead with it, use the sauce as it was and just sprinkle the chicken with a little salt and pepper (rather than the rub of spices that was incidentally in the sauce) before throwing it on the grill.  The result was still fabulous and Joe was utterly impressed when I told him I had made the bbq sauce from scratch!*

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I ran across this recipe in an advertisement on the inside cover of a foodie magazine.  Like many other "simple" recipes I find, I knew I had all the ingredients on hand and decided to whip it up for lunch one day.  A nice warm quick and easy meal that would be perfect for a lunch guest or a brunch.

Cheddar Green Chile Egg Casserole
(6 servings)

1 tbsp. butter, melted
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup 2% milk cottage cheese
1/2 cup 2% milk shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. can diced green chilies, drained
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, chilies, flour, baking powder, salt and butter.  Pour into an 8x8 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake until set and browned around the edges 35-45minutes.

Per Serving: Calories 157; Fat 8.9 g (sat 4.1g); Cholesterol 168.9 mg; Sodium 832.5 mg; Carb 6 g (dietary fiber 0.1 g); Protein 13.2 g

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I love the ease of freezer meals.  I've said this a thousand times.  Marinated meats seem to be one of my most favorites.  Freezing meats in marinades, locking in some amazing flavors, pulling it out effortlessly and tossing it on the grill (or the broiler, the oven... really your preparation of choice... mine is the grill :) How much easier can it get?  Effortless gourmet!

I served these with baked potatoes and veggies.  But steamed snap peas and soba noodles would have been a great accompaniment to the asian flavors.

Recipe courtesy of Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

Asian Pork Chops 
(makes 2 entrees, 6 servings each) 


12 pork chops
1 1/3 cups low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

Divide chops evenly among bags.  Combine soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and oil.  Divide evenly between the two bags.  Into each bag, measure 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.  Seal and freeze.

TO COOK: Thaw completely.  Remove chops from marinade and grill as desired, basting with remaining marinade (or use cooking method of choice!)

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First and foremost, I'm sorry for the lack of recent posts.  Life has been getting in the way and I miss this with a passion.  I'm backed up with recipes to share and want to get them all out there!  I want you to enjoy these as much as I have :)

I made these muffins last week for some friends who came to visit.  Between the combined 5 kids and the 2 of us mommies, these didn't stick around long, especially warm from the oven!

The original recipe (courtesy of Cooking Light) calls for apricot jam but there really isn't any jam that wouldn't go well with white chocolate (strawberry? raspberry? blackberry?) so substitute if you like and let me know what you think!

Apricot White Chocolate Muffins

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces white baking chips (almost a 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup milk (I use nonfat)
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk.  Make a well in center of mixture.  Combine milk, butter and egg; stir well with a whisk.  Add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each of 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.  Spoon 2 teaspoons preserves into center of each muffin cup (do not spread over batter); top with remaining batter.  Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400 for 22 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.  Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on wire rack to cool or into towel lined bowl to serve.

Serving size: 1 muffin
Calories 199; Fat 5.3 g; Protein 3.3 g; Carb 35.3 g; Fiber 0.7g; Cholesterol 27 mg; Iron 1.2 mg; Sodium 212 mg; Calcium 72 mg

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