Pumpkin Pie Shots

Fun Thanksgiving or fall idea.  We made these with light Greek yogurt, splenda brown sugar & sugar free chocolate chips.

• ¾ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (traditional, not Greek)
• ¾ cup 100% pumpkin puree
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 6 graham cracker squares, crushed
• Aerated whipped cream (optional)

PREPARATION:

In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon to the bottom of each shot glass and sprinkle on graham cracker. Layer on another tablespoon of pumpkin filling and sprinkling of graham cracker. Add a squirt of optional whipped cream and garnish with a dash of pumpkin pie spice (or ground cinnamon) and a small piece of graham cracker. Or get creative with garnishes and top whipped cream with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips!

Tupps Tidbits: You want to prepare & and serve immediately otherwise they will melt and not look pretty when serving (even if you refrigerate until you are ready to serve).

These cute parfaits are the real deal. Only thing missing is the crust, but hopefully the graham crackers will make up for that. It was super speedy. Keep in mind it is yogurt and not pumpkin pie so eat if for breakfast and enjoy! Keeper recipe in our house!

Bacon Cheese Inside Out Turkey Burger

Gooey Cheese!

Our sides were Sweet Kale Salad and Peas

8 oz lean ground turkey
1/3 cup grated zucchini
1 Tbs. grated onion
1 Tbs. minced garlic
4 Tbs. bacon bits
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
pinch Kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
1.5 oz reduced-fat cheese

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl except the cheese and mix well. The mixture will be moist.
2. Separate the meat mixture into 4 equal parts. Then, take one of the portions and separate into 2 small patties.
3. Open a round of Mini Baybel Light cheese and cut in half lengthwise to make two circles. Place one of the cheese circles in the center of a small patty. Top with the other patty and form together. Repeat to make other 3 burgers.
4. Heat a skillet or grill and spray with oil spray to prevent sticking. Once heated, cook the burgers for about 6 minutes on the first side and about 4-5 minutes on the flip side.
5. Serve on any whole grain or sprouted grain English muffin style bun with some baby spinach and a squirt of ketchup.

Tupps Tidbits: We used homemade fresh bacon bits to add to the flavor instead of processed bits that can be hard, dried, treated with preservatives.

Boy was this a hit!  Not only are the patties packed with flavor, but there's a hidden surprise of ooey gooey melty cheese in the middle!  They are simple, scrumptious and sure to please!  This is a KEEPER recipe in our house!  A side of Sweet Potato Fries would be good too!

White Chicken Chili

Throw all the ingredients listed below into a slow cooker (no particular order). Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Stir halfway. Serve with tortilla chips & top with shredded cheese if you like.

1 lb de-boned rotisserie chicken

1 handful chopped fresh cilantro

15 oz whole kernel corn 2 cloves minced garlic

2 cans white northern beans

1 medium chopped onion

4 oz can chopped green chilies

4 oz chicken broth

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 C half & half

3/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin

Tupps Tidbits: Any cooked chicken will work for this recipe, we recommend stirring everything right away to cook evenly.

We would definitely not skip adding the cheese on top. We sprinkled Fiesta Blend, Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese & dipped WildRoots Red Quinoa Chia Chips. The chips we found at Sam's club. They have great flavor, Gluten-free & Whole Grain. If you like "White Chicken Chili" this recipe is definitely a KEEPER!

Health and Happiness!

Let's do this! We are re-establishing goals and starting up our blog again.
Let us bring you a new healthy meal idea each week.

• Drink before you eat. No, I am not talking about alcohol...try and drink at least 2 cups of WATER 30 minutes before each meal.  It helps take the edge of appetite and also hydrates your body.
• Go TOPLESS!  Lose the top slice of bread on burgers, sandwiches to cut carbs & calories.
• For every meal, first, eat your Protein, then your  fruit & veggies, and then if still hungry eat starches!

Yes, a drive thru does sound good right now but 

controlling your weight sounds SOOO much better!

King Ranch Chicken

We chose this recipe this week because it looked perfect for a family night or a potluck dinner.  Onions, peppers, chicken, and cheese blend perfectly with cream of mushroom soup and a variety of spices and most of the ingredients we already had on hand.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

How to Make It

1. Saute onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
2. Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

We did make our own cream soup for this recipe and did not have a can of the diced tomato with green chilies, but I not think that is why THIS IS NOT A KEEPER recipe in our house. This dinner was boring, bland and did just not taste good.  We do not recommend it. 

Where did we find this? www.myrecipes.com

Turkey Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Looking for a lunch time game changer? Stuck in the lunch time rut?  This is an easy, healthy and delicious way to switch up your routine! Sabra Spread was new to us and we wanted to try it.
Sabra Spread comes in sea salt and cracked pepper, garlic herb, and honey mustard. We are going to try the sea salt and cracked pepper in this recipe.  It appears they have less fat than mayo and they come in convenient easy squeeze bottles.

Ingredients
4 slices 100% whole wheat bread
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Sabra Spreads
4 ounces sliced turkey breast
1/2 large avocado, sliced
1 ounce sliced red onion
2-4 tomato slices
2 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat skillet to medium heat.
2. Lay out the slices of bread and spread 1/2 teaspoon butter on each. Flip the bread over and spread 1/2 Tablespoon Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Sabra Spreads on each slice.
3. Between two of the slices of bread, divide evenly and place on top the turkey, avocado, tomato and red onion. Top with 1 slice provolone cheese each. Top each with the remaining slice of bread, Sabra Spreads side down.
4. Place buttered side down on heated skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip over the sandwiches and cook an additional 2-3 until golden brown on the opposite side.
5. Remove from heat, cut each sandwich in half and enjoy!

Tupps Tidbits:
How to pick out a good avocado-Squeeze the avocado. If an avocado looks ripe, you should still feel it to test its ripeness. Hold it in the palm of your hand, and squeeze gently. A ripe avocado should yield to firm, gentle pressure, but shouldn't feel overly soft or mushy.

Do you see the Sabra spread in my ingredient picture? After looking at Target, HyVee and Walmart, we could not find the Sabra Spread.  We were so disappointed, but we did go ahead with preparing, and tasting this recipe.  We are not a big fan of avocado and still not a big fan, but you have to try things right? This recipe is NOT A KEEPER in our house.

Where did we find this?  yourchoicenutrition.com

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

What a great way to satisfy your Chinese food cravings without picking up the phone to call for takeout. We typically start a pot of rice at the same time we make our stir fry and also use frozen egg rolls as a side.

1 1/4 lbs flank steak thinly sliced
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
2 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup beef broth or water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
 salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until tender.
2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
3. Remove the broccoli from the pan; place on a plate and cover.
4. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
5. Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer - you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
6. Add the broccoli mixture back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until warmed through.
7. In a bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
8. Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the beef and vegetables; cook for 30 seconds. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.  Serve immediately, with rice if desired.

Tupps Tidbits:  You will wonder why the meat goes dry, tough and chewy? Don’t buy pre-packed beef strips for stir fry, just buy a small steak and slice it up.

This recipe is a classic dish of beef sauteed with fresh broccoli and coated with a sauce.  It is a healthy and easy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.  This recipe was tasty but we felt we had made other similar recipes with a better, savory sauce.  This recipe is NOT A KEEPER at our house.

Where did we find this?  https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/beef-and-broccoli-stir-fry/