Light Queso Dip

EASY Skinny Cheese Dip recipe that has less fat and less calories than a typical queso dip recipe. Save for your Super Bowl night coming up soon!🏈

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 small onion diced
1 pkt. taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 oz. sharp cheddar shredded
4 oz. can diced jalapeños drained

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, saute the ground turkey and onion until there is no longer any pink in the meat. Stir in the taco seasoning.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking as you cook for 2 minutes.
3. Very slowly, add the milk as you continue to whisk vigorously. When all of the milk has been incorporated, stir in the salt and pepper. Fold in the sharp cheddar until it is all melted.
4. Stir in the ground meat and onion mixture along with the diced jalapeños.
5. Serve immediately with chips or keep warm throughout your party in a small crock pot.

Tupps Tidbits:  Make your own chips with corn tortillas and have a healthy snack.

This recipe is definitely a KEEPER!! 👍 

Easy Gingerbread Pancakes

WELCOME 2020 TWO! 

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”—Albert Einstein 

I’m Deanna, food eater & writer of the blog. Hope you got your fill of cookies & holiday leftovers because it's time to return to the real world of everyday eating. Over the course of 2022, we are going to share with you 52 new recipes. We will make one NEW recipe a week, taste it & decide  if it is a Keeper” or “NOT” in our house. 👍👎

We started off 2022 with this awesome pancake recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It took some molasses & spices and turned an ordinary pancake mix into a special breakfast. They were so easy to make and we had all the ingredients on hand.

2 cups complete pancake mix
4 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/2 cups water
Maple syrup, optional

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the pancake mix, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Stir in water just until dry ingredients are moistened.
2. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with syrup if desired.

Tupps Tidbits: We added some blackberries and bacon for the sides! 

This recipe is definitely a keeper in our house! 👍

Easy Toffee Shortbread

Melt in your mouth shortbread cookie recipe, filled with toffee bits and so much more!  The recipe is called Easy Toffee Shortbread for a reason.  This is also the best shortbread cookie recipe out there. It is a very basic recipe, no need to refrigerate the dough prior to baking.  You can be creative with all of the goodies you can add to the dough and the toppings!  So many options, so little time!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

    Options to add to shortbread:
    3/4 cup toffee bits
    3/4 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
    1/4-1/2 cup peppermints/crushed candy canes
    1/2-1/3 cup craisins or pistachios

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.  
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cornstarch and salt, set aside.
3. Make sure the butter is room temperature & soft.  Grab a medium bowl and cream the butter, vanilla and powered sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Hand mixer on low speed is best.  
4. Gradually blend in the flour mixture and it will come together as a dough.  As it thickens grab a spoon to finish off.
5. Stir in Heath toffee bits or whatever option you have decided to use, if any.
6. Scoop the dough into 1/2 to 2 inch rounds & flatten cookies slightly or rollout dough until 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make desired cookie shapes.
7. Place cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart & bake for about 20-25 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing them on to wire rack to cool.

Tupps Tidbits:  Bake for only 20 minutes and they were done completely.  It made 2 dozen.

We used the Heath Toffee bits the first time we made these and they turned out perfect!

Can't wait to try peppermints or craisins and add then to the "annual" Christmas cookie tray!

Not saying, but saying, Tupps loved having them with his morning coffee.  

DEFINATLEY A KEEPER in our house!

Sweet 'n' tangy Salad Dressing

There are endless rows of bottled dressings at the grocery store. Depending on the kind, they are usually high in fat, sugar or both -- and they all have too much sodium. You may think it’s wise to opt for the lower-calorie offerings but light and low-fat dressings often have even more sugar to make up for the lack of flavor. To ensure you're getting real ingredients, homemade is the way to go, but watch those portions! Keep serving sizes to a tablespoon.

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1/4 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. sugar (or Splenda)
2 Tbs. brown sugar (or  Splenda-brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika

Tupps Tidbits:  You can store most homemade dressings in the fridge for up to a week (not that a batch will last that long!).   You could heat up the remaining tomato soup with 3/4 cup milk for a simple no-fuss soup and salad lunch.

This zesty salad dressing was an easy fix and we would say the taste was a cross between Thousand Island & French dressing. We swapped out the sugar & brown sugar for Splenda sweetener. This recipe is a keeper in our house!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Mini Bundt Cakes with Brown Butter Glaze

Classic fall flavors are featured in this Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake. 

Serve it at your Thanksgiving Day dessert table this year--you'll have lots of thankful friends and family!

Ingredients - Cake
2 cups flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 Tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2-1/3 cup molasses
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup boiling water

Ingredients - Glaze
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup  powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk or more as needed
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer) on medium speed until well mixed. Add egg; mixing well (it might look separated--that's okay!). Add flour mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. 
3. Pour batter into greased mini bundt pans about 3/4 full.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. 
5. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.

        For the glaze:

• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter is foaming and nut-brown in color, stirring constantly about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Beat hot brown butter, powdered sugar, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until sugar is incorporated and glaze is shiny, 3 to 4 minutes, adding more milk as necessary. 
• Drizzle glaze over cooled cakes.  Add sprinkle of cinnamon it you prefer.

Tupps Recipe Notes:  Make sure the cakes are completely cooled before drizzling the glaze.

Recipe can be made in a traditional bundt pan by doubling the ingredients & baking for 45-50 minutes.

What to do with 1/2 can or 1 cup of pumpkin?  There are lots of options! You can freeze it and use it later.  I love to add to pancakes or muffins or use as coffee creamer. Yum!  Enjoy fall.

This recipe is definitely a keeper at our house!

Chicken and Dumplings With Tortillas

Chicken and Dumplings is a fantastic way to enjoy the comfort food classic you love. This recipe is quick and easily. It made a creamy soup  on the table in no time thanks to time saving ingredients.

Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth
1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10oz can cream of celery soup
2 cups frozen, sliced carrots
2 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large flour tortillas
1 cup milk

Instructions

1. Place chicken broth into a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Whisk in cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in frozen carrots, cooked chicken, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
3. Cut tortillas into 1” squares, using a pizza cutter, then gently add the tortillas to the soup. Press them down to submerge, but do not stir vigorously as they will tear.
4. Once again bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently stir in milk. Serve immediately.

Tupps Tidbits:  Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Ok well , if you do not have the ingredients on hand for dumplings I guess tortillas do work. And, surprisingly the tasted pretty good.  As for the recipe, it is definitely NOT A KEEPER.  Basically it reminded me of  Progresso soup that comes in can, but at least we did learn a good alternative for dumplings.

Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin and spice makes everything nice! This is a Starbucks Pumpkin Bread copycat recipe that creates a moist and flavorful pumpkin loaf that can be made in one bowl. I have to admit, I have never had this at Starbucks, but it looks delicious. You can mix is up in less than 10 minutes. Equipment: Loaf Pan 

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease and prepare a 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugars and vanilla. Beat well to combine.
3. Add pumpkin and oil and mix well to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and mix until well combined, but do not over mix.
5. Pour into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and center feels firm to the touch.

Tupps Tidbits:  So simple!  All in one bowl and mix.  It is gently spiced, if you like more "fall" flavor, I would add a bit more of each of the spices.  This would definitely freeze well.

It only used about 1/2 can of pumpkin.  What do you do with the rest? You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer. It will last about a week in the refrigerator. You can add it to yogurt, add to a smoothie, add to pancakes or do what I did and add to coffee for pumpkin latte!

This recipe is Definitely a KEEPER at our house!