Spiced Cocoa Latte
Posted on October 21, 2011This recipe is right up my ally. Why, you ask? Because I love coffee and I love cocoa. It’s what one might call a win/win situation!! 
So here we go!!
Yumminess All up in Here!!
Spiced Cocoa Latte
What you’ll need:
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons freshly ground coffee
- 3 cups 1% milk
- 6 teaspoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
- 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- whipped topping of your choice
What to do:
- Fill coffeemaker with water. Mix ground cinnamon with coffee and brew one pot.
- While coffee is brewing, heat milk in microwave on low until warm.
- Pour equal amounts of coffee into 6 mugs.
- Add 1 teaspoon SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and 1/2 teaspoon cocoa to each mug. Mix well; top off with milk. Garnish with whipped topping and cinnamon sticks.
Salsa Chicken
Posted on October 21, 2011This recipe is so quick and easy, and sounds so good. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it’s on my counter top for next week!! It’s so quick and easy!! Can’t wait to try it out!
Doesn’t it look DELISH?!?!
Salsa Chicken
What you’ll need:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 375 °degrees.
- Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
- Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.
Just Like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Posted on October 19, 2011I don’t remember where I got this recipe from so I apologize to whomever I got it from in advance, for I cannot give them credit. If this is your recipe, make sure you stop by and let me know so I can give you credit for your genius!!
UUMMM Yes Please!!!
Just Like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
What you’ll need:
- 2 c. milk
- 2 T. canned pumpkin
- 1/4 c. splenda (or sugar)
- 2 t. vanilla
- 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 c. strong brewed coffee (or 1/4 c. espresso)
What to do:
In a saucepan, stir together milk, pumpkin and splenda (sugar). Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, transfer to a blender and blend for 15 seconds or until foamy. You can skip this last step and just whisk vigorously in pan if you want. Pour into a large mug (or two if you decide to share). Add coffee to top. Top with whipped topping of choice (I used Reddi Whip). Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg or more pumpkin pie spice. ENJOY!!
You will not be disappointed with this recipe! It’s amazing! And pumpkin is really good for you, so it’s almost like a health drink! teehee 
Til we meet again…
Classic Cobb Salad with Red Wine Lemon Vinaigrette
Posted on October 18, 2011I often make a big salad for dinner because it is healthy and can be very satisfying if done right. If you don’t do it right, you will be left hungry and unsatisfied, though. This recipe makes the kind of salad you have to make in order to walk away from the table completely satisfied and feeling like you have had a meal!
Just look at this beautiful salad…
Classic Cobb Salad with Red Wine Lemon Vinaigrette
What you’ll need:
salad
- one large head of romaine or iceberg lettuce
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, grilled or cooked in leftover bacon grease and chopped
- 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped and cooked crisp
- 2 large avocados, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 cups Monterrey and Colby cheese (or crumbled blue cheese)
- salt and pepper to taste
dressing
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
1. Cook bacon until crisp. Reserve bacon fat to cook chicken in if desired. Salt and pepper chicken. Grill chicken or cook in bacon fat for extra flavor.
2. Add lettuce to a large bowl. Top with cooked and chopped chicken, crisp bacon, chopped hard boiled eggs, avocados, onion, tomatoes and cheese.
3. Combine lemon zest, red wine vinegar and honey for salad dressing to a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
4. Serve salad with dressing on individual plates and enjoy!
I tweaked the original recipe just a bit, click on the source link for the original recipe. If you try this recipe, please come back and let me know how you like it. This of course, is gluten and sugar free as are most of my recipes!!
I’m linking this recipe with Lisa and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!! Go see what other goodies she has over there!!
Til we meet again, please…
Sirloin Three Bean Chili
Posted on October 17, 2011I like soups and chili’s this time of year. It’s windy and cold outside and it’s nice to feel the warmth of a soup or chili sliding down your throat and into your tummy on a cold fall night!
Not to mention I am learning that I love beans, which I used to think I hated. And beans are so very good for you! So without further ado…
What you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 lbs boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 2 cans (28 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (19 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 or 19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
What to do:
- In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook 1 pound of beef at a time in oil, stirring occasionally, until brown; remove from Dutch oven.
- Add onion and bell pepper to Dutch oven. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except beef.
- Cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Stir in beef. Cook uncovered 3 to 8 minutes or until beef is tender.
Doesn’t this recipe sound yummy? Perfect for this time of year too, right? MMHHMM!! Try it out and let me know what you think!!
CornDog Muffins
Posted on October 16, 2011I got this great idea from a blogger friend and had to try it immediately, because last time I thought one of her ideas was great, it was FANTABULOUS!!!!
Now, I tweaked the recipe because my family eats gluten and (refined)sugar free. When the girl is at school or away from the house, she eats what she wants, but at home, she mostly eats the way the hubs and I eat, which is gluten and (refined)sugar free.
The hubs had to go out and get hot dogs, though because I don’t usually buy them. He bought turkey hot dogs that don’t have any preservatives or artificial flavors and junk in them, cause that’s how we roll, but you can use whatever your favorite is. My friend says you you can use ham, too if you want!! I used hot dogs, because the idea is that they are supposed to taste like a corn dog!!
Don’t they look AMAZING??
CornDog Muffins (Source)
What you’ll need:
- 1 1/2 cups white cornmeal
- 1/2 cup soy flour
- 1/4 cup splenda
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 hot dogs, chopped
- 1 1/2 -2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup buttermilk (if you do not have buttermilk substitute 1 tablespoon vinegar + enough milk to make one cup liquid)
- 1 large egg
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled slightly
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- In large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, splenda, baking powder, salt, hot dogs and cheese.
- In medium bowl whisk together buttermilk, honey and egg. Whisk in melted butter. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.
- Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly among the twelve muffin tin cups.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly, then serve with ketchup, mustard, or honey.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave for a quick lunch, dinner or afternoon snack.
We loved these and I will definitely be making them again! If you try them, please make sure you come by and let me know (you can click on the source link to see the original recipe to try it out) how you like them!!!
As always friends…
Espresso Fudge Brownies
Posted on October 14, 2011These Brownies have got to be the most decadent things on the planet! Coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite things and together, ohmygoodness!!!
*note* these are not sugar-free (gasp), and I tweaked the recipe a bit
Here we go!! Do these not look heavenly??
Espresso Fudge Brownies
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 teaspoons decaf finely ground espresso beans
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup splenda (you can use sugar if you like)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
What to do:
- Melt chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat
- Add shortening and stir until completely dissolved
- Stir in ground espresso and remove from heat
- Blend in eggs, splenda, vanilla and salt to mixture in pan using a handheld mixer
- Blend in almond flour and coconut flour
- Pour into a greased 8×8 inch Pyrex baking dish
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes
- Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour
- Enjoy
I’m linking up with Alli for Sweet Tooth Friday!! Cause It Makes Me Happy!!
Yum-Yum!
Posted on October 13, 2011I was looking for a really good recipe to share with y’all today and I came across this:
Doesn’t it look divine? Yeah,I though so, too!! It’s called Quick and Easy Cilantro-Lime Broccoli Slaw. It’s bright and Light and Oh so Yummy!!
Quick and Easy Cilantro-Lime Broccoli Slaw
What You’ll Need:
- 1 bag broccoli cold slaw mix
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- lime juice, fresh or bottled
- a generous amount extra virgin olive oil
- ground coriander, to taste
- cumin, to taste
- agave to taste, or honey
What to do:
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Allow to sit overnight before serving, for optimal flavor.
- Can stay in refrigerator for several days.
If you try this, make sure you come back and let me know how you like it, or if you tweaked it to your liking!! And as always…
On the Fly Chicken Chili…
Posted on October 11, 2011Yesterday I needed something quick and easy to throw together for lunch. I wasn’t feeling the greatest and I didn’t have a lot of time either. I did happen to have everything on hand that I thought would make a good recipe…
The fact that I didn’t have a of fresh items on hand made for an interesting lunch prep. So, in a rush I came up with this recipe. It’s similar to a recipe I have for white chili, only simplified. I hope this will be a simple recipe you can enjoy on the fly like I did!
On The Fly Chicken Chili
What you’ll need:
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite size pieces (I happened to have already cut up chicken in the freezer I had bought at Meijer, it comes already cut up in a bag, a nice to thing to keep in the freezer, no?!?)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- app. 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used the kind already minced in a jar, I keep it in the fridge at all times)
- 2 cans white northern beans, drained
- app. 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can corn
- 1 can green chiles
- pepper to taste
- app. 2 teaspoons cumin
- shredded Mexican style cheese
- sour cream
- olive oil for cooking
What to do:
- Warm your olive oil in a pan over medium heat; once warm add onion, garlic and chicken; season and then cook meat until done and onion is tender.
- Add beans, corn and green chiles; stir.
- Add chicken broth; stir again
- Bring everything to heat.
- Serve hot, with shredded cheese and sour cream. Could serve with tortilla chips as well, if desired.
I’m linking up with Lisa for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!! Cause It Makes Me Happy!!
Please, if you try this, come on back and let me know if you liked it or not, or how you tweaked it to improve it!! And as always…
Fiesta Chicken
Posted on October 10, 2011This is a super easy chicken recipe that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes that is so good, you’ll think it took hours to make!
Fiesta Chicken
What you’ll need:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar your favorite salsa
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c. light Mexican blend shredded cheese
- black olives (optional)
What to do:
- Cook chicken 4 minutes on each side til browned.
- Add salsa and beans; cover and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to med-low; cover and simmer for 5 min.
- Uncover and top with cheese; let stand about 5 min. or until cheese is melted.
- Can serve with extra salsa, tortilla chips and/or sour cream!
- Enjoy!
If you try this recipe, please stop by and let me know how you like it, if you tweaked it at all to make it better or even if you hated it!! And as always….
Six Can Soup
Posted on October 07, 2011I named this soup myself because it didn’t have a name. My hubby brought home a list of ingredients he got from someone at work and said it made good soup. It was back when he worked for the USPS. I heard it was a Weight Watcher’s recipe?? It’s really GOOD!!!
So, since it has six cans of stuff in it, I’m calling it Six Can Soup! It’s kinda catchy, no?
Six Can Soup
What you’ll need:
all my cans/jars are 16 oz (give or take)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 can chicken (I like Tyson®)
- 1 can corn, not drained)
- 1 can re-fried beans
- 1 jar salsa (your favorite)
What to do:
- Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan.
- Brings to heat.
- Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.
- Can also serve with black olives if desired.
- Enjoy!!
Butterscotch Pumpkin Dessert
Posted on October 05, 2011This is a yummy dessert that is both sugar and gluten free for those who are concerned about these things, which my family is!
Without further ado, I give you…
Butterscotch Pumpkin Dessert
What you will need:
- 1 package sugar-free instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- reddi whip whipped topping (this does contain a small amount of sugar, but is much better for you than other brands of whipped topping)
- can also use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg
What to do:
- Mix pudding mix, milk, pumpkin, spices and vanilla in mixing bowl til well combined. Chill in refrigerator til ready to serve.
- Scoop into individual custard cups.
- Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Enjoy!
There you go!! Easy Easy!! I think I will link this up later this week with Alli for Sweet Tooth Friday!! Because I can!!