Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

So today I was really craving something sweet, so i decided to make these! I found them on Pinterest. The recipe is from Baker Lady

Ingredients 

1 Cup Butter Melted

2 Cups Gram Cracker Crumbs 

2 Cups Powered Sugar

1 Cup + 4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips (I used 60% Dark Chocolate, it really helped to balance out how sweet the bottom layer was.) 

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, gram cracker crumbs, powered sugar, and one cup of the peanut butter. Press evenly into a 9x13 pan (I greased mine just in case). In a metal bowl over simmering water or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips and the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter, stirring until smooth.  Spread over the peanut butter layer.  let chill in the refrigerator at least one hour before cutting into squares.  

French Beef Stew

On Monday and Tuesdays I nanny for my music teacher and his wife while they teach lessons, and today I made this awesome Crock-Pot beef stew. The kids loved it! It's a low carb meal, so a serving only has 6 carbs. We put it over brown rice which also had quinoa in it. (that's around 30 or so carbs) It's a super easy recipe to follow, and you can go about your day while it cooks! Hope you find it as delicious as we did!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 t olive oil

4 slices of bacon, chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

3 c beef broth

2 c red cooking wine

1/2 t thyme

1.5-2.25 lbs cubed beef stew meat

1/2 c chopped parsley

Cooked Brown Rice

Instructions:

Heat oil in dutch oven over med-hi heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring often, until crisp, 3-5 min. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook, stirring often, until veggies are tender, 8-10 min. Add broth, wine and thyme, Bring to boil, place beef in Crock-Pot. Pour hot veggie mixture over beef. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice; sprinkle with parsley.

I also added a little pepper and salt, which I thought was weird the recipe didn't call for those...

Mango Glazed Bacon

My sister and I first made this on Mothers Day 3 years ago. Now we always make it part of our big Christmas brunch! I believe it's Bobby Flay's recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch thick slices

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan and cook until over high heat until the sugar is melted. Add the mango and cook until the mixture is reduced by half and the mango is soft, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes.

2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth; strain the mixture into a bowl season with the honey and salt and pepper.

3. Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush both sides with some of the glaze, bake until golden brown and just crisp, about 10-12 minutes, brushing the top of the bacon with more of the glaze every few minutes.



 

 

 

Sloppy Joes (Sloppy Kris')

This is one of the best Sloppy Joe recipes I have ever had! My sister usually makes this one, but tonight I made it. The recipe I have is for 3lbs of hamburger, you can easily cut that in half :)

Ingredients:

3 pounds hamburger

2 1/4 cup ketchup

1 3/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons mustard

2 teaspoons garlic

2 teaspoons garlic

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 red bell pepper

Instructions:

Brown the hamburger, add the bell pepper and cook for a couple minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Mac and Cheese Soup

This has to be the best mac and cheese ever! It's one of my mom and dads favorite!  It's supposed to be less fat, but I'm not convinced it is.  Anyway, it's a favorite around my house.  Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

serves 4

• Kosher salt


• 4 ounces elbow macaroni (1 cup)


• Cooking spray


• Freshly ground pepper


• 3 shallots


• 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


• 3 3/4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth


• 1 1/4 cups 2% milk


• 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)


• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

We have made it without carrots and celery and its just as delicious! We also use onions instead of shallots.

Directions:

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook as the label directs; drain.

Mince the shallots, carrot and celery in a food processor. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray. Add the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the milk, cheeses and macaroni and stir until the cheeses melt. Season with pepper.

Per serving: Calories 476; Fat 20 g (Saturated 12 g); Cholesterol 84 mg; Sodium 636 mg; Carbohydrate 46 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 27 g

"Lighten up" Three-Cheese Macaroni

This is one of the best Mac and Cheese recipes ever!  It has a lot less fat then most of the others, but still has quite a bit!

Ingredients:

Makes 6 Serveings

• 1 large egg


• 1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk


• Pinch of cayenne pepper


• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg


• salt and freshly ground black pepper


• 1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)


• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)


• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)


• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)


• 4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)

 

Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.

Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an blender until smooth and light. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.

Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Per serving about (1 1/3 cups): Calories 403; Fat 17 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 517 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 20g

 



 

 

 

Whole Wheat Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

This recipe takes a while but the wait will be well worth it!  I got this recipe from Ellie Krieger on Foodnetwork.  This bread is a healthier version of the original raisin bread,  and each slice only has 99 calories.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting


• 2 cups whole-wheat flour


• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk


• 1 large egg


• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing


• 3 tablespoons honey


• 2 teaspoons salt


• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast


• Cooking spray


• 2/3 cup raisins


• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Make the bread

Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix 3 minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix 5 more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky.

Let it rise.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Soak the raisins.

Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Fold the dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides of the dough.

Add the filling.

Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon (it's high in antioxidants!), brown sugar and raisins.

Form the loaves.

Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Bake the bread.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.