Low Cal/Fat Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

I forgot to mention a big part of Easter yesterday! My cousin, Kayla's fiance, Timmy got baptized! What a great day to be reborn!

Jon (R) and Timmy (L) before he was dunked!

Anyway...onto today's post!

I wanted to make a yummy dessert for Easter that Vance and I could eat without feeling too guilty. I scoured Pinterest, Googled Weight Watchers recipes, etc. I finally landed on a recipe that I was pretty sure would please my wonderful husband and still tickle my taste buds! The solution? Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake! (Please note, I used 1/3 less sugar strawberry preserves instead of sugar free jam, since the hubs can't have artificial sweeteners, so the cals were around 152 per slice for my version.)

My finished product!

Low Fat Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 132.9 • Fat: 5.6 g • Carb: 15.1 g • Fiber: 0.1 g • Protein: 5.8 g

Ingredients:

• non stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp light butter, softened
• 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter with a fork until evenly moistened.Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, and flour. Do not over beat.Pour over graham cracker crust.
4. Stir jam until smooth. Drop by small spoonfuls over surface of filling. Using a knife,swirl jam gently through filling to create marble effect.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Recipe card I made using the template from here. Feel free to print it out!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this was a hit with not only my hubs and myself, but my whole family! One of my younger cousins ate FOUR slices! Geesh! Haha! My mom thought it needed a little more sugar or maybe a little less lemon juice. Next time I make it, I'll probably use half the lemon juice to see if that helps. Let me know if you've made it or if you do! I'd love to hear what you think about it!

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

What Are You Into Right Now? Part 2

If you saw my Tuesday post, you'll know that currently, I am super into wreaths. (Along with everyone in the Pinterest world.) You'll also know that I've been faced with a dilemma of on which door my wreath (that I haven't even made yet) will hang. My solution was that the wreath that I will make (soon...I promise) will hang on the back door so that there's a warm invitation to come into my home. However, I also alluded that I have a solution for my front door without being overly wreathy. Here was my hint:

Source

"How is this non-wreathy?" you might ask. Well...it's not non-wreathy. It's definitely a wreath. HOWEVER, did you notice the cute polka dotted H on there, too? Oh. You did? Good job! Yes, you guessed it! I am going to hang a monogram/initial "wreath" on the front door!

Source

Source

If you read my latest favorite things post, you read that I love monograms. What's better than monogramming your house??? :-D I'm not sure which kind of monogram wreath I'm going to do, yet. Heck, I don't even know what kind of wreath I'm doing yet! However, I think my monogram wreath is going to be polka dots and the back door wreath is going to be a yarn wrapped wreath...possibly with the owl!

Source

Source

As much as I like the frame and fabric wrapped with buttons monogram wreaths, I just don't know if I want to actually hang them on the front door. I could totally see the button one hanging in my living room or a nursery, but I don't feel like it's a front door sort of wreath for the Bailey household! My husband would totally be in to the monogram wreath seen below! (Roll tide!! For the hubs, of course!)

Source

Have any of my readers made their own wreath? Do you have any pictures? I'd LOVE to see! Anyone making plans to make their own wreath soon? Any wreath lovers out there? I'd love to hear what you think! Please feel free to share in the comments below! <3

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

What Are You Into Right Now?

What are you into right now? It seems like I, and the rest of the world (read: Pinterest) are into wreaths right now. I, personally, am into yarn wrapped wreaths with felt flowers or holiday/season specific decorations on them. I'm the girl who growing up thought it was always time for some themed decor. If I had the funds, I would decorate my house with rotating holiday/seasonal decor. Baby steps, I guess. My mom always reminds me that it's taken her 26 years to accumulate all of the decorations that she has, so I can't expect to have that many when I'm not even 2 years into my marriage! I know she makes sense, but I want to have it all, and I want it now, dang it! ;-)

Source

Source

I have this internal (and now external since I'm sharing it with you) dilemma though. WHERE do I hang the wreath? "The front door!" you may say...with an added "duh!" Well, while that may be the logical explanation...we don't use the front door. The main entrance to our home is the back door. The driveway pulls to the back door. There is no path to the front door from the driveway, and the front door is on a main road.

Source

Source

Now, you may be saying, "It's obvious to hang the wreath on the back door since that's where people come in!" You may have even added ANOTHER "Duh!" to this thought also! WELL, while that may ALSO seem like the logical explanation, my problem with it is that no one will see it UNLESS they come to the door or into the house. You can't see our back door from the street that our driveway is off of due to a tree blocking it.

Source

Source

So what's my solution?? I think I will probably put my wreath on the back door. I want people to be able to see it when they come to my home. I want them to feel warmly welcomed. I want to show off my wreath-making skills! ;-) I do have a solution for the front door, too, without being over-wreathed or too wreath-heavy, though. Check back Thursday for my solution! Here's a hint to tide you over though...

Source

Any ideas of what's going on my front door? :-D

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

What the heck does CSA stand for??

CSA. This acronym was recently added to my vocabulary...and I didn't even know what it stood for. All I know is that it had to do with farming co-ops and it allowed me to get fresh produce straight from the farms. (I feel so green and hippie-ish saying that!) Anyway...according to Wikipedia (ya know...the most widely respected professional reference site...or not) defines a CSA as "Community-supported agriculture, a form of an alternative food network, (in Canada Community Shared Agriculture) (CSA) is asocio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, and sometimes includes dairy products and meat."

That's basically what I thought...right? :-) I was turned onto this concept by my friend, Amy Adams. She recently posted on her Facebook page asking for input from other people about farming co-ops. At first, I didn't get it. I remember asking the hubs, "Is that like when you share a cow with another family?" Oh how naive I am about what's available in the world! He patiently explained to me what Amy was talking about. At that point, I was like "Oh alright." and I moved on with life. 

A few days later, I actually looked into it. I was pleasantly surprised! It looked awesome! The one Amy went with is The Produce Box. The Produce Box's main premise is "We deliver locally grown, farm-fresh produce to your door every week during our North Carolina growing season. We are committed to working with North Carolina farmers only (the main reason we started the program) , and don't ship in products from other states or countries. Join us and become part of our "community of families" who enjoy delicious fruits and vegetables, eat healthier each week and support our farm neighbors." This particular co-op will deliver, which makes it perfect for Amy's family...and for mine. Vance and I decided to do it. I signed up for it on Friday and am awaiting my id and password information. With The Produce Box, you pay $22/week for a small box and $40/week for a large box. For the hubs and I, a small box will be plenty! You also pay a once a year $15 membership fee which is renewed in January. One of the best parts about this particular co-op is that you don't have to order every week AND you only pay for the weeks you do order. :-) That was a decision maker for me. The hubs and I try to eat as many veggies and fruits as possible each week, (I'm better about the fruits and he's better about the veggies) but we're unsure about if we'll be able to eat all of the provided veggies in a week's box. If we find that one box will last us more than one week, we will probably order every other week or so. That's to be determined. :-)

Amy's First Produce Box

Credit

Here's how The Produce Box works:

1. Order between Friday evening and Sunday night. (An email is sent that tells you what is in the default box, but you can order alternate boxes and add special items like bread, honey, peanuts, or extra fruit/veggies when available.)

2. Receive delivery Wednesday or Thursday.

3. Enjoy the produce!

4. Reuse/recycle cartons by placing them outside the night before or day of your next delivery. 

 

I cannot wait to get our first box and try it out!! Have any of you tried a farming co-op? What did you like about it or dislike about it? I'd love to hear any feedback you might have to offer!

For more information on The Produce Box, please visit their website at http://www.theproducebox.com/.

Mommy's Sausage Bread

Sorry it's been so long. Life has been handing me lemons, and I've been busy making lemonade. (Figuratively and literally!)

Last night, my mom taunted all of her Facebook friends via her status. She mentioned her sausage bread. Some people had never heard of sausage bread. Others started drooling in their screens. Still others begged for pictures and the recipe! In my family, sausage bread, is a staple. I've eaten it since before I can remember. However, I don't like sausage. That being said, I call mine pizza bread. Mom always made sure to make one sausage bread, one pizza bread (pepperoni) and one stromboli when she made it for our family. My dad almost always consumed a whole loaf on his own. (My daddy is a beast.) Anyway, I hadn't really thought about the recipe until last night when people asked about it. I've always just made it without thinking about it. However, it is one of the easiest recipes to follow! It can be completely homemade or semi-homemade. Until I get a bread maker, I make the semi-homemade version. My mom always makes the semi-homemade version because seriously...who has time to make homemade bread all the time? This recipe is word for word (minus a few grammar corrections I made) from my mom. Her personality sure does shine through! ;-) Love you, Mommy!

Mommy's Sausage Bread


Ingredients:

• Frozen bread dough* (or make your own if you like)
• Any pizza toppings you enjoy (Italian sausage (browned w/casings removed), Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Olives, Spinach, etc.)
• Cheese...lots of cheese**
• Garlic powder or Granulated Garlc
• Egg wash
• Pizza sauce
  
  
  >Ok here's where it gets tricky. I have no set of instructions. I never seem to do it the same twice. I'll do my best.<

Directions:

1. Let dough thaw per package directions.

2. Take one loaf at a time and place on lightly floured surface. 

3. Take your stress out by punching out air bubbles. (I pretty much keep the shape it is and just roll a bit longer and much wider, gradually flipping as needed. It takes some practice, but it's not difficult to do.)

Credit: My Mom

4. Using a pastry brush (or spoon)  brush dough with egg wash. 

5. Liberally sprinkle with garlic. 

6. Add whatever ingredients you want. 

7. Top with cheese. 

8. Roll longways and pinch seams together. 

9. Place on greased cookie sheet seam side down. 

10. Either coat bread with more egg wash or rub with oil (I use oil). 

11. Sprinkle with parm. cheese if desired.

Bake about 15-20 minutes at 350.

*I use Rhodes. It comes in three loaves and is found in the frozen bread aisle. I have resorted to using Pillsbury pizza dough when I can't find the loaves but it doesn't taste as good. I have found Rhodes at Wal-Mart!

**I use mozzarella, provolone, parmesean and sometimes cheddar

Some recipes just make you think of home. This is one of those for me.

Chicken Burgers and Black Bean-Corn Salsa

As promised, this is the second part to last night's two part post!

I decided to divide these posts up into two postings because of the sheer length that the post would have been had they been combined. Plus, it makes it easier to find later if they're named according to which recipe is in the post!

This recipe is a pretty easy, straight forward, recipe and is very summery and light. Oh yeah, and it's YUMMY!!

Without further ado...

Chicken Burgers with Black Bean-Corn Salsa
By: Vance and Angela Bailey

Photo Credit: Me

Black Bean-Corn Salsa
Ingredients:

• 1 Can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can of Corn (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2-1 Tomato
• 1 Chalet
• 2-3 Gloves of Garlic
• 2 Tbls Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Photo Credit: Me

1. Drain and rinse both the black beans and the corn. 
2. Add the beans and corn in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Peel chalet and chop finely. Add to bowl.
4. Peel garlic and chop finely. Add to bowl.
5. Wash tomato and slice finely. Add to bowl.
6. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly. (Set aside.)

Photo Credit: Me

Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Chicken
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 2-3 Shakes Each of Salt and Pepper
• Slight Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• Monterey Jack Cheese (Sliced)
• Olive, canola, or vegetable oil (your preference)

Instructions:

Photo Credit: Me

1. Open package and put meat into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add paprika.
3. Add salt and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly with hands.
5. Form 4 medium sized burgers with hands.
6. In a frying pan, lightly cover the face of the pan with oil. (Using medium heat, allow oil to heat thoroughly before adding meat, to prevent sticking.)
7. Add burgers to oil, browning both sides.
8. After cooking, place burgers on a plate covered with 2-3 paper towels or napkins to absorb the grease.
9. Lightly sprinkle cayenne pepper on top of the burgers.
10. Lay sliced cheese on top of the cayenne.
11. On a greased cookie sheet, place all of the burgers and heat in the oven at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. 
12. Serve burgers on toast or on buns with a generous serving of black bean-corn salsa on top.
13. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Me

The hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal! It was quick, easy, and pretty darn healthy! We ate a side of mac and cheese, but had we planned ahead a little better, we would have served it with peas, homemade chips, and/or a salad. The strawberry lemonade from the post previous to this one, went VERY well with it! We will certainly have this one again soon!

Happy cooking!

Photo Credit: Me

When Life Hands You Lemons...

(This post is part 1 of 2 postings! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the other half of this post!)

Today was a bright, sunny, WARM day here in good ole NC! The high was around 89 and the sun felt HEAVENLY! Today, also, was a lemonade day! All day I craved it. I read blog entries from others about lemons. Then I remembered...WE HAVE LEMONS! So...I made lemonade. :-)

Yesterday, the hubs and I discussed tonight's dinner. We decided on chicken burgers with black bean-corn salsa. We have never made this before. We have never eaten this before. We really have never heard of it before. This recipe is a compilation between some online recipes and our own brain child. See tomorrow's posting for this recipe!

 Please comment below if you're planning on trying either recipe and especially if you do try it! I KNOW lots of you read my blog, so show some lovin'!!! (And remember that if you post this recipe elsewhere, to link back to this blog!)

(Really. I am an attention whore, like my pug. We just NEED attention!!!)
Photo Credit: Me

Ahem. Anyway...for your drinking pleasure, I give you...

Homemade/Freshly Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade

Photo Credit: Me

By: Angela Bailey
Makes 1/2-3/4 Gallon

Ingredients:

• 8 Lemons
• 1- 1 1/2 c Sliced Strawberries
• 1 c Sugar

Instructions:

1. Slice strawberries. (I suggest doing this the day before and let them sit in their own juices in a ziplock bag in the fridge, but if you have to do it at the time of creation, no big deal!) Add them to the pitcher you plan on using.
2. Cut 1 lemon into thin slices. Add slices on top of sliced strawberries in the pitcher.
3. Roll the remaining lemons between your hand and counter several times each, to loosen the pulp and juices of the lemon. 
4. Cut each lemon in half.
5. Using a juicer, juice each lemon. (If you do not have a juicer, just squeeze each lemon into a bowl making sure to loosen as much pulp as possible.)
6. Add the juice and pulp to the pitcher. (Before pouring the lemon juice and pulp into the pitcher, be sure to remove the seeds!)
7. Add sugar on top of the ingredients already in the pitcher. (I usually clean up before doing this step so the strawberry and lemon juices have time to mix a bit.)
8. Using a large wooden or plastic spoon, mix the ingredients in the pitcher.
9. While continuing to mix, put pitcher under running water and fill to about 3/4 of the way full. 
10. Stop water flow and stir thoroughly. 
11. Remove spoon and fill the pitcher the remainder of the way.



Photo Credit: Me

12. Add ice cubes and place in the fridge until time to serve. (I also freeze glasses in the freezer for a more chilled beverage!)

Tune in tomorrow for the second part of this post...chicken burgers with black bean-corn salsa! YUM! :-)


Cheers!
~A

Photo Credit: Me

St. Paddy's Day Goodies

Credit

My sister, Hannah, will be 16 on the 16th of this month. My cousin, Jennifer, will be 13 on the 18th of this month. (Have I ever mentioned I'm the oldest out of 11 grandkids on my dad's side?) St. Patrick's Day falls right smack dab between their birthdays, on the 17th. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming up, and while I am not big into celebrating "minor" holidays (unless they mean a day off work, then I am VERY into celebrating them), I wanted to share a few recipes that are St. Paddy's Day inspired. (Yes, I know I'm spelling Paddy with D's and not T's. Historically speaking, it should be done with D's and not T's.)

Anyway...in case you've never heard of this amazing dessert website, I feel the need to enlighten you. Bakerella is AMAZING! No seriously. Spectacular. I've made a few of the desserts from there and they've just been scrumptious! I will go on record to say I am NOT a fan of cake balls. The name alone kinda makes me cringe, but the taste tends to be too sweet for me overall. However, Bakerella makes some of the CUTEST cupcakes, cakes, and yes, cake balls.

So for your St. Paddy's Day baking pleasure...

Green Red Velvet Cupcakes

Credit

Credit

Don't those just look delish? I loooove red velvet cupcakes! As for the frosting, it might be something I give a try, but I probably will stick with good ole fashioned cream cheese frosting. You seriously can't go wrong with anything that has cream cheese!

Shamrock Oreo Truffles

Credit

Credit

I'll admit...I won't like these. I don't like mint flavored ANYTHING. I even use cinnamon toothpaste! However, I LOVE Oreo Balls (that's what we call them in my family) and figured that anyone who loves Oreo Balls and Mint Chocolate Chip will LOVE these little babies! If anyone tries this recipe, please let me know! :-)

Happy baking!

~A

Brunch at Saks: DIY: Paper Flowers

These lovely DIY flowers had me at hello!

My best friend's wedding is coming up in May. Guess what will be decorating the aisle as we walk down? Yup. You guessed it. We're makin' flowers baby! She is working on doing straight cut 4x4 flowers. I am doing scalloped cut 6x6 flowers. The variety is gorgeous! Each flower only takes a couple of minutes to make. I plan on making some, adding some floral wire, possibly some floral tape, some leaves, and some ribbon and putting them in a vase. Has anyone else made these? I highly recommend them! They're super easy and very fun!

Here are a couple I made!

Here's one Sabrina made!

Here are some after we got the hang of it yesterday! 

Notice the detail the scalloped edge scissors add?

Brunch at Saks: DIY: Paper Flowers

Happy Crafting!

~A

My Impromptu Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Today the sun was shining. It was in the 60's here in Winston-Salem, NC. The dogs stayed outside for a little over two hours. It was just SO NICE outside. So naturally, what did I want to make for dinner? Homemade chicken noodle soup. Yep. That's how I roll.

I don't understand why I had a hankering for chicken noodle soup, but the hubs and I bought the ingredients for it BEFORE the weather turned beautiful. Wednesday evenings, we're lucky if we don't get take out. I am EXHAUSTED on Wednesdays. I am a nanny for an 8 month little boy named Max and a 13 month little boy named Sully. I watch them 8-5 Wednesday/Thursday and 12-5 on Fridays. I also watch them 10-12:30 most Tuesdays. Since Wednesday is my first full work day, I am ready for bed by 8:30pm and dinner? Forget it. BUT ANYWAY! I decided to dig out my ingredients and experiment a bit with this soup, so it isn't a science. It's an art. (P.S. I like squishy veggies in my soup. If you do not, you want to shorten the cooking length of this soup by about half.)




Chicken Noodle Soup Off The Cuff

Ingredients:
3-4 Medium Carrots
2-3 Celery Stalks
16 oz Chicken Stock (I used Great Value brand.)(I didn't measure, so you may want more or less. I just made sure my veggies were covered.)
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (feel free to boil a whole chicken and use the stock)
1 Tbsp. Stick Butter
Minced Garlic
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
Salt
Pepper
Water
Large Bag of Egg Noodles

Preparation:
1. Wash all vegetables with warm water.
2. Peel carrots and cut off any undesirable areas.
3. Slice carrots and celery. (Bite size pieces.)
4. Cube chicken into bite size pieces.

Directions:
1. In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat.
2. Add celery and carrot pieces. Let simmer, stirring every so often for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add 16ish ounces of chicken stock until veggies are barely covered. Let simmer for 10 or so minutes.
4. Add chicken.*

5. Add enough water to fully cover the mixture, but be sure not to add too much, as it will dilute the flavor.
6. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. (I did not measure any of these. I just added them in gradually throughout the cooking process. Be easy with the red pepper, unless you like things REALLY spicy.)
7. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium low, and let simmer/cook for 3-3.5 hours, checking on it and stirring occasionally.
8. About fifteen minutes before you're ready to serve, add the bag of egg noodles to the pot. Again, add just enough water to cover the mixture. Make sure to stir the noodles down and mix into the rest of the soup for optimal flavor and even cooking.

9.  Season to taste with mentioned seasonings.
10 Add crackers if you so desire and enjoy!

(I made these homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert.)

This is the first time I have ever made chicken noodle soup...other than what comes out of a can. :-) The hubs is a BIG fan. He isn't the type of man to tell me something is good if he really doesn't care for it, so I know it's a hit if he says so. Plus, he went to culinary school, so if HE says it's amazing, it must be, right?

Happy Cooking!

~A



*Adding raw meat to vegetables is a personal preference. Some people believe it isn't safe. However, you use chicken stock that raw chicken sat in, so what's the difference? My husband, who went to culinary school, says it is fine to add the raw chicken to the uncooked veggies. However, if you prefer, you can pre-cook the chicken in the microwave or if you boiled your chicken for your chicken stock, you're already good to go!