Finding Nemo!

Not the fish, but the dog treats! It was time to switch things up a bit, poor Jackson was getting a tad sick of the first treats I made. Although he loves peanut butter, the poor guy needs some variety too... how about some apples mixed in!

Thank you Kayte for the recipe!!



Nemo's Nibblers
Makes 60 1" square treats

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rolled oats
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
3/4 lb raw apples, minced
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS
-Place oats and whole wheat flour in mixing bowl.
-Add peanut butter and minced apples.
-Blend together and add water.
-Keep adding enough water until a thich batter is produced.
-Place on floured counter and roll out, about 1/2 inch thick.
-Cut out into shapes with desired cookie cutter.
-Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cookies are crisp.

The Best Muffins...Ever.

Hands down, these take the grand prize. I could've eaten every last one of them! I had some blueberries and I was sick of fruit salad, so why not put them in a muffin? These truly are to die for :)



To Die For Blueberry Muffins
Source: Allrecipes.com
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg (I used Egg Beaters)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
-Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
-Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.
-Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.
-Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.
-Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

NUTRITION INFO
(based on modifications)

Calories 343.8
Total Fat 11.7 g
Cholesterol 16.1 mg
Sodium 288.1 mg
Potassium 92.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 56.9 g
Fiber 1.5 g
Protein 4.4 g

Calzones

Calzone fillings are never ending; my favorite so far is BBQ chicken! So easy and yummy... how can you not like it?



BBQ Chicken Calzone Filling
Source: MrsAllmyer, the Nest
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

-1/2 a medium onion chopped
-3 slices of bacon (I use turkey bacon)
-5 chicken tenders (or 2 small breasts)
-3/4 cup BBQ sauce
-Handful of cilantro chopped
-1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

DIRECTIONS
-In a large skillet prepare the bacon until crispy then set aside.
-To the skillet add the chopped onion, then the chicken, then half of the BBQ sauce.
-When the chicken is done use a fork to shred.
-Add remaining BBQ sauce, cilantro and crispy bacon (crumbled).
-Lay out the pizza dough and cut in 2.
-Spread the shredded chicken mixture over half of one of the dough pieces.
-Top with shredded cheese then fold the other half of dough over.
-Use a fork to seal edges. Repeat for second calzone.
-Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.


NUTRITION INFO
(based on modifications, does not include crust)

Calories 230.3
Total Fat 7.2 g
Cholesterol 52.3 mg
Sodium 705.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24.1 g
Protein 16.9 g

Kickin' it Up

The grill is a wonderful tool... and when you can find good meat on sale, that's even better! This is a great recipe for those who like easy, fast, tasty meals on the grill.



Kickin' London Broil with Bleu Cheese Butter
Source: Allrecipes.com
6 Servings (5 oz.)

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh chives (optional)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (2 pound) beef flank steak
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat the grill for low heat.
-In a bowl, mix the blue cheese, butter, and chives. Set aside.
-In a separate bowl, mix the black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
-Rub the steak with olive oil.
-Coat both sides of the meat with the spice mixture, and rub in by hand or press with a spatula.
-Lightly oil the grill grate.
-Place meat on the grill, and cook 10 to 15 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. (Grill to rare or medium rare for best flavor.)
-Remove from grill, and slice lengthwise into thin strips.
-Top with a large dollop of blue cheese butter, and serve.

NUTRITION INFO (5 oz)
Calories: 336.5
Fat: 21.8g
Carbs: 1.3g
Sodium: 598.1mg
Protein 32.5

Arf!

I have a new hobby: making treats for my four legged child! Jackson has definitely changed our lives, I can't imagine not having a dog now! How can you resist this sweet face?



There is no way I could make these without the help of my handy dandy stand mixer, that's for sure... I have modified the directions to be for the mixer. The treats call for so much flour and tend to be dry. The good thing about Jackson is he'll eat just about anything... even slightly crispy! I figured it would be best to start out with peanut butter treats since that's his favorite.



Peanut Butter Doggie Bones
Source: Sugar and Spice
Makes 60 1" square treats

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup low-fat milk

DIRECTIONS

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In the mixer bowl, combine dry ingredients.
-Slowly add milk and peanut butter, mixing well.
-Knead with the dough hook until well blended and the dough forms a large ball.
-Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes.
-Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown.
-Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

A Twist on Pizza

Ok, so it's rolled. The pepperoni and cheese bread is easy to make and break away from the regular old pizza routine. It's great because it allows dipping and endless possibilities for ingredients. We chose to dip it in pizza sauce which completed our unique pizza experience. This recipe is so versatile that it could be thinly sliced and served as an appetizer.



Pepperoni and Cheese bread
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

INGREDIENTS
1 roll refrigerated french bread dough OR 1 loaf frozen bread dough (thawed)
20 pieces Pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni).
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Egg wash (1 egg white, water)
Italian Seasoning (as desired)

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Roll out bread dough and sprinkle with mozzerella and parmesean cheeses, place pepperoni (as much as desired) on top of the cheese.
-Carefully roll the bread dough into a cylinder shape.
-Pinch ends and top to seal.
-Brush top and sides of loaf with egg wash.
-Top loaf with Italian Seasoning
-Make a few diagonal slices in top of loaf for air to escape while cooking.
-Bake at 350 for 20 min.
-Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO
(based on modifications)

Calories 405.7
Total Fat 12.7 g
Cholesterol 54.3 mg
Sodium 1245.9 mg
Potassium 139.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 45.5 g
Protein 27.0 g

Chicken Cordon Cassserole

There's one thing I absolutely dislike doing when it comes to chicken: rolling it. There never seems to be a good way to roll it and get all of the ingredients to stay neatly inside. Whoever thought of this idea is brilliant... let's make a casserole out of chicken cordon bleu!

I have made this two ways, once with the cream cheese and once with Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb in place of the cream cheese. Both are delicious, but we prefer the Laughing Cow version.



Chicken Cordon Casserole
Source Unknown
Serves 2


INGREDIENTS
8 oz chicken, pounded to about 1/2 inch
2 slices of swiss cheese, cut in half
2 tbsp cream cheese (I use Fat Free)
2 slices lean thin sliced deli ham
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/8 cup chicken broth

-Spray a casserole dish with a non stick spray.
-For the first layer lay out half the chicken. Sprinkle with a small amount of breadcrumbs.
-For the next layer spread cream cheese over 2 swiss cheese halves and lay over chicken.
-On top of the swiss cheese lay out ham.
-Next is another layer of chicken, topped with bread crumbs and another slice of swiss cheese.
-Pour a small amount of chicken broth around the edges so they don't dry out.
-Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Check to be sure that the BOTTOM layer of chicken is cooked thoroughly.

NUTRITION INFO
(based on modifications)

Calories 326.8
Total Fat 10.5 g
Cholesterol 99.4 mg
Sodium 1125.7 mg
Potassium 130.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 12.7 g
Fiber .5 g
Protein 43.8 g