Marinated Pot Roast

Marinated Pot Roast

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. bay leaves, crushed
4-5 lb. top round or rump roast
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ginger snaps, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the red wine vinegar, water, onion, bay leaves and place in a large plastic bag that can be sealed. place the top round or rump roast in the marinade. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the roast and strain the marinade to reserve juice (but get rid of spices). Reserve the marinade. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and brown the onions, carrots, and celery together. Sprinkle with flour and cook until the flour starts to brown. Add 2 cups of the reserved marinade and 1/2 cup of water. Place the roast in the marinade and vegetable mixture and cover. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Remove 2 1/2 cups of the liquid from the stock pot and place in a saucepan with the crushed gingersnaps. Heat for about 10 minutes, over medium heat, until the mixture starts to thicken. Slice the roast and serve with the ginger snap sauce.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Mulled Apple Cider

Mulled Apple Cider

Ingredients

1 gallon apple cider
12 whole cloves
5 cardamom seeds
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. orange rind
1/4 tsp. allspice

Directions


Combine in large heavy pan. Cover and bring to a boil; then simmer 15 minutes; strain. Garnish with orange slices. Makes 1 gallon. Serve hot.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Never-Fail Divinity

Never-Fail Divinity

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light syrup
1/2 cup water
pinch salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Boil sugar, syrup, water and salt until mixture spins a 4" thread (260 degrees F or hard ball stage). Then add to the egg whites that are beaten foamy. Beat the mixture until stiff; add vanilla and nuts if desired. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This recipe came from an email from vocal point

Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 lbs. stew meat, cut into chunks
6 new potatoes, scrubbed, with skins on, cut into chunks
½ bag of baby carrots
1 pkg. dry onion soup/dip mix
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 ½ c. apple juice.

Layer the carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Vegetables tend to take the longest to cook in this device, so it’s best to put them as close to the surfaces of the cooker as possible. Put the meat on top.
In a small bowl, mix the apple juice, gravy mix and onion soup mix. Pour the mixture over the top of the meat. Put the lid on and cook on “low” for eight hours.
A few things to keep in mind when cooking with a crock pot:
1. Don’t lift the lid to “peek” on the food. Steam is an essential part of the slow cooking process; every peek into the crock pot adds another 20 minutes of cooking time.
2. In the past, people avoided using the slow cooker because of the mess it creates. Search out “slow cooker liners” at the grocery store (in with the zipper-lock bags). They make cleanup a breeze.
Use this recipe as a starting point and tweak it to your own family’s liking. One friend adds Worchester sauce; another uses celery in place of the potatoes and serves over rice.

Tarragon Chicken

This recipe came in an email from www.thriftyfun.com

Tarragon Chicken

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium high heat. Add chicken breast and cook; turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes a side. Remove and set aside.
Add wine to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooded spoon. Stir in mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in cream and boil until mixture thickens slightly about 3 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet; turn in sauce to coat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving dish, and spoon sauce over all the chicken.

Source: A friend, Maureen

By Raymonde from North Bay, Ontario

Pumpkin Cookies

Thank you Alexe for this recipe.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup pumpkin, canned
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons Crisco
1 whole egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and cut in shortening. Beat egg with milk and pumpkin and combine with flour, mixing well. Stir until soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Plantation Pecan Ball Candy

Thank you Alexe for this recipe.

Plantation Pecan Ball Candy

1 box (12 oz.) vanilla wafers, finely crushed
3 3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1 can (12 oz.) sweetened, condensed milk

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Chill. Using a melon baller or spoon, form mixture into 1-inch balls. They can be eaten immediately, kept in the refrigerator, or frozen in arigid container in the freezer. Makes about 4 dozen candies.

Thank you Alexe for this recipe.

CHINESE NOODLE COOKIES

1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 package (12 oz.) butterscotch chips
10 oz. Chinese noodles
1 (12 oz.) can cashews

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in glass bowl in microwave. Add Chinese noodles and cashews. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper. Let cool until hardened. Makes 30 cookies.

Kraft Marshmallow Creame Fantasy Fudge

Thank you Alexe for this orginal recipe.

Orginal Fantasy Fudge from the back of Kraft Marshmallow Cream jar.

Makes about 117
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 12-oz (340 g) package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 7-oz (198g) jar of Kraft Marshmallow Creame
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Traditional Method:
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in a heavy 2 1/2quart saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate until melted. Add marshmallow creame, nuts an vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Let cool and cut into 1 inch squares.

Microwave Method:
Microwave margarine in 4 quart microwave safe bowl on high (100%) 1 minute or until melted. Add sugar and milk; mix well. Microwave on high 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil,stirring after 3 minutes. Mix well; scrape bowl. Continue microwaving on high 5-1/2 minutes; stir after 3 minutes . Stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool at room tempture; cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.

Crockpot Bar-b-que Beef

Thank you Alexe for this recipe.

Bar-b-que Beef
beef, crockpot 3 lb beef; stew or chuck roast 2 cup onions; chopped 3 green peppers; chopped 1 can tomato paste; (6 ounces) 2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup brown sugar; packed 1/4 cup cider vinegar 3 teaspoon worcestershire souce 1 teaspoon dry mustard Combine the ingredients and put into a slow cooker or crockpot inorder given. Use a 3 1/2 - 5 quart cooker. Cover and cook on high for 8hours.With a wire whisk, stir mixture until meat is shredded. Serve on longhard rolls or hamberger buns. I really do enjoy this recipe and it freezes well. I check for doneness after 5-6 hours and adjust accordingly, turning to low.

Snow Dusted Tea Cakes

Snow Dusted Tea Cakes

Makes 20 Cookies

With just six grams of carbohydrate and a healthy dose of nuts, these tender cookies are an excellent choice for any one needing to curb the sugar in their diet.



¾ cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup butter, softened

¾ cup Splenda granular

1 large egg

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar



Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
If using whole almonds, place almonds in a food processor and process until very finely chopped but not powdery or oily, pour ground almonds into a bowl. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour and Splenda. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and Splenda until incorporated. Add egg and extract; beat until light and airy. Add flour mixture and gently stir until all ingredients are well blended.
Roll tablespoons full of dough into round balls and place 1 ¼ inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, until tops are slightly browned and bottoms are golden brown. Place sheets on a wire cooling rack.
Once cookies are cool dust with powdered sugar. (a small mesh sieve makes dusting easy)
Per Cookie:

Calories 75
Carbohydrate 6 grams (sugar 2 grams)
Fat 5 grams (saturated 2)
Protein 2 grams
Sodium 20 grams
Cholesterol 15 grams

Diabetic exchange = 1/2 srtarch, 1 fat
WW Point comparison = 2

Thanks Alexe for this recipe.

Chocolate Almond Meringue Cookies

Thank you for the recipe Alexe.

Chocolate Almond Meringue Cookies

Makes 18 Cookies

Whether you buy them or make them, with little fat and no flour, meringue cookies are a great healthy holiday choice. These particular meringues use less sugar and hence will flatten when they cook. For best results it is also always best to make meringue cookies on a dry non-humid day.

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Splenda granular

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the egg whites at high speed until foamy. Beat in the cream of tartar and salt. Once soft peaks form, gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over-beat egg whites.
3. Using a spatula, gently fold in the almond extract and chocolate. Drop by heaping tablespoons full of batter onto prepared baking sheet. Gently smooth top to form a flat disc (about 2 inches in diameter).
4. Place in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until dry.

Per Cookie:

Calories 40

Carbohydrate 8 grams (sugar 7 grams)

Fat 1 grams (saturated 0)

Protein 1 grams

Sodium 30 grams

Cholesterol 0 grams

Diabetic exchange = 1/2 other carbohydrate

WW Point comparison = 1

Cheesecake Cookies

Thank you Alexe for this recipe. It sounds delicious.

Cheesecake Cookies

5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) packet cream cheese, softened 1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl blend thoroughly butter,
brown sugar and flour with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Put 1 cup of the mixture aside for topping. Press remaining mixture into
an 8x8x2 inch baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray; bake for
15 minutes.
In another bowl combine sugar and cream cheese, mixing until smooth.
Thoroughly beat in egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread over the
baked crust and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake for 25
minutes. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares;
serve.

Enchilada Lasagne

This recipe comes from Alexe. She is from LA. Thank you Alexe for the recipe.

Enchilada Lasagne
1 1/2 lbs ground beef sirloin (95% lean)
10 flour tortillas (6 in)
2 cans (10 oz each) mild enchilada sauce
1 16 oz can refried beans
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend cheese
Crunchy tortilla strips (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream

Heat oven to 350 F. Brown beef in a large non stick
skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until
beef is no longer pink, breaking up into crumbles.
Pour off drippings. Stir in 1 can of enchilada sauce.
beans, corn and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat
Simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Spray 11-3/4 x 7-1/2 inch baking dish with non stick
cooking spray. Arrange 3 tortillas in dish cutting 1 as
needed to cover bottom. Spread 1/4 cup remaining enchilada
sauce over tortillas, cover with 1/3 beef mixture, then 1/3 cheese
Repeat layers twice, omitting final cheese layer. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Remove
foil; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, bake uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with tortilla strips if desired, tomato,cilantro, and sour cream.