Birthday Cake Batter Oreo Pudding

It amazes me how easy it is to take things in life for granted.

A couple nights ago, some crazy wind/thunderstorms whipped through and caused hundreds of thousands in the area to lose power.

Some people are without power for days. I lost mine for approximately 20 minutes and thought I was going to die.

What on earth did they do before there was electricity? I mean really?!

Things like electricity, having a car and warm water are so second-nature to us now that when we lose it we have panic attacks.

It is a little bit sad. We all need to appreciate the little things in life more.

When I say "we" I definitely mean "I". As soon as the lights snapped off and the air conditioner stopped humming my heart dropped into my belly and I developed a nervous sweat. I immediately thought "OMG I am going to die...this is it". 

Then ten minutes later it was "OMG I am so bored, there is no purpose for life without electricity". 

Yes. It is sad. 

I wouldn't make it an hour in the wilderness.

I have a new and much stronger respect for you "man that 127 hours movie is about".

You're a super hero.

In sticking with the "simple things" theme...which I think I touch on a lot. I simplified one of my favorite new "Dame Good Recipes" for those who don't want to go through all the steps.

Anyone want to make that Birthday Cake Batter Oreo Cake? Feeling too lazy? Try this.

Birthday Cake Batter Oreo Pudding
Dame Good

Makes close to 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 (1 oz) package fat-free sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup yellow cake mix (dry)
1/3 cup jimmies (sprinkles)
6 oreo cookies, crushed (birthday cake oreos if you have them)

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl mix the pudding mix and milk. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add the cake mix and stir until combined. Add the oreos and sprinkles, stir just until incorporated. Enjoy!

Turkey Sausage Pancakes

I am a huge fan of sweet and salty.

When I go to the movies, I like to get a popcorn and pour an entire bag of peanut m&ms in it and shovel the salty sweet stickyness into my big mouth while watching the movie.

I'm also that weird person who dips their Wendy's french fries in my chocolate frosty. It's so good its gross.

Makes sense yeah?

This is a crazy recipe I came up with that you will either love or you will hate. If you are strange like me and enjoy dipping your french fries into ice cream then try it. If not, maybe you should avoid this one.

I like it. It reminded me of a McGriddle. That's another one of my sweet and salty guilty pleasures.

Mmm...McGriddles...

Turkey Sausage Pancakes
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup skim milk, plus more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon artificial sweetener
1/2 cup turkey sausage crumbles

Directions:

Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and artificial sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add sausage, and stir to incorporate.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.

Serve with sugar free syrup. 

Rosemary Hummus

I would first like to take a moment to thank the men and women who have/are/will serve/ing/ed in the military. Happy Memorial Day!

I love days like Memorial Day...family and friends, cookouts, beer, the pool...it's great. It's even better when it is all done remembering those who have sacrificed their time and their lives to serve in this country.

I couldn't imagine.

For another type of holiday, Christmas to be exact, I attended a little cocktail party and someone brought rosemary hummus.

I had never had it.

It's pretty darn good.

I didn't think to ask where they had gotten it because I just assumed that I skimmed over it each time at the grocery store...my attention span is not all that impressive.

I'm the type of person who goes to the grocery store, with a list mind you (I love lists), and as soon as the cashier grabs my first item for checkout I remember something I forgot...then when I am putting my groceries away at home I remember that other thing I forgot. It always happens.

Well this rosemary hummus that had been on my mind all holiday season is literally nowhere to be found.

I searched for a recipe I could make that does not have tahini because that stuff ain't cheap. Poor college student+ain't cheap= ain't happenin'

I found this one and only recipe and proceeded with caution. It isn't exact, it's not quite the same but I don't hate it. Its good enough!

Rosemary Hummus
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Strip rosemary leaves from stems, discard stems, and place leaves in the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Pour in the garbanzo beans; process until evenly blended.

With food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. Pour in balsamic vinegar and process until evenly blended. Taste, and add more vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, as desired. Pour in the water and process to make a spreadable consistency. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

I have this thing with pesto.

I kind of love it.

Ok, not kind of...I am absolutely in love with it.

How have I gone through 24 years of life without having had pesto pizza? Blasphemy, I tell you. I had pizza this year with pesto instead of pizza sauce for the first time ever...de-lish.

Now, anytime I go to a pizza place, pesto pizza is the first thing I look for. Try it.

You won't be disappointed.

Anyway, I have a pathetic excuse for a food processor so I have yet to make my own pesto...I know, cover your eyes. BUT, the store bought stuff isn't half bad. In fact, its quite convenient to toss into pasta with some sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese for a quick dinner.

Exhibit A.

Pesto Chicken Pasta
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package whole grain pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes, or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
3/4 cup pesto sauce
1/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute or so.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat evenly.

White Bean Chicken Enchiladas

Cinco De Mayo was last week. Sadly, I am guilty of taking advantage of any type of holiday to drink festive drinks and overeat festive food.

Mexican food is my favorite so you know I threw on a party hat.

One thing about Mexican, particularly when you go to a restaurant, is that it is rarely "light" and I like to eat "light" so I can eat a lot...because I rarely know when to stop.

Well maybe I know...but I am rarely willing to stop.

There's nothing like an endless supply of restaurant chips and salsa and margaritas the size of your head to make being healthy and thin seem obsolete and irrational.

Lucky for me, I can always turn to a Skinnytaste recipe and know it will not only taste good and unhealthy. But its healthy...booyah!

Ps. I have had to respell "restaurant" more times than I should be willing to admit during this post. I can't ever seem to get that word right...grrr....

White Bean Chicken Enchiladas
From Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 can water
1 chicken bullion
1 tsp cumin

For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chile
2 jalapeños, chopped
salt
1/2 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium low carb tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro and scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I've been making up crazy recipes lately.

I'm kinda liking it.

I made this buffalo chicken lasagna and loved it...s'mores oatmeal, fluffernutter oatmeal, reuben quesedillas, turkey sausage panakes...I must have gotten some kind of creative bug.

Buffalo chicken anything seems to be huge right now. I'm loving it because I have always been a huge fan of buffalo chicken. I can't open a bag of buffalo chicken pretzel crips without devouring the whole bag. Whoops.

I don't know about this though. A buffalo chicken milkshake?! I like weird things but this may be a little too weird. Has anyone tried it? You are a brave soul if you have.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
Dame Good

Ingredients:

9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buffalo sauce (get the mildest version)
2 cups fat-free ranch, or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces reduced-fat crumbled blue cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped fine
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup scallions, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain them well and spread them out onto aluminum foil or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking.

In a separate bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, ranch and greek yogurt. Mix well.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the buffalo and ranch sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, blue cheese crumbles, egg, the rest of the salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of buffalo ranch sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Layer 3 noodles on top of the sauce and spread half of the ricotta mixture. Spread half a cup of buffalo ranch chicken on that. Repeat a second layer again with 3 noodles, the other half of ricotta and half a cup of sauce. Layer the final 3 noodles on top of that. Spread the remaining 1/2 cups of sauce over the lasagna rolls. Top with the cheeses, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Top with scallions.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I wish I could claim this as my idea.

Carrot cake oatmeal is kinda genius no?

My boss actually gave me the idea. She told me how she came across a recipe for carrot cake oatmeal online somewhere and I decided to come up with my own.

Because I'm stubborn dangerous like that.

I actually never liked the idea of carrot cake until I tried one of the carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting at the bakery...um...yum! As a kid, I thought the idea was gross. Carrots in a cake? No thank you!

Now, I take that back. Please put carrots in my cake. Anyone?

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Dame Good

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
1 packet of splenda (optional, if you would like more sweetness)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes or until thickened. Enjoy!

Light Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

It is not easy to find a healthy/lighter dessert that doesn't taste healthy or light.

But when you do it is bliss...pure bliss.

You mean I don't have to feel an intense wave of guilt and vivid visualization of me literally killing myself at the gym with every bite? Sign me up!

This is one of those desserts. It is creamy and delicious much like your average "full-fatted" (yeah, I make up words) cheesecake but it harbors much less guilt.

Go on, do you're little happy dance. I have one too. No shame, no shame at all.

Light Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
From Skinnytaste.com

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
2 large egg whites
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar-free strawberry jam

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter with a fork until evenly moistened. Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.

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.

Stir jam until smooth. Drop by small spoonfuls over surface of filling. Using a knife, swirl jam gently through filling to create marble effect.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Towers

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the sweetest.

Like sleeping in an hour. Or being able to roll your window down while driving. Like when that man of mine does my dishes.

I have a million examples. I can't say that I have always been this way but I have learned to appreciate the simple things; the things that your average person may take for granted.

This dish is a great example of that. It's so simple that it seems almost boring...until you take a bite that is.

That man of mine and I started our very simple and sweet Valentine's Day dinner together with this salad. He was surprised to like it as much as he did and I was surprised that it had as much flavor as it did.

I highly recommend this for someone looking to steer away from their standard everyday salad. It's even better when it is the "opening act" of an Italian dinner.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Towers
From Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 medium ripe tomatoes
3 oz part skim mozzarella, sliced into 6 slices
2 cups arugula

Directions:

In a small blender, combine basil, olive oil, balsamic, a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Blend until smooth.

Slice the the top and bottom off of the tomato, discard. Cut the tomato into 3 equal slices and season with a pinch of salt keeping the tomato intact to assemble the same way it was cut.

Place 3/4 cup of arugula on each plate. Create two towers by layering the tomato, mozzarella, arugula, until two towers have formed, one on each plate. Top tomatoes with the remaining arugula then top with fresh cracked pepper and drizzle with oil and vinegar.

Low-Carb and Low-Sugar Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I recently noticed something about myself.

It may be a combination of my OCD or the fact that I almost always feel overwhelmed but more than once a day it seems that I check my phone with the intentions of finding out the time only to realize a few short minutes later that I was not paying attention and did not in fact have a clue what time it was.

I feel like this isn't normal.

Someone help me.

Maybe I can blame Instagram. Yeah, Instagram distracts me.

See? Anybody have any ideas on how to justify taking random pictures of nothing and spending too much time uploading them using various fun settings and looks? No?

I'll work on it.

This here recipe is one that took a lot of work. I actually made it for Christmas.

Procrastination what?

I offered to bring dessert (shocker) and was told my uncle recently started a low-carb/low-sugar diet. I started racking my brain on how to transform a cheesecake recipe to fit his dietary needs.

I wanted to make something festive and my mind instantly went to this little "hole in the wall" Italian restaurant that man of mine and I went to months ago. I had this smoked gouda mac and cheese with sausage and we finished our delightful meal sharing a mint chocolate chip cheesecake.

Yeah, it exists.

But not so much in "recipeland" so I decided to come up with one myself...that's also low in sugar and low in carbs. I combined about 997 recipes online and prayed to the cooking Gods...

Pretty sure I held my breath the entire time but low-and-behold (is that the appropriate phrase? meh...) it worked out! It was a hit and nobody could tell it was not only reduced sugar and carbs but also reduced fat.

Merry Christmas to all!

Low-Carb and Low-Sugar Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Dame Good

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 ½ cups ground almonds (or pecans or walnuts)
1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
4 tablespoons melted light butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Cheesecake:
3 (8 ounce) boxes neufchatel cream cheese , room temp
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 teaspoons green food coloring (or more if preferred)
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
3 eggs
20 (1 g) packets Splenda sugar substitute or 1 ¼ cups Splenda granular
1/2 cup andes mint chips (optional)


Directions:

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" springform pan with cooking spray.

Place nuts in bowl of a food processor; pulse until ground into a meal. Add Splenda, butter and cocoa powder (optional) pulse to combine.

Transfer nut mixture to a 9" springform pan and gently press to form a crust on bottom of pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes Remove from oven and cool.

Cheesecake:
Mix cream cheese in mixer until smooth. Add sour cream. Add 1 egg at a time.

Add splenda, peppermint extract, green food coloring and mix until smooth. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Spray that sides of springform pan with cooking spray and pour in cheesecake mixture. Top with andes mint chocolate chips. Place cheesecake in a larger pan with enough water so that the water goes up 1/3 to 1/2 up the side of your cheesecake.

Bake 38-45 minutes at 375 degrees until cheesecake is set.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Between reading the Hunger Games series and Pinterest I often lose track of what's real life.

I am not thoroughly convinced that this is a bad thing as my fake life on Pinterest is far more exciting and interesting than the real thing. My Pinterest closet and Pinterest dream home and Pinterest Recipe box are all 100 times more fabulous than what's real.

Mind you, I have very little free time...but it seems to go to reading about Katniss kicking major ass or planning my make-believe life that I will never be rich or patient enough to achieve.

Now that I am reading this in black and white I think it may in fact be sad.

Yeah, it's kinda sad.

Before I go any further...has anyone seen these?!

No joke, when I caught sight of these at the grocery store I immediately yelped and did some kind of victory jig. Then I remembered I was in public and tried to collect myself but I feel the damage was done. Yep, I'm a crazy person.

Put sprinkles in ANYthing and I am immediately transformed into a 5-year-old version of myself. Seriously, put sprinkles on my baked potato and watch me giggle like a school girl.

A very special one.

These.Are.Awesome.

They have a slight funfetti taste and funfetti is my most favorite. And yes, I am aware that it is really vanilla cake with sprinkles thrown in but I swear to you it tastes better! Somehow it does!

Get them before they're gone!

Moving right along...

I don't know about anyone else but I enjoy pumpkin all year round. This year I was smart and stocked up on the canned pumpkin so I can enjoy it whenever I please.

This cheesecake is great if you don't have the time, or patience for that matter, to bake one. It doesn't have that rich creamy bite you get from a traditional cheesecake but it is a creamy and lighter alternative.

I recommend this.

Most def.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
From Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

7 oz Neufchatel Cream Cheese
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked
8 oz Cool Whip Free, thawed
9 inch reduced fat Graham Cracker Crust

Directions:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar for a few minutes until fluffy. Add Cool Whip and whip until smooth. Spoon mixture into pie crust and chill for a few hours, until firm.

Lightened Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I am no longer living in the "technological stone ages"!

Well, in terms of cell phones that is...my laptop is still ancient and my digital camera is a joke and my iPod is from 2005 but my phone...my phone is shiny and new.

I finally conformed and got an iPhone.

Yeah, I love it.

I can't stop playing with it.

Now I want a spankin' new lap top, a iPad, a iPod touch, a nice Panasonic Lumix zs7 digital camera (great for food photography I hear), and a Kindle Fire.

But that ain't happening.

This chick is poor. And spends all her money on food.

And shoes.

Mmm food and shoes :)

I think it is now required of me that I immediately go to Panera Bread and plop myself next to the fireplace and act all technologically savvy.

Not sure I could pull that off but speaking of Panera...please tell me I am not the only one obsessed with their broccoli and cheddar soup in a bread bowl...

Didn't think so. I love it. LOVE it. But have a hard time putting out of my mind the fact that it is cheese and cream and carb overload (not a hard enough time not to eat it (psh!) but enough to push me extra hard at the gym).

I decided to find a copycat recipe and lighten it some.

Is it identical? No. Is it a quick fix for a Panera craving? Yeah, I think so. Worth a shot!

Lightened Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Adapted from CDkitchen.com


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon light butter spread (I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Light), melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted light butter spread (I use I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Light)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup skim milk
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half and skim milk(this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Serve with wheat bread roll.