Sweet yet salty – a great snack that tastes indulgent but is not !

White Chocolate Trail Mix

24 servings
80 calories per serving

10 c popped popcorn
1 c mini marshmallows
½ c dry roasted peanuts
½ c dried cranberries
6 squares Baker’s white chocolate, melted

Combine all ingredients except chocolate and toss. Add chocolate and mix well. Spread onto a baking sheet and refrigerate 10 minutes or until coating is firm.

This is one of the better mac and cheese recipes I have done. Make sure you stir the mix enough to get all the cheese melted. And try not putting in the half and half until a good amount of the cheese is already melted so you don’t get unmelted lumps. This really hit the spot and you can certainly change it up by adding bits of different vegetables, maybe even some hot peppers

Mexican Mac and Cheese

4 servings
245 calories per serving

2 c FiberGourmet rotini pasta (without FiberGourmet, the recipe comes in at 285 calories per serving)
¼ c sliced black olives
½ c fat free half and half
½ t salt
1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained
4 slices fat free Kraft American cheese slices

Cook pasta according to package instructions and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until cheese is all melted.

Disposable ECO FRIENDLY Palm Plates from Marxfoods.com are a great way to do something for the environment, and still be elegantly in style

The plates are just gorgeous to look at – they are earthy and elegant all at the same time – and they fit right into backyard gatherings, picnics, barbecues, as easily as they fit into every day life.

I have used them in their expected manner (as a replacement for disposable paper plates) and I have also used them as serving dishes for items that can be quickly wiped off the surface (like pretzels, bread, nuts) so that I can use them again and again. No matter what paper plate I’ve used, I’ve never had the urge to hang on to it because of it’s beauty. But if you fall in love with these plates like I have, then I’m sure you’ll find yourself doing the same thing

The plates come in all shapes and sizes and there are even matching forks, spoons and knives available. All are priced right on the Marxfoods.com website and you can get much information about how the plates are made – it’s really pretty amazing.

I have gone so far as to repurpose a few gently used plates and they have stood up well to a light washing – bet you can’t do that with your Chinette plate

You’ll be seeing many pictures on my blog using these plates – they are definitely on my list of favorite products and I hope they become one of yours too. But for now I’ll sit and look at them naked (the plates naked, not me – haha), that is when they look just perfect as a picture.

SAVE SOME TREES – GET SOME PALM PLATES !!

SAVE SOME TREES – GET SOME PALM PLATES !!

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – this chicken dish is superb. Try serving with Mexican Mac and Cheese and a nice green salad. The leftovers are great for use in salads, for wraps and sandwiches, and for quick soups.

Herbed Chicken

4 servings
180 calories per serving

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (Perdue Perfect Portions work great here !)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t basil flakes
1 t rosemary flakes
1 t parsley flakes
¼ t kosher salt
2 T oil
Pam

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Make some deep slit sin the chicken tops. Combine garlic and other herbs and 2 T of oil and brush onto chicken. Heat an oven safe skillet and spray with Pam and cook chicken slit side down with the pan covered for 5 minutes to get a nice sear on it. Turn and then place skillet into oven and cook 12-15 minutes.

Alternately grill chicken on a hot grill if you prefer

Potatoes and cheese of any sort are just a winning combination. The parmesan in this recipe is a great hint of cheese without being overpowering.

Au Gratin Potatoes

4 servings
167 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. new potatoes
1 T margarine
1 T flour
¼ c chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t black pepper
Salt to taste
1 ½ c skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced very thin
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice potatoes into ¼ thick slices and place half of them in a square baking dish. Top with half the onions, then do another layer of potatoes and another layer of onions and sprinkle with salt. Melt margarine and stir in flour, parsley, garlic and pepper and then gradually add milk stirring until thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and cover and bake ½ hour. Stir gently, recover and bake another 30 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over and bake another 20 minutes uncovered.

These take a little work to get out of the molds, so let sit a bit before trying to unmold or you may end up with just the stick in your hands Or try using the Dixie cup method which you can more easily peel off the dessert. The ice cream separates into 2 different layers so you end up with a great looking 3 layer pop that tastes just divine.

Cappuccino Pops

6 servings
61 calories per serving

2 c chocolate fat free ice cream, softened
1 T instant coffee
1 c cool whip, thawed
6 dixie cups and 6 sticks (or 6 ice pop molds)

Combine ice cream and 2 t coffee. Mix cool whip and 1 t coffee. Spoon ice cream mix into cups and then top with the cool whip mix. Cover cups with foil and push in the sticks. Freeze 4 hours or more. Peel cups from pops to serve.

This is a great way to prepare pork tenderloin – the mustardy crust adds great flavor.

Herbed Pork Tenderloin

6 servings
167 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin
3 T Dijon mustard
1 T buttermilk
2 t fresh thyme
2 t coarsely ground pepper
¼ t salt
2/3 c soft bread crumbs (just put bread in a food processor and processor to form crumbs)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix mustard, breadcrumbs, thyme, pepper, and salt and spread over meat then place on a rack in a roasting dish, cover and cook 15 minutes then uncover and continue cooking 45 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
FETTUCINE WITH HAM

The first batch of these did not quite hit the spot. With a little tweaking, the recipe has become a great chilly treat for a hot summer day. I usually make them two tiered with halves of both the cantaloupe and honeydew melons.

Melon Pops

6 servings (8 oz. pops)
59 calories per serving

2 c diced honeydew melon
1/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 T honey
1 T Splenda

Mix 2 c of melon with yogurt, lime juice, honey, Splenda and zest and blend until smooth. Fill the pop molds, insert sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

Canteloupe – As a variation, replace honeydew with cantaloupe.

You may want to make both variations and make a layered melon pop. If you do this, freeze the first ‘layer’ for 1 hour – then add the second and insert the sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

The combination of herbs along with the balsamic glaze was just fantastic. Scallops are such a sweet shellfish and this is a great recipe to showcase their great flavor.

Grilled Scallops with Balsamic

4 servings
244 calories per serving

1 lb. sea scallops
¼ c oil
2 T fresh mint
2 T flat leaf parsley
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T parmesan cheese
1 t shredded lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 c baby arugula
Pam

Rinse scallops and pat dry. Mix oil, mint, parsley, 2 T vinegar, cheese, lemon peel and garlic. Place scallops in a Ziploc bag and pour in the oil mix and marinate the scallops 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat broiler. Drain scallops. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and broil scallops 4 minutes each side or until done. In a saucepan bring 2 T vinegar to a boil and simmer 4-5 minutes. Serve scallops over arugula and drizzled with the reduced vinegar.

Alternately grill the scallops in a grill basket until done.

So extremely yummy and so easy to put together – you buy a prepared angel food cake, mix up an orange juice syrup and add some fruit – feel free to mix it up and use whatever is the freshest at your market. This week I added fresh blackberries !

Angel Food Cake and Fruit

8 servings
205 calories per serving

1 small angel food cake
1 cup orange juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into slices and then cut in quarters (or one small can mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed lightly)
1/3 c Splenda
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
1 large banana, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and cut into pieces

Mix OJ, Splenda and cornstarch and blend to dissolve cornstarch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and thicken the sauce cooking a few minutes. When done, stir in the bananas and kiwi and stir to coat. Add oranges and mix then serve the fruit mix over cake.

Add some Cool Whip Lite for a great indulgent dessert.