chicken & broccoli stir fry...

4 Chicken Breasts

1-2 cups Broccoli

1 small onion, cut into chunks (my addition)

1/2 cup Terriyaki Marinade

1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing (I used fat free)

Cut of the chicken breasts into strips and put into pan (I added a little olive oil first). Season chicken as desired, (I used salt & pepper). Brown chicken & onion. Pour in Italian dressing and Terriyaki Marinade. Stir to coat chicken. Add broccoli (I steamed mine for a few min. before adding it. The original recipe calls for frozen broccoli making the recipe even easier!!) and stir again. Place under broiler on low and let it cook for few minutes. (I didn't read the recipe correctly & forgot this part so mine just cooked down in the pan. Next time...broiler!! It would be sooo much easier & faster!!) If your pan is not oven safe, just wrap tin foil around the handle.

I got this recipe from a favorite new site, On My Menu. This site is FULL of healthy, good recipes. I used to babysit this girl & now she is a mom (with the CUTEST little girls!)...and I feel really old. Anyways, this recipe is a keeper. Healthy, good, fast & easy. And, my husband kept saying "This is sooo good. This is really good. I really like this." Yea, it's a keeper! Thanks Marci! Keep 'em coming!!

chili lime corn...

corn on the cob

melted butter

juice of one lime

chili powder

salt

Melt butter & add chili powder, lime juice & salt. Brush over corn. Wrap in tin foil & place on grill over medium heat, turning every few minutes. Take off when corn is golden brown & shows grill marks, 5-10 min.

Sorry I don't have exact measurements...just use the chili powder & lime to your liking! This was really good and a nice change from the usual. Give it a try!!

TWD Summer Peach Galette...

I used to think chocolate desserts were my favorite, but I've changed my mind. I really LOVE fruit desserts. Especially when excellent, ripe, sweet fruit is involved. This galette is no exception. Dorie's original recipe is called Summer Fruit Galette, and she recommends peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots or rhubarb. I found some amazing peaches at the Farmer's Market, so that's what I chose to bake with. This reminds me of the apple crostada I LOVE to make in the Fall & Winter. If you are a pie lover but don't love to make pies...this could be one for you. The pastry is pretty easy to put together, and there is no "transfering to a pie plate." Just roll the pastry into a circle, fill the center with fruit, and wrap the pastry up around the edges. It is a very rustic, homemade looking dessert...and I LOVED it! It was a crowd pleaser!

You can visit Michelle in Colorado Springs for the complete recipe, and stop by the Tuesdays With Dorie blogroll...there were some AMAZING things done with this recipe!

Great pick Michelle!!

Farmer's Market...

FINALLY!!!

I have been waiting to get my hands on some yummy fresh produce & today I hit the jackpot! There is a wonderful farm stand really close to me that has beautiful fruit, veggies & homemade salsa. Good Summer fruit is even better than candy to me...and I love candy.

Coming up...

Summer Peach Galette

Grilled chili lime corn

& the cherries will probably just be popped in our mouths!!

brown rice salad...

1 1/2 cups instant brown rice

1 chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cook brown rice & let cool. Combine ingredients for vinaigrette & combine with rice & vegetables. Serve at room temp.

This salad makes an excellent side or a great filling lunch. You really could add any vegetables you like, I just used what I had on hand.

(1 cup-5pts)

m&m "bakery" cookies...

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup veg/canola oil

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp salt

m&m's

Combine first 5 ingredients and cream about 2 min. Add vegetable oil & mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to dough; mixing just until combined. Fold in m&m's. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min.

Oh boy, oh boy...I really could leave it at that, but I won't.

I got into my mom's old recipes and found this cookie recipe that was given to her by a dear friend years ago. I was best friends with this dear friends daughter & got to enjoy these cookies on a somewhat regular basis!! They also became a fast favorite in our house.

Because of the cream of tartar & the oil (I NEVER said ANYTHING about these being a "light" cookie...) they really take on the consistency of a bakery cookie. They have a little bit of crispness to them that is sooooo yummy, while still remaining a little chewy. I really don't know how else to describe them...JUST GO BAKE SOME!!

I really think they are better at room temp as opposed to warm. That's just my opinion.

You certainly could use chocolate chips instead of m&m's. My mom would sometimes even use mini chocolate chips.

I also chilled the dough for about 10-15 min before baking & stuck the bowl of dough back in the fridge in between baking times. They turned out better if the dough was a little cold.

I don't care how hot it is. Crank up your oven and bake these little babies.

cheddar bacon quiche...

1 pre made 9in. pie crust dough

2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

8 slices bacon; cooked & diced

3/4 cup 1% milk

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

salt & pepper

Place pie crust dough in 9 inch pie plate. Combine all ingredients and whisk well. Pour into pie pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 min. Place tin foil over edges of pie crust half way through cooking time.

I've been on a quiche kick lately. I like to keep the pre made pie crusts on hand so if I need a quick dinner I can throw a quiche together. The plus here is that everyone loves it!! Who doesn't have eggs & cheese on hand? If you don't have bacon, you could always add a little cooked chicken with broccoli, mixed vegetables, mushrooms & swiss, etc. Be creative!

corn & black bean salad...

2 cans corn, drained

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained & rinsed

1 red onion, diced

grape tomatos

sliced black olives

chopped parsley

1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

3/4 cup Fat Free Italian dressing

1 tsp chili powder

Combine first six ingredients. Whisk together lemon juice, dressing & chili powder and pour over salad. Let marinade at least 1 hour in the fridge before serving.

I threw this together so fast for a BBQ, and for some reason I didn't have the highest expectations for this one. Boy, was I wrong. It quickly disappeared!! The dressing is surprisingly...FABULOUS! The chili powder takes away that bottled dressing taste & the lemon juice just adds a little zip to it. This is perfect for Summer because there is nothing in it that could spoil if left out.

chicken curry wraps...

3/4 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp curry powder

2 Tbsp slivered almonds
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

4 flour tortillas

Combine chicken and seasonings in a bowl, place in tortilla & wrap!!

This was such a quick dinner to put together. It was also very filling! I use either low fat or low carb tortillas to keep this on the lighter side. I divided this into 3 portions and made larger wraps & two smaller. I also season my chicken with a little seasoning salt before cooking.

TWD blueberry pie...

Thank you, thank you, thank you Amy from South in Your Mouth for choosing this recipe! I thoroughly enjoyed making this. I thought the pastry was the perfect pie crust (thank you, Dorie!) I didn't want to waste one bit of the dough so I made pie crust cookies (just cut out & sprinkle with a little sugar before baking.) Really, I'm not sure which I enjoyed more...the tiny cookies disappeared quickly!!

For the complete recipe you can visit Amy's site. Please do, you won't be disappointed!

rolled pizza...

These are absolutley a new favorite at our house!!

Bread dough purchased from the bakery (16oz)

Roll out to 12-14 inches in diameter.

Sprinkle on toppings (no sauce) & roll up as tightly as possible.

Tuck the ends under, place seam side down on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with a little olive oil & sprinkle with a little salt (or oregano)

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min until golden brown.

Slice & eat!

You can serve these with pizza sauce on the side, but it really doesn't need it.

The recicpe was adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Venetian Rolled Pizza. I cut the amount of cheese in half & used 1 tsp olive oil per roll instead of 1 Tbsp. Any pizza topping would be wonderful in these...I just stuck with the tried & true (& what I had on hand!!) The word from the dinner table tonight was "AWESOME!!" I'll take it!