loaded potato skins

Is there anything better than football season....yes the goodies for the game!! These loaded potato skins are are a staple on game day in our house and once you make them they will be in yours too!! GO UTES!!

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. Bake for another 15 minutes. YUMMY!!

turkey apple wrap

My new favorite thing is Flatout bread. They are a low fat, low carb, yummy and easy alternative to sliced bread for sandwiches. I have been making yummy wraps for breakfast, lunch and dinner and thought I would share one of my lunch time favorites.

1 Flatout wrap
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fat free mayo
2 slices turkey breast
1/3 apple cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup romaine lettuce or spinach
1 thin slice of red onion

Spread the Dijon and mayo all over the flat wrap. Pile the rest of the ingredients on one half of the wrap and roll. Enjoy!!

**I like to use a tart green apple like a granny smith, however, you can use your favorite apple.

renee's fresh spring rolls

This is a fresh and yummy recipe that you can make for lunch or as an appetizer. You will LOVE it!!

6 spring roll wrappers (by the tofu in your grocery store or Asian markets)
12 medium shrimp, cooked and shelled
1 cup shredded leaf lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
1 medium carrot, julienned

Quick Thai Dipping Sauce:

1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 tablespoons mirin
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

In a bowl of cool water, soak a wrapper until limp. Lay wrapper out flat. Place 1/6 of each ingredient down middle of wrapper, starting with lettuce. Fold over each end and tightly roll the wrapper around the contents, as if making a burrito. Moisten at seam; press to close. Lay on plate, cover with moist paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then slice in two and serve with Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, below, or peanut sauce. To make the Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl....Yummy!!

Ritz cheesy football

Football season is here!

This is a really cute appetizer to have while watching the game!

2 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 pkg. (8oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup miracle whip

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 pkg. (3oz.) real bacon bits

2 Tbsp. pimento strips

ritz crackers

Beat cheeses and dressing with mixer until blended. Add onions and pepper, mix well. Refrigerate several hours. Form into football shape on serving plate, coat with bacon bits. Add pimento strips for "lacing." Serve with crackers

crockpot chicken and mushroom stew

It's no secret that I love my crock pot...especially during football season when we are at the field until 8:00 PM and eating dinner around 9:00 PM. I love to put dinner in the crock pot in the morning and come home to a yummy dinner at night instead of making a mad dash to the closest drive thru!

1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 large stick celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
3/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
Cornstarch slurry to thicken, if desired

Coat inside of 3-4 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place onion, carrots, celery, garlic and mushrooms in crockpot. Add chicken. Sprinkle with herbs. Add wine. Combine tomato paste and chicken broth, then add to crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Half an hour before the end of cooking, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water or slightly cooled cooking liquid) to thicken the sauce.

"thai" chicken salad

Easy and yummy!!

1/4 cup reduced fat creamy peanut butter, preferably natural
2 tbsp less sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped
8 Romaine lettuce leaves
2 cups pre-shredded dry coleslaw mix
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 plum tomatoes, halved and sliced

Combine peanut butter, soy/tamari sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and ginger in a medium bowl. Stir in chopped chicken. Place two romaine lettuce leaves on each of four plates. Drizzle rice vinegar over coleslaw and toss. Top each plate with 1/2 cup of coleslaw and vinegar mix. Surround romaine with sliced tomatoes, then top plates with one-fourth of the peanut chicken mixture.

dijon salmon

This is an easy low fat yummy salmon recipe that everyone will love!!

1 cup low fat or fat-free sour cream
2 tsp dried dill
3 Tbsp scallions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ lb salmon fillet with skin, cut in center
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
fat-free cooking spray, as needed

Whisk sour cream, dill, scallions, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard together in large bowl until well blended. Preheat oven to 400º F; while waiting, spray baking sheet with nonstick fat-0free cooking spray. Place salmon, skin side down on baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper, then spread with sauce. Bake salmon until opaque in center, or about 20 minutes...do not over bake. Renee's tp....steamed broccoli is always a perfect compliment to salmon!

lite cobb salad

6 cups salad greens (such as Romaine, watercress, butter lettuce)
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked
2 cups grilled chicken, diced
3 eggs boiled, sliced use whites only
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup Cobb salad dressing (recipe follows)

Cut salad greens into very fine pieces (smaller than bite-size). Place in a large salad bowl. Lay garbanzo beans in a long, lengthwise strip on top of the salad greens. Crumble the bacon and lay in a long, lengthwise strip next to the garbanzo beans. Repeat with the chicken, laying it next to the bacon, eggs and the tomatoes. Serve the salad like this, tossing the dressing into the whole salad at the table.

Cobb Salad Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Whisk all ingredients, except blue cheese, together. Once the mixture is emulsified, stir in the blue cheese. Serve with Cobb salad.

"jerk" chicken

Whether you are trying to lose weight (hand raised) or maintain a healthy heart this marinated and baked chicken is sure to please your taste buds.

½ tsp cinnamon, ground
1 ½ tsp allspice, ground
1 ½ tsp black pepper, ground
1 Tbsp hot pepper, chopped
1 tsp hot pepper, dried, crushed
2 tsp oregano, crushed
2 tsp thyme, crushed
½ tsp salt
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup onion, pureed or finely chopped
¼ C vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
8 pieces chicken, boneless skinless (4 breasts, 4 drumsticks)

Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a large bowl. Rub seasoning mixture over chicken pieces and marinate in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Space chicken evenly on nonstick or lightly greased baking pan. Nonstick baking spray may be used, if desired. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Serve with you favorite greens.

ham and turkey wrap

1 6-inch whole-wheat tortilla warp
1-2 tsp Dijonnaise, or tsp each of fat-free mayo and Dijon mustard
1/4 cup arugula (or spinach or romaine)
2 thin slices low-fat deli-style turkey breast
2 thin slices low-fat shaved honey ham

Spread Dijonnaise or mayo and mustard on wrap. Sprinkle arugula on top. Lay deli meats on arugula. Roll wrap and cut in half. Serve with baby carrots and grape tomatoes.

steak pie

1 pound round steak cubed
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I like to use cremini and shitake but any will work)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 pie crusts

Salt and pepper meat and brown in oil; add onions, mushrooms water and Worcestershire sauce and saute. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream and sour cream combining well. Put filling in pie shell and cover with top crust. Cut vents in top crust and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

black & green olive tepenade

1 1/2 c green olives; pitted,
1 1/2 c black olives; pitted,
4 Anchovy fillets; chopped
3 Lemons; juiced and zested
2 tb Chopped fresh thyme
1 tb Chopped fresh oregano
2 tb Chopped garlic
1 c Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c Capers; drained, rinsed (opt)
Freshly-ground black pepper;

Put all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and add pepper to your desired taste. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette bread.