Thursday, January 12, 2012

Snowy Chicken! ... Errr...

Well, today brought snow! FINALLY! Most years we've had snow well before Thanksgiving. Last year we didn't get it until after Christmas. This year we got a huge burst in October and then....nothing. We got a little sprinkling this morning to finally break the dry spell. It really wasn't much... about an inch of snow and then sleet/slush, but it was a huge relief to finally get something white on the ground. It will probably have melted in a day or two, but at least we "broke the ice." Har har.

So it's the new year, and usually I try to make some kind of resolution for the year. Last year I resolved to read and review 52 books. I figured that writing something about the book would help me remember what I liked and didn't like, and possibly help me retain the story as well since I am notorious for forgetting. This year, I've resolved to cook and blog more, craft more, watch 52 movies, and read 25 books. It sounds like a lot, but really it's just finding the balance between work and all of the things that make my life exciting and enjoyable. I also have an ongoing goal to eat better and exercise more. I'd like to be healthier, and stop eating all of Aj's junk food. Plus my pants are getting a little tight and all my clothes are too cute for me to replace. So I have to replace quantity with quality when it comes to food!

If you've noticed that the two recipes I've posted this year are "light" it's because of this, but I promise I don't substitute taste for fewer calories. When you rely on flavors and spices in your cooking and avoid heavy creams and too much butter or oil, you're really not missing out on much. In many cases it's better for you and better tasting. If I didn't tell my husband that things were low fat, he'd never know. In fact, he walked into my studio yesterday and exclaimed that the muffins I made were delicious and was rather surprised to hear they were "light."

Do be careful, though, because a lot of foods that advertise "light" are a huge composite of things that are bad for you and have no nutritional value. It's best to eat foods with the least amount of processing, and to monitor how much you are eating. Just make sure to look at the ingredient list before you grab that "light" or "fat free" or "low fat" snack. If you don't know what's going into it, don't eat it.

Anyway, enough blathering. I should try to blog earlier rather than later, and maybe I'd be wittier!

Rosemary and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken


  • 2 Chicken breasts
  • 1/4 C. Whipped cream cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. Low fat sour cream
  • 1/2 Medium onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1-2 oz. Grated smoked Gouda cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 4 Crushed Kalmata olives, pitted
  • Rosemary
  • Cayenne
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  1. Cut chicken down the center, and then expand the pocket by cutting sideways to the left and right of your first cut.
  2. Mix together all ingredients except the onion, holding aside some of the grated cheese. Use the seasonings to taste, with very light cayenne. Once blended, add the onion and mix again.
  3. Stuff the chicken with the mixture. You may have extra left over depending on the size of your chicken breast.
  4. Grease a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and place the chicken in it.
  5. Cover the chicken with a sprinkling of grated cheese and rosemary.
  6. Bake on 375 for 30 minutes.

Per half chicken breast, just 170 calories, 7 grams of fat and 14 carbs! This great dish also packs 14 grams of protein per half chicken breast. Pair it with mashed butternut squash, cheddar broccoli, summer squash or asparagus or to try the potato that is featured in the picture, follow this link. (Though we used red potatoes) Yum.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Light Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


So I know it's been a while since I blogged. Yes yes, a long while. I know. There has been a lot going on with the holidays (and a decent amount of baking!) and Aj and I just got back from a visit home to see my family in Mississippi. We had lovely southern foods and when we left, the airport smelled like bacon. The south is a good place to eat! But all that for another time. It's kind of late, and I want to get to the gist of the post: Light Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins! Yum!

How can the words Chocolate Chip and Light (with the low fat connotation) be in the same sentence? See, I have this great banana nut bread recipe. And I can do almost anything to it and it still is moist and amazing. When we got back from the airport there were two mostly black bananas sitting in my fruit bowl. I am not a banana person. I don't eat them. I don't even like the smell of them. But for some reason I DO like banana nut bread! So I thought I'd whip up a batch since I have not only a Kitchenaid (last Christmas!) but also a Dishwasher (this Christmas!) --- how nice to not even have to do your own dishes. Ah, it's like the space age.

Anyway I had the bananas, and some chocolate chips left over from a batch of holiday cookies that I tossed in at the last minute. (The chocolate chips, not the cookies. That would make for an interesting muffin... Eck.) These muffins only have 132 calories each, with just 3 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein! They would be a perfect pair with your morning coffee and some fresh fruit for a really good breakfast. The best part is they taste like they shouldn't be low fat or low calorie at all!

Well, without further ado...

Light Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

  • 2 Overripe bananas
  • 1 1/4 C. Flour
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 1/2 C. Splenda for baking
  • 1/2 C. White sugar
  • 1/2 C. Cinnamon apple sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
  • 1/4 C. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 Tsp. Baking soda
  • 1/2 Tsp. Salt
  • Healthy sprinkling of All Spice
  1. Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Small chunks of banana are OK.
  2. In a muffin tin, insert 12 muffin cups (I spray my muffin liners with non-stick spray with great results). Distribute batter evenly in muffin cups.
  3. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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