Savory Mac & Cheese "Muffins" with Spinach

O............M..............G!!      LOOKEY WHAT I FOUND! 

Oh, how I love homemade macaroni & cheese! Unfortunately, I love it so much that I rarely make it for fear that I will lose all portion control abilities and end up eating far more than I planned. And then comes....The Mac & Cheese Muffin!! 

I'm so flippin excited right now - I can't pound my keyboard fast enough to get this out to you to share!!

These individual sized portions of creamy, cheesy pasta are the perfect solution to satiate your cravings without going overboard. Two of them for dinner with a side salad and you can be happily satisfied. 

I think one would also make a perfect side dish to chicken, beef or pork. There’s even spinach in these so you can feel good about getting in some veggies! Real, full fat cheese are used in these (at still only 4 WW Points+ per muffin that seemed worth it to me) but if you want to lighten them up further you could use reduced fat cheeses. These are made with sharp white cheddar and Gruyere but feel free to get creative and use any of your favorite cheeses instead! 

How to make Really Good Hummus!

Hummus is pretty basic right? You have maybe 5 ingredients that you throw into a food processor and blend. Should be straight forward, but like making fresh mayo it ISN'T! Isn't a 1-2-3 in the bag dish that is. I've been wanting to make hummus for ages but only recently have I figured out how to do that! And thanks to this video I found on YouTube, now you can too!! Go grab a pen and paper and get ready to write down the ingredients! 

So what's the key to making fabulous hummus? Two things; balance of flavors and consistency. The balance of acid, fat, heat and aromatics is the first part. The consistency part has to do with, how much tahini you add, how long you blend it, and the amount of water you add. The water helps to break down the beans while processing the hummus to give it a creamier consistency. He used to add olive oil instead of water because he thinks the oil gives it more texture. Really the oil has no effect on the texture and it didn't do anything for the consistency. In fact it may have worked against both. Water helps open up the pores of the ingredients allowing distribution of flavor and achieving the right texture. As you'll see in the video, he make it a tad more loose then some of you might, but trust in the fact that it will firm up in the fridge.

See what you think and let me know how your next batch turns out.

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna - YUM!

This Veggie lasagna is VERY, VERY, VERY good!! I was skeptical at first because I really like my meaty lasagna, but with the mushrooms and the veggies,  I didn't even miss the meat! This is a super hearty version that I will definitely make again and again! If you add some spinach to the ricotta cheese, it makes it even better! 

How to Blanch Foods

If you watch cooking shows or are an avid cook, I'm sure you've heard the word Blanch numerous times, but what exactly is it you ask??? Well, Blanching is a two-step process in which foods are plunged into boiling water, usually for only a minute or two and then put into ice water to rapidly stop the cooking process.  Blanching is one of those techniques that home cooks do not often employ, but it is a useful technique to know. It is easy to do, it doesn't take much time, and it can make life in the kitchen easier. Below I will give you a "how to" and "why" to blanch your foods.  

How to make Roasted Tomato Sauce

'Tis almost the season for TOMATOES!! yayyyyyy -  I can't wait!! Unfortunately, I didn't grow a garden this year and that really stinks...BUT...I am going to enjoy the Farmers Market this year to support my local growers. And one of the easiest ways to preserve that great unique flavor of your summer veggies from the market or your own garden, is to make a basic, roasted tomato sauce that can be adapted later on when we have that craving for summer tastes in the winter time.  Roasted sauce requires very little effort and roasting the tomatoes brings out a layer of richness in taste that fresh tomatoes do not have. Make a huge batch and freeze it for later on for all your pasta recipes, Mexican recipes or slap it on a fresh crust of Italian bread. OH!!  I can't forget about the eggplant dishes!!  Great, speaking of Eggplant, now I want that!! Roma Tomatoes are the best for roasting because out of the tomato varieties, they have the least seeds. 

Devil-icious Egg White Salad

This super-creamy salad is lighter in labor AND lower in fat than traditional deviled eggs... Weeee! 

The 20 Best Snacks for Kids

When it comes to kids, I think they are precious but I don't have any at this time in my life (because I like to give them back to their parents lol ) but that's okay because I'm sure a lot of my readers do and I want to make sure that their little cherubs, devils, or heathens are taken care of health wise too!! So with that being said, I found this little article in Parents Magazine and thought it could be helpful to some of you who are struggling with picky eaters or for those of you who just need some inspiration or creativity in some snack foods for your kids.

After School Dip

Raisins have a lot of good things going for them such as fiber, potassium, and vitamins. Even if your picky eaters aren't going for a handful of raisins out of the box, here is a super yummy raisin snack they won't be able to pass up. Kids will love to dip and swirl apple wedges or carrot sticks for a healthy and delicious scoop of creamy covered raisins.

Portobello Pockets

Oh Lord!! This is Heaven in a Pita!! I absolutely LOVE Portobello mushrooms! They are so meaty and rich, you don't even miss the "meat" in these!  After 30 minutes of prep time and marinating these overnight, Tomorrow's lunch will be fantastic! And to make it even better.... You can have TWO of these bad boys for only 272 calories!

Henri's French Onion Soup (Vegetarian Style)

French Onion Soup has to be my FAVORITE soup in the world and whoever Henri is, we need to thank him for this FANTASTIC recipe!! Although it is a Vegetarian recipe, you CANNOT tell!! You still get all the great flavor as if you did use a meat based stock. So If you're having company over, double or triple this recipe because it only serves 6 which means ALL MINE!! 

Cucumber Feta Rolls

These fun and easy little cucumber rolls are a sinch to whip up. These would be great little appetizers or just eat a few for a healthy lunch! You could even use the filling for a great veggie dip! 

Baked Asparagus Fries with Three Dipping Sauces!

CAN YOU SAY YUMMO?!?!? Asparagus is my Favorite Veggie, I like it cooked a million different ways and I love to eat it with just about every meal.  I especially love it in an egg omelet! Sooo Tasty!  Well, these "Fries" are going to be my new favorite way to eat asparagus now! With either one of the 3 different dipping sauces, you can't go wrong! 

Fresh Cucumber Salad

Homemade Cucumber Salad is one of my favorite summer favorites, but I've been having a hankering for them so I think I might put these in my recipe rotation for sometime this week!! Can't Wait! Thanks Cathy!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

Using Spaghetti Squash is a great alternative to using Pasta and / or potatoes.  Especially if you are on a low carb diet, which most of us are. Its so flavorful and hearty, you don't feel like your "missing out" on all the other goodies that we can't have. 

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

The options with this dish are endless, you can make with the the sour cream and cheddar or skip it and go for heavy cream and gruyere with a dash of nutmeg. 

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

If you can't tell, I've been on a Parmesan Cheese kick lately..I can't help it, I'm a HUGE cheese fan and being on a diet, it isn't easy giving it up. I've noticed that when I use the parmesan cheese, a little goes a long way. I just need to be able to taste it!! 

Zucchini Cakes

 These are one of those hearty comfort food items that I just cannot live with out! 

Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash

I made this last week when I had a bunch of the family over for dinner and it was a complete hit!! I've eaten butternut squash before but it always intimidated me when it came to trying to cook it. This recipe is SO easy, I can't believe it took me this long to actually get the nerve up to make it! Wish I would have done it sooner.

Zucchini Boats

I adapted  this recipe from Kayotic's blog and she has some good ones on there!  The only thing I added were some healthier options in the ingredients.. She has some beautiful pictures to go along with this recipe so be sure you check her blog out too! 

Hassleback Potatoes

OK, we must falter sometimes on our diet and if we do...THIS is the kind of thing that's gonna make me fall off the diet wagon, just because it's soooo pretty!!

Ingredients:

• 6 Medium Size Potatoes 
• 2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced 
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 
• 30 g Butter Maldon Sea Salt 
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F). Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals. Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. ( you can use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray to cut calories) Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Source: Sea Salt with Food