Carol Santee

Carol is the co-author of the Big Book of Freezer Cooking and the author of 30 Day Gourmet’s Slow Cooker Freezer Favorites, Freezer Lunches To Go and Healthy Freezer Cooking eBooks. She is a computer information specialist and works for a computer software company.

Chicken and Black Bean Pasta Bowl

Low Fat, Poultry, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Jul 312013

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This is a great recipe to have on hand for a quick meal on the weekend. It is a nice mix a flavors. If it’s too spicy for your family, you can leave out the cumin, replace the tomatoes with green chilies with plain diced tomatoes, and make sure you use a non spicy barbecue sauce. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover grilled corn. Just remove it from the cob and add a cup of it to the mixture.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Canned black beans; drained and rinsed	15 oz.	30 oz.	45 oz.	60 oz.	75 oz.	90 oz.
Canned tomatoes with green chilies	14 oz.	28 oz.	42 oz.	56 oz.	70 oz.	94 oz.
Cooked and diced chicken	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Barbecue sauce	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Cumin or chili powder	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
On Hand Ingredients
High Fiber Pasta (elbows or penne)	6 oz.	12 oz.	18 oz.	24 oz.	30 oz.	36 oz.
Reduced fat cheddar cheese	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.

Assembly Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, chicken, barbecue sauce, and cumin. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Freezing Directions:
Pour bean mixture into a freezer bag or container. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw bean mixture. Pour bean mixture into a large sauce pan. Heat on medium high heat until boiling. In the meantime, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and put back into pan. Add bean mixture and cheese. Stir to combine. The cheese will melt and thicken the sauce.

Comments:
We normally serve this with a salad.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 323 Calories; 4g Fat (9.6% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 608mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 Grain (Starch); 2-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable.

Low-Fat Chocolate Muffins

Breads and Breakfast, Carol's Test Kitchen Comments Off

Jul 082013

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Here’s a new recipe I tested today. They were good. I’m freezing them tonight to see how well they reheat for breakfast.

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1 C. plus 2 T. whole wheat or white flour
3/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 C. egg substitute
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
1/2 C. prune puree (I used baby food)
3/4 C. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Do not over-mix. Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Note: You can substitute 2 egg whites for the 1/4 C. of egg substitute.

June 2013 Chewin’ the News

2013, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Jun 192013

Moving Day!

Hello everyone! A lot has happened at my house over the last month. Moving day finally came for my son and his family! The moving truck arrived and they began their cross country move from the west coast to the east coast. Now my house is a little emptier but my heart is filled with happiness because my son gets to finally be with his family!

Moving really puts things in perspective. As I watched the movers pack my son’s possessions, it inspired me to go through and get rid of the stuff we don’t use. I gave some of the small kitchen appliances and pots/pans to the kids to use in their new household. We have also donated other items we don’t use. It feels good to eliminate some of the clutter.

Memorial Day weekend we hosted a First Birthday Party for my grandson/Goodbye Party for my son and his family. We served the standard cookout dishes:

Brats
Hamburgers
Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
Watermelon
Corn on the Cob
Tossed Salad
Macaroni Salad
Veggies/Chips/Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip

But the best part of the celebration was the cake! I thought this was a great idea for a birthday cake. It’s made from 24 cupcakes and was very easy to serve. You just grab a cupcake and go! And of course my grandson had is own personal “smash” cake.

We had a great time! It was wonderful to spend time with the kids before they moved.

My Summer Cooking Day(s)

It’s hard to believe but we now have kids on three coasts – east, west, and gulf! Now my husband and I are true empty nesters. We’re still adjusting. We are changing the way we cook and the way we eat. We eat more fruits and vegetables and we’ve cut out a lot of the high calorie/high fat snacks.

I chose more grill, stir-fry, and salad recipes for my summer cooking day. I also used high fiber or multi-grain pasta instead of plain white pasta. We only use brown rice. It tastes great and is more filling than white rice.

I split my big freezer cooking into two separate days this summer. Sometimes it’s easier to do it this way when you are cooking alone or if specific meats go one sale in your area at different times. That is how the meat sales usually run in our area. I usually wait for the Aldi sale for my chicken cooking day. They will run boneless skinless chicken breast on sale for $1.69 a pound. What a deal!

Here’s what I made this summer. Cooking Day #1 recipes:

2 Orange Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
3 Smoky Chicken Marinade
4 Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
3 Marinade for Grilled Chicken Salad
2 Elegant Chicken Marinade (from the Big Book of Freezer Cooking)
Recipes not included in the picture are 4 pounds of cooked ground beef to use in recipes, 3 pounds of hand pressed hamburgers (12 total), and 3 meals of Sloppy Joes.

Cooking Day #2 recipes:

2 Garden Vegetable Lasagna
2 Grown Up Mac and Cheese
2 Tuscan White Bean Soup (from the Big Book of Freezer Cooking)
2 Slow Cooker Oatmeal (from the Notes section on our Facebook fan page)
2 of my healthier version of Jambalaya (new recipe I’m testing)
2 Black Bean and Chicken Pasta Bowl (new recipe I’m testing)
Breakfast Cookies (from the Big Book of Freezer Cooking)
Muesli
2 Mexican Gumbo (using the Tortilla Soup recipe from Qdoba‘s Notes section on Facebook)
A new recipe for Multi Grain Waffle Mix

The freezer is full and we’re ready for summer. Are you?

Bonus Recipes

Sometimes when I am testing recipes, I’ll post the test version on Facebook in the Notes section so you can test it too. Here’s the latest recipe I’ve been testing:

Slow Cooker Oatmeal Mix

Cooking Day Ingredients:
1/4 C. brown sugar
1-1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
2 C. rough cut or steel cut oats
1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

On Hand Ingredients:
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 C. milk
2 C. water

Assembly Directions:
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, oats, and raisins/dried cranberries (if using) in a freezer bag or storage container. Store in the freezer or in the pantry.

Serving Directions:
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place apple slices in bottom of slow cooker. Add mix on top of apples. Do not stir. Pour in milk and water. Do not stir. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Serve and enjoy!

The recipes below are ones that have passed the freezer test and are ready for “prime time”. Both these recipes are part of my summer recipe collection. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Grown-Up Mac and Cheese
This is our new favorite Mac and Cheese recipe. I served to the my kids when they were home and I can report that it is grandson tested and approved! If you want to make it more kid friendly, just leave out the tomatoes and spinach. The chicken and onion in the sauce give it a more robust complex flavor.

Smokey Chicken Marinade
I have been making this recipe for a couple of years. It’s my “go to” recipe for fajitas and chicken for Southwestern Black Bean Salad. The liquid smoke combined with the lime and spices gives it a very unique flavor. The chicken always comes out very moist when grilled.

Closing Comments from Carol

Enjoy the recipes! Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!

Do you have any recipes that you would like to share? I’d love to try and share them with everyone. You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. Or do you have any other topics that you would like me to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Low Fat, Poultry, Recipes 1 Response »

Jun 172013

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This is our new favorite Mac and Cheese recipe. I served to the my kids when they were home and I can report that it is grandson tested and approved! If you want to make it more kid friendly, just leave out the tomatoes and spinach. The chicken and onion in the sauce give it a more robust complex flavor.

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Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Cooking Day Ingredients
High Fiber Pasta	6 oz.	12 oz.	18 oz.	24 oz.	30 oz.	36 oz.
Boneless skinless chicken breast	1/2 lb.	1 lb.	1-1/2 lbs.	2 lbs.	2-1/2 lbs.	3 lbs.
Chopped onion	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Light cream cheese	4 oz.	8 oz.	12 oz.	16 oz.	20 oz.	24 oz.
Garlic powder	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Skim milk	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Flour	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Reduced sodium chicken bouillon granules	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Shredded 2% cheddar cheese	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
On Hand Ingredients
Fresh spinach leaves	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Fresh diced tomatoes	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.

Assembly Directions:
Cook pasta until aldente. Drain. Lightly toss with a little olive oil, cooking spray, or butter – just enough to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and onions to skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove skillet from stove. Add cream cheese and garlic. Stir until the cheese has melted.

In a bowl whisk together flour, milk and chicken bouillon granules. Add to the chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

Freezing Directions:
Dump pasta into meal size freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.

Pour sauce into freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw bags in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish or a 9×13 pan with cooking. In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, sauce, spinach and tomatoes. Pour into casserole dish or 9×13 pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the dish is bubbly and begins to brown.

Comment:
For a more kid friendly version, serve it without the spinach and tomatoes.

Nutritional Info:
Calculations done using fiber added pasta, light cream cheese, skim milk, 2% cheddar cheese, and reduced sodium chicken bouillon granules.

Per Serving: 380 Calories; 8g Fat (19.3% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 444mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.

Smokey Chicken Marinade

Low Fat, Poultry, Recipes, Under 10g Carbs, Under 350 Calories 1 Response »

Jun 172013

Share This Recipe

I have been making this recipe for a couple of years. It’s my “go to” recipe for fajitas and chicken for Southwestern Black Bean Salad. The liquid smoke combined with the lime and spices gives it a very unique flavor. The chicken always comes out very moist when grilled.

Click here to go to a Printer Friendly Page
Advantage Cooking owners click here to download this recipe.

Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	6	12	18	24	30	36
Ingredients
Lime juice	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Water	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
Canola oil	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Minced garlic	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Reduced sodium soy sauce	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Liquid smoke	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Salt	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Chili powder	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Cayenne pepper	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Black pepper	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Onion powder	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	1/4 t. + 1/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.	3/4 t.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts	1-1/2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4-1/2 lbs.	6 lbs.	7-1/2 lbs.	9 lbs.

Assembly Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place chicken pieces in one gallon freezer bag or rigid container. Pour marinade over the meat. (Each recipe makes approximately 1 cup.)

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in refrigerator or in microwave. Grill or cook chicken until the meat is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. Discard marinade.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 180 Calories; 8g Fat (38.5% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 69mg Cholesterol; 520mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3-1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

Low Fat, Meatless, Recipes, Under 350 Calories 1 Response »

May 092013

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This is a recipe that gets better with time in the freezer. This is our new favorite white lasagna recipe. It’s very moist and you can change the vegetables to suit your family’s taste. It’s so easy to assemble with uncooked lasagna noodles. No extra water is needed because of the shredded zucchini in the sauce.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	12	24	36	48	60	72
Ingredients
Olive oil	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Chopped onion	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Minced garlic	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Chopped zucchini	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Mushrooms, sliced	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.
Sliced carrots	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Chopped broccoli	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Salt, divided	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Flour	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Skim milk	4 C.	8 C.	12 C.	16 C.	20 C.	24 C.
Italian seasoning	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Chicken bouillon granules	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Grated Parmesan cheese	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Black pepper	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Shredded zucchini	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Lowfat cottage cheese	1-1/2 C.	3 C.	4-1/2C.	6 C.	7-1/2 C.	9 C.
Shredded mozzarella cheese	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.
Lasagna noodles	12	24	36	48	60	72

Assembly Directions:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium high heat. Add onion to pan and cook until slightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove onion and garlic mixture from pan and place in a large bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon (per recipe) of the olive oil to the pan. Heat pan over medium high heat. Add chopped zucchini and mushrooms to pan. Cook until just tender. Add to onion mixture. Add remaining 1 teaspoon (per recipe) of olive oil to the pan. Heat pan over medium high heat. Add carrots and broccoli. Cook until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt (per recipe) to the vegetable and toss to mix.

In a medium sauce pan whisk together the flour, milk, Italian seasoning and chicken bouillon granules.. Bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add Parmesan cheese, remain 1/2 teaspoon salt (per recipe), and black pepper. Stir until smooth. Stir in shredded zucchini.

Combine cottage cheese with 1-1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese (per recipe). Coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 C. of the cheese sauce in bottom of pan. Layer with:

4 uncooked lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cups of cottage cheese mixture
3 cups of the vegetable mixture
1 cup cheese sauce

Repeat this layer again. Finish off with remaining lasagna noodles, cheese sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Freezing Directions:
Place baking dish in a 2 gallon freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw lasagna in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove from over and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 266 Calories; 6g Fat (20.8% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 604mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.

Orange Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Beef, Recipes 2 Responses »

May 092013

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This recipe uses lots of fresh vegetables in the stir-fry mix. Feel free to swap out vegetables – just make sure you end up with 5 cups of your favorites. Asparagus is a great spring vegetable to throw in the mix. If you are short on time, you can use a frozen mix instead of the fresh vegetables. Just make sure you do not overcook them.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Round steak, trimmed and thinly sliced	3/4 lb.	1-1/2 lbs.	2-1/4 lbs.	3 lbs.	3-3/4 lbs.	4-1/2 lbs.
Grated orange peel	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Orange juice	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Reduced sodium soy sauce	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Sugar	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Beef bouillon granules	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
On Hand Ingredients
Canola oil	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Cornstarch	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Sliced red pepper	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Chopped broccoli	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Diced onion	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Sliced carrots	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Chopped zucchini	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Cooked brown rice	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.

Assembly Directions:
Place sliced steak in a quart size freezer bag.

In a mixing bowl, whisk orange peel, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and beef bouillon granules until mixed. Pour into a small freezer container or snack size bag.

Freezing Directions:
If using snack size bag, seal bag and place inside of quart size freezer bag with meat. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw meat and sauce.

Add oil to large skillet or wok. Preheat to medium high heat. Stir-fry vegetables for 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove from pan. Stir-fry beef for 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Add cornstarch to sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add to pan with beef and cook until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to pan and stir to coat vegetables with sauce. Cook or 1 minute or until heated through. Serve immediately over hot rice.

Comments:
This recipe uses lots of fresh vegetables in the stir-fry mix. Feel free to swap out vegetables – just make sure you end up with 5 cups of your favorites. Asparagus is a great spring vegetable to throw in the mix. If you are short on time, you can use a frozen mix instead of the fresh vegetables. Just make sure you do not overcook them.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 360 Calories; 14g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 293mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain(Starch); 2-1/2 Lean Meat; 1-1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat.

May 2013 Chewin’ the News

2013, Chewin' the News Comments Off

May 092013

A Week in the Kitchen with Carol

Welcome Spring!! Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It is great to spend more time outside and fire up the grill for the first time. I am looking forward to making Flatbread Pizza!

First, I would like to say how much I appreciate the emails and messages I have received from all of you concerning the newsletter. It’s nice to know that it has been missed. Hopefully that will change and I can get back to bringing you news and recipes from my kitchen every month.

Life at my house (and in my kitchen) has been crazy for over a year now. One of my sons joined the Marines last year and we have been helping our daughter-in-law take care of our grandson while my son has been away. We have attended several graduation ceremonies as my son moved from school to school (and state to state) to complete his training for his job. We are quickly approaching the end of his training and are so excited that his family can finally be reunited! We have enjoyed every moment that we have spent with our grandson over the past eleven months. He is such a joy! We will miss them once they move to their permanent duty station.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12. What recipes do you like to make for your Mom’s special Mother’s Day brunch? Or what would you like your family to make for you? Here are some of my favorites:

Glorious Morning Muffins

Broccoli and Ham Frittata

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf

Pumpkin Pancakes

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Whatever Scones

If you are not hosting or you are looking for a great gift idea for Mom, try putting together a gift basket as a Mother’s Day gift. The Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee Cake can be packaged as a gift mix. Click here for the instructions. The muffins, bread, and scones make great gifts as well. Package them with some flavored butters, honey, jams, a new coffee mug, and some flavored coffees or teas. Voilà – a great gift from your kitchen!

Bonus Recipes

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

This is a recipe that gets better with time in the freezer. This is our new favorite white lasagna recipe. It’s very moist and you can change the vegetables to suit your family’s taste.

Orange Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Closing Comments from Carol

Enjoy the recipes! Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there!

Do you have any recipes that you would like to share? I’d love to try and share them with everyone. You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. Or do you have any other topics that you would like me to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Brownie Trifle

Carol's Test Kitchen, Snacks and Desserts Comments Off

Mar 312013

Share This Recipe

This is one of my kids’ favorite desserts to make for the holiday meal. It is wonderful!

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Ingredients:
1 Family size brownie mix – makes a 13×9 pan
3.5-4.2 oz. package of instant mousse mix
12 oz. package of miniature Heath® bars, crushed
12 oz. of whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
Prepare brownie mix according to the package directions. Allow to cool completely.

Prepare the chocolate mousse according to the package directions. Do not chill.

In a trifle dish or a large serving bowl (4.5 quarts or larger) layer the trifle by crumbling the brownies and placing half of them in the bottom of the dish/bowl. Add half of the chocolate mousse, half of the crushed Heath® bars and half of the whipped topping. Repeat the layers ending with the whipped topping. Chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

Serves 12 people.

M&M® Cookie Bars

Carol's Test Kitchen, Snacks and Desserts Comments Off

Feb 122013

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These are fun and they taste great! You could make them with the pink, red and white M&Ms for Valentine’s Day.

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Ingredients:
6 T. Butter or margarine
1/2 C. Brown sugar
1/4 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 t. Vanilla
1/4 t. Salt
1/2 t. Baking soda
1-1/4 C. Flour
1 C. plain M&M’s®, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and baking soda. Mix until combined. Add flour. Beat until mixed. Add 1/2 cup of M&M’s® and mix by hand. Turn the batter into the prepared pan smoothing it with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining M&M’s® on top and slightly press into the dough.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown, slighly firm to the touch and the cookie starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and cool completely. Slice into 16 squares and serve.

Comments:
A double recipe can be baked in a 9×13 pan.

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