Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I love chocolate cake, but chocolate cake loves my waist line and that's just not a match made in heaven.  In an attempt to slim down my recipes I had to come up with a solution to this problem.  This recipe took no time to make and has incredibly less fat.  I took it to a friend's house and they couldn't even tell it there was hardly any fat or that it was missing butter.  For example, applesauce is a great substitute in dense items like cakes and muffins as a replacement for butter or oil, so that's what I used here.  I topped mine with some cream cheese frosting and it was just enough to balance this delicious cake out.

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in the cold water and stir well.  Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the applesauce and vanilla extract.  When everything is well incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour mixture into a prepared bundt pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar or frosting of your choice. Enjoy!

This lightened up cake topped with 1/4 cup of my basic cream cheese frosting came out to 5 points plus per serving when cut into 10 pieces.  Now that's a chocolate cake to love!

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting

Since I started making my own frosting I just can't bring myself to buy a store bought one.  I wish I had realized sooner how easy it is to make at home.  You can whip the ingredients together while your favorite cakes bake.  It's just as easy to add coloring or flavoring too.  It stores up to two weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (I use reduced fat)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

In a stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachment, blend together the cream cheese and butter.  Stir in the vanilla and salt.  In 1/2 cup increments whisk in the powdered sugar.  Once you've added all the powered sugar, whisk on high till the frosting is smooth.  Refrigerate to firm it up.

Then simply frost your favorite cookies, cupcakes, brownies or cakes!

Diamond Candles

For months, I have seen women sharing stories of these candles.  I am a huge candle fan, though I switched to mostly Scentsy, I still buy a candle here and there.  I had a coupon for 30% off one of the smaller Diamond Candles and figured I would give it a shot.  Delivery took a decent amount of time, I believe I waited 10 days for my candle but when it finally arrived on my door step I couldn't wait to get it lit.

I ordered the apple slice scent and I was completely shocked by the crisp smell it radiated!  It is a light, fresh scent that does not smell artificial at all.  It was so soft that I burned it for the entire day without irritation to my children or myself. Since it was a classic jar it didn't contain a ring but regardless I found the candle lovely.  There is a carnival candy scent that I am dying to try and it must be wonderful since it's usually sold out!

If you are a lover of candles I definitely recommend these.  They generally have coupons floating around so you could even get them a bit cheaper. If you find a "must try" scent, please share! I will certainly be ordering another one in the near future!

To check out what they have in stock visit the Diamond Candles website!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

A few weeks ago, I was invited over for a playdate at The Good's house.  Mrs. Good told me that she wanted to make caesar salad for lunch.  I, of course, decided to bring a dessert and made some decedent Oreo Truffles thinking a salad would be a nice balance.  Little did I know that this salad would be full of creamy dressing, parmesan cheese, and penne noodles!  It was amazing! It was definitely not a combination I would have expected, but it works so well.  This is a great lunch especially for a get together or pot luck.  It's very affordable and makes enough to feed a small crowd.

Ingredients:

3 heads romaine lettuce

1 bottle creamy caesar dressing

Shredded parmesan cheese (from the dairy section)

1 pound grilled chicken 

2 cups penne noodles (we used whole grain)

Croutons (optional)

Boil the noodles until cooked, drain them and set aside. Chop the lettuce and grilled chicken into bite size pieces.  In a large bowl, add the lettuce, grilled chicken and noodles.  Add enough dressing to coat well (about three quarters of the bottle).  Mix in the parmesan cheese and croutons and toss! Enjoy.  

Seven Months

Our sweet Haley is 7 months today! My, how time flies.  She is full of personality and, unlike her brother at that age, very dramatic.

She is/has...

16 pounds.
two teeth.
wearing 3-6 month clothes.

Self feeding.

crawling.
pulling up to stand.

I'd say her favorite thing right now is chewing on her brothers cars, which I'm sure you know just thrills him!

No Wait Cinnamon Rolls

In this house, we eat a lot of cinnamon rolls.  Adam likes to keep a can or two in the fridge and if he gets up early on a saturday, he makes them for us.  It's definitely his thing and I enjoy it!  I've always wanted to make them from scratch but they are extremely intimidating.  The whole warm water and yeast thing kind of throws me off.  I'm happy to announce that these bad boys can be made in less than 20 minutes, no rising required!

For the dough:
1 1/2 cup flour plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp soften butter, cut in tbsp increments
3/4 cup milk

For the filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 tbsp softened butter
2 tbsp cinnamon (or to taste)

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp cinnamon sugar (optional)

In a big bowl mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.  Cut in the butter 1 tbsp at a time, using your hands or a fork.  Slowly add the milk until a soft dough forms.  On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a ball.  With a rolling pin create a slightly thinned circle.

In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, add the butter and using a fork create a crumble.  Sprinkle most of the mixture over the flattened circle.  With floured hands, roll the dough into a log.  Roll the log back and forth a few times to seal all the edges.  With a sharp knife cut into 12 slices.

Place each slice in a greased muffin tin, top with the remaining brown sugar crumble.  Bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes.  These will rise greatly so don't be alarmed (like I was) when you open the oven door.

While the cinnamon rolls bake mix together the powdered sugar and milk until a glaze forms.  Add the cinnamon sugar. When the rolls come out of the oven remove them from the pan. Once they've cooled a bit, coat them with the glaze.  Enjoy!

Homemade Frozen Yogurt

My biggest downfall on Weight Watchers is my love for sweets.  I would give up an entire meal to eat a piece of cake and unfortunately, that just isn't a reasonable weight loss method.  I love ice cream. I love it a lot.

In this journey I'm trying to overcome my "addiction" to sweets.  I saw this idea and thought I would convert it to work for my needs.  I always have frozen fruit, light yogurt and honey on hand and this was too easy to throw together.  In fact, I now have no excuse when I go to reach for a frozen treat because this takes just a few minutes.  

Ingredients: 

2 cups frozen fruit of choice (I used a tropical mix)

6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp honey 

2 tsp juice for thinning (I used apple)

In a blender, add the fruit and yogurt and pulse until the fruit begins to mush.  This will be a little tricky because the fruit is so dense and you don't have much liquid.  Add the honey and juice and turn the blender on high.  Blend until smooth and thick.  

Place the frozen yogurt in an airtight container and place in the freezer until you're ready to serve it. If you're storing this long term, you'll need to heat it up slightly to eat it to a frozen yogurt consistency.

I love the versatility of this recipe.  You can use any combination of fruit, yogurt or juice.  If you don't have honey, you can use agave nectar as well.  A half cup serving of this is only 2 points plus!  Now that's a treat anyone can enjoy!

Sneak Sauce

Let's face it, for most families it's hard to get all those veggies in our kids.  I have seen all kinds of things blended and served in "secret" form for a long time.  We love spaghetti around here and it's something that, without little fight, we can get Owen to eat.  I thought for once I'm going to cheat him; I'm going to add something he won't even know!

It's super easy and you could really get creative.  I only had carrots and onion so that's what I used with a jarred sauce.  I think next time I will get a little ambitious and use spinach too, although that might frighten Adam away.

In my food processor I ground up carrots, when those were well chopped I added some onions and blended it until almost smooth. Once my meat was cooked through (I used organic grass fed ground beef so this could also be gluten free) I added the vegetable puree straight into the meat and mixed it all together with some fresh garlic.  I added our favorite jar sauce and warmed it up and we were good to go!  I served ours over whole wheat pasta.

How easy is that? This of course was my way of making it, feel free to get "sneaky" with your own version!  I found the great thing about carrots is they add a little sweetness.  It was just one extra step to add a full serving of veggies.  Seems simple enough to me!

Peanut Butter Cup-cakes

My dad is in town visiting the kids and me.  For the first time in my life, we live close enough for a "quick" trip.  Owen especially loves when paw paw comes for a visit.  He is spoiled by hugs and playtime.  My dad is a lover of all things chocolate and peanut butter.  When coming up with meal ideas, I knew I had to come up with some kind of sweet treat with this confection!

He took us out for a delicious Mexican meal and we came home and made these cupcakes!

For the cake:
3 tbsp softened light butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup white whole wheat flour

For the frosting:
1/4 cup softened light butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp skim milk
Peanut Butter Cup minis for garnish (optional)

Cream together the butter and sugar, add in one egg. Add in the vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Slowly add in the cocoa powder and mix well.  Add in the flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix until everything is incorporated.  Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, you want the tops to be firm.

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the butter and peanut butter.  When smooth slowly add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time.  When mixture becomes thick add in the milk and mix on high for a few minutes until creamy and smooth.  Spread onto cooled cupcakes and top with a peanut butter cup.  Enjoy!

Each cupcake yields 8 points plus a piece.  A nice little "splurge" treat.

Meanwhile in Kentucky...

When our family left Alaska, last October, we swore that if we never saw snow again that would be okay with us.  This morning I woke up to this.

To say I'm not totally ecstatic would be a lie.  I love the snow.  I love the cold.  I loved everything about Alaska in the winter, except maybe the darkness.  I feel fortunate enough to have had such an experience that now, I want to go out front and break out my snow shovel.  Just kidding, we don't even have one, because we didn't think it even snowed here, in Kentucky.  I'm sure Adam will read this and be incredibly thankful that he is in South Carolina, that he doesn't have to go to work in this mess and that he doesn't have to take the dog out.  Myself, on the other hand, might be found out back making snow angels.  For now, I'm going to make a cup of hot chocolate, fill it to the top with marshmallows and sit and watch the snow fall.

Oh, and our little love, Charlie, is having the time of his life.

Aunt Tammy's Mac and Cheese

My Aunt Tammy and I have always had a close relationship.  We laugh so hard when we are together and sometimes we don't have to say anything at all for our thoughts to come across.  I love her, her family and most definitely her cooking.

Growing up, I always remember this Mac and Cheese especially for holidays.  She made it faithfully every Christmas and Easter.  Her recipe is so creamy and thick.  Lucky for my waistline, I don't keep "fattening" versions of things like butter, sour cream, etc. in my house so I was able to recreate her recipe in a "skinny" version, but don't worry, it in NO way compromised the taste.  I paired this side dish with BBQ chicken sliders and felt right at home.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat penne noodles, cooked
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream
tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese (I did not use reduced fat because I don't like the taste)

Place the cooked pasta and 1 cup of the cheese, mixed together, in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.  Set aside.  Over medium heat melt the butter. Slowly add in the flour and mix until well combined. Add in the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Add sour cream.  Stir together until a thick sauce is formed and bubbling.  Pour over the noodles and mix everything together, top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 until the edges begin to bubble.  Switch to broil and brown well.  Serve immediately.

If cut into 10 servings it is 9 Weight Watchers points plus a serving.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

I'm from the south, the deep south.  We eat a lot of barbecue and we are picky about it too.  I've been making pulled pork for years but for the first time ever, I made it with chicken.  It's such an easy meal and make tons to feed a crowd on a budget.  I used thighs but a white meat would work too.  I also "cheated" with bottled barbecue sauce but if you're crafty enough to whip up your own then I'm all for it!  The "slider" portion of these are just making them mini.  We used sweet rolls.

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs (with skin and bone, trust me)
Chicken broth
Pepper
1 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice

In the crock pot, add the chicken thighs and pepper.  Fill about half way with the broth and let cook on high for four hours until the chicken falls of the bone.  Take out the chicken and shred it in chunks.  Drain the excess broth from the crock pot and add the chicken back in.  Pour on the bbq sauce and combine well.  Keep at a low heat until ready to serve up. Enjoy!

If following Weight Watchers, one bun with 1 heaping tbsp of chicken is 4 points plus.

Guacamole

Guacamole just simply goes with everything.  I love this stuff.  I take it to parties and make it for a snack with my husband late at night.  Even my favorite little man loves to indulge himself in it.  There are many health benefits to avocados that simply seals the deal for this treat in our house.

There is a ridiculous amount of variations, seasoning, rituals for making guacamole but this is my way.

Ingredients:

3-4 ripe avocados

Roma Tomatoes

Red Onion

Lime

Garlic Salt

Mash the avocados with the juice of one lime.  Add in the garlic salt to taste.  Fold in tomatoes and onion.  Serve immediately with chips or veggies or use as a topper for sandwiches, burgers or tacos.

Apple Fritters

This recipe came from my two of my most favorite people, Danielle and Abby.  Abby is taking a cooking class for kids and has become quite handy in the kitchen.  Danielle posted some cute pictures of Abby frosting up her fritters this morning and she looked so proud, and I was so proud of her!

These were incredibly tasty and I don't think they could have been more simple.  These would be great for a brunch or get together with the ladies.  I used a red delicious apple but any on hand would work.  In fact, I'm sure you probably have all these ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1 cup diced and peeled apples
oil for frying

for the glaze you will need powdered sugar and milk to the consistency you choose

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add in the milk and egg and mix well.  This batter is thick so it may take a few minutes to get it all incorporated.  Mix in the apples.  In a shallow skillet heat the oil until hot, I did mine on high then turned it down to medium when it was smoking.  Drop spoonfuls of the batter and cook until the edges are golden brown, flip and cook for a few more minutes to ensure the insides are cooked through.

Drain on paper towels.  Meanwhile mix together about a cup of powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of milk to make a runny consistency.  Put the cooked fritters in the glaze and coat well.  Sit aside to cool.  Serve warm and try not to eat them all! Enjoy!

                          Even my little taste tester loved them.

Rainbow Pancakes

I don't normally make breakfast because the mornings are ridiculous in this house.  Between the dog going potty, the baby needing her milk and diaper changed and my lovely Owen wanting to eat the moment he gets up, I just don't have time.  This morning I thought I would do something fun.

My friend, Cassie, posted a picture not too long ago of pancakes dyed with food coloring.  What a wonderful, easy, fun idea!  I was sure Owen would love it, so I got up early.  I used a box pancake mix and added a few drops of food coloring to each bowl. Took me an extra 5 minutes and a few extra dishes but the smile on his face was definitely worth it!

Scentsy Anonymous

Until I became an Army Wife I had never heard of Scentsy.  In fact, I was a devoted user of Yankee Candles.  What I learned really quick is that everyone sells something.  The first warmer I ordered was of my own free will but building my stash after that came from the countless parties I attended.  I may have a large amount now but I wouldn't trade it, especially because of the friendships that came from those parties.

I love this stuff.  The smell they radiate fills your room.  They can produce good memories.  They are great night lights and can be used in nurseries with calming scents for babies or toddlers.  The wax doesn't get hot so if you children stick their hands in it, they won't get burnt.  I love the car fresheners and my husband doesn't mind the manly scents.  My kids enjoy their Scentsy buddies for cuddles and I sent one to Adam when he was in Afghanistan to sit on his bed and to remind him of us.

My friend, Cassandra, sells it.  She's my "dealer".  She is a mommy of three, and with her sales she can help supplement some of the income for her family.  It's awesome for her and even better for her lucky customers who get to enjoy all the new stuff.

You can check out her site here: https://cchaffman.scentsy.us/Scentsy/.  I hope anyone that orders isn't disappointed! 

Oreo Truffles

The kids and I are going over to visit the Good's.  I hate going on playdates empty handled and especially when the host is generously making us lunch.  Lucky for me, Kayla (yes we have the same name) is pregnant.  Feed a pregnant woman and you are surely to be her favorite.

Oreo truffles are so decadent.  These are creamy, and more than anything, they are so easy to make! I halved my recipe because I don't want temptation sitting around but go ahead and make the whole package! They will keep for a few months in the freezer and are a great, quick, sweet treat.

Ingredients:
18 Oreos (do not use double stuff)
4 oz cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
tsp coconut oil

In a food processor, grind the Oreos until they are the consistency of dirt.  Add the cream cheese straight to the mix and combine until it clumps together like cookie dough.  Roll into 1 inch balls and pop in the freezer.  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler.  You don't have to use oil, it just makes the chocolate shiny.

Take the balls out and drop in the chocolate, roll around until they are coated and shake off the excess.  Place on a parchment lined sheet pan.  When all the truffles are covered put them back in the freezer to harden.  You can put them in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer till you are ready to serve (or anytime that sweet tooth attacks).  Enjoy!

This little cutie even helped me out!

It's Wednesday!

It's already the middle of the week!  With hubby leaving on monday, Haley having an appointment yesterday and the dog going to his first vet appointment today it's been pretty hectic.  I slacked at my points and I am showing for it.  Now I'm ready to get back in the saddle and ride off to a big loss next week.

Our little Charlie finally turned eight weeks so now he gets to have his shots.  I'm sure he won't be thrilled about it and to be quite honest, I'm not looking forward to dragging him (literally) into the office with two kids in tow.  This is the life though.

Situations like today are why I find military wives to be so strong.  Overcoming challenges alone.  Not many married women handled things like six month shots or taking the dog to the vet without help.  I would be lying if I said I didn't wish we had more friends around here but I will manage and get by just as I did when we first got to Alaska.

By no means am I knocking anyone that relies on help.  I respect single moms (and dads).  I just think sending your husband off to war and running a normal household make a women strong.  I am so thankful Adam is only in school or else I might have gone home to my mom.

Oven "Fried" Turkey Bacon

Bacon seems to be the hot thing these days.  People bake with it, wrap things in it, crumble it on top of everything.  We eat it pretty frequently, but I needed to make the switch to turkey to, hopefully, trim my waistline.   When I started buying turkey bacon I would fry it up in a pan the way you would a traditional bacon, unfortunately it never got crispy enough.  I recently tried making bacon in the oven for BLT sandwiches and I thought why not try it with turkey bacon.  The result was fantastic and this will be the only way I make turkey bacon from now on :)

Line a sheet pan with foil.  Place the strips of turkey bacon in a line making sure they aren't touching. Put them in a COLD oven and set it 400.  Set the time for 15 minutes, you will hear some sizzle and popping as it cooks.  Remove from the pan onto a paper towel to remove any excess grease and serve warm.

This bacon was crisp, tasty and only a quarter of the fat!

Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Fruit Roll Ups

I love fruit roll ups. Owen loves these sweet treats and they are a fun little dessert after lunch. I do not, however, love all the chemicals and preservatives in them.  When I decided to make a DIY version I researched tons of variations and after a little creative thinking I bring you my very own fruit roll up! I used essential oils in mine but not using them will in no way change the outcome of this treat.

Ingredients:
32 oz frozen or fresh strawberries
1/2 cup "light" agave nectar
non stick cooking spray
On Guard essential oil (optional)

A little about on guard, it is a protective blend made by the DoTerra company.  It contains a blend of oils to help your body against viruses.  I like to keep it in stock and use it on the bottom of my children's feet in the cold/flu season to help ward off any dooming illnesses.  It is safe to be consumed because of the high quality make of this particular brand.  You can check out from my friend Danielle Kemp's site if you're interested in ordering, http://www.mydoterra.com/daniellekemp/

In a food proccesor or blender, puree the fruit and nectar till smooth.  Set in a glass bowl and add 5-7 drops of on guard oil and mix well with a metal or wooden spoon. Set in the fridge for a few hours.

Now, my recommendation is to make these before bed because they take about 8-12 hours to fully cook.  Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.  Pour the mixture into two parchment lined and greased baking sheets.  Set them in the oven after dinner and leave them in overnight. (You could also cook these all day if you didn't need the oven for anything else)  In the morning you can slice and serve or roll them up with parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge.  If cut into 20 servings (10 per sheet pan) they are 1 points plus a piece!  ENJOY!