Nicole

Wordless Wednesday: New Orleans Dragon Fly

July 30, 2014 Nicole

var pfHeaderImgUrl = ”;var pfHeaderTagline = ”;var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = ”;var pfBtVersion=’1′;(function(){var js, pf;pf = document.createElement(‘script’);pf.type = ‘text/javascript’;if(‘https:’ == document.location.protocol){js=’https://pf-cdn.printfriendly.com/ssl/main.js’}else{js=’http://cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js’}pf.src=js;document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(pf)})();
Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Recipes

Toasty Dogs

July 29, 2014 Nicole

When my husband was a kid the school would serve toasty dogs every once in a while for lunch. He would always buy his lunch on toasty dog day.

I needed to cut some calories off of my dinner so I decided to cut down on calories by using a piece of bread verses using a hot dog bun. My husband told me about toasty dogs so I thought I would give it a try. The bread I used was 60 calories a slice whereas a bun is at least 120 calories.

Ingredients:

6 slices Sandwich Bread
6 low fat hot dogs
3 cheese sticks
1 cups hot dog chili
Condiments

Directions:

Add any condiments to each slice of bread then put your hot dog in the middle of the bread along with half of a cheese stick cut long ways.
Fold your bread into a triangle.
Next bring your bread edges to a peak, then you use a toothpick to put the edges together. Place each toasty dog in a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake on 350 degrees until the cheese is melted.
Carefully remove from the pan.
Use chili and other condiments as a dipping sauce for your toasty dog. Delicious and much lower in calories!

Easy Peasy Toasty Dogs!

*the nutritional information below do not include condiments other than chili

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Recipes

Fruity Cottage Cheese Cups

July 27, 2014 Nicole

I love fruit on the bottom cottage cheese. I think it’s fantastic but what I am not a huge fan of, besides the fact that it’s overpriced, but the fruit choices are very limited.

I starting thinking how silly it was to buy these little cups when I could just as easily make them myself. It’s fast simple and there is nothing added that you were not counting on like extra sugar or salt. I have become more aware of how much salt can be in a lot of processed food and it’s not pretty.

Here is a super simple recipe to make your own fruit filled cottage cheese cups.

Ingredients:

½ low fat cottage cheese 2% milk
½ black cherries (any fruit)
½ packet stevia (or more)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl
Smash your cherries down a bit to make sure that they release some of their juices.
Mix well and refrigerator for a half hour or eat right away. I have found that letting it sit for about will help the flavors meld and will help thicken the cottage cheese back up.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus 2 Points

*anything with a zero is not necessarily a zero we do not have all of those numbers available to us.

Recipes

Individual Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies

July 24, 2014 Nicole

I have to tell you that this recipe is amazing especially if you are trying to watch your calorie intake! It’s just amazing!! It’s super sweet! I haven’t had anything this sweet in a long time so it was a total shock to my system. Although these little pies are just that “little” they come with a big punch and you certainly get a nice treat for you calorie buck so to speak.

This can easily be made into one big pan for a large pie but I want this to be more precise with the calories so that I wasn’t being charged even an extra calorie for something I wasn’t eating or even worse not being charged for that calorie but eating it anyway. I know it’s petty but when you are watching your calories you know they add up.

I will caution you that if you are making these you will want to weigh everything and divide it by 9 to make sure everything comes out exactly the same. I did this for all 9 pies. I know it’s anal but for me it was worth the extra steps.

I will caution you though, this is a messy finger licking job but oh wow will your fingers taste amazing!!

Ingredients:

1 small box Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Dry
8 ounces Fat Free Cool Whip
2 Reese’s Peanut Butter (big cups)
4-1/2 Sheets Chocolate Graham Crackers
3 tbsp. PB2 + 2 tbsp. water
3 tbsp. Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

Break each sheet of graham crackers into two pieces each pieces should consist of two crackers. You should end up with 9 pieces total, then set aside
To the container of thawed fat free cool whip add dry chocolate pudding and mix well until smooth then set aside. You might add a little of the pudding at a time to make sure you get it all in there without making a mess.
In a small bowl mix dry PB2 with 2 tbsp. of water, mix until smooth, then set aside. If the PB2 isn’t thin enough to drizzle add a little more water
Take the two peanut butter cups and coarsely chop them into small pieces then set aside
To each graham cracker spread on 1/9 of chocolate cool whip approximately 25 grams of cool whip. Pack it on nicely and evenly.
Once all 9 graham crackers have chocolate cool whip on them sprinkle each graham cracker evenly with peanut butter cup pieces. With a fork or a spoon lightly press the peanut butter cup pieces into the chocolate cool whip just enough so that the peanut butter cup pieces stay in place.
Next take 1 teaspoon of the liquid PB2 and drizzle it over each cool whip filled graham cracker then do the same thing with the chocolate syrup only using 1 teaspoon of chocolate per graham cracker. Then freeze for at least 2 hours.

*anything with a zero is not necessarily a zero we do not have those numbers available to us.

Recipes

Mexican Style Pinto Beans

July 22, 2014 Nicole

This recipe is amazing. We have been eating on it off and on for days. It’s quickly become a favorite recipe. This recipe is super easy, filling, and delicious! I never thought I could love beans as a main dish but this is one that I could eat until I was sick. The flavor is just incredible!

I love how easy it is. The biggest pain about this recipe is just remembering to soak your beans long enough and really that’s it. I love recipes that are easy and delicious. This certainly fits the bill.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed
1 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
3 cloves minced garlic
4-6 cups chicken broth
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons baking soda

Directions:

**36 hours before making your beans it’s important that you wash the dry beans then place them in a bowl with just enough water to cover them. Mix in two tablespoons of baking soda then let them sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours clean the water and wash the beans. Repeat with water and baking soda for another 12 hours. This soaking process will help with removing anything from the beans that will upset your stomach and the soaking will speed up the cooking process. **
To a large pot add diced bacon, garlic and onion. Cook until the bacon starts getting crispy (do not drain drippings), then add drained beans and all remaining ingredients pour enough broth over the beans to cover them adding an extra two inches of broth above the beans.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 3 hours.
Add salt to taste at this point.

Original Recipe Source