Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Good fall evening lovely blog readers,

First off happy first day of autumn (well it's been a few days, you get the gist). Ma and mine's fave time of year is here so a fair warning you'll be needing that slow cooker a lot this fall. Oh come on it's not that out dated. My friends, it is making a huge comeback and it's the star of tonight's recipe. Now, if you're a fan of the cabbage family (whenever it be the actual food or those cute little dolls) then tonight's recipe is for you. We've got these amazing stuffed cabbage rolls that basically cook themselves in 6 to 8 hours. Convenient? Indeed.

Here's what you'll need:

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
*1 Head of Cabbage
*3 Cups Tomato Juice
*1 8oz. can tomato sauce
*1 egg
*1/2 C. uncooked brown or white rice
*1 envelope Onion soup mix
*1 lb. Ground Turkey or Extra Lean Ground Beef
*1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
*Peel 8-12 big Leaves off the Cabbage head and place in a microwave safe dish.  Cover in about an inch of water and microwave on high for 2 min.

*In a mixing bowl combine tomato sauce, egg, turkey or beef, rice, onion soup, and cheese, and mix with fingers until well combined.

*Grease your crock pot with some Pam cooking spray.

*Carefully place a ball of the meat mixture into the middle of each cabbage leaf and roll up into a ball, and place on the bottom of your crock pot seam side down.  Do this until all your meat mixture is gone.

*After you have all your cabbage rolls in the crock pot, pour the 3 cups of Tomato Juice on top.

*Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

WW Points: *6 per serving



Now once upon a time when I was a tiny tot I loathed stuffed peppers (they tasted bitter to me) but as I grew up I kinda went in search for the best stuffed peppers. These I have to say take the cake. Super tender and yummy. Oh and that bitterness was a no show.



Tid Bits:
*For our vegetarian friends out there (hey, Judi!) substitute the ground turkey for your fave veggie meat.
*We don't like using the microwave for this recipe. The leaves are just too hard to peel off. Cut the core off and set the cabbage in boiling water it'll make it easier to peel the leaves off.


Ma's Spot:
I have always cooked stuffed cabbage in the oven. I have to say though in the slow cooker I find it more flavorful, tender, and all around better than baking it in the oven. Baking it in the slow cooker I find the meat mixture inside is a lot juicer vs. the oven in which case can make it taste on the dry side. I really enjoyed the onion soup taste within the mixture. I love the fix this and forget it part of it. So on a nice chilly day put this in your crock pot and it will fill your house with the best stuffed cabbage smell.




*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *2 per pouch



Dinah: So tonight we have a fun new treat to try. It's more on the kiddie side but hey it's still nonetheless a snack right? The GoGo Squeeze Apple Apple applesauce on the go is quite cute in nature. It's little, fun to eat, and is hella conveient than grabbing that spoon and cup for your apple fix. I do find that the 12 grams of sugar is kinda high for apple sauce since most grocery stores sell the sugar free stuff. I'd say eat this with the 12 grams in mind but overall this little pouch is cute and tasty too.



Ma: First of all I liked to thank my pal Tina for supplying tonight's snack corner. Then I have a question to our lovely readers. Should connivence override nutrition? Although the apple sauce comes in a wonderful convenient pouch (which is a lot easier than cutting up apples, squeezing lemon juice on them, or sending a whole apple with your child) when you look at the front of the packaging it says no refined sugar, 100% fruit, etc... but this little 3.2 ounce pouch has a whopping 12 grams of sugar. Now I myself would go through the extra work of cutting an actual apple or buying sugar free apple sauce and eating it with a spoon then giving myself or my kids 12 grams of sugar just for connivence. So with everything else don't let the 100% fruit fool you. Read those labels when it comes to snacks for your little ones. Would I buy it again? No. It is convenient but I'd go for the alternatives first.




That's all folks, see you back here in 7 days. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah * Ma

Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken

Hey guys!

First before we carry on with the business of food, check out our new autumn layout. Cute right? I figured it was time to change the layout with how the weather is changing outside. This time of year is ma and mine's fave. Everything is pumpkins, soups, slow cooker, apples, and of course Halloween! We're just at the beginning though so we'll get to all those in the coming months.

Onto tonight's recipe! No doubt you've probably seen the commerical for the latest product from Progresso soups? The meal starters? Well, ma saw those commercials and decided we had to profile that for one of the blog recipes. I"m quite interested in these little things. A whole meal in a can? What will they think up next.

*Walks away from laptop*

*comes back*

Oh, hey. I was just informed that the whole meal doesn't come in the actual can. You have to add things to it. Like hamburger helper. Yeah...rank another one up for dumb moments throughout the day. Sheesh.

Ha, here's what you'll need:


Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
*4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
*1/4 cup butter, melted
*1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy Parmesan basil cooking sauce
*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
*2/3 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs
*2/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
*Hot cooked pasta or mashed potatoes, if desired
Garnishes, If Desired
*Additional shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Chopped fresh basil or parsley



Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste.

2. In shallow dish, mix butter, 3 tablespoons of the cooking sauce and the garlic powder. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken into butter mixture, then dip into bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on cookie sheet.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F) and coating is golden brown. Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce until hot. Serve chicken with pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with additional cheese and basil.

This was hands down one of the best recipes we've ever made. It was creamy, delish, and full of flavor. Progresso might be onto something with these recipe starters....

WW Points: I couldn't any nutrition for this recipe. Sorry :[.



Tid Bits:
*Not a mash potato fan? Try using some noodles.
*The recipe calls for the use of aluminum foil but I think it sticks to the coating. So I'd skip this suggestion.



Ma's Spot:
When I saw the recipe starters from Progresso I thought huh, I might wanna try these. So Kroger's had them on sale 2 for 3 so I said what the heck, I'll get them. In the Walmart sales paper they had this wonderful recipe. I told Dinah that's the recipe I wanna try this week. Let me tell you it was delicious. The creaminess of this I don't know if you would call it gravy or sauce but it is delicious. The way they have you mix the sauce and the melted butter really puts a nice twist on chicken. I am definitely, absolutely, 100% making this again. I think I might try noodles next time. Any way you want to give this one a try. It's easy and simple. I picked up the golden mushroom recipe starter and I plan on doing their recipe for beef stroganoff very soon.


*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *3 per cup


Dinah: So tonight we bring you the latest from the good people at J-E-L-L-O. I know you were singing along. Aw, come on who doesn't? ha. Anywho, Jell-o has come out with this delish flavor S'mores. First, there is no wrong here. S'mores alone are epic and these are pretty nice to find staring at you in the baking aisle knowing you can have the taste of s'mores at any time. So if you find yourself in the baking aisle and you see these just happily sitting on the shelf, grab them asap.



Ma: I love smores and I love pudding. When you put the two together look out! This is different and in this case different means good. Your kids will love it, grow ups will love it, etc... After all there's always room for jell-o pudding cups.




Alrighty guys, that's all we got for you this time. See you all next week when we make a new slow cooker recipe I found that is supposedly melt in your mouth good. Ha, we'll see.
Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Spicy Potato Taco's

Hey guys, has it been 7 days already? Wow, this week has gone by fast but nonetheless your fave bloggers are back with another recipe for you.

So while looking for a recipe I had this thought. Why not take one of my fave meals from Taco Bell and revamp it to be made at home? Sounds simple enough, but which one and where would I be able to find a recipe to follow. Seems like a bit of a challenge (which I was failing miserably) but then our fave lush Sandra Lee popped up on tv and made potato taco's. It was like this was meant to be. So I'm going with it.

Here's what you'll need:

Spicy Potato Taco's

Ingredients:
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil
*1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
*1 (16-ounce) bag pre-cooked diced red-skin potatoes
*1/2 cup pre-sliced mushrooms
*1/3 cup reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
*1 (16-ounce) can vegetarian refried beans
*3/4 cup cilantro salsa, plus more for serving
*1 (5.8-ounce) box white corn taco shells
*Chopped red onion, tomato, and lettuce, for serving


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside.

*In a large mixing bowl, stir together oil and fajita seasoning. Add potatoes and mushrooms and toss until well coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.

*Meanwhile, stir together beans and salsa in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes; set aside.

*Heat taco shells in oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

*Spoon beans into heated taco shells. Top with potato mixture and garnish with red onion, tomato, and lettuce.

*Serve immediately with salsa.

WW Points: I looked everywhere, there doesn't seem to be any nutrition facts. Sorry!


These were very good. Sandy dished out a good recipe with these potato taco's. While the ones at Taco Bell are still my fave these are a close second. Fair warned, these are very filling.


Tid Bits:
*Don't have fajita seasoning? Substitute it for taco or burrito seasoning.
*Don't like flour tortilla's? Try out wheat or multi-grain.


Ma's Spot: I have to say tonight's dinner was a winner. It was really hearty and good. I really liked the spices on the potatoes. There's nothing about this recipe that I would change. I loved every bit of it. So if you don't want to be bogged down in a recipe with a lot of things to do this is a very good and inexpensive dinner. Will I be making this dinner again? You can count on it. So this is a must for you, when you have time give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.


*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *3 for 4 cookies


Dinah: So tonight we bring you the latest from Newton's. The Lemon Crisp cookies are the latest from their Fruit Thin line of cookies. These cookies are amazing. Most of the flavors in this line I wasn't impressed with but these lemon crisps take my love for them over the moon. I'm a huge fan of lemons anyhow but lemon cookies? WHAT! Yeah. There's bits of lemon rind and the citrus taste is off the charts. These need to be bought on your next shopping list. Trust your blog mistress on this one, you can thank me later. ;].


Ma: These cookies not only refreshing with a fresh lemon taste. They are a light and crispy and the bits of the lemon they have throughout the cookie are spectacular. So if you are looking for something light and refreshing to snack on these are the cookies to get. I love how they don't feel loaded with sugar and leave a heavy taste in the mouth. I really suggest going out and picking these up but buyer beware, you could eat the whole box.






Alright guys that's all for tonight. We'll be back here next week with ma's next recipe. Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Hungry Girl's BLC Wraps

Hey guys!

It's been a bit since we've featured one of Hungry Girl's awesome recipes. Ma felt it was time to shine the spotlight once again on Mrs. Hungry Girl. So tonight we're going with something super simple, low in points, and vegetarian for our vegetarian friends out there (hi, Judi!). These are actually pretty crafty. Wanna know more?

Here's what you'll need:

Hungry Girl's BLC Wraps

Ingredients:
*3 Leaves romain, butter, or green leaf lettuce
*1 Boca burger/Morning Star burger
*1 Slice extra lean turkey bacon/morning star bacon
*1 Slice fat-free cheddar cheese
*2 tbsp Chopped tomato
*1 tbsp Chopped onion
*2 Dill pickle slices
*1 tbsp Ketchup
*1 tbsp Fat-free mayo


Directions:
*Cook burger patty according to package instructions, either in the microwave or in the pan, sprayed with nonstick spray.

*Top burger with the cheese slice. Microwave for about 20 seconds, until cheese melts. Set aside.

*Cook bacon slice in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, unti both sides are crispy.

*Once burger and bacon are cool enough to handle, chop both into bite sized pieces.

*Place burger and bacon pieces in a small bowl. Add tomato, onion, and pickles, and mix well. Add ketchup and mayo. Toss to coat.

*Put 1/3 of the burger into eatch lettuce "cup" and dig in.

WW Points: *4 for 3 wraps


These were a homerun! Everyone was pretty pleased with the overall taste and the use of the leafs romain was quite creative.




Tid Bits:
*If you don't like romain hearts then you can use whatever lettuce you like.




Ma's Spot: First of all I love lettuce wraps. This one did not disappoint me. I love how you mix the ketchup, mayo, and other ingredients together. They are easy, quick, and delicious. We tried to think what to pair with it. I first thought baked fries but then Dinah Jane brought up that might be too heavy with this meal. I agreed, so we went with Dinah's idea of a nice fruit salad. She was right that was the perfect side dish to pair with the wraps. You can mix any of your favorite fruits together to make a nice salad to go with these wraps. I liked that it was light in taste and calories. So add this to your recipe box. You won't go wrong.




*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *1 per fun size bar




Dinah: We're getting a head start on Halloween candy this year and bringing you the season's latest candy venture. Carmel Apple

Milky Way's are the latest candy to be stocked at Rite Aid (gotta promote my hunny's company) and local drugstores. This new flavor from Milky Way gives the taste of a carmel apple without all the extra calories that come with the original. I think these are perfect for Halloween and for *1 point a piece how can you turn away?These are highly addicting though. Might need some type of security while munching on these. Don't think so? Try these and don't say I didn't warn you ;].


Ma: First of all, dam the man/woman who came up with this concept! It had the perfect combination of apple and cinnamon. It blended nicely with the chocolate and melted so beautifully on my tongue. Needless to say I could never buy this again because I would eat the whole bag in 5 minutes. If you have more will power than me go ahead and pick these up.



That's all folks, we'll see you here next week with my next recipe choice and it's another remake of one of my fave items from Taco Bell. Wanna know which one? We'll see you here in 7 days. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma