Stove Top Meatloaf

Hey guys!

Here at Tuesday's with Dinah & Ma we have developed a meatloaf bandit. Yes, he's furry and cute but don't be fooled our pup Charlie is a sneaky meatloaf stealer. Let me explain more. A few weeks back Ma made meatloaf for dinner and forgot to put the extra pieces away immediately so when Ma didn't hear a peep from our poodle she had Aunt Jane scope him out and figure out just what he was actually up too. One thing you guys need to know is when my dog is quiet he's up to something and it won't be good. Aunt Jane tracked him down in the kitchen...on the table...eating the leftover meatloaf then he jumped down and ran away (swiftly mind you) with said meatloaf in his mouth. So needless to say we have to keep an eye out for this cute but deadly bandit.

Charlie got me thinking for some reason I don't think we've done a recipe for the blog that involved meatloaf. We may have but my memory has escapes me. I think meatloaf over the course of decades has gotten a bad rap. People automatically see a hunk of meat with ketchup on it and turn their noses up at it but what if we're all just the food snobs at the table and meatloaf is really a rockstar that we've judged too harshly? I mean think about it this creation could actually be very tasty. So in honor of this classic we're going to make a version with stove top stuffing mixed in. Yep, you read right. Lets see if we can finally break this snobby attitude towards the loaf shall we?
Here's what you'll need:



Stove Top Meatloaf
Ingredients:
*1 lb. ground turkey or beef
*1 box Stove Top Stuffing
*1 egg
*1 cup water (can use less/no water if you like a more firm/crusty meatloaf)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together (do not prepare the stuffing mix – stir it in the meat mixture dry).
2. Press into a greased loaf pan (or I like to use an 8-in round casserole dish).
3. Bake at 350 for 45-60 min or until the center is no longer pink.
4. Let cool for 5 min before serving.  Enjoy!

WW Points: *6 Points per slice





Tid Bits:
*None tonight guys




Ma's Spot: I am a huge fan of meatloaf. I have made all different variations of it. Mexican style, regular, Italian, etc... but this one is a winner winner great meatloaf dinner. The true test of a meatloaf is whenever or not it can make up a good sandwich the next day. Yes, this one does. So make you a big pan, use half for dinner that evening and save the other half for a good sandwich the next morning. I have never heard of stove top stuffing being used in a meatloaf before but since I'm a huge fan of it I'm glad it works in this recipe. It was so easy. Stuffing, meat, egg and you're done. If you like an easy tasty dinner then this one is the one to try folks.

 

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.

WW Points: *19 for a small



Dinah: Arby's Salted Caramel Milkshake is the worst. Yep, I said it. First off 19 points for a small is ridiculous. Who would actually save all their points to drink this bland shake. Speaking of bland they say this shake is salted caramel. Which I find hard to believe. Your blog mistress is a huge fan of anything salted caramel and I know the taste fairly well. This is more like a vanilla shake with just a hint of caramel. I ask Arby's where's the salt?? It sure wasn't in this drink. Blog readers skip this disaster of a shake and use your points on something else salted caramel that actually has the real taste.


Ma: This milkshake I have to say let me down. You have to drink half of it to even get to the caramel. I thought it was really lacking. I would rather buy a vanilla milkshake and add caramel sauce on my own. I didn't find anything different or special about it. It's like the old commercial where's the beef? Well Arby's where's the salted caramel?? So for me it's a pass. I'll never buy this one again. I'd save the money and buy ice cream and put caramel sauce on it instead. Sorry Arby's you missed the mark on this one.




That's all folks, we'll see you here next week with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Juicy Salsa Burgers

Hey guys!
Is there anything more classic American than the burger? Eh, maybe they're might be but in the food world it tops the list. You're blog mistress is a bit of a picky polly when it comes to burgers. Turkey burgers are king to me but when I want a real made from beef burger then the patty has to be so thin there is more bun than actual meat and it has to be well done. No pink for this gal. Odd? I know but hey isn't it in our food dna (thanks to Burger King) to have it our way?
So why all this talk about burgers? Well that's tonight's recipe. Ma stumbled upon this one on the side of a Hellman's mayo jar. Hey, we get our recipes from everywhere.

Here's what you'll need:

JUICY SALSA BURGERS

INGREDIENTS:
*2 lbs. ground chuck
*1/2 onion, grated
*3 Tbsp. Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
*3 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
*1 Tbsp. chili powder (optional)
*1/2 cup salsa
*8 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine ground chuck, onion, Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, Worchestershire sauce and chili powder in medium bowl. Form into 8 patties. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Grill patties to desired doneness. Top with salsa and serve on buns.

 

WW Points: *11 points per burger



These were extremely tasty! Never thought to put salsa on a burger but it's a great trick. While juicy and delish they seemed to fall a bit apart on the grill so watch out. Otherwise these are definitely worth giving a try.





Tid Bits:
*Be careful on the amount of wet ingredients you put into the mixture. It can make the meat fall apart.




Ma's Spot: I love hamburgers to begin with but these burgers changed your perspective on how good hamburgers can be. I've tried your basic dried onion soup mix in it and I've experminted with different flavors for burgers but this recipe was on the money. The flavor is nothing like I've had before. Th juiciness of it was out of this world. My son in law grilled these up on his grill but I suspect you can cook these up any way you want and they'd still be good. So this one was a hit out of the park. Remember to grill those buns for a added crispiness. PS. No cheese needed on this one!








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.

WW Points: *7 per cup




Dinah: I'm doing this solo tonight since Ma would rather have a root canal than eat mac and cheese. So! It looks like it's just your blog mistress reviewing tonight's snack. Lets get right to it. Those crafty people at Goldfish decided to branch out from their mini snack and create the Goldfish mac and cheese. Being on Weight Watchers can provide some tricky issues with mac and cheese. Since pasta is so high in points and the powdered stuff isn't that great for you. Nonetheless this was the best tasting mac and cheese I've ever had. Weird right? I was expecting to hate it but it definitely brings on the cheese flavor and it actually is filling. So on your next trip to the grocery store pick up the fishies and taste them in a new way.



That's it for tonight folks. We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Weight Watchers Crockpot Jambalaya

Evening all,


Dearest blog readers, this week's recipe was a huge mess. Why is it every time Ma and I try to make a slow cooker recipe it just doesn't turn out right? Oy, gather around for story time guys. This one is a doozy! So I came across this Weight Watchers recipe (on Pinterest of course lol) for Jambalaya. I've never really been a fan of said dish. Not sure why since I never decided to partake in the meal. So I figured why not at least try it and get out of my food comfort zone. I prepared this week's dish and made the recipe exactly to a "T". After the first hour of "slow" cooking the rice was completely done. I was worried since it still had 3 hours to cook. I knew then it was a sinking ship but I wasn't going to let it stop me. After all we have to evaluate every recipe we do. After the 4 hours was up it was a pure grainy mess. It looked like tomato grits. Where was my jambalaya? This whole giving it a shot thing wasn't doing anything to change my mind on said dish. When Ma tried it her disappointment set in as well.

Let me let you guys in on a secret of ours. We LOATHE wasting food. Especially for the blog since we go all out for it and we love bringing you guys something fun and a new recipe to try. It's just sad when money goes down the drain and a good night of food.

I'll post the recipe but be warned: MAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK!



Here's what you'll need:


Weight Watchers Crockpot Jambalaya


Ingredients:
*1 cup diced lean boiled ham
*2 onions, coarsely chopped
*2 celery stalks, sliced
*1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
*1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
*1/4 cup tomato paste
*3 garlic cloves, minced
*1 tablespoon chopped parsley
*1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*2 whole cloves
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil
*1 cup long-grain white rice
*1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined


DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the ham, onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, thyme, cloves, oil, and rice in  a slow cooker.
2. Cook on High 4 to 5 hours.
3. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 1 hour longer.

                                   (See this is how they showed the outcome of the recipe)

                                                                  (Yeah, not twins.)

WW Points: *7 per serving



ATTENTION: We will be remaking this dish differently in the future!



Ma's Spot: I was looking forward to this recipe all day. A nice hot bowl of Jambalaya, yum. Well that didn't work out as well as I thought it was going to. Seriously, what a disaster! I will say that last night's dinner was fantastic I had Happy's Pizza's Ribs instead, ha! As far as the jambalaya though it tasted like a thick, pasty, overcooked rice tomato mess. The minute I tasted it I started thinking how I could of redone this. First of all the rice had been cooked too long. It broke down and it was a starchy mess. The ingredients are all tasty that we added but I think it wasn't a slow cooker recipe as it's originally written. I would love to redo this next week but it's my blog pick and I already have my next recipe picked out. When it's my turn again I'll be redoing this recipe for us and you guys. So I urge you to not try this yet. Let us redo it for you and hopefully (and I retract that)....I know it'll have to be better than that one was.



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.

WW Points: *5 points per cone


Dinah: Oh Blue Bunny how I love thee. These Mini Swirls Birthday Party Ice Cream Cones are quite the funny little treats. I like the idea of having a small cone and not all the points that come with a huge ice cream cone. While 5 points can be considered alot since usually 1/2 cup of any ice cream is around 3 points these come with a cone and sprinkles. It's a great trade off, well to me at least. Next time you're craving something tiny and sweet drop that half cup and pick up a box of these. Save the half cup for your next cake.


Ma: What can I say about this delicious, tasteful, wonderful ice cream creation in a cone. First of all the size is perfect. I can see this little bitty hand eating this cone. Oh hell lets face it, it's perfect for big hands! You know how you always get the ice cream cones that have the chocolate on the bottoms? This has the white chocolate. I love the change. These are a really tasty treat. It's like having a birthday cake in a cone. I know I've said this before and probably continue to say this but seriously please go pick these up. They are a wonderful little treat.




That's it for tonight. We'll see you here next Tuesday with more food goodness. Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Taco-rific Grilled Cheese

Hey guys!


So I'm starting to think Ma is on a mission to use every single Morningstar product in some form. Ha. Oh come now your blog mistress was just kidding. So when Ma was looking around for this week's recipe she came across this recipe from Hungry Girl which incorporates Morningstar Crumbles and grilled cheese. Yes, you know what that means another sammy. Gotta say I was quite shocked when she suggested making this one for a blog recipe. Considering Ma has been known to loathe cheese since she was a tiny tot. I'm guessing she's stepping out of her comfort zone for this one. Join her shall we?

Here's what you'll need:


Taco-rific Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or MorningStar Farms)
*1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
*1/4 tsp. chili powder
*1/8 tsp. cumin
*1/8 tsp. garlic powder
*2 slices light bread
*1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
*2 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
*1 tbsp. finely chopped tomato
*1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
*2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, mix soy crumbles, onion, and dry spices. Microwave for 45 seconds, or until warm. Stir well.

2. Lay bread slices flat, and spread both with the cheese wedge. Top one slice with 1 tbsp. shredded cheese, followed by the soy crumble mixture, tomato, cilantro, and remaining 1 tbsp. shredded cheese. Top with the other bread slice, cheesy side down. Spread the top of the sandwich with 1 tsp. butter.

3. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Carefully place sandwich in the skillet, buttered side down. Spread the top with remaining 1 tsp. butter.

4. Cook until bread is lightly browned and cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully. Eat up!


MAKES 1 SERVING

                                                   (Sorry for the lighting in the pictures)


WW Points: *6 per Sammy




These were super yummy. I honestly didn't get the taco flavor per say but they were very tasty. The mix of tomato, crumbles, and laughing cow cheese gave it a creamy texture and the bread added a nice crunch. I'd definitely make them again.



Tid Bits:
*Can't find Morningstar? Use any meatless soy substitute



Ma's Spot: Oh how I enjoyed this sandwich. It got me to eat swiss cheese. I have always hated swiss cheese but some reason this time was different. It was very quick and easy to make. Everything in this dish was good for you. So if you're a busy mom or dad this is really a great go-to meal. Also If you're watching what you eat this is perfect.




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.

WW Points: *6 per 1/2 cup


Dinah: So those nifty hippie fellas over at Ben & Jerry's have come out with a limited edition Cotton Candy ice cream. While this one is a tab better on points than the last ice cream we reviewed I gotta say it wasn't one of my top 5 favorites from the guys at B&J's. I couldn't really taste the cotton candy flavor (geez first the meal now this. I need my taste buds tested lol). It seemed like a lot of vanilla and sugar with colorful flecks of what looked like cotton candy but yet not actual cotton candy KAPOW flavor there. Oh how I was disppointed in this one since I'm a huge fan from way back. Sadly I'll be skipping this one on my next shopping trip and jumping for the Chunky Monkey.



Ma: Unlike Dinah I thought this ice cream tasted exactly like cotton candy. Actually, I was wondering how you get cotton candy taste into ice cream? I'm ashamed to say (and I'll admit this in writing) I did finish off the rest of the pint. :X
So if you like the flavor of cotton candy with out the grainy candy taste then this is the ice cream for you!




That's it folks. We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~ Dinah & Ma

Turkey and Tomato Panini

Hey guys!

So on tonight's agenda is a quick meal that is in disguise as a "skinny recipe". Always trolling on Pinterest I stumbled across this gem and figured why not do a blog night of it. Panini's are quick, usually tasty, and now we've found a recipe on the healthier side. Made with wheat bread and tomatoes how can it go wrong?


Here's what you'll need:

Turkey and Tomato Panini
Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
*3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
*2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
*2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
*1 teaspoon lemon juice
*Freshly ground pepper, to taste
*8 slices whole-wheat bread
*8 ounces thinly sliced reduced-sodium deli turkey
*8 tomato slices
*2 teaspoons canola oil

PREPARATION:

1. Have four 15-ounce cans and a medium skillet (not nonstick) ready by the stove.

2. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, Parmesan, basil, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the mixture on each slice of bread. Divide turkey and tomato slices among 4 slices of bread; top with the remaining bread.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

4. Place 2 panini in the pan. Place the medium skillet on top of the panini, then weight it down with the cans. Cook the panini until golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, flip the panini, replace the top skillet and cans, and cook until the second side is golden, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with another 1 teaspoon oil and the remaining panini.

WW Points: *5 per Panini
Love them. These taste light and amazing. Loved the yogurt and the tomato with the turkey. Definitely would make this again. PS. warning these are very filling.



Tid Bits:
*If turkey isn't your thing then try this out with your fave deli meat. Be sure to adjust the points if you change up your meat.
*Wheat doesn't do it for you? Try whole grain or low fat white breads
*Any leftover chicken? Shred it and try it out with this panini



Ma's Spot: When Dinah told me what was in it I wanted to slap her. Yogurt and mayo together? What! I have to say though she pulled a good one out of her ass this time. Very easy to make and I think for me the fresh basil really topped it off. The lemon wasn't overpowering. The yogurt and mayo worked very well together. Once you put these all together you have one hell of a sandwich. So if you're looking for something light and tastes delish with a nice side of fries this is Mmmm Mmmm yummy.

 

 

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.




WW Points: *3 per serving

Dinah: While standing in Walmart's cookie aisle I had a thought "I wish they made new Teddy Graham flavors. Then I saw it the latest flavors from Teddy Grahams: Apple & Strawberry Banana. I felt like the cookie gods had answered my cookie prayers! Here's a little fact about your blog mistress I am a Teddy Graham lover from way back. I'm talking 80's tiny tot years. So these new flavors were on the exciting end for me. The strawberry banana ones are yummy but I feel like the banana flavor gets lost behind the strawberry. The apple ones are my absolute fave flavor of Teddy Grahams. They give you this feel of eating a piece of apple pie without all the extra calories. I am in love and plan on buying these every now and then. Ha! Wait what am I saying I'll be buying this once a week.


Ma: I love Teddy Grahams and the fact they keep coming out with new flavors is awesome. I love the banana and strawberry but the apple wooo weee is amazingly good eats. So whenever you're young, old, or in between get your zip lock bag out and fill up with these tasty snacks and be on your way.



That's it for tonight folks. We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Hey guys!

So there has been a bit of hiatus with the blog. I apologize a great deal for that. Things around here were a mess. First your blog mistress went on a vaca to Tennessee with my hubby and fam, then Ma and her sister Jane moved, and my hubby braved surgery for the first time to have his appendix removed. This was all in the span of 3 weeks. What a mess!
So now that the craziness is (hopefully) over we can get back to business as usual around here. Missed us? Well we've missed you guys so on with what we do here at Tuesday's with Dinah & Ma and that's bringing you our recipes! Tonight's comeback dish is something ma picked. She discovered it on the side of a box of stuffing. I'm leery of recipes on sides of boxes. What if they don't turn out or they are too difficult? I have hope with this one though.

Here's what you'll need:

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
*1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
*1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
*1/2 cup  water
*2 cloves  garlic, minced
*1-1/2 lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
*1 tsp.  dried basil leaves
*1 cup  KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  
Make It:
HEAT oven to 400ºF.

step 1
 MIX tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.  

step 2
 PLACE chicken in 3-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with basil and cheese.  

step 3
TOP with stuffing. Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done.

This was pretty good. Not the biggest fan of the mushy stuffing.



Tid Bits:
*For a different kick try out the canned italian style tomatoes.
*We decided to sauted our chicken instead of putting it in the stuffing mix raw.


Ma's Spot: When I saw this recipe on the back of the box of Stove Stop Stuffing I knew this was a recipe I wanted to try. I'm glad I did. I love that you can put it in your fridge and eat it for leftovers for next day. Yum for leftovers! I loved the fact you don't put butter in it. It makes it alot healthier for you. I love the tomatoes in it as well. When I saw that you put in the raw chicken and put the stuffing on top of it I put a halt on it. When I was young my mom never stuffed her turkey with stuffing. She always had a thing about the stuffing touching the raw chicken that you'll eat later. That has stuck with me all my life. I loved sauting it with some nice fresh herbs and then adding it to the recipe. So whenever you stick stictly to the recipe or you tweak it like we did for me it's a winning dish.




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.

WW Points: *3 for 1/4 of the "pizza"



Dinah: Tonight we bring you Mama Mary's Apple Cinnamon Gourmet Dessert Pizza. I've had my fair share of dessert pizza's. Usually they're overly sweet and coated in chocolate. Not a huge fan but with Mama Mary's I found myself actually liking it. The apple cinnamon flavor and the buttery crust make this a dessert pizza worth trying.

Ma: When I saw this at Walmart I thought Wow, cool. What a great concept. I loved it! I'm sure you can always make something like this on your own but for the price and convenience and only 5 minutes to bake it's a winner. So if you want something a little sweet after dinner or even a midnight snack this is the product for you. It's not heavy or too sweet. It's just right. Will I buy more? Oh yeah.



That's it folks! We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

BBQ Hot Dog & Potato Packs

Hey guys!

Oh blog readers this week's recipe has me on the sassy side. I am so not happy with the way this week's dish turned out. Let's have a storytime shall we? Wait before I continue let me stress this is truly our experience and Ma and I do not discourage you to try the recipe featured tonight. Everyone's experieces are different and sometimes recipes work for some people and not others. With that in mind let's get to the story. 

Ma came to me and showed me her pick. Which was the BBQ Hot Dog  & Potato Packs. It looked fun and it definitely seemed kid camping friendly so I thought why not? Also it gave us an excuse to break out the grill. The prep time was super easy. The cooking was not. The recipe specifies that it only cooks for 15-20 minutes on the grill. So of course the time was up and it wasn't done. We thought no biggie give it another 7 or so minutes. That time was up and the potatoes were completely cold and hard. Not good. 

So after letting it cook for another hour ( yep, an hour) it still wasn't done. So we moved the packs into the oven. Even then after letting it cook for another 20 minutes the potatoes were not fully cooked and most had burned on the bottom of the packs. At this point we were all starving and it was getting late. So we ate what wasn't burnt and soothed our sour faces with tonight's snack corner (more on that later).

Your blog mistress has been completely burned (no pun intended) on this recipe. Ma though had decided to redo this recipe and see if she can change it and possibly make it a winner in the future. I'm so angry at this recipe I didn't even want to feature it tonight but in all fairness maybe it'll work out better for you guys?

Here's what you'll need:

BBQ Hot Dog & Potato Packs

Prep/Total Time: 20 min. Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

*1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated red potato wedges

*4 hot dogs

*1 small onion, cut into wedges

*1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Divide potato wedges among four pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). 

2. Top each with a hot dog, onion wedges and cheese. Drizzle with barbecue sauce. Fold foil around mixture, sealing tightly.

3. Grill, covered, over medium heat 10-15 minutes or until heated through. 

4.Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

                                                 (I accidentally deleted our pic, oops!)

WW points: *8 per pack

Tid Bits: 

*Not a fan of hot dogs? Try turkey, veggie, or soy dogs

Ma's Spot: I loved the concept of this. Let me warn you now it's not for a charcoal grill. I tried grilling these on our charcoal grill and they didn't turn out well. I had to finish them off in the oven. By then everything was overcooked. I think I'll redo these again but I'm going to only bake these in the oven. If you have a gas grill give these a try but if you don't I'd say try it out in the oven instead. Other than that I liked the taste but overall it just didn't turn out good on our grill.

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.

WW points: *21 for a small

Dinah: Tonight we bring you the latest Blizzard from Dairy Queen. The smores blizzard combines vanilla soft serve with mini chocolate marshmallow filled bars and graham crackers swirled in. Ugh why DQ! Why do you have to make this awesome blizzard that costs so many points? This one takes the cake on giving you that smore fix without all the hassle of getting a campfire going then breaking out the sticks and graham crackers. Although I love this blizzard I don't think I'll be ordering it again. The amount of points it costs for the size you get it ridiciulous. I'll miss it's yumminess but I must say goodbye. Don't you wish blizzards were good for you? Gah!

Ma: I love smores in any form you can give me. If you add it to ice cream woot I am one happy woman! On the other hand though I'd rather pick something else due to the nutrition information I found out about this blizzard. If you're watching your sugar intake like me then you may want to skip this one too. I'd rather take the time and save on the amount of sugar and make my own smores. So if you want to try this as a little treat I say go for it but if you're watching your calories or sugar then I'd forget about it.

That's it for tonight. We'll see you here next Tuesday. Have a great week guys!

Spoons & Spatula's

~Dinah & Ma

Egg Cupcakes

Hey Guys!


On one of my blog recipe searches I came across this recipe on Pinterest (where else? lol) and a light bulb went off. We haven't done a quiche recipe or breakfast for dinner in a while. With this thought came the pickiness. I didn't want something we had done previously nor did I was just a run of the mill pancake/waffle or bacon and eggs. So when I saw the word cupcake and 1 point I knew this was this week's recipe. Besides a quiche cupcake can't be all that bad right?...right?!


Here's what you'll need:


Egg cupcakes
INGREDIENTS for 24 cupcakes:
* 1 red bell pepper
*2 roma tomatoes
*good handful of fresh basil leaves (cut these from my garden, LOVE the smell of freshly cut basil)
*3-4 scallions (green onion)
*6 whole eggs + 4 cups of egg whites

Directions:
 1. Chop up all of your veggies! Then mix them together in a large bowl. Next, whisk your whole eggs and egg whites together in another
bowl.
2. Line your muffin tins with cupcake holders and spray with PAM. If you don’t have liners, you can directly spray PAM onto the tin. Then fill your cups with about a tablespoon of egg mixture.
3. Next fill the rest of the cup up with veggies! Then fill to the top with the rest of your eggs. You can pretty much fill to the brim.
4. Pop them into the oven at 375F for about 20-30 min or until you see that they are firm on top.
These are on the bland side. The idea of them is great and there's definite room for improvement here but just on their own they lack spice and actual flavor.

WW Points: *1 per cupcake



Tid Bits:
*Honestly, where do I begin? You can truly flavor these any way you want. Try spicy or even adding some bacon.

Ma's Spot: I thought this was kinda bland, dull, and nothing really special about them. I'd rather make a quiche and add different things to it. Although the convience of this recipe is great for an on the go person. I would like to tweak it to add different flavors and more seasoning. Maybe some turkey sausage or turkey bacon? I do encourage you to try these and tweak them for your own way and taste. Because the portability of these are great.


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.

WW Points: *3 per serving


Dinah: This week I've discovered the latest from Newton's Fruit Thins. Banana Drizzled with Dark Fudge. Gotta say these are definitely high on the addicting meter. It's my favorite from the Fruit Thin line. The cookie has this awesome banana flavoring and paired with the chocolate drizzle is amazing. Try this out asap, trust me you'll fall madly in love.

Ma: I have to say until I tried these the Lemon kind were my favorite. This though is just like eating a chocolate covered banana with a crunch. I didn't think I'd find a cookie to beat out their lemon but they did it. So as far as my taste and opinion goes these are the ones! So try them who doesn't love a chocolate covered banana?




That's it for tonight guys. We'll see you here next Tuesday with Ma's next recipe which involves a camping favorite and your kiddo's will love it. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Good Chick Lollipops

Hey guys!


Here at Tuesday's with Dinah & Ma we try to bring you fun dishes (mostly) that will break you out of your food comfort zone. So this week's recipe is no exception. Usually I'm the one who breaks the food rules and comes up with these crazy recipe dishes but recently Ma has been dipping into the outrageous recipes. As with tonight's dish. One from our fave healthy chick Hungry Girl. She's whipped up a dish that has chicken, potato chips, Funyuns, and they are on a stick! Yes, I said they come on a stick. Not gonna lie my inner 8 year old self is kinda jazzed. Who doesn't love cute food that comes on a stick? Exactly, I'm not alone here on this.
Here's what you'll need:


Good Chick Lollipops
Ingredients:
*12 oz. raw skinless boneless lean chicken breast, evenly cut into six strips
*1 oz. (about 15 pieces) Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings
*1/2 oz. (about 7 crisps) Pringles Light Sour Cream & Onion fat-free potato crisps
*2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
*1 tsp. onion powder, or more to taste
*1/8 tsp. black pepper
*2 dashes garlic powder, or more to taste
*2 dashes salt, or more to taste
*6 wooden skewers

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Carefully slide each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer. Set aside.
3. In a large sealable plastic bag, combine Funyuns, Pringles, and seasonings. If you like, add extra seasonings to taste. Seal the bag and crush the chips until they're mostly reduced to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Transfer the seasoned crumbs to a plate, and set aside. Fill a small bowl with egg substitute, and set that aside as well.
4. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray.
5. Take a chicken skewer and dunk it in the egg substitute -- use a spoon to distribute the egg substitute over all of the chicken. Gently shake the skewer to remove any excess liquid, and then lay the skewer in the seasoned crumbs. Rotate the skewer, pressing it into the crumbs, until it is evenly coated. Use your fingers or a spoon to add and pat crumbs onto any bare spots on the chicken. Transfer to the baking sheet, and repeat with all other chicken skewers.
Bake in the oven for 18 - 20 minutes, carefully flipping skewers about halfway through cooking, until chicken is cooked through and coating is crispy. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then enjoy!
*MAKES 3 SERVINGS*

WW Points: *4 for 2 Skewers


These were pretty tasty. The coating is the obvious star but the chicken was definitely fun to eat off the stick.



Tid Bits: None tonight guys



Ma's Spot: These things are fantastic! I love the combinations of the chips and the funyuns. What a different taste, what and amazing taste. I could go on and on and on about how good they are but I'll simply say you have to make these. I will say the sticks were kind of useless and a waste of time. I think they make great chicken tenders, they don't need the stick. It was hard situating them in the pan to bake. They got really hot which made it hard to touch them so you had to wait until they cooled off. So bypass the stick and go for the good stuff.




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 bar



Dinah: No doubt we've all seen the latest commercial for the Fruttare bars. They seem like the new "it" ice cream for the summer so that's what we're reviewing tonight. Gotta say I am quite impressed with these bars. Not only do they have bits of real fruit in them but they taste like a frozen milkshake and they're only 3 points each? Sign me up!  I'm going to skip all the other ice creams out there and stick with this one.

Ma: OMG these things are so creamy and delicious. I have tried most of the flavors and not one of them are disappointing. I have to say so far that the coconut ones are my favorite but I'm not done yet. I'm on a quest to try all the flavors. I'll give you further updates as my journey through Fruture continues.



That's all for tonight folks. See you here next Tuesday for more food goodness. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Weight Watchers Corn BLT Lettuce Wraps

Evening blog readers!

Your blog mistress has realized that with being on Weight Watchers you have to know how to get alot of bang for your buck in their point system. Most meals can go up into the 20 points range which is fine until you realize you only get 28 or 35 for the day. So, with that in mind I did some research on none other than Pinterest and stumbled across this gem of a recipe. Lettuce wraps made with corn. Chic sounding right? I was like Oooo this could be good and with most veggie being "free" in Weight Watchers I had found what I was in search of.

Here's what you'll need:

Weight Watchers Corn BLT Lettuce Wraps

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

*4 slices bacon

*2 ears of corn, cut off the cob

*1/4 cup cilantro

*1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

*1/4 cup sliced green onions

*1 jalapeno, minced

*1 tbsp reduced fat mayo

*juice of 1 lime

*Salt and pepper to taste

*Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Discard all of the bacon grease except for 1 tbsp. Set bacon aside.

2. Add the corn and cook for about 3 minutes until just tender. You could also grill the corn or leave it raw.

3.Toss together the remaining ingredients, including stirring in the mayo and lime juice.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in lettuce cups.

 

WW Points: *3 per serving

Come in close....BEST BLOG RECIPE EVER. I know what you're thinking we've done alot of recipes over the past few years but no joke this takes the cake. Light, good for you, and yummy. 

Tid Bits:

*Can't find fresh corn? Just use a can of corn.

Ma's Spot: I love wraps to begin with but this one I could not get enough of. They're light and refreshing but lets face it these are all about the filling in the middle. I have to say this is the best filling in a wrap I have ever had. The filling was so good I'll be using it in an antipasta salad soon. So anyway you want to try this I can guarentee your toes will curl and you'll say at least 5 times man that was good!

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: *4 per serving

Dinah: This week we bring you Pita Chips from those fun little elves over at Keebler Townhouse crackers. These chips definitely taste pita-esque but fair warning they are a tad hard to bite into. They almost seem rock solid but the flavor is pretty good. Dunno if I'd actually buy these again sense I'd like to keep my teeth. Hey elves, soften these up a bit will ya?

Ma: I have to say I like these chips. The Mediterranean flavor had a bit too much spice for me but the sea salt I thought was delicious. By themselves they're okay but with hummus these are even better. Would I buy these again? Maybe if I had a coupon or they were on sale. I do urge you to try these. See how you like them.

 

That's all folks, we'll see you here next Tuesday for more food goodness. Have a great week guys!

 

Spoons & Spatula's 

~Dinah & Ma

Cornmeal Waffles with Spicy Chili

Hey guys!

While the world seems to be fascinated by Paula Deen and her food scandal last year ma and I were still watching her show not really giving her personal life any thought. I'll admit her show isn't on the healthy side but it's definitely got heart. So when this gem of a recipe was showcased by Ms. Deen (and later showcased by her son on his healthier show) a little light bulb went off above Ma's head. Why not make this odd recipe that features cornmeal pancakes and chili. Weird right? But wait wait wait, it could be good right...right??

Here's what you'll need:

Cornmeal Waffles with Spicy Chili

Prep: 20 min

Cook: I hr 15 min

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients:

*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

*1 tablespoon baking powder

*1 teaspoon sugar

*1 teaspoon salt

*2 cups milk

*3 tablespoons vegetable oil

*2 large eggs

Spicy chili, recipe follows

*Shredded Cheddar, for garnish

*Sour cream, for garnish

*Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Spicy Chili:

*1 pound lean ground chuck

*1 onion, chopped

*1 green bell pepper, chopped

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*2 tablespoons chili powder

*1 tablespoon ground cumin

*1 teaspoon salt

*1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

*2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans

*1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

*1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained

*1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

 

WW points: *13 per serving

This one was fantastic! It's not really light on the points but it's pretty tasty overall.

Tid Bits: None tonight guys

Ma Spot: When I was a little girl my mom made chili and always had cornbread to go with it. I would crumble the cornbread in the chili. When I saw Paula Deen make this on her show I said there is no way I am not going to make this dish. My expectations were high and the recipe didn't let me down. It was absolutely fantastic! I love topping it with cheese and sour cream. If you do not have a waffle maker this is a good reason to go and get one. I borrowed Dinah's waffle maker but I plan on going to get my own soon. I will be making this dish over and over again.

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 serving

 

Dinah: Tonight we bring you the latest from Jolly Green Giant. Roasted Veggie Potato chips are definitely something new from the tall green guy. Normally you'd see him as the face of veggies in your freezer department at your local grocery store but who knew he wanted to branch out and mix things up? These are pretty yum, they've got a nice flavor/crunch, and not bad on the points per serving. I'd buy these again. I'm hoping the tall green guy gets out more. Maybe a green pasta or dabble in fruits? The possibilities are endless. Get to it green fella!

 

Ma: I found as I get older I've lost my taste for doritos. The flavoring seems stronger to me. These taste like Doritos but without the major nacho flavor. I'm ashamed to say the foodie side of me ate 2 bags. So I try to tell myself it's not too bad since they are veggie chips. I can't tell you how much I love them so head out and pick up a bag for yourself.

 

That's it for tonight folks. See you back here next Tuesday. Have a great week guys!

 

Spoons & Spatula's 

~Dinah & Ma