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

Boxed Macaroni & Cheese Makeover

Evening all!

Back in the day your blog mistress loved cold day old mac and cheese. What? it was delish! sadly I had to give it up in hopes of becoming healthier. So being on Weight Watchers it's hard for yourblog mistress to find a mac and cheese recipe to munch on. Being noodles are high in carbs and cheese being high in fat and sodium. So I decided to look around on Pinterest (where else? Lol). Sadly there was no luck and just as I was about to give up I noticed a recipe with the title "Make mac and cheese healthier". I was like whoa what? How? I was intruiged. So instead of giving it a shot by myself why not make it for the blog and we can all try it. 

Here's what you'll need:

Boxed Macaroni & Cheese Makeover

(makes 3 servings)

1 box Whole Grain Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

1/2 pound fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup 2% milkfat cottage cheese

*Cook pasta following package directions. While water is boiling chop fresh tomatoes. After pasta has finished cooking, put it back into the pot and mix in packaged cheese mix, cottage cheese, and tomatoes. Enjoy!

WW Points: *6 per serving

This was pretty good but there were way too many tomatoes and trust me this is coming from a tomato lover. All in all not too bad.

Tid Bits: 

*Cut down on the amount of tomatoes if you're not a fan of the red fruit.

Ma's Spot:  Yuck! There's not much to say here about this horrible dish. First of all I don't care what you do to mac and cheese it's still mac and cheese. I'm truly not the person to judge mac and cheese since I've always hated it and always will. When my sister jane who loves mac and cheese doesn't like it then you know there's something wrong with it. So I only have my sister's opinion to go on so if she doesn't like it then no macaroni and cheese lover will like it.

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: *10 points for a small

Dinah: On tonight's agenda we have the latest blizzard from Dairy Queen the chocolate covered pretzel in peanut butter. Incan't review this one since I have a severe peanut allergy so ma can handle this one on her own tonight.

Ma: anytime somebody asks me do you want to try anything with chocolate covered pretzels my answer is always hell yeah! I wasn't disappointed. It was very good, yes I realize it is a lot of calories but once in a while it won't hurt to have a blizzard and lets face it without a little chocolate covered pretzel or ice cream in your life it's sad.

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

Spoons & Spatula's 

~Dinah & Ma

Greek Pizza

Hey guys!

Ah the tasty creation known as pizza. Is there anything more lovely and just down right delicious? If you'd ask my husband he'd say no but in all fairness there are some people out there (who knows could be fans of this blog) who aren't all into the heavy dough and marinara sauce. I'm switzerland (yes, you caught me. Twilight fan over here) completely up for either but tonight we're going for the lighter version. We've got a classic spin on the old favorite. Interested?

Here's what you'll need:

Greek Pizza
Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
•4 pita breads (6 inches)
•1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
•3 medium tomatoes, sliced
•3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
•3/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:
•Place pita breads on a baking sheet. Combine ricotta cheese and garlic powder; spread over pitas. Top with spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and basil.
• Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until bread is lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings.

WW Points: *8 per pizza

These were light and delicious! Honestly it's nice to partake in a pizza without worrying that each slice is 10 or 12 points. I'm gonna keep these in mind next time I want to induldge in pizza.




Tid Bits: None tonight guys


Ma's Spot: Tonight's dinner was my pick and I loved it. Some days you don't want a heavy saucy pizza. This version was light and delightful. I am not a fan of feta cheese at all but somehow the combination of all the ingredients worked. The same with the tomatoes. I would not try this combination on any other pizza's but with this recipe is really sets it off nicely. I am not a person who thinks outside of the box so if you're like me for one night step out of the box and enjoy a new light kind of pizza.




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: *8 per 8 ounces




Dinah: So tonight we bring you the latest from Bud Light. Yep, we went there. Hey it was bound to happen lol. The Straw-Ber-Rita Margarita is Bud Light's latest creation. I'm not a beer drinker by any means but I decided to give this one the benefit of the doubt. Sadly I wasn't happy with it. The only good thing was the strawberry flavor other than that it's too bitter and it absolutely has to be served over ice. Otherwise it's almost undrinkable. BLEH. I had such high hopes but sadly it wasn't there this time. No worries, your blog mistresses relationship with wine is just fine.


Ma: I despise and loathe beer. I'm not a beer drinker at all. I'm a rum girl at heart but when I saw this I figured why not lets give it a try. I really enjoyed this. It had a nice strawberry taste. The only draw back is the beer-like after taste. A little tid bit don't drink it straight from the can to get the full flavor please pour this over ice. So if you're a beer drinker and are looking for a new twist give these a try but I'm going back to rum.




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


Spoons & Spatula's

Crock Pot Cheese Tortellini Soup

Evening all,

Your blog mistress was trolling Pinterest (when am I never not?) and stumbled across tonight's gem of a recipe. People were repinning this recipe like mad. I was intruiged. As the dish popped up I noticed it contained spinach, pasta, and cream cheese. Of course that set off a twinkle in my eye. Where have I been that I missed this? Oh and it cooks in the slow cooker. Could this be a match made in food Heaven? Indeed! Sounds like something you'd dig? Then follow me:


Here's what you'll need:

Crock Pot Cheese Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen tortellini (10-12 oz)
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 box or 4 cups or chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz), cut into cubes
1 lb. of roll(ground) sausage (I used hot)

Directions:
Brown the sausage and put all ingredients(except spinach, if you want it to stay green) in crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hrs.  If you don't add the spinach at the beginning, add it ~1 hour before serving.  If the 'sauce' is too thin, leave the lid off during the last 1/2 hour of cooking and it will thicken slightly.  I topped mine with some grated Parmesan cheese.

WW Points: *12 per serving

Do I even need to say it? I am in love! It practically cooks itself and the flavors are amazing.


Tid Bits:
*Not into sausage? Try premade turkey sausage or for our vegetarian friends just use your favorite soy crumble and use veggie stock.
*Truly cook to the directions otherwise the pasta can become mushy super quick.



Ma's Spot: Dinah has fixed this recipe before and she gave us some so we stored it in our fridge. I didn't care for it too much but then when she fixed it for the blog and we had it hot from the slow cooker I have to say it was delicious. Soupy and creamy and it tasted totally different in a good way. Anytime you can make a dish were you fix it and forget it, I love. Although summer is approaching and people eat less soup I urge you to try this one out before the hot weather kicks into gear so you can enjoy the nice warmth of soup.



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: *8 per bar


Dinah: On tonight's agenda we bring you the latest from Magnum ice cream. I noticed a new commerical with the very cute Joe Manganiello and he was promoting this new flavor that sounded right up my alley. Fun fact about your blog mistress I dig anything sea salt and caramel. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The new gold bar from Magnum pairs the sea salt and sweet caramel which in return makes an amazing bar. It's rich, decadent, and smooth. I'd definitely buy them again. I'm hoping the next time I do Joe would come with the bars. Lets get on that Magnum shall we?



Ma: If I could marry ice cream and it wouldn't be considered weird I'd marry this one. This ice cream was very expensive but worth every single bite. Creamy, delicious, and the outer shell was unbeatable. Forget any points, any diet, & anything you're on for a moment and try this one out. It's well worth it. Every bite is worth a walk in heaven.






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


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma