Chocolate Bark

Merry Christmas!

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER BARK

Serves: Makes about 2 dozen pieces

INGREDIENTS
12 chocolate graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup white sugar
4 ounces bitter- or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
½ cup peanut butter chips
¾ cup coarsely chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups

INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by-13-inch rimmed cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Line pan bottom and up and over the long sides with heavy-duty foil for easy removal. Grease foil with vegetable cooking spray and then line with crackers, sugar side down, cutting as necessary to fit pan.

Heat butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until simmering. Pour mixture evenly over crackers and working quickly, use a spatula to spread it.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn) Remove from oven and sprinkle both white and dark chocolates over hot crackers; let stand a few minutes and the spread chocolate with the back end of a spoon (or finger if it’s not too hot) in figure eights, creating a marbleizing effect. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips and chopped cups. 

Refrigerate or freeze until firm. (Can be sealed and frozen up to 1 month)
Using foil handles, remove bar from pan. Break into pieces and serve.

Woodpecker and Oriole

THE WINDOW FROM WHICH WE LOOK

THE WINDOW FROM WHICH WE LOOK!

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, The young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, The young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a Nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:

"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and Cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others Depends on the purity of the window through which we look!

Life without God is like having an unsharpened pencil..........It has no point!!

Sweet Corn and Potato Chowder

Sweet  Corn and Potato Chowder

Ingredients:
Serving Size:4 person
1tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
kosher salt and black pepper
1tbs minced garlic
2tbsp flour
4 cups stock
1 cups peeled, finely diced potato
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup half-and-half
1/2tsp dried thyme
pinch of cayenne pepper
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preparation Methods:
Sling the butter into a soup kettle and melt over medium-high heat.Toss in the onions and peppers, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook till soft and then throw in the garlic, cooking it all for 1 minute more. Sprinkle on the flour and mix into the veggies. Dump in the broth and potatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or till the potatoes are tender. Add the shredded carrots and corn. Cover and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes longer to blend the flavors.Stir in the half-and-half. Season with the thyme, cayenne, some more salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and the bacon bits you've been saving. Give it one last stir, and ladle it up piping hot.

Superbowl Sunday Savory Taco Cupcakes

Savory Taco "Cupcakes"
Serves 16
Ingredients
16 wonton wrappers
8 oz extra lean ground turkey breast
Taco seasoning
Chopped spinach
Diced tomatoes
Low fat cheddar cheese
Guacamole
Greek yogurt
Chives

Procedure
1
Preheat oven to 350F Spray muffin tin and press wontons into molds.
2
Spray tops of wontons. Bake 6-10 minutes until browned and crisp.
3
In the meantime, brown ground turkey in skillet with taco seasoning until cooked.
4
Fill wonton cups with meat, and top with remaining ingredients (I used about 1/2 Tbsp of cheese, Guacamole and Greek yogurt on each!)

Nutrition
per serving (1 "cupcake"): 81 calories | 6g carbs | 3g fat | 7g protein

mind over munch 
http://mindovermunch.com/

 SALISBURY STEAK

Ingredients
1 (10 1/2 ounce) cans campbells French onion soup
1 1/2 lbs 80% Lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1 -3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup water
Small can of drained Mushrooms can be added if desired

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with
ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper.
Shape into 6 oval patties.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties.
Pour off excess fat.
In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth.
Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.
Pour over meat in skillet.
Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Salisbury steak is a dish made from a blend of minced beef and other

ingredients, which is shaped to resemble a steak, and is usually served with

gravy or brown sauce. Hamburger steak is a similar product, but differs in

ingredients.

Ground Turkey Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lean ground turkey (93% lean or higher)
½ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup carrot
¼ cup onion
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Optional: dash of red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Finely mince carrot and onion by hand or in a food processor and then combine all ingredients. This is easiest if you use your hands to gently mix everything - over mixing will make them tougher.
Shape meatballs into 2-tablespoon-sized-balls and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, checking at 30 minutes to ensure there is no pink in the middle of the meatballs. Continue cooking 5 minutes if they aren't cooked through.
Freeze in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months, letting them defrost in the fridge or in the microwave before eating.
NOTES
This recipe makes 48 small meatballs, for 12 servings of 4 meatballs. They freeze really well (go through all the steps including cooking), but the recipe can also be halved for a much smaller amount!