Pin It or Pitch It! Low Calorie Cocktails

July 3, 2015 by MC Leave a Comment

Margaritas are a tasty treat on a hot day, but it’s one of the highest-calorie alcoholic beverages you can choose. Laced with sugar and sweet liqueur, just one margarita may contain as many calories as your meal. EEK! I searched Pinterest high and low for refreshing cocktail that won’t make your pack on the pounds this summer.

I found eight recipes for skinny cocktails from Shape Magazine… Okay- they look great, but how do they taste? Is it a “Pin It” or Pitch It”? Time to start mixing.

And here are the ingredients for the Skinny Colada all laid out…

Now, for every party girl’s favorite part…. The taste test! Great news! This Skinny Colada is so flavorful… it’s fruity and sweet, without being over-powering. Best part? It’s only 170 calories! It’s a “Pin It”!

Here is my finished product… You could even give this drink a “4th of July” twist by adding raspberries and blueberries! CHEERS!

Click here to see the other 7 cocktails from Shape Magazine. Let me know your favorite!

Pin It or Pitch It! Summer Salad Challenge

June 15, 2015 by MC Leave a Comment

If you’re having a party or simply searching for a dish for dinner, Pinterest is a great platform to find the perfect recipe. I pin 10 or 15 recipes every time I log-on the addictive site and RARELY go back and actually make any of these dishes. Not any more! I decided to bite the bullet and whip up one of these summer salads.

Like a lot of busy-home-chefs out there, I tend to choose the recipes that are quick, healthy and requires minimal or no cooking. I found a Cucumber, Avocado and Feta Salad recipe from a blog called “Two Peas and Their Pod”. It has few ingredients, it’s healthy, and it’s supposed to taste like summer. Let’s do this.

Cucumber, Avacado and Feta Salad

What You Need:

• 1 large, seedless cucumber
• 3 large avocados
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• Salt and black pepper

Stir together chopped cucumber, avocado, feta cheese, fresh lemon juice and dill. Season with salt and pepper and voila!

Now for the fun part, the taste test. This salad is delicious! The flavors are bold and tangy; it’s a perfect mid-afternoon snack or side dish. Best part? It only took me 5 minutes to make!

Easy as 1-2-3!

Cue the fireworks, alert the press,

the Cucumber, Avocado and Feta Salad is a…

“Pin It”!

Click here to find the full recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod”. Enjoy!

Perfecting the Tollhouse Cookie

November 5, 2014 by MC Leave a Comment

Have you ever wanted to perfect the ORIGINAL NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES recipe?

My sister taught me this little trick and it truly makes this good ole stand by a major stand out! All you need to do is add a pinch of salt (1/2 tsp) and a 3/4 tsp of Maple extract to this golden oldie and voila it becomes even better! Give it a try!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon maple extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, Beat butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a larger bowl until creamy. Add eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. DELISH!

Health NUT Muffins

November 19, 2013 by MC 2 Comments

Yummy Health NUT Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 c Kellogs bran buds or all bran
2 c rasin bran or bran flakes
2 c Old fashioned rolled oats
21/2 tsp baking soda
21/2 c whole grain oat flour
1/2 c flax seed mill
1 package craisins 6 oz if desired
4-6 oz pecans (i think the more the better!)
11/2 c splenda OR YOU CAN SUB 1c honey in ingredients below
Wet Ingredients:
3 c buttermilk
1-1/4 c boiling water
3/4 unsweetened apple sauce
2 eggs
1/2 melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven 425

Mix dry ingredients together, then mix wet ingredients and combine together in a bowl.

Bake mini muffins 8-10 min

This makes 75+ mini muffins. It keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. You can 1/2 the recipe if this is too many. Enjoy!

https://flythecoop.tv/2013/11/yummy-health-nut-muffins/

Pecan Delights

November 19, 2013 by MC Leave a Comment

Pecan Delights

Ingredients

Dough
1 c butter
2 c flour
2 pkg cream cheese
Filling:
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chopped pecans

Instructions

Dough:

Mix butter, flour, cheese, and form into small balls. Press each ball into mini muffin tins.

Filling:

- Mix and spoon 2/3 full into pressed dough.

- Bake @ 350 30 min

Makes 18-20

https://flythecoop.tv/2013/11/pecan-delights/

Delicious Brownie Balls

October 19, 2011 by MC Leave a Comment

Brownie Balls on The Fly

These are super easy and super delish–I just had to share! One box Brownie mix, bake 5 min less than recommended time. Let cool. Scoop and roll into balls put in a ziplock with 1/4 cup powdered sugar, shake, and serve! Yum Yum Yummmmm

quick, easy, yummy

Have you ever wanted to perfect the ORIGINAL NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES recipe?

My sister taught me this little trick and it truly makes this good ole stand by a major stand out! All you need to do is add a pinch of salt (1/2 tsp) and a 3/4 tsp of Maple extract to this golden oldie and voila it becomes even better! Give it a try!

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, Beat butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a larger bowl until creamy. Add eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. DELISH!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, Beat butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a larger bowl until creamy. Add eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.