Turkey Meatball Subs

1 lb lean ground turkey (I use 20 oz pkg)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, plain or Italian, whatever you have in the pantry
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs
1 jar spaghetti sauce, or make your own

Combine all ingredients together and roll into balls, whatever size you prefer. Place on a large baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. After removing from oven, transfer to a dutch oven or deep skillet on stove and cover in your favorite spaghetti sauce, lightly simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Serve on sub rolls, top with cheese if desired.

Enjoy :)

Oreo Truffles

First of all, I have to thank Michelle Taylor for introducing me to these scrumptious treats. They are so decadent, yet still pretty easy.

1 (16 oz) pkg Oreo cookies
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 (8 oz) pkgs Baker's Semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Crush the cookies (cookie & cream filling) in a food processer. (Or by hand in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin.) Place in a medium bowl, add cream cheese, mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into about 1-inch balls, should make about 42. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate or freeze for a little while until pretty firm. (I freeze for about an hour.)

When balls are firm, dip them into the melted chocolate and place back on the parchment/wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Easy Beef Stoganoff

2 lbs sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup butter or margarine
6 oz can sliced mushrooms
3 cups beef stock/broth
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup flour
2 cups sour cream
12 oz bag egg noodles (I use No Yolks, broad or xbroad)

Melt butter/margarine in large skillet. Cook & stir mushrooms in butter about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms & reserve until later. In same skillet, brown meat, but do not cook all the way. Reserve 2/3 cup of the stock and set aside. Into meat mixture, stir in remaining stock, onion, ketchup and garlic salt. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. In the meantime, mix reserved stock & flour. After the 15 minutes stir into meat/sauce to thicken. Add mushrooms, heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil & stir for 1 minute. Stir in the sour cream and heat through. While sauce is cooking, cook noodles according to directions on package. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Serve meat/sauce over noodles.

Enjoy.

David Riber

This is a shout out to my Illinois friend & faithful blog reader, David Riber. Hello friend! Make the recipe below for your lovely wife & you will be her hero. That is if you have time from all your blog reading, ha. Say hi to the fam for me :)

Pork Carnitas Tacos (in the crock pot)

2 lb boneless pork loin
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 2 Tbsp adobo sauce (I like it a little spicy so I added 2 chipotle, you can add more if you want) These come canned in the Mexican section.
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Garnishes:
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
red onion, sliced thin
lime wedges

1. Trim excess fat from pork & cut roast in half crosswise, Combine remaining ingredients, except for garnishes, in a 6-qt slow cooker & add pork on top; cover & cook for 5 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low.

2. Shred the pork with two forks, and add back into crock pot. Serve in corn tortillas and top with cilantro, red onion & a squeeze of lime. We also had some shredded lettuce & topped them with that, but it's optional.

Serves 8 to 10.

This is a very declicious & low fat meal as a bonus. 265 calories, 9 grams total fat.

Enjoy :)

Merry Christmas

I'm not sure if this is considered sooo 2010 or if I'm just lazy, but I have decided to do my Christmas letter on my blog this year. As you can see from the previous posts it has worked overtime on recipes this past year, and frankly needs a break, but we'll go there in my section of the letter, ha.

2010 has been an interesting year, as always. As it comes to a close I think we're more glad it's over than anything else. Through it all God has remained faithful as always. We are so thankful for His constant love and His abundant blessings, and have continued to see His provision over and over especially this year.

Kaley is 22 years old and is still living in Jacksonville. She and her roommate Tiffany recently moved into a new house and are loving it. Kaley is still the softlines manager at The Sports Authority, and is really hoping that this will be her last year in retail at Christmas, ha. She changed her major this past Spring at Florida State College to Sports Management. She would ultimately like to work with kids organizing sports programs at places such as the YMCA or the Boys & Girls Clubs. She has such a heart for children. We couldn't be any prouder of the woman Kaley has become.

Jordyn is 20 and still living at home with us. This past October she started in the Cosmetology program at Virginia College in Jacksonville. She goes to school Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The program is a year, and is a lot of hard work. Upon completion she will get both her Florida & Georgia license and see where God leads her. She is still playing keyboard and singing with the worship team at the Journey Church. Music is her first love, and she hopes to pursue her calling into worship ministry in the future. We are so proud of all she has accomplished, and we know that God is going to do great things in her life. She and David are still dating, and coming up on their 2 year anniversary. He plays bass on the worship team as well, and is currently working for Patrick at Island Kitchen & Bath. He is also the head of our drama dept at our church. We are so thankful for such a Godly young man in Jordyn's life.

Colton is 19 and currently living at home, but is hoping to find a place in Fernandina Beach Florida after the first of the year. He has been working at Target for the past 9 months and loves it. He recently received the "Great Team Hero" award for his entire district. We are very proud of his hard work and dedication. I think he is still trying to figure out what he "wants to be when he grows up", but for now he's working hard and saving his money. He is such a sweet, kind young man, and I'm so thankful for the man he has grown to be.

Patrick is still operating Island Kitchen & Bath. He moved into a larger facility the beginning of this year which has allowed him to do a lot more cabinet fabrication. In spite of the bad economy, God has always provided work for us, and we are so thankful for that. We remain optimistic for the future of IKB and are excited to see what 2011 holds for us. Pat is still serving on the production team at The Journey Church operating the camera.

Nothing much new with me, still a full time wife & mom, which is still the greatest job on the planet. I would say I have done more baking/cooking this past year than ever. After being asked for so many of my recipes, I decided to start blogging them. I have had a lot of fun with it and hopefully helped some people provide some delicious meals for their families. The biggest thing for me this past year was the death of my step-mom Shirley in July. It was unexpected, and such a difficult time for our family. She was such a Godly, loving, generous person, and she is so missed. We do know that we will see each other again in Heaven, which gives us much hope & joy.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, may we never forget that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth to save each and every one of us and to give us abundant life. We pray that each of you may know Him and that abundant life in Him.

Merry Christmas & a Joyful New Year,

The Mooney family

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 (10 oz.) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (I use Frank's wing sauce)

Heat chicken & hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese & ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm, transfer to a slow cooker. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or baked baguette rounds. (I slice a french baguette thinly, put on a baking sheet, spray with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and bake at 400 for a few minutes, until lightly browned.)

Vanilla Bean Scones

You have probably heard me raving about these vanilla bean scones I have been making. I would love to take credit for these sinfully delicious little pieces of heaven, but it's not my recipe. All the credit goes to Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. You can find her awesome blog at www.thepioneerwoman.com. It is much more than a recipe site, so plan on doing some reading, and laughing, and of course, lots of cooking. To find the scone recipe click on the "recipe" tab, then the "breakfast" tab. Trust me, they are well worth the calories, and according to everyone who has tasted them, better than Starbucks.

Enjoy :)

Turkey Meatloaf

1 large onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs, plain or italian
3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped fine (I do mine in the food processor)
3 lbs ground turkey (lean or xlean)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium saute pan, over med-low heat, cook the onions & garlic in olive oil until translucent, but not browned, approx 5 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms & cook until all the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated, approx 10 minutes, season with salt & pepper. Add the worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste, and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. (I line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper first.) Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temp is 160 degrees and meatloaf is cooked through.

Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold on a sandwich.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

I do this in a 1 1/2 quart electric ice cream maker.

1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp vanilla

Put the milk and sugar into a medium bowl; combine, using a whisk, until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in heavy cream, yogurt, and vanilla.

Add mixture to the ice cream maker, and mix until thickened, about 20-25 minutes. The yogurt will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the yogurt to a container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Makes ten 1/2-cup servings.
130 calories/3 grams fat per serving

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

This a Paula Deen recipe and is SUPER easy and good! Enjoy.

1 pkg fudge brownie mix (I like the dark chocolate)
24 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18-24 regular muffin cups with paper liners.

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies (3 eggs). Fill the cups half full with brownie batter. (Mine usually only does 18, not 24) Press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the brownies are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire rack.

Turkey Chili

This is super easy, and super good!

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water, or beef broth (I used beef stock for even more flavor)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly browned. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.

Pour water into the pot with turkey. Mix in tomatoes, beans, and garlic. Add chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Serves 6

I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I warmed it up for lunch and I think it was even better the 2nd day. Enjoy!

Cinnamon rolls

5 cups all purpose flour
1 pkg yellow cake mix
2 (.25 oz) packages quick-rise yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (120-130 degrees)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour, dry cake mix, yeast and warm water until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured suface; knead until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lighly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 14-in x 10-in rectangle. Brush with butter; sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon mixture. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with a long side. Cut each roll into 12 slices; place cut side down in two greased 13-in x 9-in baking pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 20-30 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15-20 minutes. Frost warm rolls with icing below.


Icing
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
3 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla and powdered sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Frost warm rolls.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix sugar, eggs & pumpkin. Add dry ingredients & spices. Mix well.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. Or pour into cupcake pan with liners, about 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes or until done.


Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Chopped nuts (optional)

Cream until good consistency, spread on cake. For cupcakes, I put icing into a pastry bag w/ a large star tip and pipe the icing on each one. You can top with chopped nuts if desired.

Veracruz-Style Tilapia

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets or other white fish
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes with juice
1 Anaheim chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into this strips (these are very mild)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup pitted & halved green olives
1/4 cup capers, drained

In a medium saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the fillets until they are opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plate and cover with foil to keep warm or put into a warm oven.

In same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Anaheim chile, and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer until the chiles soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the olives and capers, and cook until the flavors combine, about 4 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve fish with sauce over the top. I served with brown rice and wilted lettuce.

Enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

3/4 lb dried lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
4 cups whole milk (I used 2 % and it tasted great)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 lbs portobello mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Cook lasagna noodles for 10 minutes in boiling water with a dash of salt. Drain and set aside.

For white sauce, bring milk to simmer in saucepan. Set aside. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan, add flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour hot milk into butter/flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp salt, the pepper and nutmeg, stirring until thick (about 3-5 minutes). Set aside.

Remove stems from mushrooms and slice caps 1/4 in thick. (I used baby bellas and chopped them up into smaller pieces.) Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in large saute pan. Saute mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt until tender (about 5 minutes). If they become too dry, add a bit more oil. Toss to cook evenly.

To assemble lasagna, spread some sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 greased baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce. Then 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan. Repeat layers 2 more times,and finally top with a layer of noodles, sauce, then parmesan cheese.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, until top is browned and sauce is bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then serve.

I got this recipe from Sierra Schlegel (soon to be Longobardo). It is super delicious, hope you enjoy!

Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallot or onion
4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup 1% or fat-free milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and ginger and cook until softened. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan. Simmer for about 4 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the broth and milk and just bring to a boil.

Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor or blender. (I used a hand blender and blended it in the saucepan.) Blend until smooth. Return to the pan and serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a little hot sauce at the end because we like it a little spicy.

60 calories/2 grams fat in 3/4 cup.

Mexican Turkey Burgers

1 (20 oz) pkg extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp Mexican seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle)
1 tsp minced garlic
Whole grain buns

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, cilantro, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, seasoning and garlic. Mix well. Divide into 4 or 6 burgers.

Grill for 3 minutes on each side, or until the inside is no longer pink. (I cooked them in a skillet on the stove with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom.) Serve on buns, top with salsa, avacodo, etc. These are less than 200 calories per burger/3 grams of fat. And realllly good.
I actually made an avacodo aioli and served that with them. Recipe is below.


Avacado Aioli
1 med. ripe avacado
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground black pepper

Combine avacado, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. You could also serve this on sandwiches or as a dip. Only 35 calories/4 grams of fat in 2 Tbsp.

Tortellini Salad

Lg. (20 oz) container fresh cheese tortellini (Buitoni), cooked according to directions on pkg.
Lg. jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1 cup Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian salad dressing
Broccoli flowerettes
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Green onions
Olives
Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini, drain and let cool a little. Add remaining ingredients, refrigerate a couple of hours to let all the flavors mix. You can add or subtract any of the veggies, whatever you like. You may have to add more Italian dressing after it has sat a while.

Enjoy :)

Chicken Tacos in the Crock Pot

Ingredients

2-3 frozen chicken breasts (in the bag)

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

1 can Rotel (drain half the liquid off), or 1 small jar of salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

Directions

~In the morning, place all ingredients in the crock pot (yes, even the frozen chicken) on low

~Cook on low 8-10 hrs (6-7 may do if you have a good crock pot)

~In the late afternoon, shred the chicken using 2 forks

~Add chicken back to crock pot and mix with other ingredients and let cook until ready to serve

Serves at least 4 adults. Serve on whole wheat tortillas topped with your favorite toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion, avacado, etc...). I usually serve with Rice-a-Roni Spanish rice.

Enjoy :)