Strawberry Parfaits

These are really light and easy to make. Perfect summer dessert!

1 lg. box vanilla pudding
1 package strawberries
1 package cool whip
1 small bag vanilla wafers, crushed

You can put this together in a large bowl, or separate into individual portions. The key is to layer. On the bottom put the vanilla wafers, then spoon some vanilla pudding on, then strawberries. Top it off with cool whip. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

*You can do all this the reduced fat way, like I did. Reduced fat vanilla wafers are available, sugar free pudding, and light cool whip. It doesn't taste bad at all. In fact, it tastes GREAT! :)

90 Minute Bread

by Claudia Topham submitted by Traci

1/4 cup honey
2 cups warm water (like a baby bottle)
2 pkgs (or 2 tb. yeast)

Pour honey on the bottom of the bowl. Pour water on top of honey and then yeast on top of the water. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. Then add:

2 tsp. salt
2 tbs oil
5 to 6 cups flour

Knead well (at least 10 minutes) and let sit until double in size (about 30 minutes)

Punch down.

Form into loaves or rolls and let rise for about an hour (or until double). Bake bread 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush with Crisco or butter. Bake rolls about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Brush with Crisco or butter.


I learned how to make this bread in Young Womens and it is super easy to make and delicious!

Mrs. Fields Low-Fat Chocolate Cookies

submitted by Traci

note: if you want a GREAT cook book for desserts buy Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book, it's my favorite cook book!

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

*In a medium bowl, combine the flour, coca, baking soda, and salt.
*In another medium bowl with an electric mixer, blend the brown and granulated sugars. Slowly beat in the oil. Beat in the applesauce, egg whites, and vanilla, and blend on low speed until smooth.
* Add the flour mixture and blend on low speed until the dough is just combined. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour.
*Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
*Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips, then bake for 17 to 19 minutes (do not overbake; when the cookies cool, they will get hard). Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Traci's Notes:
*I actually have never ever had canola oil in my house. I didn't really want to buy it just for this recipe either. So I thought about using vegetable oil, but it turns out that there is actually less fat in butter. I ended up just using 1/3 cup butter instead of the canola oil.
*Also, I did as the recipe said and sprinkled the chocolate chips on top. Next time, however, I think I will just mix them in (and, like this time, there is no way I'm measure just 1/2 cup). This is because the chocolate chips really made a mess on top. Maybe they eventually harden elsewhere, but since I live in AZ, they still haven't solidified totally on top and giving these cookies to a toddler makes a huge mess!
*Finally, these cookies were actually really good. I have eaten about a billion and don't feel guilty because they are low-fat (I know, a billion can add up though). They kind of remind me of Oreo Cakesters. I think next time I make these I will freeze some as sandwiches with lite whipped topping in the middle. I would do it this time... but there are only two left!

Pregnancy Approved/ "Healthy" Cookie Dough

invented by Traci

1/4 cup light margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup oats
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup - 1 cup chocolate chips

Combine margarine, applesauce, sugars and vanilla in a small to medium bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients. Stir. Enjoy!

I just invented this recipe (I was craving cookie dough) and have only tried it once, so there very well may be edits. I just had to write it down before I forgot how I did it. This dough doesn't have the raw egg of regular cookie dough so it's safe for pregnancy. Plus, I used light margine for part of the butter and replaced the rest of the butter with applesauce. The applesauce makes the dough sweeter, so I reduced the sugar. I figure adding oats in adds a little extra fiber too, therefore making the dough healthy :)! Okay, less unhealthy. I am aware that the salt and the baking soda don't really make a difference because the dough isn't going to be baked, but I swear I can tell a slight difference in taste when I don't add them. It's up to you whether you want to include these ingredients.

Marshmallow Fondant

Marshmallow Fondant----- by Amanda, an expert apparently

16 ounces white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar
½ cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

**NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Traci's note: Another recipe I read had exactly the same ingredients, but that lady liked to stir the powered sugar in as much as possible in the bowl before kneading it out. I kind of tried it that way, but a lot of the powdered sugar stuck to the bowl, but it generally worked. Anyway, just thought I'd throw that in.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake. Its best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic- type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make 2 batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance.

P.S. Another note from Traci: I also dyed some of the fondant for the turrets and for the flowers. That was actually really easy to do. You just put a few drops of food coloring in the fondant and work it through by kneading it like bread. If you have gloves, you may want to wear them, but I didn't have any so I was just really careful to put the dye in the middle of the ball of fondant and not to touch the pure dye.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet italian seasoning (dry)
1 package cream cheese

Mix together, along with 1-2 cups water. Add chicken breasts. Cook for 3-4 hours in crockpot and wa-la! Serve over rice.

Hawaiian Chicken

Put chicken breast pieces in a 9x13 pan.

Mix:
1 small bottle Thousand Island dressing
1 Cup brown sugar
1 6 oz. can concentrated frozen orange juice

Pour mixture over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Serve with rice if desired.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

MUFFINS:

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped apples

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin liners. Bake 18-23 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

STRUESEL TOPPING:

1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter

Mix ingredients together and sprinkle on each muffin, before baking.

Potato Cheese Soup

(From Mom's Recipe Collection)

Boil:

6 c.chicken broth
1 Tbsp. dried onion
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes.

Add:

8 Tbsp. margarine 4 c. milk
8 Tbsp. flour 2 to 3 c. grated cheese
1 tsp salt

Boil first 4 ingredients together until done, then sort of mash up potatoes with potato masher.

In saucepan, add last 4 ingredients and make a white sauce to thicken. Add to broth mixture. If too thick, add milk; if too runny, and potato pearls or any instant potatoes.

Add 2 to 3 cups grated cheese, a little bit at a time. Can garnish with some of the grated cheese.

Rich and Chewy Low Fat Brownies

contributed and modified by Traci
from http://www.recipezaar.com/

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup white sugar
2 egg whites (or one whole egg)
3/4 cup applesauce

1. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using a hand mixer. Add egg whites, applesauce and vanilla.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a separate smaller bowl and add to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. Do NOT overmix!
3. Spray 8x8 dish with PAM and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Makes 16 brownies.

before the modifications, the nutrition facts state that this recipe has 1.8g of fat per serving and 147 calories. But then I modify it.
Traci's modifications: I added a few chocolate chips. I also put a thin glaze on top a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. I made the glaze by melting 1 tablespoon of butter. then I added 3 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar and a 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and then milk until I achieved the right consistency. I then spread the glaze on the brownies. For being low-fat, these brownies were pretty tasty! Plus a lot of the reviews said they tasted better the second day. I guess they kind of did.

TIP: I doubled the recipe and made a 9 x 13 pan of them. Then, I cut the brownies into squares/rectangles, and wrapped each square in a piece of plastic wrap and then a piece of foil. I then put the brownies in a ziploc in the freezer. This way I didn't eat them all at once and they are actually very tasty frozen. They were also a quick treat for Gary to take in his lunches. That one pan lasted us several weeks in the freezer, a small miracle indeed :) (I won't hypothesize how long they would have lasted had I not frozen them...)

4-30-09
Okay so I made these again tonight and doubled them and I'm pretty sure that 1.5 times the recipe would have been sufficient to fill the 9 x 13 pan.