3-Step Brownies with Peanut Butter Icing!

April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Brownies with Peanut Butter Icing!

 

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I finished up my Spring Thirty One season on Friday with a great party from a new hostess of mine. She served some AMAZING food and my favorite was the dessert. I have to admit that I normally try not to eat, or just eat very little at my parties. Most of the time I don’t have time to, but there are occasions when the food is just too good to pass up. And this was one of them.

I tried this dessert which looked like chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Come to find out that it’s BROWNIES! I love me some brownies but every time I make them at home my husband has them gone by next morning and the most I usually get to eat is 1-2 plus the batter I licked from the spoon after I got them in the oven. Can you relate?

I asked the hostess what the recipe was and I was shocked at how simple it was and totally excited that I had all of the ingredients in my cabinet at home!

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  • 1 box Brownie Mix (prepared as directed on box)
  • 1 Container of White Icing (I used cream cheese icing and it was delicious)
  • 1 scoop Peanut Butter

That was it!

 

So I come home that night, eager to try this recipe once I got my son in bed only to discover that I’m missing brownies AND peanut butter :( …

So… 3 days later when I finally make it to the store I can finally make this!

 

I baked the brownies in a 13×9″ baking pan and then let cool on a wire rack.

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Meanwhile, I emptied the icing into a bowl and added a HUGE scoop of Peanut Butter. As I’m mixing, I turn around to find my 2 1/2 year old with his whole hand in the Peanut Butter jar. Oh, the joys of motherhood with a toddler ;) I live for those moments though.

Mix the icing and peanut butter until it’s well blended. It will be a tan/light caramel color when finished.

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Once the brownies have cooled somewhat, spread the frosting over the top, cut, serve and ENJOY! These are so good while the brownies are still warm. Try to resist the urge to eat the whole pan….as I tell my husband ;)

 

 

I mentioned my Thirty One business in this post. Be sure to check out what’s new for Summer at www.mythirtyone.com/AmandaSmearman!

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes

4 Weight Watchers Point Mixed Berry Smoothie

February 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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In my journey to a healthier lifestyle, I’ve certainly had ups and downs. Mid-afternoon is usually a down-time for me. My son is napping, I’m usually catching up on work and also looking for that “something sweet” to last me until dinner time.

Smoothies are something that I can turn to that will not only satisfy that sweet-tooth, but will also keep me full and provide a ton of nutrients that I wouldn’t get in a Ho-Ho :) .

I tried this smoothie today for the first time and it was really good. The best part is that it’s only 3 WW points per 8oz serving!

Here’s how easy it is…

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Frozen Mixed Berries

1/2 cup Plain Frozen Yogurt (this makes it very thick. If you like it thinner, use regular yogurt instead of frozen)

1 cup Almond Milk

1 tbsp Stevia (optional)

 

Mix all ingredients in blender until well blended.

Makes approx. 16oz.

4 WW Points per 8oz serving.

 

*Note: You will be able taste the almond milk well with the amount called for above. If you’d like less of that taste please adjust the amount called for or use an alternative.

 

Have a variation of this recipe? I’d love for you to share it below!

 

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Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies

Slow Cooker Pork Chops w/Apple Stuffing Recipe

January 24, 2013 By 1 Comment

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This recipe was adapted from this one found on SparkRecipes.

In my quest to try different recipes this year, I have to say that this will be one that will be repeated at least once a month. It was so easy and so delicious. The pork chops were so tender that you could cut them with just a fork, no knife required!

Check out this easy recipe below…

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Print
Slow Cooker Pork Chops w/Apple Stuffing Recip
Recipe type: Slow Cooker Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes we’ve had and is one that will be repeated at least once a month. YUM!
Ingredients
  • (4) ½” thick boneless pork chops
  • (1) package Stove Top Pork Stuffing
  • (1) medium onion (diced)
  • (1) medium apple (diced) – you could use 2 for a more prominent apple flavor
  • (1) cup chopped celery
  • (1) cup Fat Free, Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Instructions
  1. Spray slow cooker with a light coat of non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix stuffing mix, apple, celery, onion and chicken broth together until it is moistened.
  3. Layer ½ the stuffing mix on bottom of slow cooker.
  4. Top that with the pork chops (you can season them to your preference. I did not use seasoning and really felt, for us, that they didn’t need any.)
  5. Add the remaining stuffing mix on top of the pork chops.
  6. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes
The original recipe called for 6 pork chops, but we only used 4. We did not adjust the amount of stuffing used, but who doesn’t like a little extra stuffing ;)

 

Filed Under: Dinners, Recipes, Slow Cooker

Easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken

January 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

One of our New Year’s goals was to eat at home more to save money. We have a tendency to get bored with that same meals over and over again, as anyone would, so I’ve spent a lot of time on Pinterest and recipe sites making my lists of yummy meals to try.

This recipe is to quick and easy to make and it is SO good. I found it on SparkRecipes.com, and mine varies only slightly from the original. We served it over a plain baked potato and it was so filling and just as good warmed up a couple days later for leftovers!

Check out the recipe after the pictures…

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Print
Easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4-6
 

Ingredients
  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, diced
  • 2 cups Fat-free, low sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 small can of mushrooms, drained
  • 2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup, low sodium
  • 3 oz Cream Cheese

Instructions
  1. Add chicken broth and chicken in to a large non-stick skillet and cook on high until broth begins to boil.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking, stirring occassionally, until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 30 minutes.
  3. Add in soup, mushrooms, and cream cheese and stir until all is well mixed and cream cheese is melted. Usually about 5-10 minutes.
  4. Serve over baked potato, rice or noodles.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 cup

 

Filed Under: Dinners, Recipes

Stretching Your Dollar on Pasta Sauce

January 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Looking to stretch your Pasta sauce dollar? I just shared the way I double my servings on Pasta sauce over at my other site! Click HERE to read!

Filed Under: Recipes, Sauces

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

January 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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We kicked off January with our plan to get healthy, and we started off with a Yummy Turkey Chili. My Husband actually said that he preferred this to our usual ground beef chili!

It was so simple to put together and having it cook in the slow cooker all day made our house smell so good on a cold winter day.

We made extra so we could freeze the leftovers too.

Print
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 12
 

Ingredients
  • 2lbs Ground Turkey
  • 2 Medium Onions
  • Garlic Cloves (depending on your taste)
  • 1 28oz can of Stewed Tomatoes
  • 1 28oz can of Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 6oz can Tomato Paste
  • 1 can low-sodium Beef Broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 4-tsp Chili Powder
  • Salt – to taste
  • Pepper – to taste
  • 1-tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Black, Pinto or Kidney Beans (Optional)

Instructions
  1. Cook Ground Turkey and onions until done. Drain and move them to the slow cooker.
  2. Add in the tomatoes, beef broth, water and seasonings. (all seasoning amounts are estimates. Please be your own judge depending on your taste)
  3. Stir until the meat and onion mixture is well blended with the other ingredients.
  4. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 cup

 

 

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, Recipes, Slow Cooker

Yummy & Versatile Slow Cooker Apples

January 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I love apples, especially cooked apples. In fact that’s the only way my husband will eat them. I stock up whenever they’re on  sale.

I buy with the best of intentions of eating them all before they go bad. That usually doesn’t happen though. Apples are generally good in the refrigerator for about 6 weeks (give or take).

One way I’ve decided to be sure that no apples go to waste is to put them in the slow cooker and them freeze them. And FYI – your home will smell AMAZING during this process!

Here’s how I do it…

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This particular batch featured 12 apples, including Gala, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious.

I peeled, cored, and sliced (about 1/4-1/2 inch thick) and placed them all in the slow cooker. I then added 1 cup of sugar and sprinkled in some Cinnamon, Allspice, and Nutmeg. I did not measure the spices. You can gauge with your eyes depending on your personal preference.

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Once everything was added, I stirred the apples to make sure the spices and sugar coated all of them.

Cook them on Low heat for about 3 hours, or until they have just a little bite left. I’ve found that if you do not leave them with a little bite, they can become very mushy depending on what you will use them for after they are unthawed.

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Once you have determined they are done, take the lid off the slow cooker and allow them to cool slightly before storing.

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I used a ladle and put about 2 ladles full per bag. You can also put a few table spoons of the liquid left in the slow cooker in each bag.

I prefer to store my in freezer bags because they take up less space. If you freeze them flat, they take up much less space and you can squeeze the bags in smaller spaces if your freezer is already full.

Now that you have these frozen apples, what can you do with them? Well, there are many options. Thaw them in the fridge to make apple crisp (won’t take as long to bake since the apples are pre-cooked), add them to dinner the next time you make pork chops, make apple pie, or my personal favorite… once thawed, heat them either on the stove or in the microwave and put them over vanilla ice cream! YUM :)

Filed Under: Freezer Cooking, Recipes, Slow Cooker