Southwestern Beef

Southwestern Beef

1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 lb. or so beef roast, trimmed of fat but left whole (I used a rump roast)
1 heaping tsp. chili powder
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
1 heaping tsp. cumin
1 heaping tsp. Kosher salt
2 bell peppers (you can use 2 green bell peppers or mix it up a little with red, yellow, or orange; just make sure one is green. I only used 1 green), chopped
1 14 1/2 oz. can Mexican-style diced tomatoes OR 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (regular or mild, depending on your preference)
Small flour tortillas
Desired toppings: salsa or pico-de-gallo, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, etc. (I just did pico and guac)

Place chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Combine seasonings in a small bowl and then rub seasoning mixture all over the roast. (I had some leftover) Place roast over onions, top with chopped peppers,
and then pour the canned tomatoes on top of everything.(I just spooned mine over the roast) Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours then shred the meat with two forks. Then serve with desired toppings!

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS: Place tomatoes in the bottom of a freezer safe container. Place green peppers on top of tomatoes, then the seasoned roast, then the onions. When ready to cook, invert the container so the tomatoes are on top and cook 1-2 hours longer than the original recipe states. Or make ahead and freeze the cooked meat.

Cranberry Nut Bread

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cranberry Nut Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Muffins, Quick Breads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cranberries -- cut in half
1 orange -- juice & rind (add OJ or water to
make 3/4 c. of liquid)
1/2 cup pecans

Grease and flour a 1-lb. loaf pan. Combine all ingredients,
don't over mix. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Should leave
sides of pan when done; test with a toothpick. Let stand
for 24 hours. Freezes well.

Source:
"Ocean Spray"
Yield:
"1 pound"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 204 Calories; 6g Fat
(25.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate;
1g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat;
1 Other Carbohydrates.

I do cut the cranberries by hand or get DH to if I'm lucky.
You can chop the nuts in the processor. I would do them first
and remove. Then do your orange, the whole orange less seeds.
Add your other liquid ingredients and then add the dry to mix.
If it appears too dry, here is where I add more OJ.
Stir your previously chopped nuts and the cranberries in last.

PER SERVING (1 slice): Cal. 211, Fat Cal. 54, Protein 3grams, Carb. 37grams,
 Fat 6grams, Chol. 18mg., Sodium 313mg.

SOURCE:  Ocean Spray

CAROL'S CRANBERRY SANDWICH BREAD

CAROL'S CRANBERRY SANDWICH BREAD

1 1/8 c 1% milk
1 tbsp light butter
1 1/2 c bread flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar -- + 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 1/2 tsp yeast -- bread machine
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c chopped onion -- sauteed, optional

Place ingredients in mixer bowl of bread machine
in the order according to your bread machine.
Program to Dough Cycle.

When the "add in" feature beeps, toss in the dried cranberries.
When dough cycle is finished, remove dough from bread machine,
shape into a loaf & place in a greased 9"x5" loaf pan.**********
OR a long sandwich loaf pan.

Let rise , covered, in a warm place for 25 minutes.
Heat oven to 375° & bake the loaf for 30 minutes.
Test for hollow sound & if needed, bake an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from pan & let cool completely on a wire rack.

20 slices @ 2 Points each.
22 thin slices @ 1 Point each

**The Points remain the same if you use ALL white bread flour
***If adding the sauteed onions, increase the poultry seasoning
to 1 1/2 tsp. & add a dash of pepper.
****OR follow the bread machine directions and bake in the machine.

Slow Cooker Potato Broccoli Soup

4 potatoes, peeled and
cubed
1 head broccoli, diced
1 onion, minced
7 cups milk ( I reconstitute non-fat dry milk-less expensive!)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh
chives
2 cups instant potato
flakes
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Combine the cubed potatoes, diced potatoes, broccoli,
onion, milk, garlic powder, and chives in a slow cooker; cover, and cook on
High for 4 hours. Stir the instant potato flakes and bread crumbs into the
soup. Reduce heat to Low and simmer another 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Frozen Gourmet Cookie Dough Recipe

Frozen Gourmet Cookie Dough
Copyright © 2001, 2006 by Michelle Jones, editor of BetterBudgeting.com

For cookie lovers around the world there are not many things better than a warm, freshly baked, chocolate chip cookie right from the oven. But after you bake the first batch the rest usually go into a container to be enjoyed at a later time. They still taste great, but not quite as good as the very first batch.

Then one day I decided to start saving the remaining cookie dough in the fridge to bake later in the week so my family could have those warm fresh baked cookies every time. I did this for many years, until I learned how to make homemade Frozen Gourmet Cookie Dough!

A few years back two of our children had a fundraising program at school selling frozen gourmet cookie dough. To help the school out, we ordered just one of the outrageously priced 3 pound containers, for about $12 (and along with helping the school with their fundraising, as an avid cookie baker, I also wanted to see if the cookies were any good!). And they were very good. After I had used up all the cookie dough I checked out the variety of packaged frozen cookie doughs at the grocery store and their prices were also outrageous. Everyone knows homemade cookies are the best anyways… and cheaper!

So, I came up with a better plan. Not wanting to waste extra money on something I can make myself (but loving the general idea and convenience of frozen cookie dough), I put that $12 empty container of frozen cookie dough from the school to good use. It’s perfectly sized for the freezer, kind of like a large Kool-Aid mix container. With a black permanent marker I wrote through the company name and now it reads right on the lid, Mom’s Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Now, when we make chocolate chip cookies I bake just one dozen, giving each of our six family members two cookies each (this also ensures no one eating too many in one day). Then I place the remaining dough into my Gourmet Cookie container (a Rubbermaid®, Tupperware®, or plastic ice cream bucket would work just fine) and place in the freezer so the dough will stay nice and fresh. And the best thing is there's no rush to bake all the cookies up in one week since the dough keeps fresh in the freezer for 3-6 months.

In addition to making chocolate chip cookies, you could make and freeze just about any kind of cookies you want. Peanut Butter, Sugar, White Chocolate, Chocolate Chunk, M&M’s, Chocolate Chip Pecan… you name it!

Here’s a basic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in case you don’t have one…

	2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
	1 tsp. baking soda
	1/2 t. salt
	1 c. unsalted butter
	3/4 c. sugar
	3/4 c. light brown sugar
	1 tsp. vanilla
	2 eggs
	1 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

In a small bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. Set aside. In large bowl beat butter until soft, then add sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat just until blended. Gradually add flour mixture and blend well. Stir in chips and drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto cool, ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned, do not over bake. Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

When using the frozen dough, just scoop it out of the container by the spoonful and place onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven. The cookies will be thicker than usual and absolutely delicious! Sometimes, if my freezer is running too cold (it does that if you have it packed full), I'll leave the container out on the counter for just a few minutes to let the dough soften.)

I hope you enjoy these freshly baked cookies straight from your own freezer as much as our family does, you can also visit our Cookie Club site for more delicious cookie recipes all throughout the year!

Mexi Beef Casserole Freezer Recipe

Mexi Beef Casserole Freezer Recipe

1 pound ground beef
1 15-oz can sweet corn, drained
1 cup mild, chunky salsa
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 pkg cooked egg noodles
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup taco sauce
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Cook egg noodles according to instructions, drain. Meanwhile, brown beef in a skillet until brown and fully cooked. Drain any grease. In a bowl, combine all ingredients, then pour into a freezer container or a 9x13 baking dish. Freeze (may want to allow it to come down to room temperature before placing in freezer)

On cooking day, thaw completely in fridge (take it out the night before or morning of). In a preheated 325F oven, cook for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly and completely hot throughout. Serve!

Eat Your Veggies Hash Brown Bake

From Healthy Exchanges newsletter  Jan. 2002

"EAT YOUR VEGGIES" HASH BROWN BAKE

2/3 cup Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Land O Lakes no-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 cups (15 ounces) shredded loose-packed frozen potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 (2.5-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Kraft reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with
butter-flavored cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine dry milk
powder and water.  Fold in sour cream, parsley, and pepper.

Add potatoes.  Mix well to combine.  Stir in onion, carrots, green beans, and
mushrooms.  Evenly spread mixture into prepared baking dish.  Bake 45 minutes.

Sprinkle Cheddar cheese evenly over top and continue baking 10 minutes
or until cheese melts.  Place baking dish on a wire rack; cool 5 minutes.

Divide into 6 servings.  Freezes well.

Serves 6 - Each serving equals:
HE:  1 Ve, 1/2 Br, 1/2 Pr, 1/3 SM, 13 OC
168 Calories, 4g Fa, 10g Pr, 23g Ca, 211mg So, 213mg Cl, 3g Fi
DIABETIC:  1 Ve, 1 St, 1/2 Mt

Pumpkin Apple Bread

Pumpkin Apple Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground or fresh grated nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground allspice
1 16 oz. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped small (about 2 cups)

Topping:

1 TB flour
5 TB sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 TB unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350F and grease 6 mini loaf pans (3" by 5 1/2" in size).
[can also be made in two regular loaf pans]

Into a large bowl sift flour, salt, soda, and spices. In another bowl, whisk to blend pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until well combined. Fold in apples; divide batter between pans. Make a slight hollow in the center of the loaves. Blend topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle topping on each loaf.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Test in the center of a loaf with a toothpick. Cool in pans on a rack for 45 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Will keep chilled and wrapped for one week. Will keep frozen, well wrapped for one month.

Paulissa's Veggie Broth

I keep a freezer bag of veggie scraps in my freezer - celery tops, potato skins, onion skins and tops, green pepper portions from when you cut the top off, wilted lettuce, etc. Pretty much anything that isn't spoiled. Leftover veggies that are too few for a serving but you don't want to throw it away either. When the bag gets full, empty it into a pan, cover with some water and simmer until it turns golden broth. Strain the veggie scraps (I put them in the compost heap) and then I freeze the broth to have on hand. No salt, and cheaper than buying it at the store.

Low Fat BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Low Fat BBQ Beef Short Ribs Freezer Recipe

2 lbs beef stew meat, cut bite sized, fat trimmed
5 oz tomato paste
1 cup beef broth (low sodium)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce (sometimes called light soy sauce)
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp fresh pepper

In a large bowl combine tomato paste, water, onion, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, mustard, bouillon powder and pepper, stirring well. Add beef and coat. Pour into freezer container, cover, label and freeze.
To serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator. If not already in a baking dish, pour into one. Cover baking dish. Bake in 325F oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until cooked through and tender. Serve. This is great over rice.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers

1 pound ground meat
1 medium onion
½ pound of sliced mushrooms (rarely have these on hand –but they are nice to add)
2 cups of tomato juice
½ cup brown rice
½ tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and Worcestershire sauce
4 oz. grated cheese – I like cheddar
6 green peppers—cleaned and cut in half

Brown meat and drain if needed. Saute onion and mushrooms. Add tomato juice; bring to a boil. Add rice; cover and simmer until rice is tender (40 min). Add seasonings and cheese. Remove core and stem from peppers – wash out seeds and half peppers.
Freeze at this time.
Defrost before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

My notes
*****I use what meat I have on hand—turkey, venison or ground beef. I add all the spices. And if I have cooked rice I use one cup of cooked rice and a 14 oz. can of tomato sauce instead of the uncooked rice and the tomato juice. Also I put the cheese on top just before baking instead of mixing it in since some in our family can't have the dairy. Also I like to make these, stuff them and let them flash freeze on cookie sheets in the freezer – then once they are frozen solid, I pack them in the vacume sealer so they last longer as it's hard to get all the air out of the bags otherwise. Sometimes I'll add a handful of chopped celery, or a clove of garlic in with the onion. The original recipe is from the LLL cookbook Whole foods for the Whole Family—by the way – an excellent cookbook if you are trying to go whole grain and wanting to use more whole grains in your diet.

Double Chocolate-Banana Muffins

Double Chocolate-Banana Muffins

Recipe By :JoAnna M. Lund
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Make-Ahead Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pourable Sugar Twin
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups (4 ripe medium) mashed bananas
1 egg or equivalent in egg substitute
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup Land O Lakes no-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) mini chocolate chips

"Talk about truly luscious, and you're probably talking about these rich
and creamy good-enough-to-be-dessert muffins! Layering flavors, as I do here
with the two kinds of chocolate, makes a kind of culinary magic sure to make you smile."

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray 8 wells of a 12-hole muffin pan with butter-flavored cooking spray or line with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine flour, Sugar Twin, cocoa, baking powder, and
baking soda. In a small bowl, combine bananas, egg, vegetable oil, and sour cream.
Add banana mixture to flour mixture. Mix gently to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
Evenly spoon batter into prepared muffin wells. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and continue cooling on wire rack. Freezes well.

Pamela's Note: I would fill the rest of the muffin wells with some water to keep from warping the pan.

Serving size (1 muffin)
According to the cookbook:
Per serving: 186 Cal, 6g Fat, 4g Pro, 29g Carb, 159mg Sod, 54mg Calc 2g Fib Healthy Exchanges: 1 Bread, 1 Fruit, 3/4 Fat, 1/2 Slider, 10 Opt. Cal.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1 Fat
Weight Watcher Points: 4

Source:
"Fresh from the Hearth Cookbook, page 84"
Copyright:
"Healthy Exchanges, Inc., 1999 ISBN 0-399-52527-0"
Yield:
"8 muffins"