Diaper Cake

This is not an edible cake but it is very fun to make anyway! For an upcoming baby shower I made this as an alternative to a traditional gift but incorporated some items they had on their registry (the wrist rattles and seat belt covers). In the center is a bottle of Johnson and Johnson's Baby Wash. Just a fun thing to share with you guys!

It is for a baby girl, so I had to change the green & yellow ribbons for the pink because the diapers turned out to have too much blue and I wanted it to look girl-y and it was a little too boyish, though I loved the green polka dot ribbon.

Shrimp and Orzo

The other day I had been craving shrimp, edamame, and tomatoes. So, I came up with this dish to encompass all of these ingredients!!

Shrimp
1 can stewed whole tomatoes, diced
edamame
orzo (pasta)
italian seasoning

Cook the pasta and drain. Meanwhile, season shrimp with salt and pepper and sear in skillet. Steam edamame in a ziploc steam and fresh bag. When the pasta, shrimp, edamame are done, mix together in a skillet and add tomatoes. Sprinkle with italian seasoning to taste.

This is a off the fly recipe, but it's very tasty!!!

YUM!!

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

This is an interesting take on traditional quiche. It's a lightened up version that you won't feel guilty about eating, even though you won't be able to taste that it's a lightened version!!!

YUM!! This was so good that I had to fight with Rich for the left-overs and I don't like to eat left-overs!!!

1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (or extra-sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, aged or sharp provolone, percorino)
2 large eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1 pie crust, baked and cooled (I just bought the ready-made kind at the store)
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper.

Place the pie plate on a baking pan; spread the spinach over the pie crust, then pour the filling over the spinach. Bake 15 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake until the filling is set, 20 minutes longer. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

**Hint: Make sure your pie crust covers the pie otherwise, the filling will overflow under the crust and the crust will be soggy.

Makes 12 servings

Tried the fries...

We tried the "Arby's" fries and they are very tasty! Boiling them really makes them extra crispy!

To complete the meal...

CHICK-FIL-A : CHICK-N-Strips

1 boneless, skinless chx breast half (5 oz)
2 t unbleached or all purpose flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t cayenne
1 egg white
3 T dry bread crumbs
1/8 t black pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
olive oil spray
1 1/2 t fat - free milk

place chx on a cutting board. cover with a sheet of waxed paper with the smooth side of a meat mallet, point to an even 1/4 " thickness. cut diagonally into 6 equal strips (4"x3/4").

in a small re-sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. shake to mix well. add the chx. shake to completely coat the chx with the flour mixture. place in the fridge for at least 10 min.

preheat the oven to 450. lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. set aside.

in a small shallow bowl, combine the egg white and milk. beat with a fork until smooth. place the bread crumbs on a small sheet of waxed paper set next to the egg white mixture.

one at a time, dip the chx strips into the egg white mixture, being sure to coat completely. allow any excess egg white to drip off. dip into the bread crumbs to coat completely. place, not touching, on the reserved baking sheet.

lightly mist bohth side with oil spray.

bake 4-6 min per side, or until the breading is crisp and the chx is no longer pink inside.

Arby's Curly Fries

Another french fry recipe...

I haven't tried these yet, but I plan to!

Arby's Curly Fries

1 3/4 t salt, divided
4 russet potatoes (8 oz each; 2 lbs total), peeled
oil oil spray
2 1/2 T egg substitute
1 1/2 T unbleached or all-purpose flour
2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 t salt.

Meanwhile, with a twin curl cutter, cut 7 oz of potato curls, about 2 cups. (Cover with water and refrigerate the scraps for another recipe) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. Set aside.

transfer the potato curls to the boiling water. cook for exactly 3 m but no longer or they will break. drain in a colander. set aside for about 5 m to cool.

meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg substitute, flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and the remaining 3/4 t salt. With a fork, mix until well blended. Add the potatoes. Toss them with your fingers until they are coated with the seasoning mixture. Transfer, allowing any excess seasoning mixture to drip off, to the reserved baking sheet. arrange the potatoes, not touching in a single layer. lightly mist with oil spray. bake for 18-24 m, turning them about halfway through, until crisp and cooked through.

"Sonic" Tater Tots

I found this "healthful" version of tater tots.. who doesn't love a good tater tot...

SONIC TATER TOTS:

olive oil spray
1 1/4 c bagged refrigerated pre-shredded potatoes
1 1/2 T egg substitute
1/2 t salt

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly mist a large nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. Place the potatoes on a cutting board. With a knife, chop them finely. transfer to a mixing bowl. add the egg substitute and salt. stir to mix well.

using a measuring spoon, scoop out a level tablespoon of the mixture. shape into a nugget and place on the reserved baking sheet. continue until all of the mixture is scooped, shaped, and placed, not touching, in a single layer on the baking sheet. there should be about 13 nuggets.

lightly mist with oil spray. bake for about 20 m, flipping the nuggets a quarter turn every 5 m, or until crisp and lightly covered.