Crab Rangoon Bites

I was craving crab rangoon today...I had these ingredients in my fridge/pantry so this was my solution...and my lunch ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Makes 16 appetizers
(55 calories each)




INGREDIENTS

16 wonton wrappers
4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
8 oz. pkg of flake style imitation crab meat
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 TBL of sugar




DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1) Place wonton wrappers into a non stick mini muffin tin.

2) Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.

3) Scoop one heaping tablespoon into each wrapper and fold the edges up around the edges of the filling.

4) Bake for approximately 12-13 minutes watching so the edges don't get too brown.








ENJOY!!!

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Back on the wagon!!!

In the groove and feeling good ;)

I just wanted to quickly share something for the tea lovers out there. This is by no way, shape, or form a replacement for chocolate....but it helped me get through the past few nights by not snacking in the evenings.

It's CHOCOLATE tea!!!

The brand is The Republic of Tea and while I bought it online I have also seen it sold at Whole Foods.

The taste is smooth and not bitter like some teas. Hot I like to add some splenda or sugar along with a tiny splash of non-fat creamer and that really helps curb a sweet craving.

Believe it or not, I also enjoy it cold. ;)

So...I would recommend The Republic of Tea to any tea lovers and/or dieters. If you order online they often send you samples of different flavors or new flavors. Which is really nice!!!




On a side note...I'm also living vicariously through baked good candle smells since I'm trying to stay away from actually baking them.

Check out at this absolutely adorable Paula Deen candle I came across at Wal-Mart:




This candle was fast burning so it didn't really last very long. The smell was fantastic, but it was pretty much centralized around the candle itself. While it didn't really fill the air with the smell of Apple Crumb Cake, it was super cute while trying!!! It would make a really great gift for the foodie in your life ;)

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Red Pepper BioFresh Test

Nothing real scientific here...just using the bags and reporting the results.

This red pepper is from a produce delivery dated September 12th. Today is October 1st and this pepper is still crisp and no sign of wrinkling ;)



I actually had two peppers and the first one met it's destiny in some western hash browns with this morning's breakfast.




This remaining pepper will accompany some of her friends and family to a party inside Mr. Iceberg's house later this week. Others in attendance will be her younger brother Mr. Green Pepper, Mr. Water Chestnut, Mrs. Scallion and Mr. Carrot...the beautiful Miss Fresh Ginger who is bringing her new Baby Portabella for everyone to meet. The life of the party Mr. Ground Chicken will probably be the first one to jump in the pool. They will all lounge around in a hot tub filled with soy sauce, honey and red pepper flakes and then finally all meet up for dinner inside with Miss Riesling.

What a great party!!!

Until then....




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Day 7 ~ The Bionic Banana!!!

So here it is Day 7! My unbagged banana was mysteriously gone, but that is fine because it was in it's last life as you saw in my last post.

The BioFresh banana on Day 7.




The outside is now yellow, no brown spots at all.




Completely ripe and ready to enjoy on the inside. One spot even a bit overripe, but that is PERFECT in my opinion AND the best news...it tastes like a banana!!!

Results: I would totally recommend these bags to everyone!!!

Here is where you can get them:

Keep Fresh, LLC
(760) 645-3687
www.keepfreshbags.com


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Day 5 ~ BioFresh

Significant differences from yesterday. No need for closeups on the left, but there are STILL no brown spots on the banana in the BioFresh bag.

I'm really praying that no one in my family eats my testing materials...these are the last two bananas in my house ;)

Happy Friday!!!


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BioFresh Banana Challenge ~ Day 4

Well, there is a difference!!!





Let's take a closer look at Banana #1 that is NOT in the BioFresh Bag:




This banana does have some brown spots. It is starting to ripen.

Now let's look at Banana #2 that is inside of the BioFresh Bag:




It may be hard to tell, but so far there is no brown spotting. It has turned yellow so it too is ripening, but at a slower pace.

I think the real challenge here is actually going to be the taste. It is clear that the bags work. However, I've been told it may alter the taste??? We shall see! I will let it go a bit longer just to see the dramatic difference, but then I will try a blind taste test with both bananas! Stay tuned...

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Day 1 ~ BioFresh Bags

The banana challenge! Day 1

On the left...the banana NOT stored in a BioFresh Bag.

On the right...the banana stored in a BioFresh Bag.

Let's watch and see the difference!




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Carrot Pumpkin Muffins

Remember back in the day when the 2 pt. Weight Watchers Pumpkin Muffin recipe was the best thing on earth?

If I remember correctly it called for a spice cake mix, 1 cup of water and a 15 oz. can of 100% pure pumpkin. Well, that is kind of what I did here.

The texture of those muffins were more of a bread pudding rather than a muffin. So, my plan with these was to create a more muffin like texture and here is the ingredients that I used:

Spice Cake Mix
15 oz. Pumpkin
2 cups carrot, grated
4 egg whites

I stirred all the ingredients together until just combined. Then baked for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The verdict:

Same ol' WW muffin :-/

The texture is still more like a bread pudding and that isn't necessarily a bad thing...just not what I was hoping for. They still tasted great and are just a tad more firm than the original. My son can easily take them in his lunch.

Calories per muffin: 130




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Infused Sea Salts

Today I was at Whole Foods (love that place!) and I came across a whole section of infused sea salts. Many different and interesting flavors such as cabernet, ginger, garlic, coconut-lime, and curry. At one point I even had the curry in my cart with the thought of using it on salmon. I decided to put it back though because $16.99/lb for salt is a little much.

When I got home I thought to myself... I can totally make that and off to the kitchen I went.

In about 1 minute I had infused sea salt for MUCH less. Here is how I did it.

First, make a paste with 2 tsp of curry powder (or your favorite ground dry spice) and 1 T of water.




Next mix together really well with 1/2 cup of salt.



Finally, spread out in a thin even layer to dry. I'm still waiting for mine to dry, but I imagine once the water has evaporated thoroughly you will need to store in a container with a tight fitting lid in a cool dry place.

I'm really looking forward to trying this with other flavors. It would also be great as a gift in a pretty glass jar decorated with a nice ribbon!!!

Enjoy!




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Yucky Gnocchi

I got this at World Market about a month ago. I thought it would go well tonight with our meal of Italian Beef...kind of in place of mashed potatoes.

I. Thought. Wrong.

Total yuck!!! Pass this up if you come across it and go for a baked potato instead.

I had high hopes, but was very disappointed ;(



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STRAWBERRIES!!!

Well, this weekend can go down in the record books as the most strawberries used in my house...that is for sure ;)

Our coop got a GREAT deal on Strawberries...only $6.50 per flat.





They were absolutely gorgeous!!!

I also ended up with a bushel of green peppers so there was a lot happening in my kitchen over the weekend. Here are a few pictures of just a small portion of what all took place ;)




First up a double batch of reduced sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam. Getting ready to take out my aggression on some berries!!! Notice my PW Perfect Iced Coffee was ready and by my side!!!





My Pampered Chef Mix-n-Chop was the perfect tool to crush the berries.








Beautiful distractions made the process just a little bit longer. How could I not take a picture of that PERFECT strawberry!





Cut, chop, dump, cut, chop, dump....until I had 8 cups of crushed berries ;)





FINALLY 8 cups!!!




Here is Ethan helping me fill the jars. He was a bit too messy for my liking...



So easy and including distractions it only took about an hour ;)




Next, let's can some STRAWBERRY CHIPOTLE SAUCE!!! My new favorite!!! That same sweet and smokey flavor as the Raspberry Chipotle I've made in the past, but no annoying seeds!




BEAUTIFUL!!!





This may sound weird, but here is another sweet/savory jelly in the works. I was making pepper juice for GREEN PEPPER JELLY! It was pureed green bell peppers, chopped green chiles and garlic being strained through cheesecloth to make "juice".




The juice is then cooked with vinegar and sugar to make this absolutely amazing looking jelly. I did use a little food coloring for a brighter green color. This would be good over cream cheese with crackers. I think it would also make a great glaze over roasted chicken or pork.


How about we finish this blog with something even more sweet???

We had the best Sunday morning breakfast we've had in a long time. I used the New Hope Mills whole wheat pancake mix that I got from the coop. It is by far the best whole wheat pancake mix I've had. The texture was light and fluffy. The flavor was wonderful alongside those fresh berries and the whipped cream!








Is this breakfast or dessert? Who cares, let's eat!!!

Thank you COMMUNITY HELPINGS PRODUCE COOP for keeping me busy this weekend. Next weekend is Carrot Cake Jam weekend...stay tuned!!!


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Thank you PIONEER WOMAN!!!

First, let me say that I'm super stoked for the premeire of The Pioneer Woman's new show on The Food Network this Saturday!!! I'm seriously considering adding a DVR option to our already overpriced satellite package or either skipping my son's first Saturday morning soccer game of the season in order to watch because I love her so much!!! Nahh...just kidding.  I'm sure I can catch it on a rerun soon.  Hopefully.  Finger crossed.

Secondly, if you don't know who The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) is....have you been living under a rock?  She is this georgous red head from Oklahoma with a slight southern twang.  She is a author and blogger (that I bow down to) who writes about her life which includes topics such as cooking, photography, and homeschooling her children.  She has this hilarious sense of humor and if you read her blogs you almost always Laugh. Out. Loud.  She is an inspiration to many and just an overall amazing gal (Ha! I act like I personally know her or something) and I wish her well on The Food Network.

Okay....so onto THANKING her for recently changing my morning coffee routine and my afternoon coffee breaks!!!

So...here it is....the most recent highlight of my life......ICED COFFEE!!!

Whoopty doo???  Did you say WHOOPTY DOO!!!  Watch it now!!! 

This stuff is not just any iced coffee....it is according to Ree, THE PERFECT ICED COFFEE and I have to say that I fully 110% agree with her!!!

I won't bother you with listing all the ingredients or even attempting to recreate the wonderful pictures that Ree has posted on her site.  (My IPhone did a fancy job at documenting my 3 o'clock coffee break, don'tcha think?)

Instead I will just direct you to her site and have you take it from there.

The Pioneer Woman's PERFECT ICED COFFEE!!!

AND....don't forget to catch her on Food Network starting this Saturday morning at 10:30 (CST).

Cheers!!!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I'm not a die hard low-carber, but I do like to limit my carbs and that is kind of hard to do when you are a pizza lover like I am.  So, a while back I ran into a blog called Your Lighter Side (by the way, great blog!) and this Low Carb Pizza Dough has been on my mind ever since because it was made with CAULIFLOWER!!!  Yes, you heard me right....cauliflower!  So...it just so happens that we recevied cauliflower in our produce basket last week so I figured it was time to try it out.

Now, I've used cauliflower in place of rice and potatoes before....but pizza crust???  Hmmm...

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of cauliflower, cooked and riced
1 egg
1 cup of cheese
2 tsp of the seasoning of your choice
(see below for some suggestions)


DIRECTIONS:

First, let's make the riced cauliflower.  You can use frozen and cook according to the package directions, but I think fresh is best.  Cut the florets away from the stem and place them into boiling water for about 7-9 minutes until tender.  Then I like to use the Pampered Chef Mix-N-Chop tool and just chop it all up until you have CAULIFLOWER RICE!!!  One medium head of cauliflower should make about 3 cups of riced cauliflower and it should look like this...super easy, huh?  Yes!  Moving on.......

Next, PREHEAT your oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together 1 cup of the riced cauliflower, 1 cup of cheese, 1 egg, and 2 tsp. of seasoning.  Let your imagaination do the flavor work here.  What sounds good?  Mozzarella Cheese/Italian Seasoning?  Cheddar Cheese/Mexican Seasoning?  Just make sure that the cheese you are putting into this crust is NOT a soft cheese.  It needs to be a cheese that when cooked gets that crispy goodness you will be looking for within the crust.  So...best advice...stick with the cheddars, mozzarella (not fresh), parmesan, oooh...maybe pepperjack???  Okay...sorry...must focus!

Once you have mixed it all together, place onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.




BEFORE





AFTER

When it comes out of the oven you want to let it sit a few minutes and cool down a bit.  When it is straight out of the oven it is still just a tad bit mushy, but as it cools it tightens up very nicely and the edges have that cheesy crunchy goodness you expect from a good pizza crust. 

When you are ready to eat, top the crust with your favorite pizza sauce, cooked meats, veggies, more cheese and then broil on high until the cheese is melted.

Last night I made a couple different versions and I also tested out doubling the recipe.  If you double the recipe be sure to increase the cooking time approximately 5-7 minutes.

BEFORE - doubled recipe made in the
Medium Sized Pampered Chef Stone Bar Pan

AFTER baking....it looks good enough to eat just like this!!!

Here are a few photos of our finished Cauliflower Pizza Crust Pizzas!!!  The kids (and Rich) didn't even know it was cauliflower!!!  Shhhh.....



For the kids:  Pepperoni and Cheddar



For us BIG kids:  Portabella and Mozzarella
with fresh basil and thinly sliced fresh tomatoes!

Stay tuned for the following ideas and uses for this same recipe:
Mexican Pizza
Breakfast Pizza
Bite Sized Cupcake Pizzas
Breadsticks


(SPECIAL NOTE: This recipe is an adaptation to the original which can be found at Your Lighter Side.)

ENJOY!!!

FACELIFT!!!!

Speaking of faces....how cute is this one eating some homegrown Missouri watermelon that we got last week from the produce coop.  I know he is mine, but isn't he adorable?

Anyway....I also decided tonight that I really wanted to get back to this blogging thing.  Last year I had branched out with my friend, Jessica Loftus, and have been co-blogging with her over at Cook. Eat. Drink. Repeat. The summer months kind of put me into a hiatus, but I'm eager to get back into the swing of things here at Knife, Fork and Spoon With Me.

I've also recently launched a new blog that will take you through my journey to losing 33 lbs in 33 weeks which just so happens to be when I will celebrate my 33rd birthday.  If you would like to follow me and see my progress over there come check out: OPERATION 33

However, if you are simply interested in family friendly, healthy, and sometimes not so healthy FOOD...stick around here.

I recently became a group leader for a local produce group through a coop that I've bragged about on here several times.  We get A LOT of produce every two weeks and I love figuring out new things to do with it.  So....be prepared for several Community Helpings Coop plugs and lot's of recipes and fun ideas for how to use what I come home with.  For even more great produce coop idea's check out the founder of the coop, Tracy's blog All This and Now What?

So, I'm back, with a bit of a facelift, I'm feeling refreshed and ready to blog!  Welcome back readers...now let's eat!!!

NEW BLOG! ♥ NEW BLOG!

For any followers who may be interested....a fellow foodie and friend of mine, Jess Loftus, have started a new blog.  Me being "The Mom" and her being "The Single Girl" we each give our spin on what we have in common.  Friends, Family, & Food

So, come check it out.  We will also be doing reviews on local restaurants so if you have some place in mind that you want to try....let us know!!!

Click here to come visit: Cook. Drink. Eat. Repeat.

xoxo,
Jessica