Archives for May 2012

Picnic Ideas: Crockpot Sub Sandwiches

I’ve been leaning on my crockpot the last few weeks. Soccer games, school events, church events, life is busy. It’s so nice to have a little appliance that does the hard work for you, isn’t it?

We were planning a trip to the park for dinner last week and I knew it was going to be a busy day. On the menu for our picnic was either going to be peanut butter and jelly or lunch meat sandwiches which are necessarily a bad choice, but are quite possibly a little lame. And sure we could have stopped by Subway and gotten $5 subs, but to be honest I’m a cheapo and didn’t want to spend the money. So when picking up groceries that week I grabbed some hoagie rolls so that we could make up our own subs.

It wasn’t until the day of the park outing that I got the bright idea to put these in the crockpot. On my cooking journey, I’m learning that just about anything can be put in a crockpot. So why the heck not place some yummy subs in the crockpot to cook away all day and get toasty, warm, and gooey?

I started out by making up everybody’s sub their way. Mine consisted of a lot of good stuff like chicken breast, turkey, beef, cucumbers, onions, and more. And my daughter’s had just the meat and no cheese or anything else. This is one reason that I absolutely loved this idea. Each person can have whatever they want and yet they all cook at the same time.

I placed some balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of the crockpot to avoid any burning. I think it’s best to keep them in the middle and away from the sides as well. They have a better chance at cooking evenly this way.

 

Here’s what they looked like in all of their foil splendor. At this point I was just crossing my fingers that when I went to remove them they wouldn’t be charred balls of mush. Hey, I’ve never done this before. I did my best not to look at them throughout the day and managed to only peek once. Only to find out that they were doing just fine.

To my surprise, when it was time to leave for the picnic I popped them out and they were everything I’d imaged. Warm, gooey (cheese), browned, a little bit toasty, the onions were softened, and they looked fabulous. These will now always be favorite picnic food! I love that this is so versatile and you can change it up however you please.

Crockpot Sub Sandwiches

Crockpot Sub Sandwiches

Who needs Subway when you can make your own tasty subs at home in your crockpot?

Ingredients

  • Hoagie Buns
  • Lunchmeat of Choice (mine was smoked chicken breast, turkey, and sliced beef)
  • Cheeses of Choice (mine was provolone and a touch of mozzarella)
  • Veggies of Choice (mine was cucumbers, onions, green peppers, and pickles)

Method

  1. Create sub sandwiches according to your liking.
  2. Roll up balls of aluminum foil to place subs on in crockpot.
  3. Roll each sandwich in foil and place on the foil balls in crockpot making sure they aren't touching any of the sides.
  4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Notes

If you put a lot of cheese, it will try to stick to the foil so be careful on how much you put on your sandwich.

I would wait until AFTER they have cooked to place any sauces or mayos on your sub. This can make them very soggy.

http://www.pennywisecook.com/picnic-ideas-crockpot-sub-sandwiches/


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops

Sometimes I wish that I had a dime for every time that my daughter came to me during the day saying “I’m huuuuuuuungry”. You don’t even have to have kids to know exactly what that statement sounds like. I can remember saying that to my mom when I was young. Even after my daughter has just eaten a complete meal, not 10 minutes later I hear those words come out of her mouth. So around here it’s imperative that we have healthy snacks available for these moments of huuuuuunger.

Some of the snacks of choice that I like to have on-hand are string cheese, peanut butter crackers, and fruit snacks. But we’re almost to summer and it’s time to cool off with some refreshing snacks on a hot day. My favorite store for produce, Aldi of course, had a great price on strawberries the other day and I stocked up! They also almost always have the best price on bananas in town. To me, nothing brings those two fruits together better than a smoothie! But if you don’t want to have to create a smoothie every time you would like one, the pops might just satisfy your strawberry banana smoothie craving!

I mixed a couple of bananas and several strawberries together with a little plain yogurt and a pinch of splenda and threw it all in several dixie cups. I popped popsicle sticks into each one and froze them to create these yummy smoothie pops.

It’s a snack that’s not only healthy but really satisfying and refreshing at the same time. And I love that making them in these cups make them fairly big. Maybe more than you would get from a store bought pop and way cheaper for sure!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops

A natural and refreshing popsicle made from fresh strawberries and bananas.

Ingredients

  • 2 Large Bananas
  • 10 Medium-Large Strawberries, Cored
  • 1/4 Cup Plain Nonfat Yogurt
  • 1 Tsp Sugar Substitute (optional)
  • 8 Small Dixie Cups

Method

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
  2. Pour into cups and freeze until solid (around 2-3 hours).

Notes

You don't have to use "Dixie" cups. Use whatever cups you might have. We used plastic bathroom cups. Depending on the size, you may have more or less popsicles.

The sugar substitute addition is not completely necessary. The strawberries and bananas give it plenty of natural sweetness, I just like mine extra sweet!

http://www.pennywisecook.com/strawberry-banana-smoothie-pops/


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Low Calorie Berry Wontons

I went through a phase a couple months ago where all I wanted to do was make meals out of wonton wrappers. If you’re not familiar with them yet, they are found in the refrigerated section usually near the tofu and guacamole. I used to pass them at the grocery store all the time thinking who in their right mind has enough time to wrap up their own wontons or eggrolls? That was until I came across the recipe for Lasagna Cupcakes. Little did I know that those little wonton wrappers are fairly inexpensive and are (best of all) low in calories!

Using them to wrap things in and then bake can really satisfy the craving for that crispy crunch without adding all the fat of frying. And did you know they are incredibly versatile too? They can go either way…savory or sweet!

You can have 8 wonton wrappers for just 160 calories.

The other day I got a sweet tooth. Yes I know this is nothing new, but it’s how the story started so keep listening. So I got this sweet tooth and was also feeling a bit innovative. Ideas like that can either end really well or very badly. I was willing to take my chances.

I had a jar of sugar-free raspberry jam in the pantry and these wonton wrappers in the fridge. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to use them together so I just kinda winged it really. I placed a wonton wrapper in each well of a mini muffin pan letting them curl where they wanted to. Then I dropped 1 tsp of my sugar-free raspberry jam in each wrapper. I baked them for a few minutes and took them out of the oven.

Berry Wontons! I felt like they needed the whipped cream for a finishing touch. These look like expensive hors d’œuvre that you would expect to see at a fancy party. So incredibly simple and yet fancy. That combination is my favorite.

And the best part? 1 of these Berry Wontons only has 30 calories!

Minus the whipped cream. Depending on your kind it will add a few calories, but not too much.

You can use whatever jam or jelly that you have on-hand. I just went the sugar-free way to reduce the calories. Any flavor would be so tasty!

Low Calorie Berry Wontons

Low Calorie Berry Wontons

Only 2 ingredients create a charming and tasty yet low-calorie snack!

Ingredients

  • 24 Wonton Wrappers
  • 24 Tsp Sugar-Free Jam or Jelly
  • Whipped Cream for topping, Optional

Method

  1. Preheat over to 375.
  2. Place a wonton wrapper into each well of your 24 cup mini muffin pan. Let them curl up if needed.
  3. Place a teaspoon of jam or jelly in each wrapper.
  4. Bake for 4-5 or until edges just begin to brown. Let cool.
  5. Top with optional tsp of whipped cream and serve!

Notes

I also added a couple of fresh blueberries to a few of these. Adding fresh fruit if you have any on hand would make a great addition.

http://www.pennywisecook.com/low-calorie-berry-wontons/


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Kitchen Tip: Saving Hardened Brown Sugar

There’s this obstacle that I come across in my cabinet every now and then. I usually just push it aside and continue looking for whatever I was looking for. I try my best not to pay much attention to it because it means that I will have to “deal” with it. I’m talking about the ever so yummy, yet easily hardened…..brown sugar. The molasses in  brown sugar contains much more moisture than regular white sugar so it goes hard if this moisture is lost. It’s usually due to improper storage. Or in my case, lazy storage.

I don’t use it that often so it remains that ingredient way back behind the high and mighty flour, the sugar as white as the driven snow, and behind the fake but amazing artificial sweetener that saves me calories when I’m feeling fat. But I came across it the other day and decided that it was time.

It was time to deal with the rock that IS my brown sugar.

One way that I’ve always known about but have just been too lazy to do is placing a piece of bread inside a container with the brown sugar. The bread helps it regain it’s moisture leaving the brown sugar soft and fluffy. And that piece of bread? Yeah, it will become a rock itself.

I suggest using an end piece if you don’t want to use up your precious pretty pieces.

Way to save brown sugar #1: Place the brown sugar in a container with a piece of bread overnight. It may take up to a couple days. I always keep one in mine now in order to prevent this. You can just change out the pieces every now and then.

Or then there’s a microwave method. No, we’re not talking about making caramel. Adding a cup of water or placing a damp paper towel in with the brown sugar and nuking it for a few seconds can quickly give it back it’s moisture making it usable again.

Way to save brown sugar #2: Place the bag of brown sugar in the microwave open with a cup of water or very damp paper towel. Microwave for about 20 seconds. See if it’s softened to your liking and possibly put it back in for another 10 seconds or so if necessary.

And eventually you’ll have nice, moisturized, fluffy, ready-to-use brown sugar.

Do you have any other tips for softening brown sugar again? I’d love to hear them!


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Cilantro Lime Pesto Shrimp

You just know it’s summer when you can begin smelling people in your neighborhood grilling out. It’s such a awesome smoky smell. My husband is convinced that once the weather turns warm that it’s time to bust out the grill several times during the week. And I am completely fine with that. As long as we’re not eating gigantic steaks every night. Not only is that difficult on the wallet, but I do like a little variety now and then.

So needless to say, we’ve been getting a bit creative with what we grill. I think that it’s funny because unless it’s a steak or a huge tray full of hamburgers, hubby thinks it may not be worth turning on his grill for. Can you imagine what he thought when I suggested that we grill a few shrimp skewers?

Not to mention that these so called shrimp would be covered and marinated in a word that I have yet to introduce to my clan….pesto. Ah yes pesto. The shiny, slimy, green concoction that people eat over pasta or as part of some fancy meal. I had my work cut out for me when I decided to go the pesto route. But I was determined and excited to give it a try.

Exchanging the regular greens in pesto with cilantro and instead of using those ridiculously expensive pine nuts, I used slivered almonds. Giving this sauce the once over, hubby literally just looked at it once. He was not too excited about it. However, little did he know that his very shrimp that night would be slathered, soaked, and bathed in that slimy green mixture.

Not very long story short, he loved it! Can you believe it? I think one key factor in pesto that makes it appealing is the amount of parmesan cheese that you put in it. And the lime in this recipe really did wonders for the shrimp.

I even caught him dipping his marinated and grilled shrimp in the leftover pesto sauce! I can’t say as much for my daughter. I purposely left the pesto off of hers and she was content with her’s being plain. These were such fantastic and light shrimp that would be absolutely amazing on a shrimp taco.

Cilantro Lime Pesto Shrimp

Cilantro Lime Pesto Shrimp

Celebrate summer with this light and zesty cilantro lime shrimp!

Ingredients

  • 40-60 Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 Bunches cilantro
  • Zest of 1 Lime
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 2 Tbsp Slivered Almonds, toasted- optional
  • 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1- 1 and 1/2 C. Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

  1. Soak skewers in water for at least 15 minutes prior to grilling shrimp.
  2. Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor until chopped.
  3. Slowly drizzle in desired amount of olive oil.
  4. Place peeled shrimp into a bowl with HALF of the pesto. Set the rest aside.
  5. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Place the shrimp on skewers and grill for around 2 minutes on each side.
  7. Serve with remaining pesto.

Notes

Toasting the almonds is completely optional. I didn't actually toast mine and it still tasted great.

http://www.pennywisecook.com/cilantro-lime-pesto-shrimp/


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

The Simplest Fruit Dip Ever

Happy Thursday! Almost to the weekend, hang in there.

We all have our ideas of the word simple, don’t we? I have a tendency to always make things difficult no matter how easy they could really be. It’s just part of my nature and if you ask my husband, he’ll be the first to tell you so.

Don’t you just hate when someone says “Oh, it’s simple. You just do this and this and this and this”. And before you know it, it’s difficult. Reminds me of high school geometry. What might be “simple” to one student is like pulling teeth to another.

With spring here and summer just around the corner now, fruits are fresh and abundant. Something we all see at gatherings and parties are those gigantic fruit trays with juicy melons and ruby strawberries galore. There’s nothing more tasty to accompany those fruits than with a creamy, sweet fruit dip.

For years my family has been making this incredible, yet simple fruit dip for just that. Only 2 ingredients make the smoothest, fluffiest, and creamy fruit dip perfect for any occasion.

The combination of fluffy marshmallow cream mixed with the thick and creamy cream cheese are so yummy together it’s ridiculous. If you have never made this stuff, I think it’s about time. I love to make this up to take along with fruit for a party.

You can usually find marshmallow cream for a buck and if you shop right, you can usually get cream cheese for around a buck too. Of course I prefer the neufchatel cheese for the less fattening version. Whip those too together and they are a match made in heaven.

I’m not just pulling your leg or yanking your chain. My 4 year old daughter made this completely by herself last weekend. It’s that simple.

The Simplest Fruit Dip Ever

The Simplest Fruit Dip Ever

This may be the easiest recipe you ever make. Fruit Dip with only 2 ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1 Package Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 Block Cream Cheese 8 oz, Softened

Method

  1. Whip the marshmallow cream and cream cheese together.
  2. You're done!

Notes

Could that BE anymore simple?

http://www.pennywisecook.com/the-simplest-fruit-dip-ever/


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

BLT Bruschetta

Tomatoes, bah. I’m really a self-proclaimed tomato hater. I’ll eat them in sauces, soups and chilis, even diced on a taco, but you will never catch me biting into one for fun. I know several folks who just love fresh tomatoes from the vine sliced and drizzled with ranch.

Not me.

Let’s just say they have to be accompanied by some other flavor to be in my presence.

I was at a baby shower for a dear friend recently and there were these incredible appetizers there that were similar to bruschetta. Just french bread with mozzarella cheese and a slice of tomato on top and seasoned well. Who knew that something so simple could be so yummy? They were gone in a flash and everyone kept talking about them.

And of course my mind was just racing with possibilities to make this even yummier than it was.

I decided that they needed bacon. Come on, everything is better with bacon. And what comes to mind when I think about bacon? BLTs. Oh yeah.

Checking out the “about to go bad” section at Kroger, I snagged a loaf of french bread for $.99 to make my creation. I had some lettuce already in the fridge and grabbed a $1.29 package of turkey bacon (you know me!) and a block of mozzarella cheese ($1.67) and I was set.

So light and crisp, a BLT just reminds me of summer. These little beauties would make the perfect appetizer for a summer get together or party. And even your self-proclaimed tomato hater kiddos might like them! My Addie AND my husband both spend oodles of time working around tomatoes in most dishes and BOTH of them enjoyed these.

BLT Bruschetta

BLT Bruschetta

A twist on everyday bruschetta, bacon gives new life to this tasty appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 1 Loaf French Bread, cut into pieces
  • 2 Ripe Tomatoes, Diced
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, Chopped
  • 10 Pieces Bacon, Chopped cooked and crispy
  • 8 oz Block Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced into Small Pieces
  • 1/2 Cup Lettuce, Shredded or Chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • Pinch Pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Mix tomatoes with olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, and 2/3 of the bacon pieces.
  3. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
  4. Top with equal amounts of the tomato mixture.
  5. Bake for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bread begins to toast.
  6. Top each slice with a bit of lettuce and a few extra pieces of bacon.
  7. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired.
http://www.pennywisecook.com/blt-bruschetta/

 


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Ganache Cakes

Have you ever eaten something that you know is so incredibly yummy that you could almost gain 10 pounds just by looking at it? Maybe it’s a dessert at your restaurant or maybe it’s something covered in ooey gooey melted cheese. It’s pretty incredible how food can be that way.

I’m going to lie, sometimes I feel that way about Big Macs. We all have our cryptonite foods. But I am here to tell you that you can have those things every now and then. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving in once in a blue moon. After all, life is too short to be healthy all the time.

This is one of those moments. Be bad.

Be real bad.

Forgive me and my dark picture here. I started these at night and there was not good lighting.

It starts with some surprisingly healthy thin chocolate cakes. 2 8-inch rounds to be exact. Then you cut little circles out like so to create the top and bottom of your cakes.

You should end up with 14 of these little round cakes. Kind of an odd number, but that just means that you absolutely have to eat the odd one to even them out….

The easiest way to make these is to then freeze the little rounds so that they don’t get all crumby when you’re working with them.

Then you take them out and whip up the cream cheese filling that is ah-maz-ing. Slap some on one round then top it with another round cake. They are beginning to take shape! These alone would make incredible dessert sandwiches, but believe me….you don’t want to pass on the chocolate ganache.

I found it easiest to freeze them again before covering them in the chocolate ganache.

After freezing them another little while, it’s time to create the ganache and then cover each of those incredible chocolate-y cakes in even more chocolate-y goodness.

Oh.

My.

Word.

The ganache gives it such an insanely delicious coating and the inside is creamy and cream-cheesey. You will be glad that this recipe only makes 7 of them. I topped mine with leftover filling which added a really creamy touch. And extra chocolate chips can’t hurt either. Why not?

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Ganache Cakes

Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Ganache Cakes

Chocolate cakes filled with a whipped cream cheese mixture and coated in an incredible chocolate ganache make for a wonderful splurge dessert.

Ingredients

    For the Cakes
  • 1 3/4 cup Oats
  • 3 Egg whites
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Plain nonfat yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Hot water
  • 1 cup Splenda (or sugar if you're being bad)
  • For the Cream Cheese Filling
  • 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 Block Low-fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • For the Ganache
  • 1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 6 oz (half bag) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Method

    For the Cakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  3. Pour into two greased 8 in cake pans and bake for 12 minutes.
  4. Cool completely.
  5. Using a 2 and 1/2 inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into rounds and freeze.
  6. For the Filling
  7. Meanwhile whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and cream cheese and whip well.
  8. Remove cake rounds from freezer.
  9. Place a generous spoonful of cream cheese filling on 7 of the rounds and top with second cake. Make sure to even the edges. Place back in the freezer for 30 minute to an hour.
  10. For the Ganache
  11. In a small sauce pan, place heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil.
  12. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips in a bowl and stir until smooth.
  13. Remove cakes from freezer.
  14. Using a pastry brush or basting brush, evenly brush ganache all over the cakes.
  15. Set aside to harden and store cakes in the refrigerator.

Notes

Size of your cakes may depend on what size cookie or biscuit cutters that you have. 2 and 1/2 is just the size that I had.

Brownie mix might also make a nice cake mixture to use for these if you don't have the ingredients for the healthier cake version. My husband said that the chocolate cake was just alright by itself but with everything else that it was amazing!

If you don't have a pastry or basting brush, use whatever you have that might create an even ganache coat.

http://www.pennywisecook.com/cream-cheese-filled-chocolate-ganache-cakes/

Chocolate cake recipe adapted from Dashing Dish.


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...