Getting CocoNUTTY!

Well my fellow FOODIES, I have finally fallen in love with coconut oil.  I know, I know, join the club.  But, really, it's amazing and tastes so good in everything!

Case in point: 

Coconut Cookies

Take out butter and replace with coconut oil= AMAZING!

Go ahead, try it!  I DARE YOU NOT TO LOVE IT!

(unless, of course, you don't like coconut, because then  you would really not like these at all)

Ingredients:

*1 cup coconut oil (measured solid and softened in microwave for about 30 seconds)

*1 cup brown sugar

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 2 eggs

* 2 tsp vanilla

* 2 1/4 cups flour

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1 cup oatmeal

* Extras (shredded coconut, choc chips, white choc chips, nuts, etc)

DIRECTIONS:

*Using the paddle attachment, blend together coconut oil and sugars until well whipped- 3-5 minutes.  Add in eggs, one at a time and vanilla just until blended.

* Pour in half the flour plus the baking soda, salt and baking powder.  Blend just until blended.  Add in the rest of the flour and blend until combined.  Stir in oats and extras.

* Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

*ENJOY the best cookie that's semi-healthy of your life!

**Mushroom Lettuce Wraps**

About a month ago, Jeff treated me to a lovely lunch at Cheesecake factory- swoon!  One of my favorite places!!  They had this new low-cal lunch menu and we just HAD to try one of the appetizers (since our entree is a full-cal yummy selection).  Well, we tried it and were immediately in LOVE!  

Are you surprised??  I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not love something from Cheesecake factory!  So, as soon as I got home I scoured through recipes online to recreate the magic!  

I found a close match, and, along with some adjustments have found a pretty good substitute for those folks like me who cannot get on over to CF as often as they would like!  

Without further ado...

Ingredients:

*1 box sliced mushrooms (you can get whole ones and slice them yourself, but I found this to be a                                       

        pleasant time saver)

* cooking spray

*2 tsp ground ginger

*2 TBS chopped cilantro

* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

* 2 TBS soy sauce, low sodium

* 2 shakes rice vinegar

* handful of brown sugar

* (optional) 1 cup cooked boneless skinless chicken, cubed

* 1 TBS green onion, chopped

* 6 long romaine lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS:

* Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Throw in mushrooms, ginger and cilantro and cook for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms soften and lose water.  Add in onion and continue to cook 2-3 more minutes until mushrooms are really soft.  Add in soy sauce (I just do 2-3 swirls around the pan), rice vinegar, brown sugar, and chicken.  Cook to heat through and dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat and add in green onions.  

*Serve with romaine lettuce leaves.

DEVOUR!  YUMMMY!

Outside the Box: SPICEY Addition

Okay, so I am sorry, I am a little SUPER late on this post!  But, alas, I am a busy woman.  So, here it is.  Last month the theme was McCormick spice packet- any flavor.  Not that it should be a shock to anyone, but almost all of the dishes used Taco seasoning- quite possibly the only one anyone uses on a regular basis.  While at the meeting I was informed that there were Italian varieties as well- WHAT THE WHAT?  I would have totally gone that route had I known!  Well, with that being said, this was the closest vote in Outside The Box history- we actually had a tie!  So, after revotes, the winner was....... ME!  What?!  The one time I just throw something together and don't really try I win?!  Go figure.. lol.  So, this recipe will look familiar because I have posted it before, but the great thing is I have made it even EASIER!!  (super good and super easy=double bonus!)  The only spices you add are the taco seasoning packet (I know, I should have been more original).  Without further delay, here is the winning recipe from last month:

Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1 large can enchilada sauce

1 can black beans

2 cans chicken broth

1 (costco size) can shredded chicken

8 oz velveeta

8 oz cream cheese

3 cups crushed chips

1 packet taco seasoning

Directions:

Put enchilada sauce, broth, velveeta and cream cheese in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer until cheese is melted.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 30-60 minutes.  Serve hot with cheese, cilantro, sour cream and a warm tortilla- YUM! :)

Which also means I got to choose this months theme!!!  So, just to make it interesting, I chose another item that will result in appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.  This months Outside the Box theme is:

BISQUICK!!  (ok, applause over)

Rules: there are no rules!!  Just use bisquick in your dish, no minimum or maximum, just do it!

Outside The Box: Cream Cheesey Goodness

Month three, and all I can say is: It Just Keeps Gettin' Better!  More Girls, more food, and more bueno!  Cream cheese lent itself to ooey-gooey appetizers, divine main courses, and delectable desserts- and we got all of them!  It was no easy task to choose a winner, but when the votes were tallied, one dish stood out above the others!  The lovely Joanna made a delicious dessert that was irresistible!

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie


Ingredients
·    2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
·    1 cup white sugar
·    1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
·    2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
·    3/4 cup white sugar
·    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·    1/2 cup butter, room temperature
·    1/4 cup honey
Directions
1.    Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2.    Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
3.    Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
4.    Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Easy and delicious- so, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and try it!!

Outside The Box: Soup's On!

Yet another Outside the Box has come and gone!  And what a success it was!  So many tastey dishes came from the theme: soup!  We started with one can, package, or box of soup and created whatever our hearts desired.  There were appetizers, pies, meatballs, and, of course, SOUPS!  It was a close race to the finish, as the votes were pretty evenly spread, and the winner won by one point.  But, there must be one winner (because, it is in fact, "that kind of party") and none was more deserving than the delicious dish from Christine Coons!!  Without further ado, or blabber, here is the recipe: (picture pending)

*Ham or Chicken Amandine *
3/4 c. Butter
3/4 c. Slivered Almonds
2 Tbsp. Minced Onion
1/2 c. Flour
1 can Cheese & Broccoli Soup
3 c. milk
4 1/2 c. Cooked Rice
4 c. Cooked Ham or Chicken
3 Tbsp. Diced Pimento
2 Tbsp. Minced Parsley
2 c. Cheddar Cheese  (Topping)

Over medium heat, melt butter in a skillet; add almonds and
onion (almonds burn easily) and saute for 10 minutes. Stir in
flour, add soup and milk stirring until thick. Add remaining
ingredients. Pour into casserole, cover with cheese, and
bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes. Serves 10 to 12.

As the winner, Christine got to choose the theme for next month, and what a good choice she made!  Don't miss out on the tempting CREAM CHEESE creations of March!! :)

First Outside The Box!!!

We started off with a bang!!  SOO much fun and SOO delish!!!  Well, I know you are sitting on pins and needles, so without further ado, here is the winning recipe, by Jean McCauley:

Caramel Apple Crisp Cake

*1 yellow cake mix
*1 cup water
*1/2 cup applesauce
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*3 eggs
*2 cups diced apples

Mix and pour into a 9x13 pan. 

Topping:
*1/2 cup flour
*1/2 cup oats
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup butter

Cut butter into dry ingredients and sprinkle over cake batter.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
*1/4 cup butter
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/4 cup cream
*1 Tablespoon vanilla
Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add in vanilla and drizzle over cake. 
DEVOUR!  :) 

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in our first night!  I can't wait for next month, which, as the winner chose, is SOUPS!  I will announce the date and rules as I come up with them.  For now, enjoy thinking outside the box!

Soup Du Jour

On this cold, rainy, September day, I opted for soup for dinner.  I have been dying to try my new idea, to take the enchiladas I sooo love but soo hate to make and turn them into a tasty soup.  Here goes!
Enchilada Soup
Ingredients:
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans
2 cans chicken broth
1 (costco size) can shredded chicken
8 oz velveeta
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups crushed chips
1 tablespoon chile powder
Directions:
Put enchilada sauce, broth, velveeta and cream cheese in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer until cheese is melted.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 30-60 minutes.  Serve hot with cheese, cilantro, sour cream and a warm tortilla- YUM! :)