Pancake Squares

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 TBS melted butter
1 large egg
1 TBS sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Lightly  grease an 8x8 baking dish.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg.  Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in.  Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt.
4.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  
5.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Serves 4.

You can also double and bake in a 9x13 pan.  You can also sprinkle with blueberries, bananas, or chocolate chips prior to baking.

Original recipe posted here.

 

BLTE

Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat bread
3 slices turkey bacon
2 Tbsp mustard
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light French Onion cheese
1/2 cup egg whites or 1 whole egg
2 tomato slices
1 leaf green lettuce
Directions:
1. Toast the bread
2. Cook the turkey bacon, then cut the strips in half
3. In a nonstock skillet coated with cooking oil spray, cook the egg as desired.
4.  Place the lettuce, bacon, egg, and tomatoes on the cheese-covered toast.
5.  Cut in half and serve immediately.

Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk (we just used skim milk)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed (we didn't use)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 green onion
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender

Cheerio Treat

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups Cheerios

Directions:
1. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Allow mixture to boil for one minute and remove from heat.
3. Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Add Cheerios and mix until all coated.
5. Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool.

(We just re-heated in the microwave once they got a little hard)

Holiday Cornflake Wreaths

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz) regular marshmallows/or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp green food coloring
6 cups corn flakes cereal
red cinnamon candies
Prepared vanilla frosting

Directions:

1. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring.

2. Add corn flakes cereal.  Stir until well coated.

3.  Portion warm cereal mixture evenly by using a 1/4 cup dry measure coated with cooking spray.  Using sprayed fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths.  

4. Dot with cinnamon candies, using prepared frosting to hold candies in place.  

(recipe and picture from kelloggs.com)

North Pole Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries in syrup, partially thawed and undrained
1/4 cup water
2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
1 strawberry-flavored or peppermint candy cane, finely crushed
Green decorating gel

(I wasn't able to find frozen yogurt in the grocery store, so I just used 2 cups of vanilla yogurt and used lots of ice in blender to make it thick.)

Directions:

1. Place strawberries and water in blender.  Cover and blend on medium-high speed until slushy.  Blend on medium speed until smooth.  Transfer to a 2-cup measure.

2.  Place yogurt in blender.  Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.

3.  Place crushed candy cane on a small plate. Pipe decorating gel around rim of glasses.  Dip rims into crushed candy candy.

4.  Carefully pour yogurt mixture and strawberries at the same time into glasses, creating a half and half design.  Server with large drinking straws if desired.

(makes 3 small size glasses)

(not my picture)

Taco Ring Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 cup (4 oz) cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp water
2 (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

Garnish:
Green bell pepper
Salsa
Lettuce
Tomato
Chopped onion
Olives
Sour cream

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 375
2.  Brown beef and drain grease.
3.  Stir in taco seasoning, water and cheese.
4. Unroll crescent rolls and separate.  Arrange triangles in a circle on a round baking stone with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward the outside.  There should be about a 5" diameter in the center.
5.  Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of dough at center of ring.  Bring points in and over and tuck underneath the wide end.
6.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
7.  Garnish with toppings