Skinny Funfetti Cake Cookies

It's a rainy Friday afternoon and there's a box of Funfetti cake mix staring at me from the pantry.  So, what's a girl to do?  Make skinny cake cookies!

Recipe from:  Eat Yourself Skinny!

Ingredients:

1 (18.9 oz) box Funfetti cake mix

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt (I used Yoplait)

2 eggs

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine funfetti cake mix, yogurt and 2 eggs and mix until all clumps are gone.

3.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet greased or covered in tinfoil and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned on the bottoms.

4.  Enjoy!

**These were pretty darn tasty and they're not as fattening as regular cookies or even cake.  Let me know if you try this.

Honey Orange Pork Tenderloin

Recipe adapted from:  The Daily Dish 

Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: fresh orange zest, for topping

Directions:
I did not follow the original method of cooking.  Instead, I mixed the sauces together and poured over the pork tenderloin in the crock pot.  I cooked it on low for about 8 hours.

***This pork tenderloin had a great flavor.  I loved the mix of oranges and honey.  I'd highly recommend this dish for your family!

Egg White Muffins

Recipe from: Elle Noel

Ingredients:

1 container Egg Beaters

Chopped Spinach

Chopped Veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms, onions) - whatever you like

Ground turkey (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

1.  Chop veggies.

2.  Spray muffin pan with PAM or non-stick spray.

3.  Distribute veggies and Egg Beaters evenly in the muffin tins.

4.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

**I substituted some salsa for the chopped veggies and it was still delicious.  These were super easy to make and easy to grab in the mornings.  You can totally make this recipe your own.  

Pecan Pie

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup of dark Karo syrup
3 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of pecans
pinch of salt

Directions:
1.  Cook pie crust according to package.
2.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
3.  Beat all ingredients (minus the pie crust) well and bake 40 minutes.

Cranberry Apple Pork

Recipe from:  Simply Made with Love

Cook Time: 8 hours 

Total Time: 8 hours 

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 

Ingredients:
1 (3 to 4 lb) boneless pork loin roast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
2 apples, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped (I didn't peel them and they were still delicious)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1.  Place roast in slow cooker; rub all over with the minced garlic.
2.  Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Pork should be about 160° when fully cooked.

Verdict:
This pork was absolutely delicious.  It had a sweet flavor and it just melted in your mouth.  I served it with mashed potatoes, green beans and blueberry muffins.  

If you're looking for an easy weeknight meal, give this Cranberry Apple Pork recipe a try!  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Bon Appetit!

Ghostly (or Pumpkin) Peeps Fun

{recipe via}

 Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 graham crackers, crushed

2 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

brownie mix (and ingredients to make them)

mini chocolate chips 

PEEPS^® Ghosts or Pumpkins

Directions: 
1.  Combine butter, graham crackers, sugar and salt.  Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of a well-buttered 8 x 8 pan~ the scarily perfect size for 3 rows of 4 marshmallow ghosts.

2.  Bake crust 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

3.  Pour your brownie batter on top of the graham cracker crust and bake according to recipe/mix directions.

4.  Add a layer of chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of baking.

 5.  Place your PEEPS^® Ghosts on top your chocolate chip/brownie layer and broil very briefly.

6.  You can also add chocolate chips for the eyes and noses.  

 

Bruschetta Chicken

Recipe from:  The Daily Dish

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 Italian-style bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil, separated

For the topping:
- 1 plum tomato, cut into cubes (I used cherry)
- 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Dash of dried basil
- Dash of salt & pepper
Optional: fresh basil, for topping

Method:
1. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the topping (except the fresh basil), cover, and set aside.
2. With a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken into thin pieces. 
3. Prep your dredging station by combining the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on a small plate.
4. Then heat a large skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.
5. Coat each chicken breast in the bread crumb/cheese mixture, making sure both sides of the chicken are covered.
6. Place the coated chicken in the large skillet, and brown on one side for about 5-7 minutes. Then flip each chicken breast over, and add the last tbsp of olive oil to the pan. 
7. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked on both sides.
8. Remove the chicken from the skillet and drain over a paper towel to soak up any of the extra olive oil. 
9. Plate and spoon the bruschetta topping over each of the chicken breasts. Optional: Top the chicken with a bit of fresh basil.

**Shari at The Daily Dish always has the best recipes.  I had chicken thawing and I needed a recipe.  When I saw her post, I knew this is something I had to make. It was easy and delicious.  It makes a great weeknight meal.