If you haven't already....

Buy it....read it...share it! One of my tenants shared this book with me. I couldn't put it down.

Tastes just like pumpkin pie!

Last week I decided to give up bread, potatoes and candy in an attempt to eat healthier and trim a few pounds off before our the wedding. During supper last night my fiance turned to me and said, "can you make me some brownies, a cake, some cookies, something sweet?" I chuckled and said of course. After all the guy has been quite a trooper eating oranges, cut up apples with peanut butter, and peaches as dessert for the past week.

I pulled out the cookbooks and recipe box looking for something we haven't had for awhile. I remembered a few years back at a WW meeting a gal talked about a good healthy dessert she had made. I didn't know the words "healthy and dessert" could possibly be used in the same sentence. I tonight I made it.

Pumpkin Cake

1 box spice cake mix

1 can of pure pumpkin

Directions: Stir together and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I whipped come cream to top Justin's and otherwise use a fat free cool whip.

**Instead of making a cake try making muffins. Yields 24 muffins. 1 muffin = 2 ww pts.

  

After the first bite...came the first comment...."tastes like pumpkin pie!"  (This cake is very moist.) It's not too late to add these two ingredients to your holiday grocery list and enjoy a guilt-free dessert with you family!

Enjoy!

Coleslaw

Recipes from scratch are always a favorite but then there are days when you just don't have enough time! For example this last Saturday, we worked cattle! I've already shared the Calico Beans recipe and here is the coleslaw recipe! The truth is: Not every recipe needs to make 20 dishes dirty to taste awesome!

Coleslaw
2 bag of coleslaw mix
1 small bottle of coleslaw dressing
3 apples peeled and cut into small pieces
1 bag of slivered almonds or cashews...whichever you have on hand
onion to taste if you wish

Directions: Mix it together, chill and enjoy!

I like to think the more apples I add, the healthier it is or the less guilty I feel eating it. I used low fat coleslaw dressing, the guys couldn't taste the difference. I highly recommend cutting the calories if possible....especially if you cannot taste the difference. This coleslaw was a big score!

Calico Beans

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here and the stores full of Christmas decor already! I'm not sure if we are a little behind this year or if we start preparing for the holiday's earlier each year!  We brought the cows home and worked them yesterday. It's a given that the ladies of the farm provide a hearty meal for the help. This year I made the beans and coleslaw. Have I ever mentioned how much I love crock pots? Well if I haven't I LOVE CROCK POTS! I was able to put the beans in and head out the barn to help! I will add that it doesn't matter how good of a camera or how good a  bean recipe tastes, photos never do justice. Cheyenne requested that I post the recipe on my blog so here it goes....

Calico Beans

1 lb hamburger

1/2 lb bacon

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T salt

1 T mustard

1 T vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 can pork and beans

1 can butter beans

1 can kidney beans

Directions: Fry the first three ingredients in a frying pan. Then add all the ingredients to a baking dish. Bake at 250 for 1 hour.   ***In a programmable crock pot cook on high for 4 hours. Stirring occasionally.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. I generally double the recipe to ensure we have left overs! This recipe has been borrowed from my lovely sister, Brandee!

A steal of a deal....

I recently found an old bench at garage sale...yes that's right I go to garage sales and I like to!! It's amazing what some people think is junk is anothers treasure. I have been looking for a small bench for guests to sit on to put their shoes on or take them off. I came across this little bench for a whopping $10 of course I bought it right away.


I purchased the bench knowing that I couldn't stand the cream colored cover pad....I went to the local craft store and found some  vintage looking-stylish- and yet very stong material and recovered the bench all by my self! This is what it looks like now.


The bench looks great and and is just what we needed to set beside the door.

Movie Night

Although this isn't much of a recipe I'm going to share it anyway. Harvest has finally been wrapped up for the year, living on a farm this doesn't mean for a moment that things will stand still! As the days are getting shorter so my fiance and I are getting to spend more time together in the evenings. We enjoy watching movies or series such as Walker Texas Ranger or the Dukes together. We normally have some popcorn with M&M's
or peanuts but just for fun we had ice cream. Here is a photo of the banana split I made for my honey!

In an effort to make this dish as healthy as possible I loaded the bowl with banana slices first added a little ice cream, and drizzed caramel and chocolate in the shape of a heart.

We certainly enjoyed these!

Creamed Chicken and Dumplings

Creamed Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken breasts cut into stips - sprinkled with your favorite chicken seasonings

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup cream

2 cups milk

1 cup peas

salt and pepper to taste

1 can biscuits

Cut chicken into strips and place on the bottom of your baking dish. Mix cream of celery, cream of chicken, cream, and milk together. Pour over chicken. Layer peas on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper to your liking over the entire dish.


Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.


Remove baking dish from the oven and add the dumplings. I cut my biscuits into four equal parts and layer on top of the creamed chicken. Return to the oven to bake the biscuits about 15 minutes or as directed on the packaging.


Ta-Da you have an awesome hearty meal!
Enjoy!