Diabetic Friendly No bake cookies

Diabetic Friendly No bake cookies

1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

3 c old-fashioned oatmeal

1 1/2 c sugar (or Splenda, granulated would probably work)

1/4 c cocoa

1/2 c skim milk

1/2 c butter

1/2 c peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine graham cracker crumbs and oatmeal. Set aside

In large pot, stir sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter over medium heat until dissolved.

Bring mixture to boil, and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.

Quickly blend in oatmeal mixture.

Beat by hand until thickened...

(A few minutes, if necessary.)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Refrigerate until firm. 

Store in the refrigerator in air tight container.

ENJOY!

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:

SERVINGS: 48 (1-COOKIE)SERVINGS

CALORIES: 83

CARBS:11g

FIBER:1g

DIETARY EXCHANGES:

1 STARCH

1/2 FAT

***FREEZE OR REFRIGERATE EXTRA COOKIES TO PULL OUT WHENEVER YOU WANT A SWEET TREAT!

Pea and Crab Salad

8 oz imitation crab

10 oz frozen peas thawed 

1/2 cup crumbled bacon 

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 tsp sugar 

In a bowl, combine crab, peas, and bacon and mix well

In a different bowl, combine salad dressing and sugar and mix well

Mix the salad dressing and crab mixture together

Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least 3 hours.

Broccoli Raisin Salad

2 pounds fresh broccoli cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

3/4 cup seedless raisins

3 or 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup sunflower nuts

1/2 to 3/4 cup Miracle Whip  salad dressing

 1 or 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (you be the judge)

2 tablespoons sugar or to taste, I used Splenda

Combine broccoli, onion, and raisins and set aside.  Mix the salad dressing, vinegar, and sugar. Toss with salad, chill until served, at least 2 hours. Just before serving add the crumbled bacon and sunflower nuts. Makes about six servings. Enjoy!

Sugarless banana bread

Sugarless Banana bread

3 bananas

1/2 cup plain applesauce

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup white flour
3/4 wheat flour

1/4 cup melted butter

Icing

1 package sugar-free instant pudding mix

1 3/4 cup milk

1 package cream cheese

1 container lite frozen whipped topping, thawed

directions

For Banana Bread: Mix well and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Surprisingly, using applesauce rather then sugar doesn't seem to change the taste at all. 

For Icing: Mix the pudding and milk until it stiffens. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and mix into pudding. Finally fold in the whipped topping.

Low Carb BBQ sauce

Low carb BBQ sauce

2 1/2 6-oz cans Tomato paste

1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup sweetener

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

1 tbsp Liquid hickory smoke

2 tsp Smoked paprika

1 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Onion powder

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/4 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (or more if you like it hot)

1 1/2 cup Water 

INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan, adding the water last. Start with a cup of water, then whisk in a bit more at a time, until it reaches a consistency *slightly thinner* than barbecue sauce. I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water, but it will vary depending on how thick your tomato paste is.

Bring to a gentle boil at medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Taste and adjust sweetener or cayenne pepper if you prefer the sauce to be sweeter or spicier. If it's still thicker than you like, you can stir in additional water, a tablespoon at a time, until reaching desired consistency.

Serving size: 2 tbsp   Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.

Not my recipe but for the life of me I can't remember where I found it.

Grandma Henke's Orange drink

This recipe is as close to the original as I can get. It took many tries to get it this close to Grandma’s drink. Grandma passed on taking the recipe with her. I never actually saw a recipe, just grandma making the drink.  This drink brings back fond memories of grandma making this in the summertime. With each sip I can vividly see her standing at the counter in her kitchen, newspapers all over the floor in the kitchen, (the papers were a common sight everyday in her kitchen), juicing the oranges next to her large glass pitcher. She called it orange aide. I call it refreshingly, delicious .

Grandma Henke’s Orange drink

You will need:

5 sweet oranges

3 lemons

2 cups of simple syrup (recipe below)

2 quart pitcher

fork or hand juicer

1 quart bowl

2 quart pitcher or container with cover.

measuring cups and small kettle

In small kettle bring to a boil, two cups of water and 1/2 cup sugar. This makes your simple syrup. Let cool

Juice 4 oranges and two lemons into a quart sized bowl.

When syrup has cooled, pour into the juices.

Pour juice mixture into a 2 quart pitcher or container. 

Slice the remaining one orange and one lemon. Add to the container. Fill container with water and place in fridge.

Enjoy anytime of year.

Chewy Nut bars

Chewy Nut bars

2 sticks butter, softened and divided

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup caramel baking chips

1/2 cup chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts

4 tablespoons heavy cream (I used half and half)

1 teaspoon salt

Set aside 2 tablespoons of butter.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and 1 3/4 sticks butter until fluffy. Slowly add cocoa powder and flour and mix well. Pour into baking dish. Press into baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with sweetened condensed milk. Stir until thickened, remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour sauce over top of baked crust. Return to oven and bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.

Toast nuts in a dry pan until fragrant. Cool slightly then rough chop and set aside.

Melt caramel chips in microwave with 4 tablespoons heavy cream; 30 second intervals, stirring each time, for 2 minutes. Fold nuts and salt into caramel sauce, and pour over top and spread o

Stove top Frittata with Ham

No need to heat up the house on a hot summer day to make a frittata, the stove top works great too. This recipe is quick and easy to make so it gets used often. I just change up the meat and add a veggie or two** to make it different each time. The recipe is enough for two or 4 depending on the appetites. Serve with toast or fresh fruit to round off the meal. Enjoy

2 Tbsp. oil

2 cups Hash Brown Potatoes (diced or shredded)

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped ham  

6 eggs

2 1/2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 cup chopped green onion (optional)

1/2 cup  Cheddar Cheese

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add potatoes and ham; cook 5 min. or until potatoes are browned, stirring occasionally.

Beat eggs, milk and mustard with whisk until well blended; pour over potato mixture. Cover; cook on low heat 8 min. or until center is set.

Top with cheese; cook, covered, 1 to 2 min. or until melted.

**bacon, mushrooms, spinach, or sausage are great alternatives to the ham.

Wild rice salad

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 cup basmati or long grain rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 stalks celery, sliced (about 2 cups)
• 8 green onions, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups thawed frozen peas
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (opt.)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• Salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tbsp dark sesame oil (I use fresh lemon juice)

METHOD

1 Cook the rice: Put the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan. Add the wild rice and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover. Let cook for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, sprinkle in the basmati or long grain rice. Return to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for an additional 15 -20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. (If there is still liquid in the pot, uncover the pot and boil it off.)

Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork. Spread the rice out on a large sheet pan to cool quickly.

2 Toast the pine nuts: Heat a small skillet on medium high heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove pine nuts from pan and let cool.

3 Make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

4 Toss rice with salad ingredients and dressing: In a large bowl gently mix together the cooled cooked rice, chopped celery, green onions, peas, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Chill completely before serving.

Minestrone soup

We had this soup at a church meeting a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. The lady was kind enough to share the recipe although it was not totally her recipe but a copycat. Oh so good, We both loved the soup.

Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}

Yield: 6 servings

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

2 cups water

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)

1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)

1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp dried rosemary , crushed

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)

1 1/3 cups shell pasta

4 cloves garlic , minced

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can white navy beans drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained

2 cups packed chopped fresh spinach

Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.

Add in zucchini, pasta, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through. Stir in more vegetable broth or water to thin if desired. Serve warm topped with grated Romano cheese.

Recipe Notes

This can also be made on the stove top - heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add carrots, celery and onions and saute 4 minutes adding in garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in broth, water and canned tomatoes. Add herbs, sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and and reduce heat slightly, allow to gently boil 10 minutes, then add zucchini and pasta, cover and gently boil 15 minutes longer, or until pasta is tender. Then add canned beans (green and legumes) and spinach and cook 2 - 3 more minutes.

Mamma's pizza crust and sauce

Nothing beats homemade pizza, in my opinion. That is if you have the time and the desire for the best pizza that is hot and fresh. After many trials and errors I came up with these recipes for our favorite crust and sauce. I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do. This is the first time I've shared these recipes, until now, it was my secret.

Pizza Crust

3/4 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp or one envelope of yeast

Stir yeast in warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.

In mixing bowl mix together

2 cups flour

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbls. Olive oil or veg. oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or oregano

Mix with bread dough hook until a ball forms. Place dough in a bowl coated with oil and let rise in a warm area until double in size. (about an hour)

Knead dough  and add flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough in half and roll half on floured area until the size of the pan you are using. Place on greased pizza pan and bake in a 425º oven for 7 to 9 minutes, just until lightly browned. Oh my goodness the aroma will make your mouth water, but wait, the best is yet to come.

Top with all your favorite toppings and bake in 425º oven until cheese is lightly browned and melted, about 12 to 17 minutes, depending on oven. Let cool for 5 minutes, slice . Now you can enjoy a great home made pizza. 

The other half of the dough freezes well in a greased plastic bag. Thaw in fridge and you can make another mouth watering pizza.

Pizza sauce

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

1 small can of tomato paste

1 Tbl. Oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix well and and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave. Let set in fridge for at least 2 hours or over night. Freeze unused portion.