bacon wrapped chicken.

this was a big hit with my husband, naturally. men and their bacon, right???

ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/2 inch thickness
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chive and onion flavored cream cheese, softened and divided
2 tbsp chilled butter, divided
1/2 tsp dried tarragon {i substituted thyme since i didn't have any}
2 slices bacon

directions:
sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. spread one tbsp cream cheese over each chicken breast; top with one tbsp butter and 1/4 tsp tarragon. roll up and wrap with one slice bacon; secure with a toothpick. place chicken seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. increase temperature to broil; broil 8-10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. serves 2.

ummmmm just as i was typing this i realized i forgot that last broiling step! i was about to add that next time i would broil it for a few minutes :)

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

Looking for a new way to make chicken? Boy do I have a great chicken recipe for you today! This recipe only uses a handful of ingredients and is super easy to prepare.

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

10-12 Boneless Chicken Breast Tenders

2 eggs

2 T. water

1/2 box (about 8 oz) cheese crackers (Cheese Nips or Cheez-its), crushed

1/2 c. margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 350. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Beat egg and water together in small bowl. Put crushed crackers in another bowl or plastic bag. Melt 1/4 c margarine in microwave and pour on bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Dip chicken in egg, then in cracker crumbs, turning to coat. Place in pan. Melt remaining 1/4 c butter in microwave and pour over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for no longer than 1 hour. Serves 4



Baked Lemon Spaghetti

BAKED LEMON SPAGHETTI

1 (14.5 ounce) package spaghetti
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) carton sour cream (light is fine)
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon, zested)
1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 1/2 medium lemons)
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (I didn't add this since I didn't have any on hand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese



TOP:
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice from 1/2 lemon
freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook spaghetti + olive oil according to package directions (minus a couple of minutes)- you want it to be al dente. Drain spaghetti and place in a large bowl.
3. Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook until sizzling and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, lemon zest and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Pour lemon sauce over the spaghetti and stir. Add Italian parsley and 1/2 cup Parmesan and stir some more. Pour lemony spaghetti in a greased 1.5 quart casserole dish.
4. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take dish out of the oven and remove foil. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan on top. Drizzle juice from 1/2 lemon over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle pepper and salt on top. Place dish back into the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, just until cheese is melted and noodles have begun to turn golden in a few places. Serve immediately.

Fresh Fruit Dip

I just took these little treats to my daughters preschool celebration. They were a hit! The recipe is so simple and I've used it for years. You can dip any kind of fruit and it would be delicious, but I am partial to bananas.

1 8 oz block of cream cheese (I always use 1/3 less fat)

1 7 ozl jar of marshmellow creme

2 Tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate

Whip it up in a mixer (or beaters).

best banana muffins.

{don't even think about substituting applesauce for fat in these!}

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup butter, melted

directions:
sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. combine bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla, and melted butter in a large bowl. fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth. scoop into greased or lined muffin pan. bake ate 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

makes 12 muffins. 187 calories. 5 grams of fat.

{and worth every single calorie!}