Cheesy Potatoes

Nothing says comfort food to me like Cheesy Potatoes. Just because they say Cheesy does not mean it has to be high in fat. I made some modifications to this classic Kraft recipe.

Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 oz) low fat condensed cream of chicken soup.
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 package (32 oz) frozen southern-style has browns, thawed
1 package (8 oz) reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
20 light ritz crackers crushed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup and sour cream in a large bowl. Add potatoes and cheese. Stir until well blended.

2. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with crackers (original recipe calls for mixing the crackers with butter).

3. Bake for 50 minutes or until heated through.

Potatoes with Paprika Sauce

This recipe is from Every Day food with Martha Stuart.

Potatoes with Paprika Sauce

Ingredients
4 medium golden potatoes cut into one inch cubes
1 tbs EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced
3/4 ts paprika


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. On a rimmed baking sheet toss potatoes, EVOO, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast until potatoes are tender - about 35 to 40 minutes.

2. While potatoes are cooking mix remaining ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with potatoes.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's cooking magazine. I served Christmas Day with the Honey Glazed Ham (see main course tab), stuffing, and other items my guests brought. To my surprise this was so good. I knew the recipe could go either way since it has goat cheese in it. I love goat cheese but it also can be too much of a good thing. I topped my potatoes with Cinnamon.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
5 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
4 oz goat cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped chives (I used parsley)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Prick potatoes with a fork. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Bake until tender. About 1 hour. Let potatoes cool.

2. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes from flesh and place in a mixing bowl. Arrange skins on a single layer on the baking sheet. Add goat cheese, butter, salt, and pepper to mixing bowl. Mix on medium high speed for about three minutes. Add chives and then mix again for about a minute. Scoop potato mixture back into the shells. Discard any remaining shells. Top with bread crumbs and chopped pecans. Bake for 10 minutes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and BACON...OMG

I needed something to serve with the left over chicken from Sunday. This recipe is from Everyday Food with Martha Stewart. This was AMAZING!!! I will defiantly make this again. Super easy and super good. Don't insult this recipe with turkey bacon.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon

Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes - cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
4 slices uncooked bacon - cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 springs of thyme (or sprinkle on dried thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. On a baking sheet spread cut bacon and cut sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with thyme leaves (or sprinkle on dried thyme).

Roast until potatoes are tenders and bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes. Stir halfway through.

230 cal, 3g fat, 6g protein, 46g carbs, 7g fiber.

Pasta Carbonara

Last week I made Pasta Carbonara from Woman's Day magazine. I served it with Parmesan Crusted Turkey Cutlets - check previous posts for that recipe.

I was excited when I found this recipe because I already have all the ingredients for it. I did not have linquine noodles, only angel hair so mine really turned into pasta carbonara balls. As I got to the end of the recipe I found the egg yolks are not cooked! They are tossed on top of the hot pasta. I am not a fan of uncooked eggs but I figured since I am putting on top of hot pasta it must be good enough. Well, Tony woke up with the shits and I was vomiting the next morning. Tony did love the meal and it did not stop him from eating it again that night but at least it was heated in the microwave so it was safe to eat that go around.

If you are willing to risk the shits here is the recipe.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients
12 oz linguine
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano (2 oz), plus more for sprinkling
6 oz sliced bacon (7 slices), cut into 1/4-in. pieces

Recipe Preparation
1.Cook the pasta accoring to package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

2.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmesan, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of the warm reserved cooking liquid.

3.Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat.

4.Transfer the pasta and bacon to the bowl with the egg mixture and toss until the noodles are coated (if the mixture seems dry, stir in additional reserved pasta water 2 Tbsp at a time). Serve immediately and sprinkle with additional Parmesan and pepper, if desired.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Last weekend Tony and I ate at our friend's house (Greg & Alison) for dinner. They grilled pork chops and made roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli. It was so delicious. I attempted to make them the following day. I did not have a recipe for either of these I followed but they seemed to turn out. I served these with the Greek Turkey burgers (see previous postings for the recipe)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes cut into inch squares
EVOO
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Pepper

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces, mix with about a tablespoon of EVOO. Sprinkle garlic, paprika, and pepper to your liking. Cook at 425 degree for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

For the broccoli follow the same recipe.

Enjoy!

Lighter Mac & Cheese

Tony loves mac & cheese and it is a meal I absolutely refuse to make because of the fat content. In this months Cooking Light magazine they had a lighter version of mac & cheese on the cover. I figured I would give it a try. What is very interesting about this recipe is it calls for butternut squash in place of butter.

I did make a few modifications to this recipe. When Tony and I were in NYC we ate at this expensive French restaurant. Tony got a gourmet mac & cheese with bacon in it. So we decided to add a pound of organic bacon. We cooked it in the microwave until about medium crispiness, chopped it up in to bit size pieces, and placed it over the cooked pasta before adding the sauce on top. I served this meal with roasted broccoli and chicken marinated with a basil & herb oil mixture.

Lighter Mac and Cheese

Amount per serving (before my changes)

Calories: 390

Fat: 10.9g

Saturated fat: 6.1g

Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g

Protein: 19.1g

Carbohydrate: 53.9g

Fiber: 3.2g

Cholesterol: 31mg
Iron: 2.4mg

Sodium: 589mg

Calcium: 403mg

Ingredients

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (I used 3/4 cups

1 pound uncooked cavatappi (the curly noodles)

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (I ground up croutons)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. (I skipped this step since I used croutons) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray. - I did not mix the cheese and bread crumbs before spreading on top of the mac & cheese. I spread the bread crumbs on top of the mac & cheese mixture and then topped with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 2 tablespoons was just not enough of a topping for me so I used about another 1/2 cup.

6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Roasted Cauliflower & Orzo Salad

I love being back in the cooking grove again! Tony and I went to Earth Fare today and they had chicken and steak on sale. We decided to make the rib eye for dinner. We just used a spicy marinade and cooked it on the stove over low heat. For the sides, I found the recipes in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

Roasted Cauliflower with Goat Cheese and Lemon

I recommend adding more goat cheese to this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower cut into florets,

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon EVOO

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. In medium bowl toss cauliflower and 1 tablespoon EVOO. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed banking sheet. Roast until tender and spotted brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for five minutes.

Put cauliflower in a large bowel. Add parsley, goat cheese, 1 teaspoon EVOO, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.  122 calories, 6 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of carbs.

Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

This makes A LOT! I cut the recipe in half and it still is too much for me and Tony. The only recommendation I have here is to not use as much lemon juice as the recipe asks for. I forgot the Basil which I am sure would have added a lot more flavor.

Ingredients:

6 medium zucchini, diced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound orzo

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cups corn kernels (from 6 ears corn)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

4 ounces feta, crumbled (2 cups)

Directions:

Place zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Place colander in sink and let sit 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; transfer to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 minutes. Add to pasta along with zucchini, 3 tablespoons oil, onion, jalapeno, and lemon zest and juice; season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil and feta. Transfer 4 cups salad to an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Serves 6. Calories 330, Fat 10 grams, 12 grams of protein, 52 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fiber.

Chicken with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette & Creamy Parmesan Orzo

This dinner was so fabulous! I never made orzo before and also found this great chicken recipe in Real Simple magazine. Orzo is really easy to make and this recipe tastes wonderful. So many flavors in these recipes. It was a party in my mouth. HA! I recommend doubling the vinaigrette dressing. It is so good! The chicken did not call for any marinade. I did marinate it in Tastefully Simple's Balsamic and Basel dipping oil. It did add extra flavor. I served it with focaccia bread and steamed broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese. Tony normally adds BBQ and hot sauce to every thing. I think it takes away from the spices I add to meals. This meal he did not have to and enjoyed every bite. 

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup orzo

1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

 

Preparation:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.



Orzo



Chicken With Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1⁄2 cup)

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split horizontally

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup of the olive oil, the parsley, and crushed red pepper; fold in the goat cheese.

Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the orzo and goat cheese vinaigrette.



Chicken marinated in the Balsamic and Basel dipping oil



The final products! YUMMY

Cream Cheese Crab Sushi Rolls

Tony got a little ambitious this weekend and wanted to try to make his own sushi. I do not eat seafood so he was on his own looking for recipes. I bought Tony every thing he needed to attempt to make sushi. Some how I knew going into this it would be a challenge for him. He is no Bobby Flay and gets frustrated easily when it comes to cooking. I do have to say when it was all done I was pretty proud of him.

The recipe is below. We did make a few modifications. Tony does not like cucumbers so he put avocado on it instead. He made me a vegetarian roll with cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and carrots. Hint for the cream cheese - if it gets too soft to cut length wise put it in the freezer for a few minutes. For our first ever sushi experiment it turned out pretty well. I made Pad Tia noodles on the side.

Cream Cheese and Crab Sushi Rolls
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white rice – sushi rice!
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sheets nori seaweed sheets
1/4 cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 pieces imitation crab legs
1/2 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to directions on the package. Stir in rice vinegar and salt. Allow to cool completely.

2. Lay out seaweed sheets. Moisten hands with water, then spread the rice evenly on each sheet, leaving a 1/2 inch gap along one edge, lengthwise. Arrange strips of cucumber, imitation crabmeat, and cream cheese in a straight line along the side opposite of the gap. Roll the sushi from the toppings to the exposed end of the seaweed sheet.

3. Using a sharp wet knife, slice each roll into 5 or 6 pieces. Serve with minced ginger on the side.

 
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=169856&origin=detail&&Servings=2

Updates

I have not been writing much lately. I know I am slacking. Things are just scary now at work and even more scary from a recent announcement today. Still nothing confirmed but will be soon. I still am doing my no spend challenge and but failed this weekend. I bought new running shorts and a cheap dress from Ross. I know I should have but it was probably my depressive state that drove me to do it. No more going forward....except for the $25 off I have at Ann Taylor Loft.

Last week Tony and I ate dinner at home Friday night. Our local Earth Fare has free wine testing every other Friday night on the patio with live music. We stopped off for the wine tasting after dinner and then headed out to a movie. With my Visa signature card we get one free movie ticket in June and July when we buy one. I talked Tony into seeing Bridesmaids. It was so funny.

Saturday I made steak, garlic and rosemary potatoes, and blueberry cheese cake cups. Earth Fare had their Fillet Mignon on sale 50% off. If you are not familiar with Earth Fare they are our local organic food store. This meat was fresh right from the butcher. Probably slaughtered the cow that morning. It is originally $25 a pound. This was a treat for me since I have not eaten red meat in probably six months. This steak really was the best we ever had. I went back Sunday to pick up six more cuts to freeze. I did not take pictures of the steak but did of the potatoes and cheese cake. I will add pictures later.

Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds red potatoes

3 cloves are garlic crushed

2 tablespoons rosemary

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the potatoes into quarters. Spray a 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray. Add potatoes. Stir in olive oil, garlic cloves, and rosemary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Check at the 45 minute mark by putting a fork into the potatoes. If it is soft they are done. Cook time will depend on how big your potatoes are.

Garlic Rosemary Potatoes

For the blueberry cheese cake cup cakes I used a recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste. She used Blackberries in her recipe but I love blueberries. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/05/lemon-cheesecake-yogurt-cups.html

Blueberry Cheese Cake Cups

Sunday I made the Ole Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas. Part of the reason why I have not been posting new recipes if I really like some of recent ones I tried out. This weekend I will be making the Greek Turkey burgers for my friends.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas Eve was just Tony and me. I still am sick and it took all my energy to make dinner. After dinner we put out the Christmas gift under the tree and watched Love Actually. I love that movie. The dogs were already trying to get into their gifts. So funny how they know Christmas.


I made a ham, stuffing, and vegetables for our Christmas Eve dinner. The stuffing was AMAZING! I always dread homemade stuffing. Many if not most people have no idea how to make it. Me including. I got this recipe from Tastefully Simple. Tony wants me to make it all the time now.



Creamy Wild Rice Stuffing

Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix - Tastefully Simple
5 cups hot water
2 tsp. Garlic Garlic - Tastefully Simple
2–3 Tbsp. Onion Onion - Tastefully Simple
6–8 slices diced bacon
4 stalks diced celery
14 oz. bag seasoned bread cubes
½ cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 4 ingredients; simmer 60 minutes. Sauté bacon in large skillet until browned; add celery. Cook until celery is tender. Toss bread cubes in large bowl with bacon mixture and cranberries. Add prepared soup, and season to taste with salt and pepper; mix well. Place stuffing in greased 9 x 13 baking pan; cover with foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 10-12 servings.




The ham recipe I pulled off of Oprah's website a few years ago. This is the best ham recipe I came across through the years.

Glazed Ham

10 – 15 pound bone in cured ham (not spiral ham)

Glaze:
1 cup light brown sugar
¾ cup mustard
¼ cup honey
¼ cup orange juice
½ ts cayenne pepper

Score rind of ham with tip of a paring knife forming 1/2 inch diamonds

Place in oven at 350 degrees until ham temp reaches 140 degrees, about 2 – ½ hours. Combine glaze ingredients. Remove ham from oven and brush the glaze generously over ham. Return ham to oven for 90 minutes and brush with glaze every 30 minutes.

Add flour to pan drippings to make gravy. Add small amounts of flour until it reaches the right consistency of gravy.

I cut the ham and brushed more the glaze on the meat. Put it back in the oven for a few minutes. I was perfect.



Now for dessert! OMG was this good. I am trying to keep my winter weight off and not doing so well. I found this dessert by Hungry Girl. Click on the link for the recipe.
http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/1850



I did find the crust was not enough. Instead of four sheets of crackers I used in package inside the box and double the light butter.

My Last Day as a Housewife

I made sure my last day as a housewife went out with a bang! I did not sit back and relax all day. I cleaned, canceled other interviews I had lined up, and cooked a great meal for Tony. This is his last day being married to a housewife and more than likely will not be coming home to home cooked meals every night. Our schedules are going to be slightly off. I probably will get home an hour and a half after he does since he goes into work early. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I will not be cooking anything since I have karate those nights. Either it will be left overs or he is going to have to cook the meal for us. Tony will also have to get used to eating later at night if I am going to cook when I get home. I probably will get home between 5:30 and 6:00 each night and Tony gets home at 4:00. While working at my last job I worked at home so even though I would work to 5 even sometimes 7 at night I could quickly toss something in the oven or take a break to make sure dinner was ready for him.

Okay…backed to what I cooked today. Yummy! I first tried low fat monkey bars from Woman’s Day magazine. These are so stinking good I had to fight not to eat almost half of the batch. I did make one mistake. In the recipe I was only supposed to put a half cup of the chocolate chips in the batter and then sprinkle the rest on but I put the full cup in. Does not make a difference in the taste but all the chocolate chips sink to the bottom. They are 3 grams of fat per serving but I made a few modifications so it is probably only around 1.5 grams of fat per serving. 1.5x40 servings…okay…I had my share of fat today. Ops.

Monkey Bars

1 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 bananas)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar (I used brown sugar splenda)
¼ cup oil (I used applesauce)
¼ cup milk
2 large eggs (I used egg beaters)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 Degrees. Line a 15x10x1/2 inch baking pan with nonstick foil and let foil extend about 2 inches above pan at both ends.
2. Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended; gently stir in ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
4. Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut each strip into 10. Remove from foil.

For dinner I made Tony Buffalo Shrimp Sliders from Redbook Magazine. I made these once before and he loved them. I did make a few modifications. I added red pepper flakes for more heat as Tony likes it. He does not like celery so I used onion instead. I also used whole grain flat bread buns, toasted with butter spray and garlic. I did not do red pepper flakes, onion, or garlic the last time and Tony liked it even better this time around. Now what did I eat since I do not like seafood...a Morning Star black bean burger. Yes, Tony gets the homecooked meals.

Buffalo Shrimp Slider

8 (3-inch) soft dinner rolls, split – or 4 regular buns
1 small heart romaine lettuce, finely shredded, 2 cups
1 celery stalk, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded carrots
3 tbsp blue cheese dressing
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
3 tbsp hot-pepper sauce or buffalo wing sauce
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Heat the broiler. Place dinner rolls, cut side up, on baking sheet. Place under broiler and lightly toast, turning baking sheet to toast rolls evenly.
2. In a medium bowl, toss lettuce, celery, and carrots with dressing. Divide the mixture over the bottom halves of the rolls.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add 1 tbsp butter and shrimp. Sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are almost cooked through.
4. Add remaining 1 tbsp butter and hot sauce to skillet; continue to cook, stirring shrimp in buffalo sauce with a slotted spoon until cooked through, about 1 minute. Spoon shrimp and sauce over lettuce mixture, sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and place roll tops, toasted side down.

Now I have to share the potato salad I made Tony and his friends for guy’s night last Friday. This potato salad is a hit whenever I take it to a party. It is spicy and you can only make it with Tastefully Simple ingredients…so call your Tastefully Simple consultant to place an order…that would be me. Especially do not substitute the bacon bits for any other brand. It just does not taste nearly as good.

Fiesta Bacon Potato Salad

5 large Idaho potatoes
2 hardboiled eggs
1 small onion, diced
2 cups miracle whip
¼ cup mustard
¼ cup bacon bits (Tastefully Simple Brand)
2 tb vinegar
1 tb dried onion (Tastefully Simple Brand)
2 tb relish
1 ts Fiesta Party Dip Mix (Tastefully Simple)

Boil potatoes in water until tender. Cool and dice. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Fold in potatoes. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Dinner, Games, and a Movie - Perfect Night In

Tonight I made Tony's favorite meal. Hungry Girl Buffalo Nuggets with my Spicy Potatoes. We took the Harley down to the farmer's market in Moore Square in downtown Raleigh. We bought fresh potatoes, corn, cherries, jalapenos, shallots, and watermelon all for only $10. I love the farmer's market! They have the best fresh potatoes.

My spicy potato recipe is from my friend Kelly in WI. She made them for Tony and I about 6 years ago and we have been making them ever since. The original recipe called for oil but I use butter spray and it tastes even better and cuts out so a lot of calories and fat. I also like red potatoes over the Idaho.

For the HG Buffalo Nuggets I like to use the Frank's Red Hot Sauce but this time I used Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce. It does not hold the breading as well so I do not recommend this brand.

I got a little creative with our corn on the cob. I melted light butter and mixed it with some herbs to create a herb butter spread. Of course I did not eat that since I do not like butter but Tony LOVED it.

Now the rest of the night is going to be playing board games and watching When in Rome. The best times with my husband are right on the couch watching a movie, enjoying a glass of wine, and eating popcorn.

Hungry Girl Buffalo Nuggets: http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1309
Spicy Potato Recipe:

Spicy Potatoes

1 tb oil or butter spray for a low fat version
3 tb Parmesan cheese
2 ts parsley
1 ts paprika
½ ts garlic salt
1/8 ts pepper
4 Idaho Potatoes cubed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix Parmesan, parsley, paprika, garlic, and pepper together in small bowl. In large bowl add cubed potatoes and oil. Stir together. Then add seasoned mixture. Stir together well. .Place on foiled, greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes flipping potatoes half way through.