HamJam Cheddar Puffs

Warm from the oven...flaky, cheesy, buttery HamJam Cheddar Puffs are a tasty appetizer or snack that everyone will love!  Use your favorite flavored jam to customize them to your liking!

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

No fuss homemade turkey meatballs in a rich tomato sauce simmered all day your slow cooker!  This classic recipe is a keeper and one I'm happy to share with you today from my friend, Sarah Olson's new cookbook, The Magical Slow Cooker. 

Cookbook Review: Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts, Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Butter AND a GIVEAWAY!

When Quirk Books contacted me and asked if I was interested in reviewing the cookbook, Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts I couldn't imagine how there could be an entire cookbook devoted to sprinkles!  I mean...sprinkles?  Sure they are fun and whimsical...but a whole book??

Boy was I surprised when the book arrived.  (Disclaimer: I received this cookbook for free to review from the publisher.  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine and I have not received payment for them.)

Sprinkles!  Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts by Jackie Alpers is a delightful paperback book with 144 pages of wonderful recipes and recipe ideas, as well as a tutorial on sprinkles themselves.  I mean, who knew there was a "World of Sprinkles", each kind with their own "personality" out there!?  Jackie even shows you how to make your own sprinkles in this book!  How fun is that??

Cookbook Review: The Looneyspoons Collection, Simply Orange Chicken and a Giveaway!

Before the holidays, I was contacted by Hay House and asked if I would be interested in doing a review of the cookbook, The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski. (Disclaimer:  I was not paid to endorse or write a review for this cookbook.  The opinions expressed are entirely mine.)  Once the publisher emailed me a couple of sample recipes from the book, I was anxiously awaiting its arrival.

I have to admit, I was not familiar with the sister duo of Janet and Greta Podleski, but I know all of my Canadian readers will know who they are.  Janet and Greta are authors of three #1 bestselling cookbooks: Looneyspoons, Crazyplates, and Eat, Shrink and be Merry.  The books are best known for their unique combination of "great tasting, healthy food, useful nutrition tips, and corny humor."  And if that isn't enough, over the years, the sisters have found time to host a show on Food Network Canada, develop a line of healthy prepared foods, produce monthly columns for Reader's Digest and Taste at Home magazines, and create a line of grEATing cards for Hallmark.  Wow!!

Janet and Greta's latest book, The Looneyspoons Collection, is a masterpiece every health- conscious, diet-minded person needs to own! 

It's jam-packed with more than 325 "I can't believe these are healthy!" recipes. 

The recipes have all been given witty names like "Steak it Up, Baby" (Grilled tuna steaks with a delicious chili-lime marinade) and "A Bundt in the Oven" (Blueberry streusel coffee cake). How fun is that??

The cooking directions are easy to follow and, for the most part, all of the recipes use easy to find, simple ingredients. All recipes have a complete nutrition analysis, so you can calculate out WW Points+, if you like. 

You will also find hundreds of beautiful full color photos, volumes of  weight-loss, anti-aging, and healthy living tips scattered throughout the nearly 400 page book.  As a wonderful bonus, you will also enjoy the jokes that made this pair's cookbooks famous!

I wanted to wait until after the holidays to do this review and present you with one (or more!) of the recipes out of the book. Let me tell you, I have made several recipes and I have not been disappointed by any of them. I waited because I wanted to give this GREAT book the post it deserved!!

One of the very first recipes I made from this book was Simply Orange Chicken.

 This was a fantastic, tasty weeknight meal!  Here is how my dish turned out...

The only swap I made from the original recipe is that I used a grainy brown mustard in place of the honey-dijon.  I did this because that is what I had on hand.  I was afraid this might be a dish my husband would turn his nose up at...remember how he hates "sweet" with his meat?  Well...even HE loved it. The WW Points+ for this dish worked out to be 7 Points+.

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this cookbook.  From the beautiful photos to the great tips this is a MUST own book.  I think I currently have 10 pages bookmarked for recipes I want to try and I have made the Simply Orange Chicken twice already! 

Cookbook Review: The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Divine.  Simply Divine.  That is how I would describe these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles made following a recipe from the new cookbook:  The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook:  Cookies, Cakes, Candies and More!  by Lindsay Landis.  A few weeks back, this glorious cookbook arrived at my door from the publisher for free to review.   I was thrilled.

Who among us hasn't tempted the threat of salmonella to eat raw cookie dough?  Fear no more, because each one of the recipes contained in this book uses a form of Lindsay's egg-less dough mixture in over 50 different recipes! .... White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookie Dough Blondies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Cookie Dough Stuffed French Toast, and Cookie Dough Crispy Treats just to name a few.   If I didn't have your attention before, after that mouth-watering list I am sure I do now!

The author, Lidnsay Landis, is a graphic designer/small- business owner by day and a food blogger/cookie dough addict by night.  Her food blog is Love and Olive Oil, where she not only blogs about cookie dough, but many other fabulous foods!  Her photography is outstanding...and in fact, in addition to recipe development and and writing, she also did all the photography in the book.  Lindsay states:  "I'm a very visual person;  I may overlook a truly incredible recipe just because it does not have a photo.  This is why it is important to me that each recipe in the book have a photo.  Still, I tried to portray every recipe as true to life as possible; there's not food-styling trickery to be found.  In fact, I personally ate nearly every single "hero" that was photographed mere seconds after taking the final shot."  Um....YES!  I love this fact and I can totally relate!

Besides the wonderful photography, each recipe is written out clearly and are very easy to follow. There are not a ton of complicated steps or fancy ingredients. It has a hard cover, lay-flat spiral binding, which is always a plus.  I enjoyed this cookbook very much and see myself making several more recipes from it's pages.  The recipes aren't low calories treats, but all things in moderation, right?

The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook is due to hit shelves on June 5, 2012.  The publisher's price is $18.95.  It will be available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  What a great gift this would make for your favorite cookie dough enthusiast!  ( or yourself!)

And just so you don't have to wait until the book hits the shelves to try out a recipe from this book...I am going to post the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, so you can give it a try for yourself! ( and yes, the truffle pictures are my own, taken with my little point and shoot camera!)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

from The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Servings - 24*   Servings Size - 1 truffle   Points Plus per Serving -  5 Points+

Calories - 148.2,   Total Fat - 8g,   Carb. - 22g,   Protein - 1.3g,   Fiber - 0.8g

*Note the original recipe calls for a yield of 30 to 40 truffles.  I chose to use a small scoop to make my truffles, which made them a bit larger, and I got about 2 dozen truffles from the batter. 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 TBS. milk ( I used skim and was loose with my measuring) 

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 ounces of dark-chocolate candy coating ( I used Merckens)

1.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugars together with an electric mixer on med speed until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes.  Mix in milk and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt and mix on low speed ( or by hand) until incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle. 

2.  Form dough into 1-inch balls  ( I used a small scoop to make the balls ) and arrange them on baking sheets line with parchment paper.  ( I used waxed paper)  Place sheets in freezer for at least 15 minutes.  ( I didn't use the freezer, I kept the balls in the fridge overnight)  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave according to manufacturer's directions, being careful not to overheat it.  Coat truffles and store in refrigerator.  They will keep for up to 1 week. 

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This was seriously a extremely easy recipe which gave extraordinary results.  The truffles were loved by everyone who tried them. The cookie dough was perfect and tasted as if you scooped out a spoonful from a fresh made batch sitting in a bowl ready to bake!   If you wanted to keep the calories lower, you could make the balls smaller than I did. 

If you like chocolate chip cookie dough, than The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook is a must for you!

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Tastetastic Thursdays @ A Little Nosh

Lightened Up Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip

Every time my family has dinner at a local restaurant, we feel compelled to order their Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip as an appetizer...it's so good...but I am certain...not so good for the diet!  When I won the cookbook, Food Network Magazine's 1,000 Easy Recipes from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy a few weeks ago, ( thank you again Debbi...I love it!)  one recipe that quickly caught my eye was for a Spinach Artichoke Dip.  I knew I could easily change up a few ingredients and lighten it significantly, and so the trial and error began.

It actually came out perfect first time around!

Since the original recipe called for 8 oz. cream cheese, my initial reaction was to sub reduced fat cream cheese, but after carefully reading labels, I decided to go with 8 oz. of light Laughing Cow cheese instead.  I really love Light Laughing Cow cheese wedges, and ounce per ounce, it is about half the calories of reduced fat cream cheese.  The original recipe also called for smoked mozzarella cheese, which was easy enough to replace with the new smoked mozzarella cheese sticks from Weight Watchers. 

I love ANYTHING smoked, and these cheese sticks are no exception.  Since I pulled out so much fat from the recipe with my substitutions, in order to keep the dip moist, I added in some fat free half and half.  It worked wonderfully.  If you can't find the Laughing Cow or the WW cheese sticks, you could sub reduced fat cream cheese and plain reduced fat mozzarella cheese, but the nutritional stats may be different from what is posted if you do. 

I whizzed everything up in a food processor, and it came together quickly.  It's super easy to "grate" up the cheese sticks by cutting them in half and then pulsing them in a food processor.

Once everything came together, I spread it in an oven proof dish and baked it at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes.  ( I reserved a few TBS of the Parmesan cheese for the top)

The original recipe called for the dip to be warmed in a slow cooker for two hours.  This is certainly an option as well, and a great idea if you are going to want to keep it warm at parties and gatherings. 

Lightened Up Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip

adapted from 1,000 Easy Recipes

Printable Recipe

Servings - 12   Serving Size- about 1/4 cup   Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+

Calories - 79.3,   Total Fat - 3.3g,   Carb - 3.5g,   Protein - 7.2g,   Fiber - 0.6g

6 smoked mozzarella cheese sticks ( cut in half and pulsed in food processor until grated)

8 wedges of Light Laughing Cow Cheese

10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1- 15 oz. can of artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( reserve a few TBSP for top, if desired) 

1/4 cup fat free half and half

2 cloves of minced garlic OR 1 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1.  In food processor, with blade attached, add all ingredients and pulse until combined.  

2.  Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread dip into an oven proof baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake until cheese melts, about 20 minutes.  Serve warm.  

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While this wasn't EXACTLY like the dip at the restaurant, it came pretty darn close and with such better stats!  Wow!  2 points+ for a whole 1/4 cup of dip! 

What are some of your favorite appetizers you like to order at a restaurant that aren't exactly the healthiest?  To be honest, I am more of a dessert girl than an appetizer girl, but I will admit, there are some appetizers that call my name and this is one of them! 

Cookbook Review: The Cookiepedia...Mixing, Baking, and Reinventing the Classics

"Think of what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."  -- Robert Fulghum

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A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Quirk Books and asked if I would be interested in reviewing a new cookbook...one that is devoted entirely to COOKIES!  Heck YES, was my answer!  I know all things MKA are supposed to be healthy and WW friendly, but sometimes...just sometimes, you NEED to treat yourself to the real deal!

The Cookiepedia: Mixing, Baking and Reinventing the Classics by Stacy Adimando is a fantastic resource for all things cookie!  Stacy is a recipe developer and food writer living in Brooklyn.  She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and she is currently deputy lifestyle editor for Every Day with Rachael Ray.  This cookbook is chalk full of wonderful recipes for some classic cookies as well as some rather unusual twists on your favorite treats!    Imagine a perfect recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, twisted into a Chocolate Chip Cookie with Peanut Brittle and Sea Salt or how about a wonderful basic Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that is worthy of a blue ribbon, turned into mouth-watering Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies!  All of your favorite classic cookie recipes are there along with several variations on them to spice things up a bit!  Then there are the very unusual cookies..such as Salt-and-Pepper Cookies and Green Tea Cookies.  ( I have yet to try either on of these..but they are on the "must make" list!) Over 50 cookie recipes in all! 

The cookies are categorized by their character in the table of contents:  Buttery, Chocolaty, Fancy, Fruity, Spicy, and Nutty and Seedy.  Each section begins with a lovely pictorial spread of each finished cookie in that category.   The recipes are well-written and easy to read and follow.  The binding is designed to allow the book to lay flat when open to a page....LOVE this feature!  Each recipe comes with a helpful hint from Stacy on the margin for that particular recipe and a "NOTES" section to make your own notations as you bake! 

When I finally had a chance to test the cookbook out, I didn't know which cookie I wanted to make first! I started with the basic Chocolate Chip Cookie (pg 43).  I was extremely pleased with how this cookie turned out!  Let me tell you, I have made dozens and dozens of chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime and  this recipe is one of the BEST!  Even after a day or so, they remained nice and soft!  ( and believe me, it was amazing they lasted that long!)  Pictures of this cookie?  Sorry...I forgot.  But rest assured, there is one in the book! 

The next cookie recipe I tested was Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (pg 97).

Not being a fan of raisins, I opted to use some chopped up dried apricots and sliced almonds in my cookies instead....and I was more than thrilled with the results!

Hands down, this was probably the best basic oatmeal cookie I have ever made!  Chewy and soft and really, really delicious!  ( for recipe, see below!)

The last cookie recipe I tested out was the Frosted Maple Pecan Cookies ( pg 27).  Again, I was NOT disappointed!  Wonderful soft cookies with a nice frosting which received two thumbs up from my peanut gallery...

Wondering how to get your hands on this wonderful cookbook?  Follow this link HERE to the publishers website for more info on where it is available!   And while you are waiting for your copy to arrive...here is the wonderful Oatmeal ( Apricot-Almond) Cookie recipe for you to try!

Oatmeal Apricot-Almond Cookies

adapted from The Cookiepedia: Mixing, Baking, and Reinventing the Classics

Printable Recipe

Yield:  Approx 24 - 25 cookies   Serving size - 1 cookie   Points Plus per serving - 3 points+

Calories - 100.6,  Total Fat - 4.8g,   Carb. - 15.7g,   Protein - 1.6g,  Fiber - 0.9g

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar ( packed )

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp. almond extract ( optional ) 

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cps old-fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or non-stick foil. 

2.  In large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar on medium speed of mixer for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy!  Add in egg, vanilla and almond extract ( if using) and mix until combined.  

3.  In med bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and whisk together to blend.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture with mixer running on low until just combined.  Stir in the oats, apricots, and almonds.  

4.  Drop by TBS ( I used my cookie scoop ) onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Let cool and enjoy! 

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Thank you to Quirk Publishing for sending me this book to review!  (*I received this book for free and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine)  I will be using this book as a great reference for cookie recipes in the future!  It's a wonderful addition to my collection! I really like the lay-flat binding and the helpful hints on each recipe...plus the pictures are a MUST for me!

Are you in love with cookbooks like me?  What feature in a cookbook is most important to you?