12 slices bacon

2 heads fresh broccoli, florets only

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 cup seedless green grapes

1 cup seedless red grapes

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 cup white sugar

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.  OR  Put on a baking sheet into a cold oven.  Turn oven to 375*.  Check after 10 – 15 minutes.

In a large salad bowl, toss together the bacon, broccoli, celery, green onions, green grapes, red grapes, raisins and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3-4 chicken breasts, shredded

2 tablespoons of Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 can of Rotel

28-ounce can green enchilada sauce

8 – 16 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese (depending how much cheese you like)

12 – 16 corn tortillas

Boil chicken until cooked through. Shred using a stand-up or hand mixer.

Slice corn tortillas into quarters each using a large knife or pizza cutter. They will be in triangles. You can skip this step but it makes cutting into the casserole easier.

In a large bowl combine your chicken with the taco seasoning and Rotel and mix well. Set aside.

Spray the inside of your crock pot casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan, then start your layering.

Cover the bottom of the pan with tortillas (you don’t have to cover every single gap). Top the tortillas with the shredded chicken mixture. Pour enchilada sauce over the chicken.

Top with shredded cheese.

Continue layering tortillas, chicken, sauce, and cheese.

You should have enough chicken for about 3 full layers. Finish the casserole off with a layer of tortillas, the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese.

Place the lid on the casserole and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Cut and serve with sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro and onions.

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

2/3 cup sliced ripe banana

1 large egg

1/4 cup 2% milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches)

2 teaspoons butter

2/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries

2/3 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup granola

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: additional vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and granola

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and banana. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip both sides of each tortilla in egg mixture. In a skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add tortilla; cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side.

Spoon yogurt mixture down center of tortillas; top with strawberries, blueberries and granola. Roll up each tortilla. If desired, top with additional yogurt, berries and granola.

1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling

3/4 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 package white cake mix (regular size)

2/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix pie filling and pineapple in a greased 13×9-in. baking dish until combined. Toss blueberries with sugar; spoon over pie filling mixture. Sprinkle with cake mix; drizzle with butter. Top with walnuts and almonds (do not stir).

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 45-55 minutes. Serve warm.

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 c (4 ounces) cooked corned beef, sliced thin

1 c (4 ounces) slicedswiss cheese

1 c sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and patted dry with paper towels

1 pkg (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust dough

In medium bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard and caraway seeds.

Unroll dough onto a large ungreased cookie sheet. Gently stretch dough to 14 x 12 – inch rectangle. This works better when letting the dough warm up a bit. Cut dough lengthwise in half. Spoon half of the filling onto each piece, spreading to within 1 inch of edges.

Layer corned beef, swiss and sauerkraut onto dough.

From long side, roll each jelly – roll style; pinch to seal edges.

Arrange rolls seam side down, 3 inches apart. Bake in a 425 degree oven 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1 inch slices.

For the Crust

24 oreos

1/4 c. melted butter

For the Filling

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

drops green gel food coloring

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

1 c. mini chocolate chips, plus more for garnish

1 c. Andes mints, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

Melted chocolate, for drizzling

Make Crust: In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they form coarse crumbs. Add butter and blend until completely combined.

Press crumb mixture into bottom and evenly up sides of a 9″ pie dish. (Try to make crust about 1/8″-thick evenly all around.) Refrigerate at least 1 hour before adding filling.

Make Filling: Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl.

To bowl of stand mixer, add cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed, 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and food coloring and mix on low until smooth. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts and mix until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in mini chocolate chips and chopped Andes mints.

Pour filling into prepared crust and smooth top. Sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips and chopped Andes and drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, 5 to 6 hours.

Cake Ingredients 

Makes 1 – 9×11 loaf pan

3/4 C sugar

1/2 C whole milk

1/2 C oil

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 C of maraschino cherries, cut in half

Cherry Glaze Ingredients

1 C powder sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp melted unsalted sweet cream butter

1/3 C maraschino cherry juice

Preheat the oven to 350F

Spray your loaf pan with pan spray and set aside

Using a mixer, combine the sugar, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla and almond extract- Mix until combined

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt

Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sliced cherries

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean

Once baked set loaf on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan

Directions for Glaze

In a small or medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth

Pour glaze over loaf and let glaze harden slightly before cutting

3 chicken breasts, about 1lb each

1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, to taste

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 package pepperoni slices

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Italian seasoning, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Butterfly the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper, inside and out.

Open each chicken breast, and add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to each one. Spread it evenly.

Add about 5-6 pepperoni slices to each butterflied chicken breast on top of the garlic.

Add about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to each chicken breast.

Close the chicken over tightly, and transfer the chicken breasts to a lightly greased baking dish.

Pour the marinara over top of the chicken and into the dish.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese, followed by the Italian seasoning, over the chicken.

Top the dish with the remaining pepperoni slices.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is tender and fully cooked.

You can also broil the top layer, for the last 5 minutes of baking. Watch it closely to not burn it.

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 tsp if you don’t like it too spicy

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon coriander

1 15 ounce can organic black beans rinsed thoroughly and drained

1 15 ounce can organic pinto beans rinsed thoroughly and drained

4-5 plum tomatoes chopped and seeds removed

1 teaspoon chopped chili peppers add more or like to your taste

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for topping optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put turkey in large sauce pan with oil and cook until no longer pink.

Add cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, coriander and a little water until seasoned. Add pinto & black beans, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced chilies, corn and mix it all together in sauce pan.

Place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and add 1/4 cup of reduced fat Mexican cheese blend on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.

For my kids, I crumble whole grain tortillas on top.

I like diced cilantro sprinkled on top. This is great the next for leftovers in a wrap too. ENJOY!

1 sweet potato

1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 medium apple – peeled, cored, and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 cup cranberries (I used frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish.

Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork and cut in half. Place in a microwave-safe dish; pour water to about 1/2-inch deep. Cook in microwave 10 minutes.

Arrange the onion, apple, and carrots into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Brush the barbecue sauce on both sides of the chicken breasts and lay atop the vegetables.

Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks; scatter into the baking dish.

Sprinkle the cranberries over the dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center, 45 to 55 minutes.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.