For New Members

Over the past couple of months we have seemed to add to our member numbers so I thought I would post a few reminders for the newbies out there reading this.

First thing you want to do is scroll down to the labels on the left hand side of the blog and click on the label "The How To's". This link will take you to all of the posts that we have labeled "The How To's" because of all the good information they contain to get you started and up to speed for the next meal exchange.

Second, scroll down and locate the gadgets on the left hand side labeled "I Would Rather Eat Snails than..." and "Food Allergies". Even if you don't have any please indicate that you don't so that we know everyone is on the same page. If you have administrative rights-which means you can add new posts to the blog-then a pencil should appear at the bottom of each post/gadget. Click on this pencil and it will direct you to what ever you are trying to edit. Just add in your information and then click save. If you have any questions let me know.

Thirdly, we like to keep track of what everyone is cooking of the next meal exchange. This helps prevent double cooking of the same item. So please locate the post that talks about the upcoming meal exchange (February's is titled...) and click on the pencil. This will allow you to edit the original post that way you can add the name of the recipe that you will be cooking for that month.

And finally, after the meal exchange you will have the opportunity to sign up for next month if you wish. You have two weeks from the time of the last meal exchange to decide if you want to participate or not. There will be a gadget on the upper left hand side of the blog titled "The Official MMMM list for March (etc.). You need to click on the pencil and add your name if you want to participate that month.

Once the meal exchange has occured you also need to add your own post of the recipe you just made. This should include everything to make the recipe plus the nutritional information. Look at an example if you need help. Please label your post according to what your main dish is. For example chicken enchiladas could have labels such as mexican, chicken etc..

That about covers it all. The next meal exchange will be held at my house (Savanna Sorensen's) 7416 Sunset Maple Drive, West Jordan, at 9:30am on Tuesday February 8th. Please come with your meals already frozen, and two containers. One to hold all of your meals that you pick up from everyone else and the other to hold the meals that you are exchanging.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. My email is guaygunn@aol. com if you don't want to post a comment on the blog to ask your questions.

Happy Cooking!

February Meal Exchange

Attention Official Members for the February Exchange: PLEASE list below the recipe you will be making for the February exchange. Please remember to edit the post and add your name and meal rather than adding a comment with your name and meal. Thanks!

Auburn Garner: Empanadas
Lesa Gunn: Linda Holman's Mexican Casserole
Natalie Ball: Porcupine Meatballs (from Girlfriends on the Go)
Carrie Tuttle: Cafe Rio Pork
Tawni Fish: Chicken Stew
Savanna Sorensen: Broccoli Chicken
Nanci Edwards: Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Vanessa Norton Pork Loaf with Applesauce Glaze
Brandie Rudy: Taco Braid
Bobbi Loosli: French Dip Sandwiches

Cranberry Chicken

Cranberry Chicken
from the cookbook "Dinner Is Ready"

12 pieces boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 16 oz can whole or jellied berry cranberry sauce
1 cup creamy French dressing
1 1.25 oz env onion soup mix


Place chicken in greased baking dish. Bake 20 minutes at 350º. Pour off liquid. Combine cranberry sauce, dressing and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

Give 2 chicken tenders per person-12 chicken tenders does one 6 serving bag.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until hot throughout.

12 servings

(For the exchange I wanted to keep the chicken tender and fresh so it came to you uncooked in the bag. Thaw the bag, pour into the greased dish and bake covered to 30minutes at 350 degrees or until your meat thermometer says things are cooked. Keeping the dish covered will leave more sauce for your rice.)



Calories 534.7

Total Fat 17.4 g

Cholesterol 55.0 mg

Sodium 1,522.2 mg

Total Carbohydrate 33.9 g

Dietary Fiber 0.5 g

Protein 23.8 g

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes
From the cookbook "Dinner Is Ready"

1 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 cans cream of celery soup
0.5 cup onion, minced
2 cups ham, cubed
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/8 tsp pepper
1 24 oz bags frozen shredded hash browns

Combine softened cream cheese and soup. Stir in onions, ham, Jack cheese and pepper. Break apart hash browns (do not thaw). Gently stir into cheese mixture. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake in greased baking dish, covered, 1 hour at 350º. Uncover, top with cheese. Bake 5 minutes.

6 Servings

Calories 509.9 (I'm not sure this is correct. I can't find the nutritional facts on the ham I used so I just used a general information for cubed ham. Hopefully it's lower than this!)

Total Fat 33.1 g

Cholesterol 69.0 mg

Sodium 1,039.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate 38.6 g

Dietary Fiber 3.3 g

Protein 14.8 g

Spaghetti and Company

Spaghetti and Company
From the Cookbook "Dinner Is Ready"

3 lbs ground beef
3 lbs hot Italian sausage-Jimmy Dean
1/4 cup onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
15 26 oz jars Prego spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup sugar
3 small green bell peppers, diced
6 carrots, diced
15 mushrooms, diced
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard
3 Tbl pepper

Brown ground beef and sausage with onion and garlic. Remove from heat. Add spaghetti sauce and sugar. Prepare Italian dishes or divide into freezer bags or containers for spaghetti. Label and freeze. Why “and Company?” This is great with other Italian dishes such as Manicotti, Lasagna, Ravioli and Pizza. Decide how much sauce you will need and make enough for all the Italian recipes you desire to make all at once.


Makes 60 Cups. (6 cups per bag)

Calories 317.9 (Again I'm not sure on these nutritional facts. I'm using Sparks.com to enter the information but they don't have the correct information for the Jimmy Dean sausage. It looks like it's 6 grams of fat and 72 calories per serving for the sausage so I can't imagine why everything is so high.)

Total Fat 21.4 g

Cholesterol 33.0 mg

Sodium 1,019.2 mg

Total Carbohydrate 23.9 g

Dietary Fiber 5.3 g

Sugars 18.2 g

Protein 10.4 g

Ravioli Casserole

Ravioli Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups lowfat small curd cottage cheese
3 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
Spread 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce into 9 x 13 pan. Layer with half of the ravioli, 1 cup of sauce, 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 359.4
Calories from Fat 181 50%
Total Fat 20.1 g 31%
Saturated Fat 10.6 g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 5.9 g 29%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g 9%
Trans Fat 0.0 g 0%
Cholesterol 59.1 mg 19%
Sodium 1343.8 mg 55%
Potassium 599.5 mg 17%
Magnesium 43.8 mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 18.0 g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0.5 g 2%
Sugars 12.3 g 49%
Protein 25.9 g 51%

Our Fifth Success!!!

Today was our 5th meal exchange. It went beautifully! After every exchange I'm so excited to do it again. This has been a great experience and I appreciate all of you for participating.
Just a reminder that our next meal exchange will be February 8 at 9:30am at my house. Please tell all of your friends. The more the merrier. Remember we have a cap at 20 participants but we haven't even come close to that. So start inviting.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and thanks again.

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Stacks

2 cups frozen corn

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups salsa

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker. Pour frozen corn into the bottom of the slow cooker and place the frozen chicken breasts on top. Cover with beans and salsa. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir until the chicken, corn, beans and salsa are combined. Serve on a bed of tortilla chips and top with additional garnishes: lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, etc.

For 1/6 of the recipe

Calories: 141.5

Fat: 1

Carbs: 27.1

Fiber: 6.3

Protein: 9.2

White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili
1 T olive oil
1/2 c diced onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Great Northern Beans, undrained
2 C cooked, diced chicken
2 C chicken broth
3/4 C salsa
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t celery salt
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the mozzarella cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Add the mozzarella cheese one handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next. Stir to combine and make sure all the cheese has melted and serve.

Nutritional Info
Serving Size

Calories: 240.0
Fat: 3.2
Carb:32.4
Protein:21.5
Fiber:9.1
Fat: 3.2

Cheesy Chicken

2 lbs Chicken breasts
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
about 1/2 cup milk to thin out a bit

Mix undiluted soups and pour over chicken in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Serve over rice

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		253.4
Total Fat		12.8 g
	Saturated Fat	5.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.8 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	4.2 g
Cholesterol		67.3 mg
Sodium		914.7 mg
Potassium		300.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate		9.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.0 g
	Sugars	0.3 g
Protein		24.0 g

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups cooked (strips, pieces, or cubes) chicken (I actually used a turkey that I roasted)
9 Flour Tortillas - 8 inch size
1 1/2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz Light Sour Cream
1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 Small Onion - Chopped

Spray 9x13 pan
Mix soup, chicken, cheese, sour cream, and onions in a large bowl.
Spoon 2 Tbsp of filling onto each tortilla (save some filling to put on top).
Roll enchilada and place seam side down in the pan.  Fit them in very close together.
Spread remaining filling mixture on top of enchiladas.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until it is hot in the middle.

We like to serve these over shredded lettuce with either some mexican rice or re-fried beans.   They're also good with salsa on the top of you like spicier.

I usually eat one of these, Steve will eat one and a half or two.
The nutrition information is for one roll.

298 calories
11.9 g fat
43.7 mg cholesterol
879.2 mg sodium
29.5 g carbs
1 g fiber
18.4 g protein

Hawaiian Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup brown sugar


Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or stew in slow cooker 4-6 hours.


I used HUGE chicken breasts so you may need to cook it a little longer or cut the breasts up before you cook it.  
The weight watchers pointsplus are 5 per serving and 1/2 a chicken breast is a serving for the meal that I provided.


Serve over rice.