Evidently, they are a hot commodity right now.

In my search for a low-fat/ low-cal dessert (remember the soufflé’s were not so yummy), NWH and I have been eating strawberry shortcake parfaits for the past few nights.   These things are delish! 

Since making them, I’ve seen recipes all over the internet and on television shows. Evidently, they are a hot commodity right now.

Mine were pretty simple.  I made a box of sugar free instant vanilla pudding, sliced a carton of strawberries and marinated them in 3 tablespoons of splenda.  I chopped store bought shortcakes into cubes and layered the cake with pudding, then with strawberries, and a hipping spoonful of sugar free whipped cream on top!  YUM!

P.S. Unfortunately these aren't my pictures (pictures via google), but I promise mine tasted just as good as these look!!  Happy Friday!!



“summer-is almost-here-and-i-have-dimples-on-my-but”

Hey everyone, I’m back!!  I had a fabulous time in my home town this past week.  I miss my mom and dad so much.  I did cheerleading for approximately 3 straight days and couldn’t move Wednesday morning.  I hadn’t kicked/ jumped/ tumbled in almost 7 years! Lord, you should have seen me. 

Unfortunately, my niece did not make the squad, but she learned a very valuable life lesson.  There will be many “cheerleading squads” in life; some she will make, some she will not.   The important thing is for her to let this situation propel her to do even greater things in cheerleading or some other sport/ activity.  I think she’s going to work really hard and try out next year!!

On to a lighter subject matter (and I mean light).  So I always post about the fabulous recipes that I find and make, but I tried one last week that was not so fab; and in all fairness I should tell you the good with the bad.

NWH and I love dessert.  That is defiantly our weakness.  So I’ve been on a “summer-is almost-here-and-i-have-dimples-on-my-but” kick for the past few weeks and decided that I would try to start making low-cal desserts. 

I ran across this website that listed a recipe for Chocolate Banana Soufflé’.

·         2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

·         2 tsp cornstarch

·         1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         2 large egg whites

·         3 tbsp sugar

·         butter flavored cooking spray

Preheat over to 400F. Coat 4, 6 oz ramekins with butter flavored cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mash bananas and vanilla together. Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder over bananas and stir well.

In another medium bowl, beat egg whites with sugar until they form soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into banana mixture. When incorporated, fold in the rest of the egg whites. Spoon mixture into ramekins.

Wipe the top 1/4 inch “collar” of the ramekin to remove any excess batter so that the soufflé will rise straight and place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sound good, eh’?  And for ONLY 130 calories… do not be deceived.  I believe the words out of NWH’s mouth were, “I’m going to puke if I eat this,” and I couldn't agree more.  We threw all four “soufflé’s” away and picked up a box of the 90 calorie snicker bars the next day!!

they taste as good as they look!!

Remember when I showed ya’ll the picture of my wedding cake (here) and told you how unbelievably talented Mrs. H is!  Well, she’s been at it again.  Just look how beautiful all of these are!!  And I PROMISE they taste as good as they look!!

Can I just say... I wish I had these cakes when I was a kid.  I think NWH and I will have a baby just so we can start ordering these cute things!! hahahaha (j/k).

the cake disappears!!

If you and your honey (or kids) love chocolate…this is the recipe for you!!  And it’s just in time for V-DAY!!  The H-Family (who has so graciously allowed me to live with them for the past 4 months) bakes cakes!!  Let me rephrase...Mrs. H bakes cakes!  They not only look absolutely gorgeous (she made my wedding cake) they taste AMAZING!

So a few weeks ago she found a new chocolate cake recipe and made some small cake muffins to taste!!  Once again she never disappoints…DEVINE.  I made this recipe for my NWH, and then made it for my mom and dad’s super bowl party this past weekend and both times…the cake disappears!!  So here it is… warning…it’s GOOOOOOOOOD and super easy to make!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

ENJOY!!

Cookies with Flava and Football Style

I think I have previously mentioned my need to bring something (normally edible something’s) with me every time I go somewhere.  This can definitely be linked to my mom who, I swear, carries complete meals in the trunk of her car!

So this weekend we are heading to South Mississippi for HOMECOMING!!!  I’m so excited I could just scream.  NWH has taken off the entire weekend.  We’ll get to see friends and family, some we haven’t seen since our wedding, 4 months ago. 

We tailgate for hours with friends who own gorgeous motor homes, then we ride golf carts over to the East Club where we sit in a  beautiful glassed in room that runs the length of the football field.   They serve drinks and food,  and well basically it’s just one big par—tey! 

So back to bringing food.  My NWH and I are obsessed with these monster cookies.  (Can you tell, I think they’ve been in like 3 of my posts this week).    NWH said that we should bring them with us this weekend to contribute to the tailgating food (hahaha, now I have him thinking we should always bring something). 

Then I started thinking about how to package them.  I hate just putting cookies and cakes in those ugly plastic containers.  So I thought about cookies jars….hmmmm…..

So I went to the thrift store for inspiration and found these…..for a mere 50 cents apiece.  (Soaked them in hot soapy water for an hour), bought ribbon in our school's colors, and well....look how cute these are!!

These + this

= this

+ these

=  cookies with flava and football style!!

P.S.  Since we'll be staying at a friend's house this weekend, they'll get treats too! 

P.S.S.  Won't these be great for the holidays by just adding Christmas ribbon and little dangling ornaments?  I'm so ready for Christmas!! Can you tell??



Did you EAT it???

So I hate this dreaded topic. Wait, hate is an understatement. Despise loath, scorn, can't stand, can’t bear... Get my drift? WEIGHT!! The only way I like to hear or speak of this term is if LOOSING in front of it!

I’m pretty sure every woman thinks about it constantly UNLESS you’re one of the few who are just born naturally skinny, and the older I get the more I realize that this is probably .5% of the population.

Being in a sorority kind of taught be that. I used to think, “Gosh she is so small, she must be born that way.” Then you become roommates with that small person and realize… nope, she just doesn’t eat anything!

So anyway, it’s not that I’m huge.. It’s just that I am 5’1” and ANY little bit of weight on me causes all my clothes to shrink! Now, I WILL say that the lumps on the back of my legs and butt are beginning to multiply at an alarming rate (something I am attributing to getting older).

I was always pretty small growing up, not tiny, but small. I cheered, played tennis and soccer. Then my junior year of high school came, and I blew up which probably had something to do with puberty. Senior year lost it, gained it back first semester of college (yes, I was a victim of Freshmen 15) and finally lost it again.


I kept it off all through college, don’t know how but I did. THEN grad school came! My future NWH moved back home to work for his family business and I was left all alone going to school, working 24 hours, and evidently eating 4,000 calories a day!


So before the wedding there was only one thing to do… loose it again! I worked out relentlessly, even when I had no time! I would run hours, lift arm weights, do lunges and squats and eat nothing! This went on for about… 5 months… 5 months people and FINALLY the weight came off.

Why am I telling all of this.. because the 5 months of working so hard…went down the after about 8 weeks of marriage. So here I sit, depressed and disgusted.


I’m back on the tread... did 4 miles yesterday. I had a 100 calorie granola for breakfast, a pulled pork sandwich for lunch, and a taco salad (no tortilla) for dinner. Then my oh so loving NWH went to the store and brought me home this….

“Did you eat it?” you ask………………………………….Uh does the word devoured mean anything!

Nashville Cookies

My husband and I are going to Nashville today to visit his family.  I'm not sure why I always feel the necessity to bring something (anything) when I am visiting others, but I do.  My mom may be the one to blame, she'd just whip something together.  It could be the simple fact that I am from the south, and we always seem to travel with food. 


Because we are traveling some distance and let's face it, I'm no Paula Deen (yet);  I am going to make a tried and true cookie receipt.  These treats are awesome!  No measuring flour, baking powder, and salt either!  In fact, all you need is a box of yellow cake mix, a few other minor things!  Try them (you won't regret it)!


Here's what you'll need:  a box of yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, a half of a cup of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Now, empty your cake mix, half a cup of oil, and both eggs. into a mixing bowl.  Follow this link for an quick and easy demonstration on how to crack eggs.  http://startcooking.com/blog/35/How-To-Crack-Open-An-Egg

Add the two table spoons of water.  Now, I read in my Paula Deen cook book to never use a regular eating utensil to measure teaspoons and table spoons when baking, but I measured mine and they are exactly the same, so just test yours out.

 

Mix everything in the bowl together.  Another really great wedding gift we received, the Kitchen Aid electric hand mixer, makes mixing alot faster; but if you don't have one just use a spoon and your wrist. 

 

Finally, add the chips!  I only used 1 cup but if you like yours extra sweet then add as many as you want!

Spoon your cookies onto a baking sheet and place them about 2 inches apart (these little things will spread a bit).  They'll be a little sticky so just use your finger to push them off the edge of your spoon.  P.S. My mother-in-law gave me these "no burn" cookie sheets. Go buy them right now; they are totally newlywed proof! 

Pre-heat your oven to 350.  Make sure at least one of your oven racks are in the center of your oven, and place the cookies inside.

Turn your oven light on and watch them closely.  They should only take about 8-10 minutes to cook.  Remember these are from yellow cake mix so they'll be done when they turn slightly yellow.  Don't wait for them to golden brown or you may burn them!

While they cook, I'll put up the dishes from last night.  Oh, you see this mat thing that my dishes are setting on?  It is the best thing in the world.  I got it from Bed Bath and Beyond (not as a wedding gift) and absolutely love it! Another, newlywed must!

Okay, spells like cookies.  Looks like they are done!  Yum, enjoy!