Amazing!!!

Remember this? Well, last year we took it a step further and blended our points system with the school's color code discipline system and created a flexible reward/punishment program. This has been a great tool in our family dynamics and the boys - especially Jared - respond really well to it. The established system hasn't changed much since it's implementation, but the way to earn points has evolved a bit. Today we had a major breakthrough.

The boys could earn points for be ready for the day by a certain time, answering questions correctly while reading scriptures, being reverent, and doing whatever else we may decide to offer points for. Sometime in the last 6 months Matthew created a job chart and every day we each had a job/chore we had to accomplish. If that assigned chore was done, 5 points would be awarded. For second and third chores, even more points would be acquired. There are a few chores that are accomplished regularly, but most of them are not.

With Matthew gone, I've known I needed to step up and be more quick to act otherwise this is going to be a nightmare year. I'm much harder on the boys and willing to take away their points. When Matthew went to NJ in May for 4 days, the boys spent just about every day on red (no privileges and no chance to earn them back for that day). It was pretty miserable - but I did get a lot of work out of them :). I've drawn on that experience to remind the boys to be obedient, and it has worked. I'm really quick to take away points, but unfortunately often forget to award points so there is little chance to earn their way off of the negative colors. Today Jared was on orange and I wanted to show him something on the tv, but realized he had no privileges so I couldn't. We needed a win-win for earning points. In this moment, inspiration struck.

This weekend when I was at B&J's, I read a clipping from a blog post about job jars. Basically you write down chores to do on index cards or popsicle sticks along with the amount of money earned for accomplishing it. They were using change (3 cents, 25 cents, etc). The rules were that in order to be paid, the job had to be done to mom (or dad)'s satisfaction. The job drawn had to be completed before another job could be picked.

Well, I don't have money to hand out, but I do have points!! So, I presented the idea to Jared (and Aaron). Jared was so excited about it!! I tasked him with thinking of jobs we could write down and he spent about 15 min drawing pictures of work that could be done. His ideas were cleaning the sink, the turtle tank, and cleaning his room. We've tweaked it for us, but the same rules apply.

We (because the boys helped too) used popsicle sticks for our job jar. We made sticks for all the morning and evening jobs: praying, brushing teeth, getting dressed, making beds, etc. We colored the morning jobs yellow and the night jobs blue, and then the sides of the sticks are color coordinated to match their point peg. In the morning (or at night) they can draw which of their routine jobs to do first and will earn 1 point for each job accomplished. Once a tast is completed, they turn the stick over. Points can be earned immediately (thus overcoming an orange or red color before the end of the day).

Each of the boys has a daily routine jar, and then there's a big jar filled with the other assignments. The jobs range from 'cleaning the bathroom sink' to 'jumping to the count of 10'. I threw in a 'read for 10 minutes' and 'write your name 5 times' as well. I broke down cleaning the bedroom to more specific tasks like: put away all the books and throw away the trash. Each task is assigned a point value ranging from 1 - 5 points. I even included two Riley Challenge sticks from Flylady because there will be tasks that she could think of that I would never have. Every time Jared drew a stick tonight he was saying, 'I hope it's not a Riley Challenge' lol

It was amazing to watch the boys tonight. Aaron didn't get as into it as Jared did, but he was still excited about finding out what his job was. Jared did 5 or 6 tasks. He would have done more, but we ran out of time. He ended up cleaning the toilet, reading for 10 minutes, writing his name (he has to use the dry erase board with the lines to practice good letter sizing - in the future he has to do first and last name), wiping up all the dirt spots on the floor (lucky him the floor had been mopped recently), helping with the dishes (again he lucked out b/c there weren't very many), putting away the books (which requires actually putting the books on the shelf the way they belong which was quite the task today) AND he took out the trash (which was his chore for the day). He even put away all the blocks he had pulled out - without complaining and without earning points!!! It was so impressive. He moved so quickly through his bedtime chores and everything. He went to bed happy.

Aaron picked out sweep the bathroom floor (which it desperately needed! YAY!)

It would be naive of me to think that this will happen every day, but for today it worked wonders.

Literally today was one of the best days we've had in a long time. The boys loved helped making their sticks, they got to play, cleaned up without arguing.... Aaron asked to help me with the food I was working on, we had dinner on the table by 6:30, we read scriptures, and the boys were in bed by 7:45 pm without a word (because I threatened they'd go down a color - and Jared worked VERY hard to earn his white). Absolutely incredible.

Oh, and I made a job jar for me too. I put some of the deep cleaning jobs that I often neglect as well as tasks that I want to get done but sometimes end up going undone because I start turning in circles not knowing where to start. This will give me some direction/structure. I also put in there to call one of my VT sisters (one for each of them), practicing piano, writing in my journal - I ought to add some exercise ones.

Hopefully with all of us working through these job jar tasks, our home will be a much more pleasant place to be :)

Phew!! Recipes updated

Ok, all the recipes I added the other day have now been updated to include the actual recipe! We have had some great foods over the last few months, so experiment and enjoy them yourself :)

Boo Hiss

So I didn't do so hot this week in the exercise department. Or the eating healthy department. I did my videos Mon & Tues, then was a bum the rest of the week. Actually, I did do the treadmill on Thurs. I did the 6 mph 20 minute program. I haven't run at 6 mph hours in a few years, so I wasn't sure how that would go, but it was great! In fact, I may do it again soon-ish. I've been stress eating too, so today's weighin reflected it of course: 158.1

*sigh*

Herb Bread Remake: Cinnamon Almond Bread

I made another loaf of the herb quick bread without the herbs in the recipe. Here is the recipe as I made it:

3 c. flour
3 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 TB cinnamon (maybe more depending on how cinnaminy it looks)
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/3 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp almond extract (I can't remember if it was 1/4 or 1/2 tsp.)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, oil and almond extract (I usually use a 2 c. measuring cup and measure them all together in it starting with the milk, then the oil, the egg & extract - less dishes to worry about it); stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. It will be a thick batter.

Transfer to a loaf pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to col completely.

Awesome with some homemade strawberry jam :D

Here is the link to the original recipe: Herb Quick Bread

Saucy Bowties & Broccoli

****
Made May 22nd. Not my favorite - too garlicky. In its defense, I did not actually measure the garlic. I used a regular tablespoon to scoop my minced garlic from the jar and put in 3 half spoonfuls. So, it could be my lack of precision to cause this.

Only Matthew seemed to think it was ok. I wasn't sure if I'd like the broccoli in a red sauce, but that aspect was fine. I think the garlic overshadowed everything for me though.

Chicken Turnovers

Chicken Turnovers
published in Light & Tasty April/May 2006, p59

Ingredients

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; top each with chicken mixture. Fold dough over and seal edges.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 13-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 turnover equals 169 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 338 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 11 g protein.

*****
Made May 22nd. I've had 2 tubes of crescent rolls in the fridge for awhile. Apparently when you get passed the sell by date they dry up and tear really easy. But, this worked to my advantage because then I ended up with little popovers just the right size for little fingers.

I did not use cubed chicken but a Member's Mark can of chicken, and I had to use 2 tubes of crescent rolls.

I really liked these and would make them again. It is a nice blend of flavors and really simple to put together.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
published in Light & Tasty June/July 2006, p49

Ingredients

3/4 cup fat-free milk
3/4 cup ice cubes, crushed
1/2 cup strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 small firm banana, chopped and frozen
Sugar substitute equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients; cover and process for 30-45 seconds or until smooth. Stir if necessary. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately. Yield: 3 servings.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Splenda no-calorie sweetener.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 110 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1/2 reduced-fat milk.

****
Made May 16th. This is one of the better smoothie recipes I've tried. It was really thick and flavorful. I didn't add the entire sugar amount called for, but instead used more like 1/4 cup of sugar. 2 TB also works well.

Campbell's Fake 'em Out Ravioli Lasagna

Campbell's Fake 'Em Out Ravioli Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups Prego Italian Sausage & Garlic Italian sauce
1/2 cup water
1 package (30 oz) frozen regular size cheese-filled ravioli (about 30-34)
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9x2 inch (3 quart) baking dish with the cooking spray.

2. Stir the sauce and water in a large bowl. Spread 1 cup of the sauce ino the prepared dish. Top with 1/2 of the ravioli, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of the sauce. Top with the remaining ravioli and sauce. Cover.

3. Bake for 35 minutes. Uncover the dish and top with the remaining mozz cheese.

4. Bake for 10 minutes more or until hot and bubbly. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Nutritional Values per Serving:
Calories 650, Total Fat 30g, Saturated fat 17g, Cholesterol 116 mg, Sodium 1133mg, Total Carbs 68g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 29g,

*****
Made May 13th or so. I LOVE this recipe. It came from a Campbell's Kitchen Recipe Collection cookbook. It was so incredibly simple to put together. Aside from the one lasagna recipe still on my list, I will probably never make regular lasagna again. It tasted just like lasagna but it was so much quicker!!

This could easily be adapted to add spinach or other vegetables to create a veggie lasagna. You could probably even use beef instead of the cheese ravioli.

I did use fridge ravioli instead of the frozen, and my sauce wash Bertolli's tomatoes and basil. Yum!

Burrito Pita Pockets

Burrito Pita Pockets
published in Light & Tasty June/July 2006, p53

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 envelope burrito seasoning
1 cup water
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 pita breads (6 inches), halved
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in burrito seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in olives.
Fill pita bread halves with beef mixture, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 filled pita half equals 375 calories, 15 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 1,108 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 32 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch.

****
Made May 3rd. Well, pita pockets certainly are a different version of burritos. I think they made it a lot easier on the boys because the filling wasn't falling out the whole time they were trying to eat. I couldn't find burrito seasoning packets, so I just used taco seasoning. I also substituted the beef for ground turkey because that was what was defrosted.

Herb Quick Bread

Herb Quick Bread
published in Light & Tasty April/May 2006, p17

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup canola oil

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Transfer to a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf (14 slices).

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 169 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 16 mg cholesterol, 184 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

****
Made May 2nd in conjunction with Easy Hambuger Soup. This bread came together so quickly. The longest and hardest part was waiting for it to bake and then not eating it all at once!! I was really impressed with how delicious this bread tasted!! We do not care for caraway seeds, so I substituted Italian seasoning and basil. The texture was very similar to banana bread. Adding butter to it just made it even more divine.

I liked this recipe so much that I've experimented with it a little bit. The second time I made it, I changed the herbs to cinnamon. I think it could use a little crunch, so if I made cinnamon bread again I'd add some chopped walnuts or pecans. Perhaps it is because it reminds me of banana bread so much that I think that.

I think the basis of the recipe is so basic that you could really do a lot of variations and have it turn out fine.

Easy Hamburger Soup

Easy Hamburger Soup
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p28

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 cup water
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
10 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water. Add celery and carrots.

Place peppercorns on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to beef mixture. Stir in thyme and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Return to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes. Discard spice bag. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 227 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 762 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

***
Made May 2nd along with Herb Quick Bread. We had a cold front blow through so I took the opportunity to make one of the soups on my list. I used ground turkey instead of the beef because I found it on sale and needed to use it or get it in the freezer. It is so much easier to use it when I don't have to defrost it! The soup was good, but I think I would have preferred to have the flavor of real beef in this instance.

The recipe calls for quick cook barley but I have the regular barley in my pantry. So, the hour and a half cook time was slashed to just an hour. Instead of cooking the vegetables and then adding the barley, I simply added the barley along with the vegetables and voila! It was ready a lot sooner making this quick and easy in my book!

Matthew really liked this soup because it reminded him of a soup his mom would make growing up.

Tuna Artichoke Melts

Tuna Artichoke Melts
published in Light & Tasty June/July 2006, p19

Ingredients

1 can (6 ounces) light water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
1/3 cup coarsely chopped water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
2 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the tuna, artichokes, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup cheese, lemon-pepper and oregano. Spread over English muffin halves.

Place on a baking sheet. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; broil 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2 open-faced sandwiches equals 335 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 47 mg cholesterol, 989 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 34 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 2 starch, 1 fat.
***
Made May 1st. I'm always looking for tuna sandwich variations for our after church lunch. I've never made anything with artichokes before, so I was a little nervous. The sandwiches weren't bad.

Because my oven isn't working completely like it should, I first toasted the English muffins in the toaster then topped them and baked them until the cheese melted. This seemed to work fine.

Turkey Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

Turkey Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa
published in Light & Tasty December/January 2007, p15

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 small pear, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped celery
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 flour tortillas (6 inches)
2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in the pear, onion, celery, lemon juice, jalapeno, lemon peel and cumin. Set aside.

Place tortillas on a griddle coated with cooking spray. Spoon turkey and sprinkle cheese over half of each tortilla; fold over. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted. Serve with cranberry salsa. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's Note: We recommend wearing disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts: 1 quesadilla with 1/3 cup salsa equals 321 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 80 mg cholesterol, 449 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 32 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat, 1/2 fruit.
****
Made April 24th. The first quesadilla I made folded over like the recipe suggests, but it was messy. So, I made the rest with full tortillas until the end when I started folding them again. The quesadillas were really good.

The cranberry salsa was an interesting concept. It was ok with the quesadillas, but when used for tortilla chips... now we're talking!!! I loved the flavors together. I don't know what makes the difference that it'd be so much better with the chips, but it became quite addicting at that point.

Blushing Penne Pasta

Blushing Penne Pasta
published in Light & Tasty December/January 2007, p47

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream, divided
1/2 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Directions

Cook penne according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook onions in butter for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the thyme, basil and salt; cook 1 minute longer. Add 1 cup cream, wine and tomato paste; cook and stir until blended.

Combine flour and remaining cream until smooth; gradually stir into onion mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Drain penne; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 336 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 34 mg cholesterol, 445 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 12 g protein.

*****
Made April 21: This may seem silly, but once i added the tomato paste and saw the sauce turn a slight pink I had an ah-ha moment and knew why this is called Blushing pasta - it looks like the sauce is blushing.

This is a fairly simple recipe. Next time I'd probably embelish it with broccoli or chicken. Or both.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
published in Light & Tasty April/May 2006, p39

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup julienned green onions
12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes; drain. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and ginger; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and remaining oil. Stir in the carrots, onions and chicken mixture.
Spoon onto lettuce leaves; sprinkle with almonds. If desired, fold sides of lettuce over filling and roll up. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2 wraps equals 230 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 278 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 26 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat.
***
Made April 20th: I didn't get the Bibb or Boston lettuce, so I just used the big leaves of the iceburg lettuce I did have. The red pepper flakes added quite the zip, so I think next time I'd omit that flavor. I also didn't have peanut oil, so I used olive. I'm quite certain that minor detail creates a major difference in flavor. Overall the dish was good, but it probably could have been better with all the right ingredients.

Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
published in Light & Tasty February/March 2006, p23

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 turkey breast tenderloins (3/4 pound each)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring the water, wild rice and onion to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 55-60 minutes or until rice is tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute carrot and celery in butter and oil until tender.

Combine the flour, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; stir into carrot mixture until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in rice. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Place turkey over rice mixture. Combine the parsley, paprika and remaining salt; sprinkle over turkey. Cover and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into turkey reads 170°. Slice turkey; serve with rice. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 3 ounces cooked turkey with 2/3 cup rice mixture equals 313 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 87 mg cholesterol, 371 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 36 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

***
Made April 19th along side Butternut Squash Apple Bake: This was another big hit. I didn't think Aaron would like it or eat it, but he did. Jared and Matthew couldn't get enough of it. I didn't use regular turkey breasts though. I bought a jenni-o turkey breast package you get in the meat section next to the ham and just sliced off a serving for each of us.

Butternut Squash Apple Bake

Butternut Squash Apple Bake
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p8

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into rings
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Arrange squash in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Top with apple rings. Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Drizzle with butter.

Cover and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until squash and apples are tender. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 120 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 36 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 1 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 fat.
****
Made April 19th as a side dish to Turkey Wild Rice Casserole: Can we say YUM?!?! It was the perfect compliment to the casserole This was my first time with a butternut squash. It was pretty easy to peel and slice, and my apple corer/peeler made preparing the apples a snap too. We LOVED this recipe. It was pretty sweet though.

Turkey Alfredo Pizza

Turkey Alfredo Pizza
published in Light & Tasty December/January 2007, p23

Ingredients

1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
3/4 cup reduced-fat Alfredo sauce, divided
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cooked turkey breast
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Place the crust on a baking sheet; rub with cut sides of garlic. Discard garlic. Spread 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce over crust.

In a small bowl, combine the spinach, lemon juice, salt and pepper; spoon evenly over sauce. Top with turkey; drizzle with remaining Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper flakes.

Bake at 425° for 11-13 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 300 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 823 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 25 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch.

***
Made April 13th: This was my first experience using a prepared pizza crust. Man does that make life easy!! The recipe was really great and everyone seemed to like it (until I pulled out my Hawaiian Chicken BBQ pizza I had hiding in the oven so everyone would this one first - lol)

Broccoli Tortellini Alfredo

Broccoli Tortellini Alfredo
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p53

Ingredients

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
3/4 pound fresh broccoli florets
1 envelope Alfredo sauce mix
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 teaspoons reduced-fat butter
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding broccoli during the last few minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the sauce mix and milk. Add butter and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Drain tortellini and broccoli; place in a large bowl. Stir in the Alfredo sauce, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Land O'Lakes light stick butter.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups equals 262 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 919 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 16 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 fat-free milk.

***
Made April 8th: I don't remember much about this one, but I think we decided chicken or ham would have made a great addition to it.

The recipe does call for using an alfredo sauce mix, but I just used prepared alfredo and boy did it get done quick. It took a lot of the prep time out of the recipe.

Maple Syrup Corn Bread

Maple Syrup Corn Bread
published in Light & Tasty December/January 2007, p11

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, syrup and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour into a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 161 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 307 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.
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Made April 5th: YUM!!! I told Jared to smell them and see if they reminded him of anything. After thinking a while, he finally said: Pancakes!!! Bingo!! :)

The maple syrup added a great taste to the bread. It was the perfect compliment to the anytime turkey chili.