Turn a Box Cake Into a Costco Cake? Please Tell Me It's True.

This blog is a bit late, as I actually tested this pin over three weeks ago.  I’m a slacker.  What can I say?

We have all seen this pin, read its instructions, and felt our pants get instantly tighter.  I know I did, but the possibility of being able to make a cake that tastes like a Costco cake, made it all okay…even though it would be bad.  Very, very bad.

So, here’s what you do.  You add an extra egg, use butter instead of oil and double it, and use milk instead of water.  (Normally I use sugar free applesauce instead of oil, so this was the opposite of what I usually do.)  I tried it on two cakes.  One was devil’s food and the other was strawberry.  I honestly couldn’t tell the difference with the chocolate cake.  It was definitely NOT worth the extra fat and calories.  The strawberry cake, however, was AMAZING.  If Costco made strawberry cake, this could have passed for it.

The one thing I noticed was that the cakes cooked way faster than they normally do.  Keep your eye on it.  This could be why the chocolate one wasn't as amazing.  In a way, I’m kind of glad it didn't blow my socks off…and so are you if you work with me.  If it turned out like a Costco cake, I’d have to make one every weekend, which means I would have to bring the leftovers every Monday.

I used the Martha Stewart cream cheese frosting recipe again.  Love, love, love it.

Toddler Travel Tip-Print the Maps!!!

Before we took our week-long road trip, I looked up pins to get ideas to made the trip easier.  The best tip I came across that I actually tried, was printing the maps for the trip.

We broke the trip into two days each day, so I printed out each day separately.  Each day, I showed the 4 year-old where we were starting, and where we would end.  She randomly throughout the trip would ask me to show her where we were.  I pulled out the Star Wars folder and pen, and circled about where we were.  She absolutely got it.  Giving her a visual to associate time with was brilliant.

Do it.

I Hear It's Called Pink Cloud...I Can Support That

Who doesn't like a dish that is EASY, TASTY, and good for you?  This fits the bill.  Coming in at just 1,472 calories for the entire batch, you really don't even need to share.

I made it as a dessert, but I can see myself making it for breakfast, a side dish, or a snack.  The baby FREAKED out over it.  He wasn't patient enough to let me feed him with an actual utensil, he insisted on using his hands, and was quite vocal about how angry he was when it was gone.  Fortunately, I was nice enough to share mine with him.

I used...

1 tub of light Cool Whip
1 big container of vanilla yogurt
1 box of sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
1 bag of frozen mixed berries

I mixed them all up, and threw it in the fridge last night.  Today, it was amazing.  See:

Oh, my holy crap.  I bet if you threw some granola on top, it would be amazing!

Throw it in a pie crust?!?

Also, next time, I'm trying Greek yogurt.  I'll keep you posted.

20 Calorie Kiwi Lime Angel Food Cupcakes...sure, they're tiny, but who cares?

I have wanted to make this recipe since I got the Ninja Cooking System. They look amazing in the picture, and the recipe seemed easy enough. And, it was, really. Next time I make them, however, I will:

Remember to add the other 2 Tablespoons of sugar.
Spray the muffin pan with Pam.
Let the eggs get a little stiffer before I add the lime zest and juice.
Get two limes.
Slice the kiwis thinner.

I used the silicone muffin pan that came with the machine for the first batch. The picture in the recipe book makes them look taller than they came out. By the time I scraped them out, they were just tiny balls of goodness. I used a little tin that came with a kid's mini cupcake kit I got for the girl a while back for the second batch. They came out more like cupcakes, but I still had to scrape them out, which meant they lost their shape.

Overall, they were quite good. And, for TWENTY calories each, even Weight Watchers would support this dessert. (It's actually a little less since I ate 1/3 of the kiwi on its own.)

Also, someone remind me to buy good picture-taking dishes.

One Pot, 1/2 Hour Lasagna? Thank You, Ninja Cooking System.

I got myself the Ninja Cooking System for Mother's Day.  I have seen them at Target for a while, but thought it was just a REALLY expensive Crock-Pot.  While trying to find something for my mom, I saw it and actually looked at what it was.  After some convincing that it was okay to spend that much, I got it.  (I got it at Kohl's with a 20% off and $30 Kohl's cash, so it didn't sting quite as bad.)  It came with a little recipe book, and this was one of them.  My favorite part about it so far is the clean up.  It took me two minutes to wash it, threw the spoon in the dishwasher, and I'm calling it good.

I followed this recipe, except I used chicken Italian sausage instead of hamburger.  Next time, I'll use ground turkey.  The kids didn't really like it, and I'm guessing that's why.  A little too spicy for them, perhaps.

Seriously, though.  10 minutes of sausage cooking, 20 minutes with the pasta, sauce, and water.  3 minutes after you add the spinach and cheese mixture, and you're DONE.  The only prep was to clean the spinach and mix together the cheeses, which was easily done during the 20 minute stretch.

So far, I'm a big fan of this thing.  Just the clean up alone is worth it.

 I forgot to take a picture before we dug in, but here is what was left.

*UPDATE* I just threw this into LoseIt with 10 oz of ground turkey. If you go with 6 servings, each one is only 284 calories!

**UPDATE, UPDATE** I forgot to buy fresh spinach this time, so I used frozen. Worked like a charm. I've made this three times now, and have decided I'll never stop. Easy, tasty, and the clean up is next to nothing. I'm in the middle of a deep clean and wanted minimal impact. This baby did the trick. 

My New Favorite Frosting Recipe and Cute Cupcake Liners

There are a few things I look for in a frosting recipe.

1.  Crisco scares the crap out of me.  Absolutely NO Crisco is allowed.
2.  It can't be too hard or time consuming.

Okay.  Two rules.  I have two rules when I'm looking for a new frosting recipe.

On this particular occasion, I was also looking for a frosting I could color and use to pipe decorations onto the cake.  This recipe seemed easy enough and fit the bill.  *UPDATE* The link in this pin isn't working.  This is the recipe.

The hardest part was not eating all of it before it made it onto the cake.  The second hardest part was waiting for the cream cheese and butter to come to room temperature.

I only made half of this recipe and it was enough for the little cake, 16 cupcakes, PLUS a bunch leftover that I planed on using as a strawberry dip.

I also went ahead and tried this pin while I was at it.  I had white cupcake liners that I bought quite a while ago, and it was easy enough.  A little messy, but worth it.  You could have a lot of fun with a tie dye effect, if you wanted to.  I did notice that it's better when the color on the liner is a different color than the frosting.

No Bake Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Who wouldn't want to try this pin, right?  I've seen it 1200 times since I joined the (stupid) Pinterest world.  Now that strawberries are cheap again (someone remind me to find out if Cracker Barrel has strawberry shortcake yet), I decided it was time.  Here is what I learned, short and simple.

1.  It was impossible to make them pretty.
2.  The cheesecake was instantly thick, which made it quite difficult to control.
3.  My wrists really hurt after I was done.  (Flashbacks to decorating cakes with fudge for Christmas at TCBY.)
4.  You have to leave the stem on, or there is a hole at the bottom.
5.  Leaving the stem on makes them somewhat difficult to eat.
6.  If you use the 1/3 less fat (fake) cream cheese, light Cool Whip, and sugar free pudding, these are only about 25 calories a piece.

I actually made these in two batches, because it made so much of the cheesecake and I had two huge containers of strawberries (and I ended up eating 1/4 of them while cutting the X in them, because I cut too far).  The first batch I made like the original pin (the top two strawberries). But, after discovering that it's a pain in the rear to make, and eat, I decided to do the second batch upside down like this pin (bottom three).  It was way easier to make, but the cheesecake slid right out.  Plus, you couldn't fit as much in the strawberries.  I actually only filled enough to take this (really bad) picture, then I used the rest as a dip.

So, they tasted great, but I won't make this particular recipe again.

Screw you, Rachel Ray! Wash Your Berries!

First off, let's start with the fact that I worship Rachel Ray.  I really do.

Worship.

She does, however, tell you not to wash berries when you bring them home because they will rot faster.  This is true, if you just wash them in water.  Per this pin, however, I let them soak in a vinegar/water solution for a few minutes...and it totally worked!  I used more vinegar than the pin suggests, but...

I actually let them sit in my fridge much longer than I was going to, just because I wanted to see if it would work.  I soaked them in a 6 to 1 ratio of water to vinegar for about five minutes, rinsed them, and then put them in a glass container with a towel to cover them.  I was quite surprised last night when I went to cut them up.  There were a couple on the top that were soft, but okay.  The rest were PERFECT.  I cut them up, and put about a teaspoon of sugar on them.  This is what I got.

It's totally worth the extra five minutes.  I will do this with ALL of my berries from now on.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

This recipe has such potential!  Take any deviled egg recipe, and you can probably adapt it.  (I plan on adapting this recipe next.)

I kind of followed this recipe.  I used only 2 c. of (olive oil) mayo instead of 3, at least 1/3 c. of mustard (my favorite part of deviled eggs), and approximately 2 T. of pickle juice on top of the vinegar.  (I actually ended up adding the white vinegar after the fact.  It helped.)  I only had sweet pickle relish...because I don't really like it.  Once I added it in, I regretted it.  I tried to cover it up by adding sliced baby dill pickles, which actually gave it a much needed crunch.  I'm not sure how I'll incorporate that in other versions.  For now, I'll just enjoy this one.

I can't wait to try other versions.  I'd say I recommend it for sure.  It's a convenient-have leftover Easter eggs recipe, for sure.

*UPDATE* This was even better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days.

Polka Dot Cake and Jell-O Frosting? Heck Yes, I Did!

Today was full of ups and downs, especially with this (stupid) cake.  It started off great, so colorful and pretty...

Then...well...

Note to self:  Self, next time use more (stupid) flour spray crap on the bottom of the (stupid) pan.  I went to turn it out onto the cooling rack and half of it stayed in the pan.  My heart broke right along with the cake.  The daughter obviously saw it in my face and tried to reassure me that it was okay.  (Moms can fix anything, you know.)  This led to project-how much frosting will it take to make this thing look okay from the outside.

The answer?  Two batches.

Now...back to the cake.

I followed the directions for the cake pop pan, just like the pin said to, using milk, an extra egg, and a box of instant pudding mix.  I did, however, use NSA applesauce instead of oil.  (I just don't use oil anymore.)  The part I missed was where she said she used HALF of the cake mix to make the pops, hence the massive overflow out of the tops.  Half, people.  Half.  Fill them to the rim.  That's it.  I used the excess to make a few cupcakes.

I used a Funfetti cake mix for the outside, thinking the colored sprinkles inside would look super cool...and, that's what I already had.  They probably would have, had I not demolished the cake.  (I still kind of want to cry.)  I used milk instead of water in this batch, as well as the applesauce, but I didn't add pudding or an extra egg.  In fact, I used only egg whites like the pin suggested.  There were definitely two different textures in the end.

Warning:  When I covered the colored balls with the Funfetti cake mix, I was quite afraid it wouldn't be enough.  It was.  Don't panic.

Now...back to the mess of a cake.

I bought the ingredients needed to make two different types of frosting, because I hadn't decided which kind I wanted to try.  I was trying to think of which of the two would hold cake crumbs together better.  What won?  Impatience.  

Recipe number one was a Jell-O recipe that would take exactly five minutes.  Recipe number two was a cream cheese recipe that would require me to wait until the cream cheese and TWO sticks of butter...healthy...to come to room temperature.  I pulled the ingredients for recipe number two, just in case, but decided to go with recipe number one.  The pin made it look freaking awesome, and I hoped that with the Jell-O, it would hold up well enough to rescue the cake for my baby's birthday.

I was scared at first, since it took a couple of minutes for it to start looking like it was supposed to.  I used a timer just like the pin suggested.  (Thank you, iPhone.)  It looked good enough, so I went with it.  It turned out just fine, but I'm not sure I'll use it again.  It didn't want to be smoothed like other frosting (thank you, sprinkles), and it set up pretty quickly.  It turned out super sticky, and didn't want to stick to the cupcakes, but it was okay.  I'm not sure if I'll try it again.  It sure was easy, though.  *UPDATE*-The frosting on day two was quite rubbery on the outside (which makes sense).  By day three it was rather scary looking.  By day three, it's just gross looking. Refrigerating it might help, but I think it would dry it out even more.  Not sure, though.

Okay, so here's how I managed to salvage the cake.  I think it turned out pretty good...on the outside...

Here are a couple of the better shots I could get of the polka dots.  (Notice the difference between the top and bottom layers.)  I didn't use a real knife for fear the people at the restaurant would be unhappy with someone bringing a weapon, so I used my frosting spatula to cut it.  Big mistake.  I basically just smashed it.  Sorry.

I think I might try it again for the little boy's first birthday cake.

Next time, however, I'll use three times as much spray as I think I need.

Birthday Chalkboard

I had a lot of fun with this one, and had I had more time, it would have been even cooler than it already was.  This is how it looked after using some crazy, brightening filters.

This is how it looked in real life.

Next time I need to either find better chalk or get those liquid, washable markers.  I dipped the chalk in water, just like I used to do at Starbucks, which was helpful.  But, it still wasn't bright enough.  I'll also brush up on some fonts.  I haven't had to actually WRITE anything in so long, I couldn't even remember how.

Okay, that might not have been completely true, but...

I can't wait until I have several years of these that I can put together.  Too bad I can't go back in time and get the three years I missed.  Oh, well.

One-Hour Tutu? Yup, it's true.

I LOVE the idea of this pin.  As soon as I saw it, I couldn't wait to try it.  I thought of all of the colors of tulle they have, the combinations I could try, and how happy the daughter would be.

It worked!  I'm not sure I'll do it again, however.

I ended up using 40 yards of tulle, which I got for $3.81 with a coupon, and I already had the elastic.

It was super easy and I was able to make it based simply on the pictures...like these...which is good since I'm illiterate.

I didn't take the time to measure each strip of tulle, so it's more punk than ballerina...of course.  It took a couple of hours because of the baby being all needy and babyish and stuff, but I got it done.  It probably would have taken an hour with no distractions.  

So, it was easy and it turned out cute and all, but it's kind of a pain.  I had to finger comb it constantly, and now it's kind of looking a bit ratty.  I think I may like it better this way.  It's fuller, shorter, and fluffier.  What do you think?  It's standing up all by itself.

Perhaps the Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe of All Time

An awesome coworker of mine was mean enough to have brought this cookie to work for a meeting.  I thought of nothing else for two weeks.  After finally getting the recipe and the required ingredients, the torture continued.  These cookies are amazing, and they have to be, or no one would take the time to make them.

Now, the recipe is for a chocolate chip cookie, which doesn't do the cookie justice.  It needs to be renamed to something glorious with the word salt in it somewhere.  The Glorious Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie?  The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie?  Eh.  Someone comment below and give it a better name.

The really odd thing about this recipe, to me, is that it calls for both bread and cake flour.  After looking up the difference between the different types of flour out there, bread flour has the highest protein content and cake flour has the lowest.  This has to do with the gluten that is formed.  Now, why you couldn't use AP flour...in the middle...I don't know.  What I do know, is that baking is all about science, and this science works, so I'm not going to mess with it.

You have to refrigerate the dough for 24-36 hours before you bake the cookies.  It will be hard.  I used a metal ice cream scooper to form the balls and did it just like ice cream.  When you bake them, they get a lot darker than the usual cookie.  Be careful not to overcook them.

My biggest tip with any cookie is:  Store them in a sealed container with bread!!!  I use whatever I have, and if I don't have bread, I get the cheapest loaf I can find.  The bread gets stale, but the cookies stay super soft.

The second night I made them, we ate them straight out of the oven with ice cream.  Do it.  You won't regret it!

(You know what's really horrible?  I made the daughter pose with the cookie above, but didn't let her eat it!  I'm so mean!  (It was 9:30 in the morning.))

"Man Pleasing Chicken" is the Perfect Name for This Dish

I say it is the perfect name for this dish, because the men loved it, but the girls...not so much.  I didn't really dislike it so much as just wasn't into it.  I think it was the mustard.  I had made two dishes with maple before this, and they were amazing!  I guess my expectations were high, and the mustard changed the flavor enough that it was just okay to me.

The girl took one bite, started chewing it, got a funny look on her face, and spit it out and refused to eat any more of it.

Now, the husband, on the other hand, wouldn't shut up about how amazing it was.  He recommends serving it with rice, since the sauce was quite saucy, and would have been soaked up nicely by the rice.  I'm not a rice person, so it didn't occur to me.

The baby, also a man, ate the crap out of it as well.  Of course, he's still in the-this is a new flavor!-stage of eating, so his opinion isn't exactly reliable.  (Okay, so maybe it's more reliable, but...)

Changes I would make?  Well, none, really.  It reached 165 way faster than 40 minutes, but I'm a freak about chicken, so I let it go the whole time...just in case.  (I even made it the night before and left it in the fridge for the next day.)  The foil lining was also a total waste.  It somehow got through anyway, and was a breeze to get off of my pan.

I won't make it again, simply because I personally didn't care for it.  I would still recommend it, however, because it was me...not the dish.  :)

(stupid) Pinterest MVPs

Let's talk about the two pins I that are clearly the superstars of (stupid) Pinterest:  Refrigerator Oatmeal and Mason Jar Salads.  I make them both every week.  In fact, that's all I eat for breakfast anymore.

(Leaning tower of salads?  I was holding the baby.  Sorry.)

The salads are not exactly complicated, so it's kind of hard to improve them.  The oatmeal, however, was just waiting to be perfected...which I have!

Original Recipe:
1/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats (not instant, quick, or steel-cut)
1/4 c. Greek yogurt
1/3 c. milk
1.5 t. chia seeds

You then take this recipe and add different things to it to give it the needed sweetness and flavors.  There are a gazillion recipes, as you can see on the original website.  There are a lot of good combinations, but I have found that I actually prefer it pretty plain the best.

My Recipe:

1/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats (not instant, quick, or steel-cut)
3 oz. flavored Greek yogurt (I've been using the Chobani stuff.  One 6 oz. container split between two mason jars.)
1/3 c. milk
1.5 t. chia seeds (I get them at Rosauers.)
1 heaping t. of flax seeds (I get them in the bulk section at Winco.)

For the husband's, I throw a few frozen berries on top after I have mixed them, but like I said, I prefer mine pretty plain.  I think the berries, once they have thawed in the fridge, thin it a bit.  I prefer it thick...like oatmeal was meant to be.  I use strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, or whatever other flavor I find, and that's enough for me.  I really liked the version of the original recipe where you use the PB2 (I got it pretty cheap at Fred Meyers in the natural food section), cocoa powder, and bananas, so I might try a version of that my way.  The plain version has 230 calories, calcium, protein, fiber, tons of omega-3s, etc.  Basically, it's a about as perfect as you get.

My favorite part is the flax seeds.  They give it that needed crunch/chew it was lacking.  And, they have a lot of great health benefits.  And, I'll be honest...Dr. Oz said to add them to your oatmeal in the morning, so...

One more small tip.  I prefer the short, fat mason over the taller, skinnier ones for this one.  It's easier to get everything in without making a mess, and the husband claims it's easier to eat with the wider mouth.

*UPDATE* After having some issues with the chia seeds clumping, I've tried a few different solutions.  The other night I threw it all in a blender, and it totally worked!  It turned out WAY thicker, and I didn't have to shake anything.  I made four in one batch, and it worked great.  More dishes, but it may be worth it.

As for the Mason Jar Salads, I.  Love.  Them.  Some things I've learned:

• Cherry/Grape tomatoes work way better than chopped up regular tomatoes.
• Keep the crunchier veggies on the bottom.  Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
• Avoid cheese.  It just isn't worth it.

Favorite toppings:
Sliced eggs
Shelled edamame
Frozen peas
Sliced turkey
Real bacon bits (make sure there isn't anything that will make them soggy around it)

I want to try avocados, but am too chicken.  Someone perfect it and get back to me.

I now keep my lettuce in a mason jar in my fridge after I clean it and let it dry.  I find that it stays fresher, longer.  How did I live so long without mason jars?  

Thank you, (stupid) Pinterest.

Ravioli Bake

The little girl LOVES ravioli, so this pin immediately appealed to me.  Unfortunately, it didn't actually go over all that well.

First off, it was quite boring, and I didn't even follow the recipe exactly.

Original recipe:

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 package (25oz to 27oz) of frozen meat-filled ravioli

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

grated parmesan cheese

My version:

1 jar of red sauce

Enough alfredo sauce for one layer

1 package frozen cheese ravioli

(I didn't measure) mozzarella cheese

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

I used alfredo sauce for the first layer, just for the fun of it, and I added artichoke hearts to each layer.  It was just blah.  If I were to try this again, I would add fake sausage, heavily spiced ground turkey, peas, basil, olives, or SOMETHING with flavor.

My other complaint, and the main reason I probably won't try it again, was how long it took.  One of the main reasons I make ravioli is how fast and easy it is.  This recipe takes 55 minutes in the oven.  Ridiculous!  Who has that kind of time?!?  Okay, I do one weekends, but still!  Maybe if the ravioli was boiled before the dish was assembled, so the oven time was really only to melt the cheese?  Hmmm...other suggestions?

Also, I really wanted it to stand like lasagna, but it SO did not.  Now, that could be because I didn't let it sit at all before I scooped away, but there's no way I'm taking the blame here.  :)

I'm calling them Chia Seed Popsicles...

Holy crap.
Ding, ding, we have a winner.
Get in my belly!
Etc.

I saw this pin and wanted to go to the store immediately, because they look so beautiful.  Yesterday, I finally made it happen.  I altered the original recipe quite a bit, because I'm not really a shredded coconut fan.

Original recipe:
• 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3/4 cup raspberries
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
• 8 drops Nu-Naturals liquid stevia (or sugar/honey to taste)

My version:
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries 
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 T. Splenda/Sugar blend

I was hoping the vanilla soy milk would be sweet enough on its own, but it wasn't quite enough, so I added a bit of the Splenda crap.  I'm gradually transitioning away from the artificial stuff because I don't really want my kids eating a ton of it.

They turned out amazing.  They are definitely as good as they look.  I wasn't sure the little girl would like them since she isn't a big fan of the chia seeds, but she ate the crap out of it and wanted more.

The best part about this refreshing dessert/snack/breakfast (yes, I ate one for breakfast because I couldn't wait any longer to try them) is that with my recipe, they are only 67 calories each.  Yes.  I said 67 calories.

Highly, highly recommend this one, folks.  I'll be making another batch...and another...and another until the soy milk is gone.

Maple Pork Chops

So, something you should know about me is that I'm not much of a meat eater.  It's true.  I found it rather painless to stop eating all meat...except for fish.  I could never give up sushi.  My entire life, I've been okay with eating meat when it is tucked nicely inside a sandwich, pasta dish, or salad.  I was never a fan of meat when it was just meat.  There-on a plate-meat.  Well, this meat was amazing.

I took this pin, and did almost exactly what it said to do.  The only difference was that I added a little extra maple because I was afraid of the coffee.  What I ended up with was amazing.  

Well, I guess I also used tenderloin instead of chops.  I cut it up and pounded it out.  Super cheap, and super awesome.

I threw it together with some tri-color baby potatoes, and the dinner was complete.  Low cal, and tasty.

I think I'm going to add thyme to just about everything going forward...

Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches

We've all seen this pin, and many other versions  a hundred times, right?  I've always wanted to try it, but I haven't been making breakfast sandwiches lately.  Yesterday, however, I found a cute little bag of mini bagels, which the little girl loves, so I decided to give it a shot.

I made my eggs with just salt and pepper, but if I had spinach or parsley, I would have gladly thrown some in there.  They turned out a little too small, even for mini bagels.  I knew they would, which is another reason I haven't tried them before.  I know they made giant muffin tins.  If I see one somewhere for a reasonable price, I'll snag one and try it again.

Also, next time I'm going to scramble the eggs before I put it in the muffin tin.  I'm not a fan of egg yolks, so I prefer to hide them.

With the time it takes to preheat the oven and let them bake, I don't know that it actually saved me any time.  Maybe with a batch of 12, but I only did six.  I guess it freed me up to other things while they baked, like listen to the little girl whine about waiting, but not sure it made a difference.  I'll give it another shot when I get the bigger tin.

**UPDATE**-Yeeeeah...so, I already have a bigger muffin tin.  I just found it while cleaning out the miscellaneous cabinet.  Perhaps I should look in there more often.  Oops.

Taco Pasta? Sure, why not?

The pin doesn't actually take you anywhere, but the instructions were enough.  There isn't a name for the dish, so I'm going to call it Taco Pasta.  On my version of the pin, I added some capitalization and punctuation, which should help.  After making it, I decided that next time I would mix everything together instead of layering it.  Then, when I read the directions again, I realized it was supposed to be mixed.  Grammar, people.  Learn it, love it, live it.

So, as I said, the recipe was great all on its own.  I, of course, used ground turkey instead of beef, I used a whole bag of gigantic elbow macaroni, and I also ended up using a lot more cheese, because I used my new shredder attachment on my Kitchen Aid.  It shreds about as fine as one could get, and in the longest strings ever.  So, I couldn't really get it to sprinkle all over.

Here is what it looked like when it came out of the oven.

I decided to do what I always do to Mexican food.  I added avocado sour cream, and salsa.

Throw in the obvious side dish, broccoli with cheese, and you've got the perfect meal.  I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!  **UPDATE**-Leftovers were super tasty, which is good, because it made a crap-a-load of food.

Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie...with a LOT of Twists...

So, I don't like key lime, but I loved the idea behind this recipe.  How can one go wrong with Jell-O, Cool Whip, and yogurt?!?  (Here is the pin.)

The original recipe calls for:

• 1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
• 1 (1/16 ounce) package sugar-free lime gelatin
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping
• 2 (6 ounce) key lime pie yogurt 

I skipped the crust so I could use my cute little glasses again.  (Any excuse is a good one.)  Sure I could have put the crumbs in the bottom, and may next time, but I was too impatient.  Also, instead of using the lime flavor, I used raspberry.  I'm also pretty sure they used regular yogurt, which I just don't buy anymore.  I like the Greek kind so much better!  I made the filling exactly as directed, and spooned it into the glasses.  After a couple of hours in the refrigerator, they were good to go.  They were even better the next night.

Here they are in the cute glasses.

 As you can see, it is quite fluffy and thick.  (It's so fluffy!!!)

I didn't have a full container of Cool Whip, so it didn't make quite as much as it should have, but according to my calculations, a full recipe would be 420 calories.  Six servings would only be 70 calories a piece.  Not too shabby!

Now, I'll admit that this recipe doesn't taste all that different from the Jell-O and Cool Whip we all grew up with, but it definitely has a different feel.

Next time I will use strawberry and put real strawberries in it.  That along with the graham cracker crumbs at the bottom will give it texture.  **UPDATE** I tried the strawberry version.  I didn't like it as well.  I don't know what it was.  Something about the fresh strawberries made me want more strawberries and less everything else.  I'll stick to the plain version going forward.  I bought the stuff to make black cherry next.

In summary:  Try it!!!

Note to self:  Self, try the grout cleaner pin next.