Peanut Butter and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal

If you check out my recipe index (which is a HOT mess right now, but working on that!) you will easily discover that I love oatmeal and peanut butter and strawberries! So when my good buddy Amber posted her recipe for Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal, it only seemed natural to recreate it and add in come strawberries. The results or delicious. Want to know what this tastes like? A peanut butter oatmeal cookie with strawberries! Great for breakfast or a nice treat! Thank you Amber for sharing your awesome recipe!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tbs brown sugar blend
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 oz strawberries, diced and rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 and spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Spread in pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4 @ 5 PPV
Serves 6 @4 PPV
Serves 8 @3 PPV



Linked at: The Latest Find, Ingredient Spotlight: Strawberries!

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil {Review & Giveaway}

When the chance came up for me to do a review and giveaway for Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, I was really excited. I had never tried coconut oil and I have been seeing it as an ingredient listed in more and more recipes I have been finding online. Tropical Traditions gets it name from the way it produces its Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil: the old traditional way. This oil is made by hand, by small scale family farms. Since the farmers live near the coconut groves, all of the oil is processed within 24 hours of harvest.

Before receiving my sample to try I had never cooked with coconut oil. So far, I have used it in two different ways for cooking and both ways the results were fabulous. When I first opened the jar, I was instantly captivated with the scent of fresh coconut!

In my Brownie Cookies, I substituted melted coconut oil for vegetable oil. The results were yummy, I just need to remember that if you mix melted coconut oil with cold ingredients, it will solidify :) In the process of rolling to cookies, I also found an additional benefit of the coconut oil, instant skin softening. After rolling out the cookies and washing my hands, they were so soft and smelled so good!

I have also pan fried tilapia and also my Tuna Bites in the coconut oil. Both times, the fish cooked up great leaving behind great flavor. There are some oils I have cooked with that leave behind a very oily nasty smell, but since this oil smells pleasant to start with, there is no such problem! I look forward to trying the coconut oil in smoothies and more baking experiments. 

For those of you out there unfamiliar with the nutritional info:

1 tbsp has 117 calories, 14g Fat, 0 cholesterol. In Weight Watchers speak, that comes out to be 4 PPV per serving!

A huge thank you to the folks at Tropical Traditions for allowing me to review their excellent product and offer a sample to one of my readers as well. Check out the rafflecopter below to learn how you can get your entries to win!

Looking for more info? Check these resources!


o How to Use Coconut Oil: There are hundreds of uses! 
o Buy Coconut Oil: A guide to buying coconut oil online 
o What is Virgin Coconut Oil? 

For an extra chance to win, check out my friend Kelly's blog, Practical Savings! She is giving away a quart of oil too!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product 
to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I 
under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in 
return for the free product.

Tuna Bites

It has literally been years since I have had Tuna Bites. Even scrounging the internet, I didn't have much luck finding a recipe for a spice blend. These turned out really really great. Perfect for an appetizer, or on top of a salad. Awesomeness, bite sized!

Ingredients:
6 oz Ahi (yellowfin) Tuna Steaks, cute in to 1-2 inch cubes
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp old bay
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic pepper
1 tbs Virgin Coconut Oil

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Combine all dry spices in a bag, mixing bowl or small plastic container. Shake or stir to combine. Put tuna cubes in to seasoning and coat well. Add coconut oil to hot pan to melt. Carefully add the seasoned tuna to the hot oil, cooking on each side for 1-3 minutes depending on how rare or well done you want the tuna. Serve and enjoy!

Makes:

1 serving @ 8 PPV

2 Servings @ 4 PPV

4 Servings @ 2 PPV

Linked at: Melt in your Mouth Monday, Mop it up Monday, Hunk of Meat Monday, Weigh In Wednesday, Newly Weds Linky, What's New Wednesday, Fit and Fabulous Fridays, The Latest Find

Successful Saturday Link Up! {Week 9}

Welcome to Successful Saturdays!
This is the place where you can come and post a link to your blog to show us all something you did to be successful! It can be a recipe, a craft project, an organizational idea or pretty much anything (other than giveaways, unless it is related to your success, being successful, or incorporated in another post)

This week has been a great week back on track for me, avoiding cold cereals and listening to my hunger levels. Cold cereals just don't fill me up, and eating tons of it is just not the best option for me :)

Last week, our post with the most views goes to Kammie at Sensual Appeal. her breakfast cookies look AMAZING :) Thank you for linking up!!

Here's how it works:

-Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe, etc!
-Please leave a link back to this post in your post and grab my button for your blog(please pass the word to your blog friends for more fabulous recipes & successes!)
-Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
-Please visit at least one others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.

<a href="http://successful2gether.blogspot.com/search/label/successful%20saturdays"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/angiewuest02/successful-saturdays.gif"></a>

Whole Wheat French Toast

We love breakfast foods. If we could get away with eating them for every meal, everyday, we could go for a very very very long time before getting bored with it. This is a more "whole" food version of my standard french toast. And it is yummy, to boot. WIN WIN!

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
• 2 tbs flax meal
• 3/4 tbs cinnamon
• 6 slices Whole Wheat Bread (I used Arnold's), cut in half

Preheat griddle or skillet over medium heat, spray with pan spray. Combine all ingredients, except for bread, in a mixing bowl. Dip the bread slices in the egg mix and cook til golden brown on both sides. Serve and enjoy!

3 Serving @ 8 PPV
4 Servings @ 6 PPV

Linked at: The Latest Edition

Roasted Tomato Basil Frittata

When I made the Roasted Tomatoes, I knew that I needed a dish to put them in, and since these egg bakes are fabulous for my hubby's breakfasts, I incorporated them in to the ingredients. The results were delicious!



Print Recipe

Ingredients:
8 Eggs
1/4 heaping cup green onions, diced
1/2 recipe Quick & Dirty Roasted Tomatoes
1/4 shredded cheese, with 2% milk
6 slices deli lunch ham

Preheat oven to 375 and spray 9 inch glass pie pan with cooking spray. Beat together all ingredients and pour in to pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4 @ 6 PPV
Serves 2 @ 11 PPV


Linked at : Fit and Fabulous Fridays,  Feed your Soul, What's New Wednesday, Mop It Up Mondays

Quick & Dirty Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Yet another fantastic recipe from The Bitchin' Kitchin'!

Quick & Dirty Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Print Recipe

• 1 pint Grape Tomatoes
• 2 tsp garlic infused olive oil (or plain olive oil)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• dash or two of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Slice tomatoes in half length wise and toss together with remaining ingredients. Place on a baking sheet, lined with foil & sprayed with cooking spray, in a single layer. Roast for 10-20 minutes or until bottoms start to turn brown. 

1 Serving @ 4 PPV
2 Servings @ 2 PPV
4 Servings @ 1 PPV

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

I think most people love a good crockpot recipe. This dandy little machine that I didn't want but registered for as a wedding present anyways has come in handy and has been so helpful over the past few years! For those of you who saw YESTERDAY'S POST, this is another recipe from The Bitchin' Kitchin' Blog. And it is Absolutely fabulous and very flavorful!

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 tbs minced onion
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tbs hot sauce
• 12 oz beer (we used Miller High Life Light)
• 18 oz Sweet Baby Rays Hickory & Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
• 6 oz Kraft Light BBQ Sauce

Combine the dry spices and season the chicken breast. Add chicken to the crock pot (I used a 6 qt). Top with hot sauce, beer and BBQ sauces. Cook on low for 5-8 hours or until cooked through and chicken easily falls apart. Serve and Enjoy!

12 Servings @ 6 PPV

18 Servings @ 4 PPV

24 Servings @ 3 PPV

Broccoli Gratin {Secret Recipe Club!}

Another month, with another wonderful Secret Recipe Club assignment! If you are new to my blog and are unsure of what the Secret Recipe Club is, each month the members are secretly assigned another member from the group, and then we go and find an irresistible recipe to recreate and post on our own blog.  It is so much fun to browse through the other blogs and find awesomely wonderful recipes to make :)  A big shout out to Amanda, the founder of this wonderful club, and to Suzanne, the hostess of group B who helps us keep all of our stuff together :).


This month, I was assigned to The Bitchin' Kitchin'. I was excited first, by Ellie's choice of blog title (childish, I know!) but once I started going through her blog, MAN OH MAN! She has got some good stuff. I will actually be posting 3 recipes from her blog this week, including the one below since I had such a hard time choosing. Other posts that caught my eye were her Strawberry Infused Vodka, Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese,  as well as her super helpful post on How to De-Seed a Pomegranate. Ellie is a laid back chick from NJ who loves to cook great food. Her posts are all unique and interesting. You should definitely check out her blog and the rest of the goodies she has posted! Thank you Ellie for having such an awesome blog and having so many wonderful options to choose from :)


The recipe that I am posting today from her blog is her Broccoli Gratin. The dish looked like a nice new take on broccoli, which we are always looking for. I followed her suggestion and made my own bread crumbs in my food processor and it turned out great. Ed loved it and said it was perfect, just enough flavor to not be plain broccoli, but not overwhelmed with a bunch of spice or too much cheese. I do think that next time I make it, I will add about 1/2 - 1 oz of shredded cheese to the broccoli part of the dish, as well as the cheese for the topping! :)  




Broccoli Gratin
Print Recipe

• 1 1/2 lbs broccoli
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbs light butter cut in pieces

Preheat oven to 400F.
Spray the bottom of 1 1/2 - 2 quart baking dish with pan spray
Place the broccoli in salted boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until tender
Drain the broccoli and cut in to bite sized pieces. Add to baking dish
Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread the broccoli evenly in the dish.
Pour the milk over the top of the broccoli, then sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
Add the pieces of butter to the top.
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until dish is heated through and cheese is bubbly
Serve and enjoy!

Serves:
6 at 2 PPV
4 at 4 PPV
3 at 5 PPV
2 at 7 PPV

Supposed to be Almond Joy-ish Cake Batter Cookies Turned Brownie Cookies

While we were visiting Lorin, Billy & Madi, she made some awesome cake batter cookies :)
The recipe originally found here has been altered to achieve a different taste!
The flavor is good but the coconut and almond didn't POP like I wanted it too, but I have ideas on how to fix that!

Ingredients:
1 box devils food cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup applesauce (super fine, pureed)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp baking powder

While you are prepping, pull your eggs out of the fridge so they can get to be not so cold :)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the above ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined. If you pour the cold egg on the melted coconut oil, it will solidify. That is your warning. Shape in to balls or drop by teaspoonfuls on to a baking sheet that has been sprayed with pan spray and bake for 10-12 minutes. These babies spread, so don't crowd your pan!

Makes approximately 36 cookies at 2 Points+ each!





Linked at : Sugar me up!

Slimmed Down Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

I was in love with this recipe as soon as I saw it!
Lisa over at Cook Lisa Cook is the mastermind behind this recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper. My best ol' buddy ol' pal of mine cooked this for us when we visited over the weekend, and then I made it again when we got home so Ed could have some to take to work as his dinners. It is so so so good! I made some minor alterations but nothing too crazy! Thank you Lisa for the great recipe and thank you Lorin for cooking it for me, so I would know it is good enough to make again!

Ingredients:
1.1 lb cubed boneless skinless chicken breast
1 3/4 lb potatoes, cubed (I peeled mine)
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tbs onion powder
1 tbs ground black pepper
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs garlic salt with parsley
6 tbs hot sauce
2 tbs light butter, melted

Topping:
8 oz Mexican Four Cheese Blend
6 oz center cut bacon, cooked crisp and diced
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500. Spray 9x13 baking dish with pan spray. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, butter and hot sauce. Add in the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop out the potatoes in to the baking dish leaving behind as much of the hot sauce mixture as possible. Spread them in a single layer and bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked and crispy brown.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the remaining hot sauce mix and stir until well coated, refrigerate. Once the potatoes are cooked, reduce the heat on the oven down to 400. Top the cooked potatoes with the chicken. In a separate bowl, mix the cheese, green onion and bacon until well combined. Sprinkle the cheese mix evenly over the chicken. Return to oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve and enjoy!

This stuff is GOOD. Ed liked it how it was and Lorin, Billy and I added some ranch dressing to cool the heat down some :)

I used regular shredded cheese so the PPV are as follows:
8 servings @ 8 PPV
6 Servings @ 11 PPV

If you used 2% cheese, it would look more like this
8 Servings @ 7 PPV
6 Servings @ 9 PPV

Thank you again Lorin for being super awesome :) <3 You rock my world!



linked at : Meal time monday, Feed your Soul, The Latest Edition, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Mop it up monday,

Grape Salad {Featured Guest Recipe}

Grape Salad

I took one look at this Grape Salad recipe and was instantly in love. Amee, of Amee's Savory Dish, has many, many wonderful recipes on her blog and I was very excited when she gave me permission to feature one of her recipes. I have been following her blog off and on for a while and I just love her!

I love all of the different textures in the recipe. The snap of the grapes, crunch of the nuts and the smooth creaminess of the Greek yogurt sauce. Mmmm, mmmmm, MMMM!!!!

Photo credit goes to Amee :) Hop on ever to her blog for the full recipe!

She also hosts an awesome healthy eating linky party! Check it out!

Weight Watchers Version Of Red Lobster Biscuits {Featured Guest Recipe}

Weight Watchers Version Of Red Lobster Biscuits

Don't these biscuits look gorgoeus?? Kaylee from over at Couponing & Cooking was awesome enough to let me feature her recipe. Photo credit goes to her! Hop on ever to her blog for the full recipe!

Six ingredients and just about 20 minutes later, you can enjoy some of your own for just 3 PointPlus each! Make a batch, eat what you want, and freeze the rest if you don't have a large enough crowd to eat them all at once (or if you don't want to be tempted to eat them all!!)

About Kaylee:

I am a life long bargain hunter who loves to coupon, cook and get great deals on everything in life. My husband and I recently purchased a home and this has really motivated us to get serious about couponing and finding ways to save money.

Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice Bake

This turned out really good. Mainly just leftovers we had, that needed to be eaten. :) Recipe inspired by the one on the back of the Jiffy box, but just very loosely :D

Ingredients:
3/4 lb cooked chicken breast, cubed
14 oz cooked broccoli
1 cup cooked brown rice
3/4 cup shredded 2% cheese
1 1/2 cup Jiffy baking mix
2 Eggs
1 cup milk
1/.3 tsp seasoned salt
1/3 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9x13 baking dish with pan spray. Mix the chicken, broccoli, rice and cheese in the baking dish, spreading evenly over the bottom. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat til well combined. Pour in baking dish over the chicken mixture, then stir until everything is mixed well. Cook for 20-35 minutes or until set and cooked through!

Servings:
12 at 5 PP
8 at 7 PP
6 at 9 PP
4 at 14 PP




Linked At: Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Melt in your Mouth Monday,