Kitchen Creations | Fitness and Freebies Blog

Patriotic Brownies

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix
1/2 teaspoon (or 50 drops) red food color
1/2 teaspoon (or 50 drops) blue food color
1 can ready-to-spread white frosting

Directions:

Bake brownies according to package directions. Let cool. Frost brownies with white frosting.

In a small container combine red food color with 1/2 teaspoon water. In a separate small container combine blue food color with 1/2 teaspoon water.

Dip toothpick, wooden skewer or small paintbrush into food color and paint an American flag, fireworks, or write a message such as Happy 4th of July on the frosting. Allow colors to dry before storing.

Cut into 2 x 2-inch squares just before serving.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving):
Calories: 182
Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Sodium: 72mg
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 1g

Happy Memorial Day! May we always remember our fallen heroes…

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May 25th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Layered Mango Dessert

Ingredients:
3 cups boiling water
4 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin
1 can (12 oz.) mango nectar
2 ripe mangoes, diced, (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup sour cream

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in nectar. Divide gelatin evenly into 3 small bowls. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir 1 cup of the diced mango into 1 bowl of slightly thickened gelatin. Pour into 10-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched). Meanwhile, spoon second bowl of slightly thickened gelatin and remaining diced mango into blender container; cover. Blend until pureed. Pour over fruited gelatin layer. Refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched).

Stir sour cream into remaining bowl of gelatin until well blended. Carefully spoon over pureed mango gelatin layer. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. To serve, unmold on bed of salad greens and garnish with fresh flowers, if desired.

More Jell-O Recipes here!

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May 9th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

A delicious pasta dish you can enjoy at home without the big tab of similar restaurant dishes – and with less than 500 calories per serving!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup multigrain penne pasta, uncooked
1 package (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 ounces Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for last one minute.

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel cheese.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 more minutes for cheese to melt.

Recipe makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 460; Fat: 14g (Sat. 6g); Cholesterol: 90mg; Sodium: 880mg; Carbohydrates: 39g; Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 8g; Protein: 45g

Mighty Dark Chocolate Morsels

Get the heart benefits of chocolate without blowing your diet.

A recent report discovered that just one ounce of dark chocolate was enough to inhibit blood platelets from forming clots. Until now, it was thought it took four times as much.

Get one ounce of healthful chocolate by enjoying 57 Nestle’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (150 calories). Or, try the following recipes:

Deep Dark Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Hershey’s)
1 tablespoon plus 2-teaspoons Splenda
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup 1-percent milk

Place the cocoa powder and Splenda into a microwaveable mug.

Add the hot water and stir until smooth. Pour in the milk and stir again.

Microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. (Do not boil.)

Recipe makes one serving.

Nutrition information per 1-cup:
Calories: 120
Fat: 3g
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrate: 16g
Exchange: 1 Low Fat Milk

Grab a Printable Version of Deep Dark Hot Chocolate Recipe

How about Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate or 1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sweetener i.e., Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In saucepan, melt butter and chocolate squares on low heat.

Add sweetener and dissolve.

Add cream and bring to boil for one minute stirring constantly. Add vanilla and mix well.

Mixture will slightly thicken as it cools.

Notes:
Best if eaten warm poured over cold ice cream. Also great drizzled over cheesecake.

Yield: 2 Servings

Grab a Printable Copy of Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce Recipe

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April 9th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Food Facts, Kitchen Creations | no comments

Confetti Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounces) spaghetti
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and cayene. Drain spaghetti; add to the beef mixture. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake five minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Yield: 12 servings

View more Family Favorite Recipes!

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April 6th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Russian Cake Contest Photos

Every picture in the slide show is a cake with the frosting,

hand made with plenty of patience and

TLC – these are incredible. The images were shared with me;

I do not know who took the originals.

Every cake looks like it is the real thing –but…

They are all just cake and frosting!

Follow this link to view and share the slide show

of Cakes for the Russian Cake Contest!

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February 17th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Sugar Cookie Lollipops

Sugar Cookie Lollipops

These sugar cookie lollipops make the perfect edible Valentine. For a variation without candy centers, try theValentine Sandwich Cookie Pops below.

For the Sugar Cookies:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One large egg
32 six-inch-long white lollipop sticks
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the Candy Centers:
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon peppermint, cinnamon, or other flavored oil, optional
Paste or gel food coloringin pink tones

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium until fluffy, about five minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated.

Gradually add flour mixture on low until combined. Wrap dough in plastic; chill one hour.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/16 inch thick. Cut out 2-1/2-inch rounds. Use smaller cutters to cut hearts from rounds. (If desired, save and bake heart cutouts.) Transfer 8 cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet. Press one lollipop stick under each cookie. Place small hearts on same cookie sheet. Chill until firm, 15 to 30 minutes. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, until firm but not browned. Transfer cookies on pan to wire rack to cool, about 20 minutes. Repeat until all dough is used. Leave cooled heart pops on ungreased cookie sheet. Set aside.

Combine 1/2-cup corn syrup, 1-cup sugar, and 1/2-cup water in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat, until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium high; boil until mixture reaches 300º on a candy thermometer, 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in flavored oil. Quickly pour mixture into two small heat-safe bowls. Add food coloring to each; stir to combine. Pour into each empty heart. Make candy mixture again as in Step 5 with remaining ingredients and 1/2-cup water. Fill remaining cookies. Let set until hard, 10 to 20 minutes. Transfer in single layers to airtight containers. If humid, refrigerate.

Recipe makes 32, two-and-a-half-inch pops .

Valentine Sandwich Cookie Pops
This recipe is the variation of the Valentine Heart Pops

For the Sugar Cookies:
Sugar Cookies from Valentine Heart Pops
Royal Icing tinted pink with paste or gel food coloring
Cookie Sandwich Filling
20 six-inch-long white lollipop sticks

Follow sugar cookie recipe, but in Step 4, make rounds 1 -3/4 inches instead of 2 -1/2 inches, and don’t cut out smaller hearts.

Turn over half the batch of baked cookies so bottoms are facing up. Spoon one scant teaspoon sandwich filling onto centers. Center lollipop stick in each. Cover with matching cookie rounds. Let dry. If desired, use royal icing to adhere small hearts reserved from Valentine Heart Pops onto pops. Let dry. Pipe royal icing through a pastry bag fitted with a 1/16-inch tip in decorative dots around cookies. When dry, store in an airtight container up to five days.

Recipe makes 20 sandwich pops.

View the Valentine Recipes eBook online – yes, it’s free!

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February 11th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Cookie Mix in a Jar: Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Cookie Mix in a Jar: Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Other Supplies:
1 wide mouth quart size canning jar per child
Rings and flat lids
Colorful print fabric to cut in 6-inch circles
Dry measuring cups
Paper, pencils, color markers to make labels
Tape or yarn to attach labels

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda.
2. In a wide mouth quart jar, layer ingredients in order listed. Press after each layer before adding next ingredient.
3. Prepare the label instructions

Tips for Packing Mix Jars

-Use dry measuring cups and measure accurately
-Do not assume a pasta sauce or mayonnaise jar is a quart.
-Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt with a wire whisk
-Pack layers tightly in the order they are listed so all the ingredients will fit and won’t get mixed up
-If you want to keep two layers separate, cut a circle of wax paper and lay between.
-If baking cocoa is in the middle, wipe down the inside of the jar with
paper towel to prevent streaking.
-Place lid on to pack tightly the last layer.
-Lay fabric ring over lid and screw on the ring portion of the lid.
Attach ingredient list and directions with tape or punch a hole and tie it on with yarn or ribbon.

You will need to prepare a label with the following information in whatever format you wish.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies – Makes 3 dozen

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Empty jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl.
3. Thoroughly blend the mix ingredients.
4. Add: 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
5. Mix until completely blended—it will be a very stiff mix and may require hand mixing.
6. Grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Shape dough in to balls the size of walnuts. Place 2-inches apart on baking sheets.
8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on a baking sheet. Remove to racks to finish cooling.

Recipe ingredients: Dried cherries, enriched wheat flour, chocolate chips, butter, granulated and brown sugars, whole egg, cocoa, baking powder, vanilla extract, and baking soda

Nutrition Facts: One of 36 cookies (1.1 oz each) provides approximately: 131 calories, 1 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g total fat (2 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 10 mcg folate, 1 g iron, 72 mg sodium.

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February 5th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

Creamy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Creamy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening – NO SUBSTITUTES*
Fresh strawberries, rinsed and patted dry (about two pints)

Directions:
Place chocolate chips, white chips and shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high (100%) for one minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at high an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

Holding strawberry at top, dip bottom two-thirds of each berry into melted mixture; shake gently to remove excess. Place on prepared tray. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until coating is firm. Cover; refrigerate leftover dipped berries. For best results, use within 24 hours.

Conventional Directions
Cover tray with wax paper. Melt chocolate chips, white chips and shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water;; stir until smooth. Remove from heat; prepare, dip and store berries as directed above.

Note: *Butter, margarine and spreads contain water which may prevent chocolate from melting properly; oil may prevent chocolate from forming a coating.Recipe makes about three dozen dipped berries and approximately 3/4-cup chocolate coating.Grab more free Valentine’s/Romantic Recipes with our free VALENTINE TREATS eBOOK (online version).

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January 17th, 2009 Posted by fitnfree | Kitchen Creations | no comments

New Year’s Nesquick Nachos

Ingredients:

Nachos 1/4 cup Netsle Nesquik Chocolate Flavor Powder
3 to 4 tablespoons fat free milk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 cups baked pita chips
1 small green apple, chopped
1 small banana, halved lengthwise and sliced