Mini Cheese Balls

Ever wonder what to make for a party thats a great appetizer, but doesn't cost alot to make ? I've got your answer ;-)   One of my doctors I work for, and fellow crafter- we'll call her Dr. B- gave me this great recipe to make for our monthly Stampin Up club . I made it- and it was a big hit ! And they're bite size- can't beat that.....

Mini Cheese Balls-
  you'll need : 2 blocks cream cheese (softened), 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup chopped green onions (more or less to taste ), 1/2 cup real bacon bits, 1 ounce package of Ranch dressing mix, 2 cups chopped pecans.

here's what you do :
   Mix all of the ingredients together except pecans. Roll into bite sized balls (about the size of a ping pong ball- about 2 bites). Roll into chopped pecans. Store in the fridge. You can make them ahead of time- just don't roll them into the pecans until the day of.
Serve with your favorite crackers  ( I like 'em with Triscuits!)

Enjoy !!

Baked Apple Pancake

Learning how to cook for a diabetic has been tough- and learning to cook for a PICKY diabetic is even harder !  I'll get there one day :-)  This is one recipe we tried recently- and Mr. Picky actually liked it ! So I'll definatley keep it in the recipe box for future use....
This recipe is courtesy of Kraft- gotta love Kraft ;-)


Baked Apple Pancake:

you'll need : 2 tbsp. margarine (divided), 3 Granny Smith apples (thinly sliced) , 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese , 1 oz. Neufchatel cheese -softened (can be found with the cream cheese in the grocery store) , 1/2 fat free milk, 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup egg product (I use Egg Beaters), 1/4 cup Splenda (divided), 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon.

here's what you do : Heat oven to 475 degrees. Melt 1 tbsp. margarine in a large ovenproof skillet on medium heat. Add apples ; cook for 5 minutes . Top with cheddar. Whisk Neufchatel & milk in a medium bowl until blended. Stir in the flour , egg product,  1 tbsp. Splenda, and salt ; pour over the apples. Sprinkle with combined remaining Splenda and cinnamon; dot with remaining margarine.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed & golden brown. 

Yum ! Enjoy :-) 

Better -Than-Ever Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Lasagna is one thing that always goes over well in our house. I have lasagna recipes, but i like to 

try new ones out every once in a while - searching for one that takes less time, fewer ingredients, tastes better....

This one is courtesy of Kraft. I made a couple of variations- I've made it twice- and its not bad !

See what you think....

Better-Than-Ever Cheesy Meat Lasagna

You'll need : 3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef , 3 minced cloves garlic, 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce (I use 2 jars- hubby likes extra sauce) , 1 large chopped tomato (I used a can of diced tomatoes- italian style instead ) , 1 egg, 1 (16 oz) container lowfat cottage cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese ( I always use more !) , 9 lasagna noodles ( I use the Barilla lasagna noodles- they don't require boiling!) , 1 package mozzarella cheese shredded.

here's what you do :  Heat over to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef with the garlic & oregano in a large saucepan.  Stir in spaghetti sauce & tomato- simmer for 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mix together in a bowl  the egg, cottage cheese, & Parmesan. Spread 1/2 cup of meat sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish - top with layers of noodles, half the cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cup of mozzarella , and a cup of sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles sauce . Cover.  Bake for 30 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella & bake for 5 additional minutes uncovered.

Enjoy :-)