Corn Chowder

I got this recipe from
THIS cooking blog. Our Best Bites. Love that site!

not the most appealing picture - but it sure was delish!

Yields around 7 cups - Each cup is a between 3 - 3 1/2 weight watcher points.

Creamy Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups skim milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 lb bacon (I used 6 Tbsp. real bacon bits)
1 onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic
1 can corn, drained
salt and pepper
a few dashes of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Melt butter in soup pot over low heat.
2. When melted, add flour to make roux.
3. When comes together into ball, add water and whisk until lumps are gone.
4. Add milk and chicken base and bring to simmer.
5. Add potatoes, onion, and garlic. Simmer - stirring frequently. - don't boil.
6. Continue for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7. Add bacon and corn.
8. Add hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
9. When heated through, serve!

Enjoy!

Classic Caramel Corn

I can't make this very often because I will literally munch on the entire thing until it is ALL gone!!! So I usually make it and then bag it up to give away to friends!



I found this recipe over at allrecipes.com but of course I had to read the reviews and then make some changes. Here it is:

I didn't calculate the exact points (frankly because I really don't want to know!) but I've found that around 1 cup is about 3 Weight Watcher points.

Ingredients:

1 cup unpopped popcorn

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
12 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Pop popcorn and distribute into 2 - 9x13 pans.
2. Mix sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring until it starts to boil.
3. Let it cook for 5 minutes without stirring.
4. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla.
5. Pour over popcorn and stir around.
6. If you like it chewy - eat it now.
7. If you like it crunchy - bake for 25 - 30 minutes in the oven stirring every 10 minutes.
8. Remove from pan and let cool.

Enjoy!

Minestrone

I love soups and stews and yummy bread at this time of year. It's one of my favorite parts of this season. So I have been on the hunt to find and try lots of different ones this year to add to my cookbook.

I gave this one a shot and it's definitely a keeper! I found the recipe over here at The Sister's Cafe - check them out - they have lots of yummy looking goodies I want to try!

1 cup = 2.5 WW points

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can of tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can petite diced italian tomatoes
2 (14 ounce) cans of chicken broth
4 cups of water
a couple of handfuls of chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons fresh basil (I used the dry equivalent)
1 tablespoons fresh oregano (I used dry again)
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups of cooked shells (I used 4 cups)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
3. Mix in paste, beans, tomatoes, broth and water.
4. Add seasonings and salt.
5. Cook and stir for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tender.
6. Add spinach during the last 5 mintues.
7. Cook pasta separately and add at the end.

Enjoy!

Potato Soup

Last week at my Weight Watcher Meeting we were given two different potato soup recipes. I have to admit I have yet to try a WW recipe I've received from a meeting but this sounded good and simple to make - so this week I decided to give it a try.



It was AWESOME! I was shocked at how good it was. It is by far now one of my absolute favorite soup recipes.

1 cup = 2 WW points. Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 - 32oz. package of frozen Southern Style hashbrowns (make sure they have 0 fat)
3 cans of fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 packet of McCormick's Original Country Gravy
1 cup skim milk
1 cup water
6 Tbls. of real bacon bits (in a bag - not the fake ones)

Directions:
1. Spray soup pot with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat your pot and put in hashbrowns.
3. Brown them slightly, be sure not to burn.
4. Pour in 1 can of the chicken broth, scrape down the sides (it's okay if some of the hashbrown's had stuck).
5. Pour in the other 2 cans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
6. In a separate bowl whisk together the water and milk with the gravy mix.
7. Once the potatoes are soft and breaking down pour in the gravy mixture.
8. Mix in bacon bits and let cook till thick and creamy.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. It's perfect just the way it is but I sprinkled the hubby's with some cheese (green onions would be divine on top as well!)

Cupcakes galore!!!

Have you seen this site yet?

www.partycupcakeideas.com

Way too cute! I just might attempt to make some of these - attempt is the key word here.

Great place for drooling and lots and lots of ideas!!!