Banana Walnut Cake

I had planned on doing this cake in a bundt pan but didn't have any cooking spray so I went with a 13x9. I also realize that we're all trying to watch it a little bit in the new year so I tried to keep it a bit healthier.

What you'll need:

Yellow Cake Mix
1 C Milk
4 ripe bananas
4 egg whites

Mix everything together. Bake cake according to directions on box and frost with cream cheese frosting when it's cool.

Beet Cake

I know what you're asking yourself. Why in the heck would Christol make a cake with beets? I would ask the same question because I am not a fan of beets but my book club read a book and beets were mentioned quite often so I went searching. I found the recipe here.

I further figured there would be 10 people to try the cake so if it was an epic fail, it at least wouldn't be completely wasted because 10 bites would have been had.

But, a funny thing happened. Everyone really liked the cake and since I know everyone is on their New Year diets...well, you can say you're eating your vegetables if you eat this. You're welcome;)

What you'll need:

15 oz can Beets Drained ~ but save 1/2 C of juice. These are the ones I bought

1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Oil
1/2 C Beet Juice
3 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1/4 t Salt
1 1/2 t Baking Soda
1 3/4 C Flour
3 1 oz unsweetened chocolate squares~melted

Sift together salt, baking soda, and flour. Set aside. Place beets in blender jar and puree. Add sugar, oil, and beet juice to beets and blend. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Pour the beet mixture into a mixing bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix well on medium speed for approximately one minute. Stir in melted chocolate. Pour batter into your trusty bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
comes out clean. Let cool.

Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting which for me is this one...

Fudge Frosting
1/2 C Butter
1/3 C Milk
4 T Cocoa
Bring to a boil. Add
2 t Vanilla
3 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Whisk until smooth. Pour over your cake and store rest in fridge.

Blogger is not cooperating, so here are the four other photos I took. The beets in the blender, batter "pre" chocolate. I just LOVED the color, Batter with chocolate added and finally the yummy cake on the table.

Salsa Chicken

I know that I've posted this a couple of times BUT it is seriously SO easy and it's low in points/calories. And it's super versatile. It was a huge staple for me when I was doing Weight Watchers because it's only 3 points per chicken breast. I still make it often because my kids like it. You can eat it right out of the crockpot with any type of side.

Or, you can chop up and serve with your favorite salad fixings.

Or, you can add a can of 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup and make a gravy type topping to put on pasta or rice, although the color isn't all that appetizing.

Or, you can shred the chicken and put it on hoagie buns, melt some cheese on top in the broiler for a yummy sandwich.

Or, you can shred it and make Chicken Barley Chili.

Or, you can shred it and use it to make quesadillas.

Or, you can shred it and use for a base for the Tex Mex Burritos.

Or, you can shred and add 1 C frozen corn, a can of black beans, heat for another hour and use it for easy tacos.

That's just a few of the ways I use it.

What you'll need
Package of Boneless Chicken Breast
1 C Salsa ~ I use thick and chunky
1/2 C Water
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

Put water and bouillon cube in crock pot. Put your chicken in, season with pepper, garlic and a light sprinkle of salt. Top with Salsa. Cover and crock for 4-6 hours on low~I typically use frozen chicken breast to get the most time out of it.

This is what it looks like shredded and ready for whatever you choose. You can freeze in ziplocs at this point and defrost as needed.

Jack's Pledge

Our hockey association is hoping to make a difference. They are trying to minimize the violence and enhance the safety of hockey by instituting Jack's Pledge in honor of Jack Jablonski. Here is more information for your team or association if you are interested in participating. I could think of nothing better than to show up a tournament and see one of the above stickers on every single helmet with playerss who are living up to the pledge.

Asparagus Frittata

Another of my favorite 7 point dinners, 7 points for the entire thing. I only ate half with a side of fresh strawberries so it was easy on the calories too!

What you'll need:

6 spears Asparagus ~ snapped into pieces
Handful of Spinach
3 Eggs beaten
Salt and Pepper~I probably used 1/4 t of each
2 T Feta Cheese

Using a non stick, oven safe pan. Stir fry the asparagus in a couple of teaspoons of water for about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, another minute. Turn off the heat on your stove and spray with cooking spray. Pour eggs over vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper. DON'T stir, cook until edges set up, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle feta and pop under broiler for 2 minutes or until eggs are set in the center. Invert onto dinner plate and serve.

Just cook the asparagus in a couple teaspoons of water
Wilt the spinach like this, spray with cooking spray..don't forget to take off the heat. Pour beaten eggs on top
See how the egg is setting up on the edges
Add cheese and throw under the broiler to set the middle
Flip onto a plate and serve

Stir Fry Mexican Style

If you're starting the New Year counting your points and/or watching what you eat, this recipe is for YOU!

Sorry, I didn't take step by step photos because I wasn't sure what I was doing when I started. It turned out awesome and the entire pan was 20 points and this made 5 solid servings, that means only 4 points for dinner! That's using the NEW point system.

Here's what you'll need:

2 Zucchini chopped~I chopped the zucchini into thirds and then each third in half and then each half into strips. Kind of like match sticks. You can simply chop, I just wanted a different shape
1 Green Pepper chopped
1 Red Pepper chopped
1 C fresh Green Beans ~ cut into bite size pieces
1 sm Onion sliced
2 cloves Garlic ~ minced
1/2 can Black Beans rinsed
1/2 C frozen Corn
2 Chicken breasts ~ I used leftover Salsa Chicken but you could use anything you have
1 C Salsa
1 C Chicken Broth
1 1/2 C Brown Rice cooked
1 t Cayenne
1 t Cumin
1 t Chili Powder

Throw the zucchini, green and red pepper, green beans, onion and garlic in a wok, saute for a couple of minutes on a medium high heat, you can put a little bit of the chicken broth in now if you want to get the party started faster.

Add salsa, chicken broth and corn and cook for another couple of minutes. Throw in chicken, beans, rice and seasoning. Heat thoroughly and serve. I topped mine with 2 Tablespoons of Light Sour Cream for an added point.

Jack Jablonski

I received an email on Sunday afternoon about an older brother of Max's teammate from last year that was checked from behind and was in the ICU. He can't feel anything from the waist down and minimal feeling in his hands. Tears sprung to my eyes, my stomach turned, my heart hurts.

As a hockey parent, one that has a child who is now checking, it's my worst nightmare. Max and I have an understanding. If he gets checked and goes down, he is to move his legs immediately for me to see from the stands. I have watched for those legs and I canNOT imagine if they didn't move. Just as I have watched a line drive flying at my son on the pitching mound and life stops for a second while I wait for him to get out of the way.

I know what a lot of you are thinking. Why would you allow your child to play a sport that could have a life changing injury? The answer is simply that I believe that everything you do in life comes with a risk. I truly believe that you should live each day to the fullest because tomorrow is not guaranteed. I don't want to come to the end of my life and say, "I should have..." and I raise my children to embrace the same. I further realize that I could "protect" my children with every ounce of my being and they could still have a life changing accident without the life experiences.

With all of that said, what brings me to today's post is Jack. Jack Jablonski. He has a CaringBridge site that has over 10,000 hits in a couple of days. His Facebook wall is filled with well wishes and prayers. But what I found the most touching was reading the almost 500 guestbook entries. Sure, there were a lot from friends and family but there were also posts from hockey players and parents from all over that heard the news...complete strangers. Complete strangers who are united by a sport and are sending prayers and positive thoughts. So, this is me...spreading the word because I believe there is force in numbers and sending support, positive thoughts and energy to Jack and his family, Leslie, Mike and Max.