Meat-Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce (Slow Cooker)

I have to admit, I'm a spaghetti sauce snob. I was raised on the best of the best. My mom had her own recipe, perfectly simmered for hours and full of meat and veggies. My grandma had her own recipe, and so did all my aunts. Each and every one was fantastic, although I'm biased towards my mom's. None of those wimpy, thin sauces you often see in restaurants.

I love making her sauce, but I don't always have the time to devote to it, so I found a recipe for Meat-Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce on allrecipes.com. My interest was immediately peaked, given the great reviews and the "Meat Lover" part of the title.  Being raised on meat-heavy meals, I expect my spaghetti sauce to be pretty hearty. 

I personally didn't think there was enough meat in here to warrant a Meat Lover title, so I upped the amount of sausage to a half pound. It still could have used more. Next time I will add in another full pound of ground beef/pork mix, shaped into meatballs and cook them in the simmering sauce to absorb all the flavors.

Here are the changes I made to the recipe. I added in:

• 1 shredded zucchini
• 2 shredded carrots
• 1/2 diced green pepper
• 8oz sliced fresh mushrooms

Because the veggies were cut so small, they were barely noticeable (not that that's a good or bad thing), but they added a whole other dimension of flavor.  I also didn't really see a need to use both Italian Seasoning, then later on use each of those herbs individually. I'd recommend just skipping the Italian Seasoning altogether, and just adding in about 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of whatever herbs you'd like, be it basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and/or thyme.

Because I am watching my calories and carbs, I chose to serve this over spaghetti squash. Did you know that 1 cup of spaghetti squash only has 31 calories and 7g of carbs VS 1 cup of pasta which has 221 calories and 43g of carbs!!!

Although I prefer my mom's recipe for sauce, I'd definitely make this again. It makes 8 servings, and it's perfect for dinner and a couple lunches, and freezing half for later use.

Mazola Corn Oil - Part of a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle?

Today is a special day for me. It marks exactly one year since I started my "Get Healthy" journey. I have done this by exercising regularly and logging my food in the My Fitness Pal app on my phone. I have lost 60lbs and have kept it off. My journey has turned into a permanent lifestyle, one that has made me healthier than I have been in years.
 

Having an unhealthy diet may contribute to your risk of heart disease, so it's very important to take care of your body and what you put in it. Did you know that corn oil lowered LDL cholesterol by 10.9% compared to extra virgin olive oil’s 3.5% reduction, making corn oil more effective? Corn oil is naturally rich in phytosterols, compounds that block the absorption of cholesterol. In recent years the push has been towards using olive oil in everything because olive oil was thought to be much healthier. With this new study, it's nice to know that using corn oil is just as good, if not better than olive oil. Corn oil is also more versatile because of the higher smoke point. Learn more about the healthy benefits of cooking with Mazola® Corn Oil here.

What I really enjoy about using corn oil is that it's nearly flavorless, unlike olive oil, so it won't overshadow or impact the overall flavor of your dish. I made two FABULOUS recipes this past week using Mazola® Corn Oil that are sure to wow your family and guests too!

The first was Sweet & Spicy Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa. This is a really impressive meal, worthy of a fine restaurant price. I would definitely make this again to impress guests. It comes together quickly and is packed with flavor. I loved the combination of flavors...the buttery salmon with the slightly spicy rub was a perfect match for the tartness of the ruby red grapefruit salsa. Next time I will grill the salmon instead of baking it in the oven because I love anything cooked outdoors on the grill! This is a very colorful, summery dish that screams casual backyard BBQ as much as it does upscale indoor dinner party. If for any reason anyone in your household cannot have grapefruit because of drug interactions, feel free to substitute blood oranges, mango, or even pineapple.

 

The second recipe I made was Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce. I have to admit I was skeptical of this one. The flavors and cooking method do not scream carnitas to me. Carnitas are normally braised or roasted as a whole pork shoulder/butt, then shredded and served. In this method, you cut the meat into small cubes and simmer it. Because the pieces of meat are so small, no shredding is required - and in fact it'd be pretty tedious trying to shred such small pieces.

 

This is basically a shortcut way to have pork tacos if you don't want to wait hours for traditional carnitas, but don't let the shortcut fool you! The flavor is AMAZING. Do not substitute any other cut of pork for the pork shoulder. The pork shoulder, because it is fattier, lends so much flavor to the overall dish. The fat renders down and all the flavors come together in a perfectly-spiced, melt-in-your-mouth meal. The Tomatillo "Sauce" (which should be called a salsa - it's definitely NOT a sauce) comes together very quickly in a matter of minutes. The only thing I'd suggest adding is a sprinkle of salt.

 

 

 

For more delicious recipes, check out the Mazola® Recipe Collection on allrecipes.com.

SPLENDA®, Part Deux

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

After the great success I had using SPLENDA® Sweetener in the Apple and Squash Bake recipe, I decided to tackle the Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe found on the splenda.com site...and I'm glad I did! OMG, this cake is amazingly moist! I brought it into work and it all disappeared in minutes. Everyone commented about the moistness and I had three people ask me for the recipe. SCORE! Now keep in mind I'm not much of a baker, meaning I make a cake/muffins/cookies about twice a year. And even I nailed this one!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup egg substitute
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop imitation maple flavor
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil or spray a 13X9 inch pan with baking spray. Set aside.
To make the cake: Place SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, brown sugar, oil, egg substitute and pumpkin puree in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 25-30 minutes or until when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake.
To make the frosting: Place frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Ice cake when cake is completely cool.
Optional garnishes: Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts or crushed ginger snaps over the top of the cake.
________________________________________
I love that you mix all the wet and dry cake ingredients in one bowl, unlike most recipes that require two.

After pouring the batter into a 9x13 pan, I mixed up the frosting. I did use more maple extract than called for, probably 4-5 drops or so. The recipe says 1 drop. ONE drop??? Really, nobody is gonna taste that. No need to skimp!

My cake was done after 22 minutes. I'm glad I checked it early! I'm pretty sure I would have cried if I baked it too long. Admit it...that would have been a tragedy. I thought it possibly maaaaybe kinda sorta looked dry when I pulled it out of the oven, but boy was I wrong. The hardest part was letting it cool so I could frost it.

And here we have the final product. Isn't she a beauty? No one at work could tell it was made with SPLENDA® Sweetener. I could taste a bit of a difference, but maybe that's just because I knew what went in it. Either way, this cake is a winner! I was told to bring it in anytime at work!

This cake paired perfectly with a nice warm cup of Chai Latte. I substituted the white sugar in the recipe with SPLENDA® Sweetener with really good results. I also tried this recipe using coconut milk and it was really tasty.

Hope you love this cake as much as I did!

 

* I participated in a campaign on behalf of allrecipes.com for SPLENDA® Sweetener. I received samples to facilitate my unbiased review as well as promotional items as a thank-you for participating.

How Sweet it is...

...or isn't! I'm talking about SPLENDA® Sweetener. Cooking & baking with SPLENDA® Sweeteners means less calories from added sugar. While I don't do a lot of baking, there are times (ahem, Thanksgiving) where sweet sides makes their way into my menus.

I've been trying to live a lower-sugar lifestyle since March, and being able to still enjoy sweet dishes and desserts without depriving myself of the occasional treat makes me happy! I don't use a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners, but when I do, I much prefer the taste of sucralose (which is what SPLENDA® Sweetener is) to aspartame.

In October, I was lucky enough to try four different SPLENDA® Sweeteners, thanks to their company's generosity. They included SPLENDA® ESSENTIALS™ No Calorie Sweetener with 1 Gram of Fiber, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener (Granulated), SPLENDA® Sugar Blend and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.

The first recipe I made was Apple and Squash Bake from the SPLENDA® Sweetener website and uses the granulated SPLENDA® Sweetener. This recipe is quick, easy, and only has 120 calories per serving! I easily halved the recipe and used a 1.5qt (6"x9") casserole dish. Speaking of casserole dishes, if you're in the market for some new ones, these are the greatest! And here's a recipe tip: if you don't have Mace (the spice, not the weapon!) that's called for in the recipe (considering a lot of people don't keep that in their kitchens), you can easily substitute nutmeg. Mace can be pretty pricey, but since I'm a spice hoarder (over 100 *cough* different spices/herbs *cough*), I just happened to have some in my cupboard.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 teaspoon molasses
1/4 cup light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
2 pounds butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 large apples - cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, stir together SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, molasses, butter, flour, salt, and mace.

Peel and chop the butternut squash into 1/2" pieces and place in an ungreased dish.

Top with the apples.

Pour the topping mix on the apples and squash.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 50-60 mins. Seriously, how easy is that? And OMG, does it smell amazing when it's baking. While waiting for this treasure to bake, I made myself some apple cider. The recipe can be found on allrecipes.com. Instead of the full amount of maple syrup that was called for, I subsituted half for SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener.

Finally the 50 minutes were up and I ran over to the oven to extract the deliciousness, hoping it would taste as good as it smelled.

And the taste? A whole lotta WOW with the perfect hint of molasses and mace, and the salty/sweet thing I love so much. I should clarify that this is NOT a very sweet side, which in my books is a bonus. This recipe is such a welcome change from the marshmallowy, brown sugary, cloying sweetness of those sweet potato casseroles that seem to pop up at every holiday. *shudder* This recipe will become a staple in my home, especially since it's so quick to make. You should consider serving this as part of your Thanksgiving meal this year!

Stay tuned for my second SPLENDA® Sweetener recipe that I'll be making soon, Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I know, I'm already drooling all over my keyboard.

* I participated in a campaign on behalf of allrecipes.com for SPLENDA® Sweetener. I received samples to facilitate my unbiased review as well as promotional items as a thank-you for participating.

Ore-Ida, alrighty!

I've been a big fan of Ore-Ida products for years, especially their hash browns and tater tots. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't like tater tots!?!?! DUH! As part of my involvment with the allrecipes.com Allstar/Brand Ambassador program, I had the opportunity to try some Ore-Ida products and see how I could incorporate them into my meals.

The first recipe I made was Reduced Fat Potato Soup which you can find here on allrecipes.com. Considering I'm on a weight loss journey, the name immediately caught my eye. Reduced Fat you say? Sign me up! Normally potato soup is loaded with heavy creams and mucho calories. I was quite surprised that this soup was only 135 calories per serving! No way! Ore-Ida O'Brien Potatoes were the perfect ingredient for this soup. Oh, and let me mention how quick and easy it is! All you do is simmer the hash browns in some chicken stock, then whisk in a packet of country-style gravy. THAT'S IT. I'm serious! Top it with some reduced-fat cheddar cheese and green onions and you have the perfect autumn meal!

The second recipe I made with Ore-Ida products was...get ready for this one...Tater Tot Poutine!!! Wait, why aren't you jumping up and down? You mad? Oh, you don't know what poutine is. Friends, let me tell you, this is one of my favorite French Canadian dishes from back home. Yes, it does have heart-attack-on-a-plate-ish qualities, but those are minor details. For those who don't know, poutine is essentially fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. I'm not talking about freaky pale country-style gravy either! Do it right, or don't bother! Check out wikipedia for more than you'll ever care to know about poutine.

Now where was I? Right, so it's pretty much impossible to find poutine here in the US. If I get a serious craving, I always make it myself. But I try not to eat it too often, although it is a pretty stellar cure for a hangover. Just sayin'. I decided to put a twist on the traditional meal and use tater tots instead of fries. Who knew!? Pure deliciousness. I think there may have been angels singing at some point during my meal. This was scary good and I'm never, ever, EVEREVER making it again. (yeah, whatevs...screw you diet!)

Where's the recipe? You don't need one! I like to use a rich beef gravy, a lot of people use chicken, some use chicken/beef mix. Use what you want, but for the love of God, step away from the pale stuff! Cook those tater tots til crispy, throw on a handful of cheese curds, and top it with that awesome gravy of yours! That's it!

I decided to take a break from the madness and do something simple for my third meal. Why not let hash browns be hash browns? So that's what I did. Nothing fancy here, folks! Cook up some hash browns, top with shredded cheddar and an egg. Yup. Breakfast. Ain't she a beauty?

Three simple recipes, all made with a fabulous product from Ore-Ida. Check out their website for more recipe ideas and tips!

Johnsonville to the rescue!

I'd been buying Johnsonville sausage for years, but over time I managed to wander off and gradually started buying the store brand sausage. Why? I couldn't even tell you. Price? Maybe. Flavor? Heck no! It's not until earlier this year when Johnsonville teamed up with allrecipes.com, that I was knocked upside the head with an avalanche of flavor. As part of my allrecipes Brand Ambassador monthly assignment, I was asked to prepare several meals using Johnsonville sausage. It was then that I realized both the quality and flavor were far superior to the store brand I had been buying (for reasons unknown), and I quickly made the switch back to Johnsonville.

This month I made three recipes using the sausage. I chose to use the Pork & Chicken mild Italian with 50% less fat than traditional Italian Sausage, since I'm on a weightloss journey and watching what I eat. Excellent choice, healthy, and packed with flavor!

The first recipe I made was Pizza Pasta, found here on allrecipes.com. A big thumbs up on this meal! I love pizza, although I rarely eat it anymore. I used green olives and whole wheat pasta. This one's a keeper for those days I'm craving pizza! By using the lower fat sausage, part-skim mozzarella and whole wheat pasta, I was able to lower the calories from 593 calories and 36g of fat down to 440 calories and 21g of fat! Bonus!

The second recipe I made was Chiliville Chili found here. Now I'm quite picky about my chili, and was pleasantly surprised by this recipe. The sausage adds a ton of oomph and I loved the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. Another keeper!

Lastly, I made Johnsonville One-Pan Italian, found here. I have to say I was VERY skeptical about this one, but the reviews were amazing, how could I not try it!? This is very quick, and the best part is that you only use one pan, as the name states! You brown the sausage, dump in your sauce, add in some water, then toss in the dry pasta! The pasta cooks in the sauce and soaks up all sorts of flavor. Crazy simple, right?

I was a little hesitant to use 3 cups of water, but it turned out perfectly. I did have to cook the pasta for about 4-5 minutes longer than stated in the recipe, but I was using whole wheat spaghetti. I will definitely make this again! Of course, it's only as good as the sauce you use, so try and use a high-quality jarred sauce, or your own homemade sauce. By using lower fat sausage, whole wheat spaghetti and a lower calorie jarred sauce (Victoria Trading Company's Tomato Basil Sauce), I was able to lower the calories from 675 calories and 38g of fat per serving down to 452 calories and 21g of fat.

Be sure to keep a few packs of Johnsonville sausage in the house, because on those days where you just don't know what to make, these recipes I've tried could become your favorites too! Let Johnsonville save the day and rescue your dinner! Check out the Johnsonville website for more delicious meal ideas!

Bison - The Other Red Meat!