Category: Uncategorized

Stuffed Chicken Divan w/ Creamy Dijon Sauce

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As you can probably already tell, my mom is a big inspiration for me as far as my love for food and cooking. Growing up, I remember her cooking a variety of dishes, Filipino, Italian, Asian…and the list goes on, and I was always there to help chop and prep. One of her signature potluck dishes is Chicken Divan. I love how creamy and cheesy it is, one of my favorites until now. Plus it’s low carb! This is my twist on it, transforming it from a casserole, to a dinner for two.

 -Melanie

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, diabetes friendly, low carb, anti-inflammatory

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Chicken Kiev Meatballs

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I don’t know where to start! I grew up eating Chicken Kiev. I LOVE it! We didn’t have it all the time, as it was considered one of those “fancy dinners”. And what’s not to love about chicken, garlic, butter, and parsley?!?! I hadn’t thought about it in years…until…I had a dream  that I made little meatballs out of them which got me on the Rachael Ray show! It was the best dream, EVER! Of course, I woke up and realized it was only a dream…however, that didn’t stop me from trying to come up with a recipe and make them! I am so, so proud of this one! Totally took me back to my childhood. I called my mom to tell her. Understandably so, she wants me to make them for her. I cannot wait for her and YOU ALL to try these too!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, kidney-friendly, diabetes friendly

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Pumpkin Pie Bites

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Happy Halloween! We have a wonderful block to trick-or-treat on. Because of this, we  invite people over to hang out. There are plenty of snacks and beverages for both adults and children. I always make sure I have savory dishes and not so many sweet dishes. The kiddos will have enough sweets with the candy! I did however make these mini pumpkin pie bites to snack on. They turned out really yummy! A prefect little sweet treat for this fun-filled day! Have a safe one!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly

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Oktoberfest Beer Cheese Dip

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I love all things Oktoberfest! My birthday is in the beginning of October and so is Melanie’s. We usually try to kick off the October celebrations together by going to a local Oktoberfest…beer, sausage, and great company!  I was inspired by Melanie’s German Sausage and Barley Soup (Graupensuppe) and the Oktoberfest’s we ad been visiting, that I came up with this recipe. It has sausage, beer, and cheese-what’s not to like? And this would make a great party snack! It’s a cheat meal, but oh-so-worth-it!  Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: cheat meal

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Mini Meatloaves Nestled in Zucchini Noodles and Tomato Sauce

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Nothing says comfort food more than meatloaf! However,  just hearing the words comfort food makes me think of gut-busting food. But not this meal. I’ve lightened it up by making mini meatloaves rather than one giant one. And I nestled them in zucchini noodles and tomato sauce, rather than regular noodles. Protein and veggies makes this a healthy meal!  Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: diabetes-friendly, low carb, kidney-friendly, kid-friendly

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One-Pan Roasted Pork Chops

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Who doesn’t love a one-pan dish? Easy clean up! I found this recipe a few years back in my Rachael ray magazine. It’s super easy, healthy, and delicious! My kiddos always enjoy this meal too! You can make it kidney friendly by “leaching*” your potatoes to take out some of the potassium! If you want a quick, week-night meal, then please try this! Thank you Rachael Ray! As always, you are my inspiration! Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney-friendly, kid-friendly

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Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

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Tuna…center-cut ahi tuna…on sale again at Sprout’s! $5.99 a pound!  This is when I make this salad (and my tuna tartare). Wish I can take credit for this one. Thank you Willow Arlen for this delicious meal! Growing up, I thought I hated tuna. But, oh, how I’ve changed my mind! There’s not much else to say, except that it’s delicious and I think ya’ll should try it! We all could probably use a little more tuna in our lives! 😉 Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: diabetes-friendly, low carb

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Buffalo Chicken Salad

Mel and Tammy1 Comment

Hot summer days equals light, healthy meals! The hubby wanted buffalo wings, and I wanted something lighter, but something that would hit the same bells and whistles! When I told him I’d be making my buffalo chicken salad, he was very happy. He LOVES this salad! You can always buy your own blue cheese dressing, but I like to make my own dressings from scratch because you can control the quality and quantity of ingredients. My husband does NOT like blue cheese dressing; the moldy cheese, it freaks him out! However, he does love feta cheese. So I make his “blue cheese” dressing into a “feta cheese” dressing. I still prefer blue cheese, so I divide the base mix into 2 bowls-one for me with blue cheese, and one for him with feta cheese. Feel free to make your own! Or you can always go out a buy  a bottle. They have great yogurt-based dressing in the produce section. Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney-friendly, diabetes-friendly, low carb

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Grandma’s Swiss Cream Steak

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Top sirloin was on sale at Stater Brothers last week for $2.99 a pound! That is a smokin’ deal! Now, what I’m about to say has nothing to do with this particular recipe, but is important to reiterate; make friends with your butcher! When top sirloin is on sale for $2.99 a pound, you buy a ton of it, have your butcher grind it (twice), and divide the ground sirloin into 1 pound portions! BOOM! Ground sirloin for $2.99/lb (then you take it home and freeze it in the 1 pound portions). You can’t even buy ground chuck for that price! Okay, my rant is over…now, onto my grandma’s recipe. So, I bought pounds and pounds of top sirloin; I had the butcher grind some of it up, then I cut some into steaks and froze it, and lastly, made this recipe. It all began when my father-in-law invited us over for dinner a few weeks ago and made Beef Stroganoff. I haven’t had Beef Stroganoff in a loooong time. It was soooo good! I wanted more! So, I was looking through my late grandma’s old recipe catalog and found this priceless baby. I want to share it with you all because it reminds me of Beef Stroganoff.  I called my daddy and told him I had found the recipe. I gave some leftovers to him and of course, he totally enjoyed it! It’s not the healthiest of recipes, but I tried to re-vamp it to make it a tad more healthy. In a way, I think of this as a gift to you all! I hope you make it and enjoy it!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, cheat meal

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This is my grandma’s actual recipe…doesn’t it look like a grandma’s hand-writin’? priceless!

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Asian Chicken Drumsticks with Green Beans

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It’s so funny where dinner might take you! I was inspired by Clinton Kelly’s Korean BBQ Chicken Drumsticks! I decided to create my own Asian-style green beans to go with it! Then, of course, my daughter asked for rice…and so…dinner was created. I cannot say it’s the most “kidney-friendly” (because of the amount of sodium), but it can be diabetes-friendly (minus the rice). 🙂 So cheers to all who decide to make this meal. It’s fricken delicious!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, diabetes-friendly

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