don't blink

LCR and Pumpkin Dip

I throw dice. Many of you may not know that. But yes, I am a dice-throwin', scrapbookin', 40-year-old, Marine wife and mother who gets together with other dice-throwin' junkies once a month for food, drink and LCR (click on the link to read what it is-we pass dollar bills rather than chips). I was introduced to this addiction about a year ago through a friend who has been playing LCR with a group of friends for several years. Better than Bunko, and unlike Bingo, the only letters you have to know are L-C-R. This game is a blast and perfect for girls who love to socialize!

This past Wednesday was our monthly LCR Girls Night Out. Our gracious hostess had her house all decked out for Halloween. Many of girls were in the holiday spirit and came in costume. The other reason why I love this game is that the hostess doesn't have to do all of the cooking! She provides the drinks (including beer and wine) and dessert, while the guests bring appetizers to share. I brought Pumpkin Dip with Apple Slices. Yum! Check out the recipe and photos of the evening below!

Pumpkin Dip

3/4 C. low-fat cream cheese

1/2  C. packed brown sugar

1/2 C. canned pumpkin

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

24  apple slices

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, beat until smooth. cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apples.

Sally rolled a true LCR. Bye-bye money!

Love the color green!

Justine (our hostess) and Julieann

Mary-Ellen, our angel of the evening, was excited when she won a round!

Patti Man. and I decided to get creative with our dollar bills, hoping it would bring us some luck!

Marie, Natalie and Patti Min.

Chicken and Vegetable Stew

I love fall. I think I mentioned that in another post. I am sure I am repeating myself, but I love the smells, the colors, the temperature and the food, especially the food. However, I have found that over the past few years, my relationship with food and the fall season has got me acting like a wild animal getting ready to hibernate for the winter. Packing on the pounds and fattening up for the winter months and then exercising my tail off come January for Spring Break, seems to be a cycle that can't be broken. Comfort foods such as meatloaf, creamy pasta dishes and of course, holiday baking are too tempting for this girl to ignore. So in my battle of the midriff bulge, I find myself making the following recipe several times in the fall and winter months. It's low-fat and full of flavor! Enjoy it with some warm crusty bread (again, comfort food-so much for the lowfat) next to a nice warm fire!

Chicken and Vegetable Stew

1 32-ounce container fat-free chicken broth
4 skinless chicken breasts (about 2 and one-quarter lbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 14-ounce package frozen white corn
1 16-ounce package frozen baby lima beans

1 14 1/2-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1/3 C. ketchup
1 C. cubed ham
1 T. sugar
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 t. hot sauce
1 t. dried marjoram

Bring broth to a boil in a Dutch oven. 

Add chicken, onion and celery, return to boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. 

Remove chicken from pan and let cool slightly. 

Cube or shred chicken when cool enough to handle. 

Add corn, next 9 ingredients and chicken to Dutch oven. 

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally,

30 minutes or until beans are tender.

Makes 8 (1 1/4-cup servings) 289 calories, 289 calories, 2g fat, 6g fiber

 

Peanut Butter Bars

We all have vivid memories of school lunches while growing up. Green, plastic trays with partitions for each of the four basic food groups (no food pyramid back then). I'll never forget what these trays looked like. On the left-hand side there was a section for your packaged utensils-gotta love the "spork". There were 3 squares going across the top-one for your fruit, one for your vegetable and the other for your little carton of milk. Then there were two sections on the bottom, one was for the entree and there was a smaller one for your dessert. Ahhh dessert...the best part of the school lunch. My favorite was the "Peanut Butter Bar." The lunch ladies always seemed to serve it on "Pizza Friday", which, by the way, was probably one the better of the the entrees served. There was something about the "Peanut Butter Bar" that made it one of the most coveted desserts by those who unfortunately brown-bagged it on "Pizza Fridays." Brown-baggers would have gladly traded their little brother to get their finger-paint covered hands on one of these delectable treats. 

Feeling nostalgic one year, I set out on quest for a "Peanut Butter Bar" recipe. I found one and have been making this version ever since. Eat your hearts out brown-baggers!

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients 

1 C. butter

4 C. powdered sugar

2 C. peanut butter

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs

Chocolate topping

3/4  C. butter

1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

Line the bottoms and sides of a 9 x 13-inch pan with wax paper or tinfoil. Spray with Pam. In a large pot melt the 1 cup of butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, graham crackers and sift in the 4 cups of powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread mixture into prepared pan and pat down evenly. To make the chocolate topping, melt together the 3/4 cup butter and chocolate chips. When smooth, spread over the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes our until set. Cut into squares and serve.

Monkey Bread Morning

Wow–two posts in one day! It wouldn't feel like a Sunday morning if I didn't make Monkey Bread. I got this recipe from one of my close friends, Abbie. It sticky and sweet and gooey and oh soooo yummy! I am posting the recipe so you can make it on a Sunday morning, too. So, grab a cup of coffee and let's have breakfast together sometime!

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 stick of butter
1 4-pack Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (there are 4, 10-biscuit tube rolls in this package)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Spray Bundt pan with Pam. Mix both sugars and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Open one tube of biscuits and cut each biscuits into quarters. Place several of the quarters in the cinnamon/sugar mixture, then layer in Bundt pan. Using two tablespoons from the stick of butter, cut it into eight pieces, then place on top of the coated biscuits in the pan. Repeat this process with the remaining tubes of biscuits. Bake for 30 minutes. When finished, immediately turn over onto large plate. Enjoy!