caramel pie

my biggest dietary weakness is my love for sweets. sugar free candy is great, but if you have too much, it can cause disaster on your body. (just trust me on this... or read the warning labels... they don't lie.) 

one "go-to" item i always keep closeby are smart-ones desserts. they have less fat and calories, because they are smaller calories, but they don't skimp on flavor. trust me. they are DELICIOUS! the key lime pie and the chocolate chip dookie dough sundaes are my personal favorites. there are also plenty of low cal ice creams and fro-yo. personal favorites include the skinny cow french vanilla ice cream bars and dove ice cream miniatures.

but one of the most satisfying things things i've found are the desserts i can make myself. one of my recent favorites is a caramel pie.

here are the ingredients:

fat free whipped cream

2 cans eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (not even the reduced fat kind either! get the REAL stuff!)

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

that's all!

here are the directions:

1. take the labels off the cans of eagle brand milk and boil the unopened cans in water for three hours. you will likely have to add water to the pot as time goes on because some of the water evaporates.

2. remove the cans from the water. (please utilize some potholders and some sort of tongs for this project...) let the cans cool for about 15 minutes. carefully open the cans. caramel will likely escape from the can as soon as you open it, so don't be alarmed. immediately pour the caramel into the pie crust. let the caramel set and cool. 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator will do the trick. then, top with the whipped cream. refrigerate again for at least an hour. however, the longer it sits, the better. if you let it sit overnight, you will get the best results.

3. if desired, you can top with sliced bananas. also, if you want to reserve some of the caramel and drizzle it over the top of the pie, it makes for a pretty presentation.

the result: heaven in a pie shell. the pie should make 8 servings, but the servings are rich... here is my warning...

warning: the pie is very rich, but, if you're like me, you like your desserts and your men the same way - RICH! (teehee)

let me know if you like the recipe! i know that i did (and so did the fiance!)

fin.

easy baked spaghetti

lately, i have had fun trying to think of clever comfort food recipes that still allow me to be semi health-conscious. i've learned that i can still eat some of my favorite foods, but i have to practice strict portion control. one such recipe is easy baked spaghetti. baked spaghetti is a favorite in my house, but it takes some trickery to keep it low cal.

shopping list:
16 ounces angel hair pasta
extra light olive oil
1 jar ragu tomato sauce
1 jar ragu classic alfredo
italian seasoning mix
garlic salt
1 pound ground lean beef (or turkey)
16 ounces low fat cottage cheese
sargento artisan blend parmesan and romano
2 cups mozzarella made with 2% milk

directions:
1. preheat oven to 350.
2. cook angel hair pasta. mix in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, just to keep the noodles from sticking together.
3. cook ground meat. sprinkle italian seasoning mix and garlic salt to raw meat on both sides.
4. cook entire jar of ragu tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce. add italian seasoning and garlic salt to this as well. mix well until sauce is a dark pink/light red color and spices mixed throughout.
5. once ground meat is fully cooked, drain the grease (if necessary, which usually isn't with such a lean type of meat), then add the meat to the sauce.
6. layer in a 13x9 pan about half of the sauce mixture, then layer about half of noodles, then all of the cottage cheese, then about half of sargento artisan blends parm/romano, then about half of the sauce mixture that is left, then the rest of the noodles, then the rest of the sauce, and, finally, top the layers with the mozzarella.
7. bake at 350 until cheese melted and browns slightly. usually about 20 minutes but ovens vary.

recipe should produce about 8 servings.

you will also have some of the parm/romano blend left. it goes great on a caesar salad, which makes for a super easy side for this yummy meal. you will also have over half of the alfredo sauce left. it stores well if kept in the refrigerator.

the outcome looks a little something like this:

fin.