Quick Chicken & Dumplings

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup prechopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) box frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and vegetables; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
While chicken mixture cooks, combine water, flour, and broth. Gradually stir broth mixture into chicken mixture. Stir in salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in tortilla strips, and cook 2 minutes or until tortilla strips soften. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information:
Calories:
366 (23% from fat)
Fat:
9.3g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:
29.8g
Carbohydrate:
40.3g
Fiber:
5.3g

Scandinavian Almond Bars

made these last night for a birthday gathering.

i already handed out the recipes for two of them:

get the ginger snap recipe here.

get the pumpkin choco chip here. Now we're gonna make these yummies.
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. banking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon almond extract
milk
confectioners sugar
Stir together flour, baking powder & salt. In large bowl beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and extract and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.

Form dough into log, flatten, cook at 350 for 12-14 min. I cut it lengthwise (while hot), then diagonally (1" strips) with a pizza cutter.

Cool-drizzle with icing.
Icing: 1 cup confectioner sugar, 1/4 tsp. or more almond extract and 3-4 or more tsp. milk.

Quick Fall Minestrone

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans

1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
212

Fat:
5g
Protein:
9.6g
Carbohydrate:
36g
Fiber:
3.9g

Ginger Snaps

You guys, these really are divine and my roommate nailed it, "It's like Christmas in your mouth..."
So it's only October... but I was aching to make these bad boys for our picnic today & for more Mason Jar give aways. I'll admit, they make me a little homesick because my family makes them every Christmas Eve & they're still the cookies I give to Santy Claus. Here it is:

1 1/2 cups veggie oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molassas
4 cups flour
4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tab. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
sugar for coating
Beat first three ingredients together. Add dry ingredients. Chill for 1 hr. Roll 1 12" balls-roll in sugar...cook 6-8 minutes @ 350.

Tip 1: Take the cookies out of the oven when they're starting to "crack" on top or else they'll be crunchy. No bueno.

Tip 2: When adding the molassas to the recipe, spray the measuring cup first with Pam and then the molassas will slip right instead of STICKING to the measuring cup which is totally annoying.

Enjoy!