Mimi, Poppie and the Whole Gang

Mimi and Poppie, three glorious married children and their beautiful mates & 7 wonderful grands.

Life at the Lake:

In an effort to get my husband and I living healthier, I am writing down light recipes. Both my husband and I are skeptics when it comes to light recipes. The following recipes are tried and true. I appreciate keeping some of my favorite ingredients in measured amounts such as: unsalted butter, mini-chocolate chips, pork and beef.

Peanut-chip cookies and Jabba the Snowman

Peanut-chip cookies

makes 60 cookies prep 15 min refrigerate 15 min bake @ 350 degrees for 12 min

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c reduced-fat peanut butter

1/4 c (1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened)

1/2 c packed light-brown sugar

1/4 c c plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 c fat-free milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c mini chocolate chips

1/4 c finely chopped unsalted peanuts in jar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat peanut butter and butter on medium speed 2 min. until creamy. Add brown sugar and 1/4 c granulated sugar and beat 2 min. Beat in milk, egg and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chips and nuts. Chill dough 15 min.

For each cookie, roll 2 tsp of dough into a ball and place on baking sheets 2 inches apart. Lightly pat and press ball down with your fingers, then with fork, flatten each ball into a 1 1/2 inch round, making a crosshatch pattern, one direction and then press fork the other direction. Sprinkle a small amount of the remaining sugar over the top of each(I did not put sprinkles of sugar on the cookie and they were delicious).

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 min until lightly browned around edges. Let cool on sheets 1 min. Transfer to rack; let cool. 48 calores/cookie, 2 g fat, 1 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 0 g. fiber, 50 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol.

Pork Teriyaki and Mommy and Maddy

Maddy and Mommy at the lake

Pork Teriyaki

makes 4 servings prep 20 min. marinate 2 hours cook 12 min

Pork:

2 Tbsp light teriyaki sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 lb pork tenderloin(I use thin pork chops or whatever is on sale)

Sauce:

1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp light teriyaki sauce

4 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp hot sauce

Vegetables:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

2 scallions, trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces

1 bag(12 oz) microwave-ready green beans, cook per instructions

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

In large ziplock bag, combine teriyaki sauce, garlic, lime juice and zest. Add pork and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.

In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, cornstarch, sugar and hot sauce. Set aside.

Remove pork from marinade and discard marinade. Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large electric skillet over medium high heat. Stir-fry pork for 3 min. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add remaining tbsp of oil to skillet. Add onion and cook 4 min. Stir in red pepper, mushrooms and scallions. Cook 3 min. Stir in green beans, broth mixture and port. Simmer for 2 minutes, until thickened. Serve pork over cooked brown rice. 501 calories/serving, 13 g fat, 33 g protein, 66 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 746 mg. sodium and 74 mg cholesterol.