Kathleen's Blog Spot

Ideal No Calorie White and Brown Sweetener Review

My mom has tried to get me to switch from regular sugar to Ideal sweetener for awhile now. She said that you couldn’t tell the difference and that I wouldn’t even notice that I wasn’t using regular sugar. When Ideal asked me to review their White and Brown Sweetener, I jumped at the chance. The kids and I went on the Ideal Website and started looking for recipes we could make. Of course the kids picked chocolate chip cookies. (See Recipe Below). I thought for sure their would be a difference in the amount of Ideal you use compared to sugar but their isn’t. Ideal Sweetener measures cup for cup like sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c all-purpose our
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 c light, unsalted butter, softened
1 c Ideal®
No Calorie Sweetener
1 c Ideal®
Brown
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
Ingredients-US Standard
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine our, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl.
3. Cream together butter, Ideal®
and Ideal®
Brown.
4. Add vanilla and mix until creamy; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually beat in our mixture; stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Tap lightly with ngers so that dough does not remain in ball form (so cookies will bake through
and be atter after baking).
8. Bake 8 to 9 minutes until golden around edges.
9. Let rest 2 minutes and remove to cooling racks

The cookies were very moist and you could not tell that they were not made with white and brown sugar. The Kids said that they were the best cookies they ever made. The cookies didn’t flatten out like regular cookies do but instead stayed the shape when we put them on the cookie sheet. Ideal Sweetener is definitely going to be used in our up coming holiday baking this year. It will help cut out some of the calories that we will be consuming between now and New Year’s!

For more recipes using Ideal Sweetener visit:

Follow Idea Sweetener on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/Ideal_Sweetener

Fan Ideal Sweetener on Facebook to stay up to date:

https://www.facebook.com/IdealSweetener

(I received a package of white and brown sweetener to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for my review nor was my opinion influenced by the sponsor.)

Mummy Dogs

October 22, 2011

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients:

8 oz Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
2 1/2 slices American cheese – quartered
10 Large Hot Dogs
Cooking Spray
Mustard and ketchup

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375*F
Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles.
Press perforations to seal.
With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces. Making 40 pieces of dough.
Slice cheese slices into quarters.
Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like bandages. Stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog.
About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate “bandages” so hot dog shows through for the mummy face.
On greased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down).
Spray dough slightly with cooking spray.
Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot.
With mustard or Ketchup, draw eyes on the mummy face.

Cemetery Swamp Dip

October 22, 2011

Cemetery Swamp Dip

Ingredients:

Dip

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach – thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. fat free sour cream
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1 pkg dry vegetable soup mix
1 loaf party pumpernickel bread – sliced
Vegetables for dipping

Tombstone Writing

1/2 mayonnaise
5 Drops yellow food coloring
1 Drop red food coloring
Small baggie

Instructions for Dip:

Combine vegetable soup mix, Greek yogurt, sour cream and spinach together in a bowl.
Cut bread slices into tombstone shapes. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes or until crisp.
To serve, arrange a few tombstones in dip and serve with remaining tombstones and your favorite dippers.

Instructions for Tombstone Writing:

Combine mayonnaise and food coloring in baggie.
Gently squeeze to mix.
Snip one corner of bag and decorate tombstones with phrases like Boo! or R.I.P

Zombie Punch

October 22, 2011

Zombie Punch

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon Limeade
1 Liter Ginger Ale
1/2 Gallon Lime Sherbet
Plastic spiders and Worms (Optional)

Instructions:

Mix together juice and ginger ale.
Scoop sherbet and add to punch.
Add your decorative bugs to the punch.
Serve chilled.

Peanut Butter Cookies

September 20, 2011

Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (I always add more)

Sugar (To sprinkle on top of the cookies before baking)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in Peanut butter. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Super Easy and Fun Sugar Cookies

September 20, 2011

Super Easy and Fun Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkles, colored sugar, frosting and other decorations

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Let your kids pick out their favorite cookie cutters while you lightly flour a section your work area and the roll out the dough until it is 1/4 thick. Let the kids have fun cutting out special cookies and place them onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Frost and decorate cookies to the kids hearts content.

Applesauce Recipe

September 20, 2011

Applesauce

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples.
Juice of one lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp
3 inches of cinnamon stick
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
up to 1/4 cup of white sugar
1 cup of water (You can use apple juice or cider as well)

Instructions

1 Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2 Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks. Mash with potato masher.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated.

Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Apple Butter Recipe

September 19, 2011

Apple Butter Recipe

Ingredients

9 to 10 apples
1 cup apple cider
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 1 inch chunks. Place the apples in a large, nonreactive saucepan and pour the cider over them. Cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes over low heat or until the apples are soft.
Cool the mixture until it is only warm to the touch. Divide it into two batches and puree each in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Pour all of the pureed fruit into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish, spread evenly, sprinkle with nutmeg, all spice and cinnamon and stir well. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours or until your apple butter is deep brown and thick. Stir the puree every 20 minutes. Cool the apple butter and then scoop it into a clean jar with a sealable lid. It will keep for up to 2 months in your refrigerator.
Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Zucchini Bread Recipe

August 31, 2011

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, a third at a time. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

2 Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves.

Cheesy Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

July 7, 2011