Lip Smackin' Bar-B-Q Chicken Bake

I found this delicious looking recipe over at Betty Crocker and I can't wait to try it! It's a Heart Smart recipe, which is great for those with PCOS.


Lip Smackin' Bar-B-Q Chicken Bake

Bisquick Heart Smart® recipe! Chicken breasts make a lip-smackin’ barbecue flavored dinner bake.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:50 min
Makes:6 servings

2/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (6 oz)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch pie pan or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In small bowl, stir together Bisquick® mix, water and egg. Spread in bottom of pan; sprinkle with 1 1/4 cups of the cheese. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil, stirring occasionally, until outsides turn white; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce; heat just until hot. Spoon over batter in pan to within 1/2 inch of edge.
3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edge is dark golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 1 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese melts; loosen from side of pan.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Nutrition Information

1 Serving: Calories 240 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 760mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 12g); Protein 22g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 30%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Pumpkin Protein Cookies

It's starting to feel like fall, and that always reminds me of Halloween! Here's a great recipe for a cookie made with Splenda. Not only are they delicious, they are sugar free and have extra protein in them to help keep you full longer!

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular
* 1 cup rolled oats
* 1 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup soy flour
* 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 2 teaspoons water
* 2 egg whites
* 1 teaspoon molasses
* 1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together Splenda®, oats, wheat flour, soy flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in pumpkin, canola oil, water, egg whites, and molasses. Stir in flax seeds, if desired. Roll into 14 large balls, and flatten on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE: the cookies will come out really dry if overbaked.

Trying times...

As has been stated many, many times, PCOS is one of the major causes of infertility in women. For a couple that desperately wants children, this can, at times, either make or break a marriage.

I can remember when my husband and I finally decided that we wanted to try to have a baby after being married for almost 4 years. Month after month, I would be disappointed again and again when I realized I was not pregnant. I was extremely lucky in that my husband wanted kids just as much as I did, so he went through the same disappointed that I did.

That's not always the case. There are times when the husband doesn't truly want kids, or is unsure about it. So that leaves the burden on the wife to go through it alone. There are also times when the husband is the one that wants the kids more than the wife! I'm sure at times like that, the wife could actually feel like she is letting the husband down.

Occasionally, couples have decided that they've needed to see a Marriage Counselor in order to help each other understand what they are going through. If there are already children in the family, they may even look into Marriage Family Counseling to help the kids understand things as well. Many marriages have been saved because they have found a way to neutralize their problems and implement a program of positive relationship habits that change the way they relate to each other.

If infertility is causing problems in your relationship and you want to learn how to save your marriage, definitely look into seeking outside help before you proceed any further with trying to have a baby.

Acne...

Becca was always lucky that she had beautiful clear skin all through middle school when her friends were starting to break out. However, her senior year, all of a sudden, she developed acne. Not something you want to worry about your senior year when you have pictures and all kinds of things you want to look good for!

She's been doing some checking to see what kind of products that she thinks will work best for her. She found a product called Murad Acne that looks like it offers the products that she would need to clear up her skin. Acne is one of the most common side effects of PCOS. Of course that doesn't mean that all girls with acne have PCOS... it's just one of the side effects of having PCOS.

Murad is a 3 step acne complex that includes products that will cleanse, treat and hydrate the skin. It says that it is gentle enough to use every day, however it is powerful enough to fight even the worst cases of acne. Becca's acne seems to go in a cycle where she'll go for a while with just a minor breakout, then suddenly, she has a major breakout, and it's usually right before a big event...

She's planning to give Murad Acne Complex a try and see how it goes. She starts college in just under a month and wants to look her best for her first days! I'll post back and let you know how it goes!

Tomato and Mozzarella Pockets

Here is a great recipe that is PCOS Friendly

Tomato and Mozzarella Pockets

Ingredients:

2 whole wheat or soy pita bread rounds, cut in half to make 4 pockets
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 (1 oz.) pieces of part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper


Warm up the pita pockets. Place tomato, mozzarella, garlic, and basil in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil. Place all ingredients in warmed pita pockets. Makes 4 servings.

Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a great recipe for Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies that is even good for diabetics! Just remember though that diabetics need to pay extra attention to the amount of carbohydrates they eat to maintain control of their blood sugar levels.

You can include cookies in your diabetic meal plan - just plan ahead and remember to eat in moderation.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2/3 c. light margarine, softened
* 2/3 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2/3 c. sucralose
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 c. pecans, chopped


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
2. Cream butter, brown sugar, sucralose, and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl.
3. Add eggs to above mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
6. Place level tablespoon size of cookie dough on a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and cool on wire cooling rack.

Serves: 36

Serving size: 1 cookie

Nutritional analysis (per serving):

76 calories
1 g protein
4 g fat
1 g sat. fat
11 g carbohydrate
0 g fiber
12 mg cholesterol
78 mg sodium
7 mg calcium
0.5 mg iron

Diabetic exchanges:

2/3 carbohydrate exchanges

Note: Nutritional analysis may vary depending on ingredient brands used.

Variations and suggestions:

Substitute another type of nut if you do not like pecans. Store the leftovers in an airtight container. You can either freeze half the batch or share them with your friends.

Refried Bean Roll Up

Lighten up! You can enjoy great-tasting seasoned refried beans, lettuce and cheese in soft flour tortillas and still keep an eye on the fat.

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:4 servings

1 can (16 ounces) Old El Paso® fat-free refried beans
1/2 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 fat-free flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1. Mix beans, salsa and chili powder in 1-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture onto center of each tortilla; spread slightly. Top with lettuce and cheese. Fold over sides and ends of tortillas. Serve with addiditional salsa if desired.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 245 (Calories from Fat 45 ); Total Fat 5 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 840 mg; Total Carbohydrate 44 g (Dietary Fiber 8 g); Protein 14 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8 %; Vitamin C 6 %; Calcium 22 %; Iron 20 % Exchanges: 3 Starch; 1/2 Very Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Health Twist
This lighter version of refried bean roll-ups shaves off 70 calories and 7 grams of fat from each serving of the regular recipe.
Purchasing
Traditional refried beans are prepared much like their name suggests. Cooked beans are mashed and fried, often in lard. Check your grocery aisle for equally tasty fat-free refried beans.
Variation
If you like your tacos "loaded," then load these up, too! Bulk them up in colorful, delicious style with chopped or sliced jalapeños, sliced ripe or green olives, chopped tomato or chopped bell pepper.