Chocolate Crackers Bars Recipe

Here’s an update on my weight loss journey – during this week of Valentine’s Day, I’ve completely blown my diet. Yep, I made beef filet and lobster tails for my sweetie on Valentine’s Day, we had a potluck at my women’s Bible study group, and then I made this recipe for a yummy dessert to share with my husband.

The worst part of all that? This yummy dessert. It’s deceptively simple to make, with only 4 or 5 ingredients, but I’m addicted to the bars (I got the recipe from the Spark People website so I thought it would be somewhat healthful and not bad on calories). I mean literally, I just can’t muster enough self-control to stay away from them. So…I’ve gained back 1 pound, which isn’t too bad, overall. My goal now is to get rid of the remaining chocolate bars and get back on track. And I will never, ever make these bars again while I’m trying to watch my weight!

Try making these bars and tell me if they are addictive as I think they are…

Chocolate Crackers Bars

20 Saltine crackers

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar or finely chopped nuts (about ¼ cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13 x 9 inch rimmed baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay crackers in the bottom of the pan. Melt butter in the microwave; add sugar and still until well combined. Drizzle evenly over the crackers.

Bake for 10 minutes, until sugar caramelizes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pop the pan back into the oven for about a minute, just until the chocolate starts to melt. Remove from oven and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly across the top of the crackers. Sift powdered sugar over the top and/or top with nuts.

Makes 20 pieces with about 100 calories each (that is if you can eat only one piece... I dare you to try!)

July 11, 2001: Chicken Salad Recipe

If you’ve got some leftover chicken from the previous day’s rotisserie chicken recipe, this is a great way to use it. This chicken salad makes a nice, light, summery lunch, particularly when paired with a green salad and a tall glass of limeade.

Summer Chicken Salad

1 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut or shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 T. minced red or white or green onion
½ cup halved red grapes
¼ cup pecan or walnut pieces
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients.

Serving suggestions: in between slices of hearty, whole grain bread with a handful of mixed greens, on a soft bun, or in scoops over a bed of baby greens.

April 28, 2011: Chicken Casserole Recipe

This is an easy, simple, tasty casserole for those nights when you aren’t feel particularly creative about dinner (which I’ve been experiencing a lot lately); just add a fresh green salad and maybe some crusty bread and voila! You can easily double this recipe and have enough to feed a family of four or five (use a 13 x 9 inch pan). And because it still tastes good even when it’s not hot, it makes a great dish to contribute to a potluck meal.

I first found this recipe in an issue of American Profile and the recipe is attributed to Elaine Arnold. As usual, I’ve done just a wee bit of tweaking and here’s my version.

Chicken Casserole

2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2 small stalks celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 2-ounce jar pimientos
2 T. minced onion (can use dehydrated)
½ to ¾ cup light mayonnaise (depends on how much chicken you have)
2 T. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
French fried onions (the kind in a can)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a medium-sized casserole dish or 8 x 8 inch square pan.

Combine all ingredients (through salt and pepper) and mix well. Start with half a cup of mayonnaise and add more if necessary (too much mayo makes this casserole taste very greasy). Place the mixture into the prepared pan; top with French fried onions and shredded cheese. Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Tip: Feel free to add/substitute other vegetables. For instance, I’ve used diced red bell pepper in place of the pimientos before and mushrooms instead of celery. You could also add mandarin orange slices and bean sprouts to make it more “Chinese”. My husband doesn’t like nuts so I omit the almonds; it would also taste good if you substituted pecans or cashews for the almonds. Experiment with the ingredients your family likes best.