Sloppy Joes

From For the Love of Cooking (Click here to see the official recipe with photos)

With my adjustments the recipe serves 5 (girl portions) at 281 calories, 16 g fat, 1 g fiber

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used 96/4) -- I only used 1 lb of ground sirloin. I figured I didn't need all that beef

1 small sweet yellow onion, diced

1/4 orange bell pepper, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dried mustard - substituted with regular mustard

1/2 tsp paprika - oops! I forgot this! Maybe that's why I thought it needed more kick

1 cup of ketchup

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp water

Salt and pepper to taste - oops! I forgot this!

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Drain any grease then add ketchup, brown sugar and water. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Review: This was OK. I like my sloppy joes saucier and spicier. If I were to make these again, I'd remember the paprika and add red pepper flakes (my favorite ingredient). I'd also add more ketchup - or maybe some tomato sauce. I'd also cook the vegetables for a little longer. Mine were crunchy!

Pot-Luck Pasta Salad

adapted from a recipe posted on the Weight Watchers website

Servings: 12 (about 155 calories, 8 g fat and 3 g fiber the way I made it)

• 4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, corkscrew shape (about 1 1/2 cups) -- I used 8 ounces of uncooked pasta - I didn't feel like 4 ounces was enough
• 1/3 cup(s) olive oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 2 1/2 oz olive(s), canned, sliced, black (about 10 medium olives)
• 1 medium green pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup(s) grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes, halved (about 10 tomatoes) -- I'm not a tomato fan, so I left this out
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed -- I completely forgot to include these
• 1/2 C reduced fat feta -- I like cheese in pasta salad, so I added this in!

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, prepare salad dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic; set aside until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables and feta; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours.

Review: Personally, I prefer Italian dressing based salads to creamy mayonnaise based salads. I thought this turned out really well. The veggies bulked it up and made it very colorful. The dressing was flavorful. I brought it to a friend's cookout. I think most people liked it but veggie haters probably won't be fans.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe is a family favorite - and perfect for football season! I'm sure my mom got it from somewhere. Your guess is as good as mine!

SERVES 20 (about 144 calories, 9 g fat, 0 g fiber - doesn't include chips and celery)

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chicken (You can also use leftover cooked chicken)
• 2 (8 ounce) packets light cream cheese
• 3/4 cup hot sauce (I've used regular hot sauce and the buffalo wing hot sauce)
• 1 cup light ranch dressing (I've used light blue cheese dressing before - that's good too)
• 2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese
• Baked tostitos and celery sticks

Drain canned chicken and combine with hot sauce in saucepan. Cook on medium until heated. Add cream cheese and stir until blended thoroughly. Add ranch dressing and mix. Add most of the cheddar cheese and heat for a few minutes until mixed and melted. Put dip into a small slow cooker and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Keep on low heat. Serve with baked tostitos and celery sticks.

I have also simply combined all ingredients in a bowl (except chips and celery) and put in the slow cooker to heat.

Review: This is a family favorite, so obviously I love it! It's not pretty, but it smells wonderful, tastes even better and is great to have around for football games. And it goes without saying that this is a boy-friendly recipe!