Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Haven't tried it yet but looks good and I am sure it will save me a lot of money:)

Strawberry Jam

8 cups small strawberries

4 cups sugar

juice of 2 lemons (6 Tablespoons of lemon squeeze)

1. Layer strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. (Make sure not to mix it just layer one after another you should layer it probably three to four times). Cover and leave overnight. (NOT in the fridge)

2. The next day, scrape the strawberries and their juice into a large, heavy pan. Add the lemon juice. Gradually bring to a boil over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. (Yes it said low heat it took FOREVER for my strawberries to get to boil it will take prob 30 min to get to that point this is where my patience got a little thin).

3. Boil steadily for 10-15 minutes, or until the jam registers 220 degrees Fahrenheit on a sugar thermometer. (I suggest to use the thermometer because it took a lot longer for my jam to get to 220 it took about another 10-15 min.)

4. Alternately test for setting by spooning a small amount of jam onto a chilled saucer. Chill for 3 minutes, then push the jam with your finger; if wrinkles form on the surface, it is ready. Cool for 10 minutes.

5. Pour the strawberry jam into warm sterilized jars, filling them right to the top. Cover and seal while the jam is still hot and label when the jars are cool. Serve with whatever you like. This jam can be stored in a cool dark place and should keep for up to one year.

Waffles

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar or Splenda
1 tsp salt

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla

Cooking spray

Mix all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix all wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients in with dry ingredients. Mix until all is well incorporated with the whisk.

Ladle into the waffle iron that has been sprayed with cooking spray and cook until golden brown.

Makes 3 large waffles

Victoria's Six Minute Magic Bread

Victoria is such a wonderful cook! Everything tastes soooo yummy! You should check out her blog anyhow here is her bread recipe and it so good.

Put the following into the bowl of your Kitchenaid or Bosch mixer, in this order:

1/2 cup sugar or honey (either works fine)

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups hot water from the tap

1 cup canola oil (or butter–if it is cold, cut it up first)

4 cups whole wheat flour (from about 2 cups whole wheat)

5-6 cups white flour (reserve a cup for kneading)

2 level tablespoons active dry yeast

Mix all ingredients in your mixer using the dough hook attachment for six minutes. (Setting 2 on a Kitchenaid) Meanwhile, warm your oven slightly 250 degrees(I turn mine on for exactly 2 minutes). Check your dough. It should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add a little flour, until it comes to the right consistency. Don’t make it too stiff, or your bread will be dry.

Butter a large bowl. Turn dough into the buttered bowl, and then turn it over to coat both sides in butter. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in your warm oven (make sure the oven is turned off, and that it is not too hot... you don’t want to kill the yeast). Set the timer for one hour and twenty minutes.

After one hour and ten minutes, form the dough into three loaves and place in lightly buttered loaf pans. The way I like to form my loaves is to press them with my hands into a rectangle that is the width of the long end of the bread pan (about 9 inches) and about twice that long. Then I roll the rectangle up, making sure to leave no air pockets (which turn into holes in your bread), and placing the roll in the pan seam-side down. This makes really beautiful round-top bread.

Place the loaves back in the warm oven and cover them with the towel again. Set the timer for 25-30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the towel off. The loaves should be rounded about an inch above the top of the loaf pans. If they are not, give them another five minutes. Then turn on the oven to 350 degrees (you don’t need to preheat). Set the timer for 30 minutes again. After 30 minutes, remove the bread from the oven, and immediately turn the loaves out of the pans and place upright on a rack to cool completely. Any loaves that you don’t eat immediately hot from the oven with butter and honey, you can place in plastic bags, but only when they are completely cool.

To make white bread, rather than wheat, just use white flour in place of the wheat. You might reduce the second rise time to about 22-25 minutes, as the white loaves tend to rise a little faster. You may also use just a pinch less yeast for white loaves.

Recipe: www.vixlove.blogspot.com

Pancakes 1 pt

· 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

· 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

· 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

· 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk or 1/2 cup skim milk, with 1/2 tsp lemon juice mixed in

· 1 egg white, lightly beaten

· 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

· 1 -1 1/2 teaspoon no-cal artificial sweetener

· Mix all ingredients until smooth.

· 2 Note: Batter will be kinda thick. If it is too thick for you, add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency.

· 3 Heat a large skillet or griddle that has been sprayed with non-stick butter flavored cooking spray.

· 4 Spoon two good sized heaping tablespoon fulls of the batter into the skillet per pancake and spread out slightly. Let cook like a regular pancake and then flip, allowing to cook another minuet or so. Serve!

· 5 Dietary Info:.

· 6 Per pancake: 67 calories; 2 gm fiber; trace fat (1pt).

· 7 for three pancakes: 202 calories; 6 gm fiber, 1 gm fat (3pts).

2 point pancakes (weight watchers)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons artificial sweetener

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup egg substitute

6 ounces non-fat vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup water

1 Turn heat to medium or 375 degrees.

2 In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3 In another bowl, beat egg subsitute, yogurt, and water with wire whisk.

4 Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

5 For each pancake, pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle.

6 Cook pancakes 1-2 minutes or until bubbly on top. Turn and cook other sides for an additional 1-2 minutes.

7 Top with 1/4 cup sugar free syrup- worth 2 point.