Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

Ok, so who used to make Chia heads as a kid? Even if you didn’t I am sure you know that “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia” tune. But today’s post is not about growing a Chia head—instead it’s about eating Chia seeds! Yes, eating them. I never thought I would be eating Chia seeds until Diane from Greens Plus so graciously offered to send me some. I was still a little unsure about eating them, but once I read about all the health benefits, I just couldn’t refuse.

Health benefits of Chia seeds:

• Chia seeds have thousands of years of safe historical human consumption
• Chia seeds enhance energy levels and extend endurance
• Chia seeds are 100% cholesterol free, and trans fat free
• Omega³ Chia is NOT genetically modified (GMO)
• Chia seeds contain significant amounts or Quercetin antioxidants that aid in reducing inflammation
• Omega³ Chia is one of the highest overall antioxidant containing foods (ORAC i680 pr 22g) – more than blueberries and prunes
• Omega³ Chia is gluten free, and can be eaten by people suffering from celiac disease.
• Chia seeds aid in increasing nutrient absorption and utilization
• Omega³ Chia is a complete, whole and natural food, not a supplement.
• Omega³ Chia is a perfect digestive aid, creating better assimilation of food and excess stomach acids
• Omega³ Chia is a dieters dream, fat replacement, food extender and creates a full satiated feeling.
• Chia seeds encourage healthy and gentle bowel elimination
• Omega³ Chia is certified Kosher
• Chia seeds prevent dehydration and aids in Electrolyte Balance

Still not convinced to give em’ a try? They are virtually tasteless, so at least consider!

So today’s recipe does include Chia seeds, but it is equally delicious and doable without them. Chicken pot pies used to be one of my favorite comfort foods as a kid, and they’re so cheap and you just pop em’ in the oven. But once I got a little older and more concerned with nutrition, I realized how unhealthy store-bought pot pies can be. Check out the stats on this one!

Pepperidge Farm Original Flaky Crust Roasted Chicken Pot Pie has 510 calories, 32 grams of total fat, 9 grams saturated fat, AND 870 mg cholesterol in HALF OF A PIE.  Multiply everything by 2 and you're getting 1020 calories, almost 100% of daily recommendations for total and saturated fats at 64 grams of fat and 18 grams saturated fat AND 1740 mg of sodium from one meal, which is more than 50% of the recommended daily amount. [Source here]

In other words..I think it’s worth a little time and effort to make your own. This recipe definitely qualifies for my Recipe Redo on a Budget.

Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Serves: 5

Budget Breakdown

• 5 oz can chicken=$2.55
• 10.5 oz 98% FF Condensed Cream of Celery Soup=$1.95
• Box of Bisquik all-purpose baking mix=$2.85 divided in half, since you don’t use the whole box.
• 9 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies=$1.31
• Freebies: Milk, egg, and seasonings assuming you have these on hand.

Total per pot pie= approximately $1.45 per serving

Yes, you can buy them cheaper, but you may have to sacrifice your health then.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz can of chicken cubes
• 1-10.5 oz can of condensed 98% FF cream of celery soup
• 2 cups of mixed frozen veggies
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 egg
• 1 c. all-purpose baking mix
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 400°F.
  
• Stir the soup, vegetables and chicken in a 9-inch pie plate, or if you prefer to make individual pies like I did, you can use 5 mini tin loaf pans.

• Stir the milk, egg and baking mix in a small bowl. Spread the batter over the chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. [If your making 5 individual pies, it’s about 1/2 C filling per pie.

 

Comfort food at its’ finest!

Rollin’ Cinnabon to the Curb

What better way to start the week than with a hot and gooey pan of cinnamon rolls to meet you on the way out the door? I decided to try it this week and lemme tell you—it did make a difference! :-) I figured I would try to squeeze in one last Hungry Girl recipe from my Cookbook of the Month, and this one has been calling my name for quite sometime now. And lucky for you, they were a sweet success and mighty cheap to make! I would say these are semi-homemade, so if you have about a half hour to spare, you have no excuse not to make these! Of course if you are a person with no time to bake these whatsoever, you can always head on over to Holey Donuts and try out their delish Cinnamon Buns.(I did a review here.) Also, I have decided these qualify for my Recipe Redo on a Budget.

But first, how the heck did a cinnamon roll even get created? Thought this was interesting!

In the 13^th century Marco Polo opened the spice trade to Europe. Medieval chefs were using cinnamon and the cinnamon was very expensive. Cinnamon rolls are probably descended from their first fritters. There was an English bun called the Chelsea bun that was described in an English cookbook almost exactly like a cinnamon roll. Then in the 1910s a cookbook did an exact recipe for cinnamon rolls. By the 1922 there was a huge fad for delicious cinnamon rolls that everyone could enjoy and everyone did want them. Then in the 18^th century the Philadelphia cinnamon roll was born. With brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and raisins, it was a new twist on the old favorite. It was brought by the English and German immigrants to America. No one will ever know where the true origin of cinnamon rolls come from, after all, cinnamon and bread are very ancient foods. When foods are used often and for a very long period of time, origins are difficult to discover. While history is fascinating, the taste of cinnamon rolls is a testament to all those who have contributed to the taste of it in the past.

 

Budget Breakdown

• Brown Sugar- freebie
• Pillsbury Reduced-Fat Crescent Rolls- $1.49
• Splenda- $3.85
• Cool Whip Free- $2.99
• Light Butter Spread- $1.75
• Fat-Free Cream Cheese- $2.29
• Salt- freebie
• Cinnamon- freebie
• Butter Spray- $2.29

Total= $14.66  Per Bun= $1.22

*Generally a cinnamon roll from Cinnabon or any fast food place will cost you around four bucks, and not to mention a hefty overdose of calories and sugar.*

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes: 12 

Ingredients:

--For Dough--

• 1 package refrigerated Pillsbury reduced-fat Crescent Rolls
• 16 sprays of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray

--For Filling--

• 1/4 C dark brown sugar
• 1/4 C granulated Splenda(or other no cal sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 Tbsp light butter spread
• 1 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt

--For Icing--

• 1/4 C Cool Whip Free, thawed
• 3 Tbsp FF cream cheese, room temp
• 1 Tbsp Splenda, granulated

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• To make filling, combine all ingredients in medium bowl, stirring well to make sure the butter gets mixed in evenly. Set aside.
• To make icing, combine all ingredients in small bowl and mix until smooth and blended. Place in the fridge to chill and set.
• Prepare a dry surface by sprinkling it with a small amount of flour to prevent sticking. Remove dough from package and knead into a ball.
• Using a rolling pin lightly dusted with flour, very firmly roll out dough into a thin sheet about 8 x 12 inches. Spray the dough’s surface evenly with butter spray.
• Spread filling evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2 in border around the edges.

• Starting with long side of the dough, roll it up tightly, forming a log. Once dough is completely rolled up, pinch the long seam to seal.
• Turn the log over so that the seam side is facing down. Using a very sharp knife, cut log into 12(the original recipe says 8, but I squeezed in 4 more!)being careful not to squish dough.
• Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray and arrange pieces of dough in the pan with swirl sides facing up. Use your hands to firmly press down the tops of the pieces. Pinch the side seams if necessary.
• Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 8 minutes.
• Remove foil and return pan to oven. Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until rolls have risen and are slightly browned on top.
• Evenly distribute icing over cinnamon rolls and dig in!

Here’s a virtual roll to quell your cravings! (I know you have one now!!)

Luscious But Light Lemon Blueberry Loaf

One of my all-time favorite taste combos is easily Lemon Poppy Seed, and I love it in a nicely fresh baked bread. Of course if you buy from a bakery or a store it can be filled with preservatives and weird to pronounce ingredients, so I decided to take on the challenge of making it myself. I wanted to make the loaf healthy and light so I could succumb to a slice whenever the craving hit!

Here’s How I Redid the Recipe

• I wanted to add some fruit for added vitamins and have a healthy way to add more flavor. I decided blueberries would be a good addition!(they pretty much are in anything) Unfortunately the grocery store had fresh blueberries for $5 a pop, frozen for a few cents less, and for a 14 oz can of blueberries in water it was $6.39! Eek! Needless to say I was not going to forfeit this challenge. I planned on making the loaf from scratch, but was delighted to find that Krusteaz makes a Fat Free Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix and the package included a can of blueberries all for just $2.79—mission accomplished! Wait, not quite yet!
• I still needed the lemon flavor, so decided to use 2 tsp. of lemon extract and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Then, since there were no poppy seeds in the mix, I added in 1 tsp. Of course I needed to adjust the baking time for the two mini loaves I planned on making—read on below to see if I was able to redo this recipe!

Budget Analysis

Poppy seeds= $3.31

Krusteaz Muffin Mix= $2.79

Divided by the total amount of slices(32)=0.19 a slice!

*This is assuming you have Lemon Extract on hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake these in 2 7 x 11 loaf pans sprayed lightly with cooking spray at 350 F for 35-40 min until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Whaddya think? Here’s what I thought:

Nutritional Stats- The FF Muffin Mix + the Poppy Seeds added in made into 2 mini loaves each sliced into 16 slices, 1 generous slice clocks in at--

40 calories

0 grams of fat

85.6 mg of sodium

9.5 g carbs

.6 g of fiber

4.6 g of sugar

Taste- Loved it! It reminded me of a slice you would buy at the local bakery.

Texture-Slightly on the more chewier side, which I prefer—not for the hefty loaf lovers though. You could also detect the poppy seed texture which is a good thing. Maybe the blueberries could have been a tad bigger?

Appeal- It looked pretty—it is definitely a presentable bread.

Overall- I am so excited with my new creation and will definitely be making it many times into the future.

Recipe Redo’s On a Budget

 

 Luscious But Light Berry Lemon Loaf

Lean Chicken Pockets/Lite Cherry Pie Pockets

HungryGirl Ooey Cinnamon Rolls w/Cream Cheese Frosting