Supper-Time Sunday!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Rating: A+

Okay, maybe I am a bit biased but my all-time favorite "guilty" dessert is banana pudding. Why? I have no idea. Something about the flavor combination. Is this a healthy dessert? No. However, you can improve the recipe in many ways. When using a boxed cake mix the oil can be completely replaced with unsweetened applesauce. I have done it twice now and both times it turned out the most gorgeous boxed cake I have ever made. Secondly, if you whip your own whipping cream you get to control the amount of sugar that goes into it and it won't have a bunch of yucky additives like high fructose corn syrup. I added a layer of freshly sliced bananas between the pudding and whipped topping and it was soooo delicious. Everyone raved about this dessert at my baby boy's birthday party. Yummy!

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/banana-pudding-poke-cake.html

Pasta with Cilantro-Peanut Pesto

Rating: F

No, I am not kidding. This dish was terrible. The lime zest was completely and totally overwhelming - So badly that you couldn't even taste anything else (and there are a lot of other ingredients that should have strong flavors!) This was bad enough that we rinsed off the noodles to try and save dinner and we could STILL taste the lime. Wow. Steer clear of this one. 

Link: The site is down right now so I can't get the link but if you really want to try this one here is the link to my pin on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/206954545347039565/

Zucchini Lasagna

Rating: A+

This meal was so tasty and I thought it tasted a lot like normal lasagna. I didn't miss the noodles at all and, even though the cute hubby wouldn't admit it, I don't think he did either. It came out with the most amazing pops of flavor. I used ground chicken instead of shredded and I ran out of zucchini and so I used part yellow squash. Ironically, we liked the yellow squash best. It takes on an almost cheesy taste to it. We will absolutely be making this dish again.

Link: http://munchercruncher.blogspot.com/2011/05/seasons-are-lil-bit-different-in-sunny.html

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

Rating: A- on flavor and texture

Sound healthy? Surprisingly, they are very respectable for a dessert. All natural ingredients and no added sugars except for honey (which isn't processed nearly as heavily as white sugar) and whatever sugar might be on your dried cranberries. These had a very rich and creamy flavor and texture and a little bit goes a long way. Unfortunately, a long way isn't very long for me when it comes to sweets and even after just a little bit my body went into "sugar shock" and I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the night. *Sigh* So even though these were delicious I probably won't make them again. I bet you would enjoy them though!

Link: http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.ca/2010/05/best-recipe-ive-ever-messed-up.html

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Rating: B

I really like the concept of this "cookie" and it turned out pretty good. I made a blueberry version and did agave instead of maple syrup. I also didn't have vanilla yogurt and so I added a tsp of 100% vanilla whey protein powder and just used plain, nonfat yogurt. It was tasty and I enjoyed it, however it didn't keep me feeling full for very long. That is a deal breaker for me and breakfast so I won't make this one again for me but maybe for my kids?

Link: http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/?p=2583#.UAlqqbRDwrc

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

Rating: A+ according to my husband

I have to confess... I didn't actually eat this one. My baby sister turned 7 yesterday and specifically requested a "Special Shayla Dessert" and she wanted chocolate cake. I knew that she would love this cake although I don't personally eat Oreos. Once again, you can replace the oil in the cake mix for unsweetened applesauce 1:1. My sister had 2 BIG pieces of this cake and my husband went on and on and on about how good it was. He doesn't normally like cake but he said this one was so perfectly moist and the perfect amount of sweet without being overbearing. I added a layer of whipped topping on top of the pudding after it had completely set (8 ounce container) and I think that that is what balanced the sweetness out. 

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/07/puddin-poke-cake.html

Tijuana Tortas

Rating: A+

I cannot possibly say enough to praise this meal. It comes together in no time at all (like 5 minutes) and is incredibly tasty. I think I had it for 4 or 5 meals over the course of 2 days because we loved it so much. The avocado mixture is really what makes it. The limey, oniony creaminess is just a burst of flavor. I didn't want to search for pickled jalapenos so I used chopped banana peppers instead. I am actually planning on making this again tonight. Really. We also didn't hollow out our whole wheat sub rolls - we just ate these like sandwiches. I know that that is cheating and not really a torta but they were fantastic, nonetheless. And meatless too!

Link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tijuana_torta.html