Tennessee Tea

My Uncle Ted gave Rob and I this HUGE bottle of Gin for the holidays. It was a "re-gift" of sorts, but who are we to turn down perfectly good Gin! We were looking for a Gin drink that we both would like when I came across this delicious tea recipe that we have used in the past. Why not add some Gin to it? I know you're all thinking I have lost my mind; "a cold iced tea in the winter". Well why not, Egg Nog isn't served warm. Ok, I will find a hot recipe for toddys another day.

Tennessee Tea

6 tea bags
1 quart boiling water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 can (6 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
cold water
lemon or lime slices for garnish

1. Place tea bags into 1 gallon container. Add boiling water and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags. Add sugar, lemonade, limeade and stir to dissolve.
3. Add cold water to make 1 gallon of tea. Mix well.
4. Add the amount of Gin you prefer (I am thinking about 8 oz. would be good)
5. Serve over ice with lemon or lime slices

Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels

Talk about an easy-peasy appetizer. You could bake these little guys up ahead of time, freeze them and pop them into the oven to warm through at a later date. The calorie contents are at the bottom of the recipe (for those who want to know).

Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels Makes 24 appetizers

1 (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (you can use the low calorie kind)
1/3 c. spreadable cheese with garlic and herbs (I use Alouette or Rondele)
4 slices (1 oz. each) thinly sliced deli ham (you can use a Healthy Choice kind)
1/2 c. packed spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Seperate dough into four triangles on a cutting board. Press seams to seal
2. Using a small spreading knife, spread each rectangle with about 1 1/2 T. cheese to within 1/4" of edges. Top with 1 slice of ham and spinach leaves.
3. Starting at short side, roll up each rectangle; pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll crosswise into six slices; for a total of 24 slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet (I always use parchment paper on my baking sheets, but you don't have to; you could use foil with a bit of cooking spray).
4. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

Nutrients (1 pinwheel) - standard recipe, not using low calorie ingredients
calories: 60
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Carbohydrate: 4 g
Protein: 2 g
Fiber: 0 g

Company's Coming Chicken Breasts

Ok, so you're reading the recipe and this sounds like "Steak Diane"; you're right. But please, who the heck was Diane ... why did someone name a steak after her and would you really want your name after "chicken breasts"? Nah, I'm calling this "Company's Coming Chicken Breasts". While you might make it for your family instead of company; that's ok, it's still a nice fancy way to cook up chicken.

Company's Coming Chicken Breasts Serves 4

4 large boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
3 T. chopped fresh chives or green onions
juice of 1 lime
2 T. brandy or cognac (optional)
3 T. chopped parsley
2 t. Dijon-style mustard
1/4 c. chicken broth

1. Place chicken breast halves between sheets of waxed paper. Pound slightly with mallet. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat 1 T. each of olive oil and butter in large skillet.
3. Cook chicken over high heat for 4 minutes, each side. Do not cook longer or they will be over-cooked and dry. Transfer to a warm serving platter.
4. Add chives or green onion, lim juice and brandy, if used, parsley and mustard to the pan. Cook for 15 seconds, whisking constantly.
5. Whisk in broth. Stir until sauce is smooth. Whisk in remaining butter and oil .
6. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.

This dish is good served with a fresh salad, steamed veggies and either rice or noodles.