Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - Blame Ruthy

Yes, I blame Ruthy for this post. Last week she shared a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (you can find that here). I was skeptical to the say the least. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to pumpkin. But I was curious. So when I was craving something sweet this past weekend I got to digging through my low-carb, sugar-free recipes and came across a Trim Healthy Mama recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe here). Since I had everything on hand, including some Lily's stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, I figured why not give it a try.

The results were pretty good. A nice, moist muffin with delicious pumpkin flavor.

However, I might skip the chocolate chips next time. It's not that they were bad, I just don't want anything getting in the way of me and that pumpkin flavor. At least not this time of year. Give me pumpkin or give me... Well, pumpkin.

After the first muffin, the dogs and I went for a walk in the woods.

It wasn't cool, but it wasn't blazing hot, either. Instead, it was just right. Nothing that would stop Maddie and Marvel from playing in the water.

Look at this tree covered in fern.

I just think that looks so cool. It gives the tree a lacy appearance. Very frilly.

Then it was back home for another muffin. 

What flavor combinations have made you curious enough to give it a try?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Cabbage, Beef & Cheese Casserole

Jan here, with another low-carb discovery.

This recipe was delicious!

There's just something about sauteed cabbage (NOT boiled-to-death cabbage) that is so good. Think of it in stir-fries - doesn't it add bulk and flavor at the same time? And in this dish you sautee it in butter and bacon grease...ambrosia. As the cabbage cooks in the butter or oil, it caramelizes a bit and sweetens just enough to make you come back for more.

Cabbage, Beef & Cheese Casserole

ingredients:

4 slices bacon (I like Wright's Apple Smoked Thick Cut)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 bag three-color coleslaw mix (or 1/2 head cabbage, shredded)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, thyme, oregano, and basil
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large frying pan, cook and crumble the bacon (or cut it in 1/2" pieces first and then cook it,) reserving 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease. In the same pan, add the 2 Tablespoons butter to the bacon grease.

When the butter is melted, add the shredded cabbage. Add the bacon bits and cook for a couple minutes on medium heat, stirring and tossing the cabbage until it is slightly wilted and coated with the butter/bacon grease. Place the cabbage in the bottom of a greased casserole dish (I used a 9" x 9".)

In the same frying pan, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Add the onion and herbs and continue cooking until the onion is softened. Spread the ground beef mixture on top of the cabbage in the casserole dish.

*Note: The next time I make this, I'll stir the ground beef and cabbage together.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Cook for 15-20 minutes in a 350° oven, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

I should have taken this photo from the other angle so you could see the cabbage/bacon layer.

I served it with celery sticks and avocado. Lettuce isn't on the menu yet - not until spring. But that will be soon!

And I know you've been waiting for a couple gratuitous puppy pictures!

With a new buddy in the house, it's hard to catch Jack holding still! I had to wait until he was getting a drink to get a photo. He loves the new toy we brought home last week.

Big news for Jack - he graduated from his Basic Manners class on Saturday. He did so well on his final exam, excelling in "walking on a loose leash," "coming when called," and "paying attention to his handler." All important things for a well-mannered dog to know!

And here's Sam, Jack's new toy. Yes, at nine weeks old he's still a little goofy-looking. He's a puppy! What do you expect?

But he has potential...every once in a while, we catch him doing the classic border collie crouch and stare (at Maggie-Cat!), and he is very responsive to our voices. It's early days yet, but I think agility might be in our future...

Watch this fabulous dog who won at Westminster this year!

Have you ever seen a dog having so much fun???

Actually, I have. Thatcher and I did agility together for several months and had a blast. But as much fun as he had, I ended up quitting when I signed a new contract (training dogs takes time!) However, if Sam has the potential to do well, I might be persuaded to put the time into the sport again.

If nothing else, it will keep me active!






Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com

Chicken 'n' Bacon Lavash Rolls Recipe Reminder

Good Monday Morning!

This is officially a rerun, but as I was browsing through past posts last week, I stumbled upon this one that I had written about five years ago.

Gobsmacked! I had forgotten all about this recipe, and it was one of my favorites that summer!

So rather than a rerun, this is a recipe reminder - a reminder for myself!

But before we go to the recipe, I need to explain why we're having a rerun recipe reminder.

First of all, this happened:

For the past ten months or so, we've been actively searching for our...well..."retirement home." Or a home that will be as permanent as we can get this side of heaven. We had a good idea of what we were looking for, but like always, we leave the final say up to God. He knows what is best, right?

So we looked for land, or a log cabin on land, or a shack on land, or a house we could live in that was in our price range.... Nothing showed up. But every place we considered/drove past/looked at with our realtor fine tuned our list a little bit more, and every time we fine-tuned, a "stellar view" would top the list.

Then we found this place. "Stellar view" says it all!

The morning we went to look at this place - actually a townhouse (who'd a thunk it?) - the fog was so thick! Visibility was down to less than a hundred feet or so in places. Deer would appear by the side of the road as ghosts in the mist. We drove most of the thirty miles (out of town and up into the hills) this way, glad that we were familiar with the road. We have actually driven by this place several times in the eight years we've lived in the area.

Then we topped the last rise before heading into the slight valley where the townhouse is located, and the fog was gone! God had swept back the veil of mist and our view was clear! When we walked into the place, we immediately felt at home. In all our years of buying houses (this makes #7), that's the feeling we've learned to look for. It was clear that this is the place God had prepared us for, even though it really isn't anything like what we thought we wanted when we started our search.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late!), we made an offer and it was accepted. We spent the next three weeks getting our current house ready to put on the market. Last week was an insane marathon of painting and handyman chores...but we made it. The listing goes live today, so now we wait for a buyer.

And all last week, every time I wondered if it was worth it, I took another look at that view...

In case you're wondering, that white spot on the right
is Mt. Rushmore. Seven miles away as the crow flies.

Yes, yes, yes. Some dreams are worth every ounce of work you put into helping them come true!

So, what does this have to do with today's recipe reminder? I think you can understand that I did very little cooking last week. I was up to my ears in paint, and cooking was the last thing on my mind. But now that the house is ready, I'm taking a break this week to actually write and fix real meals.

This one will be on the menu soon!

Chicken 'n' Bacon Lavash Rolls

I can hear all of you saying, "What in the world is a Lavash Roll?"

This was something I've been introduced to since starting to eat the Trim Healthy Mama way.

These are available at Walmart or almost any other grocery store, usually in the deli section with the other specialty breads. They're great because they're LOW carb, LOW fat and HIGH protein :)

And if you've ever been on a lower carb diet, you know one of the big challenges is finding something close to bread that you can eat and not blow your diet. These can be part of your answer.

I love these as crackers. I take half of a square, cut it into cracker sized pieces, lay them out on top of a microwave safe plate lined with a paper towel or parchment paper, and microwave for a minute. Top each cracker with a smear of peanut butter....

Just a minute - it's time for my afternoon snack. I'll be back in a jiffy!

Mmm.... Peanut butter....

Now, back to the Chicken 'n' Bacon Lavash rolls!

These are super easy.  Preheat your oven to 375°.

First, cut a small chicken breast and two slices of bacon into small pieces, then cook them together with some onion and seasoning until the chicken and bacon are both done.

I used this seasoning -

But you can use whatever you have on hand.

Spread a piece of Lavash bread out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Pile the chicken and bacon in the middle, and top with shredded cheese. I think I'm going to add some cubes of cream cheese along with the shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack cheeses next time.

Fold the long edges in...

...and roll up, making sure the seam is on the bottom when you're done.

Sprinkle the top with a little cheese... (I forgot to brush some olive oil on the top - it really makes a difference!)...

...and bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted and the bread is slightly browned.

Cut in half, and enjoy!

One great thing about this roll-up is that you can use whatever ingredients you want. I also love it with ground beef, cream cheese, onions and peppers to make a Philly-style sandwich.

Or you can use scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese and salsa to make a breakfast burrito.

Or...well, use your imagination (and the ingredients in your refrigerator!). Have fun!

And for those in your family who don't want to limit their carbs, use a flour tortilla or brat bun rather than a Lavash.

* * * * *

Welcome back to 2019!

I have to tell you that my dream of living in the country is more than fifty-five years old. I spent my first five years living in the middle of Ohio farm land while my dad pastored a country church. Soon after my fifth birthday, he received a call from a church plant in Michigan, and I've been longing to live in the country again ever since. I am so thankful that God has provided a way for my dream to come true.

Do you have a long-held dream? Do you despair of it ever coming true? Or are you practicing the art of patience as you wait?

Jan Drexler spent her childhood dreaming of living in the Wild West and is now thrilled to call the Black Hills of South Dakota her home. When she isn’t writing she spends much of her time satisfying her cross-stitch addiction or hiking and enjoying the Black Hills with her husband of more than thirty-six years. Her writing partner is her corgi, Thatcher, who makes life…interesting.

Christmas Memories and Sausage, Kale, and Bean Stew

Jan here.

The Christmas season is very different for me this year because I'm spending my days as "Santa's Helper" at our local Cabela's.

If you think that sounds like a fun job, you're right! There is nothing like watching the children interact with Santa.

And not only the children, but adults, too! We've had siblings in town for their mother's funeral who decided to have their picture taken with Santa in order to mingle good memories with the sad ones. We've had ranchers compare their whiskers with Santa's. And we've had grandparents who wanted a picture to show their grandchildren that they know Santa!

We've also had numerous dogs, and even one cat.

And one evening, the Drexler clan showed up to have a family picture taken. Good memories!

Check out Santa's Wonderland here!

In the middle of all this, I have a book deadline today. That means there hasn't been a lot of cooking going on at our house!

But one of the things on the menu for next week is this Sausage, Kale, and Bean Stew I shared at the Cafe a few years ago. It's still delicious, and perfect for a cold winter evening!

And yes, it does fit in with my seasonal healthy recipes series. :-)

Enjoy!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!

Winter has finally come to the Black Hills with a bit of snow and cold temperatures. But we're ready! The wood pile is full and overflowing, the pantry is stocked, and new soup and stew recipes are lined up for tasting!

This recipe was delicious! The flavors wrapped around each other in a delightful savory blend.

Now, if that description doesn't make you want to try this stew, maybe the easy preparation will...

Sausage, Kale and Bean Stew

ingredients:

2 pounds bulk sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 cup chopped carrots
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-oz. can tomato sauce
8 cups broth (I used 4 cups vegetable broth and 4 cups chicken broth)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin

beans (see below for the explanation of this ingredient)

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen chopped kale

The beans: You can use any bean you like in this stew. I used lentils when I made mine. The only prep was to rinse the lentils and put them in the stew.

For other types of beans, you will need to soak and cook them first, or use canned. Some varieties that would be good are black beans, Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or Small Red beans.

The amount of beans you use depends on the type of bean. You'll want more of the small ones, like lentils or black beans, and fewer of the larger ones, like Great Northerns or the Small Reds. In general, I would use 1 - 2 cups of dried beans or 2 cans of canned beans.

The amount also depends on your own preference. Do you like lots of beans? Add more! Not so much? Keep the beans to a minimum. :)

You could make several batches of this stew, vary the beans you use, and it will turn out different every time!

directions:

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (I used my 8 quart stock pot), cook the sausage, carrots, garlic and onion over medium-high heat until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Drain the fat, if needed. Since I used turkey sausage, there wasn't any extra fat.

Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, bay leaf, cumin, and beans or lentils.

Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for about twenty minutes.

Stir in the kale and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Remove the bay leaf and serve.

This stew freezes well, which is good, because it makes a large batch!

And a bonus: If you're following "Trim, Healthy Mama," this is a hearty "E" meal when you leave out the optional potatoes. That means it's lower fat and filled with healthy carbs. The non-sugar, stick your ribs kind of carbs. And packed with protein. A win/win, right?

How is the weather where you are? Are you ready for soups and stews yet?

Low-Carb (and gluten-free) Blueberry Muffin for One

by Jan Drexler

A few weeks ago, Missy shared a delicious recipe for Blueberry Muffins. So rich and fluffy!

In case you've overindulged on the "real" thing, I'm here today to help you with a diet version. I make this muffin much more often than the standard one. It's tasty, and doesn't pack on the carbs like a normal muffin.

I like very few blueberries in my muffin, but you
can overload yours if you want to!

I'm talking about a recipe I found in my Trim Healthy Mama cookbook. Because of copyright restrictions, I can't give you the entire recipe here, but you might want to look into purchasing the cookbook if you're interested in the Trim Healthy Mama plan.

And similar recipes can be found all over the place on cooking blogs, like Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen and My Montana Kitchen.

If you make this muffin the way the THM recipe specifies, it is dairy-free (using coconut oil instead of butter), gluten-free, and sugar-free.

It's also delicious! But don't expect a low-carb muffin to taste the same as Missy's version. The ingredients are too different. Good, but different.

The main ingredient I use in this muffin is the flour substitute. I use either Trim Healthy Mama's baking blend, or I make my own from a recipe I found on-line:

No-flour Baking Blend

1 cup oat fiber
3/4 c. coconut flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal
1/2 cup almond meal
1 Tablespoon Glucomannan or xanthan gum (a powder, in spite of its name)
2 Tablespoons collagen (I use Trim Healthy Mama's Integral Collagen)

*Glucomannan and Integral Collagen are both available from Amazon or from the Trim Healthy Mama online store.

I purchase the other ingredients at Sam's Club, or you can find them at most Walmarts and other grocery stores. If you can't find them there, try your local health food store.

Of course, you can make the muffins using only almond meal or coconut flour, but the baking blend gives my baked goods a more flour-like texture.

This recipe uses 1/4 cup of the baking blend for one muffin, so the batch of baking blend goes a long way.

What do you think? Would you try a muffin like this? Or maybe it is already your favorite stand-by. Let us know!

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Overnight Oats: The Quickest Healthy Breakfast Ever!

Jan here, with my new favorite busy-day-breakfast.

You know those days, don't you?

It's the Sunday morning when you have three dozen things to do before church. Or the morning when you have an important appointment at eight AM. Or just any morning when the family needs to get out the door, fed and clothed, and in a good mood.

Or, if you're a writer on a deadline. *hand shooting up in the air here!*

The thing that makes this the quickest breakfast ever is that you make it the day before, so it's all set to go in the morning. Just grab and go!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Overnight Oats

ingredients:
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice - I use almond milk

1/2 cup rolled oats...and fill your measuring cup to overflowing. :-)

1 Tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxmeal (optional if you don't have either one, but they give the oats a more pudding-like texture...especially the chia seeds)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons peanut flour, like Trim Healthy Mama Pressed Peanut Flour or PB2 (if you're feeding growing children, go ahead and use regular peanut butter)

2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Sweetener of your choice. I use 2 teaspoons THM Super Sweet Blend, or you can use Truvia, honey, maple syrup, or sugar

Two minutes to mix it up:
In a small mixing bowl, combine everything, stirring well.

Pour the mixture into a jar or small bowl with a lid, at least 2 cups in volume.

Cover tightly and refrigerate at least six hours, but preferably overnight. Use within 24 hours.

Before eating, stir well. Sweeten to taste, if needed.


Many people call this kind of meal "overnight oatmeal," but I think that name is misleading. It is more like a pudding than oatmeal, especially since you eat it cold.

But this recipe is filling! Two cups of this fills me up for an entire morning. If it's too much, make it into two servings, or cut the recipe in half.

(Sorry I don't have a picture. I forgot until after breakfast was over. It was a busy Sunday morning!)

And once you've eaten this packed-with-protein, low-sugar meal, you're ready to take on the day!


Now, how are things in your part of the country?

We're expecting definitely spring-like temperatures this week, and some weather folks have even mentioned "70s" for later this week!

We don't have any flowers yet, but when we were in Custer State Park last week, we saw our first pair of bluebirds.

This was our first 2017 sighting - this year's pair were
too flighty for my camera!

And the sunshine is wonderful. It doesn't have to be warm when the sun is shining this brightly!

How is spring at your house? Creeping in slowly? Or in full bloom?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Eggs and Avocados

Jan here, talking carbs.

Not just carbs, but the overload of carbs.

Don't get me wrong - I love carbs! Especially the healthy kind. Like veggies, and whole grains, and salad, and  - one of my favorites - banana oat smoothies!

Some of my favorite carbs (and a couple of their friends)!

But then there are those other carbs...donuts...cake...ice cream...pizza...

Oh, do I love those carbs, too! But if you've ever done a carb binge (you know - pizza with all the toppings followed by a generous helping of cheesy garlic bread, and then a big bowl of ice cream for dessert), you know how your body hates you the next morning.

At least, mine hates me.

When I was younger, I could bounce back from a carb binge with no problem. But now?

I have to follow up a carb binge with a breakfast made of delicious protein and healthy fats.

Yes, I said fats!

These are the healthy proteins and fats that go into one of my favorite breakfasts. I got the recipe idea from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook.

Eggs, olive oil, and avocados provide the fat and protein for this dish. It's filling and yummy, and it quiets those sugar cravings that scream at you after a carb binge. :)

Eggs and Avocados

First, cook two eggs the way you like them. Fried, boiled, scrambled, poached - any of those ways work for this recipe. But don't try to cheat yourself out of the healthy fats and powerful nutrients of your eggs by using an egg-whites-only alternative. Use real eggs! Your body will thank you.

While the eggs are cooking, prepare 1/2 avocado by peeling it and cutting it into bite-sized chunks.

What do you do with the other half? If you leave the skin (peel? husk? hull? cover?) on, and the seed in place, it will stay fresh longer. Just put it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until another meal within the next day or so.

Why only half of an avocado? Avocados are yummy, and loaded with healthy deliciousness, but you don't want to overload with fats. Be reasonable by keeping your serving to one half.

Put the eggs on one side of your plate and the avocado chunks on the other side. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil (only a teaspoon or so - remember: you don't want to overload the fats!)

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, and add some nutritional yeast for some extra healthy deliciousness.

This breakfast is so satisfying and delicious that you won't be hungry for hours. 

And when you follow up with a salad for lunch - one that's loaded with veggies and low-fat protein like chicken or beans - or this Waldorf Cottage Cheese salad - that carb binge will be a distant memory. 

Find this recipe HERE!

You're welcome. :)

Meanwhile, we have a cover reveal!

"An Amish Courtship" is coming from Love Inspired Historical in August 2017! Pre-order here!

Carrie's Dreamy Bars

This is one of those all-purpose, make everybody happy recipes!

The original recipe is called “Uncle Bubba Bars.” My daughter found this gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free recipe on Briana Thomas’s blog. 

Since she wanted to make gluten-free bars, but not nut-free, she made some substitutions and came up with her own version of these delicious, dreamy, cream cheese/chocolate chip bars.

At the end of the recipe, I’ll give you the ingredients to make these bars with no special ingredients.

A win for everyone, right?

Carrie’s Dreamy Bars

(this version uses special ingredients available on-line at www.trimhealthymama.com or your favorite on-line retailer)

Cookie Layer Ingredients:

1 ½ cups THM baking blend

1 Tablespoon THM Super Sweet Blend

1/8 teaspoon THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (can substitute 5 packets Truvia for the Super Sweet Blend and the Stevia)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon Gluccomannon

½ teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (3/4 cup) butter, softened/melted

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon Molasses

¼ cup water

½ cup chocolate chips (use Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips to keep the recipe at zero sugar)

As you can see, we used regular chocolate chips - no Lily's
brand chips in the house!

Cream Cheese Layer Ingredients:

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons THM Super Sweet Blend

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

additional chocolate chips for topping

For the cookie layer, whisk the dry ingredients together (this works best in a food processor), then add the wet ingredients. 

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread just over half of the dough in the bottom of a 9"x13" pan, reserving the rest of the dough for the top layer.

Make the cream cheese layer. Beat all of the ingredients together until smooth.

Yes, this is my funny looking mixer. It's a Bosch - a
real work horse in the kitchen!

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cookie layer in the pan.

Drop small blobs of the remaining cookie dough mixture on top of the cream cheese layer. Distribute them as evenly as you can. The cream cheese layer is a bit "soupy," so it's hard to spread the cookie dough on top.

No worries about how it looks - the cookie dough rises as the bars bake, and ours turned out beautifully.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

Bake at 350° for 20-23 minutes, or until the cream cheese layer is set in the middle. We did the jiggle test (no movement) and the finger-touch test (touch lightly with the tip of your finger - if a depression stays, it needs to bake longer).  Don't over bake these bars!

Refrigerate to chill completely before cutting.

And I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product, but these were delicious!!!

If you go to Briana Thomas's blog (link here), you can see what they're supposed to look like.

Hey, I hear you non-gluten-free, non-special-ingredients people out there! I told you this recipe was for everyone, didn't I?

Here is the "no special ingredients" list - 

Cookie Layer Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 up sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (3/4 cup) butter, softened or melted

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon molasses

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Layer Ingredients:

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

additional chocolate chips for topping

The mixing and baking directions are the same!

Meanwhile, it's that time of year when our friends from the south and east are sharing pictures of daffodils, snowdrops, and crocuses.

We're still in the midst of winter...but do you see that sunshine? Spring will be here before we know it!

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com

Chicken with Herby Sauce

Whenever I make something that has herbs in it, I want to call it "herby" whatever. And that always reminds me of Herbie, the Love Bug. Remember him?

And Dean Jones continues to be one of my favorite actors. So sorry he's gone.

But I've gone down a rabbit trail...let me see if I can make my way back.

Hmm. Chicken. Yes.

I am constantly looking for ways to combine the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan with my family's eating habits. It's usually a losing proposition, but they are generally happy with the main dishes. This recipe is one of those.

The original is from the new Trim Healthy Mama cookbook, but I've squeezed it into the ingredients I normally have in my pantry and my family's tastes. It is still a THM S meal - meaning lower carb. And we all love lower carb meals, don't we?

Here's my version of this yummy dish:

Chicken with Herby Sauce
(serves 4 - you can double the recipe to serve a larger family)

ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

More Parmesan cheese for topping

Put all of the ingredients except the chicken and the extra Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish.

Top the chicken with the herby sauce, then sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425° for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is browned and melty.

*Note - my chicken pieces were quite thick and even though they were done, they were a little tough. The next time, I'll slice them in half to make thinner pieces, and they will cook better.

I made pasta seasoned with butter, garlic and Parmesan for the family, and whipped up some sauteed zucchini noodles for me. We also had a big salad on the side and fruit for dessert. It was a delicious (and healthy!) summer meal.

Speaking of healthy, last Friday night my dear husband and I hiked a trail we had never taken before at Custer State Park. It is called "The Prairie Trail," and it is beautiful. So different from some of the trails we've hiked.

This is prairie, but it's on top of the hills in Custer State Park.

Those hills.

When we got to the half-way point on our three-mile hike, we were rewarded with this view.

That field down there is full of prairie dogs. Let me see if we can get a closer view...I took this picture with my phone...

There. The big round spots of dirt are buffalo wallows. The big animals roll and scratch and roll some more to get the dust deep into their fur to help with their constant insect problem.

But the little mounds of dirt are prairie dog holes. If you look very carefully you can even see a prairie dog or two standing up. They were barking to beat the band, even though we were a good fifty to a hundred yards away!

It was a good hike, and off the beaten trail. But that will be our last visit to the Hills for a couple weeks. It's Rally time. We stay home and let the Bikers enjoy the Hills during their visit to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

And then, by mid-August, we get our Hills back. Peace and quiet again!

One more thing! I can't forget that Mattie will be coming to a store near you on September 20, 2016. But you can preorder it now, wherever books are sold...or you can just follow the link!

Barnes&Noble.com

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com