List of Favorite Healthy Exchanges Recipes

Newsletters:  September 2000 - April 2001
   



September 2000 newsletter

Orange Chicken and Rice Skillet, p. 9
    (I used to live in Illinois.  There was a Chinese Resturant.  It was Manchu Wok.  
     They had an Orange Chicken recipe.  Does anybody have a low fat version? . . .
     [This] is very good and makes 2 servings.)
    (I prepared this last night (doubled) and it was pretty good and very fast.  We 
     didn't have a bite left. . . . Kind of a Thai a la JoAnna dish.) 
Magical Peanut Butter Cheesecake, p. 8 
    (great for all peanut butter lovers) 
Beef Burritos, p. 6 
Eleanor's Lemon-Coconut Bars, p. 9
    (Today I made [these].  These are very good and I will make them again.)



October 2000 newsletter

Scroll down after clicking on this link to see:
Hearty Platter Beef Stew with Noodles, p. 1
    (Both Dennis and I really enjoyed, we added some onion powder, garlic powder and thyme.  
     This is a keeper.  Thanks JoAnna.)

Michele's Million Dollar Cookies, p. 4
    (Another very good cookie recipe is [this].  Just might have to make a batch of them, too.
     I just love to bake at Christmas!!  But this year I'm being smart and only baking healthy 
     things!!)
    (My favorite HE cookie, so far.  While I love softer cookies, I still crave the crunch that 
     you get biting into a cookie, which these didn't have.  These had really good flavors and 
     were good past the warm-cookie stage.)
Cliff's Chocolate Cappuccino Ice Cream, p. 7
    (I have made this ice cream and liked it very much.  My DH said the coffee flavor was too 
     strong for him.)
    (Oh my, that is absolutely delicious.  DH and I ate the entire batch -- he had a lot more 
     than I did, LOL.)
    (I made this a few weeks ago and it was a big hit with my family.)
    (This is absolutely delicious.  It's hard not to eat it all at one time.)
Carmel Apple Crisp Pizza, p. 11
Baked Creamed Green Beans, p. 11



November 2000 newsletter

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Impossible Pumpkin-Pecan Pie, p. 4
    (I have made this several times. I feel though that it doesn't really need the pecans. I 
     like Pecans but I didn't feel they did anything extra in this particular recipe. A few 
     others on the old HE board said the same thing when I commented about that. I believe it 
     was either Gail, or Vicki, but I can't remember which.)
    (Our favorite [of JoAnna's pumpkin pies] is [this].  I made it last 
     Thanksgiving and didn't tell our skinny son-in-law it was made with
     Splenda, and he wanted to take the left over home with him.  Pumpkin 
     pie is his favorite.  It makes its own crust is what I really like, 
     and it isn't dry.) 
    (I've made it and left out the pecans, if you have somebody who doesn't 
     care for pecans.  But I usually put them in.  We like it both ways.  
     It's our favorite pumpkin pie.  I save the foil pie plates from the 
     frozen pie shells, then I can just throw away the pan and not have to 
     scrub it.)  

Day After Thanksgiving Tetrazzini, p. 4
    (I think [this recipe] from JoAnna's Newsletters [has to be one of] my all 
     time favorites.  I use . . . often and especially like to serve for company.) 
Pumpkin Crunch Pie, p. 8
    (We tried this delicious pumpkin pie last night for the first time and it's 
     wonderful - we'll definitely keep it in mind for next Thanksgiving!)
    (I fixed this Thanksgiving and it really is great.  DH can have his minced meat, 
     I had this one!)
Beef Pot Pie, p. 6
Quick Chicken-Ham Soup, p. 9
    ([This tastes] surprisingly . . . like a very rich soup.  Having both ham and 
     chicken make this a main meal with a small green salad.)



December 2000 newsletter

Last night, I was thinking to myself, how in the world is it that I can eat 
such fantastic food and STILL lose weight!  I made a few new recipes this week . . . 
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   Sweet Tooth Sweeties, p. 1 
      (Re: Halloween Candy Coming
       Why not fix something of JoAnnas treats for yourself and not feel quite 
       so deprived.  I've made the peanut butter krispie treats 1" balls.)
      (I made [these] last year for Christmas, and my husband couldn't keep out 
       of the bowl when they were finished.....they were excellent!!)
      (I made [these] for Christmas I think it was 2 years ago, and my hubby 
       couldnt stop eating them!!  They are excellent!!!)
      (Here's an awesome Rice Krispie bar recipe . . . .  Note, it is a variation 
       on the old stand by; this one is chocolate / peanut butter flavored.  I 
       do have to say it is fantastic!)
and I'm just beside myself on how good they are.  Don't get me wrong.  I've 
owned 10 of Joanna's books for over 4 years, and I've lost 47+ pounds using the 
Healthy Exchange method, but I'm still in awe.  I watch my sister and brother-in-law 
nibble on almonds as "treats" on their Atkin's diet.  There is just no way I could 
deprive myself to that degree.  I'm also so amazed that after 4 years I'm STILL 
trying NEW recipes!  I have my favorites, but with Joanna's books I'm never in a 
rut.  If you haven't tried these three recipes, try them soon, they are FANTASTIC! 

Home for the Holidays Cranberry Bread, p. 7
    (This is fantastic.  I could eat the whole loaf.) 
    (Can't keep my face out!)
    (I made this loaf last night and hubby said PLEASE DON'T MAKE THIS AGAIN - it's 
     sooooo good I can't stop eating it.  Well, I sure know what he means.  It's 
     absolutely delicious.  I added some dried cranberries and chopped apricots to 
     this and instead of the bread maker doing everything, I put it on 'dough' cycle 
     and then plunked the lot into a loaf pan, let it rise for 45 minutes that way, 
     then baked it at 350 for 35 minutes.  I always do that instead of the bread maker. 
     I hate fishing that ruddy paddle out of my bread.)
    (I made this in the oven in a loaf.  But, you know what I might do next time?  I 
     think (for portion control because I mean it - this stuff is deadly), I'll make 
     buns out of it.  Cut the loaf into 12 portions and roll them into buns and let 
     them sit on the cookie sheet to rise and then bake them for about 20 minutes or 
     so.) 
    (I was looking for a recipe that I could use to give as gifts.  I think this sounds 
     perfect, and I imagine it's pretty, too.)
    (Yes, this loaf would be very pretty to give, especially with the extra fruit in it 
     that I added.  I think it looks so pretty when it comes out of a real loaf pan!)
Frosted Meat Pie, p. 6
    (I have made this countless times, and am making it again today! 
     I love it with the crust, but I often make it with out the crust as well, to save 
     the starch and fat exchange as well as the calories, to have a higher calorie dessert. 
     The cottage cheese mix on top makes you NOT miss the potatoes that would normally 
     be on top. This is what my family grew up calling Shepherd's pie, and it was ALWAYS 
     a family favorite. It's so good to be able to have it HEALTHY now!)
    (Made [this] for about the 5th time tonight.  It is so good I could eat the whole 
     thing, but I didn't.) 
Tom's "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things" Pie, p. 8
    (This pie is wonderful.  My son ranked it with Oreos and Banana Pudding Cake, gave it 
     a 6 out of 5 LOL.  I was looking for a pie using fresh strawberries and found this one.) 

Scroll down after clicking on this link to see:
Luana's Southern Pecan Pie, p. 4
    (There is a very good pecan pie in one of the NL.  I think the name of it is Luana's 
     Southern Pecan Pie.)
    (This is a recipe I tried a few years ago and my husband and I just love it!  I'm sure 
     it's as close as you can get to the real thing and still have a relatively low cal 
     dessert.  We both recommend it highly!)

Amaretto Macaroon Cheesecake, p. 11
    (I was wondering if anyone would give me their favorite cheesecake of Joanna's. . . .
     [this one]  [one of] our favorite cheesecakes.  I almost never made cheesecakes before 
     Healthy Exchanges, now I make them often and my husband loves it!)
Cranberry Banana Bread, p. 11
    (I am looking for the recipe for banana bread that was in the December 2000 newsletter.)
    (This is the best banana bread there is!)
Apple Cranberry Crisp, p. 9
    (I love cranberries and I love apples and I love this dessert.)
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, p. 7



January 2001 newsletter

Linda's Chicken And Rice, p. 5 
    (I made this for dinner last night and it was Great! )
Creamy Wild Rice Chowder, p. 1 
Pineapple Cornbread, p. 5
    (JoAnna has a few different cornbread recipes, and my favorite so far is [this].)
    (We always enjoy [this] one.) 

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Chicken Club Soup, p. 1
    (I just whipped up [this].  It was delicious and very quick to put together. 
     It is definitely one that I'll be making again!)
    (After dinner tonight, DH said, "That soup was good."  I didn't quite hear the 
     exclamation point that I heard last night on the Baked Beef Stew (Jan. 98 newsletter,
     p. 6), but still we both liked it.  Tasty, filling, and easy!) 
    (I dragged out past January issues to make my grocery list and made [this].  That 
     is definitely a keeper.)

Inside-Out Ravioli, p. 7
    (If it doesn't look good to my daughter she won't eat it.  I've been trying new HE 
     recipes with food she's never had.  I made [this].  It has spinach in it.  I told
     her she must try everything I give her.  I was lucky she liked it.  She even told 
     her cousin (a major picky eater) that she liked spinach.  I've also had success 
     with foods she tried when she was younger and didn't like.  I told her that her 
     taste buds on her tongue have grown up like her and food will taste better.  She 
     has tried several things again and does like them.  "My taste buds are growing up" 
     she says.  She's six.  It works for me.)

I am wanting some One Skillet Meals that I can prepare and put into Rubbermaid-like 
containers in the freezer, so I don't have to heat up the kitchen when it is hot this 
summer.  We don't have air conditioning, so I don't like to do much 'cooking' when it 
is hot.  I'm looking for dishes that are freezer-friendly, that I can pop into the 
microwave to re-heat.  Do you have a family favorite you'd like to share with me? . . .
[These are some] of our favorites. . . . 
    
Scroll down after clicking on this link to see:
Sweet and Sour Beef Stew, p. 4     
Scroll down after clicking on this link to see:
Skillet Scalloped Ham and Macaroni, p. 12
     (NOTES: I also added 1/2 cup chopped onion.) 



February 2001 newsletter

Creamy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, p. 8
Skillet Beets Extraordinaire, p. 6
    (If you like beets at all try this.)

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Maple Walnut Ice Cream, p. 7 -- ice cream maker
    (This was very good and I will make it again.) 
    (I have also made [this], and it's also very good.  I use Log Cabin maple syrup 
     made with Splenda.) 

Chocolate Mayo Snack Cake, p. 9
    (I made [this] yesterday and it was wonderful!) 
Bev's Blackberry Cobbler, p. 4
    (We love [this].  You can use blueberries or peaches, too, instead of blackberries.)
    (I can vouch for [this].  [JoAnna] has several very good cobbler recipes, or I should 
     say, every cobbler recipe I have tried has been very good.)
    (Last night I made my first meal using all HE recipes.  I made Chicken-Broccoli-Potato 
     Scallop [June 2000 newsletter, p. 6] and [this]. . . . Anyway, I have no 
     leftovers today.  My son is 15 and he had a friend over last night and they both approved 
     of the food.  They finished off the cobbler for me and saved me from eating the whole 
     thing!  All 5 kids ate and liked everything so much that by the time my husband got home 
     all that was left was licking the bowl!  He got stuck with leftovers.)
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, p. 11
    (Oh, so rich tasting.  We doubled this recipe so we could have it the next day.  This was 
     186 calories, but tasted like 586!  Well done, JoAnna, and thanks for letting me buy back 
     issues of HE Newsletter.)



March 2001 newsletter

Cheesy Baked Ziti, p. 7 (Meatless Favorite)
Swiss Green Beans, p. 6
    (very nice, and went well with baked chicken)

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Tuna-Rice Wedges, p. 7 -- Microwave  
    (microwave)
    (I've tried my own adaptation of the adapted version I included below, and I really like it. 
     I only used one egg, and added more onion.  I also like to season it with some dill weed and 
     a little lemon juice.  Sometimes I may even add some string beans -- anything to pad the 
     volume w/o padding the calories!)
    (This concoction is kind of a clone, posted to HealthyExchanges yahoo group in June 2002.  
     Basically, this doubles the rice (substituting brown rice for white), halves the tuna, and 
     omits the bread crumbs, making it predominantly rice.  Also, adds black olives and slightly 
     increases the cheese.  It’s unclear whether the cheese was mixed in or spread on top – probably 
     mixed in:  
     "I wanted to share a recipe idea that my mom and I made up while on vacation in her motorhome. 
     I don't have any exact measurements because we were throwing it together with leftovers.  The 
     result was so delicious that I thought JoAnna might be able to make a real recipe out of it. 
     We started with about 3 cups of leftover brown rice.  Then we added 2 eggs, 1 can of tuna fish, 
     1 small can of finely chopped black olives, 1 small can of mushrooms, onion powder, garlic salt, 
     sage, thyme, white pepper, and about a cup of reduced fat shredded cheese.  We spread it in a 
     pie pan and cooked it in the microwave for 10 minutes.  It was great just like that but still 
     scrounging in the frig, we topped each serving with a couple of Tablespoons of salsa and a 
     teaspoon of sour cream.  Wow, was this ever good!  The next afternoon we finished up the 
     leftovers by rolling them in warm flour tortillas adding the salsa and sour cream again.  I will 
     try to make it again someday and write down my exact ingredients, but in the meantime, I thought 
     someone else might like to try it.")

Grilled Meatloaf Patties, p. 7 -- George Foreman Grill
    (Made these for my son and I, and we both loved them.  My son doesn't like meatloaf, but he 
     liked these.  I took one of the leftovers for my lunch the next day with some Heinz ff gravy 
     on it, and it was good that way as well.)
Spring Lemonade, p. 11



April 2001 newsletter

Deep Dish Hamburger Pie, p. 9
    (I needed to use the extra 4 ounces [of hamburger] right away and 
     didn't want to make a "plain" burger.  My newsletters just fall open to [this] . . . . 
     and it called for 4 ounces of beef.  It's in the dinner for two section. 
     It is like Shepherds Pie and I loved it.)
    (Tonight I made this dish, but used Morningstar Farms Crumbles instead of the ground beef.  I  
     also accidently put the cheese in the potatoes.  Too much hurry, not enough attention LOL.  We 
     both liked it, even though my DH doesn't usually "diet" food or vegetarian.  However, next time 
     I am going to add a little garlic powder and use Pace's Piquante sauce instead of the catsup. 
     I am not a catsup fan!!)
    (This recipe is so good and to make it even lower in calories I use the Morning Star crumbles.  
     It is so darn good!!!!!)
Cherry Festival Coffeecake, p. 9
Ham and Cheese Quiche, p. 4    
    ([One of my] favorite HE breakfast/brunch recipes.)