Perhaps I should preface my review by saying I hate macaroni salad....just not a big fan, can easily walk away and not eat it. Yuck. My dad requested mac salad for Father's Day and I searched for the "right" recipe and found this. OMG. I just ate a bowl and it's fantastic. And the flavors haven't even had a chance to meld. And I hate mac salad! I did make some changes, here they are: I doubled the recipe and used 4-5 C uncooked whole grain elbows. I diced a md green pepper, a md red pepper, a sm-md red onion, 6 celery ribs, and 4 dill pickle spears (no dill relish, I realized). I used 6 hard boiled eggs. In the dressing, I used Kraft Light Mayo w/Olive Oil, yellow mustard, 2/3C sugar (and I would not use anymore, perhaps would use less, maybe down to 1/3C even next time) and I didn't measure the white vinegar, just added a couple of splashes. I also added a healthy amt of dill pickle juice (2 good "splashes" from the jar). I added the following seasonings (I did not measure, I just sort of sprinkled across the top to cover, not coat, twice): garlic salt (and did not use regular salt then), dill weed, and crushed red pepper (about 8 shakes). I did not use celery seed simply because I hate celery (and I purposefully cut the celery large so I can pick it out :)). I WILL be making this again. Thanks for making me a mac salad eater (though, wait, I prob shouldn't be thanking you for adding yet another high calorie "like" to my list!)!

I've made this twice in the past week and it's been very positively received each time. I just *learning* to like cukes and I don't really care for cilantro, so it's not my personal fav, but everyone else seems to love it! I love that it's fairly easy to make and is a cool light alternative to many mayo coated calorie dense BBQ dishes! I used 1 cuke (it was rather large) and 1/2 jalap (my jalaps were HUGE....5".....both times...I'd prefer a little more heat, but I always error on the safe side when taking for others). I also couldn't find fresh cilantro, so I had to use dried (used 2 heaping tsps to adjust). I also doubled the lime juice....everyone loves guessing what's in this salsa! TY for a great easy recipe. Oh yeah, I used red onion for both the bite and color and the second time I also added half a diced red bell pepper.

These are fun! I can't speak to the taste because I haven't (and don't plan to) eaten one. I'm making them more for presentation than taste. I tried icing as "glue" for the first one (just the tube of colored icing) and it didn't work so well for me, so I went back to the baking version. I used prepared colored icing for "ketchup" and "mustard" as well as the colored coconut for "relish". I used as earlier reviewers tip of "wrapping" in a small foil square. I found this made transport way easier, too (I placed them all in a long thin Ziploc container)! These would be great to make w/kid as part of an assembly line! W/a "regular" bag of PP's, I got 28 burgers (w/about 1/2 box of Nilla Wafers left).

I almost didn't review because I made so many changes, but I figured my mods may be helpful to others and it's a great recipe anyway, so...I realized I had no cream of tartar so i followed one of the top reviewers advice and used break & beak sugar cookie dough for my "crust". I recently discovered "Fruit Dip VI" from this site and my dad loved it, so I used it for my "sauce" (same concept, just used brown Splenda blend instead of white sugar). I topped w/grapes, kiwi, bananas, strawberries, and peaches. Looked awesome, tasted great, and was gone in literally minutes. However, next time, I will dice the fruit for eating ease.

One of my favorite drinks. I use Sugar Free Red Bull and drink as a drink, not a very large "shooter".

These were a big fat flop for me. LOVE the concept and wanted them to work/look like the photo, but something did not work for me. They tasted ok, but looked terrible. I'm not sure how much better I could make them look, working w/browned beef....it's crumbly....it doesn't want to stay put. I think I may try the same concept in mini muffin trays. I'd welcome any feedback as to how I could do it better?

These were AWESOME! I made as is, simply adding minced garlic to marinade. I also did NOT marinade mushrooms w/the chicken, simply because I wasn't comfortable having raw meat w/the mushrooms...is that safe? I also added green peppers and onions to the kabobs. I used Oscar Meyer center cut bacon and DID NOT do anything to it beforehand. I WILL be making these again w/no changes. Excellent recipe...I can't wait til lunch tomorrow!! I think I was able to marinate the meat for about 90 minutes before making the kabobs (which is a little time consuming....or maybe I just waited until the last minute and it seemed to take forever).

This was a nice light different salad. I doubled for Mother's Day and used almonds instead of mac nuts and served coconut on the side. I also cheated and used real bacon bits instead of frying my own bacon. My MIL loved it!

This was a great fruit dip! I originally halved the recipe (was making for 4)...then, I saw how little it made and proceeded to make it as directed. I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and Splenda brown sugar blend per other reviewers' suggestions. I also added about double the vanilla. I served w/ fruit kabobs w/strawberries, grapes, and Granny Smith Apples. I would strongly suggest using a hand mixer to mix to ensure a smooth consistency!

These are different...I'm not sure how I feel about the cinnamon yet. I def wouldn't leave it out, that's kind of the whole point of the recipe, but I'm just not sure if I LOVE it. What I do love, is the texture of the cookie...nice and crisp, yet still chewy. I made the recipe as is, except I used mini chips (had a bag open). A nice change of pace. This yielded 32 cookies for me. *UPDATE* I just ammended my rating from a 4 to a 5. Why, you ask? Because it's the next day and I CAN'T STOP eating them! They have a great texture and I've decided I really like the hint of cinnamon. These are great...now, put the cookies....down!!

This is one of my very favorite not-a-lot-of time/energy to cook weeknight meals. I make it even speedier by cutting the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces while I'm nuking the oilive oli/garlic (about 1 min). I like it in pieces because it's quicker and it gets a little crispier! I spray the bites w/PAM before I put them in the oven. I usually spread frozen green beans on a cookie sheet, drizzle w/EVOO, sea salt, bread crumbs, and parm and bake beside the chicken. Thanks for a great recipe!!!

So, I've never made granola or even eaten granola (except in the form of granola bars) so I wasn't quite sure what to expect w/this, but it "looked" healthy and included lots of things I like, so I thought I'd give it a try. I did NOT use pecans (personal preference) and I decreased cin to 1 tsp and added 1 tsp of almond extract (I love almond!). I also added about double the vanilla because I used cheap imitation extract as opposed to the good stuff. This recipe was a bit ambiguous for me, thought it could just be that I'm a moron (I wasn't sure when/how to combine the wet & dry...I ended up mixing both sep and then combining before baking). Per an earlier review, I spread in 2 parchment lined cake pans for easier stirring. I stirred regularly, though I question whether I really needed to. I started at 275 for first 15 min, then upped to 300 for the remaining 25. Both my husband and I have snatched bites from the pans and like it; he'll probably eat w/milk as cereal and I'll prob just eat dry for a snack. UPDATE: It's the next day and I'm really enjoying this dry as a snack...the almond extract is really what's making it work for me!

I really wanted to love these, but they taste....kind of like a "healthy" cookie. Maybe I just have a pre-conceived notion of "cookie". However, that does NOT mean don't try these. They are good and have a great sunflower taste. I followed the advice of the sole reviewer before me and added 1/4 C brown sugar. Other than that, I followed the recipe as is, though I did sub coarse sea salt for salt (mmm mmm). I wish I has used salted sunflower seeds. These are a denser cookie. They are def a change of pace from the same old same old and worth giving a shot! We go to a lot of bluegrass festivals, so I'll probably make these to take along to some of those...they seem fitting.

This is just "ok". Nothing to write home about/serve company, but still a pleasant weeknight meal and eons better than fast food. I made it as is (minus the black pepper, of course) and I doubled the garlic (which i sauteed in a dash of EVOO before adding the rest)...ok, I guess not quite "as is". I also added a few dashes of minced onion (next time I will use "real", I just didn't have any). Start the pasta water boiling before you do anything else (I had my broccoli ready and waiting before my pasta water was boiling) and start your pasta before you begin to chop your broccoli. This does NOT take long at all, as long as it takes for the pasta water to boil and pasta to cook. I used whole wheat penne and topped w/parm cheese (grated, all I had) and a dash of crushed red pepper. I'm not a huge basil fan, but it was such a scant amount it was a nice touch, as was the lemon juice. I don't know that this would be as good w/frozen broc. I'm excited to see how it is for lunch tomorrow. UPDATE: Since I've made this a ton of times since my initial review, I must like it more than I thought! I'm amending my review to a "5", w/the "caveat" to add MORE garlic. With the addition of plenty of garlic & some crushed red pepper (along w/whole wheat pasta), this is a great simply healthy meal!

I had planned to make this as written, and then decided I wanted to use my oven for sweet potato fries....so I ended up using this marinade w/the following modifications, due to tastes/reviews: 2 T. olive oil, 1 T. melted butter,1/2 tsp salt, 3 T lemon juice, 1 tsp dried parsley, tsp of dill weed, and a tsp of garlic salt. I didn't have much time to allow them to marinade (~15 min) before I sauteed them on the stove in heated olive oil. They took about 20-25 mins to cook stove top (at the end, I ended up flaking one stubborn piece into pieces to hurry the process...I actually found i preferred it this way and will do it like this in the future). I am looking forward to trying this in the stove in foil packets, as well. Thanks for a great recipe!

Let me preface this by saying I am not a big fan of cooked peas....raw & hidden in a salad w/lots of other yummy stuff (and dressing!), is good....cooked, bleh! These peas, however, me likey! These were excellent, as well as quick/easy to prepare, made w/ingredients readily on hand at our house, and an added bonus...good for me!! I cooked according to recipe, except I didn't measure oil (dash), onion (1/2 of one...looked like enough and it was, thought the whole onion would not have been too much either), or garlic (lots and lots of pre-minced). I also panicked a little and added some extra broth because it didn't "seem" like enough (it would have been...that's what the recipe is for, moron). One caveat, my peas ended a little on the mushy side because of my own timing....I tried to let them sit (covered still) while the rest of the meal caught up....so I recommend serving immediately. Thanks for a great veggie side, easy enough for weeknights, but respectable enough for guests, too.

It was hard to rate this because I just don't know if I like brussle sprouts (I don't recall eating them before) so how do I know if I just don't like them or if I didn't like this recipe? My husband liked them and I thought they were pretty bitter. I did, however, enjoy the blackened leaves. I followed the recipe exactly (except no pepper-hate pepper) and I halved the sprouts based on a prior review. I think I'll try again and parboil as some reviewers suggested to see if that eliminates some of the bitterness (and so I can find out if I do/don't like brussel sprouts!).

FANTASTIC!! I followed the recipe for the most part, though I didn't measure the onion (1/2 of a md) and I eliminated the salt & pepper (seemed salty enough I just don't like pepper). I also added a heaping spoon of minced garlic. This is just sooooo good! The garlic I added did slightly overpower the asparagus so be aware of that if you choose to add it. I used one "bunch" of asparagus-I will add about 1/2 bunch more next time. I used skim milk and fat free sour cream, as well as 1/2 EVOO and 1/2 butter to lighten it up even more. I will be making this for my next dinner party (I'd take a pic, but it looks just like the one already there). You won't be disappointed in this awesome soup!

This was very good; I'd really probably rate it a "4", but I can't take stars away from a recipe I altered so much (and others really enjoyed it). I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes (1 w/sweet onion, 1 fire-roasted garlic), 1 can of black beans, 1 can of Mexi-corn, and 1 can of diced jalapenos. To that mix, I added 3 TBLS EVOO and the same of lime juice. I also added a dash of red wine vinegar, a dash of garlic powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper. It was really good, but missing a little something (the obvious would be cilantro, but I don't like it so I was trying to find another way to pep it up). I really couldn't imagine using Italian dressing, but I can't knock it until I try it. Next time I will set aside a small bowl to combine w/the Italian dressing and see what I think. What a great "go to" when I need something quick, healthy, & easy.

MODIFIED RECIPE: This is great. I didn't have any pesto, so I mixed EVOO a/garlic and spices and then spread on crust and topped w/spinach, tomatoes, onions, baby bellas, feta, and a handful of shredded Italian cheeses. I will make again (tonight, actually) w/better chopped veggies (easier to cut/eat) and w/out the feta (I like feta and it tasted good, I just can't get past needing my pizza to have some mozz).