Grilled Chicken Kabobs

This is one of our summer favorites...and SO EASY!!

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (you could use beef if you'd rather)
mushrooms, cut into quarters
red and/or green peppers, in chunks
1 can pineapple chunks
onion, cut into chunks
Yoshida's Gourmet sauce

Cut up meat and veggies and put into a bowl. Pour enough Yoshida sauce over them to coat mixture when it is stirred up. Let this marinade in the fridge for at least an hour (I usually marinade it all day). Put meat and veggies on skewers* and grill, turning to cook thoroughly.
We like to eat this with rice on the side. This makes enough for our family of four.

*Remember that if you are using wooden skewers, you need to soak them in water before adding meat and veggies, so they won't burn on the grill.

This is about 7 WW points, including 1/2 cup of rice

Jamie's Sausage and Veggie Pasta

This is a yummy recipe that I recently made up and my husband RAVES when I make it! Plus, it's pretty healthy!! **(If anyone has a more exciting name for this...please share! lol :)**

4 large links Casual Gourmet Chicken Sausage-Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach flavored (from Costco, but you could use the long Pepperidge Farms sausages (?)...sorry, I can't think of how to describe them!!), sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2-1 green pepper, julienned
1/2-1 red pepper, julienned
5-8 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 small zucchini, cut up
2 Tbsp. olive oil
minced garlic
pasta (I have used whatever is on hand, including angel hair, penne, rigatoni, and egg noodles)
garlic-pepper seasoning
parmesan cheese, optional

Boil pasta until done. In separate pan, heat olive oil and add julienned peppers, mushrooms, garlic, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until tender. Add sausage pieces the last few minutes. Heat through. Toss with cooked pasta when done. Sprinkle with garlic-pepper seasoning. You can top with parmesan cheese, if desired.

* Approx. 8 WW points with 1 cup pasta plus sausage/veggie mixture

Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

1 packet kool-aid (any flavor!!)
2 Cups sugar
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan, bring to a boil.
Immediately remove from the heat. Cool.
Hint: Use a kitchen funnel to pour syrup into clean empty
snow cone syrup bottle or other container-keep refrigerated.

The kool-aid flavors are so fun!!!

Darin's Famous Smoked Salmon Dip

My husband got this recipe from a co-worker years ago and it has since become a huge hit with family and friends. In fact, my dad gets a little disappointed if we don't bring a batch of it when we come to town to visit. :) The recipe originally called for steelhead, but we adapted it for smoked salmon (we buy salmon fillets and hubby smokes them in his smoker...mmmm!!).

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 bundle green onions
3-4 squirts tabasco (we use Frank's Hot Sauce and use more- depending on your taste)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2-3/4 cup smoked salmon

Mix cream cheese, whipping cream, and hot sauce with spoon or hand mixer. Then gently stir in green onions and flaked salmon. This dip is best served on Clubhouse crackers. Enjoy!!

Banana Cream Cheese Dessert

1 Cup. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Cup chopped nuts
1/2 Cup butter

Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour, sugar, and nuts. Cut in butter and press mixture into a 9x 13-inch baking dish. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 (12 oz.) tub cool whip, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 bananas

Prepare the cream cheese layer by combining cream cheese, powdered sugar, 3 cups of the cool whip, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix on Med. speed until well blended.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of baked shortbread; top with 2 to 3 bananas, sliced.

2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs instant vanilla pudding
3 Cups milk
1/2 tsp. banana extract

Prepare pudding layer by mixing puddings, milk, and banana extract on low speed for 2 min. Spread over the sliced bananas. Cover with remaining 1 1/2 Cups Cool Whip. Keep refrigerated.

This is really a good, cool, refreshing dessert!! Very good!!