Interesting Substitute

I bought a number of powdered dip mixes some time back. These mixes are usually added to cream cheese or sour cream. I was hungry for one of the southwest dips but I was out of sour cream. Digging around in the fridge I found 2 containers of cottage cheese. I was feeling a bit adventurous so I tried it. I am here to tell you it wasn't bad at all. The trick on the consistency is to put everything in the blender until the dip is smooth and creamy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

OK , first of all I must admit that after my trip to Fort Hood to see Brendan off to Iraq I lost some of the passions for losing weight. I was still cooking healthy but not watching portion control at all. After a couple of weeks of self-pity I've gotten back on track.
I haven't bothered figuring out the calories on this one but moderation will make this a safe treat. I went to Kroger's and found a ton of mushrooms marked down and I just can't pass up a good deal. That also meant being creative with mushrooms for about a week! I love stuffed mushrooms and found a number of recipes that were ok but not just quite what I wanted. So I picked the best of all of them and combined them. These are nothing short of heaven on earth.

Aileen's Stuffed Mushrooms

4 dozen mushrooms (whole)
1 can shrimp (drained)
shopped mushroom stems
2 tbsp. lite mayo
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
1/4 cup green onions (chopped)
2 tbsp. Parsley
4 tbsp. bread crumbs ( I used plain and not italian but I think either would be fine)
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 small roma tomato (diced)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg ( or 2 egg white)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese ( optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Break stems off of mushrooms and chop stems for filling.
Lightly coat mushrooms with olive oil and place on cookie sheet.
Toss everything together in mixer and mix until well blended.
Stuff mushrooms with filling.
Bake about 15 minutes or until hot and slightly crisp on top of stuffing.