New Year's Resolution...

This year's New Year's Resolution for me is to eat more fruits and veggies! So I cracked open my trusty Cooking Light Superfast Suppers Cookbook, which has very speedy, easy, and healthy recipes, and picked this one.

You could definitely kick it up by using pesto instead of the chopped basil, or maybe just adding some garlic or hot pepper flakes. I liked it just fine the was it was, and I think it will be great cold tomorrow for lunch!

Happy Halloween!

If you know me at all, you know that I would never let you down on posting Halloween recipes! I hosted our annual Ghoul's Night and here are the frightful tricks and treats that I served. (Sorry the pictures aren't the best, we were in a hurry to eat!)





Snake Sticks

1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated breadstick dough
1/4 teaspoon butter, melted
herbs or spices, to taste
pimiento, for tongue sliced
black olives, for eyes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray each skewer with non-stick spray. Wrap each breadstick around the skewer and flatten out the end a bit. You will have to work with the dough a bit, but place 2 black olives on the top for eyes and a small piece of pimiento in the "mouth" for the tongue. Bake on a prepared baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes or until the breadsticks are golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the herbs/spices of your choice. Let cool. If desired, slide the skewers off the bread or serve with the skewers in for easy handling.


Source: Recipezaar.com







Green Slime Dip


1 pound pepper jack cheese (shredded or cubed)
1- 4 oz. can diced green chilis
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8-oz. block cream cheese
Green food coloring

Combine in saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth.


Source: Lisa Graves, ghoulfriend





Crunchy Worm Salad


2 bags shredded cabbage
3 green onions
1 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles with seasoning pack
1 (6-ounce) package slivered almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black food coloring

Preheat the broiler.
Tear the cabbage and slice the onions, and place in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan, add the almonds, sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack. Cover the jar and shake well to blend the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine Toss the ramen noodles with black food coloring for added effect.


Source: Paula Deen

Werewolf Claws

Nonstick vegetable spray
10 chicken cutlets
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 12-oz. can large pitted black olives, drained
Ketchup
1 head of lettuce

Spray a cookie sheet with the nonstick spray. Slice the cutlets into strips about the width of one bony finger, the more crooked the better.
Place the flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs into three separate bowls.
Dust the chicken strips with flour, dip them into the eggs, and then roll them in the bread crumbs. You probably won't use all the flour or crumbs.
Place the strips on the cookie sheet and broil about 5 minutes on each side until brown.
To make the fingernails, cut the olives in half lengthwise. Trim the halves into pointy nail shapes, and place one on the end of each chicken strip. Press them into the chicken and, if you need help in making them stick, use some ketchup as glue.
Serve the claws on a head (of lettuce, of course).


Source: www.familyfun.go.com



Spooky Pasta

1 16 oz. bag of Halloween shaped pasta
1 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce
4 oz. sliced pepperoni (chopped)
2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

Cook pasta as directed. Mix pasta with sauce and pepperoni. Pour into a casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 min or until cheese is melted.

Burried Alive Cupcakes

chocolate cupcakes
chocolate frosting
crushed chocolate cookies
baby doll arms (available at craft stores)

Bake and frost cupcakes. Push a babydoll arm into each cupcake and the top with crushed chocolate cookie crumbs.

Make Ahead Pizza Pasta

This recipe is adapted from one my friend Jolene posted on her facebook page. It looked super yummy, so I adapted it based on what I already had on hand and also to make a large batch and freeze some. Turns out it made so much that I cooked one 8x8 pan for dinner the first night and froze 2 more 8x8 pans. I've already tried one of the frozen batches as I didn't want to post this recipe until making sure it worked, and it was just as great the second time around.




Penne Pizza Pasta

2 lbs of ground sausage (I used 1 hot, & 1 mild)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz chopped fresh mushrooms
1 lg bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg pepperoni slices (cut into pepperoni slices into 4ths)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 boxes dreamfields penne (or 26 oz. of other penne pasta)

In a large skillet, brown the sausage and onions. Next add veggies, seasonings, and sauce, and allow to simmer while cooking pasta. Cook pasta as directed on box, drain, and add to the sauce mixture. In a large bowl, blend shredded cheeses. Fill 3 8x8 pans half full with pasta mixture. Next top each pan with a cup of the shredded cheese mixture. Top of each pan evenly with the remaining pasta, and then the remaining cheese. cover and Freeze 2 pans for later.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese melts.

When preparing frozen pans, allow to thaw overnight and then bake at 350 for about 45 min, or until warmed through.

Source: adapted from Jolene Howard's recipe

Livin' the Dream

Ok, not really...but things could always be worse. My boyfriend, Scott, bought a bicycle shop last week, so this past weekend I spent about 20 hours painting and cleaning. I was so sore last night I didn't know if I'd be able to get out of bed today...but I made it! I really need to go to the grocery, but since I'm still very tired, I thought I'd see what I could make with ingredients I already had...and it turned into a comfy pasta bake. (I've been lowing carbs, so I used Dreamfields pasta, which I give 2 thumbs up!)




Lower Carb Pasta Bake

1 box Dreamfields spaghetti (13.25 oz)
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
4 oz. cream cheese
12 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend (I like Trader Joe's)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Cook pasta as directed on the box. Meanwhile, brown the turkey and onions. Add the seasonings, garlic, and cream cheese and mix well until cheese has melted. Next add the spaghetti sauce and simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Drain pasta and add to sauce mixture, mix to combine.

Pour pasta mixture into a prepared 9x13 pan and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Yummy Pasta Bake

Tonight, after a wonderful 2 week hiatus, I finally went to the grocery. I had picked this recipe out after seeing it in issue of Better Homes & Gardens. It won a prize, and sounded great. It was delicious, I highly recommend it!

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

8 oz. dried bow tie pasta

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. butter

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups milk

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)

14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In medium skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
In bowl whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, cooked pasta, and onion. Transfer to 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

I've been busy!

Confession....I have not been to the grocery since before Thanksgiving. What can I say? I've been busy! It seems like my life is going non-stop!

So today I was going to go to the grocery, but it is soooo cold outside. I just didn't feel like going out. So I headed into the fridge and pantry to see what I could come up with for dinner...

I managed to whip up the following from things in the cupboard and freezer!

Chicken & Noodles

3 small frozen chicken breasts

1/2 bag of small egg noodles

1 carton + 1 can of chicken broth

2 TBS corn starch

salt & pepper

I cooked the frozen chicken breast in the chicken broth for about 30 min, and shredded with a fork. Next I cooked the noodles in the broth w/ the chicken for 10 min. I added the corn starch to about 1/4 cup water and then added the mixture to the broth to thicken. Season w/ salt and pepper.

I served the chicken & noodles over Trader Joe's Instant Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and brussel sprouts on the side. It hit the spot!

Ooey Gooey Goodness

Since I was going to be doing some baking today, I figured I might as well make something for dinner that utilized the oven. After searching for a good baked pasta dish, I found this recipe that sounded really good and cheesy, and it turned out great. It made a TON so I guess we'll be eating this for a few days.



Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Source: Allrecipes.com

The Fresh Market!

I'm so excited that we finally have a long awaited grocery store in my very own neighborhood. It has been a few years since Meridian Kessler had a grocery, making it a real pain, especially when you realized you are only one item short of a recipe, or just need milk for your cereal.

Luckily, The Fresh Market, chose to build a brand new store complete with rooftop parking.

In honor of the new store, and to have a good excuse to go shopping, I picked two recipes from the store's website to try. They were both delicious!

Asiago Cheese Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded and divided
2 green onions, sliced and white ends removed
1/4 cup white mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, blend mayonnaise, sour cream and 1/2 cup Asiago cheese. Fold in onions, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour mixture into a loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with crackers, TFM French Rounds or pita chips. (I used TFM Garlic French Rounds)

Sausage & Spinach Penne Pasta (w/Mushrooms)

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 (16 ounce) bag fresh spinach
4 tablespoons TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
salt
dried crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1 pound TFM Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
* I added about 6 ounces of fresh mushrooms*

Take sausage meat out of casings. Sauté until cooked and then place on paper towel lined plate to absorb fat. Keep warm.
Heat olive oil in pan; add sliced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. (Cook mushrooms here if desired.) Add washed spinach leaves and sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper. Simmer 4 minutes until cooked and stems are soft. Add sausage, toss to mix. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile cook penne according to package directions, drain. Toss spinach mixture, cheese, and pasta together. Top with additional cheese before serving.

Source: The Fresh Market

Yard Day Mac N' Cheese

Today was "Yard Day." Our dear friend Ali has had a few yard tragedies in the past year (new sewer line, sunken fence, not to mention the ginormous limb that fell on her garage this weekend), so today we all pitched in to get her yard back to normal. Courtney, Lisa, and I supplied our burly men, Brian, Dave, and Scott to do the heavy lifting and labor. Court and Lisa tended to Avery and I took over Ali's kitchen to get lunch ready. After searching all week for the best gooey mac n' cheese recipe, I found one on the Nestle website (using their Carnation Evaporated Milk) and it was AWESOME!!!

Creamy Mac N' Cheese

10.5 oz dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cans (18 fl. oz. total) Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 9x13 dish.

Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 1/4 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

Source: Nestle.com

Second Best Lasagna

I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It touts itself being the Best Lasagna Ever. It was delicious, and I will be making it again, but I still have to stay that my grandmother's lasagna was the best ever. This comes pretty darn close though! Definitely try this recipe the next time you are craving some gooey lasagna!




Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna Ever

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound hot breakfast sausage
2 cloves minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans whole tomatoes
12 oz can tomato paste
2 T dried parsley flakes
2 T dried basil
1 t salt
8 lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente
1 lb sliced (deli-style) mozzarella cheese
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
½ cup Kraft Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
2 T dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt

In a skillet, combine 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 pound hot breakfast sausage, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until brown. Drain off about half the fat (or more, to taste). After that, add two 14.5-oz cans of whole tomatoes, two 6-oz cans of tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes, 2 tablespoons dried basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the meat mixture is cooking, mix 3 cups lowfat cottage cheese in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. To the cottage cheese, add 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese, 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together well.

Lay four cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping as you go. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Then lay 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture. Spread a little less than half of the meat mixture over the mozzarella cheese slices until it’s evenly distributed.

Repeat and finish with meat mixture. Top with a pretty generous layer of good ole Kraft grated parm. Now pop it in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. (Alternately, you could cover and freeze it, unbaked, at this point or cover and refrigerate, unbaked, for up to two days before baking.)

Source: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

Happy Valentines's Day Dinner

We both enjoy going out to dinner, and celebrating love...but we don't really care to partake in the craziness of Valentines Day Dinner out, so as part of my gift to Scott, I made him a nice 4- course dinner at home. (But totally cheated on dessert!)

First Course, The Appetizer:

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 Portobello mushrooms (stemmed)
2 oz. dry stuffing mix for chicken
½ Cup water
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
½ stick of butter
½ tsp. minced garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 350.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and mix in water and stuffing mix. Alow stuffing to absorb the liquid for about 5 min. Add in cheese, peppers, and garlic and stir until well blended.
Place mushrooms on greased baking sheet and fill evenly with the stuffing mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Source: Me!

Second Course, The Salad:

Spinach, Strawberry, & Hearts of Palm Salad

Recipe for 12 servings - cut down for servings needed

1/3 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, grated
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and torn into pieces
1 can hearts of palm, drained and chopped
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, whisk in the oil, onion, poppy seeds, dry mustard and paprika until thoroughly combined. Set dressing aside. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, hearts of palm, strawberries, and walnuts. When ready to serve, add some of the dressing, and toss gently. Serve the remaining dressing alongside the salad so diners may add more, if desired.

Source: Paula Deen


Third Course, The Pasta:

Chicken-In-Love Pasta

Makes 2 very large portions

4 oz. linguine, uncooked
1 large chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 14.5 oz can of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese
1-1/2 cups baby spinach
½ of a medium onion
½ tsp minced garlic clove

Cook pasta as directed. Meahwhile, saute chicken, onions and garlic in a large skillet. After the chicken is cooked, add the canned tomatoes, cream cheese, and spinach. Simmer until sauces is thouroughly combined. Toss with pasta.

Source: Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Fourth course, The Dessert:

Carrot Cake for Two

Go to your local grocery store bakery. Buy two pieces of carrot cake. Now wasn't that easy?

And if you are lucky, it will all pay off in the end:

Zesty is the besty...

How do you make a usually dull Thursday night fun? With Zesty Chicken & Pasta of course! It is very much like you typical pasta salad, only served warm with chicken. It is delicious!




Zesty Chicken & Pasta

6 servings

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Rotini pasta

1/2 cup Kraft Light House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing, divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 of a red pepper, chopped
1/2 of a yellow pepper, chopped

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of the dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and parsley; cook 5 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; mix with chicken mixture and remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.

Calories 440 Total fat 9 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 490 mg Carbohydrate 52 g Dietary fiber 4 g Sugars 7 g Protein 36g Vitamin A 50 %DV Vitamin C 90 %DV Calcium 15 %DV Iron 20 %DV

recipe altered from Kraftfoods.com

Winding down from a nice weekend

This weekend has been nice and quiet...for me anyway. Scott did have to get up around 5am on Saturday because his wrestling team started sectionals. It was a very long day for him, so I wanted to make him a nice dinner to come home to on Saturday night. I was inspired by a recipe I saw on Bobby Flay's Throwdown last week on the Food Network, and it got rave reviews from a very tired and hungry boyfriend.

Grandma Maroni's Meatballs

1 pound ground chuck

4 ounces dried bread crumbs

4 large eggs

4 ounces whole milk

6 ounces grated Romano

3 ounces grated Spanish onion

2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic

2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs. Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Grandma Maroni's Sauce

6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin

12 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced

2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan. Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

recipes from Foodtv.com

I served the meatballs and sauce over spaghetti along side some good ol' cheesy texas toast garlic bread and a nice bottle of Chianti. I of course made dessert, but I'll have to give Mrs. Smith all of the credit on that one!

Cheesy, just like me!

Nothing exciting to report here, except that it is really freaking cold outside. This healthy vegetable packed dinner warmed us up!

Cheesy Chicken, Vegetables, and Noodles

(6 huge portions, I'm guessing more like 8)
4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup Light Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
3-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow squash, sliced
12 oz. Velveeta Made With 2% Milk Reduced Fat Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
3 Tbsp. fat-free milk

Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, cook chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 to 7 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables; stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, place Velveeta in small microwaveable bowl. Add milk. Microwave on high 2 to 3 min. or until Velvetta is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1-1/2 min. Add to chicken mixture, add drained noodles, and mix lightly.

Calories 320 Total fat 8 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 100 mg Sodium 660 mg Carbohydrate 28 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sugars 6 g Protein 35 g Vitamin A 50 %DV Vitamin C 80 %DV Calcium 20 %DV Iron 15 %DV

recipe adapted from Kraftfoods.com