Corn Cheese Chowder

I saw Amber's post on Mexican corn chowder and realized I hadn't posted this fabulous Corn Cheese Chowder. We love it!

6 slices of bacon (diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
3 tbsp All purp. flour
2 c. water
1 c. peeled, diced potato
1/4 tsp dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 c. non-dairy powdered creamer
1 c. boiling water
1 & 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1 tsp salt/pepper

Combine bacon & onion in large pot. Cook until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Blend in flour; cook slowly about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water, potatoes, sage, & bay leaf. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender (10-15 mins.)

Remove bay leaf. Add creamer, 1 cup boiling water, grated cheese corn, salt/pepper. Heat until soup comes to a boil & cheese melts.

Love this recipe!!!

Mexican Corn Chowder

The hot water is not working in our house today, and I have had a perpetual chill all day long. I figured it was a good day for some soup (even though it is 53 degrees outside, . . . which is pretty much springtime weather). I am going out with a couple friends for a late dinner, but still wanted to make something that I could eat as a late lunch, then Jake could come home from work and eat it for dinner. So, I came along this recipe for Corn Chowder. I have never made Corn Chowder, and the only time I have eaten it was at Magleby's in Provo, Ut. It was to die for. If anyone has that recipe, PLEASE send it my way! Until then, enjoy this. . . it's very good!

so here is the recipe

3 chicken breasts (I used only two, from a rotisserie chicken)

1/2 cup chopped onion

**I added 1/2 chopped red bell pepper, just for color**

1-2 cloves minced garlic

3 Tbsp butter

2 chicken bouillon cubes + 1 cup hot water (I just used 2 cups broth)

**2 tablespoons flour**

1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin

2 cups half and half (I just used 2% milk)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 14 oz can cream style corn

1 4 oz can green chilies, undrained

1/4 tsp tabasco sauce

**1 Tbsp honey**

1 medium tomato, chopped

fresh cilantro and tortilla chips for garnish

**stared items were not in the original recipe**

what the recipe says:

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water. Add to pan along with cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half and half, cheese, corn, chilies and Tobasco sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Serve immediately. Garnish with Cilantro.

What I did instead:

Shred or cube chicken (I used rotisserie). In a large pot, melt butter. Saute onion for 1 minute, add red pepper and continue to saute for another, then add minced garlic and saute for another minute. Add the flour and mix it around until the moist veggies absorb most of it. Add the broth and cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk, cheese, corn, chilies, chicken and tabasco sauce (optional). Add Salt to taste. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Garnish with Cilantro, and tortilla chips.

**I found that the soup was a little on the spicy side, so I added one tablespoon honey to the pot.

Overall, I really liked this soup. I think it would have been just great without the red bell pepper, but I am kind of a bell-pepper lover lately, so I couldn't help myself. I am usually not a fan of cream-based soups, but this was just so hearty, and I didn't feel as guilty about it. It is very filling too!

I got the recipe from here

Hawaiian Pork Chops

Pork Chops are my new favorite thing. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we have!

4 pork chops
1 (8 oz) can sliced pineapple in juice
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Paprika

Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Mix juice with garlic and soy sauce. Pour over chops and let marinade, covered, in refrigerator for 8 hours, turning 2 or 3 times. (A great big ziplock bag is great for this, just place it on a plate in the fridge.) Heat oven to 350*. Place chops in a baking dish, covering each chop with a pineapple slice. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes.

You can make another batch of sauce (pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce) and serve it with rice to compliment this dish.

Honey-Hot Pork Chops

4 pork chops
Salt and Pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce

Mix hot sauce and honey well. Salt and pepper chops then baste with sauce. Grill or broil on low, turning and basting until chops are done (between 10 and 15 minutes).

How to make tilapia...

Is what I googled. And I found the best recipe! I love shellfish, and I really want to love all the rest. But I don't. But its healthy. You can see my dilemma. So I had a friend tell me that Tilapia is the tastiest and mildest fish, so I bought some frozen filets when they were on sale at Safeway.

So I made this recipe and looooved it! Lurved it. It was better than a lot of chicken I've eaten. Plus it was fast and easy and cheap, who could ask for more? So without further ado...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Ham Bone Soup

I had been wanting to try this recipe, so at Christmas, when we had one of these:I asked my father-in-law for the bone. When I got it home I simply froze the entire bone (w/some meat) in a large ziplock bag until I was ready to make this soup.


you will need:

• 1 ham bone with meat still on (just whatever is leftover after it's been cut away for the ham dinner)
• 8 cups liquid (you can add broth or water)
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups navy, cannellini or great northern beans (I used great northern and red canned beans)

Put all ingredients except for the beans into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Then turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for 3 more hours. At this point, the meat should fall off the bone. Remove the meat from the bone and chop it up into bitesize pieces and return everything back to the crockpot. Drain and rinse the beans and add to crockpot and cook for 1 more hour. Discard the bone and enjoy the soup with ketchup, bread and/or crackers. (We saved the bone for my brother's dog)

This was very good. I took it to a family dinner and my dad said it reminded him of what his mother used to make. Probably because this is a grandma-type recipe.

Easy Microwave Caramels

1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
1 C white karo syrup
1/2 lb (2 sticks) melted butter
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients in a large glass microwaveable bowl (2 qt.) and mix well with a wire whisk. Place bowl in microwave and cook on high for 7 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and stir ingredients very well one more time. Put bowl back in microwave and cook another 7 minutes on high. Pour bubbling hot caramel mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 pan and let it cool completely. Cut into narrow rectangular pieces and wrap in wax paper. One batch makes about 150 caramels, depending on the size you cut it.

I've tried this on 3 different microwaves and they always turn out great for me.

Cilantro and Lime Rice

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup long grain rice (rinsed until water runs clear)
1 1/2 cups broth (I used vegetable it was great, recipe called for chicken?)
2 tbs lime juice, freshly squeezed
zest of one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Heat oil over medium high heat, add rice and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Add other ingredients and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low or low, and cook until rice is done.


(We omit the Cilantro in this recipe...we aren't fans, and 1/2 cup was way too much, I even tried 1/4 cup and it was still too much for us, So if you like the taste I would start out with maybe a 1/4 cup cilantro and decide if it needs less or more.)

really good brown rice

Follow the directions on your package of (short grain if you have it) brown rice.

Use chicken broth instead of water. Add 2 small drops sesame oil, 3 drops soy sauce, 3 drops worcestershire sauce, and a couple dashes of salt.

This makes better tasting rice that won't need any additional seasoning once it's done.

Garden Ravioli Soup

Hi Bloggers! I am a frequent visitor of this blog, but this is my first post. It is a really easy soup that is perfect for a cold day.

Garden Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 lb sausage, browned and drained (I like to use spicy sausage to give the soup a little heat)

1/2 cup carrots sliced

1 can (14 oz) chopped stewed tomatoes

1 (9 oz) package cheese-filled tortellini (frozen or fresh)

1/2 cup spinach, trim stems

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

(I also like to add 1 zucchini, chopped)

Directions:

In large saucepan brown sausage, then saute onion and garlic. Add broth, Italian seasoning, carrots, tomatoes (and zucchini, if desired). Cook over medium-high heat, heat to a boil. Add tortellini, reduce heat to medium. Cook 15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Add spinach at five minutes remaining. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake!

Unfrosted

Frosted
1- 1/2 gallons of your favorite ice cream
favorite candy, cookies, fudge, whip cream, etc. depending on the flavors picked.
1 large tub of cool whip and more if you want to frost with it.
1 box of favorite cake mix prepared (eggs, oil, and water)
Spring Form Pan
Cake

So my kids always love ice cream cakes for their birthday parties, but I am so sick of paying $35 for a cake. I decided to make my own this year. First things first is you need a spring form pan. You buy a regular cake mix and prepare per package directions. If you want to make two layers of cake you divide in half and cook in two separate spring form pans. Cook per package directions and let cool. I usually before placing the cake batter will crush up oreos or graham crackers on the bottom of the pan and then pour in cake batter. Cook per package directions. Remove from oven and let cool for appox. 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix one gallon ice cream with one tub of cool whip with electric mixer. Cut your cake down to the desired height. You want a lot less cake if doing two layers of cake and ice cream. Place toppings, crushed candy, fudge, whip cream, (whatever you want) on top of the cake. Then pour the ice cream mixture on top of the cooked cake and toppings. If you want place second layer of both cake and ice cream. Put in freezer for minimum of 12 hours. When you remove take a warm, wet knife around the outer edge to loosten the cake. Open the springform pan and you can decorate.


Unfrosted


Frosted

They taste amazing and best of all no more $35 ice cream cakes. I think this costs me roughly $6-$10 to make.

Mom's Basic Beans

This is a basic recipe my mom always uses for her beans.

Use twice as much water as beans.

Soak beans overnight in a pan of water
or
Boil hard for 5 minutes, take off heat, and put the lid on for 1 hour.

Rinse beans and get new water, filling the pot above the beans.
Add:
3 T. oil, garlic and onions. (do not add salt!)

Simmer for 4-5 hours if new beans (recently purchased)
or
Simmer for 8-9 hours if old beans (from food storage)

Add salt when cooking is complete.

Store with excess water.

To Refry:
2 T oil in the pan, and use excess liquid to prevent scalding.

Rice Crispy Ice Cream Dessert

Melt and stir (until dissolved)
1 C. brown sugar
1 cube butter

Add:
1 C. coconut
1/2 - 1 C. broken nuts (I like walnuts)
2 C. Rice Crispies

Press 1/2 of mixture into 9x13 pan.
On top, spoon 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (I get the kind in the box, cut off the box, and cut the ice cream into slices that I can place on top of the rice crispy mixture.)
Press the remaining 1/2 of rice crispy mixture on top of the ice cream. Freeze for at least one hour and serve with this Hot Fudge Sauce.

Fudge Sauce

Melt the following in a saucepan:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 C. butter
Add:
3 C. sugar

Stir over medium heat until well mixed. It will look grainy from the sugar.

Add:
1 C evaporated milk
Stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved

At the very end add 1 t. vanilla.

Easy Crock Pot Chili

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans
1-2 tbsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste


Brown beef with onion and garlic in skillet, drain. Mix with remaining ingredients in crock pot on low for 6 hours.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

These simple ingredients make an excellent soup. I honestly don't think you need any other vegetables or seasonings to make this taste mouth watering.

Whole Chicken, without the neck, washed
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Rosemary
1 whole Onion, skin removed
2 cloves Garlic, skin removed
6 (or more) cups of water

Put all these things in a large pot and add just enough water to almost cover the chicken. Boil covered for about 2 hours or until the chicken falls off the bone when you try to lift it out of the pot. Pour the entire contents through a large strainer over a large bowl (in other words, keep the broth). Let the chicken cool for 20 minutes or so. Pour the broth through a finer strainer back into the pot. Separate the meat from the fat and bones. Rip meat with hands into pieces the size of a piece of gum and throw back into the pot (it will shred on its own as it cooks more). Discard cooked onion, garlic, bay leaves, bones and fat.

Add to the pot:

6 chopped Carrots
7 stalks of chopped Celery
4 cups water
Salt to taste (about 2 or 3 Tablespoons)
Pepper to taste

30 minutes before serving add:

2 cups milk or 1 cup cream (whole milk works great)
3/4 C. Wild Brown Rice or Wild Rice

Boil until rice is cooked- DO NOT OVER COOK THE RICE!

Stir and serve.

This makes enough soup to feed an army, so we like to freeze the leftovers in single serving size ziplock tupperware, and pop one in the microwave if someone around here gets sick.

Oven Fries

-Potatoes
-Italian salad dressing
-Salt

Cut potatoes into small wedges and let marinate in the salad dressing for about 1/2 hour. Place wedges on a greased cookie sheet, discard marinade. Sprinkle with salt. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes or until tender. Halfway through cooking, flip wedges.
Cooking time may vary depending on size of wedges and amount of potatoes used.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

I brought this tonight to dinner. It was great. I thought it would be a good consideration for the upcoming holidays. I used a little less butter and half and half instead of heavy cream. Buy thin bacon so you can get it nice and crunchy before you bake it all together.

• 10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

Yam Fries

I know, I know, you are salivating.

These turned out, pretty dang good!

I saw a cooking show a few weeks ago on the food network where they made sweet potato fries. Then while grocery shopping I saw that Yam's were on sale, and wondered if there really was any difference between a yam and a sweet potato. Turns out they are not related at all. Anywhoo . . . I snatched up three long yams and brought them home for us to try while watching the BYU game. I made the yam's the same as I would have had they been sweet potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Peel and cut yams into thin strips.

On a baking sheet, spread a couple Tablespoons of EVOO.

dump the yams on, and toss them around so they get some oil on them.

Then season with:

Cumin

Coriander

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

(Sorry, but I have no measurements, just season lightly to taste. )

Throw them in the oven for 30 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, sprinkle 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar around.

These fries were a hit! Turns out although Yam's and Sweet Potatoes aren't related, they both are pretty tasty!

German Pancake's

When I was a kid, my Mom made these all the time. All my other siblings loved them and cheered when they saw it coming out of the oven. I however, hated them. I don't know if I ever even actually tasted them, but being the stubborn kid that I was, I wouldn't touch it. Fast forward 20+ years. . . Six months ago my Mom made them again while we were visiting my brothers family in Las Vegas. I LOVED it. I asked her how she made them (she never has a recipe for anything, yet everything she makes is delicious) and she nonchalantly gave me her most recently made recipe. So, this recipe may be different from the ones you have made in the past, but it works really well for me. I now make this at least once per week and my girls also cheer when they see it in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 420. Place 2 tablespoons of cold butter in a 9x13 dish and put it in the oven to melt. (Don't just melt butter and put it in the pan. The hot pan helps the egg batter to pull away and become inflated.)

combine:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

(this is how much I make for 2 adults and 2 kids, with one leftover piece. For more servings, increase the eggs to 9, 1.5 cups milk and 1.5 cups flour in the same size pan- that usually serves 4 adults and 2 kids)

Whip it up with a whisk until there are no lumps.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter in. Bake it for 17-20 minutes or until it is golden brown and nearly touches the top of the oven. Smother with syrup, applesauce, butter or jam. Enjoy!

Sticky Pull-Apart Buns

you will need:

20 frozen rhodes rolls

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 3.5 oz. box of butterscotch pudding (not instant)

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Grease a 9x9 glass baking dish.

Evenly spread the pecans on the bottom.

Arrange the 20 frozen rolls on top of the nuts.

sprinkle the pudding packet on top of the rolls ( I only used 3/4 of the packet)

then bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil, then pour evenly on top of the rolls. (I didn't boil it, just melted it in the microwave)

Do the prep the night before. The rolls will thaw and raise overnight and in the morning you just stick it in the oven. 350 for 35 minutes. When they come out of the oven just dump them over onto a serving tray.

These are soooooo good and sooooo healthy. Perfect for a breakfast treat on a holiday or for when your mother-in-law and father-in-law are in town. Enjoy!

Taco Pizza

My niece came to stay with me a few weeks ago and together we experimented and just came up with this meal. It was actually super good! If any of you have other taco pizza recipe's please post them because I would love to try it! 

Ingredients:

Either store-bought dough/crust, or use 1/4 of the dough from this recipe

1 lb. ground beef/turkey

1/2 diced white onion

2/3 packet of taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

1/2 cup salsa

2-4 cups of mozzarella cheese (however much you like)

diced tomatoes*

crisp chopped iceberg lettuce*

sliced avocados*

sliced olives*

green onions*

Pizza instructions :

If you make home made dough, roll it out onto a large cookie sheet  and bake it for 10 minutes at 350. When it comes out of the oven it will be only partially cooked.  While it is cooking brown the meat and onion with the taco seasoning. Then combine the refried beans with the salsa. When the crust comes out of the oven, spread it with the bean/salsa mixture. Then top it evenly with the browned meat. Cover with however much cheese you like. Increase the oven temp to 400  and throw the pizza in there for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. When you take it out, give it a minute to cool down, then top it with whatever you like on your taco's. 

It also sounds good to drizzle the finished pizza with a small amount of ranch dressing. Enjoy!

Bran Muffins

Make no mistake, these are not the dense dry bran muffins you have had before. These are light, sweet, moist parcels of goodness that fill your house with a delicious aroma. 

4 cups 'All Bran' cereal (looks like little sticks)

1 cup shortening or butter

2 cups boiling water

2 cups sugar or honey

1 quart buttermilk

5 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

4 beaten eggs

5 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

mix it all up

Spoon batter into muffin tins until each is 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. 

***the batter is good in the fridge for 7-10 days**** isn't that AWESOME?!? Just keep it in a ziplock. You can make hot muffins every day of the week. My kids and I LOVE these things. 

thanks Aleena for the recipe! 

Pork Enchiladas

1lb cooked pork (I buy from cafe rio or just make the cafe rio pork)

flour tortillas

grated cheese

3 c. cooked sticky rice

brown sugar(about 1tsp in each tortilla)

2 cans black beans

Sauce

Mix together

1 large can of enchilada sauce

1 container sour cream

(I use about 1.5 cups of sour cream the more you use the less spicy the sauce will be.)

Pour a little sauce on bottom of pan so they won't stick. Then put a little of each ingredient in each tortilla and then roll up and put in pan. Then pour remaining sauce over the top sprinkle some cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Tortilla Soup ( Similar to El Pollo Locos)

6Tbsp. oil
8 Corn tortillas, chopped
6 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion chopped
1 can (28 oz) dices tomatoes
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like it spicey)
4-6 cooked chicken breast, shredded. (I buy the already cooked costco little chickens, it quicker)
Monterey Jack cheese
Avacado
sour cream
chips

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic cinlantro, add onion. Saute 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 min. remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. garnish with monterey jack cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Summer Vegetable and Meat Lasagna

This is my husband's favorite, and it's a great way to use up those zucchini and summer squash from your garden.

1 pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles
1 carton cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese (you may add more cheese if you wish)
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (whole are okay, or you can use canned sauce)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. basil
1 or 2 zucchini
1 or 2 summer squash
You may also add spinach, mushrooms, or anything else that might be good in there- if you do use other vegetables as well, try only using 1 zucchini and 1 summer squash so that your lasagna isn't overflowing with layers.

In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef and onion together, adding the garlic at the end. Drain fat and add canned tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes, crush them with a spoon in the saucepan- or you can blend them in the blender first). Bring the sauce to a boil and let the water evaporate off for about 20 minutes or until it is a good consistency. Add oregano and basil to the sauce.
In a separate bowl, grate 12oz of the mozzarella (reserve the last 4 oz), add the egg and cottage cheese and mix well.
Slice zucchini lengthwise, and slice the squash into circles.

Start layering your lasagna by first spooning the red sauce on the bottom. Next do a layer of noodles, breaking them to fit if necessary. Next do a layer of the white sauce, then a layer of one of the vegetables (I usually only do one veggie per layer so that they aren't mixed up). Repeat layers until you are out of stuff.

You red sauce is probably dripping all over and seeping into all the layers. If not, or if you used canned sauce, you probably need to add about 1/4 cup water to the edges of the casserole so that the noodles have something to absorb.

Cook in 350 oven for about 1 hour so that the veggies can get nice and soft. Mmmm. For the last 20 minutes of cooking, top the lasagna with the reserved cheese.

This bread is a great compliment to this dish.

My one-year-old LOVES this dish!

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad:

1 bag tender baby spinach

1/2 to 1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

top with:

1/2  to 1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 to 1 cup sliced candied almonds

1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

sliced mushrooms (opt.)

crumbled bacon (opt.)

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 purple onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly until all bits of onion and garlic are pretty much dissolved. Then add 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds and pulse quickly. Dressing will be slightly pink. Chill before serving. 

*This salad is DELICIOUS. The dressing one of my favorites. Sometimes I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil,  stevia/truvia instead of sugar, and slivered almonds instead of candied ones. 

Sesame Peanut Noodles

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti, (or about half a box)

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. While they are cooking, prepare the dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon brown sugar 

juice of 1/2 lime

*then add one ladle-full of the hot noodle water (this will help melt the peanut butter)

Mix the dressing well. When the noodles are done, combine the two together. Then add, 

1/2 bag store-bought coleslaw mix

1/2 cup red pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

2-4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts.

Refrigerate mixture for one hour. Enjoy!

Serves six. I found the recipe here. 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 tablespoons whiskey or rum*

2/3 cup raisins*

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup  unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned oats

1.Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the whiskey or run over the raisins in a bowl and let stand while you assemble the batter. * 

2.Beat the butter, applesauce, sugars and salt on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and white, milk and vanilla.  

3.In a seperate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to the batter and beat just until flour is absorbed. Gently fold in oats. 

4.Scoop out batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared bakign sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 13 to 18 minutes. 

5.Let cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

*I omitted the rum-soaked raisins and swapped them out for 1 cup chocolate chips. 

** I added an additional 1/4 cup flour for fluffier cookies.

I found the recipe here.

Easy French Bread

I really prefer to make hoagie subs with this recipe because they are just so good. I'm never going to buy hoagies again!

2 1/2 C. very warm water
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 to 6 C. flour

Mix water, salt, sugar, yeast, olive oil and 3 cups flour vigorously for 3 minutes. Add 2 to 3 more cups of flour and knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let rise at least 60. Punch down and divide with a sharp knife into 2 pieces (8-12 pieces to make hoagie rolls).

Roll each piece into a rectangle and roll up jelly roll style. Seal edge, then place, edge side down on a cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. With a very sharp knife, make 3 cuts at an angle across top of each loaf. Brush entire surface with 1 beaten whole egg mixed with water. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (around 10 minutes if making hoagies) or until golden brown.

This recipe is great for french dip sandwiches or meatball subs. I haven't tried them with hot dogs yet, but it sounds so good.

Fruit Roll-ups

I LOVE fruit roll-ups, but let's be honest... Store-bought fruit roll-ups are expensive and are more candy than fruit.

So here's how to make your own.

This was my first time doing it, so we just did strawberry and some sugar and they turned out great. But next time I think I'll just treat it like a regular old blender drink. Add whatever fruit and juices you want. But beware that the more juice you have in it, the longer it takes to dry. You can use freezer or fresh fruit.

Stick it all in the blender and puree as finely as you can get it. We filled our blender to the top with fresh berries (lots of air space...), which was about 2 1/2 cups after blending, and it was a little bit too much for our cookie sheet. So I would say, do about 2 cups (after blending) for a cookie sheet.

Pour into a greased cookie sheet and spread as thinly and evenly as you can.

Stick it in the oven at 150 degrees (any hotter and you'll cook it). Make SURE to leave the door OPEN (if you have toddlers, while they're sleeping is the safest time for this!)

It took us a few hours (and it was still a little bit too soft). If you over-dry it, you can crumble it and make fruit leather chips for ice-cream. The stuff never gets too hot to touch, so just keep checking it as you're doing it and you'll get a feel for when it's done. :)

To store it, you can roll it up in plastic wrap (just like from the store!) and keep it in an air-tight baggie/ container. I think it should be kept in the fridge just for safety? Not sure on that though...

Anyway, it's yummy. So Enjoy!

I stole this from my friend Heidi. :)

Brown Bag Apple Pie

Brown Bag Apple Pie
Crust: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup oil, 2 T. cold milk. Combine and mix until blended. Pat into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
Filling:
4 cups slices apples, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 T. flour, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon. Combine dry ingredients and loss them lightly with the apples, Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Add topping (below).

Topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup sugar. Combine and mix with fingers until crumbly. Put the pie in a large brown paper grocery bag. Fold to seal, staple shut. Bake @ 350& for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool in the bag.

"healthy" peanut butter cream cheese brownies!

I don't honestly think there really is such a thing as a healthy brownie. This recipe however does come pretty close.  I googled "healthy brownies" last night and this is what came up. I made them, and they were actually super delicious. (The peanut butter part was my favorite!)

BATTER:

2 cups sugar (or use Xylitol to make it even healthier!)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup egg substitute (I just used egg whites)

3 teaspoons vanilla

(I added 1 Tablespoon milk because my batter was dry)

FILLING:

3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup reduced-fat peanut butter (I used regular)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup egg substitute (or egg whites)

2 teaspoons vanilla

FROSTING:

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon water

Set oven to 325 and grease a 13 x 9 baking pan. In a large bowl combine 2 cups sugar with flour, cocoa and salt. Stir in applesauce, egg whites and vanilla. Mix well. Pour about half of the batter into baking pan. In another mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the top; cut through the batter using a knife to swirl through the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, let cool. Frost and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (70g) Recipe makes 20 servings
Calories 181
Calories from Fat 16		(9%)
Amount Per Serving		%DV
	Total Fat 1.8g	2%
	Saturated Fat 0.9g	4%
	Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
	Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 2mg		0%
Sodium 94mg		3%
Potassium 130mg		3%
Total Carbohydrate 39.4g		13%
	Dietary Fiber 1.7g	6%
	Sugars 28.8g
Protein 3.8g		7%

Healthy Broccoli Salad

This recipe uses 1/2 C. plain yogurt and 1/2 C. mayonnaise for a healthier salad. You may also omit the mayonnaise and use 1 C. yogurt for a variation.


2 bunches broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
10 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 C. raisins
1 C. roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. plain yogurt
1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, raisins and sunflower seeds, set aside. In separate bowl mix dressing. Add dressing to broccoli mixture just before serving.

Not Just Another Lasagna

RED & WHITE LASAGNA
Ingredients:
12 LASAGNA noodles
1 (15-ounce) container Ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I didn’t use spinach)
2 cups (8-ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (26-ounce) jar Marinara pasta sauce
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo pasta sauce
Chopped fresh parsley

Cook LASAGNA according to package directions; drain. (I use the noodles you don’t have to cook first) Preheat oven 350F. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and eggs; mix well. In a 13x9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Layer 4 noodles over sauce. Top with half cheese mixture, 1 cup marinara sauce and all the cooked sausage. Layer 4 more noodles, remaining cheese mixture and remaining marinara sauce. Top with 4 remaining noodles. Spread Alfredo sauce evenly on top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover; bake 40 minutes. Uncover, bake and addition 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Chocolate + Spinach + Berries???

Both of my parents have a pretty insane habit when it comes to the way they eat their vegetables. They fill a large vita-mix blender with whatever veggies they have. Usually it includes a whole bag of spinach, celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and a can of V8. My Dad has "drank" this entire shake every morning for the last 15 years. my Mom's version includes frozen berries, which helps it go down a little more smoothly. I have tasted, even drank this shake before. 100% of the time my result was either gagging or vomiting. I alway vowed that I preferred to eat my greens in a salad, which I usually valiantly do. Today however, I have come the closest I will ever come to their green shakes. 

Lately I have been blending protein shakes for myself to drink after a workout. I had some frozen berries in my freezer and the last few protein shakes have included a handful of them. YUM! The berries make the mixture a little bit thicker, and made it taste more like a ice-cream shake. I was feeling extra adventurous today and filled my magic bullet blender cup with about two cups of smashed down spinach. I then dropped in 3/4 cup frozen berries, a scoop of protein powder, and 3/4 cups of milk. I blended it for about a full minute all the while wondering how it would taste. The mixture turned out slightly darker shade of purple today, surprisingly not that green. I was preparing for a horrible taste and committed myself that I would drink the shake no matter what, even if it did taste just like my parent's version of the spinach shake. To my surprise, It was still DELICIOUS. It passed the true test, when my three year old volunteered to drink the whole thing. The chocolate protein powder and the berries masked any evidence of a spinach taste. YUM! Now I know, my protein can now be another way to get in a serving of my dark greens!  

3/4 cup milk

2 cups spinach, smashed down

1 serving chocolate protein powder

3/4 cup frozen berries

. . . . blend it up . . . . 

300 calories

36 grams protein

34 grams carbohydrates

Banana Bread

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground cloves
dash of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (approx. 4 bananas)
1/2 bag chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 cups) optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x5 loaf pan (or cupcake pan). In bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashes bananas. Add flour, spices, salt & soda. Stir until just combined. Add choco chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let bread cool slightly before turning onto wire rack.

Asian Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage (sliced thinly/shredded)
3 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges (you can use a small or large can, depending on how much you want)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 pkg Oriental Ramen Soup
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing (add just before serving)
1/2 C Sugar
2/3 C Oil
6 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 packet Oriental Soup Seasoning

Directions:
Combine all items for salad & toss. Just before serving, wisk together ingredients for dressing. Toss together & serve.

If you want to save some of the salad for another day, don't add all the dressing as the salad will get soggy (and you don't want that!) Also, if you want to add some crunch to the salad, top with some of the ramen noodles.