Overnight Coffee Cake

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2/3 c. shortening

2 large eggs

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. butter flavor

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1 Tbsp. hard butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix first 5 ingredients together. In a seperate bowl, cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs, buttermilk, and flavorings to creamed mixture. Stir flour and creamed mixture together. Pour into 9x13 inch greased pan.

Combine ingredients for the topping (except butter and nuts). Sprinkle on top of batter. Place chopped butter ontop of batter, spacing out evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Cover and refridgerate overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 12

*This is a recipe my mom has made since I was a kid. It's always a favorite at family brunches. As you can probably tell by the ingredients, it is NOT a low-fat recipe!

Whole Grain Pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. quick oats

1/4 c. cornmeal

3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 egg, beaten

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, oats, cornmeal, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Pour in buttermilk and egg. Stir just until smooth.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray (not necessary if you use a non-stick surface). Pour batter onto skillet (how much depends on how large you want your pancakes to be). Cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

This is a recipe I found online on www.allrecipes.com .

*I love hearty, nutty breads and baked goods. These pancakes were delicious with peanut butter and a little syrup.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. ground cloves

2 Tbsp cold butter

3 Tbsp milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 c. pumpkin puree

1/2 c. mini-chocolate chips

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp water

In large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter. Stir in milk, pumpkin, and chocolate chips.

Turn onto a well-floured surface. Roll into an 8 inch circle. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and water. Brush over dough. Cut into 8 wedges.

Transfer to a greased baking sheet (or a baking sheet covered in parchment paper). Bake at 400 degrees f0r 15-20 minutes (until cooked through and top is lightly browned).

*This is a recipe I made up with the help of a general scone recipe I found in a cookbook.

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar

In a large bowl mix in oil, chocolate, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, refridgerate for 2-3 hours.

Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet (or use parchment paper). Roll dough into small balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched in the center. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks.

This is a Betty Crocker recipe my mom made during the holidays when I was a kid.

*Tip!!! Roll a bunch of balls first and then do the powdered sugar. Going back and forth for each one is just too messy!

Oreo Truffles

1 lb Oreo cookies (1 pkg)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 lb milk chocolate

1/2 lb white chocolate

1. Using a food processor, grind cookies into a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie crumbs with cream cheese and vanilla until well blended (no traces of cream cheese)

2. Roll into small balls and place on a wax-lined cookie sheet. Refridgerate for 45 minutes.

3. Line 2 cookies sheets with wax paper. In a double-boiler melt the milk chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of the chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on lined cookie sheets.

4. In a seperate double boiler, melt white chocoate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.

5. Store in airtight container, in refridgerator.

This recipe was on Food.com

*As you can see by the picture, I reversed the order of the chocolates. Dipping first in white and drizzling with milk chocolate. After reading a lot of comments about this recipe online, I decided to used almond bark instead of the chocolate. I found it very difficult to work with and would try the chocolate next time instead. Suggests on the recipe also said to try different extracts, or different flavors of oreos (they make peanut butter, and mint ones for sure). I think the mint would be good and may consider trying them again. The recipe also suggested that instead of dipping them, to roll them in candy sprinkles, or cocoa powder, etc.

Cranberry-Cream Cheese Jello Mold

1 1/2 c boiling water
1 (8 serving size) JELL-O cranberry flavor
1 1/2 c. cold water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 granny smith apple (chopped)
1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg (8oz) cream-cheese softened

Make JELL-O as described on package direction, but add 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. Remove 1 c. of the gelatin and set aside. Refrigerate the rest for 1 1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).

Add apples and cranberry sauce to thickened JELL-O; stir gently. Spoon into 6 cup mold sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes of until gelatin is set but not firm. Place cream cheese in another medium bowl. Gradually add reserved 1 cup gelatin, beating with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over gelatin in mold.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Unmold onto serving plate. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

*This recipe comes from the JELL-O website. I used raspberry flavor instead of cranberry as the recipe calls for. I refrigerated the final product overnight to ensure it was firm before serving. Served Thanksgiving 2010.

Easy Turkey Breast

5-7 lb turkey breast (I used a bone-in one)
1 onion cut into large pieces
2 stalks of celery (cut into large pieces)
1 can chicken broth
1 c. white wine

Rub (mix these ingredients together in a small bowl)
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

1. Rinse and dry turkey breast (following directions on wrapper).
2. Rub entire turkey with the rub mixture making sure to get under the skin
3. Spray crockpot with cooking spray or use a crockpot liner (Reynolds makes these)
4. Stuff turkey breast with onion and celery. Use extra to line the bottom of the crockpot
5. Place turkey breast on top of vegetables.
6. Add chicken broth and wine to crockpot (being careful not to wash off the rub)
7. Cook on low 8 hours or until done.

*This was the easiest and best way to make Thanksgiving turkey. I loved having my oven free to use for other things. I only had 6 adults to feed, but we had plenty of turkey for probably twice that many people. I bought a 7.5lb turkey which barely fit in my large crockpot (I think it is a 5 or 6 quart model). I cooked mine for 10 hours, but I think it was probably done in about 8. A boneless breast may require more time.

This recipe is a conglomeration of a few different recipes that I found. I made up the rub on my own, knowing what I had used when I roasted turkeys in the past. I actually didn't measure, so the above measurements are just estimates of what I probably used.

Mashed Potatoes

5 lb potatoes
5 T. butter
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. fresh chives (chopped)

Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until very tender. Drain well. Mash with 3 T. butter. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder, pepper, and 1 T. of the chives. Mix well with electric mixer.

Spoon into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Melt remaining butter, drizzle over the top. Cover and freeze for 1 month, or bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (or until heated through). To use frozen potatoes: thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed.

*This recipe was a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, though it may be from a Taste of Home cookbook. I modified it slightly by adding the chives. I made these potatoes the day before and stuck them in my fridge until I was ready to bake them the next day. Made for Thanksgiving 2010.

Sage and Mushroom Stuffing

2 T. olive oil
1 (8 oz. pkg) mushrooms (diced)
3 stalks of celery (finely diced)
1 medium onion (finely diced)
1 T. fresh sage (chopped)
1 T. fresh thyme (chopped)
2 eggs (beaten)
2 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
3/4 loaf of french bread (cubed in 1 in. cubes)
1/2 loaf of marble rye bread (cubed in 1 in. cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 in pan with cooking spray

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Cook mushrooms, celery, onion, and herbs until vegetables are tender and mushrooms are browned. About 5 minutes.

Whisk together eggs and chicken broth in a large bowl. Add the cubed bread and toss to coat evenly. Stir in the vegetable/herb mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to baking dish and bake loosely covered with foil for 45-55 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time to brown the top.

*This recipe was modified from a recipe I found on the Food Network website. I made it for Thanksgiving 2010.

Green Beans

2 1/2 lb. green beans
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. scallions sliced thin
salt and pepper

1. Steam the green beans until tender
2. In a skillet, melt butter. Add almonds (saute until brown), add scallions (cook until tender)
3. Combine beans with almond/scallion mixture and serve (salt and pepper to taste)

*I've made this for at least two Thanksgiving dinners. I have no recollection of where this recipe came from.

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

1 c. flour
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, seperated, plus 5 egg whites, at room temperature
1 c. canned pure pumpkin puree
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 c. sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and pumpkin puree. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth
2. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 9 egg whites at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. With the machine on, gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 c. sugar; increase the speed to high and beat until stiff but still moist, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add one-quarter of the egg white mixture to the pumpkin batter, folding with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Fold in the remaining egg white mixture in the same way. Pour the batter into a 10 inch tube pan with a removable bottom and bake until springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
4. Let cook in the cake pan for 5 minutes, then invert the pan onto a narrow-neck bottle and let hang upside-down until completely cook, about 1 1/2 hours. Place the cake right side up and remove the pan. To serve, dust with confectioners' sugar.
-Serves 12

*This cake was very easy to make and has a great pumpkin flavor. Mine though fully cooked, had a rather custard-like dense texture. It might be because I couldn't get my egg whites to whip (I think they were too cold).

BONUS!!! It tastes much more unhealthy than it is! (123 calories, 2 g fat, 5 g protein per serving).

Loaded Potato Soup

4 (6 ounce) red potatoes
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/4 c. fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
3 T flour
2 c. 1% milk
1/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 bacon slices, halved
1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 tsp. thinly sliced green onions

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 c. of milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 c. milk. Bring to a boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon. Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon.

This recipe is from Cooking Light 2010.

*This is a SUPER EASY and delicious homemade soup. I did make a couple changes. I didn't have bacon, so I added some ham. I think it gave it a touch of a sweet taste. I also didn't have any green onion. The soup was really good the way I made it, but I think the bacon and green onions would make it AMAZING! I also cooked the potatoes ahead of time (due to a scheduling issue and trying to speed up the process a bit). I just reheated them in the microwave before adding them to the soup.

Hearty Lasagna

1 container (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped
2 links precooked chicken sausage, diced
1/3 c. 2% milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. pasta sauce
8 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425. Mix ricotta, basil, sausage, milk, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt in a bowl.

Spread 1/2 c. pasta sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Lay 2 noodles over the sauce. Cover with 1/4 of the cheese mixture and another 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat with noodles, cheese mixture, and sauce 3 more times and sprinkle the last layer with parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes, until the top is golden.

This recipe is from Cook This, Not That.

All three of us enjoyed this lasagna. It was easy to make and quick in terms of lasagna. It woudl be easy to double if you needed it for a larger crowd. I did make a couple slight modifications. I bought uncooked chicken sausage at Sprouts (2 of them which are quite large). I think I got the "basil" flavored type. Before cooking them I sliced open the casing and just put the meat in a pan to brown. The recipe calls for "Muir Glen Basil Pasta Sauce". I just used what we have on hand, which was Ragu Chunky Garden Vegetable. I also used 1% instead of 2% milk because that is what we have at our house. I recommend the Barilla no-boil noodles. I've used the American Beauty brand for other recipes and think that for this particular one, the Barilla work better due to the fact they are the perfect size for an 8x8 Pyrex glass baking pan when laid side by side.

*Sorry no picture:( I'll try do get one when we eat leftovers!

"Boeuf Bourguignonne" Crockpot Style

2 strips bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c. flour
Salt and Black pepper to taste
2 lb chuck roast, excess fat removed (cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 bottle dry red wine
2 c. low-sodium beef broth
2 T tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 c. frozen carrots
1/2 lb mushrooms

Preheat large skillet or nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. While the skillet is heating, combine flour, salt and pepper (I used about a T of each) in a Ziploc bag. Place meat in the bag and shake to coat.

In the preheated pan, cook the bacon until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside for later. Add the meat to the pan and cook just until all sides are browned. Remove the beef and add to the slow cooker.

When all the beef has been browned, add 1 c. wine to the hot pan and scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Pour over the beef in the crockpot.

Mix the remaining wine, tomato paste, and beef broth. Pour over the beef in the crockpot. Add the bay leaves and bacon pieces.

Set the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 4 hours, until the beef is tender and falls apart when pressed with a fork.

In the last 30 minutes add the carrots and mushrooms. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Serve by itself, or over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

This is a recipe that I modified from my "Cook This, Not That" cookbook. In there it is called "French Pot Roast". The recipe calls for peas and pearl onions, and no carrots. I also modified the directions a bit to make it a bit easier to follow. A person could easily change the vegetables to suit their tastes or to try different flavors.

**My husband and I both really enjoyed this meal. We ate ours with mashed potatoes on the side. The next time I make this I will try cooking on low for 8 hours. The 4 hours on high was great, but it's hard to do that unless you're home. I use my crockpot for the ease of preparing dinner before I leave the house and being able to eat it when I get home. I will sometimes use a timer plugged into the outlet, but that doesn't work with my larger crockpot (since I have to push buttons instead of flipping one switch).

Pesto Chicken Florentine

2 T. Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into strips)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 (4.5oz) pkg dry alfredo sauce mix
2 T. pesto
1 (8oz) pkg dry penne pasta
1 T grated Romano cheese

Directions:
1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute, then add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add spinach and saute together for 3-4 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, boil penne in salted water. Drain when done.

3.While the chicken is cooking, prepare Alfredo sauce according to package directions. When finished, stir in 2 T pesto.

4.Add chicken/spinach mixture to pasta. Stir in pesto/alfredo sauce mixture. Mix well, top with cheese and serve.

This recipe is from the website "allrecipes.com".

My husband and I both loved this (we didn't try to get our 2 year old to eat it, he had pasta with red sauce instead). You pretty much have to get the pasta cooking before starting the chicken. I found that my chicken cooked really fast and I had to wait for the pasta (though I started it at the same time as the garlic/chicken). As soon as the chicken is in the pan, start making the alfredo. This dinner is really quick (less than 30 minutes from start to finish). I happened to have some homemade pesto on hand so I used that. I also didn't buy the romano cheese. I justed used parmesean since I already had some in my fridge. Delicious!

BBQ Pork Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

4 lbs. boneless pork loin roast, fat trimmed
1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. cayenne pepper hot sauce

Sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. molasses
1/4 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. cayenne pepper hot sauce

Place roast in bottom of slow cooker. Combine broth, 1/3c. worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 c. hot sauce. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours (or low for 10 hours) or until roast is tender.

Combine ingredients for sauce in a large bowl; refridgerate until ready to use.

When roast has finished cooking. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsly chop/shred. Add as much sauce as desired. Save extra sauce for serving. Spoon onto rolls of choice.

This recipe is from a cookbook I have called Slow Cooker: Magic in Minutes.

*This recipe is so easy. I've made it MANY times. It makes a lot so we always have leftovers and I usually freeze a good portion of it too. I only mix in some of the sauce because it can be overwhelming and spicy. I've played with the amount of hot sauce that goes into the sauce, but I always seem to make it too spicy for my husband. When you first make it I recommend adding hot sauce gradually until it is to your desired taste.

Sorry no picture for this one yet. I'll try to get one posted when I eat some for leftovers this week!

Meatloaf

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1-1 1/4 lb ground beef
3/4 c. milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small onion
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 c. saltine cracker crumbs

Heat over to 350 degrees. Press the brown sugar into a 5x9in. glass baking dish. Spread ketchup over the top of the brown sugar. Mix all other ingredients together. Form into a loaf and place on top of ketchup. Bake 1 hour or until juices run clear (thermometer reads 160 degrees).

I love meatloaf and found this recipe online. I've become a huge fan of the website allrecipes.com I love how you can search by ingredient. That's how I found the Mexican Casserole recipe that I posted on this blog. I had some ingredients I wanted to use and search them. I also love how the recipes are rated and you can read the reviews and comments. Great site!

My family loved this meatloaf. Meatloaf isn't really that healthy and when you have all that brown sugar it's even less healthy, but it was so good it was worth it!

*Sorry I don't have a picture for this one. My family gobbled it (and the leftovers) up before I could take one.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2 1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 c. (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. coarsly chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8oz) pkg toffee baking bits, divided

Heat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Stir together flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, mixing well. Stir in 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips and the nuts. Reserve 1 1/2 of this crumb mixture. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over partially baked crust. Reserve 1/4 c. toffee bits. Sprinkle the remaining bits over the layer of condensed milk. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining 1/2 c. chocolate chips over the top.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 of toffee bits. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

This recipe comes from the Eagle Brand website (I was looking for a recipe to use up a can of condensed milk).

**These bars a so gooey and yummy! I have a hard time keeping my hands off them!

Cheese Lovers Pasta Roll-Ups

1 egg, beaten

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

2 c. shredded italian cheese blend

4 green onions, chopped

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce, divided (my family loves Ragu Chunky Garden Comination)

16 lasagna noodles
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Mix first 5 ingredients until well blended. Spread 1/2 c. of the pasta sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread each noodle with 3 Tbsp. cheese mixture. Roll each noodle. Place the noodles seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and parmesan. Cover. Bake 40-50 minutes or until heated through. Uncover for the last 10 minutes.

*This recipe comes from the Kraft Food and Family magazine.

**This recipe took me about 30 minutes to put together. I made it a few hours ahead of time and placed it in the refridgerator until I was ready to cook it. The magazine gives directions for refridgerating up to 24 hours or freezing for up to 1 month. Really only difference is that it may take slightly longer to cook and if you freeze it, you need to thaw it before cooking it. A person could easily add ground meat to the cheese mixture if desired. This is a huge dish. Could easly feed a family of 6!

***A note about the roll-ups: Cook the noodles so they are al dente (soft, but still firm). I added some olive oil to the cooking water to keep the noodles from sticking. When I did the roll-ups, I place three noodles on waxed paper and eye-balled the amount of cheese (it came out perfect). I used my fingers to spread the cheese out and then rolled them and placed them in the pan. It worked great!

Mexican Casserole

2 c. diced chicken

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground corriander

2 T. cilantro

1 can black beans (drained)

1 can (4.5 oz) green chilies (drained)

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

8 corn tortillas

2 c. shredded cheese

8 oz. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375. Saute chicken with cumin and corriander. Put into medium bowl. Stir in beans, cilantro, and chilis. Spread 1/2 of the sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 glass baking dish. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat the layers (minus the cheese). COVER and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, dot with sour cream and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 min and serve.

*I found this recipe online when looking for something to use enchilada sauce with (without making actual enchiladas). It was really easy and very yummy. I did not put the sour cream on during the baking process. I also found that it took only a couple minutes for the cheese to melt (not the 5-10 minutes suggested). My family gobbled this up (including my 2 year old).

Quick Pizza Bread Sticks

1 (10 oz) package refridgerated pizza dough
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (8oz) jar pizza sauce, warmed

Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Unroll pizza dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, press the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the butter.

In a small bowl stir together the cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixure over dough. Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 12-inch strips. Cut dough in half lengthwise to make 24 strips.

Bake at 425 for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce. Makes 24 bread sticks.

*My family loved these. My 2 year old liked that he could dip them (anything he can "dip", he loves right now). I didn't have enough Parmesan cheese so I sprinkled on some mozzarella too.

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book.

Baked Ziti

Olive oil spray*

1 (14.5 oz.) box fiber-enriched ziti or penne rigate (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste)

1 (15 oz.) container fat-free ricotta cheese

2 large egg whites

8 oz (4 cups) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt- to taste

Ground black pepper -to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes- to taste

3 1/2 c. Main Event Marinara Sauce (found on previous post)

or other low-sodium marinara

2 T. grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 450. Lightly mist a 13x9x2" ceramic or glass baking dish with the olive oil spray.

Cook the pasta noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 c. of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combine.

Spread 1 c. of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 c. of sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 c. sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan over the top.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon in to bowls and serve. Makes 8 servings.

*The cookbook recommends not using the canned olive oil spray. I have a pump type sprayer that works great. You can find them at Pampered Chef, and other special cooking stores. You may be able to find one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (though I have not found luck there).

**My family loved this recipe. It was so easy to make. I'm sure you could add ground turkey or chicken for some extra protein. If you don't like reduced-fat cheese, used the regular kind...it will just add more fat and calories to the dish.

This recipe is from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook.

Main Event Marinara Sauce

Olive oil spray
1 c. minced yellow or white onion
2 T. minced garlic
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. water
2 T. no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp. honey
1 T. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Salt- to taste (optional)

Spray a medium nonstick saucepan with the olive oil spray ad place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just becoming tender (they should not be brown), 4-6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and with a wooden spoon stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, honey, oregano, basil, and pepper flakes until well combined. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour. Season with salt, if needed.

This recipe comes from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook.

Cappuccino Crinkles

1/3 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T instant coffee granules
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until softened. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the egg whites and yogurt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in the remaining flour.

Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by a teaspoon into sugar and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*This is a low-fat recipie. I found the batter to be rather difficult to work with. It was a bit sticky.

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Toddler Lunch Organization

When I originally decided to write this blog I wanted to not only include easy recipies, but also some tips from my kitchen.



When my son Brayden started his new daycare/preschool after Thanksgiving I had to get used to providing him with breakfast and lunch every day (previously his in-home daycare took care of it). We leave the house by 6:45am and there really isn't time for breakfast at our house (most days I wake him up, get him dresses, and we leave). For breakfast I rotate between waffles, pancakes, and Kashi cereal bars. I make the waffles and pancakes on the weekends and then reheat them and put them in a thermos to take with us. Cereal bars are for days I'm running late, out of waffles or pancakes, of the thermos didn't get washed the night before.



For lunches I pack a veggie, a fruit, and a sandwich. All these things are cut up into bit-sized pieces. The veggies and fruit I must admit are usually from can. He likes the veggies (namely carrots and beans) from a can better than fresh or frozen, and the fruit I buy is in juice (not syrup). If I have fresh fruit that can be cut up and will not get yucky before lunch I'll sometimes pack that instead. However my desire to pack all the lunches (minus the sandwiches) on Sunday cause me to use canned fruit more times than not. Each day has it's own color container to help me remember which containers have which foods in them (so he doesn't eat the same fruit and veggies two days in a row).



I usually not only pack my son's lunches on Sunday, but I also prep my own. I've been on a daily salad kick for a couple years now (strangely enough I never want to eat it at home...it just never tastes as good). I also pack a sandwich and usually some fruit or fruit/yogurt mixture. I make the salad preparations on Sunday and maybe a couple days worth of fruit and yogurt. I don't have a picture of my lunches, but here's what our fridge looks like on Sunday with Brayden's lunches ready to go for the week.

Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole

1 c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves minced

2- 3 1/2 oz bags boil-in-bag brown rice (cooked)

1/3 c. dry white wine

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs*

1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme*

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c fat free, less sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp. whipping cream*

1/3 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Remove rice from bags; add to pan. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon rice mixture in an even layer into a 9x13 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in a single layer over rice mixture; sprinkle evenly with thyme and salt. Combine broth and cream, stirring well; pour over chicken and rice mixture. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

*When I made this: I used fresh rosemary since I grow it in my garden. I also used 3 chicken breasts instead of the thighs, and I used 2% milk instead of the cream (don't use cream much so didn't want to buy a whole thing for a couple Tbsp.)

This recipe was so easy. I will definitely make it again. I'd like to try it with the thyme sometime, but the rosemary tasted great!

Recipe comes from March 2008 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas
1/4 c. plain yogurt
3 T dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. + 1 T flaked sweetened coconut

Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 T fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and butter into a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 c. coconut. Spoon batter into 9 x 5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lime juice, stirring with whisk; drizzle over warm bread.

*The glaze adds a definite citrusy flavor in sharp contrast to the sweetness of the bread. You could easily leave out the lime juice and just mix the powdered sugar with 1 1/2 T water.
**When I made mine, I misread the directions and mixed in the 1 T. coconut with the glaze. That's why the glaze looks a bit "chunky" in the picture. It still tasted great though!

This recipe comes from the September 2007 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.

Rosemary Rolls

7 1/2 T olive oil

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Heat these two ingredients together to a boil. Turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove rosemary from the oil.

4 c. flour*
2 pkg dry yeast

2 T sugar

2 T chopped rosemary

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c. warm water

Activate yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. Combine yeast mixture with flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt to make a dough. Add rest of water and oil. Form into a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic (at least 5 minutes). Pour into oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled plastic. Leave in warm place for 1 hour.

Divide dough into 12 pieces and make balls. Place on 2 oiled baking sheets. Cover loosely and let double (15-30 minutes). If desired, glaze tops with beaten egg at this time. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve warm with butter.

*I added a bit more flour as I was kneading because I found the dough very sticky and hard to work with.

I do not know the exact source of this recipe. I grow rosemary in my garden, so I was looking for a rosemary bread recipe and this is one I found.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

1 1/2 c. multigrain penne pasta uncooked (I like SmartChoice)
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb boneles chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14 1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. (1/4 pkg) neufchatel cheese (I used cream cheese since I had some on hand)
1 c. mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for last minute of cooking.
Cook chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 3 min. Add sauce and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Simmer 3 min or until chicken is done. Stir in neufchatel cheese. Drain pasta mixture. Return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2 qt baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

TIP!!! Cook pasta in a large pot so you have enough room for the spinach and later adding the chicken mixture. I would also suggest at least a 2 1/2 qt baking dish (that's what I used and it was pretty full!)

This recipe is from Kraft Food and Family magazine.

Death By Chocolate (Cake)

1 Devils Food chocolate cake mix
1 (4 oz.) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
2 c. chocolate chips (regular or mini)
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. warm water
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and blend well. Stir chocolate chips into batter. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

This recipe came from my friend Meg (it's her aunt's recipe). I've nicknamed it "Death By Chocolate" because when you eat it, it's like you've died and gone to heaven. If you're a chocolate cake lover, this one is for you!

Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

Mix together

3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

Cream together

1 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

Add to creamed mixture

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 1/2 t. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together. Chill dough for up to 1 hour. Roll our on floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet.

*This is a recipe from my great grandmother on my dad's side of the family. These are great frosted or you can use colored sugar on them before you bake them. As a kid we used to use this recipe to make Christmas cookies. My mom also always made us cookies for our birthdays in the shape of our age. I've been doing the same for my own son.

Oatmeal Waffles

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. quick oats
1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Mix together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, mix together eggs, milk, butter, and brown sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together. Follow directions on your waffle maker to cook the batter.

Modifications: To make these even healthier, I substitute 1/2 c. whole wheat flour for some of the regular flour. I also substitute half of the butter for unsweetened applesauce. I've added ground flaxseed to these in the past as well.

*My mom gave me this recipe. I'm not sure where she got it from. I love these waffles with peanut butter (but then again, that's how I eat most waffles, pancakes, and french toast). My son Brayden loves these waffles with some strawberry preserves on them. I make a big batch and freeze them. They toast up nice for a quick, healthy breakfast (I microwave them for Brayden)

Honey Walnut Bran Muffins

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. finely ground sea salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
6 T. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. All Bran original cereral
1 1/2 c. low fat plain yogurt
1/4 c. finely diced walnut pieces (optional)


Preheat oven to 375. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. In a medium bowl stir together egg, milk, butter, honey, and vanilla. In another medium bowl combine bran cereal and yogurt; let soak for 3 minutes. Add cereal mixture to liquid ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined; batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into 12 paper- lined or greased muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with walnuts (if desired). Bake muffins until tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes. Let muffins cool slightly in pan. Remove muffins from pan to finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter or honey, if desired.



*I've made these muffins several times. I always loved my mom's bran muffins as a kid, but these are healthier. Brayden really likes them too, so I'll sometimes send one to daycare with him for breakfast.

Recipe from a Bashas' Grocery store advertisement.

Mediterranean Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
5 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. diced Italian tomatoes
3/4 c. frozen chopped spinach
1/4 c. feta cheese
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder

*Other than the pie crust and the eggs everything else is pure estimates. I was just dumping stuff in a bowl and mixing.

Unroll the pie crust and press into pie plate (I don't have glass one, so I used a metal one). Following the directions for pressing it into the pan and fluting the edges as given on the package. Place a double layer of aluminum foil into the pie crust so that it covers the crust and the edges. Bake at 450 for 12 minutes. While it is baking, mix together the remaining ingredients. When pie crust is done, remove foil and pour egg mixture into crust. Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean when stuck in the middle.

This is actually a recipe I came up with on my own. Whenever I do this my husband always gets a worried look on his face ( I really can't blame him). Our cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer are in desperate need of restocking. Tonight for dinner I scrounged up some things and made my first quiche...or at least I think that's what you would call it. As I was eating tonight I was thinking of other combinations of things I could substitute for the spinach, feta, and tomatoes. The possibilities are endless. I was also thinking that you could easily make this crustless and probably with egg substitute, therefore making it healthier since both the pie crust and the eggs add a lot of fat to this dish.

Mandi Foster's White Chicken Chili

32 oz chicken stock
3 cans white beans (undrained)
5 c. cooked chicken (rotisserie or boiled)
16 oz salsa
8 oz pepper jack cheese (shredded)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic (minced)
black or white pepper to taste
1/2 c. finely crushed corn chips (optional, if you like your chili thicker)
sour cream (for garnish)

Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot. Cook on high until the cheese is melted. Chili may also be cooked on the stovetop over medium-high heat until cheese is melted. When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.

*This is a recipe I saw on Rachael Ray's 2009 Top Ten show.   I love this recipe.  The flavor reminds me of a much more complicated tortilla soup recipe a friend makes.  When I made this, I did it on the stove, used boiled chicken, and did not add any pepper or crushed chips.  I did serve it with tortilla chips.  My husband would have preferred it to be thicker, so next time I'll try the crushed chips.  I don't really know if they mean regular corn chips (like Fritos) or tortilla chips.  I never buy Fritos, so I would use crushed tortilla chips instead.

Recipe and photo from http://www.rachaelrayshow.com

Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. Crisco shortening

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)*

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 large egg

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. baking soda

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium until well blended. Add egg. Beat until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture on low speed. Drop by round Tbsp 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly and draw a star pattern with the dull edge of a knife. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.

*When made these I ran out of brown sugar. I had read somewhere that you can subtitute white sugar and molasses for brown sugar. I had to do this for about 1/4 c. of the brown sugar. I'm not sure if it was the substitution, or just how these cookies are, but they were fabulously soft and did not get crumbly. I also used Skippy PB instead of Jif because that is what we buy. These are my new favorite peanut butter cookie- sorry mom :(

Recipe and photo from a magazine ad for Jif peanut butter.

Skillet Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef

2 green peppers*

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce

1 2/3 c. water

1/4 c. Italian salad dressing

12 oven ready lasagna noodles (broke into quarters)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

*I am not a big fan of green peppers so I use only 1 small pepper or sometimes less.  I also add a small can of sliced black olives.

Brown meat in large skillet and drain.
Stir in peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water, and dressing. Bring to a boil.  Add noodles.  Stir.  Cover
Cook on medium-low heat 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover.  Let stand 5 minute, or until cheese is melted.

I found this recipe in the Kraft Food and Family Magazine.  I love this magazine and the great recipes it has. 

Recipe and Photo from Kraft Food and Family Magazine