Bare Wooden Spoon

Mushroom Pizza with Sausage

2012-02-26T20:34:00.000-06:00

Pizza can be a great vessel to try new foods and flavors. Tonight I piled on the ingredients my family loves: Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper, and marinara. Then I topped the pizza with a great abundance of mushrooms: white button and portabello. The portobello could be mistaken for meat with its thick tender texture. Our daughters didn't even bat an eye at the amount of mushrooms on their pizza because everything else was the same!

Mushroom Pizza with Sausage

Serves 6

1 pound refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough

Cooking spray

4 ounces ground Italian pork sausage

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 (8-ounce)package presliced white button mushrooms
1 (6-ounce) package sliced portabello mushrooms

1 cup diced red or greenbell pepper

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup lower-sodiummarinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)

1/2 cup (2 ounces)shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) gratedParmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat a pizza stone in a oven set to 450 degrees. (How to create your own pizza oven)

Place dough in a bowl coated withcooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skilletover medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion andmushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté 2 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle cornmeal on parchment; roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Spreadsauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with sausage mixture. Sprinklecheeses over sausage mixture.

Transfer the pizza (with parchment paper) to the baking stone. Bake for 17 minutes or until crust is golden.

Pineapple Salsa, Black Bean & Mango Salsa, and Cobb Salad

2012-02-25T22:33:00.001-06:00

To continue with the Mexican fiesta theme of the Giraffe Birthday Bash, we served 3 different salsas: Pineapple Salsa, Black Bean and Mango Salsa, and Tomato and Cilantro Salsa. The Tomato and Cilantro Salsa was your "typical" tomato salsa. However the other two were new flavor combinations. Since there were many little ones at the party, I kept the salsas mild and put the hot sauce on the side.

Pineapple Salsa

1 large pineapple, skinned, cored, and cut into 1/2"-inch cubes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup loosely-packed, finely choppedcilantro

2 small limes, juiced

Kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Black Bean and MangoSalsa

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained

1 cup choppedripe mango

1 red pepper, chopped

1/3cup chopped red onion

1/3cup chopped cilantro

1 large lime, juiced

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Cobb Salad

Serves 15

4 bunches romaine lettuce, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

12 ounces deli sliced ham, cut into strips

1 (6 ounce) can whole olives, halved

3 different salad dressings on the side

Place lettuce on a large platter. Place toppings over lettuce in rows covering the entire platter. Serve with dressing.

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Sweet Potato Corn Bread and Caramel Toffee Popcorn

2012-02-25T22:33:00.000-06:00

Our baby girl is almost one. To celebrate her birthday, we threw a Giraffe Themed Birthday Bash. The food needed to be kid friendly and this Mexican fare menu was a hit.

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Makes 2 – 9x13 pans

3 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)

3 large onions, chopped
5 cups salsa
2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed anddrained
1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans, rinsedand drained

3/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
6 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
18 flour tortillas (8 inches), cut in half
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn
16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
To serve: sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion overmedium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream,corn, taco seasoning and cumin. Coat 2 – 9x13-inch baking dishes with cookingspray. Spoon a generous layer of meatmixture on bottom of both baking dishes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Place 3 tortillas on top of meat mixture. Layerwith half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat two more times for bothbaking dishes (end with cheese).

The last & final layer should be a healthydose of grated cheese. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Freeze one casserole. Bake the other casserole, covered, for 25minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Top with sour cream.

Sweet Potato Corn Bread

Serves 15

3 large sweet potatoes

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup light-brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup honey

4 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until softwhen pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool. Peel, and discard skins.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan overmedium heat combine cornmeal, milk, butter, brown sugar, spices, salt, and 1cup water. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Letcool.

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Working in batches, if necessary, placecornmeal mixture, sweet potatoes, flour, honey, eggs, and cream in a foodprocessor. Process until smooth; pour into dish. Bake until golden brown, about45 minutes. Serve.

Caramel Toffee Popcorn

3 bags microwave popcorn, popped

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Place popcorn in a LARGE bowl. In a medium pan, combine the butter, brown sugar,corn syrup and salt. Over medium heat, bringto a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure the vanilla and baking soda. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

After 5 minutes of boiling, stir in the vanilla and bakingsoda, making sure there aren’t any clumps. Then, working quickly, pour the caramelmixture over popcorn. Use a large woodenspoon to carefully stir the popcorn, coating it in the caramel. Continue stirringuntil all the popcorn is coated with caramel.

Spread the popcorn onto two cookie sheets. Place in theoven. Bake for 1 hour. Halfway through, turn the popcorn with a spatula andstir it around a bit.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once the popcorn is cooled, you just break it apart andstore it in an air tight container.

Beef and Pea Fried Rice

2012-02-22T20:05:00.002-06:00

Beef and Pea Fried Rice was a home run. The minute my husband took a taste he told me it was a "keeper". This is great news since it is so simple to make!

Beefand Pea Fried Rice

Serves4

8 ounces sirloin steak, slicedinto short, thin strips

3 tablespoons soy sauce

8 green onion, green and white parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2/3 cup chopped red bellpepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped freshginger

2/3 cup frozen peas

3 large eggs, lightlybeaten

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cups frozen cooked white rice, defrosted

Ina medium bowl, toss the beef with 2 tablespoon soy sauce. In a large nonstickskillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook,stirring, for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

Inthe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions, bell pepper and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; stir in thepeas. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs until they begin to set, then stir in thevegetables. Add the egg-vegetable mixture to the beef; stir in the sugar andthe remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

Add the rice,breaking up any clumps, then cook, without stirring, until heated through, 2minutes. Stir in the beef mixture.

Wendy's Chili and BLT Wedge Salad

2012-02-21T21:55:00.001-06:00

Threedays ago, we were on our way to our daughter’s swimming lesson. While at a stoplight, she looked across theintersection and saw McDonald’s. Shetold me she wanted to go there. Inresponse, I asked, “And what would you get at McDonald’s?” She replied, “Orange juice. I love orange juice.” In her world, McDonald’s only serves orangejuice because that is all she has ever gotten there.

We wereon our way home from an event, she started coughing very badly and we neededsomething quick. We went through the drive-thru at McDonald’s and she gotorange juice. Someday, she will discoverthe “vast” menu at McDonald’s. But for now, I am very content knowing that she just loves McDonald’s orangejuice.

If wedo have to rely on fast-food for whatever reason, the option that I approve ofis Wendy’s Chili. A simple recipe thatis healthful as is (unless you pile on the toppings). Top SecretRecipes has provided the clone to this fast-food fare. As you can see, itcombines typical chili ingredients but when tis combination comes together itis more than delicious!

A small serving of chili contains 200 calories, 6 grams of fat, 21 grams carbohydrates and 17 grams of protein. The only item that really stands out is the 875 mg of sodium due to the canned beans and tomatoes. If you need to lower the sodium content, use dry beans (cooked) and fresh garden tomatoes.

Wendy’s Chili (fromTop Secret Recipes)

Serves 12

2pounds ground beef

one29-ounce can tomato sauce

one29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)

one29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)

1 cupdiced onion (1 medium onion)

1/2 cupdiced green chili (2 chilies)

1/4 cupdiced celery (1 stalk)

3medium tomatoes, chopped

2teaspoons cumin powder

3tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2teaspoons black pepper

2teaspoons salt

2 cupswater

Brownthe ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef intopea-size pieces.

In alarge pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to asimmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

(Forspicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper. For much spicier chili, add1/2 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper. And for a realstomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot. Leftovers canbe frozen for several months.)

BLT Wedge Salad

Serves 6

4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup extra-virginolive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 head iceberglettuce, cut into 6 wedges

1 cup cherrytomatoes, quartered

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp,about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.Reserve the drippings.

Make thedressing: Combine the tomatopaste, vinegar, sour cream, shallot, tarragon, sugar and 1 tablespoon bacondrippings in a medium bowl; whisk well. Add the olive oil in a slow stream,whisking until emulsified. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water to make thedressing thin enough to drizzle. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange theiceberg wedges on a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Top with thetomatoes and bacon.

Roasted Curried Butternut Squash Soup

2012-02-21T07:24:00.000-06:00

Butternut squash provides 145% of your daily value of Vitamin A. It is also very high in Vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Now, the trick is to make something so nutritious taste delicious. Growing up, my mother would make butternut squash roasted in the oven with butter and brown sugar. This was very comforting and delicious, but high in fat and sugar.

This fall, I was overcome by the amount of butternut squash that our garden produced. So I prepared this soup and put it in the freezer. Freeze the soup in either gallon or quart size zipper plastic freezer bags. When ready to serve, let defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours then heat in a microwave safe dish. Top with plain yogurt or sour cream.

Roasted Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 8

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium head garlic
6 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place squash halves, cut side up, and onion onto the baking sheet. Wrap the garlic in foil and set with other vegetables. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cooled slightly.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin into a food processor. Scrape the flesh from the squash and place into the food processor along with the roasted onion. Puree until smooth. Add some of the vegetable broth if necessary. Transfer the pureed mixture to a dutch oven or stockpot. Stir in the remaining vegetable broth. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Top with sour cream or plain yogurt if desired.

Chive Biscuits and Easy Root Vegetable Soup

2012-02-20T20:49:00.001-06:00

Myfreezer is full of par-boiled root vegetables from the garden. Turnips, sweet potatoes, and leeks to name afew sit in the freezer waiting to be used. Easy Root Vegetable Soup is quick and easy and utilizes the frozenvegetables perfectly. The turnips add a peppery flavor to the soup making ismore flavorful and the sweet potatoes are sweet and soft. For added nutrition, use whole wheat elbowmacaroni. The extra chewy texture of thewhole wheat noodles will provide the perfect “bite” to this wonderful soup.

Do youhave a box of baking (aka Bisquick) mix in your pantry that you don’t know whatto do with? It isn’t just for makingpancakes and waffles! By adding sourcream and fresh snipped chives, you can turn ordinary biscuit mix into a warmand homemade side dish.

Easy Root Vegetable Soup

Serves 6

1tablespoon olive oil

1-1/4cups cubed sweet potato

1turnip, cubed

1medium leek (white portion only), thinly sliced

5 cups reduced-sodiumchicken broth

1 smallzucchini, halved and sliced

3/4 cupuncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 bayleaf

1/2teaspoon dried basil

1/4teaspoon dried thyme

1/8teaspoon salt

1/8teaspoon pepper

Shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Heatolive oil in a large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, turnip, and leek;stir to coat. Sauté for 6 minutes or until the vegetables crisp tender.

Stir inthe remaining ingredients. Bring to aboil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 12-14 minutes or vegetables andmacaroni are tender, stirring twice. Discard bay leaf.

Spooninto serving bowls. Sprinkle withmozzarella cheese if desired.

Chive Biscuits

Serves 15

3 cupsbiscuit/baking mix

4tablespoons minced chives

2/3 cupwater

2/3 cuplight sour cream

Preheatoven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl,combine biscuit mix and chives. Stir in water and sour cream just untilmoistened.

Scoopout batter (small ice cream scoop size) and drop onto a baking sheet coated withcooking spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Spiced Salmon and Candy Heart Pizza

2012-02-19T21:00:00.003-06:00

A simple salmon recipe perfectly paired with a vegetable and bread. Bring the leftover salmon to work the next day. But instead of smelling up the break room, serve over salad greens with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Even though Valentine's Day has passed, your Valentine may still appreciate a special treat. This Candy Heart Pizza is better than any boxed chocolate (and cheaper too).

Spiced Salmon

Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Dash of kosher salt

Dash of ground red pepper

4 (6-ounces each) skinless salmon fillets

Cooking spray

Preheat the broiler. In asmall bowl, combine the ginger and the next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Rubspice mixture evenly over salmon. Place fillets on a broiler pan or bakingsheet coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil; broil 7 minutes. Remove foil;broil an additional 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

Candy Heart Pizza

Makes 1 3/4 pounds candy

1 1/2cups milk chocolate chips

1 cupbutterscotch chips

3/4 cupminiature marshmallows

3/4 cupchopped salted peanuts

3/4 cupcrushed potato chips

2tablespoons flaked coconut

1/4 cupM&M's

2tablespoons vanilla chips

1/2teaspoon shortening

Using apencil, draw a 10-inch heart on a waxed paper. Trace line with a blackmarker. Place paper, marker side down, ona baking sheet; set aside.

In alarge microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir untilsmooth. Stir in the marshmallows, peanuts and potato chips. Immediately spreadon prepared pan into heart shape. Sprinkle with coconut; top with M&M's.

In amicrowave, melt vanilla chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle overtop. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove waxed paper. Let stand for 10 minutesat room temperature before cutting.

Greek Flatbread Pizzas and Mini Snickers Cheesecakes

2012-02-17T21:38:00.001-06:00

Make-your-own-pizza night is always a hit with the family. But I like to throw in a curve ball once in awhile to add new flavors and nutrition. Mixing it up is great for kids - how many times have you been to a restaurant and when the child tastes his meal, he says, "This doesn't taste like macaroni and cheese." By mixing up recipes, ingredients, methods, kids will get used to variety. Not a brand name.

When you make Greek Flatbread Pizzas, set out all the ingredients, have each family member top their own pizza. Encourage sampling a little of everything. Since I was at music class with the baby, my husband and oldest daughter assembled and baked the pizzas. I left a list of what I wanted on my pizza (everything!). When I returned home to dinner on the table, I was pleasantly surprised to see our daughter had the exact same pilings. When she tasted the artichoke hearts she said they tasted weird. But continued to eat them. I guess weird to a 4-year-old is a good thing? She also prepped the baby's pizza. She loved everything on there and ate the black olives first, them wanted more.

As a special treat, Mini Snickers Cheesecakes are a fun dessert. Kids can mix the crust and shaped into the muffin tins. Then they can pile on the snickers before baking.

Greek Flatbread Pizzas

Serves 4

4 wholeflatbread rounds (6 inches)

1 cup pizzasauce

1/2 cupwater-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered

1 1/2cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

1 1/2cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cupcrumbled feta cheese

1 smallgreen pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 cupthinly sliced red onion

1/4 cupsliced black olives

3tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4teaspoon pepper

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. Place flatbreadrounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread each flatbread with pizza sauce. Top with remaining ingredients.

Bakefor 8-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Mini Snickers Cheesecakes (from Six Sisters' Stuff)

Serves 12

2 cups chopped Snickers Bars
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
2 (8 ounces each) packages softened cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 tablespoon caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chopped Snickers Bars into a bowl, set aside. Placegraham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter into a mixing bowl to combine.

Spoon a couple spoonfuls of crumbs into each section of the muffin pan andpress down and up the sides. Bake for 5-6 minutes or just until browned. Removefrom oven.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar untilsmooth and creamy. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined, scraping sidesof bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in caramel sauce until well combined.

Pour about 1/4 cup of cheesecake mixture over each bakedcrust then top evenly with chopped Snickers. Bake for 23-26 minutes or untilcheesecake edges are just starting to brown and centers are nearly set. Removeand let cool completely. While still warm, loosen all edges with a plasticknife to make for easier removal from pan. Refrigerate once cooled.

Hot Ham and Spinach Baked Potatoes

2012-02-16T20:43:00.001-06:00

Some of the best mealsare simple – a few ingredients and little prep. Hot Ham and Spinach Baked Potatoes is just that. The potatoes will bake while you tend toother items on your agenda or you can even bake ahead of time and warm in themicrowave at dinner time. Serve withpremade soup (seeprevious post) and your meal is complete.

And with all the extra time you will have, you can do this...

Hot Ham and Spinach Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

4 large russetpotatoes

2 tablespoons oliveoil plus more for brushing

2 tablespoonsall-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 bunch spinach,roughly chopped

4 thin slices ham(about 3 ounces), cut into strips

Pinch of cayennepepper

Pinch of freshlygrated nutmeg

Kosher salt

4 ounces shreddedParmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to400 degrees. Brush potatoes with olive oil. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil. Place on the oven rack. Bake 1hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat 2tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour andcook until slightly toasted. Gradually whiskin the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, whiskingoccasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 6 minutes. Stir in thespinach and ham and cook until the greens wilt and the mixture is about asthick as sour cream, 3 to 4 more minutes. Season with the cayenne and nutmegand add salt to taste.

Slice the cookedpotatoes lengthwise down the middle (but not all the way through) and squeezeon the ends to open. Divide the spinachmixture among the potatoes and top with the shredded cheese while still hot.

Valentine's Brownies

2012-02-14T21:26:00.001-06:00

The family got to choose their Valentine's Day dinner of choice. Everyone wanted Kung Pao Chicken. I used the recipe from our Christmas Eve dinner. For a special treat, I made Valentine's Brownies this weekend and stored them in the refrigerator in the Lock N Lock Rectangular Container with Handle. It is the perfect size to fit all the decorated brownies and fit perfectly in the refrigerator. The cherry chips give these fudge brownies a sweet note.

Kung Pao Chicken
Serves 4-6

See previous post

Valentine’sBrownies

Serves20

4sticks unsalted butter

1 poundsemi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoonsinstant coffee granules

7 largeeggs

2 tablespoonsvanilla extract

2 1/4cups granulated white sugar

1 1/4cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoonbaking powder

1teaspoon salt

12ounces cherry chips

1tablespoon shortening

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. Line a 12x18x1-inch pan with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray withflour (I used Pam with flour).

In amicrowave-safe bowl, heat the butter and chocolate until smooth and melted,stirring occasionally. Coolslightly.

In alarge bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla and sugar. Stirthe egg mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Cool to roomtemperature.

In amedium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and then add tobatter. Pour into prepared baking pan.

Bakefor 25 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanwith a few crumbs attached. Let coolcompletely, then cover tightly and chill overnight.

Using acookie or brownie cutter, cut brownies into desired shapes.

In asmall microwave-safe bowl, combine the cherry chips and shortening.

Heat until smooth and melted, stirring occasionally. Dip the chilled brownie cut-outs into cherrymixture. Set the brownies on a piece ofparchment paper until frosting hardens.

Radiatore with Sausage & Tomatoes and Bibb Lettuce Salad with Apples & Raisins

2012-02-13T20:29:00.000-06:00

Got a call at work. Baby throwing up...but no fever. Left work early to get her. Hit debris in the road... but a Tires plus was at next exit. Blew side wall. Didn't have my tire in stock... but put on my spare at no charge. Called our mechanic in town. Didn't have tire.... but could get it delivered in 2 hours. Took the girls to gymnastics. Went to mechanic. Price of tire went up considerably (since we put them on in Sept 11)... but gave to us at cost. Any one who says the "but" in a sentence is bad, needs to have a day like I did today.

So, when it came time for dinner, I was in not mood to test out the rest of my luck. I needed something good, fast, and family friendly. Pasta is the perfect familyfood. It cooks quickly and you can addanything to it and make it a meal. And,pasta comes in many shapes and colors so you can make any dish a fun andexciting adventure! Radiatore reminds meof ribbon – curly and wavy. The grovesin the pasta hold the sauce and keep a slight bite.

Radiatore with Sausage and Tomatoes

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped

8 ounces hot or sweetItalian sausage, removed from casings

1 15-oz. candiced tomatoes, with juice

Salt

12 ounces radiatore pasta, uncooked

2 large handfuls baby spinach
Shredded Parmesan, optional

Warm oil in a medium skillet overmedium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Addsausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until it loses its pinkcolor, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and 1/4 tsp. salt andcook, stirring occasionally, until most of juice has evaporated and sauce hasthickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, let wilt. Remove from heat.

While sauce is cooking, bring alarge pot of salted water to boil. Stir in pasta and cook according to packagelabel directions. Drain, returnto pot and toss with sauce. Serve immediately, with shredded Parmesan on theside, if desired.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Apples and Raisins

Serves 4

2 cups butter lettuce mix

2medium Red and/or Golden Delicious apples, chopped

1/4 cupolive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or elderberry vinegar

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1/2 cupcrumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup raisins

In asalad bowl, combine the lettuce and apples. In a small bowl, whisk the oil,vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzleover salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and raisins. Serveimmediately.

Ham & Swiss Chard Egg Bake and Baked Chocolate Frosted Long Johns

2012-02-12T21:16:00.004-06:00

When Iadd vegetables to a meal, I highlight them. Not hide them. I believe kidsneed to know what they like and they don’t. If you hide vegetables, they will never learn how each vegetable looksor how they taste. They may discoversomething they really enjoy.

Vegetablescan be served in many different ways. Ifyou child doesn’t care for cooked carrots, try adding some honey, or a sweetand sour sauce. Or raw with ranchdip. Just because they don’t like thevegetable tonight, doesn’t mean they won’t like it tomorrow if prepared adifferent way.

The Hamand Swiss Chard Egg Bake was a hit with the family – all the way from the babyup to the husband (and the dog thoroughly enjoyed the baby’s scraps). The baby even asked for more. The Swiss chard adds color, moisture,texture, and nutrition.

If leftovers remain, store them in the Lock N Lock Simple & Easy Square Container. Air-tight, easy to clean, easy to open, and microwave-safe - the perfect storage ware.

Cravinga donut but don’t want to work out 5 hours tomorrow? Try the Baked ChocolateFrosted Long Johns. Not quite Dunkin’Donuts, but they certainly hit the spot. And for only 291 calories and 9 grams of fat, they are much lighter thanthe donut store version.

Ham and Swiss Chard Egg Bake

Serves 12

1 largeonion, chopped

1teaspoon butter

1teaspoon olive oil

5medium leaves Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves finely chopped

2 cupsegg substitute

1 cuplight sour cream

1/3 cupchopped fresh Italian parsley

1 1/2cups cooked, diced ham (about 7 ounces)

2 1/2 cupsgrated sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheatoven to 400 degrees. In a medium-sizeskillet, sauté the onion in the butter and olive oil until soft andtranslucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until just wilted, about 1minute. Let cool.

In abowl, combine the egg substitute, sour cream, parsley, ham, chard mixture, and2 cups of the cheese.

Pourthe mixture into a greased 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish. Bake until it has set, about 45 minutes Checkafter 35 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting to dark.

Sprinklethe casserole with the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about3 minutes.

Baked Chocolate Frosted Long Johns

Serves 8

2 cupsall-purpose flour

1/2 cupsugar

2teaspoons baking powder

1/2teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

3/4 cupskim milk

1tablespoon butter, melted

1teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cupsemisweet chocolate chips

1tablespoon butter

4-1/2teaspoons skim milk

Preheatoven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl,combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl,whisk the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just untilmoistened.

Pourbatter into eight 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 mini loaf pans coated with cookingspray. Bake for 20-24 minutes or untilgolden brown. Immediately remove frompans to a wire rack to cool completely.

To makethe glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe dish. Add milk; stir until smooth. Dip tops ofdoughnuts in glaze. Return to wire rack; let stand until set.

Sweet Potato Egg Cup

2012-02-11T20:03:00.000-06:00

Our oldest daughter loves to make her own egg sandwich for a weekend breakfast. I prepare an egg, place some shredded cheese in a little cup on the side, and provide her with a toasted English muffin. She gets to "construct' her sandwich any way she wishes.

For the baby, I prepare her "specialty weekend egg" by using up some of her remaining sweet potato puree. This is a great way to incorporate one more serving of vegetables into the her daily repertoire.

Sweet Potato Egg Cup
Serves 1

1 large egg
1 ounce frozen sweet potato puree

In a microwave-safe ramekin coated with cooking spray, heat the frozen sweet potato cube on high for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave. Crack one egg into the ramekin and using a fork, beat the egg into the sweet potato puree until combined. Return the ramekin to the microwave and heat on high power for an additional 45 seconds or until the egg is completely set and cooked (you may wish to cover the dish with a paper towel or plate cover to avoid splattering).

Chicken Rustica, Sweet Wheat Berry Salad, and Peanut Butter Bars

2012-02-09T20:02:00.000-06:00

No time for a meal prepared in a skillet? Use your slow cooker. Many meals that were meant to be baked or sauteed can be converted into a slow cooker meal. This Chicken Rustica can also be made on the stove top if you prefer. Our 11-month old baby loved this dish!

Wheat berries are a forgotten source of fiber and protein. When cooked, wheat berries retain a slight crunch. This salad has a great assortment of fruits and flavors. Another great finger food option for toddlers.

And for the grand finale - chewy peanut butter bars. Yum. Enough said.

Chicken Rustica

Serves 4

1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 (3 ounce) jar sliced black olives, drained
1 jar tomato and basil spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Seasonchicken with salt and black pepper. Place in the bottom of a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Top with sliced onion, artichoke hearts and olives. Pour the spaghetti sauce and chicken broth over the top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cover and set on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in basil.

Place cooked chicken on serving plates, top with sauce. Sprinkle with basil.

Sweet Wheat Berry Salad (from Relish)

Serves 8

Salad:

2 cups uncooked wheat berries

1 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

1 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup finely chopped parsely

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup ginger ale

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl, pour at least 2 inches of water over wheat berries. Cover and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain well.

In a medium saucepan, bring 7 cup s of water to a boil. Add wheat berries. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked. Drain and let cool.

Transfer cooked wheat berries to a large bowl. Add pumpkin seeds, apples, apricots, cranberries and parsley.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well. Add to salad ingredients and mix well.

PeanutButter Bars

Serves 36

1 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup butter, softened

1-1/3 cups white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dishwith cooking spray.

In a medium bowl,cream together peanut butter and butter. Gradually blend in the brown sugar,white sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder,and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

Bake for 30 to 35minutes in preheated oven, or until the top springs back when touched. Cool,and cut into 32 squares.

Pork with Blackberry Herb Sauce

2012-02-08T19:45:00.001-06:00

This meal surprised me. Not only was the Pork with Blackberry Herb Sauce delicious but the entire family asked for seconds. Even the baby in the highchair signed "more". Now that is what I call a successful meal.

Pork with Blackberry Herb Sauce

Serves 4

1garlic clove, minced

1teaspoon pepper

1/2teaspoon salt

1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper

4boneless pork loin chops (6 ounces each)

2 cupsfresh blackberries

1/4 cuppacked brown sugar

2tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2teaspoons butter

1/4teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl,combine the garlic, pepper, salt and cayenne; sprinkle over pork.

In alarge ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray, brown pork chops. Bake,uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until ameat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove pork and keep warm.

In thesame skillet, add the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heatuntil thickened, about 8 minutes. Serve with pork.

Italian Pork Chops and Grandma's Molasses Cookies

2012-02-07T20:09:00.005-06:00

MyGreat-Grandma Gladys was the model homemaker. She raised four children (all less than 1 year apart), was her husband’sright-hand man on the working farm, cooked and cleaned. I don’t think there was anything she couldn’tdo. Every year for my birthday, shewould make me a large batch of molasses cookies. Her molasses cookies were her signature treatand could not be replicated no matter how hard I tried. Even with the recipe in hand, I couldn’tmimic the soft, chewy, yummy texture of this treat. It may have something to do with cooling thecookies on paper bags, pushing the rolled balls down ever so slightly with asugared juice glass, or the love she put into each cookie.

Therecipe below is not Grandma’s recipe that she used. However, it produces acookie that tastes just like the one’s she made me when I was young. “It doesn’t matter how you get there, just soyou end up at the same place.” GrandmaGladys has been gone for several years now. I wish she was still here so we could sit at the kitchen table togetherwith a glass of milk and molasses cookies so her great-great granddaughterscould hear the stories she once told me about The Farm.

Fordinner, I served Italian Pork Chops – the second batch from Freezer CookingDay. With a simple shake in the crumbmixture and into the skillet, dinner was done!

Grandma’s Molasses Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

1-1/2cups butter, softened

2 cupssugar

2 eggs

1/2 cupmolasses

4-1/2cups all-purpose flour

4teaspoons ground ginger

2teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2teaspoons ground cinnamon

1teaspoon ground cloves

1/4teaspoon salt

3/4 cupcoarse sugar

Preheatoven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl,cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses.Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; graduallyadd to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shapeinto 1-inch balls and roll in coarse sugar.

Place on an ungreased baking sheetlined with parchment paper. With a juice glass, press down on the dough ball lightly.

Bake for13-15 minutes or until tops are cracked. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Italian Pork Chops

Serves 6

Seeprevious post

Chicken Chop Suey

2012-02-06T20:07:00.001-06:00

An easy meal when you are in the mood for Chinese - without ordering take-out. You can also substitute ground turkey. Simple, but flavorful, this meal should appeal to everyone.

Chicken Chop Suey

Serves 5

1 poundlean ground chicken

1/2 cupchopped onion

1 can(10-1/2 ounces) chicken broth, divided

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 (8ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1tablespoon fresh minced ginger

1 (14ounce) can bean sprouts, drained

2tablespoons cornstarch

2tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Hotcooked white or brown rice, optional

In anonstick skillet or wok, cook chicken and onion over medium heat until chickenis no longer pink; drain. Add 1 cup broth and next four ingredients. Bring to aboil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until celery istender.

Addbean sprouts. Combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, hoisin, and remaining broth; stir intochicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or untilthickened. Serve over rice if desired.

Football Macaroni & Cheese and Goal Post Zucchini

2012-02-05T20:02:00.000-06:00

Although I am not a football fan, doesn't mean we can't celebrate the Super Bowl! Any excuse to buy themed paper plates and make fun shapes out of food! Since my husband was attending a Super Bowl party at a friend's house, it was up to the girls and me to carry out the football theme. With football paper plates, mac and cheese in the shape of footballs, a ham and tomato scoreboard, and zucchini goal posts. (Yes, I mis-shaped the goal post. Luckily, our daughter had already eaten hers before she could compare it to the one on TV.)

This meal is perfect for baby. The mini shells are just the right size for finger food and the zucchini is easily cut into bite-size pieces. Don't worry about the hot sauce addition, baby won't even notice.

Football Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6

1 pound mini shells

4 tablespoonsbutter, cut into cubes
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 oz. mild cheddar cheese, grated
1 splash hot sauce

In alarge saucepan, cook mini shells according to package directions; drain.

In amicrowave-safe measuring glass, heat milk in the microwave for 2 minutes oruntil hot.

Meanwhile,in a 4-quart pot, cook butter and onions over medium heat until onions becomesoft and translucent. Add flour and cook, continually stirring, for about 2minutes. Add hot milk, whisking thoroughly to avoid any clumping.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat tomedium-low heat and whisk often to prevent burning. When milk has thickened,add nutmeg, and simmer about 5 minutes while continuing to whisk periodically.

Stir incheddar cheese. Simmer an additional 2 minutes and add hot sauce. Stir incooked pasta.

Goal Post Zucchini

Serves 4

1 mediumzucchini, cut into matchsticks

1/4 to 1/2teaspoon Jerk seasoning

Oliveoil

Saltand pepper

Preheatoven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheetlined with aluminum foil, lay zucchini sticks in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly withsalt, pepper and Jerk seasoning. Lighttoss to coat.

Bakefor 20 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. On a serving plate, arrange in the shape of a football goal post.

Blueberry Flax Pancakes, Enchilada Lasagna, Party Sausages, and Hot Wing Dip

2012-02-04T21:06:00.002-06:00

What does pancakes with flax, lasagna with tortillas and picante sauce, hot wing dip and cocktail sausages have in common? Poker night! I made the lasagna, dip, and sausages for the boys. Our oldest daughter requested pancakes for our "fun dinner night". To ensure we weren't just eating empty calories, we added flax seed meal and blueberries to the pancakes. Surprisingly, both girls asked for more!

The Enchilada Lasagna was an instant hit. Since I made such a large pan, I was expecting at least half (if not more) remaining. After 30 minutes I went downstairs to check on the food and only a few slices were left in the pan.

The Hot Wing Dip and Party Sausages are perfect poker night foods because they can hang out in the slow cooker and the guys and nosh on them all night long!

Enchilada Lasagna

Serves 16

2 1/4pounds ground beef

1 largeonion, chopped

2garlic cloves, minced

2 (141/2 ounces each) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 (10ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 cup picantesauce

2teaspoons ground cumin

2 eggs,beaten

1 1/4 cup4% cottage cheese

3 cups(12 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

8 flourtortillas (8 inches), cut in half

1 cup(4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In alarge skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat isno longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, picante sauce andcumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl,combine eggs and cottage cheese; set aside. Spread a third of the meat sauceinto a greased 14-inch baking or roasting pan. Layer with half of the cheese blend, tortillas, cottage cheese mixtureand remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Coverand bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Letstand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Party Sausages

Serves 16

1 pound cocktailwieners

1 (8 ounce) jar grapejelly

1 (8 ounce) jar yellowmustard

In a medium saucepanover medium heat, mix the grape jelly and mustard. When the mixture begins tobubble, stir in the cocktail wieners. Reduce heat and simmer until serving.

Hot Wing Dip

Makes 4 1/2 cups

2 cupsshredded cooked chicken

1package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

2 cups(8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cupranch salad dressing

1/2 cupLouisiana-style hot sauce

Tortillachips

In a3-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, saladdressing and hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours or until cheese ismelted. Serve with chips and/or celery. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Blueberry Flax Pancakes

Serves 8

3 cups dry pancake mix

1 cup flax seed meal

2 cups skim milk

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups fresh or thawedfrozen blueberries

Heat griddle to 375degrees. In a medium bowl, stir togetherthe pancake mix and flax seed meal. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisktogether the milk, eggs and cinnamon. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients,and stir just until moistened. Gentlyfold in blueberries.

Spoon 1/4 cupfuls ofbatter onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, thenflip and cook until browned on the other side.

Teriyaki Pork Stir-fry with Cabbage

2012-02-02T20:32:00.000-06:00

Our daughter loves to play "chef". So tonight when I asked her to whisk the sauce while I added the ingredients, she was more than willing. After I added all the ingredients to the bowl and walked away to prepare the other ingredients, she continued to play chef by reaching for additional imaginary ingredients on the counter and adding them to the bowl. Then she reached for the real container of Yo Baby peach yogurt that I was going to give to the baby as part of her dinner. With the lid partially opened, she grabbed the yogurt and shook the container as if to add a "dash of this and a dash of that". With that, a large glop of peach yogurt fell into the sauce. After my initial, "NOOOOO!" as if in slow motion, I realized, hey - she may be on to something. I have to say, it did provide a nice element of subtle sweetness. And with that, a new ingredient for this recipe was born.

TeriyakiPork Stir-fry with Cabbage

Serves 6

1 1/3 cupreduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1/2 cupreduced-sodium soy sauce

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons honey

4teaspoons minced garlic

1tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips

1tablespoon canola oil

2 cupsfresh broccoli florets

4 ounces baby carrots, halved lengthwise

3celery ribs, sliced

4 cupsshredded cabbage

6 greenonions, sliced

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup peach yogurt (optional)

Hotcooked brown rice, optional

In asmall bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes if using. In large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry pork in oilfor 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

In thesame pan, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in 1/4 cup of the sauce for 2 minutes. Addcelery; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and green onions; stir-fry 2-3minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combinecornstarch and remaining broth until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Bringto a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Return pork to the pan; heat through.Serve with rice if desired.

Southwest Frittata and Cinnamon Rolls 911

2012-02-01T20:57:00.000-06:00

TonightI got home from work, looked at what was on the menu for dinner and thought,“Nah, not tonight.” After a long day atwork, two tired kids, and a tired husband, we all needed something warm andcomforting. Cinnamon Rolls. But with the dinner hour ticking away andlittle tummies growling, the cinnamon rolls needed to be fast. Cinnamon Rolls 911 can be ready in under 30minutes from start to finish. And sincethey cook in a muffin tin, they cook quickly and are pre-portioned!

SouthwestFrittata is the perfect pairing for the cinnamon rolls. This meatless main dish bursts with color andhas a slight kick to make an ordinary egg extraordinary.

To keephungry kids at bay, enlist their help in the kitchen. Tonight, our daughter spread the filling overthe cinnamon roll dough and then helped me write my weekend grocery list.

Southwest Frittata

Serves 8

8 eggs

2tablespoon fat-free milk

1/2teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2teaspoon pepper

1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper

1yellow onion, chopped

1 greenpepper, chopped

2cloves garlic, minced

2teaspoons olive oil

2 largetomatoes, chopped

1/4 cupsliced ripe black olives, drained

1/2 cupshredded Mexican cheese

In asmall bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, mustard, pepper and cayenne; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat,cook the onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomato andolives; heat through.

Writing the grocery list as I chop vegetables.

Pouregg mixture over vegetables.; reduce heat to medium-low. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncookedportion flow underneath. When eggs are near set, sprinkle with cheese. Cover,and cook until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

Cinnamon Rolls 911

Serves 12

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. Grease one 12-cupmuffin pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour,sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the1/4 cup of the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well inthe middle and pour in the milk. Mix until blended.

Turn dough out onto a floured surfaceand knead 8 to 10 times. Roll dough out into a 12x7-inch rectangle. Trim off any uneven edges.

Cream the remaining 1/4 cup butter andthe brown sugar, stir in the ground cinnamon. Spread the mixture evenly overthe dough.

Starting at the short end roll the doughup (jelly roll style) and cut into 12 pieces. Place 1 each in the muffin pans.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit inpans for 10 minutes then invert to remove.

Spinach Salad with Black Beans & Pineapple and Chicken Enchilada Pizza

2012-01-31T20:34:00.000-06:00

I want pizza! I want Mexican! Now you can satisfy everyone - Chicken Enchilada Pizza comes pizza and Mexican flair. And the cheese stuffed crust will please those who can't decide what they want. Our daughter cut the string cheese for me while I was preparing the other ingredients. Using a plastic knife for kids, she carefully sliced along the string cheese, keeping her fingers back. Of course, some string cheese just happened to break off so she had to eat it right away.

Spinach Salad with Black Beans and Pineapple is a simple throw-together salad that is light and refreshing. The black beans sneak in a nice amount of fiber and the pineapple provides kid appeal.

Spinach Salad with Black Beans and Pineapple

Serves 6

6 cupsfresh baby spinach

1 (151/2 ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

1 (15ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cupprepared light balsamic vinaigrette

In alarge bowl, combine the spinach, pineapple, beans, peppers and cheese. Drizzlewith vinaigrette; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Serves 6

1 loaf(1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed (Iused Wildtree Whole Wheat Crust mix)

4 pieces string cheese

2/3 cupchopped onion

1tablespoon canola oil

2 cupscubed cooked chicken

1 (4ounce) can chopped green chilies

2tablespoons taco seasoning

1/4 - 1/2 cupenchilada sauce
1 (3.8 ounce) can sliced black olives

1 cup shreddedMexican cheese blend

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. On a lightlyfloured surface, roll dough into a 15-inch circle. (You can also prepare on a lightly floured pizza peel and then transfer directly onto pizza stone.) Transfer to a 14-inch pizza pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Cutstring cheese in half lengthwise; place around edge of pan.

Fold excess doughover string cheese; pinch to seal. Prick dough thoroughly with a fork. Bake for5 minutes.

Meanwhile,in a large skillet, sauté onion in oil for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add thechicken, green chilies and taco seasoning; cook 2-3 minutes longer or untilheated through.

Spreadenchilada sauce over crust. Sprinkle with chickenmixture; top with Mexican cheese and olives. Bake 18-20 minutes longer or until cheese ismelted and crust is golden brown.

“By George” Brownies and Kielbasa Chili

2012-01-30T21:11:00.001-06:00

“By George I think I’ve found it!” My husband’s dessert of choice is brownies. Not cakey brownies, not frosted brownies, notchewy brownies, and not minty brownies. Just pure yummy gooey brownies. Unfortunately, I have tried and tried to find the perfect combination ofingredients that would create his perfect brownie. And every time, I was “close”. Until now. These rich (but not too rich), gooey (but not too gooey), chewy (but nottoo dense), moist (but not cakey) brownies are exactly what he ordered.

The key may be to weighing the key ingredients – the flour and chocolate. Scooping flour into a 1 cup measuring cup mayseem accurate, but just measuring 1 cup can give you different amounts of flour– every time. It is due to how dense theflour is packed into the measuring cup. Toensure you have the right amount of flour – the best way is to weigh it.

I scrapbook and have A LOT of die cuts leftover from several years ago (when die cuts were popular). One way to use them without wasting them is to use them as brownie stencils! Place the die cut over the brownie and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Remove the die cut and voila!

I stored the brownies in the Lock N Lock Bisfree retangular container with handle. Clear like glass but non-breakable and dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe. And, best of all, they are BPA free!

On a "lighter" note, tonight there was no time to make dinner. So, instead of canceling dinner, I put the Kielbasa Chili from our last freezer cooking day in the refrigerator in the morning before work (this is the second time we have included it on our freezer cooking day menu!). Then, during a short 15 minute layover at home between work and activities, I poured the defrosted soup into the slow cooker and set it on high. When we returned home two hours later the chili was hot and ready for dinner!

“By George” Brownies

Serves 8

4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

3 ounces semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

1 large egg
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Weighflour and pour into a medium size bowl. Add cocoa and salt. Stir with awhisk.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and chocolate chips on 100%power for 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir until smooth, and setaside. Cool slightly. To the butter and chocolate mixture, add 1 cup sugar, milk,vanilla extract, egg yolks, and egg; stir with a whisk to combine.

Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir untilcombined. Pour batter into an 8-inchsquare metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or untila wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.

Dust with powdered sugar is desired.

Lock N Lock Bisfree container. So clear!

Kielbasa Chili
Serves 6

See previous post

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2012-01-28T20:05:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness for freezer meals. This morning I pulled the Chicken Cordon Bleu from the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator. After a busy day, I threw it in the oven and let cook for almost an hour. Dinner's done!

Due to the ingredient composition of condensed soups, I typically eliminate them from our pantry. However, in honor of time and group freezer cooking, we must resort to "quick prep" ingredients. Once a year should be just fine.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Serves 6

6 smallchicken breasts

6sliced Swiss cheese

2 canscream of chicken soup

1/4 cupwater

6slices ham

1 1/2cups bread crumbs

2tablespoons butter

Lightlyspray foil pan with cooking spray. Evenly arrange chicken in the bottom of thepan. Placeone slice of Swiss on each chicken breast. Combine cream of chicken soups andwater and pour over chicken evenly. Place a slice of ham on each chicken breast.Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the top. Drizzle melted butter over breadcrumbs. Cover with foil and label with cooking instructions. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Thaw in fridge for about 24 hours. Bakethawed entree uncovered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes.Internal temperature should reach 180 degrees.

Chicken Almondine with Apricot Glaze

2012-01-27T20:35:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the best things in life are simple. Take Chicken Almondine with Apricot Glaze for example. A few simple ingredients from the pantry can create an elegant and delicious main dish. Even the baby loved the sweet chicken (I left a section of the chicken without almonds for her portion).

The leftovers make the perfect to-go lunch. I packaged the leftover chicken and carrots in the Lock N Lock Boroseal container. Perfect for the lunch box because it is microwave safe and with the four locks on the lid, there are no leaks! You could even cut up the cold chicken and use as a salad topping.

Chicken Almondine with Apricot Glaze

Serves 6

1 cupapricot jam

3tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2tablespoons finely chopped onion

4teaspoons cider vinegar

1teaspoon Dijon mustard

6boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

1/2 cupsliced almonds

1tablespoon butter, melted

Preheatoven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl,combine the first five ingredients; set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce. Place chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dishcoated with cooking spray and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.

Sprinklealmonds over chicken; drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutesor until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Serve with reserved apricot sauce.

Baby's Almond-free section

Ready for lunch in the Lock N Lock Boroseal container

Chicken Rice Soup in a Jar, Cheesy Thyme Popovers and Banana Snowman

2012-01-25T19:41:00.001-06:00

On a whim, we decided to get take-out tonight from one of our "favorite" Vietnamese restaurants. With their take-out order in hand, I called to place my order which consisted of fresh spring rolls, curry stir-fry, and lemon grass chicken (I am still drooling!). When I started naming the entrees, the hostess on the other end of the phone paused. She asked me again the name of the entree. After a few more brief pauses, I realized the restaurant that I thought I was calling had closed 4 years ago and I was calling the new Vietnamese restaurant that took its place - obviously with a different menu.

Feeling like a fool, I called my husband and told him I would be coming home and making dinner. So much for "dinner-to-go on a whim"! With two hungry girls and the dinner hour slipping away, I need something easy. I reached for the Chicken Rice Soup in a Jar that our infant daughter had given to us for Christmas (her daycare teachers helped her). And along side, I made Cheesy Thyme Popovers. While the popovers baked in the oven, the soup simmered, and I set the table. Dinner was saved - and it was much cheaper and relaxing (and I didn't feel like a fool).

The Chicken Rice Soup in a Jar makes a LARGE portion. Take the remaining leftovers and divide among gallon freezer bags. Label and freeze. (I made this recipe, served it for dinner and still had two FULL gallon freezer bags of leftovers.) To use frozen soup, defrost in refrigerator for 8 hours. Place in a microwave safe dish and warm.

Chicken Rice Soup in a Jar
Makes "A LOT"!

3 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice
3/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons tarragon
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon pepper

In a quart jar, Layer 1: rice; Layer 2: Insert a plastic bag into the open space at the top of the jar. Fill with bouillon, tarragon, parsley flakes, and pepper. Close the bag with a twist tie.

Finishing touches: Decorate the lid with fabric and colorful ribbon.

Cooking Instructions:

1 jar Chicken Rice soup mix
18 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 pound cooked chicken, cubed
3 carrots, sliced

In a large stockpot, combine soup mix, water, and butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add chicken and carrots; cover and simmer for for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Cheesy Thyme Popovers

Serves 6

1 cup 2% milk

1 cupflour

3 largeeggs

2tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoonthyme

2 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into twelve 1/2-inch cubes

Salt totaste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a standard12-cup muffin pan.

In a blender, blend 1 cup milk, 1 cupflour, eggs, butter, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Fill eachmuffin cup halfway with batter and place a cube of cheese in the center ofeach.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 350degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Banana Snowman
Serves 1

1 clementine, peeled
3 thick slices of banana
2 chow mein noodles
1 piece of tomato, cut into a triangle
1 (1/2-inch) cube Cheddar cheese
Black decorating gel

Place the peeled clementine in a bowl. Poke a wooden skewer into the middle of the clementine. Skewer the 3 banana piece, one on top of the other. Top with the tomato triangle and cheese cube. Stick one chow mein noodle on either side for arms. Using decorating gel, make 2 eyes, a nose and three buttons.

Baked Ham Sandwiches and Baked Corn Casserole

2012-01-23T21:55:00.001-06:00

Tonight was filled with running here and there, with a brief layover at home. After we returned home from our last commitment of the evening it was time for a much overdue dinner. Since my husband was going to get home before me, I asked that he finish the dinner prep which I had already started during our 30 minute layover.

When I got home, the Baked Corn Casserole was coming out of the oven, the Baked Ham Sandwiches were resting on the counter, and the salads were on the table. When I asked him if dinner prep was easy, he sarcastically replied, "Next time could you make it a little easier." (Knowing that it isn't physically possible to make this meal any easier!)

Here's the set up: 1. In the morning, place the frozen corn casserole in the refrigerator to thaw. 2. 1 1/2 - 3 hours before dinner, set the cook timer feature on your oven and place the corn casserole in the baking dish, place in oven. 3. 40 minutes before dinner, add the frozen ham sandwiches still wrapped in foil to the oven. 4. Eat!

Baked Ham Sandwiches

Serves 8

1/3 cupbutter, softened

1/3 o1/2 cup dried minced onion

1/3 to1/2 cup prepared mustard

2tablespoons poppy seeds

8hamburger buns, split

16slices deli ham

8slices Swiss cheese

In abowl, combine butter, onion, mustard and poppy seeds. Spread about 1 tablespoonover both halves of buns. Layer ham and cheese on the bottom halves; replacetops. Wrap each sandwich in foil. Place ina zippered gallon storage bag. Label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Do not thaw. Leave sandwiches wrapped in foil. Place in baking pan or directly on oven rack.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Baked Corn Casserole

Serves 6

1 (8 .5 ounce) box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

8 ounces sour cream

1 can (15 ounces) corn; drained

1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn

1 egg

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, add the muffin mix, sourcream, corn, creamed corn, egg, butter and cheddar cheese. Stir by hand untilthoroughly mixed. Put the mixture in agallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions: Thaw bag overnight inthe refrigerator.

Pour into a greased 1.5 quart casserole dish, or a greased8x8 pan.

Set cook timer for an easy busy night meal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. To test for doneness, a knife insertedin the center should come out wet, but clean. Serve hot.

Gingered Spaghetti Stir-fry

2012-01-21T20:24:00.000-06:00

Our family loves "butter peas" aka edamame. They are fun to eat out of the shell or shelled. The buttery taste of the edamame makes an instant kid favorite. I had several bags of edamame in the freezer that needed to be used. But some "genius" only bought edamame in the shells. So after I defrosted the edamame, the kids and I spent 15 minutes removing them from their shells. It was a nice quiet activity... until we started squeezing the shells too hard and the edamame went shooting across the kitchen!

To serve for baby, I chopped the noodles, chicken, and veggies before adding the sauce since it contains peanuts. For baby's sauce, I combined the chopped ingredients with 1 ounce of sweet potato puree.

Gingered Noodle Stir-fry

Serves 8

12 ounces canton noodles or whole wheat spaghetti

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 cup frozenshelled edamame, thawed

3 cups cubed cookedchicken breast

1 cucumber, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 cup peanut ginger sauce (I used Wildtree Thai Sesame Sun Butter sauce)

In aDutch oven, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a nonstick skillet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, saute peppers and red onion over medium heat until soft. Add the gingerroot and stir to combine. Add edamame and chicken. Cook until heated through.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, pepper mixture, cucumber, and green onions. Pour the ginger sauce over all and toss well.

Can be served warm or cold.

Baby's portion - prior to adding peanut sauce - with 1 ounce
sweet potato puree

Spinach & Fennel Sausage Soup and Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie

2012-01-20T20:13:00.000-06:00

When I think of fennel, I think of black licorice and my face puckers. I have never developed a taste for the taste of anise (the flavoring in black licorice). Raw fennel bulb, when sliced, has the aroma of anise. So when I was adding the thinly sliced fennel bulb to the soup, I was thinking this soup is a goner - going down the drain. Imagine my surprise when I took a bite and the soup tasted like a warm bowl of goodness. The flavor of the fennel mellows out in Spinach and Fennel Sausage Soup and gives you the perfect cold weather treat.

Speaking of treat - who can say no to chocolate? Try Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie. You may think that this is just another chocolate chip cookie recipe - until you try it. You may find yourself hiding the cookies in a secret spot to hide them from your family members!

Spinach and Fennel Sausage Soup

Serves 4

2 teaspoonsextra-virgin olive oil

1yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cupthinly sliced fennel bulb

1tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 poundground pork sausage

2 cups chickenbroth

1 cupwater

1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained

4 cups babyspinach

2tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oliveoil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel bulb, garlic, andsausage. Stir to break up sausage. Cook 7 minutes or until sausage is browned. Addbroth, 1 cup water, and beans. Cover; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, stirringoccasionally. Stir in spinach; cook 4 minutes or until spinach wilts. Dividesoup evenly among 4 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Best Ever Chocolate ChipCookie

Makes 3 dozen

4cups all-purpose flour

1teaspoon baking soda

1teaspoon salt

11/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2cups packed brown sugar

1 cupwhite sugar

2tablespoon vanilla extract

3eggs

4 cupssemisweet chocolate chips

Preheatthe oven to 325 degrees. Line cookiesheets with parchment paper.

Sifttogether the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the meltedbutter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and eggs until light and creamy. Mixin the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Dropcookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 1/4 cup at a time.

Bakefor 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges are golden. Cool on baking sheets for a5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Parmesan and Parsley Crusted Fish Hoagies

2012-01-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

By using the broiler for the Parmesan and Parsley Crusted Fish Hoagies, the fish cooks quickly and gets dinner on the table in a jiffy. Consider serving the sauce on the side so the rolls don't get soggy before eating.

Parmesan and Parsley Crusted Fish Hoagies

Serves 4

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlicpowder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 tilapia fillets (6ounces each)

4 hoagie rolls, split

1 cup shreddedlettuce

1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

Sauce:
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemonjuice

1/2 teaspoon dillweed

1/4 teaspoon garlicpowder

1/4 teaspoon preparedhorseradish

In ashallow bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Coat fillets with bread crumbmixture.

Preheat broiler. Place fish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil 4 inches from theheat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Broil rolls, cut side up, for 30-60 seconds or until toasted.

Meanwhile,in a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients; spread over bun bottoms.Top with tilapia, lettuce and carrots. Replace roll tops.

Lentil Sweet Potato Nuggets and Brown Rice Pudding

2012-01-17T20:10:00.000-06:00

The other night, I made Lentil Barley Soup with Parnsips. Since the bag of lentils was on the counter, I boiled an extra cup of lentils and put it in the refrigerator to use at a later date. Now it is time to use them - for baby food! Lentil and Sweet Potato Nuggets have a baby/toddler friendly soft texture and are so easy to freeze for a quick snack or lunch on the go.

To prep the sweet potatoes without making a mess in the kithcen, I added the sweet potatoes to a 3-quart slow cooker with 1/4 cup water. Then set on high for 3 hours or until soft. Consider cooking more sweet potatoes than what is called for in this recipe. The leftover sweet potatoes can be cubed and used in the Sweet Potato and Pear Scrambled Eggs or used to replace the butternut squash in Butternut Squash Risotto.

I have always had a love / hate relationship with rice pudding. The first few bites are like heaven. Then, I'm done. I can't eat it again for awhile. Did you ever think of rice pudding as baby food? If you use brown rice in place of long grain rice, Brown Rice Pudding is low in fat, high in carbohydrates, contains 2 grams of fiber, and has 5 grams of protein.

Lentil Sweet Potato Nuggets
Makes 18 nuggets

1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup cooked sweet potato
2 eggs, divided
2 teaspoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsely
Flour
Whole wheat breadcrumbs (use leftover frozen whole wheat bread and pulse in food processor)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the lentils and sweet potato in a bowl and mash together thoroughly. Stir in one egg, butter, garlic and parsley.

Form into 16 nuggets and chill for 20 minutes.

In a shallow dish, beat the second egg. Prepare two more shallow dishes, one with flour and the other with the breadcrumbs. Dip each nugget into the glour, then egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Place onto a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining nuggets.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the nuggets are golden brown. Serve immediately. Or let cool and place in a single layer into a plastic freezer storage bag. Freeze.

To cook frozen nuggets: Microwave 1-2 nuggets on a microwave safe plate for 30 seconds or until warm.

Brown Rice Pudding
Serves 16 (1/4 cup servings)

3/4 cup brown rice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups 2% milk
2/3 cup raisins
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch each of salt and ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until cooked. Remove to a bowl.

In the same saucepan, whisk sugar and cornstarch. Add milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in cooked rice, raisins, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Polenta with Mushroom Ragu

2012-01-16T21:00:00.000-06:00

Polenta with Mushroom Ragu can serve as a meatless entree or paired with baked chicken or pork. The dish can be ready in 15 minutes and without the use of any box mixes! No need to buy boxed "instant polenta" - you can make your own for a fraction of the cost in the same amount of time.

Mushrooms aren't a texture that baby is used to at this time. So, instead I mixted the polenta with cubed banana and kiwi. It was an instant hit.

Polenta with Mushroom Ragu

Serves 4

2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 (8 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a small heavy saucepan, bring the water, salt and chili powder to a boil. Reduce heat to low; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Stir in Swiss cheese.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in mushrooms, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

To serve, spoon mushroom mixture over polenta. Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.

Approval of polenta with banana with kiwi.

Hash Brown Egg Cups and Baked Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

2012-01-15T21:25:00.002-06:00

You may remember to pack a lunch every day but what about breakfast? Do you go to a fast food drive-thru? Do you stop for a latte and scone? Or do you skip breakfast altogether? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should contain a healthy dose of protein to jump start your body.

Hash Brown Egg Cups and Baked Blueberry Pear Oatmeal are baked in muffin cups so they are easy to freeze (let cool after baking and place in a freezer storage bag), easy to heat (microwave for approximately 1 minute), and are easy to transport to work/sports/activities. You can either eat as a muffin or slightly break up the muffin in a bowl, warm in the microwave and cover with milk!

These also make great food options for baby. The meals are already pre-portioned and the textures are easy for babies 8+ months and toddlers to consume.

I prepared the Hash Brown Egg Cups with the intention of freezing the leftovers for quick snacks/meals. I placed the leftovers in the Lock N Lock Boroseal rectangle glass dish with handle. But before I had a chance to transfer it to the freezer, they were gone!

Hash Brown Egg Cups

Serves 6

4 cups frozen hash browns, thawed

6 eggs, divided

Fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

4 ounces deli ham, chopped

3 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the hash browns, 1 egg, and fresh ground pepper. Mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly among the 12 muffin tins. Firmly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until softened. Add the diced ham. Cook until warmed through. Add 4 eggs to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring the mixture to scramble the eggs, until the eggs are almost set. Spoon the mixture evenly into each muffin cup.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 2 eggs. Pour evenly into each of the 12 muffin cups. Top with cheese. Return the muffin cups to the oven and bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set. With a small offset spatula, remove cup from pan and serve immediately.

Baked Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

Serves 12

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

1 egg

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup pear puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can sliced pears, drained and coarsely chopped

1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, pear puree, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Let stand of 5 minutes. Stir in the pears and blueberries.

Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide mixture between the cups. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Grilled Tuna with Strawberry Mango Salsa

2012-01-14T20:43:00.000-06:00

Snow flurries and frigid cold temperatures don't have to preclude you from enjoying grilled tuna steaks. This recipe can be prepared in a grill pan on the stove. Make sure you watch the tuna so it doesn't over cook. It can go from raw to rubber in just a few seconds.

The strawberry mango salsa is fresh and zesty. But it may be a bit too much for baby. Mix some strawberry salsa with cooked quinoa and peach yogurt for a fruity finger food. A great way to introduce more complicated flavors.

Salsa mixed with cooked quinoa and peach yogurt

Grilled Tuna with Strawberry Mango Salsa
Serves 4

4 tuna steaks
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
2/3 cup cubed mango
1/3 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
2 teaspoons olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries through 2 teaspoons olive oil. Set aside.

Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Place in a grill pan drizzled with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill, uncovered over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, turn. Continue grilling for another 4 minutes.

Top tuna with strawberry mango salsa. Serve immediately.

Nacho Pasta Skillet

2012-01-13T20:17:00.001-06:00

When the goin' gets tough, the tough call for reinforcement. (Enter husband stage right.) Between work and evening activities, dinner was in jeopardy. Luckily, my husband would get home before me, so I set out all the ingredients and left detailed instructions (it may have been faster for me just to make it!). When I walked in the door, supper was waiting on the table. And I have to say supper was delicious. All from a man (when we first started dating) who thought he could substitute corn syrup for cornstarch.

Nacho Pasta Skillet
Serves 4

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1/2 cup water

1 cup taco sauce

For serving (optional):
Shredded cheddar cheese

Baked tortilla chips

Chopped avocado

Iceberg lettuce wedges
Low fat sour cream

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the ground beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until ground beef is no longer pink.

Stir in the tomato sauce, macaroni, water and taco sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Divide between two plates; top with cheese, tortilla chips and avocado. Serve with lettuce wedge and sour cream.