Tomato Basil Spaghetti

Recently my friend Hayley asked me if we could make pesto together.  I love fresh pesto and I get tons of basil from the CSA.  It is so verdant and flavorful!  If you have never made pesto before it is SO easy and fast, plus it stays good FOREVER in the fridge, or you can freese it! The ingredients can be a little bit expensive, but basil grows like a weed in the summer and it is well worth planting...plus, a little pesto goes a long way.  One of my most popular pesto recipes is my baked crunchy pesto chicken.  
I used this batch of homemade pesto that Hayley and I made in a lovely summer pasta dish - Tomato Basil Spaghetti. YUM!


Basil Pesto

• 1 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts 
• 1 cup good crumbled parmesan cheese (make sure you use fresh parmesan)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 head roasted garlic (you can also use two to three garlic cloves, minced, I like the milder flavor of the roasted garlic though.  Sometimes I don't put any garlic in it if I am in a hurry and it is still delicious).  
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all the ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of your food processor.  Process until the ingredients begin to break down and come together.  Stream in the olive oil a little at a time until the ingredients begin to emulsify.  Continue to add olive oil until the sauce gets to your desired consistency (less olive oil for thicker sauce, more for thinner).  

Tomato and Basil Spaghetti

• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked according to package directions and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoonful homemade or store bought pesto
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. olive oil

In a large, deep sided skillet saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent.  Add the diced tomatoes, the salt, and the red pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, another 5-7 minutes or until heated through.  Turn heat down to low, mix in the spaghetti.  Once tomato mixture is well incorporated add the pesto and mix into the spaghetti.  Serve with a yummy sprinkling of good parmesan cheese.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Ranch Chili Lime Chicken Tacos

Only one more day to enter the Mega Giveaway!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Here is a great taco recipe that is SUPER easy and way quick, coming together in about 15 minutes!  Not only is it quick and easy, it also features my favorite Chili Lime Rub!  Be sure to stay tuned because I have TONS of chili lime rub to give away, starting next week!


Ranch Chili Lime Chicken Nachos

• 3 cups cooked chicken (I like to use leftover roasted chicken, or you can use a store bought rotisserie chicken)
• 1 box crunchy taco shells or a package soft taco tortillas (or a mixture of the two)
• 2 tbsp. chili lime rub (or equal parts chili powder and lime zest)
• 1 (6 oz) can diced green chilies
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup homemade or store bought ranch dressing (I like Newman's Own when I use store bought)
• shredded cheese, olives, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and extra ranch dressing for garnish

Heat taco shells or tortillas according to package directions.  In a medium sized microwaveable bowl, mix the chicken, salsa, chili lime rub, and diced green chilies until the chicken is well coated.  Microwave chicken mixture on high for 4 minutes or until heated through.  Add the ranch dressing to the chicken mixture and stir until well incorporated.  Serve chicken mixture in crunchy taco shells or soft taco tortillas, top with shredded cheese and shredded lettuce.  Add additional toppings, such as diced tomatoes, extra ranch, and olives, as desired.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Tomato Soup with Tortellini Two Ways

Be sure to check out this month's Mother's Day Giveaway and Sale! Going on NOW through April 29th!

Last week my friend Melissa made a whole load of homemade tomato soup with tortellini and she brought some over to share with us.  It was really yummy so I asked her if I could post the recipe!  Last week, I decided to make another batch, but made a few changes, making it Creamy Tomato Soup with Chicken and Tortellini.  Equally yummy, and now make one tomato soup two ways!

Melissa's Tomato Soup with Tortellini

• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
• 8 cups chicken stuck
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (1 lb) bags frozen cheese tortellini

In a large stockpot over medium high heat, saute the onions, garlic, and celery in the oil until very soft.  Add the tomatoes, the chicken stock, and the tomato paste.  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Temporarily remove the soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender (or you can puree in batches using a food processor).  Add the tortellini and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through.

Elizabeth's Creamy Tomato Soup with Chicken and Tortellini

Same ingredients as above, and add:

• 2 large or 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. italian herbs
• 2 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 (8oz) tub chive and onion cream cheese

Prepare as above until the stage where the tortellini is added, adding the italian herbs and the granulated garlic with the tomatoes and the chicken stock.  After pureeing with the immersion blender, add the chicken and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the tortellini and proceed as indicated above.  In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the cream cheese and stir until completely incorporated.  Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese if desired.  Yummy!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!!!

Chili Lime Pork Burritos- Another FABULOUS Chili Lime Recipe

Be sure to check out this month's Mother's Day Giveaway and Sale! Going on NOW through April 29th!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Pampered Chef's new Chili Lime Rub...L O V E!  We are big burrito fans in our house, going to Panchero's at least twice a month.  Back home in Seattle we used to visit Taco Del Mar, or as we called it TACO DEL YUM YUM YUM! LOVE BURRITOS!  So, I decided to marry my love of burritos and my love of the chili lime rub to make Chili Lime Pork Burritos.  Of course, you could do this with chicken too, or beef for that matter.  Fold this the meat up with some black beans, brown rice, salsa, and cheese, serve this up with a dollop of sour cream and you have a really beautiful meal!  The leftovers make a great lunch too!

Chili Lime Pork Burritos

• 2 large boneless pork loin chops
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub (or equal parts chili powder and lime zest)
• The juice of one lime
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used leftover rice)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 cup grated jack and/or cheddar cheese
• 4 burrito sized flour tortillas
• sour cream for serving if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 13X9 inch baking dish, place the onion and green pepper.  Rub the pork chops on both sides with 2 tbsp. of the chili lime rub.  Place the pork chops over the onions and green pepper.  Mix the lime juice and the chicken stock together and pour over the pork chops, onions and garlic.  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and 1 and a half hours.  Add the salsa and pull the pork apart using two forks.  Bake another 30 minutes.  In another bowl, add the rice, the black beans, and remaining 1 tbsp. chili lime rub.  Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir.  Place tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until warm.  To assemble burritos, spread tortilla with sour cream (if using), sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese,  spoon on some of the beans and some of the meat.  Fold in the sides and roll up!  

These were a BIG hit tonight!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Chili Lime Chicken Nachos

David and I LOVE nachos.  I guess my love of nachos comes from when I was a kid.  My parents used to make these fantastic nachos piled high with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.  Even though I don't make my nachos the way they did, I still have fond memories of nacho night when I was a kid.  I have been making these nachos quite a lot lately for Pampered Chef parties, neighborhood get togethers, and this week, I made them for dinner.  They are SO yummy and SO POPULAR!


Chili Lime Nachos

• 2 cups cooked chicken (I either buy the cooked chicken strips in the package or I use leftover roasted chicken.  You could also get a deli rotisserie chicken and use that)
• 2 cups grated cheddar and jack cheeses
• 1/2 of a large red pepper, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub or equal parts chili powder and lime zest
• juice of one lime
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 large bag tortilla chips (I usually make nachos with blue corn chips but I like to use yellow corn chips for this recipe)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, stir together the cooked chicken, the red pepper, and the 2 tbsp. chili lime rub (or the chili powder and lime zest).  Place one layer of chips on a large bar pan or sheet pan (I like to use my large bar stone for nachos, I find that the stone makes the chips very crispy), then layer with half of the chicken mixture, and half of the cheese.  Place another layer of chips, then the other half of the chicken mixture, and the other half of the cheese.  Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Meanwhile, while nachos are cooking, mix together the sour cream, the lime juice, and the rest of the chili lime rub until smooth and creamy.  When the nachos are done, serve with the chili lime sour cream.  Sometimes I like to be fancy so I put the sour cream in my Easy Accent Decorator and pipe it directly onto the nachos.  

Enjoy!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Pappa al Pomodoro

It's almost spring and that means that our "Soup Sundays" will soon be coming to an end until next fall.  March is cold in Iowa though, and today was no exception.  I decided to make a nice pot of Pappa al Pomodoro.  Pappa al Pomodoro is a Tuscan bread and tomato soup that has an amazing flavor.  I used to make this soup all the time, but haven't made it since we moved to Iowa so I thought it was time to break out the recipe again.  In the fall you can make it with the abundance of fresh tomatoes, but when those aren't available, canned tomatoes work beautifully.  This soup is not only incredibly flavorful, but also incredibly easy and budget friendly!  I like to serve heaping ladlefuls of this soup in a nice shallow bowl topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  YUMMY!


Pappa al Pomodoro

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (I like to  use the kind with garlic and olive oil)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, very finely chopped
• 3 carrots, very finely chopped
• 1 loaf bakery bread (such as French or Italian), cut into cubes
• 2 (15 oz) cans small white beans (such as Great Northern)
• 4 cups chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock to make it completely vegetarian)
• 1 tsp. Italian herbs
• 1 heaping tablespoon homemade or store bought basil pesto (I usually have some in the freezer from the HUGE amount of basil we get from the CSA every summer)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 large parmesan rind plus grated parmesan for serving

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium high heat until the butter is melted.  Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots.  Cook about 10 minutes or until somewhat soft.  Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, parmesan rind, pesto, and Italian herbs.  Turn up heat and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering turn heat down to medium low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Add the bread and the beans and continue to simmer until very thick and the bread is completely incorporated.  If the soup is too thick you can add a small amount of extra chicken stock or water at a time until desired consistency.  Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and extra bread if desired! Sometimes I even top it with a little extra pesto! YUMMY!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Zippy Salsa Chicken Pizza

Every week we have pizza.  Pepperoni pizza.  David LOVES his pepperoni pizza.  He just can't get enough!  I, on the other hand, like a little variety.  This week I decided to change it up a bit and instead of making pepperoni pizza I decided to get creative.  I wanted not only a new type of pizza, but a pizza with a new and interesting flavor.  This pizza turned out REALLY yummy!  I made the pizza crust in my bread machine, but to make things easier you could use a store bought refrigerated pizza crust (just watch out for those Yucky No No ingredients!) I used white crust for this recipe but you can just as easily use wheat.  


Zippy Salsa Chicken Pizza

• 1 recipe white pizza crust (see below) or one refrigerated store bought pizza crust
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 green pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 thinly sliced onion
• 1 cup cooked diced chicken 
• 2 cups cheddar jack cheese blend, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a large pizza pan or stone (or I used my large rectangular bar stone) with olive oil. Spread pizza crust out on pan.

Spread the salsa evenly on the crust, and then add the green pepper, onion, and chicken, distributing evenly on the pizza. 

 Sprinkle the cheese over the top.  

Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.  

White Pizza Crust

• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp. dry active yeast

Place ingredients in your bread machine as recommended by the manufacturer and set to the dough cycle setting.  Go and relax while your bread machine does all the work!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Super Easy Balsamic Chicken

For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you know that I don't really like chicken.  Or...I guess I should say that it's not really that I don't like chicken, it's just that I am very picky about the way chicken is prepared.  I love the flavor of Balsamic vinegar and I also happen to love Balsamic chicken, so I was trying to figure out a way to put those two things together in a fairly hands off recipe.  The results were awesome!  I baked this chicken in the oven and it came out so moist and flavorful, and my husband thought I slaved over it! I served it on a bed of steamed spinach and buttered noodles to make it look fancy, but it would also be great with rice, couscous, quinoa or even just a tossed green salad!































Super Easy  Balsamic Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like to pound them out thin, but it's not required)
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 (15 oz) can petit diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tbsp. Italian herbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13 X 9 (preferably glass) baking dish generously with cooking spray.  Place the chicken breasts in the dish.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the  vinegar, the tomatoes, the honey, and the herbs.  Pour sauce mixture over the chicken and turn chicken to coat evenly with the sauce.  Bake 30-45 minutes, turning occasionally in the sauce to coat evenly, until the internal temperature is 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken.  Serve each chicken breast drizzled with a generous helping of extra sauce.  YUM!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Be sure to head over to The Foodie Mommie Store to take part in this month's Valentine's Sale and Giveaway!

Twice baked potatoes are something we eat a lot of in our house.  They are easy, versatile, easy on the pocketbook, and VERY yummy!  I make several different varieties, including my cheesy chili potatoes.  Last night I made Ham and Cheese potatoes.  These are great for a stress free weeknight dinner!  I served them with steamed broccoli.  Don't like swiss cheese?  Why not try cheddar or mozzarella instead! 

Ham and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1/2 lb ham, diced
• 2 cups cauliflower florets, steamed and mashed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup swiss cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or herbes de provence

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prick potatoes twice with a fork.  Place potatoes in the preheated oven, directly on the rack, and bake for one hour or until a fork inserted into the middle goes in without resistance (you can also "bake" your potatoes in the microwave if you prefer, but I like the oven better).  Allow the potatoes to cool slightly (don't turn off your oven).  Cut them in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh from the potato into a medium bowl, being careful to leave the skins in tact.  Grease a baking sheet generously and line up the potato skin shells.  To the potato flesh, add the rest of the ingredients and half of the cheese.  Mix well.  Scoop potato mixture into the shells, top with the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through.  YUM!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Braised Short Ribs with Cheddar Polenta

Hello Friends!  I hope all of you are well since I last posted.  I had knee surgery last Monday and am starting to heal up nicely.  I am still in pain and walking on crutches but started physical therapy today so I am hoping that things will continue to go smoothly and my knee will heal.  I am anxious to get back to my active lifestyle!  Anyway, last week my mom came to stay and help me out and this week her best friend, whom I call Auntie Raven, is here!  


Last week, while restricted to my bed, I was watching the Today Show and Melissa d'Arabian was on making  braised short ribs with polenta.  I had never made short ribs before and they looked really intriguing.  Even more intriguing was that she said the entire meal was only $10!   I went online and printed the recipe and Auntie Raven and I decided to make it for dinner tonight! Instead of serving the ribs with Melissa d'Arabian's recipe for polenta, I made my polenta, but used a mixture of cheddar and parmesan to change things up a bit!  If you are not a fan of polenta you can serve this dish over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, even bread or biscuits!  Being me, of course, I made a few minor changes to the ribs.  Here is the original recipe.  Here is what Raven and I did:






Braised Short Ribs

• 6 lbs bone in country style pork ribs (about 8 large ribs)
• 2 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 carrots, chopped (if you want, you can use baby carrots, I would probably double this next time I made it because I am a carrot fan)
• 1 large onion, or 2 medium onions chopped (to save time you could use a bag of frozen chopped onions)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Trim the fat from the meat.  Pat ribs dry and season with granulated garlic and pepper.  

Heat oil and butter in a large dutch oven or heavy duty stock pot that is OVEN SAFE.  Brown the meat on both sides, in batches if necessary, and set aside.  Add the chopped vegetables, except the garlic, and saute about 5 minutes or until onions are soft.  

Add the minced garlic and saute another two minutes stirring frequently.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until well combined with the vegetables, about 1 minute. 

 Add the vinegar to the pan, and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom (this is called deglazing).  Add the red pepper flakes and bay leaves.  Place the meat back in the pot on top of the vegetables.  

Pour in the chicken stock until it is halfway up the pot (you may not use all of the chicken stock).  You don't need to cover all of the meat.  Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.  Once it simmers, place the pot, cover on, in the oven.  Allow to braise in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue to cook for an additional 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half.  This will allow the meat to become tender and liquid to reduce in volume. Remove the bay leaves after cooking.

Remove from the oven, and serve meat with sauce over a bed of polenta, or  your favorite side.  This meal freezes easily.  The leftover meat is also excellent served on sandwiches, hot or cold!

This meal takes a long time to make, but it is easy because it is made in one pot.  The prep time is about 20 minutes and then the cooking time is fairly hands off.  Not only is the dish easy to prepare, it is also VERY kid  and budget friendly, thus WORTH THE EFFORT!  I highly recommend it.  I am going to give this recipe the "Daniel Favorite" rating because Daniel ate it up and asked for "MO MO PORK"  not once but TWICE!

My Favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Here is yet another recipe that I got from my mom.  We have been making this soup in our family for years.  Most of the time I make it in the slow cooker, although sometimes  I do it up on the stove.  It is so easy and totally budget friendly!  If you can open a can and dump, then you can make this soup!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 2 cups cooked chicken (like from a leftover rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (32 oz.) can refried beans
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz. ) can pinto beans
• 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
• 2 (6 oz.) cans diced green chilies
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• Sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar and/or jack cheese, chopped green onions for serving

Put all the ingredients in the crock of your slow cooker.  Set slow cooker to low heat and cook for 4-6 hours.  Serve in a bowl with a generous helping  of crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese and green onions!

Taco Shepherd's Pie

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I got the idea for this recipe from Betty Crocker.  It sounded really yummy but it had a lot of  ingredients that were on my "yucky no no" list, so I decided to make it over into a Foodie Mommie version!   This is a great use up for leftover mashed potatoes, and it comes together in a flash! What a hit this turned out to be! YUM!

Taco Shepherd's Pie

• 1 lb ground turkey (or you can use extra lean ground beef)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (6 oz) can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) corn
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning (make sure it is MSG free!)
• 2 cups plain mashed potatoes (I boil whatever potatoes I have on hand and then mash them)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream (plus more for serving if desired)
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips (I like to use blue chips)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large, oven proof skillet, cook the turkey and onion over medium high heat until the turkey is no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning, the salsa, the black beans, the green chilies and the corn.  Allow to simmer over low heat to heat through for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, mix the mashed potatoes with half of the cheese and the sour cream.  Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the taco meat.  Top with the remaining cheese and tortilla chips.  Transfer to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chicken Pesto Alfredo Manicotti- SUPER YUM!

Last week, as I was preparing my grocery list, I came across a recipe that looked intriguing.  The recipe was from one of those little brand name cookbooks that you can get in the checkout aisle at the grocery store.  Sometimes I pick those up when there is something on the cover that catches my eye.  Anyway, I decided to give it a try, changing it to suit my tastes of course, and it was incredibly yummy!  And not only was it incredibly yummy, but also incredibly EASY and inexpensive to make!

Chicken Pesto Alfredo Manicotti

• 1-2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins (or you can just take 4 chicken breasts and slice them into about 1 inch strips)
• 1 pkg. uncooked manicotti (tube pasta)
• 2 cups homemade or store bought alfredo sauce (I cheated last night and used Newman's Own)
• 1/2 cup homemade or store bought pesto sauce
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. italian herbs
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese or a mixture

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray, butter, or olive oil (I like to use my stoneware, it holds the heat in really well). Spread half of the alfredo and half of the pesto in the bottom of the dish. In a small bowl, mix the chicken, the italian herbs, and the garlic powder until chicken is well coated.  Stuff the chicken strips into the uncooked manicotti noodles and line each in the baking dish on top of the sauce.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake approximately 1 hour or until the noodles are soft and the chicken is cooked through.  

And now...the gratuitous picture of the Pumpkin Pie I made for David.  We are not having Thanksgiving this year, because David has to work and we don't have any family here in Iowa.  Our family is about 7 hours away by plane.  Still, David really loves pumpkin pie, so I made him one as a surprise!  I used my Easy Accent Decorator to decorate it- LOVE LOVE LOVE my Easy Accent Decorator.  Probably my favorite thing in my kitchen right now! LOVE!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

and also...HAPPY AND HEALTHY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!  

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Happy Thursday Everyone!


I am seriously playing catch up!  I have three more recipes, two product reviews, and a report to post.  I cannot even begin to explain the craziness that has been my life lately!  David has been working 12 hour nights, 6 nights a week for over a month now. Daniel is being VERY challenging, and I am burnt out.  It is at times like these when I really wish I still lived in Seattle, close to my family (or that I had a nanny).  Anyway, enough rambling on.  I do have a ton for which to be thankful too!   


I made this recipe a couple of nights ago.  I first had this chicken when I was back home in Seattle last.  My mom made it.  I think she got it from Betty Crocker or one of those websites.  Anyway, I had been thinking about it and decided to make it again!  I am not a huge fan of chicken, so any way I can dress it up is a good thing!  I served this with steamed green beans.  Really yummy, really easy, and REALLY inexpensive!  In fact, this meal is only around $1.50 per serving!  You can't beat that!  


Bruschetta Chicken Bake

• 4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pkg. (6 oz) stuffing mix (be sure to check the ingredients because some mixes have the yucky no no ingredients- I used the homemade mix that Hy-Vee makes in their bakery), or leftover stuffing
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a square baking dish generously with cooking spray.  Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish.  In a bowl, mix the stuffing, the chicken stock, the garlic, and the diced tomatoes until just moistened, but still a little crunchy.  Pour over the chicken, making sure it is completely covered.  Top with the shredded cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temp. of 165 degrees or it is no longer pink.  Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

The Best Popcorn EVER!!!

I LOVE popcorn!  But I am very particular.  I won't eat movie popcorn, for example, and I will rarely eat the microwave variety.  Popcorn can be a very healthy treat, if  you air pop it and don't add much butter.  I like to experiment with different flavors of popcorn, cheesy popcorn, garlic popcorn, chocolate caramel corn, etc.  A couple of weeks ago I was asked to do a Pampered Chef party for my friend.  I made this popcorn and it was an instant hit.  The idea came to me because I was craving popcorn while I was trying to brainstorm some ideas of easy snack foods for entertaining for the holidays.  I made this for another Pampered Chef show last night and again, it was a total hit!  The secret ingredient?  The Pampered Chef Oil Dipping seasonings, but you could use any type of seasoning you have on hand.  Pampered Chef has four varieties - sundried tomato, parmesan garlic, lemon herb, and spinach and red pepper.  They cost $6.50 and they all work really great for this popcorn.  If you are craving some popcorn tonight and don't want to wait, you can use any variety of salt free mixed herbs and spices.  No need for salt here, the flavor of this popcorn is FANTASTIC!  This recipe couldn't be easier!

The Best Popcorn EVER!
Note- the instructions for this recipe are for popping the popcorn on the stove.  You can also air pop your popcorn, just omit the instructions for cooking the popcorn.

• 1/2 cup un-popped popcorn kernels
• 4 tbsp. butter 
• 1 tbsp. Pampered Chef oil dipping seasoning of your choice or other salt free seasoning mix
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese 
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a medium sized saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add two or three popcorn kernels and cover.  When those kernels have popped, add the rest of the popcorn and cover.  Allow popcorn to pop, shaking the pan back and forth to prevent burning until the popping slows to about 15 seconds between pops and a majority of the popcorn is popped.  Remove the popcorn to a very large bowl.  Place the butter and seasoning in a microwaveable bowl.  MIcrowave on high for 30 seconds or until melted.  Add the parmesan cheese, stir to make sure it is well combined.  Pour over the popcorn and use your hands (or a large spoon) to mix until the popcorn is well coated with the butter mixture.  Enjoy!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Slow Cooker Sausage, Bean and Macaroni Soup

This soup really couldn't be any easier or more convenient!  Made from budget friendly ingredients, and a fairly hands off preparation, who needs the can anyway!  Plus, it freezes well and makes a great lunch the next day!

Slow Cooker Sausage, Bean, and Macaroni Soup

• 1 lb bulk Italian Sausage (I use turkey sausage), broken up
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans red kidney beans
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans white kidney beans (or great northern beans)
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth

Place all ingredients except the macaroni in the crock  of your slow cooker and set to cook on low for 6 hours.  Add the macaroni and switch to high for 30 minutes.  Serve with hot bread and parmesan cheese if desired!

Happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Meatball Pockets

Happy Saturday Everyone!  
This week we had the crescent dough class, and thank you to everyone who participated! Those of you who read my blog often know how much I love to use crescent dough to make different kinds of "pockets." Tonight I decided to make another version of "pockets."  I had some meatballs that I had made a couple of days ago, and some leftover tomato sauce.  This was so quick and easy, it's a really good recipe to add to your weekday rotation!


Meatball Pockets

• 1 recipe meatballs (or any leftover meatballs you may have), cut into bite sized pieces.
• 1 recipe crescent dough (or you can use two cans of refrigerated crescent dough, just be vigilant of the ingredients)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup tomato or spaghetti sauce
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet or bar pan generously with cooking spray or olive oil.  Roll out the crescent dough and cut into squares about the size of a 3X5 card.  In a medium bowl, mix together the meatballs and the sauce.  Top each square with a little bit of the cheeses, then some of the meatballs.  Fold the sides of the crescent dough together, and then fold in the seams.  Press together to seal the dough together.  Brush each pocket with the egg yolk and water.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and golden in color.  Enjoy!




Like with all of my pockets, these freeze well for a quick "homemade hot pocket!"





Happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Oatmeal with Dried Fruit

Oatmeal is one of my breakfast favorites.  It is easy to prepare, inexpensive, and so versatile.    I use whatever dried fruit I have on hand (which is usually apricots, dried cherries, and raisins) and sometimes I toss in some chopped pecans for good measure. I usually make up a huge pan of oatmeal and then store it in the fridge during the week for a quick breakfast. I am lucky because Daniel LOVES, LOVES oatmeal!  He calls it "eelmeel." I make oatmeal for breakfast in the fall and winter because it makes me feel all warm and cozy, and that is definitely a plus here in the midwest.

Oatmeal with Dried Fruit

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups water
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup dried fruit (I use whatever I have on hand, today it was chopped apricots and raisins, but sometimes I use dried cherries and apricots, or crasins and apricots)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
• milk for serving

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the oats, butter, honey, fruit, and cinnamon.  Simmer, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes or until the oatmeal has thickened and the dried fruit has reconstituted.  Add in the pecans if using.  I like to serve this with a little bit of milk.

You can also substitute steel cut oats for the rolled oats and do this in the crock pot.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!