lasagna

What happens if you aren't patient enough to let it set
up before dishing... less pretty but soooo good!

This recipe is courtesy of my amazing friend (and next-door neighbor) Shaughnessy. She is seriously the best! A few days ago, I wasn't feeling great and was stumped as to what to make for dinner. And SHE BROUGHT OVER HERS!!! It was ridiculously generous and unnecessary, but it also looked and smelled sooo good. So I gobbled it up with a thank you. :) I haven't stopped thinking about it since, so I figured I'd make some myself. This is her recipe, how I used it.

** This makes TWO full 8x8 pans of lasagna. One was paaalllenty for our family. We baked one and froze the other.  Just put cling-wrap on top (do all steps except baking), followed by the dish's lid, then place it in the freezer. Two dinners in one! Score! :)

RECIPE: Lasagna

Yield: 2 8x8 pans, 9 BIG servings each

Calories: 336 ea

Ingredients:

1 box lasagna noodles

2 (24oz) cans/jars spaghetti sauce {Hunts Garden Veggies is best}

1 (48oz) tub cottage cheese

1 (32oz) bag shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: 
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. 

Preheat oven to 375F.

Layer (in each 8x8 baking dish) a bit of sauce first, then noodles (3 is about right...use a pizza cutter to trim the noodles to size), then cottage cheese, then mozzarella, then sauce. Repeat 2-3 times. Have cheese be your last/top layer. 

Bake, uncovered, at 375F for 45 minutes. Let rest (so it will set up) a few minutes before dishing up.  Serve warm... and enjoy!

itty bitty corn dog muffins

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a brilliant idea! Totally up my kids' alley and super easy to boot! So I snagged some Jiffy mixes at the store the other day and filed the idea away. Today for lunch, we tried it out. The verdict: major success! Fool proof, easy, quick meal that the kids were excited about. Hooray! I even let them push the hot dogs into the batter, so they felt especially invested and excited about it. Wins all around. Hoo-rah. :)



RECIPE: Itty Bitty Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
Egg
Milk
3 hotdogs, cut into 8 small pieces each

Directions:
Mix corn muffin mix according to box directions. Spoon into (very well greased) mini muffin tins. Then push a little hot dog pieces into the batter (one in each mini muffin...Note: this is a perfect lil job for little hands!

And that's it! Easy peasy!

chocolate pudding

If you're craving a quick, easy, and satisfying treat...



RECIPE: Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:
Chocolate pudding mix (instant)
2 c cold milk, as per instructions
Brick of chocolate (opt)

Directions:
Make pudding according to box directions. Pour into ramekins. Shave a little chocolate on top. Refrigerate until ready to eat (at least 5 minutes). Enjoy!

chili colorado

This recipe will always make me think of my dad.  When my parents were getting a divorce (sad), I was quite worried about my dad starving to death- as he had literally cooked nothing his entire marriage, to my knowledge (besides the corn dog he once exploded, thus ruining both a microwave and his chances in the kitchen in the same kaboom).  Luckily, he learned a few good Mexican dishes he could make that were simple, cheap and filling.  Mexican bachelor food.  This was among them, and when he visited, he taught me how to make it.  Derek and I really love it, and the kids seem to as well.  Very simple, very flavorful, very seemingly-authentic and very delicious.



RECIPE: Chili Colorado

Ingredients:
1 lb stew meat (or chuck roast), thinly sliced/diced
1 onion, thinly sliced/diced
4 potatoes, thinly sliced/diced
1 can enchilada sauce
garlic powder and pepper, to taste

Directions:**
Cook the meat, onion and potatoes in a pot over medium to medium-high heat.  Season with garlic powder and/or pepper if desired.  Once meat is cooked through, add the enchilada sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Serve with warm tortillas.

**Note: My sister Tori discovered that you can throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and then BAM! Dinner! I tried it, and it was awesome! The meat was so tender and perfect! I will be doing it that way from now on. The moisture from the meat/veggies made the sauce soupy, though. So maybe remove the lid for the last 20 minutes to let some moisture evaporate?? Also, add a dollop of sour cream when dishing up! Mmm, mmm, delicious!

from scratch pancakes

My friend Brittney makes the best pancakes! Every time we sleep over, we wake up to the smell and taste of pancakes with homemade maple syrup. Mmm. So yummy! Her pancakes are always so fluffy and perfect. I finally asked her for the recipe, and she told me it was basically a dairy-free rendition of one found in the classic Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. This is the easy and amazingly delicious recipe.



RECIPE: From Scratch Pancakes

Yield: 10 pancakes
Calories: 100 each

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 c vanilla almond/coconut milk**
** soy or cow milk would also work

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients until combined. Cook pancakes (use about 1/4-1/3 c batter for each) on a skillet over medium (to medium high) heat, flipping half way, until golden and cooked through. Serve with butter (opt) and homemade maple syrup! Eat up!

homemade vanilla ice cream

We love this ice cream. We also love our Cuisinart ice cream maker. And we love Kurt & Bonnie, with whom we used to always make and eat ice cream. ((Move back! We miss you!!)) If I remember right, this is the recipe we decided was best. It's simple and delicious.



RECIPE: Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 c milk (2% or whole)
2 c whipping cream
1 c sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into the (already assembled and running) ice cream maker. Once frozen (30ish min), eat. With sprinkles, if you're feelin' fancy. :)

dena's cheesy chicken dip

This recipe came from my sister Dena.  We visited them about six months ago, and she made this dip one night for dinner.  It seems to have made a big impression on Derek, as he recently requested that I call her up and get the recipe.  Months later, he had a craving. :)  Silly man.  Anyway, she says it's not her original recipe (Pinterest, maybe?) but I'm calling it that for a lack of better title.  She gave me a rough idea of the ingredients, and this is what I came up with.  It was easy and a major hit with the whole fam!  Also, you may notice there is no picture.  It was just that good.  Try it out.  It's yum.



RECIPE: Dena's Cheesy Chicken Dip

Ingredients:
3/4 of a rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 bricks cream cheese
2 cans black beans
2 cans Rotel
1 can corn (or frozen, whatev)
2 Tbs minced onion
1/4 tsp chili powder {This gives it a slight but distinguishable kick.}

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together on the stove.  Warm through, until cheese is melted and all are incorporated.  {Would also be a great crock pot dish.}  Serve with tortilla chips.  Enjoy!

chicken & barley soup

Original recipe from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.  I made it my own mostly because I was lazy and/or don't do well with directions. :)  I really liked how it turned out, though.  Even the kids loved it!  This will definitely be made again!


RECIPE: Chicken & Barley Soup

Serves: 10
Calories: 177 

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 c carrots, chopped
2 tsp minced onion
1/2 c onion, diced (opt)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 (small) can tomato sauce
10 c chicken broth (or bullion+water)
{I went waay overboard with the bullion...oops.}
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tap ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
(Add later) 1 c quick-cooking barley

Directions:
Chop/measure/prepare ingredients. Add all but barley to the slow cooker. Cool on high until boiling (about an hour), then reduce to low to finish (2-3 hrs). Add the barley for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Serve warm with artisan bread on the side. Enjoy.

chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles

I've never been a huge fan of Chicken Noodle Soup.  It's just always been kind of "meh" for me.  But (humbly speaking) this soup is pretty freakin' delicious!  I could eat it and eat it... and it's pretty low calorie, too!  I experimented the last time I cooked this and added a few random spices/herbs that smelled like they'd be good (one way that having a super sniffer is beneficial), and it worked out reeeeallly well.  It's amazing what a teensy bit of this or that can do to change a dish and add dimension to the flavors.  Mmm.  Try this soup and let me know what you think.  As for me and my house... well, we think it's pretty spectacular!

homemade noodles = so domestic!

The kids love to help me cook!
Here they are stirring the "worms" (noodles). :D

RECIPE: Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 8
Calories: 188  

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 cans chicken breast*
10 c. chicken stock/broth/bullion+water
2 c. carrots, sliced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp poultry seasoning
dash curry powder {Small amount but BIG impact!  Don't leave it out!}
pepper/salt to taste {Go easy on salt as bullion is pretty salty.}
1/2 package home-style egg noodles or 1 batch Homemade Egg Noodles

* This time I used leftover shredded turkey from Thanksgiving in lieu of the chicken, and it was delicious.  You could also certainly cook and shred your chicken instead of using canned, but I'm just not that ambitious.  Also, this time I had a bit of cabbage and red onion in my fridge that needed used up, so I chopped them up and added them, too!  It was yummy, and it felt good to avoid waste!

Directions: 
First prepare your homemade egg noodle dough.  While it is resting, start the soup.

In a large pot over med-high heat, caramelize the onion a bit and add chicken breast.  Let these cook just a minute, then add water+bullion/broth/stock plus all the veggies and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes (to allow the flavors to distribute and develop).  While this is simmering, roll out and slice the noodles.  Add the noodles to the boiling soup, one at a time so they don't clump together.  Cook for maybe 5 minutes more.  Then serve!  Super quick, easy, and soooo delicious!


RECIPE: Homemade Egg Noodles

Ingredients:
3-4 eggs
1 Tbsp water (or milk)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2ish cups (just add a bit at a time) flour

Directions:
In a small-medium bowl, mix all ingredients together just until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead a bit, but don't over work it.  Let rest for 5ish minutes.  Then roll out as thin as you can get it and slice (with a pizza cutter is easiest) thinly... about 1/4 in wide.  Add to boiling soup and cook about 3-4 minutes.  Done!

german pancakes with pumpkin

It was a beautiful fall day today, and I was feeling creative.  So as I mixed up my well-loved-by-kiddos German Pancake recipe, I tossed in some pumpkin puree and a dash of nutmeg.  It turned out good.  Different.  The entire consistency of the pancakes changed, making it more of a cake-looking concoction.   But it tasted more like a custard.  It was good.  I'd try it again.  Maybe with more pumpkin next time...



RECIPE: German Pancakes with Pumpkin

Yield: 8 servings
Calories:

Ingredients:
1/2 cube (1/4 c) butter
1 c. flour
1 c. vanilla almond milk
1 c. pumpkin puree
6 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
dash salt
dash nutmeg
cinnamon (to taste)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a medium mixing bowl, mix/whisk all ingredients.  Pour the batter into a PAM-sprayed casserole dish.  Sprinkle the whole thing with (more) cinnamon, then pop the whole thing into the oven. Bake for 30-35ish minutes, or until the center is stiff and non-goopy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve with maple syrup.