Tonight I made Herb and Garlic Pasta with Spinach and Bacon. You can find the recipe here. I used penne instead of shells, and didn't bother with the shallot. Plus I couldn't find Rondele, so I used Allouette. It was low-fat, but still fine. This was DELICIOUS!

So no play-by-play post, but here are a couple pictures of my dinner before I scarfed it down:





Another easy recipe, although not as quick as the nachos.

I haven't done a dinner post in forever! Then again, when I was down with the mono, I wasn't cooking much at all, let alone documenting it. I've been back to regular cooking the past few weeks, but last night was the first time I felt like taking pictures.

This is an easy meal because once the prep is done, everyone makes their own. We had to have a quick and easy meal last night because Lauren and I had a meeting since she wants to join the indoor pit crew/drumline. I thought our busy season was done once marching band was over, but here we go again!

The ingredients are tortilla chips (I like the "Scoops), shredded chicken, shredded cheese, salsa, beans (optional), chopped jalapeno (optional):



( Click for yumminess... )

Last week I made one of Chris's favorite meals, but was so tired from my new anti-anxiety meds that I didn't get a chance to post it. I'm still a little more tired than usual, but it seems that most of the side effects have worn off. I'm actually feeling pretty good, and my doctor said I'm only going to keep feeling better as the weeks go on.

I got this recipe back in 1995 from one of those cookbooks you pick up at the grocery store check-out (Pillsbury's Meals in Minutes), and it's called Garden Chicken Saute. For any Weight Watchers reading, it's 7 points for 1-1/4 cups.

Start with this:



2 teaspoons olive oil
1 whole chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
2 (3-oz) packages chicken-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 cup baby carrots, cut lengthwise
2 cups sliced zucchini

My changes: For the first time I used McCormick's new Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder, which really made it yummy, and I thought gave it much better flavor than the regular dried seasoning.

I used about half a bag of shredded carrots because I didn't feel like cutting up the carrots.

I always use jarred chopped garlic.

( More pictures and recipes this way... )

This has been a busy week so far. Becca had her Jump Rope for Heart, her tumbling class, I had to go to the middle and high schools to find about registration for the girls (sob!), tomorrow is Becca's 5th grade Valentine party and Lauren's middle school Valentine dance. Plus Lauren and I are doing our Read-a-Thon on Saturday and that night Chris and I have a Valentine party to go to at my friend Kelli's. Then Sunday is Becca's birthday. WHEW.

I have pictures to post and will hopefully get caught up in the next few days. In the meantime, Chris has a few pictures of Becca's activities this week on his blog.

Gotta love carbs.

After answering a recent Four Foods on Friday in which I admitted I had never even taken my waffle maker out of the box, I finally braved it a couple nights ago. Actually, I had had enough of Lauren ridiculing me for being intimidated by a small kitchen appliance.

Why did I wait so long? They were so easy to make and so yummy! I am no longer intimidated; in fact, I've been looking up waffle recipes to experiment further. So there, Lauren - IN YOUR FACE!

I didn't use a scratch recipe for my first time; I used Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix, which was really good. I doubled the recipe to get extra waffles, plus added some cinnamon.

I had already taken a bite before I remembered I wanted to get a picture (yes, we're still using Christmas napkins; it was a big pack I bought for about $1):



( A couple more... )

Tonight's dinner was Breakfast Pizza, so since I've already documented that recipe before, I won't do it again. I got a huge craving for some chocolate cake, but was too tired (lazy) to make it from scratch. Instead, I used a Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix, a small box of instant chocolate pudding, then added four large eggs, 1-1/4 cup water (I actually used half water and half brewed coffee), 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. I baked it in a Bundt pan for almost an hour, then dusted with powder sugar once it was completely cool. It is DELICIOUS, and exactly what I was wanting.



Nothing really going on this weekend; I know it's the Superbowl, but I don't think we're going to bother with it. I've got a couple of busy weeks ahead, so I think we'll just relax and hang out.

Just ask Chris! I made quiche for dinner last Saturday night, and it was pretty good for a first time. Chris was pleased with it. I didn't make the recipe I linked to in my last post. There were just too many variations and I wasn't sure which ones to follow. So I found just a basic recipe (can't remember where now), and tried that. Here is the basic recipe:

1 deep-dish frozen pie crust
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups add-ins

I made two different kinds - one was bacon cheddar and the other was spinach tomato and parmesan. I liked the flavor of the spinach tomato better, but the texture of the bacon cheddar was better. The spinach quiche was more watery, but that was my fault. I used a blender to make the filling, and after adding the diced canned tomatoes, realized too late I should've mixed them in after the eggs and milk were blended. Plus I think I would set them out to drain for most of the day so they'd be a lot drier. I used fresh spinach, though, and that was fine adding with the egg and milk in the blender. I used shredded parmesan, not the stuff in the green can.



( Full recipe and a couple more pictures... )

The kids really liked the bacon cheddar quiche; Becca actually had two pieces. This is very yummy and very light; it doesn't sit heavy in your stomach.

It's been quite a while since I posted a dinner recipe with pictures! Now that the holidays are over, it's back to regular meal planning and cooking. Today it was rainy (surprise, surprise), but because there was a chance it might possibly somehow turn to sleet/freezing rain sometime late in the day or maybe tonight, the kids were dismissed from school two hours early. Now, I certainly didn't mind them coming home early since I was a little down from vacation being over, but really? Two-hour early dismissal for RAIN? Come on!

Before I get to the recipe and pictures, here's something kind of fun: I signed up at TopMomma to try and become, well, a Top Momma. If you click on the link, then click on Becca's freaky white feet, it'll bring you right back here and I'll get a point, or something. I actually signed up months ago and forgot about it until I got an email this afternoon letting me know my journal had been picked.

Tonight's dinner was a chicken and rice soup that was very easy. The only modification I made to the recipe was using shredded carrots instead of cutting up my own. Oh, and I use two cups of shredded carrots instead of one. The recipe was originally at Taste of Home, and it was given to me by Chris's mom. The recipe is sitting on the counter, but I'm too lazy to get up since Magic is curled up on my legs right now. The entire recipe is at the link.

Start with this:



( More pictures... )

It's very yummy, plus quick and easy to make. It was perfect for a crappy, rainy night. And now it IS sleeting/freezing raining, so I bet the kids will go in late!

No real theme to this post; just some pictures and stuff I didn't get to post last week while book fair was going on.

One thing that's hard about book fair week is putting dinner together when I get home. I'm usually pretty tired and don't feel like doing anything elaborate. Monday night I had a roast in the crockpot, so that worked well. Tuesday I made some meatball subs - and they were DELICIOUS.

Behold:



Extremely easy recipe - I just heated up frozen meatballs in the oven according to package directions. I had Market Day Italian meatballs on-hand (very yummy), and used four for each of us. While those were in the oven, I heated up some jarred marinara sauce, then I spread butter on some sub rolls and sprinkled garlic powder and dried parsley on top. I stuck those in with the meatballs for about 10 minutes. Fill the rolls with the meatballs, top with marinara and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan.

( Some other stuff... )

Oh, and Chris now has his own blog. It'll mostly be photography; he takes great pictures, so check it out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jujuboo boo-ed me today (which sounds funny spoken out loud), which was pretty cool. I'm supposed to go around to blogs I like and Boo them as well; however, I'm whipped and getting ready to go to bed after I post. By the time I get back on, Halloween will be done.

So if you read my stuff and you have a journal/blog of your own, consider yourself Boo-ed as well, and grab the graphic to post to your place. Happy Halloween!



I have been very busy in the kitchen today! I made cake balls for the 5th grade party tomorrow, candy corn bark for the school staff, more bark for us because my children protested the other bark leaving the house (because, you know, they won't be getting enough chocolate tomorrow night), and a cake for tomorrow night's dessert. Tiring, but fun.

( Pictures and links to recipes for the Halloween goodies... )

Before I post the recipe and pictures for this meal, I completely forgot to mention that I came in third place in a trivia contest! And it was my first time playing! I even got the answer to the last question, which was a complete guess. Malcolm at Pop Culture Dish has a lot of cool stuff, so check him out.

Onto the pizza!

I had made this a year or two ago, and for the life of me, couldn't figure out where I had found the recipe. I could've sworn it was in a Taste of Home or Quick Cooking magazine, but it turns out it was a Betty Crock recipe and I finally found it online the other day.

The ingredients:



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I've been making this dish for a long time. I think I may have first made it when Chris and I were dating. It's easy, delicious and very low in Weight Watchers points (3 points for a cup, not including the rice). I've made it so many times that my cookbooks flips open right to the page it's on.

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use jarred)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I use the kind with spicy chilies or jalapenos)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons cold water
4 teaspoons corn starch
Hot cooked rice

Directions

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook onion, celery, green pepper and garlic until soft. Stir in undrained tomatoes, parsley, salt, paprika and red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir together cold water and cornstarch. Stir shrimp and cornstarch mixture into tomato mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp are pink. Serve over rice.

( Pictures this way... )

I don't usually buy fresh chicken breasts at the grocery store since they're outrageously expensive, but Giant Eagle was having a sale this week (buy one pack, get one free), so I splurged. The second package will be put in the freezer to use for another recipe. This takes a little effort, but it was so good. Chris really liked it.

Start with this:



( Instructions this way... )

It's been a while since I posted a recipe with pictures. Which is funny, because I'm cooking a lot more now that school started. I need to be more diligent about documenting when I cook, but sometimes I'm tired and just want to get dinner on the table. This meal is actually one we had a week or two ago. It was DELICIOUS.

Start with this:



( Rest of recipe this way... )

These may not be as good as our favorite Mexican place makes, but they're still delicious.

The ingredients (note THE cookies in the background I made again today):



( How to make them... )

One of the best parts of summer is the fresh fruit. Blueberries are in season right now (haven't gone picking yet, but the little stand up the road has some), and while they're yummy to eat raw, you've got to make at least one pie during the season.

I decided to make a crumb-topped pie. I had a graham cracker crust shell on hand, so I thought this would be quick and easy. But the recipe I got from the Keebler site called for blueberry pie filling. I wanted the filling to be fresh, not canned, so I decided to make my own filling. Unfortunately, this didn't turn out the way I planned.

The blueberries:



( Recipe and pictures this way... )

I actually made this last night because it tastes better if chilled several hours or overnight. Chris went out to dinner with a friend last night, so the girls and I just grabbed sandwiches and then I went ahead and put this together. I sometimes make this as a side dish when we cook out, but just add some chicken or shrimp to it, and you've got a meal.

I started with this:



And got this:



Now, usually when I pull the meat off a whole chicken, I get a lot more meat. However,

( when you have this going on next to you... )

I saw this recipe here, and just had to give it a try. It was AMAZING.

Here are the ingredients:

This:



Became this:



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This is so easy and so good. I got the recipe from Chris's mom, who used to make it for him when he was a kid. Thankfully, mine is as good as hers - at least according to Chris. But he must be telling the truth, because he does request it.

The ingredients:



See how good that ground beef looks? We have a butcher shop in our little town that's been around since before the Civil War. I get pretty much all our meats there.

( Recipe and more pictures this way... )

This is really good and also quick to make. It's a great meal for a warm evening, which by now it should've been, but I'm not sure it even got out of the 50s today. I am so hating this weather. But I digress.

Ingredients:

8 oz. spaghetti, broken into thirds
4 oz. mozzarella, cubed (sometimes I just use string cheese)
Two or three spring onions, sliced (I use scissors; so much quicker and easier)
Four Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise then sliced crosswise
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I use red wine vinegar; I hate balsamic)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package direction. Meanwhile, make dressing - mix vinegar, oil, basil and salt; set aside. When spaghetti is done, drain and rinse with cold water. Add tomatoes, mozzarella, spring onions and dressing; fold carefully. Serve immediately, or chill. Tastes even better the next day.

( Pictures this way... )

Tonight was Shrimp Lo Mein, according to my Menu Plan Monday. I didn't have a recipe or anything, so I think it turned out pretty good. My husband really liked it, anyway!

( Pictures this way... )

I've seen this meme on several food blogs, and decided to give it a go. The meme is by Fun, Crafts and Recipes, who has apparently been doing this for a while now.

Here are this week's questions, and my answers:

#1. What brand of frozen dinners do you think are the best and why?

I'd have to say Lean Cuisine. I don't serve frozen dinners, but I do like having some Lean Cuisines on-hand for my lunches on occasion. My favorites are the four-cheese pizza, the Southwest chicken panini and chicken florentine.

#2. What is your favorite frozen waffle or breakfast food?

I like the Nutrigrain frozen waffles, since I try to be somewhat healthy. But the kid in me still loves the regular Eggo waffles, especially blueberry.

#3. Frozen appetizers. Which one is your favorite?

I can't think of any frozen appetizers I've had!

#4. Share a recipe or meal made from at least one frozen food.

OK, this is ridiculously easy.

Tortellini Soup

One box + one can of chicken broth
One package of fresh, frozen or dry tortellini (any flavor)
One box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
One can diced tomatoes with chiles

Bring chicken broth to boil. Add rest of ingredients and cook until tortellini is done and everything is hot. That's it! Yummy, quick and easy.

This weeks challenge is to share a picture of either the inside of your refrigerator, freezer or cabinet with your answers.

( This way to my messy fridge... )