Tomato-Tortellini Soup

Tomato-Tortellini Soup

2 14oz cans reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 9oz package refrigerated or frozen tortellini (more if your babies are pasta hogs!)

4oz chive and onion cream cheese

1 10.75 or 11oz can condensed tomato or tomato bisque soup

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to boiling. Add tortellini; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of the hot broth into the cream cheese until smooth. Return all to saucepan along with tomato soup; heat through. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "Quick-Fix Family Favorites" - thanks Keek!

A healthy snack for our little ones.

Last week I got this recipe from Mo's pediatrician. She suggested it in place of "those cheesy crackers that are so bad for our babies." Yeah.. um.. my babies NEVER eat those ;)

I decided to whip up a batch when we got home to see if Moses really would love them. And, gasp, he does! I have made them both with the graham cracker and without and I like them much better without. If you do leave it out add more flax seed! If you want to take these out and about I would go ahead and add the graham crackers, they are a tiny bit sticky without it.

1/2 cup nut butter

1/3 cup powdered milk

1-2 T honey or agave nectar

1-2 T ground graham cracker

1-2 T ground flax seed

Combine all ingredients in a mixer and mix until combined. Then press into small balls with your fingers. Store in the refrigerator.

Lactation cookies.

A few days ago I posted the recipe for Molten Lava Cakes! I started it months ago, so it is pretty far down in the feed. If you're interested, here it is!!

Go ahead, laugh. The name of these cookies is pretty silly, but all those breastfeeding mama's out there will appreciate the recipe! They are basically regular cookies (as in, not much healthier) but with the addition of flax and brewers yeast. They are yummy! I got the recipe from my wonderful lactation consultant and she got it from this website.

Here goes!

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 T water

2 T flax meal

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 cups flour

1 t vanilla

2 cups white flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips

2-4 T brewer's yeast (I used four and couldn't tell at all)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the flax seed meal with water and let sit for 3-5 minutes

Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar well.

Add flax seed mix and vanilla, beat well.

Sift together flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda and salt.

Add dry ingredients to butter mix.

Stir in oats and chips.

Scoop onto baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Let sit for a couple of minutes then remove from tray.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies

I have my BFF Lindsay to thank for this one!

1 cup unsalted almond butter (if you don't have unsalted, simply omit the 1/4 tsp salt)

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3 oz dark chocolate

Stir ingredients together and bake for 10-12 min at 350 and enjoy.

Scalloped Potatoes

I love these potatoes! This is the basic recipe, but you could add ingredients, change the cheese or seasonings to your taste. It requires some extra baking time, but I think it's worth it!

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup diced onion

1 T salt

1 t pepper

Paprika

About 2.5 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450. Butter 12x8x2 baking dish.

Set aside 1/4 cup of cheese for the top.

Peel and slice potatoes and put a layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Dot with butter, sprinkle thickly with cheese, onion, salt, pepper and enough paprika to redden. Do this until you have four layers. Pour the milk in, just up to the top row of potatoes.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and sprinkle on reserved cheese. Bake until tender, about 2 hours.

The Budget Minded Momma's Dion's

I am always open to a last minute meal idea that's affordable and NOT from a fast food joint! Mostly because occasionally at least once a week the unexpected comes up. And as much as I'd love to drop $20 on dinner at Dion's, sometimes it's just not in the budget. So, I go to the next best thing...Did you know you can buy Dion's pizza dough and sauce for just under $4?? You can even CALL IT IN AND PICK IT UP AT THE WINDOW. 

It's as easy as bringing it home, rolling it out, shredding a block of mozzarella and adding whatever toppings you have on hand! We bake ours on a pizza stone at 450 degrees for about 13 minutes-taking care to make sure the cheese doesn't burn at the end. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to get too brown.} Paired with a salad or fresh veggies, dinner is still on the healthier side and the limited prep-work makes clean up a breeze. And it only costs around $6!

Helpful Tips: 

• The amount of sauce that our Dion's gives us really can cover two pizzas, not just one. So if you find yourself in the same situation, pour half into a freezer bag, date and label, and toss into the freezer for the next time.
• I try to always keep several different types of cheese on hand mostly because cheese makes pretty much anything taste good! It can be expensive and a pain to do so when you're shopping at a grocery store though. Although pretty affordable when a store has it on sale, the non-sale price can easily soar to around four dollars. I try to avoid this by buying from one of my favorite stores of all time. Target. The store brand is always under $2 for a 8oz. which makes it very easy to stock up and at anytime!. My three standards that you'll usually find in my fridge are Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and Mozzarella. Between keeping those three on hand, I am usually covered when it comes to a last minute meal!
• And for those of you not in Albuquerque, check with your favorite locally owned pizza joint! Their answer just might surprise you! 

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Giant. 

Soft. 

Cinnamon Chips.

  Raisins.

Oatmeal.

 What's not to love?

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2-1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Cinnamon Chips-I found mine at Albertsons

3/4 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins (batter will be stiff). Drop by heaping teaspoons unto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes on until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. About 4 dozen.

BAR VARIATION: Spread batter into lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars. About 3 dozen bars.

Our Favorite Potato Soup

This truly is a favorite around here. Jeremiah asks me to make it regularly! I usually have the ingredients on hand and it's fairly inexpensive!

Ingredients:

Turkey bacon

1 T butter

half an onion

a clove of garlic

3 T AP flour

1 t salt

1 t dried basil flakes

1/2 t pepper

3 cups chicken broth

2 large baked potatoes, cooked and diced

1 cup half and half (whole milk works, too)

1/2 tsp hot sauce

sour cream and cheese to garnish

Directions:

Dice and then saute the turkey bacon (I use about half a package) and set aside. Melt butter in the pan and then cook the onions and garlic. Add the flour, salt, basil and pepper and stir to combine. Slowly add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for a couple of minutes. Add potatoes, half and half and hot sauce. Allow to get hot, but not boil. Garnish and serve!

Original recipe here!!

Nutella Crescent Rolls

Nutella, oh how I love it. Sarah sent me this recipe and it was so yummy and so easy! I had to share!

Ingredients:

1 package crescent rolls

Nutella

sliced almonds

sugar

Directions:

(Each package of crescent rolls has a different temperature to be cooked at and recommended cooking time. Be sure to check your package! It will take a couple minutes less than recommended cooking time.)

Roll out each crescent roll and spread on the Nutella goodness. Sprinkle on the sliced almonds and roll it up. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake.

Stand by for a delicious treat!

Minestrone Soup

This soup is comforting and delicious but also very quick and versatile when dealing with dietary restrictions! This is a recipe easily made Vegetarian, Gluten Free, or Extra Hearty to fill even the hungriest diners! Hope you enjoy our favorite Minestrone Soup!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound buffalo/beef
1/2 yellow onion chopped
3-4 garlic cloves grated or chopped
1-2 carrots chopped
1-2 stalks celery chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 can kidney beans
1 can cannelloni beans
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can diced tomatoes (or I sometimes use chopped fresh tomatoes with the other fresh ingredients)
1 heaping tbsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
1 cup of mini shells pasta (or whatever kind you like)

DIRECTIONS:
Using a large soup pot over medium-high heat brown the meat. Salt and pepper generously. Add the fresh ingredients and cook until tender. Add stock, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and beans. Bring these ingredients to a boil and then lower to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the spices along with any salt and pepper right at the end. If serving immediately add the pasta at the end of cooking time and serve when pasta is al dente. Top your bowl with a healthy amount of Parmesan Cheese!

For the pasta portion I tend to do the following:
Cook your pasta of choice separately in salted water until al dente. Add to the soup per bowl and then combine with cooled soup for storage. This keeps the pasta from getting overcooked and is also a way for me to keep this meal Gluten Free using Ancient Harvest GF Pasta and Kurt to get extra protein using his Barilla PLUS Pasta without having to make two separate dinners!

Caprese Salad

With summer's tomatoes at their peak, a simple {no cook!} recipe to help your family gobble them up!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Beefsteak or Heirloom tomato, or 2-3 of a smaller variety

1 package Fresh Mozzarella {Not mozzarella cheese!}

Handful of fresh basil

Salt and pepper 

Olive oil 

Balsamic Vinegar

DIRECTIONS: 

Slice mozzarella and tomatoes and alternate on plate. Depending on how much you enjoy the taste of basil, place basil between slices OR chiffonade basil and sprinkle on top. Salt and pepper according to taste. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over just before serving. Best eaten fresh and on the same day!

Whole Wheat Pigs in a Blanket

A while back, I came across a recipe for pigs in a blanket over at this lovely blog! And while the recipe credit came from another lovely blog, I was grateful for the dinner idea nonetheless!

I must say, while I've never been much of a pig-in-a-blanket kinda person, these have changed my mind completely. Truly a new favorite around here!

Whole Wheat Pigs in a Blanket

Original recipe here! 

 Note: One dough recipe makes enough for one pack {8 count}of hot dogs. Time Saver: Double the dough and refrigerate half for homemade cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls the next day!

In mixing bowl let set for a few minutes:
• 2 1/4  t. yeast
• 1 c. water

With whisk attachment (or by hand) add:
• 1/4-1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/4 t. salt
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 1 egg, well beaten

Beat 'til foamy.

Add one cup at a time:
• 2 c. unbleached flour

Switch to bread hook and add:
• 2 c. whole wheat flour (all white flour is fine, too)

Allow bread hook to knead until it reaches a smooth and elastic consistency. Add a touch more flour if too sticky. Allow to rise for 1.5 hours or 'til doubled in size.
Cut dough into (small) fist sized blobs.
Flatten your dough blob, place your DRY frank in the middle, slice a few slits and cris-cross those little dough arms for a nice braided effect. Click here for step by step tutorial!
Let them rise for about 20-30 minutes. If you have the time, brush on an egg wash (whip an egg and add a splash of water) and sprinkle with Kosher salt to make them shiny and pretty.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 5 minutes or 'til golden brown. (Or 350 convection for about 15 minutes.)

Delicious Green Beans

The garden is finally producing (well, not the tomatoes, what's up with that.. anyone else??). I'm embarrassed to admit that I had an "oh dear" moment this week when I realized I was going to have to harvest everything. It's a good problem to have :)

The green beans are going crazy. Part of the reason we planted so many was that Jeremiah loves them, but you can only eat the same thing the same way for so long. So, I'm trying out new ways of cooking them. I really loved these! They are basically P-Dub's recipe, but I changed it up a bit. Sorry, P-Dub, there is no lard in this kitchen.

Isn't it lovely?

I didn't share. Yes. I ate all of these. I'm a bit embarrassed. And to my credit it took me all afternoon. Does that make it any better?? No. Not really.

It was a bad decision on so many levels.

Here we go!

Ingredients:

3 slices turkey bacon, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pound trimmed green beans

1/2 large tomato, chopped

1 cup hot water

2 t. chicken base

kosher salt, to taste (I used about 1t.)

How to:

Cook the turkey bacon until brown, and then add in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft. Add in the green beans and tomatoes. Mix together the water and chicken base then pour into the pan. Sprinkle with salt. Cover, but leave vented, and let cook about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. I let the water evaporate so that everything would get brown and delicious.

Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken Wings

I got this chicken wing recipe from my friend, and fellow blogger, Rochelle! She toted them as the best wings she's ever had so I begged for the recipe. I'm so glad that I did because our family gobbled them right up! 

Note: I found that a couple added steps made the recipe a lot more conducive for summer cooking. First, I doubled the glaze and used to not only coat the chicken but also to drizzle a bed of iceberg lettuce and carrot slivers. Second, I covered a baking sheet completely in tin foil and cooked the wings outside on my BBQ grill. I don't know about you but the last thing I wanted to do was run my oven for an hour at 400 degrees! They turned out great and my house stayed cool. Total win-win!

 

INGREDIENTS: (Halved from what the original recipe called for)

2.5 pounds chicken wings, cut into 2 sections each, wing tip discarded 

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 

1 tbsp hot sauce 

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

non-stick canola oil spray

For the glaze: (half these ingredients if you don't want extra for the dressing)

3 crushed garlic cloves 

3 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional 

1/2 cup rice vinegar 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

2 tsp soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. or set grill to med-high.

Place the chicken wings in a large mixing bowl, and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add hot sauce and vegetable oil, and toss with tongs to coat evenly. Add the flour to a large plastic bag, add the wings and shake thoroughly. The chicken wings should be very lightly dusted with flour.

Cover a half-sheet pans with foil, and spray well with the canola oil. Distribute the chicken wings evenly on the pans, and spray the wings with the canola oil to coat. Bake  for 30 minutes, turn the chicken wings over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until browned and crusty OR place baking sheet on grill, checking wings regularly to make sure they don't burn! Grill until juices run clear.

While the chicken wings are baking, add the glaze ingredients to a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off and reserve. When the chicken wings are done, transfer into a clean bowl while still hot, and pour over the glaze. Toss until all the chicken wings are coated well, and transfer onto a serving platter or onto a bed of greens. .

Pesto Pasta

This is our go-to summer pasta. It's fast, fresh and so healthy. As a bonus, my toddler and husband love it! We like it with chicken, tomato and fresh Parmesan, but it would be wonderful with any combination of ingredients. There are no set amounts, I just throw in what I have so all measurements are approximate.

Ingredients:

1 recipe pesto

1 box of whole wheat pasta, cooked

2 chicken breasts, cubed

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped

fresh Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients together and serve! It's delicious warm or cold.

Pesto!

I have a lot of basil. If this wasn't enough...

I have this...

And isn't this lovely???

I've been waiting and waiting to use it. Seeing howI have so much I shouldn't be waiting at all, but I've been rationing it, afraid it would run out. It's silly, but true! In the last week, however, it started to flower. I had no choice but to bust out the food processor and get to work!

My mother in law has an excess of spinach in her garden so we were thinking that next time I make some pesto I'll add 2-4 cups of spinach in. It will make it that much healthier and will still be delicious!

And don't be fooled into thinking that you have to use pine nuts. Almonds, peanuts and walnuts all work wonderfully! I'm a big fan of using walnuts!

Ingredients:

2 cups of basil leaves, packed

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cups nuts

2/3 cups oil (you can use slightly less)

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I don't add the cheese and it's still wonderful!)

salt and pepper to taste

How to:

Pulse the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add in the oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese.

*If you don't want to use the pesto right away only add in about 1/2c of oil and don't add in the cheese. Once the pesto is processed put it in an air tight container and pour the rest of the oil over the top to prevent browning. When you're ready to use stir together and add the cheese.

*If you want to freeze the pesto add in all of the oil, but not the cheese. I pour the pesto in an ice cube tray and freeze then transfer to a freezer bag. It will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

**Update! Tonight I made this with 1/2 cup olive oil, one clove of garlic and a handful of spinach (and kept the rest of the ingredients the same.) It was wonderful and this way I was able to sneak spinach into Mo's dinner!**

Great Grandma Pearl's Angel Food Cake

I can honestly say that this cake recipe falls into my top five dessert recipes! It is just THAT GOOD! Last summer, I came across it in the very, very back of a Food and Wine Magazine. There was no picture and the size of the recipe almost seemed more like they were trying to fill a spot than sell their reader on a old family recipe. Alas, some very ripe peaches spurred me to try it and I was instantly wowed! While quite a bit more comprehensive than just your average box mix, the end result is worth it!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups egg whites (from about 16 large eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
5 peaches, sliced into thin wedges (any fruit could be substituted)
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

For a quick tutorial on whipping egg whites click here!

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in 2 1/2 cups of the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until smooth and glossy, about 4 minutes.
2. Transfer the egg whites to a large, wide bowl. Using a fine sieve, gradually sift the flour over the egg whites, gently folding in the flour with a spatula. Fold in the vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape the cake batter into a 10-inch angel food cake pan. Using a table knife, slice through the cake batter several times to release any air bubbles. Tap the cake pan once or twice on a flat surface.
3. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350° and bake the cake for about 35 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert the pan onto the neck of a wine bottle and let the cake cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, toss the peaches with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until juicy, for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
5. To loosen the cake, run a thin-bladed knife around the side and tube of the pan. Unmold the cake and transfer to a platter. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with the peaches and whipped cream.

The Quest For a Cereal Bar

Right now, one of the most highly prized snacks in our house is the Kashi TLC Cereal Bar. My boys would eat them all day, every day, if I let them! As much as that would not suffice nutritionally, it would also not work financially. Being that those sweet little treats run anywhere between $3-$4.50 a box, it works out to be about $.50-$.75 a bar! That habit can get expensive quick! So I did what any mom with internet access would do. I Googled it. And so began my quest for a cereal bar recipe.

While these bars are not anywhere CLOSE to the beloved cereal bar, they really were good! They sort of boasted a little bit of shortbread, which paired deliciously with the preserves! So while I was a little bummed that they seemed to lead me astray, I guess you gotta start somewhere...and there's not a one left!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter {softened}
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 teaspoon almond extract
16oz. preserves of choice

DIRECTIONS:
Cream margarine and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add almond extract. Press 3/4 of crumb mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread with preserves. (*Use Strawberry, raspberry, peach or other favorite). Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350* for 20-25 min. Cool and cut into bars.

Molten Lava Cakes

It seems like a long, long time ago that Jeremiah and I lived on the little island of Molokai. We rented a house on the west end of the island, about 30 minutes from town. There was a little town, Maunaloa, not too far from the house. The Lodge was in Maunaloa. Oh how I loved The Lodge. It had a little restaurant that overlooked the prairie (yep, a prairie on a tropical island, weird, right?) and you could see the island of Oahu in the distance. About once a week Jeremiah would take me to The Lodge for dessert at sunset. We would share coffee and a lava cake with mac nut ice cream while we watched the sunset. Sigh, what sweet, sweet days those were. To this day lava cakes are our favorite dessert. This is our favorite recipe, and believe me, I've tried a lot of them!

Ingredients:

4oz semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cups butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

6 T flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and set on a cookie sheet. Melt chocolate and butter - you can do this on the stove, in the microwave, whatever. Stir in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks (make sure the butter/chocolate mixture isn't too hot!). Stir in the flour. Divide the mixture between the cups. Bake for 13-14 minutes until the sides are firm and the center is soft. Let stand 1 minute. Invert the cakes onto a plate and serve with your choice of toppings. Whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate or caramel syrup. Yum!

Sweet Soy Marinated Chicken

This is one of the meals I froze before Sarah was born. The first time I served it with edamame and I think that is best. Regardless of which veggie you choose, pair it with brown rice and it is almost as good as a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl! AND Moses will eat the chicken - that's a big deal around here!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces (breasts and/or thighs)

Marinade:

1 cup honey

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 T crushed garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Warm marinade ingredients in the microwave until honey is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour over chicken in freezer bag, label and freeze. When thawed, pour into baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, turn chicken and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Freeze in: 1-gallon freezer bag

Makes 4 servings

From Once a Month cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg