Baked Mostaccioli

Okay. First of all, I know this isn't really mostaccioli - I used penne noodles. In my defense, I wanted whole wheat noodles and I couldn't find them in the mostaccioli shape. (Would you believe that each time I have typed "mostaccioli", I have spelled it a different way?) At any rate, no matter what shape of pasta you use, this recipe is delicious. I served it with some spinach and we were full & happy. As usual, I adapted the recipe from the original, which can be found here.

Baked Mostaccioli

8 ounces uncooked mostaccioli (or penne!)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (16 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and italian seasoning. Drain pasta. Spread 1 cup meat sauce into an 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the pasta, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Layer with remaining pasta, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered,for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Makes 6 servings

Oven Baked Vegetable Beef Stew

We are trying a new recipe for beef stew today. My general method involves the crockpot, a seasoning packet, and what later turns out to be too many potatoes, carrots & onions. This recipe intrigued me, due to its use of the rutabaga. I also like the idea of baking it in the oven, just to change things up a bit. Everyone enjoyed this stew - even the baby. I've adapted a bit to suit my family's taste, but the original recipe can be found here.

Oven Baked Vegetable Beef Stew

1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
3 celery ribs, chopped
1-1/2 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes
3 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup cubed peeled rutabaga
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the beef, vegetables, soup mix and seasonings. Seal bag and shake to coat evenly. Put meat & veggie mix into a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour water over beef & veggie mixture. Cover and bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours. If you like more broth, add another 1/2 cup water. Uncover and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until beef and vegetables are tender. Serves 4-6, depending on hunger levels.

This recipe was shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge and Mommy's Kitchen.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

We love pumpkin - muffins especially. Even the baby has had a few of these yummy fall treats. I found this recipe in its original form here, and have modified it for our family. My husband can not have wheat, so I used a gluten free baking mix instead of the flour called for in the original recipe. I plan to experiment with adding more pumpkin next time I make these muffins. The next time I make them...as in...today!

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

1 1/2 c gluten free baking mix (or 3/4 c all purpose flour & 1/2 c whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c light brown sugar
1 large egg white
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°. Line or grease a 12 muffin cup pan. Combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg & egg whites, bananas, pumpkin and vanilla, mix until thick. Add dry ingredients until combined - do not over mix. Pour batter into muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 delicious muffins.

This recipe was shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge and Mommy's Kitchen!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is the easiest and yummiest way to get Cassady to eat broccoli. Seriously. Last week when we were knee deep in the muck of her bedroom, she was demanding pizza rolls for lunch so that it would be quick. Well. Mama had this recipe in her arsenal. It was just as quick as those pizza rolls, but so much better! Even Cassady agreed after her first bite - and that is how you know this is a good soup. But you don't have to take my word for it!*

Broccoli Cheese Soup

14 oz chicken broth

3 c chopped broccoli (frozen works just fine)

1 carrot, shredded or finely chopped

1 can Cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)

1/4 - 1/2 c cheese, shredded or finely chopped

Bring chicken broth to a boil, then simmer. Add broccoli, carrot & can of soup. Bring back to a simmer. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serves 4. Told you it was easy!!

I had some chopped chicken breast in the fridge last time I made this & threw a half cup in the soup. It was delicious. As was the time I added some boiled potatoes. You can not go wrong with a cheesy soup. It just isn't possible!

*Channeling my inner "Reading Rainbow". I have the theme somg in my head now. Great.

I shared this recpe at The Grocery Cart Challenge

Runza Skillet

This is a recipe I made up out of necessity. There is a fast food chain called Runza here in the midwest. They have these delicious sandwiches that are packed with goodness. My husband is unable to eat wheat, and I am unwilling to pay the price (both physically & financially!) to eat fast food all the time. So I came up with this one dish skillet dinner to mimic the amazing flavors of my favorite Runza - the Swiss Mushroom & Cheese. My husband & I love this, however, Cassady is not the biggest fan. I think it's the sauerkraut. At any rate, I usually fix this when I know she will be spending the night at a friend's house. That way, we can enjoy this yummy meal without any complaints!

Runza Skillet

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb gound beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 c brown rice, cooked

3 c sauerkraut

salt/pepper (to taste)

1 c mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sautee chopped onion, minced garlic and mushrooms. Set aside. Using same skillet, brown the ground beef, adding the onion/mushroom mix about halfway through. Mix in sauerkraut and brown rice. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring infrequently. Sprinkle cheese on the top. Cover skillet and let sit 5 minutes (or until cheese is melted) on low heat. Serves 6

That's Nacho Pie!

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that a simple link to this recipe is not enough. The amazingness that is Nacho Pie deserves its own post. Seriously, it was that good. Cassady ate it without a fuss. In fact, she nearly passed out from happiness when taking her first bite. As a matter of fact, it was all I could do to refrain from swooning. (I have to set a good example, though!) The recipe in its original form is here. As usual, I have made minimal changes to it to suit our family's tastes. Try this delicious meal today - it will knock your socks off.

Nacho Pie

1/2 lb Ground Beef, browned
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 - 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Water
1 - Packet Taco Seasoning Mix
1 - Tube refridgerated Crescent Roll Dough (we used reduced fat)
24 Tortilla Chips, crushed
3 Tbsp Sour Cream
3/4 Cup cheese (shredded or thinly sliced)
additional sour cream for garnish, diced tomatoes and sliced black olives.

Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat. Add black beans, tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Spray pie pan with PAM and separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Place dough in pan- face points of dough towards the middle. Press onto bottom and up sides of plate to form crust. Seal perforations - pan needs to be completely covered with the dough. Sprinkle 12 of the crushed tortilla chips over crust. Top with meat/bean mixture. Dab sour cream over meat. Sprinkle on(or lay, if using slices) the cheese, then crumble remaining 12 tortilla chips over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes (until cheese melts & the crust is golden brown). Cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6.

I served this over lettuce and a few more tortilla chips. Additional sour cream & salsa would also be great as a garnish.

The Tale of the Bake Sale

Cassady's school is having a bake sale tonight at open house. I love making yummy treats for these types of events, so of course I had to scour my favorite sites for a few new ideas. I decided on two treats: brownie pops and s'mores cookie bars.


The brownie pops were very easy to make, up until the step where I had to coat them in melted chocolate. I prefer using candy melts - especially since I do not have a microwave. The coating ended up being a little lumpier than I was hoping, but nothing a ton of red & white (the school colors) sprinkles couldn't hide! Here's how they turned out:

Now onto the s'mores cookie bars. They were really fun to make - Cassady helped with crushing the graham crackers. They smelled absolutely amazing while baking, too. I allowed them to cool for over three hours, and then tried to cut them. Unfortunately, they cracked and fell apart. Sadness! They are no longer presentable enough to take to the bake sale - but now we get to eat them! These bars are delicious and you really need to make them ASAP. I have no picture, as mine are not quite as cute as the ones you can see here.

Since the cookie bars were a no go, I decided to use my favorite cookie recipe instead. I love these cookies! Since coming across Jamie's amazing recipe a few months ago, I have made these three times. I usually add coconut and use butterscotch chips, rather than the chocolate. Since these are for school, I went the traditional route and used chocolate chips. They turn out beautifully...see?

Now go make some yummy treats :)

White Chicken Chili

We love soups and chili at our house, year round. I am always searching for new recipes, but am limited since my husband can not have tomatoes or wheat. This is a chili we can all enjoy - and it's super easy since it can be made in the crockpot. I found the recipe on the back of a can of Bush's Great Northern Beans, and have adapted it a little for our family. Here's the original recipe, and here's how I make it :)

White Chicken Chili

2 cans white beans (Great Northern or navy)*

1 can chicken broth

1 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken breast

1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies*

2 tsp cumin

Shredded Cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Farmer, or Mozzarella (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Put beans, broth, chicken, chilies, and cumin in crockpot. Stir together. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 1-2 hours. Serve warm, topped with cheese, sour cream & salsa (if desired). Serves 6.

*I usually do not drain the beans or chilies, as a matter of personal preference.

Under The Sea Ramen Lunch

This is probably one of my daughter's favorite meals. I saw the idea in a magazine years ago, and she asks to have it all the time. It's super easy and super quick, but not super healthy, so we have it as a rare treat. A day without school seemed like a great time to make it for her!

Under The Sea Ramen

1 packet any flavor ramen noodles
2 drops green or blue food coloring
1 can corn
2 hot dogs



Make ramen according to package directions, adding 2 drops of food coloring. (I usually add one green and 1 blue drop). Heat corn and hot dog as desired. To serve, put ramen on the plate and surround with corn in festively attractive manner (see poorly taken photo). Top with the hot dog, which has been cut to resemble an octopus. (Split 3/4 of hot dog into eighths. Or into fourths. That works too!) If you are feeling extra creative, use a toothpick to dab ketchup eyes onto the hot dog octopus. Serves 2.

Now you can see why I rarely include food pictures :)

Super Fluffy Pancakes

These are everything the name implies. Super, fluffy, and most definitely pancakes. Cassady had a friend spend the night a week or so ago & I made these for breakfast. Her friend told me they were way better than anything from the box. High praise, indeed! I generally cut this recipe in half, and it serves 2 hungry 10 year olds, with 3 pancakes each plus 2 leftovers for me. Just enough to establish a reputation as a fantastic pancake maker!

Super Fluffy Pancakes

2 c Flour

3Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

2 Eggs, beaten

1 3/4 c Milk

1/4 c Butter, melted

Splash of Vanilla (optional)

Food coloring (optional, but super fun)*

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt & baking powder) in bowl. In a separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla (if using) and food coloring (if using). Combine all ingredients and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Heat griddle or pan & cook in 1/4 c scoops. Serve with your choice of toppings.

*We have made all different colors of pancakes. I found that using at least 20-30 drops of color makes the pancakes look the best. At our house, we generally make pink or purple. We've also added heart sprinkles. We like to be fancy like that.

Recipe Origin Note: I originally found this recipe here. This is not the exact link to the recipe, but there are lots of great ideas here, so browse away!

**Recipe shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge**

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

This is a super easy and delicious casserole type meal. The original recipe can be found here. I haven't changed it much, just added a few more veggies when we had them. This was a big hit with my 10 year old - she requests it all the time. It's a great way to get her to eat more broccoli.

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

1 1/2 c. water
3 T. butter
1 package (6 oz.) chicken-flavored stuffing mix
2 cooked & chopped/diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (10.75 oz.) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/3 c. milk
1 can of corn, drained
1 package frozen broccoli, thawed
1 C shredded cheese (we have tried cheddar, mozzarella & farmer cheese. All are great)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in stuffing mix and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes, then spoon stuffing into a lightly grease casserole dish. Arrange chicken on top of stuffing, along with corn & broccoli. Combine soup and milk; pour over chicken. Cover with foil & bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Uncover; bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serves 5-6

Turkey Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup

I need a more imaginative name for this soup. It is so incredibly delicious...it deserves better! I was honestly surprised to find that I like it, since I am generally not a fan of kale. The sausage flavor really stands out, though, and the kale acts (to me) as more of a thickening agent. My daughter isn't the biggest fan of the kale, but she does like the sausage so she will grudgingly eat it. I found the recipe here, and have made minimal changes to it.

Turkey Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup

1 lb turkey sausage meat
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic (or to taste)
1/2 bunch kale, washed & chopped
1 can white beans (rinsed & drained)
4 cups water with chicken bouillion (can also use chicken stock)
2 cups water
1 small pinch dried red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook sausage, garlic and red pepper flakes (if desired) until sausage is browned. Add 4 cups of water with chicken boullion and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and beans and additional 2 cups of water, allow to simmer another 10 minutes. Serves 4-6, depending on hunger levels.

Cupcakes!!

Today we made a plethora of delicious cupcakes. Cassady's school is having a carnival and needed scrumptious baked goods for the Cake Walk, so I volunteered. I can get a wee bit carried away for this sort of thing, so I am proud to announce that I only made two different types of cupcakes.

I do confess to sending my husband to the store for packaging materials for said treats and becoming rather despondent when he was unable to find the cellophane. I had to use pink saran wrap and curling ribbon. I am still a little sad about this.

On with the Cupcakes!

First I made Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting. I found the recipe here, at Mommy's Kitchen. You should make these. They are divine. Please make them. Trust me.

Cassady and I worked together to make rainbow cupcakes. They are so pretty! (I know this is hard to tell from my photo, since the lighting is all weird). We used a white cake mix, made the batter as directed on the box, then divided it into 6 equal portions. Then you get to make it pretty, by adding food coloring. See?

Once that is all mixed, you can put the batter into your cupcake liners. The first time we made these, I took the time to spread each color evenly in layers. For the carnival, we just sort of dropped the batter into the liners. It made for some funky cupcakes!

We baked the cupcakes as directed on the box, let them cool, then used white frosting to jazz them up. Since I went all out and made homemade frosting for the Peanut Butter Cupcakes (have you made them yet?!), I was a bit lazy and used store bought frosting for these. We did, however, use rainbow Nerds candy to sprinkle on the top. So awesome!

Oh, and if you're wondering about a good batter to food coloring ratio? Go here. This is where we got the idea originally. Also, they have better pictures!

Split Pea Soup

Here's another meal that my rather picky 10 year old will eat. I still haven't figured out if she really knows that this is a veggie based soup...but at least she'll eat it without complaint! Yesterday was cloudy and overcast, so this was the perfect thing to come home to - the house smelled so yummy. I got the ingredients ready the night before while cooking dinner, then threw it all in the crock pot at 5 am on my way out the door.
The recipe was found in its original form here, but I have changed a few things around to suit our tastes. I love that it tastes amazing, is something everyone can agree on to eat, and is healthy to boot! Oh - and it is super easy. It's the perfect recipe!

Split Pea Soup

1 (16 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham (we use turkey ham)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, plus leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
6 cups hot water

Layer ingredients in the crock pot in the order shown. Pour in water, but do not stir. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Enjoy!

This serves 4-6 depending on hunger levels. It is a really thick soup, so even my starving husband is generally satisfied with only a cup or so :)

This recipe was shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge

Chicken & Dumplings

My daughter loves chicken & dumplings. I am pretty sure this is the only meal she has eaten so far this month without complaint (she can be very picky). I found this recipe on Recipezaar, and have modified it a bit to suit our tastes. It's not the healthiest recipe, per se, but my daughter loves it, so we enjoy it every once in awhile.
Again, I am without pictures since Jack was crying and we were in a hurry to get to the talent show at Cassady's school. I will get around to pictures someday!

Chicken & Dumplings

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup water
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 cups milk
1 package frozen mixed vegetables
1 package refrigerated roll of biscuits

In a dutch oven, saute the onion and minced garlic in butter until onions are soft. Add seasonings and water, allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in cream of chicken soup, chicken, milk, and veggies. Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes. Next, cut biscuits into quarters (I love kitchen scissors for this) and drop into stew. (You can also make biscuits with 2 cups of bisquick and 2/3 cup of milk. We just happened to have the ready made kind this time.) Put the lid on, and simmer another (you guessed it!) 10 minutes. Serves 4-6, depending on hunger levels!

Oh...and this is very optional, but I generally try to add some ground flaxseed (usually 2 tablespoons) along with the chicken. Makes me feel like there's at least a small amount of nutritional value in the meal!!