Chicken Noodle Casserole

This was a great on the go meal and I loved that it was broken down for me and I didn't have to figure out the nutrition information on my own! You can't go wrong with a recipe that takes two minutes to put together and all you do is throw it in the oven!

Chicken Noodle Casserole!
This was very quick and yummy!! (The left overs were even better the next day!)

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/healthy/weight-watchers/main/chicken-noodles.htm

4 cups egg noodles - cooked and drained
2 cans condensed reduced fat cream of mushroom soup - Healthy Choice
1/4 cup skim milk
6 ounces cooked chicken breast halves - chopped
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Places into a 9 x 12" baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 238 Calories; 6g Fat (21.0% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 880mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1

WW Points: 4 pt. if serving 8 or 5.5 pt. if serving 6

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Made especially for some two late night travelers flying in from NC with love... :o)
These were great and I am loving the blog the recipe came from, thanks for sharing it Ashlee!

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHUNK BLONDIES
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/05/22/coconut-chocolate-chunk-blondies/

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Topping:
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Combine the flour and salt; set aside.

3. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.

4. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until blended, then stir in the coconut and chocolate chips.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth even with a rubber spatula.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake. Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling with chocolate, then cool completely before cutting into squares.

7. For the topping, combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle over the bars.

Meat Tacos

MEAT TACOS
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1727,154175-230205,00.html

12 corn tortillas
1 lb. hamburger (1/2 kilo)
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 lb. grated mild yellow cheese
3 c. tomato puree
Oil for frying
Shredded lettuce
1 sm. onion, chopped
Radishes, chopped (optional)
3 tbsp. chili powder

Fry the hamburger meat in small amount of oil, with the flour and salt stirred in. Warm the tortillas if they break when handled. They can be wrapped in a cloth and warmed in a very low oven a few minutes. Or they can be fried enough to warm them in hot oil. Don't fry them crisp or they can't be folded. Spoon the hamburger on the tortillas and fold over. Fill the tortilla with shredded lettuce, onions, and radishes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the lettuce and the amount of sauce desired. A few drops of hot pepper sauce may also be added. Close the taco and serve while hot.
Taco Sauce: Heat the tomato puree, oregano, 3 tablespoons chili, oil, and a little water if necessary. Simmer a few minutes, stirring while it heats.

Crock pot Chicken & Dumplings

Tuesday night is chicken and dumplings!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1948,141163-227202,00.html

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
2.5 lbs skin off chicken breasts
2 boxes chicken broth
Onions
baby carrots
baby red potatoes
Bisquick mix

Wash chicken; drain on paper towels and place in pot. Add all chicken broth. Add baby carrots and baby red potatoes, chopped onion and red potatoes. Place these in crock pot at noon on low. Cook for about 6 hours. Turn pot on high. Use more flour and water if necessary to thicken the gravy. Cook on high.
Make dumplings from Bisquick mix recipe. Put dumplings in pot (they will float) and keep covered on high until cooked. (1-1.5 hours)

Meringue Cookies

I LOVE MERINGUE COOKIES!

Jason wasn't crazy about them and thought they tasted like marshmallows... I don't see a problem with that. It was a bit humid when I made them and they cooked much longer than the original recipe had said they would need. I was thinking for some reason that the outside should have a toasty color so I put them under the broiler for 2 minutes... BIG MISTAKE! The should be the white marshmallow color. They didn't live the broiler and the fire alarm did go off. I was able to eat one before the incident and took a picture before the melt down! These might be a better winter or fall cookie to bake :o)

CHOCOLATE CHIP MERINGUE COOKIES
http://www.joyofbaking.com/MeringueCookies.html

3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30 seconds in a food processor)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. (I don't have the "piping" materials, i cut the corner of a plastic sandwich bag and squeezed it out) Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few shaved almonds, if desired.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours(I baked for 2.5 hours), rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight. (I didn't read this part in time either)

Ground Turkey 10 Minute Meatballs

Ground Turkey Meatballs

Monday night meatballs!
I added lean 1 pound of ground beef to the recipe and took out 1 pound of sausage! It was great, pared with whole wheat pasta and squishy bread! I will be using this recipe again and again in my kitchen!

Martha Stewart 10 Minute Meat Balls
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/30-minute-spaghetti-and-meatballs

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds sweet or spicy Italian sausage
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes
1 pound spaghetti
Directions

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Remove sausage meat from casings and roll into 24 balls. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to a plate. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go, and season with salt and pepper; bring sauce to a boil and cook 5 minutes.
Add pasta to water and cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile, add meatballs to sauce and rapidly simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Reserve 8 meatballs and 1 1/2 cups sauce to make Spinach and Meatball Calzones at another time. Drain pasta, then toss with remaining sauce and meatballs.

Turkey-Bacon and Pineapple pizza

This was a great quick dinner! I loved that you could pick the pizza dough up right in the frozen section of your grocery store. It's also an easy dinner to plan for when you know you won't be the one cooking :o) You can add or remove any items to make your own favorite pizza from this recipe!

TURKEY-BACON AND PINEAPPLE PIZZA
Recipe: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=19102

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust or 1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 package (6 oz) sliced provolone cheese
1 package (5 to 6 oz) sliced turkey bacon
1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice, well drained on paper towels
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
DIRECTIONS
1. If using classic crust: Heat oven to 425°F. Spray or grease 12-inch pizza pan or 13x9-inch pan. Unroll dough in pan. Starting at center, press dough to edge of pan. If using thin crust: Heat oven to 400°F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press out dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.
2. Top dough with provolone cheese, cutting to fit. Arrange Canadian bacon, pineapple, onion and bell pepper over provolone cheese to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
3. Bake classic crust 16 to 20 minutes, thin crust 10 to 14 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown. Cut into 8 servings.

Blueberry Muffins

I am a huge blueberry muffin fan! On holiday mornings when I was growing up my mom would buy jumbo muffins of all different kinds. We looked forward to them and they would always tide us over until the afternoon gatherings and celebration. Now times are a little bit different and a 1,000 calorie muffin isn't the best thing to turn to when I want to nab the craving. I have searched out the perfect moist mini blueberry muffins with a few healthy substitutions but the same wonderfully comforting taste!

MOIST BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1690,143191-249194,00.html

2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (can use half cake flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
(frozen Wild Maine)

Set the oven to 375 degrees. When the blueberries are dry from rinsing, roll them in sugar.

Beat the eggs until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and maple syrup and continue to beat for one minute. Stir in the applesauce, milk and vanilla.Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and stir batter only until the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. Batter should remain slightly lumpy.
Divide the batter in half. Gently fold the blueberries into one half of the batter. Spoon the batter without the blueberries into the bottom third of each muffin cup. Top off with one third of batter containing blueberries. (One third off the cup remains empty for rising). Continue until all batter is used.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden and the center springs back when gently pressed. Remove the muffins from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack for 10 - 20 minutes. Brush tops of each muffin with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse granulated sugar.
Makes 12 muffins

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

This was a great meal for us becauce it was quick and easy to make and delicious! I used a stir fry sauce that I added worcestershire sauce and sweet and sour sauce to! It was really tasty!

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES STIR - FRY
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1745,144165-251207,00.html

1 1/4 lbs. (about) Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
pre-cooked chicken
1 1/2 c. Oriental stir-fry mix
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 tbs sweet and sour sauce
cooked pasta

In a large skillet or wok, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add thawed vegetables. Cook and stir until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add pre-cooked chicken. Cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes longer. Spoon Oriental Stir-Fry mix over vegetables. Stir gently until mixture thickens slightly. Cook 1 minute longer. Serve over cooked pasta. :o)

Banana Bread

We loved this banana bread! It is a very basic and simple recipe that can be made in a short period of time. It is fun if you have picky eaters to make in smaller mini loaves so that you can customize each... i.e. Jason doesn't care for walnuts in his banana bread and I do!

BANANA BREAD :o)
Recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,144187-227204,00.html

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and salt
2 medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside. In a large bowl combine bananas, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts; pour into greased pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan.

Baked Stuffed Peppers

Jason loves baked stuffed peppers, I had never had them! We loved the end results, the stuffed peppers we so moist and flavorful, it was great and we highly recommend the recipe!

Recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=Baked+Stuffed+Peppers

4 med. green peppers
1 lb cooked ground beef
1 c. cooked rice
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1 can (7 1/2 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. (to taste) seasoned salt
1 tbsp. minced onion

Wash peppers, remove seeds and membrane. Parboil in salted boiling water
for 4-5 minutes and drain. Combine remaining ingredients and fill pepper
cups. Place stuffed peppers in a 9 inch glass baking dish in Radarange.Bake 10-11 minutes.
May be prepared ahead and refrigerated. In this case bake 12-13 minutes before serving. Or cover closely and freeze; at serving time uncover and bake frozen peppers for 18-20 minutes.

Mom's Lasagna

So Since we have been married for over a month and home from our honey moon for a month, I have many meals and baked goods to catch you up on!

This was the first meal I made for Jason after we were married! I served up lasagna using Mom Cooper's Lasagna recipe, garlic bread and green beans. He was a happy camper and quite impressed with my skills!

MOM'S LASAGNA :o)

ground beef

lasagna noodles

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

chredded cheese

ricotta cheese

1 hard boiled egg

pinch of parsley

pinch of basil

pinch of oregano

pinch of pepper

Cook ground beef until brown. Add can of spaghetti sauce and stir until well mixed. Add pinch of parsley, basil, oregano and pepper. Stir well until thoroughly mixed. Shred cheese. Mix 1 hard boiled eggs into ricotta cheese with salt and pepper.

Begin to prepare lasagna by placing noodles on the bottom of pan, then sauce, then meat, then cheese. Repeat until desired (or until ingredients run out).

Top layer should be the sauce with cheese on top. Place foil over baking dish.

Bake in oven at 375°F for 40 minutes.