Linguine with Sausage & Peppers by M. Lazaro

Oh, yum! This was delicious, light, easy AND fast! I just modified {see brackets} the "Everyday Food" recipe and it was a smash hit! Only took 15 minutes!

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1lb linguine {I adapted to what our family eats- 1/3 bag & used whole wheat spaghetti b/c I didn't have linguine on hand}
1lb turkey sausage {I use chicken apple sausage from trader joes}
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced {I used a teaspoon of canned, minced garclic}
4 yellow or red bell peppers thinly chopped {I used yellow and only 1 for a family of 4 - depends on how much you like these}
4 T butter {I used only 1.5T}
4 C argula {I used a 1/4C b/c that's all my garden had}

1. in a large pot boil pasta.
2. while pasta is cooking, cook sausage + 2T water *covered* in a non-stick pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to med-hi. Brown the sausage, breaking it up w/ a spoon, about 7 minutes
3. Add the garlic, bell peppers and 1/4 C of the pasta water; cook until peppers soften about 6 minutes. Add 3/4C pasta water AND butter; swirl to combine.
4. Transfer drained pasta to sausgage/peppers. Add argula, salt & pepper (to taste) and toss; Simmer for 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as desired.
4.

Homemade Play-Do by M. Cameron Fleming

Not sure about you, but I don't like making homemade play-do because it smells so bad. Here is a new recipe that will leave your kitchen (& hands!) smelling like cinnamon. Thanks, Melissa!

2 cups baking soda,
1 cup corn starch,
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of water

1. cook on medium heat in a pot until it looks like mashed potatos. i think like 10 min or less maybe a little more.
2. put on to a plate and let cool. after cooling kneed to mix up and start playing.

*says to keep in a ziploc bag to keep fresh not sure how long it will last. in my house usually a day, they leave it outside. anyway, your house will smell awesome too!!!

Poppy Seed Chicken by J. Robinson

An old southern favorite {so lots of butter}. My friend Jen passed this on.

Boil 3 chicken breast with salt and pepper and tear apart
1 can cream of chicken (I prefer cream of mushroom, but up to you)
1 cup sour cream
about a tablespoons of poppy seeds (really it is just to add "color")
a cup or more of cheese (I like more!)
Mix all of that together and pour into medium casserole dish
Crumble one sleeve of ritz crackers and mix with 1/2 stick of melted butter and spread over top.

350* for about 20 - 30 minutes

Lemon Chicken by. M Ivans

This family recipe has been around for decades. My aunt reminded me of it. Yummy & Easy!

2 whole chicken breasts-split, boned, skinned (I use chicken strips, tenders)
1 can Campbell's Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 Tbsp. olive/vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 thin lemon slices.

Directions:
1.In skillet in hot oil, cook chicken 10 min. or until browned on both sides.
2.Spoon off fat.
3.Combine soup and milk, stir in lemon juice and pepper; pour over chicken .
4.Top with lemon slices, reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is fork tender, stirring occasionally.

I serve with Chicken Rice-a-Roni or wild rice, whatever you like and veggies. Such a fast, tasty dinner.