Turkey Meatballs by M. Lazaro

Ingredients:
1lb of ground turkey
1/2 packet of Italian dressing mix
1 C of Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1T olive oil

Directions:
1. Mix all together, except EVOO
2. Form into meatballs
3. Add EVOO into pan & brown meat balls on all sides
4. Place onto a baking sheet and cook @ 375 for 20-25 minutes (watch).

Serve alone w/ rice OR with your traditional spaghetti and Bolognese or Marinara sauce.

*This is a VERY easy recipe that your children will love to make "by themselves".

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!!!

Tacos in a Pasta Shell by N. Allen

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
18 jumbo pasta shells
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream
Directions

In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add cream cheese, salt and chili powder; mix and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss cooked shells in butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Fill shells with beef mixture and arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish; pour taco sauce over shells.

Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Remove dish from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chips; return dish to oven to cook for 15 minutes more.

Top with sour cream and onions, black olives; serve.


Note: I usually sautee onions and put that with the beef mixture. I've also added green chillies and olives to the mixture as well. YUMMY!!!

Crepes - Sweet & Salty

So this weekend I tried out Albertson's "pre-made crepes". (Does TJs offer these?) As an alternative to our traditional breakfast burrito Sunday brunch, we tried Crepes. Salty & Sweet ones. Yum.

Sweet
Nutella, Banana and sprinkle w/ sugar
Fresh raspberries and sprinkle w/ sugar
Honey, Lemon, and ..you guessed it...sprinkle w/ sugar

Salty
Spread TJs Cilantro Pecan dip (yum!) on the bottom of the crepe, layer rotisserie chicken (yep, the one leftover from dinner the night before), shredded cheese and fresh tomato. Oh, my, divine!
And, I'm sure you could come up with more. My alternative favorite is spinach, mushroom, tomato topped w/ a bechemel sauce (similar to hollandaise).

So this is something fun to have on hand ... and then throw leftovers into for a Tres Chic brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert! Oh, and did I mention the kids loved creating & making their own!

Bella Burgers

These burgers are SO good! & yes, SO easy. Perfect amount of spice & flavor.

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry) mix
1 lb. ground beef (I used 1.5 lbs and it was still great porportions)
1 C (or heaping handful) shredded cheddar (or mex mix) cheese

MIX all together and form hamburger patties.

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

I'm so bad about this....i usually just do it by looks & what is left in the fridge =) But here's my best "guestimate" and then you guess how much thicker/lighter you want it.

It's a great way to get my children to eat veggies & protein. Be prepared to bathe immediately afterwards.

• 1 small onion, finely chopped (you can reduce if you're not an onion fan)
• 1 zucchini finely chopped or food processed
• 1 carrot or a handful of baby carrots, finely chopped or food processed
• 1T garlic, minced (I just use the jar of Christopher Ranch minced garlic & keep it in the fridge, so much easier than constantly buying it/mincing it - but for parmesan bread or bruschetta, it's always better to use *fresh* garlic - I've found that in sauces & risotto, it doesn't make a difference if it's fresh or refridge jarred.)
• 2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes (used Organic S&W brand from Costco or any store).
• 1-2 Cans (to your liking; do a "visual" after 1 can) of Tomato Sauce
• 1/3 of Lawry's Spaghetti Seasoning packet (if you don't have this on hand - add a few dashes of basil, oregano & sugar)1-1.5lbs of ground meat (80/20)
• 2 sweet Italian sausage links (if you have them on hand, if not, you can make w/o)
• Pack of mushrooms (Crimini have the most flavor) - optional
• 1T olive oil
• Crushed black pepper & salt to taste.
• Parmesan Cheese, grated (garnish).

1. Cook meat w/ onions & garlic until thoroughly cooked. drain. set aside.

2. Use same pan, on med/high heat - add olive oil and sautee veggies (except tomatoes) & add mushrooms midway through (use judgment, make them soft, slighly transluscent, *not* brown or they'll get bitter)

3. Add meat to veggies, stir for a minute. Add tomatoes, stir for a minute.

4. Add tomatoe sauce to mixture (you can add 1-2 T of red wine @ this point, optional, but remember - if you're not drinking it, don't cook w/ it); STIR; Bring to a *slight boil* (may need to "up" heat) then reduce to low heat and let it simmer - at least 15 minutes but you can simmer longer (45min- keep an eye on it though, you may need to add more sauce if it reduces too much).

5. Boil pasta, according to directions. Traditional spaghetti is best, but you can serve w/ penne or another "thick" pasta. Remember to add salt & olive oil to water. Drain, but Never rinse pasta. Once cooked, add pasta directly to sauce (stir & let it absorb).

[Tip: I usually start water boiling @ the point the meat is cooked..then continue making the sauce. That way it's all timed]

6. Serve. Top w/ Fresh Grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

NOTE: Use your best guestimate to the ratio of sauce vs. pasta - you may want to set aside a jar/container of the sauce and freeze (w/o pasta). It freezes *very* well.

Twirly Whirly Pizza

Envision rolling up pizzas like cinnamon rolls in a pie tin. Children love making them *and* the new "twist" on pizza. Anyone 4+ could do this whole meal! Not aesthetically pleasing to look @ it, but Bella *loved* making (and eating) them!

Ingredients
14oz of pizza dough (Pillsbury pizza dough or TJs fresh wheat pizza dough -even better!)
1/4 C pizza sauce
1/2 C shredded Italian cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
1 C fresh baby spinach leaves
[Like the calzone recipe, you can add whatever you want to the inside of this pizza]

Directions - Makes 8 Rolls

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Unroll dough from tube (or roll out if TJs)
3. Spread pizza sauce on top.
4. Sprinkle w/ 1/2 cheese and top w/ spinach leaves.
5. Roll up, starting w/ short end.
6. Cut into 8 pieces, then lay pieces falt in a greased pie tin.
   
7. Sprinkle w/ remaining cheese and bake 20-25 min (dep on oven, so watch)

[for more super fun cooking ideas for kids, go to www.parentsmag.com]

3 Cheese Calzones

A great Sunday afternoon, family-friendly (make your own), delicious meal.

This is a great meal if you're looking to empty your "italian" fridge. We didn't have mozzarella or parmesan, so we just used random slices of cheese that we had on hand (swiss, manchego, provolone) and they were still great. Instead of salami (for the girls) I sub'd for freshly sliced tomato. I'm sure a sausage/red sauce calzone would be great too. You could put *anything* italian in these and they'd be great!

Serves 4; Total time 35 minutes (includes baking).

Ingredients
1 lb refrigerated pizza dough.
1 C fresh ricotta
1C grated mozzarella
1/4 C grated parmesan
1 bunch (or a 1/2 bag) spinach (remove stems); roughly chopped
Black pepper
3/4lb thinly sliced salami
2T olive oil
1 C jarred marinara sauce, warmed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
3. Roll dough into balls (here is where your kids will love it!)
4. Roll each portion into a circle (8" rounds).
5. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
6. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach and 1/4t pepper.
7. Layer the salami on the bottom of each dough portion (if using tomatoes, don't put them on the bottom b/c the liquid will destroy the dough, place on top of cheese/spinach mixture).
8. Top salami w/ cheese mixture.
9. Fold dough over the filling and pinch edges to seal (again your kids can help here) to make that calzone.
10. Brush tops of calzone w/ oil.
11. Bake until golden (12-15 minutes).
12. Serve w/ sauce (and/or salad)

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi w/ Green Beans & Ricotta

I made this on Monday...only to find out that my brand new pesto was already "bad". So I made my own (see Better Homes & Gardens quick recipe - so easy and so much better than bought).

Start to Finish - 20 minutes! Serves 4

Ingredients
1lb of gnocchi (standard package @ your grocery store).
Kosher salt & pepper
1/2lb green beans (about 2 cups & I used TJ's frozen french cut beans - yum! and very cost effective, once again, b/c you have about 4+ meals w/ the rest of the package).
1 8oz container of pesto (about 1C)
1/4C heavy cream
3/4C ricotta

Directions

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain, return to pot
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a biol and add 1t salt.
3. Add green beans and cook until tender (make sure they're green, if they start changing color (more muted) they're over-cooked); about 3-4 minutes; drain.
4. Add pesto & cream to gnocchi and cook over medium heat, stirring until heated through (2-3min).
5. Divide among bowls; top w/ green beans, a scoop of ricotta and 1/4 pepper. Fresh parmesan is always great too.

Stir Fried Noodles w/ Chicken & Vegetables

Quick, Yummy & Veggie and Protein Loaded - serves 4; total time 30 minutes (max).
1/2 recipe for family of 2 OR 2 adults and average-eating small children.

[This recipe is great, but if you have the red/white Better Homes & Gardens book the honey-glazed chicken stirfry is great too but you have to prepare a side like rice.]

Sauce (you could use a standard stir fry sauce)
3/4 C Soyaki
1/4C orange juice
2T honey
1T cornstarch (thickens sauce)

Ingredients
2 packages of ramen noodles
2T peanut oil (canola is fine)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts
1C chopped celery
1 package of fresh stir fry veggie mix (TJs mix w/ snap peas is rockin')
1 C cashews

Sauce
Small bowl whisk ingredients together - set aside

Noodles

1. Cook ramen noodles according to directions but only add 1/2 a packet (for 2 packages or a 1/4 for 1 package).
2. These can be cooking while you follow directions below for stirfry.
3. Drain when cooked.

Stir Fry

1. In a wok (or large skillet), heat oil over high heat. Add chicken; stir fry for 4-5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add water chestnuts, celery and vegetable blend; stirfry for 2 minutes more.
3. Add cooked, drained ramen noodles; stir fry for 3 minutes or until heated through.
4. Push contents to the side of the wok, add sauce and keep stirring until sauce begins to thicken, then stir contents into sauce.
5. Add cashews, stir for another minute.
6. Serve.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken w/ Grilled Asparagus

Simple, Spanish, Light & Quick....cook time of chicken is all it takes. A full meal in 10 minutes.

Serves 4

4 Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
4 pieces of prosciutto (if you like prosciutto, Costco has the best deal)
Pepper
Olive Oil (cooking & eating kind - you'll know the difference by the price :)

Chicken

1. Season the chicken w/ pepper to taste
2. Wrap prosciutto around the chicken (use a tooth-pick to hold it in place, if needed)
3. Heat oil (and 8 cloves of garlic - optional for flavor) over medium heat.
4. Add chicken and cook until the prosciutto is crisp and chicken is cooked through (6-7min/side).
5. Transfer chicken (and garlic) to plates.
6. [Real Simple adds that you can add a 1/2 C white wine to that same skillet and simmer until reduced by 1/2 (3-4 min) and then spoon over chicken.

Grilled Asparagus
[Hint: Buy the frozen spears from TJs - so yummy & cost effective; about 3 side dishes worth for 3 people/each. I defrosted them *slightly* before following directions below.]

1. While chicken is cooking, rub oil olive (good, eating kind ) all over the asparagus & sprinkle w/ sea salt.
2. Place on grill (make sure grill is smokin' hot & make sure you do not put oil on stovetop grill pan; oil on asparagus is sufficient). Roll occasionally. Cook until bendable w/o snapping, you do not want them mushy - so make sure they're very green - taste SO much better.

Minestrone Soup by B. Devers

I tried this Minestrone soup recipe and it was SO GOOD and SO EASY!

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can white (canellini or navy beans) I used drained white beans
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stock, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cooked ditalini pasta (I used Barilla - medium shell pasta)
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, desfrosted
4 tablespoons parmesan or romano cheese
Basil sprigs, garnish, optional

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans carrots, celery, onion,
thyme, sage, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon each slat and black pepper. Cover
and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add pasta, zucchini and
spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to
taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Creamy Spinach Ricotta Pasta by Sandra Lee

Yum, Yum, Yum...I'm eating "thirds!" as I blog....there is nothing "low fat" in this meal but it got rave reviews from the whole family and it's vegetarian & loaded w/ iron & calcium!

Makes 8 servings (10 if you serve a 1st dish)
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 425 for 25 minutes or until golden brown & bubbling

1 lb rigatoni (a box)
1 can (15oz) of diced tomatoes w/ basil, onions & garlic (I just used plain organic canned ones)
1 C fresh chopped onions (I would either sautee these a bit before OR cut it back to a 1/4 C, but I'm not a huge onion fan)
1 box (10oz) frozen chopped spinach (I used a huge TJ's bag of fresh spinach and steamed it down)
2.5 Cs of jarred Alfredo Sauce (I used the 4 cheese Classico alfredo - 1.5 jars)
1.5 Cs ricotta cheese - entire container; used part-skim - needed to cut back somewhere :)
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper

1/3C dry bread crumbs (I used the seasoned italian ones)
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1T olive oil

1. Heat oven to 425. Coat 13x9 pan w/ nonstick spray.
2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta. Drain & return to pot. Stir in tomatoes & onions.
3. Cook (if fresh) or Microwave (if frozen) spinach. Squeeze out all moisture & chop (if not already).
4. While water is boiling & Spinach is cooking, make sauce in a *large* bowl. Add in alfredo sauce, ricotta, garlic salt & pepper. Stir. When spinach is ready...add it in too and Stir again.
5. Add pasta (w/ tomatoes & onions) to bowl & stir again.
6. Place the pasta mixture into the pan.
7. Mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese & oil w/ fingers in a small bowl. Then crumble over the top of the pasta (in pan).
8. Bake & ENJOY!

Definitely starve for 1 day before eating this b/c it is amazing and you'll have a difficult time stopping...unless you're Sean of course, who ate 1/2 the pan & then asked for Chicken Romano :) ha!

chicken lime grilled sandwich (marinade) by E. Seaton

Marinade
juice of 1 lime
2 TB honey
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 TB steak seasoning (sprinkle on chicken) -

i also added some red pepper flakeslet chicken sit in marinade for a while...and grill!

Elizabeth put this chicken in b/t two egg hamburger buns (buttered, toasted w/ white cheese). Yum! She served it w/ tomatoes and fresh guacamole. Served w/ steamed sweet white corn.

Divine & great for a family-hosted dinner.

Risotto w/ Sugar Snap Peas & Ham

This could be a whole meal, a 1st course before meat or a 2nd course after soup.

30 minutes total

1/2lb sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half on diagonal
3.5C chicken broth
2t olive oil
4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (I've used yellow onion too, if you only have that on hand)
sometimes I add 1C of sautéed, sliced crimini or dark Italian mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (Christopher Ranch pre-diced, in the jar, garlic makes life so much easier)
1C risotto (Arborio) rice
4oz cubed ham (1/2 of an 8oz package like Cumberland Gap - found in meat section)
1/2C grated fresh parmesan cheese (this makes all the difference)
1/4t black pepper

Directions: Cook peas in boiling water about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender (still very green). Drain and rinse w/ cold water (to stop cooking process); Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat, add leeks and cook 6 minutes/until softened; Add garlic and cook 1 minute; Stir in rice and cook 1 minute; add broth 1/2 cup at a time (this is critical), stirring frequently (not covered!) until liquid is absorbed then add another 1/2 cup; Rice should be tender, yet firm (it should look sticky). Add peas and ham and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minute or until it's all heated through. Stir in parmesan cheese and pepper.

Ham & Cheese Turnovers

Light dinner or lunch (could even be an appetizer). So easy! and both kids can eat it (a rarity these days b/c of ages).

25 minutes total

1lb of refrigerated pizza dough (TJs has a good one or you can use Pillsbury - so much easier b/c you don't have to roll it out)
8oz of deli ham, thinly sliced
4oz swiss cheese (pepper jack & munster are good too)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped & sautéed in olive oil (you don't have to sauté them, but I think it makes it sweeter)
Served w/ a Side Salad: 2t whole grain mustard,2T evoo, & romaine lettuce (I serve it w/ a homemade lite balsamic dressing)

Directions: Heat oven to 400; Roll out pizza dough & cut into 8 triangles (if you use Pillsbury pizza dough, it'll make about 12-14 triangles); Stack a piece of ham, cheese and onion on each triangle and roll up dough (some of filling will stick out- you can let it or pull wrap it up). They end up looking like Pillsbury croissants. Place triangles on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden; about 15-20 minutes. Done & Delish! Serves 4-6.

Penne with Five Cheeses

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings

Penne with Five Cheeses -Fast & Yummy; easily serves 6, I made it into 3 portions and froze two for a later date. To make it quicker, I just used Classico Tomato/Basil sauce instead of pureed tomatoes.

Kosher salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces) 1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces) 1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces) 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese 1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 pound imported penne rigate pasta 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot. Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine. Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2 cup capacity). Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

Veggie Sloppy Joes by E. Seaton

summer squash sloppy joes

1 lb. ground lean beef or turkey
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 6-oz. can tomoato paste
3 garlic cloves minced
1 TB mild chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
kosher salt & black pepper to taste
cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
hamburger buns (whole wheat)

1. in large skillet over medium high heat, saute the ground beef or turkey until browned, about 7 min. add the onion and saute 2 min.
2. add the carrot and satue 2 min.
3. add the squash and saute 1 min. more. stir in the tomato paste and 1.5 cups water, stirring until the paste has dissolved.
4. add the garlic, chili powder, paprika & oregano, and season with the salt & pepper.
5. reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, 8-10 min.
6. turn on broiler.
7. divide the cheese among the bottom halves of the hamburger buns.
8. transfer both halves of the buns to the broiler, open faced & toast until the cheese has melted and the top buns are toasted.
9. remove the buns from oven & fill each sandwich with sloppy joe mixture.

Note: This makes enough for 4-6 adults. I took the "leftovers" added 1-2 cans of tomato sauce and then froze for instant homemade spaghetti sauce.

Fun Kid's Sandwiches

Here’s a new idea for a fun sandwich of anytime of the day…stolen from Parents
Heat up waffle iron
Spread a T of whipped cream cheese on a slice of bread, top w/ a banana and strawberry slices
Spread thin layer of raspberry jam on another piece of bread.
Sandwich together
Spray waffle iron w/ cooking spray
Place in iron and cook 1 minute.
Looks so pretty!