Pizza Pasta Casserole

Simple.  Yummy.  Filling.  Everyone loved it.  It does not get better than that.

Here's my "I-slapped-this-together-for-dinner" recipe.

1/2 box rigatoni (or similar pasta), cooked to al dente
pepperoni slices
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
red sauce (recipe below)

Red sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 scant Tbsp basil
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
bit of pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
 Cook til thickened.

In deep casserole dish layer pasta, sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, parm cheese.  Put in microwave for 3 mins for cheese to melt.

Eat awesome.

chocolate crinkles

Per Joanna's request:

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 C vegetable oil
4 sq unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 C sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C powdered sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar.  Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed.  Add vanilla.  In seperate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to oil mixture.  Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350.  Shape teaspoonsful of dough into balls and drop into powdered sugar.  Roll in sugar.  Place about 2" apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 min.  Do not overbake!

Cool on cookie sheet a couple of minutes; cool completely on wire wrack.

Pour a glass of milk and indulge.

spinach lasagna rolls

Tonight's dinner featured

- spinach lasagna rolls from skinnytaste.com

and as sides we had

- chicken breasts
- green beans
- spinach and lettuce salad

It was delicious!  Our female dinner guest and I both loved the lasagna but even Travis liked them!
I even thought the assembly was easy!

super good from skinny taste

Dinner this week has included this outstandingly good Potato Soup.  It uses more cauliflower than spuds and is delish topped with some crumbled turkey bacon and sharp cheddar cheese.

I modified it a bit - made a bigger batch and used a few more taters in the process - but the result was still fabulous.

And perhaps the best part - I didn't burn the bacon!!!

Dinner tonight is in the crock pot and smells awesome:  Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken.

Both dinners are fairly easy, really good, and pretty good for you.  Must continue to use Skinny Taste for my meal planning.

pumpkin pie with whipped cream

This pumpkin pie recipe was created by my great grandmother.  She made it for Great Grandpa who didn't want a pie that was too pumpkiny. 

My younger brother opts for this pie instead of birthday cake and its the only pumpkin pie I'll eat.  It seems that not liking things "too pumpkiny" runs in the family.

Ingredients:

1 C pumpkin puree

1 C sugar

3 Tbsp flour, heaping

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp gigner

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 C milk

1 egg

Directions:

Blend all ingredients.

Pour in unbaked pie crust.*

Cover edge of crust with foil to prevent burning.

Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until butter knife insterted in center comes out clean.

*Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 C + 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 C vegetable oil

2-3 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, and oil.

Add water until it forms a ball - it's better to add too much water than too little.

Roll out between two pieces of wax paper or cling wrap.

Makes one crust.



This whipeed cream recipe came from here.

We had left over whipping cream and so I decided to try my hand at something that had always seemed so "Martha Stewart" - read: too hard.

It was actually quite easy and totally worth the time. 

Just ask Bennet.

Ingredients:
1 C heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions:
In a large, cold bowl beat cream until peaks are about to form.
Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form.
Do not overbeat.

Put a good ole dollop on your pumpkin pie and enjoy your excellence.

Tea Party

For the Royal Wedding I hosted a tea party.  The menu included egg salad sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam and cream, and a chocolate cake with coffee frosting. 

Egg Salad

Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
1 1/2 C mayo
1 Tbsp mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp pickle relish
1/2 tsp dill
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Cut eggs into chunks. Mash with a fork for finer bits.
Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Taste for salt and pepper.  Add more mayo and mustard for a creamier salad.

Yields 5 sandwiches.
For the tea party I cut the crust off the bread and quartered each slice.  I also served some sandwiches with slices of green apple.


Welsh Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter (1 stick), cut into 12 slices
1 egg
1/2 C milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.
Mix dry ingredients.  Cut butter into mix until texture is mealy.

In seperate bowl, beat egg and milk together.

Toss egg and milk mixture with flour mix.

Turn out on counter, gently knead about 4 times. 

Make 2 six inch discs; place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Cut 1/2 way through dough into 8 sections.  (It may be easier to cut if the knife is dipped in sugar or flour.)

Bake 12-15 minutes.

Serve topped with strawberry jam and whipped cream (or clotted cream if you can find it!).

Coffee Frosting

This recipe is based off a recipe found in the May 2011 Real Simple magazine.  My mom was sure this was the best frosting she ever had - in her whole life.  It kinda tastes like a mocha frappe.

Ingredients:
3 sticks butter at room temperature (I used 2 butter, 1 margarine)
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 pinches kosher salt
1 Tbsp instant decaf coffee mixed with 1 Tbsp hot water

Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high until it is light and fluffy - about 4 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add sugar.
Mix in vanilla, salt, and coffee.
Beat until smooth, scraping the side of the bowl as needed.

This made enough frosting for a small layer cake.
I used it on a chocolate cake (store bough mix) and then pressed crushed chocolate cookies into the side of the cake.

Guacamole

The only thing more amazing than how easy it is to make this is how awesome it tastes.  Seriously.

Also, this is the way to my grandfather-in-law Arlo's heart. 

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
3 Tbsp chunky salsa
2 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste (at least 1 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and scoop out into bowl.
Smash up avocado with fork or potato masher.
Add remaining ingredients.
Add salsa, garlic