Mmmm..Lasagna!

I have a wide variety of lasagnas I make.  Chicken lasagna, veggie lasagna, plus multiple meat lasagnas from different recipe books.  The time finally came for me to do my own thing..and we LOVED it!!!

Ingredients:
~2lb lean ground sausage
~1 small-medium onion, finely chopped
~1 red pepper, finely chopped
~1 1/2-2 jars of marinara sauce (depending on how chunky versus juicy you like it)
~3 cloves of garlic (or you can use garlic powder)
~1 box of oven-ready lasagna noodles
~2 cups shredded mozzarella
~cottage cheese (I get the largest container and use about 2/3 of it)
~spinach
~Italian seasoning
~salt and pepper

Directions:
~Brown the sausage, onion, and pepper.  If you are using minced garlic, add it now. Drain and rinse (you will want to rinse to get rid of as much grease as possible or else your lasagna is super greasy).

~Pour back in pan.  Add marinara sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and the garlic powder if that's what you're using).

~In a bowl mix the cottage cheese with 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning (more if you like it), and sprinkle with more pepper and salt.
~To assemble lasagna, grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 9x13 pan.  Preheat to oven to 375.  Pour just enough meat mixture in the pan to barely cover it.  Layer with noodles, spinach, cottage cheese mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella. I did two layers like that.  I had a bit of meat left over so after the second layer I added the rest of the meat, a bit of the cottage cheese, then lots of mozzarella. 
~Bake, covered, at 375 for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and cook another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.  Let stand at least 15 minutes before cutting in order for it to thicken and hold together.  

We have tried LOTS of lasagna recipes and definitely have some favorites.  But, I have to admit, this was DELICIOUS!!!!  The kids ate tons, I enjoyed it, and Cory couldn't get enough of it!!  He said it was his favorite one!  Yuuumm!!  We ate it with a delicious green salad!  I hope you like it as much as we do!  Enjoy!

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Tuna cakes

Need a quick and easy lunch or dinner??  This recipe is perfect!!!  This recipe from the Biggest Loser, is for one person. (or one cake per person for three people)  Here's my version for our family of seven!

Ingredients:
4 cans of tuna
4 eggs 
1 green onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I do mine super small because I think it holds better than bigger chunks)
Sprinkle, or two, of garlic powder~OR~ 1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:
1~Mix all ingredients together. Mix well to break up that egg!!
2~Shape the mixture into small balls, about a ping-pong ball size, then use your hand to smash them flat.
3~Pan fry (or use a griddle) over medium heat for 4 minutes per side.  If you aren't using a non-stick skillet, spray some olive oil spray on your pan for easy flipping.  

Add a side and serve it up!  We usually serve alongside a delicious green salad!

This is a family favorite, even my kids love it (while my husband wants to eat all of them)!!  Enjoy!!

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Clean eating pasta recipe!

This was dinner, for the whole family, on our clean eating day one!  

It's really easy!  I boiled 16 oz. of brown rice spiral noodles, then after I drained it, I added freshly diced tomatoes, a can of black beans (check to make sure there are no added ingredients, and we always use the low sodium ones), a dash of extra virgin olive oil, and oregano and basil herbs.  Mixed it all together and ate it!  

It was gone in minutes!  My kids ate it, and commented on loving it, and most had seconds and thirds!  The calories are REALLY low and the whole thing is clean and healthy!  It was a great meal!

 

Have a happy day~Kasey

 

 

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Tuna Salad CLEAN recipe

My husband and I were doing a "7 day clean eating cleanse" about a month ago.  We didn't do any special "juice only" or things like that.  I found a list of clean foods and foods to avoid.  So we did that instead so there was actually food to eat...because the list honestly had a lot of food on it!  Here's the list!  I made a menu using this as my guide.  To be honest..my husband didn't make it past two days..but I've held strong and kept buying things and making menus and foods based off this list. We do add in certain things..like extra lean ground turkey..once a week or once every two weeks, and I add a little bit of dressing to my salads sometimes instead of the clean eating ones.  But really, I'm still following this for my family!

This was our lunch day one.  Just a simple salad, romaine lettuce, spinach, red peppers, cranberries, and tomatoes, and I put in a can of tuna for some protein.  The dressing is just a mixture of honey and dijon mustard (made from all natural ingredients). I mixed it together to my liking then poured it on the salad.  It was delicious and filling!

Have a happy day~Kasey

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I love April Fools!!!

I love April Fools!!  I've gotten so many people on this day...even feeling guilty a few times about tricks I've played! (I'm sorry Aunt Jean)!!!!  But..my kids are finally old enough I can do things!!  Unfortunately I hadn't thought much about it until the night before.

In the morning, I had to go to the store.  We were on our way..and our car started shaking...then died!  I was on the side of the road and couldn't get it started.  Oh boy!  The kids were super worried about it and how long we would have to sit there.  Then..it started!!!!!  I told them April Fools and explained it to them.  They laughed..Gage did this...

 While we were at the store, we had planned on getting a For Sale sign to put in the yard to tease Cory...but..I knew he wouldn't believe it because when that time comes, we know exactly who would sell our house...and it wouldn't be us in charge of it! :D  We planned something else for him though...

Mother Nature joined in on the April Fools jokes..April 1st..and Spring Break...thank you for this weather!! (with the following week being in the 70's all week).  The kids didn't let that stop them and they made the most of it..making Olafs! :D 

 Time to get Daddy!!!  We called him and told him our power was out and we'd be at a friends warming up because it was getting cold in our house...when I peeked him pulling in we hid in the closet..

 And scared the crude out of Daddy!!!!  He jumped and screamed!  I got a great video...but he refuses to allow it...and I am obliging this time because he was in his garments, unbeknownst to me! :D  I still watch it and laugh hysterically though!!

For dinner we had dessert first!! Cake..yuummmm! (Meatloaf with mashed potato "icing")

 Then dinner second!!  Grilled cheese sandwiches! (Angel food cake with orange tinted icing "cheese")

The kids played along the whole time at dinner! They are awesome!!! Can't wait to really get them next year!!!

 

Have a happy day~Kasey

 

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Veggie-loaded Pasta Bake

As I was searching for some a delicious, non-meaty dinner, I came across a "Vegetable-Loaded Pasta Bake" and it looked perfect!!  You can see the original recipe on the link to the bhg.com website, but I did make it slightly different.  Here's my version...

Ingredients:

8 oz. dried whole wheat penne pasta 

1/2 of a head of cauliflower cut into florets

olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped finely

2 gloves of garlic, minced

2 medium-large carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 handfuls of spinach, torn into pieces

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup 1% milk

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

You'll have to excuse some of the "measurements.."  I usually have one thing or another that I don't use typical measurements for!!  

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then cook pasta according to package instructions.  Add cauliflower during the last 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, set aside.

~Pour a bit of olive oil into the pan and heat on medium heat.  Add onion and garlic in hot oil pan. Cook for 2 minutes.  Add carrots and celery and cook until carrots are tender.  Add spinach and cook until beginning to wilt.  Stir in the pasta/cauliflower mixture, corn, and peas.  

~For the cheese sauce~Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.  Add milk.  Stir and continue to heat until thickening and bubbly.  Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  Once melted, reduce heat.  Add to the pasta/veggie mixture.  Mix well.

~Transfer to a casserole dish (I did a basic 10x13 pan).  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Uncover and cook another 5 minutes.  

I wish I had taken a picture but I didn't think of it!  The nutrition facts are on the link above.  I'm sure they are slightly different since I used spinach instead of kale and doubled the peas and carrots!  I also took out the Parmesan cheese.  But it should give you a pretty good idea of what is in it!!

The consensus was pretty unanimous!  It was delicious!  It's fully of veggies and the kids LOVED it!!!  While I was making it, I toyed with the idea of doubling the cheese mixture because it did NOT look like it would cover the entire pot of noodles and veggies.  But it did pretty well. My husband thought doubling it would have been good because you can really taste the noodles.  But that is pretty typical with wheat pasta.  I enjoyed it and felt really full after eating just one helping of it!  It's definitely one for our recipe book!  I hope you enjoy!! :D  

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Fish Tacos

I am so not a fan of fish~really...not at all!!  But~I know it is really healthy and that seasonings can make all the difference..so I tried another new fish recipe!  The Biggest Loser Fish Tacos!!!  I didn't change much in these tacos..but I did a little..so here goes!!

Fish:

2 pound of boneless, skinless, tilapia
Juice from one lime
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder

Fillings:

Whole grain flour tortillas ( I use the medium size tortillas)  
1 avocado, mashed
8 oz. bag of Mexican cheese
Rojos mild salsa
A few stalks of freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 of a head of cabbage, finely shredded

Directions:

~To prepare fish:  Place fish in a baking pan and sprinkle with the lime juice, paprika, salt, pepper, and chili powder.  Cover and refrigerate (marinating) for about 30 minutes.

~Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

~Lightly spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.  Place fish, in single layer, in the foil.  Fold foil and lift up and seal sides, sealing fish in juices.  Place on preheated grill and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from grill.

~Wrap tortillas in foil and place on warm grill for 2 minutes to warm.

~Of course you can assemble the tacos any way you like, but I did it this was: tortilla with avocado spread, topped with fish, cheese, pico/salsa, cabbage, cilantro. 

They were really pretty good.  Again~I don't like fish, but I ate two of them!  My husband ate three, and had three more for his dinner at work tonight!  The kids each finished their one and one had another half!  Some of them don't like fish, so to hear them say they wanted to add this one to our recipe book~that was a relief!!  If you try these~I sure hope you enjoy them!!!!

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Southwestern Turkey Salad

As I was searching the Biggest Loser website I came across this Southwestern Turkey Salad and knew I had to give it a shot!  I doubled it..here's my doubled version!

Dressing:

1 cup of Greek-style vanilla yogurt
4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce (I used honey BBQ sauce)
Juice of 1/2 a lime
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander

Turkey:

Olive oil
1/2 a diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb. boneless, skinless turkey..(I used Jennie-O turkey ham), cut into 1/2 inch thick strips or cubes
craisins

Directions:

~In bowl combine yogurt, BBQ sauce, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and coriander.  Mix well. Set aside.

~Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook almost 1 minute.  Add turkey strips and cook another 4 minutes.  

~Add the turkey mixture to the dressing mixture. Add craisins.  Stir well.

~We filled our plates with a bed of romaine lettuce then topped with a spoonful of the turkey/dressing mixture.  

The kids really enjoyed this one...me..not so much!  It actually tasted great but I am just a really picky meat person.  I don't care much for turkey and I'm so-so about ham..so a turkey ham was pretty low on my list of yummy foods! :D  If you like turkey you should love this one! I really love the flavors and would make some of the dressing just to put on my lunch salads each day!  Yum!!  Most of the kids had seconds!  We were a bit weary at first because the lettuce looks pretty bland...but if you eat a meat and lettuce in a bite or mix it well on your plate it's the perfect amount of sauce for it all!!  The kids definitely wanted this one in our recipe book!!!  

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Hippie Loaf

I am not against vegetarian meals.  We often go without meat in our meals..but we don't do a lot of Vegan because we use milk and cheese.  I came across this Hippie Loaf and wanted to try it.  I followed this recipe exactly..except that I did not mince my carrots and I used soy sauce instead of tamari.  I didn't get a picture...but this one was a pretty big bust!!!  My husband ate it, but hated it.  All of my kids except one hated it...two sat for an hour just to eat a few bites, two ate it but hated it, and one ate two pieces.  I, myself, didn't hate it, and even ate the leftovers the next day.  But it was SO different!!!  My husband likes to tell everyone we ate, "veggie meatloaf" and everyone loves to point out that it is pretty ironic!!  :D  If you like beans and quinoa, and are into the vegetarian thing~you will probably love it.  If you don't~you won't!!! :D  

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Dinner for the missionaries...

We were having our church missionaries over for dinner.  I read our menu items for the next two weeks to my husband and he said, "enchiladas!"  So..that's what I made..for my first time ever..for other people!!  What was I thinking?!?!?  ;)  I opened up our Essential Mormon Cookbook that was given to us as a gift, and followed their recipe...a little bit!  I won't post their exact recipe since they don't have it published online, (and because, really, I changed a lot of it..) but I will give you my changed version of it..plus, I doubled it...some of it... :D

Ingredients: 

Chicken breasts
an 8 oz. container of sour cream
2 (7 oz.) cans of chopped green chilies
2 cups of chopped onions
2 tablespoons of butter
salt
2 (8 oz.) bags of shredded cheddar jack cheese
flour tortillas (normally we use wheat tortillas, but since I couldn't find the larger size, I got the regular, white ones)
28 oz. can of mild enchilada sauce ( of course you can use medium or hot if you want it warmer)

Directions:

~ I had two huge chicken breasts.  I sliced them up into kinda thick strips then grilled them on my grilling pan..about 4-6 minutes on each side.  Shred it.

~Combined shredded chicken, sour cream, and green chilies.  Mix well.

~Saute onions and butter until golden brown and translucent.  

~Add onion, 1 cup of cheese (or about half of one bag), and sprinkle salt to your desire, to the chicken mixture.  

~Spoon mixture into tortillas.

~Roll and place, sides touching, in a greased 9x13 pan (or pans).

~Pour enchilada sauce on, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

~Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  

The original recipe was half of most of my stuff..and said it made 10 tortillas.  I got 17 total enchiladas out of the above recipe.  

I have to say~I was pleasantly pleasantly surprised!  We LOVED them!!!  My son didn't care for them much..but that's not surprising since he doesn't care for a lot of things.  The rest of us loved them though!!  Seriously~I couldn't take a picture because they were gone so quickly!  Yes..we actually did have leftovers, but my husband put them away before I got a picture.  

For dessert..another first!!!  I made a Moist Chocolate Cake AND icing from scratch..both my first time ever!!!!!  

Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup water
3 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups flour (I use wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (we have 1%)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

~In saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil.  Remove from heat.  (butter will not be completely melted yet)

~Place baking chocolate in a microwaveable bowl for one minute, then 30 second increments, stirring well between cooking times.  Add to butter/water mixture.  Butter will finish melting as you stir.

~In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and sat. Add chocolate mixture and beat well.

~In separate bowl, add sugar and eggs. Cream.

~Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat well.  Pour mixture into chocolate mixture. Beat well.  

~Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  (I checked mine..and ended up cooking it 30 minutes)  

~TIP~when you are checking it...I always used a butter knife..don't.  Use a toothpick if you have one!! The knife makes a slightly larger hole/slice..and the homemade icing is wet until it settles and will seep down into the cake quite a bit if you have the larger holes! :D  

Chocolate Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

~In medium saucepan, bring butter and milk to a boil.  Remove from heat.  (again..butter won't be completely melted)

~Melt chocolate in the microwave, 1 minute, then 30 second increments as needed, stirring well between times.

~Pour chocolate into saucepan with butter and milk.  Mix.

~Pour mixture into a bowl.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well.

The icing looks really wet and watery..but it sets perfectly once it's poured onto the cake!

It was delicious!!!!  My kids loved it..I enjoyed it.  The missionaries had seconds..my husband loved it..and he hates cake!!!  My firsts were sure not lasts this time!!! :D  

Have a happy day~Kasey

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Oh my YUMMM!!! I was SO excited to try the Broccoli Cheese Soup from one of my cookbooks!  YEAH!!!  My kids..not so excited..but I couldn't wait!!!! 

Ingredients: 

1 pound of broccoli
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour (we use wheat flour)
4 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

~Cook broccoli until just tender.  Do NOT overcook or it will be slightly mushy in the soup!  Drain and cut into small/medium pieces. Set aside.

~Saute' chopped onion and 1/4 cup butter until tender and translucent.   Set aside.

~In a large saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour until well blended.

~Stir in milk, chicken broth, and a sprinkle or two of salt.  

~Stir mixture constantly (or it will totally settle and stick to the bottom of the pan) until it boils.  Cook 2 minutes until thickened.  Still stirring.

~Add broccoli and onions.  Stir in cheese.  Cook a couple minutes, until warmed and combined, over medium heat.  Do not boil.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Yum yum yum!!  I hate my bowl..and a bite or two each time I went into the kitchen!!  One of those "really-filling-but-can't-stop-eating-it's-so-good" things!!  My son and one daughter weren't fans.  Two had "licked-clean" bowls and the other ate nearly all of it.  My husband was at work and ate his for lunch today~LOVED it!!!!  He couldn't stop raving about it..and he was full after one bowl!!  (he eats a lot..so that's saying something)!! :D  I really enjoyed it and it will definitely be back in our house!!!

(would be great in bread bowls too)!! :D

Have a happy day~Kasey

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