Oven-Roasted Asparagus

So normally when it comes to dinner, I always make something exciting as the main dish and the veggie for the night does not equal up... I tend to go the convenient route of just picking up whatever I can find in the bag, in the frozen aisle. I don't think think we even buy a variety of different kinds either, always the same two types (usually peas or corn) and when I do get a variety, its the "mixed vegetable" kind that features peas, corn, and carrots. It's a miracle that my son actually loves vegetables at all since we have the same boring spread nearly every night. 

Well I decided to get out of this rut! I saw a display of fresh asparagus first thing upon walking into the store, and I remembered this simple recipe from a few months back (emphasis on simple). I have posted on this one a few months back, but it is so good and easy that I decided to give it a second go-around. You already probably own the ingredients, just need to go out and buy some asparagus! 

Oven-Roasted Asparagus
         adapted from marthastewart.com

1 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
about 1 tbsp olive oil
fresh ground pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

  Preheat oven to 425º. Put asparagus in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss until coated.Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 

 Sprinkle asparagus with desired amount of sea salt (I think I ended up using about 1/4-1/2 tsp). Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. 

Bake about 13-14 minutes until tender, but still a pretty bright green.

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Pizza Casserole w/ Ground Beef

Make-ahead dinners, I am all about them! Sure, my evenings are pretty free to be able to make a nice dinner every night, but sometimes it's nice to see that time where you need to stop what you are doing to prep for dinner, cook dinner, clean up from cooking dinner, then clean up after dinner...blah blah blah...come and go. It's nice to think to yourself, "dinner is already done, the clean up was done yesterday and all I need to do is pop it in the oven (and let my husband do the clean up after haha)"

This casserole was not intended as a make-ahead but it worked out that way as other plans came up instead, (like making that Triple Chocolate Cheesecake from yesterdays post late at night at my friends house!) 

Pizza Casserole w/ Ground Beef 
          adapted from unknown source

8oz ground beef
1 C chopped onion
14oz pizza sauce (I made Simple Pizza Sauce and weighed out the 14oz needed)--worth it over store bought 
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 oz dry rotini noodles
2oz pepperoni slices
1-1/4 C shredded Italian cheese blend
Italian seasoning, to taste/sprinkled over top

Preheat oven to 350º. Cook ground beef with onion until onions are tender and beef is cooked through over medium-high heat, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions, drain.

Add pizza sauce to meat mixture, add salt and pepper. Fold in the pasta, transfer to a greased 9" round pan. Top with cheese and pepperoni (full 2 oz or just what you would on a pizza). Generously sprinkle with Italian seasoning ( I used basil, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder).

Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge until ready to make, uncover before baking

Bake 30 minutes, if desired put under broiler for a few minutes to get the topping nice and golden brown--yum! Allow to cool about 5 minutes before cutting into.

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Simple Pizza Sauce

Lately my most recent "health kick" has been trying to get my family out of the habit of purchasing ingredients from the store (with all their mystery additives)that we could just as easily make at home. For instance, as previously posted, switching from instant oatmeal to the real deal (check out Pumpkin-Blueberry Chia Oatmeal). While I have yet to stumble across a go-to spaghetti sauce recipe, I have finally come across a pizza sauce recipe that is to our liking. It is simple in the sense that a young child will have no complaints, and ridiculously easy to prepare that it could be done in the amount of time for you to be ready to use it. In addition, you probably have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry!

 This batch makes about 26oz of sauce. Much more then what you will need for a pizza pie. I divide the leftovers to freeze, and after about 20 minutes of the tupperware used for the sauce thawing in warm water, it's ready to use. Another idea we most recently decided to use the extra sauce for, was to make homemade "pizza lunchables". My son loves the lunchables from the store, but I loathe the ingredients. So we store the sauce in these little containers to freeze, have some sandwich thins on hand, some pepperoni and cheese, and he has himself a "lunchable pizza". Mother kid approved!

 Simple Pizza Sauce
- source unknown-

 Ingredients 

2 6oz cans tomato paste

2 tbsp fresh parsley 

1 tsp basil 

1 tsp oregano 

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp fresh pepper 

1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves) 

3 C water 

Whisk all ingredients together, put over stove on medium heat. Once simmering, lower heat to med-low and simmer 20 minutes. 
 

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Creamed Corn w/ Green Onion & Parsley

I've never really had creamed corn before, so this recipe, I kind of went about it blindly. Luckily it turned out great! If you are a creamed corn aficionado and I am very wrong to call this creamed corn, please tell me otherwise, until then, I am pretty satisfied with this sweet side dish! 

I used white corn for this, I am not sure of the difference in taste between yellow or white, so I guess use what you prefer. I do highly recommend using fresh over frozen here! If you are feeling lazy (like I was) put someone else to work on the shucking ;)

He was pretty happy about it

Creamed Corn w/ Fresh Green Onion & Parsley
serves about 4

Ingredients
 5 slices bacon
4 large ears white corn, husks and silk removed
seasoned salt (to taste, I used about 1/2 -3/4 tsp)
fresh cracked pepper ( about 1/8-1/4 tsp)
3-4 tbsp heavy cream (as needed)
1 tbsp sliced green onions
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

In a 10" skillet, cook bacon until crisp, set aside and reserve for another use. Do not rinse out your skillet. 

Cut the end of the corn off so you have a nice flat end to stand the corn up over a cutting board. Using a chefs knife, cut the corn off the cob. Transfer into a bowl. Using a potato masher, press into the corn to release some of it's juices.

Season generously with seasoned salt and fresh pepper. Transfer to the same skillet with your reserved bacon drippings. Cook over medium-low heat about 20 min, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream, heat another 20 min. Toss in green onions and parsley. 
This side dish went perfectly with Pesto & Red Pepper Chicken Sandwiches w/ Bacon

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Pumpkin-Blueberry Chia Oatmeal

My son loves oatmeal! He even went through a mini phase of asking me for oatmeal every morning for breakfast...no matter if I was offering him pancakes or cinnamon rolls (really)! Only problem that I was not comfortable with, was the type of oatmeal he was fascinated with and really the only kind he was ever given--instant! 

So I have really been trying to step away from harboring a pantry full of food with preservatives. It hasn't been easy! Unfortunately, pretty much everything convenient in the store has preservatives and unless you shop in a health food store and happen to have the money to spend on the goods, you are kind of SOL! Well, that is our dilemma anyway... we live on a military base and we are conveniently only like 1 minute away from our base's commissary and the prices are decent, so naturally we are compelled to do our shopping there.

I am aware there are plenty of healthy stuff in a regular store too but unlike a health food store, you really can't just grab items off the shelf and trust that what ingredients are in the box are good for your family. With my new "preservative free" life changes, my shopping list takes several hours compared to what it use to be. I know that once we figure out the good stuff vs. the bad, it won't take as long (I for one hope not!); until then, I will continue to scope out the minimal good stuff and find homemade replacements (and much tastier) for the products we need to part with. 

Enter....Blueberry Chia Oatmeal! On first glance of reading the original recipe for this, I may have recoiled slightly. After a quick Google search on a little about the ingredients that I have never heard of (like chia seeds, which if you haven't already guessed it, are the same chia seeds that you grow a Chia Pet with), and a few changes to suit my preference, I was very eager to make this oatmeal! Let me tell you, I WILL be making this one again...and again! Bonus if you have kids? It turns purple (yay!)

Pumpkin-Blueberry Chia Oatmeal
         {serves 2}

1 C frozen blueberries
2 tbsp hot water
1 C uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1-1/2 C water
1/8 tsp salt 
2 tbsp pumpkin puree 
4 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground flax seeds
3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 C almond milk or soy (I used plain but I bet vanilla will be good too)


In a small bowl, add the blueberries with the 2 tbsp hot water, set aside while the berries thaw a little and plump up.

In a saucepan, boil 1 C water with the salt. Stir in the oats, cook over medium heat for 5 min until most the water in the pan is absorbed. Stir in pumpkin.

Meanwhile, in another small bowl, mix together chia seeds, cinnamon, flax seeds, walnuts, & brown sugar. Stir mixture into the oatmeal, add the blueberries (including any liquid from them), & the almond milk. Mix until well combined. Distribute into bowls, prepare to be amazed at how awesome you will feel after this energy boosting breakfast!

(Source: adapted from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com )

 

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Ham & Spaghetti Casserole

THIS is one casserole that I dub "comfort food"... I warn you, if you are on a diet of any sort run the other way!!!! If you are on a diet but can't help yourself, well then you and I are in the same boat; I will scooch over and make some extra room ;)

Ham, noodles, creamy (oh so creamy!), cheesy, and a few veggies so we don't feel too guilty about ourselves....do I need to even go on?!?? 

Ham & Spaghetti Casserole
(serves 4-6)

8 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in half
4 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1-1/2 C chopped ham
3-4 sliced green onions
4 tbsp flour
2 C chicken broth
2 tbsp cooking sherry, optional
pinch of pepper
1/2 C heavy cream
1 C fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 C frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray.  Cook spaghetti noodles as package directs, drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, ham, green onion, & parsley. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add flour, stir until blended. Mix in chicken broth, sherry, & pepper. Cook, stirring until thickened. Stir in heavy cream, 1/2 C Parmesan, & peas. Fold in the spaghetti noodles. Pour into baking dish & sprinkle remaining 1/2 C Parmesan over the top. Bake 25-35 minutes until hot and bubbly.

(Source: adapted from Diana Rattray @ southernfood.com)

Chocolate-Dipped PB & Marshmallow Ritz Sandwich Cookies

One of my favorite snacks (that never fails) is crackers w/ creamy peanut butter.... well how about adding some fluffy marshmallow? Then if it couldn't get better then that.....adding some melted milk chocolate!!! The only negative thing I {{might}} say about this easy recipe?  You can not eat just one! Don't believe me? You try...  ;)

Chocolate-Dipped PB & Marshmallow Ritz Sandwich Cookies
                   (adapted from Nabisco.com)

All you need:
an even amount of Ritz crackers
7 oz tub marshmallow fluff
creamy peanut butter
milk or dark chocolate candy coating

Simply spread about 1/8" layer of peanut butter over one half of a ritz, 1/8" layer marshmallow fluff on another half of a ritz. Stick them together. Place on a plate. When you get the desired amount you want made, freeze for about 20 min.

Heat up the candy coating according to package directions. Remove sandwiches from freezer. Dip halfway into chocolate and set over a wax paper-lined plate. Once all have been dipped, freeze about 20 minutes more. 

* I recommend keeping these in the freezer or the fridge, the pb can get messy when it sits out.

Chili-Spaghetti Casserole

Today I had my friend Nikki and her 3 year old son, Chase over. We had a day full of crafts planned (painting coffee cups) while our boys played nicely crazily around the house. It was a full on chaos-filled day (aren't those the best?). Despite the frenzied toddlers and the house looking like a tornado of toys, Nikki and I were able to accomplish quite a bit of what we set out to do...while downing a big raspberry-dark chocolate latte to survive the storm!

Our friends stayed for dinner, we made a wonderful (but easy) casserole. Let me tell you, even the pickiest of eaters (Chase), ate his entire serving. Nikki and I kept a look of surprise while we watched him eat with no hesitation!

     Chili-Spaghetti Casserole 
   (adapted from Best Loved Recipes)

8 oz uncooked spaghetti noodles
20 oz ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped small
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
15 oz Hormel Vegetarian Chili w/ Beans
14.5 oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 C sharp cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 C sour cream  
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder   

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 13x9" glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

 In a large pot, boil salted water and cook spaghetti noodles as directed on package (about 9 min). 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown the turkey with the onions until cooked through and onions are translucent. Drain off fat. *Unless your skillet is large enough, pour turkey mixture into a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients reserving 1/2 C shredded cheese.

Drain noodles and add to the mixture. Toss gently, turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 C cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.   

Making Your Own Play Kitchen Food

How many of you have children? I am a mother to an adorable 3 year old boy. While we have lots in common with each other, one thing I don't have in common is the toys and shows he is into. He is very much into Transformers, trucks, tools and as of today, DinoSquad (sp). 

 Last Christmas, I was thrilled that we would be giving him a play kitchen! It was something I could relate to...I might have been more excited about it then he was at first but now he loves it and it always becomes part of our playtime together. 

Well if any of you who have kids and a play kitchen might know... the play food that comes in the cute boxes (the mini versions of Betty Crocker Brownies that are identical to what you might have in your pantry among other copy-cat toy versions) quickly get dented, chewed on (yes, that was the fate of ours), labels peeling etc... 

I actually can't believe I didn't consider doing this before, and I am sure some of you are a step ahead of me on this, but for those who have yet to think of it: Tape up your boxes and food items you used and voila! you have new kitchen play food that you didn't pay extra for and if it gets destroyed (which it probably will), throw it away! What is nice about this, the stuff in their kitchen is constantly restocked with "new toys". I have rinsed out seasoning containers, butter tubs, pasta salads, cereals...you get the idea... I even had an old 9x9" pan and wooden spoon I had no use for, it now sits in his kitchen. Old pot holders, dish towels... so many ways to get more out of their toy kitchen. The only thing I don't advise giving them might be egg cartons for risk of e coli or some other bacteria contamination. 

I would love to hear comments of other ideas anyone might have for getting more out of play kitchens, so if you have any other ideas to add to this, please don't be shy ;)