Yummy, quick fix for the cool evenings we have been having in the Midwest.

Skillet Lasagna

adapted from Family Fun

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (I used low-fat cottage cheese)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 (26-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 6 oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta or cottage cheese, water, salt, basil, oregano, pepper Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Set the mixture aside.
2. Brown the beef in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain fat. Add the zucchini. Stir in 2 cups of the pasta sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Top the mixture with 2 lasagna noodles, set in the center. Break 2 more noodles each into half  and fill in the edges. Spread the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Break 2 remaining noodles in half each and lay on top. Pour the rest of the sauce into the skillet and spread evenly, then sprinkle on the remaining cup of mozzarella.
4. Cover the skillet and simmer the lasagna over medium-low heat until the noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the lasagna cool for at least 5 minutes. After about 10 minutes most of the liquid was absorbed. Makes about 6 servings.

A little garlic bread and salad on the side and you have all you need for a delicious meal on a budget too.

I never seem to never get tired of chocolate!

So thought I would share this fast, easy chocolate recipe with you.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

(It is best if you mix all ingredients in a bowl before putting in a cup)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day

I’d like to take credit for this yummy dish, but honestly it is my mother-in-law’s recipe with a few minor tweaks to make it my own. But she is the one who came up with the novelty of serving this dish in real sea shells. Yes, you can put them in the oven, the microwave, the dishwasher. I’ve seen these shells at craft stores before.

Wash your shells before using and then place them on a cookie baking sheet.

I spray a light coating of Pam cooking spray into the shells just to make cleanup a bit easier.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

- 3 cans tuna (or canned turkey or chicken if you’re not a tuna fan)

- 1/2 cup chopped celery

- 1 chopped white or yellow onion

- 3 boiled eggs, peeled and diced

- 1 cup panko bread crumbs

- 1 cup velveeta cheese, diced

- 3/4 cup Light Miracle Whip salad dressing

- salt and pepper to taste

With a fork mix all ingredients together.

Take a large spoon and load up each sea shell with the tuna mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes but keep an eye on it. Depending on how full you make the shells will definitely affect the bake time. You want the shells to get a golden tone to them and the cheese melted.

Serve with a salad and beverage and you have an easy peasy dinner that’s healthy too! Bon appetit my friends.

And a recipe card for your files. Just click on the image and print!

I’ve got a recipe for punch that is sure to please your guests. I’ve made it twice now and both times my guests drained the punch bowl so fast my head was spinning!

Now I also put fresh pineapple and maraschino cherries on the little cocktail umbrellas and placed in each cup of punch for flavor and mostly for fun!

I created the napkin rings out of paper strips. All you need is a little clipart, imagination and an image editor.

Or you can download a set of these napkin rings to use for your own party if you prefer to have this already done for you Just use the solid green lines as a cutting guide. Roll paper napkin rings around napkin. Use two sided tape or craft glue to attach the two ends together.

Please honor my copyright and not redistribute this download; but I will gladly let you link to my blog so others can download it for free also.

Tomorrow, step by step on creating party favor bags and another free download of Thank You stickers.

At my local Price Chopper Grocery I buy a small loaf of multi-grain bread that you bake for only 15 minutes and tastes so, so good.  Full of seeds and grains and nice brown crust, my favorite part of bread.  I knew if I baked the bread I would be crazy enough to eat the whole thing so decided I better have a pretty healthy salad to go with it.  I get so tired of lettuce salad and after opening the frig and all the cabinets made this up to go with my bread…give it a try it was really quite good.

A fresh bunch of spinach

Small can of crushed pineapple (I would have preferred chunks but didn’t have any)

Handful of slivered almonds

One thin slice of red onion (I just love this onion)

1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

Small piece of ham steak, chopped (cooked up to 3/4 cup meat)

I opened the pineapple and drained all of the juice into a non-stick skillet and with heat on med-lo I put the clean spinach leaves in and covered with a lid for about 10 minutes.  Check on it because I didn’t time it so I am guessing.

While that is steaming I chopped up the ham and threw it into another non-stick skillet on med-hi and let it sizzle until lightly browned and smelled wonderful.

When I checked on the spinach about half way through the wilting process I added the ginger and stirred up the spinach to distribute.

Pulled down a plate and placed the spinach, ham, a large tablespoon or more of the crushed pineapple, almonds, onion and in no time at all I had a healthy salad.

Notice I had lots of real butter on my hot bread too…and yes I ate that whole loaf and I wonder why I am gaining weight?

A favorite soup of my family is potato soup.   In my single days, potato soup would be on the menu if I cooked for a man because I knew they would love it.  Serve it with a salmon steak, grilled asparagus, and a hard roll and you will win hearts, my husband loved it.

Today I made potato soup and wanted to share with you how it was made.

The ingredients

2 medium sized baking potatoes

1 cup of diced ham (purchased diced so I would not have to chop ham and as a substitute for bacon, cholesterol  and weight issues)

1 cup low fat sharp shredded cheese, (low fat substitute for Velveeta, same issues as bacon)

2 stalks of celery

6 green onions

1 teaspoon (or more, I didn’t measure) fresh ground black pepper

I wash the potatoes and leave the skin on because that provides better nutritional value, then I chop into bite size chunks, (every kitchen requires a good chopping knife).

Chop the celery and onion and set aside enough  of the onion tops, and cheese to garnish 6 servings.  Place the chopped potatoes, celery and onion  in a pan of boiling water, adding a heaping teaspoon of sea salt.

Cook until potatoes are still slightly firm and never mushy!

While the vegetables are boiling take a small saute skillet on medium high heat sligthly brown the ham.  This process will bring out the flavor and juice in the ham better than just putting it into the boiling water.

Doesn’t that look juicy and yummy?  Set the ham aside to enhance flavors.

Drain the potatoes and add 3 cups milk (2% milk and no butter, those same issues with cholesterol and weight just kept coming up.)

Add the ham (setting aside some ham for garnish if you want) and cheese and stir until melted and smooth, won’t take long if you use shredded cheese.

By the time I got to this stage my mouth was watering….

Next we have to add the absolute must for me but you can go lighter than my preference, fresh ground black pepper.  I use a lot!

Once the cheese has melted serve in soup bowls and garnish with the onion, ham and cheese to suit each individual’s taste.  If you prefer to have the soup thicker take a tablespoon of flour and mix into a small amount of milk,maybe 1 tablespoon, less than a 1/4 cup.  I never measure but you want a runny paste.  Stir into the soup and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to be sure you don’t scorch it and until it thickens slightly.

Trust me it was delicious….I decided 6 cups even with all the good health choices I made for ingredients was probably still more than I needed to be eating so I took a couple of bowla next door for my neighbors and “yes, they loved it.”

Now if any of my kids read about me giving potato soup away and not calling to invite them first, well…..I may have to make more!

Oh yes, it is the one time of year I actually bake. Why only this time of year? Because if I baked all the time, I’d be as round as this jolly snowman. I have no self control when it comes to sweets; therefore I don’t bake because I would eat the whole thing all by myself.

My favorite recipe is the the Christmas Kiss Cookie, also known as the Debbie Cookie. I can eat a pan of these faster than you can snap your fingers and say Kris Kringle 3 times.

Do any of you have a wonderful Christmas recipe of yummy goodness that you would like to share?

A tradition in my home in cold weather is potato soup.  My children love, love it.  Easy to make and easy on the pocketbook.

My recipe: 

4 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed bite size

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

6 slices lean bacon, cooked crisp

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese, chopped

4 cups milk, 2% is my choice use whatever you prefer

2 pats butter, I never use oleo or margarine, just the real thing

salt and pepper

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Brown bacon to crisp, not dry however, and set aside.  In same skillet save a tablespoon of bacon drippings and saute the onion and celery until almost tender.

Peel potatoes (wash and leave skins on if you prefer), chop into bite size chunks and place in pan of boiling water that has been salted. Cook until potatoes are just tender but not falling apart, only takes 10-15 minutes.  Drain completely,  return to fire and add rest of ingredients, bringing back to hot but not boiling, stirring until the Velveeta melts.  Reduce fire to low temp for 10 minutes to bring out best flavor.

Serve hot with chopped parsley and shredded cheddar on top.  Sour cream can also be used on top but soup is very rich without it.

I love to serve it with Salmon Patties and broiled asparagus that has been smothered in olive oil and garlic salt.

Yummy, I am ready to cook up some Cheesy Potato Soup!

Recently I was a guest in Deb’s home for dinner. The grandchildren of her family were all there making for a great time no matter what food was served.

When I asked what I could to to help prepare dinner she got out a jar of homemade applesauce a couple cans of Parker house dinner rolls and asked if I could take the applesauce and rolls and make applesauce turnovers. Now I have made apple turnovers but applesauce, come on that stuff runs!

Grandson Kevin sat watching me and was quite entertained as I struggled to keep that applesauce inside those wraps no matter what shape I cut them.  When we finally ate dinner Kevin wanted one of the first ones I made as he knew it had way more applesauce than some of the others.   As I said it was a lesson in learn as your go cooking.

What a mess, I licked my fingers a lot…I tried every shape but no matter what I tried the applesauce spilled out,  let’s face it applesauce is runny

Everybody had a good laugh about how they looked so, so, undescribable.  However, none were left as they tasted downright delicious!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN DEAR FRIENDS!!!

I love soups. One dish, throw everything in, cook in the crockpot and viola, you have a magnificent dinner. I’m in too good eating, but simple eating

So I thought I’d share my easy creamy chicken vegetable soup recipe along with the cheese biscuits that I make to go with it. Bon apetite my friends!

These recipe cards are printable. Just click on the card above and hit print from your browser’s menu. Enjoy!