Manicotti!

Hey friends!
Another recipe from my sweet friend Melissa!  You can read about her journey here.

Manicotti- yum!
delicious, easy, and healthy Manicotti

boil manicotti shells in big pot for a minute less than the box instructs, drain in colander and set aside

mix together thawed frozen spinach, fat free ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and one egg in a bowl 

(amounts depend on how many shells you want to stuff and how spinachy you want the filling to be, use your judgement!)

using your (clean:)) hands, stuff manicotti with ricotta filling. be careful not to tear the shells, they can be delicate

cover the bottom of a baking dish with sauce, line manicotti shells in pan, cover with  more sauce, low fat shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. bake for 30 minute at 375, covered, until last 5 minutes

Chicken Marsala

Hey friends!

Today, our recipe comes from my friend Melissa.  You can check our her writing here.

She is a great cook, momma and loves Jesus fiercely!

Chicken Marsala

1lb chicken breasts or tenders

1 package of mushrooms (baby bellas or white buttons are what I use)

marsala cooking wine

flour (wheat flour is a healthy substitute)

butter or margarine

a drizzle of vegetable or olive oil

chicken broth (optional)

cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and coat with flour

saute in a pan drizzled with oil

brown both sides of chicken but do not cook through (2-3 minutes on each side)

remove from pan

melt butter or margarine in pan, add sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes until butter is absorbed 

add generous amount of marsala cooking wine (I like to add chicken broth as well)

simmer on med low until mushrooms are soft and you have a good amount of sauce

Add chicken to pan and simmer in sauce and mushrooms until chicken is cooked through

**If you don't have enough sauce at any time, just add more broth/marsala wine

Serve over pasta or any rice

We love the Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice from the freezer that you can microwave in 3 minutes

Enjoy!

PS Elle gobbles this right up! I love that she will eat these mushrooms!

Abbeys Bacon and veggie quiche

Quiche

It's french, it sounds fancy, it sounds hard.  Bahhaha! Those french can't fool me!  This is so easy and SOOO good.  And what I love about quiche, it's an any meal- meal.  Make it for dinner, have left overs for breakfast.

Okay here we go, what you need:

1. bacon, get the center cut and be happy with it after it's cooked.
2. pie crust (you can get the rolled up find next to the rolls or you can get the frozen kind in the frozen section.  I personally like the rolled up kind next to the yogurt and cinnamon rolls in the grocery store).
3. 1 cup of Frozen veggies (I use broccoli and spinach)
4. 4 eggs
5. cheese
6. 1 onion
7. 8oz of grated cheddar cheese
8. 1/2 cup of milk
9. 1 cup of mushrooms

Step 1.  Eat lunch.  In the mean time, preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook pie crust for 10 minutes.  Take out of oven.

Step 2.  Cook bacon when you are SUPER full so you won't eat 1/2 of it :)

(if you don't eat bacon, still make this!  I've done it without and it's still amazing!!)

Step 3.  Sautee onion.

Step 4.  Mix together the eggs, milk and cheese.

Step 5.  Add all the veggies to the pie crust.

Step 6.  Add the milk/egg/cheese mixture over the veggies.

Bake for 15 minutes on 400 then reduce heat to 350 and cook for 25 minutes (mine always has to cook longer than this!!  So just watch it).  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Summer salad

Hey friends!  Sorry for the month long absence.  It's been crazy around my house and I know for sure around Emily's house.

And honestly, we are running out of recipes!  If you email them to us, we will post them, give you credit for them and provide a link to your blog- if you do it!

So this is one of my FAVORITES!  I seriously made this every week last summer when I was pregnant with my youngest (who is turning 1 tomorrow- wahhhhhh!!!).

Here is what you need:

1. Mixed greens (maybe even some spinach?)
2. tomatoes 
3. carrots
4. blueberries
5. blackberries
6. strawberries
7. Raspberries (I do this sometimes, because I have a hard time getting good ones.)
8. onions
9. some sort of nut or seed (almonds, pecans, sunflowers, sesame seeds, etc)
10. blue cheese crumbles
11. I have done chicken sometimes and it was good.  i just cooked it in the skillet and added some seasoning to that it wouldn't be bland.
12. *Last night I didn't have chicken thawed so I added a black bean burger.  I just cooked it, tore it up and sprinkled it over. Oh my.  I think that's my new favorite!
13. yummy light dressing (I have used light honey mustard, raspberry vinaigrette and balsamic)

Chop everything up into bite sizes.  Have small babes, just don't give them the lettuce and nuts/seeds and give them everything else and they will love it!  Mine like to "dip"  Salt and pepper and then enjoy!

Mini pizza? I don't know what to call it.

Hi friends.  Sorry that Emily and I have been MIA for the last week.  What happened?  I don't know, life maybe?  I'll blame it on my babies.  I don't know what her reason is, work?

So let's get to it.  I made these last night because I was super organized and planned ahead, because they are quick and I was so hungry I was about a second way from biting someones head off and it was fast and easy!

I've seen them around a few websites, but just did what I want and didn't really follow a recipe.  I don't know who to give credit to, but I for sure don't get it.  Enjoy never the less!!

What you need:

• 1 or 2 containers of the crescent rolls.  Ours had 6 and we needed more.  I would plan for 4 or 5 per person.  If you husband (or you) eat like a teenager, then 5 for sure.  I bought the publix brand and they were just as good.
• 1 small container of pizza sauce.  You need so little, plan for something else to use again so you don't waste it.
• pepperoni
• mozzarella cheese
• any other small pizza topping that sounds good... get creative!!

First you preheat the oven to the directions of the rolls.  I think ours said 350.  Roll out the roll and add the sauce.

Then add the pepperoni.

Then sprinkle cheese on it.  Note to self, take a picture of each step.

Then roll it up. I found that if you take the corners and stretch them over it will hold better after it's cooked.

15 minutes later, viola!

I did warm up some of the pizza sauce for dipping.  Yummo!  And added a side of peas.  Well frank did the peas.  I hate peas and he made me eat some.  AB ate her weight in them.

Meat Loaf- Easy and Simple

What you will need:

1-2 lbs ground beef (for 2 people I use 1lb and have leftovers)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup pulp from vegetable juicing (optional but adds a lot of flavor and gives you something to do with the pulp from juicing)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs then mix all of the other ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a 13X9 baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

Chicken and noodles

Hey friends, Abbey here!  Emily has had some many good recipes lately, so I thought that I would sneak one in :)

I literally made this up.  I need to go grocery shopping and this is what we had in the panty/ freezer.

First and formost, make sure you have an AWESOME sous chef that will "help" you and laugh at your bad dancing skill while cooking!

1 package of chicken strips

1 box of the archer farms (target) spaghetti pesto

1/2 of of frozen brocolli

1 egg

some milk

bread crumbs

oil

marsala or some other marinade

I defrosted some chicken and marinaded it yesterday.  Our friends called and asked us to dinner, we don't turn them down :)  So it ended up marinading the chicken for over 24 hours.  But above (marsala) is the marinade (let's see how many times I can type "marinade in one paragraph!).  I used tupperware and put the chicken in there with the marsala cooking wine and added italian seasoning and some other seasoning, I can't remember- tyme maybe?  I don't know- just whatever smells good {grin}.  Let soak for as long as you can.

Tonight, I used 1 egg and a dash of milk and dipped the said chicken in it and then rubbed the bread crumbs on each strip.

Put the chicken over the spaghetti.  I have never fried chicken before and THANK goodness my hubby came in and saved the day- or chicken.  It was a little crispy :)

Serve the broccoli on the side.  

Chipotle Roast

You will need:
1-2 lbs of roast
1 envelope of Grill Mates Chipotle Seasoning

Heat the oven to 350. Marinate the roast in the Chipotle seasoning per instructions on back of envelope. Place the roast on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Pour some of the leftover marinade over the roast. Cook for about 25-40 minutes. I would recommend starting to check the inside of the roast after about 20 minutes to make sure it does not get over cooked.

*** If you are able to marinade the meat ahead of time, I would recommend doing so for a few hours before. Trust me, it is still delicious even if you cannot do this.

I served this dish with a side of sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Creamy Spinach Dip

I am not really sure were this recipe came from but it is delicious. I have made it as a side for dinner or an appetizer to take to a party!

Ingredients:
1 box thawed spinach
1 box cream cheese (I usually get fat free to make it have less calories :) )
1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 milk
12 oz of salsa
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
2 cups of grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a small oven safe dish. Cook for 40 minutes. I like to serve this with the Whole Grain Tostitos Scoops.

Chicken and Atrichoke Hearts Casserole

Hi everybody! This is a delicious meal, but fair warning, artichokes, rice and chicken together do not make very pretty colors on your plate.

Ingredients
1.5- 2 pounds of chicken (depending on how much you want to add)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2-1 cup mushrooms (depending on if you like mushrooms and how many you want in here)
2ish tablespoons of flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar (both seem to work about the same)
1 can artichoke hearts (if you are like Josh and I and LOVE these, you might want to get 2 cans)
1-2 cups of rice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Coat chicken in salt, pepper and paprika. Cook in skillet with butter or whatever your preference is. Once cooked, chop it up or leave it as whole pieces and place it in a casserole dish. In the skillet, add mushrooms and saute. Once sauteed, add chicken broth and sherry. Then sprinkle in flour until the sauce thickens.

Cook rice and add it to the casserole dish.

Place the artichoke hearts in the casserole dish and then pour mushroom sauce evenly throughout the casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

This might sound strange but if you add a splash of soy sauce after cooking it, it adds a lot of flavor.

Summer Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. A few times I have made this for a cookout this summer and have ended up eating it for lunch or dinner a few times that week.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Pasta (I usually use bow ties or the twisty ones)
Cilantro Lime salad dressing (from Trader Joe's)
*If you do not want to go to Trader Joe's, you can use Italian dressing)
Cherry Tomatoes or a large Tomato (chop tomato or slice the cherry tomatoes in half)
Celery (chopped)
Green Pepper (chopped)
Carrots (chopped)
*I like a lot of veggies in my pasta salad, so feel free to add as much or as little as you would like

Cook the pasta. Drain the noodles then put in a large bowl. Add the chopped veggies into the bowl then dump in 1/2- 3/4 of the bottle of dressing and mix. I usually let mine refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Chicken/Vegetable Casserole

Things you will need:
~ 1 can of green beans or the equivalent of fresh green beans
~ 1 can of corn
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of diced, cooked chicken
1 cup of cooked rice
3/4 cup of milk
1 can of french onion rings (you can also use crackers if you do not have french onion rings)
~ 1 cup of cheese (optional)

Combine the beans, corn, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and rice. Put the mixture in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with onion rings and bake for 10 more minutes. If you love cheese like the Fox family does, add some shredded cheese before placing the onion rings on top.

Beat the heat with Summer Beer

Summer beer is a delicious drink to enjoy after dinner, sitting on the porch or at the pool. It is so simple to make yet one of the best drinks.

There are 2 variations of this, so here we go!

Lemonade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen pink lemonade
Vodka
3-4 light beers (Bud Light or Coors Light are what we typically use)

Pour the pink lemonade into a pitcher then fill the lemonade can with vodka and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Limeade Summer Beer:
1 can of frozen lime juice
Tequilla
3-4 Mexican beers (Corona or Dos Equis work well)

Pour the limeade into a pitcher and then fill the limeade can with tequilla and pour into the pitcher. Add the 3-4 beers and mix well. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken

Josh and I have started juicing. Since we are juicing, we have been trying to make lighter, simpler meals. Here is one of Josh's favorites:

You will need the following:

Teriyaki Sauce

1-2 onions chopped

Enough chicken for who you are cooking for

In a skillet, dump in enough Teriyaki sauce to line the skillet. Place the chicken in the sauce and turn it over a couple of times. Then let it cook completely on each side. While the chicken is cooking, sautee the onions in another skillet. I typically add salt/pepper and the Weber grill mates brand Kick'n Chicken.

Once the onions are cooked, combine then in the chicken to soak on the flavors. Then top with more Kick'N Chicken seasoning. 

Bloody Mary goodness

Hey friends, Abbey here!  I don't know if you know this or not, but my husband can cook!  I mean, the proof is in my hiney he is seriously good!  Besides his killer culinary skills, he can make a mean drink.  So add it the ingrediants to the grocery list and stop by the liquor store on the way!!

No better day for this than hump day:

Bloody Mary Goodness:

In a high ball glass add:

4 cubes ice

1 ounce pour (jigger) of Vodka of your choice

8oz can of V8 juice- original, not spicy

A generous squirt of Sriracha HOT chili sauce (you know that hot sauce with the green top and the roaster on the bottle)

1 squeeze of bottled lime juice or 1/2 of one lime (preferred)

ground pepper to taste

3 second pour (count it out) of Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce (the kind with the paper on the bottle and leave the paper on...it really adds to the experience!!)

Mix all the ingredients together, and shake violently for 5 seconds. 

Garnish with two large green olives and a celery stalk from the heart of the plant.

Go grab your honey and have some couch time and relax!  (Frank says: “or better yet, a hammock and a fat cigar.)

Happy Wednesday!