Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil

1. 1 1/2 lbs Italian Sausage (I usually just use 16 oz, turkey sausage is good, too)
2. 3 cups chopped onions
3. 4 garlic cloves, minced
4. 2 teaspoons dried oregano
5. optional: 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
6. 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
7. 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
8. 2 bay leaves
9. 6 cups chicken broth
10. 8 ounces fusilli or mafalda pasta (or other pasta of your choice) (I used bowtie, whole wheat works well)
11. 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, or a heaping tablespoon dried basil (fresh is the best, but dried works, too)
12. salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
13. 8 ounces ricotta cheese (I usually just use the whole 15 oz with a full cup of shredded parm)
14. 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (Use the real stuff!)
15. 1/4 teaspoon salt
16. a few cracks of black pepper
17. optional: shredded mozzarella for sprinkling on top (we find it cheesy enough without this)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces and cook until browned and cooked through. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. If you're using dried basil, add it at this point. Cook for about a minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.
2. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You can add the dry pasta to the soup in the last 8-ish minutes of cooking, or do as I prefer, and cook the pasta separately and add to individual servings. Right before serving, stir in fresh basil if you're using fresh, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
4. To serve, place a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture in each soup bowl, add pasta if you cooked it separately, and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. Let it sit for a minute for the cheese to get all melty, sprinkle mozzarella on top if desired and eat up

Comments:

I've made this a couple times but forgot how easy and filling and tasty it is! Tastes like lasagna in a bowl:)

Recipe and photo source: (My favorite): http://ourbestbites.com/2012/12/lasagna-soup/

Rumbi Island Aloha Mango Chicken Salad

White chicken breast meat cut into chunks (about a cup)
3 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce 
1/3 cup red pepper diced into pieces
1/4 cup red onion, sliced very finely and then diced tiny
feta cheese crumble a tablespoon over each salad when serving
1 mango diced into half inch squares
slivered almonds
tortilla strips over the top

Citrus Salad Dressing
1/4 cup frozen orange juice from concentrate (I just did 1/2 C of orange juice)
1 Tablespoon fresh lime
1/3 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I did rice vinegar)
1/4 cup sugar 
1/3 cup salad oil
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's or Johnny's Seasoning Salt
A few shakes of pepperI prefer to set all the ingredients out in their own bowl and everyone can dish up the quantities they like.  And it also keeps longer in the fridge when it's not combined.

Ready for Autumn Salad

Ingredients

• Sweet potato
• Olive oil
• Cayenne
• Paprika
• Chilli powder 
• Salt
• Pepper

• Chicken
• Apple cider vinegar 
• Soy sauce or honey bbq sauce
• Brown sugar

• Pumpkin seeds
• Water
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cayenne

• Lettuce
• Green onion
• Feta
• Green apple
• Grapes or cranberries
• Brianna's salad dressing... The one with a strawberry on it

Directions

1. Heat oven 450F
2. Cut sweet potato into small cubes
3. Put in pan, drizzle in olive oil. Sprinkle cayenne, paprika, chili powder. Toss. Put in oven. About 25 min.
4. Put chicken in pan on low with brown sugar, table spoon or two of apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce or sweet bbq (I did a tablespoon of both) cook on low
5. Put a handful of pumpkin seeds in a tablespoon of water and boil in water until water is gone. Then add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon and then some of brown sugar and a sprinkle of cayenne. Stir to a bubbly boil until slightly thicker. Arrange in pan so none are overlapping, and remove from heat. It will probably turn into a type of brittle almost and that's okay. Just break apart once cool.
6. Cut lettuce, green pepper, Apple and grapes.
7. Put together with feta, nuts, chicken, and sweet potato 

Notes

I think I must be ready for the Fall... apple, sweet potato, pumpkin seeds? Geeze! Anyway, today when I opened up my fridge, wondering what to make for dinner, I looked at my sweet potato and remembered a salad Lindsay made one time for the family. And it just went from there. Jeff said it was one of the best salads he's had in his life... So maybe you'll like it too. Sorry for no measurements. If you have questions just text me. It took me about 40 minutes to make with three crazies running around and melting down. The salad looks really pretty with all the color.  Enjoy!

Quick Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl. sugar
• 2 c. Flour
• 4 tsp. Baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 c. Parmesan 
• Egg
• Sour cream
• Milk or cream
• 2 Tbl butter
• 2 Tbl shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 450
2. Combine and mix sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, Parmesan in large bowl
3. In a 1 c liquid measuring cup whisk the egg. Then add two big spoonfuls of sour cream, then add the milk or cream to make one cup. Mix around. 
4. Add butter and shortening in flour mvixture. Work it with your hands until even consistency
5. Poor in egg mixture. Mix with fork until the dry ingredients are barley moistened.
6. Poor some flour on work surface. Pat out the dough in rectangle about inch thick.
7. Cut the dough into desired size of biscuits. I usually do 3 by 5
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes

Notes:

I love this recipe. It's my guessing on the way my mom makes her biscuits. It's so sweet almost like scones! I make this when I'm too lazy to make bread, or when I'm in a pinch for time. Goes great with dinner, jam and butter, and as breakfast the next morning :) not very healthy... But I'm still a fan!

Apple Bundt Cake

• Note: Make a note that this recipe actually tastes best the second day so you can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Also, if you are looking for other make-ahead components, the caramel sauce can be made and refrigerated for up to a week ahead of time.
• 
  
• Cake:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium apples, for about 3 cups chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
Cream Cheese Layer:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
Glaze:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Sauce:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Generously grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Peel, core and dice 3 cups of apples. Toss the apples with the tablespoon of lemon juice to keep from browning. Add the dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick. Drain any excess liquid from the apples (if any) and stir the apple mixture into the batter. Don't overmix! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and egg and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
5. Using a spoon or butter knife, make a trench in the center of the cake batter (going around in the circular shape of the bundt pan) about 1-inch deep (just scoop the excess batter to either side. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the trench. Try and keep the cream cheese mixture in a ring in the center of the cake so it has cake batter on either side around the circle. Once the cream cheese mixture is in place, use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the surrounding cake batter.
6. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (checking often as you may need to decrease or increase time based on your pan and exact oven temperature). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
7. While the cake is cooling, mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan over medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake is still in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan before removing. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature, drizzling caramel sauce over each piece.
8. For the caramel sauce, mix the butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold (or use slightly warm but not hot). If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on cake.

Soft Gingersnap cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•  3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 C white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 T water
• 1/4 C molasses
• 2 T white sugar
• melted white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
4.  Melt chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, 30 second intervals and stirring in between.  Pour into ziploc bag, snip corner and drizzle over cooled cookies.

Popeye Muffins

Popeye Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ cup coconut oil (I've used canola as well)

• ¾ cup milk

• 1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach

• ½ cup mashed banana (from about 1 to 2 bananas, I always use 2)

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.

• Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl: flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

• In a blender, place oil, milk, and spinach. Blend on high for about 30 seconds or until completely puréed. Add banana and vanilla; blend on low just to mix.

• Pour puréed mixture into dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.

• Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Notes:

A friend sent me this recipe on my birthday (it's a good recipe for St Patrick's Day!) and we love it! We've made it about 1/2 a dozen times or so and my kiddos think it's great. The kids love that they are bright green and big and I love the moist consistency and the minimal sugar and the fact that it takes a whole bag of spinach! Awesome! 

Source (picture and recipe): http://www.dietitianbrittany.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6066773