Easy Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti

Today is Memorial Day, a day to think of and honor those who served and died fighting for our nation's freedoms. My dad was one of the fortunate ones who served and made it home safely to his family. He was able to come home, get married, have and raise his own family and be best dad a girl could ask for. Now because he's no longer with us, I will always honor him along with those who weren't so fortunate to come home. 

Ultimately, the war in Vietnam had a hand in taking my dad much too soon from us as he was one of the many victims of Agent Orange. My dad passed away from heart disease back in 2005. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. I hate that my son Jude never had the chance to meet his Papa, however, I see a lot of my dad in Jude and it makes me smile. And I know that he and my mom are Jude's guardian angels watching over my sweet boy. 

Remembering my dad who served in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner (last on the right back row).

Being off on Memorial Day, I decided to make pasta (something I've been craving lately) for my family for lunch. I wanted something creamy, cheesy and easy to make. I got to thinking about a recent trip to Olive Garden where my hubby, Lance, discovered baked ziti. He loved it so much, he asked if I could make some at home. 

With trial and error, I have come up with my own EASY copycat recipe that Lance said  "I wouldn't mind you making it again" after finishing thirds of the baked pasta concoction. It's not exactly like the Olive Garden baked pasta, but with only 7 ingredients and very little prep and baking time, it's still so yummy you definitely won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1 box whole wheat ziti or penne pasta (you can use regular if you like)

1 24 oz jar marinara sauce 

1 15 oz jar Alfredo sauce 

2 cups shredded mozzarella 

1 cup shredded Parmesan 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pasta as directed on box (boil 11-12 minutes). As pasta is boiling, combine Alfredo and marinara sauces in a large bowl. Add in 1 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella to the sauce mixture (leaving the remaining mozzarella for the top) and mix well. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce mixture and coat completely. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish (I used 2 8x8 dishes so we could eat one at lunch then reheat the other for dinner). Bake for 25-30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top and return to the oven to continue baking. Remove from the oven and serve.

The next time, I'd like to try this recipe and use spaghetti squash as a substitute for the penne pasta. I'll let you know how it turns out. 

I'd love to know if you made this recipe and your thoughts on how it turned out and whether your family enjoyed it. Be sure to comment and, if you like the recipes you see here, subscribe! 

GOD BLESS THE USA! 

Creamy Mushroom Stuffed Baked Chicken Breasts

I've been on a mushroom kick lately, in the last week or two at least. This spring I've been cooking with a lot fresh vegetables. I'm really looking forward to home-grown summer vegetables as the season changes soon. 

 I'm lately looking for and working on new recipes where I can incorporate fresh mushrooms my hubby and I both love. And being a protein seeker, I've adapted this recipe to be healthy and protein-packed and, at the same time, absolutely delicious. The added protein is added into the cheese mixture so it's basically undetectable to anyone but the chef. 

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts (thawed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup diced onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons spreadable cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon flax seed/chia seeds (I use Raw Organics flax seed and chia seed combined)

Black pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add in garlic and onion. Sauté until until onions begin to look translucent. Add in mushrooms and sauté, heating through completely.  Turn off heat and add basil, flax/chia, cream cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Mix together to create a creamy cheese mixture. Flatten out chicken breasts to 1/4 inch. Spray non-stick oil spray into a casserole dish. I used the square one to bake two breasts. Add half the mixture to one breast. Roll the mixture up in the breast loosely and secure with a toothpick. Push the leaking mixture back inside the rolled breast. Add the remaining mixture to the other breast, roll and secure. Add both chicken breasts to the casserole dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper (may omit). Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Remove from oven and serve.

I served the stuffed chicken with sautéed garlic Parmesan zucchini. Absolutely delicious. 

Give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think in the comments. And as always, please subscribe!

 Bon appetite! 

A New Hairstyle and A Recipe For Protein-Rich Egg Salad With A Little Kick

Each time I get my hair colored, somehow I go shorter and shorter, which in turn makes me love my hair more and more. Now that I've taken so much of the weight off, I can wear it short, making it more fun and also much easier to do my hair in the mornings. Whoo hoo! 

So what do you think? 

I love it. I absolutely love my hair this short. I wasn't sure at first, but it's quickly become my favorite style I've had in a long time. I feel like the color suits me (a dark brown with dark red highlights) and best part, no double chin like I would have had 20 lbs ago. 

In my search for meal and snack ideas loaded with protein, I've also discovered that I love homemade egg salad. Searching through recipes on Pinterest (another of my obsessions), I couldn't find just the right recipe with the combination of ingredients to create the homemade egg salad I wanted to make to take to work for lunch. So with some trial and error, I've created a tasty egg salad with the added protein so many of us are seeking. 

Where does that added protein come from you ask? I use Greek yogurt, chia seeds and flax seeds in my recipe. Here's a fantastic combination of the two seeds I found at the grocery store that I use in a lot of different recipes including my yogurt and oatmeal in the mornings as well as meatballs, meatloaf, etc. I keep mine fresh (particularly the flax seed) by storing it in the refrigerator. 

Check out my version of the old classic egg salad recipe. 

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs (peeled and diced small)

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip but you can put in another tablespoon of Greek yogurt instead of mayo)

2 teaspoons stone ground mustard (adds a nice spice to the recipe but regular mustard works too)

1 celery stalk (diced)

1/2 small onion (diced)

2 teaspoons sweet relish

2 teaspoons dill relish

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

2 tablespoons chia seeds/ flax seeds

Red pepper flakes (to taste, may be omitted)

Peel and dice up the boiled eggs pretty small. I prefer my salad chunky, so I don't mash up the egg. Chop up the celery and onion and set aside. Add in the Greek yogurt, mayo, mustard, relishes, paprika, and chia/flax seeds.  Mix well. Then add the diced onion and celery. Mix well. Sprinkle a little more paprika and red pepper flakes (to taste) on top. Chill in refrigerator before eating and then serve. 

I let it chill overnight to let the flavors mix and mingle for just the right taste. I like to dip mine with homemade wheat tortilla chips. Also I make mine into a (multigrain) wrap occasionally as well. 

I hope you like my version of the traditional egg salad. I like it because of the crunch in it, spiciness and combination of sweet and tangy flavors. Let me know your thoughts in the comments if you try out the recipe. Be sure to subscribe too! 

Nona's Banana Pudding

When Jude was born, we began calling my husband Lance's mom Nona. We spend every Easter with Nona and Grandpa. This year was no exception. We all spent Easter weekend in Frisco with Lance's cousin (Nona's niece) and her family. Here are some moments from our Easter weekend in Frisco with family.

               Jude Henry holding his baby cousin, Zane Henry.

       Jude and the Easter Bunny at the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.

                        Jude and his cousin Addison.

                Jude during the treasure hunt Easter morning.

    Decorating the bunny cake with Addison, Nona and Aunt Paula.

        Jude hunting eggs Easter morning in the backyard.

 Every Easter we make Nona's version of banana pudding that's layered like a trifle for the entire family to enjoy. FYI, the only healthy thing able this recipe are the bananas. No worries though...every once in a blue moon we can indulge, even if it's just a taste like with me. 

This is a super easy recipe that you can whip up in minutes that the entire family will LOVE! 

Ingredients:

1 box Nilla Wafers (I use the minis)

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

16 oz Cool Whip

4 bananas

1 fresh lemon

In a large bowl, combine the Eagle Brand milk, water and vanilla pudding. Whisk together until all the lumps are gone. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to let it set up. While you chill the pudding mixture, cut the bananas into bite-size slices and add them to a smaller bowl. Cut the lemon into quarters. Squeeze enough of the lemon to cover the banana slices to keep the bananas from turning brown in the trifle. After at least 5 minutes, remove the pudding from the refrigerator and fold in 3/4 of the Cool Whip. In a trifle bowl begin layering beginning with cookies, next banana slices, then pudding mixture, repeat and keeping layering ending with pudding at the top. Add the remaining Cool Whip and then add more cookies to top the whole thing off. Chill the trifle until you are ready to eat! 

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you get a chance to make it, let me know by commenting and be sure to subscribe. 

                      Lance, Jude and me Easter 2014.

 And from my family to yours, Happy Easter everyone!

Mexican Black Bean Chicken and Rice Soup

Today is opening day of Little League here in our small town. This morning began the festivities with a ceremony introducing all of the teams, the National Anthem and a prayer. Then Jude's team (the Durham Bulls) played right after lunch. It's been a cloudy, windy cold day. Since this morning, I've not been able to get my body warmed up. My solution: make a big batch of belly warming soup. 

               (Jude on opening day before the wind kicked in)

           (Jude and his team at the opening ceremony) 

If you know me any at all, you know that I love to use my crockpot and I also like to use items I have handy in my kitchen to create my own concoctions based usually of old recipe favorites. I also love Mexican flavors and decided to create my own Mexican chicken and rice soup incorporating corn and black beans. It has great tortilla soup flavors with some extras added in.  I've gotten to where I use black beans in so many recipes. I actually doubled the amount of black beans in this recipe. You can cut back to one can. Also I used brown and wild rice for this soup, which is better for you than regular white rice. You can do either or. It's up to you as to which you prefer. Also, I added two cups of rice to this recipe, but you can used one. Two thickens it up a bit, which I like.

This is one again other tasty, flavorfully healthy soup packed with protein for you and you family to enjoy, particularly on a chilly day. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Be sure to let me know if you make it, how it turned out and other feedback in the comments. And as always, please subscribe! Thanks friends!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts (sliced into large chunks) 

3 cans of low sodium chicken broth

2 15 oz cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can sweet corn

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 onion (diced)

1 can Mexican lime and cilantro Rotel

1 can regular Rotel

1 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups instant brown and wild rice 

Shredded Mexican blend cheese to top

Begin by combining and mixing everything to the crockpot besides the rice and cheese. Use 3/4 of the broth and add more as needed, particularly once you add in the rice. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours. The longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken will be. Once the chicken is cooked through, use forks and shred the chicken even more. When it has an hour left to cook, add in the rice. When it's done, serve sprinkled with shredded cheese and/or tortilla strips. 

What's For Dinner: Baked Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Sautéed Squash and Zucchini with Onion

This is an quick, easy, healthy and delicious meal you can prepare fairly quickly. I made the recipe salt-free but you can substitute garlic salt with garlic powder in the squash/zucchini and also add salt to taste to the chicken if you feel so inclined. It's such a yummy recipe that I made it two nights in a row. 

Chicken Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts (thawed)

1 container chive and onion cream cheese

4 slices bacon 

Squash and Zucchini ingredients:

1 medium-sized summer (yellow) squash

1 medium-sized zucchini

1/2 onion 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

3 splashes of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast:

Preheat oven at 450F. Pound out each chicken breast to about 1/4". Spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese onto each chicken breast and spread evenly. Roll up each breast and wrap each with a slice of bacon covering chicken completely. Secure each with two toothpicks. Spray non-stick spray evenly on a cookie sheet. Place each chicken breast on the cookie sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 35 min. (Depends on your oven for cooking time, so don't hesitate to use a meat thermometer to check) If bacon gets done too quickly, turn over the chicken breasts part way through. Remove from oven and serve. 

Sautéed Squash and Zucchini with Onion: 

Chop the squash, zucchini and onion into bite-sized pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine the vegetables with the spices, lemon juice and olive oil until everything is covered completely. In a non-stick skillet, sauté the mixture for 5-7 minutes or until tender but still fairly crispy. Be sure to stir often. Remove from heat and serve. 

Crockpot Cajun Red Beans with Andouille Sausage

 I have to admit that I have a love affair with New Orleans and the great state of Louisiana. I love all that the city and the state has to offer from the sights and music to the fantastic cuisine. Lately I've been on a Cajun kick, as you can probably tell from some of my recent recipes. 

Here is one based on a "Big Easy" favorite, red beans and rice. After weightloss surgery, I've learned to adapt recipes to fit my new lifestyle and I've done the same with this one. You can always use things like white rice, which is more traditional for this recipe. It's up to you. But here's my own updated version...

Ingredients:

2 cups of dried pinto beans (the small package of beans)

1 ham hock

1 package of andouille sausage (sliced into bite-size pieces)

1 medium onion (diced)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

7 cups water

1 teaspoon black pepper 

2 cans chicken broth (I used Swanson unsalted)

Brown rice for serving (I used boil-in-bag)

Red pepper to taste (optional) 

The first thing you want to do is soak your beans overnight. I find this helps with the gas in them and also brings out the flavor more when cooking.  The night before, open and sift through dried beans for rocks and misshapened beans. Rinse and put in crockpot, pour on cold water covering the beans and two more inches above. Put on the lid and let them soak overnight. The next morning, pour the beans back into a colander and rerinse. Make sure to pour out and rinse the insert of your crockpot. You do not want to use the same water you used for soaking the beans. 

Place beans back in the crockpot after rinsing. Add in the ham hock, sausage, onion, garlic, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Add 7 cups of hot water and broth. Do not overfill the crockpot with liquid. Cover with lid and cook 6-8 hours. I set mine on 8 so they would cook nice and slow throughout the day.

                 (Everything in the crockpot ready to go before putting the lid on.)

                                        (After 7 hours of cooking)

As the beans are finishing up, prepare rice. Spoon hot rice into bottom of bowl (as much or as little as you want) and ladle beans and sausage on top. Enjoy!

                                (Ready to be served up with rice!)

                          (Beans and rice with a dash of red pepper)

This recipe is great with rice, but also served up with fresh, hot buttery cornbread. I have to warn you though, once it starts cooking and between the garlic and Cajun spices, the smell is so heavenly that it will make your mouth water and belly growl in anticipation for just one bite. But believe me when I tell, you won't be able to stop at one bite, I guarantee you that. This ain't just any crockpot full of beans...it's one of the best you'll ever eat. 

If you get the opportunity to make this recipe, I'd love to hear your feedback. Leave a comment and don't forget to subscribe! Hope you enjoy this variation of a Louisiana fave!