cheese stuffed shells

 I posted some family favorite meals but I didn't have a recipe for this one so I thought I would post one.   It's for cheese stuffed shells.  My entire family LOVES this meal.  It's not that hard I have a few tips to make it easy. 

You need:

1 box large shells

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 containers of ricotta

1 package shredded parm

1 block mozzarella

Italian seasoning 

salt and pepper

a cookie scoop

I mix the two things of ricotta with half bag of parm add some pepper, salt,  Italian seasoning.  Boil the shells for the amount of time they say on the box. (Prob varies per brand) run a bit of cold water over them in the strainer so you can handle them.  I pour a bit of sauce in the bottom of pan then grab the shells like so to squeeze open.  I use a cookie scoop for the filling. 

Once they are all full

I cover with pasta sauce mozzarella and ready of parm and bake at 375 for 30

I had a few extra shells so I put the four each girl on mini loaf pans. 

This is the end product.

Always yummy.  You know it's a big hit when the kids ask what's for dinner and when you tell them everyone says "yesssss".

I love not having to argue at the dinner table.  It makes life so much easier.  Hope you guys enjoy this and it makes for happy dinners for your

family's.  Have a good day. 

a weeks worth of dinners

I love hearing what other people cook and what their favorite recipes are.  So I thought I would share what we had for dinner this week. 

Fridays dinner was white chicken enchiladas. 

 This was the first time I made this and it turned out great.  Was a big hit with the hubbies and me the kids grumbled a bit about the green chili's but they ate. I made half the pan cheese enchiladas (hence the tooth picks)

Thursday was stuffed shells.  This is a recipe that wasn't from online. I am going post it for you guys. 

This is a sure fire hit with the entire family every time. .. which is rare. there is always someone complaining.

I missed we'd dinner but Tuesday was potato soup in the crockpot. I do office hours so it's usually eat out our crockpot night. This is another one that is always a winner and soooo simple.  We just had Italian bread with it.

These are mini french dips. These are another easy one.  The girls love to help roll them and they are fun for the kiddos to eat.  They are quick and no complains again with this one again. 

Those are the meals for this week.  Some weeks don't have as many hit meals 

but with a family of five everyone isn't getting router favorite meal every night that would be impossible.  But I do make some little attempts to appease (like cheese enchiladas or leaving meat off something or such). What are your family's favorite meals? Have a good night guys. 

braided cheesy chicken broccoli bread

I don't remember when it was but I (like often happens) decided to try a recipe from pintrest and it was spaghetti bread.  It looked complicated but was really quiet simple and It was a big family hit.  The hardest part of the recipe is remembering to take the loaf of rhodes bread dough out to thaw lol.  I have since made all kinds of braided bread recipes (taco, buffelo chicken, ect.) At some point a while back I decided to try braided cheesy chicken broccoli bread and it was a big hit with the family (even fire monster who has always told me broccoli was poopoo).  I made it last night and did a step by step process for you guys. One loaf feeds my family of 4 (my girls aren't huge eaters but my hubby eats atleast seconds and I go back for seconds normally and he has a bit left for lunch if you have teens or what not makes a side or a second loaf :)  here is all you need:

• a few frozen chicken breast
• a loaf of frozen bread dough
• 1 small can cream of chicken soup
• about 2-3 cups cheddar
• and half bag frozen chopped broccoli  

Start by tossing your chicken into the crock pot.  I used more then a few frozen boneless skinless chicken breast because I figured I could use the second half for dinner tonight.  I love to cook my chicken this way it leaves it juicy and is no fuss no muss.  I toss them in throw a bit of sea salt and pepper on top and toss it on low for about 3-4 hours

At that same time take a loaf of frozen bread dough out (rhodes is most common but I think I used hyvee brand for this).  Place the bread dough on the counter on parchment paper or a silicone nonstick mat like I did.  And just leave it to let it get to room temp.  (I took all this out about noon and started dinner about 3:30 or 4:00 because of my hubby's work schedule he has to be in bed by 6:00 p.m. which means we eat at the same time as nursing homes lol)

The bread will be more of a room temp but not have raised.  You take it and roll it out into as big a rectangle as you can(you will need to use a bit of flour on the top to keep from sticking to your rolling pin but don't flour surface you are rolling on or it won't stay rolled out and stretched).  Then place plastic wrap over and let sit for about 15 min while you work on the rest of ingredients.

Here is the chicken fully cooked and falling apart in its own juices. (start oven preheating to 350 f)

Shred up a few cups of it just using a fork

Add the can of cream of chicken soup.

Blanch and add half the bag of frozen chopped broccoli.

Add a few cups of cheddar (normally I have been liking to by brick and shred or chop my own but shredded was on sale so meh what eve) mix it all up and you are ready to move on.

Fill the middle of the dough with the mixture. (making sure to leave room at sides and ends of rectangle).

Use a knife and slice the edges like so about every 1'' to 1 1/2''

Fold in ends like so

Then take one strip from one side and wrap to other like so..

Then wrap one from other side like so and keep alternating just like that until you get to the end..

It will then look like this..

I sprinkled with a bit more cheese.

Bake at 350 f for 30-35 minutes and this lovely thing will come out.  Sometime you get some leakage like I did  if this bugs you take care to leave a bit of a gap between cut lines and filling during the process.  but this doesn't but us we just scoop up the spillage when we dish up.

It is soo yummy and cheesy and delish. 

I hope you guys like this and I hope you give it a try.  If you do please let me know how you like it :)

Have a good day guys.

homemade 0 cal s.f. passion tea lemonade

I don't know about you guys but I am obsessed with the starbucks shaken passion tea lemonade.  I love that stuff.  But seeing as I don't have a starbucks with in a hour of me (actually more then that) I had to get creative this summer and come up with my own rendition of this little bad boy.

At first I followed some one else recipe that tasted more like the recipe but it still had allot of calories so I improvised. 

 My version is sorta a cross between the starbucks version and the sparkling caribou teas because it has some fizz. but unlike the 200 calorie and around 51 gram of sugar counter parts mine is 0 cal and sugar free! It is also caffeine free so I have been downing this stuff like there is no tomorrow for a nice treat for my prego bootie :) Here is what you need..

A box of tazo passion tea (I get this at my grocery store for 3$ and some change), a big pitcher, and a 2L of walmarts strawberry lemonade seltzer (.89 a bottle) .  

Now what you do is take unwrap 3 tea bags and tie the strings together in a knot.  

Now in the summer I would throw it in my ice tea pitcher on the porch for a few hours (or until I remember about it) but seeing as it is 16 degrees out side I don't think that would work.  So I toss a sauce pan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil  Set a timer for 5 minutes and let it steep. (removing it from the burner and turning off the heat after like one minute)  In the mean time I fill the glass ice tea container half way with cold water.  When the timer goes off I pour the tea concentrate into the water and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with water.   (This tea will be stored in your fridge.)

Okay to mix the drink fill your glass with ice then pour about half the glass full of the tea mixture

 Next fill it the rest of the way with the seltzer.

 After that you can add a artificial sweetener or another thing I love to do is add a bit of sugar free peach syrup.  Soo good!   I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do :)  Have a great day!

How I make my french press.

 I love coffee. But most times of the year my husband is up soo much earlier then me that I was heating up coffee that had been made hours (like allot of hours) earlier in the microwave.  Even though we have a insulated carafe it was not so great.  So I decided the way to go was to get my self a french press for my one cup of coffee in the morning.   Let me tell you I am soo glad I did!  My coffee is smooth and amazing now.  I shoped around and picked one up for less then 15$ ikea.  

Here is how I make it.  I throw on my tea pot with water to heat up. While that is happening I throw some hot tap water in the glass to heat it.

 When the water is hot but not whistling It is ready. (ps that is a chip in the paint on my teapot that happened during our move )

 I dump the tap water and  throw in about a table spoon and half of grounds (I usually grind it when I buy it in the store grinder to a coarse ground , but sometimes I will grind it at home too)

 I pour in just enough water to cover the grounds and stir it.

 I set a timer for 4 minutes.

  Then I fill my mug I want to use with hot water to measure the amount of water I will need.

 After 30 seconds have passed I add the rest of the water stir it again then put the plunger back on but leave it up.

 My favorite things I have been using in my coffee are my sugar free salted carmel syrup,( I use about half a shot glass) or my salted carmel mocha creamer. 

 When the timer goes off slowly press down the plunger and pour your coffee into your mug. 

It takes less time then brewing a pot of coffee and is soo delicious.  I love it.   If you wanted you could even skip the whole 30 second part, and just throw all the water in stir and wait 4 minutes.  It makes some seriously great coffee. I have used this to steep cider with mulling spices.  Amazing buy at I believe 12$ too.  I hope you guys enjoyed this and get a chance to use a french press sometime.

Mondays snow day= baking christmas treats

 Since we had a blizzard sunday, Monday we had a snow day.  I had not only my two monkeys but the lovely Grace again.  So it was the perfect day to get some holiday baking done.  After lots of cursing and the use of not one but both computers in the house I managed to get my Christmas play list onto my ipod and we set to work.  First on the list was the Orange Almond Biscotti.  It is soo delicious and will make your house smell wonderful.  We learned to bake this when I lived in Cheyenne WY.  (yes I lived in Washington, Kansas, Wyoming, and Minnesota.) but our neighbors mom was home and baking and when my sister asked for the recipe the little old Norwegian lady came over and taught us how to bake it.  She was so quick and practiced at it we were in awe.

 Orange Almond Biscotti

2/3 c sugar

1/2 c oil

3T grated orange peel

1 1/2 t vanilla

a dash of almond ext.

2 eggs

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

 Preheat oven to 350. beat the sugar oil orange peel vanilla and egg in medium bowl .  In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  add together with wet ingredients.  turn dough on lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Shaped the dough into two rectangles.  Place on cookie sheet bake half hour.  remove from oven cut diagonally into 1/2'' slices lay on side bake 15 minutes on each side.  Remove from oven let cool.

Frosting;  2 c podwedered sugar, I squeeze just a bit of juice from the orange into the bowl, a dash of almond ex., milk and 2T butter.   I just sorta wing it with the frosting.  I want it to be not as thick as cookie frosting but not as thin as a glaze so that it will set.  just play with it a bit then frost the large side of the biscotti.  

with those done next up was the Snicker Doodles.  

 

1 1/2 c sugar (reserve 1/4 c for rolling)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 c shortening

2 eggs

2 3/4 c flour

2 t cream of tarter

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

2 t cinnamon (reserve for rolling)

preheat oven to 400.  Mix sugar butter, shortening, eggs.

mix flour, of tarter, baking soda and salt add went and dry ingredients and form into T size balls roll into sugar and cinnamon then bake for 8-10 min :)

Last but not least everyones favorite my sisters best friend cindy tought me to bake these amazing cookies one day when I was 18 and I have baked them every year since and it always brings back the memory of baking them with her beautiful little girls.   These are the best sugar cookies they have a fluffiness reminiscent of loft house cookies and the frosting is to die for I bake at least double or triple batch every year and freeze some right away (they are awesome straight out of the freezer :)  Fire monster was baking in her Belle costume :)

Cindy Lu's Sugar cookies

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1c butter

1 egg

1t vanilla

1/2 t almond ext.

2 1/2 c flour 

1t baking soda

1t cream of tarter

mix up let chill

 bake 350 7-8 min

Frosting

1/2 - 1 stick butter 

3c powdered sugar 

cream 

2t almond ext.

I hope you guys try these and I hope you love them as much as my family does.  I packed up half the stuff and sent it to my favorite neighbors right away and but half my sugar cookies in the freezer and by yesterday morning the other half of the sugar cookies were gone!!!  Let me know if you try these.