Penne Parmesan Pesto Pasta

This was very delicious, a homemade Alfredo sauce would be better, just adding pesto to it....

Make the sauce and then pour over your pasta... eat up!

Penne Parmesan Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• ¼ cups Butter
• ¼ cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 4 cups Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup  Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Tablespoons Basil Pesto (I used store bought, which I found in the cooler section with the hummus and pasta stuff)

Preparation Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour. It will clump up and that’s ok. Add nutmeg. It’s ok to let the butter/flour mixture cook for a few moments, this will actually help remove the raw flour flavor.

Very slowly whisk in milk, working hard to remove lumps. Keep sauce on medium heat and stir often. The sauce will slowly thicken; just keep stirring and keep those lumps away! Add Salt and pepper... 

Once sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat, add pesto.

Serve as soon as possible.

Delicious Lasagna

 I really liked this Lasagna, and I am picky! I added Spinach and Carrot puree and cut some of the Tomato puree just for the kids, I was trying to be healthy and it didn't change the taste... so I will add what I did and then the original recipe.

Brown the meat, drain and add the onions and garlic, let simmer for 5 minutes...

add in the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and tomato paste.. add your spices and sugar. (mine is a different color cause I added 5oz of tomato puree and 7 oz of carrot and spinach puree combine.)

Mix 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of mix bag cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and all of the ricotta cheese together.

Layer according to directions below in recipe.. I used oven ready noodles so I didn't have to boil noodles first... It turned out delicious... even though Daniel was worried about the carrot and spinach puree, but he never even noticed it.

Yummy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Beef (I used 1lb because I only had that)
• ½ whole Onion, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced Fine
• 10-¾ ounces, weight Canned Tomato Puree (I used 5 oz and then pureed carrots and spinach and used 7 oz of that in addition)
• 14-½ ounces, weight Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 6 ounces, weight Canned Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 8 ounces, weight 6 Cheese Blend, Shredded (I just used a 3 cheese blend)
• 15 ounces, weight Ricotta Cheese
• 8 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
• 4 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 box (9 Oz. Box) Lasagna Noodles, You Will Need 12 Noodles (I used oven ready)

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up the large clumps. Drain ground beef and add it back to the pan.

4. Add onion and garlic to meat and cook, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, parsley, black pepper, sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1/2 cup 6-cheese blend with ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella and parmesan. Add the egg.

6. Taste the meat sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Put 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and lay 4 noodles on top of them. Top with more sauce, dot with a third of the ricotta mixture, and a third each of the remaining shredded cheeses. Repeat 2 more times, ending with the cheese mixture.

8. Push down slightly to make sure the top is even. Spray a piece of aluminum foil and tightly cover.

9. You can refrigerate this at this point, or go ahead and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Lay the oreo on top of the dough...

 top with more cookie dough and pinch the sides...

Makes VERY large cookies, I only put 6 on a sheet at a time...

 I baked mine for 10 minutes cause I like chewy soft cookies..

 Yum!

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

-Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo Cookies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop ofcookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 Soak chicken in Olive Oil and 1/2 packet of taco seasoning and garlic powder....

 Chop and saute veggies in oil.....

 After Chicken is seasoned and soaked for 30 minutes, pan fry it... chop into pieces

 Add together all in pot, add in the corn meal paste....

 I topped mine with red onions, Avocado, Monterey Jack Cheese and sour cream.... mmm, sooo good!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Adapted from the Pioneer Womans recipe and Jessica from Love From Texas

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

olive oil

1 packet taco seasoning

garlic powder

1 diced onion

1 diced green bell pepper

1/2 diced red bell pepper

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

32oz chicken broth

1/2 small can of tomato paste

4c hot water

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

3 tbsp corn meal

salt to taste

pepper to taste

corn tortillas, cut in to strips (I used flour tortillas bc I forgot to get corn)

Toppings:

sour cream

diced avacado (a MUST)

diced red onion

shredded monterey jack cheese

cilantro ( I didn't add this, I don't like cilantro)

1. Cut chicken in to 1" pieces. Season with 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, a few tabblespoons of olive oil, and garlic powder. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Pan fry chicken in large dutch oven/casserole until done. Remove from pot and set aside.

2. Heat 1-2tbsp of olive oil in pot with minced garlic. Add onion and bell peppers. After a few minutes, add the remaining taco seasoning. Stir and cook until sauted.

3. Add chicken, broth, water, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, and corn. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Mix corn meal with a little water to form a paste, add to soup and simmer for another 30 minutes. (PW's trick!) I added a tsp or two more salt here just for flavor.

5. Turn heat off and let sit 15-20 minutes. Ladle in to bowls and add tortilla strips. Let sit with tortillas for 5 minutes before serving. (I chose to keep my tortillas out and add them as we eat it.) Top as desired!

Yum, this was super delicious and makes a lot, we had lots of leftovers!

About that Bun...

 She's a girl! More pink for us!

We are thinking her name is Lilah.. Here she is...Looks like she has a beard and is an alien!

Juicy Pot Roast

I always like to add onions, carrots and potatoes to my pot roast, I think it's the best, but it is your choice, I'm sure it's good without it... actually I'm not sure of that, but if you are weird you could omit it all :)




                            JUICY Pot Roast


                                  2 boneless beef chuck roasts {2 1/2 lbs. each. I only used 1}

1 can cream of mushroom soup ( I only had Cream of Chicken)

1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix

1 pkg. brown gravy mix

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp Worcheshire sauce

Optional

Carrots

Potatoes

Onion

In a large bowl, mix together soup, dressing mixes, gravy mix, and water until thoroughly blended & set aside.  Add chuck roasts to crock pot and pour the dressing/soup mix on top.  Set on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Since we only used 1 chuck roast, I added 1 large onion {cut into big chunks} and baby carrots...if you don't like them mushy you can add them halfway through cook time..