Healthy Pumpkin Pie Pudding

I LOVE pumpkin.  I do not think it needs to be a fall only food.   When I was pregnant with my last child I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes right around the fall.  It was a sad sad day.  All the fall foods were on the no no list.  I will make it up this fall and try to find some healthier versions!

This recipe is crazy easy and so good.   This will satisfy your need for pie and it only takes about 2 minutes to make!  Best part?  NO SUGAR ADDED.  Just happy healthy pumpkin and a few other ingredients.  If you wanted to, if you are anti fake sweetener, you could use the real stuff.  You will just have greater calories and more sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of pumpkin or two 15oz ones (NOT pumpkin pie filling!!)
• 1 box instant sugar free French vanilla pudding, small size (regular vanilla would work as well)
• 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie seasoning
• 1 tub of Sugar Free Cool Whip, thawed (takes about 4 hours.  Plan accordingly)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.  All done!

Garlic Breadsticks, Olive Garden style

According to my son, everything is cheesy.  As in, it has lots of cheese in it.  These have NO cheese, but they sure were cheesy!  Never question a five year old when he is eating something new.  Just nod and say YES.

We typically have homemade pizza night once a week.  Super easy and quick to make.  I was getting really run down and bored with pizza night, so I decided to spice it up a bit and add some garlic bread.  I skipped on over to Pinterest and found a fabulous recipe.  This is from the blog Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

After reading on their blog a bit, I found at that they are having to move their blog due to people stealing their posts and using them as theirs, pictures and all.

It is a shame that people would stoop so low.  That is why I always take my own pictures and give credit to where credit is due.  As I said in my original post, I find recipes, make them to suit my family, and occasionally fiddle around with them enough to be able to claim them as mine.

This would not be that time.  Totally copied it.  Hope you like it!

Ingredients for the breadsticks:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (one package active dry yeast)
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt 

Ingredients for the topping:

• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the water.  Cover with a towel and let sit for about 10 minutes.  Mixture will become frothy.
2. While waiting, in a separate bowl mix together the flour and salt.
3. After the yeast sat for 10 minutes, remove the towel and add the flour mixture.
4. Add the melted butter.
5. If you have one, attach your dough hook to the mixer and turn it on 2.  Let it mix everything together, about 20 seconds, then knead the dough on setting 2 for about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to over mix.
6. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, I used two pans, and divide the dough into pieces.  I made 10 sticks.  I will probably make them a bit smaller next time.  I'll try for 12.  That way I won't feel as guilty eating as many as i did. (Only 2)

     7.   Roll into log form and cover with a towel. Let it rest in a warm place, about 85F
           for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Outside on my picnic table was perfect for this 
           tonight.
     8.  Preheat your oven to 400F.  Once warm, put these in for about 6 minutes.  
     9.  While baking, in your microwave melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup) with 2 teaspoons
           garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt.  When the timer goes off, brush the rolls with 
          half the butter mixture.
    10.  Put the sticks back in the oven for about 6-9 more minutes.  Just keep an eye on 
          them.  When browned, remove from the oven and brush with the remaining butter
           mixture.

ENJOY!!

      

Baked Ziti

My husband is obsessed with this stuff.  He always liked baked ziti, but wanted it cheesier.  This is what came about.  It is pretty freaking fabulous.

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound ziti/rigatoni (any tubular noodles will do)
• 15oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 8 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese OR shredded mozzarella cheese
• a few fresh basil leaves sliced, optional

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cook noodles according to package and drain
3. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13x9" baking pan. (I used a Pyrex one)
4. In a large bowl mix the Ricotta Cheese, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
5. Add the noodles and stir into the cheese/sauce mixture.
6. Gently pour the noodle mixture into the baking pan.
7. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce onto the noodles.
8. Sprinkle the additional 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle the basil leaves.
9. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.
10. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill Dressing

Oh dear Martha, how do I love thee?  You make the world look so easy and fabulous with all your "good things".  

This recipe is straight off of the Martha Stewart website and wonderful  I cut it in half when I made it for a quick and easy lunch.  So yummy and refreshing.  Any recipe I get to use fresh dill is a winner in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine.
2. Add cucumbers, and toss to coat.  If desired, garnish with more dill.  Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Let me say a few things first.  These are AWESOME.  SO SO SO GOOD.  But, if you make these you might go insane.  This was the most frustrating thing I have ever made.   Seriously.  My thumb might never be the same.  You put the dough in the freezer and then roll it out.  Rolling frozen dough is HARD.  The rolling pin slips off the ball of awesomeness and SMACKS repeatedly into your thumb. 

If you have kids either 
a) make these when they are NOT around or b) plan to expand their vocabulary.

This recipe makes a bowl full.  Like the kind of bowl you get when you buy dishes.  A soup bowl.    So it is A LOT of work, for a small amount, yet SOOOO worth it in the end.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons COLD butter cut into chunks
• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili powder
• Kosher Salt for sprinkling
• cold water

Directions: 

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
2. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until it forms a dough.  Pulsing after each addition.  I used 4 tablespoons.
3. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer and let it sit for a few minutes.  This is the hardest part.  Mentally prepare yourself for what you will do next.
5. Place the ball in between new plastic wrap or wax paper and roll it out.  THIS IS HARD.  My rolling pin repeatedly slipped onto my thumb.  Not an enjoyable feeling.  You want to roll it out until it is a 1/8 inch thick.  Once it starts warming up it is easier. I rolled, smacked, beat, and cursed at the dough.
6. Place on a cookie sheet and cut with a pizza cutter/sharp knife into one inch squares.
7. Sprinkle with Kosher Salt.
8. Bake in a preheated 350F  oven for 25+ minutes.  The original recipe I found said 25 minutes.  I changed the recipe and I had to bake mine for about 29 minutes.  You want to check for crispness.  They will crisp up a bit after you take them out.  Just make sure they aren't soggy.
9. Remove from oven, cool and HIDE THESE.  They are so good!!

ENJOY!!!

Slow Cooker Spinach Pesto Lasagna

I never thought lasagna in a slow cooker could be so good.  I am the type of girl that spends HOURS, cutting vegetables, making the sauce, cooking the meat, assembling.  So I never would have in a million years thought that a lasagna that you just throw together and forget about in a slow cooker could be so good.

But it was.

Ingredients:

• 1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce 
• 1 (10-ounce) box lasagna noodles (regular ones.  Not the no-boil ones.) 
• Pesto, or you can buy some.  (11oz) 
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese 
• 1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach 
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• 1/4 cup water
• Slow Cooker.  Mine is a 6qt.

*Parmesan cheese is guesstimated.  I sprinkled until it looked good.

Directions:

1. Put some of the sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker, about a 1/4cup and smooth it around.
2. Cover the sauce with the RAW noodles.  You will have to break them to make it fit.  Rectangle noodle will not fit perfectly in a oval slow cooker, unless you are Chuck Norris and then the noodles will bend for you.
3. Spread some ricotta on top of the noodles to cover.
4. Spread some pesto on the ricotta.
5. Sprinkle about 2 handfuls of baby spinach on top.
6. Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese.
7. Sprinkle on the Mozzerella Cheese.
8. Spread some pasta sauce.
9. REPEAT until you use everything up ending with a cheese layer. I got three layers. 
10. Take the 1/4 cup water and put it in the pasta jar.  Shake, then pour over the top.
11. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for about 6 hours. 
12. It is done when the top is browned and bubbly.  It also pulls away from the sides a bit.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.   Enjoy!! 

Pesto

Just a basic pesto recipe, with a little twist on the original.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil, packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts and chopped walnuts, mixed (or just choose one type.  I did half and half)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions :

1. In a food processor add the basil and nuts.  Pulse a few times.
2. Add the garlic and pulse a few more times.
3. Turn on the food processor and slowly add the olive oil, while it is running.  Make sure to stop the machine and scrape the sides down so you get it all mixed together.
4. Add the cheese and pulse again until blended.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!