Veggie Pasta with Sausage

Another great way to sneak some veggies into the kids... Sausage is an easy food to get my kids to eat so I've now started trying to buy all types of sausage, different flavors, meats, cheeses... so Yummy.

Ingredients;
5 Sausage Links (any Meat or Flavor)
2 Yellow Squash Sliced
1/21 Lg Yellow Onion
2 LG Carrots Sliced
    any other veggies you like...
1 Cup tomato Sauce
1/2 Lbs Linguini Noodles
1Tbs Dry Italian Herbs
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
1/4 Cup EVOO

Brown Sausage over med/high heat. Add about a cup of water to steam through the Sausage. Remove Sausage from pan and slice into bite size pieces and set aside.

Add EVOO to a hot pan and add Onions, Garlic, Carrots, Squash. Let cook over med/high heat until tender (but still on the firm side).
Add bite size Sausage back into the mixture.
Add Tomato Sauce

Simmer for 10 mins

Boil Pasta.
Pure Sauce Mixture over Pasta and Serve. Also serve with Fresh grated Parm Cheese.

Serves 4

YUMMMMM!!

Homemade Stromboli

My husband has a great love for pizza but sometimes its fun to change things up a bit. Stromboli actually reminds me of going to Festivals and Fairs growing up. You could always count on a Stromboli Stand to be somewhere on the Mid-Way.

Ingredients:
1 Refrigerated or Homemade Pizza Dough (enough for a large size pizza)
3 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 Cup of Veggie Toppings; (could use less or more)
                 Mushrooms       
                 Peppers (any)                    
                 Onions
 1 1/2 Cup of Meat Toppings; (could use less or more)
                 Pepperoni
                 Ham
                 Sausage
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

This recipe makes Two Large Stromboli... 

Roll your dough into 2 14X12 inch Rectangles
Spoon 1/2 a cup of sauce down the center of each rectangle of dough
Add toppings down the center of each rectangle dough
Finish by adding your shredded mozzarella cheese

Fold in the short sides first.
Then Fold the long top and bottom to the center.
          Don't over lap too much or you will end up with a lot of extra dry dough on top.
Pinch the dough together to seal the seams.

Bake on a Floured Baking Sheet (with sides in case your sauce runs)
Bake at 400 Degrees for 25 mins
Let stand for 5-10 mins to set up

While the Stromboli is standing, heat your extra tomato sauce in a sauce pan on the stove.
Serve on the side or pour it over the top... Enjoy

Grandma French's Fudge

This is a recipe close to my heart. I remember making this with my grandma a lot as a child. I went to bed many nights with a stomach ache from eating too much fudge. It was so easy to grab a piece every time you opened the fridge.

Ingredients:
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
A dash of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ to 1 cup nuts (optional) I love walnuts

--- You can also change it up and use a combination of different chips to add your favorite flavors. Butterscotch, Mint, Peanut butter...

In a one quart glass microwave-safe bowl combine
semi-sweet chocolate chips and 14 ounce can of sweetened
condensed milk and a dash of sale. Microwave on high for 3
minutes or until the chocolate chips are melted, stirring after 1 ½
minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoons vanilla extract and nuts if desired.

Spread the mixture evenly into a waxed paper-lined 8X8 inch pan.

Chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Turn the fudge out onto a cutting board and peel off
the paper. Cut into squares and Enjoy!

Stevic Yummy Graham Cracker Cookies

A traditional holiday cookie in my family has always been Graham Cracker Cookies. So Simple and so yummy also fun to have the kids help out.

Ingredients:
1 Box Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 12oz Bag Semi Sweet Morsels
2 8oz Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
Confectioners Sugar

Melt Butter, Stir all ingredients together. Pour into a 9X12 baking dish.

20 Mins, 350 Degrees

Let cool completely before cutting. Cut in small cubes (these are really rich). Then toss in Confectioners Sugar and serve.

Arranged with some fudge for a cookie exchange.

Kids Hot Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll Ups

A twist on the Ham and Cheese roll up that the kids loved making and there was very little mess... My kind of project. :)

Ingredients:
1 Pkg Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
8 Slices Cheese (you choose your fave.), add some shredded too if you like.
8 Slices of Ham (or your favorite deli meat slices)
8 tsp Honey Mustard (or BBQ, Spicy Mustard...)

- Spread out the 8 Triangle, Individually on your work surface.
- Lay one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each crescent and on spread honey mustard
           you may need to trim your meat and cheese to the shape of your crescent triangle.
- Roll crescent, start at the wide end and roll inward to the point.
- Lay on a greased baking sheet, point side down (to help keep your roll sealed).


Bake at 350 degrees for between 15 and 20 mins or until golden brown and the cheese is melty...

Ingredients

My Cooking Class

Looking for something to eat.

Found it... eating our ingredients :)

Goof

Ready to Roll

Ready to Bake

Ready to Eat, even though they weren't perfect, they were yummy.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

I've been making homemade pasta sauce for my family for a long time now but never wrote down my recipe. Recently I took time to make notes on all my ingredients and measurements and I must say this was my best sauce yet... Like my grandmother most of my recipes are in my head and I end up throwing in this and that as I go so many times I can't replicate which totally sucks when something turns out really yummy!

Ingredients:
5 Italian Sausage Links or 1lbs Ground (mild, sweet, hot your preference)
4-5 Cloves of Garlic Finely Chopped
1 Large Onion Chopped
1/2 a Small Container of Fresh Mushrooms Chopped
2 Cups Sweet White Wine (my choice Mascato)
2 Tbs Dry Italian Herbs
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 28oz Can Chopped Tomatoes
1 28oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 28oz Can Tomato Puree
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
--Mothers, adding a jar or two of pureed veggies is a great way to sneak in some nutrients.


Brown your sausage (links or loose) over a med/high heat, using a small amt of water (1/3 cup at most) to add steam and help the meat cook through.

Add Onion and Garlic and let sweat out a little then add Mushrooms and Dry Italian Herbs. Cover and let the sausage continue to cook until finished through.

 Once Sausage is cooked through add Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce,Tomato Puree and Sugar. Let bubble over med heat for 30 mins.

Add White Wine and reduce heat to low for 30 mins.

Add Tomato Paste a spoon full at a time stirring it in until desired thickness is achieved.

Although you could serve now I normally let it simmer all day or at least two hrs.

 Kids love Pasta

Baby Xzavier 10 Mos

Xzavier 13 Mos

 

Lennox 12 Mos

Lennox 22 Mos

Spaghetti Squash

I was always interested in Spaghetti Squash especially since my family loves spaghetti. This sounded like a great way to get some veggies into my kids without them knowing.

 Ingredients:

2 Spaghetti Squash
1 Lg Onion Chopped
1/2 Container Sliced Mushroom
4 Cups Chx Stock
5 Basil Leaves
5 Long Rosemary Sprigs Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
4 Lg Carrots Chopped
8 Chicken Tenders
2 Tbs Chili Powder
2 Tbs Dry Italian Herbs
1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup EVOO


  Cut Squash in half and place cut side down in a baking dish with 1 cup water and bake 375 degrees for 45 mins.

In a med pot bring chicken stock and basil, rosemary garlic to a boil for 10 mins then lower to a simmer.

In a skillet heat EVOO then add Chx (brown) then add Mushrooms, Carrots and cook until tender.
Add Dry Herbs and Chili Powder. Cook 5 mins covered.

Thru a stainer (to remove herb leaves), pour chx stock into chx and veggies then add tomatoes sauce and simmer 5 mins covered.

Once squash is done cooking flip them over and scrape lightly with a fork creating spaghetti like strings,

Leave Squash in the shell using the shell like a bowl for serving... Pour Sauce Mixture with Chicken into 'Squash Bowl".

Serve with Parm Cheese... Yum Yum

Spaghetti Pancakes and Fried Eggs

My kids love spaghetti and they love eggs so why not combined them... Growing up I would eat so much spaghetti that I would get sick so my mom would always make me way five minutes between servings. To this day I still over eat and end up with a stomach ache on sketti night. My kids are almost the same way so I wanted to find a way to finish off my left overs in a different way and so the Spaghetti Pancake sounded like a great idea.

Ingredients
Two Eggs
1 Tbs Milk (Whole Vitamin D is what I used)
1/2 Cup Cooked Left Over Pasta



 Combine One Egg and Milk and mix, add Spaghetti to the mixture and stir.

Pour slowly into a hot greased pan to form a round pancake shape. Cook about two mins and flip.

 Serve hot with a Fried Egg on top. Soooo Yummy!

Kids Mini Pizza

I've decided that I'm going to start cooking with the kids more and get them involved in the food buying and preparation. I have been reading a lot about this helping then to be more well rounded when it comes to eating and trying different foods. It makes sense but lets cross our fingers that it works...

First cooking class - Mini Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Pkg Refrigerated Biscuits (8)
4 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Any Pizza Toppings
        Pepperoni  Onion
        Ham           Peppers
        Sausage      Mushrooms
        Etc...
3 Cups Tomato Sauce
2 Cups Flour

Sprinkle some four on your work surface so the dough doesn't stick
Lay out one Biscuit and press out until desired thickness is achieved.
Spread on Sauce
Sprinkle with toppings
Finish by topping with Mozzarella Cheese.

Place pizzas on a floured baking sheet
Bake on 375 for 10-15 mins depending on thickness, the bottom should be golden brown and the cheese melted and bubbly.
Let stand a 5 mins

Liam had fun, sprinkling the cheese was his favorite.

Lennox ate more while making his pizza then I've ever seen, even at dinner.

This was right up Xzavier's ally, He loves cooking and loves pizza.

and Nixon was a good quiet baby, taking it all in.

I would say our first cooking class was a success!

Although Xzavier and I were the only ones to eat the final product. They Were Yummy!