penne and spinach alfredo

well, it's been quite a while since i've had anything to share here, but now that i do, i can't wait to get it out there! a little background: i've recently decided i'm fed up with my body's year-long plateau in the baby weight loss department, and to kick start myself, i decided to do 2 weeks of clean eating. i'm halfway through, and while i haven't been perfect about it, i can see and feel the difference! this whole past week, i had this idea rolling around in my head for a pasta dish, and i finally decided to make it for dinner tonight. it turned out fantastically! so without further adieu, here it is!

penne & spinach alfredo

2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken

1 teaspoon morton's nature's seasons

1/2 c light cream

1 tablespoon flour (ideally whole wheat, but all i had on hand was white)

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/4 c parmesan

handful baby spinach, torn

8 oz. (half a box) whole wheat penne rigate, cooked and drained

shredded asiago for garnish

preheat oven to 350. sprinkle chicken pieces with morton's nature's seasons and place in greased pan. bake for 10-15 minutes till juices run clear. cut into bite-sized pieces. set aside.

over medium heat, whisk together cream, flour, salt, and pepper. continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly. add parmesan and combine. remove from heat and add chicken, baby spinach, and pasta. sprinkle with asiago to serve. serves 3.

the best part about this dish? it's only 494 calories per serving!

and ok, yes, it's a little high in fat and low in protein, but you could always add more meat and use milk instead of cream. but when i made this, i'd just gotten through a 4 hour rehearsal for the nutcracker, and i was STARVING. i needed to get quick calories, so i opted for this version. and you know what? it was delicious. i will definitely make this again, though i'll tweak the recipe a bit (and update here when i do).

bbq sauce 2 ways

do you ever get tired of the same old grocery store bbq sauces? i knew i could do WAY better, so i gave it a whirl and tried not one, but TWO different bbq sauces. i did a sweet and tangy carolina bbq sauce and a super spicy traditional sauce. here's what i did:

carolina bbq sauce

*note: this is NOT exactly the proportions i used when i made it. mine turned out WAY more mustard-y than i wanted, so i've adjusted my recipe after the fact w/out testing it. in the original trial, i used a whole 14 oz, bottle of french's yellow mustard.

1 c yellow mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder (you can also use 1 clove fresh minced garlic)
2 tablespoons dry onion (or about 1/4 to 1/2 fresh chopped onion)
2 tablespoons honey
5 drops liquid smoke (i used mesquite flavor)
1/4 c brown sugar

mix everything together w/ a whisk or fork and reduce over low heat 30-60 minutes to desired thickness.

"pants on fire" bbq sauce

1 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
5 drops liquid smoke (i used hickory flavor)
2 tablespoons (yes, you read that right) cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

mix everything together w/ a whisk or fork. reduce over low heat for 30-45 minutes to desired thickness.

both of these recipes make about 1 cup of sauce each. i used them to baste a half rack of baby back ribs each and had JUST enough. next time i have ribs, i'm planning to double each recipe so there's enough for more frequent basting, as well as dipping sauce.

* these can be frozen if you want to make a bunch ahead of time to use later.

fiesta ranch bacon cheeseburgers

these have just a little bit of kick to them, which makes them so yummy!

2 lbs. ground beef

1 egg

1 packet hidden valley fiesta ranch mix

1/2 c bread crumbs

garlic powder and pepper, to taste

combine all in large bowl

form into patties (i do 4 oz. patties, so this recipe made 8)

heat up the grill or a frying pan and cook

melt cheese on top and finish w/ bacon and a bun. i like to put kroger's 3 cheese ranch dressing in place of ketchup/mayo/mustard for these. garnish w/ lettuce, tomato, and onions, if desired. enjoy!

triple berry protein shake

i decided to treat my kids to "ice cream" for lunch today and came up w/ this. it turned out really well!

4-6 frozen strawberries
6 fresh raspberries
20 fresh blueberries
1/2 banana
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tblsp sugar
1/2 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder (i used vanilla whey powder)

throw it all in a blender, blend till smooth, and enjoy! serves 1.

turkey stew

i come up w/ this on the fly and it turned out well, so i wanted to share!

1 lb. celery, sliced
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb. broccoli florets
1 teaspoon morton's nature's seasons
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
turkey drippings, cooled, solids skimmed off
4 c water
1/4 c cornstarch
1 lb. turkey meat, cooked and diced

simmer veggies and seasonings in turkey drippings and water 15 minutes till tender. add turkey. ladle out about 1 1/2 c of broth into a cup and whisk in cornstarch. return broth to pot and mix well. serve over rice. serves 8.

smoky mac & cheese

i came up w/ this on a whim, and i have to say, it turned out perfectly! i hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

1 lb. box pasta, cooked and drained
1 c milk
2 tablespoons butter/margarine
1/4 c flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 c parmesan
1 c shredded cheddar
1/2 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

heat milk and butter over medium heat until melted. whisk in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. keep stirring until slightly thickened. add cheeses and stir constantly till melted and smooth. whisk in worchestershire sauce last. pour over pasta and toss to coat. serves 6.

* tip: the longer you let the sauce cook, the thicker it'll be. if you like it runny, turn the heat off immediately after adding the cheese - it'll still be warm enough to melt it completely. i let mine cook for about 5 minutes and it ended up a little thicker than i liked, so i added a little water.

on the label "vegetarian"

i just wanted to make sure that i say this: any recipe labeled "vegetarian" is something that doesn't call for meat. there may be eggs or dairy. nothing w/ a face has this label, everything else does.

frozen food life

my mom gave me this list of frozen food life, as well as foods to NEVER freeze, so i thought i'd share it w/ you all.

ice cream/sherbet - 1-3 months
beef: ground - 3-4 months
roast/steak - 6-12 months
stew - 2-4 months
bread: quick - 2-3 months
yeast - 3-6 months
milk - 1-2 months
cake: baked, un-iced - 2-6 months
cheese: natural - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pasteurized/processed - 4 months
chicken: parts - 9 months
whole - 12 months
eggs - 12 months
fish: fatty - 3 months
lean - 6 months
fruit: citrus and juices - 4-6 months
others - 8-12 months
giblets - 3 months
gravy/broth - 2-3 months
lamb: chops or roast - 6-9 months
margarine - 6-9 months
pie: baked - 4-6 months
baked crust - 6 months
unbaked crust - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pork: chops - 3-4 months
roast - 3-6 months
sausage - 4-6 months
seafood: cooked lobster/shrimp - 2-3 months
uncooked shrimp - 12 months
turkey: parts - 6 months
whole - 12 months
veal: cutlets or roast - 6-9 months
veggies - 10-12 months

never freeze:

* light cream, buttermilk, yogurt
* cooked eggwhites
* custard pies, cream puddings
* green onions, lettuce, greens, tomatoes, radishes, unblanched veggies
* icing made w/ egg whites
* mayo, sour cream

some of the things on the do not freeze list are ok to freeze (things like yogurt and sour cream are alright to freeze), just expect them to taste/feel different when you thaw them.

loaded baked potato soup

this is a great meal on a cold day. it'll fill you up while it warms you up!

4 large potatoes, baked, skinned, and cut into chunks
2/3 c butter
2/3 c flour
6 c milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 green onions, chopped
12 slices bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar
8 oz. sour cream

make a white sauce of butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. add green onions, bacon, cheddar, and sour cream. crumble in potatoes. heat and eat.

easy beef stew

1/2 lb. stewing beef, thawed
veggies, your choice (i like potatoes, carrots, and celery)
3 cans cream of potato soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1 c water
pepper, to taste

place meat and veggies in crock pot and top w/ soup and soup mix. pour water over all and sprinkle w/ pepper. cook on low 8-12 hours. serves 2-3.