Sweet Potato Maple Muffins

This makes a great breakfast on the go or good snack option for busy days. I freeze them and throw a couple in my bag for Rae and me. By the time I'm ready to enjoy it, it's thawed out. Or if you can reheat in a 325 degree oven for 10 or so minutes.

2 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 Tbs olive oil

½ cup crushed pineapple with juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup grated raw sweet potato

½ cup raisins

½ cup sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts

1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup wheat germ

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, blend together the eggs, syrup, olive oil, pineapple, vanilla, sweet potato, raisin and seeds. In another bowl, stir together the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 regular muffin wells. Combine the wet and dry ingreditens and mix only until just combined. Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Divide all the dough into 12 muffin cups.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Recipe note: if you want a smoother muffin, put the pineapple and sweet potato in a blender or food processor before stirring them into the flour. You can also blend the raisins if you want to disguise them.

Baking with Honey

Last night I went to a girls night that focused on health and wellness. It was very informative and fun to learn what we should eat and why. I take a lot of pride in raising my children and a husband ;) and I want them to eat well. My next calling in life will probably be a nutritionist or dietitian and having a chef background will give me an extra edge because I know what I'm talking about when it comes to food.


This being said, I LOVE dessert. Those that know me, know that I am truly in love with it. BUT those that know me also know I am very much into health, fitness and healthy eating. I have always known that sugar is bad for you, but it's a must in baking! My 2 professional jobs were baking and dessert making and I was surrounded by the white stuff. After really learning about what sugar does to my body though, it has got me thinking this morning.

Because I cannot give up dessert entirely, I have been researching how to replace sugar in baking recipes with better alternatives like honey or agave nectar. This is what I have learned...

·    When baking with honey or agave, you use a 1 to 0.75 ratio. Meaning, if a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, you would use 3/4 cup honey or agave.

·    Because honey and agave are part water, you must reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. For example, when making banana bread that calls for 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk, you would use 3/4 cup honey or agave and 3/4 cup milk. Or if banana bread calls for oil, reduce oil by 1/4 cup.

·    In baking cookies for instance, because there is no liquid besides eggs, you need to increase the flour. For every 1 cup of honey used, increase flour by 2 tablespoons. Also, when baking cookies, add 1/2 tsp extra of baking soda for every cup of honey used.

·    Honey causes baked goods to brown faster, so you need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

I am famous for chocolate chip cookies and am anxious to try making them with honey the next time around. When I do, I'll let you know how they turn out. If you know of any other tips or recipes with using honey or agave as sweeteners to replace sugar, leave a comment and let me know! Happy baking :)

Summer Sips

Lemonade or Limeade Base
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon or lime zest
1 1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
ice cubes


1. In a medium saucepan heat and stir water and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; cool 20 minutes. Add citrus peel and juice to sugar mixture. Pour into a jar; cover and chill up to 3 days.
2. For each glass of lemonade, combine equal parts base and water in ice-filled glasses; stir.
Makes 8 cups lemonade or 4 cups lemonade base. For a refreshing variation, put fresh mint leaves in each glass.

• Strawberry-Lemonade Slush

For each serving in a blender combine 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, 1/3 cup lemonade base from above, and 1 Tbs sugar. Blend until smooth. With blender running, add 1/2 cup ice cubes, 1 at a time through opening in lid until beverage is slushy.


Banana Berry Smoothies
2 cups plain or vanilla low fat or fat free yogurt
2 ripe bananas
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup mixed fresh or frozen berries


In a blender combine yogurt and fruit. Cover and blend until pureed. If desired, add a few ice cubes.
Serves 3 or 4

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Milk Shake courtesy of Passion for Desserts

Reese's peanut butter cups in liquid form. To take it up a notch, stir in a chopped or crumbled peanut butter cup on top just before serving.

4 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

7 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 Tbs smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups milk

1. Warm the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, or until hot and bubbling around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate.

2. Transfer the chocolate cream to a stainless-steel bowl and whisk in the peanut butter. Place the bowl on the counter, stirring occasionally. Let cool 20 minutes. Refrigerate until very cold, several hours or overnight.

3. Freeze the chocolate-peanut butter cream in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

4. Place the finished ice cream in a blender, add the milk, and blend until smooth. Pour into tall glasses and serve immediately. Serves 4.

• Lazy Day Chocolate-Peanut Butter Milk Shake

4 1/2 cups store-bought milk chocolate ice cream

3 Tbs peanut butter

3/4 cup milk or half and half

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour into glasses immediately. Serves 4.

Watermelon Blaster courtesy of Martha Stewart

3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon

1 1/2 cups strawberries

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup ice cubes

Sugar, to taste

1. Put watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, ice, and sugar if desired into the pitcher of a blender, and blend for 15 seconds on high speed. (Always put the top on the container before processing.) Stop machine, and stir ingredients. Blend for 15 seconds more on high speed. Serves 3 or 4.

Honeydew Granita Spritzer courtesy of Martha Stewart

6 cups cubed honeydew melon (about half of a medium melon)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 cups seltzer

Lime peels, for garnishing

1. Working in batches, puree 6 cups cubed honeydew melon in a blender. Pour puree through a fine sieve into an 8-inch square nonreactive dish.

2. Put 1/2 cup water and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir into puree. Add fresh lime juice; stir to combine. Freeze, covered, at least 6 hours (up to 3 days).

3. Scrape granita with a fork; spoon about 1 cup granita into each of 6 glasses. Pour 1/2 cup seltzer into each glass; garnish with lime peels. Serves 6.

Lemon Lush

Lemon Lush

2 cups flour
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
2- 3.4 oz boxes instant lemon pudding mix
3 1/2 cups cold milk (not skim)
1 12 oz container of Cool Whip or whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and butter using a pastry blender/cutter (or check out this link if you don't know what I'm talking about) until small balls form and crumbly. Press into the bottom on a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Spread evenly over the cooled crust.
In another bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Chill until set about 4 hours, then top with whipped topping or whipped cream.

Variations

• use any flavor pudding that you'd like. My other favorites are chocolate, butterscotch and pistachio.
• use vanilla flavored pudding but add a few sliced bananas on top of the baked and cooled crust. I cannot stand the "artificialness" of banana flavored pudding hence the vanilla flavor with sliced bananas.
• if you decide on vanilla or lemon, top the whole dessert with fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries
• use real whipped cream to make it that much better instead of Cool Whip.
• add 1 cup finely chopped nuts : 1/2 cup in the crust and 1/2 cup sprinkled on top. I've used pecans, but walnuts and almonds would be great too.
• to make this over the top DELISH, make your own pudding :)

Caramel from Sweentened Condensed Milk

Hello out there to all sweetened condensed milk lovers...and who doesn't love the stuff??!!
I had a can of it in the pantry and really needed caramel sauce for a cheesecake dip I wanted to make. Lo and behold, I googled it, and there are 4 different ways you can make caramel sauce or Dulce de Leche with just 1 can of the sweet gooey yummy stuff. Some people boil an unopened can for about 2 hours, but the can can explode and it isn't very safe, so here are the safe alternatives.

Caramel Sauce
OVEN METHOD: Pour 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.
STOVE TOP METHOD: Pour sweetened condensed milk into top of double boiler; place over boiling water. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel-colored, stirring occasionally. Beat until smooth.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Pour sweetened condensed milk into a 2-quart glass measuring cup. Cook on 50-percent power (medium) 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cook on 30-percent power (medium-low) 20 to 25 minutes or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 4 minutes during the first 16 minutes and every 2 minutes during the last 4 to 10 minutes.
SLOW COOKER METHOD: Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into slow cooker, set to low, stir every 45 minutes or so. Takes about 7 hours to turn into rich, brown caramel.

Quick and Easy Caramel Cheesecake Dip
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 can caramel made from sweetened condensed milk (see above)
1 box graham cracker sticks

In a medium size mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and caramel until smooth. Pour into a bowl and serve with graham cracker sticks. It's like a cheater cheesecake!

Summer Eating- Part One

As the temperature rises, I want to be in the kitchen less. There are great seafood options in this post because they don't take long to cook. Also included are some summer sides that go with anything, especially things that come off the grill. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Grilled Fish Fillets with Chimichurri

6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or red onion 

1 clove finely chopped garlic

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/8 tsp pepper divided

4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, or try with salmon, tilapia, tuna, cod, steelhead trout or chicken

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. *Quick Tip- if you don't want to chop all the ingredients separately, put first 6 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until its incorporated; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
 2. Heat a grill pan, counter top grill or an outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper over fish. Add fish to pan or grill; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with sauce.
3. Pour the leftover sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. Use it later to top other fish, shrimp, chicken or even grilled beef.

"Go with anything in the Summer" Rice-
Cook 1 cup long-grain brown rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup thawed frozen whole-kernel corn, 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped zucchini to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until vegetables are charred. Stir in 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes or diced tomato; sauté 1 minute or until tomatoes almost wilt. Combine vegetable mixture, rice, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Open Faced Cajun Fish Sandwich
1 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's or other type of Cajun seasoning
4 (6oz) fish fillets- tilapia, catfish, halibut, cod, or any white fish
1 Tbs olive oil
1 bag pre-shredded coleslaw mix with dressing
4 thick slices French or Sourdough bread (or you can even do Texas Toast garlic bread ,YUM!)

1. Sprinkle fish fillets evenly with Tony Chachere's. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbs olive oil.
2. Cook fish fillets about 5-7 minutes per side depending on thickness. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done.
3. Meanwhile, stir the coleslaw and dressing together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. If using French bread, toast each piece. If using Texas Toast, cook according to package directions.
5. To serve, place a piece of toast on each dinner plate. Top with fish fillet and a scoop of coleslaw.

Salmon en Papillote
This may seem fancy, but it is sooo easy and tastes delicious. You're cooking fish in a paper pouch. Try different assortments of veggies too, like fennel, yellow squash, carrot, tomato, olives, capers...the options are endless. If you have it, pour a splash of white wine on top of fish before closing up.
1/2 red onion, sliced very thinly
1 zucchini, sliced very thinly
4 oz mushrooms sliced very thinly
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced very thinly
4 (4-6oz) salmon fillets (halibut or tilapia would work too)
1 lemon, sliced very thinly (you could also use 1 small orange)
salt and pepper
parchment paper (found next to foil at grocery store)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Take 4-15 by 36-inch pieces of parchment paper and fold in 1/2 like a book. Draw a large 1/2 heart on paper with fold of paper being the center of the heart. Cut out heart and open. Lay sliced vegetables on parchment in center to 1 side of fold. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Top each vegetable pile with 1 slice lemon first, then salmon fillet. Liberally salt and pepper each salmon fillet. Divide remaining lemon slices and place over the salmon to cover it.
3. Close each heart of parchment. Starting at the top of each heart, fold the edges over; overlapping each fold with the last to make a tight seal. When you get to the bottom point, fold under. Place each on a baking sheet.
4.  Bake 8 minutes for a fillet less than an inch thick, or 10 minutes for a thick fillet 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick. To serve, carefully transfer the package to a dinner plate and simply unfold or cut the parchment open. If you’d rather remove the package before eating, cut or tear the paper alongside the fillet, and slide the fish right onto the plate.


Crab Cakes were requested, but I haven't made any in years. Wouldn't remember what recipe I would have used anyway (two pregnancies later)! I found Food & Wine's best 3 crab cake recipes on the web. Check them out here. A secret for getting them to turn out just right is to combine all ingredients EXCEPT crab first. Then gently stir in the crab last. You want chunky crab meat too, as opposed to finely shredded, so there's good meaty bites in there.
Something that caught my eye when I was looking in my books for crab recipes was...
Crab Artichoke Dip courtesy of my Good Friends, Great Tastes cookbook
1 (14oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups Hellman's Real Mayonnaise
4 oz fresh lump crab meat
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white onion, sliced paper thin
2 Tbs melted butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 fresh lemon
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning

1. Squeeze out moisture from lump crab meat or if using canned, rinse and squeeze out moisture. Mix together first 5 ingredients.
2. Mix melted butter with the bread crumbs in a medium size bowl. Top the crab mixture with the bread crumbs and bake in a pie plate until bubbly (25-35 minutes) at 350 degrees.
3. Squeeze with lemon and sprinkle Tony Chachere's on top when done. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Summer Orzo Primavera courtesy Eat Clean Cookbook
Orzo is a delicious and versatile grain that isn't a grain at all. Orzo is a pasta formed in the shape of rice, but a little larger.
1 cup whole-wheat orzo, dry
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup frozen baby peas and/or edamame, thawed
1 small red pepper, diced small
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill or 3/4 tsp dried dill
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in orzo and salt. Return to a boil and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grains should be tender but firm when done.
2. Drain and transfer to a colorful serving bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Chill 2 hours before serving.

Another Summer side...
Black Bean and Rice Salad
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs oil of your choice: avocado, canola, olive, grape seed, vegetable
1 1/2 cup corn kernels
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium green zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced fine or pushed through garlic press
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
3 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl combine lemon juice and oil. This is the dressing
2. In large serving bowl combine all remaining ingredients. Toss lightly to distribute ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss again.

Roasted Garlic
as many full bulbs of garlic as you like
extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400. Using a sharp knife, cut off the pointed end of the garlic bulb, exposing the flesh. Remove the loose papery skins, but not all the skin. Arrange bulbs in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over each bulb. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the bulbs appear soft and golden in color.
2. Remove from oven and turn bulbs over, cut side down. Bake 10 more minutes.
To use: Squeeze the garlic out of the skins into a bowl once the bulbs have cooled down.
You can use as a spread on bread instead of butter or instead of mayo on a sandwich.
Stir it into soups, guacamole, salsa, salad dressings, hummus, marinades, mashed potatoes...the possibilities are endless.

Rainbow Couscous (or rice, quinoa, pasta, orzo)
If you have never had couscous, you are missing out! Couscous is a teeny tiny pasta that cooks in 5 minutes and goes with everything. I buy the whole wheat kind, but they have plain and flavored varieties. Pick some up the next time you're in the pasta or rice aisle.
1 Tbs olive oil
1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, depending on your preference
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 small or baby eggplant, chopped
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked couscous, rice, quinoa, pasta or orzo

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Pour olive oil into pan along with bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently about 4 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies. Cook, stirring frequently about 5-8 more minutes, until veggies are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir rainbow veggie mix into whatever cooked grain you have chosen. Feel free to omit or add any number of vegetables.

Not a seafood fan? My cousin Lindsay told me about this great summer dinner option Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

what to do with...leftover French Bread

We all have been there. You bought a loaf of French bread or a baguette, ate half and then just let the other half sit on the counter until it was a rock. Bread is so versatile, it can be used in so many recipes. Here are some ways to use up the rest of that loaf, or buy a loaf just so you can make these yummy recipes :)

Spread a toasted slice with peanut butter or Nutella.
Spread a toasted slice with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Try this Grilled Bread Salad. Great for summer.
Or this one...Panzanella Bread Salad
You can even use a few chunks or slices to thicken up soups, stews or gravy. Just blend some bread with some liquid from whatever your making.

Make your own croutons by trying this recipe here. You can freeze what you don't use immediately in a Ziploc freezer bag. Use on salad, of course, or top your favorite soup.
Make your own breadcrumbs by cutting the leftover bread into chunks and pulsing them in the blender or food processor. I like to leave them unseasoned. Freeze them in a glass mason jar. When you need some for meatballs, breading, or meatloaf, just measure out what you need.

Always a favorite in my house...
Classic French Toast
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk, half and half, or cream
1 T sugar
2 Tbs orange juice
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs cinnamon
pinch of salt
melted butter
8 slices thickly sliced bread

Beat the eggs lightly in a mixing bowl. Add the milk, sugar, orange juice and zest, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium heat and brush with melted butter.
Dip the bread in the egg mixture and place on the griddle. Cook until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the bread over and cook until golden brown. Serve with syrup and/or dust with powdered sugar.

If you're in need of a major sugar rush, try Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup by Paula Deen.
Or a simpler, less sweet Frech toast casserole from allrecipes to get the flavor and feel of French Toast without all the fuss.

One of my favorite things is Apple Bread Pudding. If you don't think bread pudding is your thing, try this recipe to make you a convert. It is delicious!

Apple Caramel Bread Pudding courtesy of Passion for Desserts by Emily Luchetti
4 Golden delicious apples (about 1 3/4 pounds) or whatever apple you prefer
2 Tbs butter
1/3 cup apple juice
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
scant 1 cup sugar (divided)
8 oz french bread or baguette, cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 4 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cups milk
4 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, core and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick.
Cook the apple slices, butter, apple and lemon juices, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes.

Evenly spread the apple slices in the bottom of a 2 1/2 or 3 quart ovenproof baking dish (I use an 9x13 glass pan). Place the bread pieces on top of the apples.

Stir together 2/3 cup of the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Increase to high heat and cook, without stirring, until the sugar is amber colored, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Wearing oven mitts, carefully stir about 1/2 cup of the cream into the caramel. Be careful, as the caramel will sputter when the cream is added. If it sputters violently, stop stirring. Let the bubbles subside and then stir again. Carefully stir in remaining cream. Stir in the milk.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and salt. Whisk  quarter of the caramel cream into the eggs. Add the remaining caramel cream and whisk until incorporated. Pour the caramel cream into the pan over the apples and bread pieces. Using a metal spatula, gently press the bread pieces into the liquid, coating them.

Bake the bread pudding 30 minutes. While it is baking, stir together the cinnamon, ginger and remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the sugar over the top of the bread pudding. Continue baking until the tips of the bread pieces are golden brown and a small knife inserted in the middle comes out coated with a thickened custard, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream.

Thanks Leticia for the question and post idea :)

Freeze for the Future

My friend Lindsey L needs some freezer meal ideas to help prepare for baby on the way. The freezer can be a wonderful tool to use in the kitchen. A lot of people think its a hassle, but who wouldn't want to have some quick things to grab to have dinner ready in 20 minutes??

I will purposely buy double the ingredients for soups, gumbos, stews ,etc. Then I will make a HUGE batch and freeze extras in quart glass jars or large plastic containers. Make sure you don't freeze soups containing rice or pasta. It comes out mushy and absorbs all the liquid. Some things I always make extra to put in the freezer are brown rice, spaghetti meat sauce, casseroles and chilis or stews.

When I make brown rice for dinner, I make the real kind. You can follow the package directions to cook the rice on the stove. Do 2 cups brown rice to 5 cups of water. Simmer 50 minutes. Take off the heat and let sit 10 minutes. To make it easier or to free up the stove, I spray an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Throw in the rice and water (with usually a minced garlic clove and a 1/2 tsp salt) cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour. Viola, makes 7 servings of rice. Use what you need for dinner then freeze the rest in freezer quart size bags. Lay flat in the freezer for easy stacking. Will warm up in the microwave in about 2 minutes. Pick up or roast your own chicken and heat up a green veggie for a great healthy dinner.

Sometimes I make my own spaghetti sauce, but lately I have been buying jars of it. I like to use light bulk sausage in my spaghetti instead of hamburger. It has sooo much more flavor. My grandma likes half hamburger, half sausage in hers, but if you haven't tried spaghetti with sausage, please do so! I will brown up a few pounds of meat (sausage, hamburger, turkey or even ground chicken) with a diced onion. Sometimes I throw in a grated carrot or grated zucchini, diced bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, black olives, or baby spinach. I've even stirred in 1/2 cup pumpkin puree without anyone even noticing. Pour in about 28 oz sauce, whether its crushed tomatoes or jarred spaghetti sauce, per pound of meat. I usually drain one can (per pound of meat) of diced tomatoes and throw that in too. Let simmer 10-20 minutes. Add a teaspoon or two of dried Italian seasoning per pound of meat if using crushed tomatoes. Pour into glass quart jars. Cool and then freeze. These can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and warmed up for dinner or cooked in the microwave on 50% power for about 8 minutes until you can pour it into a sauce pan and warm thoroughly. Boil noodles and open a bag of salad for a very fast dinner.

Another good idea is to freeze pesto. We have nut allergies in my house, so I have to make my own. I will make a huge batch and freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, I pop out the cubes and store in a quart size freezer bag ready to top a variety of things.

Nut-free Pesto
4 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, roast if you want a milder flavor
few pinches of salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine basil, cheese, garlic and a few pinches of salt in food processor. While running, pour in the olive oil. Pulse until a smooth paste forms.

Serving Ideas for pesto:
- Spread on a sandwich instead of mayo.

- Spread it on any thin cut of meat or fish, then coat with bread crumbs and bake or saute.

- Mix with extra olive oil or mayonnaise to make a salad dressing. It is especially good on pasta salads.

- Stir into rice, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or hot vegetables.

- Toss with hot cooked pasta and the heat will bring out the flavours of the basil, garlic, and cheese. To make a vegetarian meal, add a drained can of white or cannelini beans to the pasta.

- Drizzle over grilled meats or vegetables.

-put a spoonful over tomato soup, potato soup, or vegetable soup like minestrone for extra flavor.

Grilled Flank Steak courtesy of The Frozen Gourmet cookbook by Kathi Lipp
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb flank steak

1. Prepare: Mix all the above ingredients and pour over the flank steak in a gallon freezer bag.
2. Freeze: Double bag the flank steak. Freeze lying down.
3. Serve: Defrost in refrigerator overnight. Grill steak on hot grill 5-10 minutes per side. Slice thinly across the grain. Serves 4.

Flank steak is an affordable, very lean cut, which benefits from quick cooking. Since it does not have extensive marbling, cooking to medium rare or medium, and slicing thinly against the grain, will result in the most tender texture.

Serve on top of rice and steamed broccoli for a fast dinner. This also can be used as fajita meat or sliced and put on top of a salad. Or try these smothered steak sandwiches from Clean Eating.

Chicken Manicotti courtesy of The Frozen Gourmet cookbook by Kathi Lipp
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded
2 cups low fat Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping.
1 tsp dried Parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups tomato or pasta sauce
14 Manicotti shells, par boiled, still slightly firm

1. Prepare: Mix chicken, both cheese, spices and eggs. Cover the bottom of your pan with tomato sauce. Stuff the manicotti shells with the chicken mixture and place in pan, sides touching. Cover with remaining sauce.
2. Freeze: cover pan with foil and freeze
3. Serve: thaw overnight in refrigerator. Sprinkle Manicotti with extra parmesan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.
I would double this and make 2 at a time. Use one the day you make it, and freeze the other for later use.

Paula Deen's Taco Soup- the BEST taco soup I have found by a mile. This makes sooo much and its one of our favorite freezer meals. I have made it with ground turkey and its just as good. Usually I add an extra can of beans. I've even used only 1 lb of meat with 2 extra cans of beans.

Please feel free to leave any of your freezer tips by clicking on comments below.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

My friend Melanie came across a cook once, eat twice recipe in the checkout lane and it got me thinking...i need to do this. A lot of times we over think dinner and it really doesn't have to be that way. I have 2 small children to run after, so this is an excellent concept to implement in my house or any house for that matter.

Dinners 1 and 2
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

3 small red bell peppers or 2 large
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
S & P TT (which means salt and pepper to taste)
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-6 Tbs goat cheese (1 Tbs per chicken breast)
8-12 asparagus spears (if large, half lengthwise)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Roast bell peppers on baking sheet 20 minutes. Then turn and roast another 30. Remove bell peppers and place under an inverted glass bowl to steam for about 10 minutes. With a paring knife, scrape off browned skin, then halve, remove stems and seeds. Slice 1 bell pepper into strips, reserve strips and set aside.

2. Place remaining roasted peppers into a blender with oil, vinegar, broth, garlic and jalapeno. Blend until smooth. Pour roasted pepper sauce into saucepan over medium-low heat. Add Italian seasoning, s&p and cook 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, lay chicken on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife and with the palm of 1 hand holding the chicken, cut each breast almost in half horizontally, so it opens like a book. Lay chicken breasts open and spread 1 Tbs goat cheese onto half of each breast. Add 2-3 asparagus spears to each, then half of reserved bell pepper strips. Close chicken by folding top half back over, sandwiching filling.

4. Carefully transfer stuffed chicken to casserole dish. Pour about ½ cup sauce over chicken and bake 35-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Pour additional warmed sauce over stuffed chicken breasts before serving. Make enough so you will have at least 2 left over.

Chicken, Asparagus and Rice Casserole
2 cooked chicken breasts from above
3 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of water
1 cup grated Colby jack or cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish.
2. Pour the cooked rice into the baking dish. Stir in the cream soup and  1/2 can of water.
3. Dice the chicken breasts and sprinkle on top of creamy rice.
4. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Dinners 3 and 4
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken found on allrecipes website

6 frozen or fresh skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 (12 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. Pour in the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and 
    Worcestershire sauce. Give it a few stirs.
2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.
3. Remove chicken to a cutting board or large bowl and shred with 2 forks pulling meat into shreds.
4. Return chicken to crock pot to coat with the sauce.
5. Serve this on buns or rolls of your choice, baked potatoes, or on top of brown rice. The only other thing you'd need to make it complete is a salad!

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
2 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced pineapple
3/4 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup slow cooker barbecue chicken from above
8 whole wheat tortillas, soft taco size
8 Tbs reduced fat or regular Monterrey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Pour in 2 tsp olive oil. Saute onion until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring until wilted; 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl combine cooked onion and spinach, diced pineapple, corn kernels, cilantro and shredded chicken. Stir until combined.
3. Place 4 tortillas out on counter. Sprinkle each one with 1 Tbs jack cheese, 1/2 cup filling and then one more Tbs of cheese. Place the other 4 tortillas on top to make 4 whole quesadillas.
4. You can cook these 3 ways. In a large non-stick skillet one at a time over medium heat until browned on both sides; about 4-5 minutes each side. Pop them in the oven on a cookie sheet to keep warm until they're all done. OR, if you have a counter top grill or panini press, heat it to medium and put the quesadillas on 1 or 2 at a time, if its big enough. Grill about 4-5 minutes. Pop them in the oven to keep warm until they're all done. OR, you can literally put them on the real grill outside flipping after 3 minutes a side.I think its rather messy and they can burn very quickly, but it does give them a great flavor.
5. Cut each whole quesadilla into fours. Serve with sour cream or salsa if desired and a can of refried beans.

More ideas...
Make the most of leftovers with a little extra planning and you can cook once but eat twice with a lot of dinners.

Next time you cook or grill chicken breasts, cook a few extra. You can used cooked and sliced chicken in a number of recipes like chicken pot pie, chicken salad sandwiches, quesadillas, chicken wraps or chicken tortilla soup.

Next time you make a roast, cook 2. You can use that meat to make bbq sandwiches, shepherds pie, shredded beef tacos, quesadillas or beef stew. Try making these shredded beef enchiladas except skip the cooking part of the meat if you're using leftover roast.

Stuffed baked potatoes are a hit in my house. You just need 1 cup of either cooked chicken or beef. A loaded baked potato dinner menu with recipes can be found here. I've made these several times, but used leftover diced chicken instead of beef. There are even directions at the bottom on how to make this dinner meatless.

What are your leftover ideas?