Alphabet Soup

Cheesy Baked Penne

2017-05-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

This cheesy baked penne is a meal that is easy to get ready, on will be on the table in about an hour. My people need lots of food, so I make a big batch when I cook things like this!

Of course, homemade pasta sauce would be excellent in this dish, but I won't judge if you use prepared sauce (shhhh....did you see the jar of sauce in my picture?)

I actually throw the onion in a mini food processor to chop it down into really small pieces. I have one of those kids that "doesn't like onion" and can find the smallest bits in dishes.

Cheesy Baked Penne
Katy | Alphabet Soup

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
24 oz marinara pasta sauce
3/4 cup sour cream
12 oz provolone cheese, grated
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet until the beef is no longer pink. Add the pasta sauce and simmer until the sauce is heated through. Drain the pasta and add to the meat and sauce mixture. Stir in the sour cream.

In the prepared baking dish, layer half the meat mixture, then half of the provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Top with the remaining meat mixture and then the remaining provolone and mozzarella. Finish with the Parmesan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Makes 8 servings (or maybe 3 servings for a hungry teenager!)

Enjoy :)

Life...

2014-04-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Garrett Farlow via Flickr

You've heard the phrase “life is what happens when you’re busy making plans”, right? Well, let me tell you, a whole lot of life has happened in the last two years. I haven’t been blogging much, and while I’m not apologizing to anyone for that, I will say that I have missed it. I want to try to get back into a routine, more for myself than anyone else. Of course, I totally love it when others read what I write! J Summer is fast approaching and I’m very much looking forward to a new season and a new outlook.

Waffle Sticks

2013-12-27T10:16:00.001-06:00

At first, I have to admit I was a bit annoyed at my mom for buying me yet another random kitchen appliance. "it was a black Friday special, and super cheap, and I thought it was cute" she said. Might I mention she also bought me a Belgian waffle maker? And I already had a working waffle maker, so.....yeah.

Anyway, the mini waffle stick maker. It actually is kind of cute. And the kids love dunking the sticks in syrup. It only makes 4 at a time, so it's definitely not for rushed mornings. Maybe I'll take the time to make a bunch and freeze them. Hmmm...I could put Doctor Who on the kindle to pass the time...there's a thought! :)

Anyway, not a paid advertisement. Just the random musings of an overly tired mama!

I hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas! Any random kitchen appliances under your tree?

Crispy Oven Baked Cornflake Chicken Legs

2013-10-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

Y’all, this is seriously the best oven fried chicken I have ever made! Truly. It was awesome. I haven’t blogged in forever, I hadn’t planned on blogging this, but it needs to be shared! In light of the fact that I hadn’t planned on putting this on the blog, please excuse the last-minute phone pictures.

I have been making variations of oven fried chicken forever. My first go at it was when I was still a kid, and I made the cornflake chicken from the Betty Crocker kids cookbook (I still have it, but it’s currently in a box in the basement or I would take a picture for you!). I’m proud of this most recent variation.

Some tips I’m going to share with you:

· I use the mini food processor to make the cornflake crumbs. Be sure not to grind them into a powder, you still want pieces you can actually see!

· Do not skimp on the Parmesan and use the stuff in the can. It has its uses, this is not one of them. Buy a wedge of the real stuff, keep it in the fridge, and thank me later.

· You can totally bake this straight on the baking sheet (well, lined with foil or parchment paper first, or greased). Anyway, if you want it really crispy though, put a rack in your pan and bake the chicken on that. Spray it with oil first to help with cleanup later.

· I used skin-on chicken for this. Totally personal preference. That’s what was at the store, and I wasn’t about to take the skin off myself. I used legs because that’s what my kids love. Any cut will do, just adjust cooking time if needed. Also, this would be great for chicken strips. Again, adjust the cooking time.

See, a cooling rack on a baking sheet. One of these days, my kids are going to argue over who gets that well-loved baking sheet, I just know it! :)

Keeping it real: I love to cook. I hate to clean. I went all out and made mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, biscuits from scratch, and cream gravy (ok, Munchkin actually did most of the work for the gravy! Love that kid.) I was still washing dishes the next morning.

Also, Sprout (5) and I both suffer from low blood sugar. I know better. We totally should have had a protein –laden snack about the time I started cooking. We didn’t. About 10 minutes before supper was ready, the you-know-what hit the fan and it was nearly WWIII at my house. Don’t be us. Eat when you need to. You’d think I would’ve learned by now…

Ok! On to the recipe.

Crispy Oven Baked Cornflake Chicken Legs

by Katy @ Alphabet Soup

adapted from Food.com

2 cups cornflake crumbs

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper, (or more depending on your tastes and who is eating!)

freshly ground black pepper (sorry, I don’t measure…)

3 large eggs

¼ cup milk (or something like that, I used “a splash”)

¼ tsp garlic powder (again, I used “a sprinkle”)

10-12 chicken legs

oil or melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a baking rack on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Spray the rack with oil or cooking spray. Alternately, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a shallow pan or pie plate, mix the cornflake crumbs, Parmesan, salt, cayenne and black pepper. In a separate dish or pie plate, whisk together the eggs, milk and garlic powder.

Coat each chicken leg with the egg mixture then roll in the cornflake mixture to coat well, pressing lightly to help the coating stick. Place each coated chicken leg on the prepared pan. Drizzle each chicken leg with oil or melted butter (I used a little drizzle of olive oil).

Bake for 50-75 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (ovens and chicken legs vary).

Enjoy! J

Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Filled Moon Pies

2013-08-18T23:23:00.000-05:00

Back in 2011, I participated in a project called Frosting for the Cause. My contribution was Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Filled Moon Pies. Unfortunately, it seems as though that blog no longer exists. In light of that, I am re-posting the story and recipe here, just in case anyone comes looking for it. :)

Originally posted Feb 22, 2011

When I first heard about Frosting for the Cause via Twitter, I knew I had to join in. I was so excited to get the email letting me know when I would be posting! I feel very honored to be a part of this.

Later, when I sat down to write my post, the emotions really hit me. My grandmother has battled cancer not once, but twice in her life. And thankfully, both times, she has won. She’s a tough old lady! Just don’t tell her I called her old.

And she is not the only woman in my life to have been touched by cancer. A dear friend of mine, Denyse, recently lost both her sister and her mother to cancer.

It is in honor and memory of these strong and brave women that I present my post today. I thought long and hard about what sweet to create, and finally the moon pie won out. My grandmother loves sweets, despite being told not to have them because of recently diagnosed diabetes, and I know she will love these. I’ll only save one for her, and the rest will be donated to the local non-profit hospice.

Moon pies are made from marshmallow sandwiched between graham cookies and dipped in chocolate. How can you go wrong with that? Be warned, this is not an endeavor for the neat freak -- the marshmallow making process can get quite…sticky. But I have included some alternative solutions at the end of the recipe.

Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Filled Moon Pies

from Katy | Alphabet Soup

Recipes adapted from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from the La Brea Bakery, and 101 Cookbooks (via Smitten Kitchen) and Alton Brown

Graham Cookies:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup golden brown sugar, packed

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp kosher salt

7 Tbsp unsalted butter, very cold

1/3 cup honey

5 Tbsp milk or half & half

2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Marshmallow filling

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water, divided

12 ounces granulated sugar (about 1 ½ cups, but weigh if you can)

1 cup light corn syrup

¼ tsp kosher salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate coating

2 lbs dipping chocolate or candy melts (I used Ghirardelli candy making and dipping bar, which I found at my local Sam’s Club)

First, make the graham cookies. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda and salt and pulse just to mix. Cut the butter into several pieces, add to the flour mixture, and pulse several times until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla extract. Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Don’t worry, the dough is supposed to be very soft and sticky at this point.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight.

On a floured work surface, roll out half the dough to 1/8-inch thick (keep the other half of the dough in the refrigerator until ready to use).

Use a 2 ½ inch round cutter and cut as many circles as you can from the dough. You can re-roll the scraps, but it’s better to get as many from this first pass as you can.

Place the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes, or in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the dough, as well as re-rolling any scraps you have leftover (you may need to chill them again before re-rolling).

Preheat the oven to 350’F. Remove one of the baking sheets from the refrigerator or freezer and bake for 12-15 minutes, or just until the cookies begin to brown and becom slightly firm to the touch. You don’t want these too crispy for this purpose. {tip: when removing a metal baking sheet from the freezer, make sure your hands are completely dry or use an oven mitt!}

Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. While they are cooling, prepare the marshmallow filling.

Place ½ cup of the water and the gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer (use the whisk attachment for making the marshmallows).

Combine the remaining ½ cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, cover and let cook 3-4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer to the pan and allow to cook until it reaches soft ball stage, or about 240’F. I think this took mine close to 10 minutes. You don’t have to hover when you first start it, but don’t walk off and forget it!

Once you reach this temperature, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Turn the mixer on low speed, and carefully pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into the gelatin. After adding all of the syrup increase the speed to high and continue to mix until it becomes very thick and fluffy. The original recipe states this will take 12-15 minutes. I didn’t time mine precisely, but I think it was closer to 10 minutes. I could “hear” a change in the way my mixer sounded, and that and the look of the mixture is what I went by. Add the vanilla about one minute before you are done beating the mixture.

Transfer the marshmallow filling to a large (gallon size) resealable plastic bag. Smush it all down to one side and snip off the corner with scissors. Place half of the cooled cookies onto a sheet of parchment paper, and have the remaining cookies standing by.

Squeeze a dollop of the filling onto each of the cookies on the parchment paper.

Top with the remaining cookies, pressing lightly. Let set at room temperature for about two hours, or until the filling has set up.

Once the filling has set up, melt the dipping chocolate according to the package directions and allow to cool just slightly. Working with one at a time, gently drop the cookies into the melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, then lift out and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until the coating is firm.

Makes approximately 30 sandwiches. Enjoy!

Alternatives: If you don’t want to make your own marshmallow filling, buy the jar of marshmallow crème at the store and use that to fill the sandwiches. You can also use the large marshmallows, cutting them in half, placing them on the bottom cookies, and putting in a low oven for a couple of minutes until warmed. Remove from the oven, top with the second cookie, allow to cool, and proceed as directed.

All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake

2012-11-08T10:44:00.000-06:00

I've been making the littles some apple muffins lately, which they love, but I've been wanting to make something with pumpkin instead. However, I've been stuck in a rut and just haven't found a recipe that I've wanted to try. Sure, I have my stand-by recipes, but I wanted something new. I can't believe I hadn't checked one of my favorite baking books (Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan) before now.

A quick look at the index, and I found what I was looking for, All-in-One Holiday Bundt Cake. It really does have it all: pumpkin, apples, fresh cranberries, and pecans. Perfect! I even had all the ingredients, since I had picked up some cranberries on a whim at the grocery store this week. I decided to let all the kiddos help me, and they were excited to. Let me warn you though, I would prep the pecans, cranberries, and apples ahead of time if you're going to be making this with kids, especially young ones. They got bored with this part fairly quickly. Let me also say that I really wish I had a better space for having all the kids help me at once. But that's my kitchen's problem, not yours. :)

Anyway, this is one of my new favorite cakes. I loved all the flavors in it! If you're not a fan of ginger, you might want to scale back the amount called for, but I thought it was great. The Munchkin tried one bite, and didn't really care for it (no surprise there, but he did try it!). The Sprout liked it, but Squirt loved it, and I mean he loved it.

Now, things don't always go as planned. This is a life lesson that has been thrown at me a ton this year, no doubt about it. Yesterday was no exception, as my cake totally stuck to the pan. I'm going to blame it on the pan and not my buttering skills, as I've had trouble with the last couple bundt cakes I've made. ;) No matter, it tasted wonderful anyway!

This recipe was originally posted to the internet through the baking group Tuesdays with Dorie (I participated for a brief time). I was going to link to the recipe through that, but it seems that the blog that was allowed to post the recipe is no longer in existence. But, I did find the recipe on Serious Eats, so I'm just going to link to it there, since I didn't change a thing! Click here to find the recipe. Or just go buy the book. I'm serious, anyone that loves to bake should own this book (and no, I'm not an affiliate anywhere, so I don't get any kickbacks!).

Enjoy! :)

Today, I'm participating in Food Bloggers Support for Sandy. I have several friends that were in Sandy's path, and while they were all fortunate enough to have their homes spared, some of them are still without power, and now facing a winter storm. I hate being so far away from them, unable to help directly. Hopefully by participating in this I will be able to help just a little bit more. I'm thinking of you Chris, Julie, and Sher! And you too Michelle, even though you've moved away I know you're a NY'er at heart, and your hometown has suffered. And my other Michele. And everyone in the area. I truly cannot imagine what you have all been dealing with.

I'm also linking up to the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosting by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. Check out what everyone else is sharing!

Hello Dolly Cookie Bars

2012-10-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, my mom gave me an old cookbook, it was hers but I'm not sure she ever used it, Favorite Recipes from Southern Kitchens: Desserts. I love this cookbook! I thought it would be great to go through it and pick a recipe or two to use for this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats series.

For this week, I chose a super easy one, Hello Dolly Cookies. I have absolutely no idea where the name came from. I'm really not sure I've ever eaten one before, though the ladies I shared the finished product with knew about them! I did an internet search too, and it seems they go by a lot of names, including Magic Layer Bars.

Honestly, they are so easy to make. There's no mixing required. Kids could absolutely help with these. The cookies smelled divine while they were baking, and I barely waited for them to cool before trying one.

At first I thought "these taste almost like German chocolate cake", then "or definitely like a candy bar" and finally "damn these are good, I want the whole pan!!" :) But I didn't eat them all. The kids loved them, and so did everyone I shared them with. This is a definitely a keeper.

The original recipe just called for butter, and I used unsalted butter because that's all I had. It seemed to work just fine. I do think that next time I make these I will add just a tad more graham cracker crumbs and see how it does. It's not that it was bad, but I felt like a couple more tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbs would have soaked up the butter better.

Hello Dolly Cookie Bars
from Favorite Recipes from Southern Kitchens: Desserts

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 (15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350'F. Melt butter in a 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Sprinkle in the graham cracker crumbs, then the coconut, chocolate chips and nuts (you just layer it all in, one layer of each). Pour the condensed milk over it all, then bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the pan, then cut into 16 squares.

*I used an 11x8 pan because that's what I had readily available. It worked just fine.

Enjoy! :)

I'm linked up to the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Magic. See what everyone else is making!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites {12 Weeks of Christmas Treats}

2012-09-27T10:43:00.001-05:00

Let's take a moment to look at the calendar, shall we? Let's see, yep, it's still September. I tried buying some Halloween baking products today, but the stores were already sold out and replacing them with Christmas items. And I complained about that on Facebook. Yet, here I am, talking about Christmas treats. According to the countdown on my phone, there are 89 days left until Christmas day.

So, in that spirit, I've joined Brenda of Meal Planning Magic again on her Twelve Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. That's right, me, the Queen of Procrastinationland. ;)

This week, I made a pretty easy treat: Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites. I found the recipe through Pinterest (where else these days, right?) and thought they would be a great treat to make!

Instead of using the individual caramels, I decided to try the caramel apple wraps found near the apples in the produce section of the grocery store. They made these babies a breeze! I cut each wrap into 6 pieces with my pizza cutter, wrapped them around the pretzel nuggets, and then dipped in some Ghirardelli dipping chocolate that I'd picked up at Sam's a while back.

My apple wrappers had 5 in the package, so that yielded 30 treats. I sprinkled different things on top, and none of my Christmas sprinkles looked as good as the mixture I had of chopped toasted pecans and toasted coconut, in my opinion.

By the way, these are goooood. :) They have this great combination of sweet, salty, crunchy and chewy. And they're bite size!

Check out the original recipe here, and be sure to check out the blog hop and see what other Christmas treats are being shared! Oh, and there's a Pinterest board too!

P.S. I think I'll be making some of these with Halloween sprinkles too...that is if I can still find any!

Enjoy! :)

Maple Syrup Snow Candy

2012-02-22T12:19:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe, but a little over a week ago we had snow on the ground. Today, it's 66 degrees and windy! Snow never lasts long around here.

Ever since the Munchkin read "Little House in the Big Woods" a couple of years ago, he begs to make maple syrup candy whenever it snows (it's snowed 3 times this winter; that's a lot for us!) and this time I finally gave in. Needless to say, he was thrilled. And when the other two heard "candy" they were thrilled too!

I found some instructions on Shelterrific that looked good, and off we went. I got the syrup to boiling, and Munchkin got his coat on and waited {im}patiently by the back door to collect the snow.

I did make one mistake. I didn't let the syrup cook long enough. I didn't take the time to make sure it had gotten to the hard ball stage before taking it off, and in fact I'm pretty sure it didn't even make it to soft ball stage. I should've checked, because while the end result tasted good, and the kids certainly had fun, what we had wasn't technically candy. What we wound up with was more like a maple syrup snow cone! I'll know next time, though I need to restock my maple syrup supply.
Try it some time. It's really not that hard, and it will thrill young and old alike!
Enjoy! :)

P.S. Have you noticed the new look of the blog? I decided it was time for a change. Although I've always loved the old design, there were a few things that I also always wanted to change: I thought the background would be better if it was white or a lighter color, and the lines on the background sometimes made it hard to read. I don't know how permanent this new look will be, but it will be here for a bit, while I work out exactly what I want the blog to look like. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {healthier}

2012-02-15T10:02:00.001-06:00

Okay, so after my last post you're probably going to be shaking your head when I tell you that I've joined another cooking group. :) Brenda of Meal Planning Magic has revived her Eating the Alphabet, series, and since it kind of gets back to the "roots" of my own blog, I couldn't really pass it up. ;)

So, while I do complain a bit about Pinterest, I have actually gotten some good ideas from there! One of the recipes that caught my eye last month was these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Skip to my Lou. I made them, with some changes, and they were a hit. While trying to decide what to post for the A or B month, I thought these would be perfect.

Hey! That's Sprout swiping one while I'm trying to take pictures.

Yes, I know, banana chocolate chip muffins are not earth-shattering, but I healthy-fied these, and that made me feel much better about the fact that we were all popping these little bite-sized tasty treats into our mouths at an alarming rate. Seriously, while I wouldn't classify them as health food, they are definitely healthier than versions I've made in the past. I should also tell you that while the Munchkin looked at me with one eyebrow raised when I said "banana" and "chocolate chip" in the same sentence, he did actually try one, he didn't spit it out, and he ate the whole thing. Progress, people, it's progress. These were great in lunches that week, by the way.

Squirt kept asking for more, or "Mo! Mo!" in Squirtese.

Healthier Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
by Katy | Alphabet Soup, adapted from Skip to my Lou

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup demerara sugar
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2-3, make sure they're good & ripe)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350'F. Line mini muffin pans (enough to make 3 dozen muffins) with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together bananas, egg, vanilla extract, oil and milk. Stir wet ingredients into dry and blended, being careful not to over-mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups until 3/4 full. Bake until tops are golden, and a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean (a little melted chocolate on it is fine!). **Katy's note: ok, I stink. I forgot to write down how long these took to cook, but I want to say it was about 15 minutes. When I make another batch I'll take better notes and edit this recipe. Until then, just keep an eye on them when baking -- you know your oven better than I do!

Yield: 36 mini muffins

Enjoy! :)

I'm linking up to Eating the Alphabet at Meal Planning Magic

I'm also linking up to Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch!

She said what I've been thinking

2012-02-13T16:21:00.001-06:00

Munchkin

Like half the people on the planet, I've recently become ~~addicted to~~ enamoured with Pinterest. I've been gathering quotes I like, and while I managed to not pin this one, it went something along the lines of "when we compare ourselves to others, we lose a little bit of our own awesomeness." I've been struggling lately. A lot. And with things I don't really want to bother you with. Trust me, I'm not good at sharing my burdens with others.

Anyway, through Pinterest, I was led to this post by Adriana of Just by Living. I'd never read her blog before, but this post hit home, in so many ways. One of the things she says in her post is "My life isn't pretty enough for Pinterest." I want to hug her, give her a high five, and cry on her shoulder because that is so how I feel. I've lost a lot of my own awesomeness lately by comparing myself to way too many others.

I didn't start blogging to become an internet superstar or household name. I don't blog to make money. I blog because it's fun and a I like it. But....there are those days, when I haven't blogged in a while, and just don't have the time or energy to do anything about it, that I think "why bother?" I say I don't want to be a big-name blogger...then why am I comparing myself to those same big-name bloggers?? Because we are often harder on ourselves than anyone else is. Because I don't want to let anyone down, but in the meantime, I don't meet the overly high expectations I put upon myself.

Sprout

I found all these super cute ideas for making Valentine's Day cards for the kids to give out at their parties. I even spent time using my scrapbooking software to work on them. And what did I do? I ran to CVS this afternoon to grab some cheap boxes of cards instead. And I'm ok with that. Mostly. :) I do this a lot though: get delusions of grandeur and then have to take a step back and regroup. I need to go back and read my own post about the Supermom cape, I know.

We don't have a spotless house. I'll never have time to make all the crafty ideas I find. When I made my own graham crackers, someone that my husband works with said that I had too much time on my hands. Seriously. After I picked myself off the floor from a fit of laughter, I vowed not to go to his office for a while to keep myself from drop-kicking her. Nope, I don't have too much time on my hands. That's far from the truth. But I make choices with my time, and sometimes those choices are letting the laundry and clutter be, and making memories with my kids instead. Those are my choices, and I refuse to be judged by them anymore. The food pictures on my blog may stink, but the intention behind them is beautiful -- I love being in the kitchen, and I want to share that with the world, even if the "world" is only one reader, who happens to be my best friend. :)

Squirt

Stocked Up {Freezer Spaghetti Sauce}

2012-01-28T15:49:00.000-06:00

Planning

Yes, it's been a while. I'm not going to apologize or give excuses. I've just been dealing with a lot lately, and as usual when that happens the blog takes a hit. That's just...me! :)

Earlier this month I cleaned out my pantry, which wound up being more of an undertaking than I had planned, but it definitely needed to be tackled. I couldn't believe how chaotic the pantry had gotten! This weekend, I decided to tackle the freezer, and restock it as well.

I know I am lucky to have a stand alone freezer. I've had it for years and it is such a wonderful asset! Like the pantry, sometimes it gets disorganized and I have no clue what's even in there! I try to do a deep clean (I also have to defrost it...unfortunately it's not self-defrosting, lol) at least twice a year, and take an inventory, which I then print out and stick on the front of the freezer. I don't always keep the inventory updated as I use/add things, but at least it's a starting point.

Anyway, I thought I would use some of the meals posted over at Once a Month Mom to fill my freezer. We have activities every weeknight, and I have become a reluctant meal planner. I've always said I wasn't good at it, but I've learned that with our busy schedule if I don't have a plan, we eat horribly!! I'm hopeful that having meals in the freezer ready to go will help on those hectic nights.

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I actually combined a couple of the menus from OAMM. No offense to Tricia or any of the others that work so hard to put the menus together; I just have a pretty good idea of what my family is willing to eat and adjusted accordingly.

Needs a bit more organization, but look at that stockpile!

Now, check this out. I used quite a few ingredients that I already had on hand, shopped some sales, and spent $39.68 for additional ingredients on what would turn out to be 9 meals. That's less than $5 average per meal! That's pretty awesome. Granted, I did have to pay for the ingredients I already had on hand, but it wasn't an additional cost just to make the meals. Did that make sense? It did in my head. It also obviously doesn't count sides, but still! Then, I decided to whip up a batch of my freezer spaghetti sauce that I've been making for years (recipe at end of post) using only ingredients I already had in my pantry. Sweet, right?

So, here's the info on what I made:

From the 5 Day Mini Menu - January 2012:

Ranch Chicken Parmesan - I used 1.5 lbs chicken tenders; I did have to increase the breading amounts considerably to have enough. After breading, I placed them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and flash froze them. Then I placed them in a foil baking pan, with foil between the layers, then covered with more foil, labeled & put back in the freezer.
Teriyaki Honey Chicken - used 1.5 lbs chicken tenders (hey, they were on sale for a great price!) and adjusted the recipe accordingly. Also, I used grated ginger instead of ground ginger.
Easy Pleasing Meatloaf - I used 1.7 lbs ground beef and divided the mixture into two loaves. Also, instead of buying stuffing mix, I crushed up some croutons I had that needed to be used.
Mexican Shepherd's Pie - I followed the recipe, except I used two boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix instead of making my own cornbread (this time anyway).

From the 10 Day Mini Menu - January 2012:

Noodle Heaven - Only change was mixing the cream cheese mixture and the noodles together and layering that with the meat sauce.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - I'm partial to my own recipe (well, duh) but decided to give this one a whirl. I made two pans with 5 enchiladas each. I know it doesn't seem like much, but while I love them the kids aren't big fans, so I figured smaller portions would work better, and the kids can have bean burritos that night if they don't want enchiladas. :)
Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta - this looks really good. I used chicken Italian sausage.

General Notes:

The mini menus are awesome, especially if you haven't done any freezer cooking before or don't have a ton of space or time. So glad they are providing these!
Not counting the spaghetti sauce & the final clean up (which I'm currently avoiding by blogging) it took me 4 hours to prepare all this. I did my shopping yesterday. However, the kids were not home, or it would have easily taken twice as long. ;)
Read, read, read the recipe ingredients and instructions!!! Especially if you are preparing several items at once, it's easy to skip a step.
Random, but I love to listen to music when I cook. Alt Nation was my station of choice today.
Nitrile gloves are my friend. They really help my super dry hands. And thick gloves for washing dishes. I still washed my hands a lot, but the gloves help a ton.

Freezer Spaghetti Sauce
Katy, Alphabet Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb bulk Italian sausage, optional
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
2 cups water
1 heaping Tablespoon Italian herb mix
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 dried bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sausage, if using, and saute 5-7 minutes (if using sausage, cook until meat is no longer pink). Drain if needed. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic. Transfer to a large crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Remove bay leaves. Taste and season with salt & pepper as desired. Divide into desired portions, let cool, label and place in freezer. To use, thaw and heat to a simmer.

Makes about 12 cups sauce.

A few notes:

I use tomato puree for a smoother sauce; use the crushed tomatoes if you like more tomato chunks. Personal preference.
I've also used the very large cans of crushed tomatoes from Sam's Club, mine was 6 lb 6 oz, and just omitted the tomato paste. Still works well.
I usually omit the sausage unless I just happen to have some handy.
Ever notice how many recipes call for "one 28 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce"? That happens to be 3 1/2 cups. I usually portion my sauce into 4 cup containers for freezing. Handy, huh?

Why yes, I have quite a stash of girl scout cookies....your point???

Enjoy! :)

Meal Plan Dec 4-10, 2011

2011-12-04T15:06:00.001-06:00

So, you may remember me mentioning that I don't tend to do a very good job of meal planning. That's still true, but I have been doing better. I made a plan for last week and stuck to it completely! I've got a plan in place for this next week as well, and have my fingers crossed. I thought I'd share what we had last week and what I'm planning on for next week. You know, just in case you were curious. It's nothing fancy, trust me.

One thing that I'm trying to do more of is sit down with the weekly grocery ads, see what is on sale for a great price for the week, and use that to jump start my meal planning. I also went through and took an inventory of what is in my freezer (I do that periodically and usually do a fairly good job of keeping it updated as I add/use items). However, I still need to clean out my pantry....it's a mess!

Mostly I'm just listing main dishes. Sides vary depending on what I have and what sounds good, lol.

Week of 11/27 - 12/3
Sunday - chicken strips
Monday - breakfast (pancakes, sausage, and eggs)
Tuesday - quesadillas and corn chowder
Wednesday - frozen ravioli
Thursday - grilled cheese and spaghetti-o's
Friday - pizza night
Saturday - hamburger steak (similar to this recipe)

Week of 12/4 - 12/10
Sunday - slow cooker roast chicken (similar to this recipe), with roast brussels sprouts (my husband & I don't really like brussels sprouts, but we both liked these and even my 9 yr old admitted they were "kind of good" -- he preferred the really crispy ones!)
Monday - chili & cornbread
Tuesday - taco night
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - breakfast
Friday - pasta dish to be determined (possibly this one; it's good!)
Saturday - sandwiches/clean out the fridge

What's on your menu for the week?

Sugar Cookies

2011-12-01T12:52:00.001-06:00

Last year, Christi and I hosted a cookie exchange. It was fun, and one of these days I think it would be a great idea to do it on an annual basis...just not this year! Anyway, she made the sugar cookie recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. When I had to send cookies to the Thanksgiving celebration at the Munchkin's "Tuesday school" I knew that these would be the perfect thing to send. I was right -- the kids loved them.

This really is a great recipe. Simple, easy, and delicious. What more can you want? And I didn't change a thing, so visit Michelle's website for the recipe. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week and can you believe it's December???

Enjoy! :)

I'm linked up to the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies & Sweets -- check out what the others have made!

Thick and Chewy Snickerdoodles

2011-11-16T11:34:00.001-06:00

I admit, I love snickerdoodles. Cinnamon and vanilla? Yes, please. What’s funny is that I never really had them much as a kid, just occasionally in the school cafeteria. I know, ew.

Anyway, snickerdoodles were one of the first cookies that the Munchkin helped make when he was little. He could help dump everything in the mixer (or “loud noise” as he would call it!) and then it was fun for him to roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar before putting them on the baking sheet.

Even since then, my go-to recipe for snickerdoodles has been this one by Emeril. It’s a great recipe, baking up a thin, crispy cookie (at least when I make them!).

However, I was looking for something different this time, something thicker and chewier. I found this recipe from the blog How Sweet it Is. I decided to try it, and while I did keep the ingredient list the same I changed up the method a bit to suit me better. The result? What I was looking for – thick and chewy…and great tasting!

I will say that it does not make many cookies, so depending on how many you will be sharing these with, you will probably want to double the recipe.

Thick and Chewy Snickerdoodles

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp real vanilla extract

2 Tbsp milk

**additionally, for rolling the dough in before baking, you will need**

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix an additional two minutes. Add the milk and mix another minute.

Slowly add in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. The dough will look wet and sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough is refrigerating, preheat the oven to 375’F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

When the dough is ready, mix together the additional ¼ cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Using a #40 disher (about 1” across) scoop the dough into balls and then coat with the cinnamon sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 8-9 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 22 (2 ¼”) cookies

Enjoy! :)

Hey Everyone! I'm linked up to the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets over at Meal Planning Magic. Hop over and see what everyone else has made this week! :)

Sharing the Love

2011-11-06T20:24:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but when I search for new recipes to try, I also like to read reviews from other people that have actually tried them. I think that's why websites such as food.com and allrecipes are popular -- you post a recipe, others try it and leave reviews. That's essentially what food blogging is all about -- sharing experiences with food. But, I think a lot of us (myself included, if you include me as a food blogger, lol) tend to only want to post our own recipes, or our own take on the recipes of others.

My husband claims that I can't follow a recipe to save my life. That's not entirely true. I do occasionally follow a recipe as written...sometimes...maybe. :) A lot of times I do feel like I change the recipe enough to call it "adapted" or "inspired by". Sometimes though? Yeah, changing one ingredient isn't really enough to make it my own. Those are the recipes I'm going to be talking about today. Ones that I've tried, that my family liked enough to make it to the "keep" file.

I started reading food blogs because they are about real food written by real people. That's what I am -- a real person, with a real family that often has really picky tastes. Here are some of the recipes we've tried recently, and my thoughts on them.

I don't know why it took me so long to try the Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos from Our Best Bites, because they are dang good! My family prefers flour tortillas, so that's they way I make them. My BFF & her family prefers corn, so that's what she uses. Honestly, I never make the dressing, though it sounds very good. We usually dip in salsa or queso. I've also done a version of the taquitos using regular salsa and taco seasoning mix and they were quite good as well.
Also from Our Best Bites, we really like the Stuffed Pizza Rolls (or pizza bites, as I call them). They are a blast to make with the kids, by the way. I use my favorite pizza dough and sauce recipes, but OBB is where I first saw the idea.
The Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings from Steamy Kitchen rock, and I don't really even like chicken wings! I've done the same thing with chicken legs and it was very good as well. The kiddos and hubby loved it too. I did use Italian herb mix instead of just rosemary.
The Maple Pecan Pancakes from the $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook (which I found via Once a Month Mom) were a favorite of mine, even if the Munchkin didn't like them. The other kiddos did though! I did freeze some of them and it was handy to have them ready to heat up for breakfast in a rush.
I love the Light & Airy Whole Grain Biscuits from Simple Scratch (I also love many of the recipes at her other blog, In Jennie's Kitchen). I don't think I'd ever even heard of spelt flour before reading that recipe, but now I always have some on hand and make these biscuits quite frequently.

Ok, those are seriously just a few of the recipes that I've gathered from other food bloggers. What are some of your recent faves?

Enjoy! :)

Oatmeal, White Chocolate & Toffee Cookies

2011-11-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I had lunch with some former co-workers. We went to this little cafe, and I enjoyed warm food and conversation with wonderful company - two great people that I haven't seen nearly enough of in the last few years.

I was also reminded that I am Katy. Meaning, I am more than "just a mom". My children each carry a piece of my soul around with them. That will never change. But there is more to me than "mom." However, being a mom and now a homeschooling mom has consumed so much of my energy, that I've had a tendency to forget about Katy, about my dreams and desires. So, when I decided to make the time to get some cookies created and post about them today, it felt that much better to slip on my purple apron, turn on some music, and dance around the kitchen while baking up these treats. I'm a sap, I know, I hear it from my husband all the time!

While we were at the cafe on Tuesday, we tried several different cookies for dessert. One of those was an oatmeal cookie with white chocolate. They were hands down the favorite at our table (though the snickerdoodle was a close second for me!). I tried to recreate those, and while these aren't quite the same, they are tasty in their own right.

I started with the cookie recipe here (which is a favorite at our house) and made the following changes.

I substituted white baking chips for the semi-sweet.
I decreased the coconut to 1/2 cup.
I added in 1/2 cup toffee bits.

That's it! I do make my cookies smaller; I use a #40 disher (about an inch across) and they bake for about 13 minutes in my tempermental oven.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Crunch

2011-10-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

Starting back in the 60's (not that I was around then) the home economics department of a local electric company would put on cooking demonstrations near Christmas, and would hand out booklets with the recipes. I can remember attending many of these with my mom and grandmother when I was in junior high and high school. In 1993, they published a 30th anniversary cookbook with all the recipes from the past demonstrations. It was a go-to cookbook of mine for many years, and I still use some of the recipes. One of those is the recipe for Peanut Butter Crunch that I am sharing today. I have actually adapted it over the years, so I'm writing out my adaptation for you. Unfortunately, that electric company was bought out by another and they don't do the demonstrations any more. I always thought they were fun!

I know that intro was kind of boring, but I wanted to give you the history on this recipe! I make it almost every year to hand out in goody boxes and it always seems to be a hit. It's creamy, with a hint of the peanut butter, but then you have the crunchy peanuts and cereal, and the marshmallows are just a sweet bonus! Another thing that I like about it is that it makes a lot, which is great when you are planning on sharing.

*~*~*
Notice how there is no picture of this yummy treat yet? That's because when I went to the pantry to gather ingredients, I was out of the almond bark! I swore there was some in the bottom of the basket under the bags of various baking chips, but nope. I'm posting the recipe anyway, and as soon as I can get a minute (or 30) to get to the store, I'll be sure to make up a batch and post a pic. :)
*~*~*

Peanut Butter Crunch
by Katy of Alphabet Soup

1 (1.5 lb) package white almond bark
1 cup peanut butter (I use the creamy)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
3 cups crisp rice cereal (Rice Krispies)

In a large glass bowl, melt the almond bark in the microwave. Depending on your microwave, this will probably take 2-3 minutes, but stir often and keep an eye on it. Add the peanut butter and stir until blended. Stir in the marshmallows, peanuts, and cereal. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let set before storing. Keep in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

Enjoy!

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies, 2011 Edition

2011-09-29T21:35:00.002-05:00

Hello, hello, hello! I could babble on about what's been going on lately, or you could just go here and read, so I won't. ;)

Anyway, it's that time of year again, if you can believe it, to start the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies, being hosted this year by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic.

Now, we just got running water back temporarily last night, and for real this afternoon, so suffice it to say I haven't exactly had time to whip up a batch of something yummy, take pics and write up a blog post about it, so I'm going to go back in time to last year and remind everyone about one of my favorite holiday cookies, the Chewy Ginger Snaps.

I've already got a list of goodies I want to make for this year's blog hop, and in the meantime enjoy what everyone else has been working hard on!

My Take on Homemade Spaghetti O's

2011-08-13T23:07:00.000-05:00

When I was a little kid, I loved canned spaghetti. I would even make a spaghetti sandwich out of the stuff. I can't make this kind of story up! What's funny is that real homemade spaghetti is actually one of the things that my mom would make, and it was good. I just still loved the canned stuff too.

Anyway, I can remember when the Munchkin was younger he would see commercials for Spaghetti O's and ask me to buy them. In contrast to my childhood, I would never buy the canned version. I caved and finally bought him a can so he could try it. He took about two bites, declared mine much better, and wouldn't eat any more. Score one for mom! {virtual fist bump}

But, you have to admit, Spaghetti O's are cute! They just are. Here's my take on a homemade version. It makes a lot, be warned. However, if you aren't feeding the entire neighborhood you can freeze it. I tried it and it heated up quite well without the pasta getting all mushy. The kids loved this recipe, and so did I!

Homemade Spaghetti O's
from Katy | Alphabet Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped (just use 1/2 onion if it seems overly strong)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
10 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
a few turns black pepper
2 cups water
1 lb ditalini pasta (or your favorite fun shaped pasta)
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup milk

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery and carrot until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.

Return to pot, add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, 15-20 minutes or until pasta is done. Add salt, pepper, sugar, cheese, and milk and stir just until cheese is melted.

If freezing, divide into freezer containers, allow to cool in the refrigerator, then transfer to the freezer. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator (or microwave) then heat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Enjoy! :)

For Jennie

2011-08-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

I honestly don't even know how to start this post. I've written it a thousand times in my head, and now that I'm sitting at the computer, the words won't come.

Earlier this week Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie's Kitchen lost her husband suddenly. There was no chance for a goodbye. She has two girls, 8 and 3. Though I've never met her in person, I follow her through her blog and on Twitter. And even though I don't know her or her family, when I read what had happened, it brought me to tears.

On Tuesday she posted on her blog. I don't know that I would have had the composure to do so. This is part of what she wrote:

For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on.

So I baked today, along with many others. I made our family's new favorite chocolate chip cookie. It's not a peanut butter pie, but it's my way of telling my family I love them, my way of grieving for Jennifer's loss, my way of helping.

Baked French Toast Sticks

2011-07-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when fast food french toast sticks became a hit? You know -- those deep fried sticks of bread? Yeah, I don't know exactly when it was, but I do remember asking my mom to take me to get some. I thought they were wonderful! And I have to admit, there are times when I still get a craving to run to Sonic and order some. I will even admit to feeding them to my kids before. However...never again. Not after making them myself! :)

They're really not that hard to make, and the best part? You can make them ahead of time, freeze them, and just heat them up when you're ready to eat.

The first time I made these, Munchkin and Squirt gobbled them up. Sprout? Well, he was too busy being...himself to eat that morning. Although I did catch him taking a "picture" with a toy camera instead of eating. Couldn't possibly be because I had just been taking a picture of the food myself, right? Since then, he's actually eaten them and decided they taste good. Especially with powdered sugar and cinnamon dusted on them.

Baked French Toast Sticks
adapted from One Crazy Cookie

1 (1 lb) loaf challah bread (or bread of choice)
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
2 tsp real vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425'F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray well with cooking spray.

Cut bread into 1" slices, and then cut each slice into strips about 1 ½” wide.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Be sure that it is mixed really well. Pour into a shallow dish or pie plate.

Dip each strip of bread into the milk mixture, coating completely and allowing it to soak up a little of the liquid, but do not over soak (how quickly you have to work will depend upon the bread you are using!). Place the strips of bread on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

If serving immediately, dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve with warmed maple syrup.

If freezing, allow to cool completely, then place on a baking sheet and freeze for a couple of hours. Transfer to freezer bags. To serve, reheat in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes or in the microwave for a few seconds.

Enjoy! :)

Hey, those are my kids!

2011-07-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! A few things I have to share. First - I have a new laptop. I am screaming from a virtual mountaintop I am so excited about this! My old laptop officially crashed, and I just could not get this new baby set up fast enough. With any luck, this will also mean that I can get some posts up that have been in the queue for a while...because, well, the old laptop has been giving me issues for quite some time now and was really bogging me down in all aspects of technology-related life.

Second, I have a reader story up on the What's Cooking with Kids website. If you haven't read What's Cooking, I encourage you to. There is also a Facebook page where you can snag a sample of her Whole Family Cookbook. Here's the link to my story.

Ok people. It's Friday -- have a great weekend, and if you're celebrating the Fourth of July, here's to a safe and highly enjoyable one! :)

Pizza Joes with Zucchini Fries

2011-06-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Every time I make sloppy joes for the family, I get the same question: “Why are they called sloppy joes?” Good question. An internet search will give you several different answers. I prefer to stick with “because they're sloppy to eat.” Awesome answer, I know.

I never know if the kids will eat sloppy joes or not, even when I use a recipe that's been a hit before. This one is a slightly different twist on the traditional sloppy joes, borrowing pizza flavors. Everyone liked them, even the baby, except he didn't like the pepperoni.

The zucchini fries were a slightly different story. I thought they were really good, but everyone else preferred the zucchini crisps that I usually make. My mom made the zucchini fries a few days later, using some changes that I had suggested to her and I think they turned out better. The recipe below reflects those changes. I still think it's great, and I'll try it again at my house and see what my people think. :)

Pizza Joes
adapted from Taste of Home

1 pound ground turkey

1 recipe pizza sauce, prepared or 12 oz of your favorite pizza sauce

¼ cup mini pepperoni slices, or chopped pepperoni
6 burger buns
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey until no pink remains. Add the pizza sauce and pepperoni. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until sauce is heated through. Add a few ounces of water if needed to adjust the consistency. Toast the burger buns if desired. Divide the meat sauce among the buns and top with cheese.

Zucchini Fries
adapted from Everyday Food

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp Italian seasonings

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 egg whites

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425'F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix together the panko, Parmesan, and seasonings. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg whites. Dip the zucchini wedges into the egg whites and the coat in the bread crumb mixture, then place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until brown and crispy. Serve with ranch dressing or marinara on the side for dipping.

Enjoy! :)

Facebook

2011-06-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

Yes folks, I may not be spending a ton of time on the blog right now, I admit, but I created a Facebook fan page. Because I need my head examined, that's why! Anyway, I'm having some technical difficulties getting it linked on the sidebar of the blog, but if you search for "Katy's Alphabet Soup" it should pull up. I need some outside input too -- if you see anything weird going on with it, please let me know. I'm a little bit of a noob when it comes to Facebook!!

Enjoy, and thanks!! :)