Fresh from the Garden Lasagna

Here is our new favorite dinner made from our fresh produce grown in our garden...

Hunts spaghettisauce
1 package lasagna noodles
16 oz of Cottage cheese
3 heaping handfuls of mozzarella cheese
4 homegrown tomatoes
1 homegrown zucchini
3 homegrown peppers
1 homegrown onion

Drizzle a small amount of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. Layer Noodles, cottage cheese (spread evenly over noodles), cheese, sliced tomatoes, slices zucchini, sliced peppers, sliced onion, sauce, then repeat layers two more times. Cover top layer with sauce and cheese. Cook for 1 hour on 350.

Yum Yum Good!

Olive Garden's ***Zuppa Toscana***

After a few months of not feeling well with morning (a.k.a. -- All day) sickness, I decided to get ambitious and cook dinner again.

If any of you have been to Olive Garden, this is the white soup with potatoes and kale. This recipe is so easy and yummy. ENJOY!!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Sausage meat
3/4 cup Diced onions
6 slices Bacon
1 1/4 teaspoons Minced garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken stock
4 cups Water
2 medium Potatoes, cut in half and then into 1/4 slices
2 cups Kale, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream

Directions: Cook sausage meat and set a side. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

***Side Note*** I used the sausage meat that isn't in formed links from Sprouts; so it looks like ground whatever.

Better Late than Never!

I said I would grade the Pizza Hut Tuscani Pasta....Sooooo?

I give the pasta a "10"! It was so so so yummy. I had it the next day and it was yummy again. Yummyness! Mmmmm!
We had to have Pizza with it, of course.
Kayla Loved the PIZZA!
and Ryleigh Loved the PASTA!

Tuscani Pasta

I've been seeing these yummy commercials about "Pizza Hut's" Tuscani pastas. I just made an order for the ?Big meat maranara? one, so I will let you all know how that turns out ASAP.
That's what's for Dinner!

Yummy Italian dessert!

Olive Garden's Chocolate Ricotta Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup melted butter

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Filling:

1 lb ricotta cheese

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup toasted almonds

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

MIX graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar together in a bowl. Shape inside 9” pie plate. If crust is too crumbly, add a small amount of butter so crumbs will hold together. Allow to cool.
COMBINE ricotta, confectioner’s sugar, and almond extract in a bowl and set aside.
COMBINE almonds and chocolate. Chop together in a food processor; do not chop too fine.
FOLD together cheese mix and chopped almond & chocolate and chill.
WHIP heavy cream until stiff. Fold into ricotta and chocolate mix half at a time.
SPOON into chilled crust and let sit overnight before serving.

Serve with chocolate sauce, if desired

Ummm - Can I just start off by saying Yum!

 Sunday dinner's are my favorite - Lately we have been trying something new - Mostly thanks to all of your wonderful suggestions - {by the way} thanks for all being here - I am loving this site and loving all the wonderful recipes! It makes it so much easier compared to a regular cookbook - to think hey she makes this for her family often - it must be a winner - you know what I mean! anyway thanks guys!                                                                                                              

Ok so back to the meal of the day...

Spaghetti with Meatballs...

don't laugh I know it's basic - but I like that!

& I had never made my own Meatballs before - 

& I was quite proud because they came out rather tastey if I do say so myself... 

And it was kind of a little bit healthier twist to the original.

Preheat the oven to 375

Meat Balls

- 2 slices of whole grain white bread torn into pieces

- 1/4 cup of Milk ( we used fat free )

- 1 pound of ground turkey  or chicken ( we used turkey ) 

- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

- 4 tablespoons Italian Seasoning

- 2/3 teaspoon Salt

line a rimmed baking sheet with foil 

and place a baking rack over it, 

coat rack with cooking spray and set aside

in a large bowl combine bread torn into small pieces and milk

let stand for a few minutes to soften bread

mash with Fork until a paste forms.

Add Meat, Parmesan, Seasonings, & Salt

Stir until evenly mixed

Shape into round meatballs and place on prepared baking rack.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

While that is cooking - for extra healthy sauce try this --- 

this was great for Jeb who loves tomatoes but hates traditional Red Sauce.

We Served dinner tonight with both options... the Kids & I ate the Jar sauce of coarse...

But this was really easy to make - jeb was trying to eat it as a salad instead of over his pasta.

Sauce

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

2 pounds Plum Tomatos

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 easpoon Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

2 garlic cloves ( I use the kind in a jar - 2 tbsp = 1 clove )

Heat Oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat - Add Garlic - Cook fo 1 minute

Add tomatoes, Balsamic Vinegar, Seasoning & Pepper

Cook for 10 minutes and your done.

And for a really healthy meal serve over a fiber and calcium enriched pasta

We also had Asparagus - Which suprizingly even Brayden will eat - 

he normally doesn't try to eat anything like that!

Yum! Enjoy!