White Bean and Sausage Rigatoni

I've had this recipe saved for quite awhile and I'm really glad I got around to finally trying it. The dish comes together really quickly and makes an excellent and quick week night meal. This isn't your typical sauce & noodles dish, so if you're looking for more sauce you'll want to add more tomatoes. While it was cooking it reminded me more of a stew, which you could easily adapt the recipe into. I really enjoyed the flavor profile, despite the fact that I got a little heavy handed with the pasta and added way to much!

Just saw an updated version of this recipe on BHG's website which adds spinach and some more liquid to the original recipe. While I really liked the flavors in the original recipe, I think the addition of spinach as well as chicken broth and tomato paste would make it even better. Try it either way.



White Bean and Sausage Rigatoni

8oz. dried rigatoni (2 cups)
1 15oz. can white kidney (cannellini), Great Northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 c. snipped fresh basil
1/4 c. finely shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese (1 oz.)


1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return pasta to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine beans, undrained tomatoes, and sausage. Cook and stir until heated through. Add bean mixture and basil to pasta; stir gently to combine. To serve, sprinkle each serving with Asiago cheese.

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information (per serving): 399 calories, 8 g. total fat (3 g. sat. fat), 36 mg chol., 813 mg. sodium, 64 g. carbo., 7 g. fiber, 23 g. protein

Thoughts: Any tube shaped or larger ridged pasta will work, I used a combination of rotini and fusilli. I used a pound of lite smoked sausage, again either sausage or kielbasa would work fine. I added one 28 oz. can of stewed tomatoes, chopped them up a bit in the skillet and added dried basil, oregano and garlic. Obviously fresh herbs would have been better, but don't stress about it and just use what you have - it still came out delicious.

Triple-Layer Mud Pie.

The husband whipped up this simple & delicious dessert for his Mom's belated birthday dinner and it was really good! But you can't really go wrong with a triple layer of chocolate can you? Easy to make, delicious and totally not good for you, ummm do you seriously need more reasons to make this? So the husband goes to cut into the pie and the crust was rock solid. Seriously, we thought we might need to get out the power saw. At first we thought it was because he forgot to add the sweetened condensed milk, but after reading some of the online reviews it seems others had this problem as well. It didn't matter though, the triple-layer mud pie was still fabulous and cutting into each bite just provided lots of laughs for everyone!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes & Cheese.

Last night for dinner I made this dish from Cooking Light. I'm still not sure about it, it's not that it was bad - there was just something about it I thought could be a lot better. Really my biggest complaint was the pasta was pretty dry, and looking over the online reviews it seems others had that problem too. Hopefully adding more tomatoes, or even tomato sauce to the leftovers would help. Because despite halving the recipe, we still had a ton of leftovers. I agree with some of the reviews that said it's a good recipe to build upon, but you know it's just baked pasta and I have other recipes that are fabulous as is. So while it wasn't even a bad recipe, I doubt I'll make it again.

Chocolate-Banana Snackin' Bars.

I picked up this magazine back in the winter when I was looking for new more healthy recipes. I'm glad I finally got a chance to make these bars, which have been marked to make since I bought the magazine - almost a year ago! This recipe was very easy to make - with prep and baking time I was able to sample a bar in about 30 minutes. Delicious, with just a hit of chocolate and they're healthy too!


Chocolate-Banana Snackin' Bars

1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 medium-large)
3/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. milk
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chocolate mini-chips
Icing Drizzle (directions follow)

1. Heat oven to 350. Line a 15 1/2 x10 1/2 x 5/8" rimmed baking sheet with foil, letting foil extend above pan at ends. Lightly coat with nonstick spray.

2. Beat all ingredients except flour and chips in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour just until blended. Stir in chips; spread in pan.

3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with icing if desired, let set.

4. Lift foil by ends onto cutting board. Cut into 40 bars; remove foil. Store airtight in refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

Icing Drizzle: Stir 1 Tbs. milk into 1/3 c. confectioners' sugar until smooth.


Yield: 40 bars

Recipe obtained from: Eating Light magazine (vol. xvii, number 3) - a Woman's Day Special Interest Publication.

Nutritional Info: (1 bar) 72 cal., 1 g. pro., 11 g. carbo., 3 g. fat (1 g. sat. fat), 11 mg. chol., 48 mg. sod.

Thoughts: I used a glass 15" pan instead of the baking sheet, a misread on my part, the only difference was my bars weren't as thick. You could definitely change up the chips used, peanut butter, cinnamon or butterscotch would be good. Adding chopped nuts would also be a good addition. I skipped the icing drizzle since I'm going to freeze the majority of these bars to enjoy later on. You could also top the banana bars with sprinkled confectioners' sugar, cocoa or even cinnamon.

Chicken Pot Pie.

The second session of my cooking group ended last week & of course I'm still trying to make all the recipes! Week five's recipe was a healthy version of chicken pot pie, a classic cold weather dish. The dish took a decent amount of time to prepare, so if I make it again it will definitely be on the weekend. It was flavorful, hearty and most importantly healthy! The dish doesn't photo well, but it more than made up for it flavor wise! As with most comfort foods, it made for delicious leftovers!

I used frozen carrots and peas, only three potatoes, no tomatoes & used a whole can of chicken broth. Seasoning wise I added a lot more than called for, and think it would be a little bland if made as written. Just add more, or less, of whatever you like or think would be good. I'm thinking if I make this again, I would freeze the mixture into smaller baking dishes and just add the pie crust & bake. This way we could have it on a weeknight, but not have to spend the time making it.

Buttermilk Pancakes.

Yesterday for breakfast I wanted to make pancakes and use up the buttermilk I bought, but never used. Homemade pancakes are fast to whip up, and so much better than the boxed pancake mix. I think buttermilk pancakes are my second favorite type of pancake, after cornmeal. Delicious! After eating & cleaning up the kitchen, I went back to bed. Being sick sucks big time & this is why there have been no blog updates either!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg

1 c. buttermilk or sour milk (see tip below)

2 Tbs. cooking oil

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside. Combine the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Add additional buttermilk to thin batter, if necessary.

2. For standard-size pancakes, pour or spread about 1/4 cup batter into a a 3" circle onto a hot lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden born, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information (for all varieties): 114 cal., 5 g. total fat (1 g. sat. fat), 28 mg chol., 202 mg sodium, 15 g. carbo., 3 g. pro.

Whole Wheat-Buttermilk Pancakes: Prepare as above, except substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour and brown sugar for sugar.

Regular (or plain) Pancakes: Prepare as above, except substitute milk for buttermilk, increase baking powder to 2 teaspoons, and omit baking soda.

-Making sour milk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand, substitute sour milk in the same amount. For each cup of sour milk needed, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid; stir. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet & Sour Chicken.

I'm trying to go back and catch the recipes I didn't make from my cooking club, sweet & sour chicken was posted way back by Erin, check out her photography - she's very talented! Sweet & sour chicken is the one Asian inspired dish the husband says he doesn't like, so since he's drafting one of his many fantasy football teams tonight I decided to try this out for dinner. I halved the recipe, used ground ginger & didn't use water chestnuts. I also added a little bit of Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce. For my vegetables I used frozen snow peas, carrots & broccoli.

I liked this recipe way better than I thought I would! And the husband "I don't like sweet & sour chicken" even liked it too! I liked that it was healthy, fast and uses ingredients I generally have on hand. I thought the sweet chili sauce added a nice bit of heat, without overpowering the dish. I think halving the preserve & replacing the other half with the sweet chili sauce would be good for next time. Maybe a few dashes of red pepper flakes or Sriracha for even more heat.

Awhile back I bought some Minute Rice 'Ready to Serve Brown Rice' (170 calories, 4.5g. fat, 175 mg. sodium, 28g carb., 2g. fiber, 3g. protein). They come in two little containers and are already precooked, I just put them in the microwave for one minute. They were pretty good, I'll have to buy some more for lunches. I think they make a white and seasoned variety too.

Garden Harvest Chili.

A great friend had her first baby last week, she's one week old today, and I wanted to take her some food to make the first few weeks (months) a bit easier on her and her husband. I really liked that this chili was much lighter than most and packed full of fresh summer vegetables. I'm so happy for my friend & her husband and can't wait to see them later this week!

Garden Harvest Chili

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 c. zucchini, sliced

2 c. frozen sweet corn, thawed

1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, optional

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high.

2. Saute garlic, peppers, mushrooms and onion until tender.

3. Add tomatoes with liquid, tomato sauce, chili powder, sugar and cumin; heat to boiling.

4. Reduce heat to low; add beans, zucchini and corn. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minute or until zucchini is tender. Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutritional information: 1 3/4 cups (prepared with low-sodium tomato sauce; calculated without cheese) 252 calories, 7g. fat, 675 mg. sodium, 44g. carbohydrates, 10g. protein.

Recipe obtained from: Fast & Fit Recipes: Healthy Eating In No Time (Taste of Home Books)

My thoughts: In the summer when you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes you could definitely use fresh instead of canned. You could also use tomato juice in place of the tomato sauce, it just won't be as thick. Chili recipes are great to use as a base, you don't really need to measure out all the ingredients - just add more of what you like and spices to taste. This recipe would be great with meat as well, I think I might add sliced turkey sausage next time. It would also be good served over brown rice or elbow macaroni. Additionally pretty much any vegetable combination would work well here. If you're going to freeze the chili, like I did, make sure you let it cool completely.

Berry Oatmeal Muffins.

I found this recipe in a magazine at the Grandparent's cabin while on vacation a few weeks ago and thought it not only sounded good, but was fairly healthy too. When thinking of what to take a friend who just had a beautiful little baby girl exactly one week ago, I thought these muffins would be a good idea. I'm thinking she's not going to have the time, or energy, to make breakfast and muffins are an easy and delicious grab and go breakfast. I told the husband I think these are my new go-to blueberry muffin recipe. I hope my friend and her husband enjoy the muffins and I can't wait to deliver them and visit with the new family!

Berry Oatmal Muffins

1 1/2 Tbs. + 1 c. old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, divided

1 1/2 Tbs. + 1/2 c. packed brown sugar, divided

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 Tbs. + 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste

1 c. fat-free raspberry yogurt

4 Tbs. melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray or line it with paper baking cups.

2. Combine 1 1/2 Tbs. oats and 1 1/2 Tbs. sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, gently toss blueberries with 1 Tbs. flour and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine remaining oats, sugar, flour, baking powder, an cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Gently stir yogurt mixture into flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened, but batter is still lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

4. Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle reserved oats and brown sugar over muffins. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve muffins warm, or if they are cool, slice in half and toast.

Yield: 12 muffins

Nutritional information: 186 calories, 4g. protein, 31g. carbohydrates, 5g. fat, 3g. saturated fat, 29mg. choesterol, 2g. fiber, 62mg. sodium.

Recipe obtained from: Diane - The Curves Magazine (unknown publication date/issue)

My thoughts: I ended up getting 14 muffins out of this recipe, though I could have probably filled a few of the cups a little fuller. You could make these even healthier by using whole wheat flour instead of the all-purpose flour. Any berry would work in place of the blueberries.

Recipes I've Missed.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm part of an online cooking club. Someone posts a recipe, we make it & then report what we thought of it, etc. This week the fourth recipe was posted and I'm sad to say I've only participated in one, and it was the one I posted. Bad huh? Here's a recap of what's been cooked so far. Let me know if you make any of these and your thoughts, etc.

Week 1 -I just didn't have time to make it, I'll come back to it eventually. Here's the recipe: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/beef-pork-lamb-recipes/grilled-pork-chops-with-peachy-hot-salsa/article.html

Week 3 - The husband does not like sweet & sour chicken. I thought about making a scaled down portion for my lunch, but it just seemed like a lot of work for lunch. I may or may not come back to it, haven't decided. Here's the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl_eatingwell/recipe/0,3190,FOOD_30878_100936_,00.html

Week 4 - Neither one of us is a fan of fruit & meat combinations. Sweet & savory just usually doesn't do it for me. I doubt I'd ever make this, but here's the recipe:

Weight Watchers Apple Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 apples, unpeeled,cored and thickly sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Sprinkle chicken with thyme, salt and pepper.
2. In large fry-pan, heat half of the oil over medium high heat; brown chicken all over.
3. Transfer to plate.
4. Add remaining oil to fry-pan.
5. Cook apples and onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.
6. Add apple cider, bring to boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits from pan.
7. Return chicken to fry-pan.
8. Cover and cook over medium low heat, turning once, until no longer pink inside (about 7 minutes).
9. Transfer chicken to serving platter.
10. Whisk vinegar with cornstarch; whisk into fry-pan and cook, stirring, until glossy and thickened (about 1 minute).
11. Pour over chicken.

WW POINTS per serving: 5
Nutritional information per serving: 241 calories, 8.4g fat, 2.1g fiber

4 servings

Mykonos Burger.

Recently I joined a cooking group on a chat board I frequent and our theme for this session is main dish entrees. Lack of time and planning on my part prevented me from participating in the inaugural round (this was the recipe). This was my week to choose the recipe, so I knew I had to get my act in order. I've been holding onto this recipe for Maria Menounos' Mykonos burger since it was published in Health magazine back in April. Truth be told, I mainly picked this recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand and it sounded delicious, not to mention quick.

This recipe was created for Maria Menounos of ET/MTv fame by celebrity chef Bethenny Frankel, better known from The Desperate Housewives of New York City and The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.

My verdict? This is a seriously easy, healthy, fast, delicious and fabulous turkey burger. Can you tell I've found my new favorite burger? I didn't have any feta, so I omitted it and saved some calories too! I topped the burger with spinach leaves, banana peppers and the ketchup-Dijon sauce, which I added chopped parsley to. I honestly wouldn't change a thing next time, which is unusual for me.

Tostada Pizza.

What do you get when you cross the ubiquitous taco dip with a pizza - why the tostada pizza of course! This is a pretty simple and flexible recipe which I made for dinner, but think it's more of an appetizer than an entree. Just about any mashed bean would work as a base for this pizza. Additionally, ground turkey or chicken could work in place of the beef or just skip the meat all together.


Tostada Pizza

1 pound lean ground beef
1 4-oz. can diced green chile peppers, drained
1/2 of a 1.5 oz. envelope taco seasoning mix (about 2 Tbs.)
1 tsp. chili pepper
1 Tbs. cornmeal
1 10 oz. package refrigerated pizza dough
1 15 oz. can pinto beans with jalapeno peppers, rinsed and drained
1 c. shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
Bottled taco sauce

1. In a large skillet cook meat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in 3/4 cup water, chile peppers, taco seasoning mix and chili powder. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.

2. Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Pat pizza dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl mash beans with a fork; spread over partially baked dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spoon meat mixture over beans. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more until crust is golden. Sprinkle with cheese cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes more or until cheese melts. Top with lettuce, tomato, and onions. If desired, serve with taco sauce.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information: 384 cal., 17 g. total fat (7 g. sat. fat), 67 mg. chol., 882 mg. sodium, 34 g. carbo., 5 g. fiber, 27 g. pro.

What I did: Pinto beans with jalapenos do not exist at my grocery store, I had sliced jalapeno' but forgot to add them. The added heat would have been greatly welcome.

Warm Pancakes For A Cold Day.

I simply adore pancakes, they really are one of my favorite foods. I especially love pancakes when they are slightly crispy on the edges and still a little undone in the center - a technique I have yet to master. It's a technique my Grandpa had down pat and is generally served in the best greasy spoon diners. Even though I haven't mastered this technique yet, these pancakes still delivered a hearty and delicious breakfast. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination would also work wonderfully in this recipe.

Blueberry Pancakes with Maple-Orange Syrup

1 egg

1 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. milk

1 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed and well-drained)

Margarine, butter or shortening to grease griddle

1. Make maple-orange syrup (below).

2. Beat the egg in a medium bowl with a fork or wire whisk until yolk and white are well mixed. Beat in the flour, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder and salt just until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

3. Heat the griddle to 375 or heat the skillet over medium heat. To test the heat, sprinkle the griddle with a few drops of water. If the bubbles jump around, heat is just right. If the griddle or skillet is non-stick you can cook the pancakes without any margarine. Otherwise, melt 1-2 teaspoons of margarine each time, before pouring the pancake batter onto the hot griddle.

4. For each pancake, pour a little less than 1/4 cup batter from a measuring cup or pitcher onto the hot griddle. Cook 2-4 minutes or until edge of pancake is golden brown and slightly dry and bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Run a turner under edge of pancake, and flip pancake over. Cook other side of pancake about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

5. Serve pancakes immediately, or keep warm by placing pancakes in a single layer on a wire rack in a 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes. Serve pancakes with syrup.

Maple-Orange Syrup

1 c. maple-flavored syrup

3 Tbs. orange juice

3 Tbs. margarine or butter

1. Heat the maple syrup, orange juice and margarine in the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm.

Yield: 4 servings (two 4-inch pancakes each)

Recipe obtained from: Betty Crocker's Entertaining Basics

Nutritional Information: Calories 580 (calories from fat 180), fat 20 g. (saturated 5 g.), cholesterol 60 mg., sodium 780 mg., carbohydrate 94 g., fiber 1 g., protein 7 g.

What I did: Using a little less than 1/4 cup of the batter this recipe made 11 pancakes. Next time I would half the syrup recipe, it made a lot.

Quick Breakfast = Muffins.

Today I decided it was time to make a few more batches of muffins to freeze for those hurried mornings when you need to eat on the run. There are some clever people, like my mother, who never eat on the run. My mother manages to sit down and eat a proper breakfast every morning and if you are like her, you can can enjoy these muffins on the weekend - without having to bake anything.

These muffins split 50-50. The banana blueberry muffins were heavenly and the husband and I nearly ate all of them on Sunday alone! I think the key was the pureed banana which gave the muffin a subtle flavor. Substituting blackberries or raspberries for the blueberries would also be good. The coffee cake muffins weren't bad, just not what I was hoping for. The muffins were more dense than I like them, which I admit could be a stirring error. Overall they just felt like they were lacking something, perhaps chopped nuts included in the batter and more spices would make them better.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

2 extra ripe, medium bananas
6 Tbs. margarine
6 Tbs. brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 c. frozen blueberries, rinsed & drained

1. Puree bananas in a blender (1 cup)

2. Beat margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in bananas and egg.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel. Blend into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

4. Line 6 large muffin cups with paper liners. Coat lightly with vegetable spray. Divide batter evenly.

5. Bake in 375 oven for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 6 muffins
Recipe obtained from: Favorite Brand Name Bake Sale Cookbook

What I did: I had enough batter to fill about 9 cups and I didn't use liners - just spray & fill. I also used fresh blueberries, because that's what I had and there was no issue.

Coffee Cake Muffins

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
3 Tbs. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 butter or margarine
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. buttermilk or sour milk

1. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with paper cups; set aside.

2. For topping, in a small bowl, stir together the 3 Tbs. flour, brown sugar, and the 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Cut in the 2 Tbs. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts; set topping aside.

3. In a medium bowl stir together the 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. Cut in the 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. In another bowl combine egg and buttermilk. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy)

5. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining topping. Bake in a 400 oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.


Yield: 12 muffins
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens

Nutritional Information (per muffin): 180 cal., 8 g. total fat (4 g. sat. fat), 34 mg. chol.,196 mg sodium, 25 g. carbo., 1 g. fiber, 3 g. pro.

What I did: I had less than 12 muffins and used walnuts.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies.

Tomorrow the husband starts a new job and I wanted to treat him to some cookies. A friend mentioned making these cookies last week and the husband decided that's what he wanted too. I already had two of these cookies yesterday at book club and am keeping mum on how many I've had today! This recipe made a lot of cookies and it's becoming harder to eat healthy with these sitting around! I may be leaving cookies around town tomorrow!

Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves (optional)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. rolled oats

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and, if desired, cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in rolled oats.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375
for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Oatmeal-Chip Cookies: Prepare as above, except after stirring in oats, stir in 1 cup semisweet chocolate, butterscotch-flavored, or peanut butter-flavored pieces and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Yield: about 48 cookies
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information (1 cookie): 86 cal., 4 g. total fat (2 g. sat. fat), 17 mg chol., 51 mg. sodium, 12 g. carbo., 1 g. fiber, 1 g. pro.

What I did: I did not add the cinnamon and cloves and did not add any nuts. My cookies needed to cook a little bit longer than the suggested time - as with all ovens time will vary.

Southwestern Chicken Burgers

I came across this recipe and thought it would be a new way to use up the ground chicken I had in the freezer. I'd never made chicken burgers before and wasn't sure what to expect and after this recipe, I'm still not sure what to expect! The burger was definitely lacking in flavor, and to the husband and I it needed a whole lot more than chili powder. Call me strange, it wouldn't be the first time, but it takes me awhile to get used to a burger that isn't a real burger, as in a beef burger. So in addition to being flavorless, I think a lot of me not being sure if I like the sandwich or not had to do primarily with it being made out of chicken. I'll give the ol' chicken burger another shot, I'm not that easily deterred! At least not yet.

Now, the fries are a whole other story. These were probably hands down the single best baked fries I've ever made! I have tried several different methods and recipes for making baked fries only to have them turn out burnt, yet undercooked. I had pretty much given up on the baked fries until I came across Ina Garten's recipe. I honestly don't know what's different about this recipe and it could be a fluke, but they were incredible while they lasted!

Southwest - Style Chicken Burgers

1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 c. finely crushed nacho-flavored or plain tortilla chips
3 Tbs. finely chopped green pepper
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground chicken
2 oz. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
4 lettuce leaves
1/4 c. bottled salsa

1. In a medium bowl combine egg, tortilla chips, green pepper, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Add chicken; mix well. (Mixture will be wet.) Shape chicken mixture into four 3/4" thick round patties.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4" from the heat 14 - 18 minutes or until no longer pink and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 F, turning once halfway through the broiling time. Top burgers with cheese and broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts.

3. Serve burgers on toasted rolls; top with avocado, lettuce and salsa.


Yield: 4 servings
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Nutrition Facts per serving: 522 cal., 26 g. total fat (5 g. sat. fat), 66 mg chol., 698 mg sodium, 39 g. carbo., 4 g. fiber, 32 g. pro.)

What I did: I significantly cut the calories and fat by not including the cheese and avocado and also didn't use the salsa.


Baked "Chips"

4 lg. baking potatoes, unpeeled
4 Tbs. good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have six long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with one cut side down.

3. Bake the potatoes for 30 -35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.


Yield: six servings
Recipe obtained from: Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

What I did: I halved the recipe and did not use any rosemary. I was lazy and used powdered garlic instead of fresh and added a few liberal dashes of cumin. I always think recipes for roasted potatoes take longer than printed, mine roasted for probably 50 minutes.

Martha's Lentil Soup

I've had a bag of lentils sitting in the cupboard for quite some time and decided it was time to finally use them up. Being a fan of lentil soup, I decided to try the lentil soup recipe from the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food. While this recipe wasn't the best lentil soup I've ever had, it was a nice filling meal. The recipe makes a good base to expand on and next time I'll add some more flavor and make it a little more spicy, which is how I like my lentil soup. Since Monday's are meatless in our kitchen, I omitted the bacon - which obviously would give the soup some more flavor, but not the overall flavor I think it was lacking.

Banana muffins.

There have been three banana's laying on the kitchen counter for about a week now. Each day I look at them and think I should make something. But I've been busy and am just now getting around to using them up. Initially, I was going to make some banana apple bread, but decided at the last minute to go with something else.

I wanted to make the Banana Crumb Muffins I found on All Recipes, mainly because I'm a sucker for streusel topping! I followed some of the suggestions posted and added cinnamon to the batter as well as using oil instead of butter. Other than those two items, I followed the original recipe exactly. The recipe turned out 10 beautifully delicious muffins, which were light and airy and had a nice combination of banana and cinnamon flavoring. The crispy streusel topping was delicious!

Sometimes, the Best Things Do Come To Those Who Wait.

I printed this recipe off in December 2001 and for some reason waited almost six years to make this pasta dish. It's been pulled several times and added to the "make" pile, but it's never made the final cut and I have no idea why after finally making it! It's one of the simplest & most flavorful pasta dishes I've made. This was a great meal to welcome us home after vacation and allowed me to put off going to the grocery store for another day. I really liked the simplicity of this dish and decided to make this pasta my first entry in the Presto Pasta Night event, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast. I've been eyeing this event for awhile now, but was always intimidated by all the fabulous entries. This dish isn't the most elaborate or complicated of pasta dishes, but you know sometimes you just want to eat right now & that's what's so great about this dish. It allows for quick & delicious pasta, without opening a can!

I re-discovered The National Pasta Association's website after making this dish. It is a great source for learning about all things pasta, including finding great recipes.

Angel Hair with Pink Tomato Sauce, Peas & Roasted Peppers

4 oz. Angel Hair or Cappellini, uncooked

3 md. or 2 lg. Ripe plum tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.), cored and quartered

1/2 Tbs. Olive or vegetable oil

1 Clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 Large pinch hot red pepper flakes

1/2 c. Frozen peas, thawed and drained

1/3 c. Diced roasted red peppers

1/2 tsp. Dried basil

3 Tbs. Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth and light pink, about 1 minute. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds. Add the peas, roasted peppers and basil and stir 1 minute. Add the pureed tomatoes and heat just to boiling. Remove sauce from heat.

3. Drain the pasta and transfer to skillet. Stir over medium heat until pasta is well mixed with sauce. Divide pasta between two serving bowls. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe obtained from: National Pasta Assoc. (the original link does not work anymore -original recipe written above)

Nutritional Information: 370 calories, 15g. protein, 60g. carbohydrates, 8g. fat, 2.5g. saturated fat, 24% dietary fiber, 22% iron, 15% calcium, 220% vitamin C, 70% vitamin A.

What I did: I doubled the garlic, olive oil, basil, peas & red pepper flakes. Red pepper flakes do add a significant punch to the pasta, so use sparingly or omit completely if you don't like things on the spicy side. The recipe as written does not call for salt & pepper and I really think it needs it, especially if you're using fresh tomatoes. I didn't use roasted red peppers either, because I didn't have them on hand and the husband doesn't really like them. Personally I think I like this dish without the red peppers.

A few weeks ago the husband randomly picked up some wine and some flowers for me, isn't he nice?!?! We got around to drinking the bottle of wine he picked up with this meal. Fetzer Riesling Valley Oak (2005, $9) was a great wine on it's own and paired well with this pasta dish. The wine was light, bright & crisp and had just the right amount of sweetness - almost a perfect Riesling, especially for the price. I'll definitely add this one to my list of 'go-to' wines.

A Top 5 Cookie.

Every time I go to the library I come home with a stack of cooking related books. This might seem strange to some, considering I already own a pretty substantial cook book collection; but I love to look at cook books! The library is a great resource for checking out new & different cuisines, techniques and just looking at the wonderful pictures. Sitting in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee and a stack of cook books is one of my favorite things to do!

Many of the recipes in the Cooking Light book I picked up, I'd seen before. But it's nice to have all of their most successful recipes located in one spot & not have to search around for them online or in the stack of magazines I have. Looking for ways to use up the large container of plain yogurt sitting in the fridge, I came across a recipe for cocoa fudge cookies. I love when recipes include everything I already have and seem really simple to make! I also wanted to be able to freeze these cookies to enjoy later and they seem suited for that.

These are one of the easiest & fastest cookies recipes I've ever made! Plus these cookies are healthy, how many times can you say that about a cookie! I'm also going to be bold & declare these cookies in my top 5 cookie recipes of all time, here's why:

1. If you've ever had a craving for cookies, but didn't want to go through the trouble of making them - this recipe is for you.
2. If you love eating raw cookie dough - this recipe is for you.
3. If you abstain from eating raw cookie dough for fear of salmonella , this recipe is for you because there are no eggs included.
4. If you love chewy, rich chocolaty, melt-in your mouth, deliciousness - this recipe is for you.
5. The husband said they tasted like a brownie and who doesn't love brownies?

Cocoa Fudge Cookies
1 c. All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/8 tsp. Salt
5 Tbs. Butter
7 Tbs. Unsweetened Cocoa
2/3 c. Granulated sugar
1/3 c. Packed brown sugar
1/3 c. Low-fat yogurt, plain
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa and sugars. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by level tablespoons two inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2-3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.


Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
Recipe obtained from: All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook.

Nutritional information: calories 78 (31% from fat); fat 2.7 g. (sat. 1.6 g., mono 0.8 g., poly 0.1 g); protein 1 g.; carbohydrates 13.4 g.; fiber 0.5g.; cholesterol 7 mg.; iron 0.5 mg.; sodium 54 mg.; calcium 12 mg.

What I did: I followed the recipe exactly as printed, except for the cooking times. My cookies were set after 8 minutes and I moved them to the wire rack after 2 minutes, but the end results weren't as crispy as I think they should be. Next time I'll let them cook the full 10 minutes, rest for 3 minutes and then move to the wire rack. I used a cookie scoop to mold the cookies, and ended up with 21 cookies instead of 24.