Homemade Mac N Cheese

Another all time favorite.

Super easy too!

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 box elbow macaroni
4 ounces cubed processed cheese food
salt, pepper to taste

1 package shredded chedd. cheese

Boil noodles, drain

mix all other ingredients

(reserve 1/2 shredded chedd. cheese for topping)

Pour into crockpot, or bake in oven until bubbly

LASAGNA

This is our standard Freezer Meal.

All of the girls can now make it.

1 Package Uncooked Lasagna Noodles
1 jar Spag. Sauce
1 container cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve a bit for topping)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
spices of your choice (italian seasoning, parsley, Mrs. Dash)
*meat optional (ground beef, sausage, ground turkey)


First mix cottage cheese, spices, eggs in a mixing bowl

Spread about 1 cup pasta sauce in baking dish

Top with uncooked noodles, cheese mixture, meat, then 1 cup of pasta sauce.

Repeat Layers
Freeze until ready to use :)

Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour

Uncover and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Let stand 5 minutes.

FREEZER FOOD TIME

MEXICAN LASAGNA

I have this one all ready to go in the freezer...for those super busy days, late school days, busy with baby days, or just a day I don't feel like cooking...an nice meal is ready to go!!


Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can refried beans
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 uncooked lasagna noodles 2 cups water
2 1/2 cups picante sauce
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a large bowl, combine beef, beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder.
3. Place 4 uncooked noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Spread half of beef mixure over noodles. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with remaining mixure, and top with remaining noodles.
4. In a medium bowl, mix water and picante sauce. Pour evenly over layers. Cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until noodles are tender.
6. Blend sour cream and olives in a medium bowl. Spoon over lasagna, and top with Jack and Cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes

You can change out the Lasagna Noodles for Soft Taco Shells or soft Corn Torillas.

We prefer the soft taco shells, they bake up really nice.

You can also exchange the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken....

we do that alot too :)

**If you use lasgana noodles, choose the WHOLE WHEAT ones...they are better for you!!

AUGUST RECIPES

I am in love with cooking again.

Back to school time is the best time for me to organize

the kitchen, and my recipes for the school year.

I am SO much more organized with meal planning, and my "once a week" cooking method.

Wes has been busy in the kitchen too, experimenting with our garden's bounty.

Here are some of his favorites:

Chocolate Habeneros

Multi Colored Hot Peppers

His new recipe:

Pepper Salad:

It is very simple:

Chop a variety of mild or hot peppers, tomatoes,

tomatillos, onions and green tomatoes.

Toss with a bottle of Italian Dressing, add 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese.

Chill for 1 hour and it is ready to serve!

4TH OF JULY RECIPES

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

I love baking pies!

This one was pretty simple, and I wanted something different for the top of the crust. I remembered an old recipe from Country Living that had cut out stars instead of the lattice top for a fruit pie. Since it was the 4th of July, it went perfectly!

I have not made a rhubarb pie in years, so I was thrilled when the party was over and the pie was gone :)

3 c. cut up rhubarb
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 pt. sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp. butter

Toss rhubarb, sugar, and flour in a bowl. Stir in strawberries.

Place in pie shell. Dot with butter.

Cover with second crust (cut out star shapes)

brush egg wash over crust, sprinkle with sugar

350 degrees for 50 minutes.

4th OF JULY RECIPES

We had our annual 4th of July Party, and the new recipes were a hit!!

~EASY~

BERRY TRIFLE

This has got to be the easiest recipe I have ever done.

I found out about "Can of Coke Cakes" a few years ago after trying some really diffcult homemade Coca-Cola Cake recipes.

I think this originated with Weight Watchers.

"CAN OF COKE" CAKE

1 Can Diet Coke

1 Cake Mix (your choice)

Pour both in a bowl, Mix well and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

REALLY.......

No eggs, No oil, No guilt :)

I don't like Diet Coke, so I decided to experiment with different sodas we already had. Any soda will work. We have used: Red Rock Ginger Ale, Sprite, Diet Pepsi and Root Beer, but our favorite has to be Cherry Dr. Pepper...any kind...Diet Cherry Vanilla, Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper...the cherry sodas have a nice flavor that comes through the cake mix.

To finish the recipe, simply crumble the cake when cooled, place in a trifle bowl,

top with eithe Cool Whip (fat free) or icing of your choice and a few

fresh berries. This cake was a HIT, and GONE in no time!!

PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD

~~NEW RECIPE ALERT~~

Since being pregnant, I have been eating pineapple almost every day!!

I stumbled across this recipe the other day, and decided to make try it out

on Amelia's Birthday.

It was a hit!! It was almost ALL gone!!

It is very similar to Strawberry Pretzel Salad...just the topping is different.

Crust:

2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

1 package cream cheese

2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple (don't drain)
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix crushed pretzels, butter and sugar in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes.

Cream together cream cheese and P. sugar.

Fold in whipped topping.

Spread over cooled crust.

Combine 2 cups milk with pudding mix, stir in pineapple.

Spread over whipped topping layer.

Top with Pineapple Circles and Mar. Cherries

Chill until serving.