New recipes!

If I can keep up with this every two weeks, it's at least an improvement from once a month, right?! I seem to keep losing time more quickly as the days roll by, and I don't quite know how not to get lost in it. The gap in time probably wasn't helped by the fact that I needed to grocery shop and a lot of the meals were repeats of stuff I've done before. I did finally go shopping this past Thursday and managed to save $75 in coupons...I was pretty stoked about that! It took my $300 grocery down considerably.

I forgot to post my latest Munchin Mamas recipe from January. We had a "Make It or Break It" theme where we could have brought something healthy that went along with everyone's resolutions to eat healthier/diet/lose weight/etc., or we could bring something absolutely decadently delicious. I went the healthy route and made quinoa and black beans. I've never made quinoa, and now I'm a BIG fan! I added a little sour cream to the recipe just to give it some extra "oomph." I also made a baked three-cheese macaroni dish with bacon (yes, ANOTHER mac-and-cheese recipe) over the weekend that Linds, Scott and I liked (Luke is unfortunately still in his "I hate everything but ketchup" mode). Tonight was one of our favs - taco salads. Even Linds ate it for dinner (she's finally reached the age where she'll eat pretty much everything we do).

There are a few good deals out there, too, which I'll try to post. Hopefully this won't be the last post until mid-March ;-)


Quinoa w/ Black Beans
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Garnish with sour cream.

Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni
Ingredients
Coarse salt
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 in. pieces
1.5 tsp minced garlic
3 large eggs
12-oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar (6 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (2 oz.)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (1 oz.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 6 minutes (it will still be undercooked). Drain. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium and add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon mixture to a medium bowl. Add macaroni and stir to combine. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add ½ tsp salt, nutmeg, and cheese; mix well. Add macaroni mixture and stir well to combine. 
5. Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish or a 2-qt gratin dish. With a spoon, gently spread mixture to form an even layer. 
6. Bake just until sauce is bubbling at edges, 15-20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

A late MM entry

So one of our mamas couldn't make our gathering last Tuesday, but she still sent her recipe in...I'm going to leave her anonymous, but she knows who she is :P Thanks, lady!

Veggie Pizza

1. Stay up really late to make it because it has to chill for a while and you don't want to be late as usual =)
2. Go to bed.
3. Set the alarm to get up earlier than usual because you have to go all the way to Lionville because your dumb ass left your diaper bag (aka, lifeline) at My Gym.  ...and you don't want to be late as usual!
4. Answer the phone when it rings.  (You can, and should skip this step.)
5. Hear your mother-in-law (that was supposed to come Monday but didn't because your sister-in-law passed out and then said she was coming early Wednesday morning) say, "good news ~ I'm on my way RIGHT NOW!"
6. Open the fridge and take a good look at the yummy veggie pizza you made for the friends you were looking forward to hanging out with (finally!!).
7. Grab a piece.
8. Start the coffee.
9. Grab another piece.
10. Curse the empty liquor cabinet.
11. Grab another piece.
12. Sigh and start cleaning.

Best served cold!

October Munchin Mamas

I love Munchin Mamas day because it means I never have to cook leftovers :) (We all bring tupperware and divvy up the remaining food.) Our theme this month was "frighteningly delicious" and as I posted before, I brought the Green Grog. We also had a bruchetta-y calzone, easy mac-and-cheese, a yummy pumpkin/spinach ziti, and all the cookies, cupcakes and pumpkin cheesecake you could ever imagine! Needless to say I was STUFFED by the time we left :)

Here was our spread:

For the first recipes...

Easy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
3 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. sharp cheese, grated
Dash of pepper
1 qt. milk

Directions

1. Melt butter in baking dish. 
2. Pour uncooked macaroni into melted butter and stir until macaroni is covered well. 
3. Stir salt, pepper and cheese through macaroni. 
4. Pour milk over all. 
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Do not stir while baking.

For the second recipe...

Baked Ziti with Pumpkin & Sausage
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups (12 oz.) dry regular or whole-wheat ziti
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
4 links (12 oz.) fully-cooked Italian-seasoned chicken sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 pkg. (6 oz.) or about 4 cups pre-washed baby spinach
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded part-skim or 2% milk reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (1.5 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 4-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside for later use. Drain pasta; return to cooking pot.
3. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, flour, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in medium skillet over medium heat. 
4. Slowly add evaporated milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken slightly. 
5. Pour over pasta in pot. Add sausage and reserved pasta cooking water; stir well.
6. Spread half of the pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with spinach. Cover with remaining pasta mixture. 
7. Lightly spray piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover ziti with foil, greased-side-down.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. 
9. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in small bowl. Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese mixture.
10. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

The third recipe...

Caramelized Onion & Tomato Calzone
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
8 onions, thinly sliced
Pinch sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tblsp chopped basil (I use a little more!)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 lb prepared pizza dough
3 plum tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Heat oil in skillet; add onions, sugar and 1/4 cup water. 
2. Stir as needed until beginning to color - about 12 minutes.
3. Add salt and another 1/4 cup water, stir as needed until sweet & deep brown - about 30 minutes.
4. Cool, add basil and pepper.
5. Preheat oven to 450F Spray baking sheet or pizza stone w/ cooking spray.
6. Flour work surface and roll dough to coat with flour. Knead briefly & divide into fourths. Roll each piece into 6 inch rounds.
7. Place 2 rounds on baking sheet. Divide mixture, tomatoes & cheese between rounds. Cover wtih remaining 2 rounds. Pinch edges to seal.
8. Bake until golden; about 15-18 minutes.

And for the sweets!

 We all definitely enjoyed this round of MM!

30-minute meal special

So last month's Munchin Mamas meeting was themed with "under 30-minute meals." If you remember, I brought my mixed-up enchiladas (one of my favorite dishes!). I kept begging for everyone else's recipes and *finally* got them! Here are some:

Chicken and Vegetable Penne
Ingredients
1 lb. cooked chicken (cubed or I usually throw them on the grill to cook while I'm cooking everything else)
2 cups uncooked Penne pasta
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the squash, zucchini, and garlic in butter until tender.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings, and cream until smooth. 
4. Add to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. 
5. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mixture. 
6. Toss in chicken.

Catharoni and Cheese
Ingredients
1 box tricolor rotini
A few tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (Cathy likes colby-jack)
3/4 cup milk
Potato chips, bread crumbs, or crunchy topping of your choice

Directions

1. Cook 1 box tricolor rotini until tender. Drain.
2. Add a few table spoons of butter and stir. If pasta doesn't look "shiney with buttery goodness" add more and stir again =)
3. Add as 3 tablespoons of flour by sprinkling a little at a time on top and mixing in. (If any of you happen to have a sifter, use it, but who has a sifter anymore?!)
4. Add about 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice (I like Colby Jack in this, but Cheddar works well too) and of course, stir!
7. Add 3/4 cups milk and stir. Add more if it looks dry, but make sure there isn't a puddle of milk in the bottom. Guess what you do next?? Yep, stir!
8. Top with Parmesan cheese, potato chips, bread crumbs, or shredded cheese DO NOT STIR!
9. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

Green Grog

Today is our October meeting of the Munchin' Mamas and we're having a "frighteningly delicious" theme. I debated what I wanted to make and almost made these little sausages wrapped up to look like mummies (i.e. pigs in a blanket, Halloween-style), but when I saw what everyone else was bringing, I realized no one had any beverages. You all know that I can't resist a good beverage (particularly if it's laced with some "spirits" if we're going with the whole holiday theme?!), so I'm making Green Grog.

For those who aren't familiar with "grog" - it is a rum drink that is usually diluted with water. If you'd like the history lesson, it's named after British admiral, Edward Vernon (1684-1757). Vernon always wore a grogram cloak (hence the "grog") and served the diluted rum mixture to his sailors.

This time, I'm diluting it with juices, soda and sherbet!

Green Grog
Ingredients
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
1 (750 milliliter) bottle rum
2 quarts lime sherbet

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine limeade, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. 
2. Stir in rum (add more to taste if desired.) Mix in the lime sherbet.

Halloween Recipes!

In honor of my Munchin Mamas meeting on Tuesday (theme: frightfully delicious food!), I thought I'd post these :)

22 Healthy Halloween Recipes


23 Spooky Halloween Recipes

September Munchin Mamas!

Thursday is September's Munchin' Mamas meeting - woot, woot! I loooove these get-togethers because I always leave with a full belly, tons of delicious leftovers, and recipes to add to my collection. This month's theme is "30-minute meals" since school has started and we all need as much time as we can get outside of the kitchen. I'm making one of my favorite quick meals - mixed-up enchiladas! It's so easy to make and tastes sooooo delicious. Make sure to serve it up over rice.

Mixed-up Enchiladas
Ingredients
1 - 2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 small onion
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of mushroom soup
10 corn tortillas, crushed
1 - 2 cups cheddar cheese
Rice

Directions

1. Brown ground beef. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
2. When complete, add green chilies, enchilada sauce and cream of mushroom soup. Mix well.
3. Add corn tortillas, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Cover with cheese and let melt.
5. Serve after a few minutes over rice.

I also whipped up a quick dessert of Rice Krispie treats because I had some of the cereal to use up. I told Linds we were making them and she asked if we could make them a special color. Last time I made them we did green ones (remember this post?), but today she requested pink. So without further ado - our pink Rice Krispies treats!

Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
10 oz. bag mini-marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
12 drops red food coloring
4 drops blue food coloring

Directions

1. Melt butter on low in large saucepan.
2. Once melted, pour in marshmallows; add food coloring once marshmallows are creamy.
3. Mix in Rice Krispies.
4. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan/baking dish. Use wax paper to flatten top.
5. Let cool for about an hour.

Grocery shopping time

I desperately need to restock the pantry and get back into my bulk shopping trips (which will be SO much easier with Linds in preschool and only having to take Luke with me!). There were some great meat deals at Giant and Acme over the next day or two, so I'll probably have to schlep them both with me - but they shouldn't take long, so no big deal. I made my meal list, so here's what we'll be eating over the next two weeks (and after looking back over it, I must be craving Mexican and potatoes?!):

• Mixed-up Enchiladas (a super easy under 30-minute meal that I'm making for September's Munchin Mamas meeting...the theme? Under 30 minute meals. I'm stoked to get some new quick recipes to put on the roster.)
• Blue cheese beef tenderloin, roasted garlic red potatoes and green beans
• Slow cooker whole chicken (I've never cooked an entire chicken myself, so this should be fun), jasmine rice and braised carrots
• Crab cakes, mashed potatoes and corn
• Chicken fajitas and black beans
• Chicken enchiladas (these Velveeta/cream cheese things that I'm not too fond of, but the boy begs for it, so I relent once or twice a year)
• Beer-glazed ham, au gratin potatoes and peas
• Baked potato soup and rosemary bread
• Tortellini and salad (and probably some of the leftover rosemary bread)
• BFD (breakfast for dinner!) - eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, etc.

September 16 - Baked Ziti

Our MOMS Club has been growing exponentially lately - not just with new members, but with so many new babies! We have this program called "Helping Hands" so that when one of the mamas has a new baby, she can sign up for meal delivery. This is such a huge success that after I had Luke, I had 6 weeks of meals coming in 3 days a week. And all of them were big enough for leftovers on the off-days. It's so amazing how this group of women comes together to lend support to each other - and I'm grateful to not only be a recipient of their efforts, but also a participant!

My good friend, Jody (a fellow Munchin Mama), just had her second little girl, so I signed up to bring her dinner. Her family loves pasta, so even though I try not to make it (such an easy, go-to meal...I like to try to give something that others won't bring, too), I decided to go with the baked ziti staple.

I've posted this recipe a thousand times, I'm sure, but honestly, it's so easy and delicious, I'll post it again. It came from my mother-in-law...and even though I love to alter recipes to my taste, I've never had to touch this one. It's just perfect as is! I usually serve it up with salad and garlic crescent rolls (or some other bread).

Baked Ziti
Ingredients
1 lb ziti noodles
1 lb ground sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
3 cups mozzarella cheese
3 cups marinara/spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook ziti in boiling water; drain.
3. Brown meats; drain off fat.
4. In a large baking dish, layer ziti, meat, cheese and sauce; repeat until everything has been used.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake about 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly.

Cinnamon Rolls

My friend, Barbara, is quite pregnant with her third boy (God bless her!) and was craving some cinnamon rolls - here's my recipe for the homemade ones I made awhile back for a Munchin' Mamas meeting. My goodness they are AMAZING! You do need a breadmaker for this recipe, although I'm sure it would be easy to adapt it.

Cinnabon Clones
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Cinnamon Mixture
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 
3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. 
5. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. 
6. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. 
7. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
8. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. 
9. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving

May 10 - Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Today was the May installment of "Munchin Mamas" recipe club. Although already taken place, we honored the Cinco de Mayo holiday and made it a Mexican themed meeting. We had some fantastic food, including: fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar chips, guacamole and chips, a spicy cream cheese/Velveeta/turkey sausage dip with chips, a cheesy salsa-y chicken, and Mexican wedding cookies. I decided to bring the famed cornbread enchilada casserole, given to me by my friend Katie. I made it a month or two ago and it was a HUGE hit! I had enough leftovers for it to be dinner tonight, so I ate it twice today (so did the kiddos). Luke was really diggin it, too - I couldn't believe how much he enjoyed the beans especially. Watching him eat all this "big boy" food is fascinating, albeit a bit sad...where did my baby go?!?

For those of you who haven't tried it, here is the recipe again!

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
4 oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (I used 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used 2 boxes of Purdue Short Cuts because I didn't have too much time to make it)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn with red & green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
2 Tblsp chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
for garnish - sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place salsa, scallions, chicken, beans, corn, half the chilies, and enchilada sauce into the cooker; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
2. Combine the other half of the chiles, corn muffin mix, egg substitute, and chopped red pepper in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over the bean mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour until the crust is done.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn bread, turn off the crockpot and let it sit 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and additional cilantro, optional. Makes about 6 servings.

More Munchin' Mamas Recipes

I have more to add to March's Munchin' Mamas recipe collection - if you don't remember, this month's theme was "green" - green-colored food, organic dishes, food served in a green dish, etc. I tasted both dishes - and I have to say, the veggie chips were AMAZING! I sat there eating them for a good hour or so as we chatted and didn't feel a bit guilty when they were gone since they are good for you. The honeydew soup is also very good - I don't think I had done cold soup before and it was a unique taste and texture, but in a good way. Absolutely yummy dishes!

Veggie Chips
Ingredients
Thinly sliced veggies (potatoes, parsnips, carrots, kale)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder (any other assorted spices)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. In a bowl, toss thinly sliced veggies with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. 
3. Place the veggies on a generously oiled cookie sheet making sure they don't overlap. Sprinkle with salt (I used the garlic and sea salt combo grinder). 
4. Bake, checking often, until the pieces are browned and crisp. 
5. Flip the pieces halfway through the cooking time. The kale takes about 8 minutes, parsnips and carrots about 10, potatoes about 16. 
6. When the chips are done, transfer them to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Honeydew Melon Soup
Ingredients
4 cups ripe honeydews, cut into small balls
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup honeydew balls (to garnish)

Directions

1. In a blender container, combine honeydew, lime juice, and honey. Blend until smooth. 
2. Pour into a bowl and add yogurt. Beat with a fork or wire whisk until blended. 
3. Chill several hours. Serve cold. 
4. Whisk before serving and garnish each bowl with a few melon balls.

March Munchin Mamas Recipes

For March, the Munchin Mamas had a "green" theme. Food could either be green in color, organic, served in a green dish, etc. - it was all up to each participant. If you remember, I made a coconut-pistachio pie, but there was so many other delicious dishes there, too! Here are recipes for some of the others:

Green Pepper Dip
Ingredients
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 large green pepper (chopped into chunks about a quarter inch in size)
1 onion, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. 
2. In a medium saucepan, combine eggs, sugar and vinegar over medium heat until it thickens. 
3. Pour over cream cheese and blend. 
4. Stir in green peppers and onions. 
5. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers and/or pretzels.

Spinach Cheddar Bake
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and undrained
1/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (I used regular ritz crackers)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the spinach, saltines, egg, onion powder and salt. 
2. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. 
3. Transfer to a greased 2-cup baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Harvest Fluff Dip
Ingredients
1- 10 oz jar pumpkin butter (I got mine from Kitchen Kettle Village)
1- 8 oz container marshmallow creme
16 ounces cream cheese
Apples, pears, crackers, or ginger snaps for dipping (I used cinnamon-sugar Ritz crackers.)

Directions

1. Blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. 
2. Add pumpkin butter and blend thoroughly. 
3. Place in refrigerator to chill. Makes about 10-15 servings.

* More recipes from March's Munchin Mamas Club to come!!

Coconut-Pistachio Pie

We had our 2nd meeting of the Munchin' Mamas today (more recipes to follow!) and our theme this month was "green" - the interpretation was up to us (the food could be green, it could be organic, served in a green dish, etc.). I had a recipe for a coconut-pistachio pie that I've wanted to try out for so long, but no one in my house besides me will eat either of the main ingredients except me, so I used this as my opportunity to give it a whirl.

The hardest part about making this was toasting the coconut - and that was pretty easy! The rest was a snap - and boy did it taste great.

Coconut-Pistachio Pie
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups lightly toasted coconut flakes
1/3 cup butter
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) pistachio pudding mix
1 cup whipped topping
2 T chopped pistachios

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine coconut and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in pie plate. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. 
3. Spread 1½ cups over crust. 
4. Fold whipped topping into remaining pudding; spread over pie. 
5. Sprinkle with pistachios. 
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Some Munchin' Mamas Recipes

Here are the divine recipes of the 1st installment of the Munchin' Mamas Club - they were all absolutely fantastic and come HIGHLY recommended! The theme for February was, "a dish I love" - so these are all dishes held near and dear to the members' hearts. Bon appétit!

Round Steak in Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
1 lb round steak
Flour to coat meat
1 tablespoon Crisco
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions

1. Cut one "slice" of round steak (approx. 1 lb.) into pieces (trim off fat).
2. Cover in flour.
3. In pan, melt 1 tbsp of Crisco lard and 1 tbsp of butter/margarine.
4. Put meat in pan, and salt and pepper meat.
5. Brown meat quickly on both sides.
6. Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz.), plus one can of hot water.
7. Lower heat and stir.
8. Simmer with lid until meat is tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours); can be served over anything (mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, etc.).

Cheese Potato Casserole
Ingredients
2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes (or fresh shredded)
1/2 c. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
2 c. sour cream
2 c. corn flakes, mixed with 1/4 cup butter

Directions

1. Thaw potatoes and combine with all ingredients except corn flakes. 
2. Sprinkle corn flakes (buttered) on top. 
3. Use a 3 quart casserole or large flat glass baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 2 dishes.

Serves 10 to 12 people. This is a wonderful potato dish to serve with ham or brisket. It freezes well, so you can make this recipe and freeze half.


Cream Puffs
Ingredients
2 (3.4 oz) packages jell-o brand vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Directions

1. Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream, and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball.
4. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. 
5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
7. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Makes about 2 dozen.


Braised Chickpeas
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
One 19 oz can chickpeas rinsed & drained
One 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used dried b/c I don't like the texture of fresh)
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 teaspon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat oil in skillet, add onions, cook 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients except for lemon until boiling; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until thinckened, 10-15 minutes.
4. Stir in lemon juice

Makes 4 servings. 3 WW points per serving.


Baked Brie
Ingredients
Wedge of creamy Brie
Jam of choice
Tube of refrigerated crescent dough

Directions

1. Line a baking pan with 3/4 of the crescent dough.
2. Break up wedge of brie into smaller chunks and place on top.
3. Cover with half a jar of jam.
4. Piece the remaining dough on top.  
5. Cook on 350 approx 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Cottage Cheese (Not Lowfat)
2 Cups Milk (Not Skim)
1 tsp dry mustard
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra sharp cheddar, shredded or grated
1/2 pound elbow macaroni, UNCOOKED

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375F and position rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tsp butter to butter a 9 inch round or square baking pan.
2. In a blender, puree cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, pepper, nutmeg, and salt together.
3. Reserve 1/4 cup shredded cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining shredded cheese, milk mixture, and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
4. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter.
5. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more until browned. Cool 15 minutes prior to serving.

The Munchin' Mamas!

A bunch of friends and I decided to start a recipe club where we pick a theme each month and rotate houses, bringing a dish that correlates to the theme. This was the first installment and since it's February and Valentine's Day is approaching, we thought we'd do a dish we love. There was an amazing variety (a vegetarian dish, a few main dishes, desserts, sides, etc.) and everything was SO amazing! I think I'm going to post all of the recipes Since they were all things I'd definitely make again.

I did Sheila's Spinach Casserole (a spinach dish perfected by my grandmother and passed down to my mom and eventually to me) - and it was a hit! Here's the recipe:

Sheila's Spinach Casserole
Ingredients
3 boxes of spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup of sour cream
1 package dried onion soup mix
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Mix sour cream and onion soup mix; stir into spinach.
2. Melt butter.
3. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, mixing in the butter.
4. Top the spinach mix with bread and cheese.
5. Cook at 325 for 30 - 40 minutes.