Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Kaplyn was in need of a fall recipe to put into her middle school newspaper so we got to try out some yummy fall goodness this week! These cookies were a perfect dessert after our warm soup dinner last night. Pair them up with a glass of milk and oh my goodness...you have no idea!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl,  cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To make glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;)

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

All day soccer in the cold, means a great day for soup!!! The kids loved it too!

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

Ingredients: 

4 potatoes, cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (14 oz) can beef broth

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 cup water

3/4 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, combine potatoes, onion, celery, beef broth, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Stir in sausage and condensed soup and continue to simmer until heated through and slightly thickened. Season with pepper. Serve hot.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;)

Menu Plan Monday! January 26-February 1

It is Menu Plan Monday!!! We are "in" this week up until the weekend when we are running like crazy! Here is what we will be having this week :)

Monday: 4 Cheese Baked Ziti (New Recipe)

Tuesday: "Around the World" Dinner-Kaplyn cooks

Wednesday: "Story Night" Snow globe book, craft, cupcake dessert (Freezer Frenzy)

Thursday: Meatloaf, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans

Friday: Balsamic Basil Grilled Cheese (New Recipe)

Saturday: Fend for Yourself (Birthday parties all day)

Sunday: Eat Out for King Family Birthdays!

Be sure to check back for new recipes and final photos!

Sausage Pizza Soup

Pizza in soup form? Yes, please!!! Had ourselves a "Winter Night In" so had to add soup! This was outstanding!

Sausage Pizza Soup

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package Italian link sausage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 (4 oz) cans sliced mushrooms
1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, julienned
1 (15 oz) can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 (8 oz) can pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cheese in sprayed slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over each serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Final Photo Taken by Me :)

Roasted Chicken & Red Potatoes

This recipe gives a lot of great fresh veggies along with some yummy chicken! The recipe calls for chicken leg quarters, but we substituted skinless boneless chicken breast and it was awesome (and lower fat!)

Roasted Chicken & Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lb red potatoes, cut into 1-in pieces 

1 pkg. (9 oz) fresh spinach

1 large onion, cut into 1-in pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 tsp. pepper, divided

6 chicken leg quarters

3/4 tsp paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Place potatoes, spinach and onion in a greased shallow roasting pan. Add oil, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt, thyme and 1/2 tsp. pepper; toss to combine.

Arrange chicken over vegetables; sprinkle with paprika and remaining salt and pepper. Roast 55-60 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 180F and potatoes are tender. 

Leg Quarter recipe per serving: 449 cal, 21g fat (5 g sat. fat), 105 mg chol., 529 sodium, 29g carb, 4g fiber, 35g protein. 

Final Photo Taken by Me :)

Menu Plan Monday! January 19-25

Between Martin Luther King Jr Day activities, taking my son and his friends to the Linkin Park concert for his birthday, a night out of mall/thrift shopping, a Family Snow Night, Parent/Child Day Out and a birthday dinner out...this week is a busy one! Going easy this week on dinners. Here is what we will be having this week!

Monday: Egg Salad Sandwiches (Martin Luther King Jr. Day craft and discovery planned)

Tuesday: Pizza (Daddy and 6 kids, Mommy and Cameron are off to the concert)

Wednesday: Fend for Yourself (Mall and Thrift Store trip)

Thursday: Roasted Chicken and Red Potatoes (New Recipe)

Friday: Sausage Pizza Soup (New Recipe) Family Snow Night! Movies and Banana S'mores

Saturday: Eat Out (Birthday dinner)

Sunday: 4 Cheese Baked Ziti (New Recipe) Parent/Child Day Out

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Sandwich

My Weight Watchers magazine has such yummy recipes in it. You would think not because most think that WW is nothing but another fad diet, but that is completely untrue. WW is simply learning to eat the right way and paying attention to what you are eating throughout the day. I was so excited to find a Caesar meal that did not have a ton of fat! Everyone knows that Caesar salad dressing is a killer in the diet department! Have a look at this quick, lean sandwich recipe!

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) baguette (we used a roll type of bread, smaller than a hoagie bun, bigger than a roll)

1/2 lb medium peeled and deveined shrimp (we used already cooked shrimp)

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp fat-free mayo

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce

Directions:

Spray ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Split baguette without cutting completely through. Remove soft center and discard. Cut into 4 pieces. Place bread slices, cut side down on pan. Grill until toasted, 1 minute. 

Spray shrimp with nonstick spray and sprinkle with salt. Grill until cooked through, 2 minutes per side.

Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan, Worcestershire, garlic and pepper in small bowl. Spread, bread with mayonnaise mixture; place lettuce on bottom of bread and top with shrimp.

Final Photo Taken by Me :)

Nutritional Facts:

per serving based off of the original recipe, not with my substitutions (1 sandwich and generous 1 tablespoon dressing): 257 cal, 3g total fat, 1g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 89 mg chol, 991 mg sod, 40g carb, 3g sugar, 2g fib, 18g prot, 90 mg calc. PointsPlus value: 7. 

Creamy Chicken-Spinach Tortellini Soup

We had our first winter "Story Night" on Wednesday. We had an ice skating party! Well, not technically on the ice, but here in the warm house :) We read a book, made glitter footprints, had fudge "tracks" ice cream and this awesome soup that I found in my 1001 Slow Cooker Recipe book.

You have to love the simplicity of any slow cooker recipe....throw it in and go! Here is the oh, so yummy recipe :)

Creamy Chicken-Spinach Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (12 oz) can chicken chunks with liquid
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini, cooked

Directions:

Combine broth, soup, chicken, spinach, milk, thyme and a little pepper in sprayed slow cooker.

Final Photo Taken by Me :)

Hot Artichoke Spread

 

Ever just feel like a warm savory meal for winter that isn't soup? I found this recipe for Hot Artichoke Spread in my 3,4,5 ingredient cookbook, reared back and shot a "YES!" arm into the air! Only 4 ingredients, one of which I already had in the fridge.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 package Italian salad dressing mix

 

Directions: Remove tough outer leaves and chop artichoke hearts. Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into 9-inch square baking pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Serve hot with assorted crackers.

 

 

 

I will tell you that am a complete nut for artichoke hearts...in a spread, on a pizza, they are awesome! Chopped them up nicely and slid them into a bowl. 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup of grated cheese. The recipe called for Parmesan, but we all know how pricey that can be and my family is all about getting the best bang for our buck! So, we settled on 4 cheese shreds which included Asiago so that will do in the sharp department :) Sprinkle in the Italian salad dressing mix and you can smell it all coming together. Give it a good mix and pour into square casserole pan to bake.

 

A yummy appetizer for parties or serve alongside a cheese ball for a few different tastes at dinnertime. Very good...a definite keeper!

 

 

Final Photo Taken by Me :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Menu Plan Monday! Jan. 12-18 (excuse my lateness)

It is Menu Plan Monday...well, a day late...sorry!!!

 

Here is what we will be munching on this week :)
 

 

Monday: Fend for Yourself

 

Tuesday: Hot Artichoke Spread (New Recipe)

Wednesday: Themed Storynight!!! Creamy Chicken Spinach Tortellini Soup (New Recipe)

Thursday: Pesto Pasta and Rosemary Bread

Friday: Grilled Shrimp Caesar Sandwiches (New Recipe)

Saturday: Date Night!!! Freezer Frenzy for the Kids

Sunday: Greg's Sunday Surprise

Yummy extras: Gourmet Popcorn (New Recipes)

Be sure to check back for recipes along with final photos!