Overnight Spinach Manicotti ~ page 99

There is nothing quite like the feeling of getting up in the morning and knowing that dinner for that night is already in the fridge waiting for the oven! Maybe it is just me, but I get excited about that and I love to cook! However this time I tried making this the morning of the day we were baking it. (I was too sleep deprived from a screaming newborn to make it the night before!) It worked great...so if you don't get it made the night before, you still have a chance in the morning!

This recipe has you stuffing uncooked pasta which is soooo much easier than stuffing cooked pasta. Below you will see how I put the filling in a zip lock bag and snip the corner to pipe it into the shells. Works like a charm...just squeeze half in one end, then flip the pasta over and fill the rest from the other end.
Here are the little guys all lined up like soldiers...I added 1/2 pound of ground beef to the filling..I am married to a big meat eater! The only change I made was the recipe called for 5 cups of marinara sauce, it really just needs 4 cups...which is 2 - 24oz. jars. I must have been typing too fast when I typed this recipe up, sorry about that. This is a good way to get some veggies in kids and husbands! -Carissa

Shrimp in Creamy Wine Sauce ~ page 187

Adam took one bite and said to the rest of us at the table (which included me, a 5 yr old, and a 3 yr old) "Who thinks this is the best thing they have ever put in their mouth?" Everyone but the 3 yr old raised their hand! It has been too long since I made this....my oh my, it is delicious! I got this recipe from a former co-worker when I lived in Tyler. She called it "Party Shrimp", which I think sounds more fun that the title that we gave it in our cookbook. It really is a party in your mouth.
Here is the sauce being poured over the raw shrimp, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. I did cut my artichokes hearts into smaller pieces mainly for the kiddos. Oh, and I didn't have Sherry, so I used white wine with equally delicious results. The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream...I just used 2 cups of milk (I was out of cream) and it was just as deliciously creamy, so I think I will change that in my cookbook for next time I make it, that way it is a little healthier. I also accidentally sprinkled 1 cup of Parmesan cheese on top instead of the 1/4 cup the recipe called for. I was reading the recipe really fast. I might do that again next time, I think it really added to the flavor.
Above is a pic as it came out of the oven...the Parmesan cheese coats the shrimp and the paprika adds great color. I have always served this over rice, Adam thinks I should try it over grits next time.
Here is a pic of my 5 yr old with her empty bowl! She gobbled it up, but the 3 yr old just wanted the sauce and rice. Over all I would say that my first evening to cook a real dinner since baby Sylvia was born a month ago was a great success. We have been eating out of the freezer when friends and family weren't bringing dinner over. It feels good to get back in the swing of things.

--Carissa

Jumbo Stuffed Pasta Shells ~ page 85

These beautiful shells are my favorite make-ahead company dish. The recipe makes enough for your freezer so that you can have them for company at least twice. They are a little bit of effort, but it is fun to make them, and since you can do it ahead of time, the extra effort doesn't seem like so much.

This is the before the freezer picture.

When making the filling, I like to use the frozen, loose, cut leaf spinach. You don't have to thaw it and squeeze it--which I don't like to do.

The Italian sausage must be removed from it's casing.

The sausage is browned with ground beef. You may substitute ground turkey for the beef if you prefer.

Stir in the onion to cook, then drain everything on a paper towel.

The cooked meat, spinach, and cheese mixture are stirred together. This is the stuffing for the pasta.

Cook the jumbo shells for about 2 minutes less than what is called for on the package. Rinse the pasta to stop the cooking. These are very easy to stuff.

To freeze, spread the stuffed shells out on a couple trays and put the whole tray, uncovered, in the freezer.

When shells are hard and frozen, place them in zipper-lock baggies, seal, label, and put back in the freezer till needed.

To serve, put spaghetti sauce in bottom of baking dish, and lay frozen shells on top. Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. When they are hot, put mozzarella cheese on top each shell, and put back in oven until cheese is melted. Place a spoon of hot spaghetti sauce on each plate, and carefully place 3 shells per serving on top the sauce. Spoon just a bit of extra sauce on the tops.

It had been a couple years since I had made these...and when I served them last week David asked, "Do I have to wait that long again?" He really likes this dish. I served these to my visiting granddaughter, Lillian, tonight and she said, "This is tasty pasta, Grandmother, can I have another one?"

Carissa's Meatballs ~ page 164

I had some ground turkey sitting out to make a quick dinner of spaghetti, then thought...really, how much more trouble is it to roll the meat into balls? Luckily this recipe has ingredients that I usually have on hand anyway. So, away I went to mixing. I use my stand mixer to reduce the amount of time I have to touch raw meat...kinda grosses me out, just don't overmix.

The recipe calls for half ground beef and half ground pork. I subbed in ground turkey for the beef. I thought it was a great lower fat substitution. To be honest, I thought the beef had a little more flavor than the turkey, but the turkey was worth it for the health benefits, and at the grocery store I shop at, ground turkey is cheaper than beef...so, double bonus!

Above is Lillian my 5 year old (Ok, she is 4, but her Birthday is in 5 days, so I rounded up!) She really does love to help in the kitchen. She scooped and I rolled into balls.

It took two pans to spread them out so they cooked evenly. These would also be super good with a creamy alfredo sauce! They freeze really well too! --Carissa

Lasagna ~ page 159

This is a recipe I got from a friend a couple years ago, I love that it doesn't get all runny and messy when you cut it. I usually make it the day or morning ahead and let it sit in the fridge so the un-cooked noodles can soak up the juices. My friend says she just puts it right in the oven and maybe the noodles are a little chewier than mine, but she said she has never had any complaints. So I guess do it how you want.

Above is a picture of the sauce I use...I think it is perfect, not to sweet, not to seasoned, just good basic marinara sauce.

You probably don't need to see all the steps, but here they are anyway! :)

I do overlap noodles slightly...

I tried using mozzarella slices this time, it didn't have the "coverage" that shredded gives, but it was nice and tidy...so shredded cheese all over the counter when you are done. I doubled the recipe because I was making an extra to take to a big family reunion in a couple weeks. It freezes great un-cooked. This is a great kid-friendly meal! --Carissa

Forgotten Shortribs over Nockerlin ~ page 169

Wow! This was so yummy! I cooked it for 4.5 hours, the recipe calls for just 4 hours. The meat was just falling apart! And the contrast of the shortribs to the little dumplings was great.

For those of you that are like I was before this recipe, and don't even know what you are looking for at the store. Here is a picture for you. The look like skinny little steaks kinda. This is just 2 lbs, the recipe calls for 4 lbs, so I halved the recipe.

If you have never bought liquid smoke before...here is a picture for you.

This recipe couldn't be easier...just mix, simmer, then pour the sauce over the ribs before they go in the oven. Adam ate the leftovers for dinner tonight and said they were just as good if not better than 2 nights ago! You really need to give this one a try, and don't let the dumplings scare you, they are super easy...my kiddos loved them. But if you really didn't feel like doing them, try using mashed potatoes instead.

Healthy Turkey Burgers ~ page 131

These turkey burgers turned out great! All of our guests gave them rave reviews also. I know there is an aweful lot of lettuce on that burger, I was trying to get my veggies in for the day!

This picture is to show you how small I dice the red bell pepper...no one even knew they were getting a veggie in their burger!

I use my stand mixer so I don't have to get my hands all yucky!
Then I pat the meat out into a rectangle and score it before sending it to the freezer. Check to make sure your baking sheet or cutting board will fit in your freezer first! I have to put my baking sheets in my large deep freezer that we keep in the garage.

Here is my grillin' man cooking them up!

And here is what the end result is once there is some cheese melted on top...I know square burgers seem a little odd, but they stay nice and flat and don't turn into a thick round hockey pucks like most homemade burgers. I love how fast they cook too. If your man just demands a bit more meat on his burger, just make him a double decker!

Happy Grilling!

--Carissa

Salmon and Noodle Bowl ~ page 184

This was a great light dinner, not too heavy feeling. My girls even ate most everything on their plate! I think homemade balsamic vinegar dressing would be very tasty in this, maybe just leave any sugar out of the dressing....sweet might taste odd with the spinach.

Adam got home late from work and ate his at room temp, and said it was good that way too.

Above shows me having to cut the skin off...I suggest buying it skinless...this was a big pain!

After the red peppers and spinach were cooked, I chopped them up a bit mainly so my kids would eat it. Large bites of spinach scares them, but if it is in small pieces, they do fine. It is tasty either way. Notice the recipe calls for 10 oz. of pasta, not a whole pound like alot of recipes. I didn't have fettuccine, but regular old spaghetti worked just fine. --Carissa

Saucy Mushroom Porkchops ~ page 186

This was a recipe I got when I was first married (thanks Heather!), maybe that is why I am sentimental about it. The rice is so yummy, I usually look forward to it more than the chops even. I know alot of you aren't into using canned soup. But every once in a while I just have to go for the convenience!

I tried to save some money and use pork chops that were cut thin...I would not recommend that. I thought they cooked too fast and weren't as tender as they usually are. Go for the thicker chops, then you don't have to eat 2 of them like we did! Also, I know in the recipe it says you can use boneless or bone-in...If you have a choice get bone-in. Any meat cooked with the bone in, is gonna be better....more moist, and more flavor.

Below is to show you what the casserole dish looks like coming out of the oven.

Creamy Jalapeno Chicken Pasta ~page 128

Don't let the word "jalapeno" in the title scare you from making this. Even my 4 year old Lillian ate 3 plates of it. The 2 year old did turn her nose up at it, but I have learned not to take it personally since she does that at 50% of her foods these days. (I think she went to bed without dinner this night!)

Here is a picture of the size I cut my chicken pieces into, along with one of my favorite kitchen gadgets...the poultry scissors. (Mom, is that in the gadget section yet?) If you are looking for something to put on your birthday wish list, add these scissors to the list. These were $20 from Bed Bath & Beyond, and are so much safer than a knife especially on half frozen chicken!

In case you are wondering what the recipe means when it says one bunch of cilantro with stems removed...I tear off the bottom 3 inches and put the rest into the food processor.

Here is the green salsa that I use...look around because there are MANY different brands ranging in price.

In case you are like me who didn't know what a poblano pepper looked like until I first made this recipe...here it is.

After you boil it the stem literally falls off. Take a little nibble of the pepper before you put it all in. Some poblanos can be pretty spicy. Sometimes I just add 1/2 or 3/4 of it in the recipe so my kiddos can eat it.

I don't pre-chop much in this recipe, here is how chunky I leave everything....I let the food processor do all the work for me. And here is the final sauce! Don't simmer it too much or the pretty green sauce will turn murky and not very attractive. I toss my cooked pasta right in with the chicken and sauce so all the pasta is coated. Sorry there were so many pictures on this post, can you tell my kids were not
around to hang on me? Adam had taken them to the park down the street while I was cooking dinner..resulting in me having too much time on my hands to take too many pictures as I was cooking!