Italian Wedding Soup

I can hardly believe it's almost mid-November.. Christmas will be here before we know it!! And as the weather gets cooler, I am in search of any and every soup/slow cooker recipe (healthy recipes are a plus)! So tonight when this recipe popped into my inbox via WebMD's 'Daily Bite' I knew it would be the perfect recipe to make and share tonight! 

This warm, soothing low calorie soup recipe can be found below. Enjoy!

• For the complete recipe, visit WebMD 

Mango Banana Smoothie

It's Sunday. Time to recover, revamp and and revive ourselves in time for Monday. For me that includes clearing emails, checking what this weeks schedule entails and mentally preparing myself for a flood of insurance claims. But it's also Sunday Funday - a day full of football games, movies and online shopping - and after all, it's still the weekend! I decided to relax today by cooking a couple of my favorite recipes (which will be posted) sharing this tantalizing fruity recipe.

Whether it's brunch with the girls or watching football with the boyfriend, this smoothie is a delicious mix of summer fruits and a splash of OJ makes it a perfect Sunday beverage. 

1 Banana

Handful of fresh or frozen strawberries

1/3 c. Fruit sorbet

1 T. Mango sorbet

1/2 fresh squeezed orange

1 T. Mango juice

Throw in the blender with a few ice cubes, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!! 

Amish Breakfast Casserole

Lancaster, PA - also known as 'Pennsylvania Dutch Country' is known for it's covered bridges, shoofly pie and horse and buggys. Growing up in Amish country, I spent my days sucking honeysuckle, attending 'barn parties' and saying prayer at the beginning of every school day. Friends and neighbors were treated like family. If a someone was in need, had a new baby, or a recent death, friends and neighbors would cook a homemade dish and bring it over. With that being said I can tell you first-hand that the Amish and Mennonites are some of the best cooks I've ever met. So, when I saw this Amish breakfast recipe on Pinterest I had to check it out.

Although this is a Dutch County classic, I think it would be enjoyed by just about anyone from any decent. Perfect for holidays or lazy Sunday mornings, this dish can be made ahead and warmed up again and again. Filled with 3 types of cheeses, bacon and eggs, this is a breakfast dish your loved ones won't forget! Check out the recipe below! 

Amish Breakfast Casserole 

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound sliced bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 24 ounces frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) small curd cottage cheese
• 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by lightly coating with cooking spray.
2. Dice the bacon into bite-size pieces prior to cooking. In a large skillet, combine the onion and bacon and cook until bacon is crisp. Drain. Return the skillet to the stove and add the minced garlic. Stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from stove.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Stir in the bacon mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minute before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 273 Fat: 18 g Saturated fat: 10 g Sodium: 477 mg Fiber: 1 g Protein: 18 g Cholesterol: 153 mg

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Fellow bloggers, I must tell you about this dish -- made from a combination of garden fresh veggies and 3-cheese tortellini covered in a light creamy sauce, it is perfect for all seasons! This delicious Taste of Homes recipe can be found below. Enjoy, I know I did!

Ingredients:

10 ounces dried cheese-filled tortellini (2-1/2 cups) or two 9-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini
1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 T. margarine or butter
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bit-size pieces
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 T. snipped fresh oregano
2 t. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 8oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 T. lemon juice
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 small red or green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped (I used an orange sweet pepper)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2.

Meanwhile, heat margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3.

Shake together chicken broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a screw-top jar until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture, chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sweet pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4.

Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Transport in an insulated carrier. Makes 12 main-dish servings.

Pepperjack Tomato Soup

It can be frustrating taking on a snow storm with spring just 2 days away. But why not enjoy the winter wonderland while it's still here? After all, the sparkling white snow glistening in the sunlight is genuinly beautiful and the brisk cold air can be refreshing!
The best way to warm up from a cold wintery night is comfort food; especially soup. This pepperjack tomato soup is one of my favorite recipes ever! After working for years at Isaac's I decided to try a stab at my own form of pepperjack tomato soup.
This creamy soup has a small kick to it-- or can be more powerful, it's up to you!

For a great way to warm up on a cold wintery night, check out this tasty take on tomato soup:

Pepperjack Tomato Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of condensed tomato soup (you can also puree stewed tomatoes for this part)
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package cream cheese
1 block pepperjack cheese
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and pepperjack cheese.

This is super easy and delicious!

Savory Pork Roast with Apple Stuffing

It's a common dilemma: your sitting at your favorite spot for happy hour, and you have no idea what you want to drink. Although you can't decide between a few favorites, there's a 9/10 chance you've already picked your poison. Whether its beer, vodka, wine etc., you've probably narrowed your choices to a certain 'category'.
I use the same concept when brainstorming dinner ideas. I like to start with the type of meat I want to use that night. For tonight's entree, I decided on pork as a starting point and researched ideas from there.
Using Pinterest I stumbled upon this efficiently delectable apple stuffing recipe.

Credits for this dish go to SusieQTpies Cafe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp. dried and crushed rosemary (or 4 1/2 tsp. fresh, chopped rosemary)

1 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

2 medium RED apples, chopped with skin to equal about 2 cups

1/2 cup chopped celery (optional...I like it better without!) 

1/3 cup chopped onion

6 cups herbed and seasoned stuffing mix (do not use cornbread stuffing!!) 

1 can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 can of water

1/4 cup melted margarine or butter

1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Press garlic into small bow. Add rosemary, sage and pepper; mix well.
3. Remove 1/2 tsp. of mixture for stuffing.

4. Core and slice apples, chop celery and onion and put in large mixing bowl.
5. Add apple, stuffing mix, soup, butter and reserved seasonings.
6. Mix well and spoon into deep dish baker or 9X9.

7. Rub the seasoning mix evenly over pork loin.
8. Place roast, fat side up, over stuffing.
9. Cover with Stoneware Baking Bowl or Aluminum Foil.

10. Bake for 1 1/3 hrs.
11. Remove Baking Bowl or Aluminum and bake 15-30 minutes more or until meat registers between 130 and 145 degrees.
12. Let stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with steamed veggies of your choice!

* I used green beans (a favorite of my boyfriend) for my veggie of choice. You can choose whatever you wish! Enjoy!

xo, A

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Ok, since I haven't updated my blog in awhile I want to document/update on some recipes I've made recently.
This particular dish is full of mouth watering ingredients; from 4 cheese stuffed ravioli to the tomato-basil cream sauce, this is one meal your family won't mind as a leftover- I promise.
This recipe was found on Pinterest, which I find is the easiest way to discover new ideas-- by looking at the picture! As you can see, this recipe particularly caught my eye :0 If you want to check out the original website, check out My Recipes 

Ingredients:

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli* $
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce $
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped** $
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese $
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

Directions:

1. 1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. 2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
3. *1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
4. **1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.
5. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Marguerite Cleveland, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Southern Living
JULY 2007

Enjoy!!

xo, A