I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day. We are pretty low key in our festivities for these particular holiday's. Anyways, my husband ended up with a stomach bug of some kind so he wasn't up for any special Father's Day meals. He is much better today, hopefully the rest of our household doesn't catch it. I am very grateful to have such a wonderful father for my children and I get a bit teary eyed when I see the girls give him hugs and kisses and tell him they love him and Happy Father's Day.

I've got a quick and easy weeknight meal idea here for you today. I like to eat vegetarian a few nights a week. One reason is that it saves money but also it's healthy as long as you substitute plenty of vegetables in the place of meat. With this meal you don't miss the meat at all but you could add some chicken or shrimp if you wanted too. I enjoyed the smell of the fresh garlic roasting along with the zucchini. Roasted garlic is one of my favorite savory smells, cake baking would be my favorite sweet smell. Anyways, I hope everyone has a great Monday and enjoy your week.

Spaghetti with Roasted Zucchini
recipe adapted from Woman's Day magazine

12 oz spaghetti, I used whole grain
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2-inch slices of fresh whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
4 small zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

Heat oven to 425 F. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Toss the pasta with 1 Tbsp oil. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until the bread forms coarse crumbs and garlic is chopped.

In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, remaining 2 Tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture and toss to combine. Spread zucchini mixture on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until the zucchini is tender and golden brown, 12 minutes or so.

Toss the pasta and zucchini mixture with parsley and lemon zest. Enjoy!

This post is liked to Mom's Crazy Cooking

I love grilling! I think the reason I love it so much is because I don't have to dirty pots and pans so my kitchen stays somewhat cleaner. I also love that grill flavor that only comes from a BBQ, an indoor grill pan just doesn't cut it. I've got a super simple one for you today. This will suit both beef and poultry fans. I found this recipe in the June 11 Family Circle magazine. Here how it goes. You buy a bottle of this Vidalia Onion dressing which by the way smells amazing.


You then marinate your beef, chicken, and veggies in 3 separate bags for about 30 minutes. Then it is time to skewer them and grill. Super easy, healthy, and delicious. Use whatever veggies you wish. I think button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pepper's, or onions would be great. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend.

Mixed Grill Kabobs
adapted slightly from Family Circle magazine

1 lb sirloin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium squashes, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 bottle of Ken's Vidalia Onion dressing

Soak a dozen 12 inch bamboo skewers in warm water. Combine steak and 1/2 cup dressing in resealable bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Combine chicken and 1/2 cup dressing in resealable bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Combine all the veggies in a separate resealable bag and 1/2 cup dressing to marinate along with the meats.

Heat gas grill to medium high or charcoal grill to medium hot. Thread beef and veggies on skewers and then chicken and veggies on separate skewers.

Grill chicken kabobs 4 minutes per side, until cooked through and beef kabobs for 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Serve with extra dressing for dipping.

Another stuffed food recipe. Did you expect anything different? I am a big fan these won ton wrappers. Aren't they cute?


The possibilities are endless with what you could stuff into these babies. I keep seeing Nutella and peanut butter in my mind but haven't gotten around to experimenting with it. I know the I won't be able to stop thinking about that combo till I try. For now I have a fun appetizer idea for you. I had a big bag of spinach in my refrigerator that was going to expire so I knew I wanted to use it in some way for dinner. I also had a container of ricotta cheese. Spinach and ricotta pair up so nicely together so I decided to stuff the rounds with this combo. They ended up looking and tasting kind of like ravioli but a crispy version. I topped mine with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese before baking. To serve these just warm up some marinara sauce (homemade or jar) to serve on the side for dunking. If your kids are anything like mine they will gobble anything up that gets to be dunked. This is a good way to get spinach in them. I think this would also make a great meatless main dish paired with a side salad and fruit. I hope you enjoy! Have a happy Thursday.

Crispy Baked Spinach Ricotta Ravioli

One package of Won Tons or Rounds
10 oz fresh spinach
15 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
olive oil for brushing
marinara sauce homemade or jarred

Cook spinach with 2 tbsp of water in the microwave or on the stove top for 5 minutes or until just wilted. Let cool and drain excess water. Place ricotta, spinach, grated cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. You could probably just do this by hand as well.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Take a wrap and place approximately 2 tbsp of mixture in the center if each wrap. Do not place filling near the edge. Use a pastry brush dipped in water and brush edges of wrap. Place a second wrap on top, then crimp edges together tightly with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Brush ravioli lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


Bake in 375° F oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve ravioli with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

You know how I've been posting lots of food that is wrapped up in some kind of breading? Well, I'm not done and have another one here for you. Let me start by saying I have an awesome mother-in-law. She is a great cook and I always look forward to dinner over at her house. My father-in-law is pretty awesome too but don't expect him to make dinner for you, unless you are in the mood for popcorn as a main dish. We had a wonderfully delicious Easter dinner prepared by my as mentioned mother-in-law. The star of the show was the ham. I don't get too excited over ham, I like it but not a favorite. If there was a choice between turkey or ham I would go for the turkey. I do enjoy the smell of the ham baking in the oven though. This particular ham she made on Easter was so good and really hit the spot for me. We lucked out too because they were going out of town the next few days and didn't want any leftovers in the house. We were excited because this meant that we got to take them all home! SCORE! So I was left with all this ham and ready to make something yummy with it. I came upon THIS recipe for Calzones using leftover ham. I made them today and they were a big hit with my family. They were very simple too. You use a special yeast for pizza. Here is what the package looks like:


This is so simple. You just mix up the dough and don't have to worry about rising. It is ready to use right away. I found that the dough was way more easy to roll out than my other pizza crust recipes. There was none of that bounce back deal you get sometimes. The crust has a mixture of whole wheat flour in it to add some nutrition. They are easy to whip up and I know your family will enjoy them. Enjoy!

Cheesy Ham & Broccoli Calzones
recipe source Good Life Eats

No Rise Calzone or Pizza Crust:
1 1/3 cup warm water
2 packets Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour

For the Calzone Filling:
1 3/4 cups diced ham
1 3/4 cups small broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
6 ounces mild chedder cheese, shredded
2 - 3 green onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
10 ounces milk
1 cube or 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon sour cream

For the Calzone Crust:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, whisk in the olive oil.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, salt, whole wheat, and 2 cups of all purpose flour in a bowl. Reserve the remaining 1 cup all-purpose in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the water 1 cup at a time while mixing with the stand mixer's dough hook until a soft dough is formed.

If dough is still sticky, add the reserved flour 1/4 cup at a time (while still mixing) until desired consistency is reached. Dough should be soft and moist, but not sticky.
Dough does not need to rise, but keep it covered while you mix up the filling.

For the Calzone Filling:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Prepare the ham, broccoli, cheese, and green onion. Stir together in a medium-large bowl. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until it has absorbed the butter. Slowly add the milk, whisking vigorously as you pour, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add the bouillon and stir until dissolved. Season with pepper and, if desired, salt. Stir in the sour cream. Add the sauce into the ham mixture and stir to combine.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll them into balls. It helps if you have a kitchen scale.

Roll each ball into an 8 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Top each circle with approximately 1/2 cup of the filling mixture. Pull edge of lower crust over top to form a half circle. Press the layers together to seal.

Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Transfer calzones to a greased baking sheet or a parchment lined pizza stone. If desired, brush with olive oil or an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten). Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, until browned and puffy. Transfer to cooling rack to keep bottom crust crisp to sit until cool enough to handle.

Note: To freeze - cool completely, then store in a freezer safe ziploc bag in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 300 degrees F.

Who knew that cauliflower could taste to good. I'm not joking, I'm totally serious. I've never roasted it before, I'm used to serving it steamed. I had thoughts in my head about making it this way for a while and I finally got around to trying it. I'm so glad I did. This will be my new way of making cauliflower from now on. I happened to notice that asparagus was on sale at the store so I threw some of that in for color and interest. My kids ate this up so I'm calling it kid friendly as well. Go ahead and give this a try, I have a feeling you will like it too.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Asparagus

1 head of cauliflower
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top. Put into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until almost tender.


While the cauliflower is baking, put the asparagus in a medium sized bowl, drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil; sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. After the cauliflower has baked for 20-25 minutes add the asparagus to the pan and toss to mix everything together. Return to the oven for about 12-15 more minutes until both vegetables are tender.
Remove from oven and serve warm.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 small carrots, shredded
3 cups fresh spinach
2 cups sliced mushrooms
15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in the spinach and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and the spinach is wilted; remove from heat. While it is cooking, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix in. When the spinach/mushroom mixture is finished cooking, mix it in along with the seasonings. Set aside.

To assemble:  Take about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce and spread it in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Spread about 3 Tbsps of the ricotta mixture on the short side of each lasagna noodle roll up the noodle.  Transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. 
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.  Remove the foil and bake for until the cheese has browned and is bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Chicken is my meat of choice. Spinach is my vegetable of choice. They come together beautifully in this Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken. I enjoy stuffing and rolling chicken with different ingredients. It's kind of fun and pretty when they are cut into. This is one that you won't feel guilty about eating because it is quite healthy but I assure you the taste is not compromised. This is a good way to get some vegetables into your kids, or yourself for that matter. I hope you enjoy!

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 box 10 oz frozen spinach thawed and well drained
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup egg substitute
12 whole wheat crackers such as Ritz
1 tsp dried basil

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap, place each chicken breast and gently pound with meat mallet or rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick.

In a medium bowl, mix spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp basil and the garlic until well blended. Spread about 1 large Tbsp spinach mixture over each breast and roll up tightly. If necessary, secure with toothpicks.

In a small bowl, place the egg substitute. In another shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs, 1 tsp basil and a dash of pepper. Dip each chicken breast into the egg substitute; coat with crumb mixture. Place seam side down in baking dish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until thermometer inserted into the center of chicken reads 165 F. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Doesn't everyone need a good macaroni and meat type recipe? Unless you are a vegetarian the answer would be yes. I grew up in North Carolina but spent a lot of time in Florida where my grandma lived. We always looked forward to our trips to the beach. Lots of the good memory I have of childhood revolves around my time spend down in Florida with the family that we had there. I will always and forever have a special place in my heart for that state. In fact I tell my husband all the time that I wouldn't at all be disappointed if we just HAD to move there for some reason, jokingly of course. Okay, okay, I'm not really joking when I say that. Anyways, you are probably wondering what Florida and macaroni have in common. Well, those car trips from N.C. to Florida where about 9 hours or so. We would usually leave our house super early in the morning and make it there just in time for dinner. My good old GRAM would usually have this macaroni and meat type dish ready for us to chow down on along with some kind of canned fruit like pears. I've never tried to recreate it for myself but I do have my own version here with this dish. This is a very family friendly casserole is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into my children's food. I use whole wheat noodles for extra nutrition and there is a fair share of bone building calcium in every serving. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and who knows, maybe someday I will be a grandma making this for my grandkids when they come to visit.


Beef, Cheese, and Noodle Bake
adapted from myrecipes.com

1 (8oz) package of whole grain shell macaroni
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, shredded or chopped very finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean ground sirloin or lean ground turkey
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cheese Sauce

1 cup fat free milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups 2% shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain; lightly coat pasta with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrots, saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute. Add ground sirloin; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato sauce, spices, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.

Add pasta to beef mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Place milk, flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in medium saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1 cup of cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour cheese sauce mixture over pasta mixture; stir.

Top evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Do you ever have a day when you don't feel like putting too much thought or work into dinner. I know I do every so often, especially when I am short on time. I have a few go to recipes for nights such as these. This is one of them. This is so easy to throw together last minute and it is actually pretty healthy which is a double bonus. This casserole is versatile too. You could use ground beef in place of the turkey. You could substitute frozen corn or your favorite frozen vegetable mix for the peas and carrots. You could also use crescent dinner rolls in the place of the biscuits. I've made it before with a cornbread topping too and it turned out great. Sometimes I leave out the Velveeta because it's not something that I usually buy or substitute shredded cheddar cheese. Do what you want with it.

Turkey & Vegetable Bake
adapted from Kraft Foods

1 lb lean ground turkey meat
1 8oz package sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz Velveeta 2% milk pasteurized cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can (10 count) refrigerated biscuits

Heat oven to 375 F. Brown meat in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 8-10 minutes or until liquid from mushrooms evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas and carrots and soup; bring to boil. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Add Velveeta; stir. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to 8x8 baking dish or pie plate.

Unroll the biscuits. Working with one biscuit at a time; roll between hands to for a snake like shape. Coil around in a circle and place on the casserole. Continue with the rest of the biscuits until all 10 are evenly spaced on top of the turkey mixture.


Bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

This post is linked to At Home with Haley

I do love pizza but I've gotten to where I don't enjoy eating it unless I make it at home. Delivery pizza is always so greasy. I guess that is what makes people like it so much. I don't feel good about eating it that way though, no matter how good it tastes. I have my go to pizza crust recipe which you can find HERE that is very good. I found another pizza crust recipe that sounded really good and though I might like to try it, just to see the difference. I'm glad I did, it was very good and made with whole wheat flour for extra nutrition. It came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. I decided to keep my ingredients simple and meatless on this one. I am a fan of the spinach & mushroom combination and when paired with mozzarella & Parmesan cheese it makes a great topping for pizza. I used my go to sauce recipe which is so simple and cheap to make. I hope you enjoy, thanks Mrs. Martha Stewart!

Crust Recipe
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
makes 2 medium pizza's

1 1/2 cups warm water 110 F
2 packages of active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour

Toppings

Fresh Spinach leaves, chopped
mushrooms, sliced
mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated

Place water in large bowl of mixer and sprinkle with yeast; let sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Add the olive oil, sugar, and salt to yeast mixture and mix. Stir in both flours. Switch in dough hook and knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes on level 2. Transfer dough to bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray or oiled and turn to coat top.

Cover dough with towel and let stand in warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

Turn dough onto well floured surface and knead until smooth. Preheat oven to 450 F.  Divide dough into two large pieces and roll each one into a circle of desired thickness. Transfer to pizza pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
Spread on the sauce; add toppings of choice and then top with cheese.
Bake until golden brown and cheese has melted. Time will very depending on the thickness of the crust but should be somewhere between 12 and 20 minutes.

Serve with this cornbread for a special treat! Just click on link.

*UPDATE: I found out where I got this recipe. I got it from Lynn's Kitchen Adventure. This is a great blog with tons of great recipes. Go check it out when you get a chance.

My Grandma Gilliam lived with our family from the time I was born until the time I moved out 18 years later. She had her own little "apartment type room" upstairs in our home. She had her own little food area all set up with a mini fridge and kept many of her food items up there, except for the food cupboard she had a lock on in the main kitchen. Us kids couldn't be trusted to stay out of her goodies. She did not have a stove though so she did all of her cooking in the main kitchen. She was happy to share the things she cooked with us all. I can't say that I enjoyed too many of her creations. Think slimy okra and tomatoes in a goulash type stew or her salmon patties that stunk up the whole house. There was one thing that I remember her making that I did enjoy and that is chicken and dumplings. This isn't her recipe but this is how I remember hers tasting. This is comfort food to the max.

Chicken & Dumplings
recipe source Our Best Bites

6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 boxes or 3 cans) OR 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces. You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 c. sliced carrots
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine)
small bag of frozen peas & carrots
1 recipe of Bisquik dumplings (recipe is on the box) or 1 small package of Kluski noodles

In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling and add noodles or add prepared Bisquik by small spoonfuls (they'll really puff up while they're cooking).

This is what your Bisquik dough should look like.

Cook until noodles are tender or until dumplings are cooked through (they should appear moist but feel firm; this is after about 4-5 minutes).


A few recipe notes: I didn't have any evaporated milk so I just poured in a cup of regular milk and it turned out great although I have used evaporated milk in the past and I would suggest using it if you can.
Also, I've left the bay leaf out before and it is great without it.