Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash

I love zucchini and yellow squash! So i was excited to make this ones. http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-roasted-summer-squash/ Ingredients 4 large zucchini 2 large yellow squash 2 tsp. Garlic powder 1/2 tsp. Pepper Olive oil – In an oil sprayer 1/8 cup parmesan cheese Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Step 1 – Chop your squash into large, chunky slices about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. Step 2 – Spray a cookie sheet with a light coat of olive oil. Step 3 – Line up your squash slices like little soldiers. Don’t worry about leaving any space between them. They’ll cook just fine scrunched together. Step 5 – Spray a very light coat of olive oil over the top of your squash. Step 6 – Sprinkle your spices, including the parmesan over your squash. Step 7 – Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until they have a very light golden hue to them, and you can easily push a fork through them. Step 8 – Allow to cool slightly and serve!

I think i cooked mine a little too long, it was a bit dry. The flavor was really good though. Next time i will not go over 30 minutes. :)

Dad's Meat Loaf

I love meat loaf, but its even better with sausage in it :) http://www.mrfood.com/Beef/Dads-Meat-Loaf/ml/1 Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs 2 eggs 1/2 cup ketchup, divided 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon light brown sugar Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, onion, bread crumbs, eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; mix well. Press mixture into prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining ketchup and brown sugar; brush over meat loaf. Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until juices run clear. Allow to sit 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

We used spicy sausage and i didn't have an onion so i used minced onion. Also, I used two 8x4 bread pans instead. It turned out great!! My husband and i both enjoyed it! I will be saving this recipe for sure!

Pizza Grilled Cheese

So i used to have these all the time when i was little. my mom would make them in the grilled cheese maker. http://forkfulofcomfort.blogspot.com/2011/11/pizza-grilled-cheese.html Pizza Grilled Cheese Ingredients 4 sliced bread butter 4 mozzarella, sliced pepperoni (cut in half or mini) italian seasoning or basil parmesan cheese (opt) pizza sauce (for dipping) Cooking Directions *Warm a medium/large skillet over medium heat. Butter each piece of bread on one side. When skillet is hot place a piece of bread butter side down on the skillet then add one slice of cheese and small shake of Italian seasoning or basil (add a small shake of parmesan cheese here too if desired). Top with a desired amount of pepperonis (I used about 8 -10 whole regular pepperonis per sandwich) If any other toppings are desired, add now. Add another slice of mozzarella and top with slice bread butter side up. Repeat with second sandwich. When bottom slice is golden brown then flip over carefully. Once both sides are brown remove from pan cut and serve with pizza sauce if desired.

They were yummy and we will be making them again! Nice easy lunch!

German Pancakes

Now I have made these before, but I don't have a recipe. So when I found this one, I decided to make it. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/german-pancake/ Here is the recipe Ingredients 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted Place the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour the butter into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes

Sugar Cookie Bars

So I saw these and thought...I love sugar cookies(as long as they are soft) so I figured these had to be nice, and easier. So I tried it! http://www.crunchyrock.com/2011/01/sugar-cookie-bars.html Here is the recipe Sugar Cookie Bars (Recipe source: Unknown) ((Printable Version)) Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 5 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Directions: 1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. 2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 3. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. 4. Add the vanilla to the creamed mixture and then slowly add the dry ingredients. 5. Press into a greased 13 x 18 inch pan and bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes. 6. Cool and frost (see directions below). Frosting Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup shortening 1 teaspoon vanilla pinch of salt 4 cups powdered sugar 5 tablespoons of milk food coloring (optional) sprinkles (optional) Directions: 1. In a mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter until creamy. 2. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. 3. Gradually add the 5 tablespoons of milk until you reach your desired constancy. 4. For the sprinkles, I found that they rolled all over the place. To help this, place a sheet of plastic wrap over the frosted sugar cookies and gently press the sprinkles into the frosting. 5. Chill and cut.

We cooked it for 14 minutes..not long enough. I have made this one before though and everyone loved it!!! I love to do fun colors for the frosting. Great dessert to take to any gathering. Its also pretty easy to make!! Will surely make it again!!

Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

This one was made by my amazing husband! I started to make it and instead needed to feed my cute little baby :) so here it is http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/02/broccoli-fettuccine-alfredo-548-recipe.html (sorry it won't let me add a link for some strange reason) Total Recipe cost: $5.48 Servings Per Recipe: 8 Cost per serving: $0.69 Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 25 min. Total: 30 min. INGREDIENTS COST 16 oz. dry fettuccine $1.63 16 oz. frozen broccoli florets $1.29 1 clove garlic $0.08 4 Tbsp butter $0.45 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.06 3 cups milk $0.94 1 cup grated parmesan $0.96 1/8 tsp nutmeg $0.02 to taste salt & pepper $0.05 TOTAL $5.48 STEP 1: Begin to boil a large pot of water to cook the pasta. When it reaches a full boil, add the pasta and cook for 7-10 minutes or until al dente. When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and then drain the pasta in a colander. STEP 2: While the pasta is cooking, thaw the broccoli in the microwave and begin to make the parmesan sauce. Mince the garlic and cook it over medium heat in a medium sauce pot with the butter until the garlic has softened slightly (3-5 minutes). Add the flour, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes more. This is the "roux" that will thicken the sauce. STEP 3: Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the milk mixture until it comes up to a light simmer. As soon as it reaches a simmer it will thicken and should be able to coat a wooden spoon (see photos below). Turn the heat off and whisk in the parmesan cheese. Add freshly cracked black pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste. Make the sauce slightly saltier than you'd prefer if you were eating the sauce alone. Once it's spread out over the pasta and broccoli it will taste more mild. STEP 4: Return the cooked pasta to the large pot that it was boiled in (with the burner turned off). Add the reserved pasta cooking water and toss the pasta to loosen it up. Add the thawed broccoli and then pour the parmesan sauce over top. Stir to coat everything in the sauce and then serve!

End results? It was good, but very bland!! I added a bit of garlic salt to my bowl and it made it much better!! My husband liked it, you'll learn...he hasn't found much he doesn't like. That sure makes it easier for me!! Will I make it again? Sure but I will add garlic salt, and maybe a few other spices.

Eggless Cookie Dough

Alright, this one just sounds good! Once again, I didn't make it myself. My WONDERFUL little sister made it while taking care of me. My husband is cute and a little protective...so because I am breastfeeding right now, he won't let me have real cookie dough...so I was pretty excited to find this one! http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/05/cookie-dough-for-preggies.html Here is the recipe Eggless Cookie Dough 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1/4 cup milk 1 cup flour Pinch salt 1/2 cup chocolate chips In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla and milk. Mix in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator.

As you can see, we like it! The only thing we found is that you will want to make sure you let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before you eat it. Other than that...we liked it!! I have already made this one again!