Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Proof that this stuff is GOOD!

Sauted Onions

Garlic, Onions, and Turkey browning....

Finished Product...

I have tried a lot of spaghetti sauces out there, and this one- umm, umm- it takes the cake... or noodles if you will! It's from my sister's blog, the only difference is that I add some wine to mine. A tip for you- double it up, make a batch of 2, eat one and freeze the other. I did this the last time I made it in a big pot and it was great to come home from vacation with a homemade meal that was ready in 20 minutes when we returned!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

I can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

3 TBSP parmesan cheese

1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup red wine

Brown Rice Noodles (available at Trader Joe's)

Directions:

Start boiling your water for the noodles, add them once you have a rapid bowl, follow directions on the package for them. Next, using a big pot (if you're doubling a batch) or a frying pan (for single batch) add your olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic (fresh if you have it or frozen cubes from Trader Joe's). Let it saute until the onions are browned and translucent, then add the turkey and cook until browned. Add the remaining ingredients, tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasoning, wine and parmesan. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Dish up your noodles and scoop on some chunky sauce, top with fresh parmesan and parsley if you'd like- you're gonna love it!

French Toast Sticks....

Here's a quick post I have been meaning to put up for awhile for a great kids breakfast! It's super easy and quick, and those little fingers will love having their own finger-licking stick for breakfast! 

Ingredients: (ingredients are for one serving, increase for more servings)

1 slice of Bread ( I use Whole Grain Bread from Trader Joe's)

1 egg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, crack your egg, and pour in your cinnamon, use a whisk to blend the 2 ingredients together. Next, slice your bread (cut the crust off if needed for your munchkin). Then I slice it into 4 pieces, and then let them soak in the egg mix for a few seconds, turning them over. They don't need to soak very long because they are so small. Heat your frying pan medium to high heat, add  some kind of non-stick to it (coconut oil or olive oil or spray) and place your sticks on it. Let them cook on one side until it's browned (use a flipper to peek underneath) then flip it and brown the second side! Wha-la! That's it! Serve plain or with "dipping sauce" like agave, maple syrup, or fruit sauce.

Variations: When I have over rip bananas I add 1/2 of a banana smooshed up into the egg mixture and make it with banana chunks. Emery loves this kind! Give it a whirl- you may have to scoop the banana onto the slices once it's in the pan, but it's a fun variation (the pictures above have banana in it). Another variation, add 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract for a change.

Roasted Turkey Breast..

This is not really a recipe, more of an idea- but a great one at that. It serves as a great break from chicken and beef, and brings a little of that good ol' Thanksgiving tastes to your table without cooking the whole bird! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Turkey Breasts (these are sold in the refrigerated section, I got mine at Trader Joe's- it has bones and skin)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash your bird breasts off, pat them dry, brush them with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then place them on a roasting pan ( I put foil over my broiling pan for easy clean up). Pop those guys in the oven for 45 minutes (may need more time if your bird breasts are a little on the large side!) I use my thermometer and wait to see it say 170 degrees- then I know they are done! The skin will be a golden brown and the juices will run clear.

Serve with:

Red Mashed Potatoes (see recipe), green salad, asparagus or artichokes.  

Cooking Demo

(from left to right: Kelly, Lisa, Annah, Janelle, Jenny, Vali, Andrea, Kristin, and Jennifer)

So this was a BLAST!!!! Another wild idea of mine and this time I found a bunch of sweet girls to join me! I invited anyone who had left a comment on this blog or had commented to me in person about a recipe they had tried. I borrowed my mother-in-laws FABULOUS kitchen and held a little "girl's cooking night out" where they got to sample 8 different courses and see those meals be made. It was a ton of fun, they were a great audience :) AND I had the best assistant in the world, Jennifer Stewart (I always drag this girl into things like this!). It was a really fun night and everyone agreed- there will be a Cooking Demo #2. If you live local and wanna get in on the action, leave a comment and let me know!

Here's a Peek at the Menu they saw:

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Sweet Potato Fries

Simple Asparagus

Pear Salad

Gremolata Mahi Mahi

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Harvest Medley

Kale Smoothies

Cocky Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have a request for a different recipe for Cooking Demo #2? Leave a comment!

Pear Salad

This is a refreshing salad for the summertime, compliments of my friend Katy Fults. It can be served as a side salad or with chicken as a main dish- you choose :)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 head butter lettuce (romaine works too, but butter lettuce makes it delicious!)

2 Bartlett pears

1/4 cup blue cheese or 1 avocado (pick one or the other depending on your taste buds)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

4 TBSP powdered sugar (to candy your almonds)

Ingredients for Dressing: (to be made in the blender)

2 TBSP green onions

4 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP tarragon vinegar

1/2 olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. pepper

shake of salt

Directions:

Wash and spin your lettuce. I like to put mine back into the fridge with a paper towel on the bottom of the bowl to absorb excess water- just make sure to remove it when adding the other ingredients! It will remain cripsy and cool in there. This salad has to be tossed right before you serve it because it's ingredients will go brown if it sits too long. To candy your own almonds- YOU HAVE TO DO THIS- it makes the salad what it is and it's easy as pie! You heat your pan on med heat, add your almonds, sprinkle your powdered sugar over top and constantly stir. That's it. Keep stirring and stirring until all the powdered sugar is melted on to the almonds (you can add more sugar to make them more "candied" if you'd like). They will burn if you stop stirring- so keep stirring and turn down your heat if needed. Once they are coated, lay out a piece of foil and pour them on to it and let them cool for 10 minutes. Now to make the dressing- pour all the ingredients into your blender, pulse until smooth (it will be a pretty lime green color), then pour into a craft and put into the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, cut the avocado & pear, sprinkle the blue cheese, add the almonds, and pour the dressing on.(Add cooked chicken pieces if you desire) then, toss and Serve! You will love it!

Nut Balls!!!!

I know what you are think- she's lost it-"Nut Balls??? What's next???" But honestly, these are a really YUMMY and equally important, NUTRITIOUS snack and little fingers love them (as well as my husband!) If you have ever had a LARA BAR, this is essentially a home made version of one. They are SUPER EASY to make, quick, and last long if kept in the fridge (or longer if you freeze half the batch!). They are full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. There aren't very many ingredients, but you could really change things up and get many different variations, I will share with you my favorite. Here we go:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup of nuts your choice ( I use 1/2 cup raw cashews, 1/2 cup raw pepitas, 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds)
  
• 8 dates rolled in coconut (sold at Trader Joe's or Lassen's or Whole Foods- they come in a little tub, the dates are pre-rolled in coconut, that's not something you have to do)
  
• cinnamon (as much as desired)

Directions:

  Okay, first you are going to pour all of your nuts in your blender. I use my Vitamix for about 10 seconds until everything is finely chopped, almost like a chunky powder. If you leave the nuts too large, it will be hard to get them to mesh with the dates.

  Next, scoop the nuts out of the blender into a bowl and add 1/2 your dates. Take out something to mash with, I use a pastry mashing tool, you can use a potato masher or fork or even your hands. You want to incorporate the nuts throughout the dates. Generously sprinkle some cinnamon to the mixture. Add the remaining dates, continue to mesh together and sprinkle some more cinnamon (I am fairly generous with my cinnamon sprinkling, it's your flavoring- taste a smidge to decide if you have enough in your batch). Once you have a pretty good mixture of nuts and dates and your happy with your cinnamon, you are going to start balling the "dough" just like cookies. I make mine into small, bite size balls for Emery to chew on, but if you have older kids, you can make them a little larger (or if you wanna get in on the yumminess, make some larger ones or bar shaped ones for yourself). Place them on a plate, then cover them with plastic wrap and let them set in the fridge for a bit. You can freeze half the batch or keep them in the fridge to last about 2-3 weeks before they get dried out. Enjoy and experiment with different types of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and seasonings!

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Alrighty then, these are delicious! Just made them tonight, so I will do my best to recall the things I liked and some things I would modify for next time. For starters, these are great on a summer night- they have a little fiesta feel to them, would be fun and easy for company. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 lime, juiced

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp white sugar

2-3 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1-2 tomatoes, diced

2 cups lettuce, finely chopped

tortillas

Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

*sour cream

*guacamole

**The original recipe didn't call for sour cream or guac but after making it, my husband and I agreed this would be a great addition!

Directions

Ok you guys, super easy and not very time consuming, the most prep you have will be to wash and slice your chicken breasts. I cut mine into long, thin strips like in a fajita. Once your chicken is cut and ready to cook, heat a drizzle of olive oil in your pan and toss the chicken in. Let is get a good sear/brown color on the first side before flipping it and stirring it around. Let your chicken cook until it's almost done (about 7-10 minutes) and while it's cooking, you are making the "sauce" with the lime, red wine vinegar, s & p, sugar, and garlic. I made my "sauce" (it's more like a juice than a sauce) in my measuring cup and then poured it over top my chicken, stirring it around while it's doing it's final cooking. In the last minutes, I threw my green onion and cilantro in, let it cook just a smidge longer. Then pull it off the heat. You're pretty much done. Chop some lettuce, tomato, shred some cheese and heat up some tortillas- build yourself a soft taco, top it with sour cream, guac, and/or salsa and enjoy!

Serve with: corn on the cob and it's a complete meal!

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad...

OK, this one's right off the stove- and pretty good for a first-time-make... if you like Chinese Chicken Salads you will definetly like this! Here we go, it's really simple and quick...

Ingredients

2 big chicken breasts (or 3 small), cubed and browned with a little s & p

1/3 cup green onion (about 2 stalks), chopped

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 red bell pepper

2 carrots, shredded

1 bag pasta (bow tie or the multicolored Radiatore from Trader Joe's is yummy)

1/4 cup sesame seeds (cheapest to buy in bulk at Winco), toasted

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar (red wine vinegar would be my second choice if you don't have rice)

1 tsp sesame oil

3 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp ginger (comes in a jar)

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

For starters, mix the dressing ingredients together, shake and refridgerate so that it has some time to chill together :). Next, get the water boiling for your pasta and get out a frying pan to toast your sesame seeds. I add a little drizzle of olive oil to the frying pan and toss in your 1/4 cup sesame seeds, constantly turning them until browned. Scoop them out and set them aside. Next up- prep the chicken. Wash it and cut it into bite size cubes or slices. Add a little olive oil to your pan and brown your chicken. I have said this before, but the best way to get a good "brown" to your chicken is to put it in your pan and let it sit, don't start turning it over and over. Once it gets a good sear on one side THEN turn it over and do the next side/sides. Add a little s & p to your chicken to give it some flavor. Alright, your chicken is cooked, your pasta is cooking, your dressing is chilling- time for the veggies. Peel your carrot and then shred it, chop your bellpepper, green onion, cilantro, and add it to your pasta bow. Strain your pasta, add it. Throw in your toasted sesame seeds and drizzle your chilled salad dressing to the mix. Toss it to make sure everything is coated. You can serve this dish warm or cold, it's great the second day- tons of flavor and great for a picnic, BBQ, or potluck! * One thing I might throw in the next time I make it is some chopped snap peas for an extra crunch!

Strawberry Salad....

Tis the season for yummy salads.... so here we go with a few of my favorites! They can be used as a side dish (just leave out the chicken) or they can be served as a whole meal- you choose!

Ingredients:

2 hearts of romaine

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup candied pecans, chopped

8- 10 strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup feta (or blue) cheese, sprinkled on top

1/2 cooked chicken breast (per person), chopped

*avocado optional (if you're a lover of it!)

Directions:

Grill up some chicken, lightly seasoned, or use leftovers if you have some. Like always, wash, chop, and chill your lettuce. Chop your parsley, nuts, and chicken. Slice your strawberries right before serving, add your cheese and dressing and toss! I have also added avocado to the mix and it was very tasty! 

For a great dressing, see my recipe for "Refreshing Dressing" or use Brianna's dressing with a Strawberry on the Bottle. For those of you local to Bakersfield, this is a knock off of my favorite salad at Cafe Meds! 

Refreshing Dressing...

6 TBSP olive oil

6 TBSP red wine vinegar

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

honey to taste ( I add quite a bit of honey to cut the vinegar & citrus flavor)

Mix it all together and refrigerate! Great light and tangy flavor.

Steak Cobb Salad...

Ok, so this was a fun, impromptu meal last night. We had a leftover steak (pretty good size) from the night before, so I decided to give a Cobb salad a whirl, and what a good whirl it was! Pretty self explanatory, but for the record, here's what I put:

Ingredients:

2 hearts of romaine, washed & chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

6 stripes of bacon, cooked & chopped

1 hard boiled egg, sliced

1 avocado, chopped or sliced

1 steak, cooked and chopped (hot or cold would work)

1/2 cup blue cheese *** optional (if you are a blue cheese fan)

Directions:

First things first, cook your bacon ( I used the apple wood kind from Trader Joe's it was really good and has a little less "junk" in it than other brands). Also, hard boil your egg if you don't have a hard boiled egg handy, it just takes a few minutes. Then I washed my lettuce and refrigerated it so it stayed nice and crispy. Then I washed and chopped everything else, added the cheese, and tossed it together and made the "Light Salad Dressing" and topped it off. It was really, really good. Quick, easy, light and a great use of leftovers!  

Thai Chicken Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce...

The "Salad Portion" of the meal...

The "Chicken Portion" ...

The "Finished Product"- DELICIOUS!!!

OK folks, if you read my family blog then you know that my husband made me a fabulous anniversary dinner that is now in my top 5 favorite meals, so I thought I would share the recipe with you! It is a Rachel Ray recipe, so you can google hers, or you can check out this one, I simplified it and added a few things- either way you will love it!

Ingredients for Chicken:

3 chicken breasts or a package of chicken tenderloins

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP canola oil

1 TBSP grill seasoning

Ingredients for Salad Portion:

1/2  cucumber, peeled, sliced and halved

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups bean sprouts

3-4 scallions, sliced

12 basil leaves, chopped (*optional, use if your a basil fan, can go without)

3 TBSP mint leaves, chopped ( a must!)

1 TBSP sesame seeds

2 tsp. sugar

2 TBSP rice or white vinegar

Spicy Peanut Sauce (spice can be optional!)

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, room temp

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 TBSP rice or white vinegar 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper *** optional, if you don't want the kick- leave this out!

Don't forget the Tortillas!!! I love the spelt ones from Trader Joe's- they go great with this meal!

Directions:

This meal is really easy to whip up- you will chop all the salad ingredients and mix them into a large bowl. Next, wash your chicken, put it on a skillet on the stove with the "chicken ingredients" and brown the chicken. Once it's cooked, slice your chicken into bite size pieces and add it to the "salad ingredients" bowl. Toss that together. Lastly, whisk all the "peanut sauce ingredients" together to make the sauce (mine was more of a spread than a dribbley sauce, but none the less, very tasty!)

Warm a tortilla, spread the peanut sauce on it and then scoop some of the chicken salad mixture onto it. Roll it up and enjoy!

Banana Bread....

Another Breakfasty item is Banana Bread. I have two recipes that I love... 1 is naughty and the other is nice.... take your pick! First, the naughty Banana Bread (beware, you could eat the whole loaf in a day!)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Other Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c melted butter

3 mashed bananas

1 Tbsp. milk

a handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mash the bananas in a seperate bowl, add those. Then beat 2 eggs, add those. Melt your butter, add that. Pour your milk in and toss a handful of chocolate chips! (The recipe is fabulous without them as well).

Spray or grease your loaf pan (or pans). Pour batter in and bake for 1 hour. ***Helpful Tip: If I am short on time or want smaller slices I split the batter between 2 loaf pans and make "half loaves" cooking them for 30 minutes (at the same time on the same rack in the oven). Great for serving lots of people or for keeping a loaf for yourself and having one to share! (see picture above)

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Now the Nice (healthy) Banana Bread

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup oil

1/2 c honey

1 tsp. vanilla

2 beaten eggs

Dry Ingredients

2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c wheat germ

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

** 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Mix the wet ingredients together first, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well, and bake in a sprayed or greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 350.

Steel Cut Oats...

So, this isn't technically a recipe, more like an idea- but a friend of mine asked me the other day what I eat for breakfast, she was in a breakfast funk! So, I told her about my latest favorite quick & easy breakfast. You can buy steel cut oats anywhere, but I found my favorite brand of quick cooking oats and you guessed it- it's from Trader Joe's! I love this option because it's chunkier than oatmeal (not as mushy) yet it's filling and healthy!

Directions:

Boil 3/4 cups water, add 1/4 cup oats (just like the directions on the container) and I add a handful of raisins, and/or some bits of apple. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes, until it reaches the consistency that you like, I stir mine every once in awhile to keep it from sticking to the bottom. You can add some sprinkled brown sugar or a healthier option: honey and some cinnamon. 

 

Breakfast Strata....

How about a little menu for breakfast items- the next few entries will be a few everyday items and some special occasion items. Here we go, for starters, this delicious breakfast strata, great for big groups like showers and perfect for holidays like Christmas morning or EASTER BRUNCH! The best part, you get to make it the night before (in 10 minutes!) and then you are free the in the morning while it bakes away in the oven!

Ingredients:

8 slices of potato bread, cut into cubes (no crust)

8 cups diced ham

2 cups of shredded swiss cheese

8 eggs

2 cups of milk

4 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. dry mustard (you can use regular mustard if you don't have dry)

s & p to taste

Directions:

Butter a 9x13 dish, layer it with bread, then sprinkle the ham over top, then the cheese. In a bowl whisk the eggs, butter, mustard, and S & P. Pour that mixture over the top of the dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate it over night. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake it for 50 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve with: fresh fruit and juice!

Marinated Flank Steak...

OK, this is a fabulous way to serve a large steak to a group (anywhere from 4-12). It's a family favorite of the Zaballos' and we often have it for special occasions. It's very simple- marinate and BBQ! The longer you marinate it, the more flavor it will have. Minimal marinating: 2 hours on the counter top or 8 hours in the fridge- BUT for the most flavor- I marinate it overnight in the fridge for at least a day, but up to 3 days!!!! It's soooooo good!

Ingredients:

2-3 lb flank steak (I buy mine at Costco, great prices- use one, freeze the other) 

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. fresh ground ginger (the kind in the jar)

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup pineapple juice (I keep a 6 pack of little pineapple juice cans in the pantry!)

Directions:

Pour all these ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together. Pull out your flank steak, I like to cut mine into steaks (about 4-5 peices from each flank) and then put them into a ziplock bag. Pour the marinate over the steaks, seal it up, and pop it in the fridge. (seem time range above), I like to marinate mine over night. Every few hours, I open the fridge and turn the steaks over and shake up the bag. When you are ready, BBQ it over medium heat, let it cool for about 5 minutes, then slice it into 1 inch stripes. Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinegarette..

Here's a great recipe for a simple, light, low fat salad dressing that you can use as a staple or make in a pinch because you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen! I usually double it when I make it so it lasts for a while.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder or one fresh clove of garlic

1/8 tsp. pepper. 

Put it in a jar, give it a shake, refrigerate it and serve with any salad!

Cupcakes!!!

So, recently my daughter turned 1 and I had a blast making her birthday cupcakes. I've had a few people ask me how I did it, and you will be happy to know it was SUPER easy! So, here's some quick tips if your are looking for a way to personalize and top-off your yummy little treats, thanks to ideas from "Hello Cupcake".

To start, I melted some milk chocolate chips in the microwave and then spooned them into a pastry bag (you could easily use a zip lock bag with the corner snipped and a thin metal pipping tip).

I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then went to town making e's everywhere! ( I experimented with different sizes and styles on a paper towel first!)

After the sheet was full of letters, I doused them in little round sprinkles. **Hint, roll the sheet around and trap them all in the bottom corner to "reuse" some of your sprinkles.
Then I popped them into the fridge to harden. I would keep them in the fridge until right before you are going to apply them to the cupcake because they soften up quickly.
Frost your cupcakes, and while the frosting is still tacky, use a spatula to pop the letters off the tray and use your fingers to gently place them on top of the cupcakes. If you want the sprinkled edging around the sides of the cupcakes, pour some sprinkles onto a plate and roll the cupcakes on their side all the way around BEFORE putting the letters on top.
And your done! Here's the finished product, you could get really creative with this- the possibilities are endless! Happy cupcaking!

Something GREEEN! St.Patrick's Day Soup!

Hey, this isn't the official St. Patrick's Day dish, but it is yummy, delicious and SUPER EASY... and GREEN- what could be better this Tuesday night for St. Patrick's Day dinner???? SPLIT PEA SOUP! I have had many a'bowl of split pea, and this recipe is the best, thanks to my mom, Debbie Doo- and it's so easy, almost nothing to it!

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion

2-3 chopped carrots

3-4 chopped stalks of celery

1 large potato, or 2-3 small ones

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups dried green peas

6 cups chicken broth (or water if you want)

1 hamhock or pork bone

**1 cup diced ham cubes (if there is no meat on your ham bone)

Directions:

Get out a big ol' pot cuz you are going to make yourself some serious soup! Chop your onion, carrots, celery, potato, and press your garlic right into the pot. Wash and drain 2 cups of dried peas and add them. Next, put your hamhock in (ask your butcher for one if you don't see one out) then pour in your chicken broth until all the ingredients are covered with liquid. Bring your soup to a boil, once it boils, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour. Take the bone out, and if it has meat on it, cut the meat off and add it back into the soup and discard the bone. If you have no meat on your bone, throw it away and add your cubed meat. Wha-la! You are done.. told you it was easy... easy as peas, split peas!

Serve with: warm french bread or a la carte- it's that hardy and that good!

NOTE: I think the best way to make this is when you have a left over ham bone with some meat on it (aka after a big feast or holiday dinner) but if that is not the case, just get a regular pork soup bone at the market, and buy a hunk of ham in the breakfast section of the meats and cut it up into cubes. Then add it towards the end since it's precooked.

REHEATING: If you are serving this as leftovers, it's wonderful, you might just need to add some liquid, be it chicken broth or water, because it tends to thicken as it sits.

Baked Penne & Roasted Vegetables....

Okay, it's been a while since I updated, and this is ONE of my FAVORITES- best pasta dish, hands down! I got the original recipe from my sister-in-law, but I tweaked it quite a bit so that the ingredients were things I actually had on hand- hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

2 green zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 yellow onion

2 handfuls of cremini mushrooms

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. marjoram

1/8 tsp. thyme

Also:

1 lb. penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce

1 cup peas

1 cup parmesan cheese

+ 1/4 cup parmesan to sprinkle on the top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Put on a pot of water to boil the pasta. Chop all your vegetables from the first list of ingredients, put them in a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil and seasoning on top, toss everything so that it's evenly coated. (Check your water, if it's ready, boil your noodles. You can under cook them a smidge because they will continue to cook when in the oven). Get a roasting pan or cookie sheet (I use parchment paper for easy clean up), spread all the veggies on it, and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes until they are roasted. Take them out, scoop them back into your big bowl, pour the cooked & drained noodles on top of that. Add your cup of peas, your marinara (I use the Vodka sauce from Trader Joe's, it's great in this recipe) and your cup of parmesan cheese. Mix that all together. Spray a 9x13 glass dish (or split it in two different dishes if you want) pour the pasta in and sprinkle your remaining parmesan cheese on top. Pop it back in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Enjoy- I know you will!!!