Roasted Broccoli

This is my favorite method of cooking broccoli or asparagus.

Roasted Broccoli

-1-2 large bunches of broccoli, chopped into big chunks
-fresh garlic, minced, or garlic powder (whatever I have on hand that day)
-parmesan cheese (not the grated kind in a can)
-salt and pepper to taste
-drizzle of olive oil

Grease or spray cookie sheet(s). Spread vegetables in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with fresh garlic (2-4 cloves per pan), or about ½ tablespoon of garlic powder per pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (about ¼ to ½ cup per pan). Then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Roast at 400 for ten minutes. Stir and continue to roast until desired doneness is achieved.

Shannon

Photo Shoot

Today we had a friend of ours do a photo shoot with us for some pictures for our Christmas cards. Here are a few of the photos from the session. (Thanks Laura!!!!!)



















Shannon

Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, fun, food, and gratitude! I know we sure did! We spent Thanksgiving at Jeremy's parents house with his parents, sister Lisa, and three of our friends who don't have family in the area. It was the first time that I wasn't hosting for Thanksgiving in 3 years, and I enjoyed the break. The food was excellent as always, as Jeremy's Mom is a fantastic cook. The day was filled with good conversation, food, laughter, and games.

Jeremy's Dad, carving the turkey

the table set so pretty

the desserts and appetizers (artichoke dip, apple pie, and chocolate pecan pie)

the main dishes (cranberry green beans, ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potato casserole and gravy)

us enjoying the food

Arthur and Chad

for some reason Jeremy walked around with this bat all day long

Lisa

Cori and Chad playing corn hole

J's Dad

Shannon

Artichoke Dip

This is my friend Kim's recipe for artichoke dip. I was able to make it ahead for Thanksgiving, and then pop it in the oven just before serving. I doubled the recipe. It is a delicious recipe, that is lighter and more healthy than most cheesy dips. The dip is pretty spicy as is, so you may want to cut the cayenne by half if you don't like super spicy. Kim likes to serve this with whole wheat tortillas that are cut up, and baked until crisp. I went the easy way for Thanksgiving and served with Wheat Thins. This is excellent with your favorite tortilla chip or cracker.

Artichoke Dip

-1-15 oz can artichokes(drained and chopped)

-1/4 cup low-fat mayo

-1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

-1/2 cup grated parmesan

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-1 tsp coarsely chopped parsley

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients except the parsley. Spread evenly in a pan. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes or lightly brown, stirring halfway through. Top with parsley.

Shannon

Not Your Mamma's Tuna Casserole

This recipe is way better than the traditional cream of... soup version. It has more flavor, is more economical (without buying the processed soup), and is a bit healthier. The recipe for the white sauce could be used in any recipe to replace the standard cream of... soup, just add desired veggies or meat to achieve the needed replacement. It's the same technique as making a standard white sauce or gravy, and is very versatile.

Tuna Casserole

-1 lb. whole wheat egg noodles, cooked al dente to package directions
-1/4 c. butter
-4 stalks celery, diced
-1 onion, diced
-1/4 c. flour
-1 t. salt
-1/2 t. black pepper
-1 1/2 c. skim milk
-2-3 cans water-packed tuna, fully drained
-3/4 c. light mayonnaise
-2 c. frozen peas, thawed
-Spices to play along with dish- curry, dill, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, cumin, thyme, lemon pepper (my current favorite is 2 teaspoons of garlic powder along with 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1/8 tsp. of cayenne)
-Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in celery and onions. Cook for 3 minutes, until veggies are slightly cooked but still crispy. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened to a condensed cream-of soup consistency. Cool. In a large bowl, combine cooled sauce, tuna, mayonnaise and peas. Stir in any additional desired seasonings and salt & pepper, to taste. Add cooked noodles, stir to coat and pour into a large casserole dish. (Can be refrigerated until dinnertime at this point.) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.

Some optional topping ideas: shredded cheese, breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter, crushed potato chips or crackers, crushed goldfish (these would all be excellent, but we like ours on the healthy side and skip these options).

Shannon

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

-12 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds and ribs removed
-4 oz cream cheese, softened (I use Neufatchel)
-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I use reduced fat)
-1/8 tsp. cayenne
-1/8 tsp. cumin
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix cheeses and spices together. Stuff pepper halves with cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Shannon

homemade broth

last night we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some take out dinner on our way to a friends house to watch a movie. Jeremy picked out a rotisserie chicken for his dinner and happily ate all of the meat. i decided to seize the opportunity to use the leftover chicken carcass to make some homemade broth.

i placed the chicken carcass in my slow cooker and added some leftover onions, celery, and parsley stems that i had sitting in the freezer. i filled my slow cooker up with water, added some black peppercorns and a teaspoon of salt. i cooked all of this on low for about 8-10 hours. then i strained the broth, discarded the veggies, picked through the meat and froze it for a casserole at a later date, chilled the broth, skimmed the fat off, and then divided the broth into storage containers. i plan on using all of the broth for dishes this week, but if i didn't i would have frozen it in 1 cup portions in freezer bags, and maybe an ice cube tray for smaller portions.

the slow cooker all ready to cover and turn on (i left the extra bits of meat on the bones)

the beautiful dark, rich broth

i managed to salvage 1 cup of chicken pieces that had fallen off the bones while cooking and plan to use them for a soup, pizza, or casserole in the near future

shannon