SQUASH! Spaghetti

1 medium spaghetti squash
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil (I like OLIVE OIL best)
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups broccoli/cauliflower/spinach (you choose one or all, hehe)
1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning, crushed
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish. Using a fork, prick the skin all over. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, for sauce, saute onion and garlic in oil till onion is tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring often.
3. To serve, remove the squash pulp from the shell by scraping with a fork to get the spaghetti noodle look. Spoon sauce over squash. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

6 C water
6 tsp beef bouillon
1/2 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
4 medium carrots, chopped or sliced
2 large potatoes, diced
1 can corn (undrained)
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 zucchini, sliced

In large pot, bring water and bouillon to boil. Add remaining ingredients except zucchini. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add zucchini and cook another 10 minutes.

Overall, this is pretty easy to make and it makes a ton. It just involves a lot of chopping. Both of my kids will actually eat this - yipee! - so that's another reason why I like to make it.

Veggie Tales

And no, shockingly I am not talking about the cartoon. I am challenging y'all, within the next week or two, to post a fun recipe that is centered around VEGETABLES! Heaven knows my family needs more in their diet and this will be a great way to get past the Meat, Carb, Veggie box that I am stuck in! Have fun with this and lets see if we can generate some yummy meals that is of High Veggie Content! Oh! add a funny "Veggie Tale" - regarding your family and that dreaded...VEGETABLE! Thanks! and I can't wait! Of course...now I need to think of one.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

I received this recipe from a friend of my mother-in-law's...and it is absolutetly scrumptious! I made it for our Branch Christmas Party and before I got a picture of it...it was GONE!!! and about 4-5 women wanting the recipe. Yep! Its a favorite! So here is the recipe!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pkg. cream cheese (or use 2 for a thicker filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
cinnamon & nutmeg

Spread one can of crescent rolls across the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and a couple dashes of nutmeg and cinnamon. Then spread mixture over top of crescent rolls in bottom of pan. Top mixture with second can of rolls. Melt butter & pour on top of rolls. Mix 1/2 cup sugar (I use brown, but you can use either) and cinnamon (atleast 1 tsp...I like about 1 tablespoon) and sprinkle on top of butter. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes! Let it cool slightly and serve!

*Even tastes yummy fully cooled!

Italian Chicken

1 cube butter or margarine
2 pkg dry Italian dressing mix
chicken breasts (boneless)
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Put in crock pot, butter or margarine, Italian dressing mix, and chicken breasts. Cook several hours (I cooked it on low for 6 hours). One hour before serving, take chicken out and break in pieces the size you want. Add cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Return chicken to crock pot. (I cooked in for one more hour on high.) Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes.

We had steamed asparagus with our chicken. I think that peas or broccoli would also go great with it. You definitely want to add a vegetable for nutritional balance. Sorry I forgot to take a picture but it was easy to make and yummy to eat!

Wanna Make Some Whoopie?

When we were in Pennsylvania last weekend we went to an apple orchard and pumpkin farm. They had lots of yummy food and one new dessert we tried was pumpkin whoopie pies. They were so good that I came home and found a recipe for them. The recipe is from Rachael Ray and they are delicious. They taste just like a pumpkin roll but much easier to make. So-get busy making whoopie (pies)!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Silvana Nardone and Christina Stanley-Salerno

From Every Day with Rachael RayOctober 2007

MAKES TWELVE

Prep Time: 35 min

Bake Time: 10 min

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening

Hopefully everyone did their family home evening this week. Here is a great lesson you can do with your family while carving your jack o lantern. I got the lesson from http://inspirationorganization.blogspot.com/ and the recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/.

Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening
Lesson: Because I am His child, I will serve God with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

Scripture:(D&C 4:2). “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.”

This pumpkin is going to help us remember how we can better serve God.

I can open my mind so I can learn about Heavenly Father and his plan for me to return to him.(Cut the top of the pumpkin)

I can repent when I make a wrong choice.(Clean out the inside)

I can keep my eyes open for opportunities to serve others.(Cut the eyes out in shape of heart)

I can be a good friend to everyone and not turn up my nose to anyone.(Cut a nose)

I can open my ears so I can listen and learn.(Cut the ears)

I can open my mouth so I can share the gospel with the world.(Cut the mouth)

I can follow the Saviors example and let my light shine in all that I say and do.(Place a candle inside and light it)

Activity: It is no trick to treat others with kindness: Have small paper pumpkins cut. Family members can write acts of kindness they will do on each pumpkin.

After cleaning out the pumpkin I quickly took the seeds and made these for our treat:

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Sugar and Spice

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes Yields: 4 servings
"This is a delicious unique variation of toasted pumpkin seeds. The seeds are actually candied and then tossed with pumpkin pie spice, sugar and salt. Easy to prepare and hard to mess up. Once you start eating them, you won't be able to stop!"
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds,
rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar,
divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie
spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Larger seeds may take longer.
2.
In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.