Egg and Sausage Breakfast Pockets

This dinner was a hit. Just yesterday at dinner, eating something completely different, my 5 year old daughter asked me when were were going to have breakfast pockets again. When she asks questions like that, I know I have done something right!

These are a really easy weeknight meal or a fun Saturday breakfast. I love that all the yumminess is on the inside so even little hands can hold these. Nice and warm from the oven, you have to try these!

Ingredients:

3 cups Heart Healthy Bisquick
1 cup fat free/low fat milk
6 eggs, beaten, scrambled and cooked
salt and pepper (for eggs)
1/2 lb. turkey sausage, crumbled and cooked
grated cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, or pepper jack

1. This is nice and easy. First, mix up your bisquick and milk. Once it has formed a dough, plop it onto a floured counter and  roll out into a nice big rectangle. Make sure your surface is good and floured because you don't want these sticking when you are trying to assemble them. You want your dough to be fairly thin. If not when they cook up you will have a TON of biscuit and not enough filling. They puff up :)
 2. Next, you are going to cut your dough into smaller rectangles. About 4x6 inches. You should be able to make 8-9 pockets. Now you are going to fill them. Add a bit of cheese, sausage, and egg right to the middle of your rectangle. You are now going to bring up all the edges and sides and pinch them in the center. Keep your fingers floured so you don't have a sticky mess, too. Flip it over and place it on a greased cookie sheet. It is ok if they don't look beautiful, they will once they are cooked.
3. Assemble the rest of your pockets and put them in a 450 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
4. My family loves dipping them in ketchup but they are great on their own. Add a fruit salad and smoothies and you have dinner.... or breakfast!

* it would be great to make a batch and keep them wrapped in the freezer for a quick breakfast too!

(Light) New York Cheesecake

Cheesecake sounded really good so I whipped one up this past weekend. My husband and I love cheesecake. This recipe is very easy and light too! Believe me you can't tell. My husband said this my be the best cheesecake I have ever made! There is a hit of lemon and combined with the creamy cake, it pairs up perfectly. Add a bit of raspberry sauce on top and it is heaven. Believe me. So. Good.



Ingredients:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons margarine, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

5 packages of reduced fat cream cheese, soft (room temp)

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 egg beaters

2 egg yolks

Raspberry sauce:

1 package frozen raspberries

3-4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

1. In a small bowl mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and the melted butter together. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

2.In a large bowl or mixer beat cream cheese, 1 3/4 cup sugar, the flour, lemon peel and the salt until smooth. Beat in the egg beaters and yolks until well blended. Pour over the graham cracker crust.

3. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to 250 and bake for an hour longer. ( I kept mine in for another 30 minutes because the center wasn't done, but every oven is a bit different) The center will become firm after it has time to cool. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the warm oven for another 30 minutes. Next remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

5. I know it seems like a lot of cooling steps but believe me it is worth it! Ok, next carefully run a knife around the side of the cheesecake to loosen the sides. Put it in the fridge uncovered for 3 hours. After the cake has cooled cover it and refrigerate another 9 hours to firm up. I always make mine in the evening and let it cool over night. Then it is ready the next day. You could always make it in the morning and have it for dessert that evening.

6. Run a knife around edges again and carefully remove the side of the pan. Top with raspberry or chocolate sauce.

Sauce:

1. Dump your whole bag of raspberries into a saucepan and bring them to a simmer. When they are nice and soft add your sugar. Taste and add more sugar to your liking. Now, I strain my sauce to take out all the seeds because my hubby doesn't like having seeds in his teeth. So if you want to strain them out, now is the time. Use a mesh strainer and strain all the berries into a bowl so the sauce is smooth. Put the sauce back into the sauce pan and bring it to a simmer. Combine your cornstarch with about a 1/2 teaspoon of water and add it to the sauce. Bring it to a boil and stir until your sauce has thickened. Let it cool and drizzle over your cheesecake!

Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Green Beans and Orzo

This was the BEST summer dish! So good. We all loved it. Even the company that we had over. One of the firefighters that my husband works with came over and for some reason I always try out new recipes on company, hoping it will turn out...and it did! I can't wait to have this again. Yum. It was super fast to put together and the fresh summer ingredients really made this meal!

2 cups dried orzo

2 1/2  fresh green beans

1 lb. chicken tenders

2-3 peaches, cut in wedges

dried thyme

salt and pepper

olive oil
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil (I added a couple chicken bouillon cubes for more flavor). Toss your orzo in and cook for 8-10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add in your green beans to cook them. Don't drain until I tell you to :)
2. While your pasta is cooking, brush your chicken with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle both sides with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Also brush your peaches with a little oil. You do NOT want your peaches to stick to the grill. That is bad. Put your chicken and peaches on the grill and cook about 4 minutes a side on medium/high heat. You want those pretty grill marks on your peaches too. I actually didn't flip my peaches. I just let them heat through on one side and the marks were there without having to fiddle with them and it turned out perfect.
3. When your chicken is done and your pasta is done drain your pasta and beans and then return them to the pot. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese right in there and sprinkle some salt and pepper too. Toss that all together. Taste and see if you need more seasoning. Then plate by giving a nice mound of pasta and beans topped with sliced chicken and peach wedges. SO. GOOD. Enjoy!

* Add some muffins and you are set!

Pesto Tortellini

This is a great fresh summer dish.  Only three ingredients! It is light, meat free, and you can't beat the clean herb flavor. This comes together quick with fresh pasta tortellini and is one of my favorite pasta dishes. Just add a colorful fruit salad and fresh tomatoes on the side and dinner is served!

Ingredients:

16 oz. package of fresh cheese filled tortellini (it is in the refrigerated section by the cheese)
1 package of Knnor brand pesto (it comes in a package by packaged taco seasoning and it is a dry mixture)
fresh Parmesan cheese

1. See, only three ingredients but tons of flavor. Ok, so first get your pasta cooking. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Probably around 9-11 minutes. While the pasta is cooking make your pesto.
2. About pesto. You can certainly buy a container of already made pesto at your grocery store but I just make my own to control the fat and calorie content.
3.  I stray away from the back of the package directions. I pour the dry pesto into a small sauce pan. Then I add 2 tablespoons of low-fat Italian dressing (you can also use olive oil too). I turn the heat to medium and then add water a little bit at a time and stir your sauce using a whisk. By adding water a little bit at a time you can decided how thick or thin you want your sauce. So add water until you reach the consistency you like. Pesto has a strong but good herb flavor so it won't look like a lot but it will be....... don't worry :)
4. Before your drain your pasta, dip a measuring cup in the pasta water to save some of starchy water for later. Ok, now drain your pasta and return it back to the pot is was cooking. Now, pour your pesto over your tortellini and toss to coat. If your pasta seems a bit dry, just add a splash of the starchy pasta water.
5. Plate your pasta and grate fresh Parmesan cheese right on top.

No Bake Candy Bars

I made these up one night with my girls because we were craving something sweet! They turned out sooooo good! They are sweet, salty, and crunchy. They are perfect for summer because there is no oven required. All of these ingredients you might even have in your kitchen, so whip some up tonight!

Ingredients:

graham crackers
25 caramels
2 tablespoons milk
mini marshmallows
pretzels, broken into small pieces
chocolate chips (I did a heaping cup)

1. This is a really easy treat. Start by lining your 8x8 pan with a piece of foil. Next make a layer of graham crackers to fit the bottom of your pan. I trimmed a couple of pieces with a serrated knife to make a perfect fit.
2. Unwrap all your caramels and put them in a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoon of milk and pop it in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds and give it a stir. Continue with 30 seconds at a time and stirring until it is smooth and creamy.
3. Pour HALF of the caramel over the crackers. Just drizzle it over. I doesn't have to be perfect, you are going to put lots of good stuff on top of it. Next, pour an even layer of mini marshmallows on the caramels. Kinda press them into the caramel. Yum. Ok next.
4. Pour (or drizzle for better coverage) the rest of the caramel over the marshmallows. Sprinkle an even layer of pretzels on top of the caramel and press them in too. Next and last.... melt the chocolate chips in a bowl (30 seconds at a time again until smooth) and pour the chocolate on top of the pretzels. Smooth out with a knife and set in the fridge until set.
5. When they are set, pull the foil out and cut into bars.

Garlic Knots

We all know that I have an obsession with bread. Anything bread I love! I love making bread. I make fresh bread for my family a few times a week so we can have toast and sandwiches. Now my kids love bread. It is a vicious cycle really. But is it oh so good.

I also love making rolls, bread sticks, and tortillas for dinner. So these garlic knots were perfect for our pasta dinner the other night.

Now, this is a bread machine recipe. I love my bread machine. But I have a confession.....I use it only for dough making. It does all the work and makes no mess. I just dump everything in and in an hour my dough is ready for rising. Wonderful! Now if you don't have a bread machine then just use your favorite roll dough recipe or frozen rolls. Easy peasy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 cup warm water

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup sugar

3 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons yeast

melted butter

garlic granules

1. Start by putting your soft butter in the bottom of the bread maker pan. In a measuring cup, beat your egg and add a little bit of the warm water while mixing. This will temper the egg. Add the rest of your water to the egg and add both to the pan.

2. Next, add your flour. I do a combination of all purpose and whole wheat but you can do whatever you like :) Just make sure it equals 3 1/4 cup. Add the sugar right on top. Then add salt and yeast. Pop in into your bread maker and press the DOUGH setting.

3. When it has finished rising in the pan, remove from pan and punch down. Roll it out and cut into strips. At this point if you are using your own dough or a frozen (now defrosted) do the same. Tie the strips into knots and place on a greased cookie sheet. Do the same for all your dough strips. Let rise for about 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 365 degrees for10-12 minutes until light golden brown. As soon as these come out of the oven brush them with butter ( I used melted tub butter) and sprinkle with garlic granules. Eat and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Marshmallows

I know this may seem like a fall side dish, but this is my families favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. My kids gobble this up.....and then ask for seconds. It makes me so happy. There are like a million different versions of this dish out there but I have experimented and tweaked my own to make it perfect with a lot less sugar and fat in it. Tonight at dinner my husband told me that I got the proportions perfect.

Boo ya.

So, try it and I know you will love it!

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes (yams)

2 tablespoons tub butter (I use Brummel and Brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

marshmallows

coconut

1. First poke all your potatoes with a fork and pop them into the microwave. I have a "baked potato" setting that I just push and let my microwave do all the work. But, if your microwave doesn't have that setting, just cook them on high for 5 minutes. Test them to see if they are soft all the way through. If the are still hard, just add on a minute at a time until they are done. I usually do this a couple hours ahead of time so they have time to cool. It is NOT fun to peel the skin off of a burning hot potato.

2. After your potatoes have cooled, peel them and put them into a bowl. Use a potato masher and mash them until they are creamy. Next add in your butter, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix it all together and scoop into a casserole dish.

3. Preheat your oven to 425. Right before you put your dish in the oven, sprinkle some marshmallows and coconut right on top. As much as you want :)

4. Bake for 15 minutes until warm. Then broil for just a minute or 2 until your marshmallows and coconut are golden brown. Eat and enjoy!

* This can be made a couple of hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge.