Easy smores to go

I don't know if I dreamed this recipe or someone told me about it, or what...but I made a ton of these this Christmas.

Box of graham crackers (honey flavor, not cinnamon)
Jar of marshmallow creme
Bag of milk chocolate chips

Break the graham crackers into quarters
Spread marshmallow creme on one of the quarters, and top with another, to make a little sandwich
Dip in melted milk chocolate chips
Let cool on wax paper. Can put in the freezer after they have set a little, but not directly from dipping (or they will be a mess)

Baked Potato soup

++BIG HIT with the kiddos. This was found, adjusted, cooked and served by my sweet husband. Served with salad. Yum-o.

Ingredients

* 12 slices bacon
* 2/3 cup margarine
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 7 cups milk
* 4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 4 green onions, chopped
* 1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
+1 tsp onion powder
+20 drops of Tobasco sauce


Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Meatloaf recipes-SUPER EASY

what you need

Mix 2 lb. lean ground beef, 1 cup water and 2 beaten eggs and mix & match your recipe from these options...

1. Chicken Stove Top Stuffing, 1/2 cup KRAFT Original BBQ Sauce, 1/2 cup chop onions
2. Cornbread Stove Top, 3/4 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick N Chunky Salsa, 1/2 c chop grn pepper
3. Savory Herbs Stove Top, 1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce, 2 cloves mince garlic
4. Pork Stove Top, 1 jar (12 oz.) mushroom gravy, 1/2 cup each chopped onions & mushrooms

Then follow our simple steps:

HEAT oven to 400°F. Mix ground beef, water, eggs, 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix, 1/4 cup sauce and seasonings.

SHAPE meat mixture into 4 oval loaves on foil-covered baking sheet; top with remaining sauce.

BAKE 30 min. or until meatloaves are done (160ºF).

Butternut Squash Risotto

Reading Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist has inspired me to cook some risotto (or learn to cook some). I'm going to try this recipe this week:

Parmesan Cheese, shredded, 4 tbsp
vegetable broth, 4 cup
White Wine, 2 fl oz
Olive Oil, 2 tsp
Nutmeg, ground, .25 tsp
Butternut Squash, 1 cup, cubes
Garlic, 1 clove minced
Swiss Chard, 1 cup, chopped
Collards, 1 cup, chopped
Arborio rice, .75 cup
Leeks, .5 leek sliced



Directions
Heat 4 cups of vegetable broth or stock and keep warm on low heat.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss peeled and cubed squash with 1tsp olive oil, dash of salt, pepper and minced garlic clove. Roast about 20 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

Boil some water and simmer greens for about 4 minutes. Drain, cool, chop coarsely and set aside. (You can sub kale for either or both the chard and collards)

Heat 1 tsp oil in a heavy saute pan and saute the leeks for a couple of minutes, until they soften. Add the rice and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Add wine and allow rice to absorb it. Add stock, slowly, 1 cup at a time, continuing to stir gently and allowing rice to absorb stock before adding more. Add two cups of broth total.

Stir in the squash and the greens. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, adding stock 1/2-3/4 cup at a time until rice is tender. The rice should be a little saucy.

Add pinch of nutmeg and stir in the cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately.

Peanut butter banana bread

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
From: Cooking Light Made by: Jennifer Green
New recipe-not in COH Cookbook

Ingredients
Bread:
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Glaze:
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.
4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Nutritional Information: Calories:198 ; Fat:7.4g
(sat 2.3g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.8g) ; Protein:4.7g; Carbohydrate:29.7g;
fiber:1.9g; Cholesterol:28mg; Iron:1.1mg; Sodium:200mg; Calcium:27mg

Cavatappi with Arugula Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

From Cooking Light's summer recipes. Can tell I'll have to double the pine nuts. I'll probably serve with some cool chicken or ham that I've baked the day before. And this looks like one of those recipes where it will taste better the second day.

Review: Made the Pesto on Sunday night and left in the fridge until Tuesday evening. Served with cut up chicken breasts and spaghetti. This was a win!

Ingredients

Pesto:
* 5 cups trimmed arugula
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 tablespoons EVOO


Remaining ingredients:
* 1 pound uncooked cavatappi (I'll find something similar that is Whole Wheat)
* 2 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (about 3/4 pound)
* 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

To prepare pesto, combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly pour 1/3 cup water and oil through food chute; process until well blended.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Combine pesto, pasta, and tomatoes in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle pine nuts over pasta. Serve immediately.

Penne with Asparagus, Bacon and Spinach

Ingredients
• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta (whole wheat)
• 2 bacon slices (I'll use turkey bacon, and I will use more than two slices!)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 1/2 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion to bacon pan (with a little Pam or butter if there isn't any grease); sauté 1 minute. Add asparagus and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add pasta, spinach, 1/4 cup cheese, and pepper to pan; toss well. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bacon.

I bet this will be one of those things that is better after it sits a little while, so it would be great to make the night before for the next day's dinner.