Super Fast Pasta Bake

I know we all have days where the last thing we want to do is make dinner.  I have these a lot.  But in efforts of saving money I force my self to come up with something.  This looks like it would be a great save.  Dump it in a pan, put it in the oven, and walk away.  Or whip up a batch of these dreamy bread sticks.  
So, give this a try and let me know how you like it and what changes you make.  Happy cooking.
Recipe and photos are from realmomkitchen.com.

Super Fast Pasta Bake

8 oz. elbow macaroni or other small shaped pasta (I used mini bow tie pasta)
4 1/4 cups spaghetti/marinara sauce
1 cup water
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ( I used a cheese blend)

In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, combine the spaghetti/marinara sauce, water, and tomatoes.  Stir in raw pasta.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45  minutes to 1 hour until pasta is tender.  Top with cheese and place back in the oven uncovered.  Bake a few more minutes until cheese is melted.

Orange-Glazed Bunny Rolls

I am still telling my self that Spring is here.  To me, Spring means Easter. I love Easter, and even though it is still a month away, I thought these Rolls would be a lot of fun.  I just got a half a case of oranges too, so that was even more of an incentive.  This recipe came from one of my favorite recipe sources tasteofhome.com
Here is the link to the recipe.  The picture and recipe below are from Taste of Home.   Have fun cooking and please share your thoughts and changes.


Orange-Glazed Bunny Rolls

• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 
  GLAZE:
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
• 1/2 teaspoon butter, softened

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled; about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; turn on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 13 pieces. Shape 12 pieces into 12-in. ropes. Fold each in half; twist top half of the open and twice to form ears. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Shape remaining dough into 12 balls. Place one on the loop end of each roll to form a tail; press into dough. cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients; beat until blended. Spread over rolls. Yield: 1 dozen.

Green Salad with Pears, Feta and Cinnamon Walnuts

I believe Spring might actually be coming. Yea.  I am so excited.  To celebrate, I think a salad would be perfect. This salad came from a wonderful site called Jamie Cooks It Up. She has some really great home cooked recipes.    Check out her blog.  You may wonder how you ever did without it.  Here is the link to the recipe.  The recipe and photo below are from Jamie Cooks It Up.

Green Salad with Pears, Feta and Cinnamon Walnuts

Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 15 servings

Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Cinnamon Walnuts:

1 C walnuts, chopped

1/4 C sugar

1/8 t cinnamon

dash salt

Salad:

2 heads green leafy lettuce

1/2 red onion

1 C feta cheese

4 Bartlett pears

Dressing:

1/3 C + 2 T apple cider vinegar (don't laugh at my math skills please.)

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C mayonnaise (I used light)

1/4 C red onion, roughly chopped

1/2 C + 2 T canola oil (again, I am not a mathematician....)

1/4 t dry mustard

1/2 t salt

Juice from 1 lemon

1. In a large hot skillet add your chopped walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook them over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves and begins to make a candy coating along the nuts. Be careful not to let them burn. Pour them out onto a cookie sheet to cool.

2. Put all of your dressing ingredients, but the oil into a blender. Turn the old girl on, and slowly add your oil. Let it blend for about 1 minute after the oil has been added.

3. Chop up your lettuce, red onion, crumble up your feta and add all three to a large bowl.

4. Just before serving slice and chop your pears. Add them to the salad and sprinkle with the Cinnamon Walnuts. Add the dressing a little at a time, and stir the salad to incorporate.You may have a bit of the dressing left over, depending on how large your heads of lettuce are. Don't drowned the salad....you just need enough so that all parts of the salad are lightly coated.

***NOTE: The pears, cinnamon walnuts and dressing should be added just before serving. Brown pears, soggy nuts and wilted lettuce will be your fate if they are added before hand.***

Pumpkin Butter

My other love (I posted about my love of breads last week) is breakfast.  I love trying new breakfast recipes.  This recipe enticed me because it is used in a lot of different recipes.  Most of them, breakfast recipes.  Oh yea!  I also wanted to try it because it is good for you.  I got this recipe at skinnytaste.com.  I am loving her site and very excited to try some of her recipes.  They are especially good if you are looking at staying healthy.  The recipe I am posting for the club is Pumpkin Butter, but you can use your pumpkin butter in this pumpkin smoothie,










or use it to top these pumpkin spice pancakes








or these pumpkin spiced crepes.










Oh man, my mouth is watering.  All the photos and recipes are from skinnytaste.com. Please post your thoughts and any suggestions you have for future recipes.  I am off to cook.


A note from the author:  A few ideas that come to mind with what you can do with pumpkin butter; serve it on toast or scones, add it to your latte for a pumpkin latte, make pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cheesecake, add it to yogurt with granola for a pumpkin yogurt parfait... have I enticed you yet? I cooked a pumpkin in my crock pot and pureed it in the blender, but canned pumpkin would work just as good. I love using real cinnamon sticks for this, but ground cinnamon would work in place of them.

Pumpkin Butter
Gina's Skinny Recipes 
Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1.5 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 88.2 • Fat: 0.3 g • Protein: 1.0 g • Carb: 27.3 g • Fiber: 2.5 g   

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.