Tomato Tortellini Soup

I got this recipe out of the recent Taste of Home magazine. I thought it looked easy, tasty and something a little different from our normal. I halved the recipe because it served 10 people but when I put in half the amount of tortellini I felt it wasn't hearty enough for me, so I ended up using the whole package. I also felt it was lacking just a little in flavor, so I think next time I make it I will add more seasonings, I would recommend just adding to your taste. This is the recipe halved, so if you can double it if you want. I also made homemade bread sticks.. I got the recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. If you would like it you can go here. They were very yummy!


Tomato Tortellini Soup (5-6 servings)

1 package frozen cheese tortellini (or you could use fresh, frozen is just cheaper)
1 can healthy request tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (I had this yummy Parmesan mix I found at walmart in the bagged shredded cheese section.. it was SO GOOD!)
Additional shredded Parmesan, optional

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, In a dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

So, I know this blog is dinner for dollars.. but today I am all about breakfast for dollars. hehe. I guess you could eat this for dinner if you wanted to. I was going to wait until I got some fresh fruit to photograph this dish because well.. there's just not much to it! Wanted to give it some color.. but it's so yummy, I decided to photograph it when I made it for breakfast this morning. This is more like eating an oatmeal cookie for breakfast than eating plain old oatmeal. It crisps up nicely in the oven giving it a bit of crunch. It is so rich, you probably won't want to add any more sugar to it when it's done. Fresh fruit is super yummy in it though. It's even good reheated for 30 seconds to a 1 minute in the microwave the next day. Yum!


Amish Baked Oatmeal
(from the taste of home)

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
warm milk
fresh fruit, optional

Combine first 8 ingredients; mix well. Spread evenly in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes(I go to 30 minutes, I like it crispy) or until edges are golden brown. Immediately spoon into bowls and add warm milk. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

A dinner recipe coming soon!

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes

I have been wanting to make some yummy scalloped potatoes for a while.. I decided to do it yesterday. Most of the recipes I saw had heavy cream in them and being as it was Sunday and I don't have heavy cream in my fridge, I searched for a recipe that contained stuff I have.. and I found one that has stuff I ALWAYS have on hand. Let me tell you.. IT WAS SO GOOD! I love it! I made mine quite different from the recipe I found. It called for swiss cheese but I used a cheddar/jack mix. Yum! Anyways, I didn't manage to get a photo of it we ate it all! But I thought I would share it anyway, because yeah it was good! I will definitely be adding it to our cook often list. I'm thinking it would be awesome with my Salisbury steak recipe.

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes
Altered from a recipe at allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 pounds potatoes scrubbed clean
1-2 cups shredded cheese of your choice.

Preheat oven to 375. Rub oil over 9x13 baking dish. Thoroughly mix broth, milk, flour and basil together in a saucepan, cook over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes or until thickened; set aside. Cut potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place half of the potato slices in overlapping pattern in baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon half the broth mixture over the potatoes and half of your cheese. Repeat. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and cheese is slightly brown.


Here is the original recipe from the site.. the skinny comes from it being low in fat.. mine wasn't this low in fat.. I like more cheese and I used 2 % milk. :) But if you want the skinny.. go here.

Crockpot sweet and sour meatballs

So, you know how I said I never buy frozen meatballs... well.. I was walking into Walmart the other day and walked past Subway.. The smells just made me crave a meatball sandwich, and we had hoagies at home. So, I gave in and bought some frozen ones so I could easily make me a meatball sandwich for lunch, it was divine. Anyway, so I now have some store bought frozen meatballs in my freezer and I needed to use a few things in my fridge(pineapple and the sweet and sour sauce). So, I decided to throw it all in my crockpot and see how it all tasted. YUM YUM YUM! My pregnant body could hardly handle smelling it all day, I wanted to dive in! After my husband got home I was constantly asking him if he was hungry yet.. after the 3rd no.. I decided I was going to test them out. I ate 5 meatballs before we even ate. They were so yummy and super easy! Anyway, I love this sauce and have used it on chicken before but it was very good for this too, so I would recommend getting it if you can.

I have found it's cheapest at Walmart, if you can find it at yours! Anyway here is the recipe. I wish I got paid to advertise this sauce, but really.. I just like it! I also use their fajita sauce every now and then.


Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
frozen meatballs (as many as you need for your family)
1 bottle sweet and sour sauce (I prefer world harbors)
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits, mostly drained
1/2 of green pepper diced
Garlic salt (to taste, I probably used a teaspoon, makes it a little more savory and not so sweet)
Hot cooked rice

Combine first 5 ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on low or until heated. Serve over hot cooked rice.

I have also fallen in love with crockpot liners. They are definitely a nice thing to have, but can be a little pricey. I think it's worth it, most of the time. :)

Shout out for my friends.

This sweet couple would be my friends Paige and Nick. Paige was one of the first people I met and became friends with when I moved down to St. George to go to college. We were in the same singles ward for a few years and then both got married about a month apart and went to the same married ward. Paige and Nick have been trying to adopt, and they remind us that the adoption process usually begins through a friend or family member. So, I am posting this in hopes that someone may read this and maybe pass it along. Then, maybe my friends can receive what they desire, to become parents. I know they will make the very best of parents! To learn more about them you can go to their adoption blog. http://paigeandnick.blogspot.com/

Sooner than I thought...

While I am still not feeling up to cooking every night. I have been able to cook the past few nights and also had the energy to do the dishes. Which is a big improvement.. But, I don't know if it will continue or not.. we will see. I made this Veggie Meatball soup tonight and it was so yummy! It was super easy too! I know during this time of year easy meals are important to alot of people. I used my homemade meatballs but the recipe calls for frozen. So, you can make it as easy as you want. I usually make up big batches of my homemade meatballs(my hubby and I think they taste much better than the stores) and then freeze them. So, I usually have some on hand. If you would like my meatball recipe, let me know and I will post it. The recipe also calls for a can of stewed tomatoes, I think next time I will try Italian stewed tomatoes just for a little extra flavor. I also think it would be yummy with some fresh Parmesan cheese grated on top, but I didn't have any.


Veggie Meatball Soup
adapted from the taste of home

1 14 oz can Beef Broth
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed.
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 bag of frozen meatballs, thawed. (depending on how big your bag is.. I would just put in the right amount for each person in your family. I usually do 4 a person.)
2 Bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1 cup pasta (use whatever you have on hand.. I used mini Farfalle)

In a slow cooker, combine the first 6 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Cook pasta as directed on package, drain. Add to soup and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Explaining myself...

Well, I haven't been good at posting lately.. and it's because I haven't been cooking. I've been very sick and cooking something new and yummy just isn't going to happen for a while. I will try to get back to posting soon. But it could be a few weeks.. or even several months before I even have the energy and desire to cook and photograph something. I'll keep you posted!