Tasty Tuesday's

Skillet Lasagna (Original Recipe from America's Test Kitchen modified by my mom and I):

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, finally chopped
5 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
Ground black pepper to taste
Dash of Cayenne pepper
1/4 to 1/2 red pepper flakes to taste
1lb. lasagna noodles
1lb. browned ground beef, drained
1 tub low fat ricotta cheese
3 - 14oz cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1 cup reserved pasta water

Pasta Directions:
Break up lasagna noodles and partially cook for about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.

Directions:
Heat oil until simmering, add onion and lightly salt to cook faster. Once onion are transparent, add red pepper flakes and garlic, saute until onion and garlic are well mixed. Add ground beef and spices, mixing well, then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup reserved pasta water. Mix well and stir in broken lasagna pieces. Cook over medium heat (simmer) for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When noodles are tender and liquid is mostly incorporated, dollop ricotta on top, remove from heat and cover to heat through (about 5 - 10 minutes). (Some liquid will be retained and that is fine.) Serve with shredded mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday's

Crock-Pot Pot Roast:

Instant Minced Onion
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon OR 1 packet of onion or beefy onion soup mix
Garlic Powder
Ground Black Pepper
8 small baking potatoes OR 4-5 larger potatoes cut in half
8 medium carrots OR equivalent of baby carrots

Put the roast in the crock pot and sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder (not too heavy). Sprinkle onion and Councillor on top. Place potatoes and carrots around the edges of the roast. Fill crock pot about half full with water, careful not to knock the seasoning off the roast while trying to get as many of the potatoes and carrots under the water as possible. Set crock pot on high and cook about 3 - 4 hours or more until roast is fork tender and falls apart. Reserve drippings in crock pot for homemade gravy. ENJOY!

Pinterest Pick of the Week!

This week I bring you a beautiful Fall Centerpiece that wouldn't cost much if anything at all!

(Source: Babble.com)

All you need is a cylinder vase, some grape vine (or a grape vine wreath that will fit in your vase), acorns, some beautiful fall leaves and a candle! Stunning centerpiece that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Tasty Tuesday's

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Original Recipe from Rachel Ray, this is my take on it!):

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
8 slices ham (2 slices per breast)
8 slices provolone or swiss cheese (2 slices per breast)
Basil
Salt
Ground Pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
You will also need kitchen twine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay chicken flat and place ham and cheese on top. Roll each breast and tie with 3-4 pieces of kitchen twine. Heat a frying pan with olive oil over high heat and sear chicken rolls on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side or until medium brown and lightly crispy. Place chicken on a baked sheet and sprinkle all sides with basil, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to oven to cook through, about 15-20 minutes.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before removing twine. To serve, cut each breast at a sharp angle. Enjoy!

Pinterest Pick of the Week!

So since I'm still in Fall Decoration mode here is another great idea I found on Pinterest that is cheap and easy!

(Source: Eating My Candy)

I decided to give this a shot myself so here's my version!

(Source: Yours truly)

I only have one right now but I'm hoping to make a few more soon! I love how it turned out! I applied the paint extra thick so it really enhanced the wood grain and gave it the look of a real pumpkin.

For the stem I used a piece of wood that I hammered over a nail. To achieve this, use a small drill bit to make a hole in the top of the wood and insert the nail upside down so the point is facing up. Next use some glue to hold the nail in place, once dry hammer your stem onto the nail point. The curly-q's were made using floral wire that I twisted around a pen to get it's shape!

Hope you like this idea it's easy, fun and cheap!

Tasty Tuesday's

One-Pot Rigatoni:

1lb. browned ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (more or less to your taste)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms (if desired)
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 - 15oz cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 cups rigatoni pasta
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon chili powder

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add onions (and mushrooms) and saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato sauce and spices. Mix well and add pasta; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Top with shredded mozzarella and or parmesan cheese as desired. Enjoy!

Easy Canvas Prints

Recently I had the opportunity to give Easy Canvas Prints a try. And let me tell you I was more than pleased with the result! Their website is easy to navigate and the photo to canvas process they offer is easy and simple to use. Other websites that offer the same product can be confusing and time consuming. I had my picture turned into a canvas in about 5 minutes including the download time of my image. The quality of the canvas is wonderful, see for yourself!

(Source: Yours truly)

The colors are vibrant and beautiful! Their prices are so reasonable too! And right now they are running a special of 25% off all canvases with FREE shipping! So hurry and go pick out your favorite photo and turn it into a stunning canvas picture!