recommendation: delicious lasagna soup

I've been watching a lot of cooking shows lately and Paula Deen and her southern drawl have me drooling over chocolate layered cakes, cheesy potatoes, fried pickles and more. Her shows often include guests and her sons Jamie and Bobby make frequent appearances. I found a recipe from them online (ok. fine. pinterest), and knew I could trust it because anyone who cooks with Paula knows what they are doing. The Deen brothers took Paula's original recipe and lightened it up. The picture on the left is mine before the cheese, the one on the right is Paula's :)

Here are his instructions:
Bobby’s Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
*note 1 - I used 4 of the 5 sausages. Truth be told, I probably would have been fine with 3, and then I would have had 2 left over that I could have used for another dinner...
NOTE #2, updated 1/9/12 - we used Jennie O's Hot Italian Turkey Sausage and it adds good heat! *
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (i use preminced garlic from a jar)
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
*note - I couldn't find ww lasagna noodles that were decently priced. So i got regular noodles that gave me double the amount for half the price so I could make another meal out of the extra noodles.*
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (i used a 4 cheese reduced fat italian blend)
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional, i skipped)

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

I served this with bread rolls (take a french loaf, slice up, put butter, paprika, a sprinkle of parm cheese, cook in oven at 350 for 15 minutes). It made a large pot of soup but after 1 large bowl each, my hubby and I were full. Leftovers may need a little extra broth if any leftover added because it thickens in the fridge. This recipe is awesome for a cold day and definitely worth trying!

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 3 of 3

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. Here is the last of the 3 part Pinterest posts!

3. Kitchen Wall Art - inspiration:

reason:
thought it would be fun to have a little eye candy in the kitchen since I spend a lot of time in there

steps:
started poking around on etsy and found some amazing food inspired posters but then realized they came in 8 x 10 or bigger and that's unframed... I just don't have the wall space for that. not to be deterred, i decided to search for greeting cards instead which oddly enough were not difficult to find! 5 i got in San Fran, the others I ordered on etsy. all but 1 are actual greeting cards, the pancake pic is just a 5 x 7 print. frames came from ikea, i thought the metal would be more utilitarian for the kitchen work space

final product:
love this project and had so much fun putting it together. collecting anything is fun. its like a game, every time I saw a card rack, I had to go peek to see if I could find anything that would fit the wall. the best part is, since they are greeting cards and most were relatively inexpensive ($2.50 - $15.00), I can replace some of them if we ever get bored of them and need a change. so happy with the way this turned out and definitely recommend this pin!

side note:
etsy was the perfect way to make this collection happen. creative artists and great prices. here are the resources that were used to collect artwork for this collage:
- Pancake Art
- Kiss the Cook
- Your My All Thyme Favorite
- Be Grounded (this one didn't make it up on the wall but its on my fridge. always stay grounded!
- Peas and Carrots
- 1950's Kitchen

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 2 of 3

2. Antique Inspired Mason Jars - inspiration:

reason:
I had been looking for the blue tinted mason jars, which are antiques, so harder to find and more expensive per jar. Instead of buying the antique version, why not just make our own?

steps:
bought mason jars, followed directions as listed on Momtastics blog. I tried the project twice. Because the first time it didn't seem tinted enough so the second time I put more food coloring in. The second time I did it with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law's wife, so we all picked different colors.

final product:
sadly did not work either time. first time the jar looked the same color when it dried, even though I tinted it teal. the second time, i put more modge podge and food coloring, and it left a big ring at the bottom and was all splotchy. directions said to cook for 30 minutes or longer if there are streaks, i cooked it for like 2 hours and still, no change. deleted this pin from my 'to make' board. so yeah... this is actually an UN-recommendation

side note:
i did also try this with an empty martinelli's apple juice jar b/c the leave detail at the top is so pretty. since the project didn't turn out and I didn't want to waste the jar, I spray painted it gold (of course) and will put some branches of red bittersweet berries coming out of it for display at Christmas time. will probably spray paint the other mason jars for something so that i don't waste them!

recommendation: actually DO the things you PIN, part 1 of 3

ok here is the deal with pinterest. its an obsession and pretty much a dream world. you spend hours, floating around from pretty picture to pretty picture and there are ideas that seem so realistic and do-able, but you pin pin pin away and spend all this time in this dream world and waste time pining instead of DOING.

well i had three projects that I set out to actually DO. here's how they went:

1. Pantry Project - inspiration on right, original pantry on left

reason:
who doesn't want a pretty pantry? if you have to look at it on a daily basis, mind as well make it gorgeous. the previous owners took two half shelves to make 1 full shelf which resulted in it being uneven, two different shades of white, and pretty scratched up

steps:
we took out all shelves in the cabinet. we probably could of reused some of the wood but decided to start from scratch. at home depot, we found raw wood and had them slice it to our closet measurements. we got 3 full size shelves and 1 cut in half to make 2 half shelves. I don't remember the exact price but I want to say each sheet of raw wood was $8 and we went through 4, they cut it for free.

we had a painter over who was painting a bunch of small projects and touching up other spots in the house (including the damage the movers did! hmph!) so he primed and painted the boards an off white. after a few days of drying, my mom laid down contact paper that we got from Ace (buy a lot just in case and return leftovers... i didn't buy enough and had to call around to 3 different stores to find more of the same print). We got it in the funnest posh print - this is what makes the pantry. you can get contact paper in so many different patterns these days. i love how neutral it is. and ta-da! brand new closet!

final product:
love it! cute but functional. pin worth doing - yes, that means not all of them are. stay tuned for part 2 of 3, coming soon.

recommendation: chocolate chip pumpkin cake

November 2004 - I had just met my now-hubby a few months earlier and his younger sister's birthday was approaching. I wanted to do something special for my amazing now-sis-in-law, so i went on the hunt for a lactose sensitive birthday cake recipe. I was trying to find something that was still yummy but that wouldn't upset her tummy. and I stumbled across this goldmine of a recipe. i have dairy issues too, i'm not a complete 'lactard' as my friend evie calls it, but this recipe works well for those who are at either end of the spectrum for IBS or lactose issues. since its so delicious, you don't miss the dairy and it pleases everyone!

i have found a reason to make this cake every year since - her birthday, thanksgiving, or just because its fall. the recipe is that good. i've made it in a bundt cake pan, a rectangular cake pan, and a loaf pan. Any and all works but bundt is best as its what the original recipe intended for.

(Hannah's) Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake
1 small can pumpkin
3 cups white flour
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs (or egg white equivalent - I use eggbeaters)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola or veggie oil (I use 3/4 cup)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I've never put in before)
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except chips and nuts in a large bowl. Then add chips and nuts. Spray/grease pan. Spoon into a large bundt pan (or rectangular cake pan). Bake from 30-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, invert onto serving plate (if using bundt pan. if regular pan, no need to invert). Sprinkle with powder sugar if desired.

*I know the cooking range is huge but totally depends on oven and pan. It really has taken me different bake times before!

Easy enough, right? Happy Pumpkin season!

recommendation: sparkling coconut water

i love finding new products but i hate when i find out they are only new to me and the rest of the world has already known about its awesomeness for months. It came out in June, but may i present... La Croix Coconut Sparkling Water. Its yum. I bought a single can at the grocery store - I only saw them in skinny cans, not normal size but I do believe they exist - rumor has it Target carries them. I was waiting for a special meal to try it but then my friend Evie sent me a pic that she found it too and I got jealous so decided to try mine right away. Mixed reviews at first (similar to my reaction with flavored coconut water) but by the end of the can, I was happy and thinking of all of its possibilities. Low-calorie Pina Colada's? Add to fruit punch for party punch? I think this drink is better suited for summer but as I love pretty much anything coconut (still on the hunt for the coconut twix but am starting to think maybe it was a seasonal promotion?), I couldn't resist recommending you to try it!

Note: don't confuse this with coconut water. its not sparkling coconut water, its coconut flavored sparkling water.

recommendation: top 10 sandwiches

here are my top 10 sandwiches. I know that's a big statement, so here's the small print:
not in order! not of all time ever (duh, I have lots more sandwich eating days ahead of me! not of my life! just the ones that I've tried, remember and crave on a regular basis:

1. Izzy’s Hogie Shop, Ann Arbor
Order: Grilled Cheese with Tomato on Rye with pickle on side OR the veggie no mushrooms OR cheesesteak hoagie (all of which are dipped in ranch!). They catered my high school graduation party and still remember my order - love this place!

2. Zingerman’s Deli, Ann Arbor
Order: Honestly anything there is amazing, but when I want to enjoy but not overindulge - Sheila's Viva Las Vegan - hummus, artichokes, roasted red peppers and baby spinach on grilled farm bread

3. Amer’s, Ann Arbor
Order: #44 Chix, Cuke, Ranch, White Vermont Cheddar. Messy but worth it.

4. Cosi, nationwide
Order: TBM Lite (that's tomato, basil, mozz, light balsamic vinaigrette), nice and simple, salty bread, easy craving to fill. Plus they have the most funnest soda machine ever - digital where you pick your flavor.

5. L’Appitito, Chicago
Order: Italian sub, hot giardinara. If you go to the Hancock Building location in nice weather, sit out on the steps while you eat, good people watching

6. Eataly, NYC
Order: Soprasetta Sandwich. Quite possibly one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Ever.

7. Cemitas Puebla, Chicago
Order: Carne Asada (sesame bread, avocado, adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese and papalo). Featured on diners drive-ins and dives!

8. Panozzo, Chicago
Order: American Sub, no mayo plus vinaigrette, American cheese, house banana peppers. This place was walking distance from our Chicago home so we went there like once a week. Worth it! But check hours, closed on Mondays. Daily specials!

9. Chick’Inn, Ypsilanti
Order: Cheese Steak Hoagie, plus peanut butter chocolate milkshake. Walking distance from in-laws, this place is greasy goodness.

10. Seva, Ann Arbor
Order: Grilled Pesto Pizza Sandwich and an Orange soda

Happy Eating!

recommendation: bake with leftover candy

well Halloween was a great success! 105 kids, 2 raves from little girls on my kitty ears, hubby called Pumpkin Man b/c of pumpkin face t-shirt ($0.85 at Value World), 2 mommy compliments on my polka dot pumpkin and lots of kid comments on my ghost milk jugs. yay! i have a bowl of whoppers left from Halloween and I am just too happy about that... because I hate whoppers. can you imagine if it was all reeses? that would be serious trouble. i hate to waste them, so I've been scouring the internet for ideas, and here are the top contenders:

whopper brownies from Blue Eyed Bakers

whopper pie from Mommys Kitchen

whopper cookies from Cast Sugar

whopper milkshake from Cafe Coco Creations

please vote and i will make the most popular item this week! :)