recommendation: two crockpot recipes to try

All of this snow means one thing... its crockpot weather! We've been trying a bunch of new recipes this winter and we came across two keepers that are make-again recipes. I feel kind of guilty posting them on a Lenten Friday seeing as though they are both chicken recipes but buy today, make tomorrow.

what i like about both of these recipes is that they appear delightfully creamy and gluttonous therefore satisfying, but are actually fairly healthy, disguised! they are both adaptable too, add or take out things that you think would taste good.

first up is: Bacon Ranch Chicken from Healthified Kitchen
4 Servings

2 butterball turkey bacon strips, cooked and shredded
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 package ranch dressing mix
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)
1 cup fat-free sour cream
16 oz. chicken breasts, frozen or defrosted/raw
8 oz. pasta, cooked

Combine the first five ingredients. Place frozen or defrosted/raw chicken in slowcooker sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and pour sauce over the top (do NOT include water like the can mentions). Cook on high for 3.5 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Cook pasta per package instructions on stove. Serve chicken over pasta.

Nutritional Information: 456 calories, 61 carbs, 5 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

the original recipe calls for a full ranch packet but Healthified Kitchen received feedback that the recipe works better with only 3/4 package so its not too overwhelming, so I changed it above. You can use any pasta - we had egg noodles in the house and it tasted great, the recipe reminds me of chicken paprikash. my grandma thinks that mushrooms and artichokes would taste good in this too, and I agree! I also don't use turkey bacon so that probably adds a little more fat in.

Side Recommendation: My new favorite way to cook bacon is to roast it in the oven! its splatter free and you don't have to constantly keep your eye on it. a lot of methods tell you to put it directly on a baking sheet or parchment paper, both work fine. if you have a Nonstick Cooling Rack, put the bacon on that, stick it on top of a jelly roll pan and then the bacon fat drips off and you don't have to use a paper towel after its done in the oven!

recipe #2: From Chef Mommy, Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken)
1 cup your favorite salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup low-fat sour cream
cilantro, for serving (optional) (also option - a little shredded cheddar-jack, black beans and scallion on top)

Directions:
Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined.

I adapted this recipe a little to make it healthier, the original doesn't call for FF/LF anything. I don't like cilantro so I left that off. I also added pinto instead of black beans - I put those in the crockpot to cook with everything, they didn't get too soft. And I added about a half cup of diced white onion. You could really add all kinds of things to this - more beans and corn would be good. I also skipped the shredded cheddar on top but had scallions, olives and tomatoes to add. I served with Skinny Taste's Cilantro Lime Rice (minus the cilantro).

Happy Crockpotting and Stay Warm!

recommendation: caprese dip

i made this pinterest recipe last week when I needed a snack. we had leftover mozzarella, basil and tomatoes from caprese sandwiches the night before. i was so excited to have just found this recipe, perfect timing!

please please visit How Sweet Eats blog for the original recipe, the pictures there are so beautiful and make this recipe a bit more appetizing! And don't forget to read the whole way through the recipe! I basically just cut everything up and put it in a dish into the oven... I didn't even read the NOTE section which is the reason mine turned out only OK - I should have let the tomatoes sit on a paper towel with a little salt to let them sweat - they were too juicy and so the dip was a bit watery. I can't wait to try this recipe again, the right way. I also think it needed to cook a few minutes more because the cheese wasn't quite melted enough, i almost had to cut the dip apart to eat it. nonetheless, it was caprese dip.... so obviously enjoyable to consume. try it out and let me know what you think if any edits need to be made! and my note: if you use a dish with a handle - do not grab the hot handle! ha! i don't know why but any time i have a skillet or dish in the oven, my mind goes dumb and i just grab it and always burn my hand. be careful!

Hot Caprese Dip

serves 2-4
10 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and juiced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (or about 1 tablespoon dried) + more for garnish
Preheat oven to 375.

Make sure tomatoes have as much juiced squeezed out

of them as possible – this will prevent the dip from becoming soupy. In a small baking dish, combine chopped cheese, tomatoes and basil and mix. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes so cheese becomes bubbly and golden. Serve immediately with crackers or melba toasts.

Note: dip may appear “watery” which is why it is VERY important to get as much moisture out of the tomatoes as possible. Also make sure dip is consumed immediately, as the longer it sits, the more juice that develops. Don’t worry if there is a little bit of juice – it is still delicious!

recommendation: cinnamon butter must-buy

Love is in the air. And in my tummy, in the form of a butter! On Friday we were doing a quick grocery shop at Meijer, stocking up on basics for our 'Cousins Ski-Weekend' in Grand Haven, Michigan. I was trying to focus but I was hungry so I kept adding things that looked good to the cart (basically the opposite of what I said I need to NOT do!). Thank goodness I slipped in Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread. I love it!

My first bite of it on an English muffin brought me immediately back to my childhood - my mother always used to make us toast with butter and cinnamon sugar (that she mixed together) sprinkled on the top. This tastes just like that and is less messy because you don't have the cinnamon sugar flying off each bite.

The spread gets quite soft when it reaches room temperature because there is canola oil in it - which is also why its kinda awesome, canola oil is one of 7 total ingredients (cream, sugar, canola oil, water, cinnamon, salt, citric acid).

If you decide to impulse buy ANY item next time you go to the grocery store, put this in your cart. I might be slightly obsessed with it. Put it on anything breakfast-y: toast, bagel, English muffin, pancake, waffle, muffin, etc. OR, put it on a vegetable! I made baked sweet potatoes on Monday and put a little dollop (OK fine, BIG dollop) on it and it was awesome!

Keep spreading the love! (the cinnamon-y kind that comes in the form of butter).

recommendation: risotto love

OK risotto seems completely intimidating. And rightfully so, its a time consuming dish. But most basic risotto recipes while timely, are not difficult! So if you have the time you should go for it since its completely worth trying. And with Valentines day coming up tomorrow, its the perfect dish to impress someone with - to tell them, I made a special (satisfying, comforting, creamy, carb-y) meal for you. Putting love & time into this dish shows them they are worth putting a little extra time in for!

From Wikipedia, here is the general preparation of risotto. Its important to understand this basic procedure because unlike other rice and pastas - it seems odd that you can't just dump the rice in a pot of boiling broth and let it do its thing, instead you have to slowly add liquid until the Arborio rice absorbs it, which is the whole reason it takes a while to prepare!

The rice is first cooked briefly in a soffritto of onion or garlic and butter or olive oil to coat each grain in a film of fat, this is called tostatura; white or red wine is added and has to be absorbed by the grains. When it has evaporated, the heat is raised to medium high and very hot stock is gradually added in small amounts while stirring gently, almost constantly: stirring loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid. At that point it is taken off the heat for the mantecatura when diced cold butter and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are vigorously stirred in to make the texture as creamy and smooth as possible. It may be removed from the heat a few minutes earlier, and left to cook with its residual heat.

Here are two of our favorite recipes. The first time we made them, wait, let me rephrase. The first time my husband made them (he had the day off and I asked him to make this second recipe, how mean and cruel but how amazing the result!), we didn't realize how much time they would each take, so plan ahead! Don't start when hungry!

Note:
- Many risotto recipes will call for Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is NOT the same thing as your normal shredded or grated Parmesan. The flavor is stronger, different. I'm sure you can substitute Parm because Parmigiano-Reggiano is actually quite expensive, but if you can find a small block, the flavor is worth it!

- Shiitake Sweet Pea Risotto Recipe (pic on left). I love to use Trader Joes Frozen petite peas. I know its weird to have a favorite frozen veggie brand but ever since my dad introduced me to them, we've been hooked. They are bright green and perfect looking!

- Barley Butternut Squash Shiitake Risotto Recipe (pic on right). Barley is substituted for Arborio rice in this recipe because it doesn't contain as much starch as the rice so this "risotto" isn't really risotto since its not quite as creamy as traditional recipes... but is healthier!

- Crockpot Risotto. This risotto will offend true risotto lovers, advanced at-home chefs, and any Italians, so I apologize in advance. But I'm including it because one day I was craving risotto so bad, absolutely had to have it but was not willing to put in the time or effort. The consistency is a bit mushier and it was not as great reheated in the microwave - and it makes a huge batch, so you'll have leftovers. BUT - it was pretty delicious the night of and the first round of re-heats and the basil oil was not THAT difficult to make! I used a combination of two recipes - here and here to make it. Worth making if you really want easy risotto.

- Last but not least, I thought I would include my favorite restaurant for risotto in case you are local to Chicago. Coco Pazzo Cafe (don't be confused with Coco Pazzo on Hubbard, same company but this one is the cafe) is over on St. Clair off Michigan Ave, and they have risotto of the day. This was my choice for my birthday lunch one year and it is filling but delicious. I also got a plate of risotto go to from here as my last Chicago lunch-while-working. Its expensive (I think a bowl was $15) but it lasted two meals!

Happy Valentines Day! Hope you can win someone's heart with this amazing dish - it would certainly make my knees weak :)

recommendation: friday obsessions

I've been slow on posting again lately, and not because I don't have anything to talk about but again, pure laziness. I promise, more to look forward to next week - I've been trying out some pinterest crafts and have upcoming reviews of make your own mercury-glass vases, paper peonies, and a few pinterest recipes that I tested! For now, here are my top 5 things I've been thinking about this past week.

1. Hot Caprese Dip - this is the next recipe I MUST TRY from pinterest. 3 ingredients - how easy? And why have I never thought to put them into the oven like this?!?

2. Cheese obsessed. Mini Brie Bites - you can get these at Trader Joes, 5 mini cups for $3.99. They are an awesome snack - spread one onto a few crackers (my fav are Multigrain & Flaxseed Water Crackers from TJ's) with a little apricot jam spread on top. MMM! Brie is awesome and has been on my mind - I'm also wanting to try this recipe of individual Brie Bites from Joy The Baker!

3. I Dig You - found this idea online and made them for a few little kiddos I know. Found the shovels at Michaels (my mom and I bought a grab box for $2 which had about 50+ adult & kid shovels in them! bargain queens!!), candy hearts 0.99 for a bag at CVS.

4. Ann Arbor Tortilla Chips – Lime or Lime Chili Flavor. Per my hubby, they are the best tortilla chips around. I think the lime only flavor is a bit intense but can appreciate plain or the chili lime flavor. If you are from Ann Arbor, worth trying as they are locally made.

5. I love valentines day decorations that make me put the candy in the vase so that I can't eat it! Here is a cute idea for conversation hearts - I would stick a bundle of alstroemeria in the vase because you can find them at almost every grocery store and they are long lasting. Martha Stewart also has a good idea - she always knows what to do, especially at holiday time. I love her red hot candy & flower vase.

recommendation: super bowl must-haves

Who's ready for Superbowl Sunday? I love this football event because it normally means you get to wear a comfy sweatshirt, and eat a lot of yummy bad for you food and drink beer. I also love Superbowl Sunday because theme parties are my favorite. Here are a few great ideas if you are throwing or going to a party!

Reuben Dip
This dip is out of this world. I didn't even like corned beef or sauerkraut when I first tried it. We were at our friends Dan & Katie's house for a football game (Go BLUE!) and Katie put a hot cheesy dish of down in front of all of us and I stared in amazement. From first bite, I was hooked. This dip is why I started eating Reubens. Truth.

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing (light is hard to find, if you can find it, use it!)
16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded corned beef (I just ask butcher to shave so its falling apart)
16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (again, i use light, get a block of light Lorraine at the deli counter - and 8oz is really enough...)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and dressing. Spread sauerkraut into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer corned beef, Swiss cheese, and the mayonnaise-dressing mixture on top of the sauerkraut. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

The MUST for this dish, is serve it with RYE triscuits. This dip is always the hit of a party!

Taco Dip in Cups
How great are these? Perfect for the double dippers and people who think that their fingers are serving utensils. Found the idea on The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Veggie Dip in Cups
Along with the individual taco dips are individual veggie dips, so everyone gets their own ranch and can double or even triple dip to their hearts content. We had these at our wedding during cocktail hour and they were a big hit!

Football Decorations
If you are looking for cute accessories, dollar tree has cute paper cups right now that look like footballs (they are brown with laces down the sides). The dollar tree and dollar general have a great selection of paper plates and decorations too - get green and brown paper plates and utensils for a $1 a pack!

Guacamole
this guac dip is soooo easy. sometimes i leave out onions if i don't have them in house and i don't really care for cilantro so i normally leave it out - basically you can play with the recipe a little if you want. and i also normally make a double batch. andddd.....its a weight watcher recipe!

Classic Guacamole
1 medium avocado
2 Tbsp red onion(s), chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (essential, do not skip this!)
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (tabasco)
1/4 tsp table salt, or more to taste
Put avocado in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day. Yields about 1/4 cup dip per serving.

Keep an avocado pit in the bowl with the cutup avocado, it keeps it from browning. i've gotten mixed results, but always do it just in case!

Here are some other things I stumbled upon:
- Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Football Printables to decorate your table from my favorite party planner - Hostess with the Mostess here and here
- 25 Superbowl Appetizers & Desserts - love the cute chocolate dipped strawberries with football laces on them

Have fun!

recommendation: the best broccoli recipe

Do you ever plan your week's menu and stick a healthier meal in there, like marinated chicken and steamed veggies with a salad, and then when it comes around to making that meal, you are dreading it and then you push yourself and make this blah meal and it tastes blah and then you're like, now what because the meal was so unsatisfying?

Well last week I had broccoli in the house but before I went to steaming it, I decided to try a recently pinned recipe called "The Best Broccoli of your Life". I know, you are thinking - how good can broccoli be?!? I was skeptical when it said this recipe is better than steak (I wouldn't go that far) - but, the end result was pretty amazing broccoli. Definitely a recommended make again recipe. My friend even said her 2 year old loved it!

I didn't get a picture of the recipe which makes this post kind of boring but the broccoli is definitely NOT, so check it out!

A few notes:
- I eyeballed everything and used two small heads of broccoli so just adjusted the recipe a little
- I used minced, not sliced garlic
- I left out pine nuts too but did add the basil b/c I had it in the house
Enjoy!

recommendation: salt & peppa. pistachios that is.

Time to get a bit nutty. When you are looking for a fun snack, turn to pistachios and more specifically, SALT & PEPPER pistachios. They are awesome. They are in the shells still, so I thought, how much flavor can get in there? But its just enough. And really, it only helps that they are in shells - it makes you work for your food and slows you down just enough so that you can't take handfuls at a time (is that not a dream? when you are eating pistachios, don't you ALWAYS think... how amazing would it be to just have a handful of pistachios?).

Once you open a bag of pistachios, they normally keep good for quite a while as long as you seal it properly (they'll get stale if exposed to air too long, they absorb moisture). So its a good thing to keep in the house for snacking or to set out for guests. I buy Wonderful Pistachio, but Everybody's Nuts! also makes flavored nuts (I want to try chili & lime!!). There have been coupons for both brands in the newspaper inserts lately, so be on the lookout.

If you need more convincing then my recommendation, let me mention that one serving, which is - get this - 49 nuts (insane!), contains 160 calories, 14 grams of fat, has no added oil, and naturally provides a few great things like Vitamin B6, copper and manganese. Ok, fine, I don't know what manganese is either - just look at this nifty nut comparison chart instead!

p.s. I'm on the lookout for a bowl like this one, the Eva Solo Smiley Bowl, - I saw this in a holiday gift guide. I don't want to spend so much but love the functionality of it!

recommendation: WF breakfast!

A lot of times the things I like to recommend are ideas and items that others have recommended to me (word of mouth is the best kind of recommendation!!). This recommendation was donated to me by my hubby and sister in law, guest recommenders for today's blog post!!

Did you know that whole foods has a breakfast buffet in the a.m.?! I had no idea! I guess I never really paid attention to this but the sign on the Hot Bar says 8am - 8pm... Well they kept raving about it so I finally decided that I should probably check it out. They are both food lovers so I knew I could trust them. Here is what they had to say:

Per Hannah - "Delicious, Awesome. I'd eat there everyday if I could."
Per Zachary - "The perfect way to start a day for only $1.99."

I didn't think that one taco would be enough but I didn't want to start my day off full of gluttony so I decided to listen to my hubby and pick up one and a medium coffee. It was filling enough for a normal day and so satisfying!

They switch up what is on the hot bar each day - when we were there there were tacos (bacon/cheese/egg, or chirizo/potato/egg) for $1.99 each, and burritos for $3.99 each. Luckily (or maybe not so lucky for our checkbook), we have a Whole Foods super close by, so my hubby ran over this a.m. to pick up breakfast - on today's menu were whole wheat sausage/egg/cheese tacos (again, for $1.99 each), and bacon/potato/cheese/egg burritos for $3.99. We decided to try one of each - I've never had a taco with a whole wheat tortilla before - it was delish! Both have pico on them already but I like extra sauce so added a little Taco Bell Sauce (I picked mine up at Busch's, Meijer has it too but don't always have mild and hot... and don't act like you don't stuff your pockets with extra sauces when you make a run to the border...betcha didn't know they sell the sauce in stores so now you don't have to!!).

This is a relatively cheap meal (considering its Whole Foods). Check it out and have a fun start to your morning!

recommendation: quick crochet project

Sunday, late afternoon. Cozy fire ablaze, sun shining through the window with light snow on the ground. Hangover almost gone, full tummy of snacks and sudden burst of energy. I've been dying to try to make an infinity scarf. In my head, I make a scarf, twist it, and sew the ends together.

I decided to check out pinterest for some quick ideas and came across the easiest, quickest, most awesome project from the blog On the Wings of a Dove (love that her post name is "Holy Crap I need a present pronto!).

The project seemed pretty simple - slip stitch and double crochet (dc) stitch are both basics but I needed a quick refresher. Lion Brand Learning Center is one of my favorite resources.

It took me a little less than 3 hours and I'm thrilled with the result. I've even made 2 more since (this was 2 sunday's ago!). Sometimes a knitting or crocheting project can be very time and labor intensive and its hard to keep going when it takes forever to see the results. This project is a great confidence booster, makes you feel so accomplished! And I got to use my new crochet hook - size N15 (10.00mm). The yarn I used was Lion Brand Tweed Stripes in Orchid, I only used one skein:

Happy Crocheting!

recommendation: organize your holiday cards

Its a new year, so of course resolutions are fresh in my mind, which is racing with organization ideas to get our house in order. One of the things I want to work on this year is doing something with my box labeled 'items to one day scrapbook.' I want to make that day come and either put them down in a book or throw them away. I bet you anything that I go through the pile and don't remember the significance of half the things I saved. Ha!

Last week I was putting away Christmas decorations (boooo) and found a stack of cards I've been saving over the years. Not every holiday card I've ever received, but cards with nice notes, that were handmade, picture cards or year in review stories. I've been saving since 2006. My friend Anne told me that she keeps a binder and when she gets a school picture or a great holiday card, she just sticks it to a piece of paper and puts it in there. Easy enough, right? I decided to tackle the project the next day. Its a very random project but if you are a pack rat like me and insist on keeping random things like this, the least you can do is keep your crap organized!

I bought binder dividers and sheet protectors at the dollar store, 2 of each so $4 total. I had a binder at home but you can buy a cheap one for probably $2-$3 (nice thick ones are really expensive!). Lastly you'll need some paper - you can use normal printing paper or 8.5 x 11 scrapbook paper - I used a little of both since I have both at home. I labeled the binder dividers by year from 2006 - 2015 and put some sheet protectors into each year and then got taping away! I used photo adhesive tabs that you can get from Michaels. One hour and about $6 later, I've finished my binder which has all my favorite cards from the past few years and a spot to put future cards.

Feeling a little more organized and a great way to start off 2012!

recommendation: magical stain remover

fels naptha. huh? no, it is not a harry potter spell. and its not the Latin name for an extinct species found in an exotic part of the world. get this.... its soap. yup.

When brother in law's wife Christy told me about it, I made her repeat it 3 times. I didn't understand the words coming from her mouth. But she said that its tried and true for getting any stain out. My mother in law has used it for years so I decided to give it a try.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find it at a normal grocery store but they told me to look out for a bar of soap in vintage packaging. It was hiding on the bottom shelf in the cleaning supplies aisle but there it was. and oh goodness, its awesome. and cheap - under $2 for a bar! I've used it twice so far, once for a grease stain on jeans and then on a pen stain on a pair of khaki's. you wet the stain, scrub the soap on, and then stick it in the washer. It worked amazingly.

Just like the website says:

Fels-Naptha® is the golden bar that is excellent for pre-treating greasy, oily stains like perspiration stains and ring-around-the collar. Fels-Naptha® has stood the test of time for over 100 years so you know it really works.

Check it out!

recommendation: cheesecake dip

Ok, way overdue on posting this but better late than never because its worth posting. The great part is, even though I did a Thanksgiving version of this recipe, its easily adaptable! The original recipe came from my previous co-worker and fashionista friend Amy. Its one of the easiest recipes ever. Seriously.

Here are her instructions:
1 brick (8 oz) of cream cheese
1 tub of cool whip
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tspn of lemon juice

Beat on low and voila!

Notes:
- I served it as dip but Amy advises that it’s great in a graham cracker crust with strawberries on top too
- My friend Evie served as dip with shortbread cookies, strawberries, graham cracker sticks, garnished with chocolate chips
- You can use low fat cream cheese and low fat cool whip and splenda and it tastes exactly the same and weight watcher friendly!

Here is an official pumpkin pie version

I am not a fan of greek yogurt so I adapted the above version, here is my Pumpkin Pie version:
1 brick of low fat cream cheese
1 tub of low fat cool whip
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsn of lemon juice
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
Pumpkin pie spice (not sure how much of this I put in, just kept adding and tasting) - can also use cinnamon and nutmeg if you don't have this

Served with: gingerbread graham crackers, green and red apples. The cake in the picture is leftover slices of my pumpkin chocolate chip cake!

Think of all of the possibilities.... add caramel to dip apples in. Add peppermint extract and dip chocolate graham crackers, with white chocolate shavings on top. Add raspberry preserves. The list goes on. This dip is awesome for potlucks!!!

And hubby approved! :)

recommendation: mexican stuffed shells

I was intrigued by this fusion recipe I found on Blog Chef. Pasta + Mexican. Odd but I love both so how can it not be delicious? The whole time I was preparing the recipe I was perplexed on what the outcome would be... delicious or weird? Delicious won out.

The recipe was a bit of a fiasco in the beginning as I thought I had cream cheese in the house but it had gone bad so after cooking the meat and noodles I had to run to the store which 1. delayed dinner by 20 minutes and 2. made me a frantic mess. That said, once I got back on track, it was easy to assemble. Really, the noodles are just a vessel for the yummy Mexican filling. Hubby thinks that it would taste just as good if not better with corn tortillas but I can't help to think that the noodles are just so much easier (have you ever tried to make enchiladas and keep the tortillas rolled? sometimes its tricky!!).

Anyway, this recipe is easy and divine and you must try it. Plus there is so much room for interpretation - trying different salsas, hot vs mild taco sauce, different toppings - we followed the olives, green onions and sour cream, but what about fresh tomatoes, avocado, cilantro (i don't like, but it goes). I bet you could even add onions and peppers into the meat mix!

I wanted to keep sides light since the shells are pretty heavy so I made a corn & avocado salad on the side.

Recommended, try it soon!

Recipe, from blog chef:
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream

Step 1: In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While burger is cooking cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Step 2: Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Step 4: Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

recommendation: pan lining paper

Some days I run my dishwasher TWICE a day. Isn't that crazy? I mean, there are only two of us in this house. Its probably cheaper to keep the dishwasher running vs. stocking up on this lifesaver, but on days where I'm just not in the mood, or if you have a million dishes piling up, check this out... Reynolds Wrap Pan Liner. Its kind of awesome.

Its parchment paper on one side and foil on the other. The foil side goes down on the pan so that it can form to the pan and the parchment side stays up to put the food on.

I've noticed a lot of new recipes I'm trying lately, especially baking, call for parchment paper. Don't you just hate trying to get parchment paper to stay down on a pan? They should sell it in sheets instead of rolls! This new pan liner works out awesome for forming to the pan, coming out easy, and keeping the pan completely clean during the cooking process! I was able to put the pan away after cooking stuffed Mexican Shells (recipe coming soon, they were so different and delicious!). Yup, that's the paper on the left and the clean pan on the right. No dishes. Sweet!

I would recommend picking up a box for those days where the dishwasher is full and the thought of standing over a sink hand washing a pan and scrubbing at it just isn't how you want to spend your evening!

p.s. there have been lots of coupons in the paper lately for this but in case you've missed them, get a $1.00 off coupon HERE!