What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

To contact us Click HERE
Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

You're Going To Eat That???

To contact us Click HERE
     I got another e-mail from Jamie Oliver today.  No, we're not personal friends, I just joined his cause after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year.  For those of you who don't know what it is, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to get people to eat better, less processed and junk foods, and to take control of the obesity epidemic in this country.  On the show, he focused on Huntington, West Virginia, the unhealthiest city in America.  He should have asked someone from Ohio.  You can't save West Virginians from themselves....we've tried.

     All kidding aside, his latest effort is to get the USDA to overhaul the school lunch program.  It's something that desperately needs to happen.  With the crap they're feeding our kids in school, it's no wonder they're either hyperactive or comatose.

     When I overhauled my own kitchen, there were some protests from the kids.  "Whaddya mean we can't eat ramen noodles?  Where's the margarine?  Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be orange."  Things along those lines.  But I kept after it, and eventually, won over at least one kid.  The Girl now recognizes that she doesn't feel well when she eats junk, and that she's actually lucky to have a mom who insists on balanced, scratch-made meals every night.

     The Boy, however, is a different story.  He doesn't have a weight problem, yet, but he is the biggest junkie I've ever seen.  The Man and I have considered taking the sugar bowl to bed with us at night, because it seems as if we have to fill it up every morning in order to sweeten our coffee.  (The Man's coffee, not mine.  Coffee should be black.  Period.  But that's another rant for another day.)  And it's not just sugar.  The day I made the egg rolls and raita, we had a particularly heated argument.  He doesn't like cucumbers, so I told him to pick out another vegetable to eat.  He picked up another egg roll.  I can't get him to understand, or care, that he needs balance in his diet, and that Pepsi is not a food group.

     The biggest part of my battle with him is when he's not at home.  He used to stop at my mother-in-law's house every day on his way home from school for cookies and Pepsi.  Cookies, maybe, for a snack, would be okay.  But they're not even homemade.  I kept telling him if he could pronounce every ingredient on the label he could have them.  Heck, I can't even do that.  But Pepsi?  Pop has been the downfall of nutrition in this country.  I heard somewhere that there are twelve teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop.  Twelve.  I can make a dessert for ten people using less than that.

     The school is the worst.  I know what their budget constraints are, I really do.  But maybe, just maybe, instead of letting the US Army spend 7 million dollars a year sponsoring NASCAR, we should, you know, give our kids an orange once in a while.  Can't we give them a meal made from fresh ingredients?  In addition, the kids at our local school are allowed to spend their lunch money on anything they want, and the offerings aren't healthy.  They can buy extra cookies or whatever else they see, without even proving that they've finished their "healthy" lunch.  As far as I'm concerned, The Boy will be allowed to choose his own food when I no longer have to pay his health insurance, and when he can buy it himself.  Until then, it's my money, my kid, my choice, and I take the responsibility seriously.  I care about what he eats, and it would be a lot easier to teach him healthy habits if I had the school behind me.

     Okay, I'm done.  But I am asking anyone who reads this to speak up, too.  We can do better for our kids, and we should.  All it takes is commitment.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

I'm Back!

To contact us Click HERE
Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

I'm still here!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

I'm still here!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

To contact us Click HERE
Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

You're Going To Eat That???

To contact us Click HERE
     I got another e-mail from Jamie Oliver today.  No, we're not personal friends, I just joined his cause after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year.  For those of you who don't know what it is, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to get people to eat better, less processed and junk foods, and to take control of the obesity epidemic in this country.  On the show, he focused on Huntington, West Virginia, the unhealthiest city in America.  He should have asked someone from Ohio.  You can't save West Virginians from themselves....we've tried.

     All kidding aside, his latest effort is to get the USDA to overhaul the school lunch program.  It's something that desperately needs to happen.  With the crap they're feeding our kids in school, it's no wonder they're either hyperactive or comatose.

     When I overhauled my own kitchen, there were some protests from the kids.  "Whaddya mean we can't eat ramen noodles?  Where's the margarine?  Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be orange."  Things along those lines.  But I kept after it, and eventually, won over at least one kid.  The Girl now recognizes that she doesn't feel well when she eats junk, and that she's actually lucky to have a mom who insists on balanced, scratch-made meals every night.

     The Boy, however, is a different story.  He doesn't have a weight problem, yet, but he is the biggest junkie I've ever seen.  The Man and I have considered taking the sugar bowl to bed with us at night, because it seems as if we have to fill it up every morning in order to sweeten our coffee.  (The Man's coffee, not mine.  Coffee should be black.  Period.  But that's another rant for another day.)  And it's not just sugar.  The day I made the egg rolls and raita, we had a particularly heated argument.  He doesn't like cucumbers, so I told him to pick out another vegetable to eat.  He picked up another egg roll.  I can't get him to understand, or care, that he needs balance in his diet, and that Pepsi is not a food group.

     The biggest part of my battle with him is when he's not at home.  He used to stop at my mother-in-law's house every day on his way home from school for cookies and Pepsi.  Cookies, maybe, for a snack, would be okay.  But they're not even homemade.  I kept telling him if he could pronounce every ingredient on the label he could have them.  Heck, I can't even do that.  But Pepsi?  Pop has been the downfall of nutrition in this country.  I heard somewhere that there are twelve teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop.  Twelve.  I can make a dessert for ten people using less than that.

     The school is the worst.  I know what their budget constraints are, I really do.  But maybe, just maybe, instead of letting the US Army spend 7 million dollars a year sponsoring NASCAR, we should, you know, give our kids an orange once in a while.  Can't we give them a meal made from fresh ingredients?  In addition, the kids at our local school are allowed to spend their lunch money on anything they want, and the offerings aren't healthy.  They can buy extra cookies or whatever else they see, without even proving that they've finished their "healthy" lunch.  As far as I'm concerned, The Boy will be allowed to choose his own food when I no longer have to pay his health insurance, and when he can buy it himself.  Until then, it's my money, my kid, my choice, and I take the responsibility seriously.  I care about what he eats, and it would be a lot easier to teach him healthy habits if I had the school behind me.

     Okay, I'm done.  But I am asking anyone who reads this to speak up, too.  We can do better for our kids, and we should.  All it takes is commitment.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

I'm Back!

To contact us Click HERE
Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

You're Going To Eat That???

To contact us Click HERE
     I got another e-mail from Jamie Oliver today.  No, we're not personal friends, I just joined his cause after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year.  For those of you who don't know what it is, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to get people to eat better, less processed and junk foods, and to take control of the obesity epidemic in this country.  On the show, he focused on Huntington, West Virginia, the unhealthiest city in America.  He should have asked someone from Ohio.  You can't save West Virginians from themselves....we've tried.

     All kidding aside, his latest effort is to get the USDA to overhaul the school lunch program.  It's something that desperately needs to happen.  With the crap they're feeding our kids in school, it's no wonder they're either hyperactive or comatose.

     When I overhauled my own kitchen, there were some protests from the kids.  "Whaddya mean we can't eat ramen noodles?  Where's the margarine?  Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be orange."  Things along those lines.  But I kept after it, and eventually, won over at least one kid.  The Girl now recognizes that she doesn't feel well when she eats junk, and that she's actually lucky to have a mom who insists on balanced, scratch-made meals every night.

     The Boy, however, is a different story.  He doesn't have a weight problem, yet, but he is the biggest junkie I've ever seen.  The Man and I have considered taking the sugar bowl to bed with us at night, because it seems as if we have to fill it up every morning in order to sweeten our coffee.  (The Man's coffee, not mine.  Coffee should be black.  Period.  But that's another rant for another day.)  And it's not just sugar.  The day I made the egg rolls and raita, we had a particularly heated argument.  He doesn't like cucumbers, so I told him to pick out another vegetable to eat.  He picked up another egg roll.  I can't get him to understand, or care, that he needs balance in his diet, and that Pepsi is not a food group.

     The biggest part of my battle with him is when he's not at home.  He used to stop at my mother-in-law's house every day on his way home from school for cookies and Pepsi.  Cookies, maybe, for a snack, would be okay.  But they're not even homemade.  I kept telling him if he could pronounce every ingredient on the label he could have them.  Heck, I can't even do that.  But Pepsi?  Pop has been the downfall of nutrition in this country.  I heard somewhere that there are twelve teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop.  Twelve.  I can make a dessert for ten people using less than that.

     The school is the worst.  I know what their budget constraints are, I really do.  But maybe, just maybe, instead of letting the US Army spend 7 million dollars a year sponsoring NASCAR, we should, you know, give our kids an orange once in a while.  Can't we give them a meal made from fresh ingredients?  In addition, the kids at our local school are allowed to spend their lunch money on anything they want, and the offerings aren't healthy.  They can buy extra cookies or whatever else they see, without even proving that they've finished their "healthy" lunch.  As far as I'm concerned, The Boy will be allowed to choose his own food when I no longer have to pay his health insurance, and when he can buy it himself.  Until then, it's my money, my kid, my choice, and I take the responsibility seriously.  I care about what he eats, and it would be a lot easier to teach him healthy habits if I had the school behind me.

     Okay, I'm done.  But I am asking anyone who reads this to speak up, too.  We can do better for our kids, and we should.  All it takes is commitment.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

I'm Back!

To contact us Click HERE
Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

To contact us Click HERE
Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

I'm still here!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

I'm still here!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

To contact us Click HERE
Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

You're Going To Eat That???

To contact us Click HERE
     I got another e-mail from Jamie Oliver today.  No, we're not personal friends, I just joined his cause after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year.  For those of you who don't know what it is, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to get people to eat better, less processed and junk foods, and to take control of the obesity epidemic in this country.  On the show, he focused on Huntington, West Virginia, the unhealthiest city in America.  He should have asked someone from Ohio.  You can't save West Virginians from themselves....we've tried.

     All kidding aside, his latest effort is to get the USDA to overhaul the school lunch program.  It's something that desperately needs to happen.  With the crap they're feeding our kids in school, it's no wonder they're either hyperactive or comatose.

     When I overhauled my own kitchen, there were some protests from the kids.  "Whaddya mean we can't eat ramen noodles?  Where's the margarine?  Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be orange."  Things along those lines.  But I kept after it, and eventually, won over at least one kid.  The Girl now recognizes that she doesn't feel well when she eats junk, and that she's actually lucky to have a mom who insists on balanced, scratch-made meals every night.

     The Boy, however, is a different story.  He doesn't have a weight problem, yet, but he is the biggest junkie I've ever seen.  The Man and I have considered taking the sugar bowl to bed with us at night, because it seems as if we have to fill it up every morning in order to sweeten our coffee.  (The Man's coffee, not mine.  Coffee should be black.  Period.  But that's another rant for another day.)  And it's not just sugar.  The day I made the egg rolls and raita, we had a particularly heated argument.  He doesn't like cucumbers, so I told him to pick out another vegetable to eat.  He picked up another egg roll.  I can't get him to understand, or care, that he needs balance in his diet, and that Pepsi is not a food group.

     The biggest part of my battle with him is when he's not at home.  He used to stop at my mother-in-law's house every day on his way home from school for cookies and Pepsi.  Cookies, maybe, for a snack, would be okay.  But they're not even homemade.  I kept telling him if he could pronounce every ingredient on the label he could have them.  Heck, I can't even do that.  But Pepsi?  Pop has been the downfall of nutrition in this country.  I heard somewhere that there are twelve teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop.  Twelve.  I can make a dessert for ten people using less than that.

     The school is the worst.  I know what their budget constraints are, I really do.  But maybe, just maybe, instead of letting the US Army spend 7 million dollars a year sponsoring NASCAR, we should, you know, give our kids an orange once in a while.  Can't we give them a meal made from fresh ingredients?  In addition, the kids at our local school are allowed to spend their lunch money on anything they want, and the offerings aren't healthy.  They can buy extra cookies or whatever else they see, without even proving that they've finished their "healthy" lunch.  As far as I'm concerned, The Boy will be allowed to choose his own food when I no longer have to pay his health insurance, and when he can buy it himself.  Until then, it's my money, my kid, my choice, and I take the responsibility seriously.  I care about what he eats, and it would be a lot easier to teach him healthy habits if I had the school behind me.

     Okay, I'm done.  But I am asking anyone who reads this to speak up, too.  We can do better for our kids, and we should.  All it takes is commitment.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

I'm Back!

To contact us Click HERE
Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

I'm still here!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

I'm Back!

To contact us Click HERE
Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

To contact us Click HERE
Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

To contact us Click HERE
Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

I'm still here!!

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Hello! I have not disappeared off the face of the earth :) I've received quite a few messages and comments lately wondering if I'm going to continue the blog. I am!!! I've been taking a little break since my last post in mid-January. I was finishing our first year of homeschool and gearing up for my last season teaching survival swim lessons in Pensacola. This swim season was even busier then last year and then in June we had a new baby girl :)

Liadan Allison Laura, 1 week old

I took 3 weeks off then taught 3 more weeks of lessons before we left Pensacola to move to Japan! We're taking a circuitous route to Japan via Rhode Island and England because Matt has a class he has to take and then we're taking an extended vacation. It's always an adventure in this house!! I hope to be settled in Japan and blogging again by the end of October. In the meantime I'm going to be enjoying having nothing to do all day but hang out with my three favorite little people. Look for me in October!


P.S. Aren't these pics of my kids awesome?!?! I know I'm a little biased of course :) But if you live in Pensacola and want awesome pics of your kids/family/dog/business/wedding/etc like these ones, contact my awesome friend, Elishia, with EBouley Photography at 850-686-5580 or EBouleyPhotos@gmail.com. You won't be disappointed!

You're Going To Eat That???

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     I got another e-mail from Jamie Oliver today.  No, we're not personal friends, I just joined his cause after watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year.  For those of you who don't know what it is, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to get people to eat better, less processed and junk foods, and to take control of the obesity epidemic in this country.  On the show, he focused on Huntington, West Virginia, the unhealthiest city in America.  He should have asked someone from Ohio.  You can't save West Virginians from themselves....we've tried.

     All kidding aside, his latest effort is to get the USDA to overhaul the school lunch program.  It's something that desperately needs to happen.  With the crap they're feeding our kids in school, it's no wonder they're either hyperactive or comatose.

     When I overhauled my own kitchen, there were some protests from the kids.  "Whaddya mean we can't eat ramen noodles?  Where's the margarine?  Macaroni and cheese is supposed to be orange."  Things along those lines.  But I kept after it, and eventually, won over at least one kid.  The Girl now recognizes that she doesn't feel well when she eats junk, and that she's actually lucky to have a mom who insists on balanced, scratch-made meals every night.

     The Boy, however, is a different story.  He doesn't have a weight problem, yet, but he is the biggest junkie I've ever seen.  The Man and I have considered taking the sugar bowl to bed with us at night, because it seems as if we have to fill it up every morning in order to sweeten our coffee.  (The Man's coffee, not mine.  Coffee should be black.  Period.  But that's another rant for another day.)  And it's not just sugar.  The day I made the egg rolls and raita, we had a particularly heated argument.  He doesn't like cucumbers, so I told him to pick out another vegetable to eat.  He picked up another egg roll.  I can't get him to understand, or care, that he needs balance in his diet, and that Pepsi is not a food group.

     The biggest part of my battle with him is when he's not at home.  He used to stop at my mother-in-law's house every day on his way home from school for cookies and Pepsi.  Cookies, maybe, for a snack, would be okay.  But they're not even homemade.  I kept telling him if he could pronounce every ingredient on the label he could have them.  Heck, I can't even do that.  But Pepsi?  Pop has been the downfall of nutrition in this country.  I heard somewhere that there are twelve teaspoons of sugar in a can of pop.  Twelve.  I can make a dessert for ten people using less than that.

     The school is the worst.  I know what their budget constraints are, I really do.  But maybe, just maybe, instead of letting the US Army spend 7 million dollars a year sponsoring NASCAR, we should, you know, give our kids an orange once in a while.  Can't we give them a meal made from fresh ingredients?  In addition, the kids at our local school are allowed to spend their lunch money on anything they want, and the offerings aren't healthy.  They can buy extra cookies or whatever else they see, without even proving that they've finished their "healthy" lunch.  As far as I'm concerned, The Boy will be allowed to choose his own food when I no longer have to pay his health insurance, and when he can buy it himself.  Until then, it's my money, my kid, my choice, and I take the responsibility seriously.  I care about what he eats, and it would be a lot easier to teach him healthy habits if I had the school behind me.

     Okay, I'm done.  But I am asking anyone who reads this to speak up, too.  We can do better for our kids, and we should.  All it takes is commitment.

www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda

I'm Back!

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Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.

What's For Dinner?: Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks

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Thanks, ladies, for taking the time to answer the survey questions.
I'd love to say that I was able to sit and analyze all the answers and write up a workable plan for helping all of you out........but that would be a lie!
I have had a few moments here and there to think about what you all are looking for, though.

Most of you who responded are in need of main dishes and breakfast ideas followed by side dishes.
Many of you love Mexican food, and most of you like Italian, too!
Most of you like to try new things, but not too often.

With that in mind, I've got a delicious two-for-one today....

Lasagna Soup and No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Breadsticks!


The reason I'm putting these two together, is that in our house, they are inseparable!
Even if you are not big soup eaters at your house, or you are afraid this won't fill those with big appetites, just try it!
You won't be disappointed!

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz. fusilli (twirly) pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

ricotta cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (If you don't have bulk sausage, cut link or patties into pieces and continue as directed).
Drain any excess fat from the pot.
Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.
Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil.
If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, place (optional) cheese in bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top.
Makes about 13 cups.



 No-Fail Pizza-Hut-Style Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. hot water OR 1 1/2 c. warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (if using milk, skip this ingredient)
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 c. flour
1/3 c. melted butter

Dissolve sugar, salt, and dry milk in hot water.
                            OR
Dissolve sugar and salt in warm milk.
Add 1 cup of the flour to make a soupy mixture.
When mixture is no longer hot, but still warm, add the yeast and stir well (I usually just put my bowl in the freezer for a few minutes).
Add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
Dough should be moderately stiff.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Spread half of butter onto the baking sheet, then place dough into the pan.
Roll dough (or form with hands) into a rectangular shape the size of your baking sheet.
Brush the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, or whatever you prefer.
Cut the dough into breadsticks and let raise for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven!).
Enjoy hot out of the oven with your soup!