Penne Rosa with Chicken...

Well, it's that time again...time for a month's worth of cooking in an afternoon!  Woot!  There are a couple of unusual things about this month: 

1) Calories are a little higher than I typically plan for (still not unreasonable for a lunch or dinner, but higher than normal)...partly because I had a mathematical error on the Tortellini with Walnut & Mascarpone (posted later), partly because I found some recipes that I really wanted to try (calories be damned), and partly because I've been finding myself more prone to snacking between meals lately, and I'm hoping having something a little more substantial will curb the urge to snack...those snacks add up!

2) I found myself substituting a quite a bit for recipes this month.  Chicken for shrimp (I have a texture issue with shrimp...I know, I'm crazy), swiss chard for spinach (my sister's visiting this weekend and she's deathly allergic to spinach, so I prefer not to have it in the house at all when she's here to avoid potential disasters), etc. etc.  Before I started this whole cooking en masse thing, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to substitute (I love me a good recipe...I'm great at following directions!), but the further along I get, the more comfortable I'm feeling with it.

That said, this was one of the recipes I altered most.  I found the original at Back to Her Roots.  It featured spinach and shrimp, so if you're not deathly allergic to spinach and you don't have a massive texture issue with shrimp, I highly recommend you try the original.  lol :)  It looked delicious in the pics, and the calories were pretty reasonable, so I knew I wanted to make it this month!  Here's the recipe:

Penne Rosa with Chicken
6 servings, 375 calories each

Ingredients
- 12 oz. whole wheat penne
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 med. tomatoes, chopped
- 4 c. swiss chard, roughly chopped
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast tenderloins
- 1/2 c. pasta sauce
- 1/3 c. Greek Yogurt (0% plain)
- 1/4 c. shredded parmesan
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions
Cook penne according to package directions (skip the salt and/or any oil they suggest to add).  In a large skillet (one that you have a lid for!) over medium high, heat the olive oil.  Add chicken (seasoned to taste) and sear on each side.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings and let cook down until chicken is tender and vegetables have released liquid.  You could leave the chicken pieces whole, since they're pretty small, but I just grabbed two forks and pulled mine apart into smaller pieces in the pan.  Add in swiss chard and cover to let wilt for 2-3 minutes.  Turn heat to low.  Stir in drained pasta, greek yogurt, and pasta sauce.  Top with shredded parmesan for serving.

I thought the portion size was fine to not need any other side with it, although if you wanted to squeeze 8 portions out of it, you could add some garlic bread or some other side dish pretty easily.  It looks and smells delicious, but I restrained myself from tasting it...we'll see when I heat up my first portion in a couple of days.  As always, I'll update sometime mid-month to let you know how it turned out!

June Menu Plan...

Well, cooking has been bumped up a week or so this month, due to scheduling issues, so I got to work on my menu plan early.  I went through and had it planned out once last night, and then I realized two things...1) every single recipe had potatoes in it, and 2) every single recipe had to be made in the oven.  Now, having learned my lesson (again) last month with the too-many-thing-to-go-in-the-oven problem, I knew I had to revise.  And I love potatoes...and I mean LOVE potatoes...but every meal for a month...maybe not.  So, I sat down again tonight and putzed around Pinterest and Food Gawker till I found a good mix.  The recipes are all new to me this month, cuz I finally ran out of recipes from my rotation prior to start the whole food blog thing.  I'm sort of getting to the point where I should be rotating things back in that I've already made (I do like a lot of them and would like to have them again), but I'm enjoying trying new things so much that I want to keep picking new stuff.  So...I suppose when I get tired of always doing new stuff, I'll start rotating back in my old favorites too.  We'll see.  As always, calories are estimated by counts given on CalorieKing.com (although a couple actually had the calories listed with them in the original recipe...hooray!).  Here's what happening this month:

*Penne Rosa with Chicken - 6 servings = 375 Calories

*Santa Fe Enchilada Bake - 8 servings = 370 Calories

*Tortellini with Walnut & Mascarpone Sauce - 4 servings = 470 Calories

*Ham, Sauerkraut & Apple Rolls on Cheesy Potatoes - 8 servings = 501 Calories

*Creamy Chicken Casserole - 8 servings - 330 calories + Crescent Roll = 430 Calories

I'm also going to be making the Baked Honey Oatmeal w/Raspberries & Pistachios (223 Calories) again...a double batch this time, cuz I liked them so much and ate them early in the month, and then missed them for the whole rest of the month.

And in other exciting news, my sister is coming to visit next weekend!  She hasn't been up since the beginning of the December, and we haven't had a true sisters' weekend since...ummmm...a really long time...over a year probably.  We're sort of celebrating our birthdays, since we didn't actually get to see each other on either of our birthdays this year.  Sooooo...a celebration calls for dessert, yes?  I've been pining over this recipe I found on Pinterest for Pain au Chocolat (essentially an insane chocolate croissant on crack).  It takes FOUR DAYS to make these things.  FOUR!  Insanity.  But I'm going to attempt it...it looks soooooo good.  So assuming I actually get this recipe made AND it doesn't turn out horrendously, I'll be posting that info too...but no calories...it's a celebration, remember?  Calorie-free!  :)  And that's all for now...cooking next Thursday, so recipes will be up sometime soon after that! 

May Recipes Update...

Almost forgot to do my update on new recipes from May's menu plan!  Here we go:

Chicken Pillows
YUM!  Love these things...those with the Potatoes ala Boulangere that I put with them were a perfect meal.  They reheated well, and actually the cracker topping stayed pretty crispy despite the microwaving.  Next time I'll stuff them a little fuller/more evenly...I was pretty tentative on how much would fit in the crescent for the first couple, so those were a little small.  But yeah...delicious.

Broccoli, Cheese & Mushroom Flipsides
Okay, these were tasty...quite tasty actually, and they reheated well.  However, I probably wouldn't make them again for my meals.  The short version of why is this:  It just doesn't feel like a meal to me if there isn't meat.  Occasionally I can make it work if there's some sort of dense pasta involved, but usually, not so much.  So yeah...the bad news is, I'd never make it as a vegetarian.  The good news is, I have no desire to be a vegetarian.  lol :)

Sausage Rolls
Awesome.  Totally making these again...often.  I used hot breakfast sausage, and it gave it just a little bit of kick that was totally delicious.  They didn't keep much of the crispiness upon reheating...although next time I'm going to try hitting it a little more with the broiler to help remedy that situation.  Either way, the flavor was so good I didn't mind.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
Another keeper.  With the panko added in there, and the cheese, it totally reads as a potato pancake (did I mention I love potatoes?), but with less calories and even better texture.  They reheated well too...I was thinking I might need to sour cream or something like that to top them off upon reheating, cuz I was worried they might be dry, but it wasn't at all necessary...they stayed moist and delicious.  I was also worried about the cauliflower "smell" (you know what I'm talking about) being an issue upon reheating, but it really wasn't at all (which is good, cuz it would have been totally unappetizing otherwise).  So yeah...yum!

Baked Honey Oatmeal with Raspberries and Pistachios
This was the big winner of the month!  Finally found my oatmeal recipe to put into semi-permanent rotation.  In fact, I'm going to be making them again in June...a double batch this time  :)

So yeah, that's the recap.  That's all for now :)

Another Year Down...

Well, time marches on, eh?  I turned 30 today (well, I guess yesterday, technically, since I'm a couple hours past midnight).  Yeow!  And let me tell you, probably once a week I think, rather wistfully, of how easy things were in college...how you could see your friends every day if you wanted to.  Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't go back in time or anything, even if I could.  I like where I'm at in my life.  However, it's amazing how difficult it gets to coordinate work and home and friends once you're out in the real world.  And it just keeps getting more difficult as people get married, have kids, move away, change jobs...and around and around we go!  I say this every year, but this year I'm really going to make a better effort MAKE time to see my friends!  I think I made some improvements this year, but still...there's got to be a way to figure it out.  I'll keep working on it.  Meanwhile, if anybody figures out the magic formula, please let me know :)  lol.  Have a good one!

Baked Honey Oatmeal w/ Raspberries & Pistachios...

First off, can I just say that I don't get peoples' obsession with pistachios?  I mean, yeah they taste good, but seriously.  It's the same problem I have with chicken wings.  It's a lot of work for not a whole lot of payoff.  That said, they are quite good in this recipe, so I guess I'll consider dealing with the shells again to have this recipe again (or perhaps I'll try another nut in there altogether).  I've been obsessed with trying to find a go-to oatmeal recipe for the freezer rotation, and I do believe this might be it.  I gave in to temptation and ate one while they were still warm and ohmigosh...soooooooo good.  I'll definitely be making them again.  The original recipe is on Munchin with Munchkin.  I used 2% milk and just went with generic honey, but otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe exactly.  Here goes:

Baked Honey Oatmeal with Raspberries & Pistachios
6 servings, 223 calories each

Ingredients

1 c. rolled oats
2 T. honey
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. raspberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. pistachios

Directions

Mix all ingredients together.  Spoon into greased muffin tin.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing from tin.  Try not to eat them all right away :)

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes...

It seems like cauliflower is popping up in the lieu of potatoes all over the place these days.  I'll admit, I was resistant to the idea at first.  However, when I saw the picture of this one, I thought it was worth a shot.  I had a little piece of one and it was really delicious...like potato pancakes only with a creamier texture inside.  The original recipe is at A Good Appetite and her pictures do way more justice than mine do.  One of these days, I'm going to figure out how to be a better food photographer.  Until then though, at least they're good enough to tell if things have gone horribly awry mid-recipe :)  lol. 

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
8 servings, 123 calories each

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 eggs
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/2 c. panko
1/2 tsp. cayenne (more or less, to taste)
Salt, to taste
Olive oil

Directions

Cook florets in boiling water until tender (about 10 minutes).  Drain and mash while still warm.  Stir in cheese, panko, eggs, and seasonings.  Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat over medium high.  Spoon cauliflower mixture into patties in skillet, and cook till golden brown on each side. 

I'm serving mine with sausage rolls for a total of 457 calories :)

Sausage Rolls...

I stumbled across this recipe on FoodGawker.com, another one of my favorite idea sites.  The original recipe is at Serious Eats.  It's really easy and only has four ingredients (what?!?  I know!).  Oh, and I forgot to take an ingredient picture...it was the end of the day, afterall.  lol :)  I really wanted to try one, but maintained a bit of willpower and waited.  They sure smelled delicious though!

Sausage Rolls
6 servings (2 rolls per serving), 334 calories per serving

Ingredients

1 lb. puff pastry, thawed
1 lb. pork sausage (casings removed, if necessary)
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten

Directions

Divide sausage into 12 equal balls, and shape into 4" links.  Set aside.  Cut puff pastry into 12 equal pieces, approx. 4"x5".  Spread each piece of puff pastry with mustard.  Roll a piece of sausage into each piece of puff pastry, sealing with a line of egg wash.  Brush each roll with egg wash.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until pastry puffs and browns nicely. 

I'm serving mine with cheesy cauliflower pancakes (recipe to follow) for a total of 457 calories each serving :)

Broccoli, Cheese & Mushroom Flipsides...

This was another Pinterest find.  The original recipe is at lisa is cooking and also has a recipe for homemade crust as well.  Me being me, I went ahead and used a store-bought Pillsbury crust :)  One thing about the original, in no way do I see that you would ever need anywhere NEAR as much broccoli as they called for.  I could've made 25 or 30 of them with the pound of broccoli they called for!  That said, I scaled down the amount of broccoli in the recipe...and that still might even be a little too much. 

Broccoli, Cheese & Mushroom Flipsides
10 servings, 345 calories each

Ingredients

1/2 pound broccoli florets, chopped
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts
2 c. shredded cheddar
1 egg + 2 T. water, beaten
Seasoning, to taste

Directions

Combine broccoli, mushrooms, cheese (save a little cheese to put on top later) & seasonings in large bowl.  Roll out pie crusts and cut 10 circles approx 6" in diameter (I just used a cereal bowl to estimate the size).  Brush the whole top side of the first circle with a light coating of egg wash.  Spoon broccoli mixture into the center of the circle.  Fold dough over and crimp edges with a fork to seal.  Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper.  Repeat with the next 9 flipsides.  Brush each flipside with egg wash.  Use a knife to cut three slits in each, and the sprinkle with additional cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-25 minutes until golden brown.

I'm serving mine with Parmesan Hashbrown Cups for a total of 446 calories.  Since both parts of this meal are pretty portable, I went ahead and just packaged them in ziploc baggies this time (yay for saving freezer space!).  Enjoy!

Chicken Pillows...

Weird name, huh?  I thought so too.  But the picture looked good, and there were rave reviews on Pinterest (oh, Pinterest...how I love thee), so I figured let's give it a try!  I found the original recipe at Chef in Training.  The original also has a recipe for a sauce to put on top, but since that doesn't lend well to reheating (things got soggy), I went ahead and skipped that.  If you're eating them right out of the oven though, definitely check out the link, because it sounds tasty :)  One thing I learned in the midst of this recipe...crescent rolls will hold WAY more filling than you would expect.  If you let them warm up just a tiny bit, they'll stretch like crazy, and you can fill them right up.  Initially, I didn't see how I could possibly fit all that filling into 8 crescents, but it was no problem at all.  Here's the recipe:

Chicken Pillows
8 servings, 335 calories each

**I forgot to put eggs in the picture**

Ingredients

1 can crescent rolls
8 oz. package cream cheese
2-3 c. shredded chicken, cooked
1/4 c. butter
1 egg
Crushed crackers for breading (whatever you have...Club, Ritz, Saltines, etc.)

Directions

Soften butter and cream cheese.  Stir together until creamy.  Add chicken (and seasonings, if desired) and stir. 

Get two bowls prepared, the first with the egg and 2 T. water beaten togther, and the second with the crushed crackers in it.  Roll out crescents on a cookie sheet.  Stretch out the first crescent, put a large spoonful of filling in the center, and then fold the crescent in around it so the filling is fully enclosed.  Dip the top of the packet in the egg and then in the crackers and place in cookie sheet.  Repeat with the next 7 crescents.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

I'm serving mine with Potatoes ala Boulangere for a total of 452 calories per serving.  

Ham and Potatoes...

Ah yes...another recipe that's not really a recipe.  We used to have this all the time when I was growing up.  One time, many years ago, I made it for a roommate of mine.  When I told her what I was making, she said, "ham and potatoes isn't a recipe...it's just two ingredients???"  To which I say...there's more than two ingredients...and even if there wasn't, what's your point?  A few things to note:  1)  I normally buy the frozen potatoes o'brien from Ore-Ida because it already has peppers and onions in it (and yes, I'm that lazy sometimes), but I just got a bag of hashbrowns this time instead.  2)  It didn't occur to me that swapping to a whole bag of potatoes and adding the onion and pepper to that would impact the number of portions (I was placing my grocery order at 2am...I may not have been quite all there), so it's actually 6 servings instead of the 4 called out in the menu plan.  3) I have some spatial planning issues, so I ALSO didn't realize when I dumped it in the hot frying pan that the pan wasn't nearly large enough for all that, so I then had to pull half out and do it in batches because I don't have a big enough frying pan...my advice: make certain you have a big enough pan to begin with, because it's a major pain in the butt to be pulling half-cooked food out and moving it from place to place to get it finished.  And without further ado:

Ham and Potatoes
6 servings, 356 calories each

Ingredients

- 1 bag hashbrowns
- 1 pkg. ham steak
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 1/2 c. shredded cheddar
- Olive oil
- Seasonings, to taste

Directions

Dice onion and pepper and add to potatoes.  Coat bottom of pan with olive oil, and put potato mixture into pan over med/med-high heat until tender.  Stir in seasonings.  Cube ham and add to potato mixture.  Continue to heat until desired level of browning is reached (mine steamed a little bit thanks to my spatial meltdown, so it didn't turn out quite as brown as I'd like, but it still tastes delicious, and I got some good color on the ham).  Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and enjoy :)

Originally I was going to add a crescent roll, but the portion was pretty good already, so I decided against it.  So each serving will be approximately 356 calories.

Pasta Alfredo...

Okay, so this Pasta Alfredo is actually sort of my thing.  It was the first thing (and one of the very few things) I ever really made without a recipe...a creation of what was in the house a few years back when I didn't feel like going to the grocery store.  Honestly, it's barely a recipe, and probably barely counts as actual cooking, but oh well.  lol :)  It's easy, tasty, and reheats well...and that's the main thing.  It was a staple for the first few months I was doing these freezer meals, but I hadn't made it in quite a while.  I like it because it's really easy to swap in and out ingredients based on what you have.  I've made it before and added ham, or bacon, or mushrooms...whatever you like.  For today, just peas...because I love peas, and I don't need much of an excuse to add them to my dinner :)  Here we go:

Pasta Alfredo
6 servings, 405 calories each

Ingredients

- 2 sm. packages tortellini (I used Buitoni chicken & prosciutto this time, but I've used all sorts of different kinds...both fresh and dry)



- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- 1 c. frozen peas
- 1 T. olive oil
- Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions (Add 1 T. of olive oil to water to keep from sticking).  Drain pasta and return to pot.  On low heat, add alfredo sauce, seasonings, and peas.  Leave over heat until heated through.  And that's it!

I'm serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 505 calories per serving.  It's a little bit higher calories than I normally do for these (actually this whole month is a little higher than normal...but hey, you only live once, right?), but it's worth it :)  Enjoy!

May Menu Plan...

Well, I just finished pulling together my meal plan for May, and ordering my groceries from Peapod to be delivered on Monday.  Seriously...how great is grocery shopping in your pajamas on your couch at 2am??  I swear the novelty will never wear off.  Anyway, below is the plan for May...as always, items with an asterisk I've never made before, and calories counts are estimated based on info pulled from CalorieKing.com. :)

- Ham & Potatoes (330 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories) – 430 calories total - 4 servings

- Pasta Alfredo (405 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories) - 505 calories total - 6 servings

- Chicken Pillow (335 calories)* + Potatoes ala Boulangere (117 calories) – 452 calories total - 8 servings

- Broccoli, Cheese & Mushroom Flipsides (345 calories)* – Hashbrown Cups (101 calories) – 446 calories total – 10 servings

- Sausage Rolls (334 calories)* + Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes (123 calories)* – 457 calories total – 6 servings

- Baked Honey Oatmeal with Raspberries and Pistachios – 223 calories total – 6 servings

Cooking should be occurring next Thursday or Friday, so recipes and pics coming then :)  Good night all!

April Recipe Update...

Well, I'm about halfway through my meals, and it's time for my update on new recipes :)  Here goes:

- Farmers Market Pasta

This was delicious, and I'll definitely be making it again.  I think I'll go ahead and not be lazy about using the food processor next time...I think it'll lend a little better to reheating to have a more consistent sauce throughout.  It was awesome anyway, but I think it'll be slightly better this way from frozen.  (If I'm making it fresh though for a dinner with friends or something though, I think I'll skip the food processor again...I really did like it that way...just in terms of the reheat I think it'll be a tiny bit more successful the other way). 

- 3 Envelope Roast Beef

Holy cow...this was a hit.  My mom's already made it now too.  Super ridiculously easy, and VERY delicious.  I'm totally trying it as sliders with the chipotle mayo next time :)

- Risotto with Peas & Parmesan

This was my biggest concern when I made it, but it actually did reheat well.  Yes, the texture is slightly different (a little less creamy), but it's pretty darn close, and it was really tasty.  I'm considering adding mushrooms next time too. 

- Chicken and Broccoli Pie

This one was a winner too.  I think I'll shred the chicken next time instead of cubing it, so I can make sure to have chicken in every bite, but it was delicious, and it reheated great.

- Apple Pie Oatmeal

I'm having sort of  a texture issue with this.  It tastes good, but it's so one texture that it's annoying me.  I think if I make it again, I'll add some craisins and/or chopped nuts to make it a little more interesting.


And that's all for today :)  May's menu plan soon-ish!

Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes...

Just as a reminder, parties and holidays are calorie-free zones.  Therefore, calories will not be tallied for this recipe.  So tonight I'm baking for a work crop/party for tomorrow night (er...technically today, I guess).  I kind of forgot that I was supposed to be making something till this afternoon about half an hour before I was supposed to go to work.  Soooooo, I zoomed through my bookmarked recipes, and found one that I had ALMOST all the ingredients for (important, since my grocery budget for the month is pretty much already tapped out).  I found the original recipe at Big Mama's Home Kitchen.  I made a double batch, so according to the original recipe, I could've gotten 6 jumbo muffins or 16 regular muffins.  I ACTUALLY got 21 regular muffins, in which case, I wouldn't have needed to do a double batch.  Whoops!  This may have had something to do with the size of my pineapple pieces...I should've probably cut them down a little smaller, but I really like pineapple, and my normal complaint with pineapple upside down cake is that there's not enough pineapple, so I just went with it.  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
8-10 regular-sized muffins

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 c. white sugar
- 4 T. pineapple juice (I just used the juice in the can of pineapple chunks)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2/3 c. brown sugar
- 1 can pineapple chunks
- 1 small jar maraschino cherries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange a maraschino cherry in the center of each muffin tin, and pineapple chunks around it.  In a mixing bowl add eggs, white sugar, and pinepple juice.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Beat for an additional 2 minutes.  In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add brown sugar.  Stir on low heat for about a minute.  Spoon warm brown sugar mixture over the fruit in each muffin cup.  Spoon cake batter into each muffin cup (theoretically no more than 3/4 full, but I definitely filled mine more than that.  If you overfill, just make sure to put a cookie sheet under your tin, so if it runs over, it doesn't create a disaster in your oven).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool 3-5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges of each cup, and then flip into a baking sheet (it'd probably be better to flip them on a cooling rack, but I don't have one, so it'll have to do on a baking sheet). 

Apple Pie Oatmeal...

I finally got around to making it!  Woot!  So I found this recipe at Cooking with Jax and it just looked good.  I'd never cooked with steel cut oats before, and was somewhat curious at the difference.  It seems to me that they're mostly just a little heartier texture, and there is a little bit of a nuttiness to them (I didn't come up with the nuttiness part of that description on my own...I saw it on a website, but it's actually true too.  lol).  Anyway, it was easy, and smelled delicious when I woke up to the completed dish in the morning.  I think it'll reheat okay, since the texture is firmer than rolled oats.  I would recommend that you actually do stir it every hour, and do not oversleep if you're doing this overnight.  I may have hit the snooze button for about an hour extra (whoops) and burned the edges a little bit.  Still good though :)  Also, I forgot to take an ingredient picture, so sorry about that...rest assured, it's not too many ingredients.

Apple Pie Oatmeal
6 servings - 159 calories each

Ingredients:
1 c. steel cut oats
3 diced apples
1 c. apple juice
3 c. water
1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon, to taste

Directions: 
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker, and cook 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low till it reaches the consistency you like.  (That's it!)

I discovered that if I keep doing these little breakfast-y dishes that tend to be smaller, I should probably get some new gladware for the job.  I used just whatever little dishes I had leftover today, but it's going to make stacking the freezer an issue, since they're all different and won't stack together as easily as if they're all the same.  Anyway, it's a total of six servings for 159 calories each :)

Farmer's Market Pasta...

I adore pasta.  I would probably eat it for every single meal if it wasn't so dang calorie-intensive.  The interesting thing about this one is that it's sort of a light and summery pasta.  It doesn't seem as heavy as most of the sauce-laden ones out there.  Because of this, I'm a little apprehensive about the reheating...we'll see how that goes (and I'll update on here when I know).  However, even if it doesn't work out long-term as a freezer meal (hopefully it does), I'll definitely make it again.  I think it'd be awesome for a little summer dinner party...in the original recipe on Pinch of Yum they made it in individual ramekins, which would be so dang cute for having people over, I can't even stand it!  I went ahead and just made it in a casserole dish, since it's just for me and I was splitting it up anyway.   The one caveat I have, is that my version isn't quite as farmer's market-like as the original, since the original intent was to have everything fresh, and that just isn't feasible for me on a normal day (maybe for that dinner party though).  Aaaand, I forgot to take a before picture again AND forgot about the portioned picture too until well after it was in the freezer, so I didn't bother (geez!)...sorry :)  So, here we go:

Farmer's Market Pasta (the not-so-farmer's-markety-version)
4 servings - 330 calories each

**Please note, there should be frozen peas in this picture, but I forgot...it was a weird day**

Ingredients:

1 c. peas (I used frozen, but fresh would be good too if you want to cook them up)

2 c. dry pasta (I used the little shells)

1/4 c. reserved pasta water

1/2 T butter

3/4 c. ricotta or cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. parmesan, shredded

1/3 c. + 1/4. c. mozzarella, shredded

1 tsp. olive oil

fresh torn basil (I used about 4 big leaves)

Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta until al dente and then drain (reserving 1/4 c. of pasta water as mentioned above).  Toss in butter and peas.  While pasta is cooking, mix together cottage cheese (or ricotta), garlic, olive oil and seasonings.  (At this point in the original recipe, they said to put this mixture in the food processor till smooth.  I chose not to do that, because I was feeling lazy and my food processor was buried in the cabinet.  Feel free to try it either way...I don't think it made a big difference).  Stir in parmesan, 1/3 c. mozzarella, and basil.  Add this mixture and the 1/4 c. reserved pasta water back into the pasta, and mix.  Top with additional 1/4 c. mozzarella and broil for 5-6 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown a little at the edges.

So I'll be serving this with a crescent roll (I know...a lot of crescent rolls...I love bread though, I just like to have it with my meals whenever possible...and they're the easiest thing to throw in) for a total of 430 calories per serving.

One Pot Spaghetti...

First off, I would like to say, I misjudged the servings this recipe makes when I did my meal plan.  I guess I hadn't made it for a quite a while and overestimated.  It's only 6 servings, not 8, so the calories are a little more indulgent than I originally thought, but as far as I'm concerned it's totally worth it.  loL :)  BUT, I figured I better at least get that out there...full disclosure and all that jazz.

That said, this spaghetti was a staple of my childhood.  It's about the easiest thing you can make, and you really will only dirty ONE pot.  So, awesome in my book.  I will also say, this recipe messed me up on my spaghetti preferences for life though.  To this day, I in no way understand why anyone would want a pile of spaghetti noodles with sauce dumped on top when you could have the pasta COOKED in sauce, so the flavor is all the way through.  So, without further ado, here we go :)

One Pot Spaghetti
6 servings - 513 calories each

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 1/2 jars of water
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 7-8 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
- Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in the pot you'll be using for the final spaghetti.  (If you get lean enough hamburger, you do not need to drain it after it's cooked, so save yourself a step!)  Add all other ingredients and simmer until pasta is done.  Add parmesan cheese if desired.

And that's it!  Pretty simple, right?  So there's no side dish or biscuit or anything with this one, since the calories are already a little high.  So it's just six servings of spaghetti at 513 calories each total :)

Chicken & Broccoli Pie...

Thank goodness for Pinterest, eh?  I'm a very visual person, and I literally do not make recipes unless there's a picture.  So there's this beautiful picture of a chicken and broccoli pie on Pinterest, and I decided I MUST make it.  The original recipe is on eatbetteramerica and they definitely healthified it a little more than I did.  If you want to reduce the calories even more, go ahead and check out their recipe for the original.  Or you could get 6 servings out of it instead of 4, which would also help.  Also, I forgot to take a before picture...I was totally off my game the day I cooked this month!  Here we go:

Chicken and Broccoli Pie
4 servings - 306 calories each

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. frozen broccoli florets (the original recipe said to thaw them first, but I didn't)
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 c. diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. bisquick
1 c. milk
2 eggs
Seasonings, to taste

Directions:
Layer broccoli, 1/2 c. cheese, chicken, and onion into greased 9 inch glass pie plate.  In a separate bowl, whisk together Bisquick, milk, seasonings, and eggs until blended.  Pour into the pie plate.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. of cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.  Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.

So I'm serving mine with a crescent roll, for a total of 406 calories each :)  Yum!

Risotto with Peas & Parmesan...

Alright, I adore risotto when I get it at restaurants, but after hearing so many times that you can't walk away from risotto while you're making it without ruining it, I had sort of decided I'd never bother making it myself.  However, I found this recipe at Meals from Nestle Kitchen, and I thought I'd give it a shot.  And truth be told, it really wasn't hard, and it while I didn't step away from it, I think I probably could've for a couple of minutes without a disaster.  lol :)  That said, I'm vaguely concerned about how well it's going to reheat, but ya never know until you try, right?  I'll post an udpate after I've had a couple of servings and let you know!  Here we go:

Risotto with Peas and Parmesan
9 servings - 165 calories each

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. uncooked arborio rice
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. evaporated low-fat 2% milk
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. finely shredded parmesan cheese
Seasonings, to taste

Directions:
Heat oil over med-high heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Stir in garlic and cook for a few seconds just to release the aroma.  Add rice, stirring frequently, for about 1 minutes.  Stir in broth and evaporated milk, reduce heat to medium, and stir frequently for 20-25 minutes until rice is tender but firm.  Stir in peas, seasonings, and parmesan just until peas are warm.

Not too bad, right?  I'll be serving mine with the pot roast I also made for a total of 426 calories per serving.  I had a couple of extra servings of the rice, so I put them in little containers of their own, and maybe I'll heat them up with a brat or something later :)

Three Envelope Roast Beef...

Okay, I was super excited when I found this recipe.  I live by myself...there's not a lot of cause to cook a 3-4 pound pot roast when you're single and live alone.  However, I found this recipe for Pot Roast Sliders on Six Sisters Stuff, and thought, why the heck not?  Now, I happened to nix the sliders portion of the recipe so I didn't have to worry about having buns and whatnot on hand later, so mine is just a pot roast.  (**However, I think the sliders sound awesome, and I'd definitely like to do them sometime).  Anyway, this recipe is RIDICULOUSLY easy, even for crock pot meals.  Here we go:

Three Envelope Roast Beef
6 servings, 261 calories each

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Directions:

Put the roast in your slow cooker.  Mix everything else together and pour over top of the roast.  Put the lid on and set it to low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. 

Seriously, this stuff is RIDICULOUSLY good.  We almost lost a serving to snacking for this particularly recipe.  I'll be serving mine with Risotto w/Peas and Parmesan (recipe later) for a total of 426 calories per serving.  If you like it though, I'd like to recommend that you try the actual slider recipe at the other website...there's a chipotle cream sauce on there to go with it that looks delicious.  Anyway, that's all for now :)

Beef Noodle Casserole...

Okay, so this beef noodle casserole has been a go-to since I discovered it on Kraft's website shortly after I started doing this whole monthly meals thing.  It's probably not the most exciting thing to eat, but it's good comfort food that you get a good-sized helping of.  So, here goes:

Beef Noodle Casserole
8 servings - 331 Calories Each

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 c. egg noodles, uncooked
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables (peas, green beans, carrots, corn, etc.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Seasonings, to taste

Directions:

Brown meat with onions & drain.  Spoon meat/onion mixture over noodles in 13x9 inch baking dish.  Top with vegetables.  Whisk soup, milk & water until blended; pour over vegetables.  Top with cheese.  Cover (make sure to tent the foil).  Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, uncovering after 25 minutes.

I'm getting 8 servings out of this, although you could probably get 10 if you wanted to.  I'll also be serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 431 calories each.

April Menu Plan...

Well, my meals are almost gone, so I've got my menu plan for April pulled together.  Probably won't actually be cooking till I get back from Michigan later next week, but I wanted to get this up before I forget.  As usual, items marked with an asterisk, I haven't made before, and calorie counts are estimated based on nutritional info on calorieking.com. 

***

Chicken & Broccoli Pie* (4 servings – 306 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories)

Farmer’s Market Pasta* (4 servings – 330 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories)

3 Envelope Roast Beef* (6 servings – 261 calories) + Risotto w/Peas & Parm* (9 servings - 165 calories)

Spaghetti (8 servings – 385 calories) + NO SIDE

Beef Noodle Casserole (8 servings – 331 calories) + Crescent Roll (100 calories)

***

Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast* (159 calories)

***

And that's all for today :)  Assuming I'm not a total slacker while I'm in Michigan (no promises on that one), I might actually have some craft stuff to post after I get back.  Woot!

Recipes Update

Well, I'm about halfway through my meals for the month, and figured it was about time for an update on the success of the new recipes I tried this time :)  Here goes:

1) Taco Cups - Delicious!  Definitely making them again.  They kept enough crunch reheated to not be a disappointment texture-wise.  I'm sure they'd keep even more crunch if you heated them in the oven instead of the microwave, but alas...the microwave only takes one minute, so I'm okay with a little less crunch.  Thinking about putting a layer of salsa in there next time :)

2) Hashbrown Parmesan Cups - Also delicious, and definitely making them again.  Great as a side, and perfect for breakfast too.  Thinking about adding some garlic next time too...love garlic :)  Good texture...again, loses a little crunch in the microwave, but keeps enough to make it worthwhile...and again, would probably be better heated in the oven...but they only take 45 seconds in the microwave.  Speed wins again!

3) Apple Pie Oatmeal - Has been delayed till next month.  I haven't gotten to it yet, and I'm already so far into the month and still have enough muffins left, that I've decided to just wait.  Sooo...more next month. 

And that's all for now!  Meal plan for next month coming soon-ish...and maybe some crafting stuff.  I'm really trying to get back on my crafting projects...I've been so far behind lately!  Fingers crossed :)