Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I originally got this recipe off of Money Saving Mom's website and have changed it a bit to make it "healthier". So below is my recipe with these changes. It originally called for 1 1/2 cups oil, and i'm just not that into oil, so I substitute most of the oil with applesauce. Also, if you can't get ahold of a can of pumpkin puree, which I can't down in Australia, you can also make your own Butternut Pumpkin/Squash puree by boiling the pumpkin/squash, blend it and then let it strain out a little bit to get rid of some of the water.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16oz) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/4 cup applesauce (no added sugar)
1/4 cup oil
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cups ground flaxseed
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more if you like it, like me)
1 package chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 24-30 muffins.

These freeze really well and taste just as moist and yummy after being defrosted or heated. They are also yummy heated up and served with a bit of chocolate for dessert.

Popeye Pasta

Brynna and I just made this dish and I wanted to share! This recipe was a favorite of my niece Sydney's as a toddler and now Brynna loves it too! I'd be lying if I said Mommy didn't enjoy it on crackers as well! I thought it was a great recipe to share because many of us have toddlers running around the house these days! It's quick and easy to make and a good source of iron, dairy, and fiber. I am also going to experiment with adding some veggie purees to it in the future. Pretty sure you could replace the milk with cauliflower puree without anyone noticing. :)

Ingredients
(1) package frozen Spinach
8 ounces pasta (calls for small pasta, I usually cook noodles and chop them finely)
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
4 ounces grated cheese - I've used mozzerella and sharp cheddar

Directions
Cook spinach via directions on package, drain.
Cook pasta.
Saute spinach in butter.
Combine pasta, spinach, milk, cheeses and mix well.
Serve as is or delicious on crackers as well!

Mixing it up!

Taste testing her creation!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a party favorite. I always get asked for the recipe at least once every time I make it. It's easy and delicious!

Ingredients
Chicken (about 2 cups shredded)
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
Bleu Cheese salad dressing
8 ounces Parmasen Cheese

Directions
1. Melt cream cheese, combine with 1/4 cup hot sauce
2. Spread mixture on bottom of dish (about 8x8)
3. Combine chicken with remaining hot sauce
4. Spread on top of cream cheese mixture
5. Spread desired amount of Bleu cheese dressing (or crumbled bleu cheese)
6. Top with parmesan cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees (about 30 minutes or until bubbly)

ENJOY with tortilla chips (or Fritos if you're my husband!)

Modified versions: For a quick version you can combine all the ingredients and microwave until warm. The original recipe calls for rotisserie chicken. For a "healthier" version I bake 1-2 chicken breasts and chop that up into small pieces. You can also add more/less hot sauce depending on your palates! Some people also use mozzerella instead of parmesan (I find the parm melts nicer and doesn't burn as easily).

Pasta Salad

This is a perfect summer meal without a lot of preparing. Perfect for potlucks as it feeds a lot or if you have a lot of garbage disposals like me. You can always cut this recipe in half for a small family.

Ingredients
1 lb of pasta
1 big head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 container of grape tomatoes, halved
2 cans of sliced black olives
1 red pepper chopped
1 cup of Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Boil pasta according to instructions. Steam broccoli until bright green with a bit of crunch left to it.
Place all other ingredients into a large bowl.  Add cooled pasta and broccoli. Stir well.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Crock Pot Burritos

I saw these on one of my favorite blogs and tried them out, they are delicious! And so easy to make!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
½ cup water
1-15oz can of black beans (drain and rinse)
1-11oz or 15oz can corn (drain and rinse)
½ packet taco seasoning
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1 cup uncooked brown rice
8 oz brick cream cheese (low fat works well)
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Tortillas

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. 
2. One hour before you're ready to serve, add 1 cup uncooked brown rice. 
3. Half hour later, add 1 brick of cream cheese. Shred chicken and scoop into tortillas to make burritos.

Katie has lots of great recipes if you're looking for other ideas!

Community Kitchen

I don't know about everyone else but I always seem to be scrambling for new recipes and ideas of things to feed my family. I feel like Pesto Chicken and Tacos make the rotation every week. And while we love both, I need some new ideas! So I came up with the idea of Community Kitchen. A place where we can post our favorite recipes and browse each others' for new ideas. You can be as involved as you want, posting recipes or your menu for the week or just looking at everyone else's ideas. When you post make sure to "link" what the main ingredient is - chicken, beef, fish, etc so everyone else can easily click on the topic they're looking for and get a list of recipes. Also link your name. How do you do this? When you're in the "posting" mode, you'll see a section called "labels". Type in your name or chicken (as many as you want) to link the post to that code word. If you need help, email me! I am happy to post things if you email the recipe! I hope everyone enjoys this and gets some use out of it! Let's get cookin!