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Being a mom comes with a hectic schedule sometimes.  Not wanting to sacrifice healthy eating, I've had to adapt my weekly menus to accommodate the various activities that the kids have going on during the week.  Mondays we typically have swim lessons from 4-5 which leaves me without much prep time for dinner.  Enter... the slow cooker... and dinner is ready when we walk in the door (with the exception this night of having to roast the carrots...)! The #1 reason I love my slow cooker :)  And while some crockpot recipes can require some tedious prep work, this one was simple, quick, and smelled amazing upon opening the front door!  Choose any accompanying veggie but these butter roasted carrots were fairly easy and to die for.

Creamy Turkey Ragu

1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg (20 oz) lean ground turkey
2/3 cup Philadelphia reduced-fat Italian Herb Cooking Creme
1 box enriched Rotini (spiral pasta) cooked, following package directions

Spray slow cooker bowl with cooking spray.  Stir in tomatoes, onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt. Crumble in ground turkey and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

Stir in cooking creme until evenly incorporated into sauce.  Pour cooked pasta into slow cooker and stir to coat pasta.  Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Butter-Roasted Carrots

4 cups diagonally cut carrot sticks
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to incorporate evenly.  Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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Smoked Salmon Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 cup shredded reduced fat swiss cheese
1 tablespoon flour
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 oz smoked salmon fillet, flaked
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan.  Trim and flute edges.  In a small bowl, combine flour and cheese, transfer to crust.

In a large skillet, saute tomatoes and onion in oil just until tender.  Remove from heat; stir in salmon.  Spoon over cheese mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

*Courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking*


Salad with Cherries, Goat Cheese and Pistachios

4 cups mixed spring greens
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup thinly, vertically sliced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pitted halved fresh cherries (I used frozen sweet cherries, thawed and cut in half)
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup salted dry-roasted pistachios

Combine greens, spinach and onion in a large bowl.  Combine juice, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.  Arrange 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 salad plates.  Top each serving with 1/4 cup cherries, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon nuts.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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It's not often that I get the opportunity to make soup for dinner.  As previously posted, my husband is not big on soups.  It doesn't matter if all the ingredients of a hearty meal (meat? veggies? couscous?) are tossed into one big pot... to him, soup is not a meal.  Although, to give him credit, he did take leftovers for lunch.  Maybe he's changing his ways...

In any case, he was out of town and I jumped at the chance to try these recipes out.  The kids devoured everything... down to the last piece of kale in the bowl.  So good I had to offer up a next day drive-thru service to my good friend Tracey.  Packaged up a hearty serving of soup and a couple of scones that she picked up on her way home from running errands.  I get to treat a friend, she gets to savor my cooking... win win!


Mini Meatball Soup

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced (I left this out since I forgot to add it to my shopping list!)
4 scallions, chopped
1 LARGE can (48 oz.) chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head escarole, trimmed cleaned and chopped (Fred Meyer didn't have escarole so I substituted kale)
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients.  Stir until evenly blended.  Form into 1-inch meatballs (about 40 total) and set aside.

Soup: In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, parsnips and scallions.  Cook 5 minutes, to soften.  Add broth, thyme sprigs and 4 cups of water; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.  Gently drop meatballs into simmering broth mixture.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 4 minutes.  Add escarole/kale in to batches, and the couscous.  Cook 8 more minutes, then stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Serve warm.

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Rosemary Buttermilk Scones

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
Coarse salt for sprinkling (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives until pebble-size pieces form.  Stir in the rosemary then add 3/4 cup buttermilk, stirring until the dough begins to come together (don't overmix.)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 7-inch round.  Cut the dough into 12 wedges with a sharp knife.  Arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between them.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375.  Brush the scones with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt, if desired.  Bake on top oven rack until golden, about 20-30 minutes.  Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.

*Courtesy of Disney Family Fun magazine*

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Pumpkin.  One of my favorite things about fall.  I love testing out new pumpkin recipes and revel in the excuse to add it to almost anything.

Saturdays are our "special breakfast" days.  Since weekdays are hectic, breakfasts are usually quick... nothing that requires extra mixing or fixing time.  So Saturdays we indulge.  Usually pancakes and eggs, or muffins and omelets, something a little more "special."  So it should come as no surprise that I use these days as an excuse to pull out new breakfast recipes.  Let the kids help me whip it up and the whole thing becomes a much enjoyed family affair.

And while I haven't quite mastered the art of exact waffle batter amounts (hey, they don't have to look pretty to taste good!) these were a huge hit all around and will no doubt return as a fall favorite!


Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients (through cloves.)  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Bake in preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown.  Serve with butter and syrup if desired.

Makes 6 servings.  Per Serving: Cal: 194, Fat: 5g, Sat: 2g, Carb: 28g, Fiber: 3g, Pro: 7g
*Courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking*

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Can you see it?  The names says it all.  Chocolate and peanut butter have always been a match made in heaven to me.  I don't have an ounce of will power for turning down ANYTHING that has the two ingredients paired together.  Of course it also makes me think of my good friend Sarah who doesn't even like chocolate (*gasp*) unless it's paired with peanuts or peanut butter (strange but true :) So this one's for you my dear friend... eat your heart out.


Magic in the Middles

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (if you don't have unsalted that's fine... I used regular)
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together first 4 ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together both sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg; beat to combine.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Set dough aside.

Stir together remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and powdered sugar in small bowl until smooth.  With floured hands, roll mixture into 30 small balls.  Break off about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough; flatten in palm, wrap around one peanut butter ball, pressing to seal.  Repeat for each cookie.

Place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheets (or lightly coated with cooking spray) 2 inches apart. Use bottom of a drinking glass, dip in granulated sugar then press on top of each cookie to flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes.  Let cool 2 minutes on pan then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*Courtesy of MyRecipes*

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