Baked Pasta

Baked Pasta

1 pound box rigatoni noodles
2 (23.9 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
15 precooked frozen meatballs, thawed
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place rigatoni noodles in 13x9 inch baking pan.

Pour both jars of spaghetti sauce over noodles.

Pour 1 1/2 cups water over sauce.

Arrange meatballs on top.

Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake 45 minutes.

Remove foil.  Sprinkle cheese over pasta.

Bake 15 minutes.

I like my pasta saucy, and my noodles to be firm and not over cooked.  With this quick and easy pasta recipe that is just what I get; along with easy clean up.  The whole dish is done in one pan.  It doesn't get easier than that!

My husband and I just returned from San Francisco.  We were there working, so we didn't get to see all that I would have like to have seen.  But I did talk him into turning off the computer, at least long enough for us to take the boat out to Alcatraz.

Alcatraz was incredible!  As part of your ticket, you get to take an audio tour of the jail.  It is narrated by actual former Alcatraz prison guards and former inmates.

An inmate told a funny story about spaghetti.  The first time it was serve at the prison, everyone loved it.  But slowly the quality of the spaghetti went down hill, and the prisoners started to complain.  Finally it came to a point when the inmates agreed, that the next time spaghetti was served they were going to revolt.  And that is how one of the worst riot in the history of Alcatraz was started.

With this no fail recipe, you are guaranteed perfect results every time.  It is sure to keep your inmates in order.

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Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Pour onto a baking sheet.  Bake 45 minutes.  Makes 5 to 6 servings.

 

When I was shopping at the grocery store last week, I spotted this bag of mixed fingerling potatoes.  It contained red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and purple potatoes.  I love to try new food products, so I grabbed a bag.

Typically when I roast potatoes, I will just put the potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and seasoning, then toss them to coat.  For this recipe, I wanted to make sure every potato was evenly seasoned, so I tossed them in a large bowl instead.  It was an extra step, but each bit was perfectly seasoned, so for me it was worth it.

I loved the addition of the purple potato!  It put a fun new twist to a good old standby recipe, without changing the flavor.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 
MY KIND OF COOKING, and a set of knives!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken strips

2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, combine honey and mustard. Mix well. Dip chicken strips in honey mixture, dredge chicken in bread crumbs, place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Discard unused honey mustard mixture.  Makes 6 servings.

This recipe will be in my new cookbook, BUSY WOMAN'S 3 & 4 INGREDIENT COOKBOOK.  The cookbook will be available in August.

This  is a kid friendly recipe that is sure to please the whole family.  The panko bread crumbs, give the chicken a light crunchy coating.  The honey mustard sauce, keeps the chicken moist, while adding lots of sweet and tangy flavor.

If you are looking for more recipes using honey like Beth, aka Chef Bee, at Plan B - Making Every Meal An Event, take a peek at my Apple Chicken recipe.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 
MY KIND OF COOKING, and a set of knives!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Non-Edible Cookie Ornaments

Non-Edible Cookie Ornaments

1 cup ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground all spice
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons Elmer's glue

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.  If too dry, add more applesauce, and if it is too wet, add more cinnamon.  Knead dough 3 minutes to form a ball.  Between two sheets of wax paper, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, do not roll too thin.  Using cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes.  Make a hole using a toothpick, at the top of the cookie, so you can hang the ornament.  Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.  If you don't want to bake the ornaments you can let them air dry for a couple of days.   Decorate with craft puff paint, or other craft items.

This is a great craft for kids and adults to do on Christmas day.  I always make the cookies at least a day or two before I need them.  

The first time I did this craft, I only make enough cookies for the kids to decorate.  I was surprised at how many adults wanted to decorate one too, so now I make extras, and everyone who wants to decorate one can.

Our son Tyler, made the green man and the American flag man
ornaments when he was in Jr. High.

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Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Recipe: Baked Tortilla Chip Chicken Strips

 Baked Tortilla Chip Chicken Strips

1 egg
1/4 cup hot wing sauce
1 to 1.25 pounds chicken strips
2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl, combine egg and hot wing sauce. Mix well. Dip chicken strips in egg mixture, dredge in crushed tortilla chips, place on lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

The view out my front door.

There is snow on the Rocky Mountains, so that means it is time to start baking.  I don't bake much in the summer time.  Heating up the kitchen when it is hot outside just doesn't appeal to me, but as soon as it cools off, the oven turns on.  There is nothing like a warm kitchen, full of delicious aromas on a cold day.

This recipe, is a great way to use up the bottom of the bag crushed tortilla chips, that no one in the family will eat.  The chicken is juicy and crunchy, with just a slight tang from the hot wing sauce.  It is one of the quick and easy recipes I have included in my new cookbook, Busy Woman's 3 & 4 Ingredient Cookbook, that will be published next summer.

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Check out my post about the Giveaway for details.

Visit my blogging buddy, Bo's Blog (say that three times fast), 

Bo's Bowl. Not only does he have great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!