Harvest Soup (butternut squash soup from Parenting Magazine).

*1 Tbs. olive oil.

*1/2 cup chopped carrot.

*1/2 cup chopped celery.

*1/3 cup chopped onion.

*1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash (about 3 1/2 cups)-

seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes.

*2 medium apples-

cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

*4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (i used whatever i had- i don't remember if it was low-sodium.).

*ground black pepper to taste.

*croutons.

when i was sauteing the onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil i added:

*nutmeg

*kosher salt

*marjoram

*cayenne (just enough to give it kick but not too spicy)

*thyme

*minced garlic

*basil

*bay leaf (i actually added this later, in it's soup form)

*ginger

*rosemary

*and a little brown sugar

(just use whatever you have and sounds good to you)

MAKE IT:

1. in a big pot, heat oil on medium. add carrots, celery, onions. cook for 8-10 mins stirring occasionally. add squash, apples, and broth. bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 mins. cool slightly.

 2. puree soup, in two batches if needed, in a blender or food processor. add pepper & croutons. makes about 6 cups.

NUTRITION PER 1.5 CUPS: 185 calories; 6g protein; 4g fat (1g sat. fat); 35g carbs; 6g fiber; 88mg calcium; 1mg iron; 531mb sodium.

Stacia's Chicken Enchiladas

1. Either saute or boil, then chop: 4 chicken breasts.
2. mix together:
     1 can tomatoes with green chilies
     1 can cream of chicken soup
     1 can cream of celery soup
     1 small can enchilada sauce
     1/2 onion, chopped
     1 lb grated cheddar cheese (reserve some to sprinkle on top)
3. Add chipped chicken to half of sauce. Roll in flour tortillas. Put in large baking pan. Cover with remaining sauce, sprinkle with cheese (I did this when it had about 5 minutes left in oven).
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

calzones & french fruit dip

since i have pictures i will post them. :)

CALZONES

INGREDIENTS:

*frozen rhodes loaves (each loaf will make 2 calzones)

*pizza sauce of choice

*mozzarella cheese. i read a lot of recipes that call for feta too.

*toppings
*optional* if you beat an egg white with a little bit of water and brush on top of finished calzone it makes it shiny and pretty. i didn't do that.

DIRECTIONS:

*place frozen dough on greased cookie sheet, cover and put fridge to thaw overnight (around 10 hours- there is also shorter thawing times). in the morning pull out of fridge and let them sit out (still covered) for a few hours before you roll out. cut each loaf in half and roll out into rectangles. put tomato sauce in middle with toppings, and cheese then fold top over and press sides together to seal. bake @ 425 degrees on a lower rack than the middle for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. serve with dipping sauce!

PAULA DEAN'S FRENCH CREAM FRUIT DIP

French Cream:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Pineapple juice

Directions

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough pineapple juice to achieve desired consistency. Serve with fresh fruit tray or fruit salad.

Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese - Stove top

1 lb. elbow noodles 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 3 cups half and half 1/2 tsp salt 3 Cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack) Cook pasta according to package directions. In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Top with fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Spinach Salad

Dressing:

Make in blender (or hand shakeable container) 1 hour prior so sugar dissolves

3/4 TBSP poppy seeds

3/4 Cup canola oil

3/4 TBSP grated onion

1/3 tsp dry mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Salad:

1 pkg spinach leaves

1 purple onion - sliced

3/4 lb fresh sliced mushrooms

3/4 lb grated swiss cheese

1 cup cottage cheese - drained if possible

1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

hawaiian haystacks

ADD TO CROCKPOT SET FOR 4 HOURS
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 frozen chicken breasts (after it's all cooked you can use a fork and pull it apart)
1 thing of cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
whatever seasonings look good i usually do pepper and seasoned salt
 (i make it so there are chunks of cream cheese)

SERVE OVER YOUR CHOICE OF RICE

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
coconut
cheddar cheese
tomatoes
jalapenos
asian noodles
celery
onions
pineapple
green peppers
olives
mandarin oranges

Tortellini Tomato Soup

I use this recipe blog a lot. It has some yummy stuff on it, including the tomato soup I made yesterday.

favfamilyrecipes.com

Tortellini Tomato Soup

1 pkg. (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 cans (10oz) Campbell's tomato soup

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. milk

2 c. half-and-half

1/2 c. chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot combine soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini well and add to soup. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted serve immediately and sprinkle Parmesan or mozzarella cheese over the top.