.pumpkin pasta sauce. {husband's choice}

I was a bit skeptical of this recipe at first but I had a can of pumpkin that I needed to do something with and I love cream so I decided to give it a try. WOW was I pleasantly surprised. The original recipe can be found here. (love that blog mucho). It was a big hit with the hubby and beyond easy to make. Try it out for yourself :)



Ingredients
1/2 a can of plain pumpkin ( I used a bit more)
1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cup of heavy cream
5 fresh sage leaves finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon of butter

Preparation
Mix all ingredients (except butter) in a small pot and heat on medium until it comes to a boil. Let it boil for three-four minutes stirring constantly. The sauce will become smooth and mixed well. Remove from heat and add your butter. Stir until melted and lightly toss over your favorite pasta. I used Rigatoni pasta. I sprinkled a little Italian cheese blend right over top.

.chocolate pretzel heaven.

This recipe is amazing/delicious/addicting/easy/mouthwatering..I really could go on if needed. I am pretty much obsessed and can not making/eating them. For all those who know me I really do not like sweets or chocolate, but these. omg. writing this post is making me drool. YOU MUST MAKE THESE ASAP!!! And if you don't believe how amazing they are and just want to make a couple check out the microwave friendly version among other adaptations on my friend Alisha's blog CookLoveCraft. There are so many different ways to change this recipe up or use other christmas colored kisses to make it festive. Enjoy!




Ingredients
Pretzel Snaps
Hershey kisses (I used dark chocolate)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 275. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Unwrap hershey kisses and place on pretzels. Put in oven for 3 minutes. Gently place second pretzel on top of each hershey kiss and press down softy. Place in refrigerator to cool. Enjoy!

.shrimp pizza.

We lOVE pizza and it is especially fun when you get to make it yourself by using some of your favorite ingredients. I usually buy ready made pizza dough from trader joe's or fresh and easy. They usually have white, wheat, and some type of garlic herb. I like this dough because it is super fresh and all you need to do is let it sit out for 20 mins or so then make your pizza. Experiment with this recipe by using whatever sauce, meat, and veggies that you like. Below are my favorites, and never forget your glass of wine :) Enjoy!




Ingredients
Pizza dough
Shredded cheese (I like an Italian blend)
Shrimp (I use the frozen like that just needs to be thawed)
Pizza sauce (I used Vodka pasta sauce..yum)
Spinach leaves
Garlic powder (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Italian seasoning (to taste)
1 diced tomato

Preparation
Follow pizza dough directions to prepare dough and preheat oven. Spread out dough on a flat surface and top with your favorite sauce. Top with shrimp, torn spinach leaves, tomatoes, and season with garlic, pepper, and italian seasoning. Then sprinkle on the cheese. Place pizza in oven (preferability on a pizza stone..they are amazing!) and cook according to pizza dough package. Typically 10-12 minutes. Cut up into slices and enjoy!

.hawaiian bbq chicken.

Another Pinterest recipe that was beyond easy AND for the crockpot = double score. This one is super friendly for all and the original recipe can be found here. I also loved that I could put my chicken in frozen (raw meat is not my friend) and it only has 3 ingredients. Enjoy!




Ingredients
4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)
1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)
1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Preparation
Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup! Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice.

.mexican pizza. {husband's choice}

Thank you Pinterest for the 100th time. The original recipe can be found here and has amazing step by step pictures.This picture would have looked much better if I added the green onions like the original recipe called for. But of course I was too lazy to go to the store as usual. This recipe was perfect for the hubby because it was designed after his most favoritest meal EVER, Taco Bell's mexican pizza. Honestly, it tastes even better and I know it is much healthier for us both. I have since made this four times. Don't judge. It tasted great with corn tortillas, ground beef, and shredded beef and I'm sure Ill change it up again next time. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
Whole Wheat or regular Tortillas – 4 tortillas (2 pieces for each pizza)
Canola Oil – very small amount to glaze both sides of the tortilla
Refried Beans – 1 (1 pound) can
Water – 1/4 cup
Onion – 1 small (diced)
Paprika – 1 tsp
Black Pepper – 1/4 tsp (or omit – you don’t really need it)
Ortega Taco Seasoning – 1 tsp
Scallions – 1 bunch (chopped)
Jalapeno – 1/2 a jalapeno (deseeded & finely chopped) -i omited
Tomato – 1 (chopped)
Salsa – enough to spread over the pizza
Mexican Cheese Blend – enough to cover the pizza
Sour Cream Reduced Fat – 1 dollop (optional)

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Line a tray with foil.
2. Place 2 tortillas on a flat surface and lightly glaze/brush both sides of the tortilla with Canola Oil. Place both tortillas on the foil tray.
3. Once the oven preheats, place the tortillas in the oven for 10 minutes – 5 minutes on each side so they crisp up. You can add multiple tortillas if you have room.
4. In the meantime, make the beans. Empty the contents of the refried beans into a small pot. Add a 1/4 cup of water.
Place the pot over a stove on low-heat.
5. In the meantime, chop an onion. Add the onion to the beans. Add the seasonings – paprika, black pepper, and taco seasoning. I don’t think you will need salt. Mix. Wait a couple minutes and once heated thru, turn off the stove.
6. In the meantime, chop the veggies.
7. Check on the tortillas. DON’T TURN OFF THE STOVE. See how they are crispy once baked.
8. Spread a couple dollops of beans over the tortilla. Top off with very little salsa. Spread. Top the salsa with the second piece of tortilla. Spread salsa again – very little.
9. Top with scallions and tomatoes. Add just about 1/2 to 1 tsp of deseeded jalapeno – see how much you can handle.
Top with cheese, make sure you get the sides.
10. Using a flat ladle place the Mexican Tortilla Pizza on the foiled tray. Put into the oven for 12 minutes.
11. Top off with a dollop of Sour Cream (reduced fat) and some Hot Taco Bell Sauce, just cause it's awesome!

.chicken & spinach pasta bake.

Thank you Pinterest once again for providing me with wonderful, simple, and delicious meals. Original recipe can be found here. Made this one for the sis-in-law and it was a big hit with both her and the hubby. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!




Ingredients
8 oz uncooked rigatoni
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
½ t salt, ½ t pepper
1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation
Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions. Spread oil on bottom of 11x17 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

.cheesy chicken & rice bake.

This recipe is beyond yum enjoyable for all. I found this recipe on my love Pinterest. The original recipe is from Tasty Kitchen. SO not only did I find a wonderful recipe on Pinterest but I also found another lovely website to go to for even more tasty ideas. I made this meal twice in one week, yes it was that good. The second time was for a potluck at work and it sure was a crowd pleaser. Try it out for yourself and enjoy!



Ingredients
2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 cups Cooked Brown Rice (i used half brown and half white..im not able to 100% commit to brown yet)
¾ cups Frozen Corn
15 ounces, fluid Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream) ~i used sour cream
4 ounces, fluid Can Green Chilis
½ cups Salsa
1 cup Low-fat Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Topping ( I used a mexican cheese blend)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro For Garnish

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
To make this process easier, I always have cooked chicken on hand, and use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. If you have those two things, this can be throw together in a matter of minutes! It can also easily be made ahead of time and reheated.