A fun way to give Spinach a little love!

I'm on a spinach kick lately...maybe it's being pregnant? Either way, my body is loving all the extra Iron I've been including in my diet. One of my favorite new ways to eat Spinach is on Pizza!!!

I do like to make my own crust...but these are my favorite brand when I need a quick option!

I cover the crust with olive oil, garlic salt and lots of fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.

Chop 4-6 Green Onions (use whites and tops) and throw them in a large skillet.

To the onions, add 3 cups of chopped fresh spinach, a few cloves of grated garlic, a pinch of salt and about 1 TBS of olive oil. Cook until the spinach is all wilted.

I also love tomatoes on my pizza, but sometimes they make it soggy...so I slice my tomatoes and dry them on paper towels for a while before layering onto my crust.

This particular pizza is half spinach/tomato and half tomato/basil. I also love making my spinach pizza with canned artichokes! Just rinse them well, chop and throw into the skillet with the rest of the spinach toppings.

 Top the whole thing with shredded mozzarella cheese and put in a pre-heated oven (follow crust instructions).

This is my spinach/tomato pizza...delicious!

A use for leftovers that I love!

I always try to make extra meat when I cook Tacos for dinner. It can be re-purposed so many ways!! I often use it to make a Taco Salad or as a topping for Pizza. If I don't use it the next day, I throw it in the freezer for quick meal inspiration another time. This time, I used it to make Mexican Pizzas.

Robyn loves eating these too, but the round tortillas are a little difficult for her to handle, so I made her heart shaped pizzas using a cookie cutter.

Bake tortillas at 400 degrees for about 4 minutes to lightly toast them. Spread on a thin layer of re-fried beans. I usually have these leftover after Taco night too.

Top with Taco meat and cheese. I used a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese. I made Robyn's into sandwiches.  Put back in the 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes until cheese is melted.

Robyn's finished  heart-shaped pizza sandwiches!!

And my Mexican Pizza...I like to top mine with fresh Tomatoes and some pickled Jalapenos. A fun and simple way to make a new meal out of leftovers.

A copycat recipe for a restaurant meal I love!

For our first date, over 8 years ago, my husband took me to Red Lobster. We have both been big Red Lobster fans and we tend to order the same thing every time! One night about a year after that first date, I got on-line to see if I could find a copycat recipe for Red Lobster's Shrimp pasta! I found one, and this weekend, I made it again.

The only things I don't keep on hand are clam juice and heavy cream. I don't use clam juice for anything else, but it's pretty inexpensive to use for this recipe- so I buy it. 

Begin by cooking your shrimp in the olive oil and garlic. Remove from the pan and set aside.

To the hot skillet, add your clam juice and white wine. Cook for about 3 minutes, until reduced.

Stir in the heavy cream and cook over low heat for a few minutes until thickened. Add in your Parmesan Cheese.

Add shrimp back to the sauce and toss with cooked linguine. At the very end, stir in your lemon juice and herbs. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving so the pasta can soak up some of the sauce.

I also made knock-off Cheddar Bay Biscuits...and they weren't garlicky enough! I love the Cheese and Garlic Bisquick mix, but I thought they would be even better if I made them from scratch. I used my favorite biscuit recipe, J.P.'s Big Daddy Biscuits, and substituted garlic salt for the regular salt. I also added 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of Italian Seasoning, and 1 cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese. The trick to a light and flaky biscuit is to notovermix the dough and to fold it a few times before rolling out.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter mixed with garlic salt.

Robyn played with some of the unused biscuit dough :) These are supposedly snowmen with purses and Humpty Dumpty.

And this was dinner- I was total craving this when I made it...and then my fickle pregnancy appetite decided I don't really enjoy shrimp right now! Oh well, at least my hubby enjoyed it :)

A kid friendly dinner that Robyn loved!

My daughter has her own mini muffin pan, part of a mini baking set. She brought it to me last night at dinner time and wanted me to make something in it. Since it was time for dinner, I didn't want to do cupcakes or muffins...so I came up with a dinner idea!!! We made mini muffin pizzas :)

I took 2 pieces of Whole Wheat bread and rolled them flat with my rolling pin.

A Tablespoon was the perfect size to fit the muffin tin- so I used my knife to cut around it.

I placed the bread rounds in the muffin tin and put them in a 400 degree oven for about 3 minutes- just to toast slightly so they wouldn't get soggy.

Robyn selected pepperoni and cheese- her favorite combo!

Add about 1/2 tsp of sauce to each muffin cup, top with 1 pepperoni and a small pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Pop them in the oven for about 5 minutes- broil for a minute if you want to brown the cheese.

Adorable bite sized mini pizzas. I can't wait to find more fun ways to use my mini muffin pan! Robyn ate every single pizza!!!

A soup I've always loved!

I have always loved French Onion Soup. When I was younger, I used to order it in restaurants. I've requested it for a birthday meal a time or two... as a grown up, I learned how easy it was to make!

I only made two servings of soup...because I'm the only one that will eat it at my house! I used Beef Broth, Sherry, Butter, Onions, Black Pepper, Garlic Salt and Thyme in the soup.

Add about 1 1/2 TBS of butter and two thinly sliced onions to a saucepan. Cook slow over low heat. Stir frequently.

Gather all the delicious cheese you wish to top your soup with. I used Provolone, Parmesan and Swiss. It's so much better if you use a good Swiss cheese- but this is what I had on hand.

Cook the onions about 30 minutes until they are very soft and carmelized.

Add in about 3 cups of Beef Broth and about 2 TBS of Sherry. Season with Garlic Salt, Pepper and Thyme. Bring to a simmer.

Toast a couple of slices of French Bread until crisp- about 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Ladle the soup into an oven-safe bowl. Top with crusty bread and lots of cheese! (I always bake mine on top of a cookie sheet to catch any drips)

Place under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve bowl on another plate...remember, the bowl is VERY hot!!

I love celebrating a new year!

For New Year's Day this year, I decided to make fun food for dinner. I had made a fancier dinner for New Year's Eve- so the next day, we did Potato Skins!!

First, bake your potatoes. Mine were pretty small- I baked them at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Scoop out all the "guts" leaving a nice potato lining.

I made mine the night before and used the insides to make mashed potatoes. I think baked potatoes make the BEST mashed potatoes! I mixed mine with a little butter, milk, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese :)

This was dinner on New Year's Eve!

I chilled the skins overnight. Place in a large baking dish or on a lined cookie sheet. Brush the insides of the potato with melted butter mixed with a little garlic salt. Put in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes.

While baking- prepare your toppings! I used a blend of cheddar and monterrey jack cheese, green onions and bacon. Flip your potatoes after 7 minutes, brush side two with the butter mixture and bake another 7 minutes.

After baking both sides of the potato, top with the bacon and cheese. Throw back in the oven for 2 minutes- just until cheese is melted.

Sprinkle with green onions- can also serve with sour cream or ranch.

And to round this out a a meal, we had ours with a raw veggie platter :) Happy 2011!

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese.... the combination I love!

One of my favorite casual dinner options is the Panini! It's so easy to change up and seems a little "fancier" than grilled cheese :) The easiest way to make it a little fancier, is to make a fresh sauce or flavored mayo- my favorite is a Chipotle Mayo.

For this mayo, I add about 1 cup of light mayo in my mini chopster. I use canned Chipotles in Adobo...add in 1 whole chipotle and 2 cloves of garlic. 

Puree until smooth and refrigerate at least 2 hours for best flavor.

For my panini, I spread a little of the mayo on both slices of bread. Top with some thin sliced mozzarella cheese, a few fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. I also used some thinly sliced chicken from the deli.

Heat your panini press if you have one- I just use my grill pan or a regular skillet. Brush the outside of the bread with a little olive oil.

I use a piece of foil and a heavy pan on top of my sandwiches to press them. Flip once.

Serve hot! The possibilities are endless. I love fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with balsamic vinegar in the summer...and peanut butter with nutella or chocolate chips makes for a fun dessert.