Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese

From Cooking Light Magazine

3 C  buttternut squash cubed and peeled (you can actually get this already diced at Walmart!)
1 1/4 C fat-free low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 C fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 T fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/4 C shredded Gruyere cheese
1 C grated pecornio Romano
1/4 C Parmigano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 pound cooked macaroni (cavatappi or penne works best)
cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C panko bread crumbs
2 T chopped parsley

1.  Preheat oven to 375
2.  Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 min.  Remove from heat.
3.  Place the hot squash mixture in a blender.  Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt.  Remove the center piece from the blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.  Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters.  Blen until smooth.  Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyere, pecorino Romano, and  2 T Parmigano-Reggiano.  Stir until combined.
4.  Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and stir until combined;  spread mixture evenly into a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add panko crumbs, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 T Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture.  Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.
6.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately

Candy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

WARNING:  These are WAY addicting!!!!! 

24 C Popped popcorn (1 C unpopped)
1 16 0z bag of gum drops, cinnamon bears, orange slices...whatever you like!
1 C butter
1/2 C corn syrup
1 1/2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 C mini marshamallows
Food coloring

1.  Pop up your popcorn and set it aside.
2.  Dice candy up into chunks.  Snip it with kitchen scissors...it's MUCH quicker!
3.  In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
4.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla, marshmallows and food coloring (match it to your candy).
Mix well to get everything melted and combined.
5.  Stir in candy.
6.  Add mixture to your popped popcorn (make sure you use a really large bowl).  Stir it all around until popcorn is well coated.
7.  Form into balls and set on wax paper.
Yields apprx. 15 popcorn balls.

Meatball Chili

Company coming this week?  Get ready to feed the crowds!  A friend made this for Lance's farewell and it was YUM-E!


In crockpot add:
3 cans chili (any flavor)
1 lrg can baked beans
1 can corn (drained)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 onion chopped (cooked in microwave for 4 minutes with 1 T butter and seasonings to taste such as garlic powder, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, chili powder)  Add to crockpot.
Meatballs - as many as you like! (Frozen meatballs you can buy just about anywhere.  Precook in microwave and drain excess fat before you add to crockpot)
3 T brown sugar
1 T yellow mustard
Any other seasonings to taste that you love!  Stir all together and cook all day on low or a few hours on high.
Garnish with cheese, sour cream, green onion, bacon, or whatever else you love!!!

Pumpkin Pie

It's Thanksgiving time!!!  Baking season has officially begun and will continue in this house well into Nicki's birthday in January.  Oh...then our missionary comes home the first of March, so I guess we'll continue it nearly into Spring!!!  I can't remember where I got this recipe, but it's the best one I've found yet.

1 lrg can pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp all spice
1 can evaporated milk
1 can regular milk

Mix pumpkin and eggs.  Add both sugars gradually.  Add spices.  Pour in liquids and mix well.  Bake at 415 for 15 min - then turn oven down to 350 and bake 40 - 50 minutes. Or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread

Watch out....you'll want to eat the entire thing!  And this makes your kitchen smell like heaven!!!

1 1/3 c vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 - 16 oz can pumpkin
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
2 - 3 oz pkgs instant vanilla pudding
1 c chopped nuts (optional)
1 c chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 large 9x5 loaf pans.  Set aside.  Mix oil, eggs, and pumpkin in mixing bowl and beat well.  In another bowl sift together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda.  Add to pumpkin mixture and mix till well blended.  Stir in pudding mix (and nuts and/or chocolate chips if you like).  Pour into prepared loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.    Makes 2 loaves

World's Greatest Pie Crust!

It's impossible to mess this recipe up!  You'll be turning out bakery-like pies in no time!

1/2 C flour
2/3 C shortening (I use butter flavor)
3/4 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in bowl and mix lightly until crumbly.  Add 3 T cool water and mix with fingers until well incorporated.

Makes 1 pie shell

Lemon Roasted Chicken

This is another dinner thrown together in a "pinch" that actually ended up being one of our family's favorites.  It's easy, it's delicious, and good any time of year.

4 - 6 chicken leg quarters (or 1 whole cut chicken)
2 - 3 lemons (cut into wedges)
garlic salt
oregano
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken pieces in glass baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with oregano, garlic salt, and pepper.   Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken.  Don't discard those used lemon wedges; place them around chicken pieces.  Bake for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is a nice golden brown on top.