Margarita Chicken Pasta Salad

My friend Julie also introduced me to this yummy recipe - I love it when she invites me over for lunch!  I forgot to take a picture when I made it last week, but I'm sure I'll be making it again before too long.

Ingredients:

Salad
10 oz. rainbow rotini
1 lb boneless skinless poached chicken breast, shredded
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing

1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies
4 tsp tequila (optional)
1 packet taco seasoning

Cook pasta, drain and rinse with cold water.  Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor; blend until smooth.  Combine cooked pasta, corn, beans and chicken in a large serving bowl, fold in dressing.  Serve cold.

*I like to poach and shred the chicken ahead of time so that it's really easy to throw together on a busy night.

Dr. Pepper Steak

I don't have a picture for this recipe yet, but I can tell you it's delicious!  I know I've complained before about using too much garlic, but I think you'll want to use all 4 cloves in this marinade - it's not overly strong.  Fall is upon us, but I'm sure we'll still have some great grilling weather.  You'll want to try this recipe soon!

Ingredients:

16 oz Dr. Pepper (you can use Coke if you prefer)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp grill blend (see recipe below)
flank steak, London broil, etc.

Grill Blend:
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp ground thyme
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Grill blend: Combine all ingredients, blending well.  Store in an airtight container.  Stir before each use.

Directions: 
In a large bowl or ziploc bag, combine Dr. Pepper, cinnamon sticks and garlic.  Add steak; cover and marinate for 8-12 hours.  Remove and pat dry.  Season with grill blend and cook meat on grill.  Do not overcook or steak will be tough.  

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze

This is another recipe that I received from my friend Julie, who is a fantastic cook (She also shared the Pesto Turkey Burger recipe with me).  My husband raves about it and you'll see why once you make it.  Delicious!

Ingredients:

Cooking spray 
1/4 cup apricot preserves or fruit spread
2 Tbsp country-style Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, chopped (I like to use fresh)
2 pork tenderloins, 1 lb each

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray (I line the pan with foil first).  Combine preserves, mustard and rosemary in a small bowl.  Place tenderloins on a baking sheet (leave about 2 inches of space between them); brush each with the apricot mixture.  Roast for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 150 degrees.  Remove tenderloins from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing diagonally.

I've found that the meat is even more flavorful if I marinate it.  Simply brush the tenderloins with the apricot mixture, wrap in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Pesto Turkey Burgers

A friend of mine, who happens to be an excellent cook, shared this recipe with me. In fact, she invited me over for lunch and made them for me! I've made this several times since then - it's one of my favorites. Not just because of the taste either - it's an incredibly fast and easy recipe. Andrew raves over these burgers which is saying a lot - honestly, I should change his middle name to "Picky".


Ingredients:

1 lb uncooked ground turkey
4 Tbsp basil pesto
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt

4 ciabatta rolls, or rustic Italian bread
4 slices cheese (mozzarella or provolone)
fresh basil leaves, arugula or spring garden mix (we usually use plain old lettuce)
tomato slices


Directions:

In a bowl, combine turkey, pesto, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt. Using a fork, mix until ingredients are blended. Shape into 4 patties. Place patties on a grill and cook 10-13 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling. If you like, you can place the cheese on top of the patty to melt.

If you like, you can brush the bread with olive oil and place on grill. We've noticed that ciabatta bread is actually a little tough to chew, so you might not want to toast it. Sometimes I skip past the whole Italian thing and just put the burgers on a kaiser roll. It's all personal preference of course.

Also, the recipe calls for 3 cloves of garlic. Holy cow, that's a lot of garlic for 1 lb of meat!  Well, in my opinion it's a lot of garlic - a little goes a long way for me.  Again, it's all personal preference - I only use 1 clove of garlic, but you may not want to change it at all.

This is a really fantastic meal - you're gonna love it!

Beef Stew

When my husband and I were first married I was on a quest to find a great recipe for Beef Stew.  After trying several recipes, I finally came up with one on my own that we still love!

Ingredients

1 lb stew meat

Pan searing flour

5 cups water

1 packet McCormick Beef Stew seasoning

1-2 beef bouillon cubes

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions:

Trim fat from stew meat and coat with pan searing flour.  Brown meat in a frying pan with about 1 tbsp oil.  In a large pot, combine the water, beef stew mix and bouillon cubes. Bring water and seasonings to a boil, then add meat.  Cover and simmer.  While the meat simmers, prepare vegetables, then add to the pot.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

*You can also make this in the crockpot.  I put everything in around lunchtime and it's perfect by the time my husband gets home from work.  I've also used leftover roast rather then stew meat, and both are equally tender.  

Cashew Beef Stir-Fry

I've made this a couple of times since finding it in a Taste of Home magazine and my hubby loves it! You should see how excited he is when I tell him I'm serving it for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups cold water
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 bunch broccoli, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, julienned
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium green peppers, cut into strips
• 2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into strips
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups salted cashews
• Hot cooked rice
• 
  
• Directions:
• 
  
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a very large skillet or a wok, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in 1 tablespoon oil until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the beef, garlic, pepper and remaining soy sauce; stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
• 
  
• In the same pan, stir-fry the green and red peppers, onions and squash in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Return beef to the pan.
• 
  
• Stir cornstarch mixture and gradually add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice.
• 
  
• Yield: 7 servings.

As a side note, my camera has been anything but cooperative lately and it seems like every picture I take is terrible. Sadly, my cell phone takes only slightly less awful pictures, so until I suck it up and buy a new camera, I'm going to use pics I find on the internet as much as possible. Why share a recipe if the picture makes it look awful, right?

Chicken Noodle Soup

A friend of mine brought this soup to me when I was sick and it was just what I needed. I'm not sure how she knew I'd been craving homemade chicken noodle soup, but she did and it came at just the right time. It was so delicious I had to ask for the recipe. Here it is for you to enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
1 tsp olive oil
12 cups chicken broth (3 cartons)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and olive oil, and boil until tender. Drain, rinse under cool running water.

In a large pot (5 qt size), combine broth, salt and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil then stir in onion, celery and carrots. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is dissolved. Gradually add to the soup, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken and heat through.

To serve, spoon a serving of noodles into each bowl and then add the soup.

*I don't like to add the noodles to the soup while cooking because if I have leftovers the noodles will soak up the extra broth, so I just cook them separately.


serves 12

Chicken Spaghetti

My mom has made this since I was a kid; I'm pretty sure she got the recipe from a neighbor. I didn't like it much then, but now I love it! So even if it sounds a little weird, give it a try. It's really yummy!

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, stewed with 2 bay leaves and 1 chicken bouillon cube for each cup water used
1 lb Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
2 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 small onion, diced
1 lb spaghetti


Directions:

Cook and cool chicken. Reserve broth. Saute onions in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, soup and cubed cheese. Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted. Add cubed chicken and simmer while noodles cook. Cook spaghetti in reserved chicken broth, drain, then put back into pan. Pour sauce into pan with pasta and toss until coated. Heat through to allow the sauce to thicken and serve. You can also bake the pasta in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes rather than heating on the stove.

Serves 6

Mom's Pork Chops

I'm going to apologize upfront for the quality of this photo. I dropped my camera and it is now in the capable hands of the Geek Squad (thank goodness for the Accidental Protection Plan). So for now, I'm using my cell phone to take pictures. :)

My mom has made this since I was a kid and I've always loved it. Looking at some of my previous recipes, I've realized that I must really love gravy - it seems to be in a lot of my recipes! But, the gravy is my favorite part of this recipe. It tastes so good over white rice. Mmmm....

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1-2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 boneless pork chops
2 cans cream of mushroom soup or 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken
milk


Directions

In a medium Ziploc bag, combine all dry ingredients and shake. Adding one pork chop at a time, shake again until coated. Place in preheated pan with about 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil. Brown pork chop on both sides, then remove and place in crock pot.

Pour both cans of cream of mushroom soup into a large, glass measuring cup (or small bowl) and add small amounts of milk. Stir with a whisk and keep adding milk until desired consistency is reached. I don't think I use more than 1/4 cup of milk. I like the gravy to be a little more thick. If you want it really thick, skip the milk all together.

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours on low heat.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

We love this salad! We make it all summer long - we even made it while we were camping once - and I never get tired of it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. pepper

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large bunch of Romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cup croutons

1 c halved cherry tomatoes

2/3 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing (our favorite is the Lighthouse brand)

shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 8 ingredients, then add chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the romaine, croutons and tomatoes; add dressing and toss to coat. Divide onto salad plates, slice chicken and arrange on salads. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

*If I'm making this for just Chris and myself, I add the dressing to our salads individually. That way I'm not stuck with a bunch of leftovers that will go bad by the next day.

Amazing Crusted Chicken

I found this on allrecipes.com the other day and have made it twice now. It has a wonderful flavor and is so easy and fast to make. My husband loves it so that is all the reason I need to add it to my 'Favorites' list. The chicken stays so moist and juicy but the outside is crispy and flavorful.

Ingredients:
2 cups cheese flavored crackers (such as Cheez-It brand), crushed
1 cup French-fried onions, crushed
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (plain work fine too, or you can just add Italian seasoning to the plain)
2 teaspoons sesame seed, toasted( I bought some that are already toasted)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish or sheet with cooking spray.

2. Mix cheese crackers, French fried onions, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, salt and pepper in a bowl. set aside.

3. Wash and pat chicken breasts dry. Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side of each piece and place mayo side down in the cracker mixture. Repeat on the other side patting firmly into the chicken, covering all sides. Place chicken on the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mixture on top. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 35-40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

*I serve mine with white rice and a salad.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Cream

I found this recipe on my friend's recipe blog, Making Manna and had to try it. It was delicious - my husband is still raving about it!

Ingredients:

2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Prepare grill to medium high heat.

For chicken, combine mustard, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Grill chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until done.

For the sauce, while chicken grills, combine mustard, mayo and milk. Serve over grilled chicken.


*I personally thought that a little of the sauce goes a long way - I won't put as much on my chicken next time. However, my husband loved it just the way it was so I think it's all a matter of personal preference :)


per serving: 400 calories; 55 grams protein; 18 grams total fat; 0 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 143 mgs cholesterol; 287 mgs sodium
10 Weight Watchers points

Bowtie and Asparagus Pasta

I may have mentioned this before, but my mom gave me her neighborhood's cookbook for Christmas and I've been trying all kinds of recipes from it. I just made this recipe last week and, mmm...so good. I loved it! It took a little bit of time to prepare, but for me, that always happens with new recipes. After I make this a few times I'll have a system down and it'll go much faster.

Ingredients:

1 box bowtie pasta

1/2 c. butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 chicken bouillon cubes (I used 2)

1 pt. heavy cream (I only had a 1/2 pint, so I substituted the rest with fat free half and half)

Salt and pepper to taste

10-15 spears asparagus, blanched

1/2 c. bacon, crumbled

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

Fresh parsley (I used about a 1/2 c. chopped)

Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions:

Boil bowtie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do not overcook. In wok or heavy skillet, melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté a minute or so. Add Parmesan cheese and bouillon cubes. When the bouillon cube is disolved, slowly stir in heavy cream until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pine nuts, parsley, and Parmesan cheese then toss together. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

*I found that the chicken bouillon took awhile to disolve. I think the next time I make this, I'll use Better than Bouillon instead. Since it's a paste instead of a cube, it will disolve quickly; I think it'll give a better flavor to the dish as well.

This makes quite a bit of pasta; I should have known - it uses a whole box of pasta! You may want to half this recipe if you're only making it for a few people. My kids didn't eat it - big surprise there - so there was quite a bit left for me and my hubby. Surprisingly, it was still really good leftover. Normally I don't like dishes like this left over because the cream and butter separate and it just doesn't taste as yummy as it did when it was fresh. Besides, then you can see just how much butter you're actually eating and that's not appetizing. I prefer to conceal the butter as much as possible! However, this was still pretty good. The sauce did seperate some, but it didn't completely gross me out like, oh, I don't know...the way leftovers from Olive Garden do. :)


*Update - I made this again last night and the bouillon dissolved just fine, so really you could use either the cubes or Better than Bouillon.   :)  Oh, and Andrew actually ate the pasta - minus the asparagus.  Can't blame him though; I didn't like asparagus until just recently.

Veggie Meatball Soup

My 5 year old loves meatballs, so I definitely had to try this recipe. We weren't disappointed - it's excellent and surprisingly low in fat!

Ingredients:

3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
18 frozen meatballs {give or take a few :D }
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine the first 6 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Stir in pasta; cover and cook 20-30 minutes longer or until pasta is tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.


*The original recipe called for stewed tomatoes, but I used the Italian diced tomatoes to give it more flavor.


Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 125 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 574 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein.


Weight Watchers points: 2

Pizza Dough

My BFF Camille has a Pizza and Movie night with her family every Friday and she makes her own dough! That's impressive.

A few months ago, I decided to start this fun tradition with our own family, but I since I was scared to death of making my own dough, I started out buying the canned stuff from Pillsbury. It tastes fine, but it's ridiculously expensive - even with a coupon. I switched to the dry pizza mix - I thought it was great, but Chris wasn't a fan.

So...I decided to be brave and make my own. I found a recipe on KitchenDaily.com and gave it a try. I was scared of ruining the dough, but it really was pretty easy.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees so you don't kill, or chill, the yeast)
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
toppings of choice



Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Measure warm water into a large bowl. Add the yeast to the water and stir until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, and oil and stir well.

Add the flour in small amounts and stir well after each addition. Add just enough flour so the dough is not sticking in clumps to your hands or the bowl, winding up with a well-formed ball.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and, using your hands, knead for 2-3 minutes. Let the dough rest 5 to 10 minutes to rise roughly double in size before using.

Once the dough is ready, spread it on an oiled pizza pan. Apply toppings of choice. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.


*I took my pizza out after 15 minutes because it was really getting done around the edges, but the crust wasn't completely done in the middle. Next time I'lll use either a cookie sheet or a bigger pizza pan - I don't think my Pampered Chef stone was big enough and the dough may have been too thick. I'll report back and let you know how it went :)


**Ok - quick update:  I tried this again last night and put the dough onto a cookie sheet rather than my round stone.  I made sure to roll the dough out fairly thin - I'm guessing it was about 1/4" thick.  I still only baked it for about 15 minutes.  I thought the dough would be thin and crispy, but it turned out nice and thick and it cooked all the way through.  It was so yummy I could have eaten half the pan, but I forced myself to stop after 2 pieces.  Ok...2 1/2 pieces.  :)

Marinated Ham Steak

This is a really quick recipe to put together. I tend to double it so that we have leftovers, but if the fridge is already full, then this is the perfect amount. I recommend putting it together early in the morning or the night before you plan to cook it. The longer you marinate it, the better the flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 to 2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 fully cooked boneless ham steak (3/4 pound)

Directions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add ham; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain and reserve marinade. Grill ham, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, basting frequently with reserved marinade. Cut in half to serve.

2 servings


*I found this in Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 magazine.

Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce

This is a recipe that my hubby definitely didn't want to try. I knew he wouldn't want to say anything, but he thought it sounded gross - he's not a huge fan of mayo. I could tell by the way quietly nodded his head and said, "Oh" when I mentioned the recipe. I had a gut feeling about this one though - I knew it was going to be good - so I made it anyway. How else are we going to find new recipes? My ever-patient hubby tried it and may I say, was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of a sweet and tangy flavor and this chicken is never dry. We have a winner!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
6 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts






Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in lemon juice and vinegar. Pour 1 cup marinade into a Ziploc bag, then add the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better). Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

French Dip Sandwiches

Chris and I absolutely love French Dip Sandwiches - we get them every time we go to Arby's. My original recipe was ok - I just used a packet of Au Jus sauce mix from the grocery store, but it never seemed quite right to me, so you can imagine my excitement when I found this recipe. It's another one from my mom's neighborhood cookbook and it now replaces my old French Dip recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can French Onion soup
1 can beef consommé soup
1 1/2 cans water
1 Au Jus seasoning mix
1 - 1/2 lbs sliced roast beef
4 deli rolls - whichever you prefer
4 slices provolone cheese (you could use swiss if you prefer)


Directions:

Combine soups and water in a crock pot. Add roast beef and cook on low for 1 - 2 hours. Using tongs, remove roast beef from liquid and pile onto sliced deli rolls. Top each sandwich with one slice of provolone and then place onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Place pan under the broiler - I leave my rack in the middle of the oven - for a minute or too, until cheese is melted and rolls are lightly browned. Remove from oven, close sandwiches and then cut in half. Use remaining liquid for dipping.


*The original recipe called for a 3 lb boneless roast, but then you have to pull it out of the crock pot and slice it. That's way too involved for me, so it's easier just to get sliced roast beef from the deli. Because the meat is already cooked, you don't want to leave it in the crock pot for several hours. Just an hour or two is all it needs to flavor the meat, otherwise the meat will fall apart and you'll be left with little tiny pieces. I can tell you this from experience :(

Chris' Spaghetti

Growing up, my version of spaghetti was noodles with warmed up sauce. If we got fancy we added ground beef or meatballs. I thought it was pretty good - until I tried my Mother-in-law's recipe. From then on, I was hooked. She made this for us all the time when we were newlyweds. I finally asked her for the recipe and although I don't think mine turns out quite like hers does, it's still pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce, plus 1/2 jar of water
1 package McCormick Thick and Zesty spaghetti mix
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Brown hamburger until cooked most of the way through; drain the grease. Add the garlic, onions, bell pepper, salt and pepper; cook about 5-7 minutes. Add the spaghetti sauce, water, tomatoes, spaghetti mix and tomato sauce; stir over low heat. Cover and simmer on very low for about 30-45 minutes. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions then top with sauce. *I generally cook 1 box of noodles (1 lb) so that I have leftovers for the next day.

Ginger Lime Marinade

Spring and Summer weather is my favorite because it means that I can dust off the BBQ grill and pull out my favorite marinade recipes. I just found this one in my Mom's ward cookbook and was so excited to try it. I wasn't disappointed - it smelled great while cooking and tasted even better!

Ingredients:

3/4 c. Italian dressing
3/4 c. honey
4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least a few hours - I think I left mine in for 4 or 5 hours - and then you're ready to grill.

*You can also freeze this recipe. After combining marinade and chicken place flat in freezer. When ready to use, defrost and then grill.