Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Everyone needs a go-to pasta sauce recipe.  This is mine.  I have been a longtime fan of Mel, and this recipe is one of my very favorites.  Her original recipe features sun-dried tomatoes (which are terrific, btw), but I decided to throw in something a little more exciting to highlight the summery nature of this recipe!  These Mezzetta roasted red bell peppers are mild enough for a kid to eat, but add a hint of spiciness and a lot of flavor to the sauce!  

This recipe is the perfect base for your grilled meats: chicken, steak or maybe even pork!  Hopefully you can get your grill on with this recipe!  

If you love entering giveaways, like I do, hop over to the Mozzetta contest page to enter their summer grilling giveaway to get yourself set up for all your summer patio parties!  The prize pack is pretty epic and will make your summer eating delicious!

Original recipe source here

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Baby Milestones

Fox is really growing up.  *Sob!*  As a parent this is a exciting, and sort of heartbreaking thing. As he gets older, I find myself missing those first weeks, when he was fresh from heaven, sweetly scented and a more snuggly baby (truth be known, he has never been very snuggly, but he was way more snuggly then than he is now).

I loved nursing him in the middle of the night (truly, I did; it meant I got to read a lot and look through dozens of Airbnb rentals), and even changing his Little Snuggler Huggies in the wee hours of the morning.  I loved having him lay on the table during dinner so he could be part of the family (before he could roll, of course), and sitting around staring at his sweet, baby face with family and friends.  Man, I miss those days.

On the other hand, having him grow up is SUPER fun.  Last week, he started walking, which I was totally thrilled about!  He is 17 months, and at his 15 month appointment, the nurse practitioner looked very concerned when I told her that he wasn't walking yet.

I have a few friends whose kids started walking at 18 months, and Fox seems totally fine in every other respect (and his legs were getting stronger from pulling up on furniture), so I hadn't been worried about it until she told me that if he wasn't walking by his 18-month appointment, he would need a referral to a specialist.

Gah! Suddenly I felt super stressed about the walking milestone. We started making more concerted and consistent efforts to help him walk. We held his hand while walking him around, we had a little baby walker for him to practice with, and encouraged walking alone as much as we could.  Then, the day Adam left to go to a conference in Europe, he started walking, and Adam missed it :(  Isn't that how it goes?  Thank goodness for video hangout!

This walking stage might be my favorite, yet!  Watching him toddle around is pretty adorable.  Plus, he is extremely proud of himself, and holds his arms above his head in a triumphant way when he walks around.  Basically I am in love with this stage!  He is just so fun to be around.

A few days ago, he and I ran to Sam's Club get some Huggies Diapers.  Typically, he is not a huge fan of going to the store with me, and will get impatient or a little fussy if I take too long, but wow, was he a fan!  The diaper aisle was full of sweet baby faces on the boxes, and he spent the entire time while we were looking at diapers pointing at the babies and saying "Woz Dah (whose that)?"  He was a fan.

 (Who loves Sam's Club?  Fox does!!!)

Then, I thought he might enjoy trying a food sample or two (I'll admit, I wanted a sample, too), so we got a Rice Krispy treat to split, and a stir fry sample to tide us over until dinner.  Samples are definitely one of the draws of shopping at Sam's club (that and huge blocks of awesome, really cheap cheese).

I also love that they sell huge boxes of diapers and wipes there.  I always try to get the biggest box I can, because they almost always cost less per diaper/wipe if you get a large box.  Also, Huggies makes a great diaper.  The Little Snugglers never leak on me, they are super soft, and just darling on Fox (is there anything cuter than a baby running around in a diaper?).

I have also used Huggies Natural Care wipes many times.  They work really well and are thick enough that you can tear them in half if you only need half a wipe (at one point, I usually only used half a wipe if there wasn't much of a mess).

Right now, Huggies and Sam's Club have a special offer where you can get a $10 Sam's Club gift card if you buy 2 packages of either the Little Snuggler's Huggies diapers, or the Natural Care wipes.  If you can text or email a picture of your receipt to Huggies@uploadreceipt.com by 7/31/2016, they will send you a $10 gift card.  Pretty cool, right?  If you have ever been interested in checking out a Sam's Club membership, now is your chance!

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Raspberry Ice Cream Cookie Bars

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #TopYourSummer #CollectiveBias

School is finally out!  We have had a pretty crazy last school year, and it is a bit of a relief that it is over!  We were up at 5AM most mornings, and falling into bed around 10PM.  Being off for the summer is the best thing!  More time as a family, later mornings, and beautiful weather for picnics and outings at the park!  I love that it stays light outside until 9PM, and the weather here in Utah is fabulous.  Summer break helps me feel justified in making fabulous desserts like ice cream cookie bars!

I hadn't made ice cream cookie bars before, so this Raspberry Ice Cream Cookie Bar was a real treat!  I combined my favorite kind of oatmeal cookie with the incredibly delicious Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

I dropped by my local Walmart and had a great time picking out a few fun flavors for our family to eat (one to go in the cookie bar and two just for fun)!  I had the hardest time choosing, because there are a bunch of new flavors that look super delicious!

Blue Bunny® just replaced all their packaging with clear containers so you can see the distribution of the fudge swirls, caramel, and other tasty fillings.  I must say, I think this is a good call, because I am the kind of person who always wants the ice cream with a multitude of peanut butter cups in it.

There is nothing more disappointing than realizing you only got one tiny peanut butter cup in your serving of ice cream.  Why even buy peanut butter ice cream if it only has one lousy peanut butter cup in it!  No longer do I need to wonder if my carton has enough.

This trip, we tried out the Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip and the Blue Bunny® Peanut Butter Party as well as the Smucker's Magic Shell Chocolate Flavored Topping.  I used to love magic shell as a kid, and I was kind of excited to try it out again!  There is something pretty awesome about watching it harden on your ice cream.  Plus, it added extra chocolate, and I always love extra chocolate. Magic shell is still fulfilling dreams.

Anyway, if you are an ice cream, raspberry or dessert fan, this dessert is for you! An amazing cookie layer, raspberry jam, tasty Blue Bunny® ice cream and a yummy crumble.  You should probably go get some Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla ice cream today, and make this for an evening treat!  It is a tasty one!

(You can find the delicious Blue Bunny® ice cream on the the novelty ice cream aisle at your local Walmart®)

Raspberry Ice Cream Bars
Makes 1 9x13" pan

Cookie Layer: 
1 stick plus 2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cups white granulated sugar
1 Tbs molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 Tbs flour
1 cup +1 Tbs rolled oats

Streusel topping:
3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs butter, melted

Other Ingredients: 
1/2 - 2/3 cup raspberry jam (I would opt for something not too sweet)
1/2 container of Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions for the Cookie Layer: 

In a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, and molasses. Mix until creamy.  Add the egg.  Mix until the egg is blended in. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Mix again for about a minute, until combined.  Add flour, mix well.  Add oats, mix well.  Spray a 9" x 13" pan with nonstick spray.  Scoop the cookie dough into the pan and with a rubber spatula, spread it in an even layer.  Cook in an oven preheated to 375°F for 25-30 minutes.  You may need to put a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan if the edges are looking too brown.  Once the edges are golden and the middle is starting to wrinkle, pull the pan from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.  

While the cookie is cooling, begin working on the streusel topping.  

Directions for the Streusel topping: 

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, oats, and brown sugar.  Pour the melted butter over the top, and mix with a fork until you have nice a nice crumble.  Spread on a cookie sheet pan lined with tin foil.  Cook in an oven preheated to 375°F for 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned.  You may need to toss it a few times with a spatula during the cooking in order to get an even bake.  Once it is done, remove from the oven, and let it sit for 5 minutes to cool.  

Directions for assembly:

Pull your ice cream out of the freezer and set it on the counter for about 5-10 minutes so that it can soften (you don't want it to melt, just soften, so you can spread it more easily).  While it is softening, take a rubber spatula and spread an thin, even layer of jam across the cookie.  Then scoop your ice cream onto the cookie, spreading the ice cream balls out over the cookie.  Let them sit another minute, to soften, then with a spatula, begin to spread it into an even layer.  If your ice cream is still super hard in some places, run your spatula under hot water between spreads.  Pour your crumble over the ice cream layer, and cover with tinfoil.  Freeze for 4-6 hours, until the cookie bar is frozen.  

Remove from the freezer 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving (longer if your freezer is very cold, shorter if your freezer isn't).  You can serve it with another scoop of ice cream on top, a blast of whipped cream, or by itself.  It is delicious anyway you eat it! 

Enjoy!

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Eight Tasty Snacks for a Busy Family

When I was little, my dad kept a list on his phone of the funny things that his kids said.  He would sometimes pull them out at dinner, and we would all have a good laugh about the ridiculous things that we had said over the years.  One of the things he recorded me having said went something like this. 

Dad: "Landen, you don't like the casserole that Mom made for dinner, so what kinds of real food do you like?"

Six year-old Landen:  "I like real food, like snacks."  

I have't changed much over the years, and although I really love real meals now, I still love snack food (my inner French woman is cringing).  Here are a few delicious and (mostly) easy snack food recipes for you and your family.  Maybe you need a fun treat on the way to soccer practice or a church activity, or, if you are like me, you just need snacks. 

Arla Dofino has a giveaway running on their Facebook page for you to win a semester's worth of cheese (which would probably be gone in a week in our cheese-obsessed household).  Get your fanny on over there to enter this delicious giveaway!  Your tongue and tummy with thank you!  

As a disclaimer, there are a few affiliate links in this post, meaning that I make a very small amount of money when you click through on the link.  As always, thank you (!) for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible!  

1.  Sweet Apples and Arla Dofino Gouda:  Apples and cheese have been my go-to the last few weeks.  This gouda is so delicious and is a perfect accompaniment to a crisp fall apple.  I would suggest a Pink Lady, a Honeycrisp, or a Fuji apple with this Gouda.

2. Apples with Yogurt, Nuts and Spices
1 sweet apple
1/3 cup yogurt
1 Tbs chopped, roasted almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Slice your apple.  Mix yogurt, cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.  Top with almonds.  Dip the apples in the yogurt mixture for a tasty snack.

3. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Spread with Banana:
1 banana, sliced and pealed
2 Tbs natural peanut butter
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and maple syrup and stir.  Serve on top of banana slices. If you are like me and don't like bananas, just eat the peanut butter spread by itself.  It is delicious.

4. Arla Dolfino Gouda Crackers: 
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Arla Dolfino Gouda, finely shredded
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp oregano
8 Tbs cold butter, diced
1-2 Tbs cold water

In a stand mixer, combine the flour, gouda, salt, and oregano.  Mix until combined.  Add the pieces of butter and mix until the consistency of the flour mixture is like sand, with pieces of butter no larger than a pea.  Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix.  If the mixture doesn't begin to come together, add the other tablespoon of water.  Once a firm dough is formed, wrap in plastic wrap, or seal in a tupperware for 30 minutes.  Remove from the fridge after 30 minutes, and roll out on a floured surface.  Cut into your desired shapes and place about 1/2 inch apart on a silicone lined baking sheet.  Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 18 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Best served the first day.

5.  Arla Dofino Havarti Fiesta Cups
Tortilla chip scoops
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 block of Arla Dofino Havarti Cheese
1/2 can corn

Fill the tortilla cups with pepper, cheese, and corn.

6. Plain Yogurt with Maple Syrup
1/2 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup

7.  Dark Chocolate Chips with Toasted Almonds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

8. Whole-Wheat Mini Muffins (the title is a link where you can find the entire recipe)

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Five-Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna

Cooking has become one of my love languages.  If you love me, cook good food for me.  If I love you, I will cook good food for you.  That's why I love cooking for Adam and Fox; feeding them nourishing, delicious, and seasonal food is a way for me to tell them "I love you."  And in no other season is this easier than in fall.

Fall brings a lot of things that I love: sweaters, root vegetables, juicy apples, the dusty smell of the neglected heater, end of the day couch-snuggles, and warm food.  There is something wonderful about having Adam home at the end of a long, chilly day and eating a delicious warm meal together while we talk about the events of the day.

A key part of that ritual is the food.  Nothing makes for good conversation like good food.  And lasagna is one of our personal favorites.  It is a wonderful dish with some of my favorite ingredients:  Layers upon layers of soft noodles, fluffy ricotta cheese, flavorful puddles of sauce, seasonal vegetables, and—to top it off—melty cheese that hangs in strings off your fork.  Is there anything not to like about lasagna? I don't think so.

I typically make everything from scratch when I cook, but Mezzetta has a whole line of 'home made' pasta sauces that are made from fresh ingredients, have no added sugar, and add terrific flavor to a dish like lasagna.  Lasagna already has a lot of ingredients and can be a long process, so I prefer to shorten one of the steps by using a pasta sauce in a jar.

This fall, Mezzetta is doing a fun giveaway, where you can win a Perfect Pasta Night Kit!  The kit includes several delicious pasta sauces, pasta, an apron, a $500 grocery gift card, and a few other things for a great family pasta night!  I don't know about you but I love free pasta sauce and free groceries!  Head on over to enter!

As always, thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! It is greatly appreciated!

Begin by slicing up your vegetables.  I sliced my zucchini and summer squash with a knife, but a mandolin would work great too.  Slice your onion and then cut the circles into fourths, for small pieces.

In a medium-sized frying pan, melt your butter, then add the onions.  Cook until they are soft and beginning to brown.

Remove the onions and place on a plate, then add the zucchini and cook until one side is brown.  Flip and cook the other side until it begins to brown.  Remove from the pan, add the summer squash, and repeat the process.

In a medium-sized pot, cook your lasagna noodles in boiling water until they are al-dente.  Drain the water out and remove the noodles so they don't stick.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir until you have a smooth mixture.

Shred about a cup of cheese. Or as much as you want.  The more the merrier, really.

 Spread an even layer of your Mezzetta Pasta Sauce in the bottom of your pan (I used an 11x7" pyrex dish).

Prepare all your ingredients for layering the lasagna.

On top of the Mezzetta sauce, lay down three noodles (I had to tear off the ends of the noodles, because they were too long).

Next, spread an even layer of ricotta across the noodles.

Now lay down your zucchini and summer squash on top of the ricotta and sprinkle with onions (not pictured).

Sprinkle cheese liberally over the vegetables.

Carefully spread Mezzetta Pasta Sauce over the cheese. And repeat your process again with noodles, ricotta, vegetables, onions, cheese and then one last set of noodles.

Over your top layer of noodles, spread a layer of Mezzetta Pasta Sauce and then sprinkle a little cheese on top (you can hold off on this until after it comes out of the oven; a lot of my cheese got stuck to the foil I had placed over it).

Cover with foil and cook in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes and then remove the foil and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and the sauce is bubbling.  

Five-Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna:
makes one 7x11" lasagna (serves 4)

1 summer squash
1 zucchini
1/2 yellow onion
1 Tbs unsalted butter
6 cups water
9 lasagna noodles (about 1/2 of a 16-oz package of lasagna noodles)
1 15-oz container of ricotta cheese
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 bottle of Mezzetta's "Parmesan, Asiago & Romano" Homemade Pasta Sauce
1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese

On a cutting board, chop the ends off your squash and zucchini.  Lengthwise, slice your vegetables into thin strips.  Cut your onion into wheels and then dice those wheels.

In a frying pan, melt your butter, then add the onions.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until they soften and being to turn brown.  Remove them from the pan and add the zucchini, laying each piece of zucchini out so none of them are overlapping.  When the side facing down begins to brown, flip and let that side brown.  Remove from the pan, and repeat with the squash.

In a pot, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil, then add the lasagna noodles, turn the heat down to medium and let them cook for about 8 minutes, until the noodles are soft.  Remove from heat, drain most of the water and set aside (leave about 1/4 cup of water in the pot to prevent sticking).

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, basil, garlic, pepper and salt and mix until the spices are evenly distributed.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

In a 7x11" baking dish, spread about 1/4" of Mezzetta pasta sauce across the bottom in an even layer. Lay three noodles on top, then spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top.  On top of the ricotta cheese, lay down the zucchini and summer squash slices, and sprinkle onions on top.  Cover with a layer of shredded cheese.  Repeat your process over again, beginning with the pasta sauce, and once you have laid down the other layers, cover your shredded cheese layer with three more noodles.  Spread another layer of pasta sauce on top, and then sprinkle cheese on the top.

Cover with foil (you may want to spray it so your cheese doesn't stick to it), and stick it in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.  When your time goes off, remove the foil and replace in the oven for an additional 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove when the cheese on top is melted, and the pasta sauce is bubbling.  Let it cool slightly and serve!

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