Spaghetti w/ Smoked Sausage and Carrots

I know this sounds like a weird combination, but it really is super yummy. My kids always think it looks weird, but once they get the first taste, they pretty much inhale everything on their plates... that makes it a winner in my book!

olive oil
1/4 onion, finely diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 inch piece of smoked sausage, cut into strips
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked as directed

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook until softened and slightly translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant, then add the carrots and sausage. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sausage is slightly browned and the carrots are softening. Add pepper to taste and toss with the cooked spaghetti. Serve at once.

This recipe makes enough for 4 adult servings or 2 adult and 4 child sized servings.

PB&J Muffins

These are part of my "fast food" collection. When I have time, I make a batch and throw them in the freezer. Then I can pull them out on those days when life is crazy and it's suddenly lunch time but I haven't even started to make anything. A few seconds in the microwave... cut up some fruit... and VOILA - Lunch!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
All-fruit preserves - your favorite flavor

Preheat oven to 400. If you use muffin papers or cook right in the muffin tin, spray them with nonstick cooking spray. I like to use the silicon muffin cups and have found that they don't usually need to be greased at all. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With two knives or a pastry blender, cut in peanut butter until coarse crumbs form. Add milk, honey, carrot, zucchini, eggs, and oil. Stir just until ingredients are combined and moistened.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup (about 1/2 full). Top with about 1 teaspoon fruit preserves (Do Not Use Jelly - it will melt all over the place). Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Carrot Soup

I actually found this recipe on the back of a cracker box - It looked simple and yummy so I set it aside to try at a later date. Last night, I didn't feel like cooking at all so this was perfect. I have to admit that I was surprised at how well it turned out. My kids probably would have liked it more if it was smoother in texture, but since my blender died I had to puree it with an immersion blender which leaves it with more chunks.

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook and stir onion and salad dressing in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until onion is tender. Add carrots, broth, and cumin; mix well. Cook 10 minutes or until carrots are tender, stirring frequently

Pour into blender container; cover. Blend until pureed. Add sour cream; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into bowls and garnish with sour cream.

I should note that I used half chicken broth and half veggie broth when I made this. My veggie broth is the reserved liquid that I freeze after cooking beans. This particular batch of beans I made with jalepenos so the broth had a bit of a kick to it. The end result was a creamy, sweet soup with a bit of a zing! Delicious, but it might be hard to recreate!