easy recipe: cucumber salad

Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber, peeled & cubed
1 package Pictsweet Seasoning Blend (in the frozen veggie aisle; it has onions, bell peppers, etc in it)
Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian Dressing (you will use however much you prefer, to get your desired consistency)
1 tbsp. olive oil

Prepare Pictsweet with olive oil as directed on package. Let cool, then rinse in a strainer and drain as well as you can. Mix Pictsweet with cubed cucumber & Newman's Own. Refrigerate. Tastes best when allowed to marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to eating. Enjoy!

breakfast smoothies

{disclaimer: this is not a photo of our smoothie. it looks similar, but ours isn't this pretty. nor do we have a pile of fruit lying around to use as props.}

The hubs & I have been drinking smoothies for breakfast most mornings for at least 6 years now. {Which was before they were all the rage...so I'm pretty sure we're the trendsetters. Kidding, kidding.} We got our recipe from his sister, and I'm not sure where she got it. We've tweaked it a little for our own taste {and wallets, as smoothies can be a little expensive}. We also added spinach since spinach is a super food, and you can't taste it when blended into a smoothie. So, without further ado, our smoothie recipe.

Breakfast Smoothies (makes 2 servings, about 30oz each)

1 1/2 c. frozen fruit (whatever kind you like; the big bag of strawberries, pineapple, etc at Walmart is the cheapest; but the berry mix is yummier)

1 banana

1/2 c. plain (or vanilla) lowfat yogurt

1 c. milk

1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder

1 scoop unflavored fiber powder

1 1/2 c. grape juice {lately we have been using the frozen blueberry pomegranate mixed from concentrate instead}

Spinach leaves

creamy chicken & spinach casserole

Hold the phone.

I decided to make up a recipe.

I know, I know...it's scary!

Here's the thing: I have a picky 18-month-old who doesn't like a lot of veggies. She loves casseroles with pasta; aka, baked spaghetti, etc, so I try to make a lot of those with whole wheat pasta & sneak veggies into them. I've made baked spaghetti with chopped up carrots, baked chicken cheesy casserole with peas, chopped bell peppers & onions, and...that's about it. It's hard to come up with stuff with different veggies that she will approve. So I was thinking the other day about trying to sneak some spinach into a casserole, and this is what I came up with! The hubs & I loved it, and...wait for it...SO DID NATALIE! Kid-tested. Mother-approved. :)

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Casserole

1 box whole wheat pasta

2 large cans chunk chicken (I am lazy & used canned; obviously you can cook chicken breasts if you want)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (if I'd had more in the fridge, I would have totally used up to 2 cups! I love cheese. You can add as much or as little as you'd like.)

1 pkg Bird's Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Cream Spinach (frozen)

1 pkg Pictsweet Seasoning Blend (frozen)

Cook pasta. Cook seasoning blend in skillet as directed on bag. Prepare cream spinach as directed on bag. In large mixing bowl, mix chicken, cream of chicken soup, cheese, spinach, & seasoning blend. Add pasta & mix well. Pour into 9x13 baking dish & cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

(I know, it's not the most appetizing picture. Just trust me, it tastes good!)

cure for infertility!!

Ladies and gentlemen, I hold in my hands (ok actually on my computer) the cure for infertility! My dad passed along this recipe that an elderly woman from church gave him 20 or so years ago. I can't WAIT to try this!!!