Slow Cooker Zucchini Pasta

This was a tasty way to use up some of our garden zucchini. Super simple and delicious!

Cheesy Zucchini Pasta
(Adapted from Skinny Ms)

1 (25 oz.) jar marinara sauce

3 cups (uncooked) whole grain ziti or penne shells

2 cups low fat cottage cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 large zucchini cut into 1/4” slices (I'd estimate about 2-3 cups)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

kosher or sea salt to taste

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

I used a 6 quart slow cooker. 

In a medium size bowl, combine the cottage cheese and mozzarella. Add in your spices and mix until well combined. Spray your cooker with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1 cup of the marinara in the bottom. In another bowl combine the remaining sauce with your uncooked pasta. Put half the pasta mixture in the slow cooker, top with half the zucchini slices and then half the cheese mixture. Repeat with layers with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle the top with your Parmesan cheese. 

Cook on low for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

Chocolate Zucchini Wacky Cake

I'm sharing this because I'm going to want to find it again :)

Chocolate Zucchini Wacky Cake
(Adapted from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures)

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Just less than 1 cup water
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
  
  
  Mix all the ingredients except for the zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Once its all blended well, fold in the zucchini. Pour into a greased 8x8 cake pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

California Chicken Pasta

I'm sharing this one so that I can find the recipe easily the next time I want it. Which could be tomorrow because I loved this stuff. A lot.

California Chicken Pasta
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

8 oz dry spaghetti or other pasta
1.5 oz olive oil
1 1/2 chicken breasts, sliced in strips
Heavy sprinkling of garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dry basil
1/2 Tbsp. cajun seasoning (add more or less to your spice preference)
Heavy sprinkling Italian seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese (or lots more if you love feta like me!)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken. Once browned, add in the garlic, basil, and cajun seasonings. Mix well and then add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Drain the pasta and return to its pot. Pour the chicken mixture over the top and toss until well coated. Serve topped with feta cheese.

Sweet Potato Minestrone soup

We love Minestrone soup around our house in all its varieties. So I'm always looking for new varieties. I made this last night becaue we had everthing on hand and it was delicious!

Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large stalks celery, chopped
3 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 1/2 c. chicken broth (do veggie if you want this totally vegetarian/vegan)
1/2 c. apple juice
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (Original recipe called for 2 which you could do. I just had one)
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. dry macaroni
1 (15 oz.) can cannelini beans, drained & rinsed.

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, with the juice, broth, apple juice, sweet potatoes, carrots, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add macaroni and simmer another 10 minutes. Then add the beans and heat through. 

We served this with garlic cheese toast and its a total winner!

Vanilla Wacky Cake

We may have made 3 of these in the last week...

Vanilla Wacky Cake

1 1/2 c. flour + 3 Tbsp.
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a greased 8x8 pan. Make 3 depressions in the dry mix--2 small, and 1 larger. Pour vinegar and vanilla into the 2 small depressions and the oil into the larger one. Then pour the water over the entire pan. Use a whisk to mix it all together until its well blended. Bake for 35 minutes.

I think this cake NEEDS frosting and/or ice cream. But with those additions it is delicious. And tastes like a sugar cookie in cake form. Yum!

Everyday Waffles

Nothing special here except that I love these. My husband usually makes these for my birthday.

Everyday Waffles

1 3/4 c. flour
3 tsp. bking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the egg yolks, milk, and oil then stir them into the dry ingredients. Stiffly beat the egg whites and then fold them into the mixture. Cook on a waffle iron.

Enjoy and don't eat too many...

Oven Baked Veggie Brown Rice

I tweaked another recipe and came up with this. It was pretty tasty and since it was brown rice and veggies I felt really healthy eating it. Even if its not really healthy.

Oven Baked Veggie Brown Rice
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

14 oz. beef broth
1 c. uncooked brown rice
1 c. frozen mixed veggies, thawed-ish
1/2 c. milk
1 can condensed cream o' mushroom soup
1/8 - 1/4 c. butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray

Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.

Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish

Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 70-90 minutes (I know. Long. But its rice. You kind of need it.)