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For San Diego Moms and Moms-To-Be

Easy Dinner Ideas!

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Image courtesy of WORDPRES.
Image courtesy of WORDPRES.

Individual White Lasagnas

 

Check out this Easy Dinner Idea that will make your mouth water just by looking at the picture. When you think of Lasagna, you think…Ugh…Prep time, Mess and Money. Well not with this easy to do Lasagna. How does 30 minute prep time sound for a delicious dinner?

 

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 uncoked Lasagna noodles
  • 1 ounce thinly sliced Prosciutto
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Chopped Shallot
  • 12 ounces presliced mushrooms
  • 1 pkg. fresh spinach
  • 2 Cups Part skim ricotta Cheese (or you can mix half Ricotta with half Cottage cheese)
  • 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh Thyme
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 ounce shredded Fontina Cheese
  • ½ Cup Part Skim Mozzarella
  • Cooking Spray

 

  1. Preheat Oven to 350°
  2. Cook Pasta according to directions until al dente, drain. Cut each noodle crosswise into pieces forming 32 Squares
  3. Cook Prosciutto in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove Prosciutto from pan; crumble. Return pan to medium high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook for minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach, cook 2 minutes till spinach wilts. Remove from heat. Drain.
  4. Coat 8 Ramekins with Cooking Spray. Place ramekins n a jelly roll pan. Arrange 1 pasta square in bottom of each ramekin, spoon 1/3 of filling evenly over pasta squares, top filling with 1 pasta square. Repeat layers twice, ending with pasta. Combine remaining 1 ½ teaspoons thyme & moarella cheese. Sprinkle evenly over lasagna.
  5. Cover pan loosely with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Prep time About 30 minutes Prep and 60 minutes to Plate.

Grilled Ham & Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

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Ham-and-cheese-waffle-sammyOn the run…no time to eat? Here is quick, easy  yummy idea for dinner, breakfast or even lunch that made my tummy growl simply reading the recipe. If you like ham, cheese and waffles…then your in for a treat!

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 frozen waffles
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • ½ Pound sliced Deli Ham (the good stuff)
  • ¼ Pound Cheddar sliced thin
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  1.  Place 4 of the waffles on a work surface. Spread one side of each with the mustard (if using).
  2. Top with the ham, cheese, and remaining waffles. Spread the top of each sandwich with ½ tablespoon of the butter.
  3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches, buttered-side up.
  4. Cook, pressing occasionally with the back of a spatula, until the cheese melts and the waffles are golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Prep time About 10 minutes Prep to Plate.

 

Beat The Morning Meltdown!

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Ways to prepare family for the day ahead

Microwave Sausage, Egg & Potato Scramble

microwave sausage, egg & potato scramble

(Family Features) Mornings can be mayhem for moms. In fact, according to the Johnsonville Sausage Report, nearly half of moms say that mornings can be so hectic that most days everyone in the family needs to fend for themselves for breakfast.

 

One mom who is all too familiar with handling hectic mornings is Elisa All, founder of 30Second Mobile, a mobile website and app that keeps busy moms “in the know while on the go.”

 

All says it’s about planning ahead and powering up for the busy day ahead.  “The kitchen in the morning can be chaotic if you don’t have everything lined up the night before,” All said. “I love serving my family a hot, balanced breakfast, and, it’s a lot easier than many people think.” Johnsonville just introduced fully cooked breakfast sausage, which is easy to warm up in the microwave for 30 seconds, and powers kids up with protein to get them through the morning.”

Here are her top 10 Morning “Hacks:”

 

1) Stage a “path” to the door the night before so everyone knows where they’re going.

 

2) Select kids’ outfits at night. Be sure to check weather in advance and plan accordingly.

 

3) Pack lunches ahead of time. After dinner, pack the non-chilled items in the lunchbox and leave it on the counter for quick packing of the chilled things in the morning.

 

4) Brush teeth and wash face in the morning shower, or take baths the night before.

 

5) Sunshine helps you wake up. Open the shades and let the light in.

 

6) Make breakfast easy by keeping tasty foods on hand. Johnsonville’s new, fully cooked breakfast links – in Original Recipe, Turkey and Vermont Maple Syrup – help you give your family a wholesome and high quality,

warm meal in 30 seconds.

 

7) Place jackets and backpacks in a central location to grab on the way out. Use a hanging shoe organizer with pockets to keep essentials and accessories by the door.

 

8) Reward with what works for your child, for example, electronics and other activities they get to do in the car.

 

9) Motivate and track time with a music playlist. Everything is more fun and moves more quickly with tunes, and you can track how much time has passed.

 

10) Care for yourself. Have a workout bag in the car and consider getting up earlier to have some personal time before the day gets going.

 

With these ideas in mind, you’ll be ready for whatever the day brings. And one more idea: a mobile breakfast in a coffee mug that’s microwave-ready and will have you out the door in minutes. Check out the delicious recipe for Sausage, Egg and Potato Scramble below and visit www.johnsonville.com for more easy meal ideas.

 

Sources: 2014 Johnsonville Sausage Report, 1,081 adults 18+ by Impulse Research

 

Microwave Sausage, Egg & Potato Scramble

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 links Johnsonville&reg Fully Cooked Original Recipe or Turkey Breakfast Sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salsa, optional

Preparation

  1. Coat 12-ounce microwave-safe coffee cup with cooking spray. Add hash browns. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
  2. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, sausage and cheese; pour over hash browns. Stir until blended.
  3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until eggs are set. Serve with salsa if desired.

Serves
1 serving

Preparation Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
2 minutes

SOURCE:
Johnsonville Foods



The Right Answer: Make Breakfast More Fun

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The Right Answer: Make Breakfast More Fun
Recipe and photo created by Shawn Syphus, I Wash…You Dry.

(StatePoint) For most parents, weekday mornings before school are like a challenging math problem: pack backpacks and lunches, plus get yourself ready for work – minus the luxury of unlimited time. But skipping breakfast should not be part of the equation.

 

And, really, it can be fun! Especially when you keep a few go-to breakfast recipes up your sleeves and stay well-stocked on morning favorites – such as whole grain cereal, fresh fruit, rolled oats, yogurt and flavorings.

 

In fact, layer on the love by helping your early risers make their own breakfast parfait, such as the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait with Trix Granola. Start with a see-through glass or container so everyone can admire their parfait progress. These super-stacked beauties are also customizable so every family member can choose his or her favorite ingredients – and top them up as they see fit.

 

Just a few minutes set aside for that first family meal of the day will help to start things off with a dash of fun – and flavor.

 

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait with Trix Granola:

 

Ingredients for Granola

• 2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 cup lightly crushed Trix cereal

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

 

Ingredients for the Parfaits

Sliced fruits of your choice such as kiwi, mango, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries

Vanilla flavored yogurt

 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

• In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, crushed cereal, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl combine the honey, coconut oil and vanilla. If the coconut oil is hard, microwave for just a few seconds to soften it. Pour the liquid mixture into the oats mixture and use your hands to incorporate, and coat evenly.

• Pour onto a lightly greased, rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then add the flaked coconut and sliced almonds. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Granola will harden when cooled.

• Layer the fruit, yogurt and granola in parfait glasses and enjoy!

 

Crunched for time? Prepare the granola ahead of time.

 

And, did you know Trix and the Silly Rabbit are celebrating their 60th birthday this year with a brand new fruitier-tasting Trix debuting in the cereal aisle? In fact, when it was introduced in 1954, Trix was the first ready-to-eat cereal made just for kids.

 

Foods You Can Stop Buying and Make Yourself

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Images-Articles--3721-AppleChutney(StatePoint) Even if you’re a well-versed cook, there are certain foods you may not have ever considered making yourself. For example, when is the last time you made your own apple sauce, jam or chutney?

 

While preparing these staples from scratch does take more time than picking up a store-bought variety, the benefits to DIY are numerous, say experts.

 

“Making the foods you typically buy means you can skip the artificial flavors, preservatives and generous additions of sodium, sugar and fat that many store-bought foods use to ensure shelf life and profitability,” says Ivy Manning, food writer and author of the new cookbook “Better from Scratch,” a collection of more than 60 do-it-yourself recipes of kitchen staples. “Homemade foods can be more healthful and easier on the wallet.”

 

To give this a try at home, Manning is offering her recipe for Apple-Onion Chutney to be served as an accompaniment to roast pork loin or roast beef:

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups raisins

 

• 1 cup cider vinegar

 

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

 

• 4 lemon zest strips, each 1⁄2 inch and 2 inches long

 

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

 

• 2 large chopped yellow onions

 

• 4 lbs of good baking apples, such as granny smith or pippin, peeled, cored and chopped

 

• 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

 

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

 

Directions

• Have ready 4 sterilized jars and their lids.

 

• In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the raisins, vinegar, brown sugar, zest strips, and cloves. Add 2 1/2 cups water and stir to mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.

 

• In a large nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the raisin mixture and apples and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender, about 25 minutes. Add the mint and thyme and continue to cook until the apples are tender, about five minutes longer. Discard the zest strips.

 

• Ladle the hot chutney into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace and using a small rubber spatula to push the apple and onion pieces gently into the jar so they are covered with liquid. Slide a metal chopstick or thin tool down the side of each jar, between the glass and the chutney, four or five times to release air bubbles. Adjust the headspace, if necessary, then wipe the rim of each jar clean and seal tightly.

 

• Store the jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

From condiments to pickles to crackers, consider taking the next step in your kitchen adventures and going DIY.

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