Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Pizza Dip

This is another one from Pinterest.com that I saw and HAD to try. Some friends came over to watch the Super Bowl last night so I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to test it out. It was such a huge hit that I didn't even get a chance to take a picture before the dish was empty! It's DEFINITELY going to be a regular appetizer at our get togethers from now on!

Here's what you need:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temp
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (I used very finely shredded mozzarella and it worked just fine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
additional 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
additional 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pizza toppings of your choice (we used pepperoni, but my kids told me that it'd taste good with ham & pineapple for a Hawaiian chip dip too)

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, mozzarella and Parmesan together and spread it as evenly as possible on the bottom of a baking dish/pie plate.
2. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Top with your favorite pizza toppings.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.

Mmmm Mmmm Mon....errr...I mean Tuesday: Tortellini Spinach Bake with Creamy Lemon Sauce

Okay so I'm a dork. I was all thrown off this weekend because yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the kids were off school, so my brain told me it was Sunday. Hence the lack of a Mmmm Mmmm Monday post.

I'm hoping y'all will forgive me for the day delay when you try this deee-licious recipe. Seriously...it's THAT good. When I was cooking it my mouth was salivating like you wouldn't believe. I took a bite before I stuck it in the oven, which turned out to be pure torture while I waited for it to be done...it was just fantastic! (Which explains why the photo was taken after I had already started dishing it up...I couldn't wait to wolf it down!)

It's another one I found over on Pinterest and it is orignally from the Our Best Bites website.

So without further ado, here's what you need for Tortellini Spinach Bake with Creamy Lemon Sauce!

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini (they're in the dry pasta aisle)

4 oz back or pancetta (about 4 strips of bacon)

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp flour

2 Cups milk

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 and 1/2 tsp dry basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium lemon

2 Cups loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3/4 Cups grated mozzarella cheese

3/4 Cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350*. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet over med-high heat on the stove. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 Tbsp bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with a whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil & red pepper and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, zest about 2 tsp of your lemon over the sauce. Then cut the lemon in half and remove the juice. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to the sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and put back in pot. Reserve 1 Tbsp of cooked bacon and add the rest (crumbled) to the pasta. Add spinach, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Add the sauce and stir gently to combine. Place pasta & sauce mixture into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and the remaining crumbled pieces of bacon.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese on top is melted and the pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Spinach Chicken Pasta

This is another winner of a recipe that I found on Pinterest. I made it for dinner last week and it was so good...I can't wait to make it again!

Here's what you need:
8 oz uncooked Rigatoni
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) container chive & onion cream cheese
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella

Prepare pasta according to box directions.
Spread oil in bottom of large baking dish. Add onion. Bake at 375* for 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a large bowl and set aside.
Drain spinach well. Stir pasta, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, cream cheese, salt & pepper into bowl with onions. Mix well.
Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve hot.

Next time I make this I PROMISE to take pictures...we were so hungry the night I made it that we just dug right in!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Gingerbread Softies

My newest obsession for finding recipes is on Pinterest. There is so much cool stuff on there besides recipes! Be warned though...it is super addicting!

Anyway, when I was wandering around over there a couple weeks ago I came across this recipe from Dana Made It and it was the perfect Christmas baking recipe to try out. I love gingerbread cookies but don't like hard, crunchy cookies so right off the bat the name intrigued me.

I made a batch of the dough and baked them up...HEAVEN. The recipe says to make 1" round balls but I used my Pampered Chef medium scoop for the balls and it yielded 4.5 dozen cookies!! Imagine if how many you'd get with 1" balls! A TON!!

Here's what you need:
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp giner
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together suger & shortening. Add eggs and beat until thick. Add molasses and stir until combined.
Sift together flour baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves & salt. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just blended. (If the dough is very soft, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 min).
Shape dough into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake at 350* for 7-10 minutes or until just set, but not browned. Cool on a wire rack.

**I use my PC stoneware bar pan for baking cookies, and I needed to bake for about 11-12 minutes. Ten minutes on the stoneware made the cookies just a bit too soft.**

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know about you, but I love me some comfort foods, especially once the weather starts to cool down. Fall weather has FINALLY come to Oklahoma after a crazy hot summer...the leaves are changing, there's a crispness in the air, and the temps are gloriously cooler. And this recipe is the perfect dinner for the cooler nights!

Here's what you need:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bag (16-20 oz) frozen peas & carrots

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 425*. Place chicken in lg saucepan and add enough cool water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until just cooked through (about 10 minutes). Drain the chicken; let cool. Shred the chicken.

Meanwhile, fit one piecrust into a 9" pie plate and set asize. Roll the remaining pie crust out on a lightly floured surface. Cut crust into 1/2 inch wide strips with a pastry wheel and set aside.

Melt the butter in a lg saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and the thyme and cook/stir for another 2 minutes. Add the brother and the cream and whisk until thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in the shredded chicken, frozen veggies, salt & pepper.

Spoon filling into prepared pie plate. Arrange 6 of the piecrust strips inthe same direction on top of the pie, twisting the dough. Arrange the rest of the strips crosswise on top; fold edges under and pinch to seal.

Beat egg yolk and water. Brust the top of the pie with mixture. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Revisited

Yesterday I decided that I really needed to work on getting myself into the holiday spirit this year. There's so much going on in our lives right now that is stressing me out...I haven't baked a single thing since pumpkin bread last month.

My parents were here over the weekend and my mommy bought me all the fixin's for Church windows. They were a staple in my house as a kid every Christmas, and I am trying to keep the tradition alive in my own home.

Want a refresher on how to make these babies? Just go here for the full instructions.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Bog

Okay, okay, I know the name doesn't sound very appetizing. But believe you me...it is delicious! Even my boys ate every bite. And they're PICKY, those boys. It's another recipe that I got from the back of a novel written by a Southern author. I love when I stumble on great new food ideas that way!

Here's what you need:
6 cups water
1 Tbsp salt
1 3-4lb whole chicken
2 carrots quartered (I sliced mine)
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced & uncooked
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning (I used Old Bay)
1 Tbsp dried parsely flakes (I didn't have any so I substituted Italian seasoning.)

Step 1: Place water, onion, salt, chicken, carrots & celery in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & cover; cook for 1 hour.
Step 2: Remove chicken & let cool, saving the liquid & veggies.
Step 3: Remove skin & bones from chicken and chop meat into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from liquid and measure 3.5 cups of liquid into a large saucepan. Add chicken pieces, cooked veggies, sliced sausage, rice, butter & seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover & reduce heat. Cook for 30 minutes.

This is definitely a comfort food dish and is perfect for those chilly fall & winter evenings. It's going to be a staple in our house for sure.

While I was enjoying my bog, I thought to myself that it would taste great with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving instead of the chicken. Just change step 1 to only heat up some veggies (maybe stir fry or steam them) and then go straight to step 2 and add your leftover turkey pieces instead of the chicken. I think I may try it if we have any extra bird this weekend!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to say I think these may be my new favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie. I'm going to have to buy a ton of canned pumpkin this fall and stock it in my pantry so that I can make these babies all year long. Even my pumpkin-pie-hating sister liked them. (Yes, I make her try everything I make.)

Anyway, this recipe was just way too good not to share, so here you go!

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil & egg. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Dissolve baking soda in milk and stir in. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
• Add vanilla; mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and back at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown & firm.

I'm telling you...you won't be disappointed. I used a small scoop to make my cookies all evenly sized, and it yielded 3 dozen. The boys have been home from school for 30 minutes and between them and my sis & I, I think we're down a full dozen already. They're THAT good.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Stovetop Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I made this dish a week or so ago and everyone loved it. The kids devoured it, and my sis & I ate the leftovers for lunch daily and were pretty bummed when it was all gone. This recipe comes from Woman's Day's October issue and let me tell you...it's a keeper!

Here's What you need:
12 oz pasta (I used 1 lb)
4 cups broccoli florets
1 container creme fraiche (I couldn't find this in the store so I used sour cream as an alternative)
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2 and 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp gound ginger
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 2 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 2 qt saucepan over med heat, whisk the creme fraiche & hot sauce until simmering, about 2 minutes.
Add the Cheddar, garlic powder & ginger, then stir over low heat until just melted. Season with pepper.
Combine sauce with macaroni & broccoli, and serve. Add extra cheese if desired.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Honey-garlic Chicken

Here's another ripped-from-a-waiting-room-magazine recipe. I made this on Friday night with the Buttery Dill Carrots as a side and ALL THREE of my kids devoured it. They requested that I make it again soon. This is no small feat my friends...Sophia has been quite picky lately when it comes to food. More often than not she announces that she "will not be eating wiss you tonight". She's a diva, that one.


Anyway, here's the recipe in all it's tasty glory. Make it yourself this week...you won't be disappointed!


Here's what you need:

1/3 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
2.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (about 6 pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Heat oven to 400*. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, stir together honey, garlic, thyme and rosemary.
Place chicken thighs on prepared sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Brush with honey mixture and bake for 40 minutes, brushing with remaning mixture every 10 minutes (or until internal meat temperature reaches 160*).


It's that easy!!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Southern Sweet Tea

When we found out we were moving to the South, my hubby couldn't stop talking about how he couldn't wait to drink sweet tea all the time. Until now I haven't had much success with making it myself, but I found this recipe in Southern Living* and I'm sure it'll be a hit!

3 cups water
2 family-sized tea bags
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
7 cups cold water

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add tea bags. Boil 1 minute and remove from heat. Cover and steep 10 minutes.
Remove and discard tea bags. Add desired amount of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour into a 1 gallon container and add the 7 cups of cold water. Serve over ice.

I plan on making a big pitcher this weekend for the hubby and sis to taste test...I'm hoping for good results!

*Confession: I may or may not have ripped this recipe out of the Southern Living magazine in the waiting room at Sophia's ENT appointment this morning. And I may or may not have yanked out another equally good and can't-wait-to-try-it recipe from another periodical at said office. That's what they get for making us wait 45 minutes past our appointment time to be seen!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Tex Mex Chicken

This is a recipe I got from a friend of mine. I altered it just a bit to allow for more servings ( I had 7 people to feed the other night!) and it turned out GREAT. So much so that our dinner guest requested the recipe to pass along to his wife when he got back home!

Here's what you need:

Boneless chicken breasts (I used 5 of them)
8 oz fat-free sour cream (or just about half of a 16 oz container)
1 jar of salsa

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low about 5 hours. Shred chicken and put back into crockpot for another 20-30 minutes to soak up the salsa & sour cream.

Serve on burrito size tortillas with yellow rice, black beans, lettuce, and all your favorite taco toppings.

It's super easy and such a great twist on tacos. You and your family will love it!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Homemade Egg Salad

This is another great recipe from the back pages of The Fixer-Upper by Mary Kay Andrews. I'm tellin' ya...Southern authors that add recipes to the end of their books ROCK!

Here's what you need:
8 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet relish
1 tsp yellow mustard
salt, pepper, celery salt

Peel & chop hard boiled eggs. Toss in celery Fold in the mayo, relish & mustard, then add seasonsings to taste.

Yep...it's really that simple. And even more yummy!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Beef Stew

With being a military family we move around ALOT. Two of my favorite things to do when we're sent to a new place is to try the local food and read books that are written either by a local author, or set in the place where I'm living. The best thing I've found when I read novels by Southern authors is that they sometimes include recipes in the back of their books. (Try books written by Dorothea Benton Frank or Mary Kay Andrews for some super yummy Southern comfort foods!). This beef stew recipe came from the back pages of The Fixer-Upper by Mary Kay Andrews...not only was it a great read, but it was a tasty recipe to boot!

Here's what you need:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 lbs stew meat
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups beef broth/beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5 medium red potatoes, cut in eigths
1 cup chopped carrots
1 Tbsp Gravy Master (I used Kitchen Bouquet because that's all I could find at my grocery store)
2 Tbsp cooking sherry

Place flour and seasonings in a large ziploc bag; add meat and shake to coat. Heat oil in large Dutch oven; add meat and cook over medium heat until browned. Add broth and bay leaf and cover tightly. Reduce heat and simmer 1.5 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Add veggies and simmer another hour. When veggies are tender, remove both meat and veggies from the pot and whisk in Gravy Master and sherry. (If gravy needs thickening, add 2 Tbsp flour into 2 Tbsp water and whisk into gravy over medium heat.) Check seasonings and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Return meat & veggies to the gravy and heat through. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Easy Chicken Parmigiana

This is another go-to recipe for my house...and it's from the same church cookbook as last week's pot roast recipe. Heaven help me if I ever loose this book!!

Here's what you need:
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Spaghetti

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place chicken on a cookie sheet and back at 375* for 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 10-12 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Spoon a little spaghetti sauce over chicken breasts and sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top and bake another 3 minutes. Serve chicken and remaining sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Enjoy!!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: After Church Pot Roast

This recipe is from one of the cookbooks that was put out by my school when I was growing up. I use this one alot in our house and it's always well recieved!

Here's what you need:
1 lg frozen pot roast (beef or pork)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can onion soup
1 can cream of celery soup

Put the frozen pot roast in a slow cooker/crockpot. Pour the cans of soup over the top; cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. The soups make a wonderful gravy to put on mashed potatoes. YUM!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday-on-Tuesday: PW's Fried Chicken

This recipe is from the great Pioneer Woman and her superbly amazing cookbook.

I recieved this wonderful book for Christmas from a very dear friend (Thanks Nat!!) and it is by far one of my favorites. If you don't have this book in your cookbook library, you need to get it NOW. I made this fried chicken recipe when we had friends over and their son said that it was the best fried chicken he'd ever had. How's that for a compliment?

Here's what you need:
2 cut up fryer chickens (we just buy the bags of drumsticks from Walmart or Sams...they work just as well!)
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp season-all salt (like Lawry's)
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

1. Thoroughly rinse chicken and then cover all the pieces with the quart of buttermilk and soak overnight, or up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge and let set for 30 minutes prior to frying to take off the chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350* and mix up the breading: place flour, season-all salt, pepper, thyme, paprika & cayenne in a large bowl and stir together.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and, with a pastry cutter or fork, gradually mix until there are little lumps throughout. If needed, add a littlemore flour or milk to make it lumpy.
4. Heat 1.5" of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-hi head until a thermometer reads 365*.
5. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with breading, pressing extra breading onto chicken if necessary. Place breaded chicken on a plate.
6. Add the chicken to the oil 3 or 4 pieces at a time. Make sure they aren't sticking to ether then tover the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken doesn't get too brown. Turn the pieces over and cook another 3-5 minutes more. Continue to moniter the temp of the oil so the chicken doesn't burn.
7. Place chicken on a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken in 3-4 piece batches. When all of the chicken has been fried, bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cut into the thickest part of a large piece and if any pink is visible (meat or juice) continue in cooking in the oven until no pink shows.

Serve with your choice of side. I promise you this will be a big hit!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Buttery Dill Carrots

This recipe is so simple, but oh so flavorful. You'll wonder why you never tried it before!

Here's what you need:
1 pound baby carrots (or about 3 cups of cut up carrots)
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter/margarine
1 tbsp snipped fresh dill weed OR
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/8 tsp salt

* Place carrots and water in a large, microwave safe container with a lid. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Drain.
* Add butter, dill weed an salt; toss gently. Serve immediately.

See?? It really can't get much easier than that. But trust me...it's so yummy you'll want to eat it every night!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday- on Tuesday. Red White & Blueberry Pie

Better late than never, right? I was hoping to get this up before the 4th as it's the PERFECT dessert for those holiday bbq's, but my life has been a whirlwind lately. More on that in another post.
Anyway, this tasty dish is from Pampered Chef's Delightful Desserts cookbook. I got this book when we were stationed in England about 4 years ago so I don't know if it's even in print anymore. If you can find it somewhere GRAB IT! There are so many mouthwatering desserts in here that you'll forget about your diet!!

(Photo from PamperedChef.com)
Here's what you need:

1/2 pkg (15 oz) refridgerated pie crust (one crust)
1 qt fresh strawberries
4 squares (1 oz each) white baking chocolate
1 pkg (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese, softenened
3/4 cup cold milk
1 pkg (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding
1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup frozen light whipped topping, thawed


~Preheat oven to 425*. Let pie crust stand at room temp for 15 minutes. Gently unfold onto a lightly foured surface. Roll to 11.5". Place crust into a deep dish pie plate, pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Prick bottom & sides and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
~Rinse strawberries and pat dry. Select 8 strawberries as close to identical as possible and cut in half through the stem ends. Set aside for dipping in chocolate. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries using an eggs slicer.
~Melt white chocolate in microwave on HIGH for 1 minutes, stirring every 10 seconds until chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overheat. Dip strawberry halves in melted chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment paper, cut side down. Refridgerate 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.
~Scrape the remaining chocolate over the bottom of the prepared pie crust, spreading evenly to coat the entire bottom & sides of the crust. Then layer on the sliced strawberries.
~ Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Add pudding mix, whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Spread mixture evenly over strawberries.
~Arrange blueberries evenly over the top of the pie filling. Using a pastry bag or decorating tool (with a star tip) filled with whipped topping, pipe topping evenly around the edge of the pie. Place dipped strawberry halves on whipped topping border. Refridgerate until ready to serve.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Gnocchi w/Zucchini & Brown Butter

This is a SUPER tasty recipe from Disneyfamily.com. It calls for gnocchi but we substituted tortellini because I couldn't find gnocchi and didn't feel like making my own. And it was just as tasty!

1 lb fresh or frozen gnocchi (or tortellini)
2 tbsp butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 pound zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise (this makes ribbons)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi (or tortellini) according package instructions until they float, approx 3-5 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet of med-hi heat. Cook until butter is beginning to brown, approx 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often until the tomatoes are just starting to break down. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.