photo © 2010 jenny cu | more info

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta, ideally Penne or other large pasta
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
3 teaspoons Watkins garlic liquid spice or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Watkins Grapeseed oil, flavor of choice
1 can chopped tomatoes (12 oz/

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Watkins chicken soup and gravy base
1 teaspoon Watkins basil
Watkins black pepper to taste

Instructions: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a frying pan, sautÈ the shrimp in the garlic liquid spice and grapeseed oil. Add the broccoli florets and tomatoes, simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the water, soup base, basil and pepper. Stir and allow to simmer gently for another few minutes.

Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, mix well. Sprinkle with additional basil leaves and serve immediately with your choice of cheeses such as parmesan, romano or asiago cheese. Serves 4-6

She will appreciate not having to cook on Mother’s Day. However, you’ll also want to make sure you’re prepared to clean up after yourself as well. It’s Mom’s special day so there’s no reason to make her clean up after the meal. She’ll really appreciate that you’re letting her relax and enjoy her special day without cooking and cleaning.

First of all, think about the foods your Mom loves for breakfast or lunch. You may also want to consider serving extra special foods she wouldn’t normally eat. Your goal is to prepare a meal Mom will enjoy and remember for years to come.

Start with freshly squeezed orange juice. If Mom drinks alcoholic beverages, you may want to add the fresh orange juice to ice cold champagne to make a Mimosa. Of course, you can also make a non-alcoholic version using sparkling grape juice.

Toast bagel halves, spread cream cheese on them and then top the bagel halves with a few thinly sliced pieces of smoked salmon. You can top them with capers, red onions or lemons if you want a traditional garnish. Try diced tomatoes or minced chives for a different taste to this classic brunch item.

Pancakes are also a good choice if you’re serving brunch, here’s how to make pumpkin spice pancakes from scratch. Crepes are another good brunch menu item. Either can be prepared to be sweet or savory. Traditional maple syrup is wonderful as a pancake topping but fresh fruit with whipped cream would also be delicious.

There’s no better time in the day to have pizza. Make a breakfast pizza with sausage and eggs to go with a great cheese. This may become a favorite brunch item that is requested year after year.

Healthy Brunch Casserole
A breakfast casserole makes an easy and delicious brunch that can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning. Try this Easy Baked French Toast or the following recipe.

8 slices of wheat bread
Egg substitute to equal 12 eggs
8 slices of smoked turkey breast meat, diced
1/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon Watkins seasoning salt
Watkins cooking spray

Instructions: Spray a large baking dish with the non stick cooking spray. Break up the bread slices into small pieces and layer in the bottom of the dish. In a small mixing bowl mix together the egg substitute, seasoning salt and the milk. Pour over the bread. Sprinkle the turkey over the top. Add both types of cheese evenly over the entire dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate over night. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cover and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until firm and cooked through.

Once the main part of the meal has been served, don’t forget a healthy final dish. Many mothers love fresh strawberries any time of the year. When you want something special but healthy and delicious, slice up fresh strawberries and kiwi. Sprinkle with a little sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon of Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla and gently mix. They will make their own sauce. Serve the fruit with “fancy” cookies such as biscotti, ladyfingers or Amaretto and garish with a dollop of real whipped cream. Your mother will love the combination of the vanilla fruit and cookies.

Set the table to with your family’s best dishes and silverware. Chances are these dishes aren’t used that often so why not use them to celebrate Mom? You can also find fresh flowers from the garden (with Mom’s permission) or buy a bouquet which can be split up between several small vases. Mom will love the extra effort you’ve made by using some of these Mother’s Day brunch ideas or coming up with ones of your own.

photo © 2010 Kathleen Franklin | more info (via: Wylio)

I love freezer meals because they save me time and money. If you have always wanted to try your hand at freezer cooking but thought you’d have to purchase dozens of plastic food storage containers and freezer-safe casserole dishes you are in luck. As it turns out you only need a couple of casserole dishes and a few food storage containers! Here are some tips on how to freeze, store, and reheat all of your meals:

You will want to stock up on aluminum foil or parchment paper, both gallon and quart sized plastic freezer bags and some labels.

To make the most of your freezer space, try to freeze your foods as flatly as possibe. You will be able to stack them on top of each other and fit more food into your freezer.

To freeze casseroles, you’ll simply line the casserole dishes with enough aluminum foil or parchment paper to come up over the sides of the dish. After the casserole is assembled, bring the foil or parchment paper up and cover the casserole tightly, and then wrap it in a second freezer bag.

Once the casserole is frozen, remove it from the outer bag, pop the frozen casserole out of the dish, and place the aluminum foil wrapped casserole back into the freezer bag. When it is time to cook the casserole, remove it from the freezer and place in the same baking dish to thaw. Once thawed, take it out of the freezer bag and cook. Since it is lined with the aluminum foil or parchment paper, clean up will be a breeze! Simply throw the foil or paper out and wash the dish!

Make it a point to label each freezer bag. You can write the name of the entrée and the reheating instructions on a piece of paper and stick it inside the bag, on top of the aluminum foil covered casserole or write the instructions on the bag with a permanent marker. Another idea is to print out the information on packing slip labels ahead of time and just peel and stick as you cook and freeze your items.

Keep track of the meals you have on hand by placing a magnet mounted whiteboard on your freezer door. If you add three lasagnas, two portions of chicken fajita meat, two beef stews and one ham casserole, write them on your board. As you take things out of the freezer to thaw, erase them. It can be easy to forget what you have previously made, and if you don’t remember it’s there, you’ll never be able to use it!

If you don’t have a deep freeze, try bulk cooking in two-week inventories. By freezing things flatly you should be able to store two weeks worth of food in a normal sized freezer.

If you find your family doesn’t like a certain ingredient after it’s been frozen, simply omit that item and add it the dish as you are cooking it for that night’s supper.

If your dish calls for pasta, remember to assemble it with slightly undercooked pasta. The pasta will finish cooking when you reheat the dish.

Here are some good freezer meal recipes to help you get started:

Chili freezes and reheats beautifully, try doubling this Vegetarian Chili or your favorite recipe.

Soup is another thing I love to freeze in food single serving or family sized storage containers. Try Homemade Turkey Soup, Butternut Squash Soup or Turkey Chili Soup.

Wow dinner guests with this Carrot Souffle that you made ahead and froze. Your secret will be safe with me.

Another good recipe for left over chicken or turkey is Turkey Pot Pie

Do you have your own freezer meal tips? Feel free to share in the comments!

photo © 2009 Ginny | more info (via: Wylio)

What is fruit salsa? Does it contain hot peppers? I assumed it would so I never bothered to look at any of the recipes before. I confess, I’m not a fan of hot food. It turns out fruit salsa is basically chopped up fruit that can be eaten as an appetizer, snack or condiment!! Who knew?

I’m going to surprise hubby with fruit salsa and cinnamon chips this weekend. We both enjoy fruit and he’s always looking for something to snack on so I think it will be a great treat. Here’s the recipe:

2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and chopped
1 fresh mango, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup blueberries
3/4 cup pineapple (fresh or canned)
2 tsp of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey

Directions: Add all chopped fruit to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice, drizzle with honey and mix gently. Chill for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with cinnamon chips.

Cinnamon Chips
4-6 whole wheat flour tortillas
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon honey
Watkins cinnamon

Directions: Melt butter and honey, brush on one side of the tortillas, place on a cookie sheet butter side up and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Use a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas into wedges. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: use what ever seasonal fruits and berries you have available, or your favorites, you don’t need to stick to the one’s listed above.

So are you a fan of fruit salsa? Go ahead tell me what I’ve been missing!

But I don’t eat breakfast! I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day” and it’s certainly true especially when it comes to children. Countless studies have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast are more alert in school, perform better and in many cases are less prone to bad behavior than children who don’t eat breakfast. These are pretty good reasons why your kids should eat breakfast and you’ll enjoy the same benefits too.

Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas for you and your kids:

Eggs are classic breakfast food because they versatile and nutritious, plus most kids like them. Start the day with simple scrambled eggs, you can add a little chopped ham, cheese, chopped tomatoes or mushrooms. Soft or hard boiled eggs with slices of whole grain toast will down well too.

This is my favorite! While store bought muffins aren’t always the most nutritious, if you bake your own you can add fruit or grated vegetable and a little honey for a naturally sweet breakfast muffin. You can also replace half of the amount of white flour for healthier whole wheat flour. And don’t just stick to sweet muffins, try a savory muffin such as cheese and ham. Bake them the night before for a quick and healthy breakfast.

Fresh fruit with yogurt and cheerio dip make a healthy fun breakfast for kids. Using a rolling pin crush a handful of two of whole grain Cheerios in a plastic bag and transfer to a bowl. Fill another bowl with yogurt and let your kids dip the fruit pieces in yogurt then in the cheerio mixture. Whole grain Cheerios have a lower sugar content then many of the cereals on the supermarket shelves.

Prepare a basic pancake batter the night before, cover and refrigerate. In the morning all you need to do is heat the grill and your whole family can enjoy delicious homemade pancakes. Serve with a little maple syrup or jam and some fresh fruit on the side.

Make up some extra waffles on the weekend, freeze them for quick week day breakfasts. Reheat in the toaster!

Split a couple of bagels in half, top with a little pizza sauce, grated cheese and some chopped ham for. Place under the grill for a few minutes and you have a nutritious breakfast pizza. You can also use English muffins or pita bread.

Whole wheat wraps are a great alternative to toast and cereal. You can make a scrambled egg breakfast wrap with a little bit of ham or cheese added to it or you can add a little cream cheese and turkey or even make a breakfast pizza burrito. Spread a whole wheat wrap with peanut butter, roll around a banana, slice or eat as is.

Remember breakfast doesn’t have to always consist of the traditional toast, cereal and eggs, you can experiment a little to keep things interesting. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always make the perfect family breakfast. If your kids really aren’t hungry at breakfast time a simple banana and a glass of milk will give them an instant boost.

The most important thing is that your child starts the day with one or two nutritious foods.

Sift together cocoa and 1 and 3/4 cups icing sugar. Cream butter and extract, gradually add cocoa mixture blending well.

Scoop small bits of truffle filling with a teaspoon (one to two bite sized) and roll in coconut or chopped nuts to form a ball. Arrange truffles in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place in the fridge until firm. Transfer the chocolates into a covered food storage container and store in refrigerator until serving time. Or you might want to hide them in the freezer other wise they may magically disappear!

You’ll find the cocoa and extracts to make these delightfully simple chocolate truffles in the US Catalog or the Canadian Catalogue.

These truffles would make lovely little Easter eggs, what other holiday would you make them for?

I have to admit turkey is one of our favorite homemade soups, maybe because I only make it a couple of times a year. We really should roast a turkey more often so I can make soup!

Ingredients for a simple, basic soup:
1 turkey carcass
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 – 3 tablespoons Watkins chicken soup base
3/4 teaspoon Watkins pepper
water

Instructions: In a large kettle or stock pot place leftover turkey carcass and cover with water. On high heat bring water to a rapid boil. Lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for an hour or so. I like to let it simmer for a couple of hours.

Remove pot from the heat and allow stock and bones to cool enough to handle. Strain broth into large pot or bowl. Reserve strained broth. Be sure to save any pieces of turkey meat before emptying strainer. Remove any turkey meat that remains on the carcass, discard bones. Cut meat into bite size pieces.

Return reserved broth back to a kettle or pot. Add unions, carrots and celery stirring to mix all ingredients together well. Bring to a rapid boil Add black pepper, chicken soup base to taste and optional ingredients such as corn, barley and lentils if desired (see below). Bring back to a rapid boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Taste and add more soup base if needed. Add turkey meat bring to a boil and turn off heat. If adding frozen peas (see below) add them now.

When I make meat and broth based soup I generally add everything except the kitchen sink, so I end up with a thick soup that’s almost a stew, filled with lots of vegetable and grains. If you fancy this type of soup or want to add more nutrition here are some more ingredients to add.

Choose one or more of the following additional Ingredients for a heartier soup:

1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup small pasta or noodles
2 parsnips, diced
1 cup kernel corn, frozen or canned
1 cup green beans, frozen or canned
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen peas (I like to add these at the very end)
1 -2 cups roasted turkey meat, diced
leftover turkey gravy

I generally add only one grain, rice or barley or the pasta, not all of them.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. Watkins Cumin
1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 T. Watkins Salsa & Sour Cream Snack & Dip Seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup black olives
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies, drained
hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions: Mash beans and combine with cumin, spread, over bottom of a 9inch pie plate or other serving plate. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and seasoning. Spread mixture over mashed beans. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions, olives, tomato, and green chilies. Sprinkle to taste with hot pepper sauce, if desired. Chill until serving time.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:
1 package (6 oz/170g) corn tortillas
Watkins Cooking Spray
Watkins Chili Powder, to taste

Directions: Cut tortillas into 8 wedges each. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 450ºF/235ºC for 6 minutes or until crisp but not brown.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Watkins baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon Watkins ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon Watkins purest ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk (2% or skim)

1 cup pumpkin puree, fresh or canned

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoons Watkins Original Grapeseed oil

Directions: Measure all dry ingredients and place in a large bowl. Mix together until well blended.

Directions: Measure all dry ingredients and place in a large bowl. Mix together until well blended.

In another mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together with a wire whisk until fully combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir only until combined. It’s important that you don’t over-mix the batter, yes it should be lumpy!

Preheat a non-stick skillet or cast iron griddle on medium heat. If you aren’t using a non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray or add a teaspoon or two of oil to the pan, so pancakes don’t stick.

Using a ladle, pour about ½ cup of batter to the skillet per pancake. Allow to cook until bubbles form on top and edges look dry, then flip and cook on other side. Cook for a couple minutes more until browned.

Serve with maple syrup or your favorite pancake toppings. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Basic Pancake Recipe

If you prefer regular pancakes here’s the recipe!

2 cups flour

2 cups milk

2 eggs (beaten)

2 tablespoons Watkins original grapeseed or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

Directions: In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until blended. Add milk, beaten eggs, oil and vanilla, stir until just combined. Preheat lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan per pancake. Cook until pancakes begin to bubble. Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve with maple syrup, jam or fruit. Makes approximately 8 pancakes

It’s not hard to make pancakes from scratch! This recipe has been added Real Food Wednesday list on Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog.
How do you like your pancakes?

• Precook the entire package or several packages at once, cook until almost done. Store the pre-cooked bacon in the freezer until needed. This way you can reheat just the amount you need with out all the grease and mess. Heat in the microwave or a fry pan.
• Cook bacon in a counter top grill, this keeps all the grease and splatters to a minimum.
• Cut bacon strips in half, they are easier to work with. Plus it looks like you have more pieces on your plate.  Great tip if you are watching your calorie or fat intake.
• Drain cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. Pat with a fresh paper towel to remove more grease.