Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Yum!  I wasn't sure if we would like this soup, but I decided it was worth a shot.  It was delicious!  We've been trying to incorporate more vegetarian recipes into our routine, so this one caught my eye.  It says it's creamy - and it is - but there isn't any cream in it.  It has some cheddar cheese, but other than that, it's loaded with veggies - vegetable broth, cauliflower, a potato, onions, garlic, etc.  My kids were a little afraid to try it, but they liked it once they did!  Especially with the crunchy croutons on top.  I'll definitely be making this again.  Enjoy!

Turkey/Chicken Tetrazzini

This is one I've been meaning to put up for a long time, but now is the perfect time!  This is a great way to use up leftover turkey - if you still have any.  It uses turkey, mushrooms, onions, white bread (all of which you may have leftovers of from making stuffing), turkey or chicken broth (homemade is great!), spaghetti noodles, and a few other things.  It's not exactly low-carb, which may be something you're looking for after feasting all weekend, but it certainly is delicious.  And you can make it any time you have leftover turkey or chicken, any time of the year.  Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake

Yum!  This cake probably won't win any beauty awards, but who cares?  It's delicious.  My mother-in-law has a binder full of recipes she's given to all her children, and I'm slowly making my way through them.  This is one that caught my eye, especially after we went apple picking a few weeks ago, and I decided to give it a shot!  I actually changed a few things - subbing in some whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and oats, among other things - but it's basically the same recipe.  I may or may not have had a piece for breakfast the next day, and I found it moistened a lot sitting over night.  Both times were delicious.  It tastes old-fashioned and homey and I love it!

Thanksgiving Turkey, pt. 2 - Roast Turkey

Now to roasting the turkey!  There are lots of different methods out there.  Low and slow, basting every 1/2 hour, etc, etc, but this is the one I tried and loved and this is what I'm using this year.  I love that it starts at such a high heat to get the beautiful brown color, then the heat is lowered to finish roasting.

Thanksgiving Turkey, pt. 1 - Brine

Iiiiiiiiittttttttt's Turkey Time!!!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I always feel silly admitting that.  I mean - it's right up there with Christmas and some days Christmas is my favorite, but I love Thanksgiving.  It's usually spent with good friends or family, delicious food is involved, and there is no stress of buying gifts.  Win-win-win!  We are hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm very excited.  My little sister and her husband and driving 12 hours to come see us and we feel very privileged and grateful.  Of course it's a little scary to take on the task of making such a big meal, but it's also fun.

Green Enchilada Sauce

I was SO excited when I found this recipe!  I love this enchilada recipe, but I've hardly made it the last year because I hate buying the canned enchilada sauce.  It is full of nasty stuff and I can't find any that don't have hydrogenated oils and and a whole lot of other ingredients unnecessary for enchilada sauce.  I decided I just needed to make my own and discovered it was SO EASY.  This recipe is from the blog Our Best Bites and it made enough for 5 batches of enchiladas.  I wanted to find a can-able recipe, but I just poured it in pint jars and popped them in the freezer to use as I need them.  I made the enchiladas with the sauce the other day and it was amazing!  If you're trying to cut out processed foods and/or just want an awesome enchilada sauce recipe, this is the one!  And your body will feel great after eating it too.

Baked Ziti with Spinach

My little sister Heidi told me about this recipe and I was so glad I tried it!  It is super easy to throw together, makes a lot, and is delicious enough to serve to guests.  We enjoyed it ourselves one night, leftovers another, and lunch the last day.  You could cut the recipe in half or freeze half for another time if you prefer.  You can also make it up to a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until baking.  I love that it has spinach in it.  Spinach is so nutritious but sometimes hard to get kids to eat.  They won't complain when they're eating this!

Easy Pizza Sauce

This is so easy I feel silly posting it, but this is the recipe I always use for making pizza sauce.  It's simple and delicious, just what I like!  The recipe is so easy to remember too, so I never need to look it up.  Enjoy!