More than one of my friends has an abundance of yellow squash and zucchini in their gardens right now and I am more than happy to take any and all extras! One of the easiest and tastiest ways to cook squash and zucchini is to simply slice it thin and saute it.

How To:

• Thinly slice 1-2 yellow squash
• Thinly slice 1-2 zucchini
• Thinly slice 1 onion
• Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and heat
• Add squash, zucchini and onion to pan and begin saute
• Add a few tablespoons of Ken’s Zesty Italian Salad Dressing (or any italian dressing, but Ken’s is the best) to the mixture
• Saute until veggies are all soft

From prep to plate, this dish can be ready in under 15 minutes and it is super healthy.

One of the reasons Noodles & Company wins out just about every time is that there is something for everyone and the food is cooked fresh for you which means we can customize our orders to facilitate food allergies (one of my daughters can’t eat cheese), too.

I almost always get one of their Asian noodle dishes (Indonesian Peanut Saute anyone? YUM), one of daughters loves their chicken noodle soup because it has big chunks of carrots and wide noodles, another one always wants something with penne from the Mediterranean section of the menu, and my son is more adventurous – opting for a new dish each time. Daddy usually goes for something from the American part of the menu.

Last week when we went to Noodles & Company, I just had to try out their new Asparagus and Lemon Linguine. Can you say YUMMY? It was stocked full of vegetables and I ended up fending off my daughter who kept trying to sneak my asparagus. Finally I had them cook up just a side of asparagus for her to add to her penne – I am not going to deny her vegetables!

When we were looking at the Noodles & Company website to figure out what other yummy ingredients were in some of our favorite dishes, we saw that there is an At Home recipe for the Asparagus and Lemon Linguine. Guess what will probably be on next week’s menu for our house? If you want to try this dish at the restaurant, it is only going to be on the menu until the end of June.

While I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Noodles & Company and received five Noodles & Company bowl cards to facilitate my review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own. Mom Central also sent me a thank-you gift certificate for my time.

What you need:

• Clear plastic cups or parfait glasses (since the kids did these on their own, plastic was my first choice)
• Two packages of strawberry or other red gelatin
• Cool whip or other whipped topping
• Candy hearts for the top (optional)

How to assemble Cupid’s Cloud:

• Prepare the gelatin using the “Jigglers” recipe on the box. Put in the refrigerator for 3 hours to set.
• Once the gelatin is set, cut it into small squares or get really fancy and use Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters.
• Alternate layers of gelatin and whipped topping in the cup.
• Decorate the top layer of whipped topping with candy hearts, sugar sprinkles or even a chocolate kiss if you want.

Get creative:

• Swap out the gelatin for fresh cut strawberries.
• Use pink tinted whipped cream.
• Add a layer of crushed vanilla wafers or white sandwich cookies.

Use your imagination and let the kids have fun putting together this simple, but tasty treat just in time for Valentine’s Day.

How simple is this?

• 12 apples peeled and diced
• 1 box of red hot candy (I have found at Wal-Mart or 5-Below)
• 1/2 c apple juice

My recipe was pretty simple. I cooked up 2 lbs. of rotini pasta the afternoon before and after rinsing and draining the pasta well, I added half a bottle of Kraft Tuscan House Italian dressing to the bowl of pasta. I tossed it well to keep the pasta from sticking and the start getting the spices and pasta to work together. Next I chopped up:

• 2 big bunches of broccoli
• 4 cucumbers (remove the seeds)
• 4 plum tomatoes (remove the seeds)
• 1 block of Monterey Jack cheese

I put each ingredient in a separate baggie and put everything in the refrigerator overnight. At 6:30 the next morning I emptied all the bags of chopped veggies and the cheese into the large bowl of pasta, added some sliced and drained black olives, put in another bottle of the dressing, tossed the whole thing together and was out the door just minutes later. The only thing I meant to put in, but forgot to buy at the store was the pepperoni. I think that would have really finished off the recipe nicely.

This version of pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, sporting events or just everyday! And because I used the Italian dressing as opposed to a mayo based dressing, I didn’t have to worry that it got left out for a bit when things got crazy in concessions.

Anyhow, since I have a family of 5 and I didn’t think the kids would appreciate the prize as much as I would, I decided it would be so much more fun to do as a girls afternoon!! My two best buds Anne and Jeri, my Mom and I gathered at Anne’s (since she has the best kitchen) for a wonderful afternoon of delicious food and a long overdue catch up session.

Our personal chef was Steven Hafner – a catering chef at a large, local university. Chef Hafner arrived with trays of ingredients, utensils and everything he needed to make our meal.

The first course was Sabra Hummus Stuffed Ravioli with Red Pepper Couli. As Chef Hafner prepared the ravioli he explained to us how to make them. Not only are they incredibly easy to make, they are so good!

The Sabra Stuffed Ravioli only require a few ingredients – wonton wrappers, Sabra hummus, and a little olive oil. Visit the Sabra site for the Red Pepper Couli, the Hummus Stuffed Ravioli recipe and a video on how to prepare the ravioli at home. Our chef recommended using an egg wash instead of just water to make sure the wonton wrappers seal completely.

The salad was Stuffed Grape Leaves with Tabbouleh over grilled baby romaine lettuce with sun dried tomato dressing. He also added some mini spanakopita (Greek spinach pie), flatbread and some Sabra Hummus with Roasted Pine Nuts.

Our main course was Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Mint Demi-glaze, Spinach and Sabra Hummus Stuffed Roasted Peppers with Sabra Sautéed Eggplant and grilled asparagus.

The food was amazing and our chef was so personable! He was very good about letting us know where to get the ingredients locally, what to look for when purchasing and even gave us a tip on a local Sunday Brunch gem that we may need to check out soon.

We’d like to thank SavvyAuntie and Sabra again for such a wonderful giveaway that really turned out to be a afternoon we will remember for a long time.

The SnackPicks site is a mini site from the Kellogg’s team and it features articles from some really great ladies (like Elizabeth, Jane, Vanessa and Renee). In addition, the site is a great resource for healthy, fun and creative snack ideas, coupons and promotions from the Kellogg’s brand of products.

One of my primary goals as a Mom is to make sure that my kids, especially my son, have enough basic cooking skills when they leave home that they can prepare a meal for themselves. My 10 year old daughter is actually quite comfortable in the kitchen already and regularly offers to make dinner. My 13 year old son is the opposite, which is why it threw my for a loop last night when he said he wanted to make dinner this week. Let’s just say he had some inspiration! One of his friends had texted him that she (yes, she) had made Cheeseburger Pie yesterday for her brothers and they loved it.

He did the research and decided that the Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie recipe from the Betty Crocker web site looked best. We checked to make sure we had all the ingredients and he put the ground beef in the fridge to defrost.

This evening he was ready to go . He got out all the ingredients and even chopped the onion in the Mini Chopper. Basically you brown the ground beef and onion, place it in a 9″ pie pan, the sprinkle cheddar cheese over the mixture. You whisk together Bisquick, milk and eggs then pour it over the ground beef mixture. The Bisquick makes the “crust” and holds it all together.

Prep time for the whole recipe was about 10 minutes and it took 25 minutes to cook.

The finished product smelled really good and tasted even better – he added some McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning to the ground beef while it was browning which really gave it extra flavor.

I’m thinking he has seen one too many cooking shows with his sisters – he added a zig zag of ketchup when he served it. YUM!

Getting kids involved in the daily meal planning and preparation is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Not only do they learn essential cooking skills, but kids are more likely to try new foods when they have a part in the preparation!

Today is Military Spouse Day! As a military wife who also grew up in a military family, I learned at an early age that gatherings, from formal ceremonies to backyard picnics, all have special meaning to military families. The recipes, traditions and fellowship are something to be cherished and passed down.

Author Carolyn Quick Tillery, who currently manages the United States Central Command Family Readiness Program, has pulled together an amazing collection of  recipes, anecdotal stories, and vintage photographs tracing the history and unique contributions of American military wives inThe Military Wives’ Cookbook: 200 Years of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances. Beginning with an Independence Tea Party featuring the foods served by the women of Edenton, North Carolina, at a party on October 25, 1774, it recreates the scenes and foods that recount the stories of the commitments and sacrifice that military wives have given the nation for more than two hundred years.

Presented in menu format, each chapter includes a story related to the recipes of the period (“A Colonial Thanksgiving” and “Christmas in the Confederate White House”) and feature foods from around the world, including places like Morocco, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea.

One of my absolute favorite recipes featured in the book, Texas Sheet Cake, is one treat I remember being at so many picnics, gatherings and teas. A true classic.

Recipe for Texas Sheet Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Greas and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan and set asid. In a large mixing bowl sift together the sugar, flour and salt then set aside. In a small saucepan combine the butter, cocoa, and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into the flour mixture; using an electric mixer, beat for 3 to 5 minutes until well blended. Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes but frost while warm.

Frosting for Texas Sheet Cake

• 6 tbsp milk
• 1 cup butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pound confectioners sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (opt.)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine the milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to boil taking care not to burn, and remove from the heat. Add the vanilla. Add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, add the nuts and beat until smooth. Pour over warm cake.

The Military Wives’ Cookbook: 200 Years of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances is a perfect gift for any military spouse – any time of the year. The stories behind the recipes make this a true keepsake as well.

Unstuffed Cabbage

• 6 cups of chopped cabbage leaves
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup of uncooked instant rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Lawry’s Season Salt for more flavor)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans of condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup water
• 1/3  cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Place the cabbage in a greased 11″x13″ baking dish. In a skillet saute the onions then add the ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink. Stir in the rice, salt & pepper. Spoon this mixture over the cabbage. Combine the soup with the water (I also added some italian seasonings at this point) and pour over the cabbage and beef mixture.

Cover and bake 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (until cabbage and rice are tender). Unconver and sprinkle with cheese (if you want) and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Serves 4-6.

This recipe is one you can assemble ahead and put in to bake when needed. I also think it could be converted to a slow cooker recipe fairly easily too. But the part I am looking forward to most is the leftovers!