Tortellini with Meat Sauce

1/2 to 1 lb hamburger meat or italian sausage
10-20 oz cheese tortillini
1-2 Jars of a 4 cheese spaghetti sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use bertolli or classico)
1 3/4 C of water
1/4 dry red wine or water
fresh spinach (optional)

In a large skillet cook ground beef or sausage until no longer pink. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce, water, wine to meat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add tortellini. Return to a boil and simmer uncovered for 15-18 minutes or until tortellini is tender and sauce is desired consistency. Stir in spinach 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesian cheese if desired.
From Better Homes and Garden 30 minute cookbook

This what we are having for dinner tonight. It is one of my favortie dinners because it is so easy and so yummy. I don't usually add spinach; I make green beans for a side and also have a salad. Not only is it easy but taste vary depending on ham vs sausage, type of spaghetti sauce and type of wine. Spinach or not; cheese or not. So very easy and very different each time.

Penne Chicken Tomato Salad

6 oz bag of spinach and argula
6 oz cherry tomatoes cut in half
8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
1-2 chicken breasts
1 cup bok choy (cut into small pieces)
feta cheese (optional)
raspberry walnut dressing (optional)

Cook the penne according to the package directions, omitting salt. Rinse under cold water; drain again. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium high.  Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes.  Cut the chicken on the diagonal into thin slices.
Add the chicken to pasta.  Add the argula and spinach, bok choy, tomatoes; toss well. Top with feta cheese if desired. Drizzle with dressing if desired.
Adapted from a weight watcher recipe

Some of My Favorite Things

Purex Complete Softener Crystals
I live in an apartment so the washer isn't the greatest. What I love about the purex crystals is you add them in at the beginning of the wash so you don't have to worry about adding it later.  It also smells really great and makes the wash smell good too.

Dove Body Soap/Body Wash
I like the nutrium moisture from the body wash and the bars don't break my skin out.  I have very sensitive skin and most products give me a rash; Dove doesn't plus it has extra moisture in it.  It leaves my skin soft even if I forget to put lotion on.

Aveeno Body Lotion/Oatmeal Bath Soak/Shaving Cream
Aveeno Lotion is a great moisture rich lotion that doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy like alot of lotions do.  I've tried several ones and this one is not greasy, clears up my dry skin, and again no rash.  Love the oatmeal soak for bath when my skin is itchy. Also works for kyle with his psorisis. The shaving cream prevents razor burn and helps the hair grow back slowly.  Leaves skin smooth.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream
I actually don't use this for wrinkles but more for my dark circles and puffiness. I've tried the eye rollers but those make my skin red and feel a stinging sensation.  This one of the few non eye roller creams out there. I've been using it for two weeks now and my dark circles are barely visible and my eye puffiness has gone down.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet

This is one of my favorite dishes.  It is my recipe as I have altered it significantly from the original recipe in Taste of Home.  To see the orginal you can find it at Taste of Home.

2 lb red potatoes, cubed
6 tbsp water
1 1/2 lb smoked kielbasa cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey dijon mustard
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red and black pepper
2-3 C spinach
4 bacon stips ,cooked and crumbled

Place potatoes and water in a microwave safe dish.  Cover and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until tender; drain. In a large skillet, sautee kielbasa and onion powder for 6-8 minutes.  Add potatoes; sautee 8-15 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.
Combine the brown sugar, vinegars, mustard, thyme and pepper; stir into skillet.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Add spinach (as much or as little as you want) and bacon.  Cook and stir until spinach is wilted.

Classic Mandarin Orange Salad

I love this salad except I don't always use the cheese.  It tastes fine without it or I use less cheese. 

1 5 oz baby spinach and raddicchio or other salad variety
1 15 oz can dole mandarin orange, drained
1/2 C carrots, sliced
1/3 C pecan halves, toasted
1/2 C prepared light raspberry vinaigrette
1/4 C crumpbled blue or feta chesse

Combine spinach, mandarin oranges, carrots, and pecans in large serving bowl.  Pour dressing over salad; toss to evenly coat. Top with chesse.
 Cook's Note (from book) Slice carrot with vegetable peeler in short lengthwise strips, if desired, or cut crosswise into thin slices.

Back in the Box Cooking: Dole Food Company

Angels and Insects

 This book is actually two novellas called morpheo eugena and conjugal angel. I really liked some of the descriptive narration of this book in the first novella. I did like the story but felt that is could have been reduced to about five pages.  It is very long with information that isn't necessary.  I got very bored and barely finished it.  Both stories are set in england and deals with alot of poetry.  The first novel is about a young man who traveled into different parts of the world and on his way back to England when his boat shipwrecks.  He studies bugs and insects (mostly butterflies) and stays with a family.  The father is a clergyman who has three grown daughters and several younger children. The young man fancies one of the daughters and has an interesting courtship with her and a spin in the ending. A sidepart of the story is the father who is trying to write a book and about God's Love for humanity by comparison through bees, ants and butterflies.  It is very interesting points of view if the narration didn't get so dull. 
As a result of not being overly impressed with the first novella I did not read the second one.  This certainly a book I do not recommend unless you like long philosphical narrations. 

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

This is very yummy.  Got it from the Back of the Box Cookbook.  A new favorite for our family.
I divided it into 12 pieces instead of 8.

1 1/4 C sugar divided into 3/4 C and 1/2 C
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C hershey's cocoa,  divided into half
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C milk
1/3 C melted butter or margerine
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 C hot water

Preheat oven to 350. Combine 3/4 C of the sugar, flour, 1/4 C of the cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour batter into ungreased 9 inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 C sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 1/4 C cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top; do not stir. Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.  Serve in dessert spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top.