Callie's White Lasagna

I made up this recipe to take Kay and Steven right after Callie was born, so I figured naming it after her was fitting. This recipe takes a little bit of time to cook but is worth it! You could also add carrots and/or onions as well. 

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• 1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 3 cups heavy cream (I used milk for half)
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 - 1 cup mushrooms, diced (optional)
• 1/2 lb chicken, cubed 
• 3-4 cups of chopped zucchini and broccoli (guessing on the measurements here)
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
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1. Cook lasagna noodles.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, mix cream, soup, Parmesan cheese, and butter till well blended. 
3. Put some olive oil in a pan and add chicken, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and spinach. Cook until everything is tender. (You will probably need to add things at different times to make sure everything cooks properly.
4. Use a 9x13 pan. Put a little cream sauce mixture on bottom to avoid sticking. Layer lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, chicken mixture, mozzarella cheese and then cream sauce. I think I did 2 layers of this and then layered one more layer of noodles covered with sauce on top and sprinkled with a bit of mozzarella.
5. Bake 1 hour at 350 covered with foil. Take foil off for last 10 min. 

Cheese Tortellini & Butternut Squash in Brown-Butter Sage Sauce

1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cubed
1/2 lb refrigerated cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices prosciutto (I used deli ham because I couldn't find this), cut in thin ribbons (1 oz.)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 large fresh sage sprig (about 10 leaves)
2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used chicken broth)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon, juice of
chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper

Cook squash in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Add the tortellini; cook according to package directions and until squash is tender. Drain. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add prosciutto, cook until crisp, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Return skillet to burner (with drippings still in pan); reduce heat to medium.
Melt butter in the skillet. Add sage sprig and cook until butter brown, about 4 minutes; remove sage and discard. Stir in wine and sugar; cook 30 seconds, then add reserved squash, tortellini, and prosciutto back into pan. Toss to heat through.
Off heat, finish with lemon juice, parsley, and pepper.

This was also really good the next day, after it had been sitting in the sage sauce overnight.

Recipe from Food.com

Crock Pot Greek Yogurt

Recipe given if for making the yogurt in the crock pot. To use the thermal cooker, changes are in pink.

Fat Free Greek Yogurt
makes about 9 C
1/2 gallon (8 C) skim milk (I use my regular 1% so mine isn't fat free)
1 C nonfat powdered milk
1 C store bought plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or once you have made this recipe, just use 1 C of the stuff you made!)
1 Tbsp gelatin (optional but I like the consistency of it better when I use it)

1.  Combine the milk and powdered milk in your crock pot.  Heat on high for around 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the milk is at least 180 degrees. (heat milk in microwave in glass bowl or on stove in thermal cooker pot, being careful not to scorch)
2.  Leave the cover on (or a skin will form on top) and allow the mixture to cool about 2 hours until it is around 110 degrees but be sure it is below 120 degrees or it will kill the active yogurt cultures you are about to add.  It helps to occasionally open the lid as it cools and stir to allow the heat to escape faster.
3.  Remove a couple ladles of the warm milk mixture and whisk in the store bought yogurt and gelatin until smooth.  Add this mixture into the warm milk in the crock and whisk until completely mixed.  Promptly cover your crock and wrap your crock pot with a thick blanket or two.  (When in the thermal cooker, it's not necessary to cover it with a blanket. It will stay warm long enough on it's own.) Your desire is to keep this mixture warm for as long as possible.  Allow it to sit 8 - 12 hours. 
4.   Add your favorite toppings:  jelly or jam, honey, nuts, granola, fresh fruit (whole or pureed), maple syrup or other sweetener, vanilla.


Be sure to follow these steps:

• Don't add the live yogurt when the milk is too hot or it will kill it
• Don't use ultra pasteurized milk; it won't work
• Don't use yogurt that isn't really "live".  Be sure the label mentions active live cultures on the yogurt!
• Keep it warm long enough.  Some people like to wrap it with an electric heating pad just to be sure when it's in the crock pot.  :)
• Don't peek. Wait the full 8 hours.

Recipe from Carole Jones

Mexican Chicken Soup on Rice

3 chicken breast shredded

1/2 cup rice
32oz carton chicken broth
1/2-1 cup pace salsa
1 small can diced green chilies
1-1 1/2 cups corn
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

*cook rice first
*then add broth, then all remaining ingredients.

Suggestions: serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, cubed avocado.

This is the soup that was served at Kaylene's baby shower, made by Katie Hodgkiss.

My adjustments included using about 2 1/2 cups rice and 1 can corn. I used the full cup of Pace salsa. And simmered about an hour. (Mom)