Tortellini with Ham and Peas

Ingredients:

1 lb. Fresh or Frozen Cheese Tortellini

1 cup Frozen Peas

3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Pieces (Try Smart Balance)

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (Try Fat Free Variety)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 lb. Low Fat Ham, Chopped

Directions:

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini until al dente (follow package directions). Add peas to pot for the last 30 seconds of cooking time. Drain tortellini and peas and return to pot. Stir in butter, cream, salt, pepper, parmesan and ham. Turn stove on to medium heat and cook, stirring, until ingredients are heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

http://www.allyou.com/

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:



8 oz. package of Linguine (whole wheat or omega enhanced variety)

1 cup Fresh or Frozen Broccoli Flowerets

2 tbsp Butter

1 lb. Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Cut Into 1 1/2 " Pieces

1 10-11oz can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (choose 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)

1/2 cup Low Fat Milk

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper



Directions:



Prepare linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain broccoli and linguine in colander. Heat butter in 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often. Stir soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture into skillet. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Top with additional parmesan cheese.



Substitutes: Use Grilled chicken breast, cut into chunks instead of boneless chicken. You can also use 1 lb. fresh large shrimp, shelled and deveined, instead of chicken. Cook shrimp until pink.



campbellskitchen.com

What To Do About Drugs?

This "letter to the editor" appeared recently on the editorial pages of many national newspapers and has been seen on the internet in the form of a blog.

If you are a parent, a concerned citizen or a young adult just trying to do the right thing but are surrounded by peer pressure, consider your following options...

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, "Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?" I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad's fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in every­thing I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin: and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place. God bless the parents who drugged us.

Cherry Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1-8oz. French Bread Loaf, cut into 1-inch pieces
Vegetable Cooking Spray
2 cups Fat Free Milk
1/2 of 12oz. can Fat Free Evaporated Milk
3/4 cup No-Calorie Sweetener (like Splenda)
3/4 cup Egg Substitute
1/4 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Cherry Sauce (cook sauce while bread pudding is baking)

Cherry Sauce Ingredients:
1 (15oz) can Pitted Tart Cherries in Water
3 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Cherry Flavored Liqueur

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in pieces in 6 (8 oz) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Place ramekins on baking sheet. Whisk together milk and next 8 ingredients until blended. Pour milk mixture over bread in ramekins; let stand 30 minutes, pressing bread to absorb mixture after 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or just until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon cherry sauce over bread pudding.

Directions for Cherry Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 16 to 18 minutes or until most of the liquid is reduced.

(www.southernliving.com)

Apple Cranberry Spice Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Pinch of Ground Cloves
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 cup Sour Cream
1 large Granny Smith Apple (peeled, cored, and finely chopped)
1/2 cup Walnuts (finely chopped)- optional
1/2 cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of 12 standard muffin cups. In large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and sour cream until well blended. Add the egg mixture, apples, walnuts and dried cranberries to the dry ingredients. Stir just until the batter is blended, then divide it among the muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing them. Makes 1 dozen.

(http://www.familyfun.com/)

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes (not drained)
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
10 Kalamata Olives (pitted and chopped)
1 1/2 lb Medium Shrimp (peeled, deveined and rinsed)
3 oz. Feta Cheese Crumbles
1 tsp. Dried Oregano

Directions:
Warm oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, crushed red pepper and olives, and simmer until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring until shrimp are pink and firm, 4 to 5 minutes. Divide shrimp into 4 servings and sprinkle each with feta cheese and oregano. Serve hot.

(www.allyou.com)

Simple Beef Stew

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb. Beef Chuck (trim fat and cut into 1-inch cubes)
Salt and Pepper
4 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Onions (cut into wedges)
6 Carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces)
8 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf

* consider serving with a side of No-Yolk Egg Noodles

Directions:
Place meat in bowl; season with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Warm 2 tbsp oil in skillet over med-high heat. Fry half of the meat until brown all over, about 4 minutes, and place cubes in slow cooker. Warm remaining 1 tbsp oil in skillet and fry remaining meat and place in slow cooker. Add onions and carrots to skillet and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook for one minute longer. Add onion mixture to slow cooker. Pour vinegar and wine into skillet, bring to a boil and then add mixture to slowcooker. Season mixture with salt, pepper and thyme; add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 5-6 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve hot.

(http://www.allyou.com/)