Baked Ziti and Oreo Cake

Oh my! We had the most fabuloso Sunday dinner. First of all may I start off with I'm a great recipe follower. I don't really make up my own original recipes. I follow them by the letter at first and if they are a keeper, they eventually get enough tweaks to then become my own. So I love sites like Pinterest and I definitely have my favorite shows on Food Network.
I love Sunday dinner. It is just all about the good things in life....family....good food....and of course, a wonderfully delicious dessert. So this past Sunday I invited over the normal crew, which consists of my mom and dad, grandma, and brother and his girlfriend. I made baked ziti. I watched an irresistible episode of Pioneer Woman and had to make it! The baked ziti is pretty simple and pretty fabulous. And if you are a on-a-budget girl like me it is pretty affordable. You can find the original recipe here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/11/baked-ziti/. May I say that I have made this twice and I have not made any changes! It is fabulous and feeds a crowd. I will also attest to the fact of grating your own cheese. A bit of a pain, but well worth it in the end.

I served this with a Caesar salad. If you need a dressing recommendation I highly suggest Ken's creamy Caesar or Newman's Caesar - you really can't go wrong. Add some good croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese and you are set. I also grabbed a French loaf of bread and mixed up a stick of butter with some garlic salt and kosher salt. I then cut the bread in half slathered the butter on and wrapped it in aluminum foil. I did this on Thursday, so I froze the bread until Saturday. I took it out and put it in the fridge to make sure it was ready to go for Sunday dinner.
And for dessert! I have been dying to make this cake: Fudgy Cookies and Cream Cake (how can you go wrong). I've seen it on Pinterest for a while and it just looks delicious. I got the original recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. You can find it here: http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2013/07/fudgy-cookies-and-cream-cake/. Okay....so mine tasted pretty darn good, however it didn't quite measure up to the original picture (I tried...I really tried). Here is the original and mine:

Original Beautiful Picture

 

...and my version



So mine wasn't quite as pretty, however it was pretty darn good. This cake was easy and fun to make. I would definitely recommend making it to any aspiring baker.
This Sunday dinner was a success!

Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

I love to cook....that is when I have time. Let's face it, during the week things can get hectic. By the time I pick up the kids from school, let them play for a bit, get homework done, and try to squeeze in a snack it is 5:00 or after.  Not to mention the fact that every morning I pack three lunches (my hubby's, Ellie's and Owen's), make the kids' breakfast, then later make my lunch and Jake's, I sometimes just want a break when it comes to making dinner. We don't really eat out that much. I try to keep it to once a week at the most because it is healthier to eat at home and the money factor. A fabulously easy way to make dinner is with the crock pot. I really love my crock pot.  It feels like such a treat when you can get dinner done and most of the mess cleaned up early in the day.

Today I made one of our fall and winter favorites - chicken noodle soup. However, this is a really super easy recipe, which is why I named it cheater chicken noodle soup. It will take you less then five minutes to throw it together. Seriously!

Ingredients:

• One small onion chopped
• 3-4 carrots chopped
• 3-4 stalks of celery chopped
• 2-3 chicken breasts (I let them thaw for about 30 minutes and I then chop them into bite size pieces. It is easier to do when they are partially frozen)
• 1 large can chicken broth (49 1/2 oz.)
• 1 envelop Italian dressing mix (trust me, it is the perfect amount of seasoning and EASY)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of egg noodles (or any other noodle you prefer or have on hand)

Directions
Put all of your veggies and chicken in the crock pot. Pour in the chicken broth and sprinkle in the Italian dressing mix (dry of course). Turn your crock pot on low for about five to six hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat throw in your noodles. I don't like to add them until then because they turn to mush. Also, add more (or less) of any of the above ingredients to suit your taste.

That's all there is to it! A great and easy chicken noodle soup. If you would rather do it on the stove I just saute' my veggies first in a bit of olive oil. Then throw in chicken (raw), chicken broth, and Italian dressing. I bring it to a boil then turn down to simmer and partially cover. I like to simmer it for about an hour or so in order for the flavors to meld. I throw in the noodles about 20 minutes before we are ready to eat.

I like to serve it with crusty bread or rolls and maybe some cut up cheese and fruit. Enjoy!