The creaminess of Macaroni and Cheese without the added fat

You never know where you will find your next inspiration for dinner, it can come from reading a blog, a magazine article or maybe even just a recommendation from a friend.  Keeping your mind open to new ideas can help keep your meal times interesting so that your family looks forward to a night in rather then spending money on an expensive night out.  For this recipe I found inspiration in my mother-in-law's Weightwatchers cook book, Fabulous & Filling.  So not only was this a delicious meal but I knew that it was a slightly better for your option that I could feel good about.

Discovering new Pesto Sauces and falling in love with the results

So I love hunting for new inspiration of recipes to try and it often takes me to new places of discovery.  The other day I found myself searching through images from a website that I use called Seriouseats.com and I stopped in my tracks when I stumbled upon this incredible recipe.  It was one of those love at first sight situations and I just knew I had to make it.  The best thing about it for me was that all of the ingredients were things that I keep stocked in my pantry on a regular basis.  Which means that this is a simple dish that I can create cheaply because all of the ingredients are on hand. I altered the recipe slightly to make it a much easier dinner to throw together and I am happy to say the result had people scrapping their plates for every last drop. And personally nothing says success better then that.

Changing up lunch with a cold noodle salad

Lunch doesn't always have to be sandwiches, as there are an abundance of alternatives that are easy as well as portable for packed lunches.  Some favorites in my house are cold noodle salads or couscous salads, which are an incredibly easy and filling solution while still being light.  For this particular dish I used Cantonese Style noodles that I bought from a Chinese Supermarket.  I have talked about this a few times and I just wanted to mention it again, finding a Ethnic Supermarket can be an wonderful way to get a great bargain.  I am able to buy things like oil, soy sauce, noodles and tofu and much cheaper prices then I would find in the regular supermarket.  Do a little research in your town, it may surprise you to find that there are one or two small ethnic grocery stores in your area that you didn't even know about.  Their appearance on the outside might intimidate you if you have never been to something like that before but give it a try. They are often small, family run operations that need the community's support to survive and as I mentioned it will give you access to ingredients that are either hard to find in the regular supermarket or at least cheaper.  I have so much fun stocking myself up with noodles so that I always have something unique within reach for a quick meal.

Creamy Pasta with Leeks, Lemon and Peas

I absolutely love cream sauces, but the heaviness in the dish means it doesn't show up too often in my house.  But after thumbing through a magazine I got inspired to try something different with a cream sauce and the result was a creamy yet light dinner that would be perfect even on a hot day.
 

Kraft Mac and Cheese was your past, this is your future

Forget that little blue box, this is where it is at.  I will confess I was a child of the blue box, I loved Kraft Mac and Cheese.  Even as an adult my love for mac and cheese continued but these days I look for a much more refined taste in this little delicious side dish.  I have tried a lot of different homemade variations of it but I just couldn't find the perfect one.  After some experimenting I think I have come up with my favorite version yet.  The creaminess of this cheese dish is sure to please not only adults but kids too.  And don't forget to throw in some variety every once in a while, maybe add some meat or spice it up like I did the other day and throw in some hot, sauteed chili peppers.

How to make Butternut Squash Ravioli

Butternut squash is one of those winter veggies that no matter how it is prepared seems to warm you inside.  Nothing beats out the cold better then a bowl of butternut squash soup.  So on this cold winter day I decided that it was time to warm up with some butternut squash.  But today I was in the mood for something a little different the soup.  I wanted to combine the filling richness of the squash in a hearty pasta dish.  And what could be better then ravioli.  I had tried it once at a restaurant and it was amazing, so I wanted to see if I could create an equally amazing dish myself.

But not everyone has time to make pasta from scratch, so I began researching the secret that makes it easier using wonton wrappers. I had heard of it but never tried it myself, so after reading an article in the Dallas Morning News as guidance, combined that with a wonderful recipe from the Food Network I set out to create.  The process is simple, however it takes time to prepare each ravioli so make sure you have enough time to do it.

The secrets to properly cooking pasta you never knew

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Free Cooking School Lesson on Pasta Essentials

As part of my new years resolutions to become a better cook I signed up to start studying with Rouxbe online and I have to say I have just been blown away at how many things I have been doing wrong for so many years.  And the funny thing is I had considered myself to be a fairly experienced cook.