Lasagna Soup

My family loves all things Italian.  Two of our favorites are lasagna and ravioli's.  They are requested often!  I was a little hesitant in trying this recipe because I was afraid it would fall flat compared to traditional lasagna.

I. WAS. TOTALLY. WRONG!!

This soup is every bit as good and hearty as your traditional baked lasagna.  We loved it and ate every last bite.  It will certainly be a regular on our dinner menu!

Lasagna Soup

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1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) Italian stewed tomatoes
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth
7 lasagna noodles, broken up
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

In a large sauce pan cook beef, onion, pepper and garlic until meat is browned.

Add the thyme, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then turn to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Break the 7 lasagna noodles into chunks and add them to the soup.  Let simmer until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

Ladle into bowls and top with grated mozzarella cheese.

GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE:
Thank you for entering for this giveaway.  We honestly really love ours and we know you will love yours too!!!
Our 3 winners chosen by random.org are:
#2 comment by Jolyn
#4 comment by Laura
and 
#5 comment by Jill

Congrats...Adrian from ADBug Design will contact you through e-mail in the next couple of days to see what design you want!  Thanks again everyone!


I am so excited to be having this giveaway here today!

I actually won this awesome calendar myself a few months ago, and I was so excited about it that I contacted Adrian at ADBug Design to see if she would be willing to have a giveaway here with us!  

She graciously agreed to give away 3 (THREE!) calendar designs!!

I chose the Paige 20x30 calendar and I love it!  She has so many different styles and different designs I know you will LOVE so many of them like I do!

Here's ours:

I love that it's HUGE, has a calendar, menu (YA-HOO!), to do list, to buy list, and notes.  Everything you need in one place!

I had a hard time finding a place to hang it so that it would be visible and accessible so it sat on my counter for about a week.  During this week, my 5 year old Rhett had the greatest time with it!  He would count days to pie night, days to when we would leave to Grandpa and Grandma's, and Thanksgiving.  I found him countless times staring at it & counting!  So, with that I knew I wanted it somewhere he would be able to see and reach it.  And I think I found the perfect spot!

The door to the garage...that way I see it every time I leave the house!

I hung it just above the door knob so Rhett will still be able to see it!:)

We framed it in a 20 x 30 poster frame, and we use wet erase markers.  That way all my stuff won't accidentally get erased while Rhett (or anyone else for that matter) is checking it out.

This would be a perfect gift for yourself :) or anyone else for Christmas or the new year!  It will help all those wanna-be organized people out there!  (That's totally me...emphasis on the wanna-be!)

Here's another great design for those who just need a menu planner!

I also love this one!

And how about this one?  So pretty right?!!

So...who wants one?

Here's what you do to enter:

 1. Go visit ADBug Design's Etsy shop and leave a comment telling us what your favorite design is.  

~Don't forget to leave your e-mail address with your comment so we can contact you if you win!~

It's that easy!

Also, if you want to just head straight to ADBug Design & purchase your own calendar you can save 20% by using the promo code "delicious"!

READY....SET....GO!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Who's still thinking about Thanksgiving and wondering what to make?  Who needs a killer turkey recipe?  Or pie recipe?

Well, here are some...just for you!

Herb Brined Turkey

(really easy & the results are amazing!!)

Creamed Corn

Pomegranate Salad

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

(My favorite MUST HAVE at Thanksgiving!)

Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole

And who can forget about PIE?  We have so many awesome pie recipes I can't pick just one!  So go and check out our PIE SECTION and make one that speaks to you!:)

(Here's a picture of one of my favorites...)

Lemon Strata

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

What a great week!  It's been so much fun sharing these pie recipes with you...and so much fun tasting all of them as well!

I knew I needed to have a pumpkin pie on here this week.  What's Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie?  But I wanted something a little different than your traditional pumpkin pie.  So, of course I immediately thought of cream cheese...I swear it's my biggest weakness.  Most of my favorite recipes have cream cheese in them!

This is the easiest pumpkin pie you'll ever make & probably one of the best.  There is no cooking involved!  Not only is there a wonderful cream cheese layer, but the pumpkin layer is also amazing.  It is so light and fluffy.  

Thank you so much everyone for being a part of our pie week!  Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week next week & that you enjoy LOTS of pie!

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups whipped topping
1 cup cold milk
2 packages (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 graham cracker crust (9 oz. size)

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add the whipped topping and mix until combined.  Spread into graham cracker crust.  Set aside.

Beat milk and pudding mixes together for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.  Let sit for 3 minutes.  Stir in pumpkin and spices.  Mix well.  Spread over cream cheese layer.  Chill in the fridge.  Serve with whipped topping and walnuts or pecans (optional).

Our friend and neighbor "We're Thankful for Pie Night" is Monday before we take off to be with family for the Holiday.  And then we're having another one Wednesday evening with our family.  I think we're going to be sick of pie!  I didn't used to think that was possible, but now.....:)

Thank you again for spending this week of pies with us.  We are Thankful for YOU!!!

Pecan Brownie Pie

This recipe first caught my eye because it was named "Kentucky Pie"!  Half of my heart is in Kentucky, so I thought I'd give it a try.  (My Mom's side of the family is from Kentucky and I'd spend weeks at a time during the summer there growing up!)    Then...I looked at the ingredients and saw that it had both chocolate and pecans in it and I knew right then it would be a winner!

Well, turns out it's pretty much a brownie in a pie crust...how cool is that!  You just serve this warm with some vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot fudge and topped with pecans and you've got a dessert that will leave you happy!:)

Pecan Brownie Pie

PRINT RECIPE

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sifted self-rising flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup choppe pecans
1 deep dish 9 inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl.  Add the sugar and combine.

 Pour melted chocolate into egg/sugar mixture and stir to combine.

  Add the flour and mix well, then add the vanilla and butter and mix until combined.

 Mix in pecans.

Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake 50-60 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream, hot fudge and additional pecans.

Thanks for checkin' out Pie #4 of our Pie week!  Just in case you missed them, here's Pie #1, Pie #2, and Pie #3!  Or check out our Pies section for more pie ideas!

Blueberry Banana Chiffon Pie

I know what you're thinking...Blueberries & banana's...together...on a pie???  

Get over it!:) 

(was that a little harsh?  Sorry!)

 This is one of the best combinations ever!  Do not scrunch your nose up until you try it.  I can not stress this enough....just trust me, this needs to be made SOON!  (And Thanksgiving is right around the corner!)  The chiffon layers have a mousse-like tecture that is out of this world amazing! 

 Your family will thank you for this one...guaranteed!

Blueberry Banana Chiffon Pie

PRINT RECIPE

 

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup cold water

1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding

2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 medium sized bananas, cut into 1/4th inch slices

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 prepared graham cracker crust (9 oz. size)

additional blueberries for garnish, if desired

In your mixer beat 1 cup of  the whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Beat cream cheese in mixer until smooth.  Add the condensed milk and beat until smooth.  

Then mix in the water and vanilla pudding mix.  

Fold in the whipped cream.

Place bananas in a ziploc bag with the lemon juice and toss until bananas are coated.  Drain off excess juice.

Spread half of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of your graham cracker crust.  Top with bananas and blueberries.  

Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the top of the sliced bananas and blueberries. 

 Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. 

Once set beat the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and then beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread on top of pie. 

And garnish with blueberries. 

Thanks for joining us for day 3 of "We're Thankful for Pie Night"  If you missed Day 1 or Day 2...check them out!

Lemon Strata Pie

I tried a Lemon Strata Pie this summer, fell in love and vowed I would re-make it!  Well, I forgot about it until a few weeks ago when I happened to have the chance to try it again.  My love was rekindled and this time I knew I had to make this pie!  And what better time than for Thanksgiving?  It was meant to be.

I've never really liked lemon meringue pie, I'm just not a huge meringue fan, but this pie, OH. MY. HECK!

Instead of meringue you are left with a layer of lemon cheesecake, lemon filling & then freshly whipped cream.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

So much better than meringue in my opinion.  It had me at cream cheese, like most things do.:)

Lemon Strata Pie

PRINT RECIPE

1 9" pie crust, cooked & cooled

Cheese cake layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon filling layer:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced & zested
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks

Whipped cream topping:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cheesecake layer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Cream together the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Pour over cooked and cooled pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for an hour or two, just until it's settled a little and has cooled most of the way.

For the lemon filling, mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the water, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring frequently.  Once it has reached a boil, add the butter and whisk until butter is melted and incorporated.  Place egg yolks into a small bowl and beat them.  Gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot lemon mixture into the yolks.  Whisk the egg yolk mixture back in with the lemon filling mixture.  Bring back to a boil and continue to whisk constantly until thick.  Remove from the heat.

Here's the pie crust with the cheesecake filling in it and the lemon filling in the sauce pan getting ready to be poured over the top!

Slowly pour over the cream cheese layer in your pie crust.  Let sit on the counter until lemon filling has mostly cooled.  Then cover and transfer to the fridge until completely cooled.

Place whipping cream in blender and blend until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Slather on top of the lemon filling and top with a slice of lemon.

 

And there's pie 2 of our Pie week!  Keep coming back for more wonderful pies!

Blackberry Pie

It's here!!  

Just in case you missed it, "We're Thankful for Pie Night" is an annual tradition that we have had in the family for about 6 or 7 years now.  Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving night when everyone is stuffed with turkey, potatoes & all that yumminess, we have Pie Night the evening before Thanksgiving.  That way you can enjoy pie to your hearts content!  Here's a re-cap of "We're Thankful for Pie Night" 2011 and 2010.

This is my favorite time of the year!  We've got pie on the mind (and in the tummy...someone had to sacrifice and try them all!:)) and are so excited to share these wonderful recipes with everyone!

First up is the very wonderful Blackberry Pie.  I love the sweet & tart taste of this pie.  It is just perfect, especially if you serve it with some vanilla ice cream.  This one will be gone fast.  It's pretty and delicious!

Blackberry Pie

PRINT RECIPE

5 packages (6 oz. each) fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Pie dough for 2 crusts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a large cookie sheet on the middle rack.

1.  Wash blackberries and drain excess water.  Place in a large bowl.
2.  Add the lemon juice and lemon zest.
3.  Add the sugar and corn starch.
4.  Toss with a spoon until berries are coated.
5.  Let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.

6.  Coarsely mash berries with potato masher.
7.  Put an unbaked pie crust on the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Pour the mashed berries into pie shell.

8.  Take your other pie crust & roll it out on your counter.

9.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1/2 inch thick.

10.  Lay strips of dough in one direction over top the blackberry filling.
11.  Working in the opposite direction, place dough strip on filling in an over/under pattern.
12.  Continue with all strips until pie is covere.
13.  Trip the excess dough around the edged and make a fluted crust.

Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Check the pie around 30 minutes and if the crust is browning too quickly you can cover the edges with tin foil and continue to bake.

Let the pie cool before serving.

Really yummy served warm with vanilla ice cream.  You can nuke it in the microwave for a little while if desired.