Tortellini Emilia

I was browsing through some of my old cooking magazines to find recipes to use up leftover Easter ham.  And I found this little gem.  It has tortellini, cheese, and ham (and more cheese), how could I go wrong?!

Tortellini Emilia (Better Homes and Gardens)
16 oz dried cheese-filled tortellini
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups half and half or light cream (fat free half and half worked great)
1/2 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (to lessen the cost, you can sub in Swiss cheese)
1/2 cup broken walnuts
2 oz prosciutto, finely snipped (this is where you sub in about 1/2 cup finely diced ham)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain
2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and shallot in hot butter over medium heat until tender.  Stir in half and half and the milk.  Bring just to boiling.  Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.  return egg mixture to saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium low heat about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Stir in parmesan cheese, sage, and pepper.
4. Transfer half of the cooked tortellini to a 2-qt baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the Gruyere cheese.  Pour half of the sauce over layer in dish.  Top with the remaining tortellini, walnuts, prosciutto, and the remaining sauce.  Bake for 20 minutes until light brown and bubbly.
Makes 8 servings at 455 per serving with regular half and half.

Resurrection Rolls

I have found that if I have a fun activity ready for my toddler right after nap time, we all do a lot better.  This week I saw these rolls on Pinterest and I knew they would be perfect for little toddler fingers and tummies.
All you will need is:
16 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon sugar mix
Refrigerated crescent rolls

Roll the marshmallows (symbolizing Jesus’ body) in melted butter and cinnamon sugar mix.  This represents the preparation of Jesus’ body before he was put in the tomb.

Place one marshmallow in the center of a crescent roll and roll up tight.  Be sure to seal up all the edges so the marshmallow is totally enclosed.  It will look more like just a round ball of dough.  The crescent dough represents the clothing that they placed Jesus in.

Look at those sweet toddler fingers!


Bake the rolls at 375 for about 12-14 minutes.  When they are done, they should be a light golden brown.


Show your little ones that the roll still looks the same on the outside, but it is hollow on the inside.  When Jesus rose, all that was left were his wrapping cloths. 

These rolls were delicious!!  And for the rest of the evening, my daughter kept telling us about the rolls that were empty like the tomb. JESUS has RISEN!! 
Happy Easter!

Bacon and Chicken Pasta

Every week I do a dinner swap with a friend from down the street. On Mondays, I cook enough for two families and take her a meal, and on Tuesdays, she does the same for me. I love getting to try recipes from friends. This one is so good. My husband and toddler ate it with smiles and I made a note to add it to my rotation.

This meal is a crock pot meal (except for the noodles), which makes it very appealing to this busy momma.  We go to therapy 3 days a week for my youngest daughter so I like to have meals I can toss in my crock pot before leaving the house in the morning.  It also leaves more time for playing in the afternoon. 

My friend knows a lot about healthy cooking and how to make nutritious swaps in ordinary recipes.  This recipe originally called for sour cream and pork bacon.  She substituted plain Greek yogurt and turkey bacon.  I will need to try this more often in my recipes. 
Bacon and Chicken Pasta
4 chicken breasts
6 slices of turkey bacon- cooked until a bit crispy (or regular bacon)
1 cup greek yogurt (again, sour cream was the original)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Mix together yogurt, chicken soup, ranch dressing mix, and garlic. Pour over chicken and crumbled bacon in a slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken and put back in. Serve with pasta, rice or cold with a salad.
*We served the leftovers cold with salad and it was a hit.  A for sure menu staple for my summer*

Meyer Lemon Loaf

When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I was sick for all 40 weeks.  About the only thing that I consistently could keep down was citrus. Something about the sour flavor made my queasy stomach settle.  I always had a stash of sour candies on hand and lemonade in the fridge.  Often at restaurants, I would get ice water but have them fill the glass with lemons first.  Something about sour was the ticket.
When I came home with two bags of Meyer Lemons, I think my husband was curious as to why I was suddenly needing lemons.
Nope, not pregnant, I just really love lemon cake.  

Look at those delicious ingredients!  Heavy cream, butter, and lemons

I have a really nice micro plane zester that I love.  It makes zesting a lemon easy and fast.

When I bake, it isn’t a pretty or clean process.  This is the damage to the kitchen.

This cake is a process.  This is the warm loaf.  We let it cool for a bit before drenching it in Mayer Lemon Syrup.  This is the “secret sauce” that makes the loaf so moist.



A glaze that is “drool worthy” all on its own.  This lemon loaf gives Starbucks Lemon Loaf a run for its money.

Meyer Lemon Loaf (from utryit blog)
For the Cake:4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
Zest of 3 Meyer Lemons
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Meyer Lemon Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Meyer Lemon Juice *I just squeezed a few Meyer lemons*
For the Meyer Lemon Glaze:1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

To Prepare the cake:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
1 .Cream the butter sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
2. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the lemon zest.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In another bowl, combine lemon juice, the heavy cream, and vanilla. Add the flour and cream mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean.

To Prepare the Meyer Lemon Syrup:In a small saucepan, combine sugar and Meyer lemon juice and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
When the cake is done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and set it on a rack over a tray lined with foil (for easy clean up). With a toothpick, prick holes all over the cake. Spoon the Meyer lemon syrup over pricked cake. Let the cake cool completely.

To Prepare the Meyer Lemon glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the Meyer lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the cake and allow the glaze to drip off the sides.
Enjoy and Happy Easter baking!!