Saturday, June 30, 2012

Photography Class with Sears Grilling #SoFabU #GrillingIsHappiness


 Ever since I was a little girl, snapping pictures with my 110 camera, I have had a love for photography. I am pretty sure I pretended to be a professional photographer and there are the hundreds of prints to prove it. There was no limit to what I took pictures of - from the ENTIRE parade at Disneyland to EVERY animal I saw at the zoo. I was a kid and the concept of quality over quantity had not settled in yet - so I thought I was at the top of my photography game. :) 

Fast forward 23 years - a couple 110, a few 35mm, one Kodak Advantix (remember those?) and two point-and-shoot digital cameras later - I have the camera of my DREAMS - my Dad gave me a Canon Rebel T3 for my 30th birthday, talk about the best-present-ever! Only problem is that I don't really know how to use it - so I stalked a forum, waited for a application to be posted and then stumbled over my keyboard to be one of the first 20 selected signed up for a photography class to help me out a bit. 

I am so excited for this class! It is not just another photography class - it is a 6 week online course taught by Social Fabric University and sponsored by Sears Grilling that will not only teach the basics of photography but also a couple specialized subjects such as product and meal photography. This class is right up my alley and if it was a classroom setting, my butt would be sitting right up front to ensure I didn't miss a thing. :)

Over the next 6 weeks I am certainly looking forward to seeing an improvement in the photos I take. Although I don't think my pictures are too horrid - I know they could be better with the use of a little knowledge. The things I am the most excited to learn are:
  • How to use my camera without auto-mode
  • How to properly use lighting when taking a photo
  • How to use props in a photo to make it more appealing
During the course, of this awesomesauce class, I will be sharing my progress and I hope you will follow along. I am one of 20 lucky bloggers that were sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for that application to pop up selected for this class and can't wait to see everyone's progression. :)

Thank you Social Fabric University and Sears Grilling!!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #CBias #GrillingIsHappiness. All photos and opinions are my own.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Pecan-Peach Coffee Smoothie #IcedDelight


I think I may have mentioned before how much we love coffee in our house. It is not unusual for us to go through 2 pots of coffee a day - and if we plan on staying up late, a 3rd may be brewed. How do we not go into caffeine-overload? I have no idea.

The thought crossed my mind the other day about fruit-flavored coffee. Although I have seen fruit-flavored ground coffee, I have not seen any fruit-flavored creamers. Perhaps this is because it would be gross? I don't know, it sounds good to me. You see, I am a self-proclaimed "Coffee Creamer Queen" - I try all the flavors and get completely, ridiculously excited when a new one comes out. The only flavor that my taste buds have scoffed at is Amaretto, everything else is good in my book.

Ok, so back to the fruit-flavored coffee... since the store didn't have a fruit-flavored creamer, I decided to make my own fruity coffee drink. Instead of fresh-brewed coffee, I opted for International Delight's Iced Coffee in Vanilla flavor - I could still get the caffeine that I LOVE so much, without the strong flavor of coffee. I was already thinking of using fresh peaches in my drink creation - but when I saw International Delight's Southern Butter Pecan creamer, I knew it was a match made in coffee heaven! So, I grabbed the Iced Coffee and the Creamer along with some fresh peaches, pecan chips and ice cream and sped went home to make my creation. (Evil genius laugh)


This drink is so easy to make and such an awesome way to start a warm summer day. We sat on our back patio, listened to the birds chirp, saw the sun come up, felt the early coolness of the day - all while enjoying a Pecan-Peach Coffee Smoothie. Everything together made the moment scream, "Summer is here!!". Do you remember those carefree days of summer as a kid? It took me back to those days - what a fun feeling!

Since I can't keep anything a secret, let me share with you how to make this fruity concoction!

First, 2 cups of ice cream. I chose vanilla to keep it simple.


 Next, 2 cups of peaches. I am pretty sure that the two cups of peaches will cancel out any fat that is in the ice cream. Right? ;)


Then, add 3/4 cup International Delight Iced Coffee Vanilla flavor and 1/4 cup International Delight Southern Butter Pecan coffee creamer. 


Blend all ingredients until fully mixed. 

It was like having a dessert drink before sunrise, which may not be healthy - but it certainly ranked high on the delicious scale. It made my husband and I feel like two little kids ready for their summer day. Sometimes you have step out the box, or else you won't know what you are missing. But, ice cream in the morning?? The Coffee Creamer Queen says it's ok, as long as coffee creamer is involved. ;)

International Delight has a variety of fun flavors to inspire your inner culinary-genius, make sure to check them out online:


Also, between June 21st and July 4th, International Delight will be giving away 1,000 free cartons of their Iced Coffee everyday! Very cool, and if you win, I just ask that you have me over for a cup of coffee. ;) Check out their Sweepstakes Page on Facebook for more details. Good luck!


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and International Delight #IcedDelight #CBias #SocialFabric

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hummus with a Kick & Brutal Honesty {2}


Eating healthy is a funny thing. We all should eat healthy, for our own body's sake, yet a lot of us don't. I have just recently started to be more aware of what I am eating and it was has been quite of an awakening. Did I eat unhealthy before? Unfortunately, yes. I didn't have a second thought when it came to eating an entire hamburger with EVERYTHING on it, when eating boxed foods or even getting my sons a Happy Meal because it was the "easy" thing to do that night. While I still have a lot to learn, those are certainly 3 things I no longer do - I care about the calories I consume, I am a label reader when it comes to boxed foods - most of which I won't touch anymore, and there is no way in hell I am stopping at Mickey D's to get my kids a Happy Meal, for any reason.

The changes I have made in the past month, in regards to food, are the following:

Eat breakfast every morning - this was something I considered an option, but it can't be. My new favorite is a bowl of Grape Nut Flakes, Almond Milk and a piece of fruit. (This would have sounded plain and unappetizing to me before, but now it is perfect! I love how healthy it is for me and how it doesn't leave a heavy feeling in my tummy.)
More veggies - I spend more time in the produce section of the store now, stocking up and then deciding on dinners based on the produce that I find. I try not to rush myself and really look at everything there is offered. This past week I was able to get zucchini for .78 a pound!! Talk about eating cheap and healthy - not to mention delicious, especially when grilled. :)
No drinking - alcohol that is. We haven't even had the occasional beer. Until I get my weight down and my health up - I am staying away from alcohol. So have a drink for me. ;)
Having vegetarian days - I am just cutting meat out of our diet a couple times a week. It's not a big deal at all because there are so many wonderful vegetarian recipes and products out there. One of my new favorite things is when my husband, while enjoying dinner, will ask if what we are eating is vegetarian. He digs in either way and is not swayed by the "meat-factor" of a meal. Lucky me. :) But don't get me wrong, he will demolish a medium-rare porterhouse steak like no other...
Portion control - I have started Weight Watchers and it has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with portion control. Before, my portion control went like this, "That looks good - make sure to get a lot of that". Yep, that was about it. Now, I am very conscience about how much I eat. This may sound nerdy or crazy or whatever, but if I can't actually measure out a portion I will consider how big my stomach is and how much I really want to put in there.

So, have I lost any weight since my weight loss journey began? Why yes I have, but only 7 pounds. I say ONLY because I have been at it since May 10th and was hoping for a bigger number than 7 - but 7 is still enough to make me smile. :) Although I said exercise was going to start happening, it hasn't. It is completely my fault as I haven't made the time for it - and trust me, I have plenty of time for a 30-minute workout everyday. So, the things I am going to work on for the next month;

1. Exercise 30 minutes a day - even if it's a stroll around the neighborhood.
2. Start creating Weight Watcher recipes - with point totals. It will be fun to take favorite, but unhealthy, dishes and recreate them into healthy replacements.
3. Eat more grains - Right now all I am getting is white rice and whole wheat noodles, I want to expand a bit on that...
4. More water - I have become a wateraholic - but I don't think it's enough. I found this water calculator and it states I should be drinking about 3 liters a day - which some days I do, but others I don't. So I am hoping to meet my water goal as well.

And with all that said, here is the recipe for that Hummus with a Kick. I created it on a whim and it turned out delicious. Enjoy!


Hummus with a Kick
Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
2. Let chill for at least an hour before serving.


I ended up using this hummus to make us sandwiches. First I spread hummus on the bottom bun, sprinkled with cheese and broiled until cheese was melted. Then I added sliced onions, tomatoes, pickles and jalapenos. So very simple and the results are uh-mazing. :)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Hummus Hoagie Sliders, Spinach-Artichoke Potato Salad & Salsa Corn


We love shopping at Sam's Club for items in bulk. The savings are wonderful and they carry the products we would normally purchase at a grocery store. However, I do sometimes have a hard time buying certain fresh food products in bulk - for fear of them going bad before being used. But let me tell you friends, I will no longer live in fear - I will buy those bulk products and make sure they get used!! Not only will it challenge my creativity in the kitchen, it will also help justify buying the items I have been dying to try. ;)


The first items I wanted to try were dips offered in the deli section. There are salsas, hummus and dips of various flavors. Don't laugh, but I was like a kid in the candy store. Although I wanted one of each - I settled on 3; Italian Rose Fresh Salsa, Artisan Fresh Spinach Artichoke Dip and Artisan Fresh Mediterranean Hummus. Now it was time to get crafty in the kitchen!!


I absolutely love substituting hummus for mayonnaise - it's lower in fat, lower in calories and I prefer the taste. But since we normally buy hummus at the grocery store, in a small container, I won't use it for anything other than pita chip-dipping pleasure. However, I now had over 1.5lbs of hummus to use as freely as I pleased - so I made some vegetarian Hummus Hoagie Sliders.

We have been on a vegetarian sandwich kick lately and I was hoping the hummus would add the perfect touch to one of these veggie sammies... it did!

For the Hummus Hoagie Sliders I used the following ingredients, in this specific order; toasted hoagie roll, hummus, baby spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes, french-friend onions, sliced cucumbers, clover & radish sprouts and crumbled blue cheese. Sliced them into 2" sections and voila!


I love, love, love going to a sandwich shop where they offer pasta or potato salad as a side. Since I couldn't recall the last time we had potato salad, I decided to make a new version - using the Artisan Fresh Spinach Artichoke Dip we bought at Sam's Club.

This was very easy, but will taste like you spent hours on it! First I diced some potatoes, boiled them until tender and then rinsed with cold water. Combined the Artisan Fresh Spinach Artichoke Dip, celery and bacon - mixing well. Then folded the potatoes into dip mixture. Seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, chilled and served. 

The hubby loved this so much it is going into regular rotation here at the Hungry Harps house. Score!

(Printable Recipe for Spinach-Artichoke Potato Salad)


Salsa made with corn is delicious - so I decided to twist that and make some Salsa Corn. Real simple, but not lacking in taste whatsoever. Two cans of corn, drained, and 1 cup of Italian Rose Fresh Salsa, not drained. Just like with the potato salad, if chilled, it will help the flavors marinade together.

I already have plans to make some corn cakes using this Salsa Corn, can't wait!


Ok, so I really couldn't believe I made an entire meal using dips. Not only did I meet the challenge of creating some dishes with dips, I also created a "Dip Themed" meal for my family - which was pretty cool and perhaps something to brag about. :)

Do you have any recipes that call for a dip, salsa or hummus? 
What is your favorite dip?


Although we went to Sam's Club to check out their fresh dips, we of course had to check out a few other things... Check out our shopping trip on Google+, I found a couple gems such as those Guinness Beer Brats. :)


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Strawberry-Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Bars #JuneDairyMovies


One thing that I love about the summer is cold, sweet treats. My kids, and myself, are just crazy about real-fruit popsicles - so I have decided to make our own this season! It turns out they are incredibly easy to put together, especially if you have a popsicle mold. (My kids got me one for Mother's Day - no motive there right? ;))

Remember my post for Spicy Shrimp Dip last week where I bought $40 towards the Safeway June Dairy Month promotion? Well these Strawberry-Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Bars are from that stash of dairy goodness!

If you don't remember, let me give you the run-down real quick:

Safeway is doing a promotion where you can get free movie tickets for buying qualifying dairy products. Just buy $40 worth of qualifying dairy products from Safeway affiliate stores and receive a voucher for 2 movie tickets.To find the qualifying products, just look for the little "June Dairy Month" blue tag below the price tag of products in the dairy section.


Awesome huh? Qualifying brands include Dannon, Yoplait, Sargento, Simply Orange, Philadelphia, Tropicana, Silk, Fage and many more - it made reaching the $40 a bit too easy!

The best part is that if you use your Safeway Rewards Card, you don't need to spend the $40 all at once - your totals will be tracked and you have all month to accumulate the full amount. For more details, check out June Dairy Month. 

I already got my first voucher for free tickets and am working on a second. We are planning on taking Bubba to the movies this weekend, so I went online to redeem my voucher. It was easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy. Just a few screens to click through...


... and we now have our certificate for 2 movie admissions, in hand, worth up to $26 and valid for any movie that is playing at the theater we chose. Of course I could have printed it out in black and white, but how pretty is that? ;)


For more information check out June Dairy Month's website and EasyHomeMeals.com (another site promoting June Dairy Month) - not only do they have fun recipes including dairy products, they also have ideas for "Bringing Families Together". If you like their site, be sure to LIKE their facebook page to not miss out on any of their fun promotions. 

And last, but not least, those Strawberry-Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Bars...



Strawberry- Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Bars
adapted from ice pops by Shelly Kaldunski

printable recipe

Ingredients
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 ½ cups vanilla yogurt
Directions
1. In a blender, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Blend until smooth
2. In popsicle molds, taking turns adding 2 tablespoons yogurt and then 2 tablespoons strawberry mix. Fill molds full and swirl with a knife, fork or spoon
3. Freeze for 1 hour
4. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for an additional 4 hours

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Monday, June 11, 2012

Whole Grain & Honey Yogurt Bars #PostCFK


Cereal in yogurt bars? You betcha! Once I heard that Champions for Kids was joining with Post for June's Simple Service Project - not only was I game to participate, I was inspired to make a delicious but healthy dessert using cereal. But before we get to the recipe for the oh-so-delicious Whole Grain & Honey Yogurt Bars, let me tell you a little bit about Champions for Kids. 

Champions for Kids (CFK) is an organization that works to mobilize millions (me & you) to help less fortunate children. CFK comes up with fun, creative ways to help out the youth across America. So let's say you want to help, but aren't sure how - CFK is there with ideas, every month. I used to donate the obvious items like clothing, non-perishable foods, first-aid kits - but since I started participating in CFK's Simple Service Projects my family has donated items such as stuffed xmas stockings, sports equipment and winter care-kits. For more information, here are some links:

Champions for Kids website
Champions for Kids Twitter
Champions for Kids Facebook
Post Twitter
Post Facebook


CFK teaming up with Post to bring nutritious food to less fortunate children is perfect for this time of year. Kids are getting out of school which means a few things;

- Millions of low-income children lose access to the school breakfasts, lunches and after-school snacks they receive during the regular school year.

- Only 1 out of 6 children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year continue to receive meals during the summer months.

- Low-income families with children face even more challenges during the summer when they stretch their food budget to provide additional meals for their children.

Just as we do with any Simple Service Project, we headed to Walmart. (Check out our shopping trip here on Google+) We have found so many awesome items to get kids there and the prices are great. I immediately went to the cereal aisle to check out the Post cereals. I may have looked like a cereal stalker, but I wanted to make sure not to miss a thing! 
 
 For adults Post makes Bran Flakes, Grape-Nuts, Great Grains, Honey Bunches of Oats, Raisin Bran, Selects and Shredded Wheat. For the kiddos they have Alpha-Bits, Golden Crisp, Honey-Comb, Pebbles and Waffle Crisp. Not to mention there are varieties of most of them - there really is almost something for everybody.

I ended up grabbing 3 boxes (Great Grains, Honey Bunches of Oats and Fruity Pebbles) - one to cook with and two to donate. There was even a coupon on the boxes for $1 off 3 boxes of Post cereal - score!!


Amongst a cart full of other things, I also picked up some honey and yogurt to make those tasty yogurt bars with. 

Total sidenote: Walmart has a grand selection of honey - I want to try all of them! Even the creamy honey, it was the first time I had ever seen it and it's now on the "to try" list.


We wanted to donate more than just a couple boxes of cereal to St. John's (our favorite organization to give to in Sacramento), so we decided to host a little bbq/ food drive. The only requirement of our guests was that they had to bring a box of cereal. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. :) They were knocking at the door before I put the phone down. ;)

For munchies I put out chips (ridges or not), watermelon, fiesta ranch dip and french onion dip. I made sure to include a Simple Service Project card on all tables for our guests to read. Although the facts on the card are sad, they are true and the only way to make a difference is to know what we are going up against.


We set up a pool for the kids (and the kids-at-heart) ♥


We ate an awesome bbq lunch of burgers (with the fixin's), hot dogs, corn on the cob, baked beans and cole slaw. The best part was that it took hardly any time to prepare, so we had time to visit and relax with our guests.


All I did was slice some onions and tomatoes - the beans were canned, corn was frozen and just had to be boiled, lettuce was already shredded, pickles were jarred, chip dips were made from seasoning packets & sour cream and the lovely cole slaw was a pre-mixed bag of greens and a half bottle of cole slaw dressing. I wasn't lying - this was the easiest bbq, ever.


Best part was, we scored 9 boxes of cereal to donate!! That is a lot of cereal. :) We also got an awesome variety since everyone called to ask what cereals we already had. Now that is teamwork. :)


About those Whole Grain & Honey Yogurt Bars... they are seriously one of the easiest things to make. Here is the recipe - don't blink, you might miss it. ;)

Whole Grain & Honey Yogurt Bars
Ingredients
32 oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 cups Post Great Grains cereal
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients
2. Evenly distribute yogurt mixture to popsicle forms
3. Freeze for one hour, insert popsicle sticks
4. Freeze for 4 additional hours
5. Enjoy!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric #PostCFK

Friday, June 8, 2012

Spicy Shrimp Dip #JuneDairyMovies


One of my favorite memories growing up was going to the movies in the summertime. My friends and I would talk on the phone, picking out the movie we wanted to see and then coordinate with our parents what time they could drop us off. We would meet at the theater, buy our tickets and venture inside for popcorn. It was always a good time and looking back, it's funny how cool we thought we were (even with our parents having to drop us off in front of the theater). Oh, the memories of being young (& dumb). haha

I still love the movies and fortunately, I can drive myself there now. However, one thing has changed and that is the price of tickets. I don't complain about the prices, I just don't go. So, when I heard that Safeway was doing a promotion where free movie tickets were involved - I was all ears. Here is the deal:

Buy $40 worth of qualifying dairy products from Safeway affiliate stores and receive a voucher for 2 movie tickets.

Pretty simple and the part I love the most is that I can buy products I normally use. To find the qualifying products, just look for this little blue tag below the price tag of products in the dairy section. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!


Here is the stash of qualifying products I bought...


Awesome huh? Qualifying brands include Dannon, Yoplait, Sargento, Simply Orange, Philadelphia, Tropicana, Silk, Fage and many more - it made reaching the $40 a bit too easy! 

The best part is that if you use your Safeway Rewards Card, you don't need to spend the $40 all at once - your totals will be tracked and you have all month to accumulate the full amount. For more details, check out June Dairy Month

Ok, now on to that Spicy Shrimp Dip! It is so good - if you bring it to a party, make sure to bring the recipe as well, you will be asked for it. :)

For the Spicy Shrimp Dip, you will need 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature. I just leave it out for a few hours until I can stick my finger in it without much resistance.



Also, the recipe calls for sauteed green bell peppers and onions - just make sure to let them cool before adding to mixture. This will make the dip less crunchy and add great flavor that raw veggies don't quite have.


Of course we couldn't have a Spicy Shrimp Dip without shrimp! I found these shrimp in the seafood section at Safeway. They are pre-cooked, with salt, and work perfectly with this recipe.


Spicy Shrimp Dip
printable recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 small white onion, diced
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)
1 cup small shrimp, cooked
Directions
1. Warm olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, add green bell pepper and onion
2. Saute until veggies are crisp-tender, transfer to plate and allow to cool - completely
3. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, Sriracha and bell pepper mixture
4. Fold in shrimp
5. Refrigerate for at least two hours
6. Serve with crackers or crostini
7. Enjoy!


Another site that is promoting June Dairy Month is EasyHomeMeals.com - not only do they have fun recipes including dairy products, they also have ideas for "Bringing Families Together". Also, LIKE their facebook page to not miss out on any of their fun promotions.


We got one voucher - and are already started on our second. A family movie day sounds like a fun time - plus a great way to beat the heat!

Any movies you want to see this summer?


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Safeway #CBias #SocialFabric

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Spaghetti with Italian Vegetable Sauce


As part of my weight-loss effort, I have decided to have two vegetarian days a week - just to cut out some more fat in my diet. After the first day of eating no meat, I was completely satisfied with all my meals and was not craving a chunk of cow. The recipes I had were delicious and I am looking forward to these weekly challenges. :)

This Spaghetti with Italian Vegetable Sauce was the first vegetarian dinner I made for us. I added cheese to the top of ours, but it didn't add anything special - so just leave that off. (For everyone that knows me, I will wait for you to come to, since you are probably passed out on the ground - had fainted from the shock of me saying to NOT add cheese to a dish.) ;)

This recipe is unbelievably good. I don't mean that it is unbelievably good for being a vegetarian dish - I just mean that it is unbelievably good, period. We also had sauteed baby portobellos and bread-sticks on the side, which turned out to be the perfect complement to this main dish. This recipe can be used with different greens, herbs and peppers, so be creative!

I am going to have to 'fess up here, the secret ingredient that makes this recipe so easy to make is bottled Italian dressing. I used Kraft Vinaigrette made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was my first time trying this dressing, which I bought to see if the EVOO made a difference in the taste, and I am pleased to say it does have a lightness in flavor that is different than the regular version made with vegetable oil. Any type of bottle dressing would probably work - just don't take my word for it. ;)


I decided to use Red Bell Peppers and Red Onions (I am one of those people that call it a purple onion, afterall, it is purple...). I diced up 1 small Red Bell Pepper and 1 Red Onion.


Next I added 1/4 cup of the Italian dressing to a skillet and warmed up on medium-high heat for a couple minutes.


Then added the bell peppers, onions and minced garlic for about 5 minutes until veggies were crisp-tender.


Then I added about 10 ounces of fresh spinach and stirred until leaves were starting to wilt, removed from heat...


Then I pu the Italian dressing mixture into a blender along with a cup of fresh basil leaves, an additional 1/4 cup Italian Dressing and 4oz cream cheese..


This is what mine looked like. Don't be fooled by appearances, this is scrumptious stuff right here!


Toss with 1 lb. cooked spaghetti noodles and enjoy immediately. I tried some the next day as leftovers and it just wasn't as creamy when re-heated. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Italian Vegetable Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti, cooked
½ cup Italian dressing,
1 small red onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. spinach leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
Directions
1. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, add Italian dressing and warm for a couple minutes.
2. Add red onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender
3. Add spinach and stir until leaves are beginning to wilt - just a matter of seconds
4. Put mixture into blender, add basil leaves and pulse until blended
5. Combine vegetable mixture with cooked spaghetti
Serve while still warm and enjoy!