Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Last Monday night we were craving some classic comfort food so what's better to make than a hot, gooey, creamy casserole?  Absolutely nothing, so out of the pantry and into the oven went this tuna noodle hot mess of goodness.  This casserole is probably one of the yummiest, cheapest meals ever because it makes a ton.  With this recipe, the two of us can easily have dinner one night and lunch for the rest of the week...yay!   Have a great weekend and happy cooking!  Recipe adapted from here.  

Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Yields: about 6 one cup servings

3/4 package of extra wide egg noodles

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1 can tuna fish, shredded with fork

1 tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup italian bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta in salted water according to directions.  Mix soup, milk, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper in medium bowl.  In a large bowl, combine pasta with tuna, add in soup mixture.  Stir in cheese, corn and peas.  Pour mixture into a large casserole dish.  Combine melted butter with bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of casserole.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  EAT!

Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole Stats:

Calories: 392; Fat: 10g; Carbs: 59g; Protein: 18g; Sugar: 8g; Fiber: 4g

This recipe is a part of my 30 Days of Dinner Challenge.  If you have missed the other days and would like to catch up on what's been cooking in our kitchen check it out here!

Hand Knit Candy Corn Coasters

In honor of the coming month I decided to make these Candy Corn Coasters to help set the mood for Halloween.  I love October and everything it brings with the beautiful changing leaves, crisp air and not to mention the excuse of setting out candy in pretty dishes that doubles as decorative pieces and snacks, plus who could forget the scary movies!  Jamie Lee Curtis anyone?

I am so excited for October and yet terrified at the same time for it to come this Tuesday because I am scheduled to take the GRE that day.  I am super nervous so in between studying I have been constructing these Halloween inspired coasters to help evaporate some of my stress, and believe it or not it has kinda worked.  Try them out.  Knit them up.  Decorate your dinner table.  They are so easy and great for a beginner who is just learning to knit.  All you need to know is how to work the knit stitch and the basic knit 2 stitches together decrease.

Candy Corn Coasters

Size 8 knitting needles
Yellow, orange, and white worsted weight acrylic yarn

Start with yellow yarn and cast on 22 stitches
Rows 1-8: knit
Row 9: k1, k2tog, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 (20 stitches)
Rows 10 -12: knit

Cut yellow yarn, and loosely attach orange yarn

Rows 13 - 16: knit
Row 17: k1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 (18 stitches)
Rows 18 - 22: knit
Row 23: k1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, 2tog, k1 (16 stitches)
Rows 24 - 26: knit

Cut orange yarn and loosely attach white yarn

Row 27 - 24: knit
Row 35: k1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1 (14 stitches)
Row 36: knit
Row 37: k1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Row 38: knit
Row 39: k1, k2tog, k to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Row 40: knit
Row 41: k1, k2tog to last stitch, k1
Row 42: knit
Row 43: Bind off

Secure all loose ends.  Knit up four to make a complete set, enjoy!

Buffalo Shrimp Wrap

This post is a little late but I wanted to share anyways.  Friday we made buffalo shrimp wraps and let me just say they are one of my favorite.  In Wilmington there's a restaurant called Carolina Ale House that made this delicious Shrimp Zinger Wrap which is essentially shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce and rolled up with onion, lettuce, and tomato in a wrap.  When I first ordered it I was a little skeptical because I wasn't sure about shrimp in buffalo sauce, but after one bite I was hooked and new I had to recreate it at home.

The weekend is usually a time where we go a little crazy with junk, go out to eat or pick up something quick so I wanted something "takeout-ish" in order to not feel deprived but still be somewhat healthy, so this was the perfect thing.

And, a while back I found these really cute red baskets and checkered paper in a bbq set at Walmart for only $5 and I am so glad I got it!  Now I can always pretend I am at a diner and make dinner more fun!  A little cheesy I know, but I like thats how I like it.

Buffalo Shrimp Wrap
makes 2 servings

12 medium sized shrimp thawed (I prefer the raw kind I cook myself)
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp of your favorite buffalo wing sauce
2 large 10 inch tortilla wraps
chopped lettuce
sliced tomato
diced red onion
sprinkle of shredded cheese
a little blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping

Cook shrimp in oil until they are fully pink and opaque.  Toss cooked shrimp in buffalo sauce.  Top a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onion, shrimp and cheese.  Roll it up, and serve with some fries.  EAT!

Wrap Stats:
Calories: 300; Carbs: 39g; Fat: 7g; Protein: 22g; Sugar: 1g; Fiber: 5g
(not including dressing for dipping)

This recipe is a part of my 30 Days of Dinner Challenge.  If you have missed the other days and would like to catch up on what's cookin in my kitchen, check it out!

Seed Stitch Dishcloths

This past weekend we took a trip to Wilmington to spend some time with Trisden's family.  On Saturday we spent the entire afternoon fishing on the Kure Beach Pier.  I should say everyone else was fishing, I spent most of my time knitting but I'll get to that later.  I am so mad at myself because I forgot my camera!  There were so many good photo opportunities that I would have loved to share but can't.  Of it is always the times that you forget your camera that something crazy happens and this was one of those times.  It was a beautiful day out perfect temperature, the fish weren't really biting, but that was ok, it's just nice to sit out there and enjoy the waves.  

After we were sitting out there for a while probably around dusk, we saw a shark!  Trisden noticed he had a sting ray attached to his hook and then we saw some big light colored thing circling around the sting ray, and realized it was a shark!  It was probably about 5 feet long, were not sure what kind, but does it really matter?  It's a shark.  But Trisden reeled in the little sting ray.  It was so cute, they look like their undersides have a little smiley face, but anyway we untangled it from his hook and when he threw it back into the water the shark swooped in gobbled it up. 

 It was crazy, I have gone swimming there countless times and there were surfers that were not too far away from the pier.  The scary part was that we were fishing in the surf and not that far off from shore!  It's kind of creepy to know what you're swimming with at the beach.  But in addition to that shark, I guess Trisden had seen 3 earlier that day swimming around the pier so we are pretty sure that the fish weren't biting that day because of the sharks.  Sorta scary!

But anyways back to knitting.  I have been wanting to make some of my own dishcloths for a while now and I finally came up with simple little pattern.  The majority of the cloth is made up of seed stitch which is really nice because because it is double sided and will make for a good scrubbie surface for washing dishes.  They knit pretty fast, and make for excellent gifts.  Knit them in all sorts of pretty colors to brighten up your kitchen.

Seed Stitch Dishcloths

I used size 8 knitting needles and Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn.  Gauge isn't really important in this project but my finished dishcloth measures to about 7 x 7 inches.

Cast on 31 stitches

Row 1: knit

Row 2: knit

Row 3: knit

Row 4: knit

Row 5: knit

Row 6: (wrong side) k2, purl to last two stitches, k2

Row 7: (right side) knit

Row 8: (wrong side) k2, p2 *k1, p1; repeat from * to last 5 stitches; k1, p2, k2

Row 9: (right side) k4, seed stitch starts: *knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches; repeat from * to last 4 stitches; k4

Row 10: (wrong side) k2, p2, * knit the purls and purl the knits; repeat from * to last 4 stitches; p2, k2

Repeat rows 9 and 10 until piece measures about 6 inches from cast on edge.

Start on right side of work

1: Knit across row.

2: (wrong side) K2, purl up to last 2 stitches; k2

3: (right side) Knit across row

4: (wrong side) Knit

5: (right side) Knit

6: (wrong side) Knit

Bind off.  Weave in ends, your done!

Key:

k-knit; p-purl

Need a little help with seed stitch?  Check out this tutorial.

I linked up to these great parties:

Parmesan Roasted Veggie Linguini

So this is day 3 of my 30 Days of Dinner Challenge and I thought I would share another recipe.  Last night Trisden made dinner and it was really good but I unfortunately didn't take any pictures.  He made oven fried chicken fingers with sautéed cabbage.  For the chicken fingers he used instant potato flakes (I'm pretty sure the recipe is on the box) as the outer coating and it was kinda different but I think we'll have them again.  And for the cabbage, he just chopped it up and sautéed it in some olive oil, salt and pepper, delish!  

Tonight for dinner I concocted a yummy pasta dish I named Parmesan Roasted Veggie Linguini and I have to say it's pretty tasty.  It's great if you're like me and have a lot of fresh vegetables in the fridge that need to be used up ASAP before going bad.  If that sounds familiar, this is a recipe for you my friend.  Not only are you cleaning out your fridge, but you are getting a low calorie, fiber packed meal loaded with veggies, protein and healthy fat...win, win, win.

Parmesan Roasted Veggies Over Whole Wheat Linguini

Makes 4 servings

You'll need:

1 small zucchini, halved and sliced into 1/2in thick pieces

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 cup of chopped asparagus, about 1in pieces

1/4 of a red onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus some for serving

2 tbsp italian bread crumbs

1/2 lb whole wheat linguini (about 1/2 a box)

reserve 1 cup of pasta water

salt

pepper

2 tbsp chopped green onion, optional 

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a cookie sheet with tin foil.  Clean and chop and all your vegetables and garlic, put in a medium bowl, toss with the olive oil until all vegetables are evenly coated, mix in some salt and pepper to taste.  Now, add in parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and toss until evenly coated.  Spread veggies over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  

Put salted water on to boil for the pasta, and cook as directed.  Once pasta is done, reserve a cup of the pasta water.  Once veggies are done cooking, toss with the pasta and add a tiny bit of the reserved water to moisten up the noodles as needed (just a heads up, it's a little dry if you don't add the water).  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, green onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper.   EAT!

Pasta Stats per serving:

Calories: 325; Carbs: 48g; Fat: 10g; Protein: 13g; Sugar: 8g; Fiber: 9g

30 Days of Dinner: Day 1

Lately I have been a little lazy, and laziness usually means we go out to eat or end picking up some takeout. It is now at the point where we can't decide where to go eat because nothing sounds good anymore and I think this may be nature's way of our bodies shouting "give me nourishment!" Well message received because I decided to start a little challenge for myself and it's called 30 Days of Dinner!

In my Thirty Days of Dinner challenge I (or Trisden) am going cook dinner every night for the next thirty days!  The good thing is, the meals we cook are usually somewhat healthy it's just that we don't do it  often enough so I am excited to try this out and see how we feel at the end of the thirty days.  I think our cooking skills can only get better, its budget friendly, plus it's a lot healthier than going out, or at least can be anyways.  I probably won't post a recipe each and every single day, but I will be recording my progress so feel free to join me or just follow along throughout the month.  I could use the support!

Tonight I made sausage and brown rice stuffed peppers.  They are super easy to make and are extremely filling.  I usually eat two peppers which is right around 300 calories and they are pretty lowfat.  I like to cook the sausage in water and drain out all the liquid because that helps cook out a lot of the excess grease and keep the fat count down.  Recipe adapted from laurenconrad.com.

Day 1 of Thirty Days of Dinner:

Sausage and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup instant brown rice

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 links chicken sausage, casings removed and cut into bite size chunks

1 can italian stewed tomatoes, drain a little of the excess liquid and breakdown tomatoes (don't be afraid to use your hands!)

3 or 4 bell peppers, cleaned and halved

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook brown rice to package instructions using chicken broth rather than plain plain water (if you wish), it does add a lot more flavor.  In a large pan, add the sausage chunks and cover with 1/4 cup of water.  

Put on medium heat until water is hot and is almost to a boil (you can add more water if you need to) then cover and reduce heat to med/low.  Cook covered for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking sausage down into smaller bits with spoon.  

When sausage is cooked through drain the liquid and set sausage aside.  Add olive oil to the pan and saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent.  Stir in stewed tomatoes and cooked rice.  Spoon mixture evenly into each pepper.  Bake for 30 minutes.  EAT!

Stats for 1 large stuffed pepper:

Calories: 155; Carbs: 22; Fat 5; Protein: 7; Sugar: 6; Fiber:4 

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Easy Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Last night I made peanut butter cookies.  They are so good and only require three ingredients: sugar, eggs and peanut butter, which thank goodness are my kitchen staples so I can make them anytime I want.  Last night Trisden and I were having a major sweet and a green apple just wasn't going to cut it, and going to the store was not an option so I pulled out the mixer to make some darn cookies.  I am not really sure where this recipe originated, but my Grandma has been making them for years and they are one of my favorites!  

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Yields about 20 cookies

Preheat oven to 350.   Mix all ingredients in mixer or by hand until combined and dough forms.  Roll cookies into ping pong size balls (or smaller) and press with a fork.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  I like to keep mine in for the full 15 minutes for a crispier cookie.  Let cool, and eat!

I enjoyed my cookies last night watching Weeds on Netflix.  I just started it and am only about three episodes in and it seems pretty good.  I just finished watching Orange is the New Black and loved it!  The season finale ended with a huge cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what's in store for Piper in season 2.  What shows are you loving now?

Cookie Stats for 2 cookies:

Calories: 229; Carbs: 26g; Fat: 13g; Protein: 6g; Sugar: 22g; Fiber: 2g