Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

I am a huge fan of two types of soups 1- The kind that you make in the slow cooker and 2- The kind that you can throw together quickly and simmer for less than 20 minutes.  This one falls into the second category.  When I made this the other night, I had to eat it and rush out the door to a meeting so I didn't get to hear everyone's comments and feedback.  I enjoyed the soup a lot, but I wasn't sure what my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and husband were going to think.  Well, 3 days later my father-in-law was still talking about how much he enjoyed it and was wondering when I was going to make it again.  He generally likes everything that I make.  He is by FAR the most critical member of the family.  If you likes something he lets me know and if he doesn't like something he also lets me know:)  I appreciate his feed back and I have learned to take his critiques as encouragement  so I appreciate his opinion.  Although sometimes he tries to get way to technical and we all laugh at him and keep eating.  

Ingredients:

• About 2 Cups of Baby Spinach
• 3 14 oz cans of Chicken Broth
• 1 lb of Mild Italian Sausage
• 1 can of Italian Seasoned Diced Tomatoes
• 4 oz Cream Cheese (not fat free, it won't melt) at room temperature and cut into cubes
• 1 small package of Frozen Tortellini

Serves 6

Cook, crumble 1 lb of bulk mild Italian Sausage.  Drain off excess grease.  In a large pot combine chicken broth, tomatoes (undrained), and cooked sausage.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med and add cream cheese.  Stir to combine and melt.  When cream cheese is melted throughout, add in spinach and tortellini.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tortellini is cooked.

If you want this soup to be spicier, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and/or use HOT Italian Sausage.  

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Be Our Guest Review

Be Our Guest is the newest Table Service Restaurant to open inside of Disney's Magic Kingdom.  It is located in the new Fantasyland inside of the Beast's Castle.  There are three dining rooms:  the West Wing, Belle's Library, and the two-story Ballroom.  The restaurant is open as a Quick Service restaurant for Lunch and then at 4:30 pm it switched to a table service restaurant.  Reservations are recommended and due to the newness and high demand of this restaurant the reservations are very difficult to get.  If you are staying at the Disney Resort you can make dining reservations at 180 days prior to arrival.

We didn't book our latest trip to Disney World very far in advance so I didn't have the ability to jump on at 180 days out and try to snag one of the very few dining reservations available.  I had checked a few different times for reservations, but had no luck.  About a week before we were scheduled to arrive I decided to check one more time.  To my amazement there was two time slots available.  I selected 5:00 pm.  My children like to eat dinner early and I figured that we could just grab a Mickey pretzel if we got hungry later.

We arrived at the Beast's Castle about 5 minutes before our reservation.  Stroller parking is available just before the bridge to the castle and is very convenient.  We checked in and they gave us a pager and told us to wait on the bridge.  It was a very pretty view with lots to look at.  The detail is amazing.  The stain glass windows were beautiful.

We only waited a few minutes before our pager started to buzz and blink.  They greeted us with "Bonjour" and escorted us to our table.  We were seated in the Main Ballroom right next to the window.  The window gave the illusion that it was snowing outside which completely amazed my kids.  We were all in awe over the decor and grandness of the restaurant.  It was quite large, but was not loud or crowded.  Besides the snow, the giant chandeliers and ceiling were my favorite part of the main ball room.

I had looked over the menu before we arrived because I wanted to make sure that the French cuisine was a good match for my family.  Our server politely greeted us and took our drink order.  He also told us that Be Our Guest is the only place in Magic Kingdom where you can get an adult beverage.  He then let us look over the wine and beer list.  We chose not to get an adult beverage, it had been a long day and I really just needed some caffeine if I was going to make it to Wishes Fireworks.  When he came back, I explained to him that my children were very picky and he gave us suggestions for both us and the children.  He didn't tell us to avoid the children's meatloaf, but he did name the kids' options and told us we should pick from the the first suggestions.  We all smiled and took the hint.  So even though we didn't personally order the meatloaf, I feel I should pass along that info just in case your server is not as honest.  Here is a link to the dinner menu.

As I said before, my kids are picky.  Both of my kids ordered the same thing- Grilled Chicken Breast with macaroni, marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.  Both of them got the sauce and cheese on the side.  One kid ate the macaroni with a little sauce on it and the other ate the macaroni with the cheese sprinkled on top.  Both of the kids like the chicken.  The kids' meals both came with a side of broccoli.  My oldest actually tried it!! For the FIRST time EVER he ate broccoli.  He said it was okay, but the fact that he even tried it made the ENTIRE meal a HUGE success for me!  If you can't tell, I was VERY proud.

There were a couple of items on the menu that Scott and I were interested in, but we both went with the server's recommendation of Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops.  It was very good.  The shrimp and scallops were amazing, but I wasn't crazy about the puff pastry that it was served in.  The menu also describes it as served in a creamy lobster sauce, that is not the way I would have described it.  Frankly, I am not sure how to describe it, but it was not creamy in taste or color.  However, you describe it the shrimp and scallops were great, I just felt that it would have been better served with rice or potatoes.

The kids' meals all come with dessert and my husband and I couldn't pass it up.  The options on the dessert cart all looked fantastic!!!

Our server brought the cart right to the table, explained each one, and let us choose are favorite.  My husband chose the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake, my youngest chose the Triple Chocolate Cupcake and the rest of us chose the "Grey Stuff" and it's delicious!

The Grey Stuff is now permanently on the menu, before you could only get it for special occasions.  The Grey Stuff was really good, but the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake was OH SO GOOD!  I will get it for sure next time.

After dinner you are welcomed to look around the restaurant and other dining rooms.  The picture to the right is in Belle's Library.  I don't have any pictures but the West Wing is a dimly lit, mysterious room where the rose can be found.

 A couple times during dinner the Beast was formally introduced and made a grand entrance as he walks through all of the dining rooms.  When you are all finished with your meal you can meet the Beast and take a few pictures.  These pictures are not available for direct purchase but can be loaded onto your photopass or Magic Band.  The picture below was taken with our camera FREE of charge.

Disney lists this restaurant as $$ meaning the entrees are from 14.99 to 29.99 for adults, however, there is a steak on the menu that is $32.99.  Our waiter did tell us that the steak is the #1 seller on the menu.  I am not sure if that is because it is so delicious or because it is the most "normal" thing on the menu.  We did not use the dining plan for this trip, we purchased the Tables in Wonderland discount card (I will explain more on that in another post).  The card saves you 20% on your entire check. Our original total was $89.38 to $71.50.  This was our most expensive meal of the trip.  The ambiance, theme, food, and service all contributed to it being well worth the cost.  

People have been asking me two questions 1. Will I go back? and 2. Will I get the same food again?  Yes, I will go back but not right away.  I have lots of places that I want to dine.  My entree was good enough to get again, but not good enough to go there for specifically.  I am sure that the kids would get the same thing again.  The desserts were all good (yes, I tasted all the ones that we ordered), and I would definitely get the Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake again.  I might even try to get one to go!!!

When we left it was dark outside and I took this photo of Beast's Castle all lit up.  

Our family of 4 ate there in November of 2013

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Birthday Lunch

Both my boys have summer birthdays so I wasn't sure that I would ever get to do this, but Evan is going to day camp this week so it was the perfect opportunity.  Last night before went to bed I got out the wrapping paper and packed his lunch.  I wrapped up his PB&J and the rest of his lunch.  I laughed the entire time I was wrapping because I could only imagine what the police officers that run the junior police camp were going to say.  When Evan got home from camp, he immediately told me how COOL it was and that everyone sang him Happy Birthday!  I am sure that he is going to expect it every year!  

Greek Chicken Pitas

Last week Tracy had a Pampered Chef party and she raved about the Greek chicken pitas that they made. They had used the Pampered Chef Greek Rub and the Large Baker and cooked the chicken in the microwave. It sounded so yummy, but since I had neither the large baker or Greek rub, I set out on a mission to find an alternative way to make this dish.

I figured I could just use my corningware dish in the microwave. It's microwave safe and large enough to hold a few chicken breasts. I also figured I'd make a Greek rub with some fresh herbs and lemon, that way there's no sugar or food starch (both ingredients in the prepared version).

Greek Rub
Ingredients:

- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

- 1Tbsp. Chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. I am only cooking this for me and my husband, so I just made 1 1/2 chicken breasts, you may want to double.

Place your chicken breasts in your dish and spread the rub evenly over each piece. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or longer. Set your microwave oven to 50% power and cook for 20 minutes or until internal temp is 165 degrees.

While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and prepare the tzatziki sauce. 

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

- 1/4 cup low fat sour cream

- 1/2 cucumber, seeded but not peeled

- 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1 tsp. dill weed

- 1 tsp. vinegar

- 1 tsp. Kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

When chicken is fully cooked, cut/ shred with kitchen scissors or a knife. Warm whole wheat pita pockets in an oven until they are warm with a slight crisp. Serve chicken in pitas with sauce, feta cheese, red onions and tomatoes, or whatever toppings you like:)

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Last weekend, my husband wanted Picnic Perfect Chicken Salad Sandwiches, I on the other hand felt like I had had enough bread.  I decided to try something different, I made a lettuce wrap with the chicken salad.  There was really nothing too it (except a lot less calories)!  I will definitely be making these again!!  SOON!

Ingredients:

• Picnic Perfect Chicken Salad
• Romaine Lettuce

Follow recipe for Picnic Perfect Chicken Salad, but instead of putting it on a croissant, bread, or pita wrap it in a leaf of Romaine Lettuce.

This recipe was featured on the Magical Moms' July Menu.  Be sure to check out all of our monthly menus


Lots of AMAZING recipes on the Magical Moms' June Menu, Marvelous May Menu, Appetizing April Menu, and March Madness Menu.

{Caesar} Chicken Salad Pitas

Since summer is almost here and we are so busy, there is not a lot of time for me to spend in the kitchen.  I know I am sad too:(  It has been so HOT here lately and none of us have wanted to eat a huge meal so I thought this would be perfect.  I really enjoyed it because I was able to make the Chicken Salad earlier in the day and didn't have to cook anything when it was actually time for dinner.  For this recipe you can use your favorite Caesar Dressing or make your own.  

Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 
• 3-4 Tablespoons of Caesar Dressing
• Salt and Pepper
• A Pinch of Dried Parsley
• Romaine Lettuce
• About 2 Tablespoons of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Whole Wheat Pitas

Servings 4

Boil chicken until cooked thoroughly.  Let cool and shred into fairly large pieces.  Cool completely in the refrigerator.  In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, caesar dressing, dried parsley, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix with a fork.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until you are to serve.  Stuff some romaine lettuce in the pita and add in chicken.  You can top with a little more Parmesan if you would like.  Enjoy!  

**I used the smaller sized pitas and cut them in half and served both halves to each person.

This recipe was featured on our 30 Days of Dinners June Menu, Make sure to check out all of the other great recipes on this month's menu!

If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out our Picnic Perfect Chicken Salad too!

Marvelous May Menu

Spring is officially here!  The weather is warm and we are starting to think about bathing suit season...Yikes!  I guess we should all pay a little more attention to what we are eating.  We spent the last few weeks experimenting with new recipes and taking some of the tried and tested and making them a little better for our waistlines.  We love to cook even more in the spring and summer because of all of the possibilities added with the availability of so much more seasonal produce!  We also love that we can fire up the grill a few nights a week which gets our husbands involved in some of the cooking too!
The Magical Moms March Menu Madness and Appetizing April Menu feature many of our favorites so be sure to check them out!
*Recipe coming soon

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 Mexican Chicken Chopped Salad	2 Skinny BBQ Chicken Pizza on the Grill, Honey Grilled Pineapple	3 Athenian Chicken, Henderson Hummus {updated}	4 Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Low Fat Spicy Ranch
5 Red Pepper Turkey Burger Sliders, Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce	6 *Beef and Barley Soup, Fresh and Fancy Fruit Salsa	7 Peppered Steak Salad with Low Cal/Low Fat Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing	8 Skinny Suiza Enchiladas	9 *Maple Chili Glazed Pork, *Krazy Quinoa	10 Lemon Grass Skewered Shrimp, Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes	11 *Steak Fajita Lettuce Wraps
12 Coco Loco Chicken, Sweet Potato Crisps	13 Black Bean and Corn Potatoes, Zucchini Chips with Chive and Onion Dipping Sauce	14 Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken,	15 *Chicken Tacos, *Fresh Corn Salsa	16 *Mediterranean Chicken and *Quinoa	17 Orange Chicken Brown Fried Rice, Secret Fruit Salad	18 Grilled Chicken, Awesome Asparagus Risotto
19 Spaghetti and *Turkey Meatballs	20 Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad	21 Kahlua Pork  Tostadas with pineapple salsa	22 Turkey Gyros	23 *Steak Carnitas	24 Deep Dish Portabello {Pizza}	25 *Tequila Lime Shrimp, Brown Rice
26 Parmesan Spaghetti Squash, Cucumber Salad	27 Lean Mean Chicken Bacon Machine (Gluten Free), Strawberry Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette	28 Hot and Spicy Fajita Piles, Cilantro Brown Rice	29 Gluten Free Bacon, Onion and Garlic Pizza	30 Fiesta Lime Grilled Chicken, Oven "Fried" Zucchini with Spicy Garlic Dipping Sauce	31 Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli

BBQ Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Sandwich

I love grilled cheese sandwiches.  This sandwich takes it up a few notches!  It proves that grilled cheese is not just for your kiddos and this is perfect for dinner.  When I make BBQ pulled pork I usually have leftovers because it makes so much.  I often freeze some and pull it out to make these amazing sandwiches and since it is already made I can throw it together quickly on nights when we have a baseball game or other evening activity

Ingredients:

• 1-1/ 1/2 lbs Pulled Pork either Best Darn Pork BBQ or BBQ Pulled Pork {Cincinnati Style}
• Macaroni and Cheese (recipe to come soon)
• Butter
• 8 Slices of Sour Dough Bread

Serves 4

Cook the Pulled Pork according to one of our AMAZING recipes.  

Prepare your favorite Macaroni and Cheese recipe (I will post mine soon).

Butter one side of each piece of bread and pile on the pork followed by the mac and cheese.  

 Place in skillet and toast each side to a golden brown.  Be careful not to lose the insides of your sandwich as you flip it!

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Low Fat Spicy Ranch

We love buffalo chicken wings at our house!  Thank goodness that football season doesn't last all year because my jeans don't love them!  Tossing grilled chicken in buffalo sauce fills my craving for spicy chicken and still fit in my jeans.

Ingredients:
Salad

• Lettuce- I like to use Iceberg or Romaine
• Tomato
• Red Onion
• Grilled Chicken cut into strips
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Shredded Carrot
• Diced Celery
• Your Favorite Buffalo or Hot Sauce
• Red or Yellow Bell Pepper

Low Fat Spicy Ranch Dressing

• A Couple Dashes of Cayenne Pepper (add more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1 Wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of Fat Free Sour Cream

Combine all dressing ingredients in small food processor for about 10 seconds.  Place in container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Toss chicken in buffalo sauce and place on top of lettuce.  Add desired amount of remaining salad ingredients.  Since the homemade ranch is almost fat free, I like to serve with additional carrots and celery for dipping because the spicy ranch is so yummy!


This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad

I love Italian sub sandwiches, but I dont really love all the fat and carbs, but you can turn almost any sandwich into a delicious salad? Here's my take on an Italian chopped salad.

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Lots of pepper
• Salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend. Chill for 30 minutes.

For the salad:

• Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Turkey pepperoni, fat free ham and hard salami
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Red onions
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
  

Chop up lettuce into small bite size pieces. Chop desired amount of other ingredients and toss all of it lightly in the dressing. Serve immediately!

This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

Strawberry Nutella Bruschetta

My youngest son, Nathan, is obsessed with what he calls "chocolate bread sandwiches."  It's really just Nutella on whole wheat bread.  If I would let him, he would probably eat it for lunch everyday!  I don't want to eat the same thing every day so I thought he would appreciate a little change  This is what I came up with.  It is a perfect after school snack or a new lunch time favorite!

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Bread Slices
• Strawberries
• Kiwi
• Nutella

You can make as many or as few as you would like just adjust the amount of ingredients used accordingly.  

 Preheat oven to 375.  Cut bread into desired shape.  I use a couple different sized shot glasses to get my desired small round shapes.

Place bread on baking sheet and put in oven for about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted

Dice fruit.  Spread Nutella onto toasted bread and sprinkle with fruit pieces.

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pockets

I have many tips up my sleeve when it comes to making dinner for my family.  One of them is that I always have cooked chicken on hand.  The most time consuming part of many recipes it cooking the chicken that goes it them.  If the chicken is already cooked I can throw this super kid friendly dinner together in 20 minutes!  

Ingredients:

• Two Chicken Breasts Boiled and Shredded 
• 6 oz of Cream Cheese- softened (I used 1/3 less fat)
• 2/3 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Hormel Real Bacon Bits 
• 1 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 1 Tube of Cresent Rolls (I actually used the sheet and rolled out just a little bit)
• A little bit of pepper
• Butter
• About a Tablespoon of Unseasoned Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat together cream cheese, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, Bacon, Pepper, and Cheddar Cheese.  When thoroughly mixed, stir in the shredded chicken with a fork.

Roll out Cresent Roll dough if needed.    

 If using dough sheet- Divide into about 8 squares or just use triangles if using regular Cresent Roll Dough.  Place chicken mixture in center of each piece and fold in the sides and ends.

 Lay seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Melt a couple tablespoons of butter and brush it on top of chicken pockets.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

 Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe was featured in Two Magical Moms March Menu Madness.  Check out the entire menu and try out some of our other YUMMY recipes!