Spicy Collards and Rice

I grew up southern, and well that often meant vegetables cooked in a pot with bacon grease, fatback, or a huge chunk of butter...ok let's be honest practically the whole stick of butter. I probably still have cholesterol floating around n my veins from childhood. Collards were no different, and as an adult I have shied away from cooking them because I had no idea what to do with them other than smother them in cholesterol. Well since my new health kick, the whole trying to eat a bigger variety of vegetables thing, I have broke down and bought a bag of frozen collards. They have been staring at me from my freezer every since...taunting me in my failure to use them. Well today I braved these baffling collards and quite frankly they turned out delicious. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I know that I have said before, but I'm going to say it again. Sometimes simple recipes are the best. This "recipe" is the perfect example. It's so simple that instruction really aren't needed but here is what we did anyway:

Baked Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Our family is probably typical in that pasta makes up at least one of our meals per week. Sometimes it's simple spaghetti or sometimes it's a little more complicated like Chicken Marsala. Either way, for me it's pasta, and right now that just does not fit in my dietary restrictions at the moment. Do I plan on giving up pasta forever? Probably not, but for right now I am seeking out alternatives that I can enjoy without having to cook two completely different meals. Last week, since Dork and Quirky were having spaghetti, I decided to give spaghetti squash a try as a substitute. This is something that I had never tried before. I was pleased to find it easy to cook and delicious to eat. This is what I did:

Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini

Tex-Mex Zucchini 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been trying to watch both my carbs and my cholesterol in an attempt to get healthier. So for dinner the other night, when I had quesadillas on the menu, I decided to make mine a little more carb friendly without cooking a completely seperate meal. Lucky me I had fresh zucchini in the fridge and decided to make Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini. It turned out delicious. It was very simple and took hardly no time to adapt what I had already made for Quirky and Dork's quesadillas into something diet friendly for myself. This is what I did:

Chicken and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

Dork will not be home for dinner tonight, so it was just dinner for two at our house. I decided to use up some leftover grilled chicken and some fresh bell peppers I had on hand to make some stuffed bell peppers. I made one for each of us, and served it with a romaine lettuce and almond salad. I thought it turned out to be a delicious dinner, and since Quirky practically inhaled hers, I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it to. Here is what I did:

Homemade Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Dork is still working long summer hours, but today Quirky is with him. So after a late morning appointment, I found myself in the unusual position of being home alone. Should I go sew for awhile and begin some of those ideas I've been throwing around my head? Or maybe I should work on homeschool planning for 8th grade before the beginning of school sneaks up on me? I could even pull out the paints and start on that blank canvas that has been staring at me for weeks. There were so many possibilities of what I might do, but ultimately I decided I would make a special dinner for them. One of their favorites, homemade chicken pot pie. I know it is a hot time of year for this kind of meal, but Quirky and Dork never seem to care. They inhale the stuff like I'll never make it again. It's one of those meals that I could make with my eyes closed, in other words super simple. Here is what I did: