Sun Dried Tomato sauce with Mushroom Raviolis

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 whole Sun-dried Tomatoes In Oil
2 cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 cups Milk
3 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Store bought Mushroom Ravioli, or any pasta you would like would work

Preparation Instructions

In a medium skillet, heat up olive oil for 2 minutes. Chop sun dried tomatoes. Add to skillet. Mince garlic and add to skillet. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until a paste is formed. Whisk and cook paste for 1 minute. Lower heat to medium low and add milk. Whisk until sauce is thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomato mixture from skillet. Taste the sauce to make sure seasonings are right.
Boil ravioli according to package instructions drain pour sauce over the pasta. Costco has great fresh mushroom ravioli. This tastes just like Olive Gardens Ravioli De Portabello if I say so my self. Yum!

Lactation Cookies or just really healthy cookies that are DELISH!!

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp flax seed meal (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp brewer's yeast
3 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup Ghiradelli white chocolate chips
1 cup golden raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix flax seed meal and water and let sit for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and brewer's yeast and set aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with a flat beater, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add eggs, mixing well after each one. Add flax seed meal and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in oats. Fold in white chocolate chips and raisins.

Scoop rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!
These cookies are kinda sweet, if you prefer less sweet cut the white chips and raisins in half. Do not try to low fat this recipe. I tried and yuck! They are really yummy, and the flax and brewers yeast are great for milk supply and overall health.

Decadent dark chocolate caramel cake

I made this for Tim's 22nd bday. A total keeper. He said it tastes like sees scotchmallows. Add a layer of fluff and i am sure it would taste even more like it. Super moise dark chocolate cake, cooled, poked with a chopstick, and covered with homemade sea salted caramel.

See "Sea Salted Caramel" post for the caramel. Prepare 1 1/2 of a batch. Thin to desired consistency with cream or half and half. If it gets too thin, cook some moisture out. Pour when just warm over poked cake.

adapted from: Double Chocolate Layer cake
Gourmet | March 1999

This old-fashioned chocolate cake made our staff swoon!
Yield: Serves 12 to 14

For cake
4 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk (or use Saco buttermilk powder and water)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease 9x13 pan. Line 10 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, add cocoa powder, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 min.

Apple fries with lemon/lime dip

I usually do half full fat and half fat free yogurt. Great source of vitamin c, fiber, probiotics, and calcium for you and your kids.(serves 2)

1/2 cup Greek non-fat or regular fat plain yogurt (Zoi brand is awesome)
1/2 lemon or lime
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or agave syrup
1 tsp ground flax seed
Granola
1 apple (pink lady, granny smith, fuji, gala)

Mix yogurt, flax, lemon/lime zest and juice to taste, and sweetener together. Add everything to taste. Top yogurt dip with granola. Slice apple into "fries". Have fun dipping away with your kiddo/s.

Smokey sweet pork chops

1/3 cup marmalade
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
4-6 boneless pork chops

Season chops with salt and pepper. Spread a teaspoon of sauce over each chop. Let marinade for 30 min at room temp. Grill For 5 min each side brushing with sauce to glaze. Finish under broiler for 5 minutes to cook through particularly thick chops.

Serve with extra sauce.

Balsamic Orange chicken

Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:15 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts or any combination of light and dark meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
4 cups baby arugula
Directions
In a large pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high to high heat.

Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the oil is hot and ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking time. Arrange on a serving platter and serve topped with arugula greens.

Rachael are, but actually good