Whole Wheat Pizza and Pizza Sauce

Friday night is kind of a celebration around here at the Dobson home.  It's the end of the week and the kids are excited about Daddy being home for two whole days without having to go to work.  Over the last year, Fridays in our home have become our designated pizza night.  The kids look forward to it because they love pizza so much and I look forward to it because it's easy and I always know what we are going to have on Fridays.

Starting Again; This Week's Plan

One of my goals lately has been  to get back into writing this blog.  When I was doing it I really enjoyed  taking pictures and writing about my cooking.  I might do things a little differently this time around and I might not do an article every day or each one have a recipe.  Even when I haven't been writing I still find myself coming back hear to get dinner ideas based on the things I have tried and really liked.

Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe has just about all of the things I love in a classic Italian pasta dinner. Except cheese, of course, although it is one recipe where I find I don't miss the cheese. It's just so good. My husband, always budget conscious, recently asked me why I don't ever buy chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I mainly don't buy them because of the additional fat versus breasts. I decided to try them with this recipe and I was not to thrilled. The fat and the texture just made me miss my chicken breasts. The dish was still very good but I will definitely do chicken breasts next time. Serve it over your favorite pasta (I like it with spaghetti). Delizioso!

Chicken Picatta

This is definitely a go-to meal when I don't know what to cook. It contains ingredients that I pretty much always have in the house (with the exception of capers, which I feel are optional in this recipe anyway.) It is one of my favorite Italian dishes and is delicious with pasta or rice. I like to make a simple white rice or pilaf with chicken stock and we had some roasted green beans. Yum!

Spaghetti & Meatballs

There is nothing better than being able to have a yummy, satisfying home-cooked meal without having to do much cooking. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook. It really helps me relax and de-stress (that is, when I don't have children hanging on my leg.) But, there are some days when it's just no that easy, whether it be sickness, errands, or just a long weekend. This is why I love meals that freeze well. Spaghetti sauce is one of those things that just taste better the second time. I've found most people agree on this one. I will also freeze meatballs, BUT I do not cook them first. I do not like the taste of frozen pre-cooked meatballs. To freeze them, put them on a baking sheet and freeze until firm and then you can place them in a Ziploc bag. I also portion my sauce into Ziplocs and they can be laid flat in the freezer. So, here's my take on the classic family spaghetti dinner.

Italian Mac-n-Cheese

The next in my series of mac and cheese recipes, I've yet to find someone who doesn't love this when they try it. It is sooo yummy! It satisfies so many cravings: cravings for mac and cheese, comfort food, Italian food. The best part - it's a 30 minute meal! Everything is cooked before hand and all you need to do is pop it under the broiler to brown it. Another great thing about this recipe is that it freezes very well. You should definitely make a double batch and pop one in the freezer. This was one of the recipes I froze during my last pregnancy so that we had home cooked meals when the baby came home. It was delicious and might taste even better than the first day. I have to thank Rachael Ray for yet another yummy but quick and easy meal.

Chicken Parmesan

This a recipe is a perfect example of why I need to keep a running list of the things I make. It is one of my favorite recipes, but I always forget about it when I'm making my grocery list for the week. It's really simple, yet delicious and you can make it with common ingredients you might already have in the house. I boosted the healthfulness of the meal by serving it over whole wheat pasta. Our family loved it and I think it will become our regular spaghetti.