Mama Parker's healthy Mac-n-cheese

Mama Parker's Mac-n-cheese

Have you ever had that homemade Mac-n-Cheese that just melts in your mouth and leaves you saying "Blue box who"!  This recipe will!  Plus it is loaded with fresh veggies, so it is good for you (kind of) too! 

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons salted butter
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk ( I use almond milk, but you can use regular milk)
• 2 cups shredded Velvetta Sharp Cheddar cheese (we don't like regular Velvetta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup cauliflower puree
• 1/2 carrot puree
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut, and steamed
• 1 box elbow noodles

Directions:
1. Boil pasta according to box directions and drain water off.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, and stir in flour over medium heat.  Stir in milk until mixed well.  Bring to a slow boil and simmer until thick. 
3. Stir in cheese and continue to stir for 4 minutes, remove from heat.
4.  Stir in Vegetable purees, and pour over pasta. once mixed thoroughly,   stir in Broccoli and serve!

You may not use all the cheese sauce, but, if you like it dripping with cheesy-goodness, go ahead, we won't judge!

My kids LOVE this, and ask for it EVERY meatless Monday dinner!  Its great for even picky eaters!
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Mama Parker's Favorite Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mama Parker's Favorite recipe

Are you ready for the best chocolate chip cookie EVER, the chewiest cookie EVER?  This cookie recipe is the ONLY one that my cookie purist will eat! 

Serves: 24 Large Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c shortening
• 1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bag mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 bag semi-sweet chips

Instructions

1. Mix butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
3. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and mix together.
4. Mix dry ingredients slowly into wet ingredients and blend well.
5. If the dough is crumbly, stir in water 1 teaspoon at a time until it just holds together. The dough should not be sticky.
6. Add in chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
7. Using ¼ cup measure, scoop out dough and form into a ball. Continue until all dough is balled. Approx 24 cookies.
8. Place dough in the freezer for 2 hours or up to 3 months (this is great, because then you only bake what you want, and don't have all those delish cookies lying around just begging to be eaten, speaking from experience here).
9. Place frozen cookie onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 min.
10. Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then move off to finish cooling on baker's racks.

Tips for perfect cookies, cook on flat cookie sheets, not one with sides.  Make sure that it is not shiny metal (cookies brown faster on these), and make sure that your oven racks are set in the center of the oven!  Also I have found that using cold ingredients (chocolate chips, vanilla and eggs) make for better cookies, but always make sure that the butters, and shortenings are room temp!  :)

 

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Homemade and Better

With all the rage about GMOs and other things that they say is wrong with our food, I decided to go with homemade, meaning everything I can possibly make hoemamde, will be done!  It is one sure way to be sure my kids are getting the healthiest food possible,a nd I know where it comes from!  So in this search on the web for recipes I found a few I wanted to share!

Homemade Yogurt (which can then be turned into cream cheese)..  Mind blown yet?


Homemade Cheezits


Homemade Chocolate Syrup


Homemade Instant Oatmeal


Homemade Mixes (Pancake, muffin, quick mix, brownie, and Corn Bread)


Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup


Homemade Salad Dressing


Homemade Graham Crackers


More to come too! 

Enjoy!
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Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I have a habit of not following recipes well!  I always stray and do my own thing!  However, I found this gem on Pinterest, and loved it from the beginning! 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Recipe and picture from Lulu the Baker blog.  Original post here.

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 celery stick, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Enjoy!

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Cheese Burger Soup

I am loving this little Pinterest thing for finding new recipes!  I found this one and, as always, fine-tuned itto fit our family!  I know you are probably thinking I lost my mind when I say you are going to love this thing called Cheese burger soup!  But seriously, it is completely yummy!  You have to try it!

Cheese Burger Soup

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, shredded

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 cups chicken broth

4-5 potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4  all purpose flour

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups 1%  milk

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup non-flavored greek yogurt

Directions:

 

1. Brown the ground turkey in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan add 1 tablespoon butter, chopped onion, shredded carrots, finely chopped garlic cloves, dried basil, dried parsley, and celery. Saute until tender.

3. Add the broth, potatoes and ground turkey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

4. In small sauce pan, melt remaining butter (3 tablespoons) and add the flour. Cook and stir until bubbly, add milk, and stir until thickened.  Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes and reduce heat to low.

5.Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in greek yogurt. Top with shredded cheddar if desired.

 

Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I got this recipe originally from Suzanne at a church function (her recipe can be found here)!  I found that it was amazing, and even the pickiest eaters ate it!  So I have tuned it up to fit our family, and am now giving it to all of our friends!

CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST

2 head cauliflower, riced and squeeze all the water out (you want this to look like quinoa)

1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsely

1/2 crushed basil

1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

To prepare cauliflower:  Cut it off the head, and rice in a food processor until mealy. Put in a bowl and cover. Microwave for 10 minutes on high. Use cheese cloth or a paper towel to squeeze out as much water as possible.

 

To assemble:  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until it represents a dough. Place on a piece of parchment paper sprayed with Pam. Press out and shape into the shape you prefer (we do square). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with sauce and toppings. Return to oven for approx. 15-20 more minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown.

 

Enjoy!!!

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PS. Wish I had a picture to share, but my hard drive crashed and I lost all the pics!  Sorry!  When I do take another one, I will be sure to post it!