Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I swear I did not abandon you.  I just needed to go on a short hiatus as I settled into the school year and more importantly, into my graduate studies!  (OK, it was longer than I expected)Let's just say that the work load and practicum for this masters program makes my first masters look like a high school course!  I'm over half done with my course work and I am so excited about this journey I am on!

My goal for the New Year is to make more time for things I enjoy and find balance between work, school, and my personal life.  So here's to trying to meet this goal – starting with cooking and blogging! 

Asian Chicken Salad
(once I perfect my dressing for this, I will post the recipe)

I had class today and the teeny little salad I packed for lunch left me longing for more substanence.  I was starving by the time I walked in the door!  I headed straight to the kitchen to get started on dinner. I have been dying to try a new recipe I found for Bacon Pesto Paninis.  I opened the fridge and realized - I forgot to thaw the bacon!  (Enter madly growling stomach) While I was waiting for the great thaw, I decided that just a sandwich was not going to cut it, so I searched the pantry and found all the ingredients needed for a new soup that I have been dying to try.  I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats and changed it up just a bit!  O-M-G our dinner was amazing! A healthy version of comfort food - hearty, italiany goodnees.   It was- stop myself from licking the bowl clean  - kind of  good! The tanginess of the pesto with the meltiness of the cheese and the flavor of the bacon -  I can not wait to make this meal again.  I wonder how Jake would feel about having this meal every night this week?  Really you must try this – I am still fighting the urge to go back for seconds! 

Bacon Pesto Panini

Ingredients

2 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)

2 slices rye bread

spray butter

2 tbsp pesto

slice of provolone cheese

Preparation

Cook Bacon according to package. (The oven also works great!)

Spray butter on one side of each slice of bread.

 On opposite side spread pesto.

Then layer bacon and cheese.

Grill each side until toasted.

Enjoy!

Experiment by adding other vegetables like tomatoes!

Hearty Tomato Soup

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

Finely chopped onion

Finely chopped garlic

1 14oz. can chicken broth
1 can great northern beans(drained)
1 can diced italian tomatoes(drained

1/2  jar spaghetti sauce(I used 3 cheese flavored sauce)

Dash Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 cup small pasta shells

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Saute onion and garlic.

2. Add chicken broth, spaghetti sauce,beans, diced tomatoes and seasoning.

3. Bring to boil and then add pasta.

4. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Top with freshly grated cheese and enjoy!

What is your favorite winter soup?

This soup maybe one of my new favorites! Chili will always be on the top of my list! My number one though come from  back in my hometown!  There is a restarunt that makes soup from scratch daily - on many cold Nebraska days I long for their Cream of Chicken with Wild Rice Soup! I've tried to make it many times but it never taste the same.