Cream Cheese Pie

8oz cream cheese, softened
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 9 inch graham cracker crust
1 20oz can raspberry pie filling

Mix together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a blender or stand mixer with the wire attachment.  Pour into pie shell.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably longer (over night is perfect).  Top with pie filling before serving.

*My friend told me that she has made this with all fat free ingredients with great results!  She said it is only 2pts on Weight Watchers per slice.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
• ⅔ cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy - I like crunchy)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2⅔ cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• heaping ⅓ cup Nutella

Instructions

1. Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture.
3. Add Nutella in dollops over the top of the dough.
4. Use a butter knife to swirl the Nutella through the dough.  Do not over mix.
5. Chill the dough in fridge for 15 minutes before spooning onto cookie sheet to firm the nutella.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Bake until slightly brown at edges.
7. Let cool a few minutes on cookie sheet before transferring.

Lasagna Soup

ingredients:
for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Cheesy Yym:

8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper 

directions:
For a slow cooker version of this soup, be sure to check out my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms !
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
Sauce:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. 
3. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. 
4. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.