photo dump!

Yeah . . . it's been a while since I've been able to sit down at the computer and get caught up posting all of the pictures of delicious foods I have stored up on my phone and camera!  Without further ado, here I go:

Instagrammed pizza #1:

Butternut Squash Pizza from Real Simple, made pretty much exactly as written, except with probably extra ricotta.  (I didn't measure.)  John and I both LOVED this, and I'll definitely be making it again and again!

Instagrammed pizza #2:

A 10-ounce package of frozen spinach mixed with 2 cups of "Italian blend" shredded cheese, with a can of well-drained diced tomatoes on top.  I have been trying to find small, subtle ways to replace fresh veggies with frozen, in my nearly constant attempt to keep the grocery bill down.  Frozen spinach works beautifully on pizza, in my opinion, as long as you squeeze it dry before using.  (Fresh spinach tends to make pizzas soggy, in my opinion!)

A simple pasta supper:

Whole-wheat rigatoni tossed with homemade marinara, white beans, and more spinach, topped with grated Asiago cheese.  I thought this was perfectly acceptable; John exclaimed he thought it was "really good" and went back for seconds.  Good news, as John hasn't been a huge fan of beans with pasta in the past!

Lunch Saturday:

I modified another Real Simple recipe this time -- I subbed sauteed mushrooms for the ham in Potato, Ham, and Spinach Frittata.  Delicious!  John and I each had a wedge with toast for lunch, saved some leftovers for work lunch for me, and then took the rest of the leftovers, cut into small triangles, to a Halloween party Saturday night.  Go eggs, go!  I love how versatile they are!   (P.S. MORE frozen spinach!  Woo!)

Sunday lunch was waiting for us in the Crock Pot when we got home from a walk:

Barley and Root Vegetable Soup transitioned effortlessly to the slow cooker, used up some barley, red lentils, carrots, and celery I had on hand, and made for a hearty, warming, and healthy lunch.  Plenty of leftovers to carry us through the week, too!

Lastly, here's my first attempt at homemade stovetop mac and cheese:

I started by using Cooking Light's Cheddar Cheese Sauce as a launching point, and folded it into some cooked whole-wheat shells and frozen broccoli.  (There I go with the frozen veggies again!  Frozen broccoli is another one I don't mind much.)  My sauce turned out runnier this time than last, which could be due to me possibly over-measuring the milk, possibly the sauce just doesn't double well.  Regardless, it was a good first try.

So, here are two questions for you . . .

1. Do you have a homemade stovetop mac and cheese recipe you love?  Do share.
2. What are some of your favorite uses for frozen veggies?