I'm a foodie, you're a foodie, wouldn't you like to be a foodie too?

I love The Food Network, I love a good cookbook, I love new recipes! Lately I have had to challenge myself to use new ingredients and less butter (haha...I blame that on my mom and Paula Deen). I have become quite the scratch cook - I try to use up whatever is in my fridge or pantry that is going to go bad. This first "recipe" is an adaptation of a WW recipe that was in one of our weekly newsletters. I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I made it up on the fly.

Recipe 1: Garden Veggie Rotini w/ Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage

Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (5 links)

Olive Oil

2 cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic, and oregano

1 small green pepper, sliced

1 10oz package of Baby Bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced

1/2 medium-large onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 box of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest 7 grain Rotini

Cut each sausage link up into 8 equal pieces (this helps them cook better and also helps you control your points). Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and sausage until color starts to develop. Turn the heat down slightly and add the mushrooms and green pepper and continue to cook until tender. I put the lid on for a few minutes to help the mushrooms cook down a bit and release their juices. Meanwhile start a pan of salted water and when it starts to boil add the rotini (the rotini takes up to 12 minutes to cook). If you like your sauce chunky then put both cans of tomatoes straight into the sausage and vegetable mixture. I like it a little chunky, so I threw one and a half cans of the tomatoes into the food processor and pureed it and then left 1/2 a can chunky. I think it was the perfect texture. The entire sauce portion of the meal is 24 points. I figured on 4 servings which the website calculated at 5 points per serving...hmmm...not sure why, but 4 servings made for a very hearty portion - a little too much. I think 5 would be more realistic. The pasta is 3 points per cup of cooked pasta - also a pretty large portion. This was very good...I loved it! It's a great way to get your veggies in for the day!

Recipe 2: Bacon Egg and Cheese "Biscuit" knock-off

1 100% Whole Wheat Arnold's Sandwich Thin

1 egg

Canola Oil cooking spray

1 slice of turkey bacon

1 slice of Kraft 2% American Cheese (optional)

This isn't really even a recipe, but it helps me on preschool days when I know I am going to want to go through the drive-thru. I eat this BEFORE we leave. Pop the sandwich thin into the toaster, spray your pan with the canola spray and plop the egg onto it (once the pan is up to temp). I like my egg over medium (yolk is runny but the white is set) - you can make it however you like it. Place the turkey bacon on a plate with a paper towel wrapped around it and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. This makes the bacon crispy which to me is the only way to eat it! Once everything is done cooking and nuking and toasting, put it all together and voila! The total for this is 4 points w/out cheese, 5 w/ cheese. Yum!

That's all for today...I hear a baby screaming...