A New Tasty Dinner: Spinach Manicotti

I try really hard to cook homemade, healthy meals for my little family as regularly as I can (except on Friday nights - I generally have a strict policy of not cooking on Friday nights.  Even mom gets a break on Fridays!).  I'm always on the look-out for new recipes and ideas for dinners.  There are only a handful of recipes that I cook over and over and over.  Usually we're trying new things and very few of them make it in to our regular list of meals we love.  This one made it in with flying colors!

I saw this Spinach Manicotti recipe over at 71toes not too long ago.  It looked like a good one to try.  She makes it without meat/vegetarian so I decided that it might be slightly more well received at my house by browning up a pound of ground turkey with the onions and then following her recipe along from there.  What a hit!  It was truly delicious! 

Everyone, including the boys, gave it a big thumbs up.  I was craving it by the second night - we made enough for a second night's meal.  Here is a close up of all the cheesy, tomatoey yumminess!

I love a great recipe!  Mmmm, mmmm, good!

Candy Corn Cookies

Well this is what happens when you only have boys in your house!  My boys have become lovers of "arts and crafts" (that sounds more masculine than "crafting") and cooking.  They mostly love the tasting part of cooking, but they indulge me still the same. 

I saw a great idea over at The Crafting Chicks for "Candy Corn Cookies" and we decided to try the recipe out this weekend.  The boys give it two thumbs up, especially for the frosting in the middle.  I'll add that the cookies are pretty darn tasty too. 

No candy corns were harmed or used in the making of these cookies.  It is simply the color scheme that makes them "candy corn" cookies.  We had a fun time mixing and rolling and baking and frosting.  Our neighbors are happy too because we gave almost all of the cookies away.  Happy Halloween!