celebrating adopt a senior pet month with nutrish

november is adopt a senior pet month! in honor of that, i took my boys to visit a local non-profit, no-kill animal shelter located in the suburbs of san diego. friends of cats is dedicated to providing shelter and medical care to abandoned cats and those whose owners are unable to care for them. once their health is assured, they work to find them good homes. they do not euthanize, except as a matter of compassion if a cat is terminally ill or suffering.

if you are looking to add a new furry friend to your home, we urge you to adopt from a shelter and consider a senior pet.

we planned our trip and made sure to first make a trip to the store to purchase food to donate to the shelter. we, of course, purchased nutrish zero grain, because it's a favorite of our own furry friends, but also because we believe in what rachael ray is doing with her brand. 

did you know that 100% of rachael's personal proceeds from sales of nutrish have gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for animals in need? every rachael ray nutrish food and treat recipe is made with simple ingredients like real meat and wholesome veggies, so they’re naturally delicious. as a busy mama, i also love how i can find all of my favorite nutrish recipes where i currently already shop for my groceries so there are no special trips for cat food.

on our trip to friends of cats, we had so much fun spending time playing with all the wonderful cats.

although we didn't end up with a new member of our family this time, we walked away with lots of smiles and the kiddos begging to come back again soon.

we encourage you to follow along with all of the wonderful things rachael's nutrish are doing. we know you will become a believer, as we did!

• twitter: http://twitter.com/nutrish
• facebook: http://facebook.com/nutrish and/or http://facebook.com/nutrishforcats
• instagram: http://instagram.com/nutrish

mmmmm, mondays: spicy sausage, chicken and bean pot

you can thank rachael ray for this yummy "soup". it is hearty and absolutely delicious...perfect for a cold winter day.

spicy sausage, chicken and bean pot

2 tbs. evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

3/4 pound hot italian sausage (i used 1 pound)

3/4 pound andouille sausage (i used 1 pound)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks

salt and black pepper

1 large onion, chopped (i used frozen chopped onion)

2 carrots, peeled and shredded (or just buy a bag of shredded carrots from the salad section)

4 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 fresh or dried bay leaf

2 (15 oz.) cans of white beans (cannellini)

5-6 fresh sage sprigs, thinly sliced (i used rubbed sage - about 2 tbsp)

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 loaf italian bread or 1 bagette (chopped into cubes or coarsely chopped in a food processor)

8 tbsp. melted butter

fresh flat leaf parsley

3-4 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped (i used dried thyme and added garlic powder and black pepper)

heat the evoo in a large pot over medium-high heat. add the italian sausage, crumble into large pieces with a wooden spoon and cook until it begins to brown, two to three minutes. add the andouille and cook until crisp at the edges, two to three minutes. remove the browned sausages to a paper-towel-lined plate and add the chicken to the skillet, seasoning it with salt and pepper. lightly brown the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, then add the veggies, bay leaf, and more salt and pepper. cook for seven to eight minutes more to soften the veggies. add the sausages back to the pan with the beans and sage. pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the pan, then stir in the stock.

turn on the broiler and set the rack in the middle of the oven.

drizzle the bread chunks with the melted butter. add the parsley, thyme and salt and pepper and stir to combine. place the bread chunks on a cookie sheet and broil for about 6 minutes, checking often. pour the chicken and sausage into bowls and top with the seasoned bread.

so good!

my rachael ray go to cook book for fun new recipes to try is here: rachael ray: just in time. try it...you won't be disappointed.

mmmmm mondays: roasted chicken meatballs

i know this recipe doesn't exactly scream, "happy 4th of july!" but it is a great one to have in your back pocket and when tomorrow rolls around, you'll be happy you have it. in the fabulous rachael ray cookbook i've been working my way through, this recipe is in addition to a florentine mac and cheese. it is equally delicious but i've found i go back to the meatball recipe for everything from spaghetti with meatballs to meatball subs. who doesn't love a great meatball?

so, here it is...simple and delicious

roasted chicken meatballs

1 1/2 pounds of ground chicken (i double this recipe to have an even 3 and freeze the extras)

2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs, stripped and finely chopped (you can use dry rosemary, about 1 T.)

2 t. fennel seeds

3 cloves garlic, grated (i use store bought minced garlic in a jar)

1 t. red pepper flakes

1 c. ricotta cheese

1/2 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (just buy grated parmesean at the store)

1 egg

1/2 to 3/4 cup of bread crumbs

salt and pepper (just eyeball this shaking on a little bit before mixing the meatballs together)

evoo (extra virgin olive oil)


preheat oven to 450 degrees.

mix together chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, the egg and the bread crumbs. form into 8 large balls. (i often make a lot more balls and make them much smaller. if you do this, just adjust the cooking time and cook them for about 10-12 minutes). grease a rimmed baking sheet with evoo. place the meatballs on the baking sheet and drizzle with evoo. bake for 17-18 minutes or until juices run clear (again, if the meatballs are smaller, reduce the cooking time.)

mix with your favorite sauce and serve. they are fabulous!

Rachael Ray: Just In Time

what's for dinner?

about a year ago i decided that i was tired of the usual recipe pool. with so many kids, my life sometimes feels like i'm a hamster running on a wheel. the days are all full of activity and there is never a dull moment but it can sometimes seem like i'm just moving through the routine of it all. i needed something new and in came rachael ray.

i somehow landed on the food network on our tv. it is pretty close to nick jr. so i'm sure the kids just stepped on the remote at some point and i came upon the happy accident. there was peppy, little rachael convincing me i could prepare a fabulous meal for my family in 30 minutes. i was inspired and dug through my collection of cookbooks that sit like a shrine to good food in my kitchen. there it was, a cookbook i purchased at some point three years before that i had yet to crack open. this was it. it was time to open the book and venture into the world of new and exciting food choices.

i took an evening to read through a ton of the recipies and chose a few beginners and i was off. i soon discovered that:
1) i'm not as fast as rachael and what takes her 30 minutes will take me 45 minutes.
2) i don't have her ingredients conveniently stocked in my refrigerator so i actually have to go shopping and find new things (which proved to be a bit more expensive)
3) i could alter the recipies slightly to make them friendlier to my family
4) my family actually loves these new food adventures. it helps that i tell then in advance that they love it and then compare it all to meals they have already eaten. anything pasta and it's "just like maceroni and cheese" or "spaghetti." anything that in anyway resembles a hamburger is compared to mcdonalds. you get the picture.

so, now i have a recipe book that is full of notes and the dates i first cooked them. i've spread the word and my friends who have been guinea pigs to my rachael cooking have purchased the book too and copied all my notes for themselves. so here you go world. here's the book you can purchase and the first of my favorites for your own enjoyment. if you're up for an adventure, buy the book for yourself and try these things out. you won't be disappointed.

saltimboca burgers (abreviated and with nellie's tips)

1 and 1/2 pounds of ground veal or chicken (i always use chicken)

3-4 large garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped (i use jarred minced garlic)

15-16 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced (plant a little herb garden for sage...saves you a ton!)

4 tablespoons evoo (extra-virgin olive oil - don't you just love her?)

2 cups baby romaine leaves or 6 to 8 leaves from the center of a romaine heart, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon (i buy the lemon juice from the store)

8 1-inch-thick slices good-quality semolina bread cut on an angle (this is delicious but my kids couldn't get their mouths around the bread and the burger so we just did whole wheat hamburger buns. it's not as flavorful but it is a lot easier to eat for the kiddos.)

8 slices prosciutto di parma (if you get the deli counter to cut this, you'll save money)

8 thin slices italian fontina cheese (easy to find, harder to cut thinly...but what's a little extra cheese?)



•preheat the broiler

•in a bowl, mix the ground meat with the garlic, sage, salt and pepper. form into patties. pour 2 tablespoons of evoo in an ovenproof skillet or indoor grill pan. (if your skillet does not have an ovenproof handle, cover it with two layers of aluminum foil) heat over medium-high heat. cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side. leave the burgers in the skillet.

•while the burgers cook, dress the romaine with lemon juice, 2 tablespoons evoo and salt and pepper. if you are using the semolina bread, toast it.

•top each burger with a couple slices of prosciutto and fontina cheese. slide the pan under the broiler to melt the cheese.

•serve the burgers on the buns or bread with the dressed romaine. i usually serve it with chips and some fresh fruit. enjoy!