Sloppy Joe Pasta

This is one of those recipes where I thought it was good, but my hubby loved it- so it's definitely a success!!

And the nice thing is that it's easy to put together and kinda fun since you get to use little shell noodles. :) It seems all my pasta dishes use penne or egg noddles, so I thought it was fun! I found this one in the Taste of Home magazine as well.

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 c. water
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 package small shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

What to do:
In a large saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in the sloppy joe mix, water, tomato paste and sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pasta.

Spoon half into a greased baking dish. Top with cottage cheese and then remaining noodle mixture. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Chilled Peach Yogurt Soup

I look forward to making this soup all year long. Anxiously, I wait for August, when peaches are finally ripe and in abundance and I can get a box of them while visiting family in Utah. Sure, they have peaches in Vegas... but they're teeerrible. In 9 year of living in Vegas, I have NEVER had a decent peach. It's really quite sad when you consider they're my favorite fruit.

This little soup is a snap to whip up... takes less than 10 minutes and makes a great appetizer, dessert, breakfast, or in my case today, a light lunch. I simply LOVE this stuff.

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens "70 Favorite Soups and Stews"
Serves: Four 1/2 cup servings

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches (approximately 2 large peaches; you can use frozen, but defrost them first and drain the excess liquid)
3/4 cup peach or apricot nectar (I like to use the Kern's nectar, or I'll simply use leftover peach juice from a jar of canned peaches)
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. vanilla yogurt

1. Combine the peaches, nectar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a food processor or blender.

2. In a large bowl, stir about 1/4 cup of the peach mixture into the yogurt. (Reserve just a bit of the yogurt for later, as a garnish.) Combine well and then add the remaining peach mixture, stirring well to combine.

3. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours and garnish with an additional Tbsp. of yogurt.