January 22 Menu

Breakfast: cereal, muffins at church activity

Snack: granola bars, bananas

Lunch: quesadillas, apples

Snack: pear muffins

Recipe--Spiced Pear Bread

3 cups pears, mashed

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup bean puree

3 eggs

3 1/4 cups flour

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Combine first five ingredients in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix dries. Add to pear mixture until just combined--do not overmix. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350, 10-15 minutes for mini muffins, 15-20 minutes for regular muffins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Dinner: cheese ravioli, broccoli, sourdough garlic bread

cooked ravioli pictured without the sauce

Recipe--Cheesy Garlic Ravioli , adapted from Reader's Digest Kitchen Secrets

Pasta Dough:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

2 T oil

Filling:

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup shredded mozarella

1 egg

Sauce:

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 (28 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes

salt, optional

To prepare dough, combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well. Make well in center of dries and dump in wet. Work dough with hands and knead for at least 5 minutes or until pliable. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour. Combine all ingredients for filling in bowl. For sauce, sautee onions in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened.

Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each to 9x12" rectangle. Cut into 4 strips 3x9". Drop 3 mounds of filling on two of the rectangles, spacing about 1" apart and leaving 1/2" margins. Brush edges with water and place empty strip on top. Firmly press dough around edges to seal. Slice each strip into 3 ravioli. Repeat with both halves of dough.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook ravioli until semi-firm, yet tender--about 6 minutes. Drain well. Serve with sauce and freshly grated parmesan. Serves 4. (Makes 12 ravioli.)