Raspberry Crumble Bars

omgosh.  took two seconds.  so good.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 to 12 ounces good raspberry preserves
2/3 cup good granola without dried fruit
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together and with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball.  Turn the dough out on a board.  Lightly pat two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides. Spread with the jam, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface.  Sprinkle the almonds on top.  Bake the bars for 45 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

*www.foodnetwork.com (Ina Garten)

Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup

yep, real glad I made this one.  

protein-packed meal!  super yummy.  super good for you.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage* (see note)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion or leeks
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14.5-ounce each) cans diced tomatoes (I used petite diced.)
• 1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked shell-shaped pasta
• 9 ounces spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (One bag of spinach is 5 oz. and that's all I used.  It was plenty.  I chopped it VERY finely with this awesome, handy-dandy tool because I didn't want big chunks.)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium heat (remove the sausage from the casings, if needed) until browned, 3-4 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. If your sausage is really lean, you may need to use a teaspoon or so of oil so it doesn't stick to the pan. 
2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. At this point, if there is excess grease, drain it before proceeding.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the shell pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking.
5. Stir in the spinach and simmer for another minute until the spinach is wilted.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread, of course.

*I prefer chicken or turkey sausage because it is lean; however, you could easily sub Italian sausage of another variety like pork.  Just be sure to drain off the excess grease before adding the broth.  Also, if you are not using low-sodium chicken broth, I would suggest decreasing the 1 teaspoon salt and adding to taste so the soup isn't overly salty.

*www.melskitchencafe.com