MEATBALLS

Today I had a hankering for meatball subs.  Saucy with my favorite marinara and lots of melty cheese.  MMMMMMMM.....unfortunately when I went to the cupboard to get out the seasonings I realized I was totally out of dried Italian Seasoning. ARGH!!!! So I went to my handy dandy New Betty Crocker cookbook and looked for a recipe using the individual seasonings.  I found a list...really....just a list of the herbs used for Italian cooking.  Lucky for me I had 3 of those herbs growing in my planter garden outside the back door.  So I've revamped one of my old meatball recipes using fresh instead of dried herbs.  If you don't have the fresh herbs at hand feel free to substitute 2 TBSP of dried Italian Seasoning in it's place.  Right now half of the meatballs are simmering in the sauce while the other half are cooling to prep for the freezer to be used later. 

MEATBALLS

Makes approx 5 dozen meatballs

Prep: 30 mins

Baking: 30 mins

Additional baking in sauce: minimum 1 hour

3 lbs 80% lean ground beef

3 eggs

1-1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Basil leaves, chopped

4 sprigs fresh Oregano, chopped (about 1 TBSP)

2 sprigs fresh Rosemary, chopped (about 1 TBSP)

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1 TBSP Garlic powder
1 TBSP Kosher Salt
1 Onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

Mix all ingredients by hand in large bowl until combined.  Using a medium sized scoop, form meatballs and place evenly spaced on a baking pan.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until browned.   Remove from oven and drain off fat.  At this time you can either add them to your favorite marinara sauce and simmer for an hour.  OR you can cool completely and place in freezer bags for later use.



portioned meatballs ready to go into the oven....I got 57!!



Meatballs fresh from the oven

Layering the meatballs in marinara to simmer.

Cooling the rest of the meatballs on a lined rack to get ready for the freezer

here's one on a fork that I am going to eat RIGHT AWAY!!!  YUM!!!

Rice Playdough Recipe for Wheat and Gluten Allergy

I have recently discovered that children who have wheat and gluten allergies cannot play with regular play dough!!  Since I have just become acquainted with one of these children I was delighted to find this recipe.  While waiting for my enchiladas to bake today I decided to give this recipe a try.  As you can see I had some help playing with it to test it out and while it is not edible...it is FUN!!!  It was a free recipe that I found on http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/  The link for the recipe is attached below.  Even if you don't know anyone with allergies, it is a fun project and works up really quick.

Rice Playdough Recipe for Wheat and Gluten Allergy

Bierocks (kind of a hot pocket type food)

1 lb ground beef (think I'll add some sausage next time)
1/4 cup chopped white onion (Yes Amy...I used onion)
2 Tbsp veg oil
1 head of cabbage - chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
18 Rhodes Texas size frozen yeast rolls - thawed
Shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350

Let your rolls thaw or if you have more energy than me you can make homemade rolls. My kitchen is too small and I'm a little lazy so I buy frozen.
Saute your onions in the vegetable oil, when soft add ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until meat is browned. Now don't drain the meat yet. While the meat was browning you should have chopped up that head of cabbage. Add the cabbage and the Worcestershire sauce to the meat/onion mix, cover and cook until cabbage is limp....I'd say roughly ten minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning as needed. (I didn't do this and wish I'd added more seasoning.) Now you can drain all the liquid off of your meat/cabbage.

Take one of those Texas size thawed rolls and roll out very thin. Put approximately 1/4 cup of the meat/cabbage mixture in the middle. Sprinkle a little cheese if wanted and then seal up that roll. Place your creation seam side down on a cookie sheet (spray the cookie sheet with some cooking spray first) and start again. When your cookie sheet is full, brush the bierocks with some melted butter or an egg wash. Pop it into your preheated oven and bake 30 minutes. It smells wonderful. I love the smell of bread baking!
When the bierocks are golden brown remove from oven and brush with more butter!!

I've heard that these freeze well and microwave well. I plan on using sauerkraut in my next batch instead of cabbage. I love sauerkraut!

My Favorite Banana Bread

1 stick of margarine, softened
1 cup of sugar
3-4 ripe bananas
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup water
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine, sugar and bananas. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 1 hour, check. Bake additional 10 minutes if not firm at top.

My kids love this recipe and so do I. It is simple and tasty. We love it warm with margarine spread on the top!!

IMITATION CRAB SALAD

With some VERY hot summer days upon us I decided we needed something cool to eat for lunch.  This Imitation Crab Salad is so tasty and has a nice crunch to it!  I served it on Artisan Rolls (bought in the freezer section and baked at home) but think it would be good wrapped up in a tortilla or just served on a bed of lettuce.

ITIMATION CRAB SALAD

1 (8oz) pkg imitation crab meat, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2TBSP red onion, minced
1/3 cup mayonnaise  (I substituted about 2 TBSP Miracle Whip for a touch of sweet)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. (we couldn't wait and ate after ours after 1/2 hour).

Makes 4 servings

RED ONION DIP

I am a chip and dip kind of girl...and I have to be OHHHH so careful that I don't devour the entire bag of chips and container of dip in one sitting.  So on our last camping trip when I forgot to get DIP to go with our rippled potato chips I was pretty bummed!  I had fully intended to make an onion dip using sour cream and a packet of dried Lipton Onion Soup mix....but time got away from me and I totally forgot.  So as we were finishing a meal of hamburgers on Saturday afternoon I sat pondering the relish tray.  There was leftover red oinon sitting there and I wondered to myself if I could make a dip using that.  Fortunately I remembered to bring the sour cream along and had a selection of spices to choose from.  Below is what I came up with.  The flavor is good immediately....but gets better and better with time.  DH loved it so much that he has requested I make it again already!

RED ONION DIP

1-1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 red onion (approx. 1/2 cup), finely chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients into small bowl.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour before serving for flavors to meld.  Serve with Ripple type potato chips or fresh veggies of your choice.

GLUTEN FREE FRIED SQUASH

this is my beautiful niece Camille!!  She and her friend Becca came up with this recipe

GLUTEN FREE FRIED SQUASH

yellow squash
1-2 cups all purpose rice flour
paprika
garlic salt
1/2 to 1 tsp gluten free baking powder (we used guar gum)
table salt
2 eggs
oil of your choice for frying (we used olive oil b/c it doesn't pop)

Slice the squash. Lightly beat eggs in small bowl.  Mix flour, paprika and garlic salt (amounts depend on your taste) in another small bowl.  Dip squash into egg, then flour, then egg again.  Put in hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Salt. Eat up!

LEMON BARS

This past Monday, to my delight, there was a FREE cookbook from Jiffy Baking Mix in my mailbox.  I spent all afternoon perusing and had at least 10 pages dog eared for recipes that I wanted to try.  Lemon Bars are one of my hubby's FAVORITE desserts/cookies.....AND I actually had all the ingredients on hand so decided to give it a try first.  They are truly delicious!! 





If you want your own copy of this FREE 66 page cookbook just go to http://www.jiffymix.com/ and request your own copy....OR you can view the entire cookbook.  The lemon bars recipe is here http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/chelsea/recipebook/#/26. 

OVEN BAKED BBQ SPARERIBS

This week a very special friend celebrated her birthday....so for a celebratory lunch I made these spareribs, along with yummy grilled veggies!!!  I've made these ribs for many years...and they always get rave reviews.  Today I'm gonna share the recipe! 

OVEN BAKED BBQ SPARERIBS

1 rack of pork spareribs
salt
pepper
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut rack of ribs into individual ribs and lay in a 13x9" casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray (this may take more than one casserole dish if your rack of ribs is very large).  Lightly salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove pan from oven and lower oven temp to 250 F at this time.  Then, remove ribs from pan, pour juice out of pan, put ribs back into pan, cover with bbq sauce and put back into oven uncovered.  Cook slowly for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.   Cover w/ foil and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

MMMMM......MMMMMM.....finger lickin' good!!!  Make sure you have LOTS of napkins handy!!!

CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

So today I was finally trying to organize my "hard copy" recipes into some sort of easy to locate system when I came across this recipe.  Stacy had made two of these pies last year and shared some with my family!!!  It was sooooo good....a perfect mix of sweet and tart!  If you happen to have some cranberries in your freezer now....THIS..... is what I would recommend making!! 





CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

Posted by Stacy Gleaton

6 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples

1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and chopped, if desired

1 cup sugar + 2 TBSP

3 TBSP flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dash salt

4 tsp butter

Heat oven to 425 F.  Roll pastry to thin and place one in bottom of 9" pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Turn into pastry-lined pan.  Add 4 dabs of butter on top of fruit filling.  Cover with top crust, trim excess.  Add decorative touch, if desired.  Cut slits, seal and flute the edges.  Bake for 40-45 mins.  Top with confectioner's sugar glaze while hot.  Serve with vanilla ice cream!!

GLAZE:  1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1-2 TBSP milk.  Mix to a drizzly consistency.  

MORE VEGGIES ON THE GRILL

So tomorrow Clinton is coming home from his week long Fishing Trip to Missouri........which means this will be the last night of JUST VEGGIES on the grill for dinner!  LOL  Although he likes grilled veggies....atleast some of them....I don't think he would let me get away with JUST VEGGIES!!  Asparagus, mini sweet bell peppers, mini bella shrooms and what was left over of a large green bell pepper.  We'd never had the minis bells before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect as far as seeds go and I didn't want to spend the time to cut up these little cuties.  Lucky for us they had just 4 teeny tiny seeds at the very top by the stem...which you don't eat!  Worked out beautifully.  I still have a half pack of these mini  bells and was thinking about stuffing them before they go on the grill....anybody have any good ideas for that????

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE w/ HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE with HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
¼ cup honey
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 shortcake cups (or slices of pound cake…your choice)

Place strawberries in a bowl and drizzle with honey. Stir; set aside at room temp for about 10 minutes to allow juices to flow.

In a chilled bowl, mix heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Mix on high with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN CASSEROLE

GREEN CHILE-CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Posted by Sandee
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

**This dish makes a lot and has a very rich flavor to it. I used regular sour cream instead of fat-free; next time I will use about half of the chi...cken the recipe called for because I thought it was too much. I will also saute' my onions before adding them to the sauce, as they were too crunchy for my taste.**

Ingredients
• 1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Cooking spray
• 24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

LAST MINUTE LASAGNA

 

LAST MINUTE LASAGNA
prep time: 15 mins
bake time: 35-40 mins

1 24-26 oz jar marinara sauce
two 20-oz packages refrigerated large cheese ravioli
one 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
2 cups shredded mozzarella (8 oz)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. On top of the sauce, layer a third of the ravioli, half the spinach, half the mozzarella and a third of the sauce; repeat. Top with the remaining third of the ravioli and sauce. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbling, 5-10 mins.

**I used frozen ravioli, because it is MUCH cheaper. And my ravioli wasn't completely thawed so it took an extra 10-15 mintues before this was done. This was the second time I've made it...half batch both times. And while it's good the first night.....it's even better day 2 when all the flavors have had a chance to meld!

APPLE JACK COOKIES

Apple Jack Cookies

Posted by Sandee

Cream together 1 c light brown sugar and 1/2 c shortening (we used butter). Beat in 1 egg (we substituted apple sauce). Sift together 1 1/2 c flour, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt, and 1 t nutmeg. Add to mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in 1 c chopped unpeeled apples (we used my food chopper for this). Drop in the shape of balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 12-15 min.

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

MEXICAN CASSEROLE  this recipe was give to me by my lil' bro John, and he got it from our cousin Stephen, who got it from.......you get the pic.  It's a recipe worth sharing!

1 lb Hamburger

½ onion, diced

1 can Ranch Beans with Jalapenos

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 corn tortillas

2-3 cups grated cheese

Brown hamburger meat with onions, drain fat.  Add beans, rotel and soup.  Tear up 6 tortillas and put on bottom of a sprayed 9x13 pan.  Layer half the meat mixture.  Layer half the cheese.  Tear 6 more tortillas and layer on top of the cheese.  Add remaining meat mixture.  Sprinkle on remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 mins.

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN & HERB ROASTED POTATOES

Herb Roasted Potatoes
Posted by Sandee

3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
6 medium red skin potatoes, cut into chunks

Heat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients, except potatoes. Place
potatoes in lightly greased 13x9" baking pan, toss with mustard
mixture. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender,
stirring occasionally.

Oven-Fried Chicken
posted by Sandee

1/4 cup margarine or butter (I use butter)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2-3 pound broiler-fryer, cut up (I only use chicken legs when I make this)

Heat butter in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, in 425 degree oven until melted. Mix flour, salt, paprika and pepper in a gallon size ziplock bag. Add chicken pieces until coated. Place skin sides down in pan. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Turn chicken; bake until thickest pieces are done, about 30 minutes longer. (since I only use leg piecse, this takes 20 minutes per side.)

GINGER SYRUP/CANDY (ginger candy & ginger ale)

Ginger Syrup/Candy

½ lb ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about ¼” thick)
2 cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup for candy
2 cups water
2 tsp ground ginger (optional: ground ginger will make it spicier)

The easiest way to peel your ginger is to use a spoon! Just use the bowl of the spoon to scrape the peel off.

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, ground ginger (if using) and water. Stir until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add ginger slices. Gently simmer for approx. 1 hour, or until ginger is softened (I tasted mine to see if it was tender enough). Line a small sheet pan with waxed or parchment paper. Spread remaining ¼ cup of sugar on lined pan. When ginger is done, remove it with a slotted spoon or tongs to the prepared pan. Toss ginger pieces in sugar and spread out on a cooling rack to dry (this may take several hours or overnight). Store the candied ginger in a sealed container after it is dried. Allow the ginger syrup to cool, then refrigerate in a sealed container.

 

To make ginger ale: Add 2-4 generous tablespoons of ginger syrup to a large pint sized glass. Top with seltzer or sparkling water. You may also want to add a slice of lime and garnish with candied ginger.

 

HUMMUS

HUMMUS

cups (or a 15 oz can) garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and reserve liquid
1/2 cup Tahini (roasted sesame paste)
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
juice from 2 medium sized lemons
1/2 to 1 tsp Celtic salt (I used Kosher salt, but I think any good salt will work)
1/2 tsp Cumin

Puree garbanzo beans in blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add reserved liquid a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days. Serve with crackers, pita bread or veggies.See More

STRAWBERRY BROWNIE TORTE

I stole this pic from Javonna....hers looks sooooo pretty!!!!  Scroll down to see how mine turned out!

STRAWBERRY BROWNIE TORTE            Posted by Javonna

Simple recipe. You can use any berry in season. It's great with raspberries.

1 pkg (21 1/2 or 23.6 oz) fudge brownie mix
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cold water
1 pkg (4-serving size) instant vanilla flavor pudding
1 3/4 cups cool whip
1 qt fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled & halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with waxed paper, extending up sides of pan: grease waxed paper.
Prepare brownie mix as package directs for cake-like brownies; pour into prepared pans. Bake 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched. cool.
In large bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk and water; beat in pudding mix. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Place 1 brownie layer on serving plate. Top with half each of pudding mixture and berries. Repeat. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 8-10 servings.

 

But is sure did taste good!!!!  LOL

 

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SCALLOPINE

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SCALLOPPINE
posted by Sandee

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast havles (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
...1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 c. chicken broth*
1/4 tsp. red pepper sauce, optional (I used it)*
2 Tbsp. lime juice*
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro*

Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place chicken breast half with smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4" thick. Repeat with remaining chicken. Cut chicken into smaller pieces, if desired.
In shallow bowl, combine flour, cumin and salt. Reserve 1 tsp. flour mixture*. Coat chicken with remaining flour mixture.
In a 12" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.
In a small bowl, stir reserved 1 tsp. flour mixture into chicken broth. Gradually stir broth and red pepper sauce into skillet. Heat to boiling; stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve sauce over chicken. 4 servings.

LAZY FRUIT PASTRY

Lazy Fruit Pastry
by Ashley Reyes

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour, 2 cups

Superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon (we used regular sugar)
Ground allspice, 1 tablespoon
Butter or margarine, 2/3 cup (we used butter)
Egg, 1, separated (we used an egg substitute)
Cooking apples, 1 pound
Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons
Raisins, 2/3 cup
Raw sugar, ½ cup (we used regular sugar)
Hazelnuts, ¼ cup, toasted and chopped (optional, we omitted)

1. Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees. Put the flour, sugar, and spice in a bowl. Add the butter or margarine and rub it into the flour with your fingertips, until it resembles bread crumbs.
2. Add the egg yolk and use your hands to pull the mixture together, (You may need to add a little water). (we had to had about 3-4 tablespoons of water.)
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead gently until smooth. Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin to make a rough circle about 12 inches across. Use the rolling pin to carefully lift the pastry onto a baking sheet. The pastry may hang over the edges slightly—this doesn’t matter.
4. Peel the apples. Using a small sharp knife, cut the apples into quarters, then carefully cut out the core. Discard the core and slice the apples on the cutting board. Toss them in the lemon juice to stop them from turning brown.
5. Scatter some of the apples over the middle of the pastry, leaving a 4-inch border all around. Scatter some of the raisins over the top. Keep making layers of apple, raisins, and sugar until you have used them up.
6. Fold up the pastry edges to cover the fruit, overlapping it where necessary. Brush the pastry with the egg white (we used milk) and sprinkle over the reserved sugar. Scatter over the nuts (if using). Cover the central hole with aluminum foil. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is browned.

RAVIOLI w/ SAGE BUTTER

Ravioli With Sage Butter
Posted by Sandee

2 packages(9-ounces each)refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli
1 tbsp.olive oil
...12 whole fresh sage leaves
6 tbsp.butter
2 tbsp.coarsely chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp.chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp.salt
1/4 tsp.black pepper
2 tbsp.chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook ravioli following package directions.Drain.

Meanwhile,heat oil in medium-size skillet over high heat.Add sage leaves,fry about i minute on each side or until lightly crisped.Transfer to paper toweling.

In same skillet,melt butter over medium-high heat,letting butter brown slightly.Stir in chopped sage,thyme,salt and pepper.

Place ravioli on serving platter.Pour herb butter over top.Sprinkle with chopped parsley.Garnish with fried sage leaves.Serve immediately

THREE CHEESE SAUCE w/ BOW TIES

Three Cheese Sauce With Bow Ties
Posted by Sandee

1 pound bow tie pasta
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
...1/4 pound gorgonzola cheese,crumbled
1/4 pound fontina cheese,shredded
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
1/4 tsp.salt
1/4 tsp.black pepper
1 jar(7-ounces)roasted red peppers,drained and cut into strips
3/4 cup coarsley chopped walnuts,toasted

Cook pasta following package directions.Drain.

While pasta is cooking,bring cream to a simmer in medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan.Add gorgonzola,fontina and 1/2 cup asiago cheeses,stir until smooth.Stir in salt,pepper and roasted red pepper strips.Remove from heat.

Toss cooked pasta with cheese sauce and 1/2 cup walnuts.Sprinkle remaining nuts and 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup asiago cheese over top.Serve immediately.

CHEESY BROCCOLI & HAM RICE BAKE

Cheesy Broccoli and Ham Rice Bake
Posted by Sandee

1-1/2 cups raw rice
water for cooking rice
...1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 cup ham, chopped
1 large can (26 oz) cream of chicken soup (the family size)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
a few shakes hot sauce, optional

Cook your rice according to the package's directions. Meanwhile blanch the broccoli in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes; drain and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process; drain when cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice, blanched broccoli, ham, cream of chicken soup, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce (if you're using hot sauce) and stir well to combine. Spread half of the mixture in a baking dish (I used a 3-qt roasting dish, but you could use an 8x8 or 9x9 dish). Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with rest of casserole mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until completely heated through and cheese has melted throughout. Let stand for 5 minutes before digging in (if you can wait! LOL!!).

HOT PIZZA DIP

HOT PIZZA DIP

 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce
2 TBSP chopped green pepper
2 TBSP chopped scallions (green onions)
bread sticks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bown, combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning. Mix well and spread over bottom of 8-inch mini baker. Lightly toss mozzarella and parmesan cheeses to mix. Sprinkle half of grated cheeses over cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce over cheeses. Top with remaining cheeses, pepers and scallions. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until cheeses are melted and Pizza Dip is bubbling around the edges.

Serve hot, with bread sticks.

BANANA PRALINE MUFFINS

Banana Praline Muffins
Posted by Sandee

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
...1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Praline:
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. sour cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Mix brown sugar and sour cream, add pecans.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mash bananas, add egg, sugar and oil. Beat well.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just moistened.
Grease muffin tins, and put equal amount of batter in each.
Top each with equal amount of praline mix in center of muffin.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 Regular size muffins or 6 large.

CHUNKY POTATO SOUP

 

Chunky Potato Soup
Posted by Sandee

3 medium red potatoes
2 cups water
1 small onion
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP all purpose flour
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Set aside potatoes. Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.
3. Peel and finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to saucepan; coo, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.
4. Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes (if using) and black pepper to taste. Cook 3-4 minutes.
5. Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. Add chees and ham. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Toppings: I top this with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and sliced scallions...it makes all the difference!

PASTA w/ SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND PINE NUTS

Pasta With Sausage, Spinach, and Pine Nuts
posted by Sandee
source: Weight Watchers "Best Eats" cookbook
serves 4

...2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced (April used 3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (9-oz) package fresh fettuccine (April used about 12 oz of dry fettuccine)
1 (9-oz) bag baby spinach (April used more)

Cook the pasta in large pot according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. (This took me longer because I sliced my sausage a little thicker.) Add the pine nuts, garlic, and red pepper; cook, stirring frequently until the nuts are lightly browned and the sausage is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and continue to cook 1-2 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through.

Return pasta to the pot; add sausage spinach mixture and reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to coat. (April topped with parmesan cheese.)

Weight Watchers POINTS per serving: 7

CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE

Cordon Bleu Casserole ~ yield 6 servings
Posted by: Sandee

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
...4 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)
1 3/4 cups milk

TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (I used club cracker crumbs)
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (I used 2 tbsp)

DIRECTIONS
In a nonstick skillet, sauté ham for 4-5 minutes or until browned; drain and pat dry. In a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer the turkey, cheese and ham; set aside.
In a saucepan, sauté the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, mustard and nutmeg until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over ham. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

I added sliced mushrooms (about 8 oz) to the sautéed onions. I also did added about 1/4 cup cheddar cheese instead of the 1/2 cup swiss to the topping mix.

TROUBLE WITH COMMENTS????

If you are having trouble leaving comments on postings there are a few things that might be a problem.  I'm not really good at computer stuff, but I'll try and help.  Below is a list that I found when I went looking for help with this problem.  Believe it or not….#1 fixed my problem!  Good luck and I hope to hear from some of you soon.  Amy

1) Before attempting to Login in Make sure the "Remember Me" Checkbox is UNTICKED

2) Make sure you are running the latest version of your browser, if not, upgraded it.

3) Make sure you REALLY have cleared both your COOKIES and CACHE

4) Once Cleared shut down the browser

5) Then Open it again and CHeck that the Cookies and Cache are indeed Empty. This is very important. The problem seems to be with corrupt cookies and cache files

6) If that is OK try going to www.blogger.com . Don't login yet, press CTRL-F5 and then try logging in again

7) If that still does not work try logging into Gmail first and then go to www.blogger.com and try again

8) If that does not work try going to this address http://www2.blogger.com/home

9) If that does not work try going to draft.blogger.com

10)  If you use IE8 or IE9 try pressing the compatibility button (at the end of the address bar) when you're on your blog page.

11) If all those fail, try installing another browser to see if that works eg Firefox, Chrome, Opera etc

12) If you comments box on your blog is not appearing, change from Embed Comments to Popup or Full-Screen until the issue is fixed. Also try. Or you can try , but backup your blog template first, is to try resetting all your defaults. see screenshot. You do this from the Design, Edit HTML screen. (http://i54.tinypic.com/vfv883.png) This fixes about 99% of issues with the missing comments box.

LO-CAL WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

It's been a while since I took this pic....but I think I might have added blueberries or mini chocolate chips to the recipe

Lo-Cal Whole Wheat Pancakes
Makes: 10

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup skim milk
non stick spray

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine. Batter should be slightly lumpy.
Cook on hot griddle (lightly sprayed with non stick spray) until edges are firm and you can easily slip a spatula under; turn. Cook on other side until done.

OVEN ROASTED POTATOES

OVEN ROASTED POTATOES
prep:5 mines
bake: 40 mins

1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 lbs potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large plastic bag or bowl, add all ingredients. Close bag and shake, or toss in bowl, until potatoes are evenly coated. Empty potatoes into 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

CHEESY SQUASH CASSEROLE

Cheesy Squash Casserole           Posted by Patrice Hansford

Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time: 30 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve crackers, crushed medium to fine (recommended: Ritz)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the squash, onion, and butter until soft. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Cheddar, and sour cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Place in the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.

FRIED OKRA

FRIED OKRA
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Serves: 6

Canola oil, for frying
1 pound okra
Salt
10 fresh sage leaves

Fill large pot with enough oil to reach 2" up the sides of the pot. Heat oil to 360 degrees F.

Thinly slice okra crosswise (I would call it slanted) (there will be about 6-8 slices from each). In batches, fry okra in the hot oil until edges turn golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Place okra on a serving platter. Fry sage leaves in a single batch until crisp and nearly translucent, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. When cool enough to handle, crumble sage leaves over okra and serve warm or at room temperature.

PAULA DEAN SQUASH & ZUCCHINI CAKES

PAULA DEAN SQUASH & ZUCCHINI CAKES        posted by Patrice Hansford

Ingredients

* 3 medium zucchini
* 3 medium yellow squash
* 1 cup toasted bread crumbs
* 1 cup shredded Parmesan
* 1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 1 jar store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Place onto serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.

BAKED SQUASH

BAKED SQUASH

8 medium yellow squash, sliced
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
4 green onions, tops and bottoms, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg green onion dip
2 cups swiss cheese, grated

Cook the squash in boiling salted walter until tender, drain. In a sauce pan, saute the onions and celery in butter until soft. Mix with squash and add remaining ingredients, except for 1 cup cheese for topping. Salt and pepper to taste and transfer to baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

OVEN FRIED SQUASH

OVEN FRIED SQUASH

Peel and slice 2 medium size squash in about 1/8" thick pieces. Dip in water to moisten. In a bag, shake squash slices in a mixture of 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup flour. Placed sliced on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, turn over and bake 5 minutes on the other side. Serve hot.

STEAMED SQUASH & TOMATOES

STEAMED SQUASH AND TOMATOES

2 medium yellow squash, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 tsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wash squash and tomatoes and slice them. Heat oil in a skillet. Add sliced squash to skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes until just tender. Layer sliced tomatoes on top of squash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Cover skillet and steam 3 to 5 minutes.

BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI

BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI

3 medium zucchini, trimmed
1 1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 TBSP minced onion
1 1/2 TBSP minced parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TBSP butter
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook zucchini in boiling salted water to cover in large pot, for 5 minutes. Drain, halve lengthwise, scoop out pulp with a spoon, leaving shell intact. Coarsely chop pulp. Combine with cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and egg in medium size bowl. Spoon crumb mixture into zucchini shells mounding in center. Dot with butter, sprinkle with remaining parmesan parmesan. Place in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

CORN ZUCCHINI SKILLET

CORN ZUCCHINI SKILLET

1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup green onions, sliced with tops
4 medium zucchini, coarsely shredded
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups fresh corn ( I think frozen will also work)
1 jar sliced pimento, drained

Cook and stir walnuts and garlic in margarine in 10" skillet overmedium heat until walnuts are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove walnuts with slotted spoon and reserve. Add onions, zucchini, salt, pepper, corn and pimento to skillet. Cook, stirring occassionally, until corn is done. Stin in reserved walnuts and serve.

ZUCCHINI HAMBURGER BOATS

ZUCCHINI HAMBURGER BOATS

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced chile
2 - 10" zucchini
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp salt
shredded cheese of your choice

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scrape pulp from each half to form a boat (reserve pulp for filling). Leave boats about 1/4" thick. Bake in 350 degree oven while preparing beef mixture. Mix ground beef, salt, onion, chile, and zucchini pulp in large skillet and cook until meat is done. Scoop meat mixture into zucchini boats, bake for 10 minutes then add grated cheese; bake an additional 10 minutes until boats are done and cheese is melted.

SWEET ONION BAKE

SWEET ONION BAKE

6 large sweet onions (yellow or vidalia)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 cups crushed butter-flavored crackers (I used Ritz)
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup shredded colby jack

In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender and liquid has evaporated. Place half of the onion in a square 8x8 baking dish; sprinkle half of the cracker crumbs and cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Sweet Potato Casserole                  Posted by Melissa Sanders Brewer

2 c. sweet potatoes ( canned can be used)
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
6tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Bake sweet potatoes(if canned you don't need to bake). Mash potatoes. Add eggs, melted butter and spices. Pour into greased casserole and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Topping for Sweet Potato Casserole

3/4 c. crushed corn flakes
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1/2 c. brown sugar
6 tbsp melted butter

mix all ingredients( I usually use large ziplock bag). Sprinkle on casserole when it comes out of oven. Return to oven at 400 degrees and bake 10 additional minutes.

I love the topping and like it thick so I usually double up on the topping.

CHERRY TOMATO AUGRATIN

CHERRY TOMATO AUGRATIN

make a kind of "au gratin" casserole: put cherry toms in a greased baking dish and cover with a mix of breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, and chopped parsley; dot with butter & bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes (you could call this the "cherry tomato bomb recipe" because the toms explode with juicy flavour in your mouth!)

GREEN BEANS SAUTE

With the winds and drought this year I am just now getting fresh veggies from the garden.  Today I cooked up this large batch of green beans.  Some families may be able to eat them all in one meal, but only two of us in my house eat green beans, so I portioned the rest out into 1 cup freezer containers to pull out later.  I've frozen them before and they taste wonderful reheated!!   Quite often I will use more olive oil than called for....and I didn't have any yellow onion today, so I substituted a white one instead.  Toasted slivered almonds are a nice complimentary flavor and texture to add at the end.  

GREEN BEANS SAUTE

1 lb fresh or frozen green beans cut into 1" pieces
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lg yellow onion, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced (optional)

If using fresh green beans, cook in boiling water for 10-12 minutes or steam 2-3 minutes until barely fork tender. Drain well. (if frozen, thaw first).

Heat oil. Saute onion until golden.

Stir in green beans, salt & pepper. Heat through. Toss with parsley before serving.

FIVE-A-DAY VEGETABLES w/ PARMESAN CHEESE

FIVE-A-DAY VEGETABLES WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 small onion, sliced
1 green or yelllo bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium carrot, jullienned
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine zucchini, onion, bell pepper, carrot, water, butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a large skillet. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and cook, turning with a wide spatula, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-10 minutes.
2 Add tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Toss and cook another minute. Serves 8-10.

I vary my veggies in this recipe depending on what I have on hand. And sometimes I will even change up the seasonings and the cheese and make it more of a Mexican dish.

PICO DE GALLO

Pico de Gallo          Posted by Jacquetta

This is a double recipe. 
This makes 8 cups approx.

10 Roma tomatoes
1 large onion
6 whole Jalapeno peppers
Cilantro
juice from 1 lime
Salt to taste
Pico de Gallo Con Limon ( Chili Salt with Lime)

Chop all into small dices. Place all ingredients into large bowl and give a good stir.
Squeeze the juice of one lime into bowl and stir again.
Add salt and stir again.
I also add the chili Salt with Lime powder.

Refrigerate over night. Serve with tortilla chips.