Homemade Salsa

5 tomatoes

1 onion

1/2 c fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic

1 T lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pierce the skin of the tomatoes, drop them in the water until the skin begins to peel (only takes like 20 seconds), remove tomatoes, drop into cold water, peel tomatoes.

chop onions, garlic, jalapeno pepper, lime juice in food processor. Put in bowl. Chop cilatro in food processor, add to onion mixture. Then chop tomatoes to desired constancy, I put mine in the food processor (got all the yummy bits out too!).

Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

WHOLEWHEAT OATMEAL BANANA PANCAKES

I got this recipe from Netta, one of my new blogs that I read. she uses skim milk, I used 2%.

1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 C quick oatmeal
2 eggs , beaten
1 3/4 C milk
2 mashed bananas


Mix well.

Cook on hot griddle (use cooking spray).

Reuben Dip

1 c sour cream
1 c mayo (NOT miracle whip)
1 16 oz can saurkraut, drained and squeezed dry
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/3 lb deli style corned beef
1 c swiss cheese
2 T horseradish

Serve with Triscuits

Mix everything together. Bake 30 minutes at 350*




This is a new favorite!

Since it's zucchini harvest time, I dug this recipe out... it's very yummy!! This my friend Eliz's (From work) zucchini bread recipe! Enjoy!

Eliz’s Zucchini Bread

3 C Flour
2 t Baking Powder
1 T Cinnamon
1 C Brown Sugar
1 t Baking Soda
1 t Salt
1 ½ C Sugar
1 C Oil

2 C Peeled and Grated Zucchini
3 Eggs

1 t Vanilla
1 C Raisins
1 C Chopped Nuts

Preheat Oven 325*

Mix First 8 ingredients, then add zucchini and eggs. Mix in the rest!

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour.

2 "quick dinners"

I have to say that I am the queen of making dinner work with what I have in the fridge/cupboard with minimal extra's bought at the grocery store. Maybe not the queen, but I make it work.

I saw a recipe for some shredded mexican chicken on the web, have no idea the exact recipe but I improvised... and it was yummy...

I put 6 large chicken breasts, some fresh salsa, and a can of diced tomatoes, one taco packet in the crock put and cooked it all day.

Came home to all the taco fixin's... that night's dinner, chicken soft tacos... and they were GOOD!!

Had about 3 cups of leftover shredded chicken... mmm chicken enchiladas...

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 pkg lowfat cream cheese
2 small zucchini
1 med purple onion (use any kind you like, I had a purple one)
2 cloves garlic
~1 tsp ground cumin
Tortillas of your choice
1 can enchilada sauce
~1 - 1 1/2 cups monterrey jack shredded cheese (use any kind you like)

saute zucchini & onions, add garlic until onions and zucchini are tender. Add chicken, cream cheese, cumin, warm through until cream cheese is melted and well combined.

Put filling in tortillas, place in pan, "flat side up". cover with sauce, top with cheese. Cook ~30 minutes at 350.

I'm sure this could be made the night before and heated through the next day.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I feel like I am always trying a new salad dressing, most of the time actually tasting the chemicals, or they are too sweet (ick!). I love this one, just like usual, homemade is usually best!!


1T Sugar
1T Salt
1T ground pepper
1T ground mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil.

You can add more oil/vinegar to your tastes!!! it's SOOO yummy!! Perfect for marinades or salads!!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

This recipe was adapted from the awesome family recipe.

SLOW COOKER LASAGNA
2 pounds ground turkey
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 small zucchini
2 (28oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
16 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 (24 oz) low-fat cottage cheese
2 t. dried Italian seasoning
2/3 cups water
2 (4oz.) cans of mushrooms
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


Cook turkey and Italian seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles; drain. Combine spaghetti sauce, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, seasoned meat and water in pan, cook about ½ hour (I did this the day before). Layer thinly in bottom of lightly greased 5-quart electric slow cooker: uncooked lasagna noodles, sauce mixture, cottage cheese & mozzarella cheese. Repeat for each layer (approx 4 total layers). Cover & cook on high setting for 1 hour; reduce heat & cook on low setting for 5 hours. Can do ahead and store in fridge!! Yields 8 Servings (I have the very large rival crock pot, it was pretty full)

My daughter said this was SOO yummy!! I thought so too!!

I'm always cooking for a meal for us, or for someone else. A couple who are leaders at Alive had a baby, so her core group and a few other leaders made food for them and also a wonderful lady in our Women's Ministry had surgery and we made food for her and her hubby!

Here's the chicken recipe! It can be frozen so if they get a lot of meals, they can thaw when they are ready. Please note, all ingredients are to be used as a "guideline" I don't follow directions well :) Recipe adapted from here. We baked it before we gave it to them. Make sure when you are making meals for people, you put the directions of what they need to do on the packages :)

Parsley Parmesan Chicken
1/4 C. Italian salad dressing
2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
1/3 C. dry bread crumbs
2 T. parsley flakes
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Containers:
1-gallon freezer bags for chicken, quart freezer bags for crumbs.

Assembly Directions:
To Pre-Bake on Cooking Day: Pour salad dressing in a large bowl. Add the chicken parts to the dressing, coating well. Cover and chill about 4 hours, or overnight. Turn chicken in the dressing occasionally.
Combine parmesan cheese, dry bread crumbs, parsley flakes, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Roll chicken one piece at a time in the crumbs, then place chicken in a greased 9x 13 baking pan or on a cookie sheet. Spoon excess dressing over the chicken. Bake at 350º for 1 hour, or until thickest piece is done.
To Bake on Serving Day: Pour chicken parts and salad dressing into a freezer bag. Combine the parmesan cheese, dry bread crumbs, parsley flakes, paprika, salt and pepper and pour into a quart-sized freezer bag. Attach to the bag of chicken or put both bags into a larger freezer bag.
Freezing and Cooking Directions:
Pre-Baked Chicken:
Remove from oven and cool. Put baked chicken pieces into a freezer bag or rigid freezer container. Label and freeze.
To serve, place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish or pan. Warm in 400º oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Non-Baked Chicken:
Seal, label, and freeze. To serve, thaw marinated chicken and crumb mixture. Roll chicken one piece at a time in the crumbs, or shake in a bag, then place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan or on a cookie sheet. Spoon excess dressing over the chicken. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until thickest piece is done