Layered Bean Dip

Have you made layered bean dip lately? One of my favorite summer things...yum.

I use:

vegetarian refried beans

guacamole or mashed fresh avocados

sour cream (I always use Daisy cause it doesn't have other stuff in it)

Mexican style shredded cheese

salsa or fresh chopped pico de gallo

olives

chopped cilantro

tips:

~if you want it hotter you can add a minced (seeded) serrano chili.

~sprinkle the bean layer with some garlic powder for an added flavor

~squeeze fresh lime juice over the top for a citrus zing

Keeping Your Avocado

Here are some tips on how to keep an avocado as long as possible. That is of course, if you can resist eating it! =0)

1. if it's uncut you can store it in the fridge to slow down it's ripening process.

2. if you've cut it and want to save some, keep the pit with it which helps prevent browning. You can even store chopped avocado or guacamole with a pit to help it last longer.

3. to store a half avocado, keep the pit with it, brush the top with lemon juice and cover tightly with cling wrap which has been pushed and sealed around the pit and cut side.

4. if serving sliced, chopped or mashed avocado (guacamole included) mix in some lemon juice or spritz with lemon juice when setting out to keep from turning brown.

Grilled Turkey, Onion, and Cheese

I've had requests for more sandwiches to be posted on here. When I used to work at a deli sandwich shop in the LA area the owner's dad would come in and ask me to make him this sandwich. It wasn't on the menu but he tried to convince me that no one made it better than I did.....that's probably cause I added extra grilled onions and lots of cheese....

diced onion

olive oil

sliced deli turkey

provolone cheese

sourdough bread or sub roll

Grill the onions in a little olive oil till lightly browned, add turkey and grill. Shape turkey into the shape of your bread while still in the pan and then lay slices of cheese of over top. Turn off burner and let sit till cheese is melted. Using a spatula, transfer the turkey and cheese to the sandwich bread/roll.

Optional- serve with tomato, spinach, avocado, mayo...etc.

Sub Sandwich For A Crowd

It's sandwich season still so here's another sandwich for you. When serving a crowd or going to a large picnic or summer potluck, I like to make this style sandwich. Most grocery stores carry a fresh french bread loaf in their bakery areas and they are ideal for making large sub sandwiches.

french loaf

mayo

Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian

lunch meat

sliced sandwich cheeses

sliced tomatoes

lettuce

Slice bread loaf in half long ways with a bread knife. Spread on mayo and dressing (one on each side). Layer meat and cheese. Top with tomatoes and lettuce and any other items listed below under "optional". Close with top of bread and slice in about 2 in. thick slices. Long sandwich picks can be used in each sandwich slice to hold sandwich together if desired. Stack on platter and cover with cling wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve.

One sandwich serves about 6-8 adults. For a potluck, I make three of these. For our family and one other family coming over, I make 2 of these. For potlucks I use only turkey and cheese and none of the "optionals".... Sometimes I set out some mustard, sliced onion and pepperoncinis on the side.

optional: sliced red onion, pepperoncinis, mustard, spinach, avocado, and olives

In the pictures I used: mayo, Italian dressing, honey roasted turkey, roast beef, salami, Havarti, provolone, tomatoes, romaine, and baby spinach.

You can also use wheat french bread (below) which is found in some stores OR make your own fresh french bread loaves.

Sneaky Chocolate Cake

Here is the other eggless cake recipe and this one is extra sneaky with a whole can of pumpkin that you can NOT taste in the cake! I'm so impressed with this recipe because of it's rich texture! It's wonderful to sneak squash into kids, bring to a party when you're on a diet, or camping when you don't have eggs!

1 box devils food cake mix

1 14 oz can pumpkin or half of a 28 oz can (can NOT be pumpkin pie filling)

Mix the above together till well blended. (it's a little dry to mix at first but keep mixing. If needed you can add a bit of water but I haven't needed to)

Bake in cake pans or as cupcakes @ 350 for approx. 35 min. or until centers are done.

Variations:

~ mix in 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts

~ mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips

~ top with frosting

~ top with whipped cream

~ top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries

~ serve hot with vanilla ice cream

~ bake in a 9x13 with chocolate chips mixed in as a brownie

THANKS to my two friends who told me about this recipe and the one below!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Okay, I'm back! Sorry for the long delays....

I'm going to post two eggless cake recipes. These are great for camping since you don't have to take eggs with you. You can do them in a dutch oven over coals as well. Here's the first one. It has a refreshingly light texture.

1 box angel food cake mix
1 can crushed pineapple in it's juice

mix the above together and pour into an UNgreased glass 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 min or until center is done.

Optional toppings: whipped cream, cool whip, sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, pie filling, etc.

Favorite Gadget Thing - Baby Whisk

I love this baby whisk from Pampered Chef! I use it all the time for:

sauces

hot chocolate

drinks

marinades

salad dressings
gravy

and so much more!

Roast Beef Sandwich

To continue with more sandwich ideas for your summer cooking, here's a yummy leftover sandwich that our family enjoys....but first know, you must be a meat eater! =0)

Slice leftover roast beef and saute in a skillet till heated through. If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you've come to realize that we put cheese and avocado with everything....

Variations-

add a sauce like BBQ, steak sauce, your favorite salad dressing (try ranch or thousand island).

add grilled veggies to go with it...like bell peppers and grilled onions....or some lightly sauteed spinach

Chicken and Rice Burritos

Got left over brown rice and roast chicken?

Mix them together and add a taco seasoning packet. Warm your tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, some pico de gillo and some sliced avocado and you've got great chicken and rice burritos.

Only got leftover rice? Pick up an already roasted chicken at the market, pull off the meat and do the above for a quick last minute dinner.

Forgotten Short Ribs

This recipe is from my mom and so I've included her notes. We've made it twice this summer up at Grandpa's cabin in the dutch oven but you can put it in your crock pot just as well.

From Carol's Kitchen:
(My recipe is an adaptation of one from the Sunset Favorite Recipes Cookbook 1969. I started making this dish when I got my first crock pot which was back in those early years of marriage. I used to set the table and put this on to cook in the early morning when I had a busy day ahead of me or if we were going to be gone all day we could come home to a supper nearly ready. I can still remember a long day of playing in the snow with our kids and coming home to this wonderful smell and hearty meal to warm us up. When you get home and walk in the door put on a pot of small white or red rose potatoes, throw some veggies on, pull out some dinner rolls and in about 30 minutes you are asking the blessing before you dig in. If you can't find some nice short ribs you can use a chuck roast that you cut up.)

CATEGORY: BEEF/ MAIN DISH

INGREDIENTS

4-5 Pounds of Beef Short Ribs 3 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
½ tsp. Garlic Powder 2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp. Pepper 1/2 Onion diced small
2 cans (8 oz.) Tomato Sauce 1 Tbsp. Organic Sugar
3 Tbsp. Molasses

DIRECTIONS

Remove any excess fat from ribs that you can. If you are using a boneless chuck roast, cut into about 4x4" chunks. Pepper all sides. Spray your crock with PAM and place ribs in on low heat. In a small pan, combine the tomato sauce with the molasses, cider vinegar, liquid smoke, minced onion and sugar; bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for five minutes. Pour over the short ribs; cover and cook 8-10 hours. Have a great day! When you're ready to eat spoon off any excess fat before serving. Total prep time in morning is about 15 minutes.

notes: when making this in a dutch, use a 12 inch deep and first brown for just a few minutes the short ribs in some vegetable oil. Cover with the lid. Place about 4-6 charcoal briquettes nderneath the dutch and about 6-8 on top. You want it to just simmer for about 8 hours but not rapid bowl. Just a few bubbles coming through for a simmer is all you need. Remove a few briquettes if you need to get it down to a simmer.

Fast Parmesan Chicken

I was in a hurry the other day and decided to make an abbreviated version of Parmesan Chicken which turned out quite well and was considerably less calories because I didn't use mozzarella cheese. =0)

Spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil. Spread about 1 c of pasta sauce in the bottom. Lay frozen chicken breast in the pan, sprinkle with Italian seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake till cooked through (approx 375 degrees for about 45 min).

It was really good and the kids loved it. It was super fast and easy!

Oh ya, and take the foil off the last 10 min to brown the tops of the chicken.

Summer Squash Salad

I never would have considered eating squash raw until I saw this recipe and it sounded good. It came on my organic produce newsletter last week and I'll be brutelly honest...I didn't care for the dressing it said to make so I made up my own recipe using my favorite salad dressings, that is similar.

1/2 lb yellow summer squash thinly sliced
1/8 c toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
1/8 c grated Parmesan cheese
4-6 tbsp of your favorite dressing or vinaigrette (I used a mix of my favorite Italian dressing -Newman's Own Family Recipe and Lighthouse Poppy seed, which is so fabulous you can dip fruit in it)
dash of pepper

Mix all of the above together and serve cold. Now, I'd assume that not everyone would like this but if you are a health nut I'm thinking you would like this little side salad that is packed with goodness and not a lot of calories.

Costco Finds

Organic Root Beer (only one of our Costcos has this)

Julie's Organic Sorbet Bars

Organic Whole Wheat Bread

Organic Green Beans

Organic Corn

Organic Peas

Organic Milk

Organic Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing

Organic Spinach Ravioli

Organic Ground Beef

Taste of Home Cookbooks

Weight Watchers Cookbook

Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Grilled Tomato Cheese

A friend mentioned quite awhile back if I'd post more sandwiches on here.....well, for me, it's sandwich season and I often crave a good sandwich. I'll try to post more sandwiches on here throughout the summer just to remind you of some good sandwich ideas or maybe even some new ones. If you haven't already, check out my previous posts on sandwiches by going to my lunch link. I've done a hot pastrami, the goodwich, the BBQ beef, the panini, the brochette, and maybe a few more....=0)

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich!?!?! I once heard of a story of a girl immigrating to the US in the early 1900s and speaking no English she had learned how to say "cheese sandwich" in English so that she could at least order something she knew she liked as she traveled the US to her final destination. She recorded in her journal the many different sandwiches she was served even though every time all she said was "cheese sandwich". She got grilled cheese, cold cheese, cheese tomato, turkey and cheese, cheese on sour dough, cheese on wheat, cheese on white, cheese sandwich deep fried (probably a Monte Cristo), anyway, I always thought it a fun idea to just order a cheese sandwich every where you go and see what ya get. =0)



Okay, story hour is over, so here ya have a tomato grilled cheese....my favorite way to have grilled cheese is with a tomato! Yum.

Go easy on the butter, slice tomato thin, layer with your favorite cheese (I like colby jack or munster). Grill on low till heated through and melted.

Blueberry Peach Yogurt Smoothie

Man, this was good! Pretty darn healthy too!


2 oz peach yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
juice (apple works fine but just about any kind will work...I used grape cause I had it on hand)

Blend yogurt, blueberries, and just enough juice together so that it will blend smoothly.

Goodwich Sandwich

I know this is going to totally gross some of you out but I have to post this funny recipe. I grew up with my mom making these when I was a kid and I still love it. Mom found it in a healthy eating book (Fit For Life).


And, as crazy as it sounds, it taste really good. You wouldn't think it would but it's surprising....so try it. =0)

1/2 c BBQ Sauce

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

mayo

whole wheat pita pocket

Saute broccoli and cauliflower in the BBQ sauce in a skillet until veggies are tender. Serve on a pita spread with mayo.

(in the pictures I only had broccoli on hand)

Kielbasa Stir Fry

I used to make this a lot but now that I'm trying to eat healthier we only have it once in a great moon (is that even a saying?). Anyway, usually I make it with just broccoli but I'm currently trying to "eat through our freezer and pantry" so I came across this large bag of frozen stir fry veggies.

Brown Rice

Veggies

Polska Kielbasa (I buy either the turkey one or the all beef one -no pork)

Cook your rice. Meantime, saute your veggies (frozen or fresh) till tender. Slice kielbasa while the veggies are sauteing. Add the kielbasa once the veggies are tender. Saute till all the moister is absorbed. Toss well. Serve over the rice.

The saltiness of the meat flavors the veggies enough for us but you may want to add butter, soy sauce, or some other sauce you like...even Italian dressing might be good.

The frozen stir fry veggies I used came with some Thai sauce which was really yummy on it.

This is a super easy and fast meal especially if you already have some rice cooked. Use whatever veggies you like with it or make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage. I hear that the casing they use to make the sausage isn't that great for you but I haven't been able to find one made without the casing.

Favorite Gadget Thing - Trash Bowl

Here's my Favorite Gadget Thingy of the Month......

If you've ever seen Rachel Ray you've probably seen her famous trash bowls....well, I love the concept. Instead of running yourself back and forth to the trash can (our's is in our pantry so it's a little more work to get to) while preparing a meal, just keep a bowl on your counter that all your trash goes in and then you can just dump it all at once. Saves time not having to put each item in the trash one at a time and probably cuts down on contamination (touching the trash can possibly) or having to wash your hands every time you toss something.

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Rachel Ray would of course love it if you bought one of her designer garbage bowls here (gotta give the girl publicity for her idea) but I prefer to use one of my own plastic bowls from my $2 pack at wal-mart.

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Yes, once again, What's Cooking brings you the classiest, high tech, gadgets on the market...everyone in Beverly Hills wants a trash bowl, right?

Tea Party Game

Awhile back my daughter and I hosted a mother-daughter tea party and we played a little mother-daughter game after our tea. At the time, I couldn't find the list I had prepared with the questions so I had to ask the questions off the top of my head. Meantime, I have found the list and wanted to share it here.

Here's how it worked. The game host asks each little girl a question (one at a time) and had the little girl whisper her answer in the game host's ear. Then, we asked the mom of that girl to answer the question and we told her if she was right or wrong. It was really fun and there were no winners or losers.

Question List:
What is your favorite chore to do around the house?
What is your favorite color?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
If you could spend the day alone with your mom what would you want to do?
Do you like to have your nails painted?
What is your favorite dress?
What is your favorite way to wear your hair?
What is your favorite thing to do around the house (free time)?
What do you love to help your mom do?
What is your favorite game to play?
What is your favorite song?
What is your favorite food?

Organics- Answering Questions

Since I can't post pictures at the moment, I thought I'd answer more questions. I'm often asked why I try to buy and cook with organic foods. I don't know if there is a short answer to this question but I'll try to answer it as precise and simple as possible.

First, what does "organic" mean? Organic means that the foods are NOT grown using pesticides (neither bug pesticides or weed pesticides) and animals used for foods are not fed feed with pesticides nor are they given antibiotics or hormones. Those are the basics behind the word organic. The term "organic" can be thrown around with a wide range of meaning when it comes to labels in the grocery store. For example, chips might say "organic" on them but if you read the label carefully they are made with just one organic ingredient but the rest of the ingredients are not organic. It helps to stick with "certified organic" labels because those are the ones that have been inspected usually as a 100% organic product but not always. Reading labels is wise. In the case of organic sugar it is sugar that has not been refined as well. There are other factors as well such as genetically altered food and radiation processing....not to mention splenda which is processed by bleaching the sugar. If you want to know more and get more details, here are a few links that offer a more in-depth look at what "organic" is. Check here and here.

So, why do we personally try to eat organic?
Several cancers are being linked to pesticide influence. Some scientist believe that pesticides and other chemicals in our environments are causing diseases and creating new ones. I'm personally diagnosed with a disease that is being linked to pesticides and is considered a "new" disease. My disease has no current cure and so I eat as organic as possible to help fight that. I also want to fight off any potential for cancer which is in my family health history. It's also the most practical way I can help my kids be healthy and also fight off the potential for these diseases. Those are our main reasons but in general there are several benefits from avoiding extra hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.

A side note: The benefits are great when it comes to taste! Ever since switching to organic eggs and produce, we are amazed at the freshness and flavor of our foods. I was beginning to not like bananas until I started eating organic bananas which are so sweet and yummy. Same with apples...I was tired of mushy soft apples in the store and now we enjoy crisp hard apples with lots of flavor and sweetness. Just a few examples.

So, I hope that answers some of the questions I've been asked lately....explains a little more why we use organic foods. We haven't switched to only organic nor are we 100% organic purest but we make changes where we can. It is more expensive which is the biggest complaint I hear and I totally understand how huge of a factor that is. For us, we've been willing to cut back in other areas to make this organic eating possible. It's a decision each family has to way for themselves. It just depends on how much it matters to you and to what degree is realistic for your family.

I hope this post was helpful or in the very least, interesting. =0)

Stuffed Shells

This is one of my favorite freezer meal standbys. It freezes so well that I've made it a week ahead of time, pulled it out and served it to company and everyone was impressed without the slightest idea that it had been in the freezer. It's one of my favorite meals to bring to another family in need as well. Serve with a loaf of french bread made into garlic bread, a green veggie, and a salad and you're set to go. Make this vegetarian meal into a meat meal by serving up with some Italian sausages.

1 package Jumbo Pasta Shells (approx. 36)

1 large jar pasta sauce (or 2 20oz jars)

2 15oz containers of ricotta cheese (low fat optional)

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

parsley (optional)

(extra Parmesan and mozzarella for topping)

1. Boil shells until softened (they will cook the rest of the way in the oven). Drain and rinse in cold water till cool to touch. (this can be done day before for ease-store in frig in Ziploc with some olive oil to avoid sticking)

2. While shells are boiling, mix ricotta cheese and eggs together well. Then add Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Mix well.

3. Spray 9x13 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour small amount of pasta sauce into bottom of pans and spread around. Spoon filling into each shell and press sides of shell gently together to slightly close. Place open side up in pans. When pan is full, pour pasta sauce over all the shells and top with extra mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (and parsley if desired).

4. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for about 45 min. (These freeze uncooked great. Cover with saran wrap and then foil and freeze. Remove saran wrap before cooking and you will need to extend cooking time if frozen.)

Pico De Gallo

My friend, Katey, and I were talking today about how we like to plant a "salsa" garden in our veggie gardens each year. My salsa garden always ends up being pico de gallo instead of salsa. I guess we just love that chunky fresh texture you get with fresh pico de gallo.

If you've never made it, the basic ingredients are these:

about 6 diced tomatoes

3 green onions chopped (or you can use yellow onions)

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 bunch of chopped cilantro

1-2 serrano chillies with the seeds removed (if you like it mild to medium heat) minced

juice of one lemon

salt to taste (be generous)

Sometimes we also chop up an avocado to add to it. Serve with chips or put on your favorite tacos, fajitas or other Mexican dish!