Zuchini Herb Casserole

I cooked this delicious casserole last week. It was sooo good. I made chicken breast and baked potatoes for everyone else but I just ate this casserole and it was very filling. I thought that it was good enough to share with you all. This serves 6 people and takes about an hour total including cooking time.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup uncooked rice

2/3 cup of water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cubed

1 cup onion or 1 small onion

1 clove garlic minced

1 1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 cups seeded chopped tomatoes

2 cups cheddar cheese, divided ( I used less)

Directions:

1. Combine the rice and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a shallow 1 1/2 qt casserole dish.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, cook zucchini, onion, and garlic 5 minutes. Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup cheese. Continue to cook and stir until heated through, transfer to casserole dish. Top with cheese.

4.  Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is so worth the effort and was great reheated the next day.

Blessings,

Amy Jo



Delicious Easy Little Treat

I was rummaging through my freezer when I came across a recently expired box of puff pastry. So I decided to use it. This turned out so delicious! I let the puff pastry thaw out and then I rolled them out a little. I then took strawberry preserves and filled the middle with it. To add a little of that pie like flavor I combined equal parts of flour, sugar and butter. I made it into a crumble then I put that on top of the jam. I folded it over and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. They turned out really good. This was so easy to make. My son said "tell everyone they taste better than they look." He's right they do. LOL.

Blessings,

Amy Jo



Completely Vegan Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
4 large carrots
4 celery stalks
1/4 medium onion
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
garlic cloves
vegetable bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups of macaroni noodles ( I used quinoa)
2 tspns basil
2 tspns oregano
1 tspn thyme
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar ( I used turbinado sugar)
2 tspns salt
1/2 to 1 tspn pepper
1 can green beans

1. chop carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Set aside
2. Heat water on medium in a deep pot add vegetable bouillon and stir to disolve.
3. Add chopped vegetables, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and macaroni to water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.
4. Add seasonings stir well.
5. Cover and leave on medium heat for one hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Add green beans and cook 15 minutes more.

This recipe makes a lot. We thought it was good. We added mushrooms as well. You could really play with this recipe and make it with any vegetable you wanted. If you didn't want it to be vegan you could add beef or chicken.

Blessings,
Amy Jo

Feminine Friday and Pumpkin Bars

1/2 cup oil                 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 Cup honey               1 Cup mashed cooked pumpkin
2 eggs                  3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour             1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. baking powder     1/3 cup chopped pecans.

combine all ingredients in bowl; mix well.

Spread in 9x13  baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done.

Cool on wire rack.  You can eat it like this or add cream cheese frosting.

I added the cream cheese frosting....
8 0z. of cream cheese softened      1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter softened     1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 to 4 Tablespoons honey

Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in honey to taste. Add vanilla and pecans; mix well. Store this in the refrigerator. This is a healthy sweet. If you are craving a sweet but are concerned about sugar, this is a great alternative.

This is my daughter and I in the kitchen getting dinner ready. My husband decided to catch us unaware and snap a few photos.

It didn't take Savanah long to strike a pose!

Boys waiting on dinner...



Bentley watching the birds in our yard.

Bentley really tired from playing football and chasing my daughter on her roller blades. But he's on the fence.... Should he come in and miss the action? Or stay outside and play? Life is tough for him.....:)

Blessings,

Amy Jo

Christmas Decorating and Baking Going on Here

So the Holidays are here, and it is the most wonderful time of the year! I have been decorating over the last few days.  This is our front door. I got these bells at a thrift store.

This is our dining room . This  little tree I bought at an antique store.  It was so pretty. A little old lady had made it. When she passed away her son sold it to the antique store.

It is one of the most pretty trees, I have seen. I have had it for 3 or 4 years now.

Our living room tree.

And my bedroom. I am not sure I love this tree.... I love the decorations though. I found it on clearance sell at Michaels. I don't know.... it is going to have to grow on me.

So cute!

My husband wanted whole wheat peanut butter cookies tonight. I have been baking all evening.

I decided to try these as well. They are Almond chocolate chip cookies. These are gluten free. They are delicious! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Cup almond butter (unsalted)
3/4 cup sucanat
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz. chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir ingredients until blended and add chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. That is it! These cookies are super good!

You may need to let them set a few minutes before taking them off of the baking sheet. They tend to crumble when to hot.



Whole Wheat Carob Chip Cookies

Today is a very rainy day. So I got out this recipe my Mom makes, and made cookies. These are really good. The recipe only uses honey for a sweetner. They are not to sweet but just right :)  Start by heating your oven to 375 degrees.

1 cup butter                       2 eggs
1/2 cup honey                    1 tsp. water

Beat the above ingredients until fluffy, then sift in 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix well.

Then add: 1/2 cup raisins          2 cups oatmeal       1/2 cup peanut butter     1 tsp. vanilla    12 oz Carob Chips
Mix well and drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.     

Don't they look delicious? They really are...and the great thing is that carob chips are cafeine free. So no children bouncing off the walls.LOL



Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter                                   2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cps sucanat                           1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs                                            1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla                                    3 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp milk                                    1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more )
2 cups whole wheat flour

Put soft butter, sucanat, eggs, vanilla and milk into a mixing bowl, mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.

Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix well, add rolled oats and mix. Sir in chocolate chips.

Bake them at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

delicious!



Until We Meet Again,
Amy Jo

Wonderful Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is super simple and has quickly become a family favorite, I plan on trying to make a whole wheat pie crust soon.... you know when I have time:)


Ingredients:

2 9 inch refrigerated pie crusts                           1/2 t. celery flakes
7 oz of chicken                                                  1/4 t. pepper
16 oz can mixed vegetables drained                   1/4 t. poultry seasoning
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup

First I take as many chicken breast as I want and season them with garlic salt and pepper, then I fry them in a little olive oil.  After that I cut them into bite size pieces.

Then I combine the mixed vegetables, cream of chicken, seasonings and chicken.

Then I pour them into the pie shell and top with the other pie shell. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. ( I double this recipe for my family)  Let stand for 10 minutes....

Then serve and enjoy..... this is also very good warmed in the oven the next day for lunch...

Until We Meet Again,
Amy Jo

Aunt Ruth's Favorite White Cake

Last night we had a little family gathering for my Mother-in-law's birthday. I made this simple cake and I thought it was good. It uses a box mix and a homemade icing. The icing is very light and not overly sweet.

Ingredients for Cake:

1 package white cake mix

1 1/4 cps water

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
• Combine cake mix, water, eggs and oil in large bowl. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and almond extract; mix until well blended. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean.

Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Next prepare the creamy white frosting.

Creamy White Frosting

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in bowl until creamy. Add powdered sugar; beat until fluffy. Blend in vanilla.

Combine milk and flour in medium saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until thickened. Cool. When cool add flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat until thick and smooth.

It is definitely not perfect, but it was good!

Until We Meet Again,

Amy Jo

Whole Wheat M&M Cookies

Well I will have to say that it would be a stretch to say these are healthy cookies.... but these are healthier than white flour cookies, and they are oh so good.

1 C. butter softened                          1 1/2 C. Sucanat or demerara
1/2 tspn salt                                      1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn vanilla extract                         2 Large eggs
2 1/4 C. whole wheat flour               medium bag of M&M's






First I would like to talk  a little bit about the different types of natural sweeteners, that I use for baking. The one above is Sucanat. It is dehydrated cane juice. It is somewhat healthier than white sugar because it still retains minerals. White sugar has been processed until there is no natural goodness left. 



This is sucanat with honey, it is dehydrated cane and honey combined. This is my personal favorite. This is hard to find and expensive. So I use this sparingly.



Demerara is another name for dehydrated cane as well. You can by this at the local grocer. It is very good tasting but a little bit bigger granules. If you don't like the bigger granules you could grind it a little finer.

Place the butter and sugar together and cream. Now you will want to make sure it is very well combined and light and fluffy. Stir in salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Add the eggs, beat very well.  Add in flour.

Add in M&Ms and stir by hand, so the mixer doesn't brake them to pieces.

Drop these by table spoons onto the cookie sheet you want these large. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Let them rest on pan a few minutes before taking them off.

This is the result! I love these cookies. I hope you do too.

Until We Meet Again,
Amy Jo

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

I would like to share  this recipe for banana muffins, it is so simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C. wheat flour                                                       1 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. salt                                                                        1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda                                                          1/2 C. olive oil

1 tsp. baking powder                                                      1/2 C. honey (raw)

2-3 mashed bananas                                                       1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg                                                               nuts if desired

Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Add liquids.

Mix just until well blended.

Add mashed bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts if desired.

Pour into greased muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

I like to melt a little butter and brush the tops as soon as they come out of the oven. Then roll them in Sucanat or sweetener of choice!  These are wonderful for snacks or breakfast.

Until We Meet Again,

Amy Jo

A Gift From Mom

Friday we set out on a little trip to visit my parents. I did not get to go for Mothers Day. I was taking her a gift, and I got a surprise, she got me a gift too.

She bought me and my sister each one of these cookbooks! The title is Healthy Choices. It is from the Keepers at Home Magazine Editors. These are all recipes using no sugar, no white flour and no artificial anything. I spent yesterday evening going through the cookbook and deciding what recipes I will try this week. Mom made the carrot cake with a healthy frosting it was delicious! It has bread recipes, desserts of all kinds (my favorite), and dinners, breakfasts, sides. I really hope you check this book out. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Until We Meet Again,

Amy Jo