Christmas on the Brain :)

I'm thinking this year for Christmas we are going to have a Mexican Theme with our food.....so these are the recipes I am saving for said occasion :)


Creamy Salsa & Crackers


Mexican Roll Ups


Taco Pin Wheels


Tomato Chili Dip


Festive Vegetable Dip <----- because we need healthy in there too ;) This one was YUMMY!


Fresh Vegetable Dip <-------- again with the healthy ;)
This one was not a favorite! Too plain for my family!


Tortilla Soup:

1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce (I use green myself, but you can use red)
1 medium, chopped
1 (4oz) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves minced garlic (I use the jar stuff, and it's 2 TBS)
2 Cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can veggie broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
T Cilantro
1 package frozen corn 

Tortilla chips

Place tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilis, and garlic into crock-pot. Pour in water and broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.

**Crush up your tortilla chips, and lay them in the bottom of your bowl. Pour soup over, add cheese, and sour cream, and ENJOY** 


Desserts!


Christmas Candy Cookies


Fudge Filled Dessert Strips


Raspberry Linzer Cookies...... change of plans these instead :)


Chocolate Pinwheels


Pumpkin Whoopie Pies


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Yummy Biscuits!!!!

HERE :)

Our First Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu!

Breakfast:
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Appetizers or Snacks:
Berries with Sour Cream Sauce
Calico Corn Salsa
Spinach Dip

Lunch:
Ratatouille 
Mashed Tator/Gravy .....of Course!
Vegan Homemade Stuffing .....not vegan though we will use butter and not margarine!
Cream Cheese Corn
Sour Cream Biscuits

Desserts:
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Cut Out, Bake and Decorate FUN!)
Peppermint Bark

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Stuffing :)

Vegan Homemade Stuffing 

Just some recipes :)

I have been searching for some fun different recipes for our Thanksgiving :) I wanted to print them but the prnter is out of ink so I will "save" them here :)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Peppermint Bark

Chocolate Cookie Bark

Pumpkin Donut Holes - Vegan

Home Made Cinnamon Rolls

Jelly Donut Holes ......looking for a baked one and not fried but no luck yet :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast

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Honey BBQ Chik'n Sandwiches.

From a group on Cafemom :)

Honey BBQ Chik'n Sandwiches

1 small package either coleslaw or broccoli slaw

1/3 cup coleslaw dressing (or your favorite dressing) 

6 tblsp honey BBQ sauce

3 cups warmed chik'n (faux chicken)

6 burger buns, toasted

Combine coleslaw/broccoli slaw with dressing in a bowl, tossing well. Let stand 10 minutes. Top bottom halves of each bun with 1/2 cup chik'n, 1 tblsp BBQ sauce, and 1/2 cup coleslaw/broccoli slaw mixture. Place top halves of buns on top of coleslaw mixture. Serve immediately.

Yields 6 servings.

Risotto with Asparagus and Fennel

HERE.

Bread Makers

This is hands down my favorite bread recipe site :)

http://www.bread-maker.net/

Crepes

Crepes
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Makes: About 6 crepes

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Melted butter for brushing pan

HERE'S HOW:
1. Whisk milk, water, eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt in medium bowl just until combined. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gently Whisk in 1/4 cup melted butter.
2. Brush 10-inch nonstick skillet lightly with melted butter; heat over medium-high heat until hot.
3. Lift skillet from heat and quickly pour in 1/3 cup crêpe batter, tilting and swirling pan to cover bottom evenly. Return pan to heat. Cook until bottom is light brown, about 60 seconds.
4. Carefully turn crêpe over in pan. Cook second side until light brown, about 30 seconds. Repeat to cook remaining batter, stacking crêpes on a plate with a piece of waxed paper between them.

ENJOY:
Top crêpes with spreadable fruit, such as apricot or raspberry, fold into quarters, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Try other kid-friendly fillings, such as peanut butter and jelly, Nutella®, sliced strawberries and yogurt, bananas and cinnamon sugar, or warmed applesauce. 

"Chicken" Noodle Soup!

I am on the hunt for a good chicken noodle soup......ya know minus chicken ;)

This is one to try!!!

Green Pea and Cauliflower Curry

This Indian curry is so good that you will not have any leftovers!

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups green peas
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, mashed
1 tsp. grated ginger
3/4 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. vindaloo paste*
2 tsp. sugar (try Florida Crystals brand)
3/4 cup plain, nondairy yogurt
2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

•In a pot over medium-high heat, add the cauliflower and green peas and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain.
•Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until browned.
•Add the turmeric, coriander, vindaloo, sugar, nondairy yogurt, and tomatoes. Cook for a 1/2 hour.
•Add the cauliflower and peas. Cook for another 1/2 hour.
•Serve hot over rice.

Spaghetti Sauce.

2tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 C tomato paste
3 28-35 oz cans peeled tomatoes(I use italian seasoned ones)
2 C water
salt and paper to taste
6 fresh basil leaves torn to small pieces

heat oil in lrg heavy pot over medium heat Add garlic cook 2 mins or until golden remove and discard garlic(I leave mine in)stir in tomato paste cook 1 min. chop tomatoes a reserve their juice. Add tomatoes and juice Add water ,salt and pepper. simmer partially cover pot and cook over low heat stirring occassionally for 2 hours.if it gets too thick add little more water.

This one is on the list "to try" :)

Italian Eggplant Sandwiches

From a friend :)

1 eggplant
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Salt to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
4 sub rolls, sliced
1/2-1 cup marinara sauce (we use fresh tomatoes and some italian seasoning and cook it a bit to make a tomatoe sauce)

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.
• Combine the milk and egg and a pinch of salt (if desired) and mix well. Set up a breading station with one bowl for each: flour, egg mixture, and bread crumbs. Dredge the eggplant in flour and shake off the excess. Submerge the eggplant in the egg mixture, shake off the excess, then coat evenly with bread crumbs. Place the eggplant in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is crisp on the outside and tender inside.
• Place the eggplant slices on the sub rolls, top with marinara sauce, and serve immediately.

We also just cause we love gooey melted cheese is add some either fresh real natuaral mozzeralla on top or provolone or whatever cheese!!! We like the mozzerella best it comes in a ball shape and is kinda wet--you dont need much!

Compassionate Cooks

We rented "Vegetarian Cooking with Compassionate Cooks" from NetFlix and loved it :)
Here are our favorite recipes from it!!!

Eggless Egg Salad

Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash

Hearty 3 Bean Chili

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 C. mayo
1/2 C. yogurt
1 tsp dill
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp, garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions
Wisk all ingredients together and your done!

Spaghetti Seasoning Mix

Makes 1 mix (1/3 cup)
1 T. dried granulated onion
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. cornstarch
2 tsp. green pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried granulated garlic
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. dried rosemary
¼ tsp. dried sage

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Seal in a plastic bag.

To use: Add to one pound ground beef or chicken. Add 16 ounces tomato sauce, 8 ounces tomato paste, and 2 ¾ cups water.

Old Fashion Casserole.

Slice potatoes on the bottom of a casserole pan, celery, carrots whatever veggies your family likes...cream of mushroom soup..green beans, then rings of onion on top...bake about an hr...yum...


Still looking for a good substitute for Cream of Chicken Soup???

Caesar Vinaigrette Pasta

Whole grain bow tie
garlic powder
burger seasoning,
1 onion..chopped.
1 bottle of  Caesar Vinaigrette dressing

Sauté onions in a pan until they are golden brown. 
Boil pasta until tender.
Then I take the pasta, put it on the plates. After that I take the dressing and coat pasta. 


Haven't made this one......I plan to add veggies to it :)

Eggplant Parmesan :)

This recipe is from a friend of mine. We made it and it is SOOO good :)

1. You take the eggplant (2 large) and peel the skin off. 
2. Slice it thin. 
3. Bread with Italian bread crumbs and fry them. 
4. Layer them in a pan with sauce and cheese, and heat in the oven.


We cooked our noodles and added them to #4 :)

Butternut Squash Soup!!

Mmm! Mmm! Fall is in the air and our crock pot is getting dusted off :) A friend of mine shared this one with us and Hubby said "It tastes like fall" Yummy!!!

I brown the onions in the EVOO or butter (whichever one I use for the recipe).  Then I add the seasonsings.  Then add the water/stock and the squash- cook until tender.  Remove from heat, place in food processor and blend until thick, soupy mixture. 

Ready to serve.  Add a dash of raw cinnamon on top for decoration.

• 1 (2 to 3lbs) butternut squash (chopped into blocks, no seeds)
• 2 tablespoons butter (or 2 tbsp EVOO)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• about 5-7 cups of either water or veggie stock
• Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and a less than a tsp of Cardamom
• Salt and pepp to taste

Trina's Smoothie!!

What You’ll Need:

1 Handful Fresh Spinach
2 Cups Orange Juice
2 Cups Milk
1 Banana
8 Frozen Strawberries (frozen)
1/2 Cup Blueberries (frozen)
8  oz. Yogurt
Optional: 1 tsp. Agave Nectar or Sugar:)

What You’ll Do: 
Blend spinach, orange
juice and milk together first. Once
 the spinach has blended well, add all other ingredients and blend. If
 using fresh fruit, you can add in some ice cubes for more of a frozen
consistency.Enjoy!"

Amy's Blueberry Scones!

5 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 sticks of butter

2 to 2 1/2 cups half and half

1 container blueberries

In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender.  Gently mix in half and half, just till mixed.  Fold in berries.

On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 2 inch thick rectangle.  Cut into 16-20 squares.  Place on cookie sheet keeping 2 inches apart as they will spread.  Bake 10-15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.

I am Ready For Crock Pot Season :)

THIS is definitely one to try!!!

Ultimate Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    3 tablespoon olive oil
    3 chopped onions
    1 tablespoon chili powder
    1 tablespoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    2 peppers, chopped
    3 garlic cloves, chopped
    3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 large can, undrained, of tomatoes, chopped
    1 cup water
    1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
    1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
    2 cups fresh or frozen corn
    1/2 cup bulgur
    salt and pepper
    cilantro (optional)

Directions:

In a large pan, saute the onions and spices.  Add peppers and garlic for 1 min. Add cocoa, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil. Add kidney and black beans, corn and bulgur.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min. or until bulgur is cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, sprinkle with  cilantro.

Just Call Me a Slacker!!!!!

A friend of mine shared this:

At our grocery store we have an organic section and it has fake chicken nuggets and chicken patties.

Get some buns, add the nuggets and a cup of spaghetti sauce.

How yummy and easy!!!

Easy Lunch.

I've posted about the pitas we get from Farmer's Market.....we had some leftover and decided to try to make sandwiches :)

Hubby put peppers, sliced tomatoes & shredded cheese.

He put them in the oven until they were warm. Mmm! Even the kids enjoyed them!!!

This Week.....

......we are trying our hands at eating raw. Initially it is overwhelming, but I think once we get some favorite recipes in place we will actually enjoy it :) Vegetarian was also overwhelming and now I wonder what I was ever nervous about!!!!

Sooo tonights dinner:

Raw Zucchini Alfredo with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

And for Dessert: Raw Chocolate Banana Coconut Cream Pie

And for Hubby's Lunch Box tomorrow :) *THIS*

Copy Cat......

The other day we tried Chipotle's Mexican Grill and loved it! I decided to try and make their Vegetarian Bowl and must say it was close ;)

*HERE* is the recipe for the rice. I still made my rice in the rice cooker.

I layered the ingredients in a cake pan.

• (cooked) Rice
• Black Beans (either soaked or from a can)
• Shredded Cheese
• Sautéed Onions - Peppers - Tofu

Cooked until the cheese was melted.
Topped with Home Made Guacamole!!

Some ate it with chips. Some with tortillas!!

Vegetarian Shepard's Pie!

Looks Yummy on a Cool Evening!!!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/vegetarian-shepherds-pie-535165/

ingredients

• 3 small potatoes (3/4 pound)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and cut up
• 1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn or mixed vegetables
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• Paprika (optional)

directions

1. Peel and quarter potatoes. Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. In a small saucepan cook garlic and dried basil in margarine or butter for 15 seconds. Add to mashed potatoes along with salt. Gradually beat in enough milk to make light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. For filling, in a medium saucepan cook onion and carrot in hot oil until onion is tender but not brown. Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, frozen vegetables, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Heat until bubbly.
3. Transfer vegetable mixture to an 8x8x2-inch square baking pan. Drop mashed potatoes in 4 mounds over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and, if desired, paprika. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese begins to brown. Makes 4 servings.

More Squash :)

I have fallen in love with Butternut Squash :)

Here is a new one I found!!

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper and salt (or salt substitute) to taste
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. On a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, place squash with the rind facing up. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until very soft. Let cool for 5 minutes and scoop out the insides, being careful not to include the outer skin.

Place the squash in a casserole dish. Sauté garlic and onion in the olive oil, and mix into the squash. Stir in bread crumbs, pepper and salt. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover the dish with foil or a lid. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes (or longer if ingredients have cooled). Serves 6.

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion,

garlic,

1 egg,

1/2 cup bread crumbs,

cumin,

red pepper flakes,

Tabasco,

ketchup.

I bake mine in the oven, so I preheat to 380. Mash the black beans until theyre thick and pasty. Mix all the other ingredients in and blend well. I save the breadcrumbs til last because these are teh most difficult to blend in, much easierif everything else id blended first! I oil my hands with olive oil and form these into patties. I bake them for 10 minutes on each side. [ I guess you could grill these too, but Ive never tried it.]

A good variation is to add some corn in there. Makes kind of a southwest black bean burger. When I add corn I add red bell pepper- so flavorful! =)

Depending on how dry your black beans are you may need more bread crumbs...

This time around I bought the dried beans vs the canned beans :) 1 bag of beans about equaled to 2 cans of beans. So half price!! YAY gotta save where I can!!!

Not sure what to do with the dried beans? This site was helpful :)

Soaking & Cooking:
Black beans, like all dried beans, need to be soaked before cooking. This hydration helps to reduce the cooking time. Because they are small, 2 - 4 hours soaking in cold water should suffice. Drain, and cook as per recipe.

If you don't have the time, boil the beans in water for 1 - 3 minutes, turn off heat, cover the pot and let them sit for one hour. Drain and proceed as per recipe. However, there is a problem with this quick soaking (boiling for 1 - 3 minutes) method. Hot water increases the solubility of the water soluble nutrients, and softens the cell membranes of the beans, further accelerating the loss of these nutrients. This should be a consideration, because of the long cooking time during which more nutrients are lost. Cold soaked and cooked at a very gentle simmer, beans retain most of their nutrients, which are considerable.

To cook, drain the soaking water and add cold water, 1 part beans to 2 or 3 parts cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very slow simmer, so the beans stay in their jackets. Simmer for 2 hours.

Taco Seasoning.

Taco Seasoning Mix
(8 servings)

1/3 cup dried minced onion
3 T. salt
4 tsp. granulated garlic
3 T. chili powder
4 tsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano
4 tsp. ground cumin

Mix 2 T. of mix with 1 pound ground beef and ½ cup water. Simmer these in pan, stirring constantly. Makes enough filling for 8 tacos.
Cost of gift: $1.25 (remember this makes 8 separate meals, so it is a huge savings from buying a packet for $0.50, plus NO MSG!)

Ranch Dressing!

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 cup mayo

1 cup plain yogurt......the two reds ones are for if you are making dressing ;)

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

Add water or milk to make it the right consistency for dressing, or leave it thick for dip.

IF you are looking for the dried package of Ranch just omit the 2 red ingredients!!!!

Menu.....

THIS yumminess is on the menu tonight!!!

Banana Bread!!

Y*U*M*M*Y*

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=121

We did tweak it to not be Vegan ;) I have issues with margarine and we added chocolate chips!

I also used our Almond Milk and not Soy.

"White Sauce"

.....my kids call it "White Spaghetti" :)

3 c. Almond Milk
2 tbsp. butter
Garlic powder
3 tsp. minced parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (actually it was Veggie Shreds)
4 tbsp. flour

I also chopped FINELY some Mushrooms & Broccoli..... no one suspected a thing!!

We have this over Rice, Noodles or Spaghetti noodles!!

Veggie Pizza :)

Something fun we came up with over the weekend :)

We go to our local farmers market every Saturday and there is a kind lady that sell Pitas. Y*U*M*M*Y* Pitas I might add!!

So take your Pita. Add this for the "sauce".

Then add your favorite raw veggies!!

• Broccoli
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Black Olives
• Onions
• Snap Peas

The ideas are endless!!!

Blueberry Muffins!!

Very Simple Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (unbleached)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder (used aluminum free)
3/4 cup soy milk (used our Almond Milk)
1/4 cup oil (Olive Oil)
1 cup frozen blueberries (fresh blueberries)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Place baking cups in a muffin pan.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Add soy milk and oil. Mix.

Fold in blueberries.

Pour into baking cups and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Makes: about 8 muffins, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes

Finally :)

We have tried and tried a few recipes for guacamole.....and always ended up not what we were looking for!!!

Till now!!! From this site!!!!!

2 ripe avocados 1 small onion 1 clove garlic 1 small tomato 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice (or juice of 1 fresh lime) salt and pepper to taste

Peel avocados and remove the pit
Peel and mince the onion and the garlic
Chop the tomato.
Mash the avocado in a bowl and then stir in the remaining ingredients.
Serve cold with tortillas

French Dressing!!!

One thing I was having a hard time with was dressings. The organic is NEVER thick and creamy or even tastes as good as "the bad for you stuff" ;)

I joined a group in CafeMom Budgeting and Grocery Shopping FUN FUN and another mom posted this: I can not wait to try it!!!

Sweet French dressing (Catalina style)

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup catsup
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika, or chili powder if you like a bit of a bite

Whisk all ingredients together until mixed well. Store in refrigerator.

Grilling Season!

One thing my Hubby already misses.....because it is Summer, is the need for a grill :)

This is on the list of things to try on the Grill!!!

......now onto finding an organic steak sauce!!

Mmmm Biscuits!!!

Tweaked this (Thyme and Cheese Biscuits) recipe a bit :)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Unbleached Flour

3 tsp. baking powder.....aluminum free

1/2 tsp. minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup mozzarella veggie shreds

5 tablespoons organic butter

1/2 cup almond milk

Mix and cook as directions :)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, herbs and cheese in a large mixingbowl, using a fork. Cut in the butter. Mixture will be crumbly. Add the milk and stir until dough holds together, you may add more milk if necessary. Drop by large spoonfuls on the cookie sheet an inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.

THEN I cooked some butter and added some garlic and put on top of the COOKED biscuits :) Mmmm Good!!

I turned the oven off and let them sit in there a bit!!

Veggie Spaghetti!!

So last night was a clean out the fridge into dinner night :) And it was...minus 1 of the kids.....thumbs up all around!!!!!

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Noodles

Asparagus

Organic Can of Tomatoes

Organic Tofu

Mushrooms

Onions

Organic Can of Spaghetti Sauce

Black Olives

Veggie Shreds

Oregano

Parsley

Salt & Pepper

I started the water for noodles. And cooked the Asparagus for 10 minutes on 350*.

Then warmed a bit of Olive Oil and sautéed the Tofu, Mushrooms, Olives and Onions.
Added some salt and Pepper. Then some Parsley and Oregano. Then added the (cooked) Asparagus.



When the noodles are done, put them in a casserole pan, add the tofu mix on top, jar of spaghetti sauce, then can of tomatoes, topped with the shredded "cheese" ;) Topped with more parsley and basil.

Muffins!

These muffins sent my 5 yr old singing and dancing, "I love love love muffins muffins muffins"

We didn't have 3 bananas so I used 2 bananas and 2 small apples!!!!

Mmmmmm!!!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum free)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

TOPPING

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste (organic)
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional).....didn't use these!

Directions

1. 1

   In lg bowl, mix the 1st 4 ingredients.

2. 2

   Mix bananas, sugar, egg and butter.

3. 3

   Stir into dry mixture just until moistened.

4. 4

   Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

5. 5

   Combine first 3 topping ingredients.

6. 6

   Cut in butter until crumbly.

7. 7

   Sprinkle over muffins.

8. 8

   Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, until muffins test done.

9. 9

   Cool in pan for 10 minutes.