Banana-Pillar

Adorable right! What kid wouldn't want to GOBBLE this right up! Heck... I want to gobble it up! Nice fun and healthy snack for kids.

Banana-Pillar

Banana
Stick Pretzels, broke in half
Peanut Butter
Mini Chocolate Chips
Red Gummy Bear, cut in half

Peel banana and slice. Push a half stick of pretzel into each side of the banana. Smear a small amount of peanut butter onto the banana and stick another banana onto it. Continue until the entire banana has pretzels and peanut butter on them to form the body of the cater- I mean Banana-pillar. After the body is ready, take two mini chocolate chips and using a small amount of peanut butter, stick them on for the eyes. Then using half of the gummy bear, stick that on as the mouth/tongue! Ta DAH!

Serve it to the kids and watch their eyes widen in amazement. You can also try to serve it on a lettuce leaf (you know as if the little guy was sitting on a leaf) and maybe if you are lucky the kids will be so excited about eating the adorable banana-pillar, they will eat the lettuce leaf too!

Macaroni & Fruit Chicken Salad

Macaroni & Fruit Chicken Salad


16 oz noodles, any variety (I chose the bowtie pasta)
2 large boneless chicken breasts
salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried onions
Grapes, cut in half
Celery, chopped
Apples, diced
Green Onions, chopped
1 part Fat Free Plain Vanilla Yogurt
1 part Mayonnaise
Salt, pepper and celery salt to taste



Cook 16 oz noodles according to directions on package. Use two different noodles for variety. Rinse noodles with cool water.


In another pot cover chicken breasts with hot water and add seasonings, salt, pepper, minced garlic & dried onions. Remove chicken from broth and cut into pieces. Allow chicken to cool.

While noodles and chicken are cooling cut up fruits and vegetables.

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and add the yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir until coated well. Add the seasonings to taste. Chill in refrigerator for a few hours prior to serving. If made a day in advance, right before serving add some extra yogurt to freshen up the salad.

Chili Mac Pasta

{{Chili Mac Pasta}}

(printer friendly version... click here)

1 pound sirloin or round steak, cut into strips
1/2 large onion, diced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1-2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
16 ounces pasta, cooked to the directions on the box (Here I used jumbo shells, but you can use macaroni, or bowtie, or whatever you have on hand).

Brown the beef in a pan, add onions and saute together. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, rinse the cans with water and add the water to the pan. Stir in chili powder. Cover and allow meat to cook for 30 minutes to 3-4 hours, depending upon how much time you have. Meat will become very tender. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir together. For a variation: add some canned corn into the soup. Serve with grated cheddar cheese. Mmmm... Yummy!

Beef & Noodle Stir Fry

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 cup sliced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin, sliced

3 cups water

2 packages (3 ounces) Beef or Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix

1 bag (16 ounces) California frozen vegetables or stir-fry veggies

Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Add sliced meat to the skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. When cooked, pull meat out of the skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat water to boiling. Add noodles from the ramen soup and one packet of seasoning. Mix into water and let boil until noodles are slightly softened. Stir in vegetables. Heat to boiling and then boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are heated through and tender. Remove excess water and add the meat back into the skillet with the last seasoning packet. Fry the noodles, vegetables, and meat for few minutes, heat through and then serve.

Quick and easy! The kids loved it.

Zucchini MexiCali

{{Zucchini MexiCali}}

(printer friendly version)

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey (optional... can make this with only veggies and no meat)

salt and pepper, to season the meat while cooking

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

4 cups grated zucchini

salt and pepper

2/3 cup salsa

1 t. prepared yellow mustard

1/2 t. dried basil

1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese

tortilla chips, tortillas, lettuce leaves, etc.

First brown the meat and season it with some salt and pepper. Put the cooked meat aside and let any fat drain off.

Add oil into frying pan and let heat up on medium high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and green peppers. Let these cook for a few minutes until they start to get tender. Add grated zucchini and season vegetables with some salt and pepper. Continue cooking the vegetables until they are soft and tender.

Add the salsa, mustard, and dried basil into the saucepan and mix together. Add the browned meat and heat through. Top with cheese and serve with chips on the side, or put the zucchini on top, add melted cheese for nachos. Two other ideas for serving include rolling the mixture up in a tortilla like a taco, or rolled in a lettuce leaf for a lettuce wrap. So many possibilities with only one little recipe.


Serve with chips on the side....
Serve as nachos...

Wrap up in a lettuce leaf and enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour (can use 1 c. wheat flour)


1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


1 tablespoon ground cinnamon


1 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoon salt


2 cups white sugar


3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil (can use 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce)


2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini


1 cup chocolate chips (or more)


3/4 cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon evenly into loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans; cool completely on wire rack.


A bit of England...

30 minutes Shepherds Pie

2 pounds potaotes, such as russet, peeled and cubed

2 T. sour cream, or softened cream cheese

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup cream or chicken broth

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 T. butter

2 T. all purpose flour

1 cup beef stock or broth

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 t. sweet paprika

2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Raspberry Fool

1 pound raspberries

2 T. Butter

white sugar

1 pint heavy cream

Rinse and drain the raspberries and place them in a pan with butter. Cook over low heat for about five minutes, then mash them slightly with the back of the spoon, finally add sugar to taste. Set raspberries aside (or in a freezer for a few minutes) and allow them to cool. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the raspberries into the cream. Allow to chill before serving. Serve with scones.

Scone Recipe

Typical English scones are light and flaky but not sweet. They are perfectly designed to accompany cream and jam.

Basic Scone Recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (approx.)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the egg. (If you are using one of the variations below, this is a good point to add nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, cheese, etc.)

Gradually add the milk until a thick dough is formed. (It may take more or less than 3/4 cup.)

Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 3/4" thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" cookie cutter. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll, and cut them as well.

Place the rounds about 1" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes 12 to 16 scones, depending on the recipe version used.

Variations of the Basic Scone Recipe:

• Spiced Scones: Add enough cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the dry ingredients to total 1/2 teaspoon.
• Raisin Wheat Scones: Our favorite. Substitute white flour with whole wheat pastry flour or half and half white and wheat. Use brown sugar instead of white and plain yogurt instead of whole milk.
• Buttermilk Scones: Substitute buttermilk for whole milk and add 1 tablespoon sugar to the basic recipe.
• Walnut Scones: Add 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts.
• Cheddar Scones: Add 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese and 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard.
• Dried Fruit Scones: Add 1/2 cup raisins, currants, cranberries, or chopped dried apricots.
• Chocolate Chip Scones: Add 1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the basic recipe.
• Lemon Scones: Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar to the basic scone recipe.