Personalized Peanut Butter Pancakes

This is a great recipe for kids, this would be really cute to do for their birthday or if they're having another important event to "cheer them on" or just to make them feel special.

2 cups original Bisquick
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs

Stir Bisquick, milk, peanut butter, and eggs until blended.  Pour about 1/2 cup batter into plastic squeeze bottle with narrow opening.  Squeeze batter from bottle onto hot griddle to form a letter.  (Make letters backward so they will appear "right" when pancakes are served.)  When bottom side of letter is brown, pour 1/4 cup batter in circular motion over letter to form pancake.  Cook until edges are dry.  Turn, cook until golden brown.  Serve with peanut butter maple syrup if desired.

Peanut Butter Maple Syrup:
1 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
Heat ingredients to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Boil and stir 3 minutes.

Shea's Seriously Addicting Homemade Salsa

My good friend Shea has many talents:  crafting, reading, singing, and being an overall awesome mom to her four kids.  She usually brings this salsa to craft night or book club, and I tell you, I have to wait til the end of the night to eat it because if not I will eat the whole bowl!  Sooo good!

1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can diced green chiles
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped (add more to taste)
Fresh cilantro to taste
About 1 tsp white vinegar or lime juice (add more to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Red pepper flakes to taste

Combine in your food processor or magic bullet, whatever you have.  Play around with the seasonings to taste as to what you prefer.

Wilted Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich

This recipe is from Stephanie Nielsen.


Do you have bread? Do you have Spinach? How about cheese, onions and mushrooms? These are staples in my home, which means if I have had a long day, I can throw together this sandwich in a hurry, and still really think I put dinner together. It's brilliant! 
Since I made this recipe up, I am not exactly sure on amounts. It is a easy and I am sure you can figure this one out. 

Sautee white onion and mushrooms in olive oil together until soft. 
Add course salt and pepper. 
Meanwhile, toast whole wheat or grain bread. 
Add Dijon deli mustard like and mayonnaise on toasted bread. 
Right before adding mushrooms to toast, add bunch of spinach to mixture and let them wilt slightly add balsamic vinegar and mix around for a few more minutes.
Place on toasted bread with cheese such as fresh mozzarella.

Quick Weeknight Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

A recipe from my sister Kate.  These are sooo tasty!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup finely chopped onion

1 lb ground turkey breast

t
¼ teaspoon salt


¼ teaspoon pepper


¼ teaspoon garlic salt (I used Lawry’s)

1 12 oz bag of Broccoli Slaw (found it at Super Target, saw it at Sprouts also)

1 small can drained water chestnuts

½ Cup Teriyaki Sauce


1 teaspoon sesame oil

Approximately 15 Butter Lettuce leaves (you can also use iceberg lettuce leaves)

1. Place oil into a large 5 qt skillet or other large pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown and crumble until cooked through.

2. When turkey is cooked, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

Marinara Sauce with Linguine

A recipe from my sister Kate.

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

16 ounces linguine

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, red pepper, oregano, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon if using whole tomatoes) until the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.  Cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain and divide among individual plates. Spoon the sauce over the top.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

This is my sis's recipe.  According to Kate, this pie is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter evening.

4 medium potatoes, diced

2 Tbsp. margarine

1/4 cup soy milk or liquid nondairy creamer

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

12 oz. faux ground beef-style crumbles (try Yves® Veggie Ground Round)

1 10.5-oz. can Campbells mushroom gravy (or 1 1/4 cups prepared vegetarian gravy of your choice)

1 6-oz. can mixed peas and carrots, drained

Salt, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne, to taste

• Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with the margarine and soy milk or nondairy creamer. Season with salt and pepper. 
• In a medium pan, sauté the onion in the oil until translucent. 
• In a medium bowl, mix the cooked onions, faux beef crumbles, mushroom gravy, peas and carrots, and spices. Pour into a pie pan. Top the crumble mixture with the potatoes, spreading to the edges. 
• Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and the crumble mixture bubbles out the edges.

Greek Salad

My sister Kate's recipe:

2 TBS red wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves minced

1 t dijon mustard

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 cup e.v.o.o.

2 tom, cut into 3/4 inch dice

1 cucumber peeled and halved lengthsie and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/4 red onion thinly sliced

3 cups marinated tofu “feta”

Salad greens

In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil; set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and onion. Gently toss in the marinated tofu “feta” and dressing to taste. Serves as is for a side, or on top of salad greens for an entree.

Turkey Meatball and Pasta Primavera

So for some reason I get a lot of good recipes off the backs of the boxes, bags and cans of food I buy.  Here is another good one.  Quick and healthy, my husband and I like it a lot.

1 14-oz. bag frozen turkey meatballs (or regular if you prefer)
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup tomato, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes if you don't have fresh)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese (asiago, romano, paremsan)

Cook meatballs and pasta according to individual package directions.  Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic and tomatoes in one tablespoon olive oil until soft.  Add the cooked pasta and additional tablespoon of oil.  Stir for two minutes.  Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle cilantro, scallions, and cheese on top.

Slow Cooker Lasagne

This is an easy recipe I found in one of my books and great for a make-ahead dinner.

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 29-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 8-oz package no-cook lasagne noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt and oregano.  Mix well.

Spread a fourth of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5-qt. slow cooker.  Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce (break the noodles if necessary.)  Combine the cheeses; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining meat sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender.  Yield 6-8 servings.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

We tried these last night and they were so good!  I prefer to use corn tortillas, because I think using flour tortillas for enchiladas just makes them soggy, but you can use any type of tortilla you prefer.  Thanks to my cousin Marianne Dunn for the recipe!

1/2 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 1/2 lbs chicken cooked & shredded
Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
2 10 oz cans Green Enchilada Sauce
1 Cup Half & Half
Tortillas

Stir together honey, lime juice, chili poweder and garlic powder until combined. Add chicken and let sit in marinade for at least 30 min.
Mix enchilada sauce with Half and Half. Spread roughly 3/4 Cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas with marinated chicken & shredded cheese, roll up, then place side by side in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over teh top with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

Taco Spaghetti

This was a great variation to your ordinary spaghetti recipe.  Cut down on the salsa if you think it might be too spicy for you (or your kids.)

1/2 package spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 16-oz. jar mild salsa (like Pace Picante sauce)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese (cheddar and colby jack)
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook the spaghetti per package directions.  Brown the ground beef or turkey in skillet, add the salsa, tomato sauce and taco seasoning and simmer.  Serve with cheese and salsa.

Red Lentil Curry

A recipe from my friend Stephanie. It was really good, and again, my kids ate it! Success!

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. grated ginger root (or 1 t. powdered)
1 1/2 c. red lentils, cleaned and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 c. chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
2 t. curry powder
1 t. turmeric
salt to taste
hot cooked rice (my favorite is Jasmine)
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
plain yogurt (optional)

Start rice cooking. Heat oil in skillet, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add ginger. Cook until onion is soft, then add broth, lentils, garbanzo beans, coconut milk, curry powder, and turmeric. Cook until lentils are soft, 20-30 minutes. Taste for salt, add more if necessary. Serve over hot cooked rice. Could also make into soup by adding more liquid and either eliminating rice or adding a little with the lentils. If you want to add cooked cubed chicken, it would probably be good too. This could also be a side dish if you didn't want to eat it as a main dish.

A warning: If you're kind of a clean freak like me, I wouldn't give this to babies or toddlers who spill or messy with their food. Curry can stain really bad, and is hard to get out, so eat with caution (if you care!)

Black Beans and Polenta

I found this recipe on the back of a Westbrae Natural Organic Black Bean can. The great thing about it is that it's so easy and you probably have everything in your pantry already!

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 can black beans
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
Polenta (or cornbread, rice or couscous)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add everything except the beans and tomatoes. Saute until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and heat until bubbly. Serve over slices of pan-grilled polenta (or cornbread or rice.)

Note: I didn't have any dried coriander so I used fresh cilantro instead (which is what coriander is.) I also served it with couscous because my daughter loves it. You can also season it a bit more to taste. So yummy and healthy!

Seriously good Salsa :)

Does anyone even get on here anymore? If you do, leave a comment on this post so I know that this recipe blog is still alive! Anyway, this salsa is comparable to Chili's salsa, and in my opinion, just as good! And, it's super easy so that's a definite plus!

2 cans MEXICAN stewed tomatoes
1 or half bunch cilantro
1 small can Herdez green salsa
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp minced dried garlic)

Put one can tomatoes and cilantro in processor/blender and blend for like 20-30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until garlic is no longer in big chunks.

This makes ALOT, but it will stay good in your fridge for about 5 days. Enjoy!

Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna noodles cooked to pkg directions
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs10 oz frozen spinach thawed and drained of excess water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup marinara sauce
shredded mozarella or cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese

Mix together all ingredients, except for noodles and shredded cheeses. Layer in a 9x13 pan: noodles, spinach mixture, marinara, and shredded cheese. Repeat layers once more. Cook for 40 min. on 375

Porcupine meatballs

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of stewed diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 c. water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauceSeasonings as desired (oregano, pepper, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce)

Mix hamburger, uncooked rice, water, onion, celery salt, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add an egg to help hold it all together. Shape into (about 16) balls and place in skillet. In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 c. water and Worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs. Heat to boiling. Add desired seasonings. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Serve over cooked rice.

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is a very fast, easy and surprisingly filling lunch. Enjoy!

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

Rich avocados layered with heirloom tomatoes are highlighted in this tasty salad with a simple vinaigrette.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp. ground mustard
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado
2 medium, firm heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard. Season with the salt and pepper and set aside. 
• Carefully remove the skin from the avocado. Cut in half and remove the seed. Slice the avocado into 1/4-inch wedges. 
• Place a tomato wedge on a plate and layer an avocado wedge on top. Continue layering to create a fan shape. Do this on 2 plates. 
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the wedges. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately. 

Makes 2 servings

(And it's vegan!)

Chicken Wild Rice Salad

This is one of my favorite cold summer salads. And in posting this, I am hoping you all will post some good summer recipes of your's seeing that I am in a rut and want to eat good cold things! It sounds weird when you read the ingredients, but trust me, it is so good. I love it really cold with maybe some watermelon or other fruit for an easy meal.

4 cooked chicken breasts (I usually grill mine, but you can cook them any way you want)
2 boxes Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice (it calls for original, but I use the fast cook to save time)
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup snow peas, cut in smaller pieces
1 bottle Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing
Cook rice and chicken. Cut up chicken and vegetables. Combine in a bowl. And whole bottle of salad dressing. Toss and enjoy!

Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

Sorry it's been FOREVER since I've posted on here! Since I last posted (as my sister mentioned below) my husband and I have eliminated nearly all meat (except for occasional fish) from our diets. It's been awesome! I don't even miss it! You can read why here if you'd like. Anyway enough about me, who knew there were so many delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes? When I didn't know much about it, I thought "What do vegetarians/vegans eat? Zucchini all day? Yuck! No thanks!" Now that I have been enlightened, these foods are so delicious I don't miss eating meat at all. Find out more at www.goveg.com.  Because eating less meat is: better for the enviornment, better for your health, kinder to animals, and cheaper on your grocery bill!

This is a Vegan Recipe: (if you don't want to go vegan, you can use normal cheese, eggs, milk etc. and these will turn out fine)

Blueberry Pancakes
These fluffy pancakes are packed full of delicious blueberries, and are the perfect start to your day.
2 cups white flour, preferably unbleached
3 Tbsp. sugar, preferably Sucanat
3 Tbsp. baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1 tsp. sea salt
2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 Tbsp. canola or safflower oil
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and sift together. Add the soy milk and oil and mix until the batter is smooth. 
• Ladle the batter onto a hot pancake griddle. Add frozen blueberries. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Serve with fresh blueberries.

Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

I tried this recipe last night from last month's Real Simple magazine. I really liked it, it had great flavor, and is vegetarian! I whipped it up with a simple fruit salad for a healthy dinner.

12 ounces orecchiette or some other short pasta (3 cups)
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds) cut into small florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast, turning once, until the broccoli is tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.