Easy Potato Salad

Like apple cider, I am picky about Potato Salad. There are three recipes for it on here, this one is my own making and not the best in the world, but good and, as the title says Easy! The German Potato Salad is a completely different style than your typical potato salad, and the Best Potato Salad recipe from LeAnne Richards is my all-time favorite.

Reser's - Northwest Potato Salad, from Costco
Hard boiled eggs, chopped
Dill pickes, chopped
Real bacon bits

Just add to your liking, possibly add some miracle whip or mayonnaise as you like.

Hot & Sweet Chili

Recipe by Me! - I made several versions writing down each one in case it was "the one" and this is what ended up on a recipe card. I haven't made it in awhile though, and now looking at the ingredients I want to admit that it looks a little "different", but I trust my taste-buds of years past :-)

1 tsp minced garlic
1 onion
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans
1 cup corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vinegar

Brown beef with onion, then add garlic. Add all other ingredients. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. If desired, serve over rice, or with cornbread and honey butter, or top with cheese, sour cream, etc.

Jambalaya

Super easy...

1 Box Zatarain's Jambalaya
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can Chicken (like from Costco)
1 cup frozen corn

Make the jambalaya according to directions on the box (this will include adding the chicken). Turn off heat and add corn, tomatoes, and beans, stir and replace lid. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve.

(You can use whatever meat you like - sausage, shrimp, etc. It's just really quick to use the canned chicken, and tastes good too)

Lavender and Lemon Shortbread

By Amber Miller

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 tsp fresh lavender (I used Royal Velvet Lavender--use after the flowers bloom, but pick out the flower first)
  
• 1 tsp Lemon extract
• 2 tsp walnut oil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend all ingredients well. Add lavender last.
   
3. Press into a 9 x 9 inch buttered dish.
   
4. Bake until pale golden brown on the edges, about 22 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Pumpkin-Banana Muffins

Recipes from ME, and "Kitchen Keepsakes & More Kitchen Keepsakes"

This says Pumpkin-Banana Muffins, but the recipe for that evolved from another recipe: There are two recipes that I use for Banana Bread. This first one I got from "Kitchen Keepsakes & More Kitchen Keepsakes" - a cookbook I own that I love, only I haven't tried nearly enough recipes out of it yet! - I used this recipe for a long time, it's great how it is, or it's also a good recipe to manipulate to make new recipes, or you can make it a little healthier. I'll put the different variations below.

But, the "Martha Stewart's Banana Bread" is another recipe I've since discovered that is really excellent and for Banana Bread as-is, it's better than this one. I wouldn't bother making this one healthier - It's so good and I think it if you're going to make it you have to accept the consequences!

So back to this recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in 3 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Makes 1 Loaf

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and bananas. Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Variations:
For one thing, I usually make muffins out of this recipe rather than a loaf. Adjust for the size of muffins - if they're larger you'll probably want to bake for 30-40 minutes, medium sized probably 20-30 minutes, and the little ones that are fun for kids probably need 15-20 minutes. Just use your best judgment.

To make healthier (as in less calories) you can substitute the applesauce for butter, Splenda for sugar, egg substitute for eggs, and wheat flour for the regular flour. I find that a good middle ground is to use half of the normal ingredient, and half of the healthier version (I wouldn't bother with that with the eggs - just go one or the other) - but I use a small muffin tin for more portion control.

The "Pumpkin-Banana Muffins":
I started manipulating this recipe because I was trying to sneak more veggies into Adrienne's diet, and that is when the Pumpkin-Banana Muffins were created!

Use the recipe above, only use half of the banana that's called for and canned pumpkin for the other half. That's the Pumpkin-Banana muffins in the simplest form, but a few variations to them are to use the same substitutions mentioned above to make them healthier, and/or add some yumminess with chocolate chips. I would choose the chips according to the size of muffins you're making. If you're making the little kid sized muffins then use the little chocolate chips. You can always go lighter on the chips and still have a fairly healthy snack for the kiddos (and you!)

Here is the re-vamped recipe:

Pumpkin-Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened / or 1/2 cup applesauce (or half of each)
1 cup sugar / or 1 cup Splenda (or half of each)
2 eggs / or egg substitute equivalent of 2 eggs
1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 can pumpkin
2 cups flour / or 2 cups wheat flour (or half of each)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in 3 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini for mini-muffins)

Quantity varies depending on the size of muffin tins (fill to 2/3 full regardless of size)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin and bananas. Beat in remaining ingredients. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for time suggested for muffin size - if they're larger you'll probably want to bake for 30-40 minutes, medium sized probably 20-30 minutes, and the little ones that are fun for kids probably need 10-20 minutes. Just use your best judgment.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:
6 green bell peppers
salt to taste
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup uncooked rice (2/9/09 Note: I am told that this recipe would be better with a little more rice, I haven't experimented yet to know how much more is desirable and how else to adjust the recipe for the added rice (enough fluid for the rice to absorb) - next time I make it I'll try and figure that out. But I think this is pretty tasty the way it is here too.)
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
water as needed

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 4 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Stuff each pepper 1/3 full with the beef and rice mixture. Spoon in half of the tomato soup. Stuff each pepper with the rest of the beef and rice mixture and spoon in the rest of the tomato soup. Top each pepper with grated cheese.
4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.