Best Spaghetti Sauce

Recipe From: Kathy Miller

(I have a few things I do differently, in parenthesis)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 button garlic finely chopped (I use minced from a jar)

1 medium onion chopped

1 pound ground beef

30 ounces tomatoes, plus juice cut up

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

1 cup water

4 ounces mushrooms drained (I prefer fresh)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sage

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar ( I do 1 Tbsp, cuts down on the acidity)

1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Brown garlic pieces in oil; remove dry pieces (unless you've used the jarred stuff - just mix in with the spices). Brown onion and hamburger in garlic flavored olive oil (I don't use the oil at all). Add tomatoes, sauce, paste, and drained mushrooms and blend. Add all spices and mix well. Simmer approximately 2 hours. Before serving remove bay leaf and if needed, thicken with a little cornstarch solution (about 1 T. cornstarch). (Note: If you 're going to let simmer in a crockpot omit the water, otherwise it will be too watery.)

This is an excellent recipe to double and freeze the leftovers.

Black Eyed Pea Soup

From Linae Pickard

1 lb smoked sausage (fully cooked)
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans black eyed peas
1 can corn (or frozen)
1 small onion
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bouillon cube
1/4-1/2 cup water

Melt some butter in a large pan and add chopped onion and sliced sausage. Cook for a bit, until the onion is a bit translucent. Add the tomatoes (do not drain), black eyed peas (drained and rinsed) and the water and bouillon cube. Then add all the spices. After it all boils, cover and turn the heat to low and cook about 15 minutes. Then add the corn and cook another 15 minutes.

Other variations: Add potatoes, or noodles, or rice. Tastes great with homemade rolls!

NOTE: The recipe I got from Linae was a little more vague than this, and this is what I firmed up as far as the measurements, so you might want to adjust the spices to your liking. What is here will give you a pretty spicy version. If you like it spicy though, then you can make it even more so by getting a spicy smoked sausage.

I made this soup for a contest at church and it won for the "spicy" category. See what you think! If you don't use potatoes in the recipe it freezes and reheats really well. Since Mike doesn't like soup much for dinner, I make it and freeze it for myself for lunches.

Fruit and Oatmeal Bake

Recipe from Sarah Morley

I’ve made this with blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and apples. I reheat it for about 45-60 seconds and put light whipped cream on top.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of quick oats

¼ cup steel cut oats

¼ cup oat bran

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup splenda (my change to the recipe, use regular sugar if you like, but add calories accordingly)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup nonfat milk

2 eggs

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh fruit

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately (except the fruit). Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Bake in greased 9x13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix in fruit and bake 20 minutes longer. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Goulash

From Kathy Miller

1 lb hamburger
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 8-oz. can mushrooms, drained
1 cup macaroni
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. oregano
Season salt and sliced cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger, green pepper and onion together about 15 minutes, or until meat is done. Add mushrooms. At same time, cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender (uncovered). When both are done, mix meat mixture, drained macaroni and remaining ingredients, except cheese slices, in a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Top with sliced cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

Mile High Pork Chops

From "Kitchen Keepsakes & more Kitchen Keepsakes"

4 Pork Chops
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup whole grain rice
1 tomato, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced horizontally
1 onion, sliced
1 can consomme
salt and pepper, to taste

Serves 4

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. In 2 tablespoons oil, brown pork chops on both sides in a skillet. Sprinkle rice in the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay pork chops on top of rice. Place a slice of onion, green pepper, and tomato on each pork chop. Pour consomme over all. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until pork chops are tender and rice has absorbed all the moisture.

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.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Recipe from: Sarah Morley

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar

3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

½ Cup Vinegar

¼ Cup Soy Sauce

1 Can Pineapple (save juice)

3 Cups cooked, chopped Chicken

1 Cup Onions

1 Cup Celery

1 Cup Green Pepper

½ Tsp. Salt

1 Garlic Clove

½ Tsp. Ginger

(Note to self: On 2/9/09 - We hadn't had this in quite awhile, but had it last week. I am thinking of adding carrots next time around)

Combine sugar and cornstarch; then add vinegar, soy sauce and pineapple juice. Bring to a low boil and add remaining ingredients except for pineapple. Bring to boil, then simmer until nice and thick and add in pineapple. Serve over rice.

Tuna New Orleans

Recipe from Kathy Miller

Serving Size: 5

1 tomato chopped 1/2 cup green pepper chopped 1 6 oz. can sliced mushrooms 1 tablespoon onion chopped

2 tablespoons butter 1 can cream of celery soup 2 cans tuna drained Hot Rice

Saute' tomato, green pepper, mushrooms and onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add can of soup and heat for 5 minutes. Add drained tuna and heat for 2 more minutes. Serve over hot rice. Serves 4-6.

Zucch Soup

From Lybbert Family

1 zucchini, quarter lengthwise and cut out seeds, then cube
1 onion, chopped
3 cans stewed tomatoes
Garlic or garlic pepper, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

Steam zucchini with onion in 1/2 cup water for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.

Top with shredded cheddar cheese, and enjoy with toast!