Festive Bean Salad

Fresh and colorful, this healthy side dish goes well with Mexican food or just about any dish.

1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup red onion, diced
1 can whole corn, (15 oz) drained
1 can lime & cilantro Rotel diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can black Beans, (15 oz) drained
1 can kidney beans, (15 oz) drained
Salt and Pepper

In a large bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, Rotel tomatoes and garlic. Add olive oil, vinegar, and lightly salt and pepper to taste. Add black beans and kidney beans and toss well. Makes about 9 - 1 cup servings. Refrigerate leftovers.

Optional: 1/2 of a jalapeno, finely chopped can be added for more kick.

Christmas Cookies in a Jar

This year I decided to give friends and family these really neat "Cookie in a Jar" gifts. They were not difficult to make at all and made a wonderful, homemade gift.

You will need:
1 -1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup holiday red & green M&M's. (or you could use any color of M&M's...pink for Valentines day, etc)
1/2 cup Reese's Peanut butter baking pieces (oops forgot to get them in the picture!)
12/ cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts or chopped pecans.
1 quart sized glass jar with lid.
Some ribbon, holiday colored computer paper, scissors, red or green material, double sided tape, labels or whatever you want to decorate your finished jars with.

Mix the baking soda and salt in with your flour. Put your ingredients into separate containers.

Layer in your jar the following ingredients, adding each ingredient one at a time in the following order: Flour with baking soda & salt, brown sugar, M&M's, Reese's Peanut butter pieces, Coconut, and peanuts. A funnel comes in real handy here. Tap jar gently on the counter to settle and even each layer before adding the next one. You can use a small ladle or spoon to pack each layer slightly but don't go overboard or you will have too much space at the top when you are done.

When you are done your jar should look like this. Don't those layers look pretty?

Next comes the fun part, decorating your Cookies in a Jar gift! I just used a large red holiday table cloth that I found for only $4.50 (and there is plenty there to do several years worth of these gifts!) I cut out 6" X6" squares for my jars which I secured over the lid and under the lid ring. (Or you could just secure it over the whole lid with a rubber band if you like that look better.) I used the double sided tape to help attach a pretty green ribbon bow around the lid as well but you could decorate these any way you like, that is part of fun!

Don't forget to print off the following baking instructions on a label or piece of colorful paper to attach to the jar! I printed it off on green computer paper, cut out with a decorative edge scissor, punched a hole in the top of the label and attached to the jar, hanging with a small piece of ribbon.

1. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, softened, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in one egg and one teaspoon vanilla until combined. Stir in contents of jar until combined, knead if necessary.

2. Drop by 2 tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press down to flatten.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Let set on cookie sheet one minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 20 cookies.


I made a batch of these cookies at home too (shown here mixed up before baking) and they are delicious. If you like chocolate and peanut butter you will like these! I made about 7 of these gifts and figured they cost me about $7 a jar but that is not counting that I still have a lot of red material, some ribbon and lots of double sided tape left for other projects! I also bought the jars new, but I know a lot of you already have these at your house. I loved making and giving these away and I think they made much nicer and more meaningful gifts than I could have found at Wal-Mart for $7!

Simple Garden Zucchini Bake

4 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/8 C. Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 C Shredded Colby-Jack cheese
3/4 C. Pioneer brand buttermilk baking mix
3 C. diced zucchini

Beat together first 5 ingredients. Mix in cheese and baking mix. Stir in zucchini until well blended. Spray sides and bottom of casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour mixture into it. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

And you get an easy, quick meal, using some very simple ingredients. Best of all, you can put some of that extra zucchini out of the vegetable garden to good use!

Note: The original recipe did not call for milk but all oil. Which I thought was a lot of oil. This is the reason I did not have milk in the picture of the ingredients but the second time we tried this recipe at home some things were changed. The oil was cut back & milk was added in its place. More cheese was added (because can you really ever have too much cheese?) while the pepper was cut back, etc. This is the recipe I posted. We think it is much better this way!

Mexican Cornbread

1/2 lb. pork sausage
1 pkg Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cream style corn
5 tamed jalapeno rings chopped
3 green onions, chopped
8 oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain sausage. In a large bowl blend next four ingredients. Add the sausage, jalapeno and green onions. Blend well. Fold in cheese. Spoon mixture into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Top with Velveeta cheese dip.

Velveeta Cheese Dip
1 lb Velveeta.
1 small can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles.

Cube Velveeta, put in microwaveable bowl and add Rotel. Heat in microwave until melted, stirring every 3 minutes.

Simple Ham & Cheese Quiche

3 eggs separated
3/4 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese; softened
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 standard pie crust

Beat egg whites, then soften cream cheese and mix with egg yolks, add ham, pepper, onions, and colby-jack cheese. Fold in egg whites and pour into pie crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, sprinkle parmesan on top and bake and additional 5-10 minutes.

Sweet Barbecue Venison Meatballs

Meatballs

1 lb venison

1/2 C. Chopped Onion

1/4 C. Milk

1 C. Crushed Crackers

1 Egg

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbs. Soy Sauce

Mix all ingredients together and form 2 inch

meatballs and put in a square baking dish.

Sweet Barbecue Sauce

1 C. Ketchup

1 C. Brown Sugar

1/4 C. vinegar

1/2 Tbs . Mustard

1/2 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 Tbs. Soy Sauce

Mix all ingredients together and pour over

meatballs. Bake at 350 for 1 hour basting

occasionally. Serve over white rice.

* I am not a big fan of the taste of venison alone. You won't catch me eating a deer meat hamburger. Call me picky but I just can't get past that slightly gamey taste. That said, I do really like these meatballs. They are a bit sweet and I can't taste the gamey deer flavor at all with this recipe!

Easy Chevon Enchiladas

Easy Chevon Enchiladas

1 lb. ground Chevon (goat meat)

1 small onion (chopped)

1 large can red sauce(enchilada sauce)

12 oz. package shredded cheddar cheese

1 (10 count) package 9" soft tortillas

Brown meat, with onions on medium

heat, drain and add half of red sauce and

half of cheese, mix well. Spread some red

sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 glass baking dish

(just enough to cover bottom)[if metal pan is

used, grease pan]

Lay out one tortilla and put about 3 Tbs of

mixture in center, roll up and place in dish.

Repeat until all mixture, and tortillas are

used.

Spread remaining sauce over enchiladas

and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in preheated oven @ 375 for 25 min

*Hamburger can of course be substituted for the ground chevon. Spanish rice on the side goes very well with this dish.

Pecan Crunch Cookies

Pecan Crunch Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine-softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup crushed plain potato chips (Ruffles is a good one)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups flour

Cream margarine, sugar & vanilla. Add chips & pecans. Stir in flour, blend well.

Drop from spoon (or shape into balls) onto cookie sheet. Press with fork dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until edges just start to turn tan.

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My mom gave me this recipe, I have not got a chance to try them yet but she says they are really good and she likes them because they are not as overly sweet as some cookies.

Hearty Tuna Casserole

2 cans (6 1/2 oz each) chunk-style tuna
6 oz uncooked egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Preparation:
1. Drain and flake the tuna, set aside.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in hot water.
3. Combine noodles with tuna, celery and green onions in large bowl.
4. Blend in the sour cream, mustard, mayonnaise, thyme and salt.
5. Spoon half the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Top with half the zucchini and repeat layers.
6. Top with cheese.
7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Thinking About Pumpkins

Interesting Pumpkin Facts.

*The word ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word, ‘pepon’, which means a ‘large melon.’
*Pumpkins originated in Central America.
*Pumpkins are actually a fruit. Many people think it should be our national fruit.
*Pumpkin is really a squash. It is in the Curcurbita family along with squash and cucumbers.
*The yellow-orange flowers that bloom on the pumpkin vine are edible.
*Pumpkin seeds taste great roasted and contain medicinal properties.
*Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and its seeds long before the Pilgrims reached this continent. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans.
*Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians in 1620.
*The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was quite different than the pumpkin pie we enjoy today. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices and baking it.
*Early settlers dried pumpkins shells, cut it into strips and wove it into mats.
*Pumpkin has been prepared in a variety of ways from soups to stews to desserts since the immigration of the first European settlers.
The ‘Pumpkin Capital of the World’ is Morton, Illinois. Home of Libby’s pumpkin industry.
*The state of Illinois grows the most pumpkins. It harvests about 12,300 acres of pumpkins annually.
*Pumpkins were formerly considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites.
*Natural medicine practitioners have proven that consuming pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostrate disorders in men.

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Roasting pumpkin seeds is fast and simple. Here’s how:

1. Scrape the innards out of your pumpkin into a bowl.
2. Use your fingers to separate the seeds from the pulp and throw the pulp away.
3. Rinse the seeds. The best way to do this is to pour all the seeds into a colander and run it under the faucet.
4. Pour the seeds and 2 tablespoons of oil onto a cookie sheet. Shake it gently to coat the seeds with oil.
5. Use a salt shaker to lightly salt the seeds.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, taking them out and flipping with a spatula occasionally.
7. Let the seeds sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are cool. Then they are ready to enjoy.

Nutritional Value of Pumpkin Seeds

The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds is very significant. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of omega-3 acid, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper, protein, zinc, and vitamin K. They also contain phytosterols suggested to lower cholesterol and promote heart health.

Medicinal Properties of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds have a centuries-old history of being used as natural healing foods. Conditions such as arthritis, depression, cancer, osteoporosis, and kidney stones are shown to respond to pumpkin seeds. They also have natural anti-inflammatory properties, promote bladder function, and improve prostate health. For our goat friends pumpkin seeds is promoted to have natural deworming properties.

Jamey's favorite egg rolls

Jamey's favorite egg rolls

3 Tbs. Peanut Oil
3 Ribs Celery finely sliced

6 Green onions finely sliced

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 lbs. finely chopped chicken

1 - 8oz can bamboo shoots, drained & coarsely chopped

2 cups bean sprouts (can use canned or fresh - we prefer the canned)

2 Tbs. Soy sauce

2 Tbs. Dry sherry

1 lb. pkg. egg roll skins

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3 Cups peanut oil

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in uncovered wok at 375 degrees. Add next 4 ingredients. Stir Fry 2 minutes. Remove to large bowl and set aside. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in wok until hot, add chicken and bamboo shoots and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Add to bowl. Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in wok until hot: add bean sprouts, stir fry 2 minutes. Add to bowl. Turn wok off. Clean and dry when cool.

Stir soy sauce & sherry into mixture in bowl. Place in strainer to drain well at least 10 minutes. Place egg roll skin on table, with corner facing you, put 1/2 cup filling in center of skin. Fold bottom up over filling, tuck in both sides, moisten top corner with egg white then fold over to form roll. Continue until all mixture is used. Heat 3 cups oil in wok at 375 degrees. Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with sweet-and-sour-sauce.

Makes about 20 egg rolls.

My husband Jamey likes to make these delicious egg rolls, it takes a little bit of time to cut everything up but they are worth the effort!

Chocolate Goat Milk Fudge

Chocolate Goat Milk Fudge

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup goat milk

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. light corn syrup

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate in milk. Add sugar and corn syrup; cook slowly, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Cook gently to softball stage (234°F), stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add butter and cool at room temperature until lukewarm without stirring. Add vanilla; beat vigorously until fudge becomes very thick and loses its gloss. Quickly spread in buttered pan. When firm, cut into squares.

Garden Zucchini Pie

1/4 cup refrigerated egg product,
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups refrigerated, shredded hash brown potatoes (about 1/2 of a 20-ounce package)
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (2 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cooking oil
3 ounces sliced reduced-fat Swiss cheese
3/4 cup refridgerated egg product
1/4 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the 1/4 cup egg product, onion, and Parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir in potatoes. Transfer mixture to a greased 9-inch pie plate; pat mixture into the bottom and up the sides.

Bake, uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or til golden. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

Cook zucchini and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet till zucchini is crisp-tender; cool slightly. Place cheese in bottom of crust, tearing to fit. Arrange zucchini mixture over cheese.
Combine the 3/4 egg product, milk, oregano, pepper, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Pour over the zucchini mixture in the crust.

Bake in the 350 oven for 25 -30 minutes or till filling appears set when gently shaken. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I almost always get lots of fresh zucchini out of the garden when I have planted one, so I love recipes like this one where I can put those garden zucchini to good use!

Ranch Pinwheels

2 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese
8 oz of sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ of a 1oz packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup chopped green onions
10 burrito size large tortillas
Soften cream cheese & blend in sour cream. Mix in Ranch, stir well. Then stir in green onions. Stir in cheddar cheese last. Spread evenly on tortillas and roll them up. Refrigerate 2 or 3 hours. Then slice rolled up tortillas in ½ inch slices and enjoy!

This recipe makes a large batch; they are great around the holidays or to take to parties!