Santa Rosa Valley Salad

This is a very fresh salad that can be served as a main course. I personally think it is best the day after you make it. The flavors are all blended and the dressing soaked in by then. I usually just wait to add the chicken until right before I serve it. In the picture I didn't have a red bell pepper so I used green but that's the only difference. It even freezes well! My mom made up a couple batches right before my son Coen was born and it was great! Just don't add the garnish until you serve. You'll probably want to make a double batch anyway because let me tell ya...it's GOOD!

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

1 box Uncle Ben's seasoned long grain and wild rice (NOT instant)
Juice of 1 lemon (sometimes I leave this out)
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, chopped
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or 1 large can chicken breast
3 ounces snow peas ends removed, optional
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2 avocados, diced
red leaf lettuce for garnish

Cook the rice according to the package, but reduce water by 1/3 cup to prevent overcooking and the rice getting too mushy. Salad looks best with a firmer grain. Cool rice. Combine rice with lemon juice, red pepper, onions, and peas if using. Prepare dressing:

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard
1/2 tsp. salt (I usually reduce to 1/4 tsp. or omit entirely)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified. Pour over rice mixture and mix well. Refrigerate 2-4 hours or overnight. Add chicken about an hour before serving. Just before serving, add pecans and avocados. (I usually just let each individual put the pecans and avocados on rather than mixing it into the salad in case there is leftover salad that I can save for later.) Serve on a bed of red leaf lettuce.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tory made this for my birthday this year. It was nice and easy and we just happened to have all of the necessary ingredients. The only thing we were missing was the whipped topping on top! We also used cheesecake flavored pudding instead of vanilla because that's all we had. This is a no-bake recipe which makes it perfect for a cool summer dessert. Enjoy!

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake


1 graham cracker pie crust
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (we used the 1/3 less fat-Neufchatel cream cheese)
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves


-Beat cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
-Fold in 1/2 of whipped topping. Spread into crust.
-Mix remaining milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes, and spices 2 min. Mixture will be thick.
-Spread over cream cheese layer.
-Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving.

Banana Oat Bars

If you need a healthy snack for your kids here is a recipe for you! They are called Banana Oat Bars. We love them! They don't have any sugar in them and are super easy to make. They are naturally sweet and very moist. A great way to use up ripe bananas as well. Sometimes I add 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon to change them up. We make these when we travel for a healthy snack for the kids (and us). Much better for them than sugar loaded cookies. They also make great breakfast bars. Pack them in a school lunch, bring along on a bike trip or hike, and feel good about what your kids are eating. Give them a try! You AND your kids will love them!

Banana Oat Bars

2 c. quick oats (not instant – I whirl old fashioned oats in my blender to break up)
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (I usually end up adding 1/2 c.)
1/2 c. shredded coconut (try to use unsweetened)
1/2 c. raisins or chopped dates (the dates will make them sweeter)
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I put everything into a Kitchen-Aid bowl and stir ‘til blended and smooth. Press dough in a 9x9 baking pan. It works best if it’s been sprayed first or lightly oiled. Bake for 30 min. When cool, slice into squares or bars and serve. Great travel bars or to have handy for a quick meal or snack.

Black Bean Fajitas

This is one of my most favorite meals of all time. They are fast, easy, filling, and delicious! Another great way to use up leftover brown rice as well. Top them with some guacamole and you are set! This can also be served on a bed of rice instead of tortillas. I like to use the Great Value brand seasoning packet sold at Wal-Mart. I've tried many different kinds and this one is by far my favorite and at about $.35 you can't go wrong! If you do not have access to a seasoning packet, feel free to season with your own seasonings. I recently found a fajita seasoning in a bottle at our local Kroger grocery store that has no salt or MSG which is definitely a plus! It is Fiesta Brand Extra Fancy salt free Fajita Seasoning. A pretty tasty alternative.

Black Bean Fajitas

2 green bell peppers, cut into strips (can also use red or any other color peppers)
1 onion, cut into strips
1 portabella mushroom, cut into strips (you could also use regular mushrooms)
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 fajita seasoning packet + 1/4 cup water
2 cups cooked brown rice (or 1 cup uncooked brown rice cooked on low in a covered pot for 45 min. in 2 cups of water)
guacamole
salsa, sour cream, and cheese if desired

Cook brown rice as directed if you don't already have leftover rice on hand. In a large skillet heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and saute vegetables until tender crisp. (In the summer you can cook the vegetables out on the grill!) Add black beans. Combine fajita seasoning mix with 1/4 cup of water. Add to cooked vegetables. Stir and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

To assemble: I usually spread the guacamole on the tortilla first, then brown rice, and finally vegetable mixture. Top with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or cheese if desired.

1 2 3 Jell-O

I always make this jello for Valentine's Day. Of course it's always good no matter when you make it and always easy! The kids love the layers. I usually make it in fancy goblets but individual dishes work great, too. If you have something that is clear it makes it more fun. That way you can see the layers. My favorite jello flavor to use is raspberry but any flavor works! Don't forget...the third layer is the Cool Whip!

1 2 3 Jell-O

1 (3 ounce) box any flavor Jello gelatin

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 (8 ounce) container of frozen Cool Whip

1) Stir boiling water into JELL-O in a bowl until dissolved.
2) Add 2/3 of frozen COOL WHIP to same bowl one spoonful at a time, whisking until it is melted and blended.
3) Pour into small clear drinking glasses or bowls.
4) Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until set.
5) Top layered dessert with remaining whipped topping and ENJOY!

Molten Lava Cake

I made these individual Molten Lava Cakes for my family on Valentine's Day. They turned out so yummy! The only difference I made was in the chocolate. I didn't have any baking squares so I just used 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It turned out good but I think the bittersweet chocolate would have been a little better. More chocolaty and not as sweet. But if you don't have any and just HAVE to make this...semi-sweet chocolate chips work just fine! I baked mine in little ceramic cups that I use on Christmas Eve for our Carrot Pudding. They seemed to be just the right size. If you didn't have any custard cups you could use muffin tins for the large muffins. Adjust cooking time if necessary. I found that mine did not need the entire 14 minutes it calls for.

Molten Lava Cake

6 (1 ounce) bittersweet chocolate squares

2 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate squares

10 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt chocolates and butter in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Bake for 14 minutes. Edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and invert onto dessert plate. Top with ice cream or raspberry sauce. Enjoy!

Enchilada Bake with Green Sauce

I like to make enchiladas casserole style. You get all of the great flavor of enchiladas without the extra effort of dipping the tortillas in sauce and rolling each one. As with a lot of my recipes, this one has many different variations. In this particular recipe I used green sauce instead of the normal red sauce. It is also a vegetarian version but you could easily add chicken. It's loaded with lots of good stuff-corn, pinto beans, brown rice, and kale! It's a great way to use up leftover brown rice. Very filling and very delicious!

Enchilada Bake with Green Sauce

8 small flour tortillas, torn into quarters
1 can green enchilada sauce
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5-6 large leaves of kale, finely chopped (remove center stems as they are more tough)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or you could use black beans)
1 can cream of chicken soup (Or you could make white sauce: 1 T. butter, 2 T. flour, 1 c. milk, 1 chicken bouillon cube if desired)
1/2-1 soup can of water or milk (depending on how much rice and salsa you use and what consistency you like)
1/2-1 cup salsa
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper

1) In a skillet, sauté onion and kale in olive oil. Add corn and cook until no longer frozen.

2) In a large mixing bowl combine beans, rice, soup, water/milk, salsa, and seasonings. Add the corn and kale mixture.

3) Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line pan with 4 tortillas that have been torn into 4 pieces each. Put filling on top of this layer. Put remaining 4 quartered tortillas on top. Pour green sauce over the top. Could sprinkle cheese over the top if desired. Cover with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 min. Uncover and bake 10 additional minutes. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Crème Cookies)

If you like Dulce de Leche and you like sugar cookies, then you'll LOVE this cookie! They are very simple to make but look super special. I got this recipe off of the Betty Crocker site. The can of Dulce de Leche might be hard to find. I found it in the Hispanic-foods section at our Wal-Mart. It comes in a can the same size as sweetened condensed milk and even looks a lot like it except it has been caramelized and is much thicker. In a few comments about the recipe, people said they make their own Dulce de Leche by doing the following: "Put an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk into a Pressure Pot with water covering the can, as soon as the Pressure valve whistles or moves, count 20 minutes, turn off the pot, let it cool, take your can out and enjoy." I haven't tried this myself. The original recipe has you roll the cookies in coconut but I didn't do this step. I also left out the powdered sugar step. You definitely want to make small cookies because they are very rich. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter that was a little less than 2 inches wide. I thought they were even better the next day after they'd been stored in an airtight container. The cookie was nice and soft. We didn't have any extras beyond the second day!

Alfajores

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted, finely chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/2 cup of the coconut, the pecans, butter and egg until stiff dough forms.

3. On floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining half of dough.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

5. To make each sandwich cookie, spread about 2 teaspoons dulce de leche on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together so some of filling seeps out around edges. Roll edges in remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Place cookies on cooling rack.

6. Sprinkle tops of sandwich cookies with powdered sugar. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.

Italian Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce

With Valentine's Day around the corner, you might be looking for a fun dinner idea that's both delicious and "red". I made this recipe up a couple weeks ago and it was soooo good and very quick and easy! I've been holding back the desire to make it again so that I could save it for our special family Valentine's Day dinner. It's actually more of a "pink" color. Hope that's ok ;) My boys actually had to get over the fact that it was pink before they could decide that it was ok to eat and tasted great. Boys...



Italian Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter

3 Tbsp. flour

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes-drain, reserve juices

salt to taste

1/2 package of smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced--I use Turkey Smoked Sausage such as Louis Rich.


1 (16 oz.) package penne pasta

Cook pasta as directed. While pasta is cooking, heat butter or oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onions and saute until golden. Whisk in flour. Stir for about a minute. Add evaporated milk. Whisk constantly until mixture reaches a boil. Add basil, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Add reserved tomato liquid until desired consistency is reached. Can add more milk or chicken broth, a little at a time, if still too thick. Add sliced sausage. Serve warm over pasta.

Zucchini Appetizers

I made these for a family party and loved them. What a great way to use up zucchini. This could come in handy in the summers when your garden is producing more than you can eat! These were very delicious! They are good hot, room temp, and even cold! I had leftovers the next day right out of the fridge. The original recipe is from the Betty Crocker website.

Zucchini Appetizers

3 cups thinly sliced unpeeled zucchini (4 small)-I actually diced mine. After reading many reviews on the Betty Crocker site it seemed like the way to go. Some people shredded theirs but these seemed to turn out a little bit more soggy.
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Stir together all ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 2-inch squares; cut squares diagonally in half into triangles.

Red Lentil Soup

Did I mention my family LOVES soup? They would be happy if I made it every single day. This is a great lentil soup. I used "red" lentils but you could easily make this with regular lentils. I loved this soup! It was such a yummy combination of flavors with the cumin, coriander, and tomatoes. My boys loved it, too, which is always a plus. I love making soups with lentils because they are so good for you and so quick! In just over 20 minutes you can have a delicious, hearty soup ready to eat.

Red Lentil Soup

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh to equal about 1 1/2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 cup dried red lentils
5 1/2 cups water
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (or you could use chicken broth and water--just make sure you have enough liquids)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan over med high heat. Saute onion, stirring, until golden. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, water, and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve!

**I've been making this a lot lately and have added 5-6 kale leaves, finely shredded, stems removed. I like it even better this way! I've also added1/2 cup millet a couple times and that was really good, too. Just add with the lentils and let it cook for about 20 min. You might have to add a little more water.

Lemonade Pie

My Aunt Connie sent me this recipe and it looks so good! Very fresh! She says it is very easy, too, which is always a plus. I can't wait to try it!

Lemonade Pie

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted oleo

Reserve 1/3 cup for topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 min. in Springform pan or 9X13 pan.

Filling:
1 -14 oz can Eagle Brand
1- 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate (if you use pink lemonade it is a pinkish color)
1 -12 oz Cool Whip (not lite) I find it doesn't get runny if you use the real Cool Whip
1 or 2 - 8oz pkg. cream cheese

Mix well and put on cooled crust. Sprinkle 1/3 cup reserved crust on top. Enjoy!