Foodie Friday Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiche #FoodieFriday

I love living on a farm and owning chickens! One of the benefits of having my 8 hens is the free abundance of farm fresh eggs. We get many different colors and sizes. Sometimes we are blessed with an unusually large egg. I am not sure which one of our hens laid the one shown in the picture, but it turned out to have a double yolk inside!

I also love that I can teach my kids where our food actually comes from. Having it come straight from our own farm is a wonderful teaching and learning experience for them. I believe that this is extremely important for future generations because so many children now grow up thinking that food comes from the grocery store or supermarket. I love that I have this awesome opportunity with my children to teach them gardening, agriculture, home cooking/baking and other dying skills that need to be passed on.

Speaking of home cooking, my kids and I made two Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiches the other day for dinner. I love a good quiche and crustless ones are so easy to whip together! My chickens' eggs also make them the best! Here is the recipe for this one...

Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiche

Ingredients for one quiche:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large sweet pepper; seeded, destemmed and diced (We used a green and red one because we made two quiches, but any color is fine.)
• 5 eggs
• 1 medium onion; peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• A handful of dried tomatoes (We had these in a bag from a summer of slicing, dehydrating, and freezing them. If you don't have homemade dried ones I suggest getting some sun dried ones from the store.)

Equipment needed:

• 1 - 9 inch round pie plate
• 1 whisk
• 1 - 12 inch skillet (I love my cast iron ones!)
• 1 spatula
• 1 mixing spoon
• 1 mixing bowl 
• 1 oven with stove top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle. 
2. Lightly butter the inside of the pie plate to make it nonstick and set it aside.
3. Saute the onion and sweet pepper in butter in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring with the spatula occasionally, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk together eggs and milk in the mixing bowl, then add the onion and sweet pepper mixture and most of the cheese, saving some out to go on top before baking. Fold this mixture together with the mixing spoon.
5. Pour this mixture into the pie plate, sprinkling the last of the cheese on top.
6. Take the handful of dried tomatoes and place them evenly on top.
7. Bake uncovered until top is golden and egg blend has set in center, about 35 minutes.
8. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before cutting into wedges.
9. Enjoy!
 

Kroger Skillet Meals Review #GotItFree

We received coupons for free product to facilitate this review.

There are so many days that we are just super busy and after it's all said and done we only have minutes to make a meal for our family. Enter Kroger Skillet Meals, which are easy to make meals that are ready in just ten minutes! They contain at least two servings per bag and contain 20 grams or more of protein! These are found at all Kroger Family Stores (including Fred Meyer, Baker's, City Market, Dillons, Food4Less, King Soopers, Smith’s, PayLess, etc.) and come in the frozen section of the store. These come in a variety of authentic Italian flavors including NEW Tuscan-Style Penne, Sausage Rigatoni, Penne with Grilled Chicken and many more! They also are available in delicious NEW Asian and Mexican varieties like Shrimp Lo Mein or Chicken Fajitas. You can create a complete meal when you add your favorite sides to go with it, such as Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selections Salad Kits.

Because I am a member of BzzAgent I received word of the BzzCampaign for the Kroger Skillet Meals. I received a free coupon for one Kroger Skillet Meal, a Kroger Garlic Bread, and a Fresh Selections Salad Kit to facilitate this review. We went to our local Fred Meyer to get this. We got the Tuscan-Style Penne. It was very yummy, but with a family of 6 the pasta meal just wasn't too practical unless you also made something else to go with it. We loved the pasta with garlic sauce, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, and big chunks of chicken. It was easy to prepare and fast. Just place it in a skillet and simmer together. This meal was very yummy, but it was gone too quick. One bag only really is supposed to make 2 servings. I was wanting more because it was so good.

We also got the garlic bread and salad kit to go with it. The bread and the salad were a good pairing and went well with the meal. The garlic bread is also easy to make, just pop it in the oven bag and all for a bit to warm it up. I love garlic bread, but this was not as garlicky or crunchy as I would have liked. I usually over garlic my dishes because I love garlic. Maybe if I would have taken it out of the bag and let it brown in the oven a bit more it would have been better. You have to admit the convenience of not having to wash another pan is nice though. We picked the Field Greens salad because, from looking, it had the most dark leafy veggies in the mix. This Fresh Selections Salad had romaine lettuce, endive, carrots, and radicchio. As salads go it was just OK, but it did give the plate a lovely garnished look.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received coupons for free product to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Foodie Friday Squash Curry Soup

Squash Curry Soup
Makes 6-8 servings
This soup is usually made of a mix of butternut and acorn squash and has the same effect as baked pumpkin. You can also use a combination of winter squash you have on hand in roughly the same amount. We made this with Delicata and Spaghetti squash. This is why the soup in the picture isn't as orange.

Ingredients:
4 cups butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup salted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken/vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons curry powder or my favorite Kohinoor Sheek Kebab Special
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Also great to top with Lawry's seasoned pepper, chives, thyme, cilantro and/or sage

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet with some foil so that clean up will be easier. Roast the squash for 40-45 minutes or until it is very tender. Allow squash to cool.

While the squash is baking, sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the butter in a large pot over a medium heat until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the broth, bring to boil. Scoop the cooled squash from the skin and add to the broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sour cream; bring to simmer. Stir in seasonings. Serve.

Foodie Friday Dinner in a Pumpkin

Dinner In A Pumpkin
This recipe has been a tradition around the time of Halloween or Thanksgiving for my family since I was a very little girl. I love squash in the fall and autumn. Pumpkin is a autumn/winter gourd-like squash and is perfect for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin (however, needs to be small enough to fit in your oven)
• 1 lb. hamburger (ground beef)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3-4 stalks celery chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped (you can also do a mix of equal value green, red and yellow peppers if you have them for extra color)
• 1 container chopped mushrooms
• spoonful minced garlic
• spoonful mined ginger
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups cooked rice (can use white, brown or mixed)
• basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out seeds. Save the seeds for yummy roasted pumpkin seed recipes. In a large skillet brown hamburger and add onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Mix and sauté. Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice to other ingredients. Mix well. Add all ingredients to the inside of the prepared pumpkin. Place stem top back on the pumpkin. Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and and put the whole pumpkin on it. Bake for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft on the inside.

*if you want to make it a Jack O' Lantern as we did for a festive table you can by carving only the top layer of pumpkin skin off in your design and then pealing it off to show the face.

Foodie Friday Mission Organics Tortilla Chips Review and Giveaway with Beet Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream - Keeping Portland Weird

I received three 13 oz. bags of Mission Organics Tortilla Chips to try, each in a different flavor variety: Blue Corn, White Corn, and Multi Grain. These are all USDA certified organic tortilla chips that start off as masa (maize (corn) dough made from freshly prepared hominy) made from organically grown corn. The tortillas are cooked in organic oil and topped with fresh sea salt for a traditional taste. I really liked the blue corn and multi grain the best myself. These chips curb my salty, crunchy snack craving and are great with my homemade salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. I however wanted to try them out with something unconventional this time.

So, in keeping Portland, Oregon weird I decided to pair the Blue Corn Mission Organics Tortilla Chips with one of my favorite recipes from a wonderful ice cream cookbook called Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home. This cookbook has some really strange sounding, but divinely delicious recipes for ice creams, sundaes, sorbets and frozen yogurts. This particular Jeni's recipe is her Beet ice cream with mascarpone Italian cream cheese, orange zest, and poppy seeds. Although, we did a slightly different version with the poppy seeds substituted with 4 ounces of melted semi-sweet baking chocolate slowly drizzled in during the last 2 minutes of rotation.

The taste of the Beet ice cream has a subtle earthy beet flavor with piquant citrus hints and chocolate throughout. The color of the ice cream is a bright fuchsia, so paired with the Blue Corn Mission Organics Tortilla Chips it was quite the color combination. The salty chips brought out the sweet citrus taste of the ice cream even better and gave it an interesting crunch. All in all it was an interesting experience for my refined palate.

BUY IT
Mission Organics Tortilla Chips are currently available in 13 oz. bags for a suggested retail price of $3.99 at select Safeway, Haggen, QFC and Fred Meyers stores throughout Portland and Seattle. Prices may vary by location. For more information, visit missionmenus.com.

WIN IT
Prize: 5 winners will win 1 Mission Organics Tortilla Chips 3 Pack just like the one above. Retail value of $12 each.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Mission for sending me product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Foodie Friday Valentine's Breakfast in Bed

I love Pinterest and have been pinning my favorite things there lately. I wanted to share some awesome ideas for Valentine's Day breakfasts that I found on there that you can surprise your sweatheart in bed with :) Here they are numbered on the collage photo. I have given credit to everyone that I know that the pictures and information came from. I hope you enjoy this post and comment. Click on the collage and you can see it bigger.

1. If you like morning coffee, have a fancy heart latte instead. On WikiHow they show you just how this art is done. Credit for the picture goes to Lattes and Wanderlust blog.

2. Make some heart shaped scones. There are a bunch of heart shaped scone recipes online. One of my favorites comes from the Such Pretty Things blog and is a Cherry Chocolate Chip Heart Scone. Yum!

3. This delicious recipe comes from Our Best Bites and are Mini Puffed Oven Pancakes with Berry Sauce.

4. Craving doughnuts? These yummy Heart-Shaped Doughnuts from Miss Elena Eous will be the sweetest treat.

5. Here is what my family calls Heart Egg in a Hole Toast. The Petite Kitchenesse calls her version the Valentine’s Day Egg in the Basket.

6. Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls are so wonderful right out of the oven! Credit goes to the Poppies at Play blog.

7. You need a special heart shaped waffle iron for these waffles. Credit goes to NilsenLife.

8. If you love bacon in the morning, try this easy tip for Bacon Hearts from The Paper Mama.

9. These Sweetie Pies are filled with jam and are a special treat from The Farm Chicks.

10. I love french toast! This Heart Shaped French Toast recipe comes from Land O Lakes and comes with a recipe for Strawberry Butter to spread on top.

11. These Heart Fruit Kabobs are healthy and sweet. They come from Parents.com.

12. These Heart Shaped Hard Boiled Eggs look difficult, but are actually easy to do. Head on over to Anna The Red to see her technique.

13. Korean born these interesting omelets called GyeRan Mali are really tasty and Aeri's Kitchen has a neat technique to make them heart shaped.

14. You can make Heart Shaped Pancakes a number of ways, but Martha Stewart has a recipe that you don't need a heart shaped pancake mold for.

15. Last, but not least another Martha Stewart gem...Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts.

Something to consider, there are kitchen tools that might make your Valentine's breakfast easier and these are also great Valentine's gift ideas for someone who loves to cook!

Here is a list:


I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and a superb Valentine's breakfast!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post. I have credited all of the photos and ideas. I have affiliate links for products off of Amazon listed in this post. I have not tried any of these products myself, so please read other reviews about them before you purchase. Thanks for supporting my blog. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Foodie Friday Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts and Guacamole Pasta

I never knew how yummy water chestnuts could be until I had tried bacon wrapped ones that my husband made me when we were newly married. I have made these before as appetizers and love to top different dishes with them as well.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Ingredients
8 ounces whole water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup soy sauce
8 slices bacon, cut in half
toothpicks

Directions:
Marinate water chestnuts in the soy sauce for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375º F.
Wrap each chestnut with ½ strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place the bacon-wrapped chestnuts on a baking cookie sheet.
Bake 25 minutes or until bacon is done and crisp. Remove from oven and drain off excess drippings. Remove toothpicks if topping another recipe with them.

Guacamole

Ingredients:
2-3 ripe avocados
1 onion, minced
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 whole fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. Throw peel away or compost. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, chopped tomato, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne and mix. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent from turning brown. Refrigerate until ready.

Meal Directions:
Cook Angel Hair pasta by directions on the package. Top plate or bowl with angel hair pasta, then spread guacamole on top and place 3 bacon wrapped water chestnuts on top of that. Top all that with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday Tostadas

Tostadas

Ingredients:

• A package of Large flour, corn, or wheat tortillas (about 12)
• 2 15 ounce cans refried beans
• 1-2 lb.(s) ground beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped or 2 cans of drained diced tomatoes
• 1-2 chopped or sliced peeled and pitted avocados or guacamole
• 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese or other cheese of choice
• 2 cups of salsa or 1/2 cup sliced jalapeños or diced green chilis
• A handful of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large tub of sour cream

Directions:

1. Drain the refried beans, then add them to a skillet mashing them as you heat them. Add water to them as necessary to keep a creamy consistency.
2. Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet and drain well. Stir in spices and heat all throughout.
3. I make my tostada shells from large tortillas in Tostada/Tortilla bowl/shell bakers/makers. These are a lot healthier that frying the tortillas in oil and they make the tortillas a great bowl shape (just follow the instructions on the box).
4. To serve, place toppings in separate bowls, with a larger serving dish for the beans and meat. Spread equal amounts of the beef and bean mixture in each tostada shell. Layer and spoon in toppings as desired. Don't load the tostada too much or you might find it difficult to eat.

Foodie Friday Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups (3-4) mashed overripe bananas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9X5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Mix banana mixture and flour mixture together until all flour mixture is mixed in. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes. Check center of loaf with a toothpick to see if done. If toothpick comes out clean it is done. Let bread cool in its pan for 10 minutes and then place on wire rack out of pan to cool more.

Makes one loaf.

Foodie Friday Cube Steak With Stewed Tomatoes

Cube Steak With Stewed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 tablespoons flour
salt to taste
Lawry's Seasoned Pepper to taste
Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic to taste
1 pound lean cube steaks (we used pork, but beef would be yummy too!)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can stewed tomatoes, diced

Directions:
Combine flour, salt and pepper, garlic garlic seasoning in a bag (I use a shakable covered bowl from Tupperware). Place cube steaks in one at a time and shake to lightly coat. Brown steaks in oil on medium low heat in a large skillet. Pour tomatoes over steaks; simmer, covered, 1 1/4 hours.

Place over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice and serve.

Foodie Friday Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 pkg corn muffin mix
1 lb. ground pork sausage
1/2 to 2/3 of a stick of butter
4 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper

Directions:
1 pkg corn muffin mix, mixed and baked according to cornbread directions-do this in plenty of time for it to cool. I usually make it the night before. Don't cover it when it's setting overnight--slightly dry is better.

Fry sausage over low heat until cooked thoroughly. Take sausage out of drippings. If their is very little fat in the sausage (very few drippings) add butter to the drippings so there will be something to cook the onions in! Cook chopped onions in fat until golden and translucent.

Crumble the cornbread and toss together with sausage, finely chopped celery, sage, ground thyme, salt and pepper.

If you opt to stuff a turkey, stuff it loosely in the turkey--don't pack it. You can also drizzle some of the turkey drippings over the stuffing before baking it, but in my opinion the stuffing's fine just as it is, and then there are more drippings to use for gravy.

Foodie Friday Meatloaf Topped with Bacon and BBQ Sauce

Meatloaf Topped with Bacon and BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups freshly made bread crumbs
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 pounds ground beef (lean)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
3/4 cup milk
BBQ sauce of choice
4 strips bacon, uncooked

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Pat into the loaf pan and cover top with layer of BBQ sauce and strips bacon. Bake for 45 minutes.

Foodie Friday Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash, sliced into thin rounds
2 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
garlic salt to taste (I used my Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic seasoning blend)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 slices toast; buttered, garlic salt sprinkled on them, and ripped into bite size pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sauté sliced yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and onions in some vegetable oil or butter over medium heat until onions are see through.

Place sliced yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and onions into large bowl and fold in cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Sprinkle garlic salt to taste and also fold into mixture.

Butter a casserole dish with lid large enough to hold everything. Place mixture into casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese and toast. Bake with lid on at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes taking lid off for last 5 minutes.

Foodie Friday Steak-Umm Burrito Supreme and Homemade Fresh Salsa

Steak-Umm Burrito Supreme

Ingredients:
1 pkg Steak-Umm, cooked as directions state on the box
homemade (recipe below) or jar of chunky salsa
1-2 avocados; peeled, pitted and diced
fresh cilantro, chopped
cheese, shredded (if wanted)
flour tortillas
sour cream

Directions:
Lay out one tortilla per plate. Place 1-2 Steak-Umms on each tortilla. Add salsa, avocado, cilantro and cheese to liking. fold into burrito and top with sour cream.

Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small can green chilies, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 dash salt
1 dash Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and chill until needed.

Foodie Friday Sausage Okra Jambalaya Gumbo Creole

Sausage Okra Jambalaya Gumbo Creole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, ground
• 1 bag frozen okra, cut
• 1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• Zatarain's Creole Seasoning to taste
• oregano to taste
• garlic powder to taste (If you want to substitute minced garlic just add it to the sautéed veggies.)
• Lawry's Seasoned Pepper to taste
• 3 cups long grain white rice, cooked

Directions:
In a large skillet cook the sausage until browned. Add okra, mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and celery and sauté until onions are see through. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer until bubbling. Add seasonings to taste and mix everything together with the cooked rice in a large pot. Stir on medium heat until heated throughout. Serve.

Foodie Friday Deep Fried Turkey, Skin On Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Here is my husband deep frying a large turkey in our new to us outdoor deep fryer. He is posing with his blow torch because he said he needed to be holding something, LOL! Get all the DIY info on deep frying a turkey HERE. While he did the frying I made the side dishes for the meal. Here are the recipes for the skin on mashed potatoes and the green beans:

Skin On Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
8-10 large potatoes, washed & cubed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons dried dill
salt and Lawry's seasoned pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, and transfer to a large bowl. Add butter, and mash with a potato masher or electric mixer until potatoes are starting to become smooth. Add milk and sour cream, and mix to your desired texture. Careful not to over mix the potatoes once they are creamy. Season with garlic, dill, salt and pepper.

Green Beans With Bacon and Onion

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds fresh long green beans, ends snapped off & broken in half
6 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Sauté onion in the skillet until caramelized. Stir in salt and pepper. Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water; add other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Place in a large serving bowl.

Foodie Friday Cold Food and Drink for Hot Summer Days

COLD FOOD AND DRINK FOR HOT SUMMER DAYS:
When it is blazing hot I don't feel like cooking on the stove or in an oven. I want something light and cool! The above picture is of a berry sorbet I made. Here is my list of cold food and drink for hot summer days...

1. Salads: pasta salad, potato salad, fruit salad, egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, coleslaw, Waldorf salad, pickled beets, deviled eggs, etc.
2. Cold soups: gazpacho, borscht, okroshka, cucumber soup (you can add dill), avocado soup, spinach soup, squash soup, yogurt soup, celery soup
3. Desserts: ice cream, frozen yogurt, shaved ice, slushy, frozen custard, parfait, sorbet, sherbet, yogurt, pudding, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, frozen pastries, granola, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie
4. Beverages: ice cold water, lemonade, limeade, iced tea, iced coffee, smoothies, milk shakes, soda floats, chilled yogurt drink, 100% juice drinks, fruit nectar, homemade ginger ale, frappe, sparkling cider or juice
5. Fruits: watermelon, mangos, kiwis, bananas, peaches, pears, citrus fruit (grapefruit, oranges, etc.), pineapple, avocado, frozen fruit (melon, grapes, berries, bananas, pineapple, peaches, etc.), fruit salad, Jell-O (add fruit, shredded carrots, mini marshmallows, nuts...if wanted, etc.), fruit and cottage cheese, fruit skewers, etc.
6. Sandwiches: cold deli sandwiches, pinwheel sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, tuna, chicken salad, egg salad, BLT, tortilla wraps or pita sandwiches
7. Fancy breads: add...nuts, raisins, dates, shredded veggies (carrots, zucchini, squash, etc.)
8. BBQ or Grilled: anything cooked on a grill outside (for example corn on the cob, shish kabobs, grilled chicken, grilled fish, etc. Try to cut down on red meats.)
9. Raw veggies: celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, green leafy, sprouts, radishes
10. Dip: hummus, bean dip, 7 layer dip, spinach dip, artichoke dip, ranch dressing, yogurt dip, salsa, fruit salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, fruit dip, etc.
11. Seafood: shrimp cocktail, ceviche, sushi
12. Cold pasta or grain: couscous, tabbouleh, pasta salad, cold peanut noodles, quinoa

NATURALLY FLAVORED WATER:
In the summertime you have to keep your body hydrated to stay healthy and prevent dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke. Alcoholic beverages are not really a good option because of their alcohol and high sugar content, which can quickly dehydrate you (although I believe that alcohol at any time is not good). Soda pop (even diet) in high quantities can also dehydrate you. If you are not big into the taste of drinking city water straight from the tap, like me, then you might want to try some of these awesome things to flavor your water with. You can also flavor your lemonade or iced teas with these too and make sure you go to my friend Darcey Blue's blog, Gaia's Gifts to see some yummy naturally flavored water recipes.:

1. Herbs, spices, edible flowers and extracts: mint (chocolate mint, apple mint, pineapple mint, spearmint, peppermint, etc.), basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, catnip, marjoram, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, pansies, rose petals, red clover, ginger, bagged/flowering teas chilled, aloe, nettles, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, vanilla extract, crushed cardamom seeds, cinnamon, etc.
2. Fruit and fruit juices: berries, pineapples, peaches, watermelon, kiwis, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pomegranate, tomato juice, fruit nectar, 100% juice added to mostly water, etc.
3. Vegetables and veggie juices: cucumber, carrot juice, wheat grass juice
4. Ice cubes: Freezing ice cubes with fruit or fruit juices and add it to your water. Frozen fruit works just as well.
5. Natural Sweeteners: stevia and honey (herbal infused honey is yummy too) are better options for sweetening than sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Do you have a favorite food or drink that you love during hot days? What other things do you love to flavor your water with? Please make a comment on this post.

Foodie Friday Hamburger Stroganoff

Hamburger Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1 box/bag wide egg noodles
1 1/2 lb. hamburger meat
1 medium to large onion, diced
Garlic powder/fresh garlic, to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream

Directions:
Salt water and cook egg noodles according to package directions in a large pot. Drain and set aside. Brown hamburger in large frying pan. Add onion and garlic. When hamburger is completely cooked, add cream of mushroom soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Add sour cream to stroganoff. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

My Notes: I like to add curry in mine just to add some spice and sometimes I add some sliced sautéed mushrooms or some diced celery to the mix.

Foodie Friday Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) pkg mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained
1 large container cottage cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned pepper
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce of your choice
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Salt water and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, and onion until onions are see through. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and herbs & seasonings together.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Arrange lasagna noodles in bottom of baking dish. Spoon a layer of spaghetti sauce on top of noodles. Top with a layer of spinach and a layer of mushroom mixture. Continue with a layer of cottage cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

Cover and bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Foodie Friday Crab and Salad Shrimp Puffs

I was craving crab puffs from the local Chinese restaurant, but didn't want to go out to get them and I looked around my kitchen and seemed to have similar ingredients, so I made some myself with a bit of a twist. These have salad shrimps in them and aren't made with wonton wrappers. So they aren't that authentic, but they turned out very tasty and I was happy with the results. This is very similar to my Spinach Puffs recipe.

Crab and Salad Shrimp Puffs

Ingredients:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 pkg imitation crab, shredded
1 handful peeled salad shrimp
1 med. onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 8oz pkg refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Directions:
Prepare ingredients as stated above. Combine cream cheese, imitation crab, salad shrimp, onion and garlic. Mix well. Blend in blender or food processor if needed.

Open crescent roll dough and separate the rolls out flat onto a cookie sheet. Spoon a large spoonful of the mixture in the middle each triangle.

Roll the triangles up making sure each puff has some space in between it on the cookie sheet, and bake according to the directions on the package (usually this will be on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown).

Use excess crab/shrimp goo as a yummy dip.