Roasted Tomatoes

Tomato Season will be here, soon! Oh, how I miss it. That means salsa, marinara and many other way you can eat tomatoes. I love just eating tomatoes. I will just eat homegrown tomatoes until the sores in mouth appear and that still won't stop me :)  Here is one way to enjoy tomatoes that is rich and favorable.



Recipe:
Fresh Basil
Homegrown Tomato
Feta Cheese Crumbles

I do place the tomatoes on foil because it can be a hard pan to clean.

Don't they look just AWESOME!!

Homemade soft scrub

When, I clean I try to go as chemical free as I can. I have a great substitution for the soft scrub. I have a tiled shower, so I have to use something that well, if I am going to to get it clean. Vinegar and water is an excellent way to clean floors and surfaces. 2/3 Vinegar mixed with 1/3 dish soap is awesome, too. It works just an all-purpose cleaner. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar#Cleaning_uses) Borax is awesome in the laundry room; I have been testing out different recipes; I will post a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, later.  The best thing about all of it is the cost is less for the less chemicals and working just as well.


The mixture is easy!
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup of dish soap
Optional: 1/3 cup bleach

Garden Update

My garden is growing and it is looking great.  This season truly was weird: it rained for what is seem like the whole month of May and then in June it just quit raining. And trend did not change in July and August; a true lack of rain. My tomato plants are tall and beautiful; my garden  looks more like a tomato forest. Please note the picture below.


But I have to say, overall I am really pleased with my garden this season. I have most everything I would use out there right now. I definitely still have some learning do in the process. Next years, I will have some major changes.

Oh, the salsa has been made, I need to make some more. Anticipation of the salsa, is the highlight for my daughter. I will say 'hey look at the little tomatoes' and she looks at me and says: 'Mmmm, salsa'. And that is really the only thing that she wants from the garden. I hopefully will be making more of salsa and  then some marinara.

I just got some dill, I am so ready for some dill dip with roasted pepper and some Hawaiian bread. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Ready to go: in May

The variety stripped paste

One Lazy Dog

Stuffed Peppers

I really like this recipe. It is easy, healthy and yummy! I have fallen in love with red peppers; they are awesome: sweet, flavorful, and packed with great nutrients. This recipe is Atkins friendly, too! You can add rice to the stuffing; or not if is totally up to you. 

Ingredients: 

·         3- 4 red bell peppers, any color

·         1 tsp of salt
2 t  2 tbsp of the oi

·         Fresh ground pepper

·         1 cup diced Onion

·         ½ cup of diced banana pepper

·         1-2 cloves of diced garlic

·         1 lb of ground turkey

·         1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

·         1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce

To begin, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged. Once the peppers are slightly softened, about 5 minutes in the boiling water. Then drain, set peppers aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, banana pepper and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes. Remove skillet from heat. In a large mixing bowl add meat, tomatoes, and oregano, salt and pepper; then  add the onion, peppers and garlic. Mix well. 

Arrange the cut side of the peppers in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling.  Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or til the internal temperature of the stuffed peppers is 150-160°F.

Salmon Salami Rolls

 I am tiring some new. I have been on the Atkins diet for over six weeks and have had some success so far.  I have to tell it is not a diet for the meek. Willpower is key. Giving up sugar and other carbohydrates is challenging. Sure there are perks, like bacon. But overall, it is a difficult diet to follow and if you not follow it exactly, you may end up gaining.  I have a recipe that you can try if you are on the Atkins diet or not. It is a yummy appetizer. 

Recipe:

One package Deli Thin Salami slices

On package Deli Thin Salmon slices

Whipped Cream Cheese

Roasted Red Peppers

The amount really depends on how much you plan on making.  First, take the salami lay on flat surface, place salmon next, spread out 1 teaspoon cream cheese on top of the salmon. Add two of the roasted red peppers and roll up. You can make as many as you like; they are an awesome snack. 

Home made Granola Bars

I love granola bars, they are one of my favorite snacks. I like making them too, because I get to use leftover items in my pantry. (For example: the almost gone dried cranberries, the remaining cup of chocolate chips or the left over Rice Krispies.) One of my friends has a great saying, it's the "back of the refrigerator special". Well this is similar, but the "back of the pantry special".

Recipe:

Base: this is what you need to have it stick together

3 teaspoon of cooking oil

2 cups of marshmallows (the small ones will melt quicker)

½ cup of peanut butter (chucky or smooth)

3 cups of oats

Ideas for Bars:

1/3 cup of Chocolate chips

1/3 cup of dried cranberries

1/3 cup of raisins

1/3 cup of Peanuts, cashews or almonds 
1/3 cup of Rice Krispies  

Preheat oven to 350°. Have a cookie sheet, with aluminum foil, sprayed with cooking spray ready to go. First, heat the oil in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Add the peanut butter and the marshmallows. Once the mixture has melted, slowly start adding the oats. 
Once all the oats have been added, you can pour in the nuts and berries (do not add the chocolate chips yet). After everything is combined (minus the chocolate chips), remove from heat & pour mixture onto cookie sheet. Smooth the mixture out across the cookie sheet to about 1/4"-3/8" thick (I use the back of a greased wooden spoon). Now sprinkle on the chocolate chips & "push" then down into the mixture a little with the spoon. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove & cool for 10 minutes, then make some space in the frig, put down a few pot-holders & finish cooling in the frig for 1-2 hours. If you used a Stone cookie sheet just slide the granola & foil off onto the pot-holders. Remove from frig, break granola into bite sized chucks. Store in closed container or Zip-lock bags. Enjoy!

 

Some of the ingredients from the "Back of the Pantry"

Don't forget the cooking spray. This stuff WILL stick!

Make sure your Mallows are melting & not cooking.

The mix starts to get thick when adding the oats.

I use a greased wooden spoon to flatten/spread the mixture to about 1/4"-3/8" thick.

We like to store them in bags so you can "grab-n-go".

Sarah's Fried Corn

You will need: fresh corn, preferably peaches and cream, an iron skillet. All the other stuff you can fudge.

Recipe:

1/2 cup of butter (you can use margarine)

8-10 fresh corn on the cob; shucked and de-stringed

4-5 teaspoon of salt

1/2 c - 1 c of water

2 teaspoon of white sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (can be the other)

First, start by cutting the corn off the cob. Then place corn in the iron skillet. Turn on the stove top on medium heat, add the butter, salt and pepper (plus sugar if you would like). The corn will start to cook and I add the water once the butter has melted. I believe that water brings out some of the awesome stuff that is in the iron skillet; not sure if it works that way. The whole frying process takes like thirty minutes, until the corn is soft and it will smell totally awesome.

Starting to get awesome!