Monday just as good

Love, love, love this weather.

Barefoot on the tile, and windows are open.

What month is this? March or May?

Don and I are totally inspired. Whether it is art or the art of cooking.

Tonight's recipe.....Beef Fajitas!

3 TBSP olive oil
1 lb black angus beef strips
1 red pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into julienne strips
3 green young onions cut in strips
2 TBSP Jack Daniels Spicy southwest mustard
1 pkg Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber Tortillas or traditional flour tortillas

In skillet heat oil. Add the peppers and onion. Cook until crisp soft.
Add the beef and cook until no longer pink and the meat is tender.
Heat the tortillas. (We use flour and whole wheat low carb tortillas).
Serve with tortillas alongs side steak and pepper mix, shredded cheese and salsa.  YUM!

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Living for the Weekend

So much fun last night cooking in the kitchen with girlfriends. Connie, Jennifer, Jacque and Penny.

Asian Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemon pepper
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Transfer the meatballs to the baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.

Even more perfect was an evening around the firepit.

Jacque & Jennifer

Connie

This is the spot where Penny's picture would be, but she does not like her picture taken. Bah!!!

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Friday night Supper, Savannah Seafood Gumbo

courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 cup dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano
• or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
• 4 cups sliced Cajun-style fresh link sausage
• 4 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups oysters and liquor
• 1/2 pound crabmeat
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh peeled shrimp

Directions

In a large pot combine oil and flour.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the roux
has browned to a light chocolate color. Add onion, pepper, celery and garlic.
Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly add chicken broth, and chicken base, stirring as you go.
Add water, bay leaves, thyme, basil, parsley, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper,
House Seasoning, soy sauce and tomatoes. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.
Add to pot along with okra. Cover pot and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours,
stirring occasionally.
Add crabmeat and shrimp. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve with a scoop of rice in the center..

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and
store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

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Pumpkin Moonshine

I'll take some(click here)  Pumpkin Moonshine  not to be confused with THIS!

I first heard about it on the Las Vegas edition of "Antique Roadshow".

The pictures are frameable artwork or inspiration for a watercolor as we approach this Fall Season.
I just bought it on Amazon.com. The picture on the back is one of my favorites.

AND If you're a pumpkin lover, try the chocolate cake recipe below.

---

Moist Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 (16 oz) can of pumpkin
1 1/3 cup water

In a bowl, mix all together.
Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for the amount of time as as directed on box. (Don't add any egg or oil).
Let it cool, frost it, and serve or do like me and lightly dust with powdered sugar.

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Harvest

It's a beautiful weekend. Windows are open and I am starting to see hints of Fall coming our way.

Remember last year's post at about this same time?

Cammie and Justin are home this weekend. Tomatoes and peppers are a-plenty so here are the plans for this weekend:

• Cammie and I are canning pepper jelly (recipe in my Ball Blue Book), two different batches, habanero and chipotle. This jelly is great on Rosemary oatmeal crackers
• Making White Bean Tomato Salad.
• Mixing up Sassafras Iced Tea

White Bean Tomato Salad

• 1 can of Cannellini, Navy or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 beautiful tomatoes, diced
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 2 t. white wine vinegar
• 1 t. minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A little chopped flatleaf parsley

Gently mix the beans and tomatoes together in a medium sized bowl. Stir together the next four ingredients in a small jar or bowl, then pour over tomatoes and beans. Mix gently and let sit for five minutes. Add salt and black pepper, then taste; if your beans do not have much salt, you may find it needs more.

 "Hints of Fall" out in the yard, early this morning.

The Carousel Barberry is starting to change colors on the end. It will be a brilliant sight when the whole bush is a flame.

The Copper Frost Birch is also starting to show some color.

The bark peels and becomes salmon colored later in the Fall.

  

Sedum will bloom this week.

Black-eyed Susans thriving

.

This is my favorite. The Heavenly Blue Morning Glory vine will bloom until the snow kills it. I am eagerly waiting for blooms to appear. When it does bloom, it will deserve a dedicate post of it's own.

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Saturday's Tomatoes and PB2

Thanks to my FB friends, I am trying new recipes for the abundance of ripe tomatoes.

Helen's Gazpacho

 
1 medium cucumber
1 med onion
1 medium sweet pepper--any color green, yellow, orange
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 46 oz can tomato juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil----drizzle over individual serving
balsamic vinegar----drizzle over individual serving
 
 
Coarsely chop the cucumber, onion, pepper.  Add tomatoes & seasoning (garlic, cumin, s&p).  Refrigerate.  Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top of serving.  A dollop of greet yogurt on time is good too. Makes one gallon. Keep refrigerated.
One cup of it has:
63 calories with 3.5 grams from fat (with added olive oil) , 7.4 carb, and 1.6 protein.
 

P.S. Love! love! love! PB2.

 

I made no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies on Sunday and sent 1/2 of the batch home with Cammie & Justin.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Makes 66 cookies

1 cup: Honey
1 cup (dry): PB2
1 cup + 1 Tbsp: Water
1 cup: Dark cocoa
1 cup: Sunflower seeds
1/2 cup: Coconut (shredded)
1/2 cup: Unsweetened chopped dates
I threw a little oatmeal in there too, but I can't tell you how much, just until the cookie dough held together well. I am going to try Rice Krispies next time.

Methods/steps

Mix PB2 with water until smooth. Mix honey and PB2 in sauce pan over low heat. Add cocoa powder and mix well. Add rest of ingredients and stir to combine. Mixture will be very thick. Use a small scoop or tablespoon to measure and roll dough into ball or press them into muffins tins and make little coins.  Refrigerate or freeze.

There is also a chocolate PB2. That's next.

Traditional	PB2
2 Tbsp – 190 calories	2 Tbsp – 45 calories
Calories from fat - 130	Calories from fat – 13
Saturated fat – 3 grams	Saturated fat – 0 grams

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Mock Orange Julius

In 8th grade, I found a recipe for Mock Orange Julius. The recipe was, orange juice, carnation instant milk powder, sugar, and ice all mixed in the blender. (blenders and Dad repainting the kitchen ceiling, another day's blog entry)

Here's the present and updated version
8 oz orange juice
1 scoop whey protein powder (21.5 g)
1 tbsp honey
Ice
Mix in blender. Makes a great recovery drink after running.

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Serving it Up

Came home tonight and this pasta bowl was begging for some delicious pasta.

I made whole wheat spaghetti with rosemary meatballs.

16 oz ground beef
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot cut in lengthwise strips (I cut up a bunch of baby carrots lengthwise)
12 oz whole wheat dried spaghetti
SAUCE:
5 medium tomatoes
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tbsp dried basil

Heat the oil in the pan, add onion and carrots. Cook over low heat for about 5 min.
While that is cooking, combine the ground beef, garlic salt, egg and rosemary. Shape into small meatballs.

Cook the spaghetti in a medium pan of salted, boiling water.

Remove the onions & carrots from the pan and set aside in bowl.
Place meatballs in skillet and cook until they are lightly browned all over. Remove from pan and place in bowl with onions and carrots.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, sprinkle with garlic salt and basil. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Return the onions, carrots and meatballs to the pan with the cooked down tomatoes. Mix well and thoroughly heat for 2 minutes.

Serve the meatballs and chunky tomato sauce atop individual pasta servings. Serves 6

 

Erik and I decided after supper to head over to the YMCA to work off that pasta.
As I was walking out the front door I looked up, and quickly stepped aside. Just imagine snow down your neck, BRRRRRR!

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Carol's cooking rocks

Here is this week's great recipe to add to my healthy eating list. It was made by Carol, one of the cooks at the hospital. She grilled a flatbread and on top she placed grilled zucchini, onions, bell peppers and chicken strips. Finally she topped with shredded mozzarella.

I found a similar Zucchini and Mozzarella Flatbread recipe in the May 2010 issue of Fitness Magazine. It's a keeper.

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