Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad tonight and it turned out pretty good. It has lots of cheese in it because I made it for Lindy and she is a cheese lover. Here is what I did.

Serves about 5 people

Bring 6 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups pasta. I used bow tie, but any kind will work.
Boil for about 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking; Whisk the following together in a serving bowl:
1 Tbs. mayonaise
1 Tbs. ranch dressing
2 Tbs. plain yogurt (substitute milk or sour cream if desired)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 shake of season salt or celery seed

Add:
3 baby zucchinis (sliced) I like my zucchini very small, like 4 inches long.
1 cup sweet peas still in the pod (cut into bite sized pieces) (can substitute 1/2 cup frozen peas)
1 avocado (chopped)
1 small can chopped black olives (or about 10 whole olives sliced)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese cut into cubes

Stir until coated with dressing.

Drain pasta and rinse. Stir into salad and serve.

Note:
Other vegetables can be substituted for the ones above. Use what you like to eat or what is in season.
Some suggestions are:
Corn, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green onion, celery, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, boiled eggs, anything you like.
I'm thinking some fresh chopped basil would be a good addition. I'll try that next time.

Note:
I served this with breadsticks tonight, but I changed the size of the pan I cooked them in. I liked them better this way. I used a flat 18" X 13" jelly roll pan.

Banana Nut Bread

I'm still using those bananas I got on sale.

(Originally from Rosemary Markham in “Making Eat a Part of Wheat”)

I've changed it a little from her recipe. 

3 bananas (very ripe)

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 ½ cup whole wheat flour (from soft wheat)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 Tbs. yogurt (or milk or sour cream)

½ cup chopped nuts (I added 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds to the chopper too)

Preheat oven to 350° F  (325° convection oven). Put bananas in bowl and mix until mashed. Add brown sugar, oil and eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Grease 1 large or 2 small loaf pans.  Pour batter in pans and cook for 45 – 60 minutes.

Dried Bananas

Ripe bananas were on sale Thursday at Ridley's for 15 cents a pound. I thought it would be a good time to get some to dry.

Peel the banana, cut into about 1/8 inch slices. Place on food dehydrator and dry at 135 degrees until dry, about 8 - 10 hours.  After 4 hours I change the order of the trays, putting the top one on the bottom. Start checking them for doneness at 8 hours.
I put the dehydrator outside on the porch when I use it in the summer to keep the house a little cooler.

Jaynann likes these mixed with almonds for a yummy healthy snack.

Labeled for the pantry

A Cooking Story

A couple of weeks ago Marilyn had some friends over and I made them a Koolaid Slushie, the vanilla flavor. They really loved it.
Last week, Marilyn wanted to make it again and so she came to me with a note pad and asked how to make one. I gave her the instructions and she wrote down the ingredients and amounts on her note paper. I was outside so she was totally on her own. She came out a while later concerned that it tasted too sweet. I told her it would taste better when she put the cream in it.
She still did not like it and said it was too sweet. I said, "You liked it last week when I made it for you and your friends. It is the same recipe. I put 3/4 cup sugar that day."
Marilyn said, "3/4 cup? I put 3 and 3/4 cup. I thought that is what you said."
The grandkids loved it.

Koolaid Slushies

1 cup cold water

½ to ¾ cup sugar

1 pkg Koolaid

Ice Cubes

Blend 1^st three ingredients in blender. Add ice cubes a few at a time until there is about 4 cups of slush. If the mixture becomes too hard while blending add a little more cold water.

A yummy vanilla version: (like a silver fox)

1 cup cold water

½ to ¾ cup sugar

¾ tsp vanilla

Ice cubes

Follow same instructions as above. Before eating pour 1 Tbs. cream on top if desired, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Coconut Cookies

This is a variation of my chocolate chip cookie recipe found here.
Enjoy!

Lentils and Barley

Serves about 6

I got this recipe from a friend at Curves, Anna Stone

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 medium onion, sliced or chopped

1/2 cup lentils

1/2 cup pearl barley

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 1/2 cups broth or water

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan. Add onion. Sauté until onion is tender but not browned. Add lentils, barley, cumin, salt and pepper. Sauté for one minute. Add broth or water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover for 45 – 60 minutes.

This dish is so versatile. It makes a great filling for tortillas, can be served on its own as a main dish, or last time I served it on a bed of greens. 

Vegetables can also be added with the onion. I added a bell pepper last time I made it. I have also added grated carrots or zucchini squash before.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

½ Tbs butter

1 tsp salt

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup brown or white rice (uncooked)

3 cups boiling water (I boil it in the microwave, then add it)

12 chicken tenders (or about 2 large chicken breasts cut into strips)(These can be frozen or thawed)

Add all but the chicken to a crockpot and stir. Put chicken on top of rice mixture.

Cook for 5 hours on low and then serve.

 You can also make this in a casserole dish. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 ½ hrs. at 350°.

Monkey Bread

This is a family favorite that one of the boys brought home from pre school many years ago. I'm sure the reason it is a favorite is all the butter and sugar. We don't have it too often, but it still gets requested sometimes.

Serves 4 - 5
2 pkgs. refrigerator biscuit dough
2 Tbs butter (melted)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix cinnamon and sugar together and put in a shaker. (like a salt shaker) I just keep one filled with cinnamon and sugar in the cupboard. Open biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into fourths. I do this by laying them in a row on a cutting board and using a pizza cutter to cut them. If you have a child helping you, this is their favorite part. Place half of the biscuit dough in a 9 X 9 baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the dough. Add the rest of the dough and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

Stir the brown sugar into the melted butter and sprinkle this on top of the dough.

Brown sugar added

Bake at 375 for 15 - 18 min.
Remove from oven and turn pan upside down on plate. Serve.

Out of the oven

Ready to serve

BLT Sandwiches

Tonight for dinner we had one of my favorite summer meals; Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches.
Here is how I did it.

For each sandwich:
2 slices toasted whole wheat bread
2 or 3 tomato slices
1 or 2 pieces cooked bacon (I like the pre cooked kind so I can just heat it up)
Lettuce (It was fresh from the garden tonight, so good!)

Spread a little mayonnaise on the toast and add the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper the tomatoes and enjoy.

Note:
Tonight I added sliced cucumbers to my sandwich. I also enjoy adding sliced avocado.

I served strawberries and cream and cottage cheese with the sandwiches.