Coconut Peanut Cookies - Fill the Cookie Jar

This month's fill the cookie jar was to make patriotic cookies ~ well I didn't do that.  I also left my cookies for the last minute and as the weather was hot and muggy, there was no way that I was going to turn on the oven... So I made some no bake cookies, with coconuts and peanuts.

Healthy Fruit Nut Bites ~ Fill The Cookie Jar

I can't believe that it is already August and soon it is time to go back to school.  Do you have kids that are going back to school... or maybe you are going to school this fall?  With school coming it is time to get cookies made and Back to School is our theme for this month's Fill the Cookie Jar.

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Crackers - #CIC

Happy First Day of Spring!  Along with the first day of spring, today is also the day for our Crazy Ingredient Challenge.  This month's challenge is cauliflower and cheese which wasn't so much of a challenge or at least I didn't think so....

Fill the Cookie Jar with Healthy Pumpkin Unbakes

Fall makes me think of leaves turning colours, cooler weather (although we haven't had too much warm weather here), pumpkins, apples and bunny hugs.   September brings fall and it is also Health awareness month.  So why am I talking about fall and health because it is Fill the Cookie Jar time and I am bringing health and fall together.

Quinoa Salad and Sunbutter Dressing

I was given the recipe for the Sunbutter Dressing from a friend and decided to make a Quinoa Salad to go with it.  The dressing makes about 2/3 cup and I only used a small amount for my salad.

Black-eyed Beans Beignets

One of the recipes that my hubby always wanted to make was Beignets using Black-eyed Beans (or peas).  He said growing up in Togo, West Africa they would take Black-eyed Peas to the mill to be ground and then they would use the flour to make the Beignets.  These Beignets were called Gawoo in Ewe or Beignet de Haricot in French.

Brown Rice Crackers and Salmon/Tomato Salsa

I have been fortune enough to be given a Wondermill through Grain Mill Wagon and absolutely love it.  We have had so much fun grinding my own flour.  So far we have ground black-eyed peas, popcorn and brown rice.  It is easy and  I am wondering if it is cheaper to do it this way then buying these different flours.  You can grind all sorts of whole grains and also beans.  They have a list of what the Wondermill Grain Mill can Grind.

Apple Gorgonzala Salad

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I always take vacation between my husband's and my birthday.  Our birthdays are five days apart and many years.  And yes if you have seen pictures of us, I robbed the cradle, am a cougar as he is many years younger then me.  

Anyways this year was no different, I took the time off.  As hubby is living and working downstate for the summer I had to travel there this year.  I did miss his birthday as I got off that morning but we were able to celebrate my birthday together and that is what matters RIGHT?

For the weekend we went to my brother's in Indianapolis.  As my brother's birthday is also in June, we headed over to Buca di Beppo  to celebrate all our birthdays.  This was the first time I had been to this restaurant and I loved it.  We had Fettuccine Alfredo, Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken, Quattro al Forno and Apple Gorgonzala Salad.  Everything was superb and we ate to our fill and had leftover in all except the Apple Gorgonzala Salad.  This salad was so good that we lapped it all up.

I wanted to try to make this salad recipe.  The ingredients for the salad were easy ~ lettuce, dried cranberries, walnuts, gorgonzala and granny smith apples.  The hard part was the dressing.  On their menu they had our signature Italian Vinaigrette.  So I made my own Signature Italian Vinaigrette .  The salad still tasted good, although not quite the same but close.

Apple Gorgonzala Salad

A copy-cat recipe from Buca di Beppo

Ingredient:

Varied types of lettuce (I used Romaine as that is all I had)

Granny Smith Apple- cut in slices

dried cranberries

gorgonzala ( you could also use feta)

walnuts (I used glazed walnuts in the original there is spiced walnuts)

Italian Vinaigrette 

Home-made Italian Vinaigrette

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

pinch black salt (I used black smoked black pepper butcher grind from My Spice Sage)

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp dried mustard

3/4 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 tsp  hot pepper

Mix all ingredients together in blender until smooth.

To make salad:

On dish, place washed lettuce cut in pieces.  Wash and slice apples and layer on top of lettuce.  Add cranberries, walnuts and gorgonzala.  Drizzle with Italian Vinaigrette and enjoy.

Pair this salad up with some bread and it makes a delicious lunch.  You could also add some chicken and it would be a wonderful simple dinner.

Waiting patiently for our meal to come

and so that you know I was really there, here is a picture with me in it.

I loved all the pictures that they had on the walls.  If you were tired of talking to your companions or had nothing more to talk about, you didn't just have to stare into space, you could check out all the fabulous decor.

Link: In and Out of the Kitchen ,  Simple Supper Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Wednesday Extravaganza, Random Recipe Roundup, Swap and Share Sunday

Related articles

• Recipe of the Day: Chopped Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
• Recipe: Pear & walnut salad
• Have you been to a Buca di Beppo lately?

Spaghetti Squash Casserole and Whole 30 program

April 1st I started a new program to hopefully help me lose some weight and feel better.  One of the doctors that I work with and she is also my personal doctor was telling us about this program that she started and how much better she feels and how most of her aches and pains are gone.  She is the same age as I am and I have lots of aches and pains.  This diet consists mainly of no grains, no dairy  no legumes and no sugar.    At first I wondered what I was going to eat, but decided to give it a try... It is only 30 days.

The program is called Whole 30 and you are eating real foods ~ meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, some fruits and good fats.  My biggest question when I read this statement was real foods ~ meats?  I am not sure I would consider meat as real food, unless you are buying it from a local farmer, who then probably grain feeds their animals...  But then again I am not a big red meat eater anymore and I love fish.

As I was reading this program, I did have to chuckle over the statement they had "Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip”."  They don't know me very well, and I could possible do a face plant in a box of doughnuts, well maybe it will be on purpose but I will have slipped .... But I am going to try my hardest and stick to this.  I will give you updates as I go along and bring you recipes that I make, hoping that they are ok with this program. 

Here is the first recipe that I made:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

adapted from Taste of Home

1 lb ground chicken

2 cups spaghetti squash

1/2 cup minced onions

1 can Red Gold tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 garlic minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp fresh parsley

1/2 cup diced peppers

1/3 cup diced mushrooms

1/3 cup diced celery
Daiya cheese - small amount or you could use regular cheese.

Preheat oven to 350

Cut spaghetti squash in half, place in dish upside down with about 1 inch of water in it and cook for approximately 20-30 minutes until soft.  Set aside for a few minutes to cool.  Using fork scoop out squash seperating strands.

While spaghetti squash is cooking, brown chicken, remove fat.  Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes until they are tender.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce oregano and fresh parsley.  Cook until liquid has diminished some.  Add spaghetti squash, peppers, mushrooms and celery.
Place all into casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.  
I added a handful of Daiya cheese and placed back in oven for a few minutes until melted.  You could use regular cheese if you would like.  Enjoy!
** I like my spaghetti squash with a little crunch so I don't cook until completely soft.  I just cook until I can get a fork through the outside of the squash.
**you could use regular spaghetti instead of spaghetti squash
** to make vegetarian exclude meat.
** any ground meat would work in this recipe.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

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`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links:  Ugly Duckling Party