Christmas is coming!

The countdown is on and Christmas will soon be here! There are so many things we love about the holidays- kids/grandkids coming home, the lights, the music, special services at church, and of course all the traditions of the season.

One tradition that we have had as long as I can remember is our Christmas morning brunch.  We always have two different kinds of breakfast casseroles; overnight sausage breakfast casserole (recipe from Bill's mom) and the second casserole varies each year.  This year I'll probably make the hearty vegetarian recipe that we had at Noah's birthday party. (You can add additional veggies.) Along with the casseroles we have cheese grits, a fruit bowl, and a couple of different kinds muffins (one is always blueberry and the other varies).  We look forward to great food and noisy laughter at the table.

Are you ready for Christmas? Do you remember the painting disaster in our living room? Well, we finally got that room repainted and it looks great.  Last weekend I asked Bill what he thought about repainting our dining room.  It opens to the living room and hasn't been touched up since we moved in the house. Soooooo,  we just had that room painted a beautiful color, Rosemary Sprig. In the meantime, Christmas is all over the living room floor and every one comes in this weekend. This is the first time we have been so late getting things up - but it will get done. No worries!

How can you go wrong?

In the midst of the weather changing we have been having more soups.  We love all kinds. I was in the mood for a corn/potato chowder.  I found two recipes that I liked and merged them together. It was scrumptious. I used The Pioneer Woman and Paula Deen's recipes. They are really close with slight differences; I used them both! Bill added bacon to his, I kept mine vegetarian. Either way, you have a winner!

So good!

Merry Christmas!

Just make it up!

Christmas is coming and life is getting crazy. We are busy putting up Christmas and painting our dining room. We generally do a hundred things at one time. That's usually when we eat whatever...whenever. Meal planning is easy to get tossed out of the window - it's just one more thing to balance. But we are making more of an effort to have a plan and not just "blow it" over the holidays.  Also, I'm still cleaning out the freezer to use up all our left overs.

This week I made some green chili enchiladas. I found some left over Mexican rice (that I had cooked a while back) and tortillas in the freezer. I had a bottle of green chili enchilada sauce and a can of whole black beans in the pantry.  Ummmm..I figured I could put it all together and make up some enchiladas. I grilled the tortillas shells and stuffed them with  rice and  cheese.  Sprinkled them with the green chili sauce and cheese and threw them in the oven. On the back of the black beans can was a recipe that was quick and easy.  I originally made it to serve as a side, but later decided to mash them up for refried beans. To serve, I put some black beans on a plate, set an enchilada on them, added some fresh green chili sauce, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled some green onions on top.  Not to shabby if I say so myself!  Be willing to experiment! 

Another night I fried up some polenta and put spaghetti sauce over it. I bought some pre-made at the grocery store. You can buy it plain or with added spices/herbs. Polenta is an Italian dish and often times called "Italian grits".  That's probably a good way to describe it. You can make it either as a porridge consistency or more cake like.  It's used as a side dish, and a substitute for pasta, rice or potatoes.  Since I used the pre-made tube, I simply sliced it up and fried it in a very small amount of olive oil until it was crispy, served with the sauce.  I added a salad on the side.  That made a quick and healthy supper.

Don't beat yourself up if your eating gets off.   Get up the next day and try and do better.  There will be lots of special foods, candy and desserts during the Christmas season. Have a little....not a lot!

Yep! I put walnuts in it!

What do the following ingredients make?

SPINACH

EGGS

       


 

WALNUTS

Tonight we had a quick and easy meal that was great!  It was a Blue Cheese Spinach Frittata! I only deviated from the recipe slightly - I added salt/pepper, used regular eggs instead of egg beaters, and skipped the spinach salad.  Really - who eats spinach frittata with a spinach side salad?! We had an apple salad, but any fruit salad would have been good.  The walnuts were the surprising addition.  They gave a nice crunch to an otherwise soft dish.  Also, the two cheeses blended nicely together. Quick! Easy! Good!  What more could you want?

BLUE CHEESE SPINACH FRITTATA

I am a .....

......guinea pig! I hope you appreciate the extra mile we are willing to go for you! Ha! Ha! This week I had a list of new recipes to try. Tonight it was the Butternut Squash Penne recipe - WHAT A BOMB! We tend toward Mexican and Italian type foods, so I thought it would be good to try a plain, basic recipe. It was super easy to make but it wasn't good.  Basically, it was pasta, butternut squash, nuts and seasonings.  (Butternut squash is mild tasting, often compared to sweet potatoes.)  It was such a disaster that I contemplated if it had any redeeming value. I actually put some in a bowl and tried to "doctor" it.  I wondered if I could treat it as a pasta salad, so I added some Italian dressing, red bell pepper, onions, cheese chunks and black olives.  Still no success - I then added a small mixture of mayo and Dijon mustard.  It is in the frig chilling.  My best suggestion is - don't try it!  Well, you're welcome, we'll be glad to be your guinea pig any time!!  Hopefully, the rest of the week will be more rewarding!!

What a waste of pasta!

Shaved chocolate on top of
chocolate cheesecake

We went completely off the grid today with a HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE.  A listener stopped by WAFT to say "thank you." He appreciated the ministry of WAFT, knew we loved all kinds of recipes and brought us one of his specialties!  It was to die for!! I figured there were enough calories in it so I opted to skip lunch.  Sorta sad to come home to the pasta flop! I supposed I could eat another piece of cheesecake to take the place of dinner!

Well, you know what they say, "You win some, you lose some!"

What's for supper?

I love days when I can get menus planned and some prep work done for the week to come! Menus first, shopping second. Here are a few recipes on our agenda this week:

Slow-cooked Two Bean Chili
Blue Cheese Spinach Frittata
Butternut Squash Penne
Black Eyed Pea Fritters
Along with some basic favorites like mac/cheese; spaghetti; greens, potato salad and cornbread.

I started the weekend off by cooking a pot of black beans which has a multitude of uses. I plan on making some refried beans, use some in chili, etc.  Bill grilled some pizza crusts for a quick lunch this week.  I had planned on making some savory waffle bread for sandwiches, only my waffle maker gave up the ghost.  I'll need to run to town and get a new one. My recipe calls for a waffle batter mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and  Italian seasoning.  They are easily frozen (be sure to double bag for freshness).

My friend and partner in eating healthy, Kerry, had a great idea.  She plans on cleaning out her freezer and using all the things she has already frozen before the first of the year.  I went and looked in my freezer and decided to do the same thing. By using the food I had left over, it will keep it from getting old or freezer burn. I found some veggie lasagna so we finished it up along with a spinach salad.  I love spinach salads - super quick and easy.  (Spinach, green onion, boiled egg, sunflower seeds and a mayo based dressing.) I also found a bag of cooked beans and rice and some corn shells.  In the pantry, there is a bottle of green enchilada sauce...anyone hear enchiladas calling?!

Lots of great veggies!

Hot cornbread and chili

I made the Two Bean Chili today!  Surprise - it has BBQ sauce in it! Oh, so good!  Along with cornbread and salad on the side. Side note, I found a lot of gluten free products at Big Lots.  Particularly, Bob's Red Mill products.  They were cheaper than the grocery store and in date! I like to make big patches of whatever I am cooking to freeze.  That way, on busy days, there is always something to eat!

Bill's prize!

My prize!!

I found some fun products at the grocery store, while Bill hunted junk food. I was so shocked to find a chocolate cookie that was AMAZING at Walmart.  They are gluten free and in the cold section by the crescent rolls and rolls of cookie dough.  They actually had several gluten free products.  I had to at least try one of them. :) I don't eat a lot of cookies, but it is nice to have some on hand (or in the freezer when a chocolate craving hits).

Juicing is still our breakfast of choice. Vegetarian meals still #1.  Now, to be completely "clean" in our eating. Good foods = Happy bodies!

Ohio and back again!

Our two sweet grandbabies-Alaina and Noah

We're back from Ohio and going non-stop! Bill and I had lots of fun with  Heather and her family during Thanksgiving. We had a week filled with baby dedication, birthday, concert, shopping, and trying new recipes! We came home to our painter getting rid of the school bus yellow paint in our living room. Whew! That doesn't even cover everything going on at WAFT.

Alaina and I made a "turkey" to snack on
while waiting on our Thanksgiving meal

So how do you eat when life just gets CRAZY? when the holidays have you pulled in all directions?  This is usually when I  throw up my hands and eat whatever, it's just one more thing to fool with. STOP!  Let's not succumb to the busyness of life only to regret it later.  Staying vegetarian is easy; eating vegetarian and healthy is the key. But what do you do when you just eat something you know you shouldn't?  We were up late the other night, still needed to unpack and just went crazy with some ice cream.  I could beat myself up over it or........... start fresh the next day. This time of the year there are so many extra temptations, enjoy a little bit of it all, and work on doing better the next day.

Bill opted for a peanut butter ice cream

Since we have been home, our meals and been pretty quick and easy. Lunches have been things like pimento cheese sandwiches, Mexican food downtown (bean tacos, rice),  quick fettuccine with steamed veggies over pasta. Suppers have been more easy meals. My mom sent over a soup she made up - it had a base of rice and veggies, reminding me of a soup at Olive Garden; very warm and nourishing. I just pulled a bag of soup out of the freezer for supper tonight.  We have some juicy sweet clementines to have on the side.


I need to stop and make a menu for the days ahead - you know the key, have a plan.  Ever feel like you have a brain freeze and can't figure out what to fix? Here are some quick recipes using around 5 ingredients.  When using can products - choose the healthiest.  Some of these recipes use prepackaged ingredients but it's better than fast food. I haven't tried any of these recipes, but plan on it.  If you try one you really like - tell me!!

Quick and easy...and oh, so good!

Looking for a quick and easy recipe? Heather and I made Ruth's Red Lentil and Potato Soup today for lunch. It's a hearty meal that takes no time to throw together.  If you want it more "soup like", increase the broth towards the end. Heather grabbed her camera and took pics just to show you how easy it was step by step:

Saute onions and celery - love the smell!

Add spices - I would probably increase the amounts

Potatoes, carrots and garlic - it keeps getting better

Add vegetable broth (could use chicken)

The recipe called for red lentils, we had brown on hand so....

Chopped kale

Add to soup

Simmering

Spoon it up- notice ours is more stew like

Noah signing for "more" food

One quick note - the recipe calls for "file powder."  I had never heard of it.  It's actually a spice made from sassafras leaves and used for thickening - definitely not needed. I also added some green jalapeno tabasco sauce.  It's mild and I like the flavor.  Try it and let me know how you like this recipe!

With the grandbabies....

I haven't had a chance to post because..... we are in Ohio!!  The buckeye state - and when I say buckeyes, I mean the peanut butter balls rolled in chocolate! We are here to celebrate Noah's 1st birthday!  You're probably thinking I have been eating whatever...aren't you?!  Well, it has been a breeze eating vegetarian! Heather has fixed all kinds of great recipes.  I thought I would share a few with you!

Noah does especially well in the morning, so Heather decided to have a birthday brunch party. We had a couple of breakfast casseroles, fruit, and of course, cupcakes with Birthday Cake ice cream! (I might add, a dinosaur motif.)  One casserole had sausage and bacon in the base (we called it meat-a-saurus) and the other was a vegetarian recipe (veggie-saurus).  The veggie had sun-dried tomatoes that really added a nice texture along with the flavor. Here is a link to the recipe: Hearty Vegetarian breakfast casserole.  It was really good.  You could probably add some other veggies, like mushrooms, spinach, etc.

Another recipe that Heather made used Quinoa.  It was the first time we had eaten it, and it reminded us of rice.  She added corn, black beans and onions; served with a dollop of sour cream. Again, another versatile product. For more recipe ideas using Quinoa, check out this link at allrecipes.com.

Remember, a few years ago when everyone starting making pizzas using english muffins or pita bread?  We loaded ours with veggies and went to town. I think they are best if you grill or toast the bread first, top with your favorite veggies (I do like to saute onion and bell pepper ahead of time) and use a variety of cheeses; feta, mozzarella, fresh grated Parmesan; those make quick and easy meals that you can throw together in no time!

Are you wondering about our juicing?  We brought our juicer with us and always had some on hand.  Actually, I just finished the last of the cranberry/citrus.  Noah loved it - you can never teach them too early.  Honestly, how many one year olds do you know that would drink collards, butternut squash and cranberries on their birthday!!  Haha!

While I was expanding his culinary appetite.....Bill was teaching him to play Angry Birds on his IPad! Today, we also had his baby dedication at church.  Soon, it will be time for us to head back south.  It's been great...now, if I could just bring them back with me!   

Thumbs up, thumbs down!

Photos by Jana

Well, it has been a busy weekend! This week looks like it will be packed too; we're heading to Ohio for our grandson's (Noah) birthday. When life gets busy, I have found that it is much easier if you have a plan!  Flying in late from work and trying to decide what to fix usually ends in fast food!

I tried some new recipes on Saturday; some were good, and some not so good. I posted links the other day to these recipes. Here's the rundown:
Mexican rice - we liked it
Homemade Refried beans - I had cooked some dried beans earlier, so making this recipe was quick and easy.
Pumpkin muffins with a streusel topping - very good and gluten free
Pumpkin black bean soup - mixed reviews!  When eating, dollop with sour cream and sunflower seeds.  Bill liked it, I didn't. I was surprised at the number of recipes online for this recipe. The reviews went on and on. What a bomb - in my humble opinion.
I also made up a batch of all purpose gluten free flour and gluten free pancake mix. The best mix is from Silvana. I love her book, Cooking for Isaiah!
I made enough of each recipe so we could have a meal and then froze the rest. Then, I made Bill some rice krispie treats. It was nice to have a quick treat.

Steamed veggies

Tonight, I made a quick veggie lasagna. Basically, it's a white sauce with cheese, lasagna noodles and veggies.  I was so sure we would like it that I made enough for the freezer. Drum roll please......we loved it.  As with all lasagna recipes, I'm convinced they are even better the next day.  Flavors blend.  I was in a hurry tonight so I just grabbed a bag of cauliflower/carrots/broccoli and and steamed it.  I didn't cut the veggies in small pieces, we really didn't care.You can use almost any veggies you have on hand.

Quick ingredients to layer

Finished product

Holidays are coming! Be prepared! Plan ahead and make good choices. 

Ah, Friday night!

I love being at home tonight!  It's dark and chilly outside and warm and comfy inside.  I am propped up in bed, computer in my lap and all is right with the world. I may even jump on Pinterest in a few minutes. I have a zillion things to pin; Thanksgiving/Christmas ideas, vegetarian recipes, room layouts, all kind of fun things.

Comfort food!

Question for you.....what does a package of spaghetti, a bag of steamed cauliflower/broccoli/carrots, and a jar of fettuccine have in common?  The fastest "comfort" meal you can throw together.  Add a lettuce wedge on the side and you are good to go! It was scrumptious!

Tomorrow I have plans to cook several things! Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup, Mexican Rice and some homemade refried beans.  I figured if I go ahead and cook a few things up, I could just heat up supper the first of the week.  I have this crazy idea! I am going to make some bean tacos and instead of adding the typical lettuce, cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo on top, I am going add that sweet and spicy coleslaw that I made the other day.  What do you think?  I'll get those recipes cooked up first and then if I have time left, I may fix some things for the freezer.

The weather is changing and before long we'll have to cover our hanging plants.  I saw this cool idea that would work well on the side of our house. We have a small greenhouse but we keep adding more and more plants.  Besides, Bill likes to start his spring seeds early and he'll need room for all the trays.

Bill is running in a 10K race tomorrow. He's so dedicated! Argh! I'm doing good just to get my walking in....much less run.  I still haven't started the Couch to 5K. Seems like every time I think I can start, something comes up. Plus, it gets dark so early at night. I am wondering if I can do the program on a treadmill..ummmmmm?!

Who will win?

Like most Americans, we have our TV on watching the news.....FOX news to be exact! This has been one hotly debated election!  No matters who wins...God is in control.  We are basically watching to see how each state responds.  I'll admit it, we grabbed a thin crust veggie pizza on the way home to eat. So we are propped up in bed stuffing our faces!

Mexicorn dip

We have been so busy at WAFT. Sharathon 2012 was last Friday and I survived eating with flying colors! Sharathon comes once a year and we always have extra goodies to eat.  It seems like people are becoming more health conscious because we really didn't have a lot of junk.  Shelia made some great veggie breakfast casseroles; bacon on the side.  Lunch was wraps and smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe - scrumptious! Yes, I was able to have a veggie wrap! Supper was homemade vegetarian chili with cornbread and corn salad.  Funny, I had corn salad at two different events in the last week.  Both were pretty similar and very good.  They were so similar that I just posted the one I found online.  Sharathon snacks included popcorn and chips, grapes, cheese and of course CAKE.  I avoided the cake...it just wasn't worth it!

I had one other good recipe this week at Life Group - it was Hot Corn Dip.  I fell in love with it too. Jenne made it; she's always coming up with something good.  Obviously, I have had corn every which way lately!

Hot corn dip

I thought I would have started the Couch to 5K by now, but our life has been hectic.  I desperately NEED to exercise so I am contemplating a new (personal) schedule.  Of course, it will only be good for about a week as we are heading to OHIO next week. SIGH! Will I ever get it all together?

When I think I've tried it all.....

The vegetarian lifestyle......6 weeks later! We continue to love it.  If you had asked me a few weeks ago how I would like it, my first response would have been hesitation.  I mean, what would we eat every night? Just beans and rice?  How little did I know of the many choices available, the easy substitutions and how much we would NOT miss meat. A couple of times Bill thought he wanted some hamburger or steak, tried it, but was let disappointed every time.  I have lost all desire for meat and now prefer not to eat it.  It won't hurt us, it's not a health issue, we just chose to go down this path - the advantages continue to show themselves.

Super meatballs!

Today's recipe was so amazing  and unbelievable that I wanted to tell you about it right away. I made meatballs for lunch today. Meatballs! Fabulous!  I had been scanning recipes for some time, contemplating making them. How can you have MEATballs without meat that would actually taste good? This recipe had such great reviews that I figured it must be "the one".  Here it is: Vegetarian Meatballs.  After reading the reviews, I only made some minor changes....I ground up the walnuts and exchanged the bread crumbs for oatmeal.  I was dying to try them and could hardly wait to pull them out of the oven. While they were cooking, I made a basic gravy, added sauteed onions, dill weed and sour cream - giving it more of a swedish meatball flavor.  The meatballs were tender and stayed together just like regular hamburger.  You could cook and freeze a bunch of meatballs, then pull out the number you needed to add to spaghetti, make a meatball sub, sweet/sour, etc.....the list is endless. I waited anxiously for Bill to take his first bite.  "What do you think?" were my first words.  He said, "I can't believe it! Very good!"  It's hard to imagine so few ingredients working so well together. Nothing like good old "meatballs", gravy and rice!

Bill's pizza

Remember a while back we grilled our pizzas outside on the grill?  Bill made a few extra crusts, grilled them and threw them in the freezer.  I pulled them out  for lunch yesterday.  Again, I had heard others added squash on their veggie pizza so I decided to try it.  I actually pulled a lot of veggies out like onions, garlic, bell pepper, squash and zucchini and sauteed them in olive oil.  Bill decided to add fresh tomatoes and I chose sundried tomatoes.  Add some fresh basil, black olives, a little drizzle of olive oil, mozzarella cheese and  you have one delicious pizza.


I did cook the Sloppy Sam recipe.  It was supposed to have a "sloppy joe" flavor. We found it so-so.  Probably won't try it again.  Although, it was much better when we added the spicy coleslaw on top. I continue to look for new recipes and substitutions for old familiar favorites.

Happy fall ya'll!