Sweet Potato Fries

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, 2 small potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Peel and slice sweet potatoes in 1/2 inch slices. Place all ingredients in gallon zip lock baggie and shake them around until all sweet potatoes are covered. Place on a cookie sheet single layered. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

Zucchini Gratin

courtesy Smith's marketplace

5-6 medium size zucchini
1/2 c parmesan cheese, shredded

1 c bread crumbs

1 c heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat cream, garlic and thyme in a small saucepan until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Slice zucchini in 1/8 inch thick rounds. In a buttered baking dish, layer zucchini, salt and pepper, sprinkle of parmesan cheeese, bread crumbs, and drizzle with cream sauce. Repeat layers until the pan is almost full. Finish the top with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serves 6

Strawberry Jello Salad

*Strawberries are not mixed together because my 2yr old threw a fit when I tried to combine them. But it sure looks pretty with the strawberries sprinkled on top.

1 16 oz carton Cottage Cheese
1 8 oz Cool Whip
1small pkg Strawberry Jell-o, dry mix
1 1/2 c mini marshmallows
Fresh Strawberries, sliced

Combine all ingredients together and fold until blended.

It's a great summer dish! Especially with BBQ meat and veggies! I try and sneek anything healthy in my kids dishes, and this pleases the sweet tooth and the nutritionist.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 roast
1 pkg onion soup mix
4 hogie sandwich loaves
4 slices of cheese, I like munster or provolone
1/2 onion
1 TBSP butter
1 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp thyme
1 can beef broth

Cook roast in crock pot with onion soup mix poured onto meat while cooking. Refrigerate until cold. *it's easier to slice meat when cold. Slice meat. Cut sandwich hogies in half. Place cheese on one side, top with meat. Align sandwiches on cookie sheet with insides of sandwiches facing up. Set aside until dipping sauce is ready. Once ready broil in oven open-faced. Keep a close eye on them because they cook pretty quick, and it depends on each oven. Remove from oven and put top half on bottom half with meat. Cut in half for easier eating.

Dipping Sauce: In a large sauce pan melt butter. Add garlic and sliced onions. I leave the onions in big pieces so they are easily removed from dip. Cook until tender, remove, cut into smaller slices, and place ontop of meat of sandwiches. Add thyme and beef broth to butter sauce. Stir occasionally until sauce is heated through. Pour sauce into individual dipping bowls. Enjoy!

Easy Strawberry Pie

The only bad thing about this pie is that left-overs are NOT good. So eat it all or throw it away.

1 pkg of Strawberry Flavored Danish Dessert

Strawberries, enough to fill pie shell

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Make Danish Dessert by following the directions on the box. Cool 1-2 minutes. Slice strawberries in 1/2, stir into mixture. Pour in baked pie shell. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with whipping cream.

BBQ Pot Roast Sandwiches

Pot Roast

1/4-1/2 tsp Cardamom

1/4 tsp eachSalt and Pepper

handful mushrooms, sliched

sprinkle with garlic, I used dried sliced

3 fresh basil leaves

BBQ sauce

Shredded Parmesan cheese to garnish

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Put roast in crock pot, season with cardamom, salt and pepper. Place mushrooms on top of roast, sprinkle garlic in and place basil leaves on top as garnish (but it will also soak in some flavor into the roast). Crock pot for several hours. I put mine in at 9am and by 1pm it was done**but mine was frozen. Remove meat from crock pot and drain juices and extra stuff in sink. I don't like eating mushrooms so I drained mine, along with garlic and basil leaves. If you want to eat the mushrooms in the BBQ then by all means keep them. So now you will cut your roast into slices and then cut each slice into slices, about 1/2 inch pieces. Put cut meat back into crock pot. Add BBQ sauce to meat, as much as desired. I used half of a 16 oz bottle. Reheat meat, or I should say heat up the BBQ sauce. Serve warm over hamburger bun. Top with shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Strawberry Pretzel Jello

Courtesy of Mary Jean Robinson.

I almost forgot to take a photo...that's why it's almost gone and not very pretty...sorry.

2 c pretzels, crushed in 1/4 inch pieces, roughly

1 1/2 sticks melted butter

3 TBSP sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 c sugar

1 TBSP milk

4 TBSP crushed pineapple, drained (optional)

1 12 oz cool whip

2 c water

1 large pkg strawberry jello

20 oz or so frozen sliced strawberries

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Add pretzels, butter and sugar together. Stir until pretzels are evenly coated. Press into a 9x13 dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix well: cream cheese, sugar, milk, pineapple (if used) and cool whip. Pour this mixture over cooled pretzel crust. Be sure there are no gaps when spreading this mixure over crust. Any openings will allow strawberry juice to seep through and the crust will become damp and mushy. Set aside dish.

In a medium pot boil water. Add jello package and stir until dissolved. Add frozen strawberries, stir well. Make sure the jello mixture is not hot before pouring it over cool whip mixture. Slowly pour over white, cool whip mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Vanilla Wafer Parfait

Recipe off of Vanilla Wafer box.

Vanilla Pudding or Vanilla Yogurt
Strawberries, washed and cut
Bananas, sliced
Mini Vanilla Wafers

Alternate between vanilla pudding, fruit, and wafers. Enjoy! It's a yummy breakfast that is not only delicious but filling.

Minted Squash Orzo

Courtesy Foodnetwork.com

Mike is trying to loose weight. What kind of options do I have for dinner? Foodnetwork always has a good answer!

1 c uncooked orzo
1/2 c cooking water from orzo
4 TBSP garlic flavored olive oil*
1 large yellow squash, about 8 ounces, cut in quarters and then sliced
Kosher salt and cracked pepper
4 oz feta crumble cheese
1/2 c mint, chopped

In a large pot, boil over medium heat. Add pasta and a good amount of salt, cook for 8 minutes. Pasta won't be cooked all the way. Save 1/2 cup of cooking water and then drain in colander.

Heat 2 TBSP oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, salt and pepper-add a good amount, more than you think. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash becomes translucent and slightly brown, about 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low, add pasta and water. Bring to a simmer and add 3/4 of the feta cheese container and salt and pepper if needed. Cook until water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mint and remaining 2 TBSP oil. Garnish with mint leaves and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Serve.

Makes 4 servings.

*If you don't have garlic flavored oil it's easy to make!!! Put desired amount of oil in a frying pan. Heat over medium-high. Add 1-2 tsp of minced (cut) garlic. (I buy it in a jar from the store for such purposes.) Using a strainer and a bowl, pour oil through strainer over a bowl to catch oil, leaving no chuncks of garlic. Wa La! Instant garlic flavored oil.

Egg in the Hole

1 piece of toast

1 egg

butter

salt and pepper

Cut a hole in the bread with a cookie cutter (any fun shapes you want) or use a cup rim. Butter each side of remaining edges of bread. Place on a hot griddle or frying pan. Immediately crack egg into the hole. Salt and pepper to taste. Flip when egg whites start to turn opaque. Cook to how you like your egg.

I like to butter the cut of the bread and toast it on the frying pan and spread with jam. That way I'm not "wasting" anything.

French Toast Casserole

Courtesy Smith's Marketplace

2 tsp butter, softened

8 slices of white bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

7 eggs

2 c milk

1/4 c heavy cream

1/4 c maple syrup

4 TBSP sugar, divided

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and evenly fill the dish with bread cubes.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, 2 TBSP sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Pour this mixture over bread cubes and press down over the surface of the casserole with a spatula to help the bread soak up the liquid. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake an additional 30-35 minutes or until it is puffy and brown. Let it set for 10 minutes before slicing into. Serve with maple syrup. Makes 10-12 servings.