Cooking by Letter - Very Veggie Soup

We have had a nice little cool snap here in the deep south.  Personally, I think this is what it should be like all month but we typically don't have that.  It has, however, given us some nice days to walk with Caleb...and he LOVES to walk. 

I can almost guarantee that he will calm down on a walk if he is fussy; however, that doesn't always translate to remaining quiet when we get back. 

Remember last year when we were cooking through the alphabet with Kate?  Well, this veggie soup was one of the last recipes we made. 

Kate really enjoyed it, though I'm not so sure about David.  We will have to make it again soon.  I love that it is healthy and gets LOTS of veggies in my family. 

Kate has been a really good eater but sometimes it is a little more difficult to get her to eat veggies.  With this soup, SHE was the one making it, so of course she wanted to eat it. 

She even got to grind the salt and pepper!  I did choose veggies that I knew she would eat and David could tolerate. 

I used all cabbage but might add some spinach next time as David seems to do well with that, it's more full of vitamins, and produces less gas. 

All in all, this really was a Kate made soup.  I think her favorite was stirring.  That and giving Daddy kisses before eating.  :-)

Very Veggie Soup
3 handfuls (I probably used about 3 cups) cabbage, escarole, or spinach
1 pound green beans (I used frozen)
6 carrots (I used mini carrots)
1 onion, chopped
8 oz corn
12 ounce can tomato puree
salt
pepper

Tear or cut greens into small pieces.  Prepare green beans if using fresh.  Peel and chop carrots.  In a large soup pot saute onion.  Add all veggies to the pot, including corn.  Fill with enough water to cover the veggies.  Add tomato puree, salt, and pepper.  Then get to stirring!  Simmer, covered, for 1.5 hours.  Enjoy!!!

Adding to the Menu Options

Back before Thanksgiving, we did a trial of gluten free diet.  We stopped over the holidays and about a week and a half ago have resumed this way of eating.  It really is for David, so I will continue to have some gluten containing treats on here.  However, it really hasn't been that difficult to adjust my cooking.

The biggest change at home has been lunch, though we did discover a bread recipe that makes sandwiches an option.  Changing cookies and quick breads to gluten free wasn't that difficult and most of my suppers are already gluten free.  However, it is always fun to add a new option to cooking.  So, I decided to try out this quinoa recipe.  Now, as I was cooking it, I was starting to get grumpy.  You see, I had made a tomato soup the night before, a recipe David chose (out of the options I provided)...and then he didn't like it.  As I was making this Mexican quinoa recipe, I just KNEW that neither he nor K were going to like it. It just looked funny.  Note: at this point, it SHOULD have been done cooking...but I let it cook longer. 

Thank goodness for those extra 15 minutes because the quinoa fluffed up and looked good after that.  And wouldn't you know, K asked for seconds and David took it for lunch some.  Since then, he has made the comment that quinoa isn't his "favorite" but is "doable."  I'll take that...I like quinoa.  :-)

Mexican Quinoa from Kitchen Simplicity (thought Pinterest)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1¼ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (1½ cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
cheese, for topping

Add a small bit of oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute). Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and fluffy and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Spoon into bowls, top with cheese, and enjoy with chips....and your family!

Won Ton what?

Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that making lasagna with won tons would be fun.  Maybe it was the fact that I had a package of won ton wrappers in the refrigerator that I needed to use.  Maybe I really thought it would be fun.  Either way, I finally did it! 

David gave me "permission" to make a veggie lasagna and I decided to use the won tons.  I just lined the pan with won tons and did layers of veggies, spaghetti sauce, and cheese mixture the repeated.  It wasn't a complete loss but not a complete winner either.  Honestly, I think the thing that we all disliked the most was the wontons.  They just lent a funny flavor to the lasagna. 

Oddly enough, the veggies weren't the problem.  David actually took this to work for lunch on several days.  I'm assuming he actually ate it.  ;-)  Unfortunately, he caught a few of the thicker slices of eggplant.  I decided to slice the eggplant thinly and roast it but I caught a few slices more thickly than I would have liked.  I guess I could have pulled out my mandolin but I didn't.  I will definitely be doing veggie lasagna again (though I KNOW that David still wants the real lasagna more!  Gotta cook for myself some, right?!)...just not with wontons. 

Wonton Veggie Lasagna
wontons
1 eggplant, sliced paperthin and roasted
2 small yellow squash, cubed and roasted
2 small zucchini, cubed and roasted
1 onion, sliced and roasted
spaghetti sauce
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
parsley
Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare vegetables.  Mix the squash, zucchini, and onions together but keep the eggplant separate.  Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, salt, parsley together in a bowl.  Spread about 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  Line with wonton wrappers.  Top this with a layer of the eggplant followed by the squash mixture.  Layer with spaghetti sauce. Then top with cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers ending with mozzarella cheese.  Place pan in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Cooking the Alphabet: D and E

We have had such fun cooking through the alphabet as K learns new letters at school.  We started on letter "C" and have done most other letters so far.  I think the only ones we've skipped have been "F" (because K was gone), "I" (because it was Italian ice...not really great for October!), and "K" (this week...because it was kabobs and it just didn't fit our menu).  Way back on "E" week we did the recipes for "D" and "E."

 "D" was just "Delicious Deviled Eggs."  I let K stir the egg mixture (which I basically reverse the ratio of may to mustard) but really did most of this one (very quickly) myself.  In the process, K discovered that she likes deviled eggs. 

Yay for boiled eggs.  :-) 

The "E" recipe was SUPER fun and we shared it with K's class the next day.  It was "elephant ear cookies."  Not the same elephant ears that we get at the fair each year; those are more like really big beignets with cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar. 

No, these cookies are the sugar cookies that are rolled up with cinnamon sugar between the layers.  Really fun.  K loved them. But then again, she loves ANY food, especially treats. 

This was a bit difficult to roll.  If we made them again, I would probably refrigerate the dough for a little while before rolling. 

She didn't come home with any leftovers, so I guess all the kids (and teachers) liked them!  Thanks, again, Uncle Philip and Aunt Kenna for this awesome present!

*adult steps for both recipes
Delicious Deviled Eggs
6 eggs
1 T mayo
2 T mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place eggs in large pot and cover with water.  Boil for 12 minutes.  Then remove the eggs and refrigerate until they are cold.*
2. Peel the eggs. (not listed as an adult step but depending on the age of the child...this could be difficult)
3. Cut eggs in half and remove the yolk.*  Put yolks in small bowl and lace the egg whites on a platter.
4. Add mayo, mustard, and salt to bowl with yolks and mix together with a fork.
5. Using a small spoon, fill the hollows of the egg whites with the yolk mixture.

Elegant Elephant Ears
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 T cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425. 
1. In bowl, pour flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix with a fork.
2. Mix 1/4 cup of melted butter with milk and pour into flour.  Knead with your hands to form a ball of dough. (This could be started with a spoon to make less messy)
3. In a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle counter with flour, sprinkle rolling pin with flour.  Place dough on flour surface and roll into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick (good step for adult help)

 5. Brush dough with remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar.

 6. Roll up dought like a carpet, starting on one of the long sides
7. Cut the roll into 1/2 inch slices.*
8. Place each slice on baking stone or sheet.  Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
9. Place sheet in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. *
10. Remove and allow to cool. *

Sneaking in Veggies

We love black bean burgers around here!  It is actually one of our favorites.  I decided to try to make my own version last month.  We had some left over roasted veggies (squash, zucchini, and peppers), so I threw those into the food processor and processed away until they were pureed.  Then I added the black beans and panko.  I cooked these in a skillet though I often try to do them on my grill pan. 

David and K didn't know the difference.  Now, I don't really have to "trick" them as K is a great eater and once she tries most foods a few times will at least eat a few bites.  Oddly enough, she's not a huge fan of potatoes which is fine with me.  And David has been doing a lot better about eating veggies.  However, I do like having the option of getting a few more veggies in us without having to struggle to do it.  So, for those moms out there who struggle with picky eaters, try out black bean burgers.  It will likely be a hit!

Veggie Black Bean Burgers
1 cup roasted veggies, pureed
1 can black beans (you could add about 1/2 can further if you wanted but I usually do just one)
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg whites)
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup (give or take a little) corn mean - I like adding this for a little crunch when it cooks, you could use all bread crumbs if you wanted to
Tony's cajun seasoning

Puree veggies.  Add the beans and pulse until blended.  If you want some whole beans, add an extra half can near the end.  Add egg and pulse until mixed well.  Add seasoning and bread crumbs and corn meal.  Add until it holds together well.  If using extra beans, stir in at this point.  Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Cook until browned then flip (about 5-6 minutes per side).  Enjoy!

Family Friendly Fall Veggie Meal

October 4th.  Yes, it really is October...and 90 degrees!  Sigh.  I love fall but unfortunately there isn't much of it around here.  Thankfully, in a few days the high is 75 (though I'm sure not for long).  However, for those of you who are blessed enough to have actual FALL weather, I have some good and easy recipes coming up for you.  About a month ago, I was sitting in clinic waiting on patients to show up (yes...sometimes it's the doctor who does the waiting. ;-)  ) and found a recipe for eggplant lentil skillet.  I showed it to my boss and she agreed that it looked great.  Not five minutes later (still waiting!) I got a text from David who asked if I thought I'd like an eggplant lentil dish.  Ha!  My hubby knows me so well.  I told him that I had already pinned it and we WOULD be having it on our dinner menu the next week...and we did!  Now, if you've been actually reading my posts, you would know that David 1 - likes meat, especially ground beef, 2 - is NOT a veggie fan...BUT 3 - likes for me to have meals that I enjoy, too.  So, I made this meal the next week.  Are you ready for this...David liked it! 

 You cook the eggplant enough that it is very tender and, if you get a good eggplant, it doesn't have a very strong flavor.  He even liked this dish better than the crockpot Indian chicken I fixed the next night.  YES!  I have landed on some veggies that we can all eat.  I would be a bit more careful next time which lentils I used.  I have about half a bag of red lentils left over and used those.  They are very soft and didn't hold up as well as I would have liked...but I still think I'll be making this one again.  A veggie meal my family can agree on!  And for your viewing pleasure K's "pascal" face. 

See?  What do you think?  :-)

Skillet Eggplant and Lentils adapted from Fat Free Vegan

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large eggplant (about 18 ounces) cut into quarters lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 15-ounce can lentils, rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils)
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika or cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt or fat free sour cream
• Parmesan cheese (optional) for topping

Instructions

- Saute the onion in a large, non-stick skillet until it begins to brown. Tip: Add a small pinch of baking soda to speed up browning. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. (SO glad to know this! - it works!)

- Add the eggplant, water, and herbs and stir well to coat the eggplant with the seasonings. Cover tightly and cook until the eggplant begins to soften, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add all remaining ingredients .  Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until eggplant is tender and sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt, add fresh basil, and serve over brown rice or other whole grain.Top with Parmesan cheese as desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving, without Almond Parm): 158 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 87.8mg sodium, 859.2mg potassium, 31g carbohydrates, 12.5g fiber, 6.2g sugar, 9.6g protein, 4.9 points.

Burrrrrrrrrrr-ito!

We love Mexican dishes around here...especially David and K.  I think they would eat Mexican daily if I'd let them.  I mean, I like Mexican but three weeks of Sunday Mexican out AND me making Mexican during the week is enough.  I definitely prefer the Mexican at home. 

I found a recipe for Chicken Verde Burritos the other day and thought it sounded really good.  I thought I pinned the recipe but then later I couldn't find it; so, I just made my own!  It turned out REALLY good.  I think I'll likely repeat this in the future.  Despite K's face here...she LOVED this.  Devoured it!

 And you can easily make it vegetarian if you want to.  I actually used a Rotisserie chicken that was on sale at Kroger, which made the dish super quick and easy...perfect for ballet nights!

Chicken Verde Burritos
1 rotisserie chicken (breast meat only)
8 flour tortillas (we used low carbs...K picked them out)
1 jar tomatillo salsa
1.5 cans beans (I ran out with two tortillas to go!)
1 can sliced mushrooms (this was for me)
cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Open one can of beans.  Stir in 1/2 cup of tomatillo salsa.  Pull the breast meat off the chicken. 

Then place the ingredients in each tortilla as follows: chicken, beans, cheese.  (Omit chicken and add mushrooms for vegetarian)

Do this on the side of the tortilla closest to you.  Then wrap the tortilla by folding the tortilla towards the center, then fold the edges in (toward the center), then keep rolling into the closed burrito.  By folding the edges in, that keeps the chicken filling in.  Do this with all the tortillas.  Then pour the remaining tomatillo salsa over all the tortillas and top with more cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until everything is bubbly.  Enjoy!

Cooking by Letter!

There is a new online "gathering" of bloggers that recently started - specifically for MS women bloggers.  Each month a different blogger is "featured," there is a wordless Wednesday submission, and a "Foodie Fridays" feature.  This week, I am the writer for Foodie Fridays.  If you want to see what K and I have been up to recently, check it our here!  We have 25 more letters to go...as we missed A and B.  ;-)

Cuban Black Beans

The early part of the week is busy for me.  A long day on Monday (simply meaning clinic all day) then K has ballet on Tuesday at 545.  So, one of these two days it's nice to have a quick or crock pot meal to make.  The other day, K came home from school saying that she had eaten rice and beans for lunch and liked it.  Now, the girl loves just about any food, so I wasn't surprised. 

However, David enjoys beans as well and I'm always looking for vegetarian options we'll all like.  So, I decided to try this out.  I ended up finding a Cuban black bean recipe on pinterest.  So, I set it up and turned that crock pot on.  When we got home, we had dinner waiting.  The recipe has you cook the onions and peppers first but I just threw it all in the crock pot raw.  It turned out good.  I forgot to get cilantro, which I think would have added a lot to the dish but no biggie.  You serve this over rice then top with whatever you want.  K and David enjoyed cheese on theirs.  I just enjoyed mine with salsa!  It made a lot and was perfect for topping salads and making wraps.

Cuban Black Beans

1 pound dried black beans (see soaking method below...I used slow soak)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 large onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 

 

Instructions

Soak the black beans using one of the methods below before using. 
 
Crockpot Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in crock pot (after draining the beans)
2. Cook on high 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low until beans are very soft.  Remove bay leaf. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and your choice of toppings.
   
Quick Soak Method: Sort and rinse beans. Add to a large pot with 6-8 cups cold water, bring to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 water. Drain and rinse before using.
Long Soak Method: The night before sort through the dried beans and throw away any stones. Rinse under cold water and place in a pot with 6-8 cups of water and allow to soak overnight.* Drain and rinse before using.

Just to Keep it Real...Something that Didn't Work

I get really upset if what I make doesn't fly.  I mean, I know that I won't make things that everyone likes all the time; but when I pick out a recipe specifically because I think K is going to like it and/or I'm super excited about a recipe, then I get bummed when it doesn't work.  That is what happened July 4th.  I found a yummy sounding fresh corn summer chowder that I thought looked good.  K LOVES corn!  She keeps eating on the cob when all the corn is gone, convinced there's more. 

So, I just KNEW she'd like this.  Well, after a fun birthday party, I spent the rest of the afternoon cooking this soup for our July 4th dinner.  I was excited...until we all ate it.  It was more not what I thought it was going to be than not good.  But none of us were fans.  K didn't finish (which definitely means David didn't)...although later in the week she asked for corn soup for supper...thankfully, I had saved it (at David's request) just in case.  I was expecting something thicker and this was definitely more soup like and, as David put it, "tastes like corn" in broth basically.  So, there you go...and "failed" recipe...just to be transparent with my kitchen reality around here!  :-)

Summer Corn Chowder from Fine Cooking

• 5 ears fresh corn
• 7 oz. scallions (about 20 medium)
• 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 large potato (8 to 9 oz.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream

Husk the corn and cut off the kernels. Reserve two of the corn cobs and discard the others. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the dark-green parts separate from the white and light-green parts.
Cook the bacon in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the white and light-green scallions and the jalapeño, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are very soft, about 3 min.
Add the broth, corn, corn cobs, potatoes, and thyme and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are completely tender, about 15 min. Discard the corn cobs.
Transfer 1 cup of the broth and vegetables to a blender and puree. Return the puree to the pot and stir in the cream and all but 1/3 cup of the scallion greens. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes to wilt the scallions and blend the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the bacon and reserved scallions.

 

Mexican in a Minute

Well, maybe a few minutes but still quickly!  David and K both LOVE Mexican.  I like it, too but usually not the same form as they do.  The thing about Mexican is that is can be super quick if you need it to be...which is helpful on the days when I have clinic all day.  This day, I decided to make quesadillas on our Le Cruest grill pan. 

We've done this before but I decided to change things up a little by adding refried beans.  The good thing about this that you can tailor it for each person's taste.  On David's and K's I put beans, chicken (Tyson grilled strips - nice occasionally for convenience sake), cooked peppers and onions, and cheese.

  On mine, I put MORE refried beans, peppers and onions, and cheese.  Enjoyed with some salsa for dipping it was a great quick dinner.

Minute Quesadillas
tortillas
grilled chicken strips/chunks
grilled peppers/onions
cheese
refried beans
salsa

Preheat grill pan so that it is HOT.  Spray with cooking oil.  Put tortilla on pan then top with the fillings you want.  Fold tortilla over and place grill top on to keep the tortilla folded.  Cook until cheese is melted and tortilla "marked."  Enjoy with salsa and sour cream.

BBQ Red Bean Burgers

Thankfully, K is a good eater.  In fact, I think some of her favorite meals are when we have bean burgers.  So far I had tried black bean, white bean, chickpea...up next, red bean.  This one has a bar-b-que flavor to it, which makes it a little sweet.  I overcooked them, so they were a little dry, but David and K both liked them a lot.  David put cheese and more sauce on his.  A little healthy option for BBQ in the summer????  Probably not quite the same but still good and easy.

BBQ Red Bean Burger from The Kitchen Witch via Jackie Likes to Eat via pinterest
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 15 oz can reduced sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, plus extra for bun
4 slices cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and the onion, garlic, tomato, jalapeno, and chili powder. Saute until the onions are soft.

Place the kidney beans in a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onion mixture, bread crumbs, egg, and barbecue sauce to the bowl and mix well.

Form the bean mixture into patties.  Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and brown the patties on both sides.

No Meat on the Menu...at Least Some

In the aforementioned menu planning, I am trying to have at least one meatless meal.  Before David and I got married...well, actually before David and I started dating almost all of my meals were meat free unless I had fish or ate out.  It just wasn't worth buying for one person...and I prefer meatless most of the time.  David and K, however, love meat!  So, I'm doing my best to make us all happy but still healthy. 

We're done a good bit of bean burgers because they both like beans.  Our most recent one was a white bean burger from How Sweet It Is.  One thing that drew me to it was quinoa.  I haven't used it much but know it's good.    Needed a little more seasoning but was good.  Definitely one I'd repeat!

 Red Pepper Quinoa Burgers

Total Time: 30 minutes

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1 tsp dried, minced garlic
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole wheat bun, toasted
for topping: whatever you want!

In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, basil, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, add beans and mash coarsely with a fork. Stir in quinoa, garlic and roasted red peppers, mixing well to combine. Add in bread crumb mixture and egg, mixing well to moisten. Once combined, add in the flour and mix well. Form into patties of desired size.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Press each quinoa ball into a large patty, being careful to press the sides together so they don't fall apart while cooking. Add to skillet and cook until golden and crisp on each side, about five minutes. Serve immediately on toasted buns with your favorite toppings! Enjoy! (reheats well, too)

The Day Before

A month ago today I married, my sweet husband!  In that time, we've barely had a chance to stop.  Life is busy!  Thankfully, I did get to stop for about a week and enjoy things.  The Friday before the wedding, my precious Sunday school teacher (who has been such a present influence in my life even before Sunday school) along with her sister, our pastor's wife, and one of my best friend's mom held a bridesmaids' luncheon. 

It was fantastic!  The little touches were just everywhere from the monogrammed door hanging

to the monogrammed napkins

to the menus (tailored to what I would like)

to the special bride's chair

to the Bible verses that each of my bridesmaids read, including one specifically special to me and D. 

It was the perfect way to start a perfect weekend!  Thanks so much Mrs. Vickie, Mrs. Wanda, Mrs. Susan, and Mrs. Denise!

The fritatta was actually "my" fritatta.  I really must pull out that recipe again, it's so good! 

Guess it'll need to be when D isn't around to eat.  I think he'd make funny faces if he ate this.  The cake was a banana walnut caramel cake. OH MY WORD!  Can I just say DIVINE! 

I wanted to eat the entire large piece but refrained because I knew there was a yummy dinner coming later that night...and it was delicious!  (I actually have the recipe for the rolls pictured above. I'll have to find it and post it...they are some of the best...and make great cinnamon rolls, too!)

Garden Frittata

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 onion, diced

1-2 tomatoes (I like Roma the best)

4 eggs

1 cup milk

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup feta cheese

1 cup low fat mozzarella (you can use less if you want)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put prepared squash, zucchini, and onion in a microwave safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Put bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 7-9 minutes. Drain these vegetables and pour them into the bottom of a pie pan. Place slices of tomato on top of the squash. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and then top with feta. Whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Pour over the vegetables...slowly, to be sure that it doesn't run over. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.