Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 large cookie sheet (with sides) of pumpkin seeds. (About 4 cups) I don't rinse them, but you can
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
3 TB melted butter
1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt

Mix it all together and bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees. Stir often.

These measurements are approximate.

Click here to read about the health benefits of pumpkins seeds.

Layered Mexican Dinner

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion chopped

2 tsp taco seasoning

1 1/2 C salsa

1 bag of frozen corn

3 flour tortillas (ripped into strips)

3/4 C sour cream

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef and onion, drain off fat. Add taco seasoning, salsa and corn. Mix and let simmer for a few minutes. Spread a little bit of meat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish then layer....tortilla strips, meat mixture, sour cream, cheese, tortilla strips, meat mixture, cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Uncover for the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese a little.

Serves 5-6 You could easily stretch this recipe to make a 13 x 9 if you need it to feed more.

I served this with shredded lettuce on top and tortilla chips on the side. You could serve with sour cream too, but it really doesn't need it.

Mom's Fruit Salad

This is my version of Mom's fruit salad.

2 cans Fruit Cocktail, don't drain (I use the kind in juice, not heavy syrup)

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 box Banana Cream Pudding (3.4 oz.)

1 cup grapes

2 bananas, sliced

Mix Fruit Cocktail, mandarin oranges and the box of pudding together in bowl. Add grapes and refrigerate. Add the bananas right before serving(so they don't go brown).

Easy. Serves 4-6

Nutrition Facts :
1 Serving

Calories 157
Total Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 255mg
Total Carbohydrate 39g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 34g
Protein 0g

Sugared Popcorn

1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 C water
2 T margarine
3 C sugar
1 tsp food coloring
3 bags microwave popcorn

Combine everything (except for popcorn) in sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat. Pour onto wax paper and let cool. Sugar will harden. Store in airtight container

White Bean Chicken Soup

Into the crock pot:
3 chicken breasts, fat trimmed off
3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Cook on low for 6 hours.  Shred chicken and return to crock pot with juices

Add:
2T lime juice
2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cans great northwestern beans, drained and rinsed
2 C frozen corn
cook on low for 1 more hour

Serve with:
crushed tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream.

Serves 6-8
Sorry, no picture this time. We ate it all before I thought to get the camera out.
**Dad even ate this!! Two bowls of it actually!!

Black Bean Brownies

I found this recipe on another recipe blog.

I was scared to try it but the reviews were good. It was easy, and actually really good. It makes a cake like brownie, the whole family liked them. It is a good alternative when you want something sweet, easy to make and low fat too.

1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 box brownie mix (I used Western Family Fudge Brownie Mix)

Drain and rinse black beans. Put beans back in the can and fill can with water. Put beans and water in blender until smooth. Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix. Spread into greased pan and cook brownies according to package directions. Let cool and eat. (I sprinkled powdered sugar on top just for fun.) Cut into 20 squares.

Nutrition Info for one brownie:

Calories: 139 Fat: 2.5g Fiber 2.5g Sugar 16g Protein 2g

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skookie

Skillet + Cookie = Skookie

2 C. oats

1 ¼ C. Whole Wheat flour (originally, called for all purpose)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 C. butter

1 C. peanut butter

1 C. sugar

1 C. light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Lg. eggs (2 T. Dehydrated Egg +1/4 C. Water)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. chocolate chips
Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the sugar(s) until blended. Add eggs and vanilla then add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or more.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray Camp Chef Skookie pan (or oven safe dish) with cooking spray. Press dough onto Skookie pan ½ in. thick, leaving dough ½ in. from outside of pan if using a skillet. (very important or it will go over the sides of skillet. ) Bake for 10-15 min. or until top of cookie becomes light golden brown.

*This recipe reminds me of Michelle's Cookie Pie except peanut buttery & without the graham cracker crust. I used an 11 inch round stoneware pan and cooked it about 17 minutes. I still have half the dough in the fridge for tomorrow.
Top with ice cream, caramel sauce and hot fudge/chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Peppermint Poke-Cake

1 Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix & ingredients to make it.

Filling:

1 3.9 oz box chocolate pudding mix (original Betty Crocker recipe called for white chocolate pudding)

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp Peppermint extract

Frosting:

1 can Milk Chocolate Frosting

4 small peppermint patty candies chopped

optional: add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract to frosting. (I didn't do this)

Make the cake as directed on the box in 9 x 13 pan. Cool 15 minutes and then poke holes in it 1/2 inch apart with a wooden spoon.

Mix up the pudding, milk and peppermint and pour immediately over warm cake. (don't mix up the pudding too far ahead.)

Cool in the fridge at least 2 hours. Frost. Sprinkle with chopped peppermint patties. Store in fridge.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 C Strawberries

4 C Sugar

1 Box Pectin

3/4 C water

Wash and hull strawberries, mash. (should end up with 2 C smashed berries)

Mix strawberries and sugar, Let stand 10 minutes. Combine Pectin and water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir hot pectin into strawberry mixture.

Pour jam into freezer containers. Let stand for 24 hours to set up. Can be refrigerated for two weeks or put in the freezer for up to a year.