Charity's Red White & Blue Cookies (warning: you'll be addicted!)

This recipe was created due to a similar cookie that Border's Bookstore Cafe carried while I was working there. It was a white macadamia nut cookie with blueberries and cranberries. I spent a few years trying to figure out what business sold them (because I myself was completely addicted), when I finally decided to wing it. It only took two batches to make them perfect-- even better than the original if I do say so myself!

Utensils You Will Need:
Aluminum Foil*
Cookie Sheet
Large Mixing Bowl
Medium Mixing Bowl
Sifter (optional)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups of softened unsalted butter (3 sticks)
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup regular sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour**
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt ***
1 bag white chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil shiny side down.

2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars together then add eggs and vanilla extract.

3. In a medium mixing bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt together.

4. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the butter-sugar-egg mixture a little at a time until mostly smooth.

5. Mix in the white chocolate chips and almonds, then the dried berries. Mixture will be very, very stiff.

6. Drop tablespoon sized spoonfulls onto the ungreased aluminum foil about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring to cookie plate or airtight container. ****

Yield:
60 cookies (I've made exactly 60, every time. Odd huh?)

Notes & Tips:
*The aluminum foil helps the cookies expand correctly, and also makes the cooking times given here more accurate no matter what type of sheet you are using.

** I'm from Georgia. My favorite flour is White Lily, but I know for a fact that it isn't available everywhere. (I visited my husbands family in Arizona and was a little dismayed that I couldn't find Blue Plate Mayo either.)

*** BE CAREFUL WITH THE SALT! Most of these ingredients can be tweaked to your liking, but too much salt will kill this recipe

****Do not let the cookies brown or they will be too hard to eat.

[I will try to upload a photo the next time I bake these-- which with the way my husband's co-workers have been pestering him, might have to be real soon]

Healty Lasagna (A New Family Favorite!)

Think Lasagna is complicated and unhealthy? THINK AGAIN!

This is probably the most requested dish I've ever make-- from family and friends to total strangers, so many people fail to realize that good foods can taste amazing when cooked and combined correctly. And it's easy!! The hardest part will be chopping the onions! Spices are key; if all you have in your pantry are salt and pepper it's time to upsize! Go to your local spice section and experiment-- start with what you recognize and integrate what you don't. You'll be glad you did!

Utensils You Will Need:
13 x 9" casserole dish

1 pan to cook the meat in

Ingredients:

1 - Box “No Bake” lasagna (~9 noodles)

4-5 Roma tomatoes sliced

1-Bag of spinach (~8oz)

1- Red onion chopped

1-lb Lean ground meat—beef / turkey / chicken etc

8oz container of ricotta cheese

1 - Red bell pepper chopped

1- Small can of sliced black olives

3-4 Cloves garlic chopped

1-Jar tomato based pasta sauce

1 Package 2% shredded cheese

spices (Thyme, Rosemary, Pepper, Basil, Sage, Oregano etc...)

(Optional: Banana Peppers, Mushrooms)

Directions:

1.  Brown and drain excess fat from meat. Set aside

2.  Spoon 1/3 of pasta sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish.* Preheat oven according to lasagna noodle package directions (I usually set mine to 375°F)

3. Place three lasagna noodles side by side in the bottom of the pan. Spread about a spoonful of ricotta onto each noodle. Top with Spinach, bell peppers and tomatoes. Sprinkle some spices.

4. Spread ricotta cheese on three more lasagna noodles, place ricotta side down. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over noodles making sure to cover all edges.

5. Top noodles with ground beef olives, garlic, onions and more spices. Add three more noodles ricotta side down making sure all the edges are wet.*** 

6. Top with package of cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 45 min to 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:

*Because of the sauce & wetness of the veggies you shouldn't need to use any non-stick spray or coating. I use a glass dish, if you use a dark colored metal pan you might have to adjust cooking times and temps, darker pans tend to cook quicker.

**There's no rhyme or reason to how the ingredients are layered, but spinach on the bottom seems to be the key to stopping the excess sogginess, which can occur because of the water naturally in the fresh veggies, it also soaks up a lot of flavor.

***Coating the edges is very important for the last layer of noodles otherwise they may dry out and become very hard.

Extra Notes:

Spices are just sprinkled however-- I don't measure them, I just know what I like :)p

Roma tomatoes are best for this recipe because they are generally less juicy than other tomatoes [which makes them perfect for sandwiches too!!] look for tomatoes that are large and red-orangey—small deep red tomatoes means they were probably picked early and chemically ripened, the deeper the red color the more juice a tomato will probably have. AVOID PURPLISH TOMATOES AT ALL COST! (Unless there’s some new rare purple tomato that I am unaware of) Overripe tomatoes have a terrible taste and smell that is very hard to remove from skin and clothing. If you can’t find fresh—look for diced Italian tomatoes and drain well. One regular can should do ya :)

Yield:
8 Servings

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Serving Size = 1/8 casserole

Calories   365	%DV*
Calories from Fat  128
Total Fat  15g	23%
Saturated Fat  7g	35%
Total Carbohydrate  34g	11%
Sodium  590mg	25%
Potassium  621mg	18%
Fiber  7g	28%
Sugar  8g
Protein  27g
Cholesterol  92g	3%

Vitamin A	117%
Calcium	38%
Iron	24%
Vitamin C	145%

*Based on 2,000 calorie diet

MY HUSBAND LOST 18 LBS!

Not really much of a post here-- just a place marker so I can keep track. Not bad for a MONTH of eating right eh?

Brunswick Stew + a Western Twist

Quite a few locales lay claim to the origin of Brunswick Stew, one of them being my native Georgia, so I suppose it's fitting that it's one of my all time favorite dishes. Depending on the locale the ingredients will change slightly, but what I have here is fairly close to what you will find at a local Georgia or Alabama BBQ house. This version of Brunswick Stew is a conglomeration of ingredients based on recipes of friends and family. [Check out the Western twist to this old favorite below the nutritional information!]

Utensils You Will Need:
9qt crockpot or slow cooker*
Cutting board + knives

Ingredients:
4 - Medium Baking Potatoes
4 - Medium Onions
1-lb Boneless Pork or Beef
1-lb Boneless Chicken breast
1/2c - Worcestershire Sauce
1-15oz can Tomato Sauce
2-15oz cans Diced Tomatoes
1/4c Steak Sauce
1-15oz can Corn
1-15oz can Green Peas
4-6 Cloves of Garlic
Seasonings - Pepper and herbs if desired**

Directions:
1. Chop garlic cloves, 2 onions and 2 potatoes in stew sized chunks and put them into the crockpot/slowcooker.

2. Position meat in the center of the crockpot away from sides. Chop remaining potatoes and onions and cover meat.***

3. Pour in Tomato sauce, Steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Undrained diced tomatoes.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours, or until meat is tender.

5. Turn setting down to low. Shred the meats and place back into pot.****

6. Stir in peas and corn. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more then serve.

Notes:
*I used a 6.5qt and it bubbled over ;)p

**Stay away from salt until you taste the final dish. The sauces and canned items all contain salt already.

**Meats cook faster than fresh veggies so always try to place them in the center of the cooker surrounded by veggies.

***Some people wait for meat to cool before shredding 'pulling' it, but I've found the best and easiest way is to use two forks. Hold the meat with one and shred with the other.

Yield:
26 cup size servings

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Per 1 cup of stew

Calories   150	%DV*
Calories from Fat  28
Total Fat  3g	5%
Saturated Fat  1g	5%
Total Carbohydrate  18g	6%
Sodium  520mg	22%
Potassium  412mg	12%
Fiber  3g	12%
Sugar  4g
Protein  12g
Cholesterol  26mg	9%

Vitamin A	5%
Calcium	2%
Iron	7%
Vitamin C	19%

*Based on 2,000 calorie diet

For a Western Twist:

Brunswick Stew

10 - Large Flour Tortillas

2% - Shredded Cheese
Aluminum Foil

Add shredded cheese and Brunswick Stew to a large flour tortilla. Roll wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F. This is a GREAT way to turn leftovers into a new dish!
   

Frito Pie

This is another one of those great fall recipes that I thought was pretty common... well, at least until I got a funny look when I mentioned it to a friend in Phoenix ;) This dish was so common, that our high school concession stand used to sell it to raise money for the band-- they called their version "Banditos" and used nacho cheese instead of shredded cheese. It's a really simple recipe that kids love

Ingredients:
Chili (click here for my chili recipe!)
Frito's (corn chips)
Shredded Cheese
Sour cream

Directions:
1. Put a handful of chips in the bottom of the bowl (the serving size of the brand I used was 31 chips, which was about a handful *I checked!*)
   2. Cover with a cup of chili.
   3. Top with shredded cheese and finish with sour cream.

Notes:
** I used an off brand of corn chips, 2% store brand Mexican blend shredded cheese, and store brand regular sour cream and chives.

** If watching calories and fat (especially saturated fat), substitute fat free cheese and sour cream. If watching salt intake find a better alternative to the usual salted corn chips-- they had more sodium than I expected.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Serving size = 1oz corn chips (about 31 chips according to the bag), 1/4c 2% shredded cheese, 2 tbsp sour cream with chives, and 1 cup of Chunky Chili

Calories   490	%DV*
Calories from Fat  170
Total Fat  20g	30%
Saturated Fat  11.5g	57.5%
Total Carbohydrate  40g	13.3%
Sodium  1175mg	49%
Potassium  321mg	9%
Fiber  7g	28%
Sugar  5g
Protein  24g
Cholesterol  69mg	23%

Vitamin A	15%
Calcium	32.3%
Iron	16%
Vitamin C	47%

*Based on 2,000 calorie diet

Chunky Chili

Nothing screams "Fall" quite like chili. Growing up it was a regular menu item. My mother always added ground beef, onions, peppers, ketchup and usually kidney beans. So one night, just after my husband and I had started living together, he decided he wanted chili dogs. He was off work that day and said he would pick everything up. I'm not even sure if "canned chili" had even entered my mind, so I was very shocked to find a can of tasteless black and runny stuff sitting on my counter~ I'd never seen anything like it! "Do people actually call that chili?" I asked him. He looked at me funny and said "Oh, so you can do better?" You bet your ass I can!

Utensils You Will Need:

5qt saucepot

Ladle

Ingredients:
1lb - Lean ground turkey or beef
1 - Onion, chopped
1 - Green Bell Pepper, chopped
4 - Banana peppers, diced
4 - Cloves garlic
1 - 15.5oz can diced Italian style tomatoes, undrained
1 - 15.5oz can seasoned black beans, undrained
1 - 15.5oz can dark red kidney beans, undrained
1 - 15.5oz chili beans, undrained
1 - 12oz can of sliced black olives
*Optional: Shredded cheese, Sour Cream, brown rice, Seasonings

Directions:
1. Brown ground beef/turkey. Drain off fat and add peppers, onion and garlic to the pot and saute until the onions begin to soften.

 2. Add all canned ingredients and bring to a boil. Serve over brown rice or top with cheese and sour cream if desired. (Yes, it really is this easy!)

Yield:
About 12 - 1c servings

Notes:
**This recipe will make a medium chili. For a milder chili take out the banana peppers, and choose a milder canned chili bean. For a spicier chili add jalapenos, or diced chilies etc.

 ** Pour all cans in undrained. This helps the chili have the right amount of liquid.

 **This recipe doesn't need any extra seasoning since the majority of the canned items already contain spices, so taste before you add anything extra.

 ** This recipe freezes well for a quick and really easy meal-- just cool and spoon the desired amount into freezer bags. The chili in the photo was frozen :)

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Serving Size = 1 cup of chili*

Calories   190	%DV**
Calories from Fat  40
Total Fat  4.5g	7%
Saturated Fat  1.5g	7.5
Total Carbohydrate  22g	7.3%
Sodium  660mg	27.5%
Potassium  281mg	8%
Fiber  6g	24%
Sugar  4g
Protein  15g
Cholesterol  34mg	11.3%

Vitamin A	7%
Calcium	4.3%
Iron	14%
Vitamin C	45%

* Photo is of 2 servings

**Based on 2,000 calorie diet

2 in 1 Recipe: Sunrise Juice and Oatmeal Poppy Seed Muffins

Juice and muffins are a great way to start the day, especially when they're homemade!

Utensils You Will Need:
Juice Extractor
Containers for juice
Large mixing bowl (for muffins)
Muffin Pans (for muffins)
Sifter (For making the fluffiest muffins possible!)

Ingredients:
1 - Bag Granny Smith Apples (about 6-8)
1 - Bag of Oranges (about 6-8)
16oz - Strawberries
1c - Oatmeal (for muffins)
1/2c - Sugar (for muffins)
3 - Eggs (for muffins)
1 1/2c - Skim Milk (for muffins)
4 - Tbsp Poppy Seeds (for muffins)
1/2c - Butter (for muffins)
4 - Tbsp Vanilla Extract (for muffins)
2c - Self Rising Flour (for muffins)

Directions For Juice:
1. Peel all oranges, and remove as much white pith as possible, otherwise you will have a very bitter drink. If you are making the bread, go ahead and remove the seeds from the orange, and from the cores of the apples, otherwise you will be sorting through the pulp for them.

2. Send the strawberries through first, followed by oranges then finally apples. I always try to send the fruit with the thinnest juice through last to flush out the remaining thicker juices.

3. Sort into containers or pour over ice and enjoy!

Note:
**Make sure you empty your pulp container often to avoid a motor delay, or burnout. If making bread, go ahead and empty fruit pulp into the large mixing bowl.

Yield:
72 oz (9 - 8oz servings)

Directions for Muffins:
1. Make sure large pieces of pulp, seeds and skin are removed from your fruit puree.

2. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Butter or spray muffin pan, making sure each cup is well greased.

3. Pour Oatmeal and sugar into puree and stir until evenly distributed.

4. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter Blend well.

5. Stir in poppy seeds one tablespoon at a time.

6. Sift and stir flour in one cup at a time. Batter should be moist but a little lumpy.

7. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup (they should be 3/4 of the way full). Bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Muffins will be very moist.

Note:
** For the muffins to come out clean and retain their shape, allow them to cool for a few minutes before trying to remove them from the muffin pan

Yield:
27 muffins (exactly)

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Serving size = 1 muffin

Calories  114	%DV*
Total Fat  4.2g	6.5%
Saturated Fat  1.1g	5.5%
Total Carbohydrate  19g	6.3%
Sodium  62mg	2.3%
Fiber  2g	8%
Sugar  6g
Protein  3g
Cholesterol  24mg	8%

Vitamin A	4.7%
Calcium	4.8%
Iron	5.3%
Vitamin C	13.3%

*Based on 2,000 calorie diet