"Hobo" Dinners

Well, the weather has been so nice lately that I haven't been cooking as much as usual. I have grilled some "Hobo" dinners which are one of my absolutely fave meals.

1/2 pound thawed lean ground beef or bison
2 potatoes quartered and sliced
2 cups frozen mixed veggies (green beans, carrots, peas and corn)
at least 2 Tbsp butter or oil
salt and pepper to taste

stir all ingredients in a large bowl until all ingredients are evenly distributed and hamburger is broken up into small pieces.

Put in 2 foil packets (Reynold release works AWESOME) and grill on med-high for 10-15 minutes on each side.

You can also experiment with different meats and veggies, but this is my fave.

What's for lunch?

Today I made some 100% whole wheat and flax fettuccine and for me I added:
Olive oil
Fresh Basil
Parmasean Reggiano
Salt & pepper

For my son Reagan I added
Milk
Butter
American cheese-Land O' Lakes big block is his and my hubby's fave.

For dessert we shared some really good strawberries that I has soaked for an hour in vinegar and water to bring out the taste and clean off the pesticides. Delicious!

The Absolute Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I got this recipe out of one of my first cookbooks, "Cooking With Friends" as in Friends the TV show. I am still amazed at how good the book is and how often I use it! These cookies are AWESOME and people beg me to make them all the time. Too bad they are all that healthy.







1½ stick butter softened
¾ cup brown sugar-packed
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1¼ cup flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1½ cup raisins

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (except raisins) and then stir into butter mixture a little at a time. Fold in raisins.

Drop by heaping tablespoon full (I usea small ice cream scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies starts to brown.

Salsa Loco

1 can shoe peg corn
1 can black eyed peas-drained
2 green onions-chopped
1-2 avocados-chopped
½ cup tomatoes-chopped



Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar or lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro-or to taste
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic-minced
¾ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper



Stir together dressing ingredients and
then toss with the other ingredients.
For best flavor, chill for a few hours.

Serve with tortilla chips

I'm Loving...

Sprouted almonds from my Co-op. If you like almonds you MUST try sprouted ones.

My Juicer-the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro. Fresh veggie/fruit juice is way more energizing than coffee! Spinach, carrot, celery, lemon and orange is my usual.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-67650H-Mouth-Extractor/dp/B000FHQJ6C/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Home-made whole wheat Pita chips dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, pesto, hummus, roasted garlic or chopped sundried tomatoes...I gave up chips for lent and this is an awesome substitute! Also, if you are craving something sweet, they are awesome dipped in peanut butter.

Bethenny Frankel on "The Real Housewives of New York". She is a health food based chef and is coming out with her own products. LOVE HER!

www.cooksillustrated.com is my favorite recipe website. It isn't free, but it has the absolute best recipes and everything turns out perfect. Not the healthiest but everything is from scratch and yummy. It also has helpful reviews of appliances, cleaners, utensils etc.

Genisoy Ultra XL soy protein powder...unflavored, low calorie, low fat, high protein and high fiber. Great for smoothies. I just add one scoop, some frozen berries and water and blend.

All natural and home-made cleaning and beauty products-I've been using them for years. They are healthier, work better and smell better than mainstream chemical based products. My fave brands are: Bio-Kleen, Seventh Generation, Burts Bees, Kiss My Face, Ecover, Earth Friendly, Citra Solv, Mrs. Meyers, Method...among others. This is a good book for making your own products.

10 Minute Dinner

Stir Fry

Cut up about a pound of thawed boneless lean meat into 1" chunks (chicken breast, pork or beef)

Fry over med-high heat for about 5 minutes

Add a bag of frozen veggies and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through and the veggies are cooked but still a little crisp.

Add about 1/2 cup stir fry or teriyaki sauce to pan. Heat until sauce boils and reduces slightly.

Serve over rice and top with crispy noodles if desired.

Rice Tip

I cook a large batch of brown rice and then freeze meal sized portions in storage bags or containers. When I need rice I just pour it in a bowl, add a little olive oil and microwave for a minute or two.

Corn Chowder

Everyone loves it when I make this.
Use corn freshly stripped off the cob to make it more special.
Click here to learn to easily strip corn


1/2 pound bacon-cut into 1/2" strips
6-8 new (small red) potatoes-quartered
4 green onions-chopped with tops
2 celery stalks-chopped
1 red bell pepper-chopped
2 cans cream corn
2 cans corn-drained
4 cups milk or half and half
Salt and ground chipotle pepper to taste



In a stock pot, fry bacon and potatoes over med-high heat until bacon starts to brown. Add onions, celery and red pepper. Continue to saute until they start to soften-it will finish cooking while simmering. Drain excess fat if desired.

Pour in all four cans of corn and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. You may use regular pepper if desired, but chipotle pepper adds a smoky, spicy flavor.

Bring to boil and simmer on low, covered, for at least 30 minutes, stirring often.