This has become a summer favorite with fresh tomatoes and quick vegetable dish...it only takes 30 minutes!

3 large or 4 medium tomatoes, drop in boiling water 3 minutes and remove skin, then chop
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Simmer all thirty minutes...

This is not low in calories but will be a way to consume healthy carbs, lots of fiber and keep you from getting hungry for hours!

Granola

6 cups of oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup oat bran
1 cup of wheat bran
1 cup of sesame seeds
1 cup of sunflower seeds
2 cups of nuts (use your favorite walnut, pecan, almonds)

1 cup of oil and 1 cup of honey drizzle over all dry ingredients and mix, mix, mix until all is coated.

Bake on 200 degrees until brown, stir a bit about every 30 minutes, bake 2 hours.

Once cool add dried fruit to the mix.  I love raisins, cranraisins and adding after the baking prevents the fruit
from becoming hard to eat.

Quick Taco Soup

I was in need of a quick meal and threw this together one day for lunch...

1 can of black beans
1 can of red beans
1 can of corn
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
Cumin to taste...it worked for a lunch and a dinner when I didn't need to eat due to a big lunch!

I love Cumin so start small and add in more

Technology is a myth...for an entire week problems with DSL and yes supposedly the largest carrier is our vendor...and they can't get it right, but can anyone???

Honey Mustard Dressing, this is a favorite and the best on a Baby Blue Salad with strawberries, sweet and spicy pecans, blue cheese sprinkles and romaine lettuce.

1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup mustard, onion and parsley...blend all in a blender, makes 1 quart, refrigerate...yummy stuff!

Summer Favorite:

Corn, Tomato, Onion Veggie Dish

Cut 3 cobs of fresh corn off the cob
Chop 1 tomato
Chop 1/3 c white onion
Saute all stove top in skillet with 1/2 stick of butter until tender.
Options:  Either fry four or five slices of bacon and pass on the butter using drippings instead
or save the bacon option and add 1 teasp sugar, salt and pepper and 1/2 teasp oregano.
Don't use the seasoning with the bacon because one will cancel the favor of the other.
Great dish with corn sticks.

Somehow I managed to get some crud this week, give to hubby and fight to feel normal with several important meetings scheduled...

Hopefully that stuff is GONE!  Still have the cough though. 

The following recipe was shared with me by a friend that will be 90 years old in June this year making the recipe close to 150 years old which is cool (I think).  I cut way back on the syrup because it's a bit of an overkill but who knows maybe with a wood burning stove it was necessary to have that much and no one needs that much sugar!

Apple Dumplings from Ayleene Thompson
This recipe was given to Ayleene by Wayne Thompson’s Grandmother
SYRUP:
2 CUPS SUGAR
2 CUPS WATER
¼ TSP CINNAMON
¼ TSP. NUTGEG
¼ CUP BUTTER

MAKE SYRUP WITH ABOVE INGREDIENTS. PARE & CORE 6 APPLES, CUT INTO QUARTERS.

PASTERY:
2 CUPS FLOUR
1 TSP. SALT
2 TSP. BAKING POWDER
¾ CUP SHORTENING
½ CUP MILK

DIVID DOUGH IN HALF. ROLL OUT EACH AS PIE CRUST, CUTTING INTO 4 SQUARES. PUT 4 PIECES OF APPLE ON EACH SQUARE, SPRINKLE WITH SUGAR, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, DOT WITH BUTTER. FOLD CORNERS TO CENTER, PINCH EDGES TOGETHER, PLACE IN BAKING PAN, POUR IN SYRUP AND BAKE 375 DEGREES UNTIL BROWN. WHILE BAKING BASTE WITH SYRUP. (COMBINE SPICES AND SUGAR IN SMALL CONTAINER FOR SPRINKLING ON APPLE)

OPTIONAL: The reason I'm offering the lemon sauce is because sweet apple dumplings with the tartness of lemon is divine.  My Mother made a similar dish in my childhood and I still remember that wonderful taste.

HOT LEMON SAUCE from Fannie Farmer Cookbook, original copyright 1906

½ C. SUGAR
1 T. CORNSTARCH
1 C. BOILING WATER
3 T. LEMON JUICE
GRATED RIND OF ONE LEMON
PINCH OF SALT
PINCH OF NUTMEG

PLACE ALL IN SMALL SAUCE PAN, BOIL 5 MINS. UNTIL THICKEN. SERVE WARM SAUCE OVER WARM APPLE DUMPLING.

This cookie recipe was on the back of a large cranraisin container in Costco...I would not recommend any modification, it is delicious as is:

Trim-the-Tree Orange Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
Sugar

Nutritional Information:

calories: 99, total fat: 5g, cholesterol: 22mg, sodium: 17mg, carbohydrate: 13g, fiber: 1g, protein: 1g.

Steps:

1. In a small mixing bowl, cover cranberries with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes; drain well. Finely chop the cranberries and set aside. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour. 

3. Stir in the cranberries, rolled oats, and orange peel. Cover, then chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. 

4. Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional sugar to coat. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls into 2-inch rounds with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. 

5. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 12 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 45 cookies.

6. Note: To store, arrange cookies in a single layer in an airtight or freezer container. Cover with a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat layers, leaving enough air space to close the container easily. Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze cookies up to 8 months. 

Occasion: Holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Have had this recipe for years and it is delicious with scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Also makes a great snack and stack between sheets of waxed paper and freeze for surprise guests...

Griddle Cookies - the cinnamon and raisins didn't actually have an amount listed on my copy of the recipe, so these amounts are what I use:

3 1/3 c sifted flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 c shortening
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1 c raisins

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening, beat egg and milk together and add to dry/shortening mixture, mix in raisins. Roll out to 1/4" thick, 2" round cutter, cook on hot griddle.

Cathy's scones

cream 1/3 cup butter w/ 1/3 cup sugar




Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda



add flour mixture to butter alternately w/ 2/3 cup butter milk



add 1/3 cup dried cranberries, fresh raspberries, blueberries, etc. and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, zest of 1 orange. mix til distributed.



divide to 8 or 9 scones, sprinkle tops with sugar



bake 400 degrees for 18 minutes.



they freeze very well.

Homemade Pancakes

Beat 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup of buttermilk

Shred 1 apple

1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Combine all ingredients and add 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Grease a stove top grill and add batter until a nice pancake forms (we like small ones).  Flip after bubbles appear all over the top.  Serve with butter and syrup.

Bruschetta: One of my favorite things in the spring and summer when fresh vine ripened tomatoes are available is to make bruschetta. I developed this recipe and much to my delight when visiting a local upscale restaurant I choose their bruschetta it was very much like the one I made up: You need to buy a squirt bottle with a tiny opening. Mix balsamic vinegar with a small amount of oil. Try 1/3 cup vinegar and 1 tablespooon oil. Slice Italian bread, butter both sides and grill until toasted. Top each slice with a tomato slice, sprinkle with small amount of chopped onion and green pepper. snip basil over all. sprinkle with vinegar and oil mix. Add either fresh mozzarella or any favorita white cheese. For hubby and I usually 5 slices is adequate and this is a favorite with soup or salad.