Tag Archives: tomatoes

Dips

easy blender salsa

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I just turned on my computer for the first time since Tuesday – solely to get this recipe up!

It’s been a staple in our home for a long time but since our Christmas party last weekend, I’ve been asked for it multiple times.

Really, I only made a couple small adjustments from that created this, due to a personal preference. It’s supposed to be a copycat recipe of Chili’s popular salsa. Honestly, Mike and I can’t decide which we like better!

Print the recipe .

I’ll be back on the blog soon. Traveling to the States with a baby is more exhausting than most of you know. ;) Lots to do, people to see and rest to never catch up on. Ha. But it’s great to be back, for sure! More soon!

Soups

good ol’ chili

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If you’re looking for a super simple chili recipe, this is for you.

It’s hearty!

It’s meaty!

It’s full of frijoles!

And just like many soups, it was just as tasty reheated.

I enjoy a variety of types of chili dishes – chicken, vegetarian, lighter, heartier… so I should share more recipes in the future…

But here is a classic! It’s easy to make (in a slow cooker) and great for a cold winter evening for all you not living on the Equator and in a different hemisphere than us. ;)

Print the recipe .

Main Dishes

zucchini lasagna

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Sure, I’ve pinned so many things on Pinterest that I’ll never be able to make it all in one lifetime, BUT I am still diligent at trying new things all the time! This was one thing I had pinned for ages and finally tried. Super glad I did.

I didn’t take pictures after it was cooked because, well, I don’t have a good camera or equipment to make something like messy it’s-already-dark-outside lasagna look even halfway decent. I found the recipe on with beautiful photos.

But trust me. Mike and I ate ALL OF IT. Okay, not in one night but we devoured those leftovers.

Prep takes a little longer if you don’t have a mandoline slicer, but I managed just fine.

To help reduce the liquid in the zucchini, I laid the slices out on paper towels, salted them and let them sit for several minutes. Then I squeezed them with paper towels, broiled them a few minutes and then squeezed them with paper towels again.  I am glad I did as I read a lot of comments about zucchini lasagna being quite watery. Definitely take the time to do this!

I would go out on a limb and say that even those who dislike zucchini would likely enjoy this. It acted more like the “texture” that pasta normally does than have any strong zucchini flavor.

Let me know if you try it! Here’s the .

Soups

slow cooker lasagna soup

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In general, Mike and I love soups. Sometimes that’s all we order at certain restaurants and we like eating it at home, too.

I’ve tried many different new-to-us soup recipes over the years, usually in the crockpot, but most aren’t truly share-able, in my opinion. I only want to post on here the ones we really liked and want to remember!

So here is one. Lasagna in soup form! I didn’t do much adjusting from so you can read about it there or  for the printable recipe. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Sides: Veggies

herbed wild rice

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Looking Back: Originally posted on Mar 24, 2012.

Original post:

As I’m sitting on my couch trying to stay awake, I thought I’d share another recipe with you.  The hubby comes home from warm, sultry Atlanta in a bit.  Fortunately, we live close enough to the airport, I can just leave when he lands.

Anyway, the recipe!  It was a couple days before a long-planned potluck was upon us that I even realized, “oh, I need to make something for that…”  I went to work trying to figure out what I could make that would keep since I had to be at a rehearsal 2 hours before the dinner began.  Then it hit me – duh, the crock pot!

Scattered throughout all my cookbooks are, of course, many slow cooker recipes.  However, my favorite is a whole  magazine devoted to a range of slow cooker recipes.  And, me being me, I can hardly stand repeating recipes so I went on a hunt for a new one.  Obviously, I landed on this wild rice dish.  It was ridiculously easy to prepare and had good responses from the eaters, so high five to !  This one is a keeper.

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Main Dishes

gf stuffed bell peppers with picadillo rice

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Looking Back: Originally posted on Jun 2, 2012.

Neither Mike nor I have to eat gluten-free but somehow I ended up with this vegetarian gluten-free cookbook a few years back (because we DO enjoy vegetarian eating quite often).

This was a favorite – we ate every last grain of rice!

I slightly adapted the recipe (particularly removing olives, because…I’m sorry, who can stand those) ;), but mostly it came straight from the book, “125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes” by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.

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Snacks & Appetizers

baby BLTs

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Looking Back: Originally posted on Sept 4, 2012.

Original Post:

It’s an exciting morning!!  A few months ago, I received an invitation to ’s virtual baby shower.  is one of the bloggers I’ve read the longest – we share a lot of beliefs and opinions, not to mention she has a terrific talent with words.  Her articulation and descriptive storytelling is becoming a gift less and less common in this world with texts and tweets.  It’s refreshing and encouraging.  I’ve also begun enjoying reading some of ’s posts, the sweet girl who has put in the effort of coordinating this shower!

Because several of us wanted to shower Jenna with our love and appreciation of her from afar, a virtual gathering was the perfect solution.  I haven’t been able to resist the mini/baby theme – a few days ago, I posted these mini cinnamon rolls and today I’m officially sharing these Baby BLTs!  Aren’t they cute?

 

I had originally tasted them when my mom made them for appetizers before a big holiday dinner (maybe Christmas last year?).   They’re pretty easy to make and, if you don’t have a food police guard, get consumed in a flash.  I cooked the bacon in the oven (via  instructions) to be able to do more at a time and have less mess.

There are several variations of Baby BLTs out there in the world wide web, but is the one I went with.  One thing it didn’t mention that I discovered is that a grapefruit knife is an absolute must in the process of hollowing out the cherry tomatoes – made the job super easy.

To print my version, .

Jenna, I hope that your pregnancy continues to go smoothly and I pray the birth is beautiful.  May God give you and hubby the strength and wisdom to raise up precious Alice into the God-fearing models that you already portray. Happy Shower Day! 

P.S. Here are the other attendees of today’s shower, if you want to see all their creations & additions:

~ 4 Little Fergusons (Midwest, USA)

~ A Little Lunch (Eufaula, OK)

~ City Songbird (Greensboro, NC)

~ Eats Well With Others (New York, NY)

~ Hunting for Bliss (Bozeman, MT)

~ Pinking Shears & Broccoli Spears (Newark, DE)

~ That’s Some Good Cookin’ (Salt Lake City, UT)

~ The Pajama Chef (Bloomington, IN)

~ Two Dogs In The Kitchen (Sterling, MI)

~ Veronica’s Cornucopia (Wichita, KS)

~ Very Culinary (Sacramento, CA)

~ Words on Wendhurst

Main Dishes

tomato pie

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Looking Back: Originally posted on Aug 22, 2011.

I think all beginner gardeners are required to start with tomatoes. They are so easy to grow and give a little boost to the confidence of the newbie. :)

In our case, we had tomatoes coming out our ears the first year I planted a garden! So what did I do?

Make pie, of course!

It was fun, easy, and also pretty. Gotta have pretty…
(One tip, though – use a crust cover.)

 

Click  to download the recipe. Happy Summer cooking!

Recipe from Taste of Home.