Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This bread is super tasty, quick and easy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease & flour loaf pan. (I also lined mine with parchment paper.)
2. In large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt TWICE.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk together until smooth.
5. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
6. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
½ lb. carrots
4 stalks celery
2 lb. dry navy beans
1 ham hock or ham (optional)
3 whole bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Salt to taste
8 cups water or chicken stock or combo of both


DIRECTIONS

1. Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and slice the carrots into thin rounds. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.
2. Sort through the beans and remove any debris or stones. Give them a quick rinse and then add them and the ham to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and some freshly cracked pepper.
3. Add 8 cups of water (or half chicken stock half water) to the slow cooker and stir to combine the ingredients. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. After 8 hours, stir the soup and mash the beans slightly. Starting with just a ½ tsp, add salt to your liking. I used about 2 tsp total, but keep tasting and adding more, ½ tsp at a time, until it reaches the level that you prefer.

You could add more veggies to up the nutrient value. Could omit ham and use more smoked paprika.
Makes 6+ servings.

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
3 cups pasta sauce (like Classico Spicy Tomato and Pesto)
16 ounces 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
Approximately 4 cups mixed vegetables (I used spinach, carrots, sundried tomatoes, and zucchini)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*.  Spray 11 X 8 glass casserole dish.
Combine cottage and parmesan cheeses.
Place 3 uncooked noodles in pan.
Cover with 1 cup pasta sauce, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 vegetables, and 1/3 mozzarella.
Repeat 2 more times.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake one hour.

Chinese Noodle Salad

This is a fantastic light salad that would go great to any potluck! Makes about 6 servings.

Ingredients
• 1 head Napa or bok choy cabbage OR pre-shredded bag cabbage
• 5 large green onions
• 2 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles (save one seasoning pack for dressing)
• 1 (6-ounce) package slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar or rice wine vinegar (preferred)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (optional) a few thin slices of red onion for color

Directions
Preheat the broiler.
Tear the cabbage and slice the onions, and place in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan or cookie sheet, add the almonds, sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack. Cover the jar and shake well to blend the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine.

Variations: This is good with chicken added to make a more hearty salad. Could also add mandarin oranges.

Breakfast Casserole

Serves 6
1 pkg “Little Smokies” or other mini pre-packaged mini sausage*

1 8ou can refrigerated crescent rolls 

2C grated cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack, etc.)

4 beaten eggs - maybe more depending on how many servings you want

3/4C milk

¼ t salt

1/8t pepper

• Preheat oven to 425degrees.
• Unroll refrigerated crescent rolls (if not cool, they will get sticky and not unroll well) and line bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, pressing perforations together to seal into one sheet.  This forms a bottom crust.
• Grate cheese.  
• Crumble meat (or use food processor).
• Sprinkle crust with meat and cheese, distributing evenly.
• Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper - beat well (until slightly frothy).  
• Pour over meat and cheese mixture, distributing evenly throughout pan.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until set and top is slightly brown.  
• Take out and sprinkle with fresh or canned parmesan cheese (optional: do this the last 5 minutes of cooking if you’d like parmesan to melt into casserole a bit)
• Let stand approximately 5 minutes to allow it to set up enough to cut.
• Cut into squares and serve immediately.  

*Note:  Cooked crumbled bacon, ham, bulk sausage (crumbled, cooked and well-drained) or other meat/protein of choice may be substituted for the sausage.

Chinese Shrimp Noodle Salad

Chinese Shrimp Noodle Salad

8 oz Chinese egg noodles

½ c diced celery

½  c chopped green onion

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 can shrimp, drained (or about 1 C fresh)

1 sm pkg Uncle Dan’s Southern Style Dressing (now Hidden Valley Ranch)

1 c mayo

Boil egg noodles (broken) for 9 minutes (see note below)

Rinse in cold water.

Add celery, onion, and water chestnuts. 

Just before serving, mix Uncle Dan’s and mayo and pour over all.   Mix.

Add shrimp just before serving

Can be refrigerated overnight. 

*Notes:

1.  fresh shrimp is better

2.  the somen brand egg noodles only need to cook 3 minutes.

3.  Can actually mix all the night before (including shrimp).  Won’t make a lot of difference.