My New Favorite Product

I love these!! Meat free, I put them in a sandwich, on a salad, in a wrap, etc! They taste great!!

Best Pasta Salad

This is positively the best pasta salad ever. I don't use a recipe but here are the things that I usually put in it:

Cooked noodles al dente - rotini or bowtie usually
Gazebo Room dressing - regular or Lite
Provolone Cheese
Grape or cherry tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, grated (fresh or canned)
Snow peas or green peas

(For meat eaters, add some hard salami.)

Be creative! Add whatever you like! The dressing makes it absolutely phenomenal!




Enjoy!

San Antonio... Cancelled!

We cancelled the relocation assignment. We just could not leave one of our kids behind to live with his dad- not at age 14. I wish it could have worked out. Maybe some day I will get to live somewhere warm...


I am very sorry I have been lax about posting - life has been insane. My husband and I just accepted a relocation assignment in San Antonio, TX so I am in the midst of the emotional stress, anxiety, excitement of that.

I am cooking Easter dinner and will post some recipes soon.

Meanwhile, I need to find a job in San Antonio - has anyone noticed the state of public education lately!?!?! I need prayer and luck to land a position teaching there!

With the good weather in SA, I'm hoping to find lots of fresh markets for great fruits and vegetables! And who doesn't love tex-mex food!? I'll have some exciting new things to post!

Super Easy Berry Crisp

I was in the mood for something tart/sweet/crunchy and this was perfect. It is ridiculously easy. I got the original recipe from a cookbook called The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook, but I have since changed the recipe to fit me better and use what I have on hand. Who doesn't love a recipe with only three ingredients!?





Super Easy Berry Crisp

2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, etc.)
1/2 c. preserves (I make my own strawberry jelly so I use this because this is what I have in the house, but you can use apricot or whatever, just so it's real fruit and not a jello-type of spread)
2 cups granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix berries and preserves and put in a greased 8X8 or small casserole dish. Spread granola evenly over top and dot with butter or margarine if desired.

Bake about 25 minutes until granola is browned and berries are bubbly.





PERFECT with vanilla ice cream and a quick dessert for pop-in company!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

This oatmeal is delicious and you can add more spices, add fruits, etc. This recipe is from a friend Heidi and when she gave me the recipe, she wrote Amish Baked Oatmeal, so that is what I use. This baked oatmeal does not cut apart like a piece of cake would, it's more crumbly... but it's still my favorite recipe. I have to make it when my kids are all home or I will eat the whole thing myself!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

½ cup oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

3 c. oatmeal – quick or old fashioned (I prefer quick)

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Combine oil, eggs and sugar then add oatmeal and remainder of ingreds. Put in greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins or until done.

Serve warm and pour milk over.

Leftovers stay moist and is delicious cold too!

Variation: Add a chopped apple or other fruit!

Tasty Toffee Treats

My friend Rhonda and I nicknamed these "Mouth O's" and we think that speaks for itself. Great to make/take, freeze, etc. This is the treat my kids always requested when it was their birthday in school - but due to nut allergies definitely check or prepare alternative toppings for part, such as sprinkles, etc.


Tasty Toffee Treats:

1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and then cover with saltines.







Boil 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar for 3 minutes at a rolling boil. Then spread onto saltines.








Bake in oven for only FIVE MINUTES.







Remove from oven and sprinkle with 12 oz. chocolate chips. Let sit until chips are shiny and spreadable, then spread evenly.








Top with your choice of chopped nuts.








Refrigerate about an hour then remove foil and break into pieces and serve. Refrigerate or freeze.