Dinner Ideas

1.Various Veggies
-Lentail Taco Salad
-Baked Potatoes
-Garden Burgers

2.Soup
-Minestroni
-Black Bean
-Taco Soup
-White Bean
-Carrot Soup

3.Grain
-Quinoa
-Stir Fry

4.Pasta
-Pesto Sauce with Whole Grain Pasta
-Alfredo and Veggie
-Spagetti

5.Breakfast
-Sprouted Waffles

6.Left Over

7.Family Choice

Carrot Cream Soup

20 carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into large chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2-3 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cups soy milk (I used Rice Milk)
2 cups water
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 TBL minced fresh ginger root (did you know ginger root keeps well in the freezer)
2 cloves garlic
1 TBL VegeBase (I used Veggie bouillon)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup raw almonds

Add all ingredients except the nuts to a pot and simmer on low heat for 20 min. Then puree the cooked soup with the nuts in a blender until smooth. It makes a thick creamy soup.

The fastest pizza ever

Preheat oven for 350

1 loaf french bread
1 jar spaghetti sauce (with or without tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms etc which ever kind you like)
mozzarella Cheese (it tastes better and is less greasy with real mozzarella)
Pepperoni or whatever other topping you want
butter

Slice the bread and grate the cheese as thick or thin as you like. Take a slice or bread, butter the bottom and place on cookie sheet. Pt on sauce cheese and toppings to your taste. Cook for ten minutes. Bread will be a little crusty but not hard and cheese will be mostly melted. This is how Chris survived late night classes.

Broccoli Soup

Just like my dear ol' mum used to make (and still does)

6 chicken cubes
5 c. water
4 carrots
6 potatoes
1 small onion
1 head broccoli

Chop veggies into bite size pieces. Cook until veggies are crispy (15 min.). Meanwhile make sauce.

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. pepper

Melt butter. Stir in flour and seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add to undrained vegetables.

If desired, add 1 1/2 c. grated cheese last few minutes.

Gooey Granola

This is the reciepe that I use to make when all of you were younger.

10 Cups rolled oats
3 Cups wheat germ
1 1/2 Cups oil
1 Cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
Optional:
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
sliced almonds
raisins
dried apricots

In large bowl mix oats, wheat germ and optional ingredients except raisins or apricots.
Mix on low heat oil, honey and brown sugar until blended. Add to honey mixture, vanilla cinnamon nutmeg and salt. Mix until blended. Then add to oats and mix throughly. If you like it gooey add raisins and apricots. If you want it toastier Bake at 300 and stir every 10 minuets for about 1 hour then add raisins and apricots. Enjoy

Soft Baked Pretzels

These were super easy and Kate loved helping with them, especially the twisting part. I'd have to say the more butter with C&S sprinkled on top the better!

Soft Baked Pretzels

1 package (.25 oz.) Active dry yeast (= 1 TBSP)

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 1/8 tsp. Salt

1 ½ cup warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

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2 cups warm water

2 TBSP baking soda

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2 TBSP butter, melted

1-2 TBSP coarse kosher salt or cinnamon sugar

In a large mixing bowl, add yeast, brown sugar and salt. Test water temperature with thermometer. When it reads 110 degrees, add to bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add both types of flour and stir well.

Place dough on floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl then turn dough upside down to coat the surface. Cover with a towel and let rise for one hour in a warm spot.

Combine 2 cups warm water (test again for 110 degrees) and baking soda in an 8-inch square pan. After the dough has risen, divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 1.5 foot rope, ½ inch wide. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on cookie sheets with parchment paper and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

Bake at 450 F for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle with coarse salt or cinnamon sugar.

Greeen Smoothie

I've heard of how nutritious Green Smoothies can be but I've always been so afraid to try it, until now. So for breakfast I whipped up a batch of delicious whole wheat bran muffins and served it with a glass of really bright green juice. Much to my surprise 5 out of 6 loved it!! In fact I've made green smoothie everyday this week. There is nothing I love more than sneaking vegies into my kids diet without them knowing.

1 cup of fresh orange juice
1 to 4 oz of baby spinach greens or other greens
1 large banana
1 cup other fresh or frozen fruit--your choice**

Add the juice to your blender and then add the greens. Blend until you get all of the greens liquified. Add the other fruit and blend until smooth.

I used frozen peaches and added a little bit of honey to ensure sweetness. One time I added protein powder and I think tofu would be great.

Strawberries and/or cherries will taste delicious but the resulting color will be funny. Adding blueberries will mask the green (turns it a purplish green) for the most part and is a good choice for a beginner who finds the bright green color a little too strange. :-) I also like to use peaches, pineapple, and mango. Citrus (as in the juice) helps to cover the taste of the spinach.

Drink Up!!!