Bread Pudding

I really don't care for bread pudding. But my husband loves it and this recipe proved to be great for him.

8 cinnamon roles (I use Rhodes cinnamon rolls, I cook them, then save one for myself and break the other seven up into small pieces into a greased crock pot.)
4 eggs
2 cups milk (I use skim)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter, or margarine
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter, or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place bread cubes in greased slow cooker.
2. Beat together eggs and milk. Stir in sugar, butter, and raisins. Pour over bread and stir.
3. Cover and cook on High 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook 3-4 hours.
4. Make sauce just before pudding is done baking. Begin by melting butter in saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add water, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve sauce over warm bread pudding.



Fun Garden Sandwich
Garden Fresh Cucumber
Rye Bread
8 ounce package of Cream Cheese with dried ranch dressing added.
I also will add tomato slices.
I could eat this every day, especially when the veggies are fresh.

Beef Taquitos

2 (12 ounce) cans Roast Beef (I used left over roast beef from Sunday Dinner)
1 package of Fajita Seasonings
25 lightly Fried Corn Tortillas (We prefer Flour tortillas so that is what I used)
Quick fry the tortillas I use pam in a non stick fry pan and just warm the tortillas. If you don't fry the tortillas first, they will split and not hold together. In a fry pan warm the beef with the seasoning until the beef is shredded and hot. Remove from stove. Spoon in a small amount of beef mixture into each tortilla. These should be small in diameter. Roll and hold together with a toothpick. Fry the taquitos in hot oil until they are crisp and warmed through.
I make sure the tortillas are sprayed with pam and then I bake them in the over at 400 degress for 15 minutes. It gets rid of the problem of hot oil and children and is way less calories. They turned out just as crisp.

When I use left over roast beef I have cooked the roast in a dutch oven covered in dry lipton onion soup mix at 250 degress for about 8 hours. Twenty minutes before I serve the roast I pour a beef broth over the roast. This consists of hot water and beef boullion. This flavors the roast a little more and lets it sit in the juice and makes it very moist. The meat is tender and juicy and perfect for left over sandwhiches or taquitos.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

If you are still getting strawberries at a good price. This is a fun and different recipe to try.

Pastry for a single-crust pie (9 inches) (If you don't make your own, you can buy one or I use Krusteaz Pie Crust Mix, it makes me feel like I make professional pie crust and it never fails)
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute (use 2 eggs if you don't have egg substitute)
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup reduced sugar strawberry preserves (or strawberry jam)
Fat-Free whipped topping, optional (I used cool whip)
Roll out pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate; transfer pastry to plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese , egg substitute or eggs, honey and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the crust. Bake 15-18 minutes longer or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
Arrange strawberries over filling. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in preserves. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon or brush, over the strawberries. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting. Garnish with whipped topping if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
This recipe looks a lot harder than it is. It just takes steps. But the second time you make it will be a breeze.

Smoky Beef 'n' Beans

This is a must recipe for the summer. I haven't found a baked bean recipe to beat this one. I can't use canned baked beans because they don't compare. Plus, beans are so healthy it's a win, win, combination.

1 pound ground beef (I never put this in because I don't need the extra calories, but it would make the beans a meal)
1 cup chopped onion
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I use the real bacon bits I buy at Costco and use about two or three tablespoons, it saves the mess of cooking the bacon)
2 cans pork and beans (16 ounces each)
1 can kidney beans (16 ounce, drained and rinsed)
1 can butter beans (16 ounce, drained)
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke, (I think this makes the flavor terrific)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a skillet, cook the beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings. I have also cooked this on the stove, once it started to boil, I immediately turned it down and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.

On the picture is also steak. It is marinated in the best rub I have yet to find. It is called Spade L Ranch Beef Marinade and Seasoning. I can only find it in front of the fresh fish counter in Albertsons in Washington State. I swear by it.

The Pasta salad is whole wheat pasta with a yellow pepper, green onions, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green olives, baby corn, black olives, tomatoes, and it is dressed with Olive Garden Salad dressing. You could use the veggie spirili pasta, I like the whole wheat as it is less calories for weight gain.

Almond Chicken Casserole

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Chicken Broth (You can use the soup can for a measure, I just used 1 can 14 1/2 ounce can of Chicken Broth).
4 Cups Cooked and Cubed Chicken
2 Cups Water Chestnuts, Drained
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Cups Mayonnaise
2 Cups Celery
1 small Onion, Chopped
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Cups Rice, Cooked
1/2 Cup Butter (I did not use this as I just used Bread Crumbs)
1 1/2 Cups Crushed Buttery Crackers (again I just used Bread Crumbs.
1 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Cup Colby Cheese, Shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan over medium heat, stir together soup, broth, chicken, chestnuts, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Stir in celery, onion, salt, and rice. Combine well; pour into a buttered (I used spray Pam) casserole dish. Melt butter; mix with crushed crackers or bread crumbs. Sprinkle crackers or bread crumbs over casserole. Sprinkle with almonds and shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

I haven't made a casserole in years. But I couldn't think of what to have for dinner. I had all of the ingredients for this and it was a hit. Even the grandchildren ate it and enjoyed it. I served it with cooked fresh asparagus and fruit salad which added a little more color to the plate and it was a great dinner.

Pretty Authentic Greek Salad

2 English Cucumbers ( I think any cucumber will work)

7 tomatoes

1 can black olives

1 green pepper Julienned

1 red onion Julienned

2 teaspoons Mediterranean Oregano ( I have used regular Oregano, the Mediterranean is a little stronger in flavor)

1/2 Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Cup Feta Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Just mix everything together and enjoy. This amount makes a very large salad. You can cut back to any size you want. It has become one of my favorite salads. I made certain to plant cucumbers so I could eat it all summer long. It is so healthy. My cooking class ladies also loved this salad. I am hoping the picture shows how pretty it can look. It tastes as good as it looks