Tuna Casserole.

This past week has been super crazy. I've been sick, the boys have been crabby, I needed something fast and easy for dinner. And this definitely was. If you have ever eaten tuna helper, you would like this, it is way better. You could add any veggie that you like to this, broccoli would be very good. The recipe calls for 3/4 pound of pasta, which is silly to me so I added the whole pound and had no problems.

Tuna Casserole


coarse salt and ground pepper-to taste
3/4 pound macaroni or any small shaped pasta
1 cup panko
2 Tbs. parmesan
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 Tbs. flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cans (6 oz each) tuna, get the solid if you can. Drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions (it will be undercooked). Drain. In a small bowl, toss together panko and parmesan.

2. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add flour and whisk to coat onion with flour. Slowly whisk in broth, then milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in pasta, tuna, and peas, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer tuna mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish and top with panko mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling and crust is golden, 17-20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. (If you can wait...)

Pumpkin Muffins

The weather here in Mountain Home has still been pretty warm up until the last week or so, so it hasn't really felt like fall yet. But they have all pumpkins out at the store, and pie crusts, and all those things that remind you of fall. So even though I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin, I felt like I had to buy a can of pumpkin, like it was the "right" thing to do this time of year. Glad I did. Made these pumpkin muffins and everyone loved them! Including my cats. I had read on the ASPCA page that giving your cats a spoonful of pumpkin is good for them since it's a good source of fiber. I really didn't think the cats would eat it, it doesn't even smell like something a cat would be interested. But all the cats ate it, and then thought the muffins were for them as well. This is from the same book as the zucchini bread, actually made these first. This recipe only makes about 8, so I doubled it.

Pumpkin Muffins


8 Tbs. butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a mixing bowl, and beat until creamy. Add the pumpkin and the egg, and mix well. At this point, the mixture will look curdled, which is okay. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir and toss them together with a fork or whick. Add the combined dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat just until the batter is smooth, about 20 seconds.
Spoon into muffin pans, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and pulled out clean. Remove from oven, serve warm!
*Don't forget to give your furry friends a little of any left over pumpkin ;)

Zucchini Bread!

So last week I got two GIANT zucchinis from a neighbor. She told me ahead of time they were big, but I had no idea that zucchinis could get so big! I had to do something with them, so I made zucchini bread. I have never made it before, and when I don't know what recipe to use I always turn to my Fannie Farmer Baking Book, smart move! This was, and still is, since we'll be eating it for the next year, delicious! Very easy to make. Everyone loves it, and hopefully I'm scoring points with my friends since they've all been getting lots of this lately! It's very moist and does keep well and can be frozen.

Zucchini Bread


3 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, melted
1 cup sugar
2 cups shredded raw zucchini

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans.
Stir and toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmegs, and cloves, and set aside. Place the milk, eggs, melted shortening, sugar and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Add the combined dry ingredients and beat just until the batter is blended.
Divide evenly between the prepared and bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and let cool for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Some big changes in the near future...

So I wanted to share our super exciting news! After 5 years here in Mountain Home, Idaho, we are finally getting ready to move...to CALIFORNIA! Sean has been itching to get out of here for a long time. I constantly tell him "good things come to those wait", which I'm sure really annoys him, but it's true. He had applied for a job as a tech school instructor, and after waiting and waiting, we finally got official word that he got the job and we need to be there in spring. This is so bittersweet for us. Idaho is where we started our family. When we moved here we had only been married for a week or so. We will also be leaving behind some amazing friends that have become family. However, Sean and I are ready for a fresh start. This will be our first time moving with kids and pets. We are heading to a Navy base on the coast which is going to be a huge change. But there's so much we are looking forward to, besides the beach. One of the big ones is the food! I'm hoping for lots and lots of fresh produce. I think living in Cali will make being a vegetarian sooooo much easier. Well, that's all I've got for you right now, more to come!

Summer's Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

So part of living with a disease means sometimes I fall ill quickly, unexpectedly, and even when I get a cold it means I'm going to be super sick...for days. To you this may sound super depressing, but for me, it has become a normal part of my life. The last few days I've been feeling very under the weather, but luckily I have amazing friends who are more like family who jumped right in and helped Sean and I out. Last night our friend Summer brought us dinner. Being the sweetie she is, she wanted to make something vegetarian for us. She made a white lasagna with spinach and artichokes, it was soooo good! It was like spinach artichoke dip with noodles...omg...yum. Not only did she make it for us, but she also told me I could share her recipe! So here it is, and a BIG thank you to Summer!!

Summer's Artichoke Spinach Lasagna:

2 tablespoons olive oil

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5oz) can veggie broth

¼ teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon basil

¼ teaspoon parsley

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, and chopped

1 package fresh spinach

**Alfredo sauce** recipe below

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (4oz) package of feta, crumbled 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. 
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. (skip if using no boil pasta)
• Warm olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and spices; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in alfredo sauce. 
• Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top. 
• Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. 

Summer's Alfredo Sauce   (Make sure you double this for the lasagna)

1 cup Milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup cottage cheese

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 teaspoons of onion, minced

Salt & pepper to taste (1/4 tsp of each)

½ cup parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients into food processor and pulse until smooth.  Transfer into sauce pan over medium-heat until heated through.  When it is heated, Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to ¼ cup of water in a separate bowl and stir to mix.  Pour into the alfredo mixture stir until slightly thickened.  This goes into the artichoke mixture!!

Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers

I would have to say that 98% of the time, Sean and I are vegetarians. This is for a variety of reasons. I grew up in an almost vegetarian home. There are some animal rights issues tangled in there. And with all the health problems I have, and that run on my husbands side of the family, it is a choice we make just to be healthier in general. It works out all around. But most people we meet are a little surprised that we successfully have followed this "diet", if you want to call it that, for so many years. Here's the thing. Being a vegetarian does not mean we eat nothing but salad. We also don't try to make other things seems like meat. It is totally possible to eat full flavored meals without meat! This is one of those meals that makes me remember how easy it is to not eat meat! We served these to friends of ours, one is vegetarian, the other definitely is not, and she said these were very good!

Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers


1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 15oz can pinto beans - drain, rinse
1 cup frozen corn, thawed

Combine all ingredients except the corn, mix and mash beans with a fork or potato masher. Stir in corn, mix well. Divide into 4 equal portions, shaping into 3 1/2" patties. Place on foil cover, pam sprayed pan. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn over, bake another 10 minutes, until hot and temps at 165.

Serve on bun with tomato, lettuce, and cheese if desired (pepper jack is great!) and Chipotle mayo.....
1/4 cup mayo, 1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Last winter, while staying at my parents house, my mom made this wonderful peanut butter banana bread from a recipe she found in a magazine. I had absolutely no problems getting lots and lots of this bread into my face. My mom, on the other hand, was not a fan. But I don't see how you could not like something that has a peanut butter glaze on it! I forgot about this bread when I returned home. Last month I went in my freezer for something, and realized I had a huge stash of bananas in there, that fell out as I opened the door. Whenever I have bananas that start going black, I put them in the freezer, you never know when you're going to want to make a smoothie or banana bread! So as all the bananas tumbled out, I realized I needed to makes something with them asap. I usually use the same recipe for banana bread, but I wanted to try something different. So I looked up recipes online. I found that another food blogger that I occasionally read had recently posted a recipe for peanut butter banana bread, and it just happened to be the same recipe my mom had made. So I made it, and still liked it, and Sean seemed to have no problems getting lots of this into his face either! Annnd it's a little healthy since there's whole wheat flour, bananas, and ground flaxseed in it! Yes!!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread


1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/3 cup plain or vanilla fat free yogurt
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 Tbs. butter-melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal (can leave out)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix flours, flaxseed meal, baking soda, salt and spices.
Whisk bananas, yogurt, peanut butter, and butter. Whisk in the eggs and sugar.
Add wet ingredients to dry, then add nuts. Bake in a loaf pan for 55-65 minutes.
Cool IN PAN for 20 mins, then remove and place on cooling rack until completely cooled off.
To make glaze, mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbs. milk, and 1 Tbs. peanut butter until smooth. Spoon over cooled loaf.

Great Meal to Start off the Season!

It is now officially fall here in Mountain Home, Idaho. Most days it's been cool, and of course windy. We've also had a few random hot days. But this last week we've had lots of rain. Once it's fall, I start thinking about holidays, and when I think about holidays I feel the need to cook alot, and have a cozy house filled with people. So a few weeks ago ago I had over all my favorite people from base and did a Sunday night supper, and kinda watched the game. "Kinda", because, well, as much as I'm trying to care about football, I just don't. However I love the excuse to have people over, and eat in excessive amounts! So the meal I made for our friends was Rainy Season Chicken Soup with buttermilk biscuits. This is my mom's recipe, and has been my husbands favorite soup for years! The biscuit recipe is basic, but it was something I've never made before and they were a wonderful compliment to the soup! Our friends have been bugging me for the recipe ever since. :) I doubled this recipe for company.

Rainy Season Chicken Soup


8-10 oz fresh white mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. butter
2 leeks, white and green parts only-split, rinsed, diced.
2 medium carrots, diced
2 large celery ribs, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. dry white wine (or chicken broth)
4 cups chicken stock (if using store bought, get the low sodium)
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, melt butter over low heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat 5-10 minutes until veggies are almost tender. Place chicken on top of veggies, cover and continue cooking 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, recover pan and cook for another 5 minutes give or take, just until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. Sprinkle flour over veggies, stir to cook over low heat, 2 minutes. Slowly add 2 Tbs. wine or broth, and 2 cups of broth. Stir and cook until bubbly and thickened. Add sour cream very slowly, and allow to cook gently while you slice chicken into thin, bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, in large frying pan, bring remaining 2 cups of stock to a boil, then add noodles. Cook about 5 minutes, until noodles are done. Do NOT DRAIN! Slowly add noodle mixture to hot veggie/sour cream mixtures. Add chicken pieces and bring back to simmer.

Buttermilk Biscuits


2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. You need one large baking sheet-do not grease.
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and stir them together with a fork or wire whisk. Drop the shortening into the dry ingredients and using a pastry blender, or your fingertips, work the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture is in fine, irregular crumbs resembling soft bread crumbs. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir with a fork just until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
Turn the dough out onto a smooth, lightly floured surface, and knead 12-14 times. Pat into an 8 x 8 inch square about 1/2 inch thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into 2 inch squares. Place the biscuits in the baking pans or on the sheet (with biscuits touching if you want them light and fluffy, or at least 1 inch apart if you want them darker and crisper). Bake for 15-20 minutes, and serve very hot.