Joy in the Kitchen!

Mmmm!!!   Fresh!   This week the weather has cooled off.  We've had rain and the leaves are turning to a beautiful yellow and orange celebration of fall!  Most of my garden is finishing up but the tomatoes and cucumbers are still producing well!  We live in a cooler climate so we are thrilled with any tomatoes that have time to ripen!  I have had a terrific crop of cucumbers this year, but not fresh dill to can dill pickles at this point.  That's ok as I love the crisp texture of a fresh cucumber from the garden! This little salad is easy to fix for just one, or for a crowd.  It is quick to arrange and if covered with plastic wrap, will hold a few hours until time to serve.  If desired you could add mozzarella balls or some type of olives to your plate.  Lately I love Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives.  I've had a struggling basil plant in the garden that is finally starting to thrive and I'm happy to have fresh basil to use ri...

Lentil and Burger Bake We've been finding new ways to eat healthier which includes using beans and legumes more often.  My Mom used to make this lentil dish once in a while and I've always loved it.   I love the peppery, earthy flavor of lentils!   They cook up quicker than dry beans as well, you can cook them on the stovetop for 40-50 minutes or in the instant pot for around 8-10 minutes.  Sometimes I just love my Instant Pot for things like that! When I'm reading recipe blogs I don't enjoy having to sort through so much chatter to find the recipe, so on to the important part!   Ranch Style Lentil and Burger Bake 1 lb. lean hamburger (I like 93/7 but use what you can find) 1 T. olive or vegetable oil 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix OR 1 T. beef bouillon and 1/2 C. fresh, diced onion 4 C. cooked lentils 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. vinegar 1 C. water Brown burger in oil, stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into a casserole dish or 9x13 pan and bake a...

Hi there!  Thanks for dropping by. I am currently working on eating healthier and moving more to help with some of those health issues that sneak up as you age.  Fatigue, weight, stiff joints.  I know some of you totally understand about that!  I complain to my Dad once in a while (he will be 94 in a few months) and he always says "Well Joy, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"  Bwahaha!  Nothing like things getting put in perspective! So, I am creating a new little section on my blog for my Adventures in Healthy Eating.  This is my first attempt at creating a recipe in that genre - this year.  There are other healthy recipes on my blog but many of them are my childhood comfort foods or ones that were used as we raised a large family on a little budget.  Those are special occasion foods! I kept seeing these lovely Baked Avocado Egg recipes.  They look delicious.  But I am a tad lazy  and impatient and heating the w...

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Yet, that's often one of the most difficult times to take a few minutes to nourish yourself!  This breakfast scramble can be cooked in under 10 minutes and is quick to eat.  Ingredients can be prepped ahead to save time. I often fix this just for myself, though if my husband is home he enjoys it as well.  It works well to just double the ingredients and cook for two.  It doesn't work as well to cook for six people as the eggs take longer to cook and the spinach goes too soft and the color leaches out into the eggs.   Dave and I have been participating in a health program through his work that gives us support on making healthy changes to our activity and food.  One of the challenges is to eat a high protein breakfast each day.  This recipe supplies around 15 grams of protein and 260 calories.  Add a piece of whole wheat toast and you're above 20 grams of protein....

My family doesn't generally love brown rice.  They really enjoyed it in this dish though.  I started out to do a skillet dinner, but I took a little time to put it all in a pan and melt the cheese in the oven.  Next time I'm going to try just mixing it in and letting it melt in the skillet rather than sprinkling it on top. This was a tasty dinner and full of healthy ingredients.   My family requested it again! Brown Rice and Broccoli with Chicken 1 1/2 C. brown rice 3 1/4 C.chicken broth or water with 3 tsp. chicken boullion  Place in medium pan, bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes.  Remove from heat. While the rice is cooking, saute the following in 1 T. of olive oil: 2 chicken breast, diced 1 C. onion, diced 1 C. mushrooms, sliced 2 C. broccoli florets (fresh or frozen is fine) When the rice is done, place it on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan .  Spread chicken and vegetables over rice.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoon...

Molasses Oatmeal Bread is a hearty (and heart healthy!) bread that is easy and delicious!  We love it toasted and spread with homemade jam.  So good!  Molasses adds a rich flavor and beautiful color. Molasses Oatmeal Bread 2 T. instant dry yeast (my favorite brand is SAF) 1/2 C. warm water Dissolve yeast in water and set aside In large bowl (or mixer bowl if you have one that will do bread), put: 2 C. quick rolled oats 2 T. oil 2 C. boiling water Stir and let sit about 10 minutes or until lukewarm.   Stir dissolved yeast, 1/2 C. molasses, and 4 tsp. salt into the oatmeal mixture.   Add about 3 cups of flour and mix well.  Stir in 2-3 cups more flour until you have a firm dough that you can knead.  Knead 5 minutes by hand or with mixer.  Place in a greased bowl, being sure to grease the top as well.   Cover and let rise until double.  About 45 minutes to an hour depending on how warm your room is. Punch down...

What to do with a few LARGE handfuls of fresh green beans?  We love this easy way to prepare them.  I especially love that I don't need to snap them.  I just snip the ends!  We like them fairly tender, probably to the point that some feel they're overcooked.  :)   Check them every few minutes to see if they're at the point YOU like them.  If you LOVE garlic, go ahead and throw in a few more cloves.   Mmmmmm! Garlic Green Beans A couple of good handfuls of fresh green beans a few tablespoonfuls of olive oil 2-4 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced salt & pepper  Heat oil in large skillet.  Add garlic and saute' just a minute to flavor the oil.  Add green beans and cook over medium-medium high heat stirring occasionally to keep garlic and beans from burning.   If you'd like the beans to be very tender, put a lid on your pan & they'll soften up faster.  After about 10 minutes, test to see if the beans are d...

The posts are few & far between lately.  Hopefully that changes soon.  I've been having fun finding ways to use up the food co-op produce we get every other week.  I'm also working on eating healthier and exercising more.  I've been creating in the kitchen the past week to cater to my changes.  I'm limiting my calories to 1200-1500 each day.  Makes it a bit harder to get all the nutrition I need if I eat sweets or breads.  That's the only downside though.  So far I'm down 5 lbs in the past week.  I know the weight loss will slow down now & that's ok.  Once my weight is where I'd like it I'll raise my calorie limits but I'm determined to keep eating healthier food.... and in the meantime...  I'll just keep having fun with the menu! Foods we've enjoyed the past week: Lentil Burrito's Grilled Chicken Salad Homemade, fat free yogurt sweetened with diced mango Vegetable Soup Baked Chicken w/ Garlic Parsley Red Potatoes ...