Joy in the Kitchen!

  It has been cold and snowy white as far as the eye can see where I live!  This week the temperatures are supposed to be above freezing for the first time in several weeks!  I mean high 30's!  Absolutely balmy!  When we're this far into winter, I'm always ready for some peeks into spring.  Though we are several weeks away from the snow melting enough to see the ground, I enjoy including this colorful, fresh salad in my menu!  It's a lovely reminder of the garden harvest I'll enjoy this summer.  This is more of a throw-it-together sort of dish rather than one needing exact measurements, but I have some guidelines I use as the base of this dish.   I make it in this quantity for myself for lunch, or I leave the garbanzo beans out and add another cucumber and a little more olive oil and lemon and use it as a side dish for the family at dinnertime.   I've never been a fan of vinegar and oil dressing on salads, but I love, love, LOVE, fresh squeezed lemon in place

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 at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

S'More's   are one of our family's favorite camping treats.  A beautifully browned marshmallow and a few pieces of chocolate bar pressed between two crispy graham crackers.  Yum!   They are sticky and messy to eat and only the most patient of marshmallow roasters get them beautifully browned, but even S'More's with blackened marshmallows are tasty! I don't remember where I got the base recipe for these S'More's Cookie Bars, but we've been making them for about 20 years.  It's like a taste of camping anytime!  No fire to build, coals to wait for, or smoky clothes and hair when you're done!  Right now our firepit is buried in snow drifts as well so this is a much better option for this chocolaty marshmallow treat! Today I'm making these for my son to take to a get together with friends.  They need about half an hour to cool enough to cut and then a little longer to cool enough for the chocolate to set, so be sure to bake with time to spare.