Lentil Sloppy Joes

This is a very tasty, super easy, and extremely healthy twist on the original ground beef version of sloppy joes. Lentils supplement g.b. is a wonderful way; the texture is strikingly similar, but without all that saturated fat and nasty cholesterol. I don't have a picture (yet), but I encourage you to give 'em a try, I'm sure the kids will take to them too.

Time to break out the 'ol slow cooker!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt (I usually omit this)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup ketchup (I use the light kind)
¼ water
1 tbsp balsamic vinager
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups cooked brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (see Tip below)

Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Shredded Cheese (optional)
Toasted whole-wheat buns


Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in ketchup, water, balsamic vintage, brown sugar, and mustard. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add lentils and stir well.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until hot and bubbling. Add hot pepper sauce to taste, if using. Ladle over hot toasted buns, sprinkle with cheese (if you choose) and serve!

Tip:
Use 1 can (14-16Oz) green or brown lentils instead of cooking up some of your own; be sure to drain and rinse them very well (throw them in a colander and give 'em a good rinse under the tap to get rid of that extra salt).

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

• 1 cup cheesewhiz
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tin mushroom soup

Saute celery and onions in butter. Season with pepper. Cook rice until done. Cook broccoli until tender crisp. Mix celery and onions with rice. Put in bottom of casserole. Lay broccoli on rice and top with soup and cheesewhiz. Cook at 375 until bubbly.

Might be a good way to sneak some veggies onto your little ones plates. Dillon prefers to just eat the broccoli - go figure.

Skor Toffee Chocolate Bars (Slice)

This has to be my absolute favorite Christmas treat. It is stick in your teeth goodness! I made these for the first time last Christmas - unfortunately they didn't last long. So I purposely held off on making them this year, until today.

Skor Toffee Chocolate Bars (Slice)

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp margarine
• 300g milk chocolate chips (I use one bag - 270g)
• 225 g chipits skor toffee bits (again I just use one bag)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together 3/4 cup margarine, brown sugar and flour until well blended and mixture comes together. Press evenly into 9 x 13 greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Heat condensed milk and 2 tbsp margarine in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Spread over base and return to oven to bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips and skor toffee bits evenly over top and press down lightly, bake for 2 minutes. Cool completely. If necessary, chill to set chocolate before cutting. Store at room temperature.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

This is a great recipe to use when you have lots of leftover turkey (or chicken). So after you're done eating all those Christmas dinners, give this recipe a whirl!
Creamed Turkey Noodle

• 6 oz broad noodles (I used spiral noodles this time around)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 4 cups cooked turkey or chicken (chopped)
• 10 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 10 oz condensed cream of chicken soup
• 10 oz canned mushrooms (drained)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Put onion, celery and butter in frying pan. Saute until limp. Add to noodles. Add turkey, mushroom and chicken soup, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir. Pour into large casserole. Bake, uncovered, in 350 oven for 35 minutes until bubbly hot. Serves 6 to 8.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1 pkg chocolate chips

Cream butter, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add all dry ingredients;flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well and then add bananas and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

*You can try and hide these in the freezer, but they're even better frozen. :)

Fruit Strudel

Fruit Strudel

• 2 cups chopped fresh fruit (or frozen fruit, thawed and drained)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup hard margarine
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 4 oz light cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp almond flavoring
• 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
• Sugar for garnish

Combine fruit and sugar in small saucepan on medium heat. Stir. Heat for 10 minutes until soft and reduced to about half. Cool.

Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in margarine until crumbly.

Add sour cream. Mix well. Divide into two equal portions. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill. Roll our 1 portion on lightly flour surface to 12 x 15 inches (30 x 38 cm) rectangle.

Beat cream cheese and flavoring in small bowl. Spread 1/2 of cream cheese mixture in 4 inch (10cm) lengthwise row down center of rectangle.

Spread 1/2 of fruit mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 of almonds. Cut both sides of uncovered pastry in 1/4 inch (2 cm) slices at slight angle from edge of cream cheese layer to edge of pastry. Fold each strip alternately over fruit layer, creating a braided look. Repeat to make second braid. Transfer to greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 over for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.

Sprinkle with sugar during last 10 minutes of baking. Cuts into 8 pieces.

I shared this dessert with my Dad and he didn't believe that I had made it. Gee thanks. :)

Butterscotch Confetti Squares

This has got to be the easiest recipe EVER. And I'm sure everyone has had it at one point or another. I made this the other day, just to have something different and Devin and Dillon devoured it. Dillon calls it marshmallow cake, but somehow in his two year old pronounciation it comes out marsh m cake. I'll be making some more for the holidays.

Butterscotch Confetti Squares

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 8 oz (250 g) miniature colored marshmallows

Melt margarine and peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in butterscotch chips until melted. Cool until you can hold your hand on the bottom of the pan. Add marshmallows and stir until all are coated. Pack in 9x9 pan that has been lined with foil or waxed paper (I just use pam in my glass pan). Refridgerate.