Some Recipes...

Just wanted to share some fall recipes we've been having recently. I have a big bush of kale left in my garden. Here's a yummy stir fry recipe that I've made all summer long--w/ different veggie combos. My favorite includes carrots and red peppes. Their sweetness pairs well w/ kale, which can taste a little "green"Saute a chopped onion in olive oil. Add several cloves of minced garlic. Next add in chopped carrots. After carrots are almost cooked, add chopped red pepper and a whole bunch of washed and chopped kale. Sprinkle w/ sea salt. Yum!! I've also added pasta and sliced sausages to make a one-dish meal.

I'm making these beans for company I'm having later on. It's one of my Mom's staple recipes!

Autumn Crockpot Beans

1 lb. bacon-cooked and crumbled

1 lg. onion chopped

3 t. garlic (3 cloves, crushed)

1 c. ketchup

3 T. mustard

1/2 c. br. sugar

3 T. ACV

2 sm. cans kidney beans

2 sm. cans great northern beans (I did 1 GNB, and 1 can of butter beans)

1 sm. can pinto beans
(I also added several cups of chickpeas and black beans)

**Drain beans, then combine all in the crockpot, except bacon. Crumble bacon on top. Cook in crockpot low for 6 hrs. or high for 3 hrs. You can also bake it in a 13 x 9" pan at 375 for 1 hr...if you'd rather**

Zuchinni Patties:

2 c. grated zuchinni

2 eggs

1/4 c. onion

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. Parmesan

1/2 c. Mozarella cheese

1 t. salt

2 T. oil

*Drain zuchinni in colander for a few hrs, then mix all ingredients together except oil. Heat 2 T. oil in a pan and drop patties of zuchinni in hot skillet. Cook on both sides till toasty brown**

~This is definitely a keeper recipe. I will be using this recipe lots this winter to use up all my zuchinni in my freezer. Very tasty!~

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

4 eggs

2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

**Beat oil, pumpkin and sugar...then add eggs. Blend dry ing. separately, then mix w/ wet mixture. Beat till smooth. Pour in jellyroll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Cool. Then ice w/ icing (1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, 5 T. butter, 1 t. vanilla 1 3/4 c. powdered sugar, 3 T. milk. Cut into small slices. Refrigerate.

(I was tempted to cut the sugar in half, but I didn't. It makes the cake very light and yummy--delicious texture! I may experiment next time when I don't have company! This is a company staple at my Mom's house in the fall.)

Kale Salad

1 bunch of Kale (cut into thin ribbons and massage 1/4 t. salt into it--to soften)

1/4 c. onion

1/3 c. craisens

3/4 c. chopped apple

1/3 c. toasted sunflower seeds (I added toasted walnut seeds too)

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. ACV

1/3 c. Feta cheese

(I still have kale growing strong in my garden and this is one delicious way to use it. I add the salad dressing to the chopped kale and onions for at least a few hrs. or overnight. Kale is very thick...not like lettuce and won't wilt. But letting the dressing soak in, will help it not to be so tough. Cutting the kale and the apples very small is the key to this salad!)

~Enjoy~

~~Also, just wanted to share something that has really been helping me. I made a print-out of all the meals that I make, some common, some not-so-common, and stuck it into my Brain-in-a-Binder. I divided into columns and subtitled it. For example: I have "American", "Mexican", "Italian", "Soups N' Salads", "Favorite Sides", "Garden", etc. It was just a way for me to organize my list. I try to vary the types of foods we eat too, so it's not all Mexican one week, and all Italian the next.

It has really helped out when I make my menu for the week or month. Sometimes I'm wracking my brain for what to make. After I check the fridge, freezer, cabinets, AND now my "Goff Family Fav's" List, dinner is no longer a predicament! (I dislike not knowing what I'm going to make for the evening meal...I tend to stew over it all day. Menu Planning, or at least having a list to choose from has helped me immensely!) Just thought I'd share...

~Meg~