Pioneer Beans

I got this recipe from 365 days of crock potting. It was yummy and I changed the name from "cowboys beans" to "pioneer beans" to go with our Pioneer Theme we are doing this week in our house to celebrate Pioneer day coming up this Saturday! The boys (all three of them!) gobbled it up, so it is a winner in my book! I will have to add this to my 30 days of recipe project that I am starting today that I found on Nannygoat, LOVE IT!

Here is the recipe...

1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, made in the USA is gluten free)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel, or traditional chopped tomatoes, your choice
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
7 cups water
sliced jalapenos, optional

The Directions.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish, or 5 as a main course. Sort pinto beans, and soak overnight in lots of fresh water. If you live in a climate where the house gets terribly hot overnight, put the beans in the refrigerator to soak to keep icky bacteria from accumulating.

In the morning, drain your beans, and pick out any that have split open, or look discolored and shrively.

Pour into a 6 quart slow cooker. Brown hamburger and onion on the stove, and drain fat. While the meat is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Start with 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add the meat, and top with 7 cups of fresh water. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6. My beans took 6 hours on high to tenderize, and then they sat on warm for another 3 hours. We're at sea level. If you live in a higher altitude, your beans will take longer to soften.

Taste the beans. If you'd like your beans to have more of a tang, add some more Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Top with sliced jalapenos, if desired.

Future Boys Room....Someday...

I am in love with this room! This room is obviously a play room of some sort, but I am going to copy the colors and theme for a future room for my boys. Isn't it too cute? I think it would be totally fun to get a map of the world in similar colors and pin all the places that we have traveled. Too cute!

I Love Me Some Summer Salads...

Here is what we are having for dinner tonight with freshly baked home made wheat bread....YUM! Tomorrow we are having another delightful healthful summer salad...stay tuned!

Sweet and Sour Bean Salad

Recipe courtesy Loretta Smith

Ingredients

• 1 can green beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can cut yellow wax beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large red onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, diced
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can tomato soup, undiluted

Directions

Place all the beans, green pepper, onion and pimentos in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and celery. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and tomato soup. Bring to a boil and pour over the vegetables. Toss the mixture lightly with 2 forks. Do this several times as the mixture cools. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. The salad will be better if kept chilled 24 hours before serving. Drain and reserve liquid before serving; it will keep for several days. The reserved liquid can be poured over the leftovers. Add more sugar, if desired.

Tuesday Night

Another winner I got from Nie. It is great. The kids even ate this nonsense. It is yum. Try it before you knock it!

Fish Tacos

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips
• 8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeño with remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeño half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces), cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard jalapeño.
3. Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.
4. To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately.

Orange Avocado Salsa

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 large navel oranges
• 1/2 firm, ripe avocado, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1. In a medium bowl, whisk lime juice and honey until combined. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Slice off both ends of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, slice away peel and white pith. Cut oranges into quarters lengthwise; slice sections crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Transfer to bowl along with onion and avocado; toss gently to coat with dressing.

Monday Night

This delicious and kid friendly little feast is from Ellie Krieger, whom I LOVE! It was scrumptious and the kids and husband gobbled it up! It makes a lot, so it would be perfect for company or a play date lunch too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole-wheat penne
• 1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
  
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

"Treats" for FHE

sorry so blurry!

For an FHE "treat" I made these delicious Zucchini Bread Cupcakes from the fabulous Nie Nie. They were most and SUPER kid friendly with a big dolup of cream cheese frosting on top. I put extra Zucchini in so it was EXTRA healthy and good for the kiddos...sneeky sneeky...and they ate them up and asked for more and I was very happy to oblige.

• 1 large zucchini
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
2. Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. Reduce speed; add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat until well combined.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday Dinner was yummy and HEALTHY last night.

Tomato Onion Roast

This Roast is SO easy! Perfect roast to cook in the ol' crock pot while you are at church!
You will need:
1 Roast (I use rump)
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Large Yellow Onion

Cut Onion and put in the bottom of your Crock Pot.
Put the roast on top of cut onion.
Sprinkle Onion Soup on top of Roast.
Put Diced Tomatoes on top of soup mix and Roast.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

Roasted Jeweled Vegetables

4 medium beets
3 tablespoons olive oil divide
1 1/2 pounds carrots
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
8 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover the dish with foil and put into the oven for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces, trim the Brussels sprouts and halve them lengthwise, and peel the garlic cloves. Put the carrots, Brussels sprouts and garlic cloves into a large baking dish and toss with the remainder of the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes add the large pan of vegetables to the oven and cook everything for 1 hour more, stirring the vegetable mixture once or twice.

Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board to cool. Stir the thyme into the carrot and Brussels sprouts mixture and let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut. When the beets are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, peel them and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with the beets, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

(I substituted cauliflower for carrots since I cannot have carrots on my diet, these were YUMMY and really good for you!)

Rhodes Rolls
...didn't have Wheat flour yet...oh well! :)