STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

I found this recipe on cooks.com, and decided that I would make it for dinner. I copy and pasted the recipe below. I hope that you enjoy it. The ingredients call for white bread and for preserves mixed with orange juice. I obviously did not use their suggestion. I have wheat on hand and so used what I had. As for the syrup. I mixed about 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, and 1/2 cup raspberries and cooked on high with 1 cup sugar and 1 T vanilla. Boil for 15-20 minutes, constantly stirring. My family loved it so I get to share it. Oh and I only got 6 things of stuffed french toast. Maybe I soak mine more than she does.

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. walnuts or pecans
1 loaf white bread
4 eggs
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves or seedless raspberry jam
1/2 c. orange juice

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and vanilla together until fluffy. Stir in the nuts. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture on a slice of bread. Top with a second piece of bread (like a sandwich). Repeat this process 10-12 times until the mixture is all used.

Beat together the eggs, whipping cream, vanilla and nutmeg. Dip the "sandwiches" into the egg mixture. Cook on a lightly greased griddle until golden brown, turn to cook the other side. Keep the cooked "sandwiches" warm by placing them on a baking sheet in a warm oven.

Meanwhile, heat together the preserves and orange juice. To serve, dust the Stuffed French Toast with powdered sugar and drizzle the warm sauce over the top. Makes 10-12 pieces.

Lasanga

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles
1lb ground beef
1 and 1/2 pints Spaghetti Sauce
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1lb grated mozzarella cheese- separate 1/2c
2 beaten eggs


Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lasagna noodles cook them until al dente (8-10 minutes)

Brown ground beef over medium heat and drain off fat. Add spaghetti sauce to that. If you don't have my fabulous home made spaghetti sauce you can use any bottled spaghetti sauce or you can use

• 1 (16 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 4 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Meanwhile mix together beaten eggs, ricotta (or substitute for cottage cheese whichever your budget allows), Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.

Ladle enough of the meat sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish to cover the bottom in a thin layer. Form a layer atop the sauce with 3 of the lasagna noodles. Spread about 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Then ladle about 1/2 of the meat sauce over the ricotta cheese. Repeat layering once more. Top with the last 3 noodles and enough meat sauce to keep from drying out. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 c of mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 90 minutes and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Oh this can be prepared before hand and frozen (good for 30 days frozen).

Spaghetti Sauce

Please note this picture was taken after the sauce had been added to ground beef and is not consistent with the recipe as written.

Some things are worth making from scratch this is one of those things. Since this is labor intensive it is a fairly large recipe. If I'm actually making spaghetti this is COMFORTABLY 2 meals for my family of 5 (one being a baby) and HALF of the sauce is frozen.

Usually I do this with meatballs but today I wanted to bottle it and was unsure how hamburger bottles (I kind of don't think it does) anyway that's so you know it can be adapted to use with meatballs or even just ground meat (your choice I've used turkey and beef with great results).

Start with tomatoes lots of diced tomatoes if lots of tomatoes (and I've never counted how many just lots) are unavailable you can substitute and use
1 can (64 oz) of tomato juice
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz)tomato paste
1 can (12.5 oz) stewed tomatoes

If you used tomatoes your going to want to kind of mush the diced tomatoes up while they are being cooked (on low so they are just below simmering about 1 hour). When the skin of the tomatoes starts going transparent it's time to add the spices (this is adjustable to fit your own taste this is just my suggestions).

4 minced garlic cloves
1/3 c dried onion flakes
2T Basil
3T Oregano
2T Garlic Powered
3T Chili Powered
2t Dried crushed red peppers
5T Italian Seasonings
4 Bay Leaves
1t Salt
1t Black Pepper

Simmer that for 20-30 minutes and then add in the veggies (all of which are optional if you want a smooth sauce).

1 small can of sliced mushrooms
1 grated carrot (optional)
1 Green bell pepper diced
1 red bell pepper diced
2 Stalks of celery diced

Simmer all of that until the whole mixture starts to darken (about 4 hours). If it is not the thickness you like add 1/4-1/2c water or add 1-2Tcornstarch (make sure you mix the cornstarch into some of the sauce in a separate bowl so it mixes in).

All that is left once you get it to the consistency that you prefer is to serve it over hot noodles or bottle it (if meat was added freeze don't bottle).

Oh one more thing to give you a better idea of the size of this recipe I got 7.5 pint bottles when I made it.

Wheat Zucchini Bread

OK my neighbor and I decided that we were going to share our gardens this year. However my garden plot got attacked by snails and so the snails have had all the benefit till recently when we fixed the problem and are just now enjoying yummy food from our garden plot as well. Luckily my neighbor had the foresight to also plant zucchini in her garden and it has created beautiful monster zucchini perfect for making lots and lots of bread. She has a recipe that she loves to make that she got from her mom. I suggested that we use half whole wheat flour, olive oil and omit the salt. All in an effort to make it healthier. We have been impressed with the outcome.

Here is our combined effort recipe.


Ingredients:
2 cups zucchini
3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients together breaking up any lumps in the baking soda and powder. Add dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and beat on low for 1 minute and on medium to high for 2 minutes or until all ingredients are fully blended together. Place in middle of preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. Test with toothpick inserted in middle of bread, if toothpick comes out clean bread is done. If toothpick comes out not clean return to oven for 10 more minutes. Cool and Enjoy!
You can serve this plain or with cream cheese.

We also thought that it would be fun to add carrots to it as well. So we did half our loaves that we made with 2 cups added carrots minus 1 cup zucchini. This was yummy and like we said a way to try and make it healthier.

Grilled Greek Chicken Sandwiches

Ok we had this for dinner tonight and it was great. I got it from Pillsbury and I loved it. I am a huge fan of Greek food. It is a Chicken Gyro. And as you look at it you can tell I just copy and pasted from the site.

INGREDIENTS: Cucumber Sauce 1/4 cup Yoplait® Original Fat Free plain yogurt 1/3 cup finely chopped seeded cucumber 1 medium green onion, sliced (1 tablespoon) 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel Dash salt and pepper Sandwiches 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 pita (pocket) bread cut in half 1 small tomato, sliced 2 thin slices red onion DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix sauce ingredients; set aside. (Sauce may become watery if it stands longer than 30 minutes.) 2. In another small bowl, mix lemon juice, oil and oregano. Brush lemon mixture over chicken, coating all sides. If desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper. 3. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Wrap pita halves in foil; place on grill 1 to 2 minutes or until warm. 4. Place chicken, tomato and onion inside pita pockets. Top with sauce, or serve sauce on the side for dipping.