Healthy dressing - Avocado dressing

Although we all love dressing on a salad, that is what actually can be hurting us in the long run.  Dressings are made up processed items, fat, sugar, and salt.  It can sabotage all of the good parts of the salad.  This will help you still have healthy dressing and it will also help you get in your healthy oils for that meal!  You want this to be able to be poured. Not chunky like mine!  I put too much avocado it in at first.  If you put too much avocado, just add to it with oil and a bit more juice and you will be good. 

Ingredients
1 avocado (halved)
1 small garlic clove or 1 TB of minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime or lemon or 3 TB of juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

To make this dressing, place the avocado, garlic, lime/lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is light and creamy.

Roasted veggies and salad with avocado dressing

This is one of my new favorites and my favorite thing is that you can freeze the veggies and have them ready to eat this winter too! 

INGREDIENTS

For the salad
1 red bell pepper, chopped in large chunks
1 lb butternut squash, chopped into squares
1 lb baby Brussels sprout, frozen
2 tsp dried oregano (this was optional. I used a bit of Italian seasoning instead.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 TB olive oil

For the Avocado Dressing
1 avocado (halved)
1 small garlic clove or 1 TB of minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime or lemon or 3 TB of juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/
2. In a large bowl, mix the butternut squash, bell pepper, Brussels sprouts, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil until the veggies are evenly coated.
3. Pour the vegetables onto a baking sheet in one even layer and roast for 40 minutes.
4. To make the dressing, place the avocado, garlic, lime/lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is light and creamy. You want this to be able to be poured. Not chunky like mine!  I put too much avocado it in. 
5. To assemble the salad, place a handful of mixed greens on a plate and top with the roasted veggies. Spoon on the Avocado Dressing and enjoy this utter yumminess!

Roasted veggies and salad with avocado dressing

The recipe for this is coming!!

Potato soup

Potato soup

5 lb potatoes
1 stick of butter
2 lg containers heavy whipping cream
2/3 block velveeta
Bacon bits
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper

Peel, cut, and dice potatoes. Put in crockpot and just cover with water. Cook for 2-2 1/2 hours. Add bacon bits, butter and velveeta cover until melted. Add heavy whipping cream, garlic salt, onion powder, salt, pepper. Cover and let warn through. Turn to low or keep warm and serve.


You can adjust the cheese to your taste.  I have some who like more cheese and others who don't.  This is easily cut in half.  I will tell you though, the secret is cooking the potatoes in the crock pot.  It makes them a much softer potato and is the best way to cook them for this.  You can make it on the stove, but the potatoes don't cook the same. 

I also make this is much larger batches in a turkey roaster. I start the potatoes late that night, let them cook, turn it off and it is cool when I get up in the morning.  I take it to where ever I going turn in back on to warm it up and then add the ingredients like normal.  It has definately been a hit!

Beer Bread

Beer Bread

MIX TOGETHER 3 CUPS SELF RISING FLOUR, 1/2 CUP SUGAR, AND 12OZ. BEER
POUR INTO GREASED LOAF PAN
BAKE AT 350 FOR 35 MINUTES
POUR 1/2 STICK MELTED BUTTER OVER TOP
BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES LONGER

Salsa

Salsa!!!!

Jalapenos - 1/2 a sink full!!!
Habaneros!!!
A full sink of habaneros!!!!

I have a friend who loves to grow things and experiments with fertilizing them. He brought me 3 or so bags of tomatoes that I froze to have tomatoes for salsa. I have habaneros frozen and was planning on using them. I was discussing this with him and the next day I get what you see above, a 1/2 sink full of jalapenos and and full sink of habaneros!!!! I am going to dehydrate some of the peppers and am wanting to try and find a pickling recipe for some of them. So I am so excited that I think that I am going to try and make some salsa today. I know that it isn't the normal time to make salsa but it is fairly cool today and will be nice to leave the door open and can some salsa!!! If I get it done I will try and post a picture of it!!!!

Janice's Salsa

10 cups of tomatoes chopped and peeled

2 cups chopped bell peppers (approx. 3)

1 red bell pepper

2 cups jalapenos chopped

2 cups onions chopped

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 cans 15 oz. tomato paste

3/4 white vinegar

2-3 hot peppers

1-2 pkgs Ball's hot salsa mix.

Stir together good. Bring to a boil slowly in non-aluminum pan. Simmer for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Stir frequently. Put in hot jars and then water bath for 15 minutes to seal.

7 pints

Hint: I use a food processor to chop everything up and I am really bad about not measuring good. So if you are like me, have extra jars ready to keep pouring into!!!! Also if I don't have the salsa mix I add all sorts of seasonings from the pantry. Garlic salt, salt, pepper, season salt and anything else that sounds good!!!

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Ingredients 1 28-ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 6- to 6-1/4-ounce package long grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon canned minced garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp
Bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions
1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes,chicken broth, onion, sweet pepper, rice mix with seasoning packet,the water, garlic, and Cajun seasoning.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heatsetting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.
3. If using low-heat setting, turn slow cooker to high-heat setting.
Stir shrimp into rice mixture. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more. If desired, pass hot pepper sauce.

Recipe Makes 6 servings.