~~Super Simply Tomato & Onion Salad~~

During late summer when the vines ripen with tomatoes it becomes the season of tomato salads and they are quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

• Sweet onion thinly sliced
• Cherry tomatoes (I get a medley of red and yellow cherry tomatoes for more color)
• Feta Cheese
• Chopped fresh basil
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Northern Italian Dressing (Or you can use just olive oil and Balsamic or red vine or apple cider vinegar)

Directions:

• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place in a bowl with the thinly sliced onions add the Northern Italian Dressing mix and let marinate for an hour.
• When ready to serve add the basil, parsley, and Feta cheese and toss lightly.

Now wasn’t that easy?

Options:

• Add a cucumbers
• Add an Avocado
• Add black olives such as Kalamata.
• Some recipes add red pepper flakes (But I don't like my tomato salad spicy)
  
• Some use red onion but I find to have too much bite of the raw onions and some some soke them in water to cut the bite.

~~Jazzing Up Knorr’s Spanish Rice~~

 Jazzing Up Knorr’s Spanish Rice

This will turn something mundane and dull into a jazzy side dish

• Make the Spanish Rice as directed on the package
• Add a 1/3 of a cup of store bought salsa (Mild, Medium, or Spicy, your choice on how much fire you want.)
• Add a 1/3 of a cup of thawed frozen corn.
• Stir together and Voila, a quick and easy side dish.

~~Potatoes Au Gratin~~

For such a rich and flavor forward dish, making potatoes au gratins is surprisingly easy...

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 large sliced onion
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 pounds white potatoes sliced about ⅛" thick
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Melt butter and stir in the onion over medium low heat. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes, remove the onions and set them aside.
• Add flour to the melted butter while stirring to make a roux. Stir constantly. The butter and flour will combine to form a liquid slurry. If you don’t keep stirring, the roux will start to burn and you’ll have to start over, so do not stop stirring. Stirring is a must!
• Add 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese to the roux, stirring until melted.
• Reduce heat to low. Combine milk and roux. Add a small amount at a time whisking to thicken. The mixture will become very thick, continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time whisking until smooth.
• Once all of the liquid has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat while continuing to whisk. Stir in salt and pepper and let boil 1 minute.
• assembly
• Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. Place ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom and season with salt and pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce sauce over top.
• Add a layer of onions.
• Repeat adding a layer of sliced potatoes and the rest of the cooked onions, cover with the rest of the cream sauce.
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
• Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender.
• Broil for 3-4 minutes to obtain a golden top.
• Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:

• You can add 1 ½ cups cubed fully cooked diced ham. Mix it in with the sliced potatoes.
• You can add a cup of corn and mix it in with the potatoes
• You can add chopped bacon and mix it in with the potatoes.

Nutrition information: Carbohydrates approx. 39g

~~ Scalloped Potatoes ~~

My mom used to make this all the time and it was one of my favorites!

For such a rich and flavor forward dish, making scalloped potatoes is surprisingly easy...

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 large sliced onion
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 pounds white potatoes sliced about ⅛" thick
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Melt butter and stir in the onion over medium low heat. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes, remove the onions and set them aside.
• Add flour to the melted butter while stirring to make a roux. Stir constantly. The butter and flour will combine to form a liquid slurry. If you don’t keep stirring, the roux will start to burn and you’ll have to start over, so do not stop stirring. Stirring is a must!
• Reduce heat to low. Combine milk and roux. Add a small amount at a time whisking to thicken. The mixture will become very thick, continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time whisking until smooth.
• Once all of the liquid has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat while continuing to whisk.  Stir in salt and pepper and let boil 1 minute.
• assembly
• Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. Place ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom and season with salt and pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce sauce over top. 
• Add a layer of onions.
• Repeat adding a layer of sliced potatoes and the rest of the cooked onions, cover with the rest of the cream sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes to obtain a golden top.
• Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:

1. You can add 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, mix 1 cup in with the cream sauce and sprinkle the ½ of grated cheese on top (But then it becomes Potatoes Au Gratin).
2. You can add 1 ½ cups cubed fully cooked diced ham. Mix it in with the sliced potatoes.
3. You can add a cup of corn and mix it in with the potatoes
4. Chopped bacon.

Nutrition information: Carbohydrates approx. 39g

~~ Rice Pilaf ~~

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of brown rice or wild rice
• 2 2/3 Cups Chicken Broth
• 4 Tbs. Orzo
• 2 Tbs. Butter
• Optional: red and/or green bell peppers
• Optional: diced onion

Directions:

• Melt the butter in a pan and add the orzo.
• Brown the orzo until light brown in color and add the chicken broth and rice.
• Cover, simmer and stir occasionally, cook for 20 -30 minutes (I have been adding green and red bell peppers and onion to it when you add the broth).

~~ New England Baked Beans ~~

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. Dried Beans  (navy beans, soldier beans, Great Northern beans, etc.)
• 1/4 lbs. Salt Pork
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Un-sulfured Molasses
• 1 tsp. Dry Mustard
• 1 Pint Water
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pick the beans over for blemished beans, rinse and soak overnight in cold water
• Then in the morning, bring the beans to a boil and boil until the skins break. Then drain the water (You may if desired use the water to cover the beans during baking.).
• Slice the salt pork into pieces. 
• Peeled the onion and quartered but not cut through. 
• Nestle in the middle bottom of the bean pot the onion and place the salt pork around the onion.
• Add the drained beans. 
• Bring the pint of water to a boil and add the brown sugar, molasses, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Add the mixture to the beans and add additional water to cover the beans. 
• Bake at 250^o F for 6 - 7 hours. Adding boiling water as necessary to cover the beans while cooking.

Toward the end of baking I usually let the water level drop so that the top layer of beans get a nice crust on them.

~~ Diana's Potatoes Salad ~~

Ingredients:

• 6 Medium boiling potatoes ( 2 lbs. )
• 1 1/2 Cups low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Sweet Relish
• 1 tbsp. Vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Sugar
• 1 Small Onion
• 1/3 Cup thinly sliced celery

Directions:

• Boil potatoes for about 35 minutes or until tender.
• While the potatoes are boiling chop the onion and then mix all the other ingredients together.
• When the potatoes are done cool to room temperature and peel. Then cut the potatoes into about 1 inch squares and mix with the dressing.
• Cover and refrigerated for at least 1 hour.

~~ Mom's Secret Potatoes Salad ~~

 Ingredients:

• 6 Medium boiling potatoes ( 2 lbs. )
• 1 1/2 Cups mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Sweet Relish
• 1 tbsp. Sugar
• 1 Small onion

Directions:

• Boil potatoes for about 35 minutes or until tender.
• While the potatoes are boiling chop the onion and then mix all the other ingredients together.
• When the potatoes are done cool to room temperature and peel. Then cut the potatoes into about 1 inch squares and mix with the dressing.
• Cover and refrigerated for at least 1 hour.

~~ Potatoes Au Gratin ~~

Ingredients:

• 6 Medium potatoes
• 1 Medium onion
• 2 1/2 Cup Milk
• 3 TBS All-purpose flour
• 3 TBS Butter
• 2 Cups Shredded Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

• Peel and slice the potatoes and onion into 1/4 inch slices.
• Melt the butter add the milk and add the flour, salt and pepper mix together.
• Heat and stir until the sauce thickens. In a 2-quart casserole dish layer the potatoes, onions and cheese.
• Add the part of the white sauce saving enough for each layer. 
• Cover and bake in a 350^o F oven for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender.

~~ Andrea's Cheesy Potatoes ~~

 Ingredients:

• 12 Medium Potatoes
• 1 lb. Wisconsin sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 oz. sour cream

Directions:

• Cook potatoes in skins (boil, bake or microwave). 
• When cooled, peel and cut into small pieces. 
• Melt cheese, butter and sour cream on low in saucepan. 
• Mix with potatoes and put in casserole dish. 
• Cook at 350^oF for 25 - 30 minutes

~~ Scalloped Potatoes ~~

Ingredients:

• 6 Medium potatoes
• 1 Medium onion
• 2 1/2 Cup Milk
• 3 TBS All-purpose flour
• 3 TBS Butter
• 1 TSP Salt
• 1/4 TSP Pepper

Directions:

• Peel and slice the potatoes and onion into 1/4 inch slices. 
• Melt the butter add the milk and add the flour, salt and pepper mix together. 
• Heat and stir until the sauce thickens. . 
• In a 2-quart casserole dish layer the potatoes and onions. 
• Add the part of the white sauce saving enough for each layer. Cover and bake in a 350^o F oven for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender.

~~ Corn Pudding ~~

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 Cup Corn
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 TSP Sugar
• 1 TSP Corn Starch
• 1/2 Stick of Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

• Mix the cornstarch and sugar together.
• Then add the milk and stir until the corn starch is dissolved. 
• Melt the butter and then add the eggs and mix together
• Add the mixture to the beaten eggs and melted butter. 
• Pour in a 1-quart casserole dish, add the corn ( If you are using frozen corn, then thaw first ) and bake at 325^o F for 30 - 45 minutes.

~~ Meatballs ~~

 Ingredients:

• 1 LB Lean chop-meat
• 1/4 Cup Seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 Egg
• 1 QT Spaghetti sauce

Directions:

• Mix the chop-meat, breadcrumbs and egg together. 
• Shape into meatball and place in the bottom of a crock pot. 
• Cover with spaghetti sauce and cook on high for four hours. 

Option - you can add Italian sausage to cook with the meatballs.