Under Construction

This blog site is under construction. I am transferring all of the recipes from my main Blackberry Blessings blogsite. My intention is to organize them into easy to find categories.


If you have stumbled upon this site I'd like to know: can you please post a message to let me know how you found this blog? I have not yet linked to anything.

Thanks,
GinnyBerry

Spinach Bread

My friend Lorita sent me this recipe. I'm going to make it as soon as I buy some French bread. I think my family will like it.

Spinach Bread

1 loaf French bread, split
1/4 lb butter, melted
1 onion, chopped
4 oz Cheddar cheese
4 oz Mozzarella cheese
1 box frozen spinach, chopped

Sauté chopped onion in butter, add cheddar and Mozzarella cheese until melted. Add 1 box of boiled chopped spinach to cheese mixture. Quickly put on to French bread and bake at 350F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly.

Spaghetti Salad

Someone sent me this recipe. It is interesting, but not something that I'll be making. I'm posting it because it is unusual, and possibly might make an interesting dish to bring to a potluck.

Spaghetti Salad

2 C. cooked spaghetti
4 eggs beaten
2 C. powdered sugar
dash salt
1/2 C. lemon juice
6 medium apples peeled
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can mandarin oranges
1 container Cool Whip
marshmallows (optional)

Combine eggs, lemon juice, powdered sugar & salt. Cook until thick. Remove from heat & cool. When cool add fruit & spaghetti & let stand 12 hours before serving. Add Cool Whip and mix thoroughly. Add marshmallows for extra taste.

Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Bars (from cake mix)

Tomorrow we are having a surprise Thank You Party for a substitute, A.K.A. "guest teacher"who has taken over a first grade class a couple of months while someone was out on maternity leave. The "guest teacher" is actually a veteran teacher who retired and comes back occasionally to do long term subbing. She started teaching in 1960. Today she was a little sad to be saying goodbye to her little group of "borrowed" first graders.

I decided to make something quick and easy to share with my friends. Cake mix cookie recipes are very easy to make.


Here is the recipe:
Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Bars
* 1 Box chocolate cake mix
* 2 Eggs
* 1/2 cup Oil
* 1/4 cup Water
* 6 oz Chocolate chips
* 1 c. craisins
* cup walnuts

Directions

1. Mix cake mix, egg, oil and water in a bowl until almost all the lumps are gone.
2. Add the chocolate chips, craisins, and walnuts.
3. Bake in a greased 9 X 13 pan at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
4. Cool and cut into squares.

These cookies are very adaptable. Leave out the nuts or cranberries if you prefer.... Just change the name, lol. If you leave out the water they can be made as drop cookies.

I've got them in the oven now. I'll post pictures if I can.

Meatless Monday: Roasted Veggie Wraps with Smoky Paprika

I love roasted vegetables. I've prepared them many times, and they are one of my favorite healthy meals.

This recipe is very adaptable: you can vary the vegetables depending on whatever is in season or in your refrigerator. I am not posting exact measurements because things vary depending depending on individual preferences and the amounts of veggies that you end up using.

Roast Veggie Wraps:


1. Select at least three types of vegetables. Try to choose a variety of colors,textures, and flavors. Today I used three red peppers cut into strips, three zucchini cut into eights lengthwise, and two red onions sliced into rings. I've also used eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms.

2. Put the veggies in a large bowl, add some olive oil (not much is needed, probably a tablespoon,) and Balsamic Vinegar. Sprinkle the top with Smoky Paprika. This is the secret ingredient! The smoky paprika and the balsamic vinegar blend together and add a wonderful sweet smoky flavor to the vegetables. Stir and let the veggies rest for up to two hours at room temperature. Stir several times.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the vegetables are soft and the onions are slightly caramelized.

4. Spread low fat mayo on a warmed tortilla, add veggies and a small amount of some type of cheese. I've used lowfat swiss and cheddar, but my favorite is feta. I like the strong flavor. I limit my portion sizes of this cheese because of the sodium. All cheese have some sodium, but I think feta has more than most.)

I've also had yummy roasted veggie sandwiches prepared on a nice roll. My mom knows I enjoy them and has made them for special occasions. I like eggplant, mushrooms, onions and tomato combinations. (family members at home don't care for eggplant or mushrooms. I have a hard time understanding this, but I am tolerant since they eat a lot of other veggies.)

The flavors of the veggies, balsalmic vinegar, onion, and smoky paprika are delightful and quite satisfying.

Meatless Monday: 15 Minute Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad

We are going to have this hearty main dish salad recipe that I got from my mom. I am in the mood for a nice salad. The weather here has turned warm and Spring-like, even though Winter is still hovering around the corner waiting to make another pass. I was in Riverside today and saw that the hills were green, and many wild flowers were getting ready too bloom. We are blessed to have such nice weather.


15 Minute Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad

1 can garbanzo beans
2/3 c. green onion
3 cloves garlic
1 medium ripe tomato
3 ribs chopped celery (1/2" celery
3 T lemon juice
1 and 1/2 T fresh mint (optional, but better with it)
3T olive oil (optional)
3 T parsley
1/4 c. feta cheese
1 small head chopped romaine lettuce
salt and pepper

Place romaine in a large salad bowl. Add rinsed and drained garbanzo beans, celery, tomato, and green onion. Toss with mint and parsley. Mix olive oil and lemon juice, then toss into salad. Top with feta cheese.

Easy Cucumber Salad

This is a very easy and healthy salad to prepare whenever you have the ingredients available. I make it a lot in the summer, but it is good anytime of year. Everyone in my family loves it.

I make this with several variations. Today I used English Cumbers sliced in good sized pieces. Usually I make smaller slices, but I guess I'm not feeling like spending much time in the kitchen today.

To prepare, just slice up cucumbers. If you your regular cukes, peel them first. Add 1/2 to one cup of vinegar, depending on the amount of cucumbers you use. Add salt and pepper to taste. I used apple cider vinegar, but you could use any type that you have on hand.

I frequently add sliced onion rings to this dish.

I like to let this simple salad rest for a while before severing to give the flavors a chance to blend.
I enjoy serving this dish with barbecues, but it goes well with everything and can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.

Meatless Monday: Curried Cauliflower

I found this recipe on A Veggie Venture, a wonderful blog with healthy veggie ideas. I'm signed up to receive her new recipes on my Google Reader.

My photo doesn't do justice to this dish. It smelled and tasted absolutely wonderful, and will be something that I definitely make again often. The curry spices were flavorful but mild. I served it over a mixture of wheatberries and basmati rice. Leftovers are already packed up for me to take to school tomorrow for lunch. My dish turned out a little too soupy because I added a whole can of coconut milk and a whole can of low sodium chicken broth instead of the half cans called for in the recipe. I won't make that mistake twice! It still tasted wonderful and the extra sauce can be used over rice.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER
See Remarkable Palate's inspiring recipe
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 35 minutes
Serves 6


1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch cloves
(Smaller) Pinch of cayenne

1 head cauliflower, cored, cut into bite-size pieces (a 2 1/4 pound head yielded 1 1/2 pounds trimmed cauliflower)
1/2 a 15-oz can low-fat coconut milk (Mark uses a whole can of regular coconut milk)
1/2 a 15-oz can broth (Mark's recipe doesn't include this but the added liquid is needed to compensate for less coconut milk)

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional but does look better)


Heat a large skillet on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the oil and let it heat. Reduce heat to MEDIUM, add the onion and sauté til golden, 8 - 10 minutes. Add the spices and stir for a minute. Add the cauliflower, coconut milk and chicken broth. Cover (Mark leaves uncovered, presumably to cook down the liquid but I wanted to keep it) and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 - 25 minutes. If using, stir in the cilantro, serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Using whole can of low-fat coconut milk, Per Serving: 93 Cal (42% from Fat, 12% from Protein, 46% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 12 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; Net Carb 8; 37 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 519 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points

Using 1/2 can low-fat coconut milk, 1/2 can broth, Per Serving: 80 Cal (37% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 50% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 11 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 7; 37 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 474 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 1 point

My Favorite Cookie Recipe: Oatmeal Create a Cookie ~

I've made this recipe dozens of times. I've had many people ask me for the recipe. It was published by The Quaker Oat Company in the

Whole Grain Cookbook

in 1979. I looked around on the Quaker Oats website and I can't find this recipe. It really isn't a secret and I'm always willing to share it.

Create-A-Cookie

1 cup of butter or margarine (I almost always use butter, or a mix of butter and margarine.)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (I always add more than that)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. (I haven't tried whole wheat yet, but today I will do a 50-50 mix.)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups of Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)


Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; blend in eggs and vanilla. Add combined flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet; bake in preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Makes about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Now for the creative part:

Add a different ingredient to this basic recipe and you'll have created a cookie! Usually I add more than one. One day soon I'm planning to make a double recipe with chocolate chips, craisins, and walnuts. I also make usually them larger than the recipe suggests. These cookies freeze well.

Variations:
Add 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. of cloves.
Add 1 cup of raisins. (dark or golden)
Add 1 cup chopped nuts
Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter flavor pieces.
Add 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, dates, candied fruit, or cherries
At 1 cup of shredded or flaked coconut
Add 1/2 cup sunflower seed

Weight Watcher Mexican Zero Point Soup

We still are going Meatless one day a week, but this week it is not going to be on Monday. Scott got some dental work done today and he is not supposed to eat any solid foods. I didn't feel much like cooking anything. I opened a can of chicken noodle soup for him.

I'm planning on making the new Weight Watcher's 0 point GardenVegetable soup that I discovered on Veggie Venture. I couldn't believe that this recipe was featured there this week. I'm planning on joining W.W. tomorrow... or the next day.. and I'm definitely going to make this recipe.

I heartily recommend that all of you visit Veggie Venture. There is a wealth of information and delicious healthy recipe treasures to discover at that blogsite.

WEIGHT WATCHERS MEXICAN ZERO POINTS SOUP

See Weight Watchers' inspiring recipe
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Makes 12 cups

6 cups vegetable broth (6 cups water and Better Than Bouillon could be substituted)

14 ounces canned diced tomato, Mexican-style preferred
2 cups fresh green beans (start with 8 ounces, then trim and snap into bite-size pieces)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchini (about 8 ounces before trimming)
1 cup tomatillo, cubed (start with about 4 ounces or 2 medium tomatillos)
1/2 medium poblano chili pepper, chopped
1 medium jalapeño, membranes and seeds removed, minced
1 medium Spanish onion (that's a red onion), chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

2 roasted red peppers packed in water
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ( small cans found in the 'Mexican' section)

Salt to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

OPTIONAL BUT TIME-SAVING TIP Bring the vegetable broth (or water for bouillon to a boil in an electric tea kettle or in the microwave while prepping the vegetables.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the vegetables and spices (canned tomatoes through as oregano) as they're prepped. Add the broth when it's ready. Whiz the red peppers and chipotle pepper in a mini food processor and stir in. Cover and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, partly uncover the soup, reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in salt, lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 43 Cal (6% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 70% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 8 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 3 g Sugar; 20 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 553 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

New Mexican Pinto Beans

Today I am simmering a pot of New Mexican pinto beans in my crockpot. My sweet Mom shared them to me last week. She has a big bag that her friend Tina gave her.

Tina has been her dear friend since 1963. Mom met Tina when they were in the hospital having babies on the same day. (Both had boys.) It turned out that Tina lived on the same street that we did (but on the other end) in Victoria Park. We were fairly new to California at that time, and learned about tacos, tortillas, and other Mexican foods from Tina, who is a wonderful cook. We've all moved away from that street, that time, and those early days in California, but Mom and Tina have remained friends for 43 years.

Mom said that the beans are fresher, more tender, and cook faster than pinto beans which are purchased in grocery stores. I added a little smoky paprika and a few other seaonings to the pot. I'm not sure what I'll serve them with for dinner tonight. You can find out more about New Mexican Pinto Beans by clicking here.

Cranberry Pretzel Crunch Cookies

A few days ago I decided to mix up a quick batch of cookies ~ I didn't have any nuts on hand and I wanted to give the cookies some crunch. I looked in my cupboards, and found a leftover bag of pretzels. I decided to add them to the cookies and I was very pleased with the results. The salty crunchy pretzels are a tasty and economical substitution for nuts.

Frugal Note: I stock up on cake mix when it is on sale for $1.00 a box.

Cranbery Pretzel Crunch Cookies

1 pkg. cake mix (I used vanilla, any flavor could work)
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 cup broken pretzels (or more)
1 cup craisins

Blend all ingredients (do not use mixer). Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Everyone loved them.