Zucchini Boats with Tomatoes and Rice

Zucchini is a fruit, but in the culinary world treat like a vegetable. Prepared, cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Zucchini is best grown in warm, dry climate. After 8 weeks zucchini is harvest. 

95 percent of zucchini is water. Zucchini is low in fat and cholesterol free, making this vegetable healthy for all. Zucchini has vitamin c, vitamin a, folate, potassium and more. Also high in fiber which helps with digestion. 

Sausage and Pepper Quesadillas

Sausage and Pepper Quesadillas are filled with onions and bell pepper. And lots of italian sausage. Love quesadillas for lunch or dinner. 

Quesadillas are always a hit around here for lunch or dinner. They also make a great appetizer for a party. You pretty much clean out your refrigerator and place between two tortillas and add as much cheese as you like and your good to go. 

We've tried so many different types of quesadillas, but sausage and pepper is high on the list. If you like sausage and pepper sandwich, you have to tried this recipe. 

18 Ground Beef Recipes - Perfect for Busy Moms

What's on your dinner table tonight? Ground beef? I read an article while back that in America, 50 percent of all beef we eat is ground beef. Now, that's a lot of ground beef. I understand why. Ground beef is inexpensive and very versatile. Easy to cook, add seasoning and brown. It's easy to get into a rut, making the same thing over and over. No longer. We've got so many ground beef recipes. 

How to Broil Pork Chops in a Convection Toaster Oven

Cooking in a toaster oven is faster than cooking in your oven. Toaster oven use fans to heat through and around your food rather the heat coming from bottom or top. Pork chops are tender and juicy when cooked in a toaster oven. High in protein. For healthy, quick and delicious, the toaster oven is an important kitchen appliance to have.  

Creamy Ham and Pasta Skillet

So, I invited a male friend over for lunch. Made this recipe for him. We listen to music, ate and talked for hours. While he was eating, he said this so good. He ask for more. He really enjoyed this recipe and you will too. 

Simple and easy to put together. Great way to use up that leftover ham. You can serve this with your favorite vegetable or simple green salad.

Slow Cooker Frito Chili Bowl

But your slow cooker to work. Make this simple delicious chili recipe. Do you like Fritos and chili? Yes. You will love this recipe. You'll love the versatility of frito chili pie. Spoon over corn chips, serve as a casserole, or take it on the go serve in a chip bag. 

Ham and Noodles

Looking for leftover ham recipes? You just bought ham steak and not sure how to use it. Look no further. This one skillet meal is perfect one to use. Throw this in your skillet and make it tonight. The holidays are right around the corner, you may have leftover ham, so safe this recipe. 

Do you like skillet pasta meals? Yes! I knew you would. Leave a comment below, love to hear from you. Also share. 

Fix it and Forget it - Slow Cooker Recipes and Tips

Do you love your slow cooker, as much as we do? Research shows that 80% of American household own a slow cooker. I love my slow cooker, it's great for anytime of the year, especially during summer, when it's so hot. Keep your oven off during summer and relay on your slow cooker. 

If you don't own a slow cooker, I recommend one, click here.

We most often refer to fresh herbs, but not here when slow cooking. They concentrate flavor in cookers high moisture environment. If you want to use fresh herbs use them at the end of cooking or as a garnish. 

Do use the right size cooker, should be filled between one half to two thirds. Buy cheap cuts of meat. The slow cooker will keep them moist and tender. Brown meat before adding to slow cooker. Open lid as little as possible, best not to open lid at all. It takes the slow cooker 20 to 30 minutes to come back up to set temperature. Any leftover food should be transfer to food storage bowl before placing in refrigerator. Spray inside slow cooker with non stick cooking spray, makes for easy clean up. Cooking on high 1 hour is about equal to cooking on low for 2 hours. Place vegetables like potatoes, carrots and other root veggies on the bottom of slow cooker. 

Garlic Sauteed Broccoli

Fresh broccoli from Mennonite Farm and Market in Delano,TN. I absolutely love this place, and a beautiful drive there. 

Sometimes Mennonites are often mistaken for Amish. Mennonites are not Amish. While Mennonites and Amish come from the same Anabaptist roots that begin in 16th century. Amish became a separate group from Mennonites. They both have many of the same beliefs, but Amish is stricter. Amish created their own communities isolated from the world, while Mennonites did not. They both live with no electricity, transportation is horse and buggy, hang clothes on clothes line, plain clothes and no technology. 

Sausage and Veggie Skillet

Kielbasa with bell peppers and zucchini makes an awesome one skillet meal. 

I like a meal that only dirties one skillet, as much as I like my home to be clean, still not a fan of cleaning dishes. This also kid friendly. You can use Italian sausage, turkey sausage depending on what you like. 

Polish Cabbage and Noodles

Simple ingredients create a delicious meal in minutes. Perfect comfort meal. 

When I was growing up, there was just a couple of veggies that I liked, now that I'm older, I love veggies and cabbage is right at the top of the list. Cabbage is good for you. 

When seasoning this dish be generous with salt, pepper and garlic powder, it makes this extra good. 

Strawberry Lettuce with Watermelon Salad

Sunflower seeds are American original. Seeds are tasty and very nutritious. Add seeds to your salad or other favorite food. Seeds were used by the American Indians for high energy food, which was much needed. Spanish explorers brought the seeds to Europe. The seeds were returned to America with Russian and German immigrants. 

In North Dakota and Minnesota, sunflower became a important crop, in 1950.

Seeds and kernels:
In the shell... means the seed is left in tact with the meat still in the shell. Normally roasted and season. 

Kernels... processor have mechanically removed the hull. This form is more convenient. Roasted for snacking or to add to your favorite food. 
Research by National Sunflower Association

Garlic Pork Chops

Garlic Pork Chops are made in one pan. Serve with green beans or mashed potatoes for an easy and delicious dinner. 

Love juicy and tender pork chops with no fuss. Just need a few ingredients, that you might already have in your pantry. 

What pork chop should I use?
You can use boneless center cut or bone in center cut. 

Chicken Rice Skillet

Chicken Rice Skillet. Delicious bed of rice full of flavor. Perfect dinner under 30 minutes. 

I took a little help from the grocery store, I bought a rotisserie chicken. So I thought I would use some of the rotisserie chicken and make this favorite for us and share it with you. You can use this as a main dish or a side dish. 

I wish I could make this Chicken Rice Skillet for YOU! I really wish I could. It so easy and so good. 

Root Beer Glazed Ham Steak

What is a ham steak?
If you love baking a whole glazed ham but don't have a large crowd to feed, ham steak is the way to go. Ham steak is basically a thick cut ham sold individually.  

How to cook?
Ham steaks are sold raw or already cooked. You can place your ham steak in a skillet with cooking oil, oven or grill. 

What kind of glaze?
How ever you like to flavor your whole ham. 

Slaw Hamburger

This Slaw Hamburger might just be one of my favorites, next to a big juicy burger, especially a Mushroom Swiss Burger. 

You have to wrap your hands around this juicy burger topped with coleslaw. If you never had a Southern Style Burger, you really should try this easy recipe. So good! Fayetteville, Tennessee is the home of Slawburger Festival. 

Can it be that easy? Yes. Good food doesn't have to be complicated. 

If desired, you can shred cabbage and carrots yourself instead of buying the bag. Get a small head of cabbage and 2 carrots, shred those up. Buying the bag is easier and takes less time.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I love my slow cooker. No fuss, place the food into the slow cooker and forget it. Come home to fall apart pot roast and tender vegetables. The gravy is perfection. What's better than a pot roast? Pot roast that has been cooking all day. Before heading home stop and grab some wine to serve to the adults. Sunday dinner or weeknight dinner. 

A slow cooker pot roast fells classy, elegant home cooked meal, perfect Sunday dinner or feeding guest. Melt in your mouth, fall apart pot roast. The smell will greet you at the door after a long day at work. 

What is a pot roast? Pot roast is a big, tough beef cut, usually a cheap cut perfect for slow cooking. 

Tips for making that perfect slow cooker pot roast: Sear the roast. Don't skip this step, it seals in the flavor. 

Zucchini Potato Skillet

Zucchini and potato skillet is easy and flavored with italian seasoning. Perfect side dish. The zucchini and tomatoes in this recipe was bought from farmers market. 

This recipe will become one of your favorite side dish, so give it a try. Takes less than 30 minutes to cook. Zucchini has become one of my favorite garden vegetables. 

The other day I went to Bradley Farmers Market, bought the zucchini, tomatoes and other vegetables. Go support the farmers if you can. 

Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken and Potatoes

Slow cooker ranch chicken and potatoes is amazing delicious meal. If you have slow cooker, about 20 minutes and few ingredients on hand, you don't need to take the family to a restaurant. Love my slow cooker. Throw your meal into the slow cooker and forget it, go to work, run errands or out on a day trip, come home to a hearty tasty meal. 

Never get tired of chicken and potatoes. The best part, chicken and potatoes are made in one pot, makes for easy clean up. 

American Macaroni Salad

Classic macaroni salad is easy and budget friendly side dish, you can make the night before your picnic or backyard BBQ. Macaroni salad is popular side dish for anytime of the year. Some people want to go to the grocery store deli and buy macaroni salad for there party. Don't waste your time going to the grocery store, macaroni salad so easy to make, and it will taste a lot better than store bought. 

This recipe is too easy. By the time your pasta has finish cooking, you'll have everything prepared and ready. Just drain pasta, rinse under cold water to cool and toss with the ingredients. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator for the party the next day. 

Macaroni is served kinda like potato salad, cold and perfect for picnics and backyard BBQ. 

Look at the ingredients cheap and filling pasta. A meal stretcher. If you have more people to feed, you can easily double the ingredients. 

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Gravy

Set it and forget it. Slow cooker meatballs is one of my frozen meatballs recipe. If you love beef and gravy, you'll love this recipes. This recipe is budget friendly. For me, slow cooker frozen meatballs are easy and budget recipe. Buy frozen meatballs and safe a headache and extra dishes. I love meatballs, great appetizer or serve as main dish, serve with mash potatoes, green bean or serve over pasta.

Bacon and Potato Hash

Cheesy bacon potato hash for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Delicious and ready about 30 minutes. Your tired from working all day, you want something quick and tasty. This is your go to meal. It's filling and absolutely tasty. You may think this recipe complicated, but its not. Its one of the easy recipes I'm going to cook for you. Oh my goodness, my kitchen smells so good. You must try this recipe. 

Zucchini and Tomato Skillet

Zucchini is a summer squash. Meaning zucchini harvested while immature. The rind is tender and edible. Botanically zucchini is a fruit. In the culinary world it's treated like a vegetable. It's harvested when it reaches 9 to 10 inches long, it loses taste if it grows longer than 9 to 10 inches. 

Zucchini was developed in Italy in 19 century near Milan. Their name comes for an Italian word, squash ("zucca"). The other name courgette comes from French for this vegetable. Zucchini came to North America in 1920s, may have been brought by Italian immigrants. Good chance is was first cultivation in California. People in USA, Canada and Australia call it the Italian name, Zucchini. In South Africa is called "baby marrow." 

Zucchini like the temperate climate and is easy to cultivate. Farmers try to control production by harvesting the flower, which can be sold at high cost, due to it's consider a delicatessen. They required a great number of bees for pollination. 

Zucchini very healthy, because they contain folate, vitamin A and potassium. As mention, they are harvested when very young for good taste. 

Zucchini can be eaten raw in salad, or grilling, frying, steam, boil and baking. 

Zucchini flowers are stuffed, battered and than deep fried. Tempura, Japanese dish.  

Mexicans like to use zucchini in soup. Quesadillas for a filling. 

Easy way to cook zucchini is slice it with skin on cooked in butter or olive oil with seasonings.

In Bulgarian, they cook zucchini as a snack, serve with dip. 

Egyptians, cook zucchini in tomato sauce with onions and garlic. 

History by Vegetable Facts

Slow Cooker Family Favorite Chili

This easy chili is a family favorite. Your family will love this chili as much as my family loves it. Perfect for a big crowd. The last thing you want to do is stand over the stove and watch a pot of chili so it doesn't burn. 

Shrimp and Sausage Skillet

Here's a delicious dish that's quick and easy. Love creating easy and delicious meals. Love the cajun sausage. I used a lot of garlic in this recipe, you can use less garlic, if desired. You may add additional veggies, keep it to quick cooking veggies. Great dish to serve over rice. 

Shrimp and sausage go well together. You may use chicken or pork sausage. Perfect dinner for busy weekdays. 

Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

After eating a lot at the holidays, people start the New Year wanting to change their diet. I thought about getting some salad in me. I love salad anytime of the year. Making salads is an easy way to get some veggies into your diet. If desire, you could add salami to make it a little more like Italian style salad. I love making my own salad dressing, much better than store bought. 

Baked Pork Tenderloin

We love baked pork tenderloin, nothing like it. It's easy to cook. I feel like it's an easy cut of meat to add any flavor, you desire. Pork tenderloin is really good for your slow cooker. Be careful not to over cook or it can be dry and hard to chew. 

The good thing about baking a pork tenderloin is flavorful on the outside and juicy on the inside. We eat with our eyes first, but when you eat this pork tenderloin you get the best flavor and the juices from the pork. 

I love to use olive oil. For the spices don't go over board, simple is the best. 

I'm sure you will not eat the pork tenderloin alone. Serve with your favorite side dishes, or check the few side dishes I have listed below.

Crusty Roasted Potatoes

Potato Salad with Bacon

Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Breakfast Tacos Scrambled Eggs with Potatoes

You ain't going to find this breakfast taco at Taco Bell. This is the real deal, like the ones you find in Austin, TX. 

You can top this taco with green onions and Pico De Gallo. 

Lived in Texas nearly 40 years, breakfast tacos is part of Texas cuisine. In other parts of the country, you may not be aware of breakfast tacos, so I wanted to share this breakfast taco with you. Delicious!