Tomato Eggplant Bake

    I've always heard about eggplant and had seen it, but never really cared to try it, with it's name and all. Then someone gave me four plants this last spring, and with my growing sense of adventure in making and trying new/strange food, I thought eggplant sounded like a lot of fun and got to work right away. This is the first recipe I tried (and the rest of my family too) and it actually went over quite well. Especially with LOTS of mozzarella cheese! =)


                                                              Tomato Eggplant Bake

                                                         1 medium eggplant (1 lb.),
                                                   peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
                                                          Salt to taste
                                                             1 large tomato, sliced
                                                            1 medium onion, sliced
                                                      6 Tbsp. butter, melted, divided
                                                               1/2 tsp. dried basil
                                                          1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
                                                  4 slices mozzarella cheese, cut into thirds
                                                        2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

                                           Place eggplant slices in a colander over a plate.
                             Sprinkle with salt; toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
                      Layer the eggplant, tomato and onion in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
                                             Drizzle with 4 Tbsp. butter; sprinkle with basil.
                                             Cover and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
                                               Toss the bread crumbs and remaining butter.
          Arrange mozzarella cheese over the vegetables; sprinkle with crumb mixer and Parmesan cheese.
                               Bake uncovered, for 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is bubbly.
                                                                 Yield: 6 servings

Green Stuff

    Ok, so you may be wondering about now, "what is 'Green Stuff?!' Well, it's pretty much what the name says. Green......Suff.....which happens to be really good. It's a family favorite jello salad that we've made for some years and is very easy to make. But I won't say much about it cause I think you can read the ingredients and try it for yourself! We love it! =)        

                                 So this really isn't a good picture. It actually looks good....just not
                                                                            in this picture. =)
                                                                   

 
                                                                    Green Stuff
                                                              
                                                          1 (3 oz.) package lime jello
                                                                1 cup boiling water
                                                             1 cup evaporated milk
                                                      1 cup small curd cottage cheese
                                        1 (1 lb. 4 oz.) canned, crushed pineapple with juice
                                                              1/2 cup mayonnaise
                                                                 1/4 cup celery

                                          Mix jello, water, milk, cottage cheese, pineapple,
                                              mayonnaise, and celery together in a bowl.
                                                                Refrigerate until firm.

                                               

Pumpkin Pie Bars

     I love fall! I love everything about this beautiful time of year. The colors, smells, the weather change, the decorations, fresh produce (especially living in the country), and of course fall cooking and baking! I love searching for fall recipes with lots of spices, pumpkin, apples,....the list could go on forever!
    Though I'm not one for pumpkin pie itself, I do love other things with pumpkin. So I made these bars. They weren't my most favorite 'cause as I said, pumpkin pie isn't my favorite. But those who do like pumpkin pie and tried them said they were "to die for". So if you're a lover of pumpkin pie, these may be just what you'd love. =)

                                                                  Pumpkin Pie Bars

                                                                   1-1/3 cups flour

                                                      3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

                                                          1/2 cup packed brown sugar

                                                        3/4 cup cold butter or margarine

                                     1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked

                                                             1/2 cup chopped Pecans

                                                  1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

                                                                         3 eggs 

                                                             1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

                                                           1 Tbsp.  pumpkin pie spice

                                                         Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
                                            Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; grease foil.
                             Mix flour, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar in a medium bowl;
           cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
                                                                Stir in oats and pecans.
             Reserve 1 cup of mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
                       Beat cream cheese; remaining 1/2 cup white sugar; eggs, pumpkin and
               umpkin pie spice in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
                                  Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
                          Bake 25 minutes. Lift from pan using foil handles; cool completely.
                                                                   Cut into 24 bars.

Tomatoes with Herb Stuffing

     Another great recipe to try when the fresh tomatoes are coming strong!

                                                        Tomatoes with Herb Stuffing

                                                                1 cup chopped celery

                                                                1 cup chopped onion
                                                                      1/2 cup butter
                                                       2 cups each, cubed day-old white,
                                                           whole wheat and rye bread
                                                          1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

                                                                 2 tsp. rubbed sage
                                                                 1 tsp. dried thyme
                                                                      1/2 tsp.salt
                                                                   1/2 tsp. pepper
                                                              1/4 cup chicken broth
                                                                8 medium tomatoes 

                                         In a *Dutch oven, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.
                  Remove from the heat. Stir in the bread cubes, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.
                                                             Add broth; toss to combine.
                                                  Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato.

                                                   Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/2- inch shells.
                                                 Invert tomatoes onto paper towels to drain.
                                              Spoon about 1/3 cup stuffing into each tomato.
                                            Place in a greased 11-in.x 7-in.x 2-in. baking dish.
                                                  Place remaining  stuffing around tomatoes.

                   Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
                                                                     Yield: 8 servings.
                                                          
                            *if you don't have a Dutch oven, just a regular pan works just as well

Layered Lettuce Salad

   I have seen many different recipes for layered salads; this is the first I have tried, and I hope to try more. So we'll see what ones taste the best! One thing I have noticed about layered salads, fruit or vegetable, is that for some of the layers, you have to use more than the recipe calls for in order to have enough to cover the whole layer and show on the sides. A couple nice things about these salads are that they look very nice and impressive, they are big and serve lots of people so they are great for when company come, and most important, this salad is very tasty! I served it when we had a large group of our family and relatives over for a meal and  it was very well liked.

                                                             Layered Lettuce Salad

                                                          1 medium head lettuce, torn

                                                           1 cup minced fresh parsley

                                                           4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

                                                           2 large tomatoes, chopped

                                                        1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas,

                                                              thawed and patter dry

                                                    6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

                                                   1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

                                                         1 small red onion, chopped

                                         

                                                Dressing:

                                                            1-1/2 cups mayonnaise

                                                              1/2 cup sour cream

                                                                1 tsp. dill weed

                                                              3/4 tsp. dried basil

                                                                  1/2 tsp. salt

                                                               1/8 tsp. pepper

                                                         Fresh dill sprigs, optional

                               In a large  salad bowl, layer the lettuce, parsley, eggs, tomatoes, 

                                       peas, bacon, cheese and onion in the order listed.

                 In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, basil, salt and pepper.

                                                     Carefully spread on top of salad.

                                        Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

                                                      Garnish with dill sprigs if desired.

                                                                 Yield: 12 servings

                                                      
                                               

Raspberry Smoothies

     I always love a good, creamy, thick, fruit smoothie! Especially on hot summer days after working outside all morning. I had some extra fresh raspberries one day and of course this recipe looked like a delicious choice for lunch! =)

                                                              Raspberry Smoothie
    

                                                                       1 cup milk

                                             1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries

                                                      1 small ripe banana, cut into chunks

                                                               1/2 cup apple juice

                                                           1/2 cup raspberry yogurt

                           In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until blended.

                                               Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately.