Green Bean Soup

Green Bean Soup:

10 cups water

1 lb farmer sausage sliced OR Ham diced

6 cups green beans, cut into bite sized pieces

Handful of fresh summer savory

Handful of fresh dill
1 bay leaf

1 large onion, diced
2 large potatoes, cubed

3 large Carrots, sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen Peas

2 tbsp Chicken stock

1 1/2 Tbsp Salt

1/4-1/2 tsp Pepper

Place water and sausage slices in a large pot. Bring to boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a seive and reserve the broth. Rinse the sausage and return to the pot along with the broth. Add the beans, summer savory, dill, bay leaf and onions. Return to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer until veggies are soft.
 To serve remove dill, bay leaf and summer savory stems. Add about 1/2 cup of cream or sour cream. Stir into soup.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies:

-1 cup margarine, softened

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 cup white sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

-1 tsp baking soda

- 1 tbsp baking powder

- 2 cups flour

- 2 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream margarine and sugars. Mix in eggs. 

With the mixer on low speed slowly add the rest of the ingredients.

Form the dough into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly.  Bake 10-12 minutes @ 350 degrees or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.

Cowboy Pasta Salad

Cowboy Pasta Salad:

-1 lb pasta(about 4 cups dry) cooked according to directions on package

-1 lb bacon diced and fried

-1 lb ground beef. Fried and seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning

-1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed

-1 tin corn, drained

-1 1/2 cups shredded marble cheese

-1 red, yellow or orange pepper, diced

-1/2 cup salsa

-1 large tomato, chopped

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing. See recipe below. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

 Such a delicious summer food. Great for a picnic, potluck or even for your husbands lunch.

You can switch up some of the ingredients as well. Leave out the ingredients you don't like and add other ingredients such as cucumbers, eggs, green onions or avacado.

Dressing:

-1 cup mayonnaise

-1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

-2 tbsp spicy mustard

-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce(optional)

-salt & pepper to taste

BBQ Chicken Taco Salad

BBQ Chicken Taco Salad :

6-8 cups Romaine lettuce, washed and cut up
1 cup shredded Marble Cheese
2 cups crushed BBQ Corn Chips (sometimes known as Hoops)

4 Chicken Breasts, grilled and cut into strips

Place your lettuce into a large salad bowl. Add your choice of the salad add ins listed below to make it your own. Mix the salad together and top with crushed BBQ Corn Chips, Grilled Chicken and shredded Cheese. Serve with the Sante Fe dressing.

Optional Salad add ins:

1 cup Black Beans, drained and rinsed 

1 Bell Pepper, diced

1 Tomato, diced
 1 cup Cucumbers, cut up

1 cup Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup canned corn, drained

Sante Fe Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1/4 cup Catalina Dressing

Mix together and drizzle over your salad.

Canned Sugar-Free Peaches

Canned Sugar-Free Peaches:

-about 35 peaches

-10 cups water, divided

-1/4 cup lemon juice

-about 2 cups xylitol or truvia (OPTIONAL. You may choose to omit this because peaches have their own natural sugar OR add more or less-adjust according to taste)

Remove stones from 4 peaches. Blend peaches with 2 cups of water. Pour into big pot. Add the rest of the water as well as the xylitol or truvia. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice.

Meanwhile, peel and slice peaches and fill your jars. Pour syrup over peaches in jars. Make sure to leave at least 1 inch of space at the top of your jars. Put lids onto your jars that have been boiled in water.

Place jars in a hot water bath. Bring to a rolling boil and process for about 20 minutes. Remove jars from water and leave them on your counter until they have sealed and cooled off.

* the pectin in the peach peel is what helps to keep the colour of your peaches. With the absence of sugar in the liquid it is important to blend your fruit into the syrup to help preserve it.

**Honey can be used in place of xylitol. However it has a stronger, distinct taste to it so I only used about 1/2 cup. You might choose to use more.

Clean No Bake Oat Bars

Clean No Bake Oat Bars:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup coconut sugar*

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups quick oats

1/2 cup natural peanut butter**

1 cup sugar free chocolate chips***

*this is a brown sugar substitute

**regular peanut butter can be used but then it will not be completely sugar-free

Krisda or Lilydale are 2 brands of sugar free chocolate chips I have found. They are sweetened with stevia.

Melt butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir in coconut sugar and vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes or until ingredients are well blended. Press at least half of the mixture into a 9 x 9 pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stirring frequently until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan and spread evenly.

Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently. Cover and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares. Or to speed up the process I put it into the freezer before cutting it into squares.

These Bars are a delicious treat. Your children won't even be able to tell that they are healthy!

Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup:

1 lb ground beef

1 1/2 cups diced onion

1 1/2 cups diced celery

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp basil

2 tsp parsley flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 cups chicken broth

8 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

4 cups milk

4 cups shredded cheddar or marble cheese

1/2 cup sour cream(optional)

Brown your ground beef in a heavy soup pot. Half way through browning add onions, celery, carrots and butter. Continue to brown until veggies are soft.

Add basil, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. turn down and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add the cornstarch mixture into the soup stirring as you put it in. Continue to stir and simmer until soup has thickened slightly.

Turn burner down to low. Add the milk and shredded cheese. Stir until cheese starts to melt. Remove from heat and continue to stir until the cheese has melted nicely and mixed into the soup. 

*Do not let your soup come to a boil after the cheese has been added or it may start to curdle

Garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream if so desired.