Mexican-Style Salsa

2 - 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes or 1- 28 oz can
1/3 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup Onion, diced
3 Tablespoons Jalapenos, diced
+ 1 Tablespoon of Jalapenos juice from the jar
1/4 teaspoon Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2-3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

You can use a food processor for this or if you're like me and don't have a food processor you can use your Nutri Bullet.

Mix Onion, Jalapenos, and Jalapenos juice in the Nutri Bullet.  Pour in the rest of the ingredients and mix well with the Nutri Bullet.  (I just left my Nutri Bullet running for about a minute.

*This looks really liquid-y at first.  After resting in the fridge it thickened up to be more of the consistency of what you would find at Mexican restaurants.  It also gets more of a kick after resting in the fridge.

**My husband prefers this salsa over anything else.

(Recipe found from www.itcomesfullcircle.com)

Gluten free sausage cheese balls

3/4 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix

4 ounces of turkey sausage

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or blend of cheeses

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary or basil

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and shape into 1 inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake uncovered 22-26 minutes until light and golden brown.

(Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker website)

Quesadillas

Refer to 'Deceptively Delicious' cookbook.

This recipe hides beans and butternut squash purée in it. 

I tweaked the recipe by adding a little ranch to the sour cream/bean mixture.

Sprinkling more cheese on top after spreading the butternut squash/cheese mixture, and sprinkling bacon on as well.

Matt said this just might be the best quesadilla he's ever had, plus maybe his favorite meal I've ever made. He didn't want to know what was in it.

Pumpkin Pie

For Pie Crust:

2 cups of sifted flour

1 cup of shortening

Shake of salt.

Cut these ingredients together and set aside.

1/4 cup of cold water

1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 egg

Mix these ingredients together then pour into dough mixture above. Cut these ingredients together. 

*don't over mix.

Wrap dough and place in fridge for at least an hour. Use within a week. (This dough is enough to make 2 pies)

When ready to use take half of the dough and roll it out using flour to keep from sticking. Once large enough to fit in pie tin lay in pie tin, cut off the excess edges, decorate the edges as you wish, prick the potom of the dough with a fork, and make sure no edges of the dough are hanging over the tin as they will most likely burn.

Preheat oven to 325 at this point. 

For Filling:

1 cup of pumpkin

2 heaping Tablespoons of flour

1 egg

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of milk

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp each of all spice, ground cloves, and nutmeg.

Shake of salt

About 2 Tablespoons of margarine (melted)

Mix all ingredients together well. Dump in pie tin over crust and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

For homemade whip topping:

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/3 a cup of sugar

1/3 tsp of vanilla

Mix well. *tip- use cold ingredients/cookware.

(Recipe from my dad who found it in a church cookbook)

Applesauce Muffins

*Refer to 'Deceptively Delicious' cookbook.

This recipe hides carrot purée in it for picky eaters. And might I add these muffins are delicious! Even Madelyn loves them which says something.

Cheesy chicken enchiladas

3 cups of shredded chicken

1 cup of sour cream

2 cans of cream of chicken

3 cups of cheese

1 small can of green chiles

Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken in a large mixing bowl until well mixed. Stir in 2 cups of cheese (reserve 1 cup) and green chiles. Mix in cooked/shredded chicken. Place heaping spoonfuls into center of tortilla, roll tortilla, place in baking dish. Continue with as many tortillas as you can fill or with as many as you want to make and save the rest of the stuffing for another day. Just be sure to save a little bit of stuffing to spread over the top as well with the remaining cup of cheese sprinkled over the top. Cook for 40 minutes.

(Recipe from my sister)

Garbage Sandwiches

Polish sausage

French fries

Mountain bread

Mayo

Really you can put anything you want on these! I slice the polish sausage in half and cook them with the fries. These make a delicious, easy meal.

(Recipe from a dear friend)

Jalapeño Popper Dip

1(8 ounces) cream cheese

1 cup of sour cream

Bacon pieces

Cheese

Jalapeños chopped into pieces (if using fresh jalapeños gut and cut the top of before dicing. Of using canned jalapeños just cut into smaller pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve with Corn Chips.

Delish!

Jalapeño Poppers

1 package (8 ounces) Cream cheese

1 cup of Sour cream

Bacon pieces (you be the judge)

Cheese (decide what kind you want and use how much you want)

8 Jalapeños cut in half and gutted/top cut off.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except jalapeños. Set aside. Cut the tips off of the jalapeños and gut them. Fill jalapeños with the mix you set aside and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Chicken Pillows

8 ounces of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
A sprinkle of Onion Powder (or sub minced onion)
About 3 cups of chicken/ 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 (8 ounces) cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls
Melted butter
Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cream cheese and sour cream until well blended.  Stir in salt, pepper, onion powder, and shredded chicken.  Using Pillsbury crescent rolls, take 2 of the triangular rolls and push the seam together so they won't fall apart.  This should make a rectangle.  Place 2 heaping spoonfuls in the middle of the rectangle.  Fold up the crescent to form a 'pillow'.  Trying to keep all of the mixture on the inside and pressing at the seams to keep it sealed as best as you can.  Continue this with the rest of the mixture and crescent rolls.

Place 'pillows' on a cookie sheet and rub the tops with butter and sprinkle italian bread crumbs on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

**If you make these smaller they are great appetizers or party food.

(Recipe adapted from www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com)

Apple Crisp

1 can of Apple Pie Filling (or Peach or Cherry...whatever you are in the mood for)

A couple squirts of lemon juice

1/4 tsp of Vanilla

1/2 cup of Brown Sugar

1/4 tsp of Cinnamon

1/2 cup of Rolled Oats

1/4 cup of butter softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl withe the butter.  Butter will melt completely as it cooks.  It will be a little lumpy.  That is fine.  Mix the pie filling of your choice with a little lemon juice and vanilla.  Some pie filling choices I might skip the lemon juice, but with apple filling it goes really well.  Pour pie filling into a loaf pan.  Sprinkle the dry ingredient mixture on top.  Bake for about 45 minutes or so watching to keep an eye on browning.

 Serve warm with ice cream.  Yum!!

(Recipe adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com)

Gluten Free Pancakes

And might I add I absolutely love these...

6 egg whites

1 cup Oats

1 cup yogurt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and cook just like pancakes!

I use my Nutri Bullet to turn the oats into more of a flour. If not then I would mix all ingredients in a blender.

The original recipe called for cottage cheese (which we never have on hand), but we tried yogurt (which we always have on hand) and loved it. Every time I have made these it has been with French vanilla yogurt and I have also tried coconut extract instead of vanilla extract. Everything has turned out very yummy!

That's what I like about this recipe is I think it is very versatile.

Makes about 10 pancakes.

(Recipe adapted from www.biggest-loser-recipes.com)

Zucchini Chips

Heat oven to 250 degrees

Peel the zucchini. Slice into thin pieces. Have a bowl of skim milk ready and another bowl mixed with oat flour, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Dip each zucchini slice into the milk and then cover each side with the oat flour mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake until they start to golden brown (about an hour give or take a few).

*great for snacking or as a side!

(Recipe adapted from my mother in law)

Chili

Easy recipe. Delicious taste.

1lb of Ground Turkey
1/2 can Pinto Beans
1/2 can Kidney Beans
1/2 cup water
2 8oz cans Tomato Sauce
1tsp sugar
1Tbsp chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

After browning the ground turkey (or beef I you like) mix all ingredients together in a large pot on the stove. Let simmer for at least an hour to bring out all the flavors.

Goes well with oyster crackers and/or cornbread. Very filling soup. This made enough for my husband and me for dinner then one bowl left over for someone for lunch. Next time I will probably double the recipe and keep some away in the freezer.

(Recipe created from a mixture of online recipes)