I had a little free time tonight (don’t ask me how), so i prepped the leaves for my bee skep quilt!
I saw this quote in a shop window in town:
“The secret to having it all … is knowing you already do”
All-American Hot Dish Recipe
Makes 4 servings
Made with whole wheat elbows, original recipe calls for plain elbow mac.
Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped, 1 md
8 ounces canned corn
1/4 cup sliced black olives, pitted, halved
4 ounces elbow macaroni, whole wheat, uncooked, about 2 cups
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Cook and stir the meat and onion in a large skillet until the meat is brown. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the UNDRAINED corn and the rest of the ingredients.
TO COOK IN A SKILLET:
Heat the mixture to boiling then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
TO COOK IN THE OVEN:
Pour the mixture into an ungreased 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bake until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
We were walking home from school when Karl noticed Thomas picked up a hitchhiker! Did he think Thomas was a sunflower?
Classes started yesterday, so my updates here might be sporadic!
Southwest Chicken Stew
After a brisk walk in the cold, warm up with this flavorful stew. Use reduced sodium or no salt added ingredients to allow the flavor of the seasonings to come through. Serve with a green salad topped with sliced avocados, orange sections and a light vinaigrette.
Ingredients

- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, skinless chicken
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder;
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 14.5 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 15 ounces corn kernels, reduced sodium or no salt added
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Method
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown chicken over medium-high heat. Add onions, green pepper and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano, potatoes, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Cover and cook over med-low heat for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn and cilantro. Cover and cook 10 minutes until corn is heated through.
Notes
Try dicing and adding a jalapeno or other hot pepper by sauteing it with the onion, peppers, and garlic!
Prep
- Prep: 10 Minutes
- Cook: 60 Minutes
Source: Giant Food Stores recipe (8, 12 ounce servings)
Summer Squash and Corn Chowder
Enjoy soup in the summertime by making this satisfying chowder with the season’s produce. Top with cheese and bacon for kid appeal.
Ingredients

- 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
- ¾ cup sliced green onions, divided
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped
- 1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
- 2 ¼ cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Method
1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.
Prep
- Total Time: 40 Minutes
Source: Cooking Light (4 servings)
Shrimp with Snow Peas
Ingredients

- 1 lb snow peas, stemmed
- 1 red sweet pepper (1/2 lb), seeded and cut in 1/4-inch strips
- ½ small white onion, cut in thin, match-like strips
- 2 Tbsp Wegmans Vegetable Oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb Wegmans E-Z Peel shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 cup Iron Chef General Tso’s Sauce and Glaze
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 bunch (about 1/4 cup) green onions, cut on bias
Method
Blanch snow peas, red pepper, and onion in boiling water until crisp-tender, 2-3 min; drain and set aside.
Heat nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet on HIGH. Drizzle oil around sides of pan; tilt pan to distribute evenly.
Add garlic and shrimp, stir-fry 2 min or until internal temp of shrimp is 120 degrees.
Add Iron Chef sauce and pepper; stir-fry until internal temp of shrimp is 130 degrees, about 2 min.
Add vegetables; stir-fry to heat through, 30 seconds; toss in green onions. Remove from heat; let rest at least 2 min.
Prep
- Active: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 Minutes



