I hate migraines!

Sorry, there's nothing new on here because I have had a serious migraine for several days. I haven't really cooked or anything like that, unless you count oatmeal in the microwave. I do have plans to make Ezekiel bread and many other yummy things when I get back to normal. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Recipe of the week

Ok, so I haven't posted anything in a whole week. Ever since we got back from Colorado I feel like I have been playing catch-up. I'm at home with a sick baby today, so now is a good time to do anything but stuff that I need to do (clean my house, do laundry, etc.). On a whim, I decided to make stuffed bell peppers. I think that I may have eaten one some time in college but, other than that, I have no experience with making or eating them. I found a recipe for pizzeria peppers from Cooking Light and I just happen to have four bell peppers from the farmer' s market (I am obsessed), so I decided to make a few and freeze them so I would have a "microwave dinner" on hand. Maybe this will keep me from pigging out on goldfish, chocolate chips, or dry cereal instead of eating an actual meal.















Sausage and Squash Stuffed Bell Peppers
3 medium green bell peppers
3 links of turkey italian sausage
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. chopped yellow squash
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. myspicesage pizza seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
10 oz. tomato puree
1/3 c. shredded mozz. cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degress. Cut tops and membranes out of the bell peppers and drop them in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes then remove and place them hole-side down on a plate to drain. Combine sausage, onions, and garlic in a large pan and saute over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Add squash and dry seasonings and cook until squash is tender. Add parmesan cheese and tomato sauce and cook until warmed through. Spoon filling into bell peppers and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in a greased 8-inch baking pan for 15 minutes.

Recipe of the week

This is a surprisingly yummy dessert that I made last night and ate a couple of minutes ago. It is very easy and fat-free. It does have some sugar in it, but not all that much. Oh yeah, and there's alcohol. It really eased the craving that I was having for ice cream. Anything that can do that gets an A+ in my little book. I got this recipe from a great cookbook by the name of At Mesa's Edge, written by Eugenia Bone. I picked it up when I was in Colorado. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook or read!

Cantaloupe Freeze
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp tequila (I used triple sec)
1 ripe cantaloupe

Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cut the cantaloupe in half, remove the seeds and rind, and cut into small pieces. Place the cantaloupe in a large glass bowl and pour the lime mixture over it. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until the cantaloupe is completely frozen solid (I did it overnight). Remove it from the freezer about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before you are ready to serve it. You want the cantaloupe to be icy, but not rock hard. Scoop it into bowls and eat away. I thought that it would be kind of like sherbet, but it's not. Surprise, surprise...It stayed in those little bite-sized pieces, but it was good. I really like the addition of the lime juice with the cantaloupe. I might try it with splenda next time.

Pictures from our Colorado trip

I love the farmer's market!

I really do love the farmer's market. I just went for the first time yesterday on the way to Walmart. Let's just say that I am going to get all of my vegetables and fruits there from now on. I hear that the one at the Botanic Gardens is the best. I just went to the Agricenter one because it is open all week long. From the list of things that I've made this week, you can tell that I have been on a veggie kick. I just sauteed some baby yellow squash and onions in olive oil, then topped it with some fresh thyme. I got all of these things (minus the olive oil) at the farmer's market. And I can't forget the beans I just made. They are some king of fresh beans...maybe pintos. I just covered them with salted water and brought them to a low boil for about 30 minutes. Just salt, pepper, and beans. They are so much better than dried beans. Who knew!? I love to cook! I think that I am going to make some bread today to go along with the pork chile verde and chile mashed potatoes that I am making for dinner. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Cooking withdrawals

Here's a picture of the only thing that I've made in the past week and a half. These are double chocolate, coconut, and sesame seed rice crispy treats. I made them, along with original rice crispy treats, for our trip to Colorado. I think that I seriously started going into withdrawals from the lack of real cooking this past week. Sure, I made campfire pita pizza pockets and breakfast burritos, but does that really count? I don't think it does. I did make chocolate chip cookies for the camping trip, but I didn't take any pictures. Besides, that was like ten or eleven days ago. I will post the recipe for the cookies later. They are the best chocolate chip cookies ever, or at least I think so. Tomorrow, or some other time, I will post some recipes from a cookbook that I got on my trip. It has to be one of the most entertaining cookbooks I have ever read. And, yes, I do read cookbooks. From cover to cover. I really have to go to sleep now. I have not caught up on sleep yet. There is nothing better than a real bed when you have been sleeping on a blow-up mattress in a freezing cold tent.

I'm back...almost

I'm back. Well, almost. I'm at a Best Western right outside of Oklahoma City and they have high-speed internet(!!!). Just thought I'd post this loverly (yep) picture of where I've been for the past week. I have many more pictures to post when I get back to the old homestead. I can say "homestead" now because I have been camping in Colorado and I have been near some horses.

Healthy recipe of the week

I just realized that I am leaving to go to Colorado tomorrow for a week and I haven't even posted the recipe of the week. What would y'all (all two who read this) do without the recipe of the week? I stumbled onto this tasty concoction accidentally. I love cottage cheese so I eat alot of it. I started pureeing it in a blender to make it smooth and creamy. I always sweeten it with Splenda and add vanilla. One day I just thought to myself "Self, what would make this even better? I know! Cool whip and some delicious strawberry freezer jam from Costco! So here you go. With no further ado...

Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
3/4 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese that has been pureed in a blender or food processor until smooth
3 Tbsp cool whip free
2-3 tsp of Splenda or to taste
1 tbsp of strawberry freezer jam

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and enjoy!