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Pumpkin Oatmeal
Our October recipe of the month is bringing a seasonal favorite, pumpkin, to breakfast. Pumpkin Oatmeal is easy to make and ready to eat in only five minutes. All you need to do is combine the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, heat in the microwave until the oats are soft (about three minutes), and serve. You can adjust the amounts of the ingredients up or down based on how many people you are making breakfast for.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
Today I would like to introduce you to one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes – Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins. We eat these muffins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time. Skip to the bottom of this blog for the link to the recipe. Read the middle section if you would like my story of this recipe.
Spaghetti Squash
I always look forward to this time of year. As the summer break from school winds down, I like to take some time off work and simply enjoy the end of summer with my children. Sometimes we go on adventures, but a lot of the time we just relax around home. And, to be honest, I do not cook much. This means I am probably not going to make our August recipe of the month – Spaghetti Squash – until this fall.
Guacamole
Have you ever made homemade guacamole? I had not until I first made our July recipe of the month. I assumed I could not make it as well as a restaurant or the tubs of guacamole I bought from the store. I was both right and wrong. This recipe is certainly not as good as my favorite restaurant guacamole, but it is better than the tubs of guacamole from the store. The first time I made it, I liked it so much that I ate half of it for lunch one day and the other half the next day.
What Fruits and Veggies do You Like?
This past year, we have been asking people about their favorite seasonal produce. We are going to continue sharing this month, starting with my family. I decided to ask my three children what fruits and veggies they like to eat in the summertime. We are very lucky to have a small garden at our home and access to larger gardens at grandpa’s and grandma’s homes, which you will see reflected in their answers below.
Cucumber Salsa
Our June recipe of the month is Cucumber Salsa. Jody shared this recipe with me after she tried something similar at a party. This recipe is perfect for June because cucumbers are in season and plentiful. To make this recipe you combine chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and peppers with a homemade dressing made from sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, and some seasonings. This salsa is best when eaten right away.
Frozen Yogurt Bark
April showers bring May flowers… and May brings warmer weather for spending time outside. This May I am running my first half marathon! With this extra activity, I need extra meals and snacks to make it through my day. One snack I have been making recently is Frozen Yogurt Bark – our May recipe of the month. It is the perfect snack after a long hot run.
Extra Rice?
Last week Anna shared about our recipe of the month – Vegetable Fried Rice. I enjoy making that recipe for my family, but I always end up with extra cooked rice. Thankfully, there are many ways to use leftover cooked rice. Before we get started on those, I would like to thank our friends at AnswerLine for providing the tips below for safe storage of cooked rice:
Vegetable Fried Rice
This time of year always starts to feel hectic to me. Especially this year, as a senior in college, I am overwhelmed with the thought of graduation and moving onto the next step of my life. When life gets a little hectic, I want simple, filling meals to power me through my weeks. This vegetable fried rice does just that. Using staple ingredients, it is easy to throw together in a pinch. I like to make this recipe at the end of my week and use up any leftover vegetables I have in the fridge.
Tuna Melt Sandwich
We recently updated our Tuna Melt Sandwich recipe and I am sharing it with you today for our March recipe of the month. This is a good recipe when time is tight because the tuna salad mixes together quickly and the cook time is only about 10 minutes total.
Homemade Salad Dressing
I go back and forth with making homemade salad dressing. Sometimes I really enjoy it and other times I prefer to buy a bottle from the store. I have most of the ingredients on hand in my kitchen – oil, vinegar or fruit juice, and seasonings. This makes it easy to mix together a salad dressing when we need it.
Chicken with Mushrooms
Are you a mushroom lover? In my home, we are divided. Three people love mushrooms and two people hate mushrooms. Our February recipe of the month is Chicken with Mushrooms. This recipe is a pan fried chicken topped with mushroom gravy. Since the chicken and gravy are prepared separately, the mushroom haters can breathe a sigh of relief. They can have their chicken plain. And, for us mushroom lovers, we get extra mushroom gravy.