Blueberry Upside Down Cake

This recipe is just delicious! We ate it both as a dessert and for breakfast, and it was great both ways.

I used frozen blueberries and it came out perfectly.

Since it is a recipe that I found online, credit goes where credit is due.

Thibeault's Table - Blueberry Upside Down Cake Recipe

Gramma Peterson's Banana Bread

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup nuts

Wet Ingredients:
4 black bananas
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat wet ingredients. Gradually add dry to wet. Pour into greased and floured bread pans. You may also coat pans and top of batter with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Fill 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Rice

Pork chops get a bad rap as being dry, tough, and bland. I think the quality of meat and method of preparation are key. I love this recipe because they are made in the slow cooker and come out tender and full of flavor. I also love that this recipe is on the lighter side. Many others use cream soups, sour cream, gravies and other fatty ingredients, again I think this is to help the dry, bland pork. My adjustments from the original are in italics.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, center cut pork chops
1 cup uncooked rice - white, brown, wild, blend
1/2 cup chopped onion
3-4 carrots, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup water
10 ounces beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces green peas

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown pork chops on both sides. I did not do this just because of time but I'm sure it would make them more flavorful. I just sprinkled both sides of chops with some of the soup mix.
2. Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Then place the rice, onion, carrots, butter, water chestnuts, and mushrooms in the slow cooker. Pour in water, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in onion soup mix, season with pepper, and top with pork chops.
3. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 7 to 9 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in peas before serving just long enough to heat through. I did 4 hours on high. Some of the other reviews complained of mushy rice when cooked longer on low. I used a wild rice blend and it was great.

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup

This recipe cam in an email I receive with restaurant recipes. It is so good! It's also simple to make. You could even make it easier by putting everything in the slow cooker. If your family doesn't like spicy, you can easily use regular Italian sausage and omit the red pepper. I'm not a measurer when it comes to recipes like this. The only changes I made were - I used 1 whole onion, 4-5 carrots, 3 cloves garlic, and about 2 tsp each of dried basil and parsley. I added a little extra bullion at the end to enhance flavor.

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced onion
3/4 cup grated and minced carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound uncooked hot Italian sausage
2 ounces diced ham (about 1/2 cup, cut from a ham steak)
7 cups water
5 cups chicken broth
1 pound dry lentils
1 medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Remove sausage from casing, and add it to the pan. Saute for 8 minutes, stirring often. Break up the sausage into bite-size bits as it cooks. Add ham, and cook for an additional minute.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Serve 1 cup for a "cup" portion, or serve 2 cups for a "bowl"serving.

Makes 12 to 13 cups.

Zesty Salad Dressing

Some have been asking me for this salad recipe. Sorry it has taken so long to post but it's really nothing special. Just stuff I've thrown together in the right ratios I suppose. But I guess the thing that people seem to like the most is the dressing. This recipe is good for a huge salad and maybe even some to save for later depending on how much you use. I like to throw it over some fresh greens, tons of sprouts, a little tomato, avocado and some cooked or sprouted quinoa (since it is a complete protein.) Use whatever veggies you have lying around or whatever is in season. I wasn't much of a salad eater until I found a dairy-free dressing that tasted good. I guess it's a slight variation off of my friend Kira's dressing that she posted on our vegan blog a while back with a little extra zing. But that recipe was a great place for me to start. Feel free to vary it up and try a little more or less of certain ingredients.

1 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Flaxseed Oil (for a good dose of omegas)

10 cloves Raw Garlic (or more if you like it spicier)

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 C Braggs Amino Acids

1 1/2 TBSP of your favorite Mustard (I like spicy brown)

1/4 of a small Sweet Onion

1/2 inch Ginger Root

1/4 Cup Kosher Soy Bacon Bits (for their smoky flavor, I find these at Good Earth in the bulk aisle)

Throw all ingredients into a vitamix or other good blender and blend till creamy. Toss into your salad or over some rice or anything. This dressing keeps well too, so double the recipe and store some for the next day. Enjoy!