Honey-Glazed Carrots

1 1/2 cups baby carrots
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Rinse the carrots, then add about 1 inch of water into a pan; bring to a boil. Add the carrots and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. In a separate pan, add the honey, lemon juice and brown sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil. Drain the carrots and add them to the honey mixture. Toss to evenly coat and serve.

Yah, I know carrots are already sweet, BUT these are sooooo good. The girls ate them, I ate them and B kept eating them out of the pan when was done altogether. BOOM.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus

Asparagus
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Parmesan Cheese

Pre-heat a pan, then put olive oil in the pan. Add the asparagus & cover for 2 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic & Parmesan cheese. Make sure the garlic is roasted, not burned. Once garlic is roasted and asparagus is dark green, remove from the pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I actually ate this....and it was good! B liked it as well, although I overcooked it a little bit. Next time, maybe a little bacon?

Spaghetti with Spinach, Lemon and Garlic

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked
6 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Baby Spinach

In a pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the spinach to the cooked spaghetti, then add the lemon garlic oil and toss. BOOM.

This is tasty; not too sour, not to garlicky. Perfect. The girls eat it, I EAT IT and we serve it with another veggie, chicken or just salad. YUMMERS.

Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches

1 loaf crusty bread (Italian loaf, sourdough loaf)
Mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt
Nutmeg
Olive Oil
Butter

Whisk the eggs, then add the cream, thyme, dash of salt and dash of nutmeg. Warm up the griddle; pour a little olive oil on to spread around, then some butter until melted. Put the sandwich together, dip it into the cream mixture and cook around 3-4 minutes on each side until brown.

SO good. Maybe bacon with it next time. And who doesn't like a grilled cheese sandwich?

Feta Spaghetti Squash

2 small spaghetti squash, halved & seeded
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
Butter
Minced Garlic
Feta Cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spread some butter & minced garlic on the flesh of the squash, then lay the halves flesh-side down on a baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When the squash is almost finished, saute the onions, butter & garlic until onions are soft. Pull the squash out and scrape the flesh into a glass bowl. Mix the squash with the onion mixture, then add the feta cheese (as much as you want).

I normally don't like vegetables, but I love feta. So I guess if you combine the two, it's a meal made in heaven. The girls even ate it, if that means anything at all! Easy to bake and easy to make!

Egg-Stuffed Baked Potato

Baked Potatoes
Melted Butter
Cheese (shredded, crumbled, sliced)
Eggs
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take a slice off the top of the baked potato and scoop out almost all of the insides (leave a layer of potato). Brush the butter on the inside of the potato. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on the bottom then fill 'er up about 3/4 of the way with anything and everything. Top it off with an egg, more cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until eggs are set and soft.

We use Feta, bleu cheese, cheddar cheese, whatever we happen to have in the house, plus lot of garlic & green onions. I even add some lunchmeat too and man OH man. B even dug this one. I usually serve it as a side with some chicken. But it would even work as a lunch or light dinner!

Quinoa Soup

2 cups prepared quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can sun-ripened tomato soup
2 tablespoons garlic
1 package Lipton's Onion Soup
Salt & Pepper

Keep your prepared quinoa in the pot. Add the tomato soup, onion soup, water & chicken broth. Mix well and heat on low for 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic, onion, salt and pepper to taste. Heat on low for 2-3 minutes and serve.

Super simple and super delicious. I may add veggies next time. Let's just put it this way....the girls ate 2 bowls each!

Zucchini & Black Bean Skillet

1 tablespoon oil
1 zucchini, sliced and chopped
1 squash, sliced and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup rice cooked
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Warm up the oil in a skillet, then add zucchini, squash, bell pepper and onion; cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes, increase heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice and then remove from the heat for about 7 minutes. Stir in the cheese and SERVE!

This has been an amazingly quick meal to make and an amazingly yummy meal to eat! Full of veggies and delicious! I also made this with orzo rather than rice and it was just as good. I wonder how it would be with quinoa???

Ramen Sesame Coleslaw

2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package Ramen noodles, crushed, packet reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 medium cabbage, shredded
5 green onions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sesame seeds and almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, Ramen spice packet and sugar. In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded cabbage, green onions and Ramen noodles. Pour the sauce onto the cabbage mixture and toss until coated. Place the toasted sesame seeds and almonds on top, chill and serve.

Oh man, this was tangy and sweet. SO good and the girls gobbled it up. This was really easy to make and delightful for summer time.

Tuna And Black Bean Salad Wraps

1 can black beans, drained
1 can tuna (11 oz.), drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 heaping tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Lettuce Leaves

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, tuna, tomatoes, red onion, cayenne pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Chill for 20-30 minutes. Then add the parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper; mix well. Serve on lettuce leaves and eat like a taco!

In the summertime, it gets hot out here. I love easy meals and wanted something refreshing for those hot afternoon. This was soooo good! Even Sammie ate all of hers; I had about five. A nice crisp taste with the cilantro, lime and tuna.

Sweet Potato Burritos

1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups canned kidney beans, drained
1 cups water
1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
6, 10 in, flour tortillas, warmed
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans and mash. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm. Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warmed flour tortillas. Top with cheese and fold into a burrito. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

As much as I don't care for kidney beans, these were delicious. I did hear a recommendation to use refried beans, so I may try that next time.