To a big Man

and a great guy
We Hope all your birthday
 wishes come true
Lots of love from Spiderman
and
Aunt Jeannie

Vegetarian Minestrone [Slow Cooker]

6          cups vegetable broth
1          (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
1          (15 ounces) can kidney beans, drained
1          large onion, chopped
2          ribs celery, diced
2          large carrots, diced
1          cup green beans
1          small zucchini
3          cloves garlic, minced
1          tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2    teaspoons dried oregano
1          teaspoon salt
3/4       teaspoon dried thyme
1/4       teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2       cup elbow macaroni
4          cups chopped fresh spinach
1/4       cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

1 .   Combine vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, celery, carrots, green beans, zucchini, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, thyme, and black pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.

2 .   Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

3 .   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.


4 .   Stir spinach and macaroni into minestrone; cook another 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Heart healthy

SPICY PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD

Wonderfully flavorful and fragrant bread for the holidays. We have also tried the recipe with a few raisins, also good. My friend added some dried cranberries to the recipe. I have not tried that yet so I don't know if it works well... but it sounds good.

Pumpkin Gingerbread:
Servings Per Recipe: 24
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and clove.
In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

*Great warm from the oven but even better the next day.... if there is any left

ENJOY!

Beef Stew (Slow-Cooker)

2       lbs. Stew Beef
3       tablespoons Olive Oil
2       cups Organic Beef Stock
12     ounces Package Bacon – Cooked Crisp and Crumbled
14.5   ounces Can Organic Diced Tomatoes – Juice Drained
4       ounces Mixed Bell Peppers – Chopped
4       ounces Mushrooms – Quartered
2       ribs celery – chopped
1       large carrot – chopped
1       small onion – chopped
4       large cloves garlic – minced
2       tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste
2       tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce or Coconut Aminos
2       teaspoon  Sea Salt
1/½   teaspoons Black Pepper
1       teaspoon Garlic Powder
1       teaspoon Onion Powder
1       teaspoon Dried Oregano

Heat slow cooker on low setting.

1 . In a large skillet over medium heat, sear the beef in olive oil, browning on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

2 .  To the slow cooker, add Organic Beef Stock, bacon, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.


3 .  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
Heart healthy

Try this Fun Halloween idea

Our Neighborhood kids loved these

Just buy some Halloween lollipops in black wrappers and make spider legs out of pipe cleaners for the simplest ones

If you want to get more creative here are a few variations

 They make great ghosts too

Have a Happy - Spooky Halloween

Spooky Hallween Eyeballs....Yum!

 

These treats are a bit time consuming but the end product is worth it. They taste like peanut butter cups

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons shortening
2 drops blue food coloring
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
red food coloring (optional)

Directions : 

Prep20 min -
Ready In3 hr 20 min -   

- Beat the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

- Roll chilled dough into small, eyeball-sized balls and place on 2 baking sheets lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes. 

- Melt the white chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.  

- Dip each eyeball into the white chocolate and transfer to the waxed paper until the chocolate has set. You can chill them in the refrigerator. 

- Stir a few drops of blue food coloring into the remaining melted white chocolate. Make a round "iris" on the top of the cooled eyeball and press a mini chocolate chip in the center for a "pupil." For an extra spooky bloodshot eyeballs take a toothpick dipped in red food coloring and make squiggly lines on the eye.

We guarantee the kids will love these...The adults liked them also at  our last Halloween party



One Pan Pasta Meal

   

One pan, pot, skillet, or slow-cooker is all you need to prepare this no-fuss family dinner. It comes from Martha Stewart and it actually works. I am all for quick, easy, no kitchen clean-up dinners.
Discovered by the Martha Stewart team in a tiny restaurant in the Puglia region of Italy, where the chef placed dried pasta in a skillet with water, tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, and a glug of extra-virgin olive oil, and then cooked everything together. Once the water has boiled away, you are left with perfectly al dente pasta in a creamy sauce that coats every strand.

Ingredients :

12 ounces linguine
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups water
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

*This is a basic dish so feel free to add a few extra herbs or ingredients

Directions :

Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat.


Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes


Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.


Mangia! Mangia!