Garden Stuffed Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
10 sticks fresh asparagus, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter

Heat oven to 425
Pierce potatoes well with a knife
Put in microwave for 12 minutes

Meanwhile saute asparagus and onion in butter

Then place the potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and cut a thin slice off the top long ways
Scoop out all pulp and place in a medium bowl keeping skin intact
Rub skin with olive oil
Add sauteed onion and asparagus, ranch, salt & pepper to pulp, mix well
Scoop pulp mixture back into the potato skins
Place in baking dish or cookie sheet
Bake for 15 more minutes

You could substitute asparagus for broccoli
You could also top them with shredded cheddar before baking the second time

BBQ Sauce

In a medium bowl:

Mix equal amounts of ketchup and brown sugar (depending on how much you need, start with one cup each)
1 tsp worchestershire
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
plenty of salt and pepper

Mix well
Heat in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds

*This is great on grilled chicken tenders

Pin Wheels

This is a great appetizer

1 tortilla, white/wheat or spinach is also yummy
garden vegetable cream cheese
1/2 of a cucumber, peeled

I take one tortilla and spread the veggie cream cheese on it
then dice up the peeled cucumber and spread it on the cream cheese
roll it up like a burrito
then slice it diagonally and serve

You could add other veggies in it too, I did tomato & cucumber the other day and my husband loved it!

Roasted Red Potato Salad

This is a great side dish-

5 red potatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1/4 yellow onion
1 celery stick
olive oil
seasonings- pepper, rosemary, onion powder, garlic salt, celery salt

Preheat oven to 350
Spread plenty of olive oil on a cookie sheet with sides, not flat
Cut potatoes in bite size pieces, spread on cookie sheet
Season with all seasonings, be generous
Roast in oven for 45 minutes, or until you can easily put a fork through them
Slice and dice up onion, celery and bell peppers
Saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet for about 15-20 minutes

Mix together and serve~

Chocolate Strawberry Panini

This amazing dessert is very easy and also quite cheap, and I had so much fun making these ;-)

1 loaf pound cake
Nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread)
2 cups fresh strawberries

-Cut the pound cake in 1/2" slices, should make about 12
-Spread Nutella on the insides of each slice
-Wash and cut tops off strawberries, thinly slice
-Put 3-4 strawberry slices on the nutella and then lay another slice on top, like a sandwich

Using a panini grill, heat til ready, spray the top and bottom of the grill with cooking spray
set two in at a time and press down lightly for 1-2 minutes, just until heated thoroughly, take out and enjoy~

yummy yummy yummy...

Cousin's Carrot Cake

My cousin Jessie gave me this great recipe for Carrot Cake...delicious!

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
-mix together
-add
3/4 cup canola oil
3 cups grated carrots
4 eggs
-mix all together

-put in a 9x13 pan
-bake at 350 for 40 minutes

*Frosting
8oz block of cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
-mix together and spread on cake after it is cool

Sugar Snap Avocado Walnut Salad

I made this yummy salad the other day...

I threw together:

2 ribs of celery
1 avocado
a handful of sugar snap peas
a handful of toasted walnuts
juice of half a lemon
1 Tbs olive oil

Thinly slice the celery, avocado and sugar snap peas
Put in a medium bowl
Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and the olive oil over the mix
Add the toasted walnuts
Season lightly with salt & pepper

This was so delicious!