Thai Cucumber Salad

2 T lime juice
2 T sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt
1 cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 T fresh chives, snipped
1 T sliced basil leaves
1 T minced cilantro leaves
1 T chopped peanuts

Whisk together lime juice, sugar, red pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Combine remaining ingredients and stir! Sprinkle with nuts.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes
Yield: 10-12 cookies

1 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1 cup sugar + additional for rolling
1 egg

Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg in a bowl. Form into one inch balls and roll in additional sugar.

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and use a fork to form cross marks in the cookies.

Bake at 375 for ten minutes or until edges are browned but not burned.

Make Your Own Pizza

A few weeks ago, Naomi posted a weekly menu featuring "Make Your Own Pizza "Night...I tried it, and it was kind of a pain to get the crust ready and into 3 small size crusts.....but the family really enjoyed it and I wanted to try it again.

Well, someone at work told me this hint and it REALLY works.

Instead of using Pizza Dough, use Pita Bread! I bought a package of whole wheat pita bread (came 5 in a package)....treated it just like store-bought pizza crust. We put sauce and toppings on it, and popped it in the oven.

It was super crisp, and thin......QUITE DELISH!

Cut the prep time down to almost nothing!

New England Boiled Dinner

3 large potatoes, cubed
3 lbs corned beef
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch sections
1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
16 small white onion, peeled and elft whole
2 14.5 oz cans of broth
1 C dark beer
3 T Dijon mustard
2/3 C packed dark brown sugar
1 T dried dill weed
3 whole cloves and 6 peppercorns (tied into cheesecloth)

Place potatoes in crockpot, add corned beef on top, then distribute carrots, cabbage and onions around meat.

Put the broth, beer, mustard, brown sugar and dill into a bowl and whisk together. Pour into the crockpot and tuck into the veggies.

Cover and cook on High for 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Remove the cheesecloth bag and cut the meat across the grain. Use a spoon to scoop off any accumulated fat from the cooking liquid. Return the meat to the crockpot to keep warm until serving.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

5 large cloves, minced and sauteed in olive oil until translucent
3 lbs small potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 large onion, peeled and minced
2-3 C chicken broth
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 C heavy cream (optional)
salt/pepper

Place garlic, potatoes and onion into crockpot. Pour in enough broth to cover the potatoes. Cover and cook on High for 4-8 hours, or until the potatoes are very soft. Scoop out most of the cooking liquid ....reserving if you are going to make this low-fat (as opposed to adding in the cream).

Add butter and mash the potatoes. As you mash the potatoes, add the cream/reserved liquid a bit at a time until the right consistency is achieved. Season with salt/pepper.

Cowboy Bake

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 10.oz can tomatoes
1 C frozen corn kernels
pinch of chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C of your favorite cheese, grated.

For topping:

1 8.5oz package of corn muffin mix

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes in oil.

Add chicken and brown, then add tomoatoes, corn, chili powder and salt. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into the pie pan and top with grated cheese.

In a mixing bowl, prepare muffin mix according to package. Spread evenly over chicken mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

(If making double and freezing, simply reserve the cheese and corn muffin mix until the day you're serving!!)

tomato cucumber mozzarella salad

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sale
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 medium tomatoes chopped
1 english cucumber quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small green pepper chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
12 pitted greek olives, sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the first seven ingredients, shake well
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, onions, olives, parsley, and basil. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in cheese, Serve with a slotted spoon.