Swiss Vegetable Medley

We had this as a side dish with dinner last night.  Yummy!

Swiss Vegetable Medley

(Serves 6-8 as a side dish)

16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed  (We used broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 (2.8 oz) can fried onions, divided

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the vegetables, soup, sour cream, pepper, and 3/4 c of the cheese in a bowl.  Stir in 3/4 of the fried onions.  Pour into an ungreased 1 qt. casserole dish.  Cover.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly around the edges.  Uncover;  sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

My Favorite Cookies

These are my all-time favorite cookies.  One reason is that they're not very healthy so it's not very often that I make them, which makes them a rare treat.  Second reason I love them?  They're delicious!!!  Something else wonderful about this dessert?  You can layer all of the dry ingredients into a jar to give as gifts!  This is how I first tasted these cookies - the dry ingredients given to me in a jar.  :)

Cowboy Cookies

(Makes about 3 dozen)

2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c vegetable or canola oil
1 c packed brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 c flaked coconut
2 c quick-cooking oats
1 chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, oil, sugars, and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well.  Stir in coconut, oats, and chocolate chips.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, or using baking stones.  Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Easy Orzo Salad

On Mother's Day all of us Moms got to request what was on the menu, of course.  This is what I wanted.

Easy Orzo Salad

1 pkg. orzo
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
4 oz. (1/2 of small package) mushrooms, quartered
1 c fresh broccoli
Italian salad dressing

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Rinse under cold water, and drain well.  Combine pasta and vegetables, then coat with dressing to taste.  Chill for a few hours before serving, adding more dressing if pasta becomes dry.

Menu Plan Monday

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!  My parents, my sister & her family, my two uncles, my daughter and I went to my Grandma's house.  We are very blessed to still have her with us at 85 years of age!

Here's what we have going on this week:

Monday - Chick-fil-a date with our friends
Tuesday - Spaghetti (Yes, we love this.  I could eat it a couple of times a week, probably!)
Wednesday - My nephew has a baseball game, so I'm packing a veggie wrap for myself and a pb&j for the munchkin
Thursday - Almond Crusted Tilapia, steamed broccoli, wild & long grain rice
Fri, Sat & Sun:
Burgers
Probably another vegetable dinner (We tend to have at least one fresh-veggie-only dinner a week when gardens start to come in)
Fish Fry at the local Fire Department

Have a joyful week!

Our Mother's Day Menu

What are you doing for Mother's Day?  We'll be having breakfast at home, then lounging around until the afternoon.  We usually spend our lounging time playing games.  :)  In the afternoon we'll gather with family for a little celebration.  Here's what's on the menu:

Breakfast:
Easy Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole  (Can you tell I like Our Best Bites?)

Late lunch/early dinner:
Grilled chicken (marinated in Italian dressing and honey)
Orange cream fruit salad
Orzo with fresh veggies and Italian dressing
Lima beans
Loaded mashed potatoes
Chocolate cake
Coconut cake

Cinco de Mayo Burgers + Southwest Pasta Salad

Last night we ended up with burgers and pasta salad for Cindo de Mayo.  I LOVE Mexican food, but this was a nice, lighter-feeling, change from the norm.

For the burgers, everyone else had Bubba Burgers.  I had a turkey burger.  :)  Instead of ketchup, mayo, or mustard, I spread on mashed avocado, and used I pepperjack cheese.  It was delicious!

The pasta salad is courtesy of Our Best Bites.  (Photo below is theirs.)

The recipe can be found here.  Give it a try!

Muffins with Mommy

Our preschool had Muffins with Mom this morning.  It was fantastic!  The kids made muffins yesterday, and we got to sit with them this morning to eat breakfast and talk.  Afterward they sang two songs to us, then gave us flowers.  It was the sweetest, cutest thing.  They didn't do this last year, but I hope that it's something that they can now look forward to each year!