Spinach and Bacon Salad

3 slices bacon, diced

2 bunches of fresh spinach

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup chili sauce

1 clove garlic, mashed

½ tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

Hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

1. Brown bacon pieces slowly
2. Wash spinach and pat dry. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl with onions.
3. When cooked add bacon drippings, add vinegar, chili sauce, garlic and oregano.
4. Heat until mixture simmers, stir. 
5. Pour over spinach mixture, stir in eggs, and mix well, serve at once. 

Michelle's Taco Meat

This is a easy recipe that has become a staple at our house.

Michelle's Taco Meat

Chuck Roast - shredded
One chopped  onion
Taco seasoning mix - I like Ortega low salt
Canned chopped green chilies
Water - 1.5 cups

Directions -

Use a Dutch Oven and spray it lightly with canola/veggie oil. Place the onion in the bottom of the pan and put the roast on top of the onions. Pour the taco seasoning and chilies over the roast. Add the water to the bottom of the pan - don't pour it over the roast.  Cook covered in a oven heated to 200 degree for 8 hours. If you have less time you can cook at 300 degrees for 5 hours.  You can turn the roast once or twice but if you forget to do that it still turns out great!

Thank you Michelle Davis!!!!

BBQ Chicken Bowls

I was searching for something to feed the boys for dinner after football and came up with this quick dinner.

Cooked chicken tossed with a bit of BBQ sauce
Cooked brown rice
2 cups Cooked Corn (cut it off the cob or heat frozen corn)
1 can Black beans heated
BBQ Sauce
Green onion

We started with rice in the bottom of the bowl then added the chicken, corn, and black beans. You can add more BBQ sauce or hot sauce to give it more flavor and garnish with green onion. Yum. I had happy fed kids and husband.

Heidi H's Lentil Salad

This came from my friend Heidi. I added the chicken - the boys like their protein!

1 box cooked lentils from Trader Joe's (you can find them near the lettuce)
2 celery stalks chopped into bite sized pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
Feta cheese (use as much as you like)
Cooked Chicken 1 cup cubed or more if you like
2-3TB of your favorite Italian dressing

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve at room temp. Yum. It's easy to double or triple this salad for a crowd.

Sloppy Joe's

My family's favorite Sloppy Joe’s is in the classic Betty Crocker Cookbook. Yup, the old time classic red book. Sub out the green pepper for a red one – they taste better. Serve on whole wheat buns w/ a salad on the side. We sometimes use turkey instead of beef. 

*Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup copped celery stalk
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted

1. Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients (except the buns, of course). 

2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Fill buns and enjoy!

Fagioli - A Huge Favorite

Fagioli-on-Toast: Adapted from a Cookie Magazine recipe

Thick slices of country bread
Olive oil
1 lb. Italian chicken sausage
2 garlic cloves peeled, sliced, mashed however you like garlic (or use the Trader Joe’s frozen garlic)
Sage leaves, lots (I keep them whole)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toast the country bread slices. Heat the oil in a large skillet (very large) add the sausage. When the sausage is almost browned add the garlic and sage, stir until it all browns a bit. Add the tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper. Cook until the liquid thickens a bit.

Put the toast in the bottom of a bowl and add the sausage/bean mixture on top. I usually serve broccoli with parmesan cheese with this meal. If you roast the broccoli it gives it a really sweet taste or microwave it – just don’t over cook it! I think the reason kids hate broccoli is most people over cook it.

Santa Fe Pasta Salad

**originally by Nancy Dell’Aria but I’ve changed a few things.

1 box pasta cooked as the package directs and then cooled. (Pick whatever pasta your kids will eat. We eat Barilla whole wheat pastas)

Dressing – I've doubled it and cut the salt in ½. Salt the salad to your taste.
2/3 cup oil with two to four smashed (use the back of a knife to smash it) garlic cloves. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight to infuse the oil. OK -- or just buy garlic oil.
6 TB cider vinegar
3 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a jar and let sit.

Veggies -
2 cans beans you can use kidney, garbanzo, black or a combo of beans
2 large ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
½ cup cilantro

Extras
Chicken – I use a lot like 2 cups. The boys need their protein!
Cubbed Pepperjack cheese 6-8 oz is good.

I mix all the dry ingredients and put the dressing on right before its eaten. That way it doesn’t get soggy when it sits on the football field for hours in the cooler.

Pacific Short Ribs

Pacific Short Ribs
This is a family favorite.

3 – 4 lbs beef short ribs cut into 2 – 3 inch lengths – just make sure they will fit in the crock pot.
1 onion chopped
2/3 catsup
3 TB Soy sauce
2 TB cider vinegar
1 TB brown sugar

Broil ribs or pan fry them in canola oil until brown – remove excess fat. Transfer to the crock-pot. Sauté onions in canola oil until a bit brown and put those in the crock-pot too. Add the catsup, soy, vinegar and brown sugar. Cook on low 200 degrees for 8 hours. Stir and serve. If you can stir it mid way through great – if not it still tastes good! Makes 4 servings.

Serve with rice.