Tasty Tuesday Nutty Olives!

Olive Nut Spread

1 cup nuts of your choice. The original version was made with cashews, but I've made it with pecans, brazil nuts, and even sunflower seeds.
1 cup stuffed green olives
Mayonnaise

Coarsely chop nuts and olives together in a food processor. Add as much mayo as you like to achieve the desired spreading consistency. It's great on a sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes (I like it best on whole wheat toast) or on crackers.

Tasty Tuesday

Once again, the time of year has come when my zucchini is growing to outrageous proportions and I've got to figure out some way of getting Budley to help me eat it. He is not, I repeat, NOT, a big fan of squash--or any vegetables, for that matter--which makes me wonder why I bother growing veggies at all when I end up giving most of them away, but I digress.

Budley has, on occasion, wanted to be vegan or vegetarian, and I have learned to laugh at this notion, and continue to serve him hamburgers, pot roast, and barbecued ribs. Thus it was, that as I gazed at the huge mound of squash sitting on the kitchen table, in desperation, I took my recipe for zucchini souffle and added ground beef to it. And voila! We have a new way to trick Budley into eating vegetables!

Hamburger Zucchini Souffle


Saute:
1 onion, chopped or grated
1 lb lean ground beef, seasoned with meat seasoning of your choice, or a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together:
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2-3 cups)
1 cup or more grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 long pkg saltines (whole wheat or regular), crushed
2 tsp of a salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder mixture (Paula Deen's House Seasoning)

Beat together:
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp pesto

Now, mix all of this stuff together, put it in a greased 9 x 13 pan (glass or metal) and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, or longer if you're like Budley and don't like your casseroles juicy. Let it set a few minutes before enjoying with the hunk of your choice!



























Oh, yeah... I almost forgot. Now that I've used up some of the squash, I've got to figure out what to do with all these cucumbers. Something tells me that my Yah Yahs will have some very interesting suggestions...

Tasty Tuesday Grilled Greek Zucchini!

Once again, the time of year has come when my zucchini is growing to outrageous proportions and I've got to figure out some way of getting Budley to help me eat it. He is not, I repeat, NOT, a big fan of squash--or any vegetables, for that matter--which makes me wonder why I bother growing veggies at all when I end up giving most of them away, but I digress.

Budley has, on occasion, wanted to be vegan or vegetarian, and I have learned to laugh at this notion, and continue to serve him hamburgers, pot roast, and barbecued ribs. Thus it was, that as I gazed at the huge mound of squash sitting on the kitchen table, in desperation, I took my recipe for zucchini souffle and added ground beef to it. And voila! We have a new way to trick Budley into eating vegetables!

Hamburger Zucchini Souffle


Saute:
1 onion, chopped or grated
1 lb lean ground beef, seasoned with meat seasoning of your choice, or a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together:
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2-3 cups)
1 cup or more grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 long pkg saltines (whole wheat or regular), crushed
2 tsp of a salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder mixture (Paula Deen's House Seasoning)

Beat together:
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp pesto

Now, mix all of this stuff together, put it in a greased 9 x 13 pan (glass or metal) and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, or longer if you're like Budley and don't like your casseroles juicy. Let it set a few minutes before enjoying with the hunk of your choice!



Oh, yeah... I almost forgot. Now that I've used up some of the squash, I've got to figure out what to do with all these cucumbers. Something tells me that my Yah Yahs will have some very interesting suggestions...

Tasty Tuesday Creamy, Fruity Greek Yogurt!

In the mood for something creamy, delicious, and relatively non-fattening?

No, Alicia. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about yogurt. Since I've been having to avoid the sweet stuff as much as possible, I've missed having yogurt on occasion. True, they make a fat-free or light versions, but they're still loaded with sugar.

I bought some Stevia in the Raw a while back, thinking I'd use it in lots of things. It's sweet, natural, and all that good stuff. Unfortunately, sugar isn't the only bad ingredient in most desserts, so the bag sat around, unopened, for a long time.

Then I discovered fat-free plain Greek yogurt. If you've never tried it before, it is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and can pass for sour cream without any trouble at all. No cholesterol, very few carbs, and plenty of protein. I bought a carton of Dannon's plain Greek yogurt and added some raspberry extract. It wasn't bad, but I missed the pieces of fruit.

Then one day, I bought some strawberries. I used to make jam all the time, and nothing I've ever bought in a store can compare with the homemade variety. I miss it. I miss the smell of strawberries on the boil, pouring it into jars, and listening for the pop when the lids seal. Since I can't eat it anymore, I've stopped making it. But I hit on the idea to chop up the strawberries (about a cup), add 2 heaping tablespoons of Stevia in the Raw, stir it up, stick it in the microwave, let it boil for a minute or so, and see what happens. I let the sugar-free "jam" cool in the refrigerator, and then added it to the Greek yogurt.

OMG!!!! It's thick, creamy, fruity, sweet, cool, and delicious!!!! Plus, it's fat-free and the only sugar is what's in the fruit!

Since then, I've tried it with blueberries and raspberries, but I still like the strawberry the best.




















Enjoy your Tuesday!

Tasty Tuesday!

Happy First Day of Summer! I've tried to look at the calendar more since I almost forgot Father's Day. That's what happens when you work nights and are working on books the rest of the time. One day is very much like another.

I'm still trying to get over that bug I got right before I went to Cincinnati earlier this month. I really don't want to go through that again in New York. Elizabeth Raines is my roomie in NY, and she will NOT want to share a room with someone who's up all night coughing!

Maybe what I need is something hot and spicy to drive out the germs.

This recipe from Diva Donna looks like it might fill the bill. Jesse looks pretty spicy, too!

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole
This is a favorite recipe that my Girls love: Wrap in tortilla's or use a Taco Chip Dip
And I just threw in pierced Jesse again for added Spice

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Directions

1. Place onion, raisins, garlic, sesame seeds, chipotle pepper, peanut butter and crushed tomatoes in slow cooker. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and cocoa powder. Place chicken in the sauce.
2. Cover; cook on Low until chicken is very tender, about 5 hours.
3. Serve with tortilla's or as a dip

Tasty Tuesday Olive Chicken!

I've been so immersed in guest blogs and work on the books, I almost forgot to put up a post here on my own blog. It's a sad state of affairs, let me tell you. My body feels permanently frozen in the sitting position. Thank goodness Donna sends me these recipes to post, otherwise I'd simply be telling you all how to put smoked turkey and muenster cheese on a thin bun with a little mayo and calling it dinner!

Thank you all so much for visiting the guest blogs. Sometimes blogging can get pretty lonely. Our publicist recently mentioned not doing a blog tour for Stud and making a big splash with book nine. I was a bit miffed at first, but it might not be such a bad thing. Anyway, there are two more later this week and one on Monday and I'm done!

So, with out further adieu, here is another tasty-looking recipe from our own Diva Donna!

"Chicken Breasts simmered with wine, chicken broth, olives, tomatoes, and smattering of herbs and spices. Serve with rice. And a bottle of Wine and a very nice Hunk."

Olive Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
• 20 pimento-stuffed green olives
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; brown chicken in oil, about 5 minutes each side. Add garlic, bay leaf, thyme and pepper and mix well, then stir in tomatoes, olives, wine and broth.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove garlic and bay leaf and serve!

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Tasty Tuesday Pita Chicken!

Looks like Donna is getting downright feisty!

She writes:
Cheryl,
You always show us the hunkilicious guys and we have to use our imaginations for what we want to do to that hunk and with that hunk. Today I'm sending you the CBEB Chicken Pita Sandwich. So don't be a chicken! Here's what I thought of when I saw this recipe. LOL!

Pita Chicken (It's A WRAP)

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 2 pita breads
• 8 ounces diced tomato
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup sliced avocado
• 2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Directions

1. Cut chicken into strips. In a skillet, saute in hot oil until almost done. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper over chicken. Add salsa and simmer until done (about 5 minutes).
2. Split pitas in half, fill with chicken and garnish with tomatoes, lettuce, avocado slices, and sour cream.