Pumpkin Tomato Basil Soup

I had a baking pumpkin to use and didn't want to make a pie so I found this soup recipe to try. It was delicious!

1 Small Pumpkin
1 can tomato puree
4 cups Chicken Broth
6-7 Carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
1 Medium Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons Basil, chopped
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 pinch Ground Pepper
1/4 cup Cream (optional - I didn't use any but it would make it creamier)
1 Teaspoon sugar

In a large pot, put Chicken Stock, pumpkin and carrot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 1/2 hour.
Sautee onions and mushrooms until browned.
Puree all ingredients in a blender. Place pureed soup into the soup pot.
Add spices, sugar and cream at this time.
Simmer for 10 minutes.

It makes a lot - probably 15 servings.

Zucchini Bread

If you send your husband to the store to get these ingredients, make sure he knows the difference between zucchini and cucumbers!

3 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 1/2 t cinnamon
Sift all this in a bowl

3 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c natural applesauce
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 t vanilla extract
Beat in large bowl then add dry ingredients and mix

4 c grated zucchini
1 c chopped walnuts
Stir in

Pour batter into two greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 325 for 50-55 min. Cool on rack for 20 min. Remove from pan and cool completely before cutting.

granola

6 cups quick oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
2 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
optional: raisins, coconut, sesame seeds and nuts (I've never used any of those)
In large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, wheat germ and nonfat dry milk (and coconut, sesame seeds and nuts if desired). Stir that all together. Combine honey, vegetable or canola oil, water and vanilla. Add to oat mixture. Stir to coat ingredients well. (The actual recipe says to do this next part diffferent but when we made it this is how we did it and it turns out well, and this is how the Mechams do it) Place that in one cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees. Leave it in there for 12 minutes and then take it out and sift it with a fork. Then put it back in the oven for about 12-15 minutes and it should turn out! This makes about 14 cups.


this is great because i use my food storage for a lot of it. enjoy!

The Green Burrito!

I had to wait for a good one to post and here it is.

1 Rump roast (any roast for the crock pot will do)
1/2 can Macayo's Red Enchilada's sauce (I actually used the market pantry ones from Target but I like Macayo's much better)
1 can Macayo's Green Enchilada's sauce
About 1 tablespoons of chopped onions (any kind, if desired)
1 small can of green chili's (if desired)
About a 1/2 cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in the crock pot on low BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. I did it at around 9:30pm and I ate it at 1:00pm the next day. It comes out so tender and juicy and flavorful. (10-15 hours should do the trick) (my sister cooks this on MEDIUM for 15 hours, she likes the burnt glaze it creates on the top of the meat...you decide)

To make it healthy, you can drain all the liquid in a bowl, stick it in the fridge and let it cool for a couple hours. When it's cool, all the fat should come and harden at the top. Skim the fat off, reheat the juice, pour juice over meat. You should be able to shred the meat in the pot or you can take it out and use a fork to shred it with.
You can also make this an Enchilada soup and add more enchilada sauce. However you like it it is fantastic. Enjoy!