Black Bean Salsa

• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cans black eyed peas
• 2 cans corn (drained)
• 8-10 Roma or plum tomatoes
• 3 avocados (diced)
• Zesty Italian dressing, 1/2 of small bottle
• pure` of lime 

Serve with lime or guacamole chips, or plain tortilla chips.

Fruit Smoothie

Fruit Smoothie

1/2 pkg frozen fruit
Frozen Juice Concentrate
1 cup yogurt
Milk

You can pick any kind of frozen fruit, any yogurt, and any frozen juice concentrate that you want. I do different ones all the time (I make this several times a week). It's a different flavor smoothie every time I make it! Throw everything into a blender, you can put in a spoonful of frozen juice concentrate or half of the can, more will make it sweeter. Pour milk in till about the point where it just covers the frozen fruit, less for thicker smoothie, more for thinner.

Frozen fruit is great because the nutrients stay in the fruit and sometimes may be even better at keeping the nutrients in than fresh fruit! I learned this from one of my Nutrition classes.

Soft Pretzels

Soft Baked Pretzels

I got this recipe from my friend Carrie. We used the dough to make Salt Pretzels, Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels and Pretzel wrapped hot dogs. They were so good!

I used whole wheat flour instead of bread flour and they still came out great.

1 package (.25 oz.) Active dry yeast (= 1 TBSP)

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 1/8 tsp. Salt

1 ½ cup warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

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2 cups warm water

2 TBSP baking soda

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2 TBSP butter, melted

1-2 TBSP coarse kosher salt or cinnamon sugar


In a large mixing bowl, add yeast, brown sugar and salt. Test water temperature with thermometer. When it reads 110 degrees, add to bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add both types of flour and stir well.


Place dough on floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. ** (To knead dough, press down on dough with your palm, fold the dough over and rotate 1/4 turn, repeat until dough is ready.) Grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl then turn dough upside down to coat the surface. Cover with a towel and let rise for one hour in a warm spot.


Combine 2 cups warm water (test again for 110 degrees) and baking soda in an 8-inch square pan. After the dough has risen, divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 1.5 foot rope, ½ inch wide. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on cookie sheets with parchment paper and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.


Bake at 450 F for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle with coarse salt or cinnamon sugar.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
one can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter a loaf pan; set aside. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar with pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat till combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Guacamole

Guacamole

If you're hankering for guacamole, this will hit the spot. 

Great with chips, burritos, fajitas, pretty much anything. 

• 4 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• Juice of 2 lemons or limes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) red onion
• 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño

salt and pepper

Mash the avocados with the lemon or lime juice and cumin in a bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy!