Go-to, fast, easy, not-to-many-ingredients, kind-of-healthy recipes

My very favorite recipes are the kind that really serve as guidelines for creating quick¸ easy, somewhat healthy meals. I take the general idea and then add a little of this seasoning, some of that produce, etc . . . And it doesn’t take long, I don’t have to make a special trip to the store¸ and hopefully Brad and Joseph actually eat it, and even get some veggies in their veggie-phobic tummies. So, I thought I would share one of my favorite such “recipes” and hope I could persuade you, the reader, to share some of yours with me! I always enjoy new kitchen inspiration and thought this might be a fun blog experiment as well. So, leave a recipe as a comment, or email it to me at ruthbernstein@shoreham.net. If I get a few I will post them.

Super-Easy, Everyday Chili
Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic (add any colored pepper here if you like). When cooked, stir in canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed), canned diced tomatoes un-drained, canned tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Add other seasonings, such as paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder etc, other beans (I usually add black beans or whatever else I have), other vegetables such as corn (Brad much prefers it with corn). Simmer for a bit and then serve. Can be topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream and great served with cornbread, if you have time to whip that up. Enjoy!

All these ingredients are ones I keep on hand, so this is a great recipe for when I look at the time and start to panic because I have no time. It freezes well and it has veggies that even Joseph will eat. Serve the next day on hotdogs. This is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Special Edition (thanks Debbie!).

Summer Fun

I just got a new computer (YAYY!!!), which actually works, so now I am working on catching up on my photos. Here are some more of my July photos. We had a really wonderful summer and did so many great things (more pics to come):



We finally got ALL the cousins together!

And the silly picture.

Brendan, Brianna, Amber, Jacob, and Joseph (Brendan and Bree are now both my height!)

Visit to Crown Point--the boys LOVED the old forts.

And then creemes. Yummm.

Hike up Snake Mountain with Mary (yes, she carried him the last part!)

Our landscape (farms and lake)

I don't want pictures mom, we finally made it to the top and I just want lunch.

French Heritage Day in Vergennes with Bob and Nora (great-gram).

First time playing the fiddle (with Lausaunne)

And then there was our FABULOUS camping trip! We had such a great time. Yes, it did rain two days and two nights, but it was beautiful two days as well (and one night). And that is what camping is all about.

On our paddle boat.

Bree is so wonderful playing with Joseph!

And it is incredibly exciting to me that Joseph is starting to get really comfortable in the water! (If you don't know, the water is one of my very favorite places to be.)

One rainy day we filled our time with a fun bowling trip (Joseph beat Bree, Jacob, and . . . I don't know why I am admiting this, me).

So cute.

First s'more

I think he liked it!

It only took a year and a half

But, I finally finished my first sweater! Yay! And it even fits him (which is lucky since he wasn't even walking yet when I started it). Working on my second one now (my goal is to finish by early winter) . . .