Campfire Pockets

What a busy week we are having! Right now we are preparing for a vacation and also our upcoming school year. I’m still trying to keep meals as simple and healthy as possible. These campfire pockets are a kid favorite here and I like them because they are easy, healthy and don’t require me to heat the house up.

The ingredients you need are based on how many people you are serving and personal taste.

We used:

1 potato per person

Several yellow plumb tomatoes per person

Several slices of onion and green bell pepper per person

1 hard boiled egg per person

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 lb ground beef, divided between 7 pockets

Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper sprinkled into each pocket

Peel potatoes and chop into thin strips

Cut boiled eggs into quarters

Chop other veggies into thin pieces

Fold foil into pockets: Fold in half then double fold both of the sides.

It should look like this (below)

Layer veggies  in pocket

Add meat and sprinkle in spices.

Fold top. Carefully shake a little to mix the contents.

Place packets on grill until potatoes are tender and meat is thoroughly cooked

The best part is you can eat it straight out of the pocket which means NO clean-up!

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Zucchini Corn Muffins

Zucchini season is here! I love zucchini…it’s so healthy and versatile! If you’re tired of eating it prepared the same way every time here is recipe that is a little different.

You will need:

Prepared corn bread batter (you can make your own or use store bought)

1 medium zucchini, grated, (my zucchini was a little on the large side…I used a little more than half. It looked like about 2 cups)

1 onion, chopped

4 ounces of cheddar cheese shreds

onion powder

Place zucchini and onion in corn bread batter.

Sprinkle lightly with onion powder.

Add in cheese.

Mix well and fill muffin cups with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

These tasty muffins are great with BBQ chicken. Super simple! 🙂

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Coconut Cookies with Lime Icing

It’s been so hot here, I want to get in the pool and never get out. Such is Summer in the South…wouldn’t trade it for anything, though. 🙂

Today I was in the mood for a light tropical cookie. Something that matched with the tropical feeling my yard is giving me right now. 😉

You will need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugars together, then beat in egg and flavorings.

in a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Then mix in the coconut.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to sugar mixture.

Roll into small balls and place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes or until cookie is golden brown.

You can eat it just the way it is or for a little added flavor top with a lime icing. 🙂

Simple Lime Icing:

Mix 2 TBSP Lime juice and 1 TBSP softened (not melted) butter or margarine, 1 drop green food coloring and 1 drop yellow food coloring. Gradually add in Tablespoons of powdered sugar (about 12) until the icing is at the desired consistency.

It’s the perfect cookie for a summer luau or cookout!

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Tangy Green Bean Casserole – Something a Little Different

I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! Ours was eventful and involved a trip to the ER.

Happy 6 (Superman) jumped off a bed and landed on Happy 7’s (Batman) head. So of course, we headed to the ER. Fortunately, everything was fine. That’s life with boys …I hope I survive the superhero stage… 😉

On to today’s recipe! 🙂

When I was a kid, my mom made a green bean casserole that was a bit different than the usual mushroom soup casserole. Not that I have anything against the mushroom soup casserole, but I will probably never crave it. My mom’s casserole, however, is a different story altogether!

You will need:

2 pounds fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

2 TBSP finely chopped onion

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP white vinegar (or rice vinegar)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBSP saltine cracker crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Put beans in a pan with a little water to cover. Cook until almost tender. Drain off water, then mix green beans,  minced onions, garlic, olive oil, pepper and vinegar in a casserole dish together.

Melt butter

Add cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese to the butter and mix well

Place crumb mixture on top of the green beans in casserole dish

Bake at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown.

I have been known to polish off large portions of this in lieu of a proper lunch or dinner! 😉

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Cowboy Mashed Potatoes

Living in a house full of boys, there are always superheros, various Star Wars characters and (of course) cowboys underfoot. My three-year-old is especially fond of playing cowboys. His little Fisher Price farm set has a little farmer with it that Happy 3 insists is a cowboy.

Happy 3 is also the most picky eater of all my boys. Most of my kids will gobble down vegetables as fast as I can set them on the table…but not Happy 3. He needs a little more convincing.

So tonight we are having mashed potatoes “cowboy” style. I am hoping that the combination of his beloved mashed potatoes combined with some vegetables and a slightly spicy kick will rope him in. 😉 I think my husband is sold…I’ve had to chase him away a couple of times…after all, we need some to be left in the bowl for when the chicken is finally done and it is time for the food to be placed on the table!

Anyway, you will need:

15 – 16 medium potatoes

1 cup carrots (cut very thin…matchsticks)

1 onion, minced

1/2 cup butter

10-15 slices of pickled jalapenos (I used 28 slices…we all like a little more ‘kick’)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

8 oz. corn

3-5 minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

Peel, cut and boil your potatoes as you normally would for mashed potatoes. Saute the garlic, onion, carrots and jalapenos in a little oil.

Place butter in the bowl you will be mixing the potatoes in

Pour the (hot) boiled potatoes over the butter and mix (mash)

Add the corn to the sauteed mixture and saute a few minutes longer

Add the sauteed mixture to the potatoes and mix

Then mix in the cheese and serve

And in the words of my husband “Yee Haw!! Let’s eat!!”  😉

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KFC Style Coleslaw

I love this time of year! Cooking outside on the grill and eating outside on the porch are ways we spend relaxing evenings together. It’s this time of year that I start thinking about grilled foods, fried chicken, big buttery biscuits, oh…and KFC coleslaw! Here is a recipe that tastes just like the KFC coleslaw and is really easy to make!

You will need:

2 Tbsp and 1/4 tsp vinegar

3 Tbsp and 1/4 tsp oil

2/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1/2 cup sugar

1 carrot, shredded

1 medium to large head of cabbage,  finely shredded

Mix the first five ingredients together.

Then add in the shredded cabbage and carrots. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight so that the flavors blend well.

A great addition to any cookout! 🙂

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