Caramelized Vegetable Trio - Great Side Dish!

I'm excited to share this one with you...

It's a favorite and I think it makes a great side dish for any meal.

I hope your family enjoys this even half as much as we do!

My Alaska friend, Wanda, who doesn't do much cooking, shared this recipe with me and we have enjoyed it so much. She manages to come up with some real winners...she just doesn't realize her talent! *-*

This recipe is a great way to serve fresh summer veggies in season. It's not too late to get fresh green beans and red taters.

MMMMMMMM!!!  MMMMMM!!

It's easy, delicious and impressive!  If you're having company and need a side dish, this is a great one.  First, you'll want to check to be sure they 'do'

onions...as many don't, but we love this!

Try it...you'll like it.

First you clean and chunk the potatoes and green beans, and while they're cooking, you caramelize the onions.  I browned them a few minutes longer after taking this picture. You want them nice and brown.

Then you mix balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together (I use Brown Sugar Splenda - half the amount called for) and add it to the onions, then pour that over the top of the drained veggies.  I can eat a whole plateful of this sooo- good dish!

(For Curious Minds...The 'other' thing on the plate is a burger

with sauteed fresh mushrooms topped with sour cream - YUM!)

CARAMELIZED VEGETABLE TRIO

2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks

1 lb. fresh green beans, cleaned and snapped in half

(may substitute 2 cans canned green beans, drained)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. margarine

2 lg. sweet onions, chopped

1/4 c. cider or balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

In Dutch oven, bring 1-1/2" of water to a boil.

Add potatoes and beans; cook until tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Drain - set aside. While vegetables are cooking, melt margarine

in 12" skillet; add onions and cook until tender and browned, about

10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar

and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour onion mixture over potato mixture;

stir to coat.  If desired, top with freshly ground pepper

before serving.

ENJOY EVERY SWEET 'N' SOUR BITE!

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Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Fit & Fabulous Friday

Ingredient Spotlight

GBP Roundup - Farmer's Market Favs

Meal Plan Monday

Eggland's Best "Plate Date" and a Giveaway!

You may, or may not know, but I recently had the special honor of teaming up with Eggland's Best Eggs.  We 3 gals at Country Cooks Across America each signed a contract with EBE and they helped us throw a "Plate Date" at their expense.

It's a first for me, and I certainly hope it won't be a last.

Eggland's Best Eggs not only have awesome, healthier and tastier eggs, they are an EGGS-celent (couldn't help myself=) company to 'work' with.  I enjoyed every step of the way and want to sing their praises.

Doncha just love the little stamp on each egg!?  I'd sure love to see just how they do that.  I honestly think I could get much joy from doing that monotonous job.

I had 15 people in attendance for my Eggland "Plate Date" brunch and 5 of them were these sweet kids. (No - they're not all my grandchildren!) 

The theme was to use kid friendly dishes to get kids start the school day with a healthy breakfast.  I shared recipes with the moms and grandmas to help.

 Here are a few of the recipes I made...

The first one is 'easy peasy'. You mix everything in the blender - it does the work for you!

I gave the kids each a little condiment cup with their choice of syrup or peanut butter to dip the sticks in.

INVISIBLE BANANA FRENCH TOAST STICKS

2 eggs

1 banana, sliced

1 Tb. milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 slices bread (I used Texas Toast)

1 Tb. margarine

1 Tb. oil

Place eggs, banana slices, milk and cinnamon in blender. Blend until smooth.  Pour into bowl; heat margarine and oil in skillet. Dip bread into batter and fry. Serve with peanut butter or warm maple syrup.

(Actually, I baked them this time and it worked great to do a bigger batch at once!  I placed them on non-stick foil and baked at 375 for about 10 - 12 minutes - turned each over when brown on the under side...then baked about 6 or 7 minutes more until brown.)

May cool to room temperature, spread on lightly greased cookie sheet and freeze.  (This way they won't stick together and you can remove one at a time.) Remove and place in ziploc freezer bag. On busy mornings, just heat as many as you need in the microwave and you have a warm breakfast in no time.

Here's another delicious "grab 'n' go" quick and nutritious breakfast recipe that folks were pretty impressed with. Have you ever had a cookie with bacon it it?  It's really good with a peanut butter base.

I know it really isn't an 'egg' dish, but it does have an egg in it, and it makes for a great breakfast on the run.  It has peanut butter, oatmeal, cornflakes, applesauce and bacon.  YES!  BACON.  Try it...you just might like it.

Your kids might too!  (I'm pretty sure they will!) These kids did.

Some kids don't care for raisins, so I purposely made some without.  Can you tell by looking at them.  Personally, I prefer raisins. 

Either way, these are really good and good for you!

BREAKFAST COOKIES

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 Tb. applesauce

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/4 tsp. baking soda

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 c. cornflakes, slightly crushed

1/2 c. raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugar until light.  Beat in egg and applesauce. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Blend thoroughly. Stir in bacon, cornflakes and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonsful 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Store in the refrigerator.

 

I also served one of my all-time favorites...Special Egg Salad.  It has cream cheese and garlic powder.  It's hard to 'beat' it.  =)  I made sandwiches and cut them into heart shapes.  I also served it in a bowl along with cracker sticks for those who didn't want the bread.

There were a couple others at the Plate Date who have the same problem I do...they couldn't quit eating it. 

Click here to see this recipe already posted at my blog. 

All of the opinons above are my own. EBE's provided me with coupons and a giftcard to help purchase the items necessary to make these recipes. I was also provided with a package similar to the one available in the giveaway.

FUN! FUN! FUN!

WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!!

ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER WILL BE WINNING

A PRIZE GIFT PACK FROM EGGLANDS BEST.

All these things are included in the gift pack...

~2 Free EB Dozen coupons (any variety)

~1 Free EB Hard Cooked and Peeled variety coupon

~4 EB ramekins

~1 EB apron

~1 EB whisk

~1 EB spatula

~1 EB egg timer

~1 EB ecobag

~ EB plush egg

You MUST be a follower of The Better Baker

And a Fan of Eggland's Best Eggs at Facebook

(click here to 'like' EBE if you haven't done so already)

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below telling me how you use

Egglands Best Eggs.

The contest will end at noon on Wednesday, August 31st.

~Open to U. S. Residents only~

Peach-Blueberry Crisp (Updated photo)

I LOVE BLUEBERRIES!

And they're sooo good for you! They're loaded with vitamins and are high in fiber and low in fat. Recent studies tell us that of all fresh fruits and vegetables, blueberries provide the most health-protecting antioxidants, those valuable elements which prevent cancer-causing cell damage and may limit the changes wrought by age related diseases.

When a friend served me this dish, warm from the oven, topped with ice cream, I knew I had to have the recipe. It's one among many delicious recipes in my cookbook "Recipes & Recollections from The Better Baker".

(If you'd like to know more about my cookbook filled with 300 easy recipes, click here)

What a delightful combination the peaches are with the blueberries. Peaches are great for your skin too.

PEACH-BLUEBERRY CRISP

3 - 4 peaches, about 1-1/2#, peeled and sliced into wedges

2 c. blueberries, cleaned

1 hp. TB. cornstarch

2 TB. lemon juice

1/3 c. sugar

TOPPING:

2/3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. light brown sugar

5 TB. (unsalted) butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 2.5 qt. baking dish. In a large bowl, combine peaches, blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar; set aside. In small bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; stir in brown sugar, then butter, mixing by hand until blended and crumbly. Spread fruit mixture in prepared baking dish and sprinkle with oatmeal mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.

Yield: 6 - 7 servings

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Linked to Wonka Wednesday
        Ingredient Spotlight - Berries
    GBP Roundup - Fav Fruit Dishes
Meal Plan Monday

I'm so honored!

I am just stunned...and honored too!

My recipe for Taco Chicken was the #1 viewed at a Jane Doiron's 'Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms' Melt in Your Mouth Monday linky party last week. 

Jane Doiron is an amazing blogger, and a dear email buddy of mine.  She's done many things to help me, as a newbie to the blogging world. I have been so touched by the time she shares with me. She's SUCH a busy lady.

I just love Jane's website.  She's so professional and I continue to learn from her.

In fact, I've got Jane's cookbook packed to take to my daughter's with me. *-*

She has a lot of traffic Gals - NO wonder my numbers climbed so drastically in the last week. 

WOWZERS!!!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE A PART IN MY GROWING FAN NUMBERS!

AND THANK YOU JANE TOO!!!!

OK...if you haven't viewed this delicious recipe yet...go check it out here   You'll want to make it soon.  It's been a family favorite at our house for years. It can be made a day ahead too....which is what Jane's website and cookbook are all about. 

(BIG CYBERHUGS TO YA'LL!)

Tasty Three Bean Salad

Stay tuned...I'm hosting a "Plate Date" in my home tomorrow
sponsored by Eggland's Best Eggs. I look forward to sharing
recipes and pictures with you in the days ahead.  I'll be at
my daughter's all next week enjoying time with 5-mo. old Sam, as he recovers from surgery this week, and his dear sisters.  I'll be missing ya'll!

**********************************

I recently got this recipe from my precious friend, Roxanna. 

Some of my favorite recipes have come from her, so I knew this was going to be tasty.

She is my 'Lucy'...and I'm her 'Ethel'.  Occassionally we get crazy and act like the other. ha  She is my 'sidekick' & definitely a sister of my heart.

This is a wonderful, easy and terrific side dish. 

And it keeps well for nearly a week...if it doesn't get eaten up sooner.

It tastes best if it has 24 hours to marinate.

When I made it, my hubby {Bean is his nickname you know) REALLY liked this...he commented how good it was, more than once, so I knew it was going to be a 'must have again' dish in this house.

Trust you'll enjoy it too....

THREE BEAN SALAD

(From The Better Baker)

1 - 16 ozs. can green beans, drained

1 - 16 ozs. can wax beans, drained

1 - 16 ozs. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

chopped green pepper to taste (I'm not a fan of peppers, so they were omitted)

chopped onions to taste

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/3 c. salad oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix beans and vegetables in large bowl. In medium bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, salad oil, salt and pepper. Blend well; pour over beans. Marinate at least 24 hours before serving, stirring a few times.

Enjoy a lovely weekend!

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Linked to GP Roundup - Summer Salads
Meal Plan Monday