Mennonite Fruit Soup: Moos

moos

This year as we go through the Fruit of the Spirit I was thinking… Hmm… what kind of recipes would fit that theme? And the first one that came to mind is one I grew up with. My mom would make Moos out of various kinds of dried fruit, and we’d eat it for supper as a side dish, often with ham. I love Moos! My kids love Moos! Strangers only love it once they’ve tried it because the pronunciation {Read More}

Cooking with Mushrooms

mushrooms

I didn’t always love mushrooms, but I do now.  I’m frequently buying fresh mushrooms, using what I can in salads, on pizza or on a crudités.  Leftovers are quickly dried and sit in a jar on my cabinet.  My children often throw a few into their Ramen noodles (as well as peppers, onions or other dried options).  The boiling water cooks them as it cooks the noodles.  I’m also happy to rehydrate a few and throw them on a pizza {Read More}

Romano-Lime Potatoes

photo by Kellie Renfroe

Lime on anything is wonderful–including potatoes. Really. A few weeks back I shared my family’s latest drumstick recipe, Raspberry BBQ Drumsticks. For that meal I made Zucchini Pie paired and Romano-Lime potatoes. It was a simple, economical meal to serve and best of all, the kiddos loved it. The recipe was adapted from a 2003 Taste of Home Quick Cooking cookbook recipe. This week if you’re looking for a fun alternative to the usual potato dish, give this flavorful recipe {Read More}

Zucchini Pie

zucchini cooking1

This year my children chose to include zucchini for our small backyard garden–and they are learning to prepare and eat it in a multitude of ways!  My daughter enjoyed making today’s recipe’s flaky crust from refrigerated crescent rolls. The combination of cheese and fresh zucchini sauteed in garlic gives Italian flavor to this southern pie. Simple to make and pretty to look at, it is an excellent side dish for any summer meal. Zucchini Pie 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls {Read More}

Zucchini Pancakes

photo by Tracey Cagle

An abundance of zucchini presented a challenge this summer. I needed some new ways to prepare them for my family and zucchini pancakes certainly fit the bill. 1 cup shredded zucchini 3 Tbs.  Bisquick  baking mix 2 Tbs.  shredded mild cheddar ½ tsp. baking powder ½  tsp.  dried basil (optional) ½  tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. salt 1 egg   Topping ¼ cup melted butter Shredded parmesan cheese Mix all dry pancake ingredients, add egg and stir well. Batter will be {Read More}

Sweet Potatoes!

photo by Kellie Renfroe

Sweet potatoes are a wonderful vegetable to include in menu planning for the delicious taste and low cost. My family adores fried sweet potatoes –and they are the simplest thing in the world to make. Slice thin for sweet potato chips. Or cut into strips for traditional fries. Cook either in a deep fryer (takes just a few minutes) or in the oven (30 minutes). If oven baking, toss potatoes in a bit of olive oil. Once cooked, toss in {Read More}

Greek Flatbread Chicken with Rosemary-Lemon Potatoes

photo by Kellie Renfroe

If you visit Atlanta there’s a local dive you must not miss–Grecian Gyro located on Virginia Avenue by Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It’s a hole-in-the-wall with little parking, but that doesn’t stop anyone. We all wait for parking before going in to wait for food! Funny thing is, you really don’t have to know the restaurant’s proper name. Just say, ‘Greek place by the airport’ and everyone knows exactly where you’re talking about. Grecian Gyro is famous for authentic Greek gyros and souvlakis along with out-of-this-world {Read More}

Poor Man’s Potatoes

photo by Loi Palmer

This simple side-dish first made its debut back in 2006 when MMCW was still just a monthly email newsletter.  When I ran across the recipe from Loi Palmer this week, I knew it had to be shared once again. Poor Man’s Potatoes Loi Palmer, November 2006 issue of MMCW 1 white potato, 1 sweet potato, 1 large onion, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 package dry Italian or Ranch salad dressing. Slice all the potatoes and onion very thinly. Toss with {Read More}

Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

scalloped potatoes500_phixr

Quick and easy, these scalloped potatoes are a marvelous side dish. My personal favorite is pairing the potatoes with either grilled beef or chicken. Since there is no milk or cream, butter bastes the potatoes as they cook for a yummy flavor. 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray 1 Idaho potato per person 1/2 stick butter or maragine Real Black Pepper bacon bits (or make your own) Sea salt and pepper to taste Optional: chives, chopped {Read More}

Orange-Cucumber Salad

photo by Kellie Renfroe

While I’m certainly no Julie of Julia and Julie movie fame, I do enjoy cooking my way through a fun cookbook. My latest venture is Weight Watchers From Pantry to Plate picked up for $1.50 in excellent condition at Goodwill a month ago.  Not one to leave well enough alone, I adapted the Cucumber-Orange Salad to give it a bit more crunch. Orange Cucumber Salad 1 large orange, juiced 1/2 lemon or lime, juiced 1 garlic clove, minced (if you {Read More}