Zucchini Tomato Salad

Yet another zucchini recipe!

Cut 2 tomatoes and one zucchini into cubes. You want to have an even amount of each.



Add as much ranch dressing as you like. Fabulous and easy salad! My kids love this.

Exceptionally Stupendous Baked French Toast

Melt together (microwave works great!): 8 T buttah, 1.5 C brown sugar, & 3 T Karo syrup. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan.

Beat together 8 eggs, 2.5 C evaporated milk, and 1 T cinnamon.

Dip thick slices of french or italian bread into egg mixture and arrange in pan.

Pour remaining egg mixture over the top.

Sprinkle top lightly with more cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

You can also sprinkle pecans over brown sugar mixture if you like more of a pecan roll taste.

Tips: This works great if you prepare the night before and bake in the morning, just add 10-15 minutes onto the baking time. Pairs well with fresh fruit or sausage.

**disclaimer: that's not a picture of *my* baked french toast. I got the image off of Google...My camera is broken!

caramelized butternut squash

Here's one for Fall:

2 butternut squash
6 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

Peel the squash, cut in half, and then into chunks. Place on sheet pan.
Mix melted butter and brown sugar and pour over squash. Mix with clean hands then season with s/p. Spread evenly over pan and bake in 400 degree oven until tender, about 45 minutes.

I used only one squash and it took just under 30 minutes. Any longer and they would be soggy. It was deliciously sweet. I almost wanted to eat it for dessert!

Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Ingredients:
1 box (12 oz.) jumbo shells
1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 bag (6 oz.) baby spinach, chopped
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

--Preheat oven to 350.
--Cook jumbo shells; drain, reserving 1/3 c. of the pasta cooking water.
--Brown ground beef and drain grease.
--Add oil, spinach, onion, garlic, reserved pasta water; continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
--Add seasonings and blend well. Let mixture cool.
--Stir in egg and Parmigiano cheese.
--Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce into a 13x9 baking dish.
--Fill jumbo shells with meat mixture; place in dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells; sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, cover with foil.
--Bake for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

**Taken from the back of a Barilla Jumbo Shells box.

Modifications I made: more spinach, onion powder instead of onion, no nutmeg, more cheese. This was my first time trying this recipe, and we loved it! My kids ate it too!

For sides, we had breadsticks and salad.