Zucchinni Bruschetta

I grew a lot of basil last year and one of my favorite things to make with it was this zucchinni bruschetta. It's simple, delicious and very healthy.

Here's what you do:

• Slice one loaf of french bread and schmear with a little butter (I'm talking a tiny bit) and then season with a little garlic powder. Toast in the oven at 450 degrees for a few minutes.

• Saute' sliced zucchinni (about 2 small, don't use large ones from your neighbors. The skin is too thick and the seeds are enormous!) and about 1 large onion thinly sliced in about 1T olive oil.

• Season with some salt and then top the bread. Then sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese generously. Toast in the oven until the cheese is melted.

• Slice several tomatoes and chop a handful of basil to top it off.

This is so tasty and even better, it's so quick! This was our dinner last night (pic is from the summer) since I didn't have any fresh basil on hand I used dried when I added the salt.

PS: The half-eaten pasta was really good, too! It was a basil-pinenut chicken pasta...maybe I'll post another time.

Texas Caviar

I'm pretty sure I found this recipe on the triplet's blog, but I can't remember.
Wherever I found it, it's delicious and it made a ton! I had to give half of it away because I knew we wouldn't finish it all. It was super easy to make and I actually plan on making it again as part of tonight's dinner.
I didn't make it exactly as it was written because I didn't want to use all the different beans it suggested or the quantity.
I'll write the recipe as it was shown and then add in what I did differently.

Texas Caviar

• 1 can shoepeg corn (I used about a cup or so of frozen that I defrosted in a bowl of water)
• 1 can blackeye peas (Not a huge fan of these so I used black beans, much better!)
• 1 can kidney beans
• Rinse the beans well and put in a good sized bowl

• 3 avocados-diced (I only had one and it worked! P.S: I would add this at the very last because it ended up squishing when I tossed it all together)
• 3 tomatos diced ( I only used 2)
• 1 green pepper diced (I used a half of a red one, would have used more but didn't have any)
• 1 bunch cliantro
• 1 red onion (I don't like hunks of uncooked onion, so I choppen this super fine and it was really good)
• 1 lime - squeeze it over the mixture. I have a bottle of lime concentrate in the fridge and used some of that too because I felt it just needed a little more than one lime.
• 1 tsp. vinegar. I used white distilled and it was good.
• Pinch of salt. When all was done, I thought it needed a little salt to kick it up a bit. But not too much because you eat it with salty tortilla chips.

Let it chill for a couple hours before you eat it. So good!

Yummy Beans

Beans

8 Bacon strips, diced.

2 Medium onions, halved and thinly sliced.

1 cup packed brown sugar,

1/2 cup cider vinegar,

1 tsp salt,

1 tsp ground mustard,,

1/2 tsp garlic powder,

1 28 ounce can Baked beans, [ I use Bushes original], undrained,

1 16 ounce can kidney beans, drained,

1 15,1/2 ounce pinto beans,

1,15 ounce lima beans,

1,15,1/2 ounce black eyed peas, (I use a can of black beans instead because I'm not a fan of the black eyed peas)drain all beans, except baked beans,

cook bacon until crisp, drain, save 2tbl spoons drippings, sauté onions until tender,add brown sugar, vinegar,salt, mustard and garlic powder, bring to a boil.

in slow cooker mix everything, stir, and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, makes

15 to 20 servings.

I cook this on low all day long. I put it in the crock pot in the morning and just cook it on low until dinner time. It's wonderful!!! :o)
I got this recipe from my cousin-in-law Katina Pearce. I LOVE these beans. They are sooo yummy!