Labor Day Love

Okay girls, this blog needs some love. Let's call it some "Labor Day love"....we need some new recipes and we need some new 'authors'!! I know there has got to be some of you out there who check this blog and also have tons of 'favorite' recipes to share! Come on, all you secret chefs, come on out from behind the lurking curtain...If you have posted before, keep posting! To motivate you girls to join the fun, I'm going to offer a fantabulous prize...well, let's make it TWO fantabulous prizes! First prize goes to the first 'new author' to post the most recipes in the next month! (new author qualifies as anyone who is added to the 'author' list between today and the contest end date) Let's make the end date, October 6th, the monday after the first MOMS of the season in order to talk it up at MOMS. The second prize goes to the person (old or new) who posts the most new recipes this month! The prize? A 10 dollar starbucks card! ...or Target...or whatever your heart desires.

To become a new author...send me an email at juliedelamarter@yahoo.com and I will add you to the 'author' list. Once you are invited, click on 'new post' and post away! All you need is a free google account to get you started. You don't have to be a summit view mom to join either! Come on you Summit View non-moms, grandmas...friends of Summit view moms, bloggers, non-bloggers...


Post your favorites!! Post those recipes your family drools over! Post those recipes you make that you hide in a closet and eat the whole thing yourself! (come on, i know you do it!) ;)Personally, since fall is around the corner I would love your WINNER chili recipes. I've always done the little brown bag mix at the store...there has got to be better! Oh, and Praise the Lord, its football season!! ;) Who has great football food recipes? Bring on the appetizers, ladies!

Come on, I only have 2 more months of pregnancy over-indulgence and I will be forced to get back on the bandwagon! Did I tell you I gained 10lbs last month? Seriously. Can we make it 20? Okay, I'm getting carried away. You get the picture. Join. Post. Cook. Have fun. Win. Win. Win. Ya, you get it.

According to the labels...there are only NINE of us who have ever posted a recipe....Can we make that number 25 by the time this contest is over? Meleea, Ashley, Kristi, Jennifer H.....I'm calling you all out!! Kristi, I know you have some great DRINK recipes...punch, christmas cider...mmmm....

Julie D.

My Love Hate relationship with Rachel Ray/Mexican Pizzas

It's true...I have a love hate relationship with Rachel Ray. Her quirky catchphrases bug me (a la EVOO, YUM-O), but those 30 minute meals suck me in!

I bought Michelle's past year of RR Everyday Mag at our care group garage sale, knowing I'd need some reading material while camping. I found this recipe in one of the magazines (my hubby LOVES Chorizo) so it caught my eye. It is something I'll make again! It was yummy. And, I didn't have to hear her raspy little voice in the magazine :). Click Here for the recipe

I made the kids with only cheese and beans and they LOVED them. (chorizo is kinda spicy, as well as the green chiles and taco sauce, but we grown ups thought it was tasty)I also used black beans instead of kidney, since it was in my cupboard.

Pizza Casserole

Yes, that's right. A CASSEROLE from the Kesler Kitchen. For those of you who don't know...in my 8 years of marriage, my husband has REFUSED to eat casserole, of any shape, flavor, or kind. If it was casserole...he would not eat it. (childhood of nasty chicken and rice casseroles ruined him).

We were camping this weekend, and one of our family members made this for her meal. It happened to be our anniversary, so while we were eating Filet Mignon at the delish Sidestreet Bistro in Florence OR, our kiddos were gobbling this stuff down like food would not exist after the meal. Matt (hubby) tried it and said...."oooohhhhh. That's goooood". The rest is history! Today flung open the door of hope for casseroles in my family! I made 2 batches of this today, it's really easy, and gave one to a sickie preggo I know, for her family.

Pizza Casserole

1 Box of "Deluxe" Macaroni and Cheese Dinner (the kind with a sauce pouch, not powder mix, like velveeta, Kraft, I bought the Safeway brand)

1 Cup of prepared red pasta/pizza sauce

1/2 lb ground beef (browned)

1/2 lb of ground italian sausage (browned)

1/2 lb of mozzerella cheese, shredded (make sure to reserve some for the topping)

1 Cup of colby jack, shredded (I used parmesan instead, it was what I had-note, Cheddar would be pretty greasy)(again, reserve a bit for topping)

3-4 ounces of pepperoni, chopped up

1 ounce of pepperoni slices to go on top of finished casserole

Prepare Macaroni to package directions. Add in meats (except some pepperonis for the topping), and pasta sauce. Then add shredded cheeses, making sure to reserve some cheese for the topping. Put into 13x9 Baking pan. Spread the last of your cheese on top and add some more pepperoni slices to the top, like a pizza.

Not so low fat, but yummy and belly filling! All 3 of my boys ate and ate this stuff! Next time I will probably use Turkey Pepperoni, it tastes no different but is a whole lot less greasy. It was actually easier to make a double batch, I think. I used one whole jar of pasta sauce and 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of sausage...it was just easier proportions. It would be easy to freeze one pan, or take it someone in need of a meal.

Pesto Burgers

Okay ladies,

Here is another EASY recipe for you. I am all about few ingredients.
I have made this for a few friends and they all rave about them.

Pesto Sauce in a jar
cubed mozerella
Hamburger...the best is ground sirlon if you can find it.
combine the following ingredients and grill on the BBQ. Make sure not too overdo it.
I top my burger off with basil and tomatoes. Tastes great!

Another option is bruchetta in a jar with the same ingredients. Also excellent but the burgers do not hold together as well. Better to crush the tomatoes a little before blending.
NOW you are ready for your labor day picnic.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Need another way to use up all that zucchini? Dee, I know it's comin' out your ears right now....with what.....30 plants or something crazy like that?!!!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3 Tbs Cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla

Stir together oil, sugar and zucchini. Add flour, soda, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and nuts. Put into (2) greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let set 10 minutes, and then turn out on rack to cool

Note: No eggs are used in this recipe. Great for those with egg allergies.

yummy yummy in my tummy

Peanut Butter Honey Popcorn


So so easy! My mom used to always make peanut butter popcorn for a camping treat when I was a little girl and since we're getting ready to go camp for a week, I decided to hunt down the recipe. It's so good, OOPS, we ate most of it, and now I need to make another batch for camping!

2 quarts (I did about 4 and it worked well) of POPPED pop corn
1/2 Cup Honey (can substitute light corn syrup)
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Bring Honey and Sugar to a rolling boil. Remove from Heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until smooth and well blended (but don't let it cool to much). Then, pour over the popcorn and stir until all coated. Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet or 2 to cool and set up (until not sticky, it will still be kind of chewy). Takes about 15 minutes and is sooooo good.

Enjoy a yummy snack! Eryn