Authentic Thai Peanut Sauce

This sauce is wonderful and I have some left over for other things.  I just sauteed some veggies, added some peanuts and spaghetti and poured the sauce over it.  Yummy!  Add some hot sauce if you want it spicy.  Get the recipe here.

Spicy Apple Bars

Going to a bonfire tonight and I think these Spicy Apple Bars will be a great treat.  I made them just like the recipe except used 1/2 Splenda and 1/2 sugar.  Also, I'm not a fan of walnuts so I used pecans.  They have a stong fall spice taste, but the bits of tart apple just make these bars delicious!

Vegetable Soup

This Quick Fall Minestrone has something for everyone.  I told my family, if you don't like something, pick it out.  It has a really good flavor.  I read all the comments on the original recipe and I added a can of tomato paste, a jalapeno pepper, and used 8 cups of vegetable broth. I followed the recipe for the rest.

This was  a hearty soup that required a lot of chopping, so if you aren't interested in chopping, try  a different recipe!  I served the soup with garlic cheese bread.

Three Cheese Mac n Cheese

Tried a new recipe for mac n cheese -- risky in my house, because they are all fans of "the box" (yuk.)  This is also a bit healthy, but not really very low fat. I made it just like the recipe (with the full fat evap milk!)  It was a success.  Very tasty.

Sorry -- this picture doesn't look very good.  It tastes better than the picture looks!

Apple Recipes

I tried a few new apple recipes and I thought they were worth posting.  The first was Bread Pudding Apple Pie.  It turned out rather cakey, but moist and full of apples.  I didn't put it in a crust -- just baked it in a pie pan.

I wanted something for breakfast instead of the banana bread or muffins I usually make, so I made some Apple Cinnamon Scones.  They aren't very sweet, but I like that.  They are moist, though, and good with coffee!

It's apple season!  Give these a try.

Cheap Scarf

This scarf came from a thrift store dress that I paid about $5 for.  I think it's pretty, and I have a lot it will go with.  I just cut strips from the front and back of the dress, so the scarf does have a seam in it, then I narrow hemmed the long edges.  It is important the the fabric look the same from the wrong side.

Tater Crust Tuna Pie

We really like this recipe.  I make it often, but the name always gives us a chuckle.  My husband calls it "'Possum Pie."  Anyway, it's got some fat in it, but it tastes good.  Tater Crust Tuna Pie is a Taste of Home recipe that I got in a crate full of recipe cards many years ago.  But I found the recipe on the internet so I could share it with you.

Tilapia with Hash Browns

This sounded like a really strange combination when I read the recipe, but I decided to try it.  We really liked it.  I used fresh green peppers because I didn't have any roasted red peppers.  It was a nice combination.  Here's the link for Tilapia with Hash Browns.

Baked Chiles Rellenos with Smoky Tomato Sauce

I found this recipe in Vegetarian Times Magazine. It was really tasty, but I think it would be better as a side dish.  It doesn't have any protein or many carbs in it -- maybe you could add some rice or something to the filling to make it more substantial.  It was quite a bit of work for a side dish.

Also, I don't really think it's necessary to roast the poblanos before you stuff and bake them.  They got really mushy and ripped quite a bit when I removed the seeds.  I ended up brushing the egg onto the peppers after they were stuffed and then sprinkling the panko crumbs on top.

The sauce was very spicy, but I used a very big chipotle pepper, so cut down on that if you don't like it so spicy.

New T-Shirt

I made this t-shirt using Kwik Sew #3790.  I really like the way it turned out -- it fits well.  I may make some more of these.  I used the serger for part of the construction -- I haven't used my serger for a while -- It's in desperate need of a tune up.  So I added that to my list . . .

It's hard to tell from the picture, but my t-shirt is backwards from the pattern.  Be sure you put the pattern pieces on the right side of the fabric -- several pieces are cut out from a single layer.  If you do put the first piece on the wrong side, make sure you put the REST of the pieces on the wrong side, and then whenever it says "left" in the instructions, you have to think "right."

New Recipes

I've made a few new recipes that I wanted to tell you about.  First, I made " Doc's Corn and Potato Chowder" but I made a few changes.  I used fresh veggies, not frozen. I used soy milk and fat-free evaporated milk.  I added a couple teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning and about a cup of cheddar cheese.  I didn't have the roasted garlic mushroom soup so I used regular cream of mushroom and added some garlic to the veggies.  I thought it turned out really tasty.

Tonight I made "Orzo and Artichoke Hearts" and it was a little different, but we liked it.  I used jarred roasted red peppers.  I really didn't know what they meant by "mini red and yellow peppers." And I used real mozzarella instead of vegan cheese.

I heard on the news that President Clinton has changed to a no animal protein diet.  He's lost 20 pounds.  You know he's had heart problems so it's probably a good thing for him.

I've "changed my operation"

My son used to say that when he was little -- he would tell me "I'm going to change my operation."  I've decided that I want to split my blog into two separate blogs -- one for books and the other for hobbies and other musings.  Books are really more than a hobby to me.  It's part of my job, and my calling.  I'm trying to become a more serious book blogger, so I can join other book bloggers in activities, organizations, etc.  Some of these activities require "followers" so please become an official follower, if you are so inclined.

The new blog is called The More You Read, The More You Will Know and I hope you enjoy it.  There will always be a link to the blog on the left side of this one, under "My Blog List."