Parmesan Zucchini Crisps~by Kelsey

My new addiction.

Ingredients:
a couple zucchinis or yellow squash
about 1/3 cup bread crumbs
about 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
a little olive oil

Slice the zucchini/squash.  I make them pretty thin so they will cook quickly.  Put them in a bowl with a little olive oil to coat them.  Mix the bread crumbs and cheese.  Mix in to squash.  Line a cookie sheet with foil for easy clean-up.  Line the squash up on the sheet.  Sprinkle whatever crumbs are left in the bowl on top of the squash.  Bake at 350 degrees until cooked as desired.  You can also broil them if you cut them thin enough, or bake first, then end with a little broiling.

Roasted Veggie Sticks ~ by Sarah

This is a Pinterest recipe and Wes and I are addicted!  I wish the kids loved them as much as we do, but it doesn't stop me from making them.  I eat these sticks like candy!  I'm copying and pasting the recipe exactly as the Pinterest person wrote it.  But I always use seasoning salt, freshly cracked pepper, sea salt, and smoked paprika.  Don't be stingy with the seasonings!  They absorb!

Ingredients:
carrots (not peeled)
**zucchini

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Cut your veggies into 3-inch sticks, making sure they are even in thickness.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper (I don't do this) and a light layer of olive oil.
4. SEASON – go with the usual salt and pepper and branch out to one or two of the following (Choose Your Own Adventure-style): paprika, cumin, cayenne, crushed red peppers, thyme, rosemary, sage – really, whatever takes your fancy and suits your meal. Using premixed spice blends is a great option too – Italian, Mexican, Old Bay – you know, just not all at once. Lightly toss your vegetable batons with a tablespoon or so of olive oil (not too much) and the herbs and spices.
5. Spread your seasoned veggies over your lined tray and roast, tossing halfway through, for about 20 minutes or until golden and slightly browned at the edges.

**She mentions that any veggies will work with this method...

Make sure you let them cook until they start to caramelize.  You will not be disappointed!

Cajun Rice Dish~by Kelsey

This recipe came from my super-fantastic Ground Beef Cookbook from Taste of Home.  Seriously, you need to have that cookbook and 50 lbs of ground beef from the Wasco Market.  This recipe calls for Cajun seasoning, which I could not find at Fred Meyer, so I made up my own mix of garlic, chili, cayenne, and onion powder.

Ingredients:
5 cups of beef broth
2 cups of uncooked long grain rice
1 pound of ground beef
1 medium onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper (I used orange)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

In a roasting pan, combine broth and rice.  Mix well.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add to rice with vegetables, salt, and Cajun seasoning.  Mix well.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes more, or until rice is tender.  ( I found it took almost an hour more for my rice to be tender.)

I put soy sauce on mine, Josh added Frank's hot sauce.