Crustless Broccoli Quiche

1 TBSP oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10-15 white mushrooms, sliced
1 c broccoli pieces
4 eggs
1 c mozzarella cheese
1 c swiss cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
dash Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9" pie pan.
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Stir-fry onion, garlic, mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli and cook until softened.
Beat eggs in large bowl. Add cheeses, salt, pepper, tabasco. Stir in onion, garlic, mushroom and broccoli mixture.
Pour into greased 9" pie pan.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 F. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/3 c vegetable oil
3/4 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Optional: 1/2 tsp almond extract
Optional: 2 TBSP sugar and/or brown sugar to dust over batter

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add in egg, milk, oil, chocolate chips, vanilla, almond extract. Blend until just moistened.
Pour into 12 muffin cups.
If desired, sprinkle top of batter with sugar and/or brown sugar.
Bake for 18-20 min at 400 F.

TIP: For moister muffins use 3/4 c milk and 1/4 c sour cream instead of 1 c of milk.

Homemade Jello

2 (1/4oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup fruit juice
3 cups hot fruit juice
Optional: sugar, as desired

In a large bowl combine gelatin and cold juice. Allow to sit 10 minutes to allow gelatin to soften.
Add hot juice (and sugar, if desired). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is clear.
Chill until set (1-2 hours). If desired, pour into individual serving dishes before chilling.

Coffee Jello

2 (1/4oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold coffee(or Kahlua)
3 cups hot coffee
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt

In a large bowl combine gelatin and cold coffee (or Kahlua). Allow to sit 10 minutes to allow
gelatin to soften.
Add hot coffee, sugar and salt; stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is clear.
Chill until set (1-2 hours). If desired, pour into individual serving dishes before chilling.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 banana

1/4 c peanut butter

3 ice cubes

drizzle of honey

1/4 to 1/2 c milk

Place banana, peanut butter, ice cubes, honey in a blender with about 1/4 cup of milk.
Blend until smooth.
Add more milk until desired thickness is achieved.

TIP: Add 1 tbsp of quick-cooking oats to make a more hardy, filling breakfast.

TIP: Add 1 tbsp chocolate syrup to make a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
11 tbsp dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
3 tbsp oil
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter, cocoa, oil and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Stir in flavoring.
Stir flour and salt into batter and mix just until flour is moistened (don't overbeat).
Pour into greased 9 x 13in pan.
Bake at 350 until top looks cracked and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 45 min to 1 hr)

TIP: I use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, but the brownies can also be made with regular cocoa powder. If regular cocoa powder is used, increase the amount to 12 tbsp.
TIP: If you used salted butter, leave out the 1/4 tsp of salt.
TIP: These brownies are very moist; for a more fudgy consistency, omit the oil.

Potato Salad

4 med potatoes
1/2 lb bacon
2 large pickles, finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. pickle juice (pour from pickle jar)

Cook potatoes (I microwave them using the potato button on my microwave), then peel them and cut them into bite-sized pieces. (You can also peel and cut the potatoes first and then boil them for about 15 min.) While the potatoes are cooking, fry bacon in a frying pan until crispy.
Pour pickle juice over potatoes while they are still warm and stir. Add pickles, onion and mayonnaise and mix well. Crumble bacon into potato salad and mix again. Refrigerate until serving.

TIP: I like to wait until I am ready to serve the potato salad before adding the bacon, so the bacon will still be crispy.
TIP: You may need to add more pickle juice or mayo after the salad has cooled to obtain the right consistency.
TIP: The bacon will cook more quickly if you cut it into small pieces before frying it.