Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

I made this recipe from the Aug 2010 Cooking Light. They suggested pairing it with tomato bruschetta. It was a great late summer meal.

Ingredients
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped
1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels
2 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

Makes 4 servings at 285 calories each.

Oatmeal pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups oatmeal
½ cup whole wheat flour
3 T honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 ½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (you can add more, but James is sensitive to it so I don't add a lot.)

These are a new favorite! I adapted this recipe from one I found here. I substituted honey for the sugar and whole wheat flour for the white flour. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and let sit for 20-30 minutes, covered. Cook slowly on a griddle. Helpful tip: The pancakes are easier to flip if they are not very big.

Oatmeal Crispies

This is a family recipe. I grew up making these with my Mom and sister. I love that you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze into logs. Then you can pull out the dough and have freshly baked cookies anytime.

Ingredients
1 cup crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 cups oatmeal

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Shape into 4 rolls and wrap in wax paper. Freeze for atleast an hour. If you have to you can skip this step. I'm not sure why freezing the dough is important, but it is just how I grew up making them. Cut and bake 10 minutes at 350.

Chili's Grilled Caribbean Salad- Honey lime dressing

This is a salad that Chili's used to serve with a honey-line dressing. They discontinued it a while ago, but I recently heard that they brought it back. I'm not sure if it is the same as my old favorite. I found this recipe in a book that specialized in restaurant recipes. At Chili's they served this salad on a bed of greens with grilled chicken on top. They also topped it with pineapple chunks, mandrin oranges, and tortilla strips.

Ingredients
1/4 cup grey poupon
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T sesame oil
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 t lime juice

Combine and serve over salad. This makes enough for 2 very large salad servings.

Chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and wine sauce

This is one of my favorite foods. I only make it a once or twice a year, but I seriously could eat it every day. I found this recipe in Oprah magazine many years ago.

Ingredients
3 T butter
3 T olive oil
1 lbs boneless skinless chicken strips
2 T flour
1 lbs pasta, I like fetticine
2 shallots, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 8 oz jar of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienned
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet. Toss chicken strips in flour and sear over med-high heat until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add shallots to the skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add wine, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil into skillet while scraping up bits of chicken from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens. Return chicken to skillet to heat through. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked pasta!