Tostada Pizza

This mexican style pizza is from Better Homes and Gardens. It sounds delicious, though I have yet to make it. I will soon though! I am making pizzas all the time and I have some left over taco meat sitting my fridge at the moment.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (Or chicken, pork, or turkey even! Whatever you prefer. Though... if you add a lean meat like chicken or turkey, add a little olive oil to it, as these meats are very lean.)

3/4 cup water
1 4-oz. can diced green chile peppers, drained.
2 Tablespoon envelope taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups packaged biscuit mix
1/2 cup cold water
1 15-oz. can refried beans
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Taco sauce (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large skillet cook ground beef until brown. Drain well. Stir in 3/4 cup water, the chile peppers, taco seasoning mix, and chili powder. Simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes or until thick.

Meanwhile, generously grease a 12- to 14 inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with corn meal. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the biscuit mix and the 1/2 cup cold water with a fork until dough follows the fork around the bowl. With floured fingers, pat the dough into bottom and up the edge of the prepped pan. Spread refried beans over dough, spoon meat mixture over beans.

Bake, uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, tomato, and green onions. If desired, serve with taco sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition facts per Serving: 486 cal., 21 g total fat (8 g saturated fat), 65 mg chol., 1480 mg sodium, 46 g carbs, 6 g dietary fiber, 27 g protein.

For my Sish.

For my sish.

This recipe I found on Allrecipes.com and changed it up a little bit for my dear dear friend, who is like a sister to me, she is also a veggie eater.

Fresh Veggie Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bagel, sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain brown mustard
• 1 leaf romaine lettuce
• 2 (1/4 inch thick) rings green bell pepper
• 4 slices cucumber
• 2 slices tomato
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 slices red onion
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts

DIRECTIONS

1. Spread mustard onto the cut sides of the bagel. Layer the lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, and tomato on one half. Season the tomato with salt and pepper. Top with onion and alfalfa sprouts, and then cover with the other half of the bagel.

Instead of a bagel, you can use white bread or pita bread. Sweet and sour sauce is also great with this. You can also omit the Alfalfa spouts and substitute another lettuce or veggie to your liking.

Favorite Snacks

Favorite Snacks

Everyone’s got them right? Mine just happens to be chex mix, the homemade kind – hot and fresh just out of the oven! This snack mix is great any time of year, but generally is made the most around the holidays. My aunt, goddess bless her, makes the best chex mix. Mine just doesn’t quite add up to hers. I have asked my cousin to get me her recipe for it. Around the super bowl time, I do a double batch and sit and snack on the mix while I watch the commercials. I have done this for several years, it has become a tradition for me, whom am not much of a football fan, I must say.

Here is the recipe straight off the box!

Ingredients:

6	tablespoons butter or margarine
2	tablespoons Lea & Perrins™ Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2	teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4	teaspoon garlic powder
1/2	teaspoon onion powder
3	cups Corn Chex® cereal
3	cups Rice Chex® cereal
3	cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1	cup mixed nuts
1	cup bite-size pretzels
1	cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken up

Preparation Directions:

1.	Heat oven to 250°F. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
2.	Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

This can also be made in the microwave as well.

Microwave Directions:

In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Food and IBD

Food and IBD

As a long time patient of IBD, I have had many bad experiences with food. Particularly a with food that I shouldn’t eat or can’t eat; which stinks badly because I loved it so much. Since I was tot, about 4 or 5 years old. I came down with Ulcerative Colitis, had several painful surgeries and many long hospital stays. Recently in 2004, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, it is the sister disease to Ulcerative Colitis.

Now I love food, but there just comes days where I can’t eat. Or I don’t have an appetite! On those days, I usually sip water throughout the day or a BOOST shake. On a flare up, my diet consists of BOOST or Ensure, jello, Popsicles, and a light yogurt. On good days I can eat almost anything (except popcorn :( )! But I am a picky eater. I am constantly trying new things, and if I don’t like it, my dad (the good ol’ food tester) and mom usually eat it. That or it goes to the dogs. With Crohn’s there is a list (Thanks to TWC website) of Forbidden foods, and depending on the patient it varies. Here is the basic list of the no nos.

Food:

• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Cocoa
• Cooked and Raw veggies (Includes salads, corn, popcorn, etc )
• nuts and seeds
• diet beverages (Nutrasweet)
• Processed meats (such as hotdogs, sausages, etc.)
• Dairy Products
• Gravies
• Canned Soups
• All fruits except, bananas, Apple sauce, canned peaches, and pears

Basic food Elemetns

• Spicy
• alcohols
• stringy meats
• MSG (An additive in some foods)
• Saccharin
• Nutrasweet
• pickling
• charcoal broiling
• fried foods

Some of these foods are a no no to me, others I can tolerate. Luck for me. Laugh out loud. But not all are! Next time you have an IBD patient in the house or visiting, ask them what they can and can't have and they will surely appreciate it!

Taco Roll-ups

Taco Roll-ups

Prep time - 20 minutes

Cook time - 5 minutes

Ready in - 1 hour, 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup taco sauce
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 package mild taco seasoning
• 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 11/2 pounds lean ground beef

Directions

1. In a skillet, brown beef; drain and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth; Stir in ground beef, taco seasoning and sauce, and cheese. Spread over tortillas; sprinkle lightly with lettuce; roll up jellyroll style. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before serving cut into 1-inch slices.

Peanut beef stir fry

Peanut Beef Stir Fry

Prep time – 10 Minutes

Cook time – 10 Minutes

Ready in – 20 Minutes

Ingredients

5 teaspoons cornstarch

1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced thinly against the grain

1 bag of your favorite frozen stir fry veggie mix

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, broth, peanut butter, sugar, red pepper flakes, and vinegar until smooth; set aside. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry beef, veggie mix, onions and garlic 5-8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
2. Stir in the broth and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve over warm rice.

With the lack of a digital camera, I cannot provide a picture for this recipe. The pictures will come soon!


Note: You can substitute chicken breast or tofu if you wish.

Welcome!

Hello!

I am Alannah Lockmiller, pentu at heart and foodie at heart. I decided to create a blog on recipes I came up with on my own time. An idea borrowed from a fellow foodie whom also has a blog of recipes she created. I am an extremely picky eater, and I can't have a lot of foods due to a diet restriction and Crohn's disease. But I still eat what I can, I know my limits. I would love feedback on these recipes, and I would love to know if you change them and how you change them to suit your liking! Enjoy!