Rainy spring day here in the BGgarden.  The sun has not peaked out once today so I have not had to water the seedlings in the greenhouse.  What better way to warm the family then by baking a fresh loaf of Italian bread and mixing up some creamy Alfredo sauce with ingredients from my garden.

Tonight I prepared a Shrimp Alfredo Dish that is loaded with squash and zucchini.  You will want to start warming up the house by filling up your home with the fresh smells of Italian herbs loaded in my Alfredo Sauce.

Alfredo Sauce

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4 -6

• 1/2 cup chicken stock (fresh when possible)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons of my homemade pesto sauce

Directions :

1. Add water and broth into stock pan over medium heat.
2. In a sauce pan start to melt the butter slowly adding the flour.
3. as the butter and flour mix gradually add the half-and-half.
4. Slowly add the water and broth mix to the sauce pan.
5. Increase heat to medium / high and continue to stir to  prevent scorching.
6. Grad the Parmesan cheese over the pan after adding the pesto sauce.

Shrimp Veggie Harvest Alfredo over Spinach Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 pound of prepared (ready to eat with tails off) shrimp
• 3 medium zucchini ( sliced)
• 1 medium squash
• 1/2 cup small sweet Onion
• 3 cloves of garlic ( diced)
• Italian herbs ( I used fresh parsley and oregano from the Greenhouse tonight).

Directions:

1. Heat Olive Oil in large skillet.
2. add the onion and garlic and begin to saute.
3. once sauteed add the remaining veggies tossing lightly till medium.  Do not over cook so that the veggies are soft.
4. add Alfredo sauce and herbs bringing to a soft bubble.
5. Put the shrimp on top of mix placing lid on for 5 minutes ( low flame on stove)

Serve on top of spinach noodles with a sprinkle of fresh cheese.  YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS!

With the sudden jump from winter into spring I have been super busy working to keep my seedlings growing strong in the greenhouse.  With the busy days filled with garden work and the switch over to warm weather I am totally in the mood for some fun summer food.  Tonight I grabbed a few of my tomatoes, cilantro and some lettuce from the greenhouse and enjoyed these HOT recipes my family loves!

Click on Image above for Easy Chorizo Wrap Recipe

Anytime is a good time for my summer salsa in my Home & Garden

That is why I’m sharing with you my fresh recipe that everyone who visits my home & garden asks for.  I usually send my guest home with a fresh batch to enjoy at later time because I always grow enough to share.

Click on Image for Easy Salsa Recipe

This is an all time favorite recipe that I can create from memory.  My best dishes are created when I use what we have in the kitchen on hand.  Today I had a bag of fresh Idaho potatoes, bacon defrosting from the freezer box and some fresh parsley from the greenhouse.

• 6-8 medium potatoes
• 1/2 cup of Butter
• 1/2 cup of New York Sharp Cheese ( cubed)
• 4 cups of Chicken Stock
• 8 oz. of Cream Cheese
• 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
• about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh pepper
• Snip of fresh parsley
• 8 oz. of bacon crumbled

1. Peel, cube, boil, drain and  potatoes.  Save about 1/2 of cup of the boiling water in the pot.
2. Add to the pot butter, cheese and the cream cheese.
3. Add broth  – and seasons.
4. heat to a boil.
5. Stir almost constantly or it will scorch.

Add bacon crumbled once with in minutes  of serving.

I hope this recipe becomes a favorite on your Autumn dinning table. ENJOY!

I have always loved this soup on a cold winters day but even better now that I grow my own Swiss Chard in my garden.  This meal for 6 can be made for under $6 and cheaper yet if you grow your own Swiss Chard.

Swiss Chard Winter Soup

• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
  
• 1 medium onion ( chopped)
• 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 5 cups of chopped swiss chard
• 2 can (15 oz) of great Northern beans ( drained and rinsed)

My family loves this dish with some oven fresh corn bread!

Would love to hear if you gave this recipe a try or if you have any other recipes to use with swiss chard.  ENJOY!

Some of my fondest childhood memories are usually from the Holidays or a fabulous dish that came from our Mothers’ kitchen.  Being able to create those memories is not as easy as opening an old cookbook.  It takes time and plenty of trail and error to capture that perfect dish.  Over the past 15 years I have gone from the acquisitive new wife in search of every easy recipe put on the market to the frugal Mom who uses what is on hand to create a satisfying meal.
These days I do my best dishes during my Veggie Garden harvest season.  I love all the colors and scents found in the garden and brought into the kitchen.  Could living be any more healthy then to prepare a dish made from something you grew in your own kitchen.   In this blog I hope to share with you some of my favorite recipes.

This Summer season  I had to get my zucchini recipe perfectly moist in the first and only batch.  This was a bad year for the squash and zucchini in my garden.  I know I will always have a successful bread or muffin when I use this family favorite recipe.  I hope you are able to try this breakfast favorite as well.

Zucchini Bread

This recipe can be used as a muffin batter as well.

• 3 fresh large eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups raw zucchini – shredded
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups of flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of fresh nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla
• 1 cup pecans – chopped

Directions

1. Zucchini must be strained after shredded.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and oil together.
3. Add flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and nuts.
4. Mix together ( only a few mixes do not beat).
5. Add zucchini
6. Beat mixture.
7. Bake in muffin tins
8. Bake 45 minutes at 350°F

I always joke that I should live in the extreme south because I could eat Mexican cuisine any time of the day!   One of my favorite recipes is a spin off from a dear friend of mines Sopa Azteca that he serves in their Mexican restaurant.  I’m always sure to plant Tomatillo starters and HOT MEX peppers to share with their family because some of these are hard to find in our area.
Today it is 32* F and cloudy out and I am going to make it a FESTIVE afternoon by whipping up my super simple Southern Inspired Chicken Salsa Soup!

Chicken Salsa Soup

Always be sure to use the freshest ingredients for any of my recipes.

• 6 cups Chicken  HOMEMADE
• 1/2 cup of long grain rice ( uncooked)
• SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes  ( I use organic vine ripe!)
• 1/2 cup minced sweet onion
• 1 cup spread COOKED CHICKEN
• 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed LIME
• 1/2 cup chopped  Cilantro
• minced jalapeno
• 1 large avocado

1. Boil 4 chicken qaurters in 1 cup of celery / 1 cup of onion .  ( for flavor!)
2. Strain grease and sit aside.
3. Discard the cooking veggies and shread chicken off bone.
4. Return stock to pot and bring to boil.  Add rice and hot pepper, some salt and pepper; lower heat so that it just bubbles. cook.  (about 20 minutes.)
5. Combine vegetables with chicken, lime juice, cilantro. and add to pot once the rice is done cooking. Serve immediately – ALWAYS BEST FRESH!
6. When the soup is ready dress top with fresh pepper and sliced avocado!

It has been a while since I added a recipe to my recipe blog.  I was inspired today by Anna at Decorate a Garden at her delightful kitchen site.  I hope you will visit her and say ‘ Hey!’  I was also inspired today by a facebook Garden Network friend :Kris Wetherbee commenting on Foodie Friday!

So come on….. take a bite and be sure to tell me what you think!