Home Canned Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is one of our family's favortie ways to use up garden produce. We've outgrown the pint-size jars and so this year I chose to can this sauce in 3 cup jars. I didn't even know they existed until I started searching for them, knowing a quart of sauce would be too much. They are as tall as quart jars, but skinnier. I hope they will be the perfect size for our needs.

Pizza Pot Pie

Sometimes we are in the mood for the flavor of pizza, but not the work. This recipe is a perfect solution for those nights. I always keep precooked sausage and hamburger in the freezer so this meal can be thrown together in a quick hurry. It is also one we love to do when we are camping. My husband is a scout master so coming up with recipes that can be done in a Dutch oven that 16 hungry boys will love is a challenge. This is one they all enjoy!

Whole-grain Oatmeal Carmelitas

Here's another family favorite made over to be a little more healthy and big enough to take to a pot luck or youth acitivity. These freeze well so when I make them just for us, I always package some up in snack baggies and keep them in the freezer to use for school lunch treats. I hope you enjoy them too.

Zucchini Applesauce Breakfast Bars

We're still working through the zucchini that we shredded last fall and put in the freezer for later. This is one of the ways we love to use it! These are a muffin like bar that are low in sugar and high in fiber. They freeze very well. I just place a piece of waxed paper between the layers in a freezer safe container.

Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili

I like to spend my spare moments looking over cookbooks. I know that may sound odd to some of you, but I've found I enjoy it much more than reading a magazine. Sometimes I visit thrift stores just to pick up some new ones.

Banana Bars

These bars are a great way to trade up what you have available for a quick breafast on the run or an after school snack. I often double the recipe and cook up two jelly roll pans at once. These bars freeze well.

Freezer to Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

I am continually looking for recipes that I can make ahead and allow to cook while I am shuttling kids to and from activities. This one is a keeper!

Carrot Cake Muffins

The holidays come and go too quickly! My husband was able to take a few days off and we enjoyed some slower mornings as a family. One morning he surprised us with these delicious muffins. When I got out to the kitchen and could smell them cooking, he said,"Don't worry, I put in whole wheat flour for half of the flour and applesauce for half of the oil." Then he smiled and added,"I am learning."