Baker Bettie

It has been unseasonably warm in Kansas this winter.  It has been in the 50’s almost every day this week.  On Wednesday, it got up to 70!  I am definitely not complaining though.  I seriously hate the cold, and the past few years our winters have been rough.

I typically think of fruit salads as a summer type of dish.  I just usually crave fresh flavors like this when it’s hot, and warmer flavors in the winter.  But this was a nice change.  Have this as your breakfast,  a mid-day snack or a guilt free dessert!

I’ve been really trying to improve my pictures and learn my way around this new camera. Wyatt has been trying to help too.

This recipe was not only really delicious but also really fun to photograph.  I love colorful food!

Hope your weekend was relaxing!

Quinoa Fruit Salad with Greek Yogurt adapted from

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Wild Rice Casserole

This can be vegetarian if you add no meat.

Ingredients:

1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup or Cream of Cerly soup if you don’t like mushrooms.

2 Cups Wild Rice

3 1/2 Cups Water

1 Large Onion: white, red or yellow or two medium onions

1/4 lb. Bacon

2 Cups Shredded Cheese (I like cheddar, marble jack, or colby jack)

1/2 Cup Beef Broth

1 Clove Garlic Chopped

Pinch of Salt

Pepper

Any other vegetables that can taste good like corn, celery, carrots, peppers, potatoes…

Milk

Italian Seasoning

Ground Beef or Ground Venison if desired

 

Directions:

Rinse wild rice.

Put 2 cups of wild rice and 3 1/2 cups cool water in a large sauce pan that has a well fitting lid.  Add 1/2 cup beef broth, bouillon cube also works.  Heat to boil then cover and reduce heat to low.  Let rice cook for 30 minutes on low.  DO NOT REMOVE THE LID!

While rice cooks…

Heat oven to 350

If using ground beef or venison brown that in a pan until filly cooked.  If using bacon cook bacon to desired crispiness.  Season with anything desired.

While bacon cooks chop garlic and set aside then chop any vegetables that are being added to the casserole.

Grate a lot of cheese, yum.

After bacon cooks set bacon on paper towel and saute garlic in bacon fat.  DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC! Take the bacon fat off the heat after bacon cooks so the grease can cool down.  After sauteing the garlic add vegetables to the pan and heat at medium-low for a few minutes stirring occasionally.

While vegetables saute put cream of mushroom soup into a sauce pot and heat on medium-low.  Add Italian seasoning and pepper.  Salt if desired.  Once heated add milk if desired.

Dump the cooked wild rice into a casserole dish and add cream of mushroom soup mixture.  Stir well then add the vegetables and bacon fat and mix everything together.  Crumble or rip up bacon and stir in.  If using ground meat add that to the concoction and mix it.  Mix in 1 3/4 cup cheese, leave a little left over.

Cover with tin foil and place in heated oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese on top and put back in oven uncovered for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before eating.  It may feel like forever but it is worth the wait.

 

Nostalgia

I’m abandoning cooking this evening for a nostalgic snack that almost everyone can reminisce, Dunkaroos. Graham Cracker Cookie with either chocolate or fun-fetti frosting.  They are delicious and every once in a while I eat and share a box with friends.