Spring Gazpacho

Gazpacho

I made this at our 2014 Easter dinner, combined from several recipes on the web.

INGREDIENTS

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large or 2 small zucchini, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
Salt and fresh pepper
Tabasco (6 dashes or to taste)
4 cups tomato juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients. Blend or food process slightly, to desired consistency--leave chunks and do not process it into mush. Cover tightly and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight so that the flavors can blend.

Garnish Gazpacho with diced vegetables or seeds

"Healthy" Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe ("Healthy")

Healthy is in quotes, because are any of these really healthy (maybe just "healthier")? 

I just love pumpkin and we have made these in the Spring too - not just Fall! The recipes with 1 cup of oil are too much for me as is 1 entire cup of sugar, so I cobbled this together from various recipes I saw online and they turned out really good (at 10,000 feet, no less!). Less sugar and a lot less oil.

Ingredients

2 apples, cored and sliced very thin and cooked in a pan, adding water to prevent burning, until they are soft, but not applesauce - you want full pieces.

1 15-oz can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS milk
2 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown or white sugar
1 3/4-2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 scant tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup pecans or other nut (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of muffin cups. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Then, combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and do not over mix. Add in chocolate chips and pecans and mix in carefully (to avoid over mixing the batter).

Spoon into muffin cups and bake until muffins are slightly puffed and golden brown and a knife or toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Makes 12 - 18 muffins.