Cheesy Bean, Zucchini and Red Pepper Dip

Serves: 8; Serving Size: ½ cup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Total: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 small zucchini, cubed
• 1 small red pepper, cubed
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 1 can (15-ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup grated reduced-fat Monterey jack or cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Repeat step 2 with the red pepper, and then repeat again with the onions.
4. Once the vegetables are all cooked, add them all back into the pan over low heat for another 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Transfer vegetables from pan to a small- to medium-sized ovenproof bowl. Add the drained beans, salt, pepper and chili powder, and toss to combine.
6. Top bean and vegetable mixture with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes. Once the cheese is mostly melted, broil the dip for about 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Nutrition Information (per ½ cup serving): 106 calories, 7 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g fat, 2g sat fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 247 mg sodium

Winner of the $35.00 Gift Certificate from CSNstores.com

And the winner is: Kia89. I will be notifying Kia89 and she will have 48 hrs. to respond. If there is no response, I will choose another winner. Thank you all for entering this contest. Please check back from time to time for more giveaways.

Meme Cimino's Lattice Apple Pie

My mother-in-law Antoinette (Meme to her grandchildren) made a great apple pie. Her cookbook which is a brown spiral pad. It is so old that the pages have turned yellow.
Here is what you will need:

9" PIE PASTRY FILLING
2/3 cup Crisco 5 cups sliced apples
2 cups sifted flour 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
sift flour and salt into bowl. Remove 1/3 cup flour and mix lightly with water to form a paste. Cut Crisco into remaining flour until pieces are the size of peas. Add flour paste to Crisco flour mixture. Mix and shape into a ball. Place half of the pastry on floured board. Roll with short light strokes, keeping it circular in shape (about 12" in diameter and 1/8 thick. Line pie pan. Trim uneven edges allowing them to extend 1/2" beyond edge of pan. Add apples to pastry lined pan, sprinkling with the sugar, cinnamon and flour. Dot with crisco. Roll out the remaining dough. Cut 34" strips and weave across crust. Fold edge and flute with fingers. Bake in a hot oven at 425 F for 10 minutes, then at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Subject: $35.00 Gift Card to CSN Stores Giveaway

I recently received Mini Loaf Pans from CSN Stores for review. If you missed my review of them you can read it here. I really liked them and I've used them several times since I received them. CSNstores.com has over 200+ online stores to shop from were you can find just about anything from Baby Bottles to End Tables and everything in between. Need new luggage? CSN Stores has it! Looking for new bed lines? CSN Stores has it. They really do have a store for almost all your needs!

Grandmas Cooking & More has teamed up with CSN Stores and they would like to give one of my readers a gift card for $35 which you can use in any of their stores! Isn't that wonderful?!

To Enter: Do any of the following to enter. Just leave me a separate comment for each entry.

1. Leave a comment as to what you would LOVE to purchase with your gift card.
2. Follow me on Facebook, come back and leave a comment.
3. Follow me and twitter (http//twitter.com/gramscooking) and tweet about the giveaway; come back and leave a comment.

4. Tell your friends about the giveaway and send me a copy of your emails to your friends.
Be sure to include your e-mail address in your comment so that I may notify you if you are a winner. Good Luck!

Details: This giveaway is open to US residents only (unless he said otherwise) and will end October 22, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will randomly be picked and announced shortly after.

Disclosure: I received a gift certificate to CSN stores for my review. However my words and opinions are my own and were not influenced by this.

PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH ROASTED PEPPERS & MUSHROOMS

This is one of my favorite meals, stuffed pork loin with roasted peppers and mushrooms.
Quick and easy to make and cooks in no time.
Ingredients:
1 small pork loin about 1 1/4 lb to 1 1/2 lb.
4 slices of roasted red peppers
1 small can of mushrooms - any variety
1 sprig of parsley
McCormick Perfect Pinch Vegetable seasoning
1 clove of garlic
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Butterly the pork loin
Place in order: roasted pepper, parsley and mushrooms. Add seasons, cover and bake at 350 F
for about 20 minutes (depending on how well you like it done.) Let it sit for a few minutes.
Just before serving, place it under a broiler to brown the mushrooms and serve.

Give away! from Nicole's Nickels

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter have decided to give away an awesome grilling prize packs on Nicole's Nickels blog. It includes an I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray as well as a cool bag with top of the line grilling gadgets in it! Check it out and enter! I did!

Household Hints - #1 Removing gum from surfaces and HAIR

I learned a long time ago when I was selling Avon Products. You can remove gum from any surface especially your child's hair with Skin so Soft Bath Oil.
There are so many uses for Skin so Soft Bath Oil. You can also remove old paint from carpets, use it as a lubricant to spray some around screws and nuts and bolts that won't come loose, use it as a lotion on your arms and legs to repel mosquitoes, spray it around the outside of screens on sliding doors and windows to repel mosquitoes. Coat your shower walls with Skin so Soft after cleaning them. It will repel the water...shower stays cleaner longer. CAUTION: DO NOT USE IT ON THE SHOWER FLOOR. IT WILL BE SLIPPERY AND YOU CAN FALL. Use a clean cloth to apply it on the walls to prevent it from going on the floor.

We had the experience of removing paint from an automobile after scraping the side of our house. You would be amazed how quickly it removed it.

If you have some around the house give it a try. I would be interested in the results.