Rainbow Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 small tomatoes
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 orange pepper
• 2 blue potatoes
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 2½ cups chicken stock
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Dice the onion, tomatoes, squash, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan (that has a lid).
3. Add the vegetables and cook for about 2 minutes (or until the vegetables are slightly tender).
4. Add the rice to the pan and stir together.
5. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and stir.  When the stock starts to simmer, cover the pan with a lid.  Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is soft.
6. While the rice is cooking, remove the cilantro leaves from the stems.  Add the leaves to the pan and stir together.
7. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with cheese and eat!

Serves 6

Fruit Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• ¼ small pineapple
• 3 kiwis
• ½ pint strawberries
• 1 14-oz. can of peaches (with the juice)
• 1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 11-oz. can coconut milk
• 2 limes
• ¼ cup sugar (or to taste)
• ½ bunch mint or a tablespoon of dried mint (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Peel the mango, pineapple, and kiwi.  Cut the fruit into a dice, and place in a large bowl.
2. Remove the stems and cut the strawberries into small pieces.  Add them to the bowl.
3. Drain the peach juice into the bowl of fruit.  Then cut the peaches into small dice and add to the bowl as well.
4. Pour the orange juice concentrate, pineapple juice, apple juice, and coconut milk into the bowl.
5. Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
6. Add the sugar to the bowl and mix until it is fully dissolved.
7. Remove the stems of the mint from the leaves.  Tear the leaves into small pieces and add to the bowl (or just add the dried mint).
8. Put the soup in the refrigerator, let it chill and then serve!

Serves 6 to 8

Creative Crepes

Ingredients:

For the Crepes:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup lukewarm water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1½ tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• *additional butter to grease the frying pan

For the Filling:

• 3 to 4 cups assorted fresh fruit to use for the filling
• 1 container chocolate spread, fruit jam, vanilla yogurt, or other sweet spread (optional)
• 1 can whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients (except butter for frying pan) in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Stir until the batter is smooth.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.  This batter may also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
3. In a non-stick pan, heat a small amount of butter over a medium heat.
4. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter in the hot pan.  Immediately tilt the pan around in a circular motion so that the batter forms a very thin, even layer.
5. Cook until the top of the crepe is set and the bottom is a golden color.
6. Carefully turn the crepe over with a spatula, and cook until the second side is golden.
7. Remove the crepe from the pan and place on a sheet of wax paper.
8. Repeat until the batter is finished, stacking each crepe between a layer of wax paper.
9. Wash and cut the fruit into small pieces.
10. If desired, spread each crepe with a sweet spread.
11. Fill each crepe with fruit and a sweet spread (optional), fold to cover the fruit, and cover with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Crepes can also be wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Serves 12

Dirt Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 large bag chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1 pint strawberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 32-oz. container vanilla yogurt
• Gummy worms (to taste)

Directions:

1. Put cookies in a zip-lock bag and pound or jump on them until they are crumbled, set aside.
2. Wash and cut strawberries into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Rinse remaining berries and set aside.
4. Line a flowerpot with wax paper (a plastic cup can also be used – no need to line with wax paper).
5. In the flower pot, place a 1 inch layer of cookie crumbs.
6. Next, add a layer of yogurt on top of the cookie crumbs.
7. Add a layer of mixed berries.
8. Add a few gummy worms.
9. Continue to layer the cookie crumbs, yogurt, berries, and worms until you fill the flowerpot. Each layer may be as thick as you prefer. The top layer should be a cookie crumb layer (to look like dirt).
10. Place a few gummy worms sticking out of the top layer.
11. Add a plastic, silk, or construction paper flower to the top of the pot. Construction paper flowers can be attached to straws and then stuck into the “dirt.”
12. Serve with a small flower spade (or spoon).

Serves 4 to 6

Fruit Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 kiwi
• 1 peach (or 1 cup canned peaches)
• 1 mango
• *the above fruits may be substituted for other favorite fruits
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 glass of water
• 1 can whipped cream

Directions:

1. Dice the fruit into small pieces and stir together in a bowl.
2. Carefully place wonton wrappers (they are very delicate) onto a piece of wax paper.
3. Put a teaspoon of applesauce into the center of each wonton wrapper.
4. Put a teaspoon of diced fruit on top of the applesauce.
5. fold the wonton wrappers in half and seal them by wetting a fingertip and rubbing it along the outer rim of the wonton wrapper.
6. Steam the dumplings in a steaming basket for 2 minutes (or until the wonton wrapper is cooked).  Do not over cook the dumplings or they will fall apart!
7. Place the dumplings into a bowl and cover with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Makes 2½ dozen