My new favorite salad dressing

It's so simple, it doesn't even require a blender:

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Sweet Sesame Dressing

Whisk in a small bowl: 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup tahini, 2 Tbsp 100% fruit jam (any flavor), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
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This makes about 3 or 4 servings.

French Minted Pea Soup

Made this yesterday, with a couple of changes from the recipe in the book.  Here's what I did:

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French Minted Pea Soup (Serves 5)

In a soup pot, simmer 4 1/2 cups of water, 16 oz frozen peas, 1 1/2 small chopped onions, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 Tbsp dried mint, 2 Tbsp no-salt seasoning (I used Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb), 1 Tbsp dried chives, 2 tsp Spike or Nu-Salt and 1 cup cashews for about 7 minutes.

Pour pea mixture into blender (make sure you have a glass pitcher on the blender, not a plastic one -- the soup will be hot!) and add 5 dates and 2 Tbsp lemon juice (I had to do this in 2 batches, since my blender wasn't big enough).  Blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour soup back into the pot and add 6 handfuls of spinach.  Let the spinach wilt in the hot liquid for several minutes before serving.

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Cooking for company :)

Ashley and Cari have been with us this weekend.  We went to the Ionia Free Fair, church, the zoo, and cooled off by playing in the sprinklers in the backyard.  Their parents will be here to pick them up any minute, and I've been cooking all afternoon.  I've made hot dogs, mixed vegetables, and Baked Basil French Fries for the girls; Spiced Tilapia and steamed artichokes with a dipping sauce for the grown ups, with a Peach-Mango Compote for dessert.  Everything smells wonderful and I'm very proud of myself!

I'm back :)

Move finally finished.  New house is wonderful.  This is a kitchen I would actually ENJOY being in all day long.

This morning I made a very yummy stew:

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Chunky Sweet Potato Stew (serves 4)

1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Cut 2 onions into thick slices and add to pot, cooking about 5 minutes, until softened.  Chop 4 cloves garlic and add to pot, cooking 1 minute.

2. Peel 2 large sweet potatoes and chop them into bite-size cubes.  Mix into the pot 2 14-oz cans of stewed tomatoes, the cubed sweet potatoes, 1 cup of canned and rinsed garbanzo beans, and 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Cover and cook 5 minutes.  Cut 2 medium zucchini into bite-size cubes and add them to the pot.  Add 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp no-salt seasoning (I used McCormick's Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb).  Cover and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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For lunch today I had a big bowl of this stew, a small salad, and a peach.  And that was enough.  The stew is very filling.