Martha's Spaghetti Sauce

If you have tomatoes coming out of your ears, this sauce is a great way to use them up and enjoy the taste of summer on your pasta for the rest of the year.  It's super easy and freezes great!  You can add sausage or hamburger to it when you thaw it for use later.

Blend together:

1/2 C onion
1/2 green pepper
4 C peeled tomatoes
1 tsp fresh sweet basil

Place blended veggies in a pot and add:

2 12 oz cans tomato paste
1 tbs. parsley flakes
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C water
1-2 tsp sugar

Simmer 45 minutes.  Let cool and place in freezer containers in whatever size is right for your family.

Now since vegetables are all different, you can taste the sauce and adjust to your liking.  You may want more or less salt, sugar and spices.  You may need a little more water depending on the water content of your tomatoes.  Play around with it until you find what you like but this will give you a good guideline.

Green Beans With Cherry Tomatoes

It's mid-summer and so we've got lots of beans and lots of tomatoes.  This recipe is a great way to use them.  Soooo yummy!  We actually planted Sweet 100s and not cherry tomatoes, so that's what I used in this but I'm sure the cherry, grape or whatever bite size tomato would work great!

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed.
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 C butter
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 C cherry tomato halves

1.  Place beans and water in a large saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil to steam until tender.  About 10 minutes.  Drain off water immediately.  Set aside.

2.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil.  Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft.  Pour the tomato mixture over the green beans, and toss gently to blend.

Rumbi Rice Bowls

If anyone out there gets a craving for a Rumbi Rice Bowl and doesn't have a way to get one, this recipe is the answer. It was spot on!


1 TBS. vegetable oil
4 carrots peeled and grated (I use the pre-shredded kind just to save time.)
1 yellow zucchini
1 green zucchini
1 1/2 C chopped broccoli florets
2 C chicken grilled and cut into small cubes (I put garlic salt and pepper on before I grilled)
Rumbi Rice (see recipe below) Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below) Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables. You can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops. Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)


2 c. jasmine rice (You can use whatever rice you want but I like the flavor of Jasmine in this.)
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
If you don’t have a rice cooker (and I don't and this method worked great)...Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce


3/4 C. Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (found in the grocery store by the BBQ sauces)
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (Sriachi Sauce is what I used and I only put in 1 tsp. I don't like too much spice. For kids, I'd leave it out.)
1 tsp. fresh ginger (or about 1/2 tsp dry)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar


1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water


Combine Yoshida's, soy sauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt and sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening.  You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida's sauce.  Allow to simmer for about a minute.  Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls.  If you find that the sauce is too thick when it cools, just add a little more Yoshida's to it.

Banana Cake

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sour milk
1 c. mashed bananas
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking salt
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add milk.  Sift dry ingredients.  Add flour mixture and bananas alternately to the wet mixture.  Start and end with flour mixture.  Beat only long enough to blend.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Serve with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

So light and yummy!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups mashed banana

Mix all together and place on greased cookie sheet (dough will be very moist.)  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  (I creamed the shortening and sugar and then added the banana and vanilla.  Then I added everything else.)

-Recipe courtesy of Jason Tiek's grandma, Lola Gene Rollins