Sweet and Sour Salad

The candied pears and walnuts give this salad a sweet flavor. While the vinaigrette dressing gives it a sour taste. It's not the healthiest use of your fruits and vegetables, but it is an excellent way to increase your intake if you tend to shy away from the healthy.

• 4 cups spinach leaves
• 4 cups mixed greens
• 2 cups pears, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 sliced cucumber
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 raspberries
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1/4 vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Melt butter in small skillet over medium. Add pears, walnuts and brown sugar. Heat until well coated.

Mash raspberries. Add mustard, vinegar and oil. Shake to combine. (Run through a strainer if you want to remove the seeds.) Salt and pepper vinaigrette to taste.

Combine remaining ingredients. Add candied pears and walnuts. Top with raspberry vinaigrette. Enjoy.

Spicy Carrot Soup

This soup is a bit spicy, so I wouldn't serve it as a main dish. But it makes a good side dish or appetizer or even a mid afternoon snack. The pureed vegetables give the soup a nice creaminess.

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 16 oz carrots (chopped)
• 1 large potato (peeled and chopped)
• 3 cups V8 (and 3 cups water)

Heat oil in deep saucepan. Add vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened (about 15 minutes). Add liquid and spices then cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture. If necessary gently reheat.

Vegetable Cheese Chowder

There are many different varieties of chowder. In fact it used to be that chowder was made from anything that flew, swam or grew in the garden. Perhaps that is why it was considered "the poor man's food".

Vegetable Cheese Chowder can also be an inexpensive dish. Unless you choose to use an expensive variety of cheese. Even then cheese is much less expensive than meat or seafood.

This chowder is great if you are like me and end up with a lot of odds and ends of frozen vegetables in your freezer. Also, it's a good idea to pick up fresh bread to go with it. (Or better yet, you could send your husband while you're cooking the soup.)

It takes about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 cups frozen vegetables (Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas and corn all have worked well for me.)
• 1 Chicken bullion cube
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• dash of pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Combine vegetables, one cup water and chicken bullion in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 4 minutes.

While that is simmering combine milk, flour and pepper and mix well. Add to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. (If you don't stir well the flour may clump.) When bubbly cook for 1 minute more. Add cheese. Cook and stir until just melted.