Avocado Tuna Salad ****

Absolutely brilliant.  I am in shock how easy and yet yummy this is.  I've had it pinned for ages, but I kept forgetting to make it.  I am so glad I finally got around to it!  I didn't have any hard-boiled eggs and didn't have time to make them, so I just omitted those for now.  I also added a spoonful of dill pickle relish, since that's how I like my tuna.  I mixed it up and ate it straight out of the bowl, but it would be delish on toast with lettuce and tomato.  Or even spread on crackers.  She mentions on the blog that she has it for a snack, but I used a whole avocado and had it for lunch.  Very filling, in my opinion.

Photo from Girl Who Loves Everything

AVOCADO TUNA SALAD
(GirlWhoLovesEverything)

One hard-boiled egg
1/2 avocado
1 can light tuna
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mash ingredients together in medium bowl.  Serve on toast or with crackers.

Cinnamon Honey Bananas ***

This has been pinned on my Pinterest board for ages.  I finally went in to make it, and there's no link there.  Just the picture.  So I searched Google and finally found a site that listed it.  I then later was able to find the original posting as well.  I've listed both links below.  Since I can't take my own food pictures right now (lost the camera that takes the best ones - ugh), I always like to link to a site when I use a picture.  I'm including the recipe from Joyful Kitchen and the original picture with link from Pinterest.

We all tried this and loved it.  It's not sinfully delicious or amazingly decadent, but I have to give it 3 stars based on the ease, simplicity, and health factors, combined with the overall taste.  Yum!  It's surprisingly filling too, even though it's basically just a banana.  It takes all of 2 seconds to throw together.  The kids are always wanting something sweet after supper, and this gives them that without unnecessary sugar.  Plus, the ingredients are always on hand.  It's a no brainer!  We'll be having this one many, many times in the future. :-)

Photo from Bryn Alexandra Interiors

CINNAMON HONEY BANANAS
(Pinterest/BrynAlexandraInteriors and JoyfulKitchenBlog)

1 banana
2 tsp. honey
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Slice banana on a cutting board using a paring knife. Place banana slices on a plate. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of honey over banana slices. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of the banana slices and honey.

Crockpot All Day Beef Casserole

I'm such a ninny. I didn't realize until after I'd cooked this that it's the same exact recipe as the Gone All Day Casserole that I've been making for years.  The difference is that I always use chicken when I make it.  I didn't even pay attention to the ingredients when I made it.  Oops!  Anyway, since it's the first time I've made it with beef, it is kind of like a new recipe for me, lol.  We did enjoy it.  I left it for the full 8 hours, and the rice was way too mushy.  It does better at about 6 hours, in my opinion.  The flavor is really, really good, though.

CROCKPOT ALL DAY BEEF CASSEROLE
(GetCrocked.com)

1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 (4 oz) mushroom, stems and pieces, canned, drained
1 onion, large, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup almonds, slivered
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 lb steak, round, boneless, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cup water

1. Transfer ingredients in the order listed to the crock pot; do not stir.
2. Cover. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until rice is tender.
3. Stir before serving.

John Wayne Casserole ***

We had a little flooding issue in our house a few weeks ago, and I've basically been having to stay out of the kitchen ever since.  Thankfully, all of the reconstruction mess is finished, and we can get back to home-cooked meals again.  Woo hoo!  This has been on my list to try (courtesy of Pinterest), and I was pretty excited to have time to cook tonight (the only night this week we didn't have a scheduled ball practice for one of the kids).  So then I get a text from one of the boys' coaches that they're calling a last-minute practice to try to make up for some of the rained-out ones we've been having lately.  Thankfully, hubby took off early and headed home to throw supper in the oven for me.  That tells you how easy this is.  Not that he can't cook.  He just doesn't like doing the more complicated recipes (not that I really do either, lol), and I try not to make him if not absolutely necessary.  So this one was mega-simple, but oh-so-good.  It's not 5-star or anything like that, but it's hearty and filling and tasty.  It has a kind of Mexican flavor to it (thanks to the taco seasoning), but not a strong one.  We made it with ground turkey, and it was perfect.  Both kids loved it, and they even ate the tomatoes on top!  That's a pretty big deal around here, since neither of them really care for tomatoes.

Photo of original recipe at The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife

JOHN WAYNE CASSEROLE
(The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife)

2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning
4 ounces sour cream
4 ounces mayonnaise
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 cups biscuit mix
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 (4-ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers

1. Heat oven to 325. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning and water, according to packet instructions; set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, and half of the onions; set aside.
3. Stir biscuit mix and water (directions on box) to form soft dough. Pat dough on the bottom and one-half-inch up the sides of an 9 x 13 in. greased casserole dish.
4. Saute remaining onions and bell peppers until slightly tender.
5. On top of biscuit mix, evenly distribute ingredients in the following order: ground beef, tomato slices, green peppers, onions, jalapeno peppers, sour cream mixture and end with remaining shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until edges of dough are lightly browned.