mealicious

1/2 cup Pemmican

2012-01-10T12:41:00.001-08:00

This recipe is so yummy! Full of healthy things and its sweet from the fruit, no sugar added. I have been eating it a lot lately. Its very forgiving, you can leave out whatever you would like. And its also easy to convert to gluten free, I left out the wheat bran and wheat germ and used ground groats in place of the flour. I usually double all of this so I can make enough for a 9 x 13 pan. Then we have plenty for snacks or breakfast.

Half-Cup Pemmican from Mary Jane Butters

1/2 c golden raisins

1/2 c pitted dates

1/2 c figs (stems removed)

1/2 c almonds

1/2 c cashews

1/2 c walnuts

1/2 c pecans

1/2 c wheat germ

1/2 c wheat bran

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c powdered milk

1/2 c honey

water to moisten (the more you use the softer the bar)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

(I chopped all the ingredients that could be chopped, although the original recipe does not say to do that. There's no way I was eating a whole fig or a whole date)

Combine the fruits and nuts in a mixing bowl. Mix the wheat germ and bran, flour, and powdered milk together and add to the fruit and nut mixture a little at a time, alternating with the honey. Add just enough water to moisten and pour into a buttered pan. You can use an 8X8 pan, a 9X7 Bake for about 20 minutes. When cool, slice into bars or break apart and wrap.

Veggie Pancakes with dipping sauce

2011-12-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Here is another super looking recipe! Just keeping here so I can come back to it. The original is here
http://allamericanvegetarian.blogspot.com/
Shes got some super recipes too! The latkes are next on my list to make!

Veggie Pancakes with Pesto Dipping Sauce

I saw this recipe in FamilyFun and it grabbed my attention. Whenever I get a new magazine I rapidly look through it to see what recipes are featured. The first thing I look for are vegan recipes, the next thing I look for are vegetarian recipes and finally, I search through all the recipes to see which ones I can change-up to make totally vegan or vegetarian. This recipe caught my eye because it was vegetarian. Vegetarian recipes usually need only simple changes to make them vegan.

Now, about this particular recipe. It is all about colorful veggies! It won the affection of my family (with exception of my daughter, nothing new there)...and now I'm thinking of different veggie combinations (asparagus bits, finely chopped broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes).

My goal in this recipe was to keep the original "flavor" the same, but to boost it up to more of a main dish as opposed to a side. So I made a few adaptations to the original recipe including adding precooked lentils (tempeh or wild rice would be good, too), swapping in a flaxseed egg instead of a chicken egg, adding potato (I thought since I was omitting the egg, the starchy potato would help keep it together) and non-dairy milk instead of the plain yogurt.

We ate these with a Pesto Dipping Sauce also from FamilyFun (recipe below), which we found quite refreshing. I used my own homemade pesto and Better Than Sour Cream (silken tofu would work as well) instead of dairy sour cream.

Veggie Pancakes with Pesto Dipping Sauce

2 c finely grated zucchini (about 2 zucchinis)
1 c grated carrots (2-3 carrots)
1 c corn kernels, (Thawed if using frozen. 1-2 ears if using fresh.)
1 white potato, grated
1/2 c prepared lentils (Or prepared wild rice or sauteed tempeh.)
1 flaxseed egg (1 TB ground flaxseed + 3 TB water. Whisk together and let sit 5 minutes.)
2 TB unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk.)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c flour (I used Spelt flour.)
1/2 c fine yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c grated organic or vegan cheddar cheese
1-3 TB vegetable oil (for frying up the pancakes)

Pesto Dipping Sauce
1 TB pesto
1/3 c organic or vegan sour cream (or silken tofu)

Use your hands to squeeze the excess liquid from the grated zucchini, then place the zucchini in a large bowl. Add the carrots, corn, potatoes, and lentils and toss to combine the vegetables.

Stir in the flaxseed egg, non-dairy milk, salt, and pepper until well blended.

flaxseed egg

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder.

Add this mixture, along with the vegan or organic cheddar, to the vegetables, and stir until well blended. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to mesh and mixture to adhere together (This is when I prepped the Pesto Dipping Sauce, cleaned up my kitchen counter, washed dishes, and made a mixed green salad).

Heat 1 TB oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. To form each pancake, spoon 3 TB of the batter into the pan and use a fork to mold it together. Working in batches, cook the pancakes until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Use a spatula to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. If needed, add more oil to the pan as you cook.

Serve with the Pesto Dipping Sauce (my children had a serving of applesauce as well) and a mixed green salad.

*Pancakes can be served hot or at room temperature.
*They can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to three days.
*I reheated them for lunch the next day in a 400 degree F oven, for about 20 minutes. I ate them on a bed of mixed greens and my husband made them into a sandwich.

Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Salad

2011-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorite ingredients. I saw this online and wanted to save it so I could repeat it. It looks so super yummy!

the original can be found here:
http://rebekahgough.blogspot.com/search/label/recipe
shes got some great recipes!

Mexican black bean quinoa salad

1 cup of quinoa soaked for 15 min or so in water, drain well.

1  ½ cups of water added to the soaked and drained quinoa and a tsp or so  of salt bring to a full boil, cover and turn to low and let sit for 15  min. Turn off heat and let sit another five min and then fluff with a  fork. (can be made ahead and stored in the fridge)

When ready for salad – 

Mince  1 jalapeno, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 small red onion (or half onion if  big). Saute in olive oil, for a few minutes. Add two bell peppers that  have been sliced thin. Saute a few minutes longer until softened. Add 1  tsp. cumin and 1 tsp coriander, stir and remove from heat. 

Add  quinoa to a large bowl followed by a can of drained black beans and a  can of drained corn. Toss in the sauteed veggies and mix together.

Add 1 diced tomato 

For  the dressing use the juice of 1 lime (2 Tablespoons), ¼ cup of olive  oil (less is fine), tsp or so of salt and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix  well and dress the salad and then top with cilantro if desired!

Jello Cookies

2011-12-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

These cookies remind me of my childhood. I remember making them with my mom and I had the most important job of all, smashing the cookies with a glass. Here is my mom showing my boys the proper technique

These cookies are full of memories and good times for me. We used to make them red and green. Lots of festive fun!

1/2 c. butter
1 3 oz. pkg jello (strawberry makes red and lime will make green)
1/2 c. sugar
blend together then add egg & flour mixture
2 eggs
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour

Heat oven to 375 F
roll dough into balls place apart on the cookie sheet, flatten each with bottom of glass dipped in sugar or jello. Dont smash them too flat, they will get crispy and burn.
Bake 6-8 minutes

French Toast Casserole

2011-12-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

We are a hot breakfast family. And we could eat breakfast any time of the day. Pancakes, oatmeal, muffins, steel cut oats are all part of our regular rotation. This will be a good addition. You can assemble it the night before and just put it in the oven in the morning.

1 loaf of hearty firm bread (I used some multigrain rolls I had in the freezer)
chopped pecans or walnuts (i used 1/4 cup, you can use more or less to your liking)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (you could use brown)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 large eggs (farm fresh!)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used some fresh cream from the dairy down the road)
2 tsp vanilla

In one bowl, chop up the bread in bite size pieces.
In another bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and nuts.
In a 3rd bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.
(cooking is so much fun when there are little people around!)
Grease/butter a 9 x 13 pan put bread pieces in it, sprinkle sugar mixture on top then pour over egg mixture. At this point you can cover it and cook it in the morning, just leave it in the frige over night. Or you can bake it. 350 for 20 minutes covered. Remove cover and cook for additional 25 minutes. Serve with syrup.

Sloppy Joes

2011-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

1/4 c bell pepper
3/4 c celery
1/2 c onion
1 lb burger
1 c tomato sauce
1 tbs worcheshire sauce
1 tbs vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar

Chop veggies in chopper until almost mushy. Add to browning hamburger. Add everything else and let simmer until everything is combined. Serve on buns.

Chicken Enchiladas

2011-08-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I can cream of chicken soup
I cup sour cream
1/2 onion chopped (usually I omit this)
4 oz. can of diced green chillis
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 tortillas
3-4 boiled chicken breasts

boil the chicken until fully cooked, and let it cool. then grated or chop the chicken.
Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Grab a tortilla, layer the sauce, chicken and cheese in the tortilla and wrap and place in the pan. ( you can use leftover sauce on top and add more cheese if you would like, but you don't have too.) bake @ 350 for 30- 35 minutes or until boiling in the middle and the onions are cooked. you can also make an extra pan and cover with foil and freeze before cooking for an easy meal on a busy day in the future.

homemade mac and cheese (good for your belly, not for your hips)

2011-08-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

A lady in our recipe group made this and it was surpisingly good.

1 lb. macaroni
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups velveeta, cubed
salt and pepper to taste

boil macaroni. Mix in 1/2 of all the cheese and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. pour into baking pan (easier cleanup if you spray the pan with nonstick first.) Top with the remaining cheese. Cover and cook 2o minutes, remove the foil and brown to your liking.

STROMBOLI

2011-07-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Stromboli

The original recipe for this calls for premade dough. After reading the ingredient list on the package, I just could not bring myself to buy it. I whipped up some dough and filled it up, this was an easy and fast dinner. (like my fancy plate? We ate outside)

DOUGH:

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbs. butter, softened
3 eggs
1/3 cup powdered milk
About 6 cups flour (use at least 1/2 wheat)

Combine water and yeast, set aside.

In mixer combine sugar, butter, eggs, powdered milk, and about 4 cups of flour. Slowly pour in yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated. Then add enough flour til dough pulls from the sides and the bowl is clean. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. Knead for about 4 minutes. Cover and let raise in bowl til doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Then roll out flat and cover with fillings.

FILLING:
any kind of meat you like. I used pastrami and ham
any kind of cheese you like. I used Mozzarella
Fresh chopped parsley, basil, spinach (whatever herbs or veggies you want)

Roll the dough out flat and place all meat, cheese, veggies on top. Fold the dough over and seal. Brush with butter and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 375 for about 25 minutes or until the dough looks done.

ZOPF

2011-07-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Did you see my post for Challah? It was an attempt to create this bread. I finally tracked down the recipe and it was just as I remembered. Thanks to Rosemary and Amber Yamamoto for sharing.
Zopf

11-12 c flour
2T yeast
2 sticks butter softened
3 c milk- lukewarm ~100 degrees
3/4c sugar
3 eggs at room temp
2 t salt
the zest of 1 lemon
egg wash

Place 3 c flour in bowl and sprinkle the yeast in and mix. Mix in sugar and salt. To the heated milk add butter. add beaten eggs to milk mixture. add milk mixture to dry ingredients and add zest. begin mixing and add one cup of flour at a time, until desired consistency reached.
Continue to mix for 5 min. Do manual kneading for a few minutes. Place dough in greased bowl and let rise until doubled (can punch down and let rise again if desired) Shape dough and let rise. Bake @ 350 for 35-45 min, on a cookie sheet that is greased.

*to shape dough- turn out onto counter. cut into thirds. cut each third into thirds and roll into ropes. Braid and place on baking sheet to rise 20-35 min.
*prior to baking may coat with an egg wash.

Texas Sheet Cake

2011-07-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my mom used to make this for family gatherings. She would store the extra out in the laundry room on top of the dryer. I remember sneaking out A LOT to snag a taste. It is one of my favorite treats she makes.

This is the recipe she emailed me. (my husband does not care for nuts, so as you can see I have omitted them. My moms was always loaded with walnuts!)

Texas Sheet Cake

bring to a boil: 3/4 lb butter
4 T. cocoa
1 cup water

sift together: 2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
pour hot mixture over flour & sugar.

add: 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
mix and beat somewhat....
Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

5 min before cake is done, mix and bring to a boil 1/2 c. butter, 6 Tablespoons milk, 4 Tablespoons cocoa.
remove from heat and add 1 pound of powdered sugar. Beat with mixer. Add 1 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Spread on cake immediately after taking from oven.

( I make my own buttermilk:
1 tsp. lemon juice mixed in 1/2 c. milk, mix first and let sit until ready to use)

Green-ya colada

2011-07-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

1/2 can of unsweetened pineapple (use the fruit and the juice)
1/2 cup low fat coconut or almond milk
1 cup ice
1 ripe banana
your favorite protein powder (naturally sweetened)
Few generous handfuls of washed spinach
spoonful of coconut oil

Blend together and serve. YUM! My kids especially love these! If you want an extra punch of coconut flavor add a teeny bit of coconut extract.

Black Bean Soup

2011-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my good friend and neighbor. Its so simple and easy, and freezes really well. I adapted it just a teeny bit.

BLACK BEAN SOUP
serves 8

2 cups dried black beans (food storage!)
2 cups frozen corn (or 1 14 oz can corn)
one medium onion, diced
2 Tbs. garlic (about 2 cloves, finely diced)
2 Tbs. cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

You can easily add extra grains in this soup. Quinoa, barley, millett would all be easily disguised.

Sort and rinse the beans. place them in a large bowl to soak. I usually soak my beans for 2 or 3 days before I cook them, just be sure to drain and rinse them well twice a day, keep them covered with water.

When you are ready to cook your soup add the soaked beans to a crock pot and cook them about 8 hours on LOW. Add corn, onion, garlic, cumin, salt pepper and chicken stock. Smash the beans a little if you want and let everything heat together in the crock pot. Add pre cooked quinoa, barley or millet a few minutes before serving. Top with avocados, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, or other favorite toppings and scoop up with chips or serve with corn bread!

Braided Bread (Challa)

2011-06-04T15:45:00.001-07:00

Growing up, we had a neighbor who made the most beautiful braided bread. She was friends with my mom and I loved when she'd come by, she rarely came empty handed. She was from Switzerland and used to say the bread was "just something they made". She had a talent and not only was her bread lovely, it tasted great too.

She offered to lend a hand with our wedding reception and guess what she did? She baked 5 gazillion loaves of that beautiful bread. I remember her stopping by my house with samples and asking for feedback when she had tweaked a recipe just a bit.

I have tried to replicate her recipe over the years, but nothing comes close. (I need to track her down!) I made this braided bread on Sunday to serve at family dinner, it needs some obvious fine tuning, but turned out pretty good.

Braided Bread
(also called Challa)
Ingredients:

3 Tb yeast

2 cups warm water

½ c. sugar

1 Tb salt

½ c. oil (I used grapeseed)

6 -7 c. flour

5 large eggs

Directions:

Combine water, yeast and sugar, leave it to proof for about 10 minutes in a bowl(I used my Bosch). Once its all foamy and bubbly, add the salt, oil, and about 3 cups of flour. Mix together well and then add the eggs. Once the eggs are all incorporated, add about 3 more cups of flour. Add enough flour til you get a good dough to work with and it pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover it and let it sit somewhere warm for about an hour. Separate into 3 large pieces and then divide each of those pieces into three smaller pieces. Roll into snakes and braid together. Let rise for about 1 hour, it will be about double in size. Then brush with egg wash (1 egg white and 1 Tb water).

Bake at 350° for about 18 minutes

These loaves are 100% white flour, something I have not done in a long time. When I make this again, I will definately add some fresh-ground-something-or-other. The dough was very soft and workable, it could use a little more substance.

Banana Bread

2011-06-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Fist off, banana bread is SO FUN to make with kids, my boys love all the smashing and squiching of the bananas! But waiting an entire hour from start to eating is taxing. My kids asked a zillion times if the bread was done and they watched it in the oven while it rose, remarking every 37 seconds that it looked done!
Banana Nut Bread

1/2 c. oil (I used coconut)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas (smashed)
2 c. flour (I used a mix of whole wheat, spelt, kamut, and buckwheat)
1 t. soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t. baking powder
3 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts (you can omit the nuts if your family doesnt like them)
bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour

( I test with a tooth pick if it doesn't look done, sometimes it doesnt)

Homemade Mayo

2011-05-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

There are some really inspiring people out there on the internet. People who make good wholesome, healthy food. I admire their efforts and the time they take to share things with the world.

I struggle walking thru the isles of the grocery store. I pick up food, I read the label, and most times I put it back. I just cant bring myself to buy some things, even if my kids are sucked into the lure of the colorful packaging and are begging for things...I just cant do it.

We dont eat many meat sandwiches anymore, so mayo is not a part of our lives here, but summer is coming up, that means lots of BBQs with family and friends. This mayo is such a great replacement for the store bought container of mayo or Miracle Whip.

This picture is from Karas blog and her recipe can be found here.

Quinoa Salad

2011-05-17T07:59:00.001-07:00

Look at this colorful bowl of deliciousness.

We have been eating lots of this, thanks to Alisa Burke

Her pictures are much more beautiful than mine, and I bet her bowl of salad tastes better too. Seriously, you should read her post about this salad. I dreamed about it for days after seeing her pictures!

My kids and I have been taking about food a lot lately and I am trying to teach them the value of colorful foods. They chow this down like there is no tomorrow. And they eat the leftover quinoa by the spoonful for a snack. Does my heart good.

Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches

2011-03-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite sandwich. Hands down. I could eat one every day.
2 slices of whole wheat bread
peanut butter (we used coconut peanut butter and regular)
banana
butter
cinnamon

slice the banana thin, spread the peanut butter on the bread and assemble sandwich. Cover the outside of the sandwich with butter. Cook on cast iron griddle til golden and crispy. Sprinkle with cinnamon while hot.

Stuffed Quesadillas

2011-03-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

Homemade tortillas
kidney beans, about 2 cups
spinach, chopped
corn
2 potatoes, diced
garlic
cooked quinoa, about 1 cup
shredded cheese

Warm some oil in a pan and toss in the garlic to brown. Then add beans, spinach, corn potatoes, quinoa and any other veggies or beans you would like. Cook long enough to wilt the spinach and soften the potatoes. Load all of that into a homemade tortilla with some cheese and cook on cast iron pan til the cheese melts. Serve with avacado, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, etc.

Chocolate snacks

2011-03-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

I dont even know what to call these. BUT THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!

I was rummaging thru my cupboards trying to come up with a quick snack to make with my kids.

Heres what we came up with. No measurements, just throw in whatever you like.

ground flax
12 grain cereal (dry)
coconut
raisins
walnuts, chopped
almonds, chopped
dried blueberries
chocolate, we used some organic dark

Combine all the dry ingredients and melt the chocolate on the stove. Mix them together til they are combined well, you dont want it too runny. Add more cereal if its too runny. Scoop onto wax paper to harden. We made them pretty small(ish) so we could just pop them in our mouths.

Italian Bread

2011-02-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have never made my own Italian bread! I made some last night and it was a hit! It was just as good, if not better than what you would pick up at the grocery store. Seriously, it's so easy and it will save you a trip out, so why not!?

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 tbs yeast
2 tbs plus 1/2 tsp sugar, divided
1 tbs salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
7 to 9 cups flour

1 egg white
Sesame seeds {optional}

In a small bowl combine the water, yeast and 1/2 tsp of the sugar. Let dissolve and stand until mixture is bubbly or foamy.

In a large mixing bowl combine the salt, remaining sugar, butter and yeast mixture. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour and mix. Keep adding flour 1/2 cup at a time for a total of 7 cups, but up to 9. Knead and let rise until doubled.

When doubled, punch the dough down and divide in half. Form into a baguette shape, about 10 inches long. Place onto large, greased cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, make 3 angled slits, about 1/2 inch deep on the top of each loaf. Beat the eggwhite with a fork and brush it over the loaves. Sprinkle with seeds, if desired. Let rise again until doubled. It seems to rise pretty fast.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Parmesan Chicken

2011-02-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Simply Recipes. I had 2 out of 3 kids approve this recipe. Sorry, no picture this time! This recipe took me 45 minutes start to finish.

1 clove garlic
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c dried bread crumbs
1/3 c grated parmesean cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dried, it worked fine)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless boneless chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches
(this fed my family of five, my kids ate 4-5 pieces each, there weren't any leftovers.)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.

Place coated chicken pieces onto a 9x13 baking dish. (I covered mine with foil sprayed with a little cooking spray for easy clean up. My dish was packed edge to edge, so if you increase the chicken at all, I would use a cookie sheet instead)
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serves 4-6
I served ours with a side of broccoli, yum!

Basic Pancakes and Syrup

2011-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

My all-time favorite breakfast is whole wheat pancakes with a glass of milk. I hope they have that in heaven. But as for my husband, he loves his Bisquick pancakes. Eww! I can't even stomach them. I have to give him credit though because he hates store bought syrup and is all about homemade.

In an effort to give the Bisquick box the boot, I found an easy alternative. I can have the dry ingredients ready to go and all my husband will have to do is throw in the wets. It's just as simple as using Bisquick.

Easy Pancakes
1-1/2 cups flour
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1-1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbs butter, melted

In a bow, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Create a well and add wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Cook as usual.

And because I didn't know how to make basic maple syrup {nor did I know people even made it!} until my husband taught me after we got married, I'm including that too.

Maple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 water
1/2 tsp mapeline extract

Mix it all together and boil.

Now there is no excuse to ever use a boxed mix or store bought syrup again!

Crockpot chicken tacos

2011-01-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe over on kukis kookbook blog and it is tasty and easy.

2 to 3 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 Cup salsa
1 can corn- I used frozen and it worked fine.
1 Can black beans drained

Place all ingredients in the crockpot for 3 to 4 hours on high. Just before serving, shred chicken and mix in one cup sour cream and 1/2 cup shreddded cheese. It will be runny. you can serve in tortillas, taco shells or on scones or on chips. top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avacados, or anything else you like.

Dessert Ball

2011-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe is rich, but so so yummy.

1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese
1 Cube of butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 TBsp brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (chopped)
1/2 cup diced nuts (walnuts or almonds.- Optional)

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and pwdered sugar together. pour in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and mix.
Let it chill overnight.
Form into a ball and roll in remaining chocolate chips and nuts. serve with graham crackers.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-12-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin is so good for you, why do we only eat it during the last 3 months of the year? I used a recipe from Martha Stewart as my base, but I switched it up a bit. Here is my version.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES
(with homemade buttermilk syrup and fresh squeezed orange juice makes for some happy kids in the morning!)

I presoaked my grains for these pancakes. Which meant the night before I combine 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and about 2 cups of kefir. Stir together just to combine and be sure all your flour is wet.

In the morning I added
2 Tbs. honey
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of cloves
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 eggs

Stir to combine and cook on hot griddle. Top with buttermilk syrup.

Teryaki sauce

2010-12-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

This is soooo easy to make and very flavorful. We are big fans of Chinese Food, so this sauce will be a definite repeat.

This meal came together really fast. I whipped up some meatballs, steamed some broccoli, cooked some delicious Jasmine rice and made the sauce in about 35 minutes. It was a yummy dinner.

Teryaki Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used liquid aminos)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I am not a huge ginger fan so I just did a few shakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbs honey
Mix above ingredients in a sauce pan and start to warm up. In a small bowl mix 2 Tbs cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to the sauce pan and stir constantly until thickened. If you cook it too long and get it too thick, you can thin it with a few Tbs. water.

Peanut Butter Pie

2010-12-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

This dessert is nothing but delicious! Full of all kinds of stuff that should be eaten on only special occasions. We had a huge crowd for Thanksgiving and I baked a few things to go on the table. I needed to make another pie, so I searched for something no bake, this one looked good and it did not disappoint! Andy asked me to leave it at our house so he could enjoy it all himself. It tastes like a yummy Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, YUM!

Peanut Butter Pie

The picture and original recipe are from allrecipes and are linked at the bottom.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar (the original called for more, but it was just fine reduced)
1 12 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 9 inch prepared chocolate cookie or graham cracker crust

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar. Then stir whipped topping into peanut butter mixture. Whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
2. Pour filling into pie crust and refrigerate for about 3 hours until pie is firm.
You can fancy up the topping how ever you would like. I drizzled chocolate syrup on top and sprinkled milk chocolate chips.

Recipe here:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Smooth-and-Creamy-Peanut-Butter-Pie/Detail.aspx

Chicken Stock

2010-12-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I bought some local natural raised chickens. They were whole and had never been frozen. (there were even quite a few feathers left on!) I cooked them up right away and cut off all the meat to use later in enchiladas or soup or something. I did my usual routine with the bones and skin - made stock.

For stock, you can use whatever you can get your hands on. Fryer chickens are sometimes really cheap at the local grocery store. You can bake them, cut off the meat and use the carcass. If you buy one of those rotisserie chickens from Costco, save the bones. I have also heard of people using chicken wings to make stock.

This is such an easy thing to make and great to have on hand. You know exactly what is in it, no strange additives, no mysterious ingredients.

Chicken Stock

Clean as much meat and fat from the bones as you can. Put the carcasses in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil (this is important as the boil will cause any fat to float to the top and you can skim it off). Boil the carcass for about 30 minutes. You can keep your stuff on the stove, but for convenience I prefer using my crock pot on high at this point. After the pot has boiled on the stove about 30 minutes, skim the top again and pour everything into your crock pot. Then add some carrots, celery, onion, a bay leaf or two and some salt and pepper. There is no set amount but you probably want at least 3 or 4 carrots and one big onion. All the veggies need to be cleaned and roughly chopped. They will get discarded later so they dont need to look great.
Simmer in your crock pot for about 3 hours. Pull out all the big pieces and pour the liquid thru a fine strainer. You can use it immediately or freeze it for use in later dishes.
2 carcasses covered with water should make about 2 1/2 quarts of stock.

Black Bean Burgers

2010-11-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently saw this recipe in a magazine and shared it with me. I was so glad she did. What a fun way to switch up dinner. They were easy and came together quickly. Since the "patty" had raw eggs in it, I couldnt test the taste until they were finished. Next time I will add more spices, this dinner is definitely a repeat!

Black Bean Burgers

2 Tbs oil
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 15 oz can of black beans (I used my own precooked beans, 2 cups plus a few Tbs. of water)
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbs. cumin
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper
*next time I will add hamburger seasoning or taco seasoning also

Preheat oven to 375

Warm oil in skillet and add celery and onion stir a few minutes and then add garlic. Pour beans into a bowl and mash to a thick paste (I did this in my food processor) Add celery mixture to beans and stir in egg, cumin and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties and bake on a baking sheet until firm and set, about 10 min. on each side.

While they are baking cut up all the garnishes.

Remove from the oven and serve on whole wheat buns and top like a regular hamburger. We used the works, lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo, etc.

Spelt Tortillas

2010-11-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, a friend of mine dropped off some tortillas she made along with the recipe. Good thing she included the recipe, because they were worthy of repeating! Delicious, and simple to make. (not to mention CHEAP!!)

Homemade spelt tortillas

1 1/2 cups spelt flour, fresh ground is best.
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs. oil
3/4 cup hot water

mix all ingredients, cover and let sit in a warm place for 20 min. divide into 8 balls and let sit covered for another 20 minutes. Roll each out into a thin circle and cook on skillet. If they are too thin they will cook up fast and will need to be watched closely so they dont get crispy.

TIPS:
* the dough is a little sticky so when you are rolling it out be sure to flour your counter and rolling pin really well.
* I liked them rolled out a little thicker, they were easier to cook and work with.
* Once you are done cooking them, place them in a container with wet paper towels in between them. They will stay soft and pliable this way.

German Pancakes and syrup

2010-11-07T13:41:00.001-08:00

There are lots of German Pancake recipes out there. And people call them lots of different things. Hootenanny Pancakes, German Pancakes, Oven Pancakes...

I got this recipe quite a few years ago from a friends mom. We had taken a road trip from Arizona to Utah, and got in late at night. The next morning these puffy pancakes were served for breakfast. I had never even seen or heard of them, but loved them! I asked for the recipe and whenever I look at it, I still remember that long road trip and the kind gesture of my friends mother.

German Pancakes
(these are my pancakes with the syrup simmering in the background. There is also a pan of barley that i had just cooked up for Maggie)

Beat together:
6 Tbs butter, melted
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
whip them together really well, the more air you can get in them when whipping them the more fluffy they will be. Bake 425 for 25 - minutes.

while they are cooking, make the syrup:

1 cup sugar (I use honey but the authentic recipe calls for sugar)
2 Tbs. corn starch
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 cups apple cider (we had some fresh pressed cider and it was DELICIOUS!)

Incorporate all ingredients in a pan and simmer until its clear. This syrup is good on pancakes or waffles or any hot breakfast breads.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2010-10-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

We had a little appetizer party yesterday, and here is a recipe I adapted from a friend. Andy turned his nose up at the name of it, but I demand he at least try it. After he tasted it and admitted it was good, he suggested they change the name as "Spinach" and "Artichoke" do not sound appealing, especially when you are a male.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
(I am such a terrible food photographer!)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
dash of Worcester sauce
salt pepper to taste
14 oz can artichokes
small box frozen spinach

whip all ingredients together and spread in an oven safe dish. Warm thru. 350 for about 20 minutes.

We scooped ours up with homemade corn chips. YUM!

Mock Refried Beans

2010-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is an easy recipe to make refried beans, without actually cooking them a second time. You just throw everything in your crock pot, let it cook away, then you mash it all up and VIOLA! Re fried Beans.

I cooked a big pot of these, and just put the leftovers in the freezer. They will be good for bean burros or tostadas on a night when I am in a hurry.

A LITTLE SIDE NOTE: I was lucky enough to have some delicious homemade tamales to eat along with the yummy beans. The tamales were the ABSOLUTE BEST I have ever had (and I have eaten a lot of tamales in my day!) My friend and her family buy whole corn, cut it off the cob and grind it themselves to make masa for their tamales. Which just supports my whole thinking on food, homemade is always best. Time consuming? Yes. But always best. Getting as basic as you can always yields the best results.

Re Fried Beans

1 large onion, diced (or about 1/2 cup dried onion flakes)
*About 4 cups dried pinto beans*see note below
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced OR 1 can of diced green chili for a milder flavor
4 Tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
taco seasoning

Sort and rinse beans then leave to soak overnight. *(The beans will bulk up after a soak on the counter, so be sure and adjust the recipe to the size of your crock pot. I have a large crock pot so I had no problem fitting this into my pot.)

After beans have soaked for 12 - 24 hours rinse them really well and dump them into your crock pot. Add onion, peppers, garlic and cumin. Pour enough water in the crock pot to cover the beans. Let it cook on high for about 8 hours. Check to be sure the water does not get all absorbed in the cooking process and add more if needed. Once beans are are soft, turn off your crock pot and drain out the water, but reserve it for later.

Mash up the beans with a potato masher (I used a pastry cutter) If the beans are too thick, add in some of the reserved water. The beans should be about the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Taste the beans, if they need more flavor add taco seasoning, salt, pepper, salsa, cheese, sour cream, whatever sounds good until the flavor is to your liking.

I added in about 3 Tbs. taco seasoning and some salsa while I was mashing. Then my husband topped his bowl of beans with cheese and sour cream. Very versatile and easy dish.

Favorite Potato Bread

2010-10-26T07:51:00.001-07:00

My sister in law made this bread on Sunday for dinner. It was delicious. The recipe is written out for a bread machine, and it stated that it made one loaf. Here is what I ended up with:
A loaf of bread big enough to make sandwiches for Paul Bunyan. Next time I will split it into 2. This recipe is great to make if you have a Kitchen Aid because the dough is not very substantial. A Kitchen Aid could handle it just fine, I think.

I added some whole wheat to the recipe and it did not take away from it at all, the bread is soft soft soft.

1 1/2 cups luke warm water
2 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour (I used 2 cups white and 2 cups wheat)
4 tsp. sugar (I used 2 tsp)
1/2 cup potato flakes
2 1/2 tsp yeast

dissolve yeast in water. Combine all other ingredients in mixer. Slowly add yeast mixture and mix until combined. Knead in mixer about 3 or 4 minutes, until dough is smooth and shiny.(If the dough does not smooth out, add a Tbs. or so of water.) Let raise for about an hour. Punch down and form into 2 loaves. Let it raise for about 30 minutes. Bake 350 for 25 minutes, checking periodically. You want it nice and brown on top, but not burnt.

Minestrone

2010-10-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

A friend shared some of this soup with me the other day. It was spectacular! Since it is the end of the gardening season for us, we eat a lot of soups in the fall to help clean things out. Minestrone is a good versatile soup cuz you can add or subract almost anything you want.

In general, my kids will eat anything. They had a hard time with the spinach in this soup. I think next time I make it, I will use fresh spinach and chop it up more so its not so clumpy and stringy in the soup. It didnt bother me, but they were irritated that it kept falling off their spoons.

The original recipe (and the picture) are found here

This is my version:
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced and save all juices
2 cups dried beans - rinsed in hot water. I used black and white beans
1 cup chopped carrots
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
1 cup fresh grated zuchinni
1 cup fresh diced yellow squash

I rinsed my beans in hot water and soaked them overnight before I used them in this dish.
If you are using any variety of red beans, YOU MUST do a rapid-boil to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally in red beans.

Add everything to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are soft. Add dry pasta, and cook on high for about 30 minutes.

Serve with bread sticks and enjoy!

Soaked Whole Wheat Pancakes

2010-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

I try to always soak my wheat because it reduces the phytic acid. In general, whole grains have high levels of phytic acid, a substance that reduces our absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Phytic acid is becoming a hot topic on the internet, even Lance Armstrongs website is talking about it.

In all my reading, this explanation seemed the easiest to understand (aside from all the scientific terms)

Phytic acid (known as inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytate) is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues, especially in the grass family (wheat, rice, rye, barley etc) and beans. Phosphorus in this form is generally not bioavailable to humans because humans lack the digestive enzyme, phytase, required to separate phosphorus from the phytate molecule.

Phytate structure (Source)

Phytic acid binds to important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc and can therefore contribute to mineral deficiencies, as the minerals are not released from the phytate and are thus unavailable to the body. For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable.

A common way in developing countries to increase the bioavailability of minerals from grains and beans is using fermentation. Many bacteria possess phytase activity and by fermenting grains or beans by lactic acid bacteria the phytate is destroyed and the bioavailability of the minerals is increased.

Phytic acid recently has been studied for its potential anti-carcinogenic properties. Recent studies have indicated that phytic acid may have some preventive effect in prostate, breast, pancreatic and colon cancer. The mechanism, however, is not yet understood.

If we can reduce the phytic acid in whole grains, our bodies can better absorb the minerals and the food is easier assimilated into our bodies. Here is an easy recipe for whole wheat pancakes, using the soaking method. It yeilds a light and fluffy pancake. Skip any boxed whole grain pancake mixes and give this a try, its easy and tasty too!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

3 cups fresh ground wheat flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups kefir
1/3 honey
2 T. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 eggs

About 24 hours before you plan to make your pancakes, combine wheat and kefir in a large bowl.

It does not need to be runny, just be sure to use enough kefir to moisten your wheat, like this:
Stir it up really good and cover it, I just set a plate on top of my bowl and it forms a sort of lid, you dont want to seal it tight, just cover it. Plastic wrap would work fine too. Let it sit on your counter for 12 - 24 hours.

When you are ready to make pancakes, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of soaked wheat. Whisk everything together and cook on a hot griddle.

These are yummy when they are topped with fresh fruit, yogurt, or homemade buttermilk syrup.
Extra pancakes can be stored in the freezer and cooked in the toaster on mornings you are in a hurry.

$50 Bucks

2010-10-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

That is how much I spent in groceries last month.

I didnt use a debit card, or swipe my credit card one time.

Twice a month, Andy "pays" me enough money for food and groceries. In September, there was a bit of a snafu with the money and when Andy only gave me $50, I looked at it and thought it would be fun to see how long I could make it last. Well, I rationed it out and it covered 30 days. I went to the grocery store ONE TIME during the month. And other than that, I did not step foot in a store for an entire 30 days. No trips to Wal Mart for "just one thing" no late night runs to the grocery store for "just milk".

I often ask myself if I could live as a pioneer. The hardest thing for me to give up would be food. I could go without a shower, with out electricity, I would love to live off my garden and sew my families clothes. But the food...I would struggle with that. I love cooking and trying new recipes. If I were a pioneer I am certain that Curry and Naan would have never been served, and chocolate chip cookies would not be a regular treat in our house.

I understand that pioneers diets were limited, because their income and resources were. They didnt have a supermarket 5 minutes away that held millions of half prepared items inside. I thought it would be interesting to see if I could really get back to the basics, so I limited my income and resources for a month.

Granted, this can not happen every month in my house, our cupboards and freezer were full of random items that have now been used up and will not go to waste.

I buy a lot of items in bulk, so we have plenty of grains in this house. Wheat, spelt, millett, rice, various types of beans, ect. I used the bulk grains we have on hand and it seems like I barely dented my supply. I ground my own grains for biscuits, breads, tortillas, cookies, etc.

Even Maggie got homemade foods, ground or prepared right here in our own kitchen. She has been eating solids for about 3 months now and to date, I have purchased 1 box of rice cereal at the store. She eats millet, barley, and rice fresh ground from the organic bulk stuff I have on hand. And fruits and veggies pulled from our garden and shared from friends.

The biggest thing I did was simplify and MAKE everything from scratch. When I made chicken enchiladas, they were made with homemade tortillas (CHEAP and EASY!!), homemade cream of chicken soup (CHEAP and EASY!) white beans bought in bulk a few months ago (CHEAP!) and served with chips made from homemade tortillas (CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!) and tomatoes from our garden (FREE!). Once I sat down and calculated the cost of that meal, I was astounded. It cost me less than $2 out of my pocket to make a 9 x 13 pan of chicken enchiladas, which fed us dinner and lunch the next day.

Here is a little summary of what we consumed:

breakfasts:
1. 12 grain cereal (no cost, purchased a few months ago. 50lbs of organic grain cereal only cost me $27, why doesnt everyone eat this stuff? I swear I am never going to get to the bottom of the bag!)
2. whole wheat pancakes and homemade syrup (no cost for anything, all items were on hand.)
3. scrambled eggs and toast from homemade bread (no cost, all items were on hand, we get eggs for free from my father in laws chickens)
4. blueberry muffins (no cost, all items on hand. I have 15 lbs of blueberries in my freezer that need used)
shakes/smoothies (cost of milk to make kefir, all other items on hand from bulk purchases in the past.)

lunches:
1. leftovers
2. peanut butter and jelly and applesauce (no cost. homemade bread, homemade jam, natural peanut butter purchased in bulk last month that needed to get used. homemade apple sauce)
3. quesadillas (homemade tortillas. cheese purchased from the store. Served with homemade salsa)
4. chips and salsa (No cost. homemade chips, homemade salsa.)
5. egg salad sandwiches (no cost. homemade bread, free eggs, condiments on hand)
6. salad (minimal cost, I used veggies from the garden, but had to buy some leafy greens)

dinner:
this was really the only place I spent money. I had to buy a few items to help me complete some meals. I always served fresh fruits or veggies on the side, which for the most part cost me nothing.

1. chicken enchiladas (almost no cost. everything was on hand but the cheese. I canned my own chicken last summer so I used that, made my own corn tortillas, made my own cream chicken, used chilis from my garden, served with garden tomatoes and homemade salsa and chips)
2. ham and bean soup (no cost, I got a ham bone from my mother in law and used beans and spices that I had on hand. served with homemade corn bread)
3. chicken noodle soup (almost no cost. all garden veggies, 1 chicken breast, homemade egg noodles and homemade rolls)
4. spaghetti (no cost. no meat. I had everything on hand. I rummaged in my food storage and found a can of spaghetti noodles that were nearing its expiration date, so we used them up and served them with home made sauce and tons of garden veggies and homemade bread sticks)
5. some nights we ate peanut butter and jelly
6. Brazillian Beans and rice (no cost. no meat. all items on hand)
7. Chicken roll ups (minimal cost. 1 chicken breast, homemade rolls, spices, and soup used)
8. Biscuits and gravy with eggs (no cost, no meat. homemade biscuits and pan gravy with fresh eggs)
9. pancakes (no cost. homemade pancakes, homemade syrup. served with homemade apple juice from a large apple harvest)
10. Macaroni and cheese (minimal cost. everything was on hand, but I did buy cheese and used it for this)
11. Minestrone with homemade rolls (no cost. All garden veggies, homemade chicken stock. Homemade herb rolls)
12. Salad (minimal cost. free garden veggies but I did buy leafy greens. I used old-ish bread to make croutons)
13. chicken fingers and fries (homemade chicken fingers and oven baked fries using spuds from the garden)
14. Sitaw, a traditional Philippino food. (minimal cost. brown rice, green beans from the garden, chicken and spices all on hand)

snacks:

1. apples (free from our trees)
2. veggies (from the garden)
3. hard boiled eggs (from the Father in Law)
4. Zucchini Bread (Zuchinni from the garden, all other baking items on hand)
5. carrot cake with no frosting (Carrots from the garden, all other baking items on hand)
6. bread and butter (homemade bread)
7. granola bars (homemade with items on hand)
8. popcorn (I bought a 25 lb bag of organic popcorn for $15 a few months ago and we are working our way thru it)
9. blueberry muffins (leftovers from breakfast)
10. Shakes/smoothies (cost of milk to make kefir)
11. cookies (no cost, all items on hand)
12. homemade pretzels (no cost, all items on hand)
13. applesauce (no cost, made last summer from a large apple crop)

I have to say, with all that homemade stuff, last month was not even hard. Meals were not extremely time consuming. It was great to really use the basics when feeding my family. For bulk items, I think if we had some wheat, beans, flour, sugar and butter on hand we could fare just fine. (sound familiar? FOOD STORAGE!!!)

This month I purchased butter, milk, cheese, chicken, and bananas, milk and a few other small items. Otherwise, I just used stuff I had around here. And my supplies are still full. I still have tons of grains and butter and chocolate chips.

Anyone can cut back their grocery bill this way. Cook your own food. Grow a garden. Get as basic as you can when preparing meals. Skip the box of Bisquick and find a recipe for biscuits and pancakes, homemade tastes so much better anyway. Make your own tortillas, and let your kids help. My boys love rolling out the corn dough and pressing it. Make your won syrup, sure it has sugar in it but its nothing compared to the stuff Aunt Jamima makes, and the taste surpasses store bought stuff too. Its easy and its cheap.

I think I will try this again in a few months. I am always over buying and keeping extra stuff in the freezer and cupboard. This helps me to use it up and get creative and forces me to hone my cooking/baking skills.

Beans

2010-10-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

People often ask me how I get my family to eat less meat. For me, its easy. I supplement with beans.

If you could look in my freezer at any given time, you would see an assortment of frozen beans. Black beans, white beans, red beans, adzuki beans, pinto beans, etc. About once a week, I soak and cook up a big pot of each then divide them up into plastic bags and freeze them for later use. This is so much more economical than buying beans in a can. Have you seen the prices of one can of beans? Its ridiculous!!

Aside from the pinto beans I have purchased at the cannery, I buy all my beans in bulk from Azure Standard. I choose the organic ones and most of them are grown in the US. Even then, they work out to be cheaper than store bought canned beans.

Now, beans take a lot of forethought which I why I try to stay ahead of myself and have them in the freezer. Here is my process for making beans:

First, I sort out the beans. I always pick thru them carefully as I find lots of little rocks in them. I dont want my family to munch down on one of those! After sorting the beans, I put them in a bowl of water and let them soak for about 2 days. I drain and rinse them a few times while they are sitting on the counter. Then one morning after breakfast I give them one last good rinse and dump them in my crock pot. I cover the beans with water and let them cook all day until I am ready for bed. (Some beans will still absorb water as they cook, so watch them and add water if needed. You can always drain off extra later.) I turn them off and let them sit in the pot overnight. In the morning, they are cool and can be sorted into plastic bags. I put 2 or 3 cups in a bag and then put them in the freezer.

Then I can use them in a pinch when I am making dinner. I use them in Kellys chicken tortilla soup, chicken enchiladas, bean dip, white bean chili, and much more. I add beans to spaghetti to stretch it a little, I put beans in sloppy joes instead of using all meat, I have even made cookies using mashed white beans instead of butter.

We eat beans atleast 2 times a week, sometimes more. If I use a recipe that calls for ground beef, I usually cut the meat down by about 2/3 and fill use beans in its place. And the kind of beans I use depends on what I am cooking. White beans go good in casseroles and soups. Black and pinto beans serve as a good substitute for meat. Black and pinto also work well in any mexican dish to stretch it out a little.

I have been asked to store foods for "a rainy day" and beans are easy to store and cook (although the process is lengthy). So I am always looking for ways to use them and incorporate them in our diet. Not to mention they are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!

Now, here is an easy recipe for a delicious bean dinner:
At Sunday dinner a few weeks ago, my mother in law cooked a ham. I bummed the bone off her and used it for ham and beans with cornbread. This was so easy and SUPER tasty!

about 8 cups of pinto beans, sorted and presoaked
1 large onion roughly chopped (I like the pieces cut big so I can fish them out later, I am not a fan of cooked onions)
ham bone with leftover meat on it
salt and pepper

Put everything in the crock pot on low and let it cook for about 10 hours. The leftover meat will fall off the bone as it cooks so there is no need to try and cut it off. Stir it around and get the bones and onion pieces out before serving.

I served it with cornbread and put the leftovers in a plastic bag in the freezer for an even easier meal in the future.

home made mac and cheese

2010-09-28T11:36:00.001-07:00

I loathe Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. The ingredient list scares me and I dont even think it tastes very good. But apparently the American Public disagrees with me because according to a company spokesperson, "Kraft now sells more than one million boxes of the dinners every day"! Really? A million boxes A DAY? And how dare they call it dinner.

My little kids dont even recognize the famous blue box. We have eaten a few boxes of Annies Organic Mac and cheese in our time, but not enough for my kids to be huge fans. We only eat it about 2 times a year.

I am really trying to stick to a tight grocery budget this month, so I am forced to get inventive. Looking thru the cupboards, I realized I had some stuff that I could use to whip up some mac and cheese. It was really easy and pretty fast. Most importantly, it tasted like food.

Ingredients

8 ounces macaroni, cooked and drained (we used whole wheat shells)
2 cups fresh grated sharp Cheddar cheese (not the preshred stuff)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered stuff!)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used wheat flour)
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick.
Combine sauce and macaroni. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper.

I was just googling around for a picture and found this recipe:
http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/03/stove-top-macaroni-and-cheese/
I am going to try it next.

Homemade chips

2010-09-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of fried food, but we do eat it a few times a year.

Whenever I make (or buy) tortillas, there seems to always be some left over that we dont use up. If there are extras, I like to fry them up and make some chips with them. They taste a million and one times better than any store bought chips. Just cut up your corn or flour tortillas like a pie, and drop them in hot oil. Leave them for a few minutes til they get hard and start turning a little brown. VIOLA!!! You cant beat the taste. They are delicious! (and yes, I know not very healthy. But in my opinion homemade is always best!)

Sweet Pork Burritos

2010-09-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

All this is off Sisters Cafe.

These burritos are the best ever! But they are super time intensive, so its nice to get a crowd in on the dinner. Give everyone an assignment and then eat pot luck style. These are great for a crowd because they are so versatile.

You can add whatever you want to your burrito. Just be sure and have all the fixings on hand: giant tortillas, salsa, tomatoes, avacado, sour cream, cheese, etc.

Shredded Sweet Pork

3 lb pork roast

1 c brown sugar

1 c Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day (abt 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...

1 c brown sugar

1 c red enchilada sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 cups chicken stock

3 c white rice

4 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tb canola oil

2 Tb fresh lime juice

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1/2 onion

1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor. Add all ingredients to rice cooker and cook per directions. (you can use minute rice too, but I have never bought or used it so I dont know how to change it up)

Garlic Black Beans

1 can black beans (I use cooked beans from my food storage)

1/3 c tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)

1 tsp cumin

2 Tb canola oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tb chopped cilantro

Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 c buttermilk

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c sour cream

1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing

1 c fresh chopped cilantro

6 green onions with ends, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)

3 tsp sugar

1 jalapeno, sliced thin - add to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Bodacious Brown Bread

2010-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for homemade bread. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Give me a side of chocolate chip cookies and I would be in heaven!!

Of course, I have to limit my consumption of either of those foods. But hands down, they are my favorites.

This is an easy, quick and hearty bread. I like it because it is substantial enough to eat with soup or on its own. Most breads that I make to go along with dinner take HOURS. With all the rising, kneading, rising again, then baking....not this one.

And I like it because I have had a sourdough start for years. I mostly use it for pancakes and pizza dough. Now I have something else to use it in.
this is my picture of the bread:

And here is the bread pictured by a professional and posted on line. It is much better than mine, but theirs doesnt have a cute little boy in the background.

Heres the recipe. Since its fall, everyone should bust this out next time they make soup.

For the bread:

1. 2 cups (480 ml.) buttermilk
2. 2 large eggs
3. 1½-2 cups (360-480 ml.) dark molasses (Teri is partial to Grandma’s®)
4. ¾ cup (180 ml.) sourdough starter (see recipe below)
5. 1 cup (240 ml.) all-purpose flour
6. 6 cups (1.44 lt.) whole-wheat flour
7. 1 scant tablespoon (<15 ml.) baking soda (use your judgment; Teri says the full amount leaves a baking soda taste.)

* Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
* Mix together the buttermilk, milk, eggs, molasses and sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl.
* Sift together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours and the baking soda.
* Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet and completely mix together between each addition.
* Pour the batter into 2 lightly buttered 9×5-inch (22.8×12.7-cm.) loaf pans.
* Let stand for 20 minutes.
* Bake for 50-55 minutes or until bread is firm when tested with a toothpick and comes out clean.

The original post and recipe can be found here
http://www.thetasteoforegon.com/2010/04/12/the-otis-cafe-and-bodacious-brown-bread/

Biscuits and Gravy

2010-09-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

First off let me say: if you have ever made Bisquick biscuits, these are a million and one times better than those. Do yourself a favor, skip using the yellow box and try these biscuits. They are crispy on the outside and soft and light inside.

Biscuits and gravy is my favorite breakfast meal. And my kids like to help make it, so its win - win.
Our boys helped me set the table for dinner (we eat breakfast for dinner quite often). When I realized I had a plate with Lightning McQueen on it at my place, I opted to just take a picture of the food while it was still on the stove. I am not sure a CARS plate lends itself to a good picture.
(biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs)
Drop Biscuits

2 cups flour (You could use any combination of wheat and white. I use all wheat and they are still fluffy. If they turn out a little dense, they get smothered with gravy anyway, so it doesnt really matter.)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup shortening ( I use Spectrum, its non hydrogenated)

Preheat oven 425. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add shortening and use fork or pastry cutter to combine until it looks like coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until blended. Scoop dough out by spoonful and drop on cooking pan. Bake 12 minutes

Gravy

Brown a little sausage and set aside. In the same cooking pan combine 1 1/3 cups magic mix and about 2 cups water or milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the sausage back in and serve over hot biscuits.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-09-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my good friend Allyson. These cookies are hearty and thick so scoop em up big, cuz they are suppose to be substantial.

Cookies are another good way to disguise wheat. Everyone loves cookies, dont they? They are still filled with other stuff that is not necessarily good for you, but they are cookies. Supposed to be a treat. In my opinion, treats are supposed to be good.

A friend brought me some cookies a while back. They were sweetened with honey, the eggs had been replaced with flax and water, and she had omitted the raisins called for in the recipe. The cookies were edible and fit in the category of a healthy food, but they were not very good. If I am going to make a treat and have it in our house, I think it should taste just like its intended to, a treat.

And on the occasion we do have treats, they are homemade. No funky ingredients or additives.

Ally Bs Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/3 cups flour ( I use 2 cups wheat and 1 1/3 all purpose)
3/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs and 2 egg yolks
1 Tbs. vanilla
choc chips

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Preheat to 325. Whisk flour, salt, and soda and set aside. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed 1 - 2 minutes. Beat in yolks and eggs and vanilla until just combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

scoop out cookies on pans and place 2 in the oven at a time. Bake for 8-9 minutes then switch pans and cook for an additional 8-9 minutes.

Let cool on pan a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Incorporating wheat in dinner rolls

2010-09-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

People ask me all the time "What do I do? I want my family to eat wheat. Where do I start?" Then they give me a long list of reasons their families wont eat wheat bread. The bread is hard, its too dense, its dry, it doesnt taste good, the loaves are too big so the bread cant be used for sandwiches because it doesnt fit in zip lock bags, it takes too long to make.....there are lots of reasons.

I think learning how to incorporate wheat is a process. Its important to start off small. Try putting a cup of whole wheat flour in a batch of cookies, or substitute a cup or two when making rolls. The trick to good whole wheat products is a good recipe and learning the recipes technique. Sometimes, you might have to try a recipe a few times before it works out. But the most important thing is not to give up. Keep gathering recipes and keep trying. If you are at a pot luck and the homemade rolls are delicious, ask for the recipe. Ask whoever baked them to give you some tips if you need. Somewhere in your baking things will work out. One day you will know just what the dough should look like or just how glossy your rolls should be and that will be the determining factor when adding ingredients. You will realize your dough "looks right" when you add 3 cups of flour instead of the 5 that the recipe calls for.

When I use whole wheat in recipes it is fresh ground. I dont know how that compares to whole wheat flour you can purchase at the store but I imagine they would be interchangeable. (Although, fresh ground grains are always superior in nutrition to the pre ground stuff you buy at the store. But if you dont have a grinder, or dont know someone who does, the store bought stuff will work)

Tonight I made a few dozen of these:

I used 2 cups of fresh ground white wheat and about 3 1/2 cups of regular ole white flour. They were light and fluffy and very flavorful. I dont think anyone would have guessed there was a little bit of actual nutrition in them.

So if you are just starting out with grains and want to incorporate some in a recipe, this is an easy starter. Follow the recipe using 2 cups wheat flour and the remaining 3 or 4 cups will be all purpose flour. Hope you get rave reviews!

recipe here

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-09-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

We have a recipe club in our ward, and this month we focused on crock pot recipes. I made this lasagna for the first time and it was pretty yummy.

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1tsp. italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz.) Spaghetti sauce (or you could make you own)
1/4 Cup water
1 carton (16 oz) cottage cheese
2 Cups mozzarella cheese, grated

break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Stir italian seasoning into meat and spread half over the noodles already in the slow cooker. Then layer half of the sauce, water and cottage cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese over the beef. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours. makes 6-8 servings.

Probiotics and a Breakfast Shake

2010-09-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

I have been on over load lately, reading about probiotics. After learning about them, I can not believe they are not well known. I dont understand why doctors dont inform you of the benefits of probiotics.

Our almost 3 year old (who was born 7 weeks premature) had digestive problems when he was a baby. I nursed him and he seemed so relaxed and content while he was eating but shortly after he finished he would cry and cry and cry and often he would vomit (not spit up) and it would be green. I wondered if his little premature digestive tract had not developed properly or even speculated that it had a kink in it or something. Of course, I took him to the pediatrician. I told the pediatrician my concern and he looked at me and said "He is at a good weight for a preemie baby, I can tell he is a good eater." HELLO!!! Was he listening to me? Green throw up. Excessive crying. Constant runny nose. Terrible sleeper.

I left the pediatricians office with my 3 month old baby and to date, we have not returned. I figured I was on my own, so I spent countless hours researching the cause of his restlessness after eating and most concerning, the green throw up. Turns out, he showed all the signs for being allergic to milk. So while I was nursing, I went off all dairy and things changed in just a few days. He slept better, quit with the green vomit, his nose cleared up...it was miraculous.

That was almost 3 years ago. Between now and then I have done a TON more reading, researching, asking questions, listened to others conversations about milk allergies, asked more questions, and done more reading.

My final conclusion was that our little baby was not completely allergic to milk he just lacked some digestive enzymes and could not break down lactose. Hence all the adverse reactions.

After drinking gallons of rice milk fortified with flax oil for over 1 year, I started adding things back into his diet. Now he is a champ with the milk products. We dont consume milk and dairy all that often in our house, but when we do - he has no problems.

I think one of the biggest factors in helping him out was adding kefir to his diet. Kefir is similar to yogurt, but thinner and a little more sour. I make it myself, with kefir grains I obtained from a friend. Just like yogurt, it contains probiotics but is superior in its strains and count.

I own 2 books that have really helped me understand the role of a healthy digestive tract. How our overall health starts in our gut. If things are out of whack there, the whole body suffers. It makes sense to me. I was surprised how easy it is for bad bacteria to take over and illness to occur. Birth control pills, antibiotics, food additives, stress, and a million other common things can wreck your internal flora and cause an imbalance. When things are not balanced, bad bacterias and yeasts can run rampant. (read here for a list of possible signs of bad bacteria/yeast over growth) Having a strong number of healthy bacteria in your gut can help protect against food poisoning, lower your cholesterol, help with weight loss, and aid in alleviating Chron's disease, irritable bowel, lactose intolerance, and much more.

It is important to understand how to keep the good bacteria growing strong in your gut. Among other things, kefir is a good way to keep your intestinal flora healthy.

Every morning, me and my kids drink one of these:

The ingredients in my shake vary from wee to week, it depends on what I have on hand. But the basic recipe is this:

Handful of frozen organic blueberries or strawberries
whole frozen banana
whole avacado (peeled and pitted of course)
handful of spinach
few Tbs. flax oil or milled flax
scoop of protein powder
few cups of kefir

I also add in things like mango pieces, cucumbers, pears, wheat grass, sprouted wheat or spelt...I just look around on my counter and toss in what ever sounds good. You can put in what ever fruits or veggies you like, just adjust to your taste.

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until everything is incorporated. This makes a thick and creamy shake, you could eat it with a spoon. In my house, the amounts above make 3 breakfast shakes. My boys each get about 6-8 ounces to eat with their oatmeal, eggs, etc. And I drink about 12 - 14 ounces.

for more information on kefir you can read here:

Cultivate Health From Within

Probiotics: Natures Internal Healers

Doms kefir web site

Happy Herbalist

My Feel Good Foods - This talks more about yeast overgrowth and how to clean out your system if you think you have a problem with an imbalance of bad bacteria. My mother in law and I did the cleanse a few months ago...it worked wonders.

Texas Sheet Cake

2010-09-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my mom always made this for special occasions. Whenever there were leftovers, she would put the pan out on top of the dryer. I remember sneaking out to the laundry room several times to sneak a piece. It was such a special treat when I was a kid and I still love it today. My moms sheet cake always looked like this:
(picture from here)

Andy isnt a fan of nuts, so I leave them out and mine has a smooth glossy top on it.

It is pretty quick to whip up and great if you are feeding a crowd.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

bring to a boil:
3/4 lb margarine
4 T. cocoa
1 cup water

sift together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

pour hot mixture over flour & sugar.

add:
*1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
mix and beat somewhat....

Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

5 min before cake is done, mix and bring to a boil
1/2 c. margarine
6 Tablespoons milk
4 Tablespoons cocoa.

remove from heat and add 1 pound of powdered sugar. Beat with mixer. Add 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) and 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pour on cake immediately after taking from oven.

*My mom makes her own buttermilk:
*1 tsp. lemon juice mixed in 1/2 c. milk, mix first and let sit until ready to use

My thoughts on foods

2010-09-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Michael Pollan has written a few books and helped with the making of Food Inc. I own some of his books and I like his point of view. His basic thoughts are this: shop the perimeter of the grocery store (stay away from frozen and canned food) and in general you should eat what you want, just be sure it is prepared in your own kitchen.

He theorizes that if we wanted chicken nuggets and had to chop the chicken, bread it, then cook them ourselves we would not consume them in the quantities we do in America. Same thing with cookies or treats, if we didnt have the prepackaged stuff in our pantries, we wouldnt eat them everyday. If we have to gather the ingredients and prepare treats ourselves we would be a nation with different eating habits.

I totally agree.

In my opinion, home made is always best. Be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. When I make something in my kitchen I know exactly what goes into it. Even when I use white flour, I feel ok with it.

Everyones ideas on health and food are different. I have friends who are fanatic about eating whole foods. Some of them only eat raw food. Some watch their fat intake. Others their carbs. Some follow the method of food combining. While I think all of these ways are great, I have not embraced one of them whole heartedly. I take bits and pieces of each one and then add my own ways too. I have a few things I focus on when it comes to food: incorporating whole grains, using my food storage, and cooking with the most basic ingredients.

I think everyone should ask questions and understand your eating habits. There is a lot of information on the internet about food. According to internet opinions, almost all food has a good side and a bad side. There are "nay sayers" in every group. I read articles for and against certain foods and then I just have to decide myself if I am going to use it or eat it. And I pay attention to how I feel when I eat certain foods, that is a big deciding factor for me.

I read labels and if there is something in a package that I dont recognize, I usually dont buy it. Sugar laden cereals now try to catch your eye with a big label on the front that says "HIGH IN CALCIUM" or "HIGH FIBER". Canned soups now tout that they are made with "NO MSG". Dont be fooled. (did you know MSG can be hidden under more than 25 different names? Food companies should be ashamed of the tricky ways they market their foods.

Aside from not recognizing ingredients, I dont like paying high prices for things I can make myself. I will look at a package of cookies and think "I can make those, why buy them?".

I look at chicken bullion at the store and think to myself "that is supposed to replicate chicken stock. I will just buy a whole chicken and use the bones and some veggies and make my own."

If I have the time and resources, I do things myself. I am not perfect, I still pick up an occasional loaf of bread at the store. I always have Cliff Bars on hand. Some nights we eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner.

But I feel like I make an honest effort in the kitchen. I try to understand things and incorporate what I think is healthy. But like I said before, health is all relative. What I think is healthy or ok to consume might not be ok to true health gurus. I am open for suggestions and ideas. I love learning new things and new ways to do things. I love finding out WHY.

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

This was the first thing I made with magic mix. When I made up my own cream of chicken soup, I wondered about its taste. I stuck my finger in the pan and when I licked it clean I was surprised. I could have sat at the table and eaten just the soup. It was flavorful and had a great consistency.

I have posted an enchilada recipe before. And it even had homemade cream of chicken base. This one surpasses it in flavor and texture.

Chicken Enchiladas

You can adjust the portions to what you like, enchiladas are forgiving.

2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 or 2 cups chicken (adjust to your liking or use how ever much comes out of your can)
1 can green chilis
1 cup cooked brown rice (just use this if you have left overs, omit if its not on hand)
1 cup white beans
grated cheese
12 corn tortillas

mix first 6 ingredients plus a handful of shredded cheese in a bowl. Smear the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with a little bit of the mixture. A thin layer, just enough to keep the tortillas from getting hard or sticking to the pan. Spread 6 tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Spread half the filling over them. Repeat. 6more tortillas, the rest of the chicken mixture and then top with cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. serves 6 -8.

Home made cream of chicken soup

2010-09-07T21:56:00.001-07:00

please read here before continuing on with this post.

There are a few things that I absolutely will not buy at the store. On that list is the whole line of condensed creamed soups. I looked at the label on a can of Cream of Chicken Soup about 5 years ago. Then I took the can to the computer and googled the ingredients. After reading about all the stuff in those cans, I vowed to never have them in my house.

This takes just a little more effort than opening a can but it is worth it. Flavor, nutrition, texture...its all so good!

The magic mix I posted about earlier is very versatile. It can be used as a base for white sauce, creamed soups, even fudgsicles!

I busted out some cream of chicken soup with it a few days ago. Easy peasy. And delicious!

Last year, I canned a bunch of chicken so when ever I open a jar and strain off the water, I save it and put it in the freezer. It is perfect for adding to this recipe. You can also use chicken stock. If you purchase chicken stock, READ THE LABEL. We are going for nutrition here, so be sure to buy stock without additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers, sugar, or anything that shouldnt be in stock/broth.

Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup magic mix
3/4 cup chicken stock/broth
1 t dried parsley (I didnt use any parsley)
1 t minced onion (optional)
1 t minced garlic (optional)
salt
pepper

Combine magic mix and chicken broth/stock. Stir constantly over medium high heat until mixture thickens. Add spices and continue whisking until all combined. Use this as a substitute for canned soup.

MAGIC MIX

2010-09-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

I was so happy when I found this base for cream soups. 3 ingredients, simple and easy. No fillers, enhancers, additives, or preservatives.

I have tried to replicate creamed soups a number of times. Some times it works, some times it doesnt.

I found a basic white sauce recipe in a book I borrowed from a friend.

It is easy, economical and nice to have on hand. Not to mention, it is a zillion times better for your health than anything Campell's can provide.

Magic Mix

2 1/3 cups powdered milk (use that food storage!!)
1 cup all purpose flour or 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp.

Combine dry milk, flour or cornstarch, and butter in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until it looks like cornmeal. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Keeps up to 8 months.

**There are some people that think against powdered milk for lots of reasons. In general, I am not one of them. I have been asked to store lots of it and I want to find ways to use it in my everyday cooking. Like everything, read about it and inform yourself. If you dont feel comfortable using powdered milk, dont use it. Flour and whole milk will achieve a similar result.

Get Ready

2010-09-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have some recipes to share and a lot to say....

In the past year, I have taught a few classes on whole grains and homemade foods. Since then, I have people constantly asking me questions.

"what do you think about....?"
"how can I incorporate more whole foods in my diet?"
"where do you buy your (insert whole grain here)?"
"do you have a recipe for...?"

I love that people ask questions, I love to ask them too. That is one of the best things about life, we can share what we know and help each other out.

I spend quite a bit of time at the keyboard typing away responses, and a lot of them are repeated over and over. That is why I am going to use this avenue to share what I know about food, nutrition, and using grains. That way, I can just refer people here.

I have cataloged quite a few pictures of dinners and breakfasts, and I will share them here with a back ground of why I chose what I did for specific meals.

Let me say this when it comes to my decisions on food: My way is not the only way, nor is it the right way for everyone.

I have strong opinions about certain foods and I will share those opinions here. In doing that, I do not intend to imply no one should use those foods. Like I said, my way is not the only way nor is it the right way for everyone.

I never go against or embrace certain foods "just because" nor do I stand on the opinions of others. If there is something I am going to ban from my kitchen,or embrace whole heartedly, it will be my own choice. Not because a friend told me I shouldnt use it, or because some movie star is drinking it. If I hear something good or bad, I do a little research before I make my own decisions. And I would encourage every cook/mother out there to do the same. Research your foods. Read labels. Know where your foods come from. Understand how foods affect your body. Try new foods.

With that, I am ready to get down to business. I hope the Hymas family will continue sharing on this blog. I dont mean to monopolize it and make it my own. I just want to share and since I have already done a lot here I thought I would just continue...

Chocolate peanut butter cookie bars

2010-08-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

These were so easy and pretty yummy too.

1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
1 Cup Peanut Butter
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 3/4 crushed graham crackers (I used my food processor)
2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a pan melt butter and peanut butter together. Stir in powdered sugar and graham crackers. Press mixture firmly into a 9x13 pan. melt chocolate chips; them spread on top of Peanut Butter Mixture. Chill until firm. Remove from the fridge and allow cookies to warm to room temperature. Cut into squares. ( if cookies are still cold, the chocolate will crack.)

Figueroa's Healthiest Cookies

2010-07-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

No kidding, these cookies are delicious! My sister told me about them and ranted and raved. This weekend I was able to try them out and was suprised that they were so healthy and yet so tasty.

1 cup butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. all natural sea salt
1 cup cane sugar
2 cups blended oats
1 cup bran
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Measure oats and bran, blend in blender to a fine powder. Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Add chocolate chips. Using cookie scoop, place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about 56 cookies.

just giving a shout out

2010-06-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to thank you all that keep the recipes coming on here. I've not been a great contributor as I get caught up with life but just wanted you all to know that I use this blog for ideas - thank you again!

Carrot Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins

2010-06-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

After posting that last recipe, I thought I might need to make it up with something a little more healthy.

2 large carrots - shredded

2 cups quick oats

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups milk

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine flour through cinnamon in bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in another bowl. Mix wet into dry just until combined.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Recipe from Cristine Cooks

Triple Berry Cobbler

2010-06-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

In my rush to get out the door to dinner yesterday, I completely spaced snapping a quick picture. So sorry!

And now I must give credit where credit is due. I was asked to bring dessert to our Sunday get together with extended family yesterday and was at a loss as to what to make. I asked my sister for some ideas and she told me about this cobbler that her neighbor, Jill, makes. My sister isn't a fan of cobbler but swears this is the only one she will eat. I decided to go with it. I justified the amount of sugar and butter by telling myself I would only be having a little piece and that it was Sunday so I was off the hook as far as eating good. I'm glad I did! It was super yummy! It seems like it uses a lot of bowls but just go with it! That's what makes it special.

5-6 cups frozen mixed berries (I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries but you can use any frozen fruit.)

2 Tbs. Cornstarch

Coat the fruit with the cornstarch and add to a 9x13 pan.

In a bowl combine:

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 salt

Mix together.

In another bowl combine:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 cube) melted butter

2 tsp. Vanilla

2/3 cup Milk

Mix together and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir together and spoon over fruit. Don't spread it too thin, but make sure that most of the fruit is covered with the topping.

2/3 cup HOT water

1 1/2 cup sugar.

Mix together and pour over top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Bean Dip

2010-05-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty basic bean dip. Just layer what you like in the pan and scoop it up with chips. I served it cold. If you wanted to warm it up, just pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Dont bake the tomatoes though, put them on last if you heat it up.

Bean Dip

Pinto beans - I cooked my own pinto beans and once they were tender, I smashed them up and added some homemade taco seasoning and Tabasco sauce to them. You could use canned re fried beans too.
sour cream
salsa
smashed up avocado
cheese
tomatoes
olives
I had some cooked quinoa in the fridge, so I put a layer of that in there too! No one detected my sneaky addition

Layer everything in a pan and serve with corn chips

Homemade Cliff Bar (NO SUGAR!)

2010-05-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

I ran across these a few days ago. We like Cliff Bars, and eat quite a bit of them actually. I tried making these and they did not dissapoint! They are yummy!

1 and 1/4 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons ground flax
1/4 cup finely chopped dried fruit (e.g., raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.)
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts or seeds
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup nut butter (preferably natural, well-stirred, but creamy is fine, too)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the rice cereal, oats, flax seed meal, dried fruit, and nuts in a large bowl.

Combine the syrup and nut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended. Stir in vanilla until blended.

Pour nut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated
Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray)
I ate a little corner of this before I remembered to get a picture. They are delicious!

Quinoa Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

2010-05-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a modified version of a recipe I found on Dr Ozs website. I like it because it reduces the amount of meat used by adding quinoa, my favorite grain. And the tomato sauce was yummy, nothing like the stuff from a can or jar!

Sauce

1 large onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced into small pieces
1 large carrot, sliced into small pieces
1 can tomatoes, chopped with juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
I also added corn and chopped spinach

Heat the oil in a pan and add onion, celery, and carrot. Cook until tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar. Simmer about 20 minutes. Add spinach and corn during the last few minutes of cooking.

Meatballs

1 small onion
1/2 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 cup cooked quinoa
salt pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onion until soft. In a large bowl combine beef, quinoa, cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and cooked onions. Still until very smooth. Roll into meat balls and bake 20 minutes.

Serve over angel hair pasta or linguine.

Butter Pecan Cookies

2010-05-28T13:07:00.001-07:00

I found the recipe for these here. They are soft and yummy and were fun to make with my kids. My boys dumped the ingredients in the mixing bowl and then smashed the pecans on top of the cookies, I hardly had to do any work. These are a definite repeat!

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and egg. Mix until well blended.
Slowly add flour and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll one inch pieces of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Press a pecan into top of dough.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly colored.

Southwestern Tostada Salad

2010-05-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

When I tell people that we rarely eat meat, the response is typically the same: "what do you eat then? Salad?"

I get emails asking me to share meatless recipes. So, I am going to start putting a few more on here.

While this is a salad, it is not all we eat. We still have Chinese food, pizza, tacos, spaghetti etc. I usually cut out some or all of the meat called for in a recipe and replace it with beans or grains. I will talk more about that in a later post, though.

For now, here is a really filing and yummy salad, thanks for the recipe Shari. I did cook up ONE chicken breast for this meal. I split it between 4 large salads and had enough left over for 2 more salads. Even my kids devoured this meal. They love all the fresh veggies (especially the sprouts) but the big leafy greens are often hard for them to handle. They cant stick them with their forks and they are too big to put in their mouths sometimes. I dont mind much, as long as they eat the other veggies in their bowls.

Southwestern Tostada Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 T honey
1 1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
combine all ingredients and set aside for about an hour.

Salad:
you can mix and match any of this to your liking. If you like tomatoes, use a lot. If you dont care for onions, omit them. If you want to go totally meatless, omit the chicken.
1 T olive oil
1 - 2 chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 t. garlic salt
frozen sweet corn
tomatoes
green onions, thinly sliced
avocados, peeled and chopped
lettuce, or any green blend
red pepper
Monterrey Jack Cheese
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
black beans (1 15 oz can or 2 cups if you cook them yourself)
olives

Heat oil in a skillet and saute chicken until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with garlic salt. Stir in corn and put in refrigerator for about an hour. Cut up other veggies while chicken is cooling.
Toss all ingredients together and top with dressing. You can also top this with sour cream or salsa.

Naan

2010-05-24T14:11:00.001-07:00

This naan is delicious! I think I ate 5 pieces of it throughout the day. At dinner, Andy scarfed his down and said "you should make more of this, I could eat it as a snack. Its good" And it is. So soft and tasty. Perfect for scooping up a good hot curry (if I could only find that)

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise about 1 hour, until doubled

Punch down dough and knead a few times. Pinch off handfuls of dough and roll into balls a little bigger than golf balls and place on a tray to rise. Cover again with a towel.

Pre heat griddle. Roll balls of dough out flat and cook a few minutes on each side. Mine rolled out to be about 8 inches in diameter and I left them a little thick cuz thats how I like them. You could do them thinner if you wanted.

Green Curry Chicken

2010-05-24T14:02:00.001-07:00

I was trying to focus the camera on my beautiful bowl of curry when Holden cheezed and said "take a picture of my food mom" So here is his bowl, naan, and green beans. Doesnt really do the dish any justice but its all I got.There are about a million and one recipes out there for curry. I started with this one because it seemed simple, and it was. It came together quickly and had a "3 out of 5 stars" flavor. I was hoping for something more spicy.

14 oz can coconut milk
1 Tbs. green curry paste
2 chicken breasts diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup chicken stock

combine coconut milk and curry paste in sauce pan and simmer. Add chicken breasts and potatoes. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Add in chicken stock and peas. Warm thru and serve over Jasmine rice.

This dish was not at all spicy. It had a decent flavor, but was not my favorite. I am going to try another recipe in the future because I want something a little more spicy. If you want something with a mild flavor, this is it!

Serve it with naan, the recipe is here.

Enchiladas

2010-04-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

The measurements are not exact here, just put in what you have or like and layer it in a pan with corn tortillas. These are meatless, but you could add ground beef or turkey in if you want.

can tomato sauce
can diced tomatoes
frozen corn
black beans (cooked, about 1 cup)
red beans (cooked, about 1 cup)
pinto beans (cooked, about 1 cup)
onion, finely chopped
garlic, diced
can of green chilies
shredded cheese
corn tortillas

In a pan mix together diced tomatoes, corn, all the beans, onion, garlic, and can of chilies. Warm thru.
dip 6 corn tortillas in tomato sauce and lay in bottom of 9 x 13 pan.
Top with bean mixture
Repeat until you have about 3 layers.
Top with cheese
Bake 350 for about 35 - 40 minutes.
You can also freeze this, dont bake it first. Assemble it, cover it with foil and put it in the freezer.

Serve topped with sour cream, avocados, lettuce and tomato.

Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

2010-04-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

My husband and I love to eat at a Hawaiian place whenever we travel to the Phoenix area. On Saturday night I was so hungry for it that searched and searched the Internet for a copycat recipe. I ended up finding a recipe for Hawaiian BBQ Sauce that although, not a match was totally yummy! I didn't have everything that it called for, so I subsituted and it was still a hit with my family. Here is my version:

2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons ginger, minced*

Add everything to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

*I left the ginger out but if you do want to use it don't add it until everything has simmered for 10 minutes and you have removed it from the heat.

I used this sauce on chicken, but you could use it on pretty much anything. For the chicken, I pounded it pretty thin and seasoned it with a little Lawry's Seasoning Salt, then brushed each side generously with the sauce. While grilling I continued to baste.

The result was totally moist, flavorful chicken. I served mine over rice with steamed veggies.

Strawberry Buttermilk Shortcake

2010-04-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a case of strawberries. We have been getting creative with them, trying to eat them all up.
The other day, Kaleb said "WE LIVE IN A STRAWBERRY FACTORY MOM!"

And he is right. We have been consuming them in extra large amounts for the last few days. But here is the best thing we have made with them:Buttermilk Shortcakes with strawberries and fresh cream. The shortcake was so yummy! We had some left over and I couldnt wait til breakfast so I could inhale one!
My kids got involved and we turned out a pretty yummy dessert

Here is the recipe (I got it here):

Buttermilk Shortcakes

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in butter with your finger tips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or pulse a few times in a food processor). Stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract until the dough comes together. Add an additional tablespoon of buttermilk if the dough is slightly dry.
Drop by 1/4 cups (use a measuring cup) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.
Cool completely on a wire rack.

Top these with strawberries that have been sliced and tossed with a little sugar. Some fresh whipped cream rounds it out perfectly.

Banana Split Bread

2010-03-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large)
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups flour (some wheat is great too!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. In a small bowl, combine bananas and milk. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add alternately with banana mixture. Fold in chips and pecans.

Pour into greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

*I had some cream that I needed to use up so I used that instead of milk and it was perfect. I also didn't have any pecans so I just left them out. It's still delicious without but it would have been a yummy addition!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

2010-03-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Since I am pregnant and went so long without eating much and cooking even less, I am definitely making up for it now! I have a desire to cook and bake anything and everything.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/3 cups flour (it calls for white, but some wheat will not take away from it at all)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I would highly recommend fresh if you can get your hands on them!)

Streusel:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries.

This makes about 12 muffins so once you have all of the batter distributed in your pan, top it with the streusel.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Note: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to batter.

Cinnamon rolls

2010-03-24T16:06:00.001-07:00

My friend had me over today to show me the ropes of cinnamon roll making. Our kids played great and got out every toy in her house while she and I mixed and measured and talked.

It was therapeutic.

And the end result was PHENOMENAL!!

I have made a lot of cinnamon rolls in my time, this recipe takes the cake. The roll part melts in your mouth and is unbelievably soft.

Usually, I frost cinnamon rolls to alleviate the dryness or denseness of the roll. These needed nothing!

I cant wait for next weekend, I have convinced my sister in law that WE NEED to make these while she is here.

2 cups scalded milk
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup potato flakes
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 T quick rise yeast
Pour in mixer and turn on med/high til smooth
Add:
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
Let mix about 5 min. The dough will be very runny and sticky. It will look almost like cake batter.
Cover and let rise 1 hour
Roll out and cover with brown sugar and cinnamon
Cut into 12 pieces place on buttered pan and let rise 30 min.
Bake 400 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-03-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on a coupon ladys blog and I tried it today and it was pretty Yummy and very easy. I will post the origianl recipe and you can follow it, or you can tweak it however you want.
I don't really measure, I just eyeball things, but I think as long as you keep the wet to dry ratio the same they should turn out. You can also be creative with your add-ins.

2 1/2 Cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cups honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup packed coconut
1/4 cup mini chocolate morsels (I just used regular chocolate chips)
1/4 cup mini peanuts ( didn't want peanuts, so I used marshmallows instead and it was good.)

In a lorge bowl combine the rice cereal and oatmeal. Grease or line a 9x13 pan.

Mix brown sugar, honey and peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until just boiling. Add to the cereal mixture along with the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, peanuts, coconut and chocolate chips.

Press into the prepared pan using a spatula, spoon, or your hands (like I do) Set aside to cool, then cut into bars.

The original recipe said that you could freeze these and put them in small zip lock bags, and then pull them out and they thaw within about an hour. So they are great for lunches.

Hot Fudge Sauce Cake

2010-03-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

My mom used to make this for us all the time, it's delicious!

1 c flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk
Mix well and pour into gresed 8x8 pan.

Mix together:
1 c sugar
4 tbs cocoa
3/4 c hot water

Pour gently over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Absolute Best Potato Casserole

2010-03-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

I got the idea for this recipe here. I altered it a ton, so it really isnt very similar. Here is my version.

(becca, this is for the potatoes we ate on Sunday. you asked for the recipe, here it is!)

Preheat oven to 375

6 - 8 potatoes, cubed and rinsed well. pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and cover with sauce.

Sauce, prepare on stove top then pour over potatoes

1/3 cup butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
dash of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 - 2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup Swiss cheese

melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in milk, and stir constantly until thickened. Mix in Cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese, and continue to stir until smooth. When its smooth and creamy, pour over cubed potatoes.

Bake 375 for about 45 min.

As you can see on the original recipe, you can add ham or bacon and other veggies if you want. Seems like a pretty versatile recipe. Since we still have tons of potatoes, we will be eating this again!

Soaked granola

2010-03-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

A while ago, Becca and I had a conversation about soaking grains. It was a concept I was just starting to learn about and since then, I have read 100s of articles about it.

It all boils down to this:

Whole grains have phytic acid in them (an enzyme inhibitor), which makes them hard to digest. The basic idea is if you soak your grains, it releases the phytic acid, therefore making the grains more easily absorbed by the body.

There is a certain method you have to follow when you soak grains and I have found that, while it adds to prep time, it is easily done. It just take a little thinking ahead.

My first attempt at soaking grains was in making granola.
Boy Howdy! This stuff is delicious and packed with nutrition! I have made 3 batches so far with one more soaking on the counter as I type.

I got the instructions for this granola from my blogging friend, Kara. When it comes to grains, this girl knows her stuff. Here is what she has to say about making granola at home:

Granola is great to have on hand for a filling, shelf stable snack and a quick breakfast cereal. Commercial boxed breakfast cereals are dangerously toxic. It is so sad that so many people are eating these every day, sometimes twice a day, most of the time doubling or tripling the serving size. The media and FDA have pushed these boxes as health food. Sadly, even the low sugar, color-free, natural and organic brands are making us sick. The problem is with the way that the grain is processed; high temperature, high pressure. This process of extrusion destroys nutrients and fatty acids and renders the amino acids toxic.

This food is easy to digest and the nutrients are easily absorbed because proper care is taken in the preparation. Do yourself a big favor and master the art of nourishing granola making.

I got started on my granola then snapped this shot of my ingredient line-up (which is missing quite a few things):
Everything I used was organic (minus 1 Tb cinnamon)

If you want Karas recipe, go here. This is my version and may I say it is mighty tasty! I wish everyone who reads this could stop by for a handful. It really is good stuff! (Becca I will have some for you next weekend!)

5 cups rolled grains
1/2 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 cup whole millet
1/2 cup kefir (vinegar or lemon juice)
5 cups water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar crystals (I have tried both and prefer the coconut sugar)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup raisins (i added some craisins too)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ

In a large bowl, place rolled grains, flax seed and millet. Add kefir and water, mix, cover and let soak on counter for 12 to 24 hours. The mixture will become a bowl of mush. Place mixture in a mesh strainer and rinse well. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt. Fold in rinsed mush, coconut, raisins, seeds and wheat germ. Spread out in a thin layer on 2 lined baking sheets. Bake on lowest oven setting until dry, turning as needed. If you oven has a dehydrating setting, set it at 115 degrees to preserve the enzymes and turned about every 6 -8 hours for 24 hours. The higher the heat, the more you turn and the less time it takes to dry.

Baked Chicken Fingers

2010-03-10T17:28:00.001-08:00

Yummy! BAKED chicken fingers. You can cut them smaller and make nuggets or leave them in strips. Cook up some baked french fries and you have a healthy version of a drive thru favorite!

(this picture is before I cooked them, they turned golden and crispy-looking after I cooked them.)

1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons dry mustard (or Dijon if you have it)
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds chicken (use tenders or breasts, just cut them up)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups coarse dry breadcrumbs
Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray

Preparation

Combine barbecue sauce, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce in a small bowl. Cut any large chicken tenders in half lengthwise, then add all the tenders to the large bowl with the remaining sauce; stir to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Coat each tender in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Place the tenders on the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat both sides of each tender with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each tender over and continue baking until the outside is crisp and the tenders are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Serve with the reserved sauce for dipping.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2010-03-08T20:17:00.001-08:00

I love it when people share recipes with me. My friend, Tami, sent this recipe to me the other day and we made it last night. It will be on the repeat list, it was a hit!

The original recipe can be found here. I had to make some changes, because I didnt have all the ingredients it called for, here is my version:Chicken Pot Pie Soup

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quarts water
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 pound chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 small white onion, diced (1/4 cup)
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch salt
2 pie crust (store bought or make your own,the best pie crust recipe can be found here)

Directions

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside.

Bring quarts of water and chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to poach; about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Continue to simmer the broth.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery cooking until translucent, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux.

Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the carrots and peas. Place a lid on top and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

Preheat oven.

Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook 15 - minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust has cooled, break up into pieces.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust.

Everyday Waffles

2010-03-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

I have been really wanting some yummy waffles lately but when I found this recipe I hesitated because the last thing I wanted to do was dirty a bunch of bowls first thing in the morning. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. And I so happy that I did! These were so yummy!

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tbs. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

*****

2 beaten egg yolks

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup oil

*****

2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine eggs yolks, milk and oil and add to dry ingredients, just until combined. Carefully fold in egg whites, leaving a few fluffs of egg whites. Do not over mix.

Croutons

2010-03-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

Remember all that Macaroni Grill bread I made for Beckys birthday? I stuck it in the freezer, and finally decided to do something with it!

My boys and I eat a lot of salad, and the boys are partial to croutons in their salad. I made the Rosemary Macaroni Grill bread into croutons, and could not believe how easy it was! If you have a loaf of bread that is getting old or if your family doesnt eat the heels of the bread, you could save them and use them for croutons. So easy, and cheap. And there are no ingredients them that you can not pronounce. (have you ever read the side of the crouton box?)

CROUTONS

1. slice bread into small cubes
2. In a bowl, combine a little olive oil(and any herbs you like, I didnt use any since my bread was already seasoned) and toss bread cubes in it.
3. Spread coated bread on baking sheet.
4. Bake at 250 til crispy, turning occasionally. My pan took about 30 minutes to cook.

You can use these as they are for salad, add some liquid and make stuffing, or put them in the blender and make bread crumbs out of them.

Pretzels

2010-03-02T12:56:00.001-08:00

These were so fun to make with my kids. And we had a blast eating them up too! Instead of making pretzel shapes, Kaleb made the letters in his name. Holden made globs of dough and it all tasted great!! The whole process is quick and fun, totally kid friendly!

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tb)

1 Tb sugar

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour (we used 2 cups white flour and 2 cups fresh ground wheat, which my 2 year old helped grind)

Dissolve yeast in warm water

Combine all ingredients in a mixer, add a little more flour if dough feels sticky.
Divide dough in to 12 pieces and roll each into a long snake.
Twist into shape and place on baking sheet.
Make an egg wash with one egg and a Tb of water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash (one egg and a Tbs water whisked together)
Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*You can also brush the pretzels with butter and sprinkle on a cinnamon/sugar mix. Or sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese.

Oven Baked Fries

2010-03-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

My father in law has a potato cellar that he rents to someone who (obviously) has been storing spuds in it all winter. A few weeks ago, when it came time to sell them, all he could get for them was $1 per 100. YES! One penny per potato! That is ridiculously low! I guess the renter decided to forgo trying to sell them and is giving them to some local farmers for feed.

Of course, we snagged some (with permission) before he cleaned out.

Now we have potatoes galore! I have been thinking of things to do with them to try and use them up. This is the first thing I tried.

OVEN BAKED FRIES
Yum, they were so good.

We used 4 large baking potatoes (you could use however many you need to feed your family, just adjust the seasoning accordingly)

Wash the potatoes well
Slice them to desired thickness
Rinse them well to wash off starch
Lay them on a towel and pat them dry

Coat them in seasoning and bake 400 for 45 minutes. You will need to adjust cooking length according to thickness of your fries.

Seasoning:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup taco seasoning (I used homemade taco seasoning. You can use plain salt or a mix of paprika, chili powder, garlic salt, onion salt, whatever you think your family will like)
Put the seasoning and oil together in a bowl and whisk well. Toss in the sliced potatoes and stir to coat well. Pour on to baking pan and bake.

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Pop Corn

2010-02-22T14:48:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Mandy and I made some of grandmas famous caramel popcorn.(posted here, thanks to Maegan) We devoured it and then talked about all the other yummy things we could coat popcorn with. Chocolate popcorn, ranch popcorn, candied popcorn, jello sprinkled pop corn, Chex mix flavored popcorn, etc.

I have had pop corn on my mind since then.

Yesterday, I concocted this version
I wanted to try something different than the carmel popcorn, since I knew everyone already liked that.

I busted out my organic pop corn
cooked in in organic unrefined coconut oil
heated up some all natural organic peanut butter
Then smothered all that healthy goodness with a bag of melted Hersheys white chocolate chips and some regular old semi sweet chocolate chips.
It was delicious! (notice every picture I took has my kids hands in it. I couldn't keep them out of it!) I am going to be trying different pop corn recipes and will be sure to post the good ones here.

2/3 cup unpopped pop corn (dont use the microwave stuff unless you absolutely HAVE TO)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 bag white chocolate chips
a few handfuls of semi sweet chocolate chips

Pop corn in air popper or on stove. Dump it into a bowl and shake it gently to separate the kernels that didnt pop. Remove the unpopped kernels. In a double broiler, melt the white chocolate chips and then add peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Add chocolate chips and spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden.

Toffe Bars

2010-02-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

These are a recipe that has been passed down from Grandma Hymas. From what I hear, she used to make them quite often and was famous for them (and her yummy popcorn)

In my opinion, these are better than rice krispy treats for a few reasons. #1 - they are topped with chocolate!! #2 - I have not had good luck with Rice krispy treats in the past, it is a tricky process to get them soft and gooey.

I have made these a number of times and they are consistently soft and easy to make.

Toffee Bars
In a heavy sauce pan, combine:
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
cook until sugar dissolves
Remove from heat
Then add 1 cup peanut butter and stir well until it is all incorporated
Add 7 cups rice krispies and stir until everything is coated
spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan and let cool a few minutes.

Top with 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips that have been melted together.

Let cool and cut into squares

Sugar Cookies

2010-02-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

What would Valentine's Day be without heart shaped sugar cookies? It's been a long time since I have made any so I had to search for a new recipe, one that didn't include shortening. A personal preference. I decided to search out a recipe for Lofthouse cookies. You know, those super yummy, super soft cookies you buy in the bakery section? This recipe wasn't an exact replica, but they sure did hit the spot! They were so soft and so addicting! Beware!

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup sour cream
5 1/2 cups flour (until desired consistency for rolling)

*I cut this into thirds because I didn't need a zillion cookies. With my modified measurements I got two dozen cookies.

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2-2 cups flour

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and sour cream. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out dough to a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness using a generous amount of flour. Cut out shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Frost and decorate as desired.

Pineapple Glazed Baked Ham

2010-02-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

I made this for dinner last night. When we were in California Maegan made us ham for dinner one night, best ham I've ever eaten! I tried to get the recipe from her yesterday but couldn't get ahold of her. Looking online I found most of the same ingredients used for most pineapple glazes, this is not at all healthy, and we don't eat ham very often, but it was oh so good! This is what I did:
4-5 lb bone in, pre-sliced ham
1 c brown sugar
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
juice from 1 can of pineapple
Pineapple
I put the ham in a 9x13 baking dish, poured the pineapple over the top, them mixed the remaining ingredients together and poured over the ham. I baked it, covered at 350 for an hour and 45 minutes.

Fresh Mango Bread

2010-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

I made this for my mom's 60th birthday party, it was a Hawaiian themed party. It is really good, similiar to banana bread or zucchini bread,a nice change, my kids had never eaten mangos before and this was a great way to introduce a new fruit! I found this recipe at www.recipezaar.com

Makes 2 loaves

2 c flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c vegetable oil (I use olive)
2 1/2 c mangoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c raisins (optional, I left them out)

Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients. Beat eggs with oil and add to flour mixture. Add mangos, lemon juice and raisins. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased 8x4 loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-02-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Crust: Or use your own favorite pie crust recipe
2 c flour
1 c shortening
1/2 c hot water
Makes one top and one bottom crust
Filling:
1 can cream of chicken (or make your own:))
1 bag frozen veggies of your choice or fresh chopped veggies of your choice
3/4 c cooked, cut up chicken
Mix together, fill up pie crusts, cover edges of crust until last 10 minutes of baking to prevent burning, bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Monti's Bread

2010-02-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

Raygon, this one is for you! I saw your posting about Macaroni Grill Bread and thought you might want to give this one a shot. My Grandma loves their bread and while eating there once, asked if she could have the recipe. Surprisingly, they gladly shared!

1 Tbs. Yeast
1 1/2 Cup Water
4 Cups Flour
1 Tbs. Sugar
1/2 Cup Very Finely Chopped Onion

Kosher Salt
Dried Rosemary

Mix like regular bread dough, adding the onions at the end. Let it rise for one hour and then knead. Press onto a large greased cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled, or when it reaches the top of the cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes.

Pan Fried Ravioli

2010-02-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

This one is great when you are in a hurry to get dinner on the table.

1 package organic ravioli (okay, okay, you can use normal ravioli, too)
2 eggs
Splash of milk
1-2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 Jar organic spaghetti sauce (again, you can use whatever your family likes.)
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parlsley, chopped (If you don't have fresh on hand, dried works too.)
Handful grated parmesan cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a bowl, add eggs and beat. Add milk. In a second bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese. Dip ravioli in egg mixture, then bread mixture until coated. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet. Over med-hi heat, cook each ravioli a few minutes until lightly toasted. Serve with your favorite sauce.

General Tsao's Chicken

2010-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
2 Tbs. Sugar
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Ginger (I hate ginger so I have never included it. It's still yummy without it.)
2 Tsp. Oil
2 Green Onion, Chopped
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 lb. Chicken Breast, chopped into about 2 inch pieces

In a bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add scallions, garlic and pepper flakes and cook about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and chicken in cooked through.

Serve over rice.

Baked Raised Doughnuts

2010-02-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

My girls love doughnuts, but I hate fried food! They rarely get them so when I came across this recipe for baked doughnuts from a good family friend, I was so happy! It's a little more effort than just buying them at the store, but it's worth the extra work!

1 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup dry powdered milk
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon*
1 tsp. nutmeg*
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs. yeast

Mix and knead all ingredients together. Let rise until doubled. Roll out and cut into doughnuts. Place on cookie sheet and let rise again until double. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

*I don't like to add the flavor to my dough, I would rather add it to the top of the doughnuts after they are cooked. Feel free to change it up according to what your family likes.

French Dip Sandwiches

2010-02-02T12:09:00.001-08:00

We made these last night, so quick and easy and yummy.

1-2lbs. roast beef thinly sliced from deli
1 package Au jus mix
Hogi buns (or homemade rolls would be yummy too)

Put meat in a 9x13 dish, mix Au jus mix as directed on package with water, pour over meat, bake in oven at 320 for 45 minutes or until hot, put on buns and enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-01-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

I had an epiphany the other day.

Over the summer, I canned some chicken. Those glass mason jars are filled with chicken chunks and water/broth.

I used one of the jars of chicken in this recipe and used the broth to make my own cream of chicken. The result was delicious! If you ever use canned chicken, dont just drain it over the sink, use the liquid to make your own cream of chicken. I cant believe how easy it was!

for the cream soup/sauce:

In a sauce pan, saute a little garlic and onion
drain your canned chicken and reserve liquid
pour the liquid into a saucepan
in a separate bowl measure about 1 cup of water and some cornstarch. whisk well.
pour cornstarch mixture into sauce pan and turn on to medium heat, stirring continually
when the mixture starts to thicken (it will get really thick and almost solid-ish), pour in some milk until it is about the consistency of gravy. Add salt and pepper and any other spices you would like and VIOLA!

If you dont have precanned chicken, you can still make your own sauce. Boil your chicken in water and use some of that for the base of your sauce/soup.

I dont really know any specific measurements, I just dumped stuff together and layered it in a pan with corn tortillas

sour cream (I used about 1 cup)
chicken (I used one small canning jar)
grated cheese (I put some in the creamy mix and used some on top)
can of green chiles
black beans, precooked or canned (I used about 1 1/2 cups)
white beans, precooked or canned (I used about 1 cup)
cream sauce from above (what I had made about 2 cups)
corn tortillas

I layered this all in a 9 x 13 pan. then topped it with cheese. Bake 350 for about 40 minutes.

Apple Pudding

2010-01-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had this at an Enrichment dinner at church, it was DELICIOUS, and a great way to use up some apples! Next time I make it I will add a picture.
Makes 1 9x13 pan

Cream together:
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
2 eggs

Add and mix:
2 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 c nuts (optional)
4 large, or 6 medium peeled apples, chopped

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes

Sauce:
1 c butter
1 can evaporated milk
2 c sugar
Simmer 15 minutes, don't boil, then add 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour over apple cake.

Pizza Roll

2010-01-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

I use this recipe for regular pizza crust too, I usually double it, roll about 2/3 of it onto a cookie sheet and roll the remaining 1/3 onto a round pizza pan, thin crust (for Jared).

Dissolve:
1 TBS yeast
1 C warm water
1 tsp. sugar
Add:
2 TBS oil (I use olive)
1 tsp salt (I omit or use sea salt)
2 C flour
1/2 ground flaxseed

Mix together and knead until smooth. Cover and let rest for 20 min. (Pizza roll instructions: Roll out to approximately 12"x12". Spread a small amount of pizza sauce over dough and then add any desired toppings sparsely. Top with cheese, roll up like a cinnamon roll.) Bake on greased pan at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Slice in 1 1/2 inch slices and serve with pizza sauce.

Coffee Cake

2010-01-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

I am not a food photographer. I wish this picture turned out better.

We have church at 1:30, so it was nice to have this hanging around yesterday.

Coffee Cake

Mix together:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 Tsp cinnamon
remove 1/2 cup mixture and set aside (you will use this for the topping)
Then add
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
cream everything together well. Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle on reserved topping. Bake 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Macaroni Grill Bread

2010-01-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

When I came across this recipe, I really wanted to try it. Although it has been forever since I have been to Macaroni Grill, I remember their bread being really good.

The first time I saw this recipe was on Sisters Cafe. I made 5 different batches of this bread...equaling out to 10 LOAVES!!! I could not get the consistency right for the bread and they always turned out flat.
I followed her recipe in exactness, then I tried adding whole wheat flour, then I tried cooking at a lower temperature, then I tried making one loaf instead of two...It was a bread baking nightmare.

FINALLY, when I was half asleep that night, it came to me. The reason why my bread was turning out so flat was due to the rising process.

In the morning, I started over again. I made 4 more loaves and FINALLY they turned out.
After all the trial and error, turns out this bread is really easy to make. And it whips up pretty quick.

I ditched the Sisters Cafe recipe and went with this one from Recipe Zaar:

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary (fresh is best, but I used dried)
2 tablespoons butter

Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl (or mixer) and allow to become bubbly

Add in 1 T butter, salt, 2 cups of flour, and 1 TBS rosemary.

Knead for about 5 minutes in machine (Bosch, Kitchen Aid) until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.

Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.

Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled. (this only took about 30 minutes for me)

Punch down dough and divide in half and let it rest about 5 minutes.

Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves and place on greased pan.

Melt a few TBS butter and brush on the bread. Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.

Let loaves rise again until doubled (this took about 20 minutes for me)

Bake in a preheated oven to 375°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Fiesta Salad

2010-01-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

1 can corn, drained or fresh roasted corn
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 avocados, chopped
2 packages Good Seasoning Italian Dressing
1 jalapeno diced, no seeds (optional)
1 lime, for juice
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce (optional)

Combine all ingredients (except for romaine lettuce) and mix carefully to not smash the whole beans.
Serve alone as a side or over Romaine lettuce as a salad or with chips for an appetizer.

Snickerdoodles

2010-01-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

I know, some would consider me a food snob...and that is ok. When it comes to certain things, I WILL NOT PURCHASE THEM FROM THE STORE. Frozen dinners, canned soups, and cookies are on the top of my list.

I love to eat cookies, so we make them a lot in this house. I think I have tried every variation of chocolate chip cookie in the world and I love them all.

Here is a new favorite. I was not sure if I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it because it lacked chocolate. But let me tell you, they are soft and chewy and so delicious. Great with a fresh glass of milk.

Thanks Tami for sharing.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup Softened Butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

For Rolling Cookies:
2 tbsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°
Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla
In a bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients. Beat until creamy.
Roll dough into balls and cover entirely with cinnamon and sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!