Anticipating the New Year and many resolutions to change I thought I'd post these ideas....
After all of the "heavy" rich foods of the holidays, why not change it up a bit?!
Here is a way to work some seafood into your family diet. I made the first recipe for a Christmas party potluck and it was very well-liked. The imitation crabmeat is simply white fish like pollock that is flavored and colored and shaped. If you can afford real crab meat, you don't have to be so generous in the portion (1 lb. would do). Use your favorite salad dressing if you don't find the pear-gorgonzola. You can also substitute small shell pasta for the orzo. I served it over a bed of mixed greens for dinner tonight..a sneaky way to get more greens into our diet ;) I made it in the large Tupperware bowl because it makes a lot. But tonight I just used half a recipe.
Seafood Salad by Chris Jackson
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta, cooked, drained, cooled
2 pounds Imitation crabmeat
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and grated
3 stalks celery diced
3 green onions diced
4-6 radishes diced/sliced
1 green pepper diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2-3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Pear Gorgonsola salad dressing (Litehouse brand)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Prepare orzo according to package directions (boil about 9-10 minutes). Drain and let cool a bit. Break up seafood and combine along with other ingredients in a large bowl.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 15-20
The next recipe is a flavorful beverage you might want to try for New Year's Eve. It's a non-alcoholic drink creation by chef Kathy Casey. The rosemary gives it a savory flavor...change from the usual sparkling cider or fruity punch.
Rosemary Pom Holiday Sparkle
This non-alcoholic sipper mixes fresh rosemary’s herbaliciousness with the zesty flavor of clementine and the sweetness of sparkling cider.
Makes 1 drink
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 of a Cuties Clementine, depending on size
1 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
3 oz sparkling apple cider
Garnish: Fresh rosemary sprig
Bend 1 rosemary sprig and drop into a cocktail shaker. Squeeze and drop the clementine into the shaker. Measure in the pomegranate juice. Fill the shaker with ice. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass. Top with the cider and stir. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. (Or, you can shake the drink in the cocktail shaker, then add the sparkling cider and strain the drink into a tall champagne flute for a more elegant look.)
Recipe © Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™
To make a larger quantity (since this is for one serving) you could adapt this recipe by taking two Clementines, cut in half and squeezed and/ zested and muddle (mash with back of spoon or muddler to extract flavors)3 springs of rosemary in a bowl. Stir these together with 2-3 cups of ice and then add 2 cups of pomegranate juice. Stir until well-chilled. Pour this mixture through a strainer into a pitcher. Pour 1/4 cup of mix into glass and add sparkling cider or apple cider. Garnish with small sprig of rosemary.
this would serve 4-6.
Good luck with your goals and changes!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A Season of Faith, Thanks and Family traditions
Wow! I've really dropped the blog ball while trying to implement a healthier way of life!
I've been reading and implementing The Metabolic Effect Diet Book which my naturopath recommended. Mostly I've started the 20 minute workout 3 times per week and I feel like my muscles are more toned and increasing. It helps that I can do it on my own time in my own home without expensive equipment or membership in a fitness club.
I've worked on getting more sleep, eating more plants and less meat, drinking more water and eating a salad and berries and cruciferous vegetable everyday. Some days are better than others.I do best on the days I start with my workout and a green smoothie.But some days I start with cooked wheat/groats/barley. Having cut vegetables at the ready to snack on and dip in homemade hummus, helps too!
Thanksgiving was a bit of a challenge, but I tried not to overindulge in our traditional foods and make good choices. I started off with great intentions having fresh fruits and cut carrots and a hearty soup ready when out of town family started to arrive.
One tradition we couldn't omit was Josie's Orange Rolls. [Later after dinner, my grandson came in and asked for a snack for his "team" he looked around and took the bag of leftover orange rolls for his team "snack"]. My son in law enjoys Honeybaked ham more than turkey so we had both. Everyone brought side dishes,dessert, appetizers and beverages. It was nice to have everyone contribute and the leftover salad was ready for me to eat the next couple of days. On the third day it was looking a bit limp so I just added it to my green smoothie.
Orange Rolls
1 cube butter
1 Tbsp yeast/pkg. Yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 cup scalded milk
3 Eggs
1 orange
Place 1 cup milk in pan and boil to scald. Add 3 Tbsp butter & cool. When cool (so it doesn’t kill the yeast), add yeast, sugar, salt. Add slightly beaten eggs. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Let it rise 2 hours. Add remaining flour & mix well with spoon (you don’t have to knead this dough). Cover, let rise 2 more hours. Shape into clover leaf rolls (roll three 1-1.5” balls and put into muffin tins. In the center of each clover, place 1/3 tsp of the following mixture:
1/2 cup (remaining) softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
grated rind of 1 large orange
Let rise in pans until double.
Bake at 350 about 12-15 minutes or till done.
Our family likes to drink eggnog cut in half with sprite. We also enjoy sparkling cider/grape juice. This year I had bought some doTerra essential peppermint oil, so I added a drop or two to a gallon of water as a beverage option. Everyone seemed to like it as much as I do and I had to refill the container at least once or twice during the course of the day!
I have to share the cranberry salsa recipe because it was a real hit! Except for the sugar in the canned cranberries it's a pretty healthy snack. Even better than eating it with tortilla chips, it would be good with veggies dipped in it. I actually quadrupled this recipe and it was gone quickly! Melissa had it on a show where she shared recipes for using Thanksgiving leftovers but why wait for leftovers?!
Cranberry Salsa by Melissa D’Arabian
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/2 white onion coarsely chopped, covered and microwaved for 1 minute
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup Mexican-flavored canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the cranberry sauce, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, onion, red pepper, green pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and pepper, to taste in a food processor and pulse until blended, but still chunky. Serve with Turkey Taquitos.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Another real hit was at another meal where my daughter sauteed broccoli in olive oil with garlic and a little red pepper flakes.
Here is another great dip recipe:
Curried White Bean Dip
by Giada De Laurentiis
Total Time: 30 min Prep 15 min Cook 15 min Yield:4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
* One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
* Zest of 1/2 large lemon
* [Whole Wheat Pita Chips, recipe follows]
Directions
In a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Season with salt.
Pour the dip into a serving bowl and serve with Whole Wheat Pita Chips alongside.
• Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• * 4 whole wheat pita breads
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each pita bread into 8 wedges. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and bake until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
My mother-in-law had a tradition on Christmas morning that before anyone went to the tree and gifts and goodies, they had to drink hot chocolate. Maybe we can twist this idea to drinking a green smoothie first?!
Have fun making some healthy food memories for your family the rest of this holiday season!
I've been reading and implementing The Metabolic Effect Diet Book which my naturopath recommended. Mostly I've started the 20 minute workout 3 times per week and I feel like my muscles are more toned and increasing. It helps that I can do it on my own time in my own home without expensive equipment or membership in a fitness club.
I've worked on getting more sleep, eating more plants and less meat, drinking more water and eating a salad and berries and cruciferous vegetable everyday. Some days are better than others.I do best on the days I start with my workout and a green smoothie.But some days I start with cooked wheat/groats/barley. Having cut vegetables at the ready to snack on and dip in homemade hummus, helps too!
Thanksgiving was a bit of a challenge, but I tried not to overindulge in our traditional foods and make good choices. I started off with great intentions having fresh fruits and cut carrots and a hearty soup ready when out of town family started to arrive.
One tradition we couldn't omit was Josie's Orange Rolls. [Later after dinner, my grandson came in and asked for a snack for his "team" he looked around and took the bag of leftover orange rolls for his team "snack"]. My son in law enjoys Honeybaked ham more than turkey so we had both. Everyone brought side dishes,dessert, appetizers and beverages. It was nice to have everyone contribute and the leftover salad was ready for me to eat the next couple of days. On the third day it was looking a bit limp so I just added it to my green smoothie.
Orange Rolls
1 cube butter
1 Tbsp yeast/pkg. Yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 cup scalded milk
3 Eggs
1 orange
Place 1 cup milk in pan and boil to scald. Add 3 Tbsp butter & cool. When cool (so it doesn’t kill the yeast), add yeast, sugar, salt. Add slightly beaten eggs. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Let it rise 2 hours. Add remaining flour & mix well with spoon (you don’t have to knead this dough). Cover, let rise 2 more hours. Shape into clover leaf rolls (roll three 1-1.5” balls and put into muffin tins. In the center of each clover, place 1/3 tsp of the following mixture:
1/2 cup (remaining) softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
grated rind of 1 large orange
Let rise in pans until double.
Bake at 350 about 12-15 minutes or till done.
Our family likes to drink eggnog cut in half with sprite. We also enjoy sparkling cider/grape juice. This year I had bought some doTerra essential peppermint oil, so I added a drop or two to a gallon of water as a beverage option. Everyone seemed to like it as much as I do and I had to refill the container at least once or twice during the course of the day!
I have to share the cranberry salsa recipe because it was a real hit! Except for the sugar in the canned cranberries it's a pretty healthy snack. Even better than eating it with tortilla chips, it would be good with veggies dipped in it. I actually quadrupled this recipe and it was gone quickly! Melissa had it on a show where she shared recipes for using Thanksgiving leftovers but why wait for leftovers?!
Cranberry Salsa by Melissa D’Arabian
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/2 white onion coarsely chopped, covered and microwaved for 1 minute
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup Mexican-flavored canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the cranberry sauce, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, onion, red pepper, green pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and pepper, to taste in a food processor and pulse until blended, but still chunky. Serve with Turkey Taquitos.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Another real hit was at another meal where my daughter sauteed broccoli in olive oil with garlic and a little red pepper flakes.
Here is another great dip recipe:
Curried White Bean Dip
by Giada De Laurentiis
Total Time: 30 min Prep 15 min Cook 15 min Yield:4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
* One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
* Zest of 1/2 large lemon
* [Whole Wheat Pita Chips, recipe follows]
Directions
In a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Season with salt.
Pour the dip into a serving bowl and serve with Whole Wheat Pita Chips alongside.
• Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• * 4 whole wheat pita breads
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each pita bread into 8 wedges. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and bake until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
My mother-in-law had a tradition on Christmas morning that before anyone went to the tree and gifts and goodies, they had to drink hot chocolate. Maybe we can twist this idea to drinking a green smoothie first?!
Have fun making some healthy food memories for your family the rest of this holiday season!
Monday, October 3, 2011
A Healthier way of life...
I recently met with a naturopathic oncologist and got loads of direction and advice on healthy changes I should make to keep from getting cancer again. I will share that info with you in an abbreviated form below in case you are curious. One of the things he recommended was limiting my intake of meat. Just think, if you start now at an earlier stage of life you and your family might avert an encounter with the "C" word!
My daughter posted this recipe on her blog and I appreciated it so thought I'd share it with you. If you aren't into going meatless, you could add some browned ground turkey or chicken to this and be fine!
Quick n tasty Veggie Enchiladas
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups of water
1 can Bush's Grillin Beans- Black Bean Fiesta
Shredded mexican blend of cheese
Your favorite tortillas
1 can of your favorite enchilada sauce
Directions:
Put brown rice and water in rice cooker and let it do its thing.
When done mix with can of Fiesta Beans. Spoon into tortillas (I dip mine in enchilada sauce first), sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Place in a baking pan. Repeat until filling is gone. Pour excess enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375* until bubbly and crisping on edges. Top with favorite toppings and enjoy!
Healthy Basics:
There really wasn't a lot of new information the naturopathic oncologist doctor gave me but it won't hurt to review it for you...just keep in mind this was somewhat specific to me, and older, overweight adult.....
•Focus on eating a well balanced, whole foods based diet- with plenty of fruits (2-3/day) and vegetables (6-8/day) as well as a variety of grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
•Eat a serving of berries daily
•Eat from the allium family (garlic, onion etc.) and Cruciferous family ( cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli etc.)daily.
• Eat modest amount of protein from hormone free lean meats (incl. grass-fed beef or buffalo) skinless poultry and wild caught, cold water fish (salmon halibut, cod, mackeral, herring, sardines). Meat no more than once a day and no more than 2 servings (3-4 oz) red meat per week. Organic eggs and high protein/low sugar yogurt (greek) are healthy source of protein.
Plant proteins include nuts, seeds and nut butter (not peanut), beans and legumes and whole grains.
•Limit dairy (adults), and eliminate alcohol, caffeine and artificial sweeteners.
•Eat a rainbow of colors daily and a green salad daily.
•Eliminate simple and refined starch intake (bread, crackers, pasta, potatoes, white rice etc)
•1-2 cups cooked whole grains daily (brown rice, buckwheat, barley, quinoa etc)Consider using a rice cooker for convenience.
•Get adequate fiber (25-30 g) daily-whole grains, berries,flax seed etc.
•Drink adequate water (64-96 oz) clear and filtered per day
•Exercise ideally aerobic and resistance /strengthening combo 4-5 days /week 45-90 minutes per day.
•Sleep 7-8 hours per night. He gave me "sleep hygiene" tips too.
One of three books he recommended I read Is Food Rules by Michael Pollan. He distills it down to 7 words....
Eat Food•Not too much•Mostly plants
Sounds like the Word of Wisdom to me...
So Water, Sleep, Exercise, Variety,whole foods, nothing from boxes, bags, or cans (AKA Processed foods). I'm trying to make some changes and do what I've known all along I should do. If you want change, you have to make change, right?
My daughter posted this recipe on her blog and I appreciated it so thought I'd share it with you. If you aren't into going meatless, you could add some browned ground turkey or chicken to this and be fine!
Quick n tasty Veggie Enchiladas
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups of water
1 can Bush's Grillin Beans- Black Bean Fiesta
Shredded mexican blend of cheese
Your favorite tortillas
1 can of your favorite enchilada sauce
Directions:
Put brown rice and water in rice cooker and let it do its thing.
When done mix with can of Fiesta Beans. Spoon into tortillas (I dip mine in enchilada sauce first), sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Place in a baking pan. Repeat until filling is gone. Pour excess enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375* until bubbly and crisping on edges. Top with favorite toppings and enjoy!
Healthy Basics:
There really wasn't a lot of new information the naturopathic oncologist doctor gave me but it won't hurt to review it for you...just keep in mind this was somewhat specific to me, and older, overweight adult.....
•Focus on eating a well balanced, whole foods based diet- with plenty of fruits (2-3/day) and vegetables (6-8/day) as well as a variety of grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
•Eat a serving of berries daily
•Eat from the allium family (garlic, onion etc.) and Cruciferous family ( cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli etc.)daily.
• Eat modest amount of protein from hormone free lean meats (incl. grass-fed beef or buffalo) skinless poultry and wild caught, cold water fish (salmon halibut, cod, mackeral, herring, sardines). Meat no more than once a day and no more than 2 servings (3-4 oz) red meat per week. Organic eggs and high protein/low sugar yogurt (greek) are healthy source of protein.
Plant proteins include nuts, seeds and nut butter (not peanut), beans and legumes and whole grains.
•Limit dairy (adults), and eliminate alcohol, caffeine and artificial sweeteners.
•Eat a rainbow of colors daily and a green salad daily.
•Eliminate simple and refined starch intake (bread, crackers, pasta, potatoes, white rice etc)
•1-2 cups cooked whole grains daily (brown rice, buckwheat, barley, quinoa etc)Consider using a rice cooker for convenience.
•Get adequate fiber (25-30 g) daily-whole grains, berries,flax seed etc.
•Drink adequate water (64-96 oz) clear and filtered per day
•Exercise ideally aerobic and resistance /strengthening combo 4-5 days /week 45-90 minutes per day.
•Sleep 7-8 hours per night. He gave me "sleep hygiene" tips too.
One of three books he recommended I read Is Food Rules by Michael Pollan. He distills it down to 7 words....
Eat Food•Not too much•Mostly plants
Sounds like the Word of Wisdom to me...
So Water, Sleep, Exercise, Variety,whole foods, nothing from boxes, bags, or cans (AKA Processed foods). I'm trying to make some changes and do what I've known all along I should do. If you want change, you have to make change, right?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Homemade Veggie Patties
In my quest to go more vegetarian, I've tried different veggie burgers and loved some more than others. But one thing I didn't love was the cost! So I thought it'd be fun to try making my own.
I looked up some recipes online and launched my efforts from those ideas. Basically, you can use whatever ingredients you want and each time I make them, I throw in something different. They are packed full of protein vitamins, minerals and great nutrients! They may not be pretty but they're tasty and good for you!
Whatever spices and herbs you add give them yummy flavor. I like to serve mine with a little mayo that I've blended with a little chipotle in adobo sauce.
I didn't give you quantities of each but there should be about 1/4 as much bread crumbs as beans. the rest is done to your taste.
I make up a big batch and bake them on parchment or foil. When they cool I cut the paper/foil so that they stay separate and freeze them for future use.
Black bean Veggie Burgers by CJ 7-11
Black beans
Opt. White beans (sometimes I add some beans other than black)
Bread crumbs
Eggs, lightly beaten (1 per 2-3 cups of beans)
Onion
Garlic
Grated carrots
Sprouted wheat
Creamed corn (my hubby loves corn!)
Cilantro
Crimini mushrooms
Jalapeno
Zuccini
Salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper
Smokey paprika
Soak beans (and wheat) overnight/8 hours. Drain and cover beans again with water in pot or slow cooker and cook for 4 hours or until soft.
Put vegetables of choice into food processor or chop finely with a knife. Mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl.
Line baking sheet with parchment or foil. Shape patties and place on prepared sheets.
Bake at 300 F for 40 minutes
You can also bake them for only 30 minutes if you want to cook them on the grill for the additional few minutes.
Serve with Mayo & chipotle in adobo sauce or favorite condiments.
I looked up some recipes online and launched my efforts from those ideas. Basically, you can use whatever ingredients you want and each time I make them, I throw in something different. They are packed full of protein vitamins, minerals and great nutrients! They may not be pretty but they're tasty and good for you!
Whatever spices and herbs you add give them yummy flavor. I like to serve mine with a little mayo that I've blended with a little chipotle in adobo sauce.
I didn't give you quantities of each but there should be about 1/4 as much bread crumbs as beans. the rest is done to your taste.
I make up a big batch and bake them on parchment or foil. When they cool I cut the paper/foil so that they stay separate and freeze them for future use.
Black bean Veggie Burgers by CJ 7-11
Black beans
Opt. White beans (sometimes I add some beans other than black)
Bread crumbs
Eggs, lightly beaten (1 per 2-3 cups of beans)
Onion
Garlic
Grated carrots
Sprouted wheat
Creamed corn (my hubby loves corn!)
Cilantro
Crimini mushrooms
Jalapeno
Zuccini
Salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper
Smokey paprika
Soak beans (and wheat) overnight/8 hours. Drain and cover beans again with water in pot or slow cooker and cook for 4 hours or until soft.
Put vegetables of choice into food processor or chop finely with a knife. Mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl.
Line baking sheet with parchment or foil. Shape patties and place on prepared sheets.
Bake at 300 F for 40 minutes
You can also bake them for only 30 minutes if you want to cook them on the grill for the additional few minutes.
Serve with Mayo & chipotle in adobo sauce or favorite condiments.
Monday, August 22, 2011
When the Moon hits your eye...that's amore´....
Sometimes you just gotta have a big pizza pie!
What a great vehicle for your favorite veggies, sauce and bread...well, okay I added a few slices of pepperoni to please my husband.
I started by making some homemade bread dough...but wait! Don't be held back if you're not into making bread. Just pick up some Rhodes dough and use it for your foundation. In fact, you can use the Rhodes rolls and make individual pizzas. Set out various toppings and let everyone build their own pizza. FUN! [Let's face it, not everyone is gonna love spinach, tomatoes and chopped basil under their layer of grated parmesan and mozzarella.]
When the dough is ready, just roll & stretch it out and place it on a baking sheet or pizza stone. For the sauce you can use any pasta sauce from a jar or can or make your own. I started by brushing on some of my herbed olive oil. Top with your favorite toppings and bake in a 450F oven for about 15-20 minutes and build a big salad while it's baking.
YUM!
WE had a few slices leftover so when my husband heated them up and ate them the next day for lunch he commented "that's good pizza!"
I say, "...that's amore´!"
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rawsome!
It has been a while since I posted on this blog, and here's why...
I found out (as a result of routine mammogram and subsequent testing) on May 12 this year that I had breast cancer. It wasn’t a huge shock because I have a family history on both sides of breast cancer. My sister had it at age 46 so I felt I dodged the bullet longer than she did.
A year or two ago my daughter told me about making green smoothies and about a blog greensmoothiegirl.com. She and her husband and 3 children have green smoothies at least once a day. [I've mentioned this in earlier posts on this blog]In the past I had shunned “smoothies” because I thought they usually used dairy in them and I have an allergy to dairy. She told me about using carrot juice and such so I gave it a try and liked it, but I had a pretty shallow understanding of the health benefits.
After my cancer diagnosis I started a journey of looking for natural treatment options to augment my fight with cancer. A friend I work with loaned me a copy of a Suzanne Somers book, Knockout which got me pretty worked up about the drug company and conventional medicine approach but it was just a beginning. I started reading The China Study which opened my eyes more to governmental controls on information about diet and cancer and the negative effect of animal protein. Next I reconnected with my “rawsome” friend and college roommate, Lynn, who has been eating 60% raw/whole foods for 25 years and looks and feels fabulous! She inspired me and connected me again with the green smoothie girl and with WISH (Women's International Summit on Health and Raw Divas) calls which has furthered my education and motivated me to start to make changes.
My choice/decision was to combine conventional treatment with natural.
I had lumpectomy surgery May 31 and have been eating more vegetarian and raw and exercising more. I was thrilled when the second oncologist I went to said I didn’t have to have chemo!!! It was an answer to many prayers!
On Monday I begin six and a half weeks of daily (5x/week) radiation therapy. But what I wanted most to share with you and some of you younger followers was something my radiology oncologist said to me when I told him I was combining natural diet and exercise changes to help prevent a recurrence of cancer. After his initial recoil at my statement. He told me that it could help improve my health but it wasn’t going to prevent me getting cancer again. He said that here in the US, if you don’t die of heart disease or an accident, you’ll most likely die of cancer and there is no avoiding it. Now I understand his bias and I may not agree with him but what he also said was that I’d have had to be eating like this (raw/vegetarian) my whole life for it to make a difference. He also said that if I taught my children to eat this way it could make a difference for them. Well, although I think it will still help me at my age, I’m glad he at least validated the teaching of young people how to eat healthy!
If we can spare our children and grandchildren the misery of cancer and prescribed treatments, then LET’S DO IT!
By the way, since I started making changes, and I’m talking baby steps, I’ve lost about 10 pounds and feel more optimistic and healthy. I'm a living testimonial to early detection so be sure to get your mammograms and do self-exams.
Start by adding a green smoothie or 1-2 fresh fruits, veggies and legumes to your diet everyday and cutting back on the amount of animal protein in your diet. Increase your exercise too. We can do it!
Sorry for making this so personal but I wanted to give you some background behind the direction I may be going with this blog.
Eat well and prosper!
I found out (as a result of routine mammogram and subsequent testing) on May 12 this year that I had breast cancer. It wasn’t a huge shock because I have a family history on both sides of breast cancer. My sister had it at age 46 so I felt I dodged the bullet longer than she did.
A year or two ago my daughter told me about making green smoothies and about a blog greensmoothiegirl.com. She and her husband and 3 children have green smoothies at least once a day. [I've mentioned this in earlier posts on this blog]In the past I had shunned “smoothies” because I thought they usually used dairy in them and I have an allergy to dairy. She told me about using carrot juice and such so I gave it a try and liked it, but I had a pretty shallow understanding of the health benefits.
After my cancer diagnosis I started a journey of looking for natural treatment options to augment my fight with cancer. A friend I work with loaned me a copy of a Suzanne Somers book, Knockout which got me pretty worked up about the drug company and conventional medicine approach but it was just a beginning. I started reading The China Study which opened my eyes more to governmental controls on information about diet and cancer and the negative effect of animal protein. Next I reconnected with my “rawsome” friend and college roommate, Lynn, who has been eating 60% raw/whole foods for 25 years and looks and feels fabulous! She inspired me and connected me again with the green smoothie girl and with WISH (Women's International Summit on Health and Raw Divas) calls which has furthered my education and motivated me to start to make changes.
My choice/decision was to combine conventional treatment with natural.
I had lumpectomy surgery May 31 and have been eating more vegetarian and raw and exercising more. I was thrilled when the second oncologist I went to said I didn’t have to have chemo!!! It was an answer to many prayers!
On Monday I begin six and a half weeks of daily (5x/week) radiation therapy. But what I wanted most to share with you and some of you younger followers was something my radiology oncologist said to me when I told him I was combining natural diet and exercise changes to help prevent a recurrence of cancer. After his initial recoil at my statement. He told me that it could help improve my health but it wasn’t going to prevent me getting cancer again. He said that here in the US, if you don’t die of heart disease or an accident, you’ll most likely die of cancer and there is no avoiding it. Now I understand his bias and I may not agree with him but what he also said was that I’d have had to be eating like this (raw/vegetarian) my whole life for it to make a difference. He also said that if I taught my children to eat this way it could make a difference for them. Well, although I think it will still help me at my age, I’m glad he at least validated the teaching of young people how to eat healthy!
If we can spare our children and grandchildren the misery of cancer and prescribed treatments, then LET’S DO IT!
By the way, since I started making changes, and I’m talking baby steps, I’ve lost about 10 pounds and feel more optimistic and healthy. I'm a living testimonial to early detection so be sure to get your mammograms and do self-exams.
Start by adding a green smoothie or 1-2 fresh fruits, veggies and legumes to your diet everyday and cutting back on the amount of animal protein in your diet. Increase your exercise too. We can do it!
Sorry for making this so personal but I wanted to give you some background behind the direction I may be going with this blog.
Eat well and prosper!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Choice diet
Well, my daughter does a better job at this than I so I thought I'd share the link to her blog with you!I'm sure those of you with young children can relate to it!
http://achoicediet.blogspot.com/
http://achoicediet.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Sushi Sweet Sushi!
Before I get started on Sushi, I wanted to share a link with you Mom's out there. http://www.momsmenuplanner.com/ is a great resource for menu planning, recipes and shopping lists.
Now, back to Sushi like you've never seen it before Candy Sushi!. My first exposure to this was some time ago when Becca posted pictures on facebook of a candy sushi party she went to.
This week my sister was asking me for ideas for fun snacks for a Young Women event and I mentioned this idea. We looked up candy sushi on the internet and saw some pretty crazy fun creations! I think the creative aspect of this is even better than the sweetness of eating it. It's a great birthday party activity.
There are even some ideas from Rachel Ray, a video and ideas for kids if you google it. One site with several other links is http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/hostesssushi/ .
This is also a fun family activity! Check out this family's blog with pictures of their creations http://www.bufordfamily.com/sushi.php
Enjoy the sweetness without the fish ;)!
....and I didn't even mention CHOCOLATE Sushi......
Now, back to Sushi like you've never seen it before Candy Sushi!. My first exposure to this was some time ago when Becca posted pictures on facebook of a candy sushi party she went to.
This week my sister was asking me for ideas for fun snacks for a Young Women event and I mentioned this idea. We looked up candy sushi on the internet and saw some pretty crazy fun creations! I think the creative aspect of this is even better than the sweetness of eating it. It's a great birthday party activity.
There are even some ideas from Rachel Ray, a video and ideas for kids if you google it. One site with several other links is http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/hostesssushi/ .
This is also a fun family activity! Check out this family's blog with pictures of their creations http://www.bufordfamily.com/sushi.php
Enjoy the sweetness without the fish ;)!
....and I didn't even mention CHOCOLATE Sushi......
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The POWER of a worthy Nurturer
It's Mother's Day and many women, though celebrated and honored on this day, feel a bit unworthy. We can tend to undervalue our power as nurturers. I love the perspective and valuation given by Julie Beck, general Relief Society President....
Julie B. Beck wrote "True power is found in the hands of a worthy nurturer, especially at mealtimes...
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” states, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” A good nurturer carries power and influence. The Latin word nutrire, from which the English word nurture originates, means “to suckle or nourish,” or, in the full interpretation, “to feed, foster, care for, or rear.” True power is found in the hands of a worthy nurturer, especially at mealtimes."
"… As a young mother I did not fully understand my power as a nurturer. Though we were a busy family, I considered everyone’s presence at dinnertime nonnegotiable. It was our most consistent gathering time, and everyone planned to eat together before going on to other activities. I learned of the influence of my nurturing when our youngest daughter wrote in a college paper: “Dinner in our home was not just an eating ritual, but a special time for the family to communicate and to share our thoughts and stories of the day. … We often sat together for over an hour as we savored the conversation as much as the food.”
"I thought I was just cooking casseroles and soup. But I had created the venue, the reason to gather. Because I prepared a meal to share with my family, something special happened. It was a simple process, and our style changed with the ages of our children. When they were young we could discuss a picture from the Gospel Art Picture Kit or memorize a scripture. When they were older we asked more questions and shared experiences. Over the years our children grew and matured, and we loved each other."
"Mothers, who are “primarily responsible for the nurture of their children,” can be a powerful force for strengthening families when they use mealtimes to gather loved ones. They follow the example of the Savior to calm, teach, and help their families remember important things as they feed, cultivate, educate, and rear at the consecrated tables in their homes."“Powerful Nurturing,” Ensign, Dec 2005, 36–38
Family mealtime is an excellent outlet for nurturing power. Plug into your power by planning delicious, nutritious, fun and meaningful meals.
A fun tradition we've had in our family is the kids make and serve Mom a mother's day breakfast in bed. Sometimes this consisted of cold cereal and toast, other times more elaborate. They had fun doing it and got upset with me when I thwarted their plans by getting up before they did. It was a good way for them to express their love without having to spend any money. I was always pleased that they found their way around the kitchen enough to do it!
So power to the women/mothers of the world...plug in and light up the lives of your families with your nurturing!
Julie B. Beck wrote "True power is found in the hands of a worthy nurturer, especially at mealtimes...
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” states, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” A good nurturer carries power and influence. The Latin word nutrire, from which the English word nurture originates, means “to suckle or nourish,” or, in the full interpretation, “to feed, foster, care for, or rear.” True power is found in the hands of a worthy nurturer, especially at mealtimes."
"… As a young mother I did not fully understand my power as a nurturer. Though we were a busy family, I considered everyone’s presence at dinnertime nonnegotiable. It was our most consistent gathering time, and everyone planned to eat together before going on to other activities. I learned of the influence of my nurturing when our youngest daughter wrote in a college paper: “Dinner in our home was not just an eating ritual, but a special time for the family to communicate and to share our thoughts and stories of the day. … We often sat together for over an hour as we savored the conversation as much as the food.”
"I thought I was just cooking casseroles and soup. But I had created the venue, the reason to gather. Because I prepared a meal to share with my family, something special happened. It was a simple process, and our style changed with the ages of our children. When they were young we could discuss a picture from the Gospel Art Picture Kit or memorize a scripture. When they were older we asked more questions and shared experiences. Over the years our children grew and matured, and we loved each other."
"Mothers, who are “primarily responsible for the nurture of their children,” can be a powerful force for strengthening families when they use mealtimes to gather loved ones. They follow the example of the Savior to calm, teach, and help their families remember important things as they feed, cultivate, educate, and rear at the consecrated tables in their homes."“Powerful Nurturing,” Ensign, Dec 2005, 36–38
Family mealtime is an excellent outlet for nurturing power. Plug into your power by planning delicious, nutritious, fun and meaningful meals.
A fun tradition we've had in our family is the kids make and serve Mom a mother's day breakfast in bed. Sometimes this consisted of cold cereal and toast, other times more elaborate. They had fun doing it and got upset with me when I thwarted their plans by getting up before they did. It was a good way for them to express their love without having to spend any money. I was always pleased that they found their way around the kitchen enough to do it!
So power to the women/mothers of the world...plug in and light up the lives of your families with your nurturing!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sweet is the...Tradition!
What are your family traditions? Do many of them center around food? It could be as simple as this...when I was pre-teen age, every Saturday night my Mom would make hamburgers. You could count on it.
There are many family food traditions I'd like to share on this blog but the one on my mind today revolves around General Conference. Twice a year our church convenes for a general conference broadcast over cable, satellite, internet around the world.It is a spiritual feast. One of the great things about it is that we can view it in our own home. [There are four hours on Saturday and four on Sunday and the men have two more hours Saturday evening.]
A tradition I've carried on from my Mom is that we have a big family breakfast meal to eat while we watch conference. Mom usually made "Cosby pancakes" which are basically crepes with brown sugar and orange juice squeezed from a wedge sprinkled over them. We called them Cosby pancakes because we had them for the first time when visiting the Cosby's in California. Here's the recipe.
Jackson/Williams Crepes AKA Cosby Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter, melted)
Brown sugar and oranges
Beat eggs and milk together. Add flour, sugar, salt and beat until smooth…
Put a little veg oil in bottom of pan and spread around and heat the pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter in bottom of pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until you can flip it and it is lightly brown on that side. Cook just a bit longer so second side is lightly browned.
(butter optional)Sprinkle with brown sugar, then squeeze juice from a wedge of orange over all. Roll it up and enjoy!
Other fillings like fruit & whip cream or meat and veggies can be used.
I've added some of my own recipes to the menu like my husband's favorite- French Toast and mine, buttermilk scones.
Buttermilk Scones
3 cups flour
1/3 c. sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. Soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter/margarine
1 cup buttermilk
Cut butter into flour mixture. Add buttermilk and stir to incorporate milk. Turn it onto floured surface and knead once or twice.
Divide and form into two balls. Flatten them, leaving them higher in the center. Slice each round into quarters/sixths like a pie.
Place pieces on cookie sheet. Bake @ 425 for 12 minutes.
Makes 8/12 scones. Serve with honey or jam. I often fold into the dough fresh berries or dried currants or cranberries.
In recent years for the Fall Saturday morning Conference session, my husband helps me peel apples( I know! Isn't it great?! He rarely helps in the kitchen except with dishes but since he grew up in Yakima and loves apple pie...). Then during the 2 hours break between sessions, I make and can apple pie filling. To keep the apples from browning after peeling, I put them in a big bowl filled with cold water with a tablespoon or two of salt in it.
APPLE PIE FILLING FOR CANNING
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1 teas. salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2-3 drops yellow food coloring
8 lb. (3 different kinds is best) tart apples pared, cored & sliced
In large sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in 10 cups water: cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add lemon juice and food coloring. pack apple in to hot quart jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Fill with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 in head space. (use spatula to help distribute syrup) Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Make 6-8 quarts.
TO MAKE PIE:
Prepare pastry for a 2 crust 8 or 9 inch pie. Line pie plate with pastry: add 1 quart pie filling. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes.
This year I've added another recipe to my Conference menu, thanks to my friend Lynne McLean. They invited us over for Sunday afternoon session of conference. I made crepes and a fruit melange. Lynne showed me her mastery of Popovers and boy, were they gorgeous and yummy!She has blended a couple of recipes (family and professional)together to achieve greatness! It was such fun to work with her in her fabulous kitchen and create this delicious fare for our extended families.
Lynnie's Popovers
Preheat oven to 425
Place in a blender:
4 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp salt
butter, softened (Lynne puts out a whole pound of butter in a dish with pastry brush)
Preheat two 6-cup popover pans (or two 12-cup muffin tins)in the oven for 5 minutes, then quickly brush cups generously with butter. Fill each cup with batter. Bake 20 minutes.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!
Reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 25 minutes until golden brown. (STILL NO PEEKING!) Remove from oven,. Let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out popovers and serve warm. They can be split down the middle and opened up to receive whatever topping is your favorite- syrup & butter, jam, fresh fruit & whip cream...DELICIOUS!
Of course these can also be served with a main course as more of a savory treat.
For Fun and to keep kids engaged, search for Conference Bingo online and print out cards for kids to find key words as they listen to the speakers.
http://lds.about.com/od/generalconferencegames/General_Conference_Activities_and_Games.htm
So think about it for the next few months and plan to establish (if you haven't already) a family Conference tradition of your own. Maybe invite another family to eat and view with you if you think it won't be too chaotic. Or consider getting some women together to prepare food while the men are at the Priesthood session and enjoy it when they get home.I remember when I was at BYU my sister-in-law Lynette invited all the women over while the men were at Priesthood session to make a big batch of holiday bread and form it into rolls & different shapes and adorn with various fruits and nuts.[I think Lynette had already made and risen the Basic dough]It is a recipe now yellowed and oil-stained that I often pull out and use during the holidays.My favorite is the braided bread.
Holiday Breads
Basic Roll Dough
2 cups scalded milk 6 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup sugar 1 cup warm water
2 cubes soft margarine 3 Tbsp. yeast
10 cups flour (approx) 1 tsp sugar
3/4 Tbsp. salt
Add milk to sugar & margarine. Beat eggs. Add yeast and 1 tsp sugar to warm water. When margarine & sugar are dissolved, add egg & dissolved yeast. Fill sifter with flour & salt. Beat enough flour into milk mixture until firm enough to knead. Knead enough flour in to make smooth soft dough. Put dough into greased bowl. Let rise till dough is double in bulk. Shape & let rise again.
Bake at 350 until golden brown.
Danish Rolls
Divide basic dough into 6 equal parts. Roll into rectangle shape. Spread 1 cup raisin filling on dough. Roll dough as for jelly roll. Form into circle on oiled pan. With scissors cut dough every 1 1/2 inches on outside of circle, cutting 3/4 way through. Turn pieces on side. Brush entire top with beaten egg then decorate with sliced almonds. Dribble icing over top after baked & cooled.
Raisin Filling for Danish Rolls
Cook together:
1 cup raisins 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Mix together 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp. corn starch. Add to raisin mixture. Cook to thicken. Remove from heat, add 1 Tbsp. butter, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tsp lemon flavoring, 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Cool.
Onion Cheese Rolls
Basic dough
Use long finger-shaped pieces of dough. Tie into knot, tuck one end in top, other in bottom. Place on oiled pan. Brush with beaten egg. Top with chopped onion & shredded cheese. For plain hamburger roll, top with beaten egg & sesame or poppy seeds.
Use for sandwich or hamburger buns.
Orange Crescent Rolls
Basic dough
Shape into triangles. Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon & grated orange peel. Roll into crescent shape. Brush with beaten egg. Bake. Ice with orange icing.
Orange Icing
Powdered sugar
Canned milk
1 tsp vanilla
grated orange/orange flavoring
Make thin icing & ice rolls when cool
Braided Bread
Make Basic dough. Shape dough into 16 inch long ropes about 1 1/2 inch diameter . Braid ropes like you do hair, then pressing together & tucking under the ends. Let rise & bake at 350F until brown.
Ice and decorate.
I make several of these up and give them as gifts in December.
There are many family food traditions I'd like to share on this blog but the one on my mind today revolves around General Conference. Twice a year our church convenes for a general conference broadcast over cable, satellite, internet around the world.It is a spiritual feast. One of the great things about it is that we can view it in our own home. [There are four hours on Saturday and four on Sunday and the men have two more hours Saturday evening.]
A tradition I've carried on from my Mom is that we have a big family breakfast meal to eat while we watch conference. Mom usually made "Cosby pancakes" which are basically crepes with brown sugar and orange juice squeezed from a wedge sprinkled over them. We called them Cosby pancakes because we had them for the first time when visiting the Cosby's in California. Here's the recipe.
Jackson/Williams Crepes AKA Cosby Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter, melted)
Brown sugar and oranges
Beat eggs and milk together. Add flour, sugar, salt and beat until smooth…
Put a little veg oil in bottom of pan and spread around and heat the pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter in bottom of pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until you can flip it and it is lightly brown on that side. Cook just a bit longer so second side is lightly browned.
(butter optional)Sprinkle with brown sugar, then squeeze juice from a wedge of orange over all. Roll it up and enjoy!
Other fillings like fruit & whip cream or meat and veggies can be used.
I've added some of my own recipes to the menu like my husband's favorite- French Toast and mine, buttermilk scones.
Buttermilk Scones
3 cups flour
1/3 c. sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. Soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter/margarine
1 cup buttermilk
Cut butter into flour mixture. Add buttermilk and stir to incorporate milk. Turn it onto floured surface and knead once or twice.
Divide and form into two balls. Flatten them, leaving them higher in the center. Slice each round into quarters/sixths like a pie.
Place pieces on cookie sheet. Bake @ 425 for 12 minutes.
Makes 8/12 scones. Serve with honey or jam. I often fold into the dough fresh berries or dried currants or cranberries.
In recent years for the Fall Saturday morning Conference session, my husband helps me peel apples( I know! Isn't it great?! He rarely helps in the kitchen except with dishes but since he grew up in Yakima and loves apple pie...). Then during the 2 hours break between sessions, I make and can apple pie filling. To keep the apples from browning after peeling, I put them in a big bowl filled with cold water with a tablespoon or two of salt in it.
APPLE PIE FILLING FOR CANNING
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1 teas. salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2-3 drops yellow food coloring
8 lb. (3 different kinds is best) tart apples pared, cored & sliced
In large sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in 10 cups water: cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add lemon juice and food coloring. pack apple in to hot quart jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Fill with hot syrup, leaving 1/2 in head space. (use spatula to help distribute syrup) Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Make 6-8 quarts.
TO MAKE PIE:
Prepare pastry for a 2 crust 8 or 9 inch pie. Line pie plate with pastry: add 1 quart pie filling. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes.
This year I've added another recipe to my Conference menu, thanks to my friend Lynne McLean. They invited us over for Sunday afternoon session of conference. I made crepes and a fruit melange. Lynne showed me her mastery of Popovers and boy, were they gorgeous and yummy!She has blended a couple of recipes (family and professional)together to achieve greatness! It was such fun to work with her in her fabulous kitchen and create this delicious fare for our extended families.
Lynnie's Popovers
Preheat oven to 425
Place in a blender:
4 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp salt
butter, softened (Lynne puts out a whole pound of butter in a dish with pastry brush)
Preheat two 6-cup popover pans (or two 12-cup muffin tins)in the oven for 5 minutes, then quickly brush cups generously with butter. Fill each cup with batter. Bake 20 minutes.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!
Reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 25 minutes until golden brown. (STILL NO PEEKING!) Remove from oven,. Let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out popovers and serve warm. They can be split down the middle and opened up to receive whatever topping is your favorite- syrup & butter, jam, fresh fruit & whip cream...DELICIOUS!
Of course these can also be served with a main course as more of a savory treat.
For Fun and to keep kids engaged, search for Conference Bingo online and print out cards for kids to find key words as they listen to the speakers.
http://lds.about.com/od/generalconferencegames/General_Conference_Activities_and_Games.htm
So think about it for the next few months and plan to establish (if you haven't already) a family Conference tradition of your own. Maybe invite another family to eat and view with you if you think it won't be too chaotic. Or consider getting some women together to prepare food while the men are at the Priesthood session and enjoy it when they get home.I remember when I was at BYU my sister-in-law Lynette invited all the women over while the men were at Priesthood session to make a big batch of holiday bread and form it into rolls & different shapes and adorn with various fruits and nuts.[I think Lynette had already made and risen the Basic dough]It is a recipe now yellowed and oil-stained that I often pull out and use during the holidays.My favorite is the braided bread.
Holiday Breads
Basic Roll Dough
2 cups scalded milk 6 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup sugar 1 cup warm water
2 cubes soft margarine 3 Tbsp. yeast
10 cups flour (approx) 1 tsp sugar
3/4 Tbsp. salt
Add milk to sugar & margarine. Beat eggs. Add yeast and 1 tsp sugar to warm water. When margarine & sugar are dissolved, add egg & dissolved yeast. Fill sifter with flour & salt. Beat enough flour into milk mixture until firm enough to knead. Knead enough flour in to make smooth soft dough. Put dough into greased bowl. Let rise till dough is double in bulk. Shape & let rise again.
Bake at 350 until golden brown.
Danish Rolls
Divide basic dough into 6 equal parts. Roll into rectangle shape. Spread 1 cup raisin filling on dough. Roll dough as for jelly roll. Form into circle on oiled pan. With scissors cut dough every 1 1/2 inches on outside of circle, cutting 3/4 way through. Turn pieces on side. Brush entire top with beaten egg then decorate with sliced almonds. Dribble icing over top after baked & cooled.
Raisin Filling for Danish Rolls
Cook together:
1 cup raisins 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Mix together 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp. corn starch. Add to raisin mixture. Cook to thicken. Remove from heat, add 1 Tbsp. butter, 1/2 cup pecans, 1 tsp lemon flavoring, 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Cool.
Onion Cheese Rolls
Basic dough
Use long finger-shaped pieces of dough. Tie into knot, tuck one end in top, other in bottom. Place on oiled pan. Brush with beaten egg. Top with chopped onion & shredded cheese. For plain hamburger roll, top with beaten egg & sesame or poppy seeds.
Use for sandwich or hamburger buns.
Orange Crescent Rolls
Basic dough
Shape into triangles. Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon & grated orange peel. Roll into crescent shape. Brush with beaten egg. Bake. Ice with orange icing.
Orange Icing
Powdered sugar
Canned milk
1 tsp vanilla
grated orange/orange flavoring
Make thin icing & ice rolls when cool
Braided Bread
Make Basic dough. Shape dough into 16 inch long ropes about 1 1/2 inch diameter . Braid ropes like you do hair, then pressing together & tucking under the ends. Let rise & bake at 350F until brown.
Ice and decorate.
I make several of these up and give them as gifts in December.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sometimes you just need a list.
I was talking to my daughter and she was saying that one of her biggest challenges is thinking of healthy snacks for the kids...that they'll eat!
I gathered together the following list of ideas for the class I taught in January. They aren't all "Healthy" but sometimes having a list to look at prompts new ideas.Keep in mind kids like to "dip" veggies and fruit in sauces, yogurt, dressings, peanut butter etc. They also have fun using unique utensils like straws, chopsticks, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, skewers, pretzels, crackers etc. You can also help them practice sorting/grouping objects and doing math like I had fun doing with my grandson, Josh. His teacher had us work with 20 or more things like crackers, peanuts etc. and grouping them different ways to add up to 5 or 7 or 10. After practicing he got to eat them! =)
Snack ideas:
An apple a day-Slices, sauce, crisp with yogurt/peanut butter & raisins
•Cheese- cheese & fruit kabobs (cut cheese in shapes with cookie cutter)
•Peanut butter-PB&J, on mini waffles, rice cakes, on apple slices or celery stick w/raisins
•Fruits or vegetables -bake them into yummy muffins or breads. Banana or pumpkin bread, zucchini muffins, and carrot bars
•Enriched whole grain cereal with milk and fruit
•Quesadillas: chopped vegetables, leftover cooked chicken, or even shrimp, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, (are easy to make and fun for kids to hold) With chunky veggie salsa
•Low-fat yogurt -To add taste and nutritional value, whip up a yogurt parfait with berries and granola or make a homemade fruity yogurt pop
•Eggs-One egg provides a 4-year-old with almost one-third of her protein requirements for the day. Keep a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge (they last for seven days), or scramble an egg and roll it up in a flour tortilla; Or easy breakfast pita that can be made the night before
•Sweet potato chips
•Hummus-dip* has an appealing nutty flavor; serve with cut-up vegetables or salt-free crackers for dipping, or use it to make a pita bread sandwich.
•Pasta is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates. Pick some in your child's favorite shape, and cook up a batch to keep in the refrigerator. At snacktime, microwave a half-cup serving tossed with veggies or cooked chicken and jarred tomato sauce
•Pears-Rich in fiber - canned pears with a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese or pack a juicy whole pear in your child's lunch box
•Fruit Smoothies-nonfat vanilla yogurt, orange juice, and a banana as the smoothie's base, then experiment with a combination of cut-up fresh or frozen fruit. It's a great way to sneak two or three servings of fruit and fiber into your child's diet.
more more
• Snack Mix-Toss together a healthy combo of nuts, pretzels, whole grain cereal, banana chips, and popcorn for a handy, portable snack.
• Low-Fat Ham- boost your child's protein intake. Roll up a slice on its own or with a piece of cheese, make mini crustless ham sandwiches, or try Ham and Cheese Crepes
•Raisins/Craisins
•Whole grain waffles- waffle sticks topped with reduced-fat cream cheese and a fruit jelly
•Strawberries
•Oatmeal- low-fat Oatmeal Cookies and milk; add in whatever you want -- try raisins, cranberries, dried apricots, or nuts; homemade granola snack bars
•Pigs in a blanket
•Bird Nests
•Pumpkin Muffins
•Parmesan Cheese popcorn
•Fruit salad
•Peanut butter balls
•Happy face apples
•”Dog Chow” “Reindeer food”
• 3 Little Pig Houses-built with pretzels & peanut butter
•Ants on a log-celery with peanut butter & raisins
Whole grain English muffins--to make mini pizzas, tuna melts, peanut butter & honey..
I hope this helps give you some ideas!
* Here is my Hummus recipe:
Hummus:
2 cloves garlic
2 can garbanzo beans, drained
juice of 1 lemon/lemon juice from a bottle
1 tsp. salt
drizzle in olive oil to desired consistency
Blend together in food processor/blender and serve w/ chips
and veggies.
I make this with black beans instead of or in combo with garbanzo beans and like it even better! I almost always have these ingredients on hand too.
You can also add up to about 4 T of raw tahini(sesame paste). It tastes quite good w/o it, but if you like a stronger flavor, add tahini.
I gathered together the following list of ideas for the class I taught in January. They aren't all "Healthy" but sometimes having a list to look at prompts new ideas.Keep in mind kids like to "dip" veggies and fruit in sauces, yogurt, dressings, peanut butter etc. They also have fun using unique utensils like straws, chopsticks, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, skewers, pretzels, crackers etc. You can also help them practice sorting/grouping objects and doing math like I had fun doing with my grandson, Josh. His teacher had us work with 20 or more things like crackers, peanuts etc. and grouping them different ways to add up to 5 or 7 or 10. After practicing he got to eat them! =)
Snack ideas:
An apple a day-Slices, sauce, crisp with yogurt/peanut butter & raisins
•Cheese- cheese & fruit kabobs (cut cheese in shapes with cookie cutter)
•Peanut butter-PB&J, on mini waffles, rice cakes, on apple slices or celery stick w/raisins
•Fruits or vegetables -bake them into yummy muffins or breads. Banana or pumpkin bread, zucchini muffins, and carrot bars
•Enriched whole grain cereal with milk and fruit
•Quesadillas: chopped vegetables, leftover cooked chicken, or even shrimp, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, (are easy to make and fun for kids to hold) With chunky veggie salsa
•Low-fat yogurt -To add taste and nutritional value, whip up a yogurt parfait with berries and granola or make a homemade fruity yogurt pop
•Eggs-One egg provides a 4-year-old with almost one-third of her protein requirements for the day. Keep a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge (they last for seven days), or scramble an egg and roll it up in a flour tortilla; Or easy breakfast pita that can be made the night before
•Sweet potato chips
•Hummus-dip* has an appealing nutty flavor; serve with cut-up vegetables or salt-free crackers for dipping, or use it to make a pita bread sandwich.
•Pasta is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates. Pick some in your child's favorite shape, and cook up a batch to keep in the refrigerator. At snacktime, microwave a half-cup serving tossed with veggies or cooked chicken and jarred tomato sauce
•Pears-Rich in fiber - canned pears with a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese or pack a juicy whole pear in your child's lunch box
•Fruit Smoothies-nonfat vanilla yogurt, orange juice, and a banana as the smoothie's base, then experiment with a combination of cut-up fresh or frozen fruit. It's a great way to sneak two or three servings of fruit and fiber into your child's diet.
more more
• Snack Mix-Toss together a healthy combo of nuts, pretzels, whole grain cereal, banana chips, and popcorn for a handy, portable snack.
• Low-Fat Ham- boost your child's protein intake. Roll up a slice on its own or with a piece of cheese, make mini crustless ham sandwiches, or try Ham and Cheese Crepes
•Raisins/Craisins
•Whole grain waffles- waffle sticks topped with reduced-fat cream cheese and a fruit jelly
•Strawberries
•Oatmeal- low-fat Oatmeal Cookies and milk; add in whatever you want -- try raisins, cranberries, dried apricots, or nuts; homemade granola snack bars
•Pigs in a blanket
•Bird Nests
•Pumpkin Muffins
•Parmesan Cheese popcorn
•Fruit salad
•Peanut butter balls
•Happy face apples
•”Dog Chow” “Reindeer food”
• 3 Little Pig Houses-built with pretzels & peanut butter
•Ants on a log-celery with peanut butter & raisins
Whole grain English muffins--to make mini pizzas, tuna melts, peanut butter & honey..
I hope this helps give you some ideas!
* Here is my Hummus recipe:
Hummus:
2 cloves garlic
2 can garbanzo beans, drained
juice of 1 lemon/lemon juice from a bottle
1 tsp. salt
drizzle in olive oil to desired consistency
Blend together in food processor/blender and serve w/ chips
and veggies.
I make this with black beans instead of or in combo with garbanzo beans and like it even better! I almost always have these ingredients on hand too.
You can also add up to about 4 T of raw tahini(sesame paste). It tastes quite good w/o it, but if you like a stronger flavor, add tahini.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
What they want for dinner....
What's for Dinner?!" is a question that can mean many things and elicit many reactions.
Too often the meaning isn't always met with the correlating reaction. It could simply mean, "I'm hungry" or "Did you care enough to make me something to eat" or "Ummmmm! That smells good" or "I need to be nurtured." The response to the question can vary from "I don't know, I just got home myself" to "I don't know, what are YOU making? =)" to "your favorite!" to "We have nothing to eat in the house" to "I don't know!"(accompanied with collapsing into tears and pulling out hair).
I have two suggestions to remove the tension that might arise from discrepancies in this area of communication.
The first is to plan your menus ahead.
KBYU has a program called The Food Nanny [http://www.byutv.org/foodnanny/]wherein a family is taught how to rescue family dinners. The first thing Liz Edmunds does after getting everyone on board and committed to getting together for dinner is help them develop a two week menu plan and shopping list.Each night of the week has a theme such as Comfort Foods, Mexican, Italian etc. This might help prompt menu ideas as well as establish a tradition your family can count on. Enlist family members to contribute their menu ideas/favorites. Check out ads for what is on sale that week and plan menus around those items.
Once menus and shopping lists are decided, shopping is done.
If this is done, it #1 Gives the cook the assurance that they know what is for dinner and that they have the ingredients on hand (so they are not on the defensive); and #2 Gives other family members the assurance that food is planned #3 Everyone knows that they are expected and going to be fed at dinner.#4 You're likely to eat more balanced and healthful meals with more variety too.
This advance preparation eliminates stress and allows you to focus on what is most important, being together. You'll be able to have more relaxed conversation and interaction. It takes a conscious decision and determined follow through to prepare for this important time of day.
The second suggestion involves making dinnertime a team effort and tradition. If you post the menu calendar for all to see and look at it the night before you can make sure you have anything thawed and ready for the next day. You may have other family members take turns helping prepare the meal (especially the ones they like or suggested). Take turns setting the table and cleaning up afterwords too. Set a time that everyone can be there and let them know you count on them being there.
Robert D. Hales said, “… When we sit down at the dinner table, is our whole family there? I remember as a young man asking permission to play baseball through dinnertime. “Just put my meal in the oven,” I said to my mother. She responded, “Robert, I really want you to take a break, come home, be with the family for dinner, and then you can go out and play baseball until dark.”
She taught all of us that where family meals are concerned, it’s not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. My mother taught that the greatest love we give is within our homes.”
Dallin Oaks stated:
“Parents should act to preserve time for family [prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth.] This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.” Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.”-- Dallin H. Oaks “Good, Better, Best” Liahona November 2007
You may not have children at home or may be single but we can all benefit from menu planning and shopping ahead. [If you live alone, try setting your table before you leave in the morning so you are "welcomed home to dinner" at the end of your day.] You are worth doing this for! There is a peace and comfort in being prepared and in knowing "what's for dinner."
Too often the meaning isn't always met with the correlating reaction. It could simply mean, "I'm hungry" or "Did you care enough to make me something to eat" or "Ummmmm! That smells good" or "I need to be nurtured." The response to the question can vary from "I don't know, I just got home myself" to "I don't know, what are YOU making? =)" to "your favorite!" to "We have nothing to eat in the house" to "I don't know!"(accompanied with collapsing into tears and pulling out hair).
I have two suggestions to remove the tension that might arise from discrepancies in this area of communication.
The first is to plan your menus ahead.
KBYU has a program called The Food Nanny [http://www.byutv.org/foodnanny/]wherein a family is taught how to rescue family dinners. The first thing Liz Edmunds does after getting everyone on board and committed to getting together for dinner is help them develop a two week menu plan and shopping list.Each night of the week has a theme such as Comfort Foods, Mexican, Italian etc. This might help prompt menu ideas as well as establish a tradition your family can count on. Enlist family members to contribute their menu ideas/favorites. Check out ads for what is on sale that week and plan menus around those items.
Once menus and shopping lists are decided, shopping is done.
If this is done, it #1 Gives the cook the assurance that they know what is for dinner and that they have the ingredients on hand (so they are not on the defensive); and #2 Gives other family members the assurance that food is planned #3 Everyone knows that they are expected and going to be fed at dinner.#4 You're likely to eat more balanced and healthful meals with more variety too.
This advance preparation eliminates stress and allows you to focus on what is most important, being together. You'll be able to have more relaxed conversation and interaction. It takes a conscious decision and determined follow through to prepare for this important time of day.
The second suggestion involves making dinnertime a team effort and tradition. If you post the menu calendar for all to see and look at it the night before you can make sure you have anything thawed and ready for the next day. You may have other family members take turns helping prepare the meal (especially the ones they like or suggested). Take turns setting the table and cleaning up afterwords too. Set a time that everyone can be there and let them know you count on them being there.
Robert D. Hales said, “… When we sit down at the dinner table, is our whole family there? I remember as a young man asking permission to play baseball through dinnertime. “Just put my meal in the oven,” I said to my mother. She responded, “Robert, I really want you to take a break, come home, be with the family for dinner, and then you can go out and play baseball until dark.”
She taught all of us that where family meals are concerned, it’s not the food but the family interaction that nourishes the soul. My mother taught that the greatest love we give is within our homes.”
Dallin Oaks stated:
“Parents should act to preserve time for family [prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth.] This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.” Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.”-- Dallin H. Oaks “Good, Better, Best” Liahona November 2007
You may not have children at home or may be single but we can all benefit from menu planning and shopping ahead. [If you live alone, try setting your table before you leave in the morning so you are "welcomed home to dinner" at the end of your day.] You are worth doing this for! There is a peace and comfort in being prepared and in knowing "what's for dinner."
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ni How! KUNG POW! Picky Eaters!
My daughter is an amazing cook and mother of three with one on the way. She agreed that I should share her blog post with you...
"I love to cook most of the time. I think its fun to try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Some times its a curse I guess, because kids like things simple- and I'm not a huge fan of the bland. My husband even more so than me. We eat dinner together as a family pretty much every night- but since the kids aren't happy with much more than pizza, lasagna, or pasta (and those last two are Jake's least favorite foods) it can be a bit of a battle to get them to eat (although I must admit that Josh is great at trying anything- even if just a bite or two).
Well, last night I was craving lettuce wraps. I wasn't too optimistic that the kids would eat them. But there was a recipe for them in this recipe book my mom gave me that is supposedly proven for picky kids [52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids by Jill Mckenzie Cookbook]. The kids loved the smell, but when Josh saw me putting in cashews he didn't think it sounded too good anymore. So I told them that it was Chinese night and kept saying "NI HOW!" Josh asked if we could use chopsticks, and since we didn't have any I said "no", but explained how like in Mexican meals we often wrap things up in tortillas, for this meal we were gonna wrap up our meal in lettuce. I got a few moans, but said "Hey, it's Chinese night, and its FUN to try new things, NI HOW!!!" But I quickly blended up a green smoothie to go along with the meal (have I mentioned we love green smoothies? We have one every day at breakfast, and while Dekker doesn't usually love them in the mornings, he LOVES them with dinner. I know. Go figure.- So I often make one to go along with dinner as well).
Lo and behold though, the kids gobbled them up! Lettuce and all. And Jake and I loved them too! It was my greatest dinner success in quite some time. There was lots of "Ni HOW!" going around as well as "KUNG POW" (which was Jake's answer to "How do you say thank you in Chinese?") and everyone ate MULTIPLE lettuce wraps. So here's the recipe that I will be making OFTEN!"
Lettuce Wraps by Jill Mckenzie
12 large iceberg lettuce, washed and patted dry (I used green leaf)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (I used Peanut Oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb ground pork, chicken, turkey, or beef (I used turkey)
1 cup cashews
1 cup salted peanuts (I used chopped water chestnuts and added salt)
1 cup Craisins
1 package crunchy rice noodles or 1 pkg dry ramen noodles, crushed (I used ramen noodles, and could have doubled that)
Sauce:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
Juice of 2 limes (I used 1 Tbsp each of bottled lemon juice and lime juice)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup orange juice, prepared from concentrate
Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside. Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic (I added water chestnuts here too) and saute for just a few minutes. This will season the oil and pan. Add ground meat and cook thoroughly. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour over meat mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. the sauce will thicken slightly. Stir in the cashews, peanuts, and Craisins. Let mixture steam for about 4 minutes. Serve on a bed of crushed noodles. The let each person spoon into lettuce and wrap up to eat.
"Yeah. It made my night to see everyone eating without complaining. And I really do think calling it "Chinese night" and saying lots of "NI HOWs" made a difference."
"I love to cook most of the time. I think its fun to try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Some times its a curse I guess, because kids like things simple- and I'm not a huge fan of the bland. My husband even more so than me. We eat dinner together as a family pretty much every night- but since the kids aren't happy with much more than pizza, lasagna, or pasta (and those last two are Jake's least favorite foods) it can be a bit of a battle to get them to eat (although I must admit that Josh is great at trying anything- even if just a bite or two).
Well, last night I was craving lettuce wraps. I wasn't too optimistic that the kids would eat them. But there was a recipe for them in this recipe book my mom gave me that is supposedly proven for picky kids [52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids by Jill Mckenzie Cookbook]. The kids loved the smell, but when Josh saw me putting in cashews he didn't think it sounded too good anymore. So I told them that it was Chinese night and kept saying "NI HOW!" Josh asked if we could use chopsticks, and since we didn't have any I said "no", but explained how like in Mexican meals we often wrap things up in tortillas, for this meal we were gonna wrap up our meal in lettuce. I got a few moans, but said "Hey, it's Chinese night, and its FUN to try new things, NI HOW!!!" But I quickly blended up a green smoothie to go along with the meal (have I mentioned we love green smoothies? We have one every day at breakfast, and while Dekker doesn't usually love them in the mornings, he LOVES them with dinner. I know. Go figure.- So I often make one to go along with dinner as well).
Lo and behold though, the kids gobbled them up! Lettuce and all. And Jake and I loved them too! It was my greatest dinner success in quite some time. There was lots of "Ni HOW!" going around as well as "KUNG POW" (which was Jake's answer to "How do you say thank you in Chinese?") and everyone ate MULTIPLE lettuce wraps. So here's the recipe that I will be making OFTEN!"
Lettuce Wraps by Jill Mckenzie
12 large iceberg lettuce, washed and patted dry (I used green leaf)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (I used Peanut Oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb ground pork, chicken, turkey, or beef (I used turkey)
1 cup cashews
1 cup salted peanuts (I used chopped water chestnuts and added salt)
1 cup Craisins
1 package crunchy rice noodles or 1 pkg dry ramen noodles, crushed (I used ramen noodles, and could have doubled that)
Sauce:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
Juice of 2 limes (I used 1 Tbsp each of bottled lemon juice and lime juice)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup orange juice, prepared from concentrate
Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside. Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic (I added water chestnuts here too) and saute for just a few minutes. This will season the oil and pan. Add ground meat and cook thoroughly. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour over meat mixture and bring to boil over medium-high heat. the sauce will thicken slightly. Stir in the cashews, peanuts, and Craisins. Let mixture steam for about 4 minutes. Serve on a bed of crushed noodles. The let each person spoon into lettuce and wrap up to eat.
"Yeah. It made my night to see everyone eating without complaining. And I really do think calling it "Chinese night" and saying lots of "NI HOWs" made a difference."
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A chicken in every...
I stopped in at the school today and was talking to my friend Terri about her crazy day. She's the head secretary there and it had been quite a stressful day. She said, "I just want to go home and put my PJs on...Guess it's popcorn for dinner tonight!"
"Hmmmmm", I thought. "I've done breakfast for dinner, even lunch for dinner and occasionally dessert first, but never have I thought of having popcorn for dinner..."
Well, I pulled my "watch me pull a pot pie out of my hat" routine. I offered for her to stop by my house after work and I'd give her a chicken pot pie for their dinner tonight. Terri said,"I love chicken pot pie but I never make it." I told her my short cuts and why I'd like to do this for her. She was reluctant but thrilled and a deal was struck.
Chicken pot pie is one of my "go to" meals. I always have the ingredients on hand and I can throw one together in no time. Now stop right there if you're thinking to yourself, "That's too much work, I'd never do that!"
It isn't as if I tenderly craft a delicate, flaky pie crust, saute fresh vegetables and make a sumptuous gravy. No, I grab a box of ready made pie crusts, two cans of mixed vegetables, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and cook some chicken breasts or sometimes just use canned chicken. Put the pie together and...Viola! 350 degrees and 45 minutes later you have a comforting meal. Serve it with a fresh salad or fruit and you've got it made.
Now, of course it's not gourmet, and may be higher in sodium and carbs and fat than one would like, but it's a meal in a pinch that most everyone likes. No one seems to care about the lack of finesse with which it was made. And the ingredients are such that I can keep them on hand. [In fact at a local discount market where they sell things near their pull date, I recently picked up boxes of name brand pie crusts for next to nothing and put them in my freezer for future "hat tricks."] You can also use dry box mix for the crusts. Or, if you don't want to bother with crusts, make Shepherd's pie and top with instant potatoes.
My husband was telling me the other day, "I like pies! I like chicken pot pies, I like berry pies, apple pies...most anything you put in pie form, I love!" Heck, he even will eat quiche and he's a real man.;)
So give it a try and see if this doesn't become one of your go to meals. It's great to take to a friend who is sick or stressed or just had a baby or lost a loved one.
Try adding your favorite herbs and ingredients to make it your own.
To me, Pot pies have the same effect as homemade bread, the recipient is impressed and feels loved because you took the time to bake it for them.
So say huzzah! for a chicken pot pie in every oven and save the popcorn for the movies!
"Hmmmmm", I thought. "I've done breakfast for dinner, even lunch for dinner and occasionally dessert first, but never have I thought of having popcorn for dinner..."
Well, I pulled my "watch me pull a pot pie out of my hat" routine. I offered for her to stop by my house after work and I'd give her a chicken pot pie for their dinner tonight. Terri said,"I love chicken pot pie but I never make it." I told her my short cuts and why I'd like to do this for her. She was reluctant but thrilled and a deal was struck.
Chicken pot pie is one of my "go to" meals. I always have the ingredients on hand and I can throw one together in no time. Now stop right there if you're thinking to yourself, "That's too much work, I'd never do that!"
It isn't as if I tenderly craft a delicate, flaky pie crust, saute fresh vegetables and make a sumptuous gravy. No, I grab a box of ready made pie crusts, two cans of mixed vegetables, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and cook some chicken breasts or sometimes just use canned chicken. Put the pie together and...Viola! 350 degrees and 45 minutes later you have a comforting meal. Serve it with a fresh salad or fruit and you've got it made.
Now, of course it's not gourmet, and may be higher in sodium and carbs and fat than one would like, but it's a meal in a pinch that most everyone likes. No one seems to care about the lack of finesse with which it was made. And the ingredients are such that I can keep them on hand. [In fact at a local discount market where they sell things near their pull date, I recently picked up boxes of name brand pie crusts for next to nothing and put them in my freezer for future "hat tricks."] You can also use dry box mix for the crusts. Or, if you don't want to bother with crusts, make Shepherd's pie and top with instant potatoes.
My husband was telling me the other day, "I like pies! I like chicken pot pies, I like berry pies, apple pies...most anything you put in pie form, I love!" Heck, he even will eat quiche and he's a real man.;)
So give it a try and see if this doesn't become one of your go to meals. It's great to take to a friend who is sick or stressed or just had a baby or lost a loved one.
Try adding your favorite herbs and ingredients to make it your own.
To me, Pot pies have the same effect as homemade bread, the recipient is impressed and feels loved because you took the time to bake it for them.
So say huzzah! for a chicken pot pie in every oven and save the popcorn for the movies!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Nothin' Says Lovin' Like somethin' from the Oven...!
Sorry Pillsbury, but I don't think you say it best. What says lovin' best is when someone you love has taken the time to "put something in the oven" for you to eat.
Why such a current resurgence of comfort foods? Maybe we all just need to "feel the love" in the kitchen!
My friend Lynne's Great Aunt told her as a young married woman, that if you don't know what to fix for dinner when you get home, put a potato or two in the oven and something will come to you. At the very worst, an hour later, you'll have baked potatoes and whatever you can find to top them with for dinner. Why does this strategy work? Because when anyone else comes in the door, they can smell that something is cooking in the kitchen, and they feel the love. Besides that, it might stimulate your appetite and thereafter ideas of what would taste good.
It really doesn't matter if you're an aspiring chef preparing haute cuisine, a single adult coming home to their cat and an empty apartment with something brewing in the crock pot, or a frazzled Mom making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...having something cooking in the kitchen counts!
One of my favorite comfort foods is SOUP . You can cook it stove top or throw ingredients in the crock pot in the morning before you leave. Getting those aromatic vegetables sauteed and the smell of savory herbs wafting through the air, makes my mouth water! Adding a quick bread or bread sticks to the menu says love, love, love!
For FUN you can tell the story of Stone Soup (see WIKI def. in comment below)and have everyone put in their contribution.
So even though we are nearing the end of that season here in Western Washington (or is that too optimistic?!)...here are some recipes I got from someone (sorry, I can't give credit but will do so whenever I know my source by name!)years ago that may come in handy for you sometime.
[SOUPER EASY] Any Vegetable Soup
This soup has been made successfully with a number of vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, tomato, potato, leeks, fresh peas, zucchini, crookneck, ad infinitem (you can’t go wrong!)
You can vary the herbs or the broth depending on the vegetable. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty basic:
Lettuce Soup
2 cup chicken broth
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 onion- cut up
Cook the above until tender. Puree in blender with
8 oz. Cream cheese
Season to taste withn freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish.
Broccoli Soup
2 cups water
hambone
1 large bunch broccoli
1 onion cut up
Cook above until tender. Remove hambone. Puree in blender with 8 oz cream cheese
Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish. S
Suggested herbs: tarragon, basil, thyme, dill, etc.
Heat soup through. Do not boil after cream cheese is added.
Here's a recipe I got from my busy daughter (mother of three)
No-rise Bread Sticks
1 pkg (1 Tbsp) active dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/3 c. powdered milk
1 tsp salt
4 c. Flour
Roll into sticks. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 400* for 15 minutes.
Why such a current resurgence of comfort foods? Maybe we all just need to "feel the love" in the kitchen!
My friend Lynne's Great Aunt told her as a young married woman, that if you don't know what to fix for dinner when you get home, put a potato or two in the oven and something will come to you. At the very worst, an hour later, you'll have baked potatoes and whatever you can find to top them with for dinner. Why does this strategy work? Because when anyone else comes in the door, they can smell that something is cooking in the kitchen, and they feel the love. Besides that, it might stimulate your appetite and thereafter ideas of what would taste good.
It really doesn't matter if you're an aspiring chef preparing haute cuisine, a single adult coming home to their cat and an empty apartment with something brewing in the crock pot, or a frazzled Mom making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...having something cooking in the kitchen counts!
One of my favorite comfort foods is SOUP . You can cook it stove top or throw ingredients in the crock pot in the morning before you leave. Getting those aromatic vegetables sauteed and the smell of savory herbs wafting through the air, makes my mouth water! Adding a quick bread or bread sticks to the menu says love, love, love!
For FUN you can tell the story of Stone Soup (see WIKI def. in comment below)and have everyone put in their contribution.
So even though we are nearing the end of that season here in Western Washington (or is that too optimistic?!)...here are some recipes I got from someone (sorry, I can't give credit but will do so whenever I know my source by name!)years ago that may come in handy for you sometime.
[SOUPER EASY] Any Vegetable Soup
This soup has been made successfully with a number of vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, tomato, potato, leeks, fresh peas, zucchini, crookneck, ad infinitem (you can’t go wrong!)
You can vary the herbs or the broth depending on the vegetable. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty basic:
Lettuce Soup
2 cup chicken broth
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 onion- cut up
Cook the above until tender. Puree in blender with
8 oz. Cream cheese
Season to taste withn freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish.
Broccoli Soup
2 cups water
hambone
1 large bunch broccoli
1 onion cut up
Cook above until tender. Remove hambone. Puree in blender with 8 oz cream cheese
Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and any herbs you wish. S
Suggested herbs: tarragon, basil, thyme, dill, etc.
Heat soup through. Do not boil after cream cheese is added.
Here's a recipe I got from my busy daughter (mother of three)
No-rise Bread Sticks
1 pkg (1 Tbsp) active dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/3 c. powdered milk
1 tsp salt
4 c. Flour
Roll into sticks. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 400* for 15 minutes.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Come and Get it!
Remember the metallic clanging of the old farmhouse triangle with Ma yelling to the family and farmhands "Come and get it!"? [Or was that an advertisement?]
Well, to me it symbolizes the beckoning of loved ones to the dinner table...a gathering place where one is not only invited, but expected. A place where one has a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured as well as listened to and educated.
With families being pulled at in so many directions, both parents (if there are two) working and barely getting home in time to throw something either on the table or at family members as they grab the car keys and shoot out the door to the next activity, we are losing our hold on this tradition of gathering for a family meal. So much more than food, that is of priceless value, goes with this loss that I felt prompted to start this blog as my effort to recover or rekindle the tradition. I hope to make my posts encouraging, realistic, informational and hopefully motivational.
The food channels have certainly gone a long way to inspire people to cook and lately, there have been lots of pieces on comfort foods. I think this direction has been taken because in our hectic lives, we all have the yearning for comfort, nurture, to be missed by someone if we are not there. We want to have someone interested in listening to our thoughts to be concerned about us and our aspirations, to help us process our day. Who doesn't want to feel the love expressed by someone(s) who've taken the time to plan, shop for and prepare a a meal for us and nurture us?! And, come to think of it, what single person or empty nest couple doesn't deserve to take the time for themselves to prepare a thoughtful, nutritional meal that they can savor and enjoy?
It seems that other nations and cultures may be keeping their hold on family mealtime traditions, but North Americans are so wrapped up in hurried lifestyles that we are loosening our grip on this valuable tool to strengthen family bonds and feed our souls with more than food for the body. Planning and preparing mealtimes can anchor lives and uplift our hearts and minds. It's a satiety that society can't provide.
Well, to me it symbolizes the beckoning of loved ones to the dinner table...a gathering place where one is not only invited, but expected. A place where one has a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured as well as listened to and educated.
With families being pulled at in so many directions, both parents (if there are two) working and barely getting home in time to throw something either on the table or at family members as they grab the car keys and shoot out the door to the next activity, we are losing our hold on this tradition of gathering for a family meal. So much more than food, that is of priceless value, goes with this loss that I felt prompted to start this blog as my effort to recover or rekindle the tradition. I hope to make my posts encouraging, realistic, informational and hopefully motivational.
The food channels have certainly gone a long way to inspire people to cook and lately, there have been lots of pieces on comfort foods. I think this direction has been taken because in our hectic lives, we all have the yearning for comfort, nurture, to be missed by someone if we are not there. We want to have someone interested in listening to our thoughts to be concerned about us and our aspirations, to help us process our day. Who doesn't want to feel the love expressed by someone(s) who've taken the time to plan, shop for and prepare a a meal for us and nurture us?! And, come to think of it, what single person or empty nest couple doesn't deserve to take the time for themselves to prepare a thoughtful, nutritional meal that they can savor and enjoy?
It seems that other nations and cultures may be keeping their hold on family mealtime traditions, but North Americans are so wrapped up in hurried lifestyles that we are loosening our grip on this valuable tool to strengthen family bonds and feed our souls with more than food for the body. Planning and preparing mealtimes can anchor lives and uplift our hearts and minds. It's a satiety that society can't provide.
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