Birthday Blues

Rudy would have turned 63 tomorrow.  I have been pondering the upcoming birthday for days.  Just as with all my memories of Rudy, my emotions are mixed, all over the place really.

I have photos of him scattered around the house.  I know they are all there and they mostly make me smile.  A couple of days ago, I found myself focusing on one unexpectedly.  A wave of feeling hit me.  The photo isn't that old.  He looks so healthy.  How could he possibly be gone?  That whole feeling is one I continue to struggle with.

I try to remind myself to focus on how lucky I was to have had him in my life as long as I did.  He was fun.  He took my breath away.  He made me cuss.  He made me laugh.  He was never dull.  I was never bored.  My life feels way too quiet now.  It's hard to get used to.

Rudy wasn't big on birthdays.  I threw him a few parties in our early years.  He finally made me promise not to do that anymore.  The photo below is from 1979.  Obviously, the party was a surprise.  Look how poor Rudy is dressed.  He'd been working all day and was tired and filthy.  Why did I think this was a good idea?  The guy in the white suit was from Eastern Onion.  He delivered a bizarre and embarrassing singing telegram.  I have no idea why I thought that was a good idea, either.  Apparently, I was just full of good ideas back then.  You can't tell from this photo, but there was a pretty good crowd of friends there, as well.

With time the parties ended and so did the whole gift thing.  If Rudy ever needed anything, he preferred to buy it.  He always knew exactly what he needed and wanted.  That worked fine for me, too.   We finally realized neither of us were big on surprises.

There was one thing, though, that Rudy always looked forward to on his birthday.  His sister, Nancy, would make him a birthday cake.  It was always topped with homemade chocolate icing.  The recipe was one that has been passed down through the family.  We know it as Mommy Effie's Chocolate Icing.  Mommy Effie was Rudy's wonderful grandmother.

The icing is a bit persnickety.  It requires the perfect temperature and time.  Humidity comes into play as well.  There's an art to it.  Sometimes, it turns out a bit runny.  Sometimes it hardens too much and is like fudge.  Nancy seems to have a knack for it, but with such variables the iced cake wasn't always photo worthy.  If anything, that made the whole experience more fun.  It never mattered anyway, because regardless of how it looked, it was always incredibly delicious.  There's nothing like homemade!

Nancy would bring the cake over and it would always have a big piece missing from it.  My brother-in-law, Mike, was the official taste tester.  He'd make sure it was good before Nancy packed it up.  I can't believe I never took a photo of one of those cakes.  I didn't realize that those cakes would be at the center of such treasured memories.  There's a lot I didn't realize, actually.

Effie’s Chocolate Frosting

• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa
• pinch salt
• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in iron skillet.
2. Melt butter.  Add milk.
3. When it begins to boil, add vanilla.
4. Stir constantly!  Boil for 2 ½ to 3 minutes.  
5. Let cool and frost.

Tip –

If it boils too little, it’ll be runny; too long and it’ll turn to fudge.

To test, drip a spoonful on plate.  If it gets hard quickly, it’s done.

UPDATE:  While cleaning out photo folders on my computer, I came across a photo of one of the cakes Nancy made for Rudy.  This is from 2009.

Penny's Red Smoothie

My sweet friend, Penny, sent me the recipe for her favorite smoothie.  It has become my new favorite as well.  It's yummy AND healthy.  What more can you ask from a smoothie?

Penny's Red Smoothie

• 1 med. (chopped) beet
• 5 oz. of org. spinach, (about 2 handfuls)
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 - 3 cups frozen org. blueberries
• a little Naked Juice or water

Makes 3 smoothies.

Mix all in a good blender - Vitamix or Blendtec.  If you have just a standard blender, it might not be able to handle the beet, but you could use the bottled beet juice instead.

My variation - I added a scoop of protein powder because my hubby (who has cancer) is supposed to be including that in his diet.

Parmesan Baked Cod

OMG!  This is the easiest recipe ever and it tastes great!  I found the recipe on Taste of Home and did a little tweaking.

My husband has never been a fish lover, but he's been told to eat more fish and less beef.  SO, he's learning to like fish.  His nutritionist suggested he start with fish like cod, mahi-mahi and flounder because those taste "less fishy".  She also told us to stick to WILD-CAUGHT fish because it tends to have less toxins.

I started by cooking the fish rather plain, which is fine, but am now trying to find more recipes for fish so we don't feel like we're eating the same things over and over.

This is our very favorite.

A few comments -

The original recipe called for worcestershire.  I substituted coconut amino because worcestershire has gluten and I can't have it.  Coconut aminos are wonderful, but not always easy to find.  I have found them locally.  Vitamin Shoppe carries it and I think I have have seen them at Fresh Market.  Amazon carries them, too. (By the way - I linked to the Amazon page,  but I get absolutely nothing for recommending this!)

The original recipe also called for green onions.  I omitted those altogether.  I like onions but they don't like me.

For those with gluten issues, one other thing to consider is the Parmesan.  I have trouble with pre-grated Parmesan.  I'm pretty sure the flour-y stuff they add to the grated version to keep the strands from sticking together contains gluten.  I have no trouble with the parmesan I buy in chunks and grate myself as long as I don't get carried away.

The sauce is rich.  My husband loves lots of it.  I prefer a lighter covering.  I recommend trying the recipe as written first.  You'll soon get a feel for your preferences and may end up making less topping or you might even make more.  It's also pretty easy to adjust for the number of fillets you are making.

The bottom line - this recipe is soooooo easy and can be put together so quickly that it will definitely be a primary go-to fish recipe.  If I could find a couple more that are this easy and this delicious, we'd have fish way more often.  Hubby says it's doesn't just make the fish tolerable, it makes it taste so good that he looks forward to it.

Broccoli Salad

I'm having fun chopping anything I can find with my new  chef's chopping knife. Tonight I made a broccoli salad.

The recipe below is the one I've used for years, but tonight I used grade B real maple syrup instead of sugar and I sweetened less than called for.  It was still deee-lish!

It has a number of things that Rudy is supposed to eat right now - broccoli, walnuts and raisins are all on his list.

We sure hope his blood test on Friday looks good.  He's had to miss chemo 2 weeks in a row because of low counts.  :-(

I don't always do the "refrigerate overnight" bit.  It still tastes good.

Allergy-Free Meatloaf Ingredient Ideas

For New Year's Day, I wanted to serve meat loaf along with the traditional collard greens and black-eyed peas.  Food allergies are definitely changing this meal for me.  I'm not eating black-eyed peas, but I made them anyway.  I cooked sweet potatoes so I'd have an extra side dish.  My previous meat loaf recipe included eggs, which I'm still avoiding.  And tomatoes, which I've been avoiding.  I felt fine omitting the eggs, but the tomatoes were another thing altogether.  Meat loaf is just sad without a bit of sauce on top.  I've never been one to overdo the sauce.  I hate the thick tomato-y globs that many people love.  On the other hand, naked meatballs are just sad.

I went browsing on Google and Pinterest for ideas.  I found a ton of possibilities.  Instead of copying any one recipe, I gathered the ingredient possibilities that would work for me.  I plan to experiment with different combinations in the future to see which ones we like and which ones we don't.  I know others have food intolerance issues as well, so maybe this post will prove helpful for someone else.

Experimenting with these combinations requires a little past experience with making meatloaf.  When you just start throwing a bunch of things together, you sort of need to know how thick it should be - not too dry, not too wet.

Without further ado, here are the ingredients I plan to try out over time -

MEAT

• 2 lb. ground beef, ground turkey, or ground bison

MOISTURE
Traditional recipes usually include eggs and/or milk.  The eggs act as sort of a binding, but many bloggers said they had fine results with no eggs or egg substitutes.  

• 1 tbsp. potato flour (or almond flour) with 2 tbsp. water = egg!
• increase the amount of sauce - this helps bind it all together without eggs
• broth (chicken, beef would be best, and veggie ok)
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
•  unsweetened applesauce
• Maybe?  Ketchup, mustard  I need to face facts.  I can't use these.
• Almond milk
• water

VEGGIES
Veggies are easy to hide in meatloaf as long as you grate or chop them well.  They add extra moisture and flavor without overpowering the meat.    I can't eat onions or garlic, but if you can, they sure are good in meatloaf!  Note: since chopped veggies also add moisture, you need to factor them in when working with the consistency.

• 3 celery stalks chopped
• Grated carrots
• ½ cup peeled & grated sweet potato
• ½ cup zucchini
• finely chopped kale, spinach or other leafy green

BREADING
To tell the truth, I don't feel that good about using any of these, except maybe the flaxseed, which I may try out soon.  I'm avoiding most grains, not just gluten.  

• Ground flaxseed
• Gluten free oats
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal
• 1/3 cup Minute Instant Brown Rice
• Gillian’s bread crumbs
• Gluten free oats
• quinoa

SPICES and  HERBS
I saw lots more but didn't write them all down.  I'm not ready to start experimenting with herbs yet. For now, salt and pepper are about it. :-(  

• Celtic SEA Salt - we no longer used regular salt.
• pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. parsley

GLAZE 
I couldn't find many alternatives for this.  Still looking.   This was the riskiest part of the recipe for me.  And no surprise, I reacted to it.  I spent the afternoon sitting still and sipping Reeds Ginger Ale (the real stuff).

• 

  This stuff is fantastic for times when I have had a food reaction!
  At my grocery store, it's in the organic section.

I cannot use these -

• ⅓ cup ketchup, mustard, and the optional Sriacha and palm sugar if using
• Ketchup, mustard and brown sugar

Better Options -

After today's meal, my genius husband had an idea for the glaze. He suggested pineapple with a tiny bit of maple syrup.  That's something that always pairs well with pork or even chicken.  I hadn't thought about it with meatloaf.   But I plan to try it.  

In fact, maybe a fruit glazing of some sort is my answer.  If I can't eat tomatoes, I might be able to find a fruit that compliments beef and see what I can do with it.  The maple syrup may not even be necessary.  The longer I go without sugar, the sweeter natural foods are tasting.   It might be interesting to blend the fruit really well when making the glaze (as opposed to chunks of fruit.  

• pineapple and maple syrup
• a glaze made with some other fruit???  If the fruit is tart, I could try blending with dates for added sweetness.

COOKING OPTIONS
Slow cooker  - just make a mound at the bottom of the slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours or high for about 4.   Putting it in the slow cooker helps the consistency of the meatloaf so much. It always comes out fantastic!

Meatloaf pan or for extra crispiness all around, a casserole dish or cookie sheet, form into a loaf. Bake at 350 for an hour to an hour and a half!

Little mini loaves as opposed to one giant loaf.  I prefer more crunchy edges and less cook time, but you could of course modify the cooking time for a large loaf (about 45-60 minutes)  Can also divide into muffin tins and cook for same amount of time.

I prefer to make meatballs (slightly larger than golf balls) and cook them in the slow cooker, usually on high for somewhere around 3 hours.  The time varies depending on which crock pot I use, how large the meatballs are, and how big a batch I make.


SUGGESTIONS?
If you have any suggestions or tips, please leave a comment!!!


P.S. - I have posted way too much about food and recipes lately.  I guess that's because I am having to focus on that in order to figure out a new way to eat.  But this blog is NOT just about food.  I hope to get back to some other topics soon!  If the food posts are boring for you, don't give up on me!

Brussel Spouts with Coconut Milk and Toasted Pecans

I've been searching for new healthy ways to cook vegetables so I don't get bored with my new eating plan.  This one was tasty and fairly easy.  It's a keeper.

I found the recipe on Pinterest.  It's posted on the Rachel Schultz blog.  It looks like I'll need to explore her recipes page.

I followed her recipe with no modifications.  Her post has great photos and step by step directions.  She gets the credit here, not me.  I just wanted the recipe on my blog so I can pull it up easily in the future.   Here's what I did -

I bought 1 pound bag of fresh Brussels sprouts.  I removed the ends and cut them in half.  I put them in a skillet (Rachel says medium-high heat).

Then I poured 1 cup of coconut milk over them.  I used organic  coconut milk that comes in a can.  There was a little left over for me to use making something else.

I also had a carton of coconut milk in the frig.  I wasn't sure which to use or if it even made a difference.  The canned version is thicker and probably contains a good bit more coconut oil.  I thought it would stick to the bottom of the pan, but nooooo.  That was no problem at all.

Fast Update:  I just came across this interesting post on The Sprouting Seed about making your own coconut milk.  I used to make my own almond milk and this looks almost as easy.  I need to get back to doing that.

The milk slowly disappears.   I needed to stir occasionally, but I didn't have to stand over them.  I probably watched them closer than necessary this first time since I wasn't sure what to expect.  I continued cooking ‘til I don’t see any more white from the milk.

Next I added 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ cup pecans and stirred those around and let them toast until golden brown.  Interestingly, the pan only started getting icky on the bottom after the olive oil was added.
When done Rachel says to remove them from the pan and season with salt and pepper.

If you put them in a really pretty dish, people will be even more impressed.  :-D  My Hubby was impressed even before I got them over to a pretty dish.  I looked like a gourmet cook!  Ha!

Salad Cheat Sheet

It's easy to get in a salad rut and end up with a boring salad. When I walk in the door starving, any food creativity I might have flies out the door.  To that end, I have made what I think of as my Salad Cheat Sheet.  I can quickly skim the list and see what all I have on hand to add.

Note:  This is a fair start, but I consider this list "under construction".  I am still in the process of trying to figure out what foods I truly need to eliminate to get myself back to good health. Plus, I feel sure I've left off some salad additions.  I'll update as I learn.

Greens - Base
lettuce (There are too many good lettuces to list.)
spinach
kale

Greens - Xtra
arugula
cabbage
dandelion greens
endive
parsley

Pizazz - Fruit
Apples
Beets
Berries
Figs
grapes
Pear
pineapple

Pizazz - Veggies
asparagus
avocado
broccoli
carrots
celery
Cucumber
mushrooms
radishes
squash

Meat  
chicken
tuna
salmon
beef (grass fed only)

Dried Fruit
dried cranberries
raisins

Nuts & Seeds
Walnuts, pecans...
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
poppy seeds


Easy Dressings
I definitely hope to add to this list!
Blend oil and vinegar with a berry


Things I shouldn't have, but someone else might like
bell pepper
cheese
edamame
eggs
orange wedges
tomatoes


I am avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, peanuts .  

The verdict is still out on:
citrus
nightshades - Eggplants, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes

Butternut Squash - Baked Quarters

I'm still in the process of finding foods that my allergy over-loaded body can tolerate with punishing me.  I'm finding the need to keep things simple and make things that aren't made with recipes.  Mostly, I am preparing foods as they are with just a bit of seasoning.

I love butternut squash, but I hate peeling it.  There must be an easier way.  I did a quick search and came to a trio of butternut squash recipes on the Clean Cuisine website. By the way, I can't wait to explore that site more, especially the recipes page.  Anyway, one of her recipes just called for quartering the squash.  No peeling.  Wahoo!

I can't believe I forgot to take a photo of the finished product.  

I may be the only middle-aged person in the US who hasn't made butternut squash that way before, but I'm still posting about it!  After peeling and cubing it for years, this is a real break-through for me.  Sadly, it's one that should have occurred to me.  I've prepared other squashes this way.  I blame the gluten brain fog I've suffered with for ages.  That will be my excuse for everything stupid I've done in the past!  :-D

I followed the recipe for quartering the squash almost to the letter.  It took less than 5 minutes prep time. The only thing I did different from her recipe was that I omitted the brown sugar and substituted a dash of cinnamon instead.  Butternut squash is fairly sweet already.  Also, I'm avoiding refined sugar at the moment.  If you aren't, by all means add it - I'll bet it's yummy!

Here's the quick How-To -

CUT a butternut squash in quarters. -  Clean Cuisine recommended putting it on a towel while cutting it so it doesn't slip.

SCOOP out the seeds with a spoon.

SEASON - Place the four squash pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet, flesh side up. Rub a little extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil on top of the butternut squash.  I used the coconut oil.  Season with some or all of the following - unrefined sea salt, pepper, cinnamon and/or a little bit of brown sugar.

BAKE - Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until flesh is fork tender.

I don't think you're supposed to eat the skin, but it was quite tender.  I didn't taste the skin, but our dogs seemed to like it.  :-D    Maybe I should look into that.

Cranberry Relish and A Great Wine

At Thanksgiving, we always have the tried and true recipes.  It just wouldn't be the same without those.  But each year, there are always a fe new things added to the mix.  This year, two new treats wowed me.

First, my niece, Denise is the family wine expert.  She has all sorts of connections who know their wines and she usually brings a bottle of her newest find for those of us who enjoy wine to sample.  This year, she brought a zinfandel - 7 Deadly Zins.  Wow.  Sometimes the first sip or two of wine can make you pucker up. This wine didn't do that.  And it wasn't overly sweet or weak either.  I don't know all the right language for wine, but I know what I like and I liked this.  It was quite tasty with our wonderful meal.

Last but not least, my niece, Carly, brought a cranberry relish that was fabulous.  She got the recipe from her mother-in-law to be, Lois.   Lois - thank you sooooo much for sharing.  It was wonderful!   You know how good cranberries are with turkey or ham?  Well, this relish is even better.  Just the right bit of tart and sweet.  I love great flavor combinations.  Just to be clear, it looks a bit like a salad, but it's a RELISH - a seasoned sauce that is used to add flavor to other foods.

Also, of note...  I've recently had to go gluten-free.  My niece clicked off quite a list of ingredients in this recipe that she could remember.  I was a little worried that there might be something in it that would have me up all night.  Not to worry.  No problems at all.

Cranberry Relish

• 2 bags fresh cranberries
• 1 pkg (small) Jello-strawberry, cherry or cranberry 
• 1 medium can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 orange
• 1 medium red apple, chopped-No need to peel. (I use red delicious.)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped celery (optional)

1. Using food processor, coarsely chop cranberries. Set aside. 
2. Mix Jello with ½ cup hot water in a large bowl. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. 
3. Drain pineapple and add to mixture in bowl. Zest orange into mixture. OR, if you don't have a zester, you can grate the peel off carefully or do the same with a peeler. Try to avoid the white portion of the peel. Just make sure the pieces are very small before adding to the mixture. 
4. Add chopped apple and chopped pecans. (Add celery, if desired) Mix in cranberries. 
5. Chill several hours before serving. You can make this a day ahead if you want.

Zuppa Toscana - Best Soup EVER

When I have lots going on, I always sink into a rut when it comes to meals.  I've been in a serious rut.  Even though I still have too much going on, I'm trying new recipes.  This soup recipe is one of my most successful, rut-demolishing experiments ever.

I have meals that I like to cook often - my Go-To meals.  I have meals that I cook once in a while.  This soup went straight to the GO-TO group.  Hubby and I were both "bowled" over!

CREDIT - I'd love to give credit to whoever originated the recipe.  I'd love to give credit to whoever took this beautiful photo.  I can't find the sources.  The recipe is all over the web and so is the photo.  If anyone knows the true source, please let me know.  I'd love to give them credit.

I modified this soup a bit to work around my food issues.  All notes about that are at the end of this post.

Zuppa Toscana

• 1 lb. Italian sausages (use spicy to get that signature Olive Garden flavor) - I reduced this by half.
• 4-6 russet potatoes, chopped 
• ¼ c. REAL bacon pieces  - I reduced this by half.
• 32 oz. chicken broth  - I used a little chicken broth and a little vegetable broth.
• 1 c. kale or Swiss chard, chopped 
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream  - Looking for a dairy-free alternative.
• 2 Tbsp flour 
• chopped 1 onion, 2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves)  - I omitted this!

1. Brown sausage links in a sauté pan. 
2. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut slices. 
3. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat. Note: Be very careful about liquids - too much and the soup will turn out too thin.
4. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft. 
5. 30 minutes before serving:    Mix flour into cream removing lumps. 
6. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir. 
7. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly. 8. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. BEST. SOUP. EVER!!!!

MODIFICATIONS

I have all sorts of food issues so I made some changes.  It was still awesome!  I'm sure that the soup with no modifications would be even tastier.  I can't even imagine.

I love onions and garlic but they don't like me.  I omitted these and still the recipe was out of this world.

I can't handle gluten, so I used gluten-free flour.

Dairy and I have a love-hate relationship as well.  I can tolerate some hard cheeses, but I generally avoid dairy.    However, I happened to have a carton of whipping cream on hand that I had planned to use to make real whipped cream for a special occasion.  I threw caution to the wind and used it just like the recipe called for.  I paid for it!  The next time I make this, I plan to try plain, unsweetened almond milk.  I know the soup will lose some creaminess so I may have to do a little more tweaking to compensate.  Anyone have any ideas?  Butter, in moderation, doesn't keep me walking the floors, but I'd love to find a lactose-friendlier alternative for this soup.

Also, I didn't use as much meat as this recipe called for.  I prefer to use meat like a condiment - enough for flavor.  I pretty much halved it and it still had plenty of flavor.I cooked a whole package of bacon - baked it in the oven.  It was my first time trying that method and it was great!  I cooked the entire package of sausage - a slightly healthier, natural, uncured brand.  I used a little of each in this recipe and froze the rest.

Hubby was very suspicious of the kale.  I am known for modifying recipes to make them healthier. Sometimes, that doesn't turn out so well.  I assured him it was in the original recipe and he ended up loving it. Don't leave out the greens! Sadly, it's about the only healthy thing in this soup.  

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Cooking for two stinks, especially when one of them doesn't like to eat leftovers.  Did you ever notice that the one who doesn't like leftovers is usually not the one who does the cooking?

I recently made and perfected a delicious and healthy 6 week menu plan complete with weekly a grocery list for each week.  I was knocking myself out cooking and cleaning and hubby would eat some nights or he might have a late lunch and decide not to eat a big dinner.  I'm not known for my cooking, but these were meals he typically likes.

After a few months of the Betty Homemaker routine, I am formally resigning.  I'm going to try something different.  I'm going to forget about significantly cut back on traditional meals in lieu of lighter and simpler fare.  One look at my behind and you'd know that I really don't need any full meals anyway.

Hubby and I love salads and smoothies.  Those can get us through most of the day. They are easy to whip up and very easy to modify, making them seem very different from day to day.

Aside from that, I'm thinking of trying to build a collection of healthy things to nibble on.  One of the first on my list is a recent find - Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips.   I found the original recipe on Recipes.com.  I made a few changes and simplified a bit.  My version is gluten free and omits the added sugar. There's enough sugar already!!!  Also, the original recipe makes enough for a group or party.  I plan to only make a small amount each time. No leftovers!!!

Here's my version with no amounts.  Sorry.  I just put in what I decided was enough.-

1. Fruit - Cut up some fruit.  Fresh and local is great.  Frozen will work. - strawberries, kiwi, peaches, and mango are good choices.  Other berries can be used, too. The combinations are endless.

2. Preserves or marmalade - Any flavor.  I used apricot for my first go and it was delicious.  I used too much.  In the future I plan to make sure I dip out just enough to glaze the fruit.  Truly, not much is needed.  Mix the preserves in with the fruit.

3. Apples - Fuji apples or Golden Delicious are best. Peeled, cored and diced.  The apples add a nice crunch.  Add them last so you don't end up with browning.  Stir them in with the other fruits, making sure to get plenty of juice and glaze on them.

4. You can eat the fruit salsa alone, but cinnamon chips take this recipe to a whole new level.  The original recipe calls for chips made from flour tortillas.  Corn tortillas probably wouldn't be as good.  I bought gluten free crackers made from almonds and rice.  Hubby got into them before I made the salsa and loved them plain, which was a shocker.  I modified them to go with this recipe.  I dabbed a tiny bit of butter on them and sprinkled them lightly with cinnamon and then sugar.  Then I put them in the oven for a little bit - 5 minutes maybe?  I know.  Now this recipe sounds like a health disaster, but go easy on the extras and it can still be refreshing and light.  De-lish!!!

Delicious Blueberry Muffins

I already had several recipes for Blueberry muffins, but for some reason decided to look for another.  One of my favorite places to search for recipes is Allrecipes.com.  When I find a high rated recipe that I'm interested in, I always take the time to look through the reviews.  Often the best advice for making the recipe perfect can be found there.

This recipe is called,  Aunt Blanche's Blueberry Muffins.  Wherever Aunt Blanch may be, I'd love to thank her. There were a number of tips and variations in the reviews, but the change that most people recommended was the addition of vanilla extract.  I made these muffins for several holiday get-togethers and everyone loved them.  So without further ado (I have no idea why this phrase popped into my head), I present:

Aunt Blanche's Blueberry Muffins

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners. 

2.    Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
•    2 cups all-purpose flour ~ can substitute w/ some or all whole wheat flour
•    2 teaspoons baking powder
•    ½  teaspoon salt

3.    Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
•    ½  cup butter  ~ can substitute ¼ of the butter w/ unsweetened applesauce
•    1 ¼  cups white sugar ~ can use less – I only used 1 cup and it was still nice and sweet

4.    Add eggs and beat well.
•    2 eggs
•    1 tsp vanilla

5.    Add milk and flour mixture. Beat until combined.
•    ½  cup milk ~ can substitute w/ some or all buttermilk or kefir

6.    Stir in blueberries.
•    1 ½  cups fresh blueberries (or cherries)  ~ if using frozen, allow to thaw -  I used frozen.

 
7.    Fill 18 regular sized muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
 

The last step is crucial!  Put them on a pretty platter and eat at least one while still warm.  As with most muffin recipes, I put some in the freezer for another day.  Enjoy! 


I'll be adding this post to my RECIPES page.  I'm trying to get lots of my recipes on my blog so that I can access them from my Smart-phone.  That will come in handy if I'm near a grocery store and have a sudden urge to pick up the ingredients for something yummy.

 

Be sure to check out the latest RE- Party!

We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair,  RE-upholster,  
RE-member, RE-finish, RE-purpose, and of course, we love to RE-lax!   

This party celebrates ALL the RE-'s in our lives!  

I'm linking this post with  -

Make It Yours Day at My Backyard Eden
Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs 
Creative Share Wednesday at Trendy Treehouse 
Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jelly Beans
 

The Best Chicken Noodle Soup EVER!!!!

My sister-in-law, Linda, passed this recipe along to me.  It is a keeper... in fact, this one is going to be a favorite! I have tried to make homemade chicken noodle soups before.  The last time, it seemed a bit bland - much more trouble than it was worth.  But not this one!  OH. MY. GOSH! 

Linda cooked it a few days ago for her son, Daniel, and (almost) daughter-in-law, Denise (we have 3 Denise's in the family - none related by blood).   The almost DIL was under the weather and Linda made it for her.  Linda said she got the recipe from her friend and previous co-worker, Gwen.  Gwen got it from the magazine, Taste of Home.  I looked on the Taste of Home site and saw several recipes for Chicken Noodle Soup. None were like this one.  Most looked similar to the one I had that was so bland. I looked on other recipe sites with no luck - this one doesn't seem to be out there.  And this one is surely the best of all!


Linda says this is a "recipe that can be adjusted without fear of failure".  I did do some adjusting according to what I had on hand.  So did Linda.  My modifications and comments are in red.


1-2 TBS butter/margarine
1 large onion,chopped - I omitted this
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
3  14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth - I used one container of Imagine organic broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup,undiluted - I used Pacific organic cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup,undiluted - I used Pacific organic cream of chicken soup
8 ounce pkg spaghetti broken into 1" pieces - I started with approx 8 oz, but added more later in the cooking at my hubby's request.  I ended up using the whole pkg - 14oz, which was probably a little too much.  If you add too much, you'll need to add more liquid!
7 celery ribs, diced
6 med carrots, diced - I used a pkg of shredded carrots
2 cups milk  - From Linda: I think any milk you have on hand would be fine. I happened to have a can of evaporated milk and used that with a little of my regular milk added to bring it up to 2 cups. - I used 1 cup of almond milk and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream left over from a Christmas recipe 

STOVETOP METHOD:
Melt butter over medium heat, add onion and saute until tender.  Stir in chicken and the rest of ingredients. Simmer. It's done when celery and noodles are ready.

CROCKPOT METHOD: 
Linda cooked hers in the crock pot and I did, too.  I love putting something on in the morning when I have plenty of energy. 
Melt butter over medium heat,add onion and saute until tender.  Put everything in the crockpot.  Cook on low. It's done when carrots, celery, and noodles are ready. I had mine ready in about 4 hours. I cooked it part of the time on high and most of the time on low.  The carrots were the last thing to get done.

As you can see, there are lots of things you can change to suit your tastes.  

One thing is a must - use some kind of milk.  The recipes that use only water are too bland.  If you have an issue with dairy, use a milk substitute - I cook with Almond milk all the time and it always tastes great.  Having the whipping cream on hand was a fluke.  I buy that maybe once a year.  I was happy to be able to use up what I had left.


The noodles could easily be changed to suit you, as well.  You might prefer thicker noodles.  And you decide how much to use based on whether you like your soups thick or thin.  While I was searching for similar recipes, I saw several that included homemade noodles.  That would be fun to try  - one day when there's not so much on my To-Do list. 

I didn't think to take photos til after everything was done and we had finished eating.  My pictures just don't do it justice. In fact, they are so bad that my computer crashed while trying to upload them.  So be warned.

 Truly, the recipe is soupier than this looks, even though I did use too many noodles.

I hope these unappetizing pictures don't keep you from trying this recipe.  It really is divine!  Oh, and I almost forgot - after it's been cooking a little while, it smells wonderful.  

Check out my RECIPES page for more of my favorites!

Be sure to check out   the latest RE- Party!

We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair,  RE-upholster,     
RE-member, RE-finish, RE-purpose, and of course, we love to RE-lax!   

This party celebrates ALL the RE-'s in our lives!  

I'm linking this post with  -

• Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple 
• Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jelly Beans
• Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things
• Fab Friday at Frugal and Fabulous Design
• It's a HodgePodge Friday at It's a HodgePodge Life 
• What I Made This Week... or This Month... or Last Month at Simply Designing   
• I'm Lovin' It Fridays at Tidy Mom 
• Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
• Inspiration Friday at  Southern in My Heart
• Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
• Favorite Things Saturday at Bargain Hunting with Laurie   
• Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven  
• Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs
• Creative Share Wednesday at Trendy Treehouse

Chicken Pot Pie... for the Soul

Baby, it's cold outside!  It's a perfect time of year for some warm, homemade comfort food. I have just the thing for you - Homemade Chicken Pot Pie!  I got the recipe from my friend, Judy.  I have no idea where she found the recipe. I assure you, this is one of those recipes you'll want to put in your family favorites file!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• cooked chicken - amount depends on your preference.  I usually cook a whole chicken and can use the meat for about 3 or 4 different recipes.  I use one portion for the first recipe and put the remainder into 2 or 3 freezer containers for recipes to be made later.  We don't use a lot of meat in our recipes.  You may want more.
• Assorted steamed vegetables (carrots, peas, potatoes, green beans, etc)
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup 
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ cups self-rising flour (see step 4 for substituting regular flour)
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups milk (can use half kefir or buttermilk)

Directions:

1 -  Cut up chicken. Place in bottom of casserole dish.  I usually cook the chicken in the crock pot earlier in the day. 

2  - Cover with steamed vegetables. Use any vegetables you prefer.  Do note, however, that the quality of your vegetables is one of the main things that determines just how wonderful this recipe will be.  That said, I do occasionally use the inexpensive mixed bag veggies from the freezer section. It's still yummy, but doesn't come close to using fresh.  That's probably no surprise to anyone.

3 -  Mix soup and broth & soup together & pour on top. This step is a lot more fun if you use a vintage beater!  I was amazed at how much better everything mixed up, too!  If you don't have one of these, you should definitely put it on your list to get.

4 -  Cut in flour & butter (like you’re making biscuits). Mix in milk. Pour flour mixture over casserole.  Once again, the tools you use make cooking a lot more fun.  A fun vintage bowl and my grandmother's old measuring cup certainly added to my cooking entertainment!

      NOTE: Instead of self rising flour, you can use:

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt

5 -  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until brown in a PRETTY casserole dish.  I have prettier casserole dishes.   I should have grabbed one of those since I was taking photos and then I could have shot from a better angle!  In fact, I should always grab the pretty ones first!  I should be living in style!  I may work that into my New Year's resolution.

6 - ENJOY!!!

Check out my RECIPES page for more of my favorites!

I'm linking this post with  -

• Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven 
• Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T.
• It's a Blog Party
• Made by You Monday at Skip to My Lou

Carrot Souffle

For Thanksgiving, I never have to worry about the turkey.  For this, the family is thankful.  In our family, everyone contributes to the overall meal by bringing covered dishes - vegetables, salads, desserts, whatever...  This year, one of my covered dishes was Carrot Souffle.  It was wonderful.


I first tasted carrot souffle at the Piccadilly restaurant.  It's very, very sweet - almost dessert-like.  My friend, Penny, gave me her recipe.  The best part about making it at home, is being able to control the amount of sugar and butter.  Cutting back on those makes it healthier and it's still delicious!

I didn't take photos of my souffle, but it looked pretty much the same as in the lovely photo above from Cooking Fun.  I've never visited that site before today, but I do plan to go back and browse.  It looks like she has some wonderful recipes!


The recipe makes a small souffle.  I made a much larger batch.  I used a 5 pound bag of carrots and multiplied all the other ingredients by five. It filled 1 small and 2 large casserole dishes.  I wanted to have some for home and some to take.  It would have been better to have just tripled the recipe.

I used the carrots that were already cut up.  That made it so easy!!!!!!!  Easy was good since I was multi-tasking like crazy that morning.

Here's the recipe:

Carrot Souffle

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 lg eggs, lightly beaten
• ½  c sugar - Penny recommends less - ¼ c or maybe a little more
• ½  c butter, melted – Penny recommends ¼ c
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Bring carrots and water to a boil in a medium saucepan; cook 45 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Note: With 5 pounds of carrots, it took much longer to get my carrots tender. I steamed them.
2. Process carrots in a food processor until smooth.
3. Stir together carrot puree, eggs, and remaining ingredients. 
4. Spoon into a lightly greased 1 qt baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set. 

  ~~~~~~~~

NEW PAGE FOR RECIPES!!!

I added a blog page with links to my recipes and hopefully, this will make it easier to find particular recipes. (See the tabs just under my blog header.)  I plan to add more as time goes by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a look at these other wonderful link parties for more clever ideas.  

I'm linking this post with them!

• Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
• Favorite Things Saturday at Bargain Hunting with Laurie 
  
• Saturday Soiree at A Little Lovely
• Check Me Out Saturdays at I Am Only One Woman 
• Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming 
• Motivate Me Monday at Keeping it Simple

Cabbage Patch Stew

I have a new recipe and it's a keeper!!!  Trish (a.k.a. Mom, a.k.a. Mimi) had this in her files and decided to give it a try. I think she said she found it in the newspaper ages ago.  I happened to be around at just the right time and came home with a bowl to try.  Mmmmm!  It was good.  The forecast is pretty dreary around here this week - damp and cool-ish - and this is a dish to warm the soul!

Trish's recipe is called

CABBAGE PATCH STEW.

Here's what's written on her recipe tearout -  

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

4 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

7 cups cabbage, chopped

2 (16oz) cans kidney beans

1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 cups beef broth

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

2 medium carrots, chopped

1/2 tsp sugar

Pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until cabbage and carrots are tender.

 ~~~~~~~~

I used a whole cabbage and didn't worry about how many cups that was. I had leftover celery.  I cut it up and froze it so it would be ready for the next time I make this recipe.

It would be easy to make variations.  When Trish made it, she skipped the celery and it was still yummy.  I used the celery, but skipped the onions.  Still delicious!  I used a lot less meat and it still had plenty of flavor.  I'll bet the meat could be skipped entirely.   Other beans would do in place of the kidney beans - pintos, navy, lentils, etc.

I found a similar recipe on Allrecipes.com.  It's called Italian Vegetable Soup. It also calls for green beans, corn, a few spices and MACARONI.  Reviewers recommend cooking the macaroni separately and stirring it in just before serving.

A number of reviewers also mentioned that this soup is particularly good with some French Bread fresh out of the oven.  Want to know what was in my oven?  Dirt.  I kid you not.  Four pans of dirt from where I had been sterilizing the soil for another batch of greens in my salad garden.

My dear hubby LOVED it ("it" being the soup, not the dirt)!  He enthusiastically declared it the best soup he's had in a long time!  ...Which immediately made me wonder what soups I've made recently and were they not so good?  :-D  I have to admit, creative cooking hasn't been a high priority for me lately.  

On a side note:  While at the grocery store picking up a few ingredients for this recipe, hubby and I struck up a conversation with the lady in front of us in line.  She had the largest and most organized coupon notebook I had ever seen. That notebook was at least 8 inches thick --- she had ordered it online. She paid about $13 for her groceries and saved over $80.  I have played with coupons on and off over the years, like here, where I declared myself a coupon queen.  I have to admit, I have fallen off the coupon wagon.  The lady at the grocery store has inspired me to get back on it.  I wrote down a few things she told me and hopefully I can post about it sometime soon.  My sister has also become a major coupon queen with deals as great as the lady at the grocery store.  I'll try to get tips from her as well.  I should have already gone to her for inpspiration.  Since I keep coming across coupon people, I'm thinking somebody up there is trying to tell me something.

Be sure to check out the latest RE- Party!

We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair, RE-upholster, RE-furbish, RE-finish, RE-purpose, 
and of course, we love to RE-lax! 

This party celebrates the RE-'s in our lives! 

 ~~~~~~~~

Take a look at these other wonderful link parties for more clever ideas.  

I'm linking this post with them!

• Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven 
• All Things Domestic at Crazy Domestic 
• Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party 
• Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs
• Creative Share Wednesday at Trendy Treehouse 

Pumpkin Bread

Certain recipes seem perfect for fall.  Pumpkin bread is one of my favorites.  The cinnamon and nutmeg in the recipe make the house smell wonderful. The bread is easy to make and delicious!  Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Bread

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Mix all dry ingredients together.

• 3 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt

Note - I avoid gluten, so i substitute
3 1/3 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
for the first 3 dry ingredients.
It turns out great.  

• 2 cups sugar (The original recipe called for 3 cups, which I found to be too sweet. In fact, I use less than 2.)
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg

3.  Add wet ingredients and mix.

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 small can pumpkin

4.  Optional - Stir in nuts and raisins.

• 1 cup nuts - walnuts or pecans are good choices
  
• 1½ cup raisins

5.  Pour into greased and floured pans.

6.  Bake.   The dough will fit into two loaf pans, but the middle will be too gooey.  I find spreading it out into three pans is perfect.

• three 9x5 loaf pans – 50 minutes 
• 24 muffins – 30 minutes

Here are two of my loaves.  The third was bagged up, to be put in the freezer.

Since I made three loaves, 

I had one to eat, 

one to freeze (it freezes beautifully), 

and one to give away!

I've joined in with the following parties:

• Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven 
•  Something I Whipped Up Monday at The Girl Creative  
• Three or More Tuesdays at The Gypsy's Corner
• Tuesday Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
• Lucky Linky Tuesday at Lucky Star Lane
• Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs
• Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home
• Creative Share Wednesday at Trendy Treehouse