Category Archives: Recipes &Cooking

Four Foods On Friday 83

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#1. TheSaladCaper’s question. Give me one weird food combination which has always been your comfort food.
Hmm…it’s hard to think of anything.  I guess the closest thing I can think of is when I was a little girl, my daddy would put salted peanuts in a cup of cold Dr. Pepper.  I thought that was so cool!  Just recently I did that because it reminded me of my daddy (who passed away 15 years ago).

#2. Name a food that begins with B.

Broccoli
#3. Name a drink that begins with B.

Banana Pineapple Smoothie
#4. Share  a recipe for something that calls for broccoli.

Brown Rice, Turkey, and Broccoli in Mushroom Sauce

(This is good topped with extra sharp shredded Cheese.)

Fancy “S’mores”

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Need a quick & easy dessert?  Here’s a new twist on an age-old recipe for S’mores.

I remember making S’mores in Girl Scouts when I was growing up, and Girl Scouts are actually credited with the first written S’mores recipe in their 1927 Girl Scout Handbook.  (I wasn’t born for decades later, just in case you’re wondering.)

Here’s the simple recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • Graham Crackers, broken in half to make squares
  • Marshmallows
  • Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
  • Maraschino Cherries
  • Canned Whipped Cream

Place squares of chocolate bar on a graham cracker half.  Then place marshmallows and top with another graham cracker.  Cook in microwave just until the marshmallow puffs up big.   Drizzle melted chocolate on top.  Serve on a pretty plate with chocolate covered marshmallows*, whipped cream and a cherry.

*To make chocolate covered marshmallows, place marshmallow on a toothpick and dip in melted chocolate.  Place on waxed paper to cool.

Homemade Turkey Meatballs

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100_18981MEATBALLS ARE COOKED IN A COVERED SKILLET.  YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE THE OVEN AND HEAT UP THE KITCHEN!

Here’s a good recipe for meatballs.  I adapted it because I didn’t have Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and we really liked the way they turned out.  This recipe makes 12-14 meatballs and feeds 3-5 people, depending on how many meatballs each person eats.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (16-20 ounce) package ground turkey (93% fat-free)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, OR crushed cereal or crackers plus seasonings (I use Grape Nuts Cereal,  crushed Wheaties Cereal or crushed Ritz crackers for the crumbs.  For seasonings, I use:  approx 1/2 to 3/4  t. each of oregano, thyme, basil, 1/2 t. rosemary, 1/4 t. sage plus 1/4 t. salt & 1/8 t. pepper)
  • 2 T. olive oil

Mix well.  Form 12-14 large meatballs.  Preheat large skillet on medium with a little olive oil, place meatballs in skillet and cook COVERED for 12-15 minutes, turn and cook 5 more minutes.  Serve over pasta with sauce along with garlic bread and salad.

Four Foods On Friday 82

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#1. Lynne’s question. Do you cook items besides meat on the bbq grill, and, do you prefer gas or charcoal grills?

Meat only, charcoal grill.
#2. Name a food that begins with A.arugala-7-8-09

Arugla came to mind.  Here’s a little info I found:
It’s rich in vitamin C and potasium.

It has a rich, peppery taste.

It’s used in salads, which we know.

It’s also used in pizzas in Italy, which I didn’t know.

.

.

#3. Name a drink that begins with A.

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks:

ALMOND TEA

#4. Share  a recipe for something that calls for American Cheese.

GRANDS Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Almond Tea

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This makes a delicious tea!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 sliced lemon
  • 2 cups strong tea
  • Juice of 3 lemons
  • Juice of 2 oranges
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Boil water, sugar, and sliced lemon for five minutes.  Add remaining ingredients.  Chill.   (also good served warm)

Chilled Fresh Fruit Salad – Refreshing!

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This is the fresh fruit salad I made yesterday.  It’s great to keep in a Tupperware type covered bowl in the fridge ready for a quick snack, but just make sure you do not add banana to the whole batch.  If you want to add banana, just add it to what you’re getting ready to eat since bananas turn dark quickly.  However, the juices from the other fruits keep the apples from turning dark, so they’re OK the next day.  It’s so delicious (not to mention being healthy) that it’s hard not to eat a second serving of it!

INGREDIENTS:

  • Organic apple with the peeling left on it, chopped (if it’s not an organic apple then it should be peeled because of higher levels of pesticides)
  • Orange, peeled and sectioned and then cut into bite-size pieces
  • Cantaloupe, cut into bite-size pieces
  • Organic Strawberries (regular strawberries have higher levels of pesticides than most fruits), sliced
  • Blueberries
  • Nectarine, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • Grapes (not pictured)
  • Fresh Pineapple (not pictured)

Click here to see a list of the top 12 fruits & veggies with the most amounts of pesticides.

Four Foods On Friday 81

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#1. Clair’s question. What’s the biggest kitchen blunder you’ve made?

I cooked our turkey using a different recipe than usual.  It wasn’t thoroughly cooked when it was supposed to be, so we had to go ahead and eat without it.  We had it a couple of hours later after dessert.  LOL  (It was really good!)
#2. What’s your favorite snow day beverage?

Homemade hot chocolate  (using Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa)
#3. What’s your favorite way to eat celery?

Stuffed with peanut butter and then topped with raisins  (an old Girl Scout recipe called “Ants on a Log”)
#4. What’s the most most unappealing looking food you can think of?

Hmmm…probably tofu.  I’ll have to think some more about this question.

One Pot Meal: Brown Rice, Turkey & Broccoli in Mushroom Sauce

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I decided this could be done in the same pot…and it worked.  So easy!

INGREDIENTS:

  • * 1 cup brown rice
  • * 2 1/2 cups water
  • * 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • * 1 large can turkey breast, 12.5 ounces (we get it at Sam’s)
  • * 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, 10.5 ounces
  • * frozen broccoli
  • * freshly ground salt & pepper
  • * (Optional –  stir in 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheese)

Cook brown rice in water and olive oil according to directions on the package.  As soon as it’s done, add the turkey and soup.  Stir.  Add just a little more water if necessary.  Place the frozen broccoli on top (break it apart), place the lid back on top of the pan, and cook on medium low for 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

* You can substitute canned chicken breast for the turkey.

Avocado Slicer

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If the avocados weren’t in the picture, would you know the name of this utensil?  If I didn’t already have one, I wouldn’t know.  My daughter and son-in-law gave this to me last year, and it has been so handy.  My first attempts to use it ended up with smashed looking avocado slices, but then I finally figured out the correct way to use it.  It’s so quick and easy to make nice looking avocado slices now.

My Grandmother’s Ice Box Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe (Slice & Bake Cookies)

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These cookies bring back warm memories of childhood and growing up.   My mother made these often, and they were so delicious warm out of the oven.   They’re like a brown sugar cookie, and kids of all ages like them.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • (1 cup nuts optional – we don’t add the nuts)

Cream the eggs, brown sugar, and butter.  Add the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Form cookie dough into a long roll about 2 inches in diameter.  Wrap well with wax paper.  Chill for a few hours.  Slice and bake at 350 degrees as needed.  Bake 8-9 minutes for a soft cookie and 10-11 minutes for a crisper cookie.

The cool thing about this recipe is that the dough can be made a day or several days before it’s needed as long as it’s well-wrapped.  If it’s going to be kept for several days, it would be good to store the dough in a large gallon size plastic bag after wrapping with wax paper.

Four Foods On Friday 79

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#1, Kelly’s question. What is your favorite memory associated with the smell of a certain food? As in, you smell it, close your eyes and are instantly drawn back to a magical moment in time….

It would probably be the smell of my grandmother’s recipe for brown sugar “ice box” cookies baking in the oven.  My mother made those a lot when I was growing up.  (It’s a great cookie recipe that you chill in the fridge and then bake whenever you want.)
#2. Name something red that is in your cabinets.

Spaghetti sauce
#3. Ice. Do you have an ice maker, use ice cube trays or buy by the bag?

We have an ice maker and also use trays to make distilled water ice cubes.
#4. Pepper. What kind do you use most often? Is it in a grinder or a shaker?

I have both kinds, but we use the pepper grinder the most.

Four Foods On Friday 78

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#1. Mashed potatoes. Do you usually buy the boxes, the frozen or make from scratch.

Make from scratch.
#2. Cottage cheese. What kind do you like? (large curd, small curd, 2%, 4%, no salt, etc)

I buy low fat cottage cheese.
#3. Is there a food that you are brand loyal to?

For lunchmeat, I always buy Hormel Natural Choice Turkey with no nitrates or preservatives.  Get coupons!
#4. When cooking do you usually use fresh onions or the ones from the spice aisle that are chopped or powdered?

I nearly always use fresh onions.