Just Jelling?

Last fall I tried making blueberry jelly. I can’t say I followed the directions exactly, I may not have added enough sugar, but can’t remember at this point. Anyway, long story short, my jelly didn’t gel. I didn’t throw it out. It is good for so many things:

• ice cream topping
• yogurt flavoring
• syrup for pancakes or waffles
• and my favorite drink flavoring

I quit drinking all (diet and non-diet) soft drinks completely about 9 or 10 years ago. Mainly because of the influence of two people. I continued to have cavities and my dentist asked if I drank diet soda; which I did like an addiction. The other event  involved a chemist friend, who told me if I knew what was in diet drinks I wouldn’t drink them. So, I quit cold turkey.

I mainly drink water, but on occasion I like seltzer water and found a use for my un-gelled jelly. I add just enough of my blueberry syrup to a glass of seltzer water for taste.

So if you make jelly and find yourself in the same situation; re-label your home-canned jars and enjoy!

 

Peanut Butter & Yogurt Dip-Kids love this!

This is the simplest dip to make. I can’t take credit for it. The Wyoming Centsible Nutrition program lists this as one of their recipes and includes it in their cookbook.

Basically the dip is half peanut butter and half plain yogurt. How easy is that?

So for instance use 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. Stir together until completely combined. To some people this may seem really unusual, but it tastes wonderful and is very healthy. Serve with veggie sticks or fruit slices (apples especially).

Do you have a favorite snack food your kids love? Leave a comment.

 

Airport dining

Eating nutritious meals while hopping from airport to airport is very challenging. I should consider those automatic fasting days. You can bring fresh fruit or vegetables and sandwiches that don’t require refrigeration. Otherwise you are at the mercy of airport vendors. I am traveling to Vancouver today and sitting in the Chicago airport, C Concourse. I did happen to find the Berghoff Restaurant and ordered a veggie pizza which seemed surprisingly healthy and tasty; lots of broccoli, red peppers and mushrooms. The crust wasn’t swimming in grease. It was reasonably priced at just $6.00 for a personal pan pizza size.

There is also a vendor called Fresh Market On The Go. They sell sandwiches, fruit juices, fresh fruit, yogurt and snack items. So some choices there as well.

For a little reward for the stress of traveling I bought an iced coffee with just a little bit of half-and-half, no sweetners. Depending on the reports and studies you follow, coffee may or may not be a good choice. But, I figure it is okay once in awhile. Love the taste and smell of coffee!

Nothing out of the bizarre for today. Would love to hear your experience on airport dining!

Buttercup Pie

I can’t take credit for this recipe. Credit belongs to my ex mother-in-law Helen (dislike using ex here as I still love her very much as well as the woman who is my mother-in-law now, but for clarity). This recipe is a family favorite and so easy to make.

Crust:

• 1 cup nuts
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour 

Mix together, should be crumbly. Pour crust mix into a greased 8×8 pan (reserve about 1/3 cup of crust for the top) and press into pan using a spatula. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until crust just starts to brown.

1 pkg Cook-n-Serve Lemon Pudding. Prepare pudding according to directions. Pour lemon pudding over crust, and sprinkle sremaining crust on top of pudding. Refrigerate.

Refrigerator Stew

Strange name for a stew. But what it really means is using leftovers to make stew. There are some foods that are wonderful the second time around, like lasagna or chili. And then there are foods that are not so great, like broccoli (cooked again). So years ago, I started combining leftover items to make a stew. They are pretty tastyand as you can imagine, not easily replicated, because the ingredients will change, depending on what is in the frig.

Leftover food potentials:

Meats: roast beef, steak, brisket, pork roast, pork tenderloin, roasted chicken, etc.

Vegetables: baked potatoes, green beans, broccoli, corn, squash, carrots, etc.

Basic preparation: If you don’t have any leftover baked potatoes, peel a couple of medium-sized potatoes and cut into 1″ chunks and boil until soft. You could add some cut up carrot sticks and onions. Do not drain the water. Once the potatoes are soft, add one can cream of tomato soup and I also add a small can of whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes. I also like to add a small can of beef or chicken stock or 2 bullion cubes, whatever is on hand and a teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning. Chop the meat into bite-sized chunks and add to the mixture and cook on medium heat until thoroughly heated through and simmer for about 30 minutes. Then add leftover vegetables like green beans, broccoli whatever you have on hand. Cook until heated thoroughly. There will be plenty of salt in the soup and stock, so I usually add a minimal amount of salt and let people control the salt and pepper for their individual tastes. Serve with cornbread muffins or biscuits.

The beauty of this recipe is combining foods your family likes and controlling the liquid content. Do you like more liquid in your stew or do you like thick stews?

Roasted potatoes

This is such an easy recipe and so yummy!

Wash 6-8 potatoes depending on how large your potatoes are. Dry or pat dry with paper towels. Cut potatoes into 1″chunks. Place into a 9×13 inch pan. Lay potatoes one level deep. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until well coated (don’t be stingy) and sprinkle with Italian herb seasoning. Place in pre-heated oven set at 350 degrees. Bake for about 1-1 1/2 hours  or until soft. During baking, stir the potatoes ever so often to brown potatoes. If desired you can add sliced onions, sliced garlic or sliced carrots to the mix. Enjoy!

Banana Bread: Breakfast Bread and Dessert

Banana Bread is one of my favorite Quick Breads. If makes a great breakfast bread but also a scrumptious dessert. I can’t claim credit for this scrumptious dessert. My favorite restaurant slices their Banana Bread in one inch slices. Then saute bread slices in a skillet in butter and serve the bread drizzled with warmed maple syrup and walnuts. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for complete indulgence!

• 2-3 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
•  1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans 

Blend sugar and butter together until creamy, add bananas, eggs, milk, lemon juice. In separate bowl combine flour, soda, and salt add to banana mixture and add walnuts. Do not overmix. Pour into greased bread pan. Bake until  bread springs back when lightly touched in center. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool before removing from the pan.

Makes one loaf

No-Bake Cookies aka Bear Turd Cookies

I am not sure how these no-bake cookies got their name, but I think one day after I made the cookies, one of my three kids asked what kind of cookies were these, and someone said they looked like bear turds and the name stuck. These are great cookies for children to help make. Supervision needed of course for boiling the mixture on the stove. I always encouraged my kids to help with the meausurement, stirring and in this case, forming the cookies on wax paper.

 Bear Turd Cookies

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup of butter
• !/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa

Stir together and boil for 1 1/2 minutes

 Add:

•  2 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (optional)

Mix together with spoon and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let set.

Good Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole

This tuna casserole is revised from a version my mother made for years. Everyone has their favorite recipe for Tuna Casserole and this one is mine. My husband loves it too!

 Tuna Casserole 

• 2 cans of albacore white tuna in water
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can of cream of mushroom , cream of broccoli, or cream of onion soup.
• Soup can full of milk
• Small bag of wide egg noodles
• optional: 1/2 cup of green peas (my kids never liked  green peas in casserole, so I left them out)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Shredded cheddar cheese

 Boil egg noodles per directions and drainwater. To cooked noodles, add drained tuna, add sauteed onions, can of cream of mushroom soup, soup can of milk, and 1/2 cup cheese and mix ingredients together. Pour mixture into a shallow casserole dish  and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Grilled Cheese with a twist!

I visited New Zealand’s South Island in 2003 and was fascinated with their sandwiches, which I believed were called “toasties” (via my son, who lived there for 6 months). Basically these are sandwiches where creativity runs wild.

Basically, armed with a sandwich maker or a skillet, bread, cheese (or not) and a variety of ingredients, you can create your own signature sandwich. Sliced cheeses will work best. Here are some ideas:

The Hawaiian Toastie: Two slices of bread, layer with Mozarella cheese , ham, pineapple, and anything else you like. Spray olive oil, or canola oil or good ole butter on to your skillet or sandwich maker and toast until golden brown.

Banana PBJ Toastie: Two slices of bread spread with peanut butter on one slice, your favorite jelly/jam spread on the second slice. Slice bananas and place single layer on top of the jelly and put together slices and toast until golden brown.

Tomato & Bacon Toastie: Two slices of bread, layer with cheddar cheese, sliced tomatoes, cooked bacon and toast until golden brown.

Pepperoni Pizza Toastie:Two slices of bread, layer with Mozarella cheese, spread on cheese about 1 tablespoon of prepared pizza or spaghetti sauce, add pepperoni and another ingredients, another layer of Mozarella cheese and toast until golden brown.

My son recalls a sandwich made with Spaghettios. Doesn’t sound great to me, but for you Spaghettio enthusiasts, it may be wonderful! Experiment and let me know about your Toastie Creation!