ACED a Cold

The best thing to do is to eat a healthy diet of nutrient dense foods, high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, etc. The closer to how these foods are created the higher the nutrients.  The further from their original state and the more refined, the fewer nutrients. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats, dairy, legumes, and whole grains are nutrient dense resources. 

Donna's Crema di Pollo e Verdure su Pane Tostato

This is quick and a versatile dish.  Once combined this is served over toast, but it can also fill a pastry for a pot pie; be rolled in a tortilla, topped with cheese, and baked; tossed with fettuccine noodles; made into a rice casserole/ served on a bed of rice; add cubed boiled potatoes for a chowder; drizzled over biscuits; served in a hard roll; or elegantly served over puffed pastry.  This recipe serves 6.

Potato Bread (Bread, Rolls, Pizza ,Scones...)

This versatile recipe can be used for bread, rolls, fried scones, cinnamon rolls, pizza, and more. this makes a tasty, soft, but dense loaf.  The dough freezes well for baking later. Makes 6 regular loaves.

Donna's Creamy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

8-10 Frozen Chicken Legs

1 Cup Jasmine Rice

1 10.5 oz Can Cream of Chicken

Season Salt

Pear-Apple Cinnamon Leather

Ingredients:

2 cups pureed ripe Pears

1 cup Applesauce ( I use unsweetened home canned Jonathan applesauce)

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Donna's Ranch Omelette

When my second oldest son married, the wedding was in Oregon. My husband and I stayed with a family that introduced me to the idea of using ranch dressing, rather than milk or cream in my omelettes.  The ranch has seasoning that blend the filling flavors into a delicious omelette.  I did not get their recipe but experimented on my own.   I like to offer filling choices.  Leftovers can be saved in a sealed bag or container in the fridge for omelettes tomorrow!  I only saute up the portions that have been requested.

Pint Size Banana Nut Bread in a Jar

What? Bake banana nut bread in a pint sized canning jar? You bet! This makes a moist, nice size loaf. One thing I like about this size is it is perfect for gift giving, just the right size for our shrinking household, and great for when unexpected guest drop in.

Pomegranate Salad Dressing

This is an almost homemade dressing.  Great for a salad dressing, crudites dipping, or a meat marinade for grilling or fajitas!

Pomegranate Steak

This makes a tasty, tender steak.  This can be grilled, pan fried, or baked. 

Star Spangled Muffins

These red, white, and blue muffins are the perfect touch for a patriotic breakfast celebration (or any time of the day...yum).

Blackberry Cobbler

I received this recipe from my daughter Julia.  Her friend Tom made this cobbler for their friends and she said it was delicious.

Banana Nut Bread

Makes one loaf.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1 cup brown sugar (cane sugar, not beet sugar)
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached flour (can substitute 1/2 whole wheat)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup mashed bananas very ripe
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon milk.
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
  
Directions:
Grease or line a loaf pan with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl or electric mixer cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, beat well and set aside.In another bowl sift all the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a third bowl combine milk and smashed bananas. Alternately add banana mixture and flour mixture a little bit at a time to the butter mixture; beginning and ending with the banana mixture; mixing in between each. Alternating like this helps insure that the large amount of dry ingredients gets thoroughly mixed in with no dry pockets/ clumps. Pour into greased/ lined pan and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Eat warm or let cool on a rack. Enjoy!

One batch will make four Pint Jar Loaves.

Grandma Walton's Swedish Pancakes

Grandma and Grandpa Walton served a mission in Sweden.  This is a recipe they brought back from their Swedish days. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white flour

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 medium eggs

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons oil or melted butter 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth. Grease a medium frying pan on medium-high heat. Pour about 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan with one hand. With the other, lift the pan up and tilt it in all directions, swirling batter so it covers the bottom of the pan in a very thin layer. Work quickly, before the batter cooks too much to swirl. Return to heating unit. Cook crepe until bottom is browned. Loosen edge with spatula. Brown other side. Remove from pan to stack of already cooked crepes. Makes about 16 crepes.

Serving Suggestions:

Top with berries

Top with butter and brown sugar then roll into a tube and eat

Top with grated cheese, the top with another crepe and heat thoroughly like a quesadilla

Use as a hot or cold wrap with ham and cheese

Use as a tortilla

Use as a crepe

Steamed Veggie Medley

This will fill a plate for a veggie lunch for one person.

Ingredients:
1 potato
handfull of fresh green beans
1 small onion
Fresh ground Multi Colored Peppercorns

Directions:
Rinse  the potato and beans. Quarter potato lengthwise and rinse. Slice onion and divide into rings. Place potatoes in bottom of steamer. Place green beans on top of potatoes. Top with onions.  Cover and steam until potatoes are tender, green beans will still have a crunch to them, about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with pepper, serve and Enjoy!

Steamed Crookneck Squash

Ingredients:
Crook neck squash
Butter
Salt
Fresh Ground Multi color Pepper

Directions:

Slice squash into 1/4 inch sections.  place in steamer over boiling water.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Toss with butter. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground Multi-color pepper ( I use a blend of black, red, green and white peppercorns).  Serve and Enjoy!

Microwave Cauliflower

Ingredients:
Cauliflower
Butter
Salt 

Directions:

Remove leaves from cauliflower. Rinse cauliflower and shake water out with one shake.  There will be water remaining, it is used in the steaming process.  Place stem side down in a microwave steaming dish.  Place lid on dish and cook at full power for 10 minutes.  Let rest with lid on in microwave for 5 minutes.  Butter surface of cauliflower and sprinkle with salt.  Serve and Enjoy!

Homemade Herbed Croutons

I love flavorful croutons. These could even be made out of artisan bread or Texas toast.. For special occasions I like to cut them a few of the slices of bread into shapes, and mix them with the cubes.  You can make a lot and freeze them.  Toast on a cookie sheet to thaw.  Let cool and serve.

Ingredients:

5-6 slices of bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings

1 garlic clove (crushed)

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

Optional-

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Cube or cut into shapes (mini hearts or stars) the slices of bread. Dry bread.  Mix oil, butter, and saute garlic in a large skillet. Turn off heat. Toss in herbs.  Mix bread, cheese, and sesame seeds.  Toss bread mixture into herb mixture until well coated. Spread on cookie sheet and bake in 300 degree oven until toasted brown, about 25 minutes.

Easy Soup and Chili Thickener

If your soup or chili are too thin?

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 cup of potato flakes

Directions:

Just sprinkle a potato flakes over the surface of the soup (in the pot, not the bowl). It does not take much. Then stir into the soup or chili. It will thicken right before your eyes.

Mini- Frittatas

These are like mini-omelettes. We made these and took them to our New Years Eve party in 2009.

Ingredients

• melted butter (to brush in mini-muffin pans)
  
• 8 ex-large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk (or 1/4 cup home made Ranch dressing and 1/4 cup milk)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cooked, crumbled bacon or 4 oz ham, diced
• 1 scallion finely chopped
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated mild cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat the cups of 3 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with butter. Saute scallions in a little butter. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the bacon, cheese, and scallions. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, or thin knife to loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve hot.

Sour Cream Potatoes (Funeral Potatoes)

My sister-in-law Joanne contributed this recipe to our family celebrations.  We serve them at celebrations, but locally they are called funeral potatoes because they are a standard dish at funerals.

Ingredients:
(1) 2 lb. bag of shredded hash browns
1/2 cup melted butter
2 small cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3-1/2 cup chopped onions
1 pint sour cream
salt and pepper to taste


Topping:
2 cups corn flake crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter


Directions:
Mix all ingredients and place in a 13x9 baking dish. Top with cornflake/butter topping. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until baked through, garnish with parsley.


Note:
I have cut this recipe in half, used raw potato slices, and placed in a lidded casserole, with good results. Bake longer to cook the potatoes through.