Cultivating Healthy Habits : 2014

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Orange Floats

Vanilla Ice Cream
Orange Soda

Get a cup the size that you want. Scoop ice cream into it. Leave space around the scoops. Do not pack the ice cream in.

Pour orange soda over ice cream slowly. The faster you pour the more foam you will get.

I like to slush mine up to blend ice cream and soda.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Rice - Gina Dale

1 2 3

Chicken Broth 1 3/4 cups 3 1/2 cups 5 1/4 cups
Butter 1 T. 2 T. 3 T.

Salt 3/4 t. 1/2 T. 2 t.
Jasmin Rice 1 cup 2 cups 3 cups

Bring broth or water, butter, and salt to a boil until butter is melted. Stir in rice.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 18 minutes.

Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.

Berry Lemon Sauce

4 cups Frozen Triple Berry Blend
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

In a medium saucepan mix the berries, sugar and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.

Remove pan from heat and mash berries.

Using a wire mesh strain the berries to get all seeds out. It is okay if a few slip through the strainer. Use a heavy duty spoon to keep stirring the berries. The seeds will clog up the strainer so if you keep it moving more liquid can escape. When you are finished, scrap the bottom of the strainer over your bowl to get any liquid that is still clinging to the strainer.

Place seeds (pulp) in the strainer in another bowl to cool. Discard seeds. It will look like a lot but that is okay.

Place strained berry mixture back into saucepan reserving a 1/4 cup.

Mix 1/4 cup berry juice and corn starch in a cup.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil again.

While stiring boiling berry mixture, pour cornstarch mixture slowly into berry mixture. Keep stiring till you get desired thickness.

Dish over individual slices of cheesecake. Or you can use this sauce as a syrup on pancakes!

Note: You can also just use a mixture of 2 cups of raspberries and 2 cups of blackberries if you cannot find the triple berry blend.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Lit'l Smokies

1 lb Lit'l Smokies
1 bottle Bbq Sauce

In a small slow cooker place lit'le smookies.

Pour Bbq sauce over them and stir till well coated.

Cook on high for 1 hour and low for 3 hours.

Fun to eat with toothpicks.

Pie Crust - Gina Dale

3 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 cup Sugar, optional
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons Butter Flavored Shortening
2 Eggs
1/2 cup very cold Water
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine flour, salt and sugar.

Add shortening.

Crumble mixture using your fingers. Keep doing this until no particle of shortening is larger than a dry pinto bean.

In another bowl, combine eggs, water and vinegar and beat slightly.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture a little at a time, tossing dough particles with a fork and sprinkling egg mixture only on dry areas. Entire amount of egg mixture may not be needed. Dough particles should be moist and cling together, but should not be sticky.

Gather up particles of dough into a ball. Divide in half.

Shape each half into a thick patty.

Drop each patty in flour bin and turn it over to coat both sides with flour.

Roll out dough on waxed paper or pie mat until crust diameter is the width of the paper. To prevent paper from sliding while rolling out dough dampen a cloth and wipe counter before you place dough on paper.

Note: The bottom of crusts of all pies that are baked after filling should be coated with egg white to prevent soggy doughy crusts from forming.

TO BAKE UNFILLED PIE SHELL:

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.

Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer.

Cool on wire rack.

Fill as desired.

Deviled Eggs

6 Eggs
1/4 cup Mayo
2 big squirts Horseradish Mustard
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with hot tap water till about 1 inch over eggs.

Turn up heat high till they come to a boil. Once they come to a boil cover, turn down heat to a gentel boil (around 6)and cook for 12 minutes.

Drain eggs when done and then run cold water over them till covered and drain again. Do this 2 or 3 times.

Cut eggs in half by forcefully hitting the egg lengthwise with a knife. Scoop out egg with a spoon as close to the shell as possible. Set egg whites aside on a nice platter and put the egg yolks in a bowl.

Mix the mayo, relish, mustard, paprika, cayenne, pepper, and salt with the egg yolks.

Fill egg white center with egg yolk mixture using a spoon.

Cranberry Jezebel Sauce

1 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 (12 oz.) bag fresh or frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup Pineapple Preserves
3 Tablespoons Prepared Horseradish
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Cream Cheese, softened
Club Crackers

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil, stirring often, in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add cranberries.

Return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes or until cranberry skins begin to pop and mixture begins to thicken. Turn off heat.

Stir in preserves, horseradish and mustard. Remove pan from heat and let sauce cool.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Yields about 3 cups.

Use over softened cream cheese as a spread for club crackers.

You can also put it over meat; pork, chicken etc... Cook as usual.

Rotel Shells and Cheese

1 box Velveta Shells and Cheese
1 can Rotel, undrained
Pepper

Make shells and cheese according to package directions.

Stir in can of Rotel.

Sprinkle with pepper.

Note: For those eating who do not like spicy food, spoon rotel into individual bowls. You can also just use a can of diced tomatoes to cut down on the spice.

Watermelon Slush

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1⁄2 cup limeade concentrate
Sprite

Cut up watermelon into cubes.

Freeze watermelon cubes.

Place frozen watermelon cubes in blender and add limeade and Sprite.

Blend until smooth.

Add the sprite till you get desired consistency.

Note: Try adding frozen strawberries along with frozen watermelon.

Always freeze your extra watermelon so this can be a really quick drink throughout the year.

Silk Tie Easter Eggs

12 small-medium size Eggs
12 Silk Ties, cut off front tip about 6 inches up from bottom
1 White Pillow Case cut up for 12, 7-8 inch squares
12 Twist Ties
Glass or Enamel Pot
at least 1/4 cup Vinegar
some oil

Place egg in the middle of the tie, bottom of egg down.

Wrap tie around egg with all the fabric at the top of the egg.

Cover tie wrapped egg with white fabric the same way. Make sure that both fabrics are wrapped around the egg tightly. Twisting works well.

Use a twist tie around the top of the egg with all the fabric to close it up.

Place eggs in a glass or enamel pot filled with water, not too full or the water will over flow when you add the eggs.

Pour vinegar over eggs. Bring to a boil.

Once it gets to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Take eggs out and let cool.

Unwrap eggs and put some oil on your hands and rub over eggs to make them shinny. Be careful not to drop your eggs they get slippery.

Mini Apple Pie

1 package Puff Pastry shells
2 Granny Smith apples
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water

Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions.

When you take the tops off the shells after baking try to scoop out as much of the inside as you can while not hurting the shell.

While pastry is baking combine the lemon juice and water in a large bowl.

Peel, core and thinly slice your apples.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apple splices and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring.

Add brown sugar and cinnamon and cook about 2 more minutes.

Stir together cornstarch and water.

Slowly pour cornstarch mixture into apple mixture while stirring. Cook for another 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until juices thicken. Remove from heat.

Place a strainer over a bowl. Pour apple mixture into strainer and let sauce fall into the bowl. Try to get as much of the sauce off the apples as you can.

Place puff pastry in individual serving dishes.

Fill pastry shell with as much apples as you can. All the apple slices can be evenly divided between the 6 shells.

Then spoon the sauce over each shell. Don’t mind if the sauce runs all down the sides of the shells.

Place the tops back on the shells.

Omelette

2 Eggs
Pinch Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Butter
Cheddar Cheese
8 slices of Pepperoni, cut in half
Salsa
Ketchup

Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a bowl.

In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat.

Add eggs and let sit till it looks like a good time to flip them, when the bottom looks done and it starts to form a bubble, then flip.

On one half of the omelette layer cheese, pepperoni and some salsa.

Fold over uncovered half on top of covered half.

Top with cheese. Wait about 30 seconds so the cheese on stop starts to melt.

Slide omelette out on plate and top with ketchup.

Indian Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2-3 Tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 inch ginger, grated
1 dried red chile pepper, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Place the green beans in the pot, and cook briefly, removing after 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Stir in the horseradish, garlic and ginger, and cook until golden brown.

Mix in the chile pepper.

Place the green beans in the skillet, and season with salt and sugar. Cook and stir 8 minutes, or until tender.

Season with pepper to serve.

Note: Great way to serve carrots or broccoli also.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Soft Boiled Eggs

Use as many eggs as you want to boil
Small pad of Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Use a pot that is just big enough to place all eggs in a single layer. Pour water over eggs till it is about an inch above the eggs. Remove eggs and place on a plate so they don't roll away.

Put a lid on the pot and bring water to a boil.

After brought to a boil, add eggs to pot using a Chinese strainer. lower temperature slightly (around 6) and continue boiling for 6.5 minutes.

Drain water. Run eggs under cold water and drain several times.

To open egg hit forcefully with a knife in the middle of the egg. Scoop out egg using knife closely to shell and put in an individual bowl. Cut up egg in bowl. We like to use little ramekin type bowls for each person.

Serve eggs with butter, salt, and pepper.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Margarita Punch

Ice, 1/2 bag
1 can Frozen Lemonade
1 can Frozen Limeade
2 liters Sprite
1 each of Lime and Lemon sliced into wedges

Place ice in a large punch bowl.

Pour the frozen Lemonade and Limeade and Sprite over ice. DO NOT add water.

Make 60 minutes prior to serving. The ice melts and the flavors are fantastic!

Squeeze the lemon and lime wedges into the punch and then drop them into the punch.