Bay Flavored Brown and Wild Rice

This is easy to make. The bay leaves give it an interesting flavor. It freezes well for a quick side dish some other time.

1 c. brown rice
3 tbsp. wild rice
2 1/4 c. chicken broth or water
2-4 bay leaves
1/4 c. shallot or onion, finely minced
1 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt (use if cooking with water)

1. In saucepan, sauté shallot or onion in butter until very lightly browned. Add brown and wild rice plus chicken broth, salt and bay leaves.

2. Bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Don’t remove cover until 45 minutes are up, then fluff with fork. If any liquid remains, stir lightly, and then continue to cook over low heat for 5 more minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

My son said these are "awesome" and I agree. This is one of the best healthy muffin recipes I have ever found. They freeze well which is such a bonus. Enjoy!

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. molasses
1/4 c. canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup (not whole can) canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin pan.
2. In med. bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In lg. bowl, whisk together sugar, molasses, oil and one of the eggs until well combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.
4. Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan a few times to remove any air bubbles.
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 min.
7. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 min. Run a knife around muffins to loosen and unmold.

Holiday Relish

I got this recipe out of a Parade magazine a few years ago. I'm not against cranberries out of a can, but this is a bit more sophisticated and tastes wonderful. I will be bringing it to Thanksgiving.

12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 c. dried golden raisins (or regular if you can't find golden)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon or ginger (I have not tried ginger.)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Put all ingredients except vinegar in a saucepan and stir to combine.
2. Stirring, bring ingredients to a boil over med. heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently until relish thickens, about 5 min.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
4. Spoon into a heat proof container, cover with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate. Tightly covered, the relish will keep for up to two weeks.

Peppered Beef and Vegetables

I love the pepperyness of this dish; relatively healthy and good.

4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. fresh or frozen pea pods, halved crosswise
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
canola oil
1 lb. lean boneless beef, cut into thin bite-size strips

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain, keep warm.
2. For sauce, in small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
3. Add small amount of canola oil to large skillet. Heat to med-high. Add garlic and saute for 30 sec. Add pea pods and green and red bell peppers, saute a few minutes. Add mushrooms, saute until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
4. Add 1 tbsp. canola oil to pan. Stir-fry beef until done. Push beef to sides, stir sauce and pour into center. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to pan, stir and cook until heated through. Toss with spaghetti, let warm a minute.

Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth

I used to feel like I was an observer of my own life instead of a participant. This book beautifully sums up why that is true for a lot of people. I still struggle with "the voice" inside that enjoys torturing me and trying to convince me that I am somehow tragically flawed and that any minute my life can fall completely apart.

Some quotes from the book:

"We think of ourselves as walking heads with bothersome, unattractive appendages attached. It's as if we would rather pretend we don't have bodies. As if they are the source of our trouble, and if only we could get rid of or otherwise dismiss them, we'd be fine. We crash around in our arms and legs, let them lift for us, hold our children for us, walk for us without ever taking time to actually live in them. Until we are about to lose them."

"Your body is the piece of the universe you've been given; as long as you have a pulse, it presents you with an ongoing shower of immediate sensate experiences."

"Our minds are masters at blame, but our bodies...our bodies don't lie. Which is, of course, why so many of us learned to zip out of them at the first sign of trouble."

"And you realize that torture isn't having these arms or these legs; it's being so convinced that God is out there, in another place, another realm that you miss the lavender slip of moon, your own awakened presence."

Blue Diamond Nut-Thins

These are natural nut & rice cracker snacks. They are wheat & gluten free. Even if you do not have allergies, these crackers are just plain good. My favorite flavors are almond and pecan. I have seen them in the health food section of the grocery store, but just as often in the regular cracker aisle.

Recipe Contest Winner

A lady I work with entered a recipe contest and won which is very exciting! Check out Dana's recipe at Morey's Fine Fish and Seafood. She entered two recipes and they both won, so they are printing her other recipe on some of their packaging.

Brenda's Banana Bread

This is very easy. Who doesn't love banana bread? The original recipe called for three bananas and that works, but four is better. I don't mash the bananas too much because I like little chunks of banana in my bread. My husband has been eating a lot of bananas lately. When they get too ripe to eat, he peels them and puts them in freezer bags. If you use them after being frozen, don't pour out the liquid. I did that once and the bread ended up kinda dry.

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas, mashed
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and banana.
3. Sift in dry ingredients and stir only enough to combine.
4. Pour in large greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Crustless Quiche

You will never miss the pie crust. You can obviously use any combination of ingredients you want for this recipe. I personally like onions, mushrooms, bacon and Cheddar cheese along with the Parmesan cheese, but have gone as far as using steamed asparagus and various sausages. I do not have a food processor and so I beat the crap out of it with a whisk; whatever works is all good. I use a glass pie plate that belonged to my Grandma. It just seems right. Be sure you let the oven come all the way up to temperature before baking this quiche. You really need to let this sit for 10 minutes or so after you pull it from the oven to set up properly. I freeze what's left in single servings and microwave for a minute or possibly two.

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 c. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 drops Tabasco sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. chopped cooked ham, bacon or sausage

1. Heat butter in a skillet until melted. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 min.
2. Process the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour, salt and Tabasco sauce in a food processor. Pour into a bowl. Add the cooked onion mixture, Monterey Jack cheese and ham and mix well.
3. Pour the ham mixture into a buttered 9-inch square pan. Bake quiche at 350°F for 45 min.

Cincinnati Chili Mac

This dish does not contain meat. I'm pretty sure I got it out of a Vegetarian Times magazine many years ago. This is my effort to consume less meat. If I can find one meal a week without it, that would be a good start. My husband liked it. I love the chili/spaghetti combination. I always use all three garnishes.

1 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 med. green bell pepper, diced
1 med. red bell pepper, diced
1 fresh hot chili pepper, minced (optional)
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 (16 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed
salt & black pepper, to taste
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
8 to 10 oz. spaghetti

Optional garnishes: diced tomatoes, chopped onions or scallions, grated cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil over med. heat until translucent, about 3 min. Add bell peppers and continue to sauté until onion is golden, about 5 more min. Stir in chili pepper, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 min. Season with salt & pepper.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Place a small amount of spaghetti in a wide, shallow bowl and top with chili. Garnish with tomatoes, onion and cheese, if desired.

Such a Pretty Fat

or why pie is not the answer; one narcissist's quest to discover if her life makes her ass look big. This book by Jen Lancaster is really fun to read. I laughed out loud several times. On the back cover it states "It's possible that my high self-esteem is bad for my health." and "I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans." You can buy this book at Amazon

Jen Lancaster also has a blog "Land of the Free, Home of the Bitter"

Tuna Hotdish

That would be tuna casserole to those of you that don't live in the Midwest. My husband actually requested that I make tuna casserole because we have an over abundance of peas in the freezer. (Why does this bother him?) However, I love tuna hotdish. We try not to make things with creamed soups very often anymore because it's not exactly health food. It is comfort food since we consumed cases and cases of it growing up.

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use one each cream of mushroom and cream of chicken.)
1 c. milk
1 c. peas
2 cans tuna
4 c. cooked egg noodles
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter, melted

1. Stir soups, milk, peas, tuna and noodles in a 3 qt. casserole.
2. Bake at 400°F for 30 min. Stir.
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 5 min. more.

OPTIONS:
- In place of bread crumbs, use 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese.
- Substitute 2 c. cooked cubed chicken for tuna.

We skipped the bread crumbs and butter and used shredded cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips instead.

Flower Pots

This is one of my favorite flower pot combinations; 14-16" pot, spike in the middle, asparagus fern in the front, alternate geranium, Diamond Frost euphorbia, second geranium, second Diamond Frost euphorbia, and a third geranium around. So beautiful! I have four pots exactly the same because I read that three or more the same make a statement.

Body Beautiful

I have had food issues and body image issues since forever. I am not model material, but I am far from ugly. I am not thin, but I am far from fat. I am tired of being on a "diet." I'm done. I am what I am. I AM. I'm exactly what I should be. This is not to say that I am going to let myself go. I am still going to eat healthy most of the time, take my supplements, go for walks, work in my garden and just be me. Have you ever looked at a small child smiling and think how wonderful it is that they just know that they are perfect and loved. Why do we lose that?

Namaste (the spirit in me which is also in you; the God within).

Lemon Bars

My grandmother made these bars, my mother makes them and now I make them. I'm pretty sure the recipe is in the Lutheran church cookbook as is most of the recipes my mother made for us growing up. I usually squeeze fresh lemons, but if you use the stuff in the green jar, it's OK.

Lemon Bars

1 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
7 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. flour
powdered sugar

1. Melt butter and mix together with 2 c. flour and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Press into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 min.
2. Combine eggs, sugar, salt, lemon juice, baking powder and 4 tbsp. flour. Mix well and pour over hot crust. Bake 30 min. at 325°F.
3. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

Black Bean Dip and the Blender

I recently found a recipe for black bean dip that sounded easy and tasty. You just put the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve with fresh veggies or tortilla chips.

1 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 c. prepared salsa, hot or mild
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. ground cumin (or a little more)
Salt and freshly ground pepper (I used 1/8 tsp. of each; there is probably plenty of salt in the salsa)

I simply refuse to buy a food processor. I have a blender, hand mixer and some wooden spoons. I should be able to beat, blend, or stir most ingredients with one of these things. Actually, I just don’t want a cupboard full of kitchen gadgets and electronics I don’t use. (I’ll talk about the rice cooker another time.) So, I dug the blender out of the back of my lowest cupboard and rinsed the dust off it. It worked like a charm. It has a button labeled puree that I pressed and watched my ingredients turn into dip. Maybe I’ll leave the blender on the counter for awhile and be inspired to make other recipes that call for processing or blending. It could happen.

Black Beans & Rice

I love both rice and beans. When you put them together, it is a wonderful thing. I gave this recipe to my oldest sister and now it is her go to potluck dish.

1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. + 3/4 tsp. olive oil
1 c. long grain rice
1/2 med. onion, chopped (1 c.)
1/2 lg. green or red pepper (1/2 c.)
1 med. cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp.)
1 (15-oz.) cans black beans, undrained
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 c. sliced scallions (optional)

1. In a med. saucepan, combine 2 c. of water with 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 3/4 tsp. of the olive oil. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 min. or until the rice is tender.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over med. heat. Saute the onion, green or red pepper, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 5 min.
3. Add the beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, and remaining salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 min.; remove the bay leave.
4. Spoon the beans over the rice and sprinkle with the scallions, if desired. Serve warm.
NOTE: This recipe can be easily doubled.

Eco Chic Boutique

This is a green boutique that just opened this month. It is conveniently located at 4955 17th Ave S just west of the 45th St Happy Harry's (in case you also need beer/wine). The flowers out front are a nice touch. They have a seating area where you can have a visit/rest while drinking a cup of coffee. I added the link to my favorites. My first purchases were Earth Muffin clean and natural deodorant (grapefruit vanilla scented with a much drier application than some), Alba leave in conditioner for my hair, and Natracare pads. I will definitely be spending some time there. In fact, I think I'll run over there this morning and get some bug spray. I can't stand the idea of spraying nasty chemicals directly on my skin.

Lilacs

I have always liked lilacs for their flowers and scent. This lilac bush came with the house. I only saw purple and white lilacs growing up, so I like the fact that it is pink. Traditional is good, but I like different too. I think it is a Miss Canada.

Recipe Folder

I have a folder about an inch thick with recipes I have saved to try sometime. I have decided to actually do that. Last night I made "Corn-Filled Muffins" which involved a can of creamed corn. How could that not be good, right? After 20 minutes at 400 F, they were not anywhere near done. Back in the oven for many more minutes, they were stuck so good to the muffin papers that we ate the tops off a few and gave up. They weren't awful by any means, but I'm not keeping the recipe. I hope the next recipe adventure turns out better.