Happy 4th of July 2009!

Posted on Friday, July 3, 2009 at 10:30 PM

Tomorrow will be a busy day here at my home.  Lots of folks are coming by for my annual Independence Day Cookout.  Here is this year's menu:

Deviled Eggs

Grilled Burgers and Hot Dogs

Potato Salad

Spaghetti Salad

Pea Salad

Baked Beans

Cole Slaw & Hot Dog Sauce

Relish/Toppings Plate

5-cup Fruit Salad

Cream Pies

Patriotic Cupcakes (red, white, & blue!)

Watermelon

Sweet Tea

Actually, its just like most of you will be having tomorrow--an All-American Cookout with all the fixin's!  However, first and foremost in the day will be prayers of thanksgiving to God for the freedoms we are given each and every day.  Many lives were lost, many others dedicated to insuring our freedom, and I am ever so thankful for this.  Our God is faithful, and we must be also.

May you and your family and loved ones have a most blessed and safe Independence Day this year!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Father's Day!

Posted on Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 8:10 AM

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Freezer Punch

Posted on Friday, June 12, 2009 at 10:34 PM

This is a recipe I haven't made in years.  However, I came across it while going through some of my older cookbooks, and its perfect for summertime entertaining.  Enjoy!

Freezer Punch

1 - 46 ounce can of orange juice

1 - 46 ounce can of pineapple juice

1 - 46 ounce can of grapefruit juice

1 - 12 ounce can of frozen lemonade

1 quart of ginger ale

Place cans in the freezer the day before the party.  Remove from the freezer about 45 minutes before you're ready to mix the punch.  Empty the cans of ice into your punch bowl (easiest if you open both ends of the cans and push the ice out); pour the ginger ale over the ice and serve. 

This makes about 40 servings. 

I've also added some sherbet to this and its wonderful!

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Happy Mother's Day 2009

Posted on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 7:06 PM

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.  She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 

Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

~Proverbs 31:25-31

Happy Mother's Day!

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Menus-April 26-May 2, 2009

Posted on Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 9:39 PM

Let me begin by asking you to please forgive me for not blogging for quite some time.  It has already been a hectic year, and doesn't show any signs of getting any easier.  However, I continue to live by the Word, and cling to the verse...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  ~ Philippians 4:13.  I am a great believer in this and I know that when the Lord brings me to any situation, He will bring me through it--as long as I continue to follow Him and lean not unto my own understanding.

We have entered into quite hot weather here in West Virginia.  It reached 91° here today--quite warm for the last week of April!  When the weather gets this warm, I eat a lot less, both in frequency and quantity.  You can almost predict the weather by my menus most of the time, as you will notice in this week's.  We have rain heading in on Tuesday night, and should be cooling down somewhat (I surely hope so!). 

I am focusing only on Breakfasts and Suppers as I plan my menus now.  Lunch is usually just a cup of yogurt or some cheese and a slice of bread.  Lots of water is being consumed, and sugar intake has been cut in half.  I'm hoping to completely cut out refined sugars and flours by mid-summer, but am doing so gradually to prevent putting myself into shock of some sort (I've always consumed large quantities of sugar--especially in my tea). 

With all of that said, here are this week's planned menus:

Sunday:  Breakfast- bagel and cream cheese  Supper- A cookout with burgers, hot dogs, and chips with my family.

Monday:  Breakfast- Strudel  Supper- Ground Beef Stroganoff, Noodles, Greens

Tuesday:  Breakfast- Sausage Biscuit  Supper- Sub Sandwich, Potato Salad

Wednesday:  Breakfast- Hash Browns w/ egg, toast  Supper- Broccoli Soup, Grilled Cheese, Mixed Fruit cup

Thursday:  Breakfast- Oatmeal w/raisins, toast  Supper- Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday:  Breakfast- Cheesy eggs, toast  Supper- HM Veggie & Cheese Pizza

Saturday:  Breakfast- Sweet Roll  Supper-  Shepherd's Pie, Corn-on-the-cob, Pineapple Tidbits

I will make Tuesday's potato salad on Monday, and when I do, will boil extra potatoes and chop extra onions for the hash browns on Wednesday.  Also, when I make the Mashed Potatoes for Thursday night's supper, I will make a double batch and use the extra for the Shepherd's Pie on Saturday.  There are many "shortcuts" like this that we can all incorporate into our cooking, but we have to take the time to sit and plan it out.  Not only will this save us a bit of time and effort, but will help conserve energy by cooking extra at the same time instead of heating the stove twice.  Once you get the practice in and plan a few menus, you will find it takes no more than 10 or 15 minutes per week to plan them out, write them down, and post on your refrigerator (or somewhere you will see them regularly). 

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Menus-Feb 28-Mar 8, 2009

Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 at 7:07 PM

I've had several requests from readers to begin posting my menus.  I haven't done that for quite a while, mainly due to the fact that I no longer cook large quantities on a daily basis since I closed my daycare.  However, cooking for one poses challenges as well, and these challenges are being overcome here in my home.  I do still cook for my family when they come to visit, usually a couple of times a week with one of those being Sunday Dinner. 

You will find as you go through these menus that I don't usually plan anything for lunch.  The main reason for that is that my lunch and supper are usually combined into one meal.  I eat breakfast early, then have a late morning snack that usually consists of a piece of fruit or cup of yogurt, and then have an early supper around 4:00 p.m.  This allows me time to make it to my evening classes 2 nights a week, and by keeping the same schedule every day I find it much easier to keep everything else organized.

With that all said, here is my menu plan for the next week:

Saturday, Feb. 28:

Breakfast:  Blueberry Pancakes (making extra for the freezer), Sausage Links

Supper:  BBQ Beef Sandwiches (with leftover beef from a roast I cooked a couple of days ago), Cole Slaw, Potato Salad

Sunday, Mar. 1:

Breakfast:  Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Hash Browns, Toast

Sunday Dinner:  Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Wheat Bread

Monday, Mar. 2:

Breakfast:  Oatmeal, Raisins, Toast

Supper:  Grilled Cheese, Soup

Tuesday, Mar. 3:

Breakfast:  Blueberry Pancakes, Sausage

Supper:  Chicken Stir-Fry, Rice

Wednesday, Mar. 4:

Breakfast:  Breakfast Burrito

Supper:  Leftovers

Thursday, Mar. 5:

Breakfast:  Breakfast Bowl (yes, I do use some processed foods on occasion when they're priced low enough)

Supper:  Spaghetti & Meatballs (meatballs & sauce in the Crock-Pot), Salad, Garlic Bread

Friday, Mar. 6:

Breakfast:  Cheerios, Banana

Supper:  BLT, Baked Potato

Saturday, Mar. 7:

Breakfast:  Waffles (making extra for the freezer), Sausage

Supper:  Chicken Pot Pie, Salad

Sunday, Mar. 8:

Breakfast:  Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits

Sunday Dinner:  Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Biscuits

As you can see, I do cook ahead a bit, and I still plan leftovers at least once a week.  For instance, when I make my Meat Loaf for Sunday (which will be prepared on Saturday and then baked after church on Sunday), I will make the meatballs for Thursday's supper and freeze them.  That will make it easier on Thursday morning to assemble my sauce in the Crock Pot before leaving for school.  I like to make pancakes and waffles, as well as breakfast burritos, a couple of weekends a month, and when I do, I make extras and freeze them for quick breakfasts during the week.  I do the same thing with pot pies (making them in individual casserole dishes/pie pans), and Fried Chicken. 

When I buy meat, I divide it into individual portions before freezing it.  This makes it easy to pull out exactly what I need, whether I'm cooking only for myself, or for my whole family.  This is a good idea whatever size your family is. 

I hope this helps some of you in your meal planning.  I will try to post my menus more often, as well as some more tips for the kitchen.

Have a blessed week!

Cynthia Robin

Blessings in 2009!

Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 11:39 PM

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

~Romans 15:13

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Butternut Squash

Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 10:01 AM

Although I haven't posted in a while (a long while!), I have still been cooking!  Life goes on, and sometimes seems to move much too quickly, especially during this time of the year.  The air has really chilled down--we've had snow in the last couple of weeks and more heading in tonight--and this chilldown always puts me in the kitchen making some special foods.

One of my favorites is plentiful during this time of the year, and that is butternut squash.  Now, I'm a big fan of squash--whether it be summer or winter squash--but that wasn't always the case.  Winter squash wasn't always available in Florida when I was growing up (although I'm sure it is now), so I was only used to summer squash.  However, once I moved north, I became a bit intrigued by those hard winter squashes and began to wonder what to do with them.  That was before the advent of the internet, so I couldn't just browse online for ways to cook it (or even to learn what they all were!), and I couldn't find much in many of my recipe books.  At that time I didn't have any older women I could ask, so I did the only thing I could do, and that was just to sort of figure it out on my own. 

Well, after some trial and error (many errors, yes!), I learned that my favorite was the butternut squash prepared simply.  I like food to be simple, although I do cook "fancy" every now and then!  However, butternut squash is so versatile, and yet so simple to prepare.  This is a wonderful squash to introduce children to, also.  It can be cooked and fed to babies as well as toddlers and older children, and they all enjoy its natural sweetness.  (Its also a good substitute for pumpkin in pies and breads!)

Enough said--on to my "special" recipe!

Butternut Squash

1 (or more) butternut squash

Butter

Cinnamon and/or Honey, optional

Begin by prepping your squash.  Wash it with a stiff brush under warm water (to remove any dirt or debris), and dry thoroughly.  Now you can do one of two things--either slice it lengthwise down the middle and remove the seeds with a spoon, or slice crosswise in 3/4" slices, and then remove the seeds.  If sliced crosswise, it will be easy to peel, but if slicing lengthwise, just leave the rind on. 

Place in a baking pan--a 9"x13" works well, with a little bit of water in it, and cover it with aluminum foil.  If you've sliced it lengthwise, place it in the pan with the fleshy side down.  Bake it at 350° F. for about an hour.  If its been sliced crosswise, you'll only need to bake it about 45 minutes or so.

Remove from the pan.  If it hasn't been peeled, it will peel easily for you now.  You can serve it sliced, or go ahead and smash it around with a fork or potato masher.  You won't need a mixer to mash it up--its quite tender now!  Add a bit of butter (to taste) to it, and if you like, you can drizzle it with a bit of honey or sprinkle it with a bit of cinnamon. 

That's all there is to it!  You will find that winter squash keeps well for several weeks if kept cool and dry.  This recipe works with all of the many varieties of winter squash, but you may have to adjust the baking times.  Experiment today and find out which one of the many winter squashes out there become your family's favorite!

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Making the Most

Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:50 PM

With the economy in the shape its in right now, everyone must learn to make the most of what they have.  Its time to quit running here and there without planning ahead and making the most of the fuel in our vehicles, time to quit making last-minute choices for our meals, and time to start using our brain to greater capacity.  In other words, its time to get back to the basics and that's what I'm going to talk about here for a moment.

Let's face it-our dollars aren't going as far as they did a year ago!  Many folks are already living paycheck to paycheck, and with the budget being stretched beyond its limits nowadays, we must learn to cut back.  One way to do this is by planning ahead.  We know our children have birthdays, so let's keep our eyes open for bargains throughout the year, pick them up when they're on sale, and put them back for gift-giving.  The same thing applies to many other areas, as well.  Stock up on supplies whenever the price is lowest.  If your budget won't allow you to stock up all at once, just purchase an extra pack of toilet paper, or an extra bottle of shampoo, and put them back in the storage closet.  Forget they're there, and go ahead and buy it again when the sale rolls around the next time, and do the same thing.  Before you know it, you'll have an extra 6 months worth of supplies stored away!  I do this with many items, including canned goods.  The key to this is rotating your "stock."  When you purchase something new, put it behind what you already have on hand and use the oldest items first.  You won't have to worry about expiration dates that way!  It's not a bargain if you keep it so long it expires and is no longer usable!

Another way to save is to plan ahead with your meals.  Sit down and make a list of your family's favorite entrees.  You may have a dozen things listed, or you may end up with a list of 30 or more!  Either way is fine.  After that, sit down with another piece of paper, and plan your menus for a week or two (or even a month, if you want to!).  Go through the grocer's sale papers and make a mental note of what is a bargain this week.  Then go to your entree list and find those things that can be prepared with what's on sale.  If there's a great buy on ground beef, then plan to use a lot of it.  If nothing else, purchase extra and freeze it for the next week's meals.  If chicken is on sale, do the same.  It helps to freeze things in portion sizes, or even to cook ahead and freeze things for later use. 

I like to make entrees ahead of time and freeze them for those days when I'm rushing (okay, yes, that's nearly every day, but you get my point!).  If I'm making spaghetti sauce, I'll double up and then freeze a quart or two.  Sometimes I'll even cook an extra box of spaghetti noodles and make a dish of baked spaghetti to pop in the freezer.  That way I only need to pull it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator, top it with mozzarella the next day and bake it for an hour or so.  Served with a salad on the side, it's become an easy meal for me to get on the table to feed a hungry family!

As the last of the summer produce goes through the markets, pick up some extra and freeze or can it.  Broccoli can be cut into pieces, blanched, and then frozen (plunge into boiling water for 1 minute and then immediately put into ice water for a couple of minutes to blanch it).  You can spread it out on a cookie sheet in the freezer, and then when its frozen, bag it in freezer bags, label and date it, and you'll have frozen broccoli when you need it.  The same works for corn (yes, even on the cob), carrots, green beans, and many other veggies. 

When planning your menu, think about what you can make for one night and then reuse the leftovers for another night.  An example:  I made chili the other night, and then took the leftovers and made it into a topping for spaghetti.  I served the spaghetti on the plate, topped it with the chili, then put diced onions and shredded cheddar on top of that.  Very good and very popular at a certain restaurant I love to go to!  If I had had any more leftover chili, I could have made a chili pie out of it--pour the chili into a baking dish and top with spoonfuls of either thick cornbread batter or biscuit dough.  Bake until the chili is hot and the topping is browned, and you have a delicious chili pot pie!  There are many possibilities (don't forget the ever popular chili dogs!). 

As you can see, it pays to plan ahead, especially with your menus.  Don't just think about today, give thought to how you can simplify your life and your budget by planning ahead a bit.  That's called Getting Back to the Basics in Life!

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Healthy Cereal Treats

Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:41 PM

We all want our children to have healthy snacks!  However, it's much too easy to just pick up prepackaged snacks at the grocer's or run through a drive-thru somewhere.  Well, I've found a recipe that is not only quick and easy to prepare, but much healthier for your children (and you!) than anything prepackaged.  I'll give the original recipe as it was shared with me, and in parentheses will note the changes/choices I made.  My grandchildren absolutely love these--they've quickly become a favorite after-school treat in my home!

Crispy Rice Treats

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup Natural chunky-style peanut butter (I used Smucker's Natural and increased it to 3/4 cup)

6 cups crispy brown rice cereal (I used Kashi 7-Grain cereal)

2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (or dried blueberries, raisins, dried cranberries, or carob chips)

Cooking spray

Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes.  Add cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky.  Press into a 9"x13" pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Let cool, and then chill in refrigerator about 30 minutes.  Cut into squares (or rectangles, or diamonds, or use cookie cutters for fun shapes).  Enjoy!

Hugs,Cynthia Robin