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

Baked Steak

Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 7:36 PM

Baked Steak is a treat that I didn't have until I moved to the Appalachian region.  My precious Mama used to make Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy, but Baked Steak is much more tender!  Here is the easiest way I have found to make it:

Baked Steak

8-10 cubed steaks

1 cup seasoned flour (flour mixed with seasoning salt, garlic powder, cracked pepper)

2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup

2 cans (or 1/2 pkg. fresh) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 1/2 soup cans water or beef broth

Dredge your cubed steaks in the flour mixture and brown in a bit of veg. oil on the stove (I use my large iron skillet for this).  Drain well and then transfer to a large Crock-Pot.  Top with the mushrooms.  Combine the soup with the beef broth (or water) and pour over the steak and mushrooms.

Cook on Low for 7-8 hours (or more until you're ready to serve). 

Serve with Mashed Potatoes, Turnip (or Collard or Mustard or Mixed) Greens, Tossed Salad, and crusty bread.

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

It's Dandelion Season!

Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 4:00 PM

Here in West Virginia, dandelions are a delicacy (I imagine they are everywhere once they've been tasted!).  Anyhow, in honor of the season, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes with you that were shared with me for dandelions.

Dandelions

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, EAT 'EM!

Toss together:

• 4 cups dandelion greens, cut up
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
•  2 tablespoons minced onion

Fry 3 slices of bacon.  Remove bacon slices and add 2 tablespoons of flour to the drippings in the skillet.  Stir until browned.  Blend in:

• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add crumbled bacon.  Cook 3-5 minutes.  Pour over greens; serve immediately.

Dandelion Gravy

THE KIND MOTHER USED TO MAKE

In a frying pan, heat butter or oil and enough flour to make a smooth paste.  Brown nicely.  Add some cold water, stirring briskly until smooth.  Add milk gradually and cook to thicken.  Remove from heat and add salt to taste and some vinegar and honey.  Pour over prepared chopped fresh young dandelion greens to suit your taste.  Add a few hard boiled eggs and onions.  Also good for endive. 

Eat with potatoes cooked in their jackets.

These are good for supper during a weeknight, or especially on a Saturday evening.  Enjoy!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

~Whole Wheat Convenience Mix~

Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 9:12 PM

It seems like every time I walk in the grocer's, I come out with sticker shock!  As I'm sure you know, the prices of oil and fuel are driving up the prices of food items in many areas.  When it comes to budgeting, you have to pay your tithe, your rent/mortgage payment, your utilities, your vehicle insurance, your vehicle's fuel, and you have to buy food.  These just become the necessities of life, and one area that we can try to save some money in is the food we buy.

Personally, I have started reducing the amount of meat I buy.  Americans eat way too much meat--much more than is necessary, or healthy.  When I do buy it, I try to buy the leanest cuts that I can.  I'm also changing from ground beef to ground turkey, or even ground chicken, for casseroles, soups, sauces, etc.  I have tried to have a couple of days each week that are *meatless* and replacing the protein on those days with eggs, cheese, legumes, etc.  Not only is this healthier, but also more economical. 

Another area that is quite expensive in the grocer's are the aisles with the convenience food mixes.  You know what I'm talking about!  And yes, they can come in quite handy, especially when you've been out and about all day, rushing here and there, trying to do a dozen or more things at the same time from sunup until way past anyone's bedtime.  Yes, we all have those days, and mixes really are nice then. 

An alternative, though, are freezer meals--casseroles, soups, stews, etc. that you have prepared ahead of time and frozen for just those kinds of days.  In the upcoming days/weeks I will be including some of them here, but one thing I'll say now to get you started is this--when you fix a casserole (for instance, a pan of lasagne), double it up and fix it in 2 different casserole dishes.  In one of the dishes, though, line it with heavy-duty aluminum foil before assembling the casserole.  Spray the foil with veg. cooking spray, just like you would the dish itself.  Assemble your casseroles, pop one in the oven for supper, and pop the other in the freezer for a freezer meal in the future when you need it.  It's really that simple! (Just take it out of the pan after it's frozen, double wrap it in heavy-duty foil, label/date it, and store in the freezer; put back in the casserole dish when you get ready to thaw/bake it.) You can take it out the night before (if you know the next day will be rushed/hectic), or even heat it up on a lower temperature for a longer period of time from its frozen state, if it's a last-minute idea.  If your microwave is big enough, thaw it in there if you need to (but not if you've used the aluminum foil!).

But to get back to the mixes I was talking about.  Here is a recipe for a mix that can be used in many different ways, and will not only make your life easier, but is more economical than what you buy in the store.  It also has the added benefit of not being filled with chemicals and preservatives (other than what's already in the ingredients you use).  I'm including the recipe for the mix, as well as recipes for using it.  I'm not sure where I originally got this from, though.  All I wrote on the paper is that it was from an Extension Office--but I'm not sure which state! 

Whole Wheat Convenience Mix

3 cups whole wheat flour

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups nonfat dry milk

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

Put all ingredients except oil in large bowl and mix well with a spoon.  Mix in oil with pastry blender or fork until finely distributed.  Store in airtight container in the refrigerator (use within a month), or in the freezer.  (Note: I put it in gallon size ziplock bags, label and date them, and put half in the refrigerator and the other half in the freezer.  As I get near the end of the first, I pull the second out and keep in the refrigerator.)

Makes 13 cups

Nutrient value per cup: 488 calories, 13 grams protein, 70 grams carbohydrate, 18 gram fat (with only 1.4 grams saturated fat).

Whole Wheat Bread

1 egg

1 1/4 cups water

4 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Convenience Mix

Beat the egg slightly with the water in a large bowl.  Stir in the whole wheat mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and bake at 350° F. for 50 minutes, or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let stand in pan on wire rack about 5 minutes; loosen sides with a spatula and turn right side up on rack.  Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Whole Wheat Muffins

Prepare batter as for Whole Wheat Bread.  Spoon into greased medium muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.  Bake in 400° F. oven for 15-20 minutes.  Makes 18 muffins. (Note: I like to fill them a little less than halfway, add a small spoonful of jam, and then finish filling them 2/3 full--makes a nice treat!  Also, you can add some frozen berries for a berry muffin.)

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 egg

1 cup water

2 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Convenience Mix

Beat the egg slightly with the water in a bowl.  Stir in the Whole Wheat Convenience Mix, just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour batter onto greased, hot griddle and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides and cooked through.  Serve hot with applesauce or molasses.  Makes about 15 3-inch pancakes. (The finished pancakes can be made ahead and frozen, and then reheated in the microwave or oven for a quick breakfast!)

Whole Wheat Coffee Cake

1 egg

1/2 cup water

2 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Convenience Mix

1/2 cup raisins

Beat the egg slightly with the water in a bowl.  Stir in the Whole Wheat Convenience Mix and raisins just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spread evenly in 8x8-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with Crumb Topping and bake in preheated 400° F. oven for about 25 minutes.  Cut in squares.  Best when served warm.

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon together until there are no lumps of sugar.  Add the butter and mix until topping is fine and crumbly.

Enjoy!!!!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Overnight Caramel French Toast

Posted on Friday, February 1, 2008 at 6:18 AM

This is a recipe I made for Christmas morning breakfast last year, and it was delicious!  I got it originally from tasteofhome.com.  It's perfect for a leisurely breakfast, especially on a cold winter's morning.  Relax and visit with your family over your morning coffee or tea while this bakes.  Some fruit on the side goes along perfectly with this.

Overnight Caramel French Toast

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

12 slices bread (I used French Bread)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat.  Pour into a greased 13"x9"x2" baking dish.  Top with 6 slices of bread.  Combine sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle half over the bread.  Place remaining bread on top.  Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla, and remaining cinnamon.  Pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Bake, uncovered, at 350°F. for 30-35 minutes. 

Yield: 6 servings

Note:  I also added some chopped pecans to the layers of this dish.  After all, if you're going to indulge in something this rich and decadent, then go all the way with it and enjoy!  (Besides, pecans are good in just about everything in my opinion!)

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

~Glorified Rice~

Posted on Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 9:26 AM

This recipe was given to me by one of my dear sisters, and it's delicious!  With Thanksgiving coming up in a couple of weeks, this bit of sweetness will be a nice addition to the spread!

Glorified Rice

1 cup cooked rice

1/4 cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

2 large bananas, cut in small pieces

1 small container Cool Whip

Combine rice, sugar, pineapple, and bananas in a large bowl.  Gently fold in Cool Whip.  Chill.

Hugs,Cynthia Robin

Voila!

Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 5:02 PM

Well, it hasn't taken me all this time to come up with my rendition of the Vanilla Iced Coffee I had at McDonald's the other day, but it has taken me this long to getting around to posting about it.  It's been a busy, busy week (aren't they all any more?) here in my home.  A quick run down:

• Monday-took care of a little fella
• Tuesday-School
• Wednesday-Writing all day; magazine articles + sent out Nuggets of Wisdom Newsletter
• Thursday-School
• Friday-tons of laundry

So as you can see, yes, it's been busy here!  However, I did get my *clone* perfected and am absolutely enjoying it every day.  Well, what is it?  It's really quite simple:

• I use International Delights Fat-Free French Vanilla Coffee Cream--put more of it in a tall glass than one would normally use in their coffee
• Pour in your coffee until the glass is 1/2 full; stir to make sure it's light enough
• Fill with ice

Now, I've also chosen to make this by a larger quantity, just by mixing it in a pitcher and then pouring it over a glass filled with ice.  This works good if you're serving a few people, or if you intend to really drink a LOT of Iced Coffee (Wednesday and Friday were those kinds of days here!). 

Anyhow, I hope you like it!  It was fun coming up with different ways.  Now, there are many, many flavors of coffee creams on the market, and you may like a different flavor.  I'm sure I'll be experimenting more and more, especially when the *Fall Flavors* of coffee creams come out soon!

Hugs to ya,

Cynthia Robin

Oatmeal Scotchies

Posted on Saturday, June 16, 2007 at 5:42 PM

This is a recipe that I have made quite often, and have always been pleased with them.  So much so, that they are one of my favorites! 

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated rind of 1 orange

3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

One 12-ounces package (2 cups) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Preheat oven to 375° F.  In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.  In large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla or orange rind until creamy.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats and butterscotch morsels.  Drop by measuring tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 7 to 8 minutes for chewier cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crispier cookies.  Let stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes.  Remove; cool.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Dan's Hot Dog Sauce

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 10:20 AM

As we are now entering into the season of warmer weather, this means cookouts and grilling time to many of us!  When I think of grilling, I always think of hot dogs, no matter what else may be grilled at that particular time.  There's nothing like a grilled hot dog, cooked to perfection, for me during this time of the year. 

When I came to this region to live, I was introduced to hot dogs being served with sauce and slaw on them.  Having grown up in Florida, I'd never heard of such a culinary delight.  Oh yes, I'd *heard* of chili dogs, but not like this! 

This recipe is for Hot Dog Sauce, developed by the chef at my church.  It is absolutely wonderful, and has quickly become my favorite.  He gave me permission to share it with you here, and I know if you try it, you will love it.  I serve my grilled hot dogs with a couple of tablespoons of this sauce on them, and then top with a bit of cole slaw (I prefer my homemade cole slaw, but use your own favorite).  Perhaps a dash of mustard on the bun, in keeping with my Fla. roots!  Enjoy!

Dan's Hot Dog Sauce

Combine the following in a kettle and boil for 20 minutes:

2 pounds ground chuck

1 onion, finely minced

1 1/2 quarts of water

Add the following, and cook for another 30 minutes:

22 ounces catsup

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic

1 tablespoon paprika

If you need to thicken it after the 30 minutes of cooking, 3 ounces of corn starch that have been thoroughly mixed with a bit of water may be added.  I prefer not to do this, however; instead choosing to just let it simmer a little while longer.

Boiling the ground chuck in the water with the onion gives the meat the fine texture preferable in hot dog sauce.  It's also a good way to prepare your homemade spaghetti sauce.

Chef Dan always prays over his food as he's preparing it.  He gave me two scriptures with this recipe, and I'll share them here with you.

"A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

~John 13:34

New International Version

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

~Romans 5:5

New International Version

I pray this recipe, and these verses, are a blessing to you this summer!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Crock-Pot Chicken & Stuffing

Posted on Monday, May 14, 2007 at 8:50 PM

First of all, I would like to say Thank You to all who left me such wonderful comments on my last post.  How lovely it was to receive and read them!  Again, thank you!

With the days getting longer and much warmer, this is most certainly a good time to put your crock pot to good use.  Set it up in the morning, and you'll have the whole day to enjoy the lovely weather, as well as getting in some spring cleaning!  An added bonus is that your home won't be heated unnecessarily and supper will be nearly ready when everyone's hungry!  This is wonderful when served with a garden salad, or some fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and perhaps some fresh green beans or brussel sprouts.  And, of course, watermelon or ice cream for dessert!  Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Chicken & Stuffing

Boneless chicken breasts (1 for each person eating-and always good to throw an extra one or two in for unexpected guests or planned leftovers!)

2 or 3 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing (depending on the size of your crock pot)

1-2 cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup

Prepare stuffing according to package directions.  Place in bottom of crock pot.  On top of the stuffing, place your chicken breasts.  Add soup over all (do not dilute as it will be making it's own gravy!).  Cook all day on Low.  Supper's ready!