Chicken Corn Chowder

This is adapted slightly from a recipe my mom made often when I was growing up.  Then, it was just Corn Chowder, and we often ate it with grilled cheese sandwiches. It's a quick and easy recipe.

My sister first made it with chicken and that's how we prefer it now.  My kids love this; they wouldn't care if I made it once a week, any time of the year!

Chicken Corn Chowder

4 slices bacon, diced (optional)

1 med. onion, diced

2 – 3 med. or 4 small red potatoes, ½” cubed

¾ - 1 c. chicken broth/stock

1 (12oz) can evaporated milk

1 (15 oz) can cream-style corn

¾ c. frozen corn

1 – 1 ½ c. cooked chicken, cubed

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

In large pot, cook bacon until crisp. Take out and set aside.

Saute diced onion in bacon grease until tender. (If omitting bacon, just use a couple tablespoons of your favorite oil. But be warned that you’ll miss some good flavor and, of course, the marvelous smell of bacon cooking!)

Add cubed potatoes and enough broth so the potatoes are just covered. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 12 – 15 minutes.

Add milk, corn, chicken, and spices. Simmer on low until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Stir bacon pieces in just before serving or sprinkle on top of each bowl.

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

My youngest loves Ranch dressing - on salads, with chicken nuggets, and for dipping carrots.  He wants "carrots and Ranch" almost every day. But I was not impressed with some of the ingredients in his Hidden Valley addiction.

Thus began a search for a homemade recipe that he would like.  I first tried 2 recipes from friends, but neither were quite right and Aaron didn't like them. Finally I found a recipe for a dry mix. After tweaking the amounts of the perishable ingredients, I found success! Here's my slight adaptation of the recipe, found at cooksrecipes.com.

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 Tb dried parsley, crushed
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

* Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until well blended and powdery.

* Store in container in refrigerator.

To use mix: 
* Combine 1 Tb dry mix with 1/4 c milk and 1 c mayonnaise. Mix well and keep refrigerated.

The original recipe had more milk in it, and it came out very runny.  So you can adjust the amount of seasoning mix, milk, and mayo to your liking. The buttermilk powder made a big difference in taste compared to recipes without it. You can find it in the baking isle.

It's all about the (Good) Beef!

This fall we bought a quarter of a cow from our milk farm. I think it amounted to approximately 80 lbs. of meat, almost half as ground beef.

Here it is stocked in our new (used) freezer that conveniently fit in our garage, just steps from the kitchen!

Not only will it be nice to have meat readily available for the next several months, but the cows are grass-fed on natural grass and never given growth hormones, hormones of any kind, or antibiotics, so the meat is more nutritious.  It tastes better to! Just one more step in our journey toward healthier living.

And by the way, if you're thinking that "eating beef" shouldn't be part of a paragraph about "healthier living", check out this article (it's kind of long).

I'm not an expert, but what I do know ... Fats are not created equal. The nutrition of all-natural beef can't be compared with assembly-line, medicated, get-big-quick cows. Digesting our food well is crucial to good health, and beef does digest well in a healthy digestive system.  There are so many myths out there, and errored research, that so many things we're taught (mostly here in the U.S.) sadly, just aren't true.

There are an endless number of posts that I could write about such food and health issues that I've learned over the past several years (such as, real butter is better for you than fake, low-fat butter substitutions, and  raw milk is extremely healthy).  One book that dispels many current food and health myths is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  The Weston A. Price Foundation is also a good starting point.  Look around, you might be surprised!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

I love this taco seasoning mix recipe that I found from a blog friend, Sara.

I've tried a couple other homemade mix recipes in the past but didn't care for them.  This one is definitely a keeper! And the best thing is, you control the ingredients - no MSG or any other odd ingredients. 

Taco Seasoning Mix

1/4 c. chili powder

2 Tb. cumin

1/2 Tb. black pepper

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Mix spices and keep in an airtight container.
Add 2 1/2 Tb. spice mix (more or less to taste) plus 1/2 c. water to 1 lb. of browned ground beef.
Simmer 10 - 15 minutes. 

(Next time I'm going to add try adding some dry minced onion to the mix.)

Earlier this week, I cooked up 8 lbs. of taco meat! I used one for that night's dinner and froze the rest. I've been wanting to do that for quite a while! I also froze some in little 1 c. containers because my boys like to put it on chips and cheese for lunch.

Texas Caviar

It's one of my favorite things to make and eat in the summertime!  I don't know why it's called Texas Caviar. Did it originate in Texas?  Do they eat it in Texas?  Is it supposed to be the common person's "caviar"?  All I know is that it's good!

You'll find many variations of this on-line, but this is my personal favorite, originally found on Allrecipes.com and adapted slightly to my taste.

2 (15 - 16 oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 green pepper, diced
2 yellow, red, or orange sweet peppers, diced
2 med. tomatoes, diced
1 sm. onion, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 - 1 c. fresh or frozen corn

Dressing:
4 Tb. olive oil
3 Tb. red wine vinegar or lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Mix all ingredients with dressing.  Chill at least 2 hours.  Serve with tortilla chips. 

You can also substitute any type of Italian Salad Dressing for the above dressing.  For some reason, I like it best when I use a combination of both the above dressing recipe plus about 1/4 - 1/3 c. of Italian Dressing.  Some recipes call for even more vinegar, but I am not a vinegar lover so I just use lime juice.

When I have it around, I love to mix in some chopped avocado, just before serving. You wouldn't want to add the avocado ahead of time or it will get mushy.

Enjoy!

Homemade Freezer Jam

If you've never tried making your own jam because you're kind of afraid of the whole canning process (like me), you should try freezer jam.  It's so easy, and the jam tastes incredibly fresh because the fruit has not been cooked.  And, no high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial coloring or flavorings to be found!  All you need is:

Certo fruit pectin

A bunch of fresh fruit, plus sugar, lemon juice, and water

And when you're done, you have lots of these

Strawberry is my boys' favorite, so that's the only kind I've made so far. I plan to make blueberry later this summer.

(the photographer in me feels compelled to mention that these pictures were taken with my old camera. My new camera takes much better indoor pictures!)

Swedish Pancakes

I'm trying to reduce the number of mornings that my boys eat cold cereal for breakfast.  In addition to oatmeal, toast, and french toast, our favorite is Swedish Pancakes.  They're much thinner than regular pancakes, with more egg and less flour, raising the protein content and lowering the carbohydrate content.  I think they're somewhat similar to crepes, but I've never made crepes so I'm not sure.  Give these a try - I think you'll love them!

Swedish Pancakes
 
3 eggs
3/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
2 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

In a bowl, whisk eggs, then mix in flour and blend until smooth.
Whisk in milk, sugar and salt; mix until smooth.

Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over med-high heat.
Pour batter in a very thin layer, tilting pan to spread the batter out to the edges.
Turn over when top starts to look "dry" and bottom is lightly browned (about 2 minutes), then cook second side until lightly brown.
Roll the pancake over a few times and transfer to a plate.
Serve with choice of toppings (syrup, fruit, powdered sugar).  Our favorite is butter and blueberry syrup.

(makes about 8 seven-inch pancakes)

 

*This recipe also works just as well with a gluten-free flour mix or dairy substitutes.

1944 Cook Book

At an antique store last weekend, I found an interesting Cook Book(let) from January 1944.  Books are one of my favorite things to look for at antique stores, especially ones pertaining to cooking and other household subjects.  They can be such an interesting view into the history of the time and a peek into a housewife's life.

The front cover:

 

"Health For Victory MEAL PLANNING GUIDE" - a booklet with menu plans, recipes and information about creative ways to use food in the most efficient and nutritious manner without waste, and thereby supporting our troops and our country during World War II .  The inside of the front cover shows a woman sitting at a table writing a shopping list with the quotation "I hereby resolve to make war on Waste!"

A few recipes that made me chuckle (and feel very thankful I don't have to serve them!):

Bologna Sandwich Filling:  (to stretch your bologna further!) Mix ground bologna with chopped pickles, mayonnaise, minced onion, pickle juice, 3 hard-boiled eggs, salt, shredded carrot, and chopped celery.  Spread on bread for 15 - 20 sandwiches!

New Ways to Serve Stewed Tomatoes!:  Serve them cold once in a while instead of a salad; add seasonings to personal taste or even chopped vegetables.  And also - "Tomatoes are so versatile it's not surprising they've been called 'the cook's blessing'. From cocktails to the salad course, 'when in doubt, use tomatoes!' "

Fried Parsnips:  Boil sliced parsnips, then fry slices in heated drippings in skillet.

The back cover:

There are plenty of tasty sounding recipes as well.  One of them just might end up on our table someday soon! 

Moooooo!

This is Lucy. She is part of the Cow Share program that we just joined. I'm so excited! A cow share program is when you buy an interest in a local farm's cows. And then you get to regularly pick up your share of the raw milk from the cows each week.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized (heated) or homogenized (processed to keep the cream from separating). Raw milk retains all of the natural vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and healthy bacteria which are killed during pasteurization. Real milk is naturally very healthy, while commercial processed milk can be linked to dozens of chronic health issues. One study I read recently found that calves who were fed pasteurized milk taken from their own mothers died within 6 months! In most states, it is illegal for farmers to directly sell raw milk to customers. But through a cow share program, non-farming people can get nutritious REAL milk. (see www.realmilk.com or www.rawmilk.org for more information, and different state laws and farms.)

When we go to the farm, we fill our half gallon jars with milk from a huge, silver refrigerated milk tank. The milk goes straight from the cows to the milk tank without ever being exposed to oxygen. Raw milk is safer than it may have been in the past due to modern milking equipment and refrigeration.




This week I made butter from the cream that rises to the top of the milk jars. It's very easy using a food processor.




I went to a "milk class" at the farm last weekend where I learned how to make yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and ice cream. All are very easy to make. We may have to increase our share to get more milk each week if I make various dairy products regularly. We're going through it faster than we thought we would! A friend is also gong to teach me how to make mozzarella cheese. I can't wait; I love fresh mozzarella cheese!

Two of our boys, as well as myself, have had sensitivities to commercial milk in the past and could not have it regularly. But all of us are tolerating the raw milk just fine (which is very common). I'm enjoying drinking milk again!

Gluten-Free Bread & Muffin Mix Reviews

Both my youngest son and I have sensitivities to wheat, so we try not to eat it as much as possible. Aaron gets eczema, and I can feel achy, sluggish, and "brain fog" if I eat too much wheat.

I also feel better if I limit carbohydrates in general, so I haven't tried too many wheat substitutions - I just don't eat flour-based foods for the most part. But for Aaron, whom we've been eliminating wheat for only a couple months, has a harder time not being able to eat things he's used to - especially bread, crackers, pretzels, and baked goods like cookies and muffins.

We have found one type of bread that we both like. It's made by Sami's Bakery (www.samisbakery.com). It's a little dry compared to regular wheat bread, but far better texture and flavor than others we've tried. The particular basic bread type our local health food store carries is the Millet & Flax loaf bread, but I see on Sami's website that they have many others types of products also. Our store keeps the bread frozen, as it is shipped from FL. I just noticed on the website that you can order directly from them, at a cheaper price than it is at our local health food store. hmmmm . . . I'll have to think about that.

Today we tried the "Gluten-Free Pantry" brand of muffin & scone mix. We made blueberry muffins with it, using frozen blueberries. In addition to the directions, I added about 1/4 cup of oats for more texture and 1/2 tsp. almond extract. They turned out great; and we also loved the extra flavor of the almond extract. We'll definitely use this mix again, and try some other their other mixes. (www.glutenfree.com).

Sometime soon, I'm planning to compare some all-purpose gluten/wheat-free baking mixes.

Hummus Recipe

This recipe came from an American woman who lived for a few years in Bahrain, where my husband is from. I have yet to meet a hummus, other than this one, that I like.

In many restaurants, hummus often has more of a Lebanese/Mediterranean taste, which I think has more lemon in it, and less or no Tahini. And if you've ever bought prepared hummus from the grocery store, it's like comparing fresh vegetables with canned (in my opinion!)

We eat it with pita bread, pita chips, or raw vegetables as a snack, or as a side to a couple middle eastern dishes we like. (I'll try to post those recipes some time.)


Hummus

1 (15 - 16 oz.) can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed
1/2 c. tahini (sesame paste)
3/4 Tb. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb. olive oil
approx. 1/2 c. water

In food processor, blend all ingredients except water until smooth. Then stream in water until it's the right consistency - not too thick, but not watery (it will get a little thicker after chilling). Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour; will taste better if chilled for 4 or more hours.

Serving options: sprinkle with paprika, parsley, and drizzle with olive oil.