Cabbage Salad, Mango Spinach Salad, Chia Lemonade, Lemon Chia Seed Muffins, Chia and Flax Egg Replacements

This post has been postponed from the summer. We were invited to a BBQ with friends, and asked to bring a salad. I wanted to try this new-to-us cabbage salad (recipe below). Our friends' daughter-in-law made the exact salad...and those were the only two for dinner. It was pretty funny! I should have gone with my other choice, the Spinach Mango Salad.

I also learned more about chia seeds this summer. 

Here are some facts:

just 2 tablespoons of chia has—

4 grams of complete protein

4.5 grams of omega 3 oils

5.5 grams fiber

9% RDA calcium

7% RDA iron

Here's another chia recipe Karen sent this summer. Give the little seeds a try. It's easy to add them to a smoothie, sprinkle them on food, or even just eat a few from your hand. There are stories about South American long distance runners historically using them because of their high nutrition. 

image and recipe from here

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
1-3/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. chia seeds (black, white, or a mix)
1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk or 2% milk
2 t. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. lemon zest (or zest of 1 small lemon)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill each well of the lined muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

image from here

I got this recipe from the preparedness group leader we buy things through. The notes are hers.

Chia Agave Lemonade
For 1 gallon:
1 c. agave
2 c. lemon juice
2 c. hydrated chia - 6 T. chia to 2 c. water (I just add the chia to the water in the pitcher.)

Shake together in a 1 gallon container. Add water to make 1 gallon - shake. Chill overnight. Shake before serving.

I ran the lemonade through my Blendtec to pulverize the chia so the kids would drink it. I think it will actually be better that way. Lemonade is a personal thing. Some like it sweet and some tart. We like it tart so this recipe may need adjustment for your taste.

Finally, you can use chia as an egg replacement. No chia? You can also use flax seed!

Chia Egg Replacement

3 T. water

1 T. chia seed

Let soak for 20 minutes. Use for one egg.

Flax Seed Egg Replacement

1 T. ground flax seeds

2-3 T. water

by Karen, Barbara's daughter; and Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Divinity, Green Bean Casserole

Barbara/Mom/Grandma made Thanksgiving dinner at Katmai Roost this year. It was wonderful to enjoy her cooking, and so fun to be together. At the gathering were two sets of grandparents (the 'real' ones, and the new ones!), Erik & Carissa + Ethan, Kyle, Brittany, Will, Sarah and Parker. A traditional American (?!) dish Mom made was Green Bean Casserole. Brittany especially enjoyed it, and asked for the recipe. Here it is!

Green Bean Casserole

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. milk
1/8 t. black pepper
2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*
1-1/3 c. FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of Green Bean Casserole, but I think divinity is divine! I asked Mom if she would demo one of my favorite treats so I could learn where I was going wrong. Two places: not having a Kitchen Aid mixer, and not cooling the candy along the way. She said she and her mom used to make this with a wooden spoon, trading off when their arms would tire. We tried it with the electric hand mixer at the cabin. It died a sweet death. Best to have a heavy duty mixer to try this. And to cool the mixture quickly by possibly wrapping a cold towel around the bowl when adding the syrup, or placing the mixing bowl in a sink of ice. The product is wonderful. And I owe Mom a new hand mixer.

Divinity
2-2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/4 t. salt
2 egg whites,
with 1/8 cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. nuts, broken
or coconut

Stir sugar, corn syrup and water over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 260° on candy thermometer (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball). In mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites. Add vanilla, beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. Fold in nuts. Drop mixture from tip of buttered spoon onto waxed paper. Do just 1 batch at a time.

(This is from the Barbara Doney cookbook above.)

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott