BBQ Southwestern Chicken, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Cream of Celery Soup, Maple Almond Macaroons, Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing

Emery, Carter and Mawna K!

BBQ Southwestern Chicken

1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar, apple or white
1 T. instant minced onion (dried)
2 t. McCormick Culinary Barbecue Spice (18oz for $11.77 Amazon/Walmart)
(This is a 1988, discontinued spice, reintroduced one year ago!)

Simmer for 10 minutes on stove top then pour over 2 1/2 lbs bone in chicken parts and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Bake less time for boneless, skinless thighs or for cut up boneless skinless breast meat. Serve over rice. 4-6 servings.


Stuffed Bell Peppers (or Casserole)
1 cup rice (white or brown) cooked according to directions and set aside

Sauce:
1 onion diced
1 T. oil
2 c. Bertoli Rustic Cut Marinara (or other including Costco's)
1 c. beef broth
1 T. balsamic vinegar (or more)
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Peppers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley (1 1/2 TBS dried)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
4-6 large red, yellow, orange bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook onion and oil over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce, broth, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce (reserving 1 cup for top of peppers) into a 9x13" baking dish and set aside. Brown beef, then add tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in cooked rice and mix well. Stuff bell pepper halves with beef mixture and place in baking dish. Top each half with 1 TBS of reserved sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Let rest 5 minutes and serve. I don't use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but you may add 1 cup to the meat mixture and/or sprinkle some on top of the peppers before baking.

***For easier eating (children) or quicker cooking, you may dice the peppers and mix them with the sauce and meat mixture before cooking! Yum!

Mother's Day 2020

BEST Cream of Celery Soup

1/4 c. butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 c.)
2 c, very finely chopped good quality flavorful celery 

(about 5 large ribs, organic recommended for optimal flavor).
1 large clove garlic ,minced
1/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. good quality chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk (or use 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup cream for even tastier results)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and milk/cream and stir until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
If used as a base for other recipes, this soup will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Makes 4 servings.

One batch of this soup is roughly the quantity of 2 cans prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Enjoy as a stand-alone soup or use in any recipe calling for prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Basic, but delicious!

Maple, Almond Macaroons
3 c. dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/2 c. fine almond flour
1 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. coconut butter or slightly less oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt

Combine all in a bowl. Use a small scoop, large spoon, or hands to spoon rounds of dough onto hydrator screens and dry for 12-24 hours at 115 degrees until the outside is crisp. You may also dry them in the oven on the lowest temp for a few hours. ***You can make coconut butter by blending unsweet coconut really well. Lemon zest and a little lemon juice can also be added to make lemon/coconut macaroons... May also dip in chocolate after drying :)


Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. parsley
1 t. dried chives
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Mix then add milk, 2 T. at a time, stirring after each addition until of desired consistency.

by Karen & Brenda, Barbara's daughters

Spinach Pasta Salad

image from here

Here's a fabulous recipe that was served
at our Stake RS Conference last week. 

Spinach Pasta Salad 

Sauce:
1 c. oil
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
6 T. sugar

Mix together until sugar dissolves (can add a bit of salt and pepper).

Cook one pound bow-tie pasta al dente. Marinate the noodles in the sauce overnight. Put in gallon-sized ziplock bag and turn over numerous times.

When ready to serve, add the following ingredients to the marinated noodles, sirring thoroughly to coat all ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2-4 green onions, chopped
3/4 c. chopped yellow, red and orange peppers
1 c. craisins
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 c. slivered almonds
1 lb. baby spinach (I use organic pre-washed spinach)

serves 9-10 for main dish or 20 for a side.

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Karen's Amazing Granola

image from here

I have a recipe for granola that I love,

and another friend just asked for, so here it is:

Karen's Amazing Granola

10 c. rolled oats
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. wheat germ
2 c. shredded coconut
2 c. chopped pecans or almonds
1/2 T. salt
4 T. vanilla
1/2 c. water
3/4 c. canola or coconut oil
2 c. honey

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then together. Spread in 2 large shallow pans or cookie sheets. Bake at 250°, rotating and stirring every 30 minutes until almost dry, for about 2 hours. (I turned off the heat and left the pans in the oven to dry overnight and the next day. It may make a difference how the local humidity is.) Cool and store tightly covered, or in the refrigerator. The refrigerator has worked well for me and kept it crunchy! Next time I may add ground flax, etc--You know me! But it's yummy as is!

Note: Steph said she was adding some dried fruit and changing the name from Katie's (Karen's friend) to Karen's Amazing Granola

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Zucchini Muffins with Apples and Carrots

image and recipe from here

Here's the best muffin recipe ever!...with fruit and veggies :) 

I may sub coconut oil for the butter next time.

I used fresh whole wheat flour and more carrots 
than zucchini as that's what I had. 

Plus, I had an older, dryer zucchini
and didn't have to use salt to drain it, 

so just added it to the recipe. 
Oh my goodness, it was yummy!!! 

So of course, I'm passing it on. 

Haven't tried it in loaves, 
but it made about 20 muffins. 

Zucchini Bread with Apples and Carrots

2½ c. shredded zucchini (approx 2 large zucchini)
1 t. salt
¾ c. shredded apple (approx 1 medium apple)
¾ c. shredded carrot (approx 1 large carrot)
½ c. melted butter
½ c. honey
½ c. maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 c. oat flour*
2 c. whole grain flour (wheat, spelt or combination of the two)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
3 t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 8"x4" loaf pans.

Grate zucchini using a grater or food processor.
Combine zucchini and salt in a large colander and mix well.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Press as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible
while in the colander. Then, using either a salad spinner,
get all the remaining water out of the zucchini.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large bowl. Add honey
and maple syrup and mix well.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Add shredded carrot, apple and zucchini and stir to combine
very well.

In a separate small bowl, mix all the flours, baking soda,
baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and combine well.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and
stir to barely combine, approximately 5 big rounds of the bowl.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and stir
to just barely combine, another 5-7 big rounds of the bowl.

Divide batter evenly between loaf pans and bake for
50-60 min.,or until a knife inserted in the center
comes out clean.


Notes
* To make oat flour, blend rolled oats in a blender until they
are the consistency of flour.

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen

Additional Recipe Tips-
To turn these into muffins instead of bread, measure 1/3 c.
of batterinto muffin tins (go reusable if you can) and bake
for 20-24 minutes,or until the top is golden brown.
If you really want to knock their socks off, consider
adding dried cranberries, raisins or coconut flakes to
the batter. If you’re low on carrots or zucchini,
both are interchangeable so long as you have 3
1/4 cup total. Make these muffins year round by
freezing zucchini now. Shred as normal,
sprinkle with salt and allow to sit.
Wring out excess moisture and store in a freezer bag.
Another genius idea – batter can be frozen uncooked
using this method here.

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Buckwheat Pancakes and Blueberry Sauce

This recipe is from yummly.com--
gluten-free vegan buckwheat pancakes. 

I made the full recipe then froze the extra pancakes and sauce,

which works great to pull out later, heat or toast and serve again! 

YUM! Happy 4th of July!!! Love, Karen

Buckwheat Pancakes and Blueberry Sauce

2 c. almond milk
1 c. pitted dates
2 t. vanilla

juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1-1/2 c. buckwheat flour (I ground my own)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Place the dates, milk, juice and vanilla in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend til smooth. Stir this into the dry ingredients until you have a relatively thick batter. (I added 1/4-1/3 c. more milk.)

Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat before pouring in about 1/4 c. batter per pancake. When the pancake has bubbled and started to firm up, flip and cook the other side until a deep golden color. (Makes about 10-15 pancakes.)


While that is cooking, make the blueberry sauce:

2 c. frozen blueberries
1/2 c. pitted dates
1/3 c. water

Blend and simmer (or simmer and then blend with a hand blender) a few minutes then pour into a jar. (I warmed them a couple minutes in the microwave then put them into my blender on the soup setting and ran a couple times. I used 1/3 cup water and it was a bit too thick, but yummy! I've since used it as jam also!)

Drizzle the sauce on the pancakes, garnish with a few additional berries and serve! (This recipe is from yummly.com--gluten-free vegan buckwheat pancakes. I made the full recipe then froze the extra pancakes and sauce, which works great to pull out later, heat or toast and serve again! YUM!)

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Avocado Key Lime Tart

I found I DO have a recipe worth sharing. This is the best crust

I've found. I subbed cashews for the pistachios and it was delicious. (I

used my twister jar on the blendtec.) I also like the flavor of the

filling, but perhaps my avocados were too small as it didn't set up as

firmly as I wanted, though in the freezer for a few hours, it did get

better. I LOVE the lime, so when I make it again, I will try to add more

zest or something. It was also pretty sweet, but if I add more limeyness

(new word!) it may need it! It IS a beautiful color and I shared it with

a "Paleo" family and they liked it!

I will also try the chocolate/avocado pudding in this crust and add some

coconut whipped cream which is divine!...ummmm...maybe a coconut

filling...I want it now!    

Avocado Key Lime Tart
Crust:
1 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 cup cashews,raw, untoasted & unsalted
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled, raw, untoasted & unsalted
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla powder

Filling:
3 semi-firm avocados
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest, from an organic lime
1/2 cup raw honey

Crust:
1. Place the coconut, cashews, pistachios, & vanilla powder in a food
processor. Blend until a coarse meal forms ( this will look like tiny
pebbles)
2. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together
3. Carefully pour the crust ingredients into the bottom of a 9-inch pie
plate or spring-form pan and pat down the crust with your clean hands or
spatula
4. Place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden

Filling:
1. Scoop the creamy avocado flesh into your cleaned food processor, add
the honey, fresh lime juice & lime zest.
2. Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth out the creamy filling
with a spatula
3. Garnish with coconut & lime zest
4. Place in fridge or freezer for 1 hr to let the filling set.
5. Store in the freezer to keep the vibrant green colour. Remove from
freezer 20 minutes before eating to thaw slightly before slicing & serving

recipe link here

by Karen, Barbara's daughter


______________________

recipe link and photo from here

In trying to find a chocolate avocado pudding mentioned by Karen, I found this one. I think I've died and gone to chocolate heaven. Scott liked it but thought it was a bit too chocolatey for him. I'll reduce the cocoa next time.

Coconut Chocolate Avocado Pudding
1 ripe avocado
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. vanilla
3 T. honey
1/4 c. coconut milk
Sweetened, shredded coconut for garnish

1. Add avocado, cocoa, vanilla, honey and coconut milk to a mixing bowl.

2. Blend with an electric mixer until well blended and creamy. When ready, it should have very few lumps.

3. Chill for 15 minutes, then serve in a dessert bowl and top with shredded coconut.

Prep time: 25 mins Total time: 25 mins

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

Gingery Vegetable Stock w/ Tofu & Noodles

link

I tried this recipe yesterday off of a "Kitchen Basics" unsalted vegetable stock and it was sooo good--enough to share! 

Gingery Vegetable Stock w/ Tofu & Noodles
4 c. stock
1 T. canola oil
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 c. snow peas, cut into julienne strips
4 oz. thin soba noodles, broken in half
8 oz. baked smoked tofu, cut into 1/4" cubes
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the veggies are lightly browned. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, adding the snow peas during the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Stir the tofu, noodles, and scallions into the stock and simmer 3 minutes or until heated through.

There's a lot of smoked tofu recipes--I used this one because it was and it worked!

 I fried some of mine (PAM) and baked other in my toaster oven!

Smofu Smoked Baked Tofu 
* 1 to 1 1/2 lb. extra-firm tofu
* 3/4 to 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup dark Superior brand mushroom soy sauce (or reg. soy sauce if unavailable)
* 2 tablespoon maple syrup or organic molasses
* 1 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke

* Slice tofu about 1/3-inch thick lengthwise (or into triangles if serving as an appetizer/snack) Mix the rest of the ingredients in a plastic container with tight lid in which you can soak all of the tofu slices in
this marinade sauce. Marinade the tofu slices for 24 hours in refrigerator.
* Bake drained marinated tofu slices on an oiled cookie sheets for 10- 12 minutes in 400 F oven. Flip and bake the other side about another 10-12 minutes.
* Let them cool before using if using for sushi. Otherwise enjoy! Good to eat hot or cold. :)

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Tofu (or Chicken) Lettuce Wraps

picture above from Cheesecake Factory

The first time I tasted Lettuce Wraps and fell in love was at the Cheesecake Factory. I'm POSITIVE these are healthier and thousands of calories less!! Cheryl asked if she had time to make the lettuce wraps, and how to cook the tofu—YES and the tofu is easy if you plan ahead on the prep. I don't know if you've ever eaten at PeiWei (sp?) but the tofu there is crispy in their stirfry. That's what I was going for—at least a little chewier texture. I'll rewrite the recipe because it's a little confusing on the website. BTW, I ate more of this cold in lettuce for lunch and it was still good!!

Tofu Lettuce Wraps
1 pkg. extra firm tofu
salt and pepper
1-2 T. coconut oil
1 T. sesame oil
2 t. minced garlic
2 t. grated ginger
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. xagave (I used agave)
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. roasted unsalted cashews, chopped (I used roasted, salted—the recipe is very forgiving)
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves separated

Dee trying recipe

To begin, wrap the tofu in paper towels and set on a plate with another plate and some weight on top to squeeze the water out. This may take awhile, so could be done in the morning and left in the fridge until after work. When ready to prepare the meal, slice the brick of tofu in thinish slices (about a dozen or so). Fry them in the coconut oil (in as little oil as you can) on top of the stove. Mine took 2 large fry pans. Salt and pepper them and flip them over when they look brownish and crispy (this takes about 15 minutes?) 

after trying to wrap these, Dee looked up the recipe online and found the beautiful picture at the top of the blog. We'll have to go out and try them! Especially to check out the veggies and dipping sauces!

While that's frying, mix the other 2 sets of ingredients separately. When the tofu is done, put them onto a cuttingboard and put the soy sauce mixture into one frying pan and saute the garlic and ginger (it wont take long). Cut each slice of tofu into about 3 long strips then the other direction into small squares, so that all the ingredients (onions, cashews etc) are similar size. Add the tofu back into the frying pan with the soy mix and also the 3rd group of veggies (except the cilantro) and stir until warmed up. 

Finally, add the cilantro, stir, and serve by filling the individual lettuce leaves with the tofu mixture. I actually liked the tofu better than when I've had it with chicken—the texture is great. You could also add more garlic and ginger or whatever…

since Ian is not a big lettuce fan, I also wrapped a few in rice paper like fresh Thai 

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

'Seeded' Watermelon Frosty

The watermelon frosty was great…could have used less maple syrup! Probably depends on the fruit and your own taste, but very cute and I actually liked the chia seeds in it (me and chia have an iffy relationship at present) so this is good. 

Watermelon Frosty 
2 1/4 c. frozen watermelon cubes
1/2 c. water (approximately)
2 T. maple syrup
1 large lemon, squeezed (lime juice also works very well! use 2 limes)
1 fresh banana

Blend. Fold in about 1/2 t. of chia seeds per glass. Serve!

See link here, and more chia information

optional: a few dashes of cayenne powder in the blender or over top when you serve!
Garnish: a few slices of watermelon - with rind on - frozen. Serves 2

link here

Lime Watermelon Frosty 
2 c. frozen watermelon
1 large ripe banana
2 T. agave syrup (or maple syrup)
4 T. lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/2 t. lime zest
1/2 c. + water as needed to get blender moving

optional: a few dashes of cayenne for a spicy sip
optional: a few ice cubes for an extra frosty sip – I like to use coconut water ice cubes

serves 2-3
Blend. Serve!
video link here

contributed by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Karen's Chocolate Cake

We were on FaceTime one Sunday, when Cheryl described the delicious chocolate cake recipe she made for a ward dinner. She said it was Karen's recipe and "you won't want it" because it is SO good! I called Karen; she didn't have it. She called Brenda; Brenda called me and dictated it. So, here's the Cheryl/Karen/Brenda Chocolate Cake recipe. Since I don't have a picture of them making or eating chocolate cake, I'm recycling one from their breadmaking class post.

Karen's Chocolate Cake

2 sticks butter
1 c. water
4 T. cocoa
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Bring butter, water and cocoa to boil. Add sugar and flour. Mix well. Wait 5 minutes. Add egg, buttermilk, soda and vanilla. Bake  at 350 for 35-40 min. in greased and floured 9x13" pan.

Frosting
1 stick butter
4 T. cocoa
1/3 c. buttermilk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Bring butter, cocoa and buttermilk to boil. Remove from stove. Add sugar, vanilla and bean until smooth. Frost while cake is warm. Takes better next day.

by Karen, Cheryl & Brenda, three of Barbara's four daughters

Asay Easter Dinner

The first of two Easter 1993 pictures

—with the 3 kids on a little tykes crocodile rocker—

the same time my story took place.

In a couple weeks it will be Easter—our family’s favorite holiday next to Christmas and April Fool’s! We seem to have very few photos because we’ve videotaped most of them…for hours. One of our favorite family videos is of Easter morning 1993 in Juneau, Alaska. The kids wait for the camera to start rolling so they can hunt for the eggs, candy, and little wooden, painted chicks and bunnies that the Easter Bunny has hidden all over the living room—very exciting! Ellice is 1, Derek is 3, and Joel is 6 years old. Joel is obviously the one with the past Easter experience, stuffing his basket as fast as possible before Derek can get there (he’s still trying to figure it out) and at the same time, stay out of the parents’ fairness radar. Derek is actually charmed by the little wooden animals while Joel is bagging the loot, in a kind, big brotherly sort of way. Ellice mostly sits, looking around at the unusual activity in the room. The truly funny part is when Derek, twice within about 3 minutes, dumps his whole basket of candy while tripping over his own feet trying very excitedly to get somewhere in the room and is totally unfazed—a couple of “3 Stooges” moments! Joel notices his opportunity to snag a lot of loot at one time, but isn’t sneaky enough. It’s highly entertaining!

One is of Derek and Ellice wearing bunny faces (about 4 years later).

In later years, Dad (Grant) has made it his mission to hide the kids’ Easter baskets in unusual and difficult-to-find places with the rule that you must find your basket before you can hunt for the goodies. A few of you may have heard stories of the agony in one camp (the kids) and glee in the other (the parents). Some of the best hiding spots have been up in the chimney, under a sink behind the pipes, hanging behind drapes above their heads, suspended back behind tall bookshelves, in the washing machine, in an empty toilet tank, and behind air vents. The intensity has grown with the kids! Thankfully, the goodness of our Heavenly Father and the selfless gift of His Son super cedes this minor craziness!

One is of Grant hiding a basket 10 years later in 2003 in Michigan!

So, our traditional Easter meal usually includes fresh rolls, green salad, green beans or corn, mashed potatoes, Amish Ham, and Mom’s (Grandma’s) famous Strawberry Pie (see below) found in the Barbara D. Eliason cookbook. Enjoy! And please feel free to call if you need to clarify something. I might note that this is the only gravy that Joel will eat—spicy, sweet—and we’ve doubled or tripled the ham recipe as needed. I’m including a green bean and salad recipe just for fun, though we change our recipes for those items regularly! Happy Easter 2010!

Easter 1993

Amish Ham

2 slices center cut cured ham, cut about 1” thick

(I can’t find it cut this thick at the store, so I usually buy a ham butt or shank and cut it off from around the bone myself, also cutting off any fat and outside rind. Meat departments used to cut it for me, bone and all, but not anymore.)

1 t. powdered mustard

3-4 T. packed brown sugar

1 t. allspice

¼ t. ground pepper

Milk to cover (about 2 c. or more)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Layer the ham in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with sugar and seasonings. Pour enough milk over to barely cover the meat. Cover and cook for one hour, adding more milk if needed. Ham will be tender. Thicken the milk gravy with flour, and serve hot over mashed potatoes. (It may be handy to use a dutch oven type of pot that will transfer from the oven (baking the ham) to the stove top (to thicken the gravy). Or you can just transfer the milk to another pan for the microwave or stovetop.) Serves 4-6.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

½ pound fresh strawberries, washed and sliced (or more if you like)

8 to 16 oz. fresh, washed baby spinach (or cut regular spinach)

½ small red onion sliced thin

1 c. crumbled, cooked bacon pieces, optional

Dressing:

2 T. sugar

¼ t. Worcestershire sauce

¼ t. paprika

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. Balsamic vinegar

1 T. toasted sesame seeds

Mix salad ingredients. Whisk dressing together and toss with salad. (May not use all of the dressing according to personal preference.) Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Blue Cheese Green Beans (My favorite!)

¼ t. Dijon-style mustard

1 t. cider vinegar

2 t. finely chopped shallot (or sweet onion)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

¼ c. slightly chopped pecans

¾ lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved

1 ½ oz. blue cheese

In large bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar, shallot, and 1 ½ t. oil for the dressing. Set aside. In a small skillet, heat 1 ½ t. oil over moderately high heat. Add pecans and salt to taste; cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel. In large saucepan of boiling salted water, boil beans until just tender, about 3 minutes; drain and transfer to ice water. Stir until just cool. Drain well and add to dressing. Crumble blue cheese over beans and toss with half the pecans. Top with remaining pecans and serve. (This keeps the pecans from being all on the bottom of the bowl when you serve it!)

Strawberry Pie (from Barbara Eliason cookbook, pg. 56)

1 baked pie shell

Fresh strawberries

1 c. mashed strawberries

1 c. cool water

3 T. cornstarch (mixed with above water)

3/4 c. sugar

1 T. lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Cook together until thickens. Let cool. Slice fresh strawberries into a baked pie shell until pretty full. Pour above mixture over the strawberries. Chill. Top with whipped cream.

contributed by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Happy Birthday Mom | Grandma | Great Grandma + homemade bread & soup

Welcome to Barbara's Kitchen! We thought we could gather (virtually, at least) and see what's cooking! Mom, you are scheduled to add to the blog in March. Until then, pull up a chair and let someone else do the work for once. Tune in each week for a new post. Take a minute to leave a comment. We hope to be able to share good ideas and memories here. And, who knows, maybe Mom will even give us the secret ingredients to such family classics as Blue Stroganoff. Happy Birthday, Mom—we love you!

~ Karen, Dee, Allison, Kirsten, Cheryl, Stephanie, Brenda, Sarah,

Morgan, Michelle & Maria

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Karen & Kirsten serving breakfast in bed

I picked bread and soup—always great during the colder months! Back then (WAY back!), making bread was a necessary art form and Mom taught me the methods. It was fun to pound and make noise while slinging around a huge hunk of dough like you knew what you were doing! The best part was being with Mom. Smelling the baking bread and eating it warm out of the oven with butter and honey were pretty darn good, too, yummmm…. So, here’s my new favorite healthy recipe! You already have Mom’s recipes and know how good they are. This one is basic whole wheat with olive oil and honey. The key is to mill the whole wheat flour just before mixing—it makes it rise beautifully without effort…at least in “flat land Texas”!

Awesome fireplace in home, Isle Royale N.P.

Scott said you could put in 5 foot logs.

It really was at Isle Royale that I remember learning the bread making skills about age 12-13 and eating the fish chowder that I loved. The dessert called Davidson Island Delight (Barbara Eliason cookbook, pg. 41) was born here with a naming contest, AND I think it was on the kitchen counters here that Brandon and Brenda were covered in flour! What a great place. I have one more Isle Royale food memory that cracks me up every time I think of it—to get groceries on the Island, Mom would send a grocery list once a week with the ship captain (no running to the store in an emergency ...hence the need for good substitution skills?!). One week she wrote down "2 dozen tortillas", meaning 2 packages of 12...the captain interpreted it as 2 dozen PACKAGES!! We ate a LOT of tacos that summer!

[note by Scott: What she didn't say was that the grocery store apologized because they only had 21 pkgs.]

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

4 ½ c. warm water

2/3 c. honey

2 T. salt

4 T. yeast

2 t. cider vinegar

½ c. olive oil

12-14 c. whole wheat flour

Proof the yeast by mixing the honey into the warm water, then adding the yeast gently and letting it sit and “bubble” for about 5 min. Add the other ingredients, with flour last, a bit at a time, mixing after each addition until a soft dough ball sticks together. Put it out on the counter with either a very little oil or flour to keep from sticking. Knead about 10 min. until elastic and smooth. Lightly grease top and bottom in a bowl, cover, and let sit in a warm, non-drafty place until it has doubled in size. Punch down, divide into 4 large or 5 small pieces and put into loaf pans. (This last step was where I found a lot of satisfaction in knowing how to pound and “artfully” get out all the bubbles and make a beautiful loaf!) Let the dough rise in the loaf pans until at the top of the pan (20-30 min.), then turn the oven to 350-375 degrees. Bake for 35-40 min. Take out of the oven when done and remove from pans to cooling racks. Eat a slice ASAP!

Home on Davidson Island, Isle Royale N.P.

As for the soup, my favorite of Mom’s was Lake Trout Chowder (see below) with lots of butter…an Isle Royale favorite. Now I tend to make Clam Chowder and an Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken Soup. They are as follows:

church at home, Isle Royale N.P.

Karen’s Clam Chowder

Saute 1 T. butter with 1 large onion, chopped, and 4 stalks celery, chopped. Add 3-4 new red potatoes, chopped small, with skin washed and left on, 1 (10 oz.) can clam juice and 10 oz. water (may substitute chicken broth). Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until veggies are soft. Add 2 (6 ½ oz.) cans minced clams with juice, 10 oz. fat free ½ and ½ (or ½ c. heavy cream) being careful not to boil. Add 1 t. red wine vinegar and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Karen popping corn, Isle Royale N.P.

Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken Soup

In a medium saucepan bring to boil: 2 c. water and 3 chicken bouillon. Add 2 stalks celery chopped and 1 large carrot shredded. Simmer until soft. Put 2 T. olive oil in large frying pan and add 2 or more minced garlic cloves and sauté. Add 1 lb. chicken cut into small bite-size pieces and sauté. Add 1/3 c. flour (I use whole wheat) and mix well. Add previous liquid and veggies, 1-2 c. fat free ½ and 1/2 (or cream) and 1 c. chopped fresh spinach. Heat until soup thickens then add 1-2 c. gnocchi * (I use the whole wheat/sweet potato kind rather than the regular potato—I also like to cut them in ½ since they can be a mouthful!). Keep soup from boiling while cooking 3-4 min. more until the gnocchi are soft. Serve with fresh ground pepper to taste. (*small potato dumpling found in the noodle section of the grocery store)

Karen & Mom with the twins in Houghton, MI

(plus other kids in back on snow!)

Fish Chowder (from Barbara Eliason cookbook, pg. 38)

Boil fish in salt water to cover. Take fish out to cool. Strain water and add:

1-2 chopped onions

2-3 chopped potatoes

Add more water if necessary and cook until vegetables are done. Bone fish and add to soup. Serve hot over large pats of butter in individual bowls. Add canned milk to chowder after putting it in the bowls or make the chowder with part milk.

contributed by Karen, Barbara's daughter