As I am still down for the count with a nasty upper respiratory bug – one that includes a diagnosis of both a sinus infection and bronchitis (as well as a delightful fever) I thought I would post the recipe for something my late grandmother used to make for me when I was young.

1/2 cup fresh squeezed (and strained) lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 shot whiskey, brandy, honey liquor etc.

In a small saucepan heat honey and lemon juice together until it blends into an even syrup consistency.

Pour honey-lemon mixture into a heat proof mug.

Add 1 shot of liquor and stir well to incorporate.

Take by teaspoons as needed to soothe a painful sore throat and/or to control a dry cough.

Note: This is a family recipe and is posted for informational and entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to treat any particular illness. Please consult your own medical professional to get an accurate diagnosis and to determine the safety of this “home remedy” for your own situation.

Caution: Alcohol should not be used by children, pregnant women, or those for whom it may aggravate a chronic health condition.

Written by Mama KellyTags:cold, flu, health, illness, recipe

Sweet natural lemonade for just pennies a glass!!!

Ingredients:

5-6 large lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 cups water (brought to boiling)

2 quarts cold water

1. Place lemons in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Remove lemons with tongs and place on a clean dishtowel.

3. Roll lemons under your hand to free up juice.

4. Slice lemons as thin as possible on a plate, reserving all juice.

5. Place lemon slices (and juice) in a bowl sprinkling with sugar as you go, using all of it.

6. Let stand for 30 minutes.

7. Use a potato masher to firmly press lemon slices extracting juice, while preserving the pulp.

8. Move contents of bowl to a large pitcher.

9. Fill with 2 quarts of water.

10. Stir and refrigerate until very cold.

Variations:

to make “pink” lemonade take 1 cup of water (out of the 2 qts) and 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries and puree them in a blender and add to pitcher along with rest of water

replace lemons with oranges (about 3 or 4 ) or limes (about 7 or to make orangeade or limeade; be aware that you may need to tweak the amount of sugar accordingly

if you’re serving this to adults too, lemonade can be tweaked nicely with vodka and blue curacao (add a shot of each to a tall glass and fill with lemonade)

Fixing mistakes:

too sweet – using a hand juicer squeeze the juice out of 1 more fruit at a time until you’re happy with the taste

too sour – add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you’re satisfied

too strong – add more water, up to an additional quart, 1 cup at a time

Enjoy!!

Mama Kelly

Adapted from:

Written by Mama KellyTags:beverage, drink, recipe

Since the first green smooth adventure that I shared at Mama Kelly’s house a couple of weeks ago, I’ve tried a couple more combos on my own.

I finally got a ripe mango and tried it with parsley.  Unfortunately I added way to much parsley, so that was all I could taste.  I did drink about three-quarters of it – but it wasn’t really to my liking.

The next combination I made I really enjoyed – it was light, refreshing and very tasty.  I had gotten enough ingredients for a week so I brought one into work with me every day – it really helped me not miss having the usual 2 diet sodas a day at work that I’m trying to wean myself off of.

1 banana
1 serving  frozen peaches (no sugar added)
1 cucumber (skin and seeds removed)
2 oz reduced fat coconut milk
1 TBL of Aloe Vera juice
2 cups of water

I got the frozen peaches because they were on sale for a very good price.  The coconut milk and aloe vera juice are included to help heal gastritis I was recently diagnosed with – both are very healing and soothing for the stomach and overall good health.

Aloe vera juice has a very mild taste and is really more of a gel rather then a liquid.  The smell seemed kinda strong to me so I wasn’t sure how I would be able to handle the taste, but it is mild enough that I could definitely take it alone without a problem.

I am really enjoying my Blendtec Blender and can’t wait to try more green smoothie combinations.

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:green smoothies

For a bit of a change I’m posting a recipe.  Mama Kelly is the usual provider of home cooked recipes on the blog, but I figured I would share one of mine that I tossed together.  

 I’m always on a diet, so I don’t often cook since I eat so little.  Hubby does most of the cooking for himself and my daughter.   But last week I wanted to make something a little different that was also yummy, healthy and filling for my dinners that I could just heat up when I got home.  Although this recipe doesn’t take all day to cook, it did come out really tasty and it was very quick and easy, plus it is low fat and low in calories.

Quick and Easy Carrot Spinach Turkey Soup
6 servings

1 box of chicken broth
1 large bag of baby carrots (10 serving size)
1 onion (roughly sliced)
In a big pot simmer (on low) the carrots and onion in the broth for about 90 minutes (or until carrots are tender.

1 lb of lean ground turkey – saute in non-stick pan, season with garlic powder. When cooked drain off excess fat\liquid.
1 bag of fresh baby spinach
2 cans of 98% fat free mushroom soup

When the carrots are tender, add the ground turkey, baby spinach, and mushroom soups to the broth.

I divided the batch of soup into 6 containers (18 oz) and will have one for dinner Monday-Friday. I shared the 6th container with the family. My hubby (who makes awesome soups all the time) liked it a lot and my daughter enjoyed it too.  If serving the soup with a sandwich or other dish you could probably get 8 servings.

It only took me about 10 minutes to prepare (the time the carrots are simmering doesn’t count since I was able to go off and do other things).

Calories:  Total of calories on all the packages was 1440, then divided by the number of servings (6) for a total of 240 calories per container.

Bright Blessings, Lady Rose

Cross posted on my other blog, Diet Pulpit.

Written by Lady RoseTags:healthy eating, soup

Yesterday was Friday the 13th, one of my favorite days. I know a lot of folks consider Friday the 13th to be bad luck but I don’t subscribe to that notion.  Instead, I chose to celebrate Friday the 13th has a day to have fun and invoke the number 13 as a good luck number.

I personally love the number 13 and there are many reasons to not fear it. There are often thirteen full moons in a year (I love the full moon!).   A baker’s dozen is 13, which means a free treat.  America began with 13 colonies, and we turned out ok.  Friday the 13th happens on a Friday, my most favorite day of the week.

Looking at the numerological symbology of the numbers 1 and 3, thirteen is a positive number: 

One is the number of self, being an individual, doing your own thing, confidence.  It is also the number of spirituality and unity. 

Three is a number of creativity, passion, spontaneity. It is also the number of completeness, balance, body-mind-soul, and the three aspects of the Goddess.

Four (Combination of 1 and 3) is the number for planning, building, foundation, and stability. It is also the number strength, wisdom, and the four seasons and the four elements (air-fire-water-earth).

So rather then succumb to paraskavedekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th), I urge every one to celebrate and focus on making your own good fortune today and every day.  Superstitions are based on fear of the unknown or fear of not knowing what’s coming, but that fear can be turned around with knowledge and a positive attitude and fun.

The next Friday the 13th is Nov. 13, 2009. One way to celebrate Friday the 13th is by making up a big batch of this 13 bean good luck soup: 

• 2 cups mixed dried beans (13 different kinds, including black-eyed peas – which are associated with good luck)
• Water with 2 tablespoons salt (to soak beans)
• 2 qts Water or Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste, add other herbs and seaonsings that you like
• Optional: 1-1/2 cups bite-size pieces lean baked ham (about 1/2 pound) or 1-pound meaty ham bone or ham hock (leave out if vegetarian)

Wash the beans, cover water and add 2 tablespoons salt, and then soak overnight.  Drain the beans and combine with 2 quarts fresh water (or chicken or veggie broth) in a large pot. Add the ham and boil for 1-1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and cooked thoroughly. Toss in the onions, celery, tomatoes, red pepper, and salt and pepper (and other seasonings) to taste. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked.

Set the table with 13 bowls, a plate of 39 fresh baked dinner rolls (3×13), invite 12 friends over and enjoy!

For some interesting reading check out an interesting article on the symbology of 13 and Freemansonry (our founding fathers).

Health and happiness, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:13, luck, recipe, soup

Last weekend Mama Kelly and I had our monthly overnight visit and I brought my brand new Blendtec Blender along with a variety of fruit and fresh greens to make our first batch of Goddess Smoothies (or better known as Green Smoothies). Another friend of Mama Kelly’s made a surprise visit and she agreed to be another guinea pig to give the green smoothies a try, along with Mama Kelly, her hubby and two daughters.

I had four different green smoothies to make and estimated amounts of ingredients to make half the amount of the recipes.

The first smoothie we tried was 1 apple, a few Romaine lettuce leaves and 1 cup of water (recipe called for 2 cups). This is the combo that is recommend for beginners. This combo had a rather strong “green” aroma, and no one liked it. I thought it was ok, but it wouldn’t be one that I’d make too often and if I did would also add other ingredients. I’d rather save the romaine lettuce for a big salad.    If I did romaine again – I would definitely try it with a sweeter larger apple or maybe with 2 apples, and maybe add another fruit also (like a few strawberries).

The second green smoothie included 1 banana, a few strawberries, a big handful of baby spinach, and 1 cup of water (recipe called for 2 bananas, 1/2 cup strawberries, spinach and 2 c water). This one was very tasty and no one knew I had added spinach.

The third green smoothie was 1 banana, a handful of blackberries, a handful of fresh parsley, and 1 cup of water. This one came out purple which was very cool. It was very, very tasty and every one enjoyed it too.

The fourth green smoothie was mango and a little of all three greens I had on hand (romaine, spinach, and parsley). It think it would have been very tasty IF the mango had been ripe enough. But it was on the hard side when we peeled it and after blending it into the smoothie the taste was too bitter. But under the bitterness there was definitely potential good taste.  I will be giving this combo another try with a riper mango.

I took the leftovers of all the green smoothies (except the last one because it was too bitter) and combined them in the green smoothie container I had to keep for the next day because I didn’t want to waste all those fresh ingredients. I was pleasantly surprised that the combo was very tasty.

Green smoothies can be made with ice and\or very cold water and I think that would have improved the taste for everyone else. Personally I don’t like anything too cold that I drink, so the water out of the tap was fine for me.

After tasting all these green smoothies with fruit, I am looking forward to experimenting more with various combos. I also really want to try some savory combos, using just veggies, herbs and seasoning combined with hot water. I think I would enjoy these a lot. 

I’m looking forward to incorporating green smoothies in my diet and eventually on a daily basis. They are very, very healthy and healing for the body.  Along the way, I will also be blogging about them in more detail over on my blog, Diet Pulpt (Category: Green Smoothies), including recipes and more information.

I look forward to trying out more combos and experimenting with Mama Kelly again.  We are both excited about the health benefits and potential for incorporating more freshness into our diet.  Having such fresh and healthy earth based smoothies feels like body and spirit are connecting with the Goddess.  The added bonus, as a witch, is green smoothies offer so much potential to blend fresh produce from the Earth Mother with the healing properties of herbs and teas.

Bright Blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:green smoothies, health, smoothies

I spent a good part of my Imbolc weekend in the kitchen.  I did my usual once-a-week cooking and made a number of other treats as well.  I made both chicken salad and egg salad, french onion soup (topped with cheesy toasted bread), 2 pans of “mexican lasagna (tortillas layered with pureed beans, sauce, cheese and sauteed vegetables, a pan of Jambalaya, a bunch of Asian chicken in a savory sweet gravy – so much food so little refrigerator space.

I also made corn muffins and a cake.  A wonderful cake. A cake that surprised even me with its utter yumminess.  A little more than 2 weeks ago I posted the recipe for GamerDude’s birthday cake.  Well today I made it again and tweaked it some more.  It came out better than I could’ve hoped.  This is the new revised recipe.  I no longer think it needs any glaze or icing – it would be overkill.  Though somehow turning this cake into cream filled cupcakes is tempting.   I have to tell you that it is right now, officially and without reservation my favorite traditional cake ever (flourless chocolate still tops the list).

I have yet to sit down and calculate out the costs of the ingredients on this list and honestly Im a little afraid to, LOL as I may not be able to make it again. The chips and butter are the most expensive part of this recipe, but mine were all purchased on sale. 

Using a handy little tool over at Sense to Save I have been able to estimate that making this cake costs about $6, assuming all ingredients were purchased in bulk or on sale (as I do on a regular basis). Now granted $6 is significantly less than most store bought cakes and this one is particularly tasy, but, if I want to be able to make this cake on a more frequent basis (now that I have a no fail treat to serve in my back pocket) I am going to have to bring the cost down.  The original recipe calls for shortening which might be cheaper and the chips are my addition.  So the next tweaking will be to work out a plain cake version to make it even more of an affordable treat. 

In the meantime, Enjoy!

Mama Kelly

The Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Apply butter-flavored non-stick spray to a non-stick 10 inch Bundt pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, then whisk to thoroughly blend.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

Add honey and cinnamon and blend well.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, pausing occassionally to fold in chips.

Mix until well-blended.

Spoon into Bundt pan and smooth.

Bake at 325 F for 80 minutes (start checking at 70 minutes) or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

PS  Cake recipe was originally inspired by this

Written by Mama KellyTags:chocolate cake, recipe

Proof that you can eat well even on a budget. This meal served 3 adults, a teenager, and a child and provided enough leftovers for a few lunches, and yes those who wanted them even had seconds!!!   Granted, I can’t feed them in this style every night, but for about the cost of 1 plain cheese pizza in my neighborhood we can all eat a meal that is good enough to be served at a restaurant (if I do say so myself).

The Ingredients
2 lbs. Pasta (your choice shells, penne, linguini)

2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
12 oz. frozen broccoli (florets or chopped)
1 lb frozen pre-cooked salad sized shrimp
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

The Procedure
Boil pasta in salted water for 8-10 minutes (or the time listed on the package) until al dente.

Drain.

While pasta is cooking, begin to prepare the sauce.

On medium heat, melt olive oil and butter together.

Saute garlic and onion until oniolns are translucent.

Add tomatoes and cook about 10 minutes.

Add cream cheese and cook until thoroughly incorporated.

Note: Using a potato masher will help speed the incorporation of the tomatoes and cream cheese and will result in as mooth texture with very little effort.

Add seasonings.

Add broccoli and shrimp and cook until heated through.

Add wine and cook for 5 minutes.

Add cheese and cook for another 10 minutes

Taste and adjust salt and pepper according to your tastes.

Toss with cooked pasta and serve immidiately.

The estimated cost
Pasta – 2.00
Oil – .25
Butter – .10
Garlic & Onion – .30
Tomatoes – approx. 1.00
Cream Cheese – 2.00
Peas – 1.00
Shrimp – 4.45
Wine – .50
Cheese – .50
Seasonings – negligable

Total: $12.10

Enjoy!

Mama Kelly

Other ideas:

• leave out the shrimp and add 1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth to stretch the sauce
• use peas instead of broccoli
• feel free to increase the amount of onion and garlic
• feel free to use more tomatoes, especially when they are in season

Recipe inspired here

Written by Mama KellyTags:Recipes

Written by Lady RoseTags:inauguration, Obama, recipe

I tweaked a recipe I found at allrecipes.com and am enamored enough to want to tweak it again.  But it was rather yummy and I thought you’d might enjoy the recipe. 

This recipe is a work in progress.  It can get better.  I’d like the get a more uniform texture, but the extra-large eggs I get at the farmer’s market (cheaper than the price of medium eggs at my grocery store) are throwing recipe proportions a little askew.  I might add a little more brown sugar next time.  I’m thinking of using regular chocolate chips and mixing in actual cut up caramels.  I could go with more cinnamon (maybe even a little black pepper which took my candied yams into the level of awesome this past Thanksgiving) in the glaze.  I could even add caramel to the glaze as well.  But for now, its pretty darn good as it is.

The Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Apply butter-flavoed non-stick spray to a non-stick 10 inch Bundt pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, then whisk to thoroughly blend.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

Fold in chips and mix until well-blended.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk.

When well-blended batter will be uniform in color and quite glossy.

Spoon into Bundt pan and smooth.

Bake at 325 F for 75 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate

Glaze

Melt butter and chocolate together in a double boiler, stirring constantly until smooth.

Add cinnamon and blend thoroughly.

Pour on top of cake, coating evenly.

If you are in a rush, this can be poured on top of a warm cake as well. In this case the glaze with absorb into the cake creating a dense crust. Not as pretty, but just as tasty.
Enjoy!

Mama Kelly

PS  Cake recipe was inspired by this and glaze recipe was adapted from here.

PPS I left a little early the other day so I would have time to procure a cake for my hubby’s birthday and soas to have a little extra time for family.  I left work at 3:00, came home and made this for Gamer Dude’s birthday cake.  At the same time I had a loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread doing its thing in the breadmaker with whom I have recently taken up an elicit affair.

Yes I work a really terrible job.  But for a little while today I caught a glimpse of who I was before I started working there.  The person I was when taking care of my family was the focus of my day not the inane mutterings that comprise my days now.  For a few moments today I also caught a glimpse of who I could be, of who I want to be.

Flour, sugar, butter, and a few sundries.  This may be the cheapest thereapy I’ve ever taken part in.

Written by Mama KellyTags:baking, cake, cooking, recipe