Here are the other two recipes I promised in my post earlier this week (Healthy Recipes I Made - part 1 recipes for Edamame in Asian-style Sauce and Quinoa Salad)

Guacamole
For every avocado used, add 1/4 lb of silken tofu – blend with a fork until avocado is completely mashed and tofu is blended.
1/4 c onions (diced very small)
1/4 tsp garlic (or 2 cloves finely chopped or2 cloves mashed roasted garlic)
1 small tomato diced into small pieces
Sea salt to taste
Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper
Also tasty is to chopped into small pieces a bell pepper (green, red, or orange) and 1 to 2 stalks celery.

Cashew Cream – requires a Blendtec or Vitamix blender
1 lb Cashews – raw or roasted (unsalted)
2 apples (cut into about 6 pieces) – two of the same kind or 1 of two different varieties
1 dropper of Hazelnut Stevia (Now Foods) – or 1 packet of stevia, or a sprinkle of Stevia) and a splash of vanilla
A splash (about a TBL) of Organic Maple Syrup or Honey
About a cup of water – depending on the consistency you want

Pout cashews in blender. Add enough water to come just below the level of the cashews. This will make a cream that is thick but pourable. Add a little bit less if want the cream for dipping and spreading. Add a bit more water if want the cream to pour a bit more easily.

Add the rest of the ingrediants to the blender and blend until smooth. (Note: using the Blentec that took using the smoothie button twice.)

This cashew cream is divine. It is great poured over cream of rice (i.e. Arrowhead Rice & Shine) or oatmeal. It also makes a wonderful dessert – over a fruit salad, as a dip for sliced applies, bananas and strawberries, or spooned over granola with fruit. It also tastes delightful on toasted whole grain bread or spread on a muffin.

Enjoy!

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:avocado, cashews, guacamole, healthy eating, recipe, vegetarian

I got to taste some wonderful, healthy dishes last month during the two weekends I was at my gi gong healing classes.  I made up a big batch of some of them and created a couple of my own to bring with me to Mama Kelly’s when I went to visit last weekend.  Her kids really liked them, but I’ll have to wait to see if Mama Kelly and her hubby try the leftovers for their review.   My hubby and daughter also enjoyed them; as did my mom (I brought her over a small container of each). She eats mostly junk food and drinks diet soda all day, so I was very pleased she enjoyed the

Here are two of the recipes; I’ll post the other two later in the week.

Edamame in Asian-style Sauce (4 servings)  – I doubled the recipe with no problem.

1 lb bag of frozen edamame – let simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes in boiling water (you want to eliminate the “raw” taste, but keep them crisp).  Immediately place edamame in ice water to stop cooking (slotted spoon works well, or a mesh strainer with handle).  When cool, let edamame drain until excess water is gone (or pat dry).

In small bowl whisk together:
1/2 TBL sea salt (I only used a couple of sprinkles)
2 TBL reduced sodium soy suace
2 TBL rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 minced garlic clove (I used a roasted garlic clove since I had some already roasted for another recipe)
1 TBL of finely chopped scallions (I used two scallions when I doubled the recipe).

Pour sauce over edamame, mix well and enjoy. Can serve cold or room temperature.

Optional:  this also works well as a dipping sauce for whole edamame, rather then shelled edamame that I used for this recipe.

Quinoa Salad
I used 1 1/2 cups of quinoa to 3 cups of vegetable brouth when cooked it filled a 6 cup container. To add the other ingredients I needed to use a bigger bowl to have room to mix everything together. I took the 6 cup container to Mama Kelly’s and shared what wouldn’t fit with my family (about another cup to cup and half) .

The quinoa can be made the night before or earlier in the day to allow it to cool.

Toss with your favorite fresh veggies in a varity of colors. I used finely diced cumcumber, onion, and an orange pepper, and cherry tomatoes (I did not chop the tomatoes in half since I was letting the dish set overnight I didn’t want the juice from the tomatoes to make it watery).

Add 2 to 3 TBL of balsmic vinegar and 2 TBL olive oil – mix well. The salad is very good without the added olive oil too.

It can be served as a side dish or used as filler for pita bread pockets. It went very nicely with the guacamole I made too – I spread a bit of guacamole on the pita, with a big spoon of quinoa salad.

Stay tuned for two more recipes later this week:  Guacamole and Cashew Cream (update: recipes posted, link added).

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:edamame, healthy eating, quinoa, recipe, vegetarian

“I’m melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!”
Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz

We’ve been in the midst of a heat wave here in our parts. Today the thermometer on the side of the house read 102 degrees – in the shade! With power and water use advisories in effect we are all simply trying to make do.

We stopped watering the lawn and are beginning to wonder how much we can get for itty bitty little bales of hay.

We are taking shorter and colder showers.

We are keeping blinds and windows closed. We are staying on the first floor. We are using oscillating fans both in place of and to boost the effectiveness of the air conditioner as much as possible.

We’re cooking on the grill, or heating up in the microwave as much as possible to avoid heating up the kitchen.

We are changing into our lightest clothing choices once we are home for the evening.

But, even that isn’t always enough.

When heads begin to throb, or when emotions run just as high as the mercury it is time for a mom to pull something special out of her back pocket.

Tonight I made the girls milkshakes. Its quick and easy and is so soothing when walking into the outside world feels like walking into your oven. Or when a long day at a summer camp that lacks a swimming pool makes your head feel like its going to pop off your neck like a pimple.

Blueberry Milkshakes

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries
1-3 tsp extra sweeetner (if needed)
4-6 frozen cherries

Put milk in blender.

Add ice cream in tablespoon fulls.

Add vanilla extract and blend until ice cream is completely incorporated into the milk.

Add blueberries a little at a time, then cherries.

Add extra sugar or other sweetener at this point only if you feel you need it (some batches of cherries/berries are sweeter than others)

Serves two very hot and cranky kids a very hearty serving.

A cool shower, a dose of Advil, and a milkshake later my Princess Nature was back to her smiley summer-girl self. And Miss Artistic got to reap the benefits as well.

Feel free to customize this to meet the needs or tastes of your family. You can replace the ice cream with Greek style yogurt, add a bit more fruit and allow it to take the place of a meal when its simply too hot to think about eating anything more substantial. You can replace the frozen berries with other frozen fruit, or make do with drained canned fruit, or fresh fruit, depending on what you have on hand. Just be sure to toss in a couple of ice cubes to keep your milkshake from turning into more of a smoothie consistency.

Stay cool, stay safe, stay well.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

cross-posted at Blade & Cauldron

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Written by Mama KellyTags:food, heat wave, milkshake, recipe

Yesterday was my sister’s 40th birthday and I planned a surprise brunch for her and the rest of the family to celebrate. On the menu was a recipe I put together for bread pudding that my family said was “the best bread pudding they had ever had.” Since my family eats almost nothing and they are the pickiest eaters I’ve ever known, this was high praise indeed.

Since Easter is right around the corner, I thought this dish would make a delightlful addition for a holiday brunch or dessert after a holiday dinner.

The recipe makes a batch of bread pudding that fills a large rectangle tin foil pan (approximately 12 to 15 servings), but it can easily be cut in half for a smaller batch. I chose a tin foil pan that was a couple inches deep even though the pudding only filled it about halfway up becase when you bake it, the tin foil pan sits inside a slightly larger metal roasting type pan so that it can be immersed in water and I didn’t want any water splashing into the pudding mixture.

Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding

1 loaf of Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread
(or 12 large cinnamon buns)
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1.5-oz box of instant vanilla pudding
2 tsp vanilla
Generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

In a large bowl whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla pudding, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cut or tear bread (or cinnamon rolls) into 1 inch cubes. Butter the tin foil pan and evenly spread out the cubed bread. Pour about three-fourth of the custard mixture over of the cubes. Mix well and make sure to squish the cubes a bit with the back of a large spoon so the custard mixture soaks in and then pour the rest of the mixture over the bread cubes. Cover the pan with tin foil or plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to bake, set the oven at 350 degrees. Remove the covering from the pudding pan and place inside a slightly larger roasting pan. Fill the bottom roasting pan with water until the water is halfway up the sides of pudding pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges and top cubes are slightly toasted.

Cool for about 10 to 15 minutes and spread cream cheese icing over the top of the pudding. Or place individual servings on a small plate and drizzle each with icing. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Cream Cheese Icing: 1 8-oz package of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, approx. 1/4 c. of milk. Soften the cream cheese in a microwave for about 20 seconds. Use a hand mixer to blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Continuing blending while adding milk slowly until it reaches a smooth, creamy texture that is pourable but not runny.

Optional: For a holiday celebration add food coloring to icing.

Wishing every one a happy spring and bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:dessert, pudding, recipe

One of the changes I’ve made in my eating habits is to start having a smoothie for breakfast.  I was inspired by, of all things, an episode of Good Eats in which the host, Alton Brown, talks about the eating habits he changed in order to lose weight.

Now, I am not following his smoothie recipe to the letter.  Mainly because I can’t afford to use nearly a pound (!) of fruit every morning.  But, what I’m doing is in the same spirit.

• 1/2 unsweetened fruit juice (preferably red or purple)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 4 large frozen strawberries
• heaping 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (or cherries or mango chunks)
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 scoop protein powder (vanilla flavor)
• honey to taste (optional)

Then I just push buttons on my one-day-to-be-upgraded blender until I get the desired consistency.

It only takes a few minutes.  The result is really yummy and very filling and satisfying.

Enjoy!

Blessings

Mama Kelly

note:

The protein powder I purchased is a whey-based product.  The flavor and texture are great, but it has 55 mg of cholesterol per serving.  As a result, I am going to switch to a cholesterol free product when we have to buy more even if I lose a few grams of protein in the process.

Written by Mama KellyTags:fruit, recipe, smoothie

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

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

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

Written by Lady RoseTags:inauguration, Obama, recipe