Easy Wassail

Tis the season for warm spiced punch, and this one is a hit! I've made wassail a few times now, and though I love its great smell, I haven't liked to drink it. Well, that has changed now that I've perfected my recipe! I hope you enjoy it as well!

It is very easy to double or triple the amount. This makes around ten 4 oz servings.



Ingredients

1 64 oz bottle of White House Premium Apple Juice (not cider)
1 cup of pulp-free orange juice
1 cup of water
Juice of one fresh lemon
3 cinnamon sticks
12 cloves
1 orange
nutmeg
allspice
1/4 cup candied ginger (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)

Directions

Into a medium to large pot (I used my red-coated cast iron dutch oven), pour in all the liquid, and add the cinnamon sticks, candied ginger, and all the spices except the cloves. Turn heat to medium high, until it begins to bubble some, then turn to low.

Wash and dry the orange, then push the 12 cloves into the skin in a decorative pattern. I did mine in even rows from end to end. Then, in the spaces between the rows, I used a sharp knife to score the orange, so it could release its orangey goodness into the mix.

Simmer for at least 45 minutes, but as long as you want. It concentrates as it cooks, so you can add some water, if it gets too strong.

This wassail is great tasting--plenty sweet without any added sugar, and the right level of spiciness. Everyone who drank it at our church home group last Sunday said it was great. I hope you think so too!

Blessings!

Easy Gourmet Turkey Burgers

Serves 5

These burgers are a cinch to make and taste wonderful. One pound of ground turkey makes five bun-sized burgers, so increase your turkey accordingly.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (I used Harvestland free-range from Wal-Mart)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing dry mix
1 apple, peeled cored and sliced
red-wine vinaigrette dressing
pepper-jack cheese
arugula (or baby spinach)
mayo
olive oil

Directions

Mix turkey and dressing mix together in a bowl and form into patties. Heat a large cast-iron skillet until hot and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat pan well. Cook burgers on each side for about 5 minutes, until nicely seared and cooked through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl (glass or plastic), toss apple slices with a tablespoon of red-wine vinaigrette dressing.

Assemble burgers with pepper-jack cheese, a slice of apple, some arugula or spinach and some mayo. Delish!

This goes very well with some sweet potato fries: just peel and cut sweet potatoes into wedges, toss lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake in a metal pan (tossing occasionally) for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender.

Enjoy!

E-Mealz to the Rescue!

In an effort to simplify my life (homemaking, homeschooling, teaching, etc), I've decided to try e-mealz. This is a great menu subscription that is tailored to various stores (or you can get a plan that is independent of a store). I chose the low-fat Wal-Mart plan, and I love it! (So you know, this does use quite a bit of "Great Value groceries," Wal-Mart's generic brand, which I've found to be mostly equal in quality to brand names.)

E-mealz gives you seven meals per week, with the ingredients and cooking instructions all on one page (yes, it's a little tough on these bi-focaled eyes of mine), and then the grocery list on a separate page. If you do double-sided printing, everything is right there on one sheet for you. I stuck mine in a plastic sheet protector and put it on my fridge to keep it handy.

The grocery list is categorized, and it has the individual item prices with a grand total. To my pleasant surprise, my total was very close -- under $90 for seven meals! My overall Wal-Mart bill was much more, due to other household purchases, which annoys me. But, I digress...

Anyway, I've tried two meals, oven-baked BBQ chicken and spinach fettuccine, and both were yummy. My kids loved them, too, which is a great bonus! Tonight I'm grilling an Asian-marinated London Broil steak, and we're having hash brown casserole. It smells great, so I'm sure it will be good.

The cost of the subscription is a little over $1.00 per week, which is minor compared to the savings. I have found that using a menu plan saves money because when you have a plan you know what you will be cooking so you don't waste food. Having a cheaper plan makes this even sweeter!

If you are interested in trying e-mealz, just click on the picture above and it will take you to their site.

Week 1 Menu Plan

My husband's work schedule changes weekly for four weeks, then it repeats. My goal is to get an 8-week rotating menu for spring/summer and another one for fall/winter. This will give us 8 weeks of different recipes for both sets of seasons, and make good use of in-season produce.

Here is my Week 1 Menu Plan, with links to the recipes that I have on this blog already. I'll get the others posted soon, and I'll also post a weekly grocery shopping list, when I get it typed.

Monday:

Breakfast -- Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch -- Grilled Chicken Sausages
Dinner -- White Chicken Chili with corn muffins

Tuesday:

Breakfast -- Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch -- Leftover White Chicken Chili
Dinner -- Grilled Sirloin stead & Roasted Veggies

Wednesday:

Breakfast -- Muffins or Cereal
Lunch -- Leftover Roasted Veggies with rotini pasta
Dinner -- Tuna Cakes, steamed baby peas, mac & cheese

Thursday:

Breakfast -- Popovers & eggs or Cereal
Lunch -- Leftover tuna cakes
Dinner -- Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken & broccoli with rice

Friday:

Breakfast -- Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch -- Leftover Balsamic chicken
Dinner -- Beef Enchiladas, refried beans and rice

Saturday:

Breakfast -- Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch -- Pepperoni rolls
Dinner -- Parmesan chicken, mashed potatoes, corn & broccoli

Sunday:

Breakfast -- French toast & bacon
Lunch -- Crock Pot spaghetti & meatballs (prep in early morning)
Dinner -- Spaghetti leftovers, or meatball hoagies


Today is Saturday, and it isn't my favorite day to shop at Walmart, mostly because they are so busy and are usually low on produce. But, I have to go when I can, and it is easier to think when I can leave my kids at home with Dad. :)

I'll get recipes and links up for those that aren't linked yet, as soon as I can.

Easy Greek Pasta

This dish is a snap to make, and it can be vegetarian by just omitting the chicken completely and stirring in some baby spinach leaves, or substituting it with extra-firm tofu cubes*. It tastes great, and the flavor is even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 box of penne pasta
• 3-4 chicken breasts (I use 4 if I buy the thin ones, or tenderloins, which cook faster)
• 2 medium garden-fresh tomatoes, diced (or large, if you like tomatoes) or 1 can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder (or more, to taste)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
  
• Container of feta cheese, to taste
• Olive oil
• Cooking spray
• salt & pepper to taste
• kalamata olives, optional
  

Directions

Cook the pasta in salted water (I use a heaping teaspoon of salt) and add the garlic and onion powders a couple minutes before the pasta is done. Drain but don't rinse (leave hot).

While pasta cooks, cook your chicken. You can either cut it up and cook the pieces in a little olive oil, salt and pepper in a skillet, or lightly oil it and salt & pepper it to taste and grill the breasts whole. Your choice. Either way, don't over cook or chicken will be dry.

Put pasta in a large bowl and add oregano and feta cheese. Stir to combine. Add cooked chicken and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, as desired.

You can also add some sliced kalamata olives to this, but watch how much salt you add if you do that.

This is so yummy, served with a romaine salad simply dressed with oil and vinegar. Carb load with some crusty bread, and then go take a nap. :)


*Cube your drained tofu and marinate it in a little olive oil and minced garlic for an hour. Then cook it in olive oil until it gets a nice browned edge. Carefully incorporate into the dish lastly, to avoid it breaking up.

Spicy-Honey Chicken

My son, Iain, prepared this recipe for our dinner tonight, and it was delicious!


This receipe was tweaked from one I got from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons garlic powder (I used dehydrated garlic)
  
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 8-12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat broiler to 350 degrees (if able to choose heat level). Set rack on upper 1/3 of oven.

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; liberally coat chicken with honey mixture and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is done, tenting with foil to prevent burning, if necessary.

I served this with boiled new potatoes and fresh Romaine salad. Very yummy!

Tabouli Lettuce Wraps

So simple to make, and full of great flavor, these make a wonderful lunch--especially in summer, when you don't want to heat up your kitchen.

This recipe cannot be more simple:

Ingredients

Romain lettuce leaves
Tabouli salad
Feta cheese

Directions

I prepared a box of store-bought Tabouli (and you can go here for a homemade, grain-free recipe; or here for a gluten-free recipe made with Quinoa), and let it chill in the fridge.

Then I rinsed and dried some large Romain lettuce leaves from my garden, added a big spoonful of the Tabouli and some feta cheese crumbles. (I did eat it partly wrapped up and partly like a taco).

It is crazy how good this is! Feta cheese has the perfect amount of saltiness and zing to bring all these flavors together.

Enjoy!

Great Greek Chicken

This recipe is fabulous! The flavor is amazing, with a minimum of ingredients and prep time. Serve with hummus and pita, or with a cucumber and tomato salad.

Ingredients

10-12 chicken thighs (either boneless, skinless or bone-in with skin)
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
4-6 garlic cloves (depending on size—if they are bigger, use 4), pressed
1 16 oz. container of plain Greek yogurt
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Open Greek yogurt container and add pressed garlic.

Toast the cumin seeds. Heat a small skillet until very hot and then add the cumin seeds. They only need to toast for about 15 seconds or so, until you can smell them. Remove from heat and scrape into the yogurt. Stir well.

Place the chicken thighs into a large (gallon) zippered baggie. Add the yogurt marinade and then seal the baggie, pressing out all the air. Squish the yogurt around the chicken, coating all the pieces well. Refrigerate for a minimum of one but up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking tray, and then set a short cooling rack on top of the tray.

Remove chicken from baggie and place on the cooling rack. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Enjoy!

Resurrection Cookies

To be made the evening before Easter.

Ingredients

• 1c. whole pecans
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
  pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• zipper baggie
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 *BEFORE BEGINNING*

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.

…So far the ingredients are not very appetizing...

Add 1 c. sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know this and how to belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt.27:65-66.

GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.

Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty! Read Matt. 28:1-9

Easy Unleavened Bread

Makes 6 servings

This bread is SO easy to make. It tastes great for breakfast with an all-fruit spread (I've used fig preserves and strawberry spread and my husband said it tastes like a pop-tart), or for lunch and dinner with hummus.

Ingredients

2 cups of whole wheat flour (or whatever flour you like to use)

¾ cup of water

2 tablespoons oil (olive, or whatever kind you like—I used roasted hazelnut once)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

If you have a baking or pizza stone, but it in the oven before heating. If you don’t have a stone, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. It will seem a little dry.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes, until dough is smooth.

Form into a large ball and divide it in half, then, cut each half into three even pieces. Roll all six pieces into small balls (I know this picture only shows five :).

Working with one at a time, flatten a ball, then roll it out into a thin oval shape. They will be about 7-9 inches long when you are done.

Prick the flattened piece all over with a fork. Place two at a time on a pizza or baking stone. You can get about three onto a baking sheet (don’t crowd them much).

Bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Watch carefully after baking a couple, as your oven may get hotter and they may bake more quickly.

These are best eaten immediately. But if you want to store them, cool completely on a wire rack before placing in a large baggy. You can make them at night for the next morning, but they don’t stay fresh beyond that.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Enchiladas

These enchiladas are delicious, and although they don’t have cheese, the flavor is so good you won’t miss it!

Ingredients

1 can fat-free refried beans (I use Old El Paso brand)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 sweet (bell) pepper (whatever color you desire), cut in strips

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package of whole wheat tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil and sauté the peppers and onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, mix together the refried beans and black beans.

Lightly oil a 13x9 baking dish (either use a paper towel and some olive oil, or lightly spray with non-stick spray).

Pour a little vegetarian enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish, just to lightly cover.

Prepare the enchiladas by placing a heaping spoon of bean mixture and peppers and onions in the center of a tortilla, spreading it from top to bottom in a line. Roll up the tortilla and place it at the edge of the prepared dish. Continue with remaining tortillas, until filling is used up.

Once filled tortillas are lined up in the dish, pour over remaining enchilada sauce.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Enchilada Sauce

This is enough for about 8 to 10 enchiladas. It’s a great sauce to compliment my vegetarian enchiladas.

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

1-2 tablespoons chili powder*

8 ounces tomato sauce

1-½ cups vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon salt (optional, but brings out the flavor)

Directions

Heat oil in a pan and whisk in flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt. Stirring constantly, cook flour for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in tomato sauce and broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens slightly.

*If you desire more heat, add some hot sauce, to taste.

Roasted Veggie Delight

This is a hard recipe to precisely define because you can vary the contents so widely, depending on your preferences and what's in the crisper drawer of your fridge. I listed how I've made this recently, and you can feel free to modify it as you see fit. Just be sure to choose veggies that can take the high heat and the stirring, without dissolving as tomatoes would.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 small head each of broccoli and cauliflower, cut into large (2" or so) florets
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 lb baby carrots
  
• 1 lb whole cremini mushrooms (baby portobello mushrooms), cleaned and de-stemmed, if desired
• 6 (or more) large garlic cloves, peeled
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

*NOTE: To gauge how many veggies to use, put them in your pan as you get them ready. You want the pan bottom to be well covered, but you don't want the entire pan brimming with veggies or you won't have room to stir them without spilling things out into the oven.

Put all veggies in a METAL pan (to be sure it is able to tolerate the heat without cracking), and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle liberally with oregano.
(Note: This picture shows parsnips, mushrooms, onion, peppers, and sweet potatoes.)

Using your hands, carefully toss all the veggies to be sure they are coated well with the olive oil. You don't want them swimming in it, but they should all be shiny from the oil. Add a little more, if necessary, to be sure all veggies are evenly coated.

Put pan in oven and roast at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Open oven and carefully stir the veggies. Don't worry if they look a little blackened. The veggies will get a nice sear, and they will caramelize and develop a wonderful smoky flavor.

Turn down the heat to 475 degrees, and roast for 10 more minutes. Stir again. Turn down heat to 450 degrees and roast another 10 minutes. Continue turning down heat and roasting the veggies until they get a nice caramelized look and the sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Use your judgment about how long to cook them. Depending on how hot your oven runs, and what type of veggies you are cooking, it may take less or more time.

You can vary the spices and the combination of veggies to see what you like best. Try it with bell peppers, or hot peppers (which will turn up the heat in the whole dish). You can add some washed and de-ribbed fresh kale during the last 10 minutes (stirring it in to coat with the oil) and it gets almost crispy, adding a great texture.
(This shows the same veggies above, with the addition of kale in the last ten minutes.)

When roasted, the garlic cloves will get creamy inside and their sharp, raw flavor will mellow nicely. Cauliflower tastes similar to cabbage when raw, but roast it and it will develop an almost nutty flavor.

This recipe is wonderful served alone, either hot or room temp.

You can also serve it over cooked multi-grain or whole-wheat rotini pasta, tossed with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, or with brown rice.

Enjoy!

Roasted Edamame

This is my first time trying edamame (soybeans), and I think it turned out pretty yummy!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups edamame (thawed and toweled dry, if frozen)

2 teaspoons of olive oil

¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder and ground cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Line a baking sheet with heavy foil. Place the oil in a medium bowl and add edamame. Stir to coat thoroughly with the oil. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl, then dust the edamame with them, stirring to combine well. All salt and pepper, as desired, and stir again.

Spread coated edamame onto the baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 7 minutes then gently stir with a spatula. Bake for another 7-9 minutes, or until starting to get golden.

These come out slightly crunchy, and a bit chewy, but the flavor is great. Best when warm (they get chewier as they cool). Great addition to a salad in place of croutons, or add to pasta for a bit of texture.

Happy munching!

Whole Wheat Quinoa Muffins

(Yields 12 muffins)

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a complete protein, which makes these muffins good for you, as well as great tasting!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup plain yogurt

1 large egg

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 – ¼ cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)*

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped dates (or raisins or chopped apple), optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, yogurt, egg, brown sugar and oil. Beat with a wire whisk until well combined. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until thoroughly moistened, but do not over mix. Fold in fruit, if desired.

Spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray, then fill each muffin cup level to the top.* Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and tops feel firm. Cool muffins in pan on a rack for five minutes, then turn out to cool. These are delicious warm or cold!

Enjoy!

*Feel free to use all-purpose flour, instead of whole wheat. Your muffins will rise higher, so you may want to put your muffin tin on a baking sheet to catch any batter that may overflow the tin.