punch

This is the punch that my Grandma always made at family gatherings:
(It can be made in small or large quantities.)

1 part Ginger Ale (Canada Dry)
1 part 7-Up or Sprite
1 3/4 parts cranberry juice (Ocean Spray Cran-...)
raspberry sherbet

Combine first 3 ingredients. Add sherbet. Stir gently.
(To serve in glasses, instead of a punch bowl, place a scoop of sherbet in each glass before adding the punch.)

Turkey Tomato Casserole

a flavorful use for leftover turkey

1/2 c onion, cubed
1/2 c celery, sliced
1/2 c carrots, sliced
1 T butter
Heat above ingredients in microwave oven in 6" x 9" casserole until vegetables are tender.
Add 1 T flour and stir to coat vegetables with the flour.
Add:
1 c cooked turkey, cubed
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 t ground sage
1 T parsley
(or 1 T Italian seasoning in place of the sage and parsley)
Stir. Then top with:
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.

Deviled Ham

a good way to use leftover ham...

1/2 medium onion, cubed
1/2 c celery, cubed
1/2 c pickles
1 pound ham, cooked, cubed
1 T dried parsley (or 1/4 c fresh parsley)
2 t ground mustard powder
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 T molasses
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
dash pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate.

Bread and Giblet Stuffing

--- Makes 3 cups stuffing – enough for a 4- to 5-pound chicken. Double the recipe for a 10-pound turkey, etc.

½ medium onion, cut up
1 c chopped celery (including leaves)
¼ t salt
giblets (plus neck and tail)

Cook neck, tail, giblets, onion, celery, and salt in enough water to cover, for at least 2 hours. Remove neck and tail from broth, take meat off bone, and discard bones and skin. Remove the rest from broth. Put all in blender (or chop fine). Keep the broth for later.

4 c bread crumbs (about 7 slices)
¼ t pepper
½ t ground sage
¼ c butter or margarine

Put bread into large bowl. (It's not necessary to dry the bread crumbs or even to break the bread into small pieces.) Add the chopped meat, onion, and celery. Add some of the broth and toss gently. Add more broth and water as necessary.

Use as stuffing. Or place in a buttered casserole dish and bake for at least two hours at 350F.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Place seeds in saucepan. Add water and salt. Let boil for about 15 minutes.
Drain. Toss with vegetable oil and salt (and any other flavorings desired).
Lay out in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 300F for about 30 minutes.

complete proteins

For some general information on proteins (courtesy my DS):

Meat and eggs are good sources of all the proteins the body needs daily. They are called complete proteins. Milk (dairy products including cheese), legumes, grains, and seeds are good sources of all except one or two of the proteins needed daily – and are called incomplete proteins. These incomplete protein sources can be combined, however, to give complete proteins. Any two categories connected by a bar will give a complete protein.

Here are some examples of complete proteins:
Dairy and grains:

• Macaroni and cheese
• Cereal and milk
• Crackers and milk
• Spaghetti with Parmesan cheese
• Cheese pizza
• Ice cream and cookies

Grains and legumes:

• Beans plus rice or corn bread
• Split pea soup plus crackers
• Baked beans plus muffins or bread
• Taco with refried beans
• Peanut butter sandwich

Legumes and seeds:

• Trail mix including peanuts and sunflower seeds

Grains include rice, white or whole-wheat bread, corn bread, macaroni, and spaghetti.
Legumes include garbanzo beans, Great Northern beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, peanuts, peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, and soybeans.

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Sauté chopped onions and peppers in butter.
Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.
Add chicken broth and milk. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
Add cubed cheese just before serving.

Easy Salsa

Bake or grill
2 whole tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 jalapeño pepper (or other pepper)
Blend together in blender w
parsley or cilantro

sausage and beef

Here's a great recipe (from WGN - tv). Sausage isn't just for breakfast or meatloaf....

Pound several cuts of beef (even flank steak) until thin. Spread sausage (I like Jimmy Dean sausage with sage.) on top. Roll up as if making rolled cookies. Chill for about 10 minutes (to make slicing easier). Then cut into "patties". Grill (or freeze and grill later).

Savory Cheese Rice

aka Weidman Rice (after a friend of ours)

1/3 c finely chopped green pepper
1-1/2 t. salt
1/2 c sliced green onions
3/4 c. white rice
3 T. butter (or oleo)
1 c. cubed Cheddar cheese (1/3lb)
2 c canned tomatoes (1 lb can)
1/2 c white dinner wine (sauterne)

Sauté green pepper, onion & rice in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, salt, and wine. Cover & cook over low heat for 25 min. or until rice is tender (or in microwave set on high for about 8-10 minutes). Just before serving, add cheese. Heat briefly .

OK to substitute: Port Salut cheese & water (or juice) for cheddar cheese and wine; tomato sauce or can of crushed tomatoes for canned tomatoes

Mediterranean chicken

Mediterranean chicken as adopted from a local newscast
Chop onion and place in casserole along w 1 T butter. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t Italian seasoning, 6 olives (cut up). Stir and then add chicken pieces. Bake.

Alternatively, after microwaving the onion, add about 2 c chopped apples and 1/2 c raisins. Then add a whole chicken (cut in half and spread out, skin side up) seasoned with barbecue seasoning.
Bake.

It just dawned on me. ..... Both recipes are akin to "stuffed chicken" recipes. The "stuffing" is placed on the bottom of a casserole. Then the chicken is placed on top.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Even though I have a dishwasher, I don't like to get bowls dirty. The trick is to add the eggs last. Here's a way to make scrambled eggs in the skillet:

Melt butter (about 1/2 T) in small skillet over low to medium heat.
If adding chopped green onions and/or Canadian bacon, add now, increasing butter to 1 T. Heat/fry till hot.
Add 1/4 c milk, 1/4 t salt, dash pepper, and then a handful of grated cheese, if desired.
When milk is hot, add 2 eggs.
Scramble.