Well, we will be in Panama City Beach this time tomorrow. YEAAAAAH! Kevin and I both have been counting down the days till this vacation. We are so ready to get out of town. I thought we were the only ones that felt this way until Ken tried to get me to move the vacation up a week. He's been pretty stressed out with work, so this will be great for him too. So, as of next week, there will not be a new recipe. But the week after, I plan to post my Vegetable Hamburger Stew. This is almost identical to my grandmother's recipe, so it is a family favorite. As for today, here is my Dill Pickle Potato Salad recipe. This is really great to take to a picnic or for a nice summer side dish. Enjoy!!!
Dill Pickle Potato Salad
3 pounds potatoes (about 8 medium), cubed
3 celery ribs, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped
1 ½ cups vegenaise (Soy based mayonnaise...you can find this at Publix in the greenwise section or at Village Market)
¼ cup dill pickle juice
4 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add celery, onions and pickles. In a small bowl, combine the vegenaise, pickle juice, mustard, celery salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture; mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Makes 8 servings.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Kevin's first baseball practice...Recipe #A4 Chicken & Sundried Tomato Pasta
Well, Wednesday night was Kevin's first baseball practice. He looked so cute in his little uniform. Even though he is the smallest on his team, the Baltimore Orioles, he was the only one that hit the ball on the first pitch, in his group. He looked so cute running to first base! He loved it and can't wait for the next practice. Unfortunately, he will miss opening ceremonies and his first game. We will be in Florida on vacation, but he said he didn't mind, he'd rather be on the beach. Sounds like a kid after my own heart. All the rest of his games will be in June. It's going to be a busy month, with 11 games crammed into 4 weeks. But, temperature permitting, I think we can handle it.
As promised, here is my recipe for Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta. Ken and Kevin love this dish. Next week, I will post my recipe for Dill Pickle Potato Salad. Of course, I made the necessary changes to make it allergy free, but my mom said she can't taste the difference. She said that it tastes just like my mamaw's potato salad, which is a huge compliment since she was a great cook!
Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
Seasoned salt, to taste
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
2 ½ teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup water, divided
1 cup allergy-free chicken broth (I use Progresso)
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup black olives, chopped - optional
4 cups allergy free penne pasta, cooked - keep in pot
Toss chicken with seasoned salt. Stir fry over med-high heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Over medium heat, add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red pepper, salt, garlic, & 1 cup water to chicken in skillet. Cook & let simmer.
Meanwhile, cook tomatoes and broth in a small saucepan over low heat. Add basil, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until boiling.
In a small bowl, mix corn starch and ½ cup water. Add to sauce mixture, stirring until thickened. Lower heat to low and let simmer.
Add chicken mixture and sauce mixture to cooked pasta, toss to coat. Sprinkle with chopped olives.
Makes 4 servings
Enjoy!
As promised, here is my recipe for Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta. Ken and Kevin love this dish. Next week, I will post my recipe for Dill Pickle Potato Salad. Of course, I made the necessary changes to make it allergy free, but my mom said she can't taste the difference. She said that it tastes just like my mamaw's potato salad, which is a huge compliment since she was a great cook!
Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
Seasoned salt, to taste
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
2 ½ teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup water, divided
1 cup allergy-free chicken broth (I use Progresso)
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup black olives, chopped - optional
4 cups allergy free penne pasta, cooked - keep in pot
Toss chicken with seasoned salt. Stir fry over med-high heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Over medium heat, add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red pepper, salt, garlic, & 1 cup water to chicken in skillet. Cook & let simmer.
Meanwhile, cook tomatoes and broth in a small saucepan over low heat. Add basil, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until boiling.
In a small bowl, mix corn starch and ½ cup water. Add to sauce mixture, stirring until thickened. Lower heat to low and let simmer.
Add chicken mixture and sauce mixture to cooked pasta, toss to coat. Sprinkle with chopped olives.
Makes 4 servings
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
My mother's day was great....
I have the best family. My mother's day turned out to be more like 4 days in a row! Last week, I was able to go shopping for new summer outfits all ALONE! Now, when you spend 24/7 with your son, although I love him more than life itself, sometimes you need a break. I hate to admit it, but after I got through shopping, I called Ken and said "I'm not ready to come home yet". So, I stayed out and hit 2 more stores. This is the way to recharge your batteries!! So, for day one of my mother's day streak, I got 4 new outfits for our trip! Yeahhhhhhh!!!
The next day, I was able to get me tons of hair stuff. Now if you know me at all, you will notice that my hair is long, thick, wavy/curly.....and I love it! But, it is so hard to find just the right product that won't make your hair a big mess. And, it never fails that when I do find something that I like, they discontinue it. So, as day two of my mother's day gifts, I was able to order a case of each product that had been discontinued off the internet. Yeahhhhhhhh!
Day 3, Ken and Kevin took me out to get me some flowers. Now, this is another thing about me....I love flowers. So, I was able to get me a Plumbago, a Oleander and a Camellia. I know, I know, Oleanders are the most poisonous plant out there. But they are so beautiful! Now my deck has tons of color. Yeahhhhhhhh!
Lastly, on actually mother's day, we went to church with mom and Lowell and then went out and had lunch....at a restaurant....with Kevin. Another thing about me.....I panic when we go out to eat with Boo-Boo. But, mom is well trained on his allergies, so lunch turned out wonderful. Then, we headed to my mother-in-law's house and spent a few hours with her. Once back home, I had a nice dinner of grilled steaks and got to relax. Yeahhhhhhh!
So, all in all, this was one mother's day I will never forget. Too bad there's not a mother's day every month. (<:
On another note, tonight is Kevin's first baseball practice. We went out Saturday night and got his uniform. His little black pants are the smallest in the store and I'm still going to have to hem the waist. He's so little! Not only is his pants, socks, cleats and helmet black....but I think his shirt is going to be also. Talk about burning up in the middle of June in all black!! Better keep lots of water on hand.
I will post photos from his first practice. He's so excited.....and so is Ken and I.
The next day, I was able to get me tons of hair stuff. Now if you know me at all, you will notice that my hair is long, thick, wavy/curly.....and I love it! But, it is so hard to find just the right product that won't make your hair a big mess. And, it never fails that when I do find something that I like, they discontinue it. So, as day two of my mother's day gifts, I was able to order a case of each product that had been discontinued off the internet. Yeahhhhhhhh!
Day 3, Ken and Kevin took me out to get me some flowers. Now, this is another thing about me....I love flowers. So, I was able to get me a Plumbago, a Oleander and a Camellia. I know, I know, Oleanders are the most poisonous plant out there. But they are so beautiful! Now my deck has tons of color. Yeahhhhhhhh!
Lastly, on actually mother's day, we went to church with mom and Lowell and then went out and had lunch....at a restaurant....with Kevin. Another thing about me.....I panic when we go out to eat with Boo-Boo. But, mom is well trained on his allergies, so lunch turned out wonderful. Then, we headed to my mother-in-law's house and spent a few hours with her. Once back home, I had a nice dinner of grilled steaks and got to relax. Yeahhhhhhh!
So, all in all, this was one mother's day I will never forget. Too bad there's not a mother's day every month. (<:
On another note, tonight is Kevin's first baseball practice. We went out Saturday night and got his uniform. His little black pants are the smallest in the store and I'm still going to have to hem the waist. He's so little! Not only is his pants, socks, cleats and helmet black....but I think his shirt is going to be also. Talk about burning up in the middle of June in all black!! Better keep lots of water on hand.
I will post photos from his first practice. He's so excited.....and so is Ken and I.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Harvesting Carrots...Recipe #A3 Banana Bread
Well, as Kevin would put it, we "harvested" our carrots Tuesday. I am so proud of Kevin and I. We grew these carrots from tiny little seeds and it worked!!! Oh sure, my tomatoes, squash and bell peppers are all growing too, but we actually got to eat some carrots. I tell you what, if you want your kids to eat veges, let them grow them. Since Kevin knew he grew the carrots, I had to actually tell him to stop eating so many carrots (it was close to dinner time and I didn't want him to ruin his appetite). Strange, huh? Of course, Kevin does love vegetables. He had to love them, with such a restricted diet, there wasn't much else he could eat.
It's that time again, time for a new recipe. This week, as promised, is my Banana Bread recipe. My family usually requests this at least 2 times a month. Last time, Kevin instructed me to bake them in muffin pans with a cinnamon sugar topping.....pretty particular for a 5 year old. But, I have to admit, I liked them better than in a loaf pan. They stayed moist longer and we didn't have to slice it, therefore no crumbs. So, good job Chef Kevin!!!
It's that time again, time for a new recipe. This week, as promised, is my Banana Bread recipe. My family usually requests this at least 2 times a month. Last time, Kevin instructed me to bake them in muffin pans with a cinnamon sugar topping.....pretty particular for a 5 year old. But, I have to admit, I liked them better than in a loaf pan. They stayed moist longer and we didn't have to slice it, therefore no crumbs. So, good job Chef Kevin!!!Next week, I will post an entree. This is a recipe I created after eating something similar at a Cheesecake Factory in Boston many many years ago. Of course, I have created it around Kevin's allergy restrictions, but it is delicious.
Banana Bread
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup soy butter
2 tablespoons soy milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup soy butter
2 tablespoons soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons baking
powder*
2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons baking
powder*
Additional cinnamon & sugar - optional
Preheat oven to 350.
*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, remaining 2 tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, soy butter and soy milk. Beat with mixer till blended. Add water-oil-baking powder mixture and vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Optional, sprinkle top with additional cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool. Wrap thoroughly when cooled.
Preheat oven to 350.
*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, remaining 2 tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, soy butter and soy milk. Beat with mixer till blended. Add water-oil-baking powder mixture and vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Optional, sprinkle top with additional cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool. Wrap thoroughly when cooled.
Makes 1 - 8" loaf.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Here we go...Recipe #A2 Sugar Cookies
As promised, here is my allergy free recipe for Sugar Cookies. I love to mix a huge batch of these, use my melonballer to make the cookie balls, then freeze half and cook the other half. If you decide to freeze some, my suggestion is: place uncooked cookie balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet, place in freezer until balls are partially frozen (1-2 hours), then place in a quart size zip lock freezer bag (be sure to label as Allergy Free Sugar Cookies, plus the oven temp and time to bake). When you are ready to have a few cookies from the bag, just take out however many of the cookie balls, place on a un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and let thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then flatten with fork and cook as you normally would in the recipe.
Allergy Free Sugar Cookies
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp allergy-free butter flavoring - optional
2 tbls vegetable oil, 2 tbls water, 2 tsp baking powder**
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbls vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
decorative sugars - optional
Preheat oven to 375.
**Combine the vegetable oil, water and 2 tsp baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz.
Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl and beat until blended. Add vegetable oil/water/baking powder mixture, corn syrup, vanilla, and optional butter flavoring. Beat until fluffy. Combine flour, remaining ¾ tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture, mix until well blended.
Make 1 inch balls of dough and place on un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten with fork and sprinkle with decorative sugars, if wanted. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies
Next week, I will be posting my allergy free recipe of Banana Bread Loaf, but Kevin loves these as muffins too. Enjoy!!!
Allergy Free Sugar Cookies
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp allergy-free butter flavoring - optional
2 tbls vegetable oil, 2 tbls water, 2 tsp baking powder**
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tbls vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
decorative sugars - optional
Preheat oven to 375.
**Combine the vegetable oil, water and 2 tsp baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz.
Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl and beat until blended. Add vegetable oil/water/baking powder mixture, corn syrup, vanilla, and optional butter flavoring. Beat until fluffy. Combine flour, remaining ¾ tsp baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture, mix until well blended.
Make 1 inch balls of dough and place on un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten with fork and sprinkle with decorative sugars, if wanted. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies
Next week, I will be posting my allergy free recipe of Banana Bread Loaf, but Kevin loves these as muffins too. Enjoy!!!
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