Recipe Corner: Fruit Gel

Fruit Gel

Makes about 4 cups
This is an all natural alternative to Jell-O. Agar powder and kudzu (“kood-zoo”) are natural plant-based thickeners available in natural food stores.




1-1/2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen


3/4 cups apple juice concentrate

1/2 cup water


1/2 teaspoon agar powder


1 tablespoons kudzu powder


2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen






Chop strawberries by hand or in a food processor. Transfer to a pan. Add apple juice concentrate, water, agar, and kudzu. Stir to mix.


Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and chill completely.


Fold in blueberries and transfer to serving dishes.



Per 1/2-cup serving: 77 calories; 0.5 g protein; 19 g carbohydrate; 0.2 g fat; 2 g fiber; 9 mg sodium; calories from protein: 2%; calories from carbohydrates: 95%; calories from fats: 3%



Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.

Green Beans with Rosemary & Garlic (crock pot) Recipe

We at T.O.P.S. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) were having our annual "Induction of Officers" potluck. So each of us were bringing a dish. I made some alterations to one I found in a Crock Pot Cookbook since I had just gotten back from Las Vegas 4 days earlier. I had brought back some fresh rosemary from my brother's garden which I wanted to use. This is the recipe I ended up with and the gals loved it.
*note since we have had such a horrible time with fresh vegetables lately I didn't find any good fresh green beans. The original recipe said fresh or canned. I don't ever use canned (due to high sodium/so mushy) so I had substituted frozen, by thawing the beans out in the refrigerator overnight (in there original pkg.) then draining what little water there was by placing them in a colander. The gals said they thought they were "fresh green beans".

64 ounces reg-cut frozen (do NOT use french style cut) Green Beans, thawed overnight (in refrigerator), drained in colander  OR Fresh Green Beans

2 tsp. Beef Bouillon Granules

1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary

2 Tbsp. minced Garlic

1/4 cup Water

Fat-free Cooking Spray


1. Spray slow cooker/crock pot with fat-free cooking spray.
2. Add all ingredients and mix well.
3. Cook on high 3-4 hours.

Notes:
If you like, add 2 Tbsp. minced onions to step 2.

Per Serving: 46 calories; trace total fat; 7 total carbohydrates; 1g protein.
serves 8

Notes:
Check the label on the frozen green beans for an accurate Calorie Count. The green beans I got were Smith's Brand (Kroger Value) and were 30 calories. Some of the other brands I found - C&W=30 calories, Birdseye=35, and ones just listed as frozen=27. Therse are for 1/2 cup to 1 cup servings. So check labels for both serving size and calorie count. Especially if you are watching your weight like me.

Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler:

We like this easy to make cherry cobbler with one exception I generally find the original recipe does not have enough filling so I add extra. It is your choice though so I put it in parenthesis for you if you decide to make it the same as I do.

Makes 6 servings

21 ounce can of low-fat cherry pie filling (I use two cans)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup low fat milk (I use carb countdown milk)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt (I use sea salt without iodine)

Heavily grease the crock pot. Pour pie filling into bottom. Combine, in bowl, remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth. Spread over pie filling.
Cover crock pot and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Recipe: Cinnamon Chicken

Another of my children's favorite chicken recipes while growing up was cinnamon chicken. I designed this recipe because, like hamburger, chicken then was inexpensive to buy. Therefore, I needed to find several different ways in which to create meals that my children would enjoy.

Ingredients:

1- cut-up chicken
Cinnamon
Pepper
DO NOT FLOUR!

Sprinkle chicken with cinnamon and pepper. Place chicken pieces skin side up on a cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. There is no need for butter or oil; the chicken skin contains its own fat. It is not necessary to turn pieces during the baking process. After 1 hour in the oven the chicken will be crisp and brown.

The children will love it and it couldn't be easier, less calories and easier on the digestive system.

Chicken Recipe:

EASY ORANGE CHICKEN

When my children were young, chicken was a less expensive meat, therefore I made a lot of chicken recipes. So many that I actually had to invent new recipes to keep my children interested in eating it as often as we did. Since it was mainly for them I kept in mind that their tastes were simple and less refined than adults. Therefore, I came up with this simple easy chicken recipe. I also found it a good change of pace from ordinary. This recipe though is not for those on sugar-restricted or diabetic diets.

Grocery list:
1)One cut-up chicken or chicken legs and thighs combination
2)Salt
3)Pepper
4)One 10 ounce can of frozen Orange Juice concentrate

Preparation:
1)Take out and allow to thaw at room temperature or in a bowl of water the frozen Orange juice concentrate.
2)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3)Remove skin from chicken pieces.
4)Wash chicken pieces and pat dry gently.
5)Pierce the pieces at least once per side with a fork. This allows the flavor of the orange juice to permeate throughout the chicken.
6)Place chicken in shallow baking pan.
7)Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
8)Pour thawed Orange concentrate over chicken pieces.
9)Place in oven to bake.
10)Baste chicken every fifteen to twenty minutes during baking process.
11)Chicken should be done in one hour to one hour and twenty minutes.
12)Check for doneness by piercing the pieces. When the juices run clear then they are done.
13)Remove from oven and baste one last time.
14)Let stand for ten minutes.

This recipe is great served with any type of potatoes or a green/macaroni salad. Rolls/bread sticks/garlic bread or also great with it too.

Baking Sugar Cookies:

The aroma of warm sugar cookies wafts through the house filling my nostrils. Soon they will be ready to take from the oven for my husband. I enjoy the pleasure of baking sugar cookies for him. I have a recipe that I dearly have no trouble with, it's a "drop sugar cookie" recipe. Therefore, there's no chilling or rolling nor cookie cutting required. I've added a little twist of my own over the years which to me makes the recipe all the better, and have been told over and over my cookies are great. My twist? Well, check it out below, see what's noted next to vanilla and then you'll know. It makes the sugar cookies tastier and lighter to the palate. I don't bake all year, only when the weather has a chill in the air. Therefore, in the warmer months my husband must do with baked goods from the store.

Recipe:

1/2 c butter
1 tsp. vanilla + 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 c shortening
2 1/2 c flour (not sifted)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar gradually. Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and lemon extracts, then add dry ingredients. Drop, by teaspoonful, unto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Sprinkle additional sugar to your liking (optional). Bake 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or less according to your oven's setting).

about 4-5 dozen

Five Questions For Men:

My Five Questions

In my journey through life and my relationships, I believe I can come up with a few universal ones to post on this topic.

My first and foremost question would have to be;
Why do men believe it is not macho to show their true feelings for the woman they care/love in the presence of their friends/other men? This makes us, the woman you care/love, feel slighted and even less cared/loved.

Secondly, Why is it so difficult for a man to discuss his emotions with a woman? Woman definitely don't have any problems in this area. We realize you are perfectly aware of this fact. Especially since you probably complain to your buddies about it endlessly whenever you guys get together drinking and bowling. We women, that are your partners, wives etc., want to be more involved in your life. We feel you are keeping us closed out whenever you refuse to discuss your feelings with us. It's like you have a secret closet that says "do not enter".

Thirdly, Why is it whenever we are going somewhere you feel the urge to rush us women? As a woman I generally know how long it will take to get ready and even add an extra thirty minutes to that time in case of a "hair or clothing catastrophe". Yet, you are still standing around looking at your watch, tapping your foot, and saying "are you ready yet....it's xxxxx time". I know how to tell time and if I needed an update I would ask. Also, I realize men, to borrow a cliche', 9 out of 10 times get lost the first time whenever they go to a new place, and I am even prepared in case. Because, I have already gone online and downloaded a map, from point A (the house) to point B (our destination) which includes even written directions. So give me a break will you!

Fourth, Why is it when I prepare a meal you don't like you won't just say so? The answer I get is "It was interesting". Interesting?! That sounds like we took a museum tour not ate a meal. Get real. I asked you if you liked the new recipe because I wanted your feedback. If I didn't want your opinion I wouldn't of asked for it. Be honest. Just say it like this: "It wasn't one of your best meals. I would prefer not to have it again" - that's the way not to hurt my feelings if you want it sugar-coated. Or just say "I really didn't like it, but I ate it anyways for you. But, don't make it again because I won't eat it again".

Fifth, Why is it whenever a woman asks if you want to do something, and if the man is interested (i.e. skinny-dipping), the answer is "if you want"? Why can't you give a straight answer? Say Yes not if you want-the woman would never have asked if she wasn't interested. Get a clue. Okay I know that was actually Why do men answer a question with another question?.....but it does get annoying when you do. Women may tend to do this sometimes. But, I feel we more or less miss doing it since we just continually talk on and on.

So those are my questions for the men out there and for my man. Most are applicable to be universally answered.