Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Homemade Salsa-roasted

You won't believe how easy!!!
I saw this on TV and tried it just from sight.
Get out a good size cookie sheet and spread some olive oil on it.
Heat your oven to about 400 degrees.
Slice about 9 Roma tomatoes and not necessarily thin
Cut or slice about 1/2 of a large yellow onion or whatever floats your boat
slice a Jalapeno Pepper in half seeds and all
Lay out these items on your cookie sheet and put it in the oven until they are toasted a bit
Then pour them into your blender with the juices
and add
about 1/2 of a bunch of chopped Cilantro

turn on your blender for a bit and Voila!! You can add your favorites to this like corn or even increase one of the above items to suit your taste. Did you ever think it was so easy? (and now cheap!)
My 4 teenagers gobbled it up.
My husband and I got in on the chip dipping action, too.
Yummy!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Ham Bone Soup

This was first given to me by my neighbor, Barbara. She just verbally gave it to me. That's how simple it is. There are a couple variations so that the family won't get tired of it! Just remember to never throw that Easter, Thanksgiving and/or Christmas Ham Bone away every again. Freeze it for a yummy meal!

Ham bone
1 can of corn
2 cups uncooked pasta (brown rice pasta in our house)
1 cup diced celery
1 large can of crushed tomatoes

OR

Ham Bone
1 can of corn
8 cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup diced celery
optional
1 large can of crushed tomatoes

Take a yummy ham bone and put it in a pot. Fill the pot with water to cover the ham. Add Celery. Boil for about 1/2 hour. Remove ham bone to cool. Add all of the other ingredients and any ham pieces you can get from the ham bone and cook until pasta or potatoes are completely cooked. If I do the potato version, I smash the potatoes in the soup. This recipe can feed 8-10 people.

*You could also add peas, beans of any kind, rice, etc. There are really a lot of versions of the same idea.

Broccoli Salad

1 Bunch of Broccoli (equal to the amount of the Cauliflower)
1 crown of Cauliflower
6 Tomatoes, diced
6 Boiled Eggs, diced
1 Cup of Mayonaise
1/4 Cup of Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Vinegar
Optional items:
1/2 Cup of cubed or sliced ham
or 1/4 Cup of bacon bits
or 1/4 Cup of chopped nuts

Cut and dice the first 4 items. Then add the Mayo, Sugar, and vinegar and mix in well. Add any of the optional items and stir in. Let chill for about 30 minutes and serve. Watch out! It's addictive! ;) It can serve 6 people more or less (I have 3 teenage boys, so less)
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it your own by adding some of your favorite ingredients.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Shrimp Salad

From My Hunsband's Aunt Davona many years ago!

12 oz cooked macaroni (I used brown rice pasta in different forms-mix it up!)
1/2 Cup Sweet Pickle Relish
2 Cups Mayonnaise
2 Cans Small Shrimp or one package of medium sized, peeled without tails (about 1 lb or more if you'd like)
1/2 bunch green onions, diced
2 Cups diced Celery
1 can diced pimentos
6 Hard Boiled Eggs
1/2 Cup Green Pepper diced
1 T chopped Parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Boil the eggs, and if you have to, cook the shrimp. Make sure the shrimp, if purchased frozen is dethawed a little and rinsed before mixing it in. mix everything together and chill for about 30 minutes (or more to your desired temp). This can be made one day ahead if it's kept in the refrigerator. Keep chilled to keep the shrimp and eggs as fresh as possible. This is a meal in and of itself. Serves 6 hungry people.

*I usually buy the shrimp packaged in the freezer at the store. I buy the medium sized without the tails. They are frozen so I only let them thaw for a little bit and rinse them off. It's ok if they are partly frozen when you mix them into the bowl.

Chicken Salad Wraps

Need a solution for the bread on sandwiches? Wrap them in nice, crispy green lettuce!

4 Chicken Breasts or 4 Cans of Chicken cubed
1/2 Cup Celery chopped
2 Cups Sliced Grapes
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1 sm can of Sliced olives
2 Apples-peeled and diced
Pepper to taste

1 Head of Iceberg lettuce or a greener one

Combine all ingredients except the lettuce.
Chill. Put a generous spoonful of the chicken mixture into a nice sturdy piece of lettuce and wrap it up!
You can make this a day or two ahead and store in the refrigerator.

*Kid friendly ( I always recommend that the kids get in the kitchen. This one is probably good for kids from about 8 years old on up)

Apple Crisps

5 Cups peeled, sliced apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 Cup Margarine
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T Water
1 Cup Brown Sugar
Spread unpeeled, sliced apples in greased 9x13" pan.
Sprinkle with Cinnamon, Salt, Lemon Juice and Water.
Blend Flour, Brown Sugar and Butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.
Spread Crumbly mixture over apples.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*Kid Friendly

**Because I serve it all dairy free I either serve it by itself or with a lactose free ice cream or cool whip. Some diets are too limiting for the later two items.

The Apples: I like them to not only be sliced but chopped a little, too. It's all in your preference. I just get out my Gormet Chef chopper and chop a few times. It seems to save me a little time.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Food allergies

Wow, do we deal with Food Allergies! I found out in 1996 that one of our family members has Celiac and so the whole house had to change eating habits. As it turned out, it's a good thing because everyone but Mom has some kind of food allergy.
Food allergies can range in severity and show all different kinds of symptoms. Each one of my family members with food allergies reacts a little differently. Some get tired, one breaks out in hives, one gets diarriah and one gets constipated.
I have had to try all kinds of recipes and have found some great ones. This blog is all about sharing my food experiences with anyone who deals with wheat and/or dairy allergies and intolerance's. I hope it's inspirational and helpful. Don't worry, there's a ton that we can enjoy in the food world!!