Healthy Chicken Fingers

We made this recently and all loved it!  I've tried to revisit the site several times since (called wellnessmama.com) and have not been able to, otherwise I would have included a link.  To stay on my diet, I usually skip the honey mustard dip, but it complements the chicken REALLY well.  My boys LOVE it!  The only downside to this recipe is that the chicken isn't nearly as good the next day.  My boys will still eat it, but the dip really helps at that point.

To make a super easy meal, I served it with a frozen side from the oven: Amy's Broccoli and Pasta Cheese Casserole.  I also made some frozen corn in the micro.

Almond Chicken Fingers

4 med. chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 eggs

1 tsp. water

2 cups almond flour/meal

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Olive oil

Beat eggs with water in medium bowl.

In another bowl, mix almond flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over med. heat.  (The original recipe used enough oil to submerge the chicken.  We just used enough to cover the bottom of the pan.)

Once oil is hot, coat chicken in egg mixture, then dredge in almond flour mixture, and place in pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and keep in oven to keep warm while additional batches are cooking.  (We just piled them up on a plate lined with paper towels next to the stove.  We also had two large skillets going at the same time.)

Once all are cooked through, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper (optional) and serve with honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

½ cup mayo

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup honey

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients with a whisk until smooth.

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

We enjoyed this casserole on Christmas morning.  Easy, delicious, and can be made the night before.

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
1 ½ lb. breakfast sausage
6 strips crumbled bacon (optional, can reserve some for top)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (can reserve half cup for top)

4-6 eggs, beaten (we did 6)
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1-2 cups milk (we did one)
2 lb. Tater Tots
Optional topping: half cup cheese, crumbled bacon
Optional garnish: 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Cook sausage on med.-high heat, breaking up and browning it.  Drain and layer on bottom of 9x13.  Sprinkle with bacon, if desired.  Evenly sprinkle cheese over sausage.

In large bowl, whisk together all other ingredients except tater tots.  Pour evenly over cheese.  Layer with frozen tater tots.  If not baking right away, cover and chill overnight in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 with rack in middle position.  Heat uncovered 35 min. (45 if no toppings being added).  Add topping if desired and bake another 5-10 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Garnish with parsley, let rest 10 minutes, and serve.

Orange Rolls

Ever since I saw these orange rolls, I've been wanting to try them.  We decided to make a batch for our annual Christmas get-together with Greg's parents.  They were divine!!!!  The leftovers were still delicious the next day, so I might make them a day in advance next time.

Orange Rolls

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

One ¼-oz. packet yeast (we used Fleischmann's RapidRise Instant)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)

1/2 cup buttermilk (used Greek yogurt and milk substitution)

2 large eggs, lightly whisked

Filling

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Orange Glaze

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Pinch of salt

About 3 tbsp. milk or cream, as needed for consistency

2 tsp. orange zest

Instructions

To a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; set aside.

In microwave-safe bowl, add butter.  Heat to melt, about 1 minute on high.

Add buttermilk to melted butter and heat in microwave about 45 seconds on high. (Follow temperature instructions for the yeast you are using.  Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don't kill the yeast.)  Whisk it to smooth.

Add butter-buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk eggs, and then add eggs to mixing bowl.

Stir mixture 7 to 10 minutes, switching to your hands when it becomes difficult. If dough is very sloppy, wet, and won't come together, add up to 1/4 cup flour, or as needed until it does come together. However, the more flour added, the denser and heavier the rolls will be; wetter dough is preferred to overly dry. If dough is dry or crumbly, drizzle in buttermilk until it comes together.

Remove dough from mixing bowl, oil a large bowl (used veggie oil), place dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it's lightly oiled both top and bottom.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. (At this time, remove butter from fridge so it can soften to room temp while dough rises.)  A great place for rising is the oven.  Turn it to 400 F for 1 minute, and then turn it off.  Place the covered bowl inside, and shut the door.

While dough rises, butter a 9x13-inch pan; set aside.

After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto floured counter. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9x13 pan to eyeball it, no need to use a ruler.

Using a knife, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.

Add about a cup of marmalade, and smooth it with a knife. It should be a thin layer; too much and you risk it leaking, but not enough and the rolls aren't orangey enough; use your judgment. The butter and marmalade get smeared together, which is okay.

Evenly sprinkle brown sugar over top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.

Starting with a long edge (26-inch side), roll dough into a tightly wound log, with the seam side down.  Using a knife, make small hash marks so there will be 20 evenly sized rolls (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide). Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing.

Use plain dental floss to slice rolls (wrap around and keep pulling ends until they slice through). Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do.

Arrange rolls in prepared pan, 5 rows of 4 across. Cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.  (Or...to make overnight, don't let rolls rise. Place pan in frig up to 16 hours. Before baking, let rolls rise at room temp until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.)

Bake 375 F for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (cooking times vary, so be watchful - they won't taste nearly as good overdone).

In a medium bowl, add orange juice, vanilla, confectioners' sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine; mixture will be thick.  Drizzle in milk as needed until mixture can be whisked smooth and is to desired consistency.

Whisk in zest.  Evenly pour glaze over rolls.

Serve immediately or keep in airtight container at room temp (they'll dry out in the fridge) up to 4 days; if desired, reheat in micro about 5 seconds to soften as desired.

Glazed Walnuts

One of my favorite new snacks has been glazed walnuts.  I found the recipe here but omitted the vanilla and added raisins.  I LOVE the raisins in there.  Kylen told me we should make it for company (the ultimate compliment for a recipe that meets my dietary restrictions!).  The store was out of raw walnuts once, and regular tasted fine.  The best raisins I've found are at Trader Joe's.  They are less dried out than what is typically in stores, and they don't have any bad ingredients added.  I also discovered I liked cinnamon a lot more when I tried the brand Simply Organic.

Glazed Walnuts

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups walnuts, raw

½-1 cup raisins (optional)

2 tbsp. agave nectar

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or to taste (optional)

Place oil and walnuts in a skillet and turn heat to high.  As soon as you hear the slightest sizzle, reduce heat to medium or low.  Toast walnuts a few minutes until they smell nice and nutty.

Stir in raisins.  Stir in agave and cook for a minute or two; add salt. 

Remove walnuts from pan and add cinnamon to taste.

Elimination Diet: Indian Inspired Roasted Cauliflower

I wish I could remember where I found this recipe so I could give credit to the source.  A quick search on the net didn't turn it up, so I may have gotten it from a book.  It is one of my favorite healthy side dishes.  Best immediately out of the oven, since the crispiness disappears in the fridge . . . although I still enjoy it as leftovers.  The flavors are a bit subtle; I recommend serving it with mild foods such as rice and white fish.

Indian Inspired Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I used crushed brown rice cereal.)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425.  Mix seasonings in small bowl.  Put veggies in gallon size bag, add oil, and seal.  Leave in some air to make it easier to mix.  Turn until veggies are coated.  Repeat with seasonings and finally bread crumbs.  Dump veggies on cookie sheet, and spread evenly.  Roast 20 minutes, stir, and reduce heat to 350.  Roast another 15 minutes or until tender and browned.

 

Elimination Diet: "Taco" Dinner or Perfect Meat for Rice

So how do you have a taco dinner when you can't eat tomatoes, corn, or flour?  Here's how, and it's one of my favorite meals.  :)

"Taco" Dinner

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
Beanitos black bean chips

Optional Toppings
Avocado, diced or mashed
Fresh cilantro, 10 sprigs or to taste
Green onion, sliced

Cook onion until translucent.  Add meat, and cook until beginning to brown.  Add garlic.  Cook a few minutes.  Stir in seasonings.  Heat a few more minutes to blend flavors.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Wash and dry cilantro.  Pull off leaves and tear into pieces.

Break up chips, and place on plate.  Top with meat, onion, avocado, cilantro, and green onion.  I may skip the cilantro and onion, but I really like to have the avocado if I'm do this taco style.

 

In the picture below, I topped the meat with a cabbage slaw that needed to be used up.  (You just mix sliced cabbage, cilantro, green onion, olive oil, and Herbamare.)

If you skip the toppings, this makes a flavorful meat to mix with cooked rice.  Then, add veggie on the side such as peas for a complete meal.

Elimination Diet: Favorite Lunch

I am on a super restricted elimination diet most of the time.  It took awhile, but I finally found a lunch combination that I love:

Half an avocado, chopped
Sea salt
1 Medjool date, diced
9 healthy crackers or chips
Teriyaki sunflower seeds

The variety of textures (soft avocado, crunchy chips, chewy dates) and combination of salty and sweet (sea salt on avocado and sweet dates and seeds) are what I think makes this lunch such a winner.  I'm amazed that after having it for so many weeks and months I still look forward to it every day.

I originally used Beanitos Original Black Bean with Sea Salt chips, but I have recently switched to Edward & Sons Baked Whole Grain Brown Rice Snaps, Onion Garlic.  It's a nice change.  The ingredients for the black bean chips are: whole black beans, whole long grain rice, pure sunflower and/or safflower oil, guar bean gum, and sea salt.  The ingredients for the brown rice crackers are: whole grain brown rice, whole grain black rice, expeller-pressed palm oil, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

I got the sunflower seed recipe from one of my favorite healthy recipe sites, Nourishing Meals.

Teriyaki Sunflower Seeds

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp. coconut aminos

Heat a skillet (11-inch is great) over medium heat for a few minutes, or until the pan is hot. Add the sunflower seeds and keep them moving in the pan, using a spatula. Toast them for a few minutes until they start popping and begin to brown. Turn off heat and add coconut aminos. Immediately stir the aminos with the seeds. Let cool in the pan (off of your heat source); transfer to a glass jar for storage. (I store them in a sandwich bag, but that's probably not healthy somehow.)

 

 

Plum Crisp

This is the recipe we've been enjoying to help us use up some of the plums our neighbor gave us.  We've made it twice, and still have some left!  You can serve it warm with ice cream, but we like it best cold, straight out of the fridge, the next day.  :-)

4 cups sliced fresh, ripe plums
1/2 cup sugar (or less if plums are very sweet)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 tbsp. cold butter or margarine

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; pour into a 10-inch pie dish or 9-inch deep dish.

For topping, combine sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. If overbrowning, cover edges of crust during the last 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Homemade Corn Dogs

We decided to try making homemade corn dogs.  It was easier than expected, and Greg and Kylen loved them!  They were even good cold, straight out of the fridge, the next day.  When the batter got low, we cut the last few into thirds, completely submerged them, and made mini corn dogs.  If you don't want to mess with the sticks, you could do that with all of them.

Homemade Corn Dogs
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 16-oz packages beef hot dogs
16 flat wooden sticks (found at craft store)

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk.  Chill in fridge.  Chilled batter will stick to the dogs better.

Dry hot dogs.  Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden sticks into dogs. Pour batter into a tall glass.  Dip hot dogs into batter so they are well coated.  Allow some of the excess batter to fall off.

Fry a few corn dogs at a time until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Refrigerate leftovers.  We didn't freeze any, but a reviewer said you can place them on a baking sheet and freeze after they've cooled to room temp.  Once fully frozen, put them into freezer bags.  Reheat at 400° in the oven about 20 minutes or microwave individually, covered with a paper towel: 50 seconds, flip, 30 seconds.

Strawberry (Pink) Milk

I think of pink milk as the ultimate Valentine's Day drink, but I don't care for the strawberry milk sold in stores.  One time, I stirred in a few drops of dye and sugar.  It was OK but not really what I was looking for.  Recently, I found a recipe for homemade strawberry milk that is quite good.  You're actually making strawberry syrup, which can be used for pancakes or waffles.  It's so Valentiney, I had a delightful time making . . . and drinking it!

Start with 2 1/2 cups of strawberries.  Since it's the middle of winter, I purchased frozen organic berries and let them thaw for an hour in a bowl on the counter.  It's fine if they are still partially frozen.

Combine 1 1/4 cups water and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a saucepan over med-high heat; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Mix strawberries in, and bring to a boil.  Boil 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until strawberries are mushy, about 10 minutes.  Let cool a bit.

I loved the colors!  Bubbling cranberry red with pink foam.  And the strawberry aromas wafting up!  Yum!

Strain liquid into a container and refrigerate.  I got just under two cups of syrup, which is perfect for a half gallon of milk.  Stir in 1 cup of syrup for every four cups milk or 4 tbsp for each cup (more or less depending on desired sweetness).

Such a beautiful color!

Here is the recipe in a more succinct form:

Strawberry Milk
Makes about 2 cups syrup.  Figure 1 cup syrup to 4 cups milk, 4 cups to 1 gallon, 1/4 cup syrup to 1 cup milk.

1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups strawberries, quartered (frozen fine)
Whole milk

Combine water and sugar in saucepan over med-high heat; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Mix strawberries in and bring to boil.  Boil 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until strawberries are mushy, about 10 minutes.  Let cool a bit.  Strain liquid into a container (sieve or mesh strainer).  Use a spoon to press down on the berries and get most of the liquid out.  I used a mesh strainer sitting atop our 4-cup measuring cup.  You can eat the pulp.  Refrigerate.

Illinois ~ Chicago-Style Pan Pizza

So I always thought pan pizza meant a ton of crust (yuck!).  Turns out it means a ton of toppings!  Greg said this recipe is in his top 10, which as I've stated before, means nothing.  He probably has 50 recipes in his top 10.  ;-)

Chicago-Style Pan Pizza

1 lb loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (or homemade)
Cornmeal (optional - we omitted)
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 (14 oz) can diced petit tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seed (we omitted)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix tomatoes with oregano, salt, fennel seed, and garlic powder.  Let sit on the counter an hour to allow flavors to meld.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13.  Dust with cornmeal, if desired.  Press dough into bottom and up sides of baking dish.  Sounds simple, but I worked and worked on stretching it out and still couldn't get it to go very far up the sides.  I finally gave up with a pretty shallow crust and cooked it 15 minutes.  Afterwards, we tried spreading the bread a bit more and pressing it down.  It looked ghastly.  I thought at this point the recipe would be a total flop.  The dough was very uneven and looked way too thick.  Do not despair; it still turned out wonderful.

Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet over med-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over crust. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sausage.

Add mushrooms and onion to skillet; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in tomato mixture; cook until liquid is reduced quite a bit.  Don't worry about some liquid making the dough soggy.  Layering the ingredients like this will keep that from happening.  Spoon tomato mixture over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.  We used Parmesan that was already grated, although reviewers said it's way better if you grate it yourself.

Bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

 

Indiana ~ Sugar Cream Pie

Now that we've been back at school for a week or two, we've resumed state studies. . . which means new recipes!  Kylen chose the sugar cream pie from Indiana, although the breaded tenderloin looked so good, we might have to make that too.  Still, we're not regretting his decision - it's DELICIOUS!

I'd like to try serving the filling warm, as a pudding.  It's already quick and easy; skipping the crust would save even more time.  This filling on a cold, winter evening would be heavenly.

Sugar Cream Pie

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup white sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 1/4 cups half-and-half cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter, melted
Ground cinnamon

Mix cornstarch and sugar in small bowl. Add 4 tablespoons butter and half and half to a pan. Stir in the cornstarch/sugar mixture.  Cook over medium heat at first, then crank up to med-high, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and becomes thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Preheat oven broiler to high.

Pour mixture into pie crust. Drizzle 2 tablespoons butter over top and sprinkle with cinnamon. (Use a very light sprinkling unless you love cinnamon, as it easily overpowers the taste.)  Put under broiler until butter bubbles--watch it carefully, as it doesn't take long. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Vermont ~ Corn Fritters

Kylen LOVED these corn fritters, similar to cornmeal cakes or johnnycakes.  Johnnycakes were originally called "journey cakes," because they were small and easily portable.  I saw a recipe that called for fresh corn scraped from the cob, but I decided to try an easier version with canned cream-style corn.

Corn Fritters

4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying or enough to pan fry

1 can cream-style corn
1egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Optional toppings: maple syrup, jam, or powered sugar
 
Heat oil in a medium sized pot on medium-high heat. In a small bowl, mix together the cream-style corn and egg. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the corn mixture to the dry ingredients; mix until just blended.

Drop batter 1/8 cup at a time into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once if the fritters don't turn over by themselves. Drain fritters on paper towels, and serve with desired toppings.

New Hampshire ~ Maple Syrup Pie

For New Hampshire, we made Maple Syrup Pie.  Isn't that a delicious name?  It had similar taste and texture to pecan pie, only with that added maple syrup component.  Twas a breeze to make, and we all enjoyed it.  I can usually only eat one slice of pecan pie before I'm "done,"  whereas this one had "staying power."  :-)  Stirring in nuts wasn't part of the original recipe but was suggested by a reviewer.  We thought they really added to it.  I honestly don't think the baking step was necessary, so next time I may try skipping that part.

Maple Syrup Pie

1 cup maple syrup (N.H. preferred)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 baked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350.  Bring water and syrup to a boil.  Stir in salt and butter.

Mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water or enough to make a thin paste.  Add egg yolks and beat well.  Gradually add egg mixture to hot syrup, stirring constantly with a whisk to keep from lumping.  Cook until thickened.  Stir in chopped nuts, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on top.  Cool slightly; pour into cooked pie shell.  Sprinkle remaining nuts on top.  Bake 12 minutes.

The recipe calls for syrup from New Hampshire, but once again we had to substitute.  As least this one was from a nearby state!

Massachusetts ~ Lobster Mornay Sauce

Massachusetts is known for its Boston baked beans, Boston cream pie, cranberries, and seafood.  I wanted to try something new, which ruled out baked beans and Boston cream pie.  Cranberries feel like Christmas to me.  That left seafood!  Kylen didn't want to make clam chowder (my first choice), but he was up for trying this lobster recipe.  We didn't regret it!  Delicious!!!

Lobster Mornay Sauce
Makes enough for 3 adults to have seconds. We served it over white rice.

4 tbsp butter, divided

1/2 onion, chopped
3 fresh button mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lobster meat, diced (used imitation)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (bought it already grated)
Dash of cayenne pepper

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook and stir onions and mushrooms in the butter until tender.  Stir in minced garlic and cook a few minutes.  Mix in lobster meat; heat through. (If using fresh lobster, cook until opaque.)  Remove mushrooms/onions/lobster from saucepan and set aside.

Reduce heat to low.  Melt 2 tbsp butter in pan.  Stir in flour and cook approximately 2 minutes; stir in broth, cream, and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Stir lobster mixture and Parmesan cheese into sauce. Heat 5 minutes.

Georgia ~ Peach Bread

Even though Georgia is known for its peaches, a couple of other states have surpassed them in  production.  Oh well!  We made a peach recipe anyway!  Ironically, the canned peaches said "California" on the front!  Lol!

We hit several obstacles (no fault of the recipe), not the least of which was running out of flour.  I had no idea we were so low!  I subbed a little wheat flour and added applesauce in case the wheat flour made it drier.  Miraculously, despite all the problems, the bread looked and tasted fantastic - very sweet and moist.  It was a tad strong on the cinnamon, so I may cut that in half next time.  It says to use two loaf pans, but it only came about halfway up even after cooked.  We have one loaf pan, so I poured half in a square pan.  Next time, I might try pouring the whole thing in one loaf pan.

Peach Bread
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups pureed peaches
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and butter together.  Add eggs and mix thoroughly.  Add peach puree and dry ingredients; mix thoroughly.  Add vanilla and stir until blended.  Pour into two loaf pans approximately 5 x 9 inches in size, that have been well greased and floured. Bake at 325 for 45 to 55 minutes.  Let bread cool a few minutes before removing from pan.

The Food

A big part of any trip for me is the food, which made me appreciate the variety of meals we shared with my aunt and uncle.  I also learned the value of preparing ingredients at home!  On the first morning, my aunt served bisquits and gravy.  She had cooked the sausage and made the bisquits ahead of time, so all she had to do was make gravy from a dry mix and stir in the sausage.  The second morning, my uncle made huckleberry pancakes using berries they'd picked before we arrived.

 

Each family brought everything for their own drinks and lunches: standard fare sandwiches.  We shared chips and desserts.

We made dinner the first night.  It would have gone well if the water had not refused to boil!  We're still not sure what the problem was, but it may have been black stuff on the bottom of the pan from the cooking stove.  Other than that, I was pleased with the reception.  Some of us had third and fourth helpings!  This is a recipe we make at home that was easy to adapt to camping.  All we needed was a big pan to cook everything in!  (Recipe at bottom of post.)

The second dinner was spaghetti.  Easy peasy!  She had canned green beans on the side.  We usually make our sauce from Prego, but I like how her canned sauce tasted, Del Monte Traditional.  It was a nice change!  She also had a couple containers of croissant dough from the store.  She wrapped the triangles of dough around our sticks, and we cooked them over the fire.  They didn't get done all the way through, but they were REALLY tasty.  I actually like the doughy interior, made them taste sweeter.

We brought evaporated milk to make warm drinks, but we didn't need to!  My uncle whipped up a batch of homemade 4-ingredient huckleberry ice cream one evening, and my aunt put out the makings for smores the next.  She also taught us how to heat Starbursts over the fire!  I'd never heard of such a thing!  You just push the end of the stick into the center of a Starburst, and heat it until it gets hot.  Wait for it to cool a bit, and eat.  I tried every color but found my favorite was the red ones.  It becomes soft and gets a sort of slighly crunchy outside.  Yum!

Speedy Chicken Noodle Bowl ~ Serves 8
16 oz angel hair pasta, uncooked
5 cups carrots and broccoli
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cooked and chopped
1 bottle Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Put enough water in a large pan to cook pasta and veggies.  Bring water to a boil.  Add carrots, boil 1 or 2 minutes.  Add broccoli, boil 3 more minutes.  Add pasta, and boil 4 minutes.  Drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  We panfried and chopped the chicken before we left as well as cleaned and cut up the veggies.  All three can be stored in their own container/bag and kept in the cooler until ready to use.

Salad Pizza

Slice a disk off a head of lettuce onto a plate, drizzle with dressing, and add your toppings.  I like chopped egg, peas, diced onion, sliced mushrooms, and crumbled bacon.  Mmmmmmm!

Cucumber and Onion Salad

I got this recipe from my mom at some point, but we didn't start making it until this summer.  Not much of a kid pleaser, but Greg and I love it!

2 English cukes, about 1 ft. long
1 onion, cut into fourths and thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
White sugar
Rice vinegar
Pickle juice
Sour cream
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup ranch

On the bottom of the dish with an airtight lid, make a single layer of cucumber slices.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Scatter a layer of onion on top, and sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat until cuke and onion are used up.  Add a small amount of rice vinegar and pickle juice.  Put the lid on and shake well to distribute the juices.  Drain liquid.  In a separate bowl, mix about four spoonfuls of sour cream, dill, and ranch.  Add to cucumber mixture.  Stir until well mixed.  Cover and chill to blend flavors.

Fab Snack

I always wanted to like Trisquits, but it's been hard finding combos that taste good.  Over the last few years, I've developed a taste for cheese/fruit/cracker combinations and have done a little experimenting.  Found a winner!  Original Trisquits, cheddar cheese, apple, and honey.