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Onions Natures Wonder

July 30, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
onionsbasket

onionsbasketThe myth is that onions make you cry as you prepare them. Tearing up, while preparing onions is a natural process that the body uses to relieve the burning sensation that the strong scent of the onion produces. To help reduce the scent try running the onion under some cold water after skinning it.

Onions have many uses. They can be used cooked, sautéed and even raw. Some people even pick them up and eat them raw like a tomato or an apple.

A steak without sautéed onions just isn’t the same. The flavor enhances the taste of the steak and adds a great taste treat to a meal. While grilling your steak, pull out your favorite skillet, add a little butter and your onions and cook just long enough to make the onion transparent. Add to the top of your steak and the flavor just bursts in your mouth!

Vidalia onions are wonderful cooked. These onions are usually used for onion rings or baked with butter, bouillon and cheese in the oven because they are sweeter onions than most. These are also used in a lot of restaurants for blooming onions.

Green onions are long and thin and are great for a relish tray. Just add your favorite dip and other veggies and have a great idea for a family get together or party. You can also dice them up and add them to salads for color or add them to a favorite cheese ball.

Onions can be sliced for sandwiches. Burgers without onions seem like they are missing something. Dice one and they add a great flavor to a hot dog. Dice another and add to ham salad or chicken salad for a great taste sensation. Potato salad and macaroni salad are bland without a little diced onion thrown in.

Making a pot roast? Add sliced or quartered onions with the potatoes and add them to the pan or crock pot. Your family will love the additional flavor even if they don’t want to just eat the onion.

Because there is no fat or cholesterol in onions they are a wonderful choice for a healthy veggie. Plus there are a lot of benefits to an onion. They are full of great nutrients that can help prevent some cancers, lower your chance for heart problems and high blood pressure and even help with ulcers of the stomach. So be healthy and remember through all the tears that onions are one of nature’s wonders.

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The Many Sides of a Potato

July 28, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
potatoes

potatoesBaked, broiled, fried, boiled or raw, a potato is one of the greatest vegetables around. This vegetable is one of the most frequently used vegetables as a side dish to every meal.

It’s your anniversary or birthday and you pick a fancier restaurant to eat at and you order a steak. Have you ever thought about your side choices? They are usually baked potato, French fries or potato salad, which of course all use the potato.

Baked potatoes are one of the healthier choices you can make. Unless, of course, you add sour cream, bacon and cheese sauce and then the choice isn’t the healthiest one to make. Sounds good though doesn’t it.

Broiled potatoes are wonderful but full of calories. To keep them a little healthier just add butter and leave off the sour cream and chives toppings.

There are many ways to fry potato the most famous being the French fry. With certain foods, you want to add some onions slices, a little oil and your potatoes and you have a wonderful side dish that all of the family will like. Try shredding the potato and adding onion bits and some cheese and you have a delicious side dish for breakfast with your eggs and bacon.

Boiled potatoes can be used either hot or cold. Boiled potatoes with the jackets (skins) on are very similar to a baked potato but don’t take quite as long to cook. You can also use boiled potatoes and peel them, dice them and add some eggs, pickle relish and a mayonnaise based dressing and you have a wonderful potato salad fit for your family and friends!

Take your raw potatoes and quarter them and place in the crock pot with some carrots and your favorite roast and you have a great Sunday lunch for after church or while watching football. It is one of the quickest meals that can be prepared and will make your taste buds burst with the great flavor. Peal and slice a potato and add some salt. These are a favorite around the house.

Grilling a potato is also a great choice. Add sliced onions, mushrooms and carrots and you have a great vegetable medley that everyone will love!

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Tomatoes Fruit or Vegetable

July 18, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
slicedtomato

slicedtomatoTomatoes are typically classified as a vegetable but because of the seeds, is really a fruit. The reasoning behind classifying them as a vegetable is to avoid confusion with other countries that have import duties. Tomatoes can be eaten in many different ways, both hot and cold.

Tomatoes have only been eaten in this country for about two centuries. People once thought that they were poisonous, but once they learned differently, not only were they raised for their color but also to eat.

They are grown on both coasts of the United States all year round. Go to any grocery store, roadside stand, farmer’s market and even in any garden and you will find many kinds of tomatoes.

In the southern states, tomatoes are used on a sandwich or even as the sandwich. Have you ever had a tomato sandwich? All you need is bread, some mayonnaise and a tomato and presto, lunch!

Ever had a salad without tomatoes? Some people dice them, some slice them, and some quarter them for their salads. There are even cherry tomatoes that work well on salads. Grape tomatoes and even Roma tomatoes are great for any salad that you are making.
Another great use for the tomato is salsa. Tomatoes are a staple of a lot of Mexican dishes and without them the taste would be bland. Add some green peppers, jalapenos and you have a great chip dip.

Italian dishes use a lot of tomatoes also. You can cook the tomatoes down and make a great tomato base for spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce and sauce for lasagna. But first, you must remove the skin. To do so, you blanch the tomato and the skin peels right off. If you don’t want to use the tomato right away, just peel the tomato and place it in a freezer bag for later use. Then remove them when you are ready and prepare them the way you want.

To keep your tomatoes from going bad, do not store them in the refrigerator. Put them in a paper bag or on the counter and they will ripen naturally. If you put them in the refrigerator, they won’t ripen and the taste won’t be as good.

In the olden days, people used to can tomatoes for later use. This practice has gone out of style, what with the 2 person working family. But if you have time, you can jar tomatoes for tomato juice, spaghetti sauce and even fresh canned tomatoes. Think about how that will taste in January!

Tomatoes also fight the aging process. Growing or buying those fresh tomatoes are not only a healthy choice but a good tasting one as well.

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Independence Day Celebration Made Easy

June 27, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
flagflying

flagflying4th of July is a great day to celebrate! It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to entertain your friends, family or guests. Food, decorations, and fireworks are what the day is all about.

For decorations, all you need to think about is the colors of white, red and blue! Cover your table with a red tablecloth; add some blue plates and white cups and white silverware and you have a very festive background for your 4th of July.

For centerpieces, try a red vase with some white carnations and add a blue ribbon around the vase. Presto, a great centerpiece was created for very little cost! Flags are also a good idea! Line your driveway with them or use them as the centerpiece on your tables. You can use them in any way to make your party special, you choose. The choice is never wrong.

Why not make your food fall into the same easy choice? There are a lot of choices to use white, blue and red to make your food fall into the 4th of July theme. Take some strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream and mix them together in a glass bowl and serve! White, red and blue…isn’t that the theme?

Jell-o is a great idea for the 4th. It’s cool on a hot summer day. Take blue jello and add strawberries and add some whipped cream on the top. Then add some strawberries and blueberries on the top, slice and serve. Even the kids will like it! How about making some sugar cookies and alternating white, blue and red icing with different color sprinkles? Try this on the white cookies sprinkle blue, on the red cookies sprinkle white and on the blue cookies sprinkle red. Festive and cute is a great idea!

Try blue cheese dip on slices of red pepper, or sour cream and salsa on blue tortilla chips for a great appetizer.
Why not take a slice of garlic bread and add a slice of tomato and a slice of mozzarella cheese and broil for just a minute and make a quick bruschetta? This will be a great Italian 4th of July!

Independence Day punch is a great way to celebrate the 4th! Take 3 c. of ginger ale, 2 c. of cranberry juice, 6 c. of orange juice, and a 20 ounce package of strawberries and serve in a punch bowl. Serve in blue, white and red cups to make your punch a festive treat on that day! Even though it is not white, red or blue, sweet tea is a great American tradition and a great thirst quencher on a hot summer day!

What about a great summer freeze drink? Take ½ c. of frozen blueberries, 1 c. of whipped cream, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and some sugar to make it taste right and blend together. Add some strawberries on top and you have a white, red and blue taste sensation!

White, red and blue should be the colors of the day! Wear them and be proud to be an American! Play God Bless America, the Star Spangled Banner and Proud to be an American as background music to this great day. And if you have a flag be sure to fly it with pride! With all of our troops all over the world, let’s make sure they know we support them in any way we can!

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Fabulous Fourth Finger Foods

June 25, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
bluefireworks

bluefireworksWho needs forks when it comes to the 4th of July? Some of the best things to eat you can eat with your fingers. Grab them on the run to the next throw together softball game with the family or as you are going to push the kids on the swing set. Just grab and go food is some of the best you can find.

Hot dogs are always a favorite on the 4th of July. Wrap a package of hot dogs in a package of crescent rolls and fix like the package says. Serve with a favorite barbecue sauce, ranch dressing or even the reliable standby of ketchup. Great to eat on the run and the kids will love them!

Serve this next treat with some blue cheese or ranch dressing and some celery and you have a hit on your hands. Take some chicken nuggets and fix like the package says. Toss in barbecue sauce or some hot sauce and serve!

If pita bread is a favorite with your family, try these tasty little treats. Combine a package of Italian dressing mix and cream cheese and place on a slice of pita bread. Slice a cucumber and pat dry. Place cucumber slices on top of the cream cheese mixture and top with another slice of prepared pita bread. Cut like a pizza into triangles and serve!

How about Mexican finger foods? There are a couple of great ideas. Mix together some taco meat and place a spoonful inside some Scoops. Add some sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese and these are bite sized delights! Using the same taco meat mixture, place some cheese and a couple of spoonfuls of meat into pre-softened tortilla shells then roll. Spread with oil, place on a cookie sheet in a 350F oven and cook until they are crisp.

Vegetables also make great pick ‘em up and eat ‘em food. Slice a zucchini into thin slices. Add your favorite seasonings like lemon pepper, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Fry in oil in a skillet until brown on both sides. After each group, wipe the skillet out so the zucchini doesn’t turn black while cooking.

Olives and cheese are the main ingredients for the next 4th of July treat. You will need a jar of olives, sharp shredded cheese (2 cups), 1/2 pound of margarine or butter, and 1 cup of flour. Using a food processor, combine the butter and cheese and process until smooth. Add flour (about 1 cup) and blend well. Dough should be about 1/4 in. thick after rolling, cut into squares (2 in.). Place olive in the center of square and close. Bake at 350F until crisp on a baking sheet. Remove from oven, cool and eat!

Tortillas aren’t just for Mexican food. Take a flour tortilla and spread with a mixture of 2 tablespoons applesauce, cream cheese (1/2 package) and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Place a slice of turkey on each one and roll. Place in the frig after wrapping with plastic wrap for about 2 hours. Remove, slice and you have a wonderful treat that is cold and refreshing.

As you can see, the 4th of July doesn’t have to be a lot of hard work but can be an enjoyable day that you can spend with family and friends celebrating our independence! Eat and enjoy!

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Cold Food for Independence Day

June 23, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
watermelon

watermelonIndependence Day comes in one of the hottest months of the year. Just the thought of turning on the oven or stove can make you sweat! Why not try to make some easy cold food salads to please your guests, family and friends?

Fruit salad is a wonderful choice for a cold treat. Using strawberries, 2 c., raspberries, 2 c., watermelon, 5 c. cubed, 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped, and blue cheese crumbles, 1 c. mix together in a bowl. Toss with about 1/2 c. raspberry vinaigrette. Refrigerate and serve.

Cook 1 package of macaroni shells and combine 1 green pepper chopped 1 jar pimiento, 1 onion chopped, 1 c. pickles chopped, and ½ c. celery chopped in a bowl. Blend in 1/2 c. miracle whip or mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 1/4 c. of sugar. Chill for about 2 hours and serve. Add salt and pepper before serving.

Even though Mexico doesn’t celebrate our 4th of July, you can still serve a great cold Mexican style salad! In a bowl, combine 3 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro, 4 green onions finely chopped, 1/2 finely chopped red onion, 2 diced Roma tomatoes, 1 medium diced red pepper, 2 cans rinsed and drained black beans and 2 cans drained corn (whole kernel). In a smaller bowl, mix the dressing which is 1 clove of mashed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, cayenne and pepper and salt to taste. Mix the dressing into the other ingredients and presto you have a wonderful cold Independence Day salad.

Vegetables make a wonderful salad. Combine 1 can of each of the following vegetables in a large bowl: drained green beans, French style, drained, English peas, drained, whole kernel shoe peg corn, 1 jar of drained pimientos, 1 c. celery chopped, 1 finely chopped pepper, and 1 bunch chopped green onions. In a large sauce pan, 3/4 c. vinegar, 1/2 c. oil, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 Tbsp. water, and 1/2 c. of sugar and boil until the sugar is fully dissolved. Mix dressing into the vegetable mixture and refrigerate overnight. Even the kids will love this great vegetable treat!

Torn greens make a surprisingly good cold food salad. Wash and tear 8 cups of salad greens, 3 c. blueberries, 2 c. strawberries sliced and hulled 4 oz. Blue cheese crumbled and place in a medium bowl. Top with a dressing mixture of 1/4 c. red onions minced, ¼ c. blueberry chutney, 1/4 c. raspberry or blueberry vinegar, pepper and salt to taste then incorporate 2/3 c. oil. What a great blue, white and red tossed salad!

Even though the 4th of July may be hot, your food doesn’t have to be! Be creative and have a salad supper with neighbors and family instead of slaving over a stove or oven all day. Instead play with the kids and have a great time!

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Cherries and Nuts Ice Cream

June 14, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
cherries

cherriesWhat You Need:

1 (10 oz.) jar red maraschino cherries,
2 C half and half
2 C whipping cream
1 C brown sugar, packed
1 T vanilla extract
3/4 C pecans, chopped

How to Make It:

Drain the cherries reserving 1/3 C of the juice.
Chop the cherries into bite size pieces and set aside.
Place the reserved juice into a mixing bowl.
Pour the half and half in with the juice and stir to combine.
Add the whipping cream to the mixture.
Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.
Add the vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze as directed by the manufacturer.
Fold in the cherries and nuts being sure they are blended in well.
Ripen the ice cream for 4 hours.

Makes 16 servings

This very creamy ice cream is great barefoot. If using it as a dessert, add a little chocolate syrup over the top just before serving. It also makes a great milk shake on a hot summer day.

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Chocolate Mocha Soft Serve Ice Cream

June 13, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

butter-nut-ice-creamWhat You Need:

1 1/2 C of sugar
2 1/2 T of instant coffee crystals
4 C of milk
1 T vanilla
2 C of whipping cream
1/2 C miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

How to Make It:

Place the sugar and coffee crystals together in a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Pour the milk and vanilla into the bowl and stir until the sugar and coffee have dissolved.
Add the whipping cream and stir until completely blended in.
Gently fold the chocolate pieces into the mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions for your maker.
Ripen the ice cream for 4 hours if desired.

Makes 16 servings

Be sure to ripen this ice cream to get the perfect soft serve consistency

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Vanilla Pudding Banana Ice Cream

June 12, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

ice-cream-dish-with-sprinklesWhat You Need:

3 eggs
1 T vanilla
1 (13 oz.) can Milnot
2 C of sugar
1 (4 oz.) box of vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
2 very ripe bananas

How to Make It:

Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla and Milnot and whisk to combine.
Dump in the sugar and the pudding mix.
Beat the mixture on medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.
Mash the bananas with a fork in a separate bowl.
Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture stirring until well blended.
Place the mixture in the freezer canister of the ice cream maker.
Freeze as directed by the manufacturer.
Ripen the ice cream for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 2 quarts

The bananas are optional in this recipe but they add flavor to this simple ice cream. It’s the perfect way to cool off on those hot summer evenings.

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Tropical Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

June 11, 2009 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
coconut

coconutWhat You Need:

2 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1 C unsweetened coconut milk
1 C sugar
2 C whipping cream
1 T lemon juice
1 T vanilla
1 1/3 C coconut, toasted

How to Make It:

Place the evaporated milk ad coconut milk together in a large mixing bowl.
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
Add the whipping cream to the bowl.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla and blend until all the ingredients are combined together well.
Fold the toasted coconut into the mixture until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the ice cream maker and freeze as directed by the manufacturer.
Ripen the ice cream at least 4 hours.

Makes 12 servings

To easily toast coconut lay it in a single layer in the bottom of shallow pan or cookie sheet. Place the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven and toast 8 minutes or until browned, being sure to stir occasionally for even browning.

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