Homemade Orange Creamsicles

Creamy, icy, satisfying and rich! http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-orange-creamsicles/

• 2 cups orange juice
• up to 1/3 cup honey
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups fresh cream
• 2 cups fresh whole milk
• 4 to 6 drops organic sweet orange essential oil or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Homemade Creamsicles: Method

1. Stir 1/3 cup honey into 2 cups orange juice.
2. Pour the mixture of juice and honey into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and heat it over a medium flame until reduced by half.
3. Once the mixture of honey and orange juice has been reduced by half to a viscous syrup, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. Whisk four egg yolks, two cups fresh cream and two cups fresh whole milk with organic sweet orange essential oil or orange extract and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Continue whisking until all the ingredients are very well combined.
5. Whisk the mixture of honey and orange juice into the mixture of eggs, cream and milk.
6. Pour the creamsicle mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze until solid, at least twelve hours.

NOTE: If you do not have popsicle molds, try using Dixie cups and popsicle sticks. Pour the mixture into dixie cups, place in the freezer and after four to six hours place popsicle sticks into the center of each cup and continue to freeze for at least an additional six hours.

Slow-Cook Once for Multiple Healthy Meals

by Monica Resinger - Used by permission

Description: Tips for cooking up a batch of chicken in the crock pot and using it to prepare three healthy meals.

I have found a wonderful way to save even more time with the slowcooker, and that is to cook a few day's worth of meat at once, then use the cooked meat for a few night's worth of upcoming meals. You will need a large slowcooker for this; if you don't have a large slowcooker, don't go out and buy one brand new since they are abundant at thrift stores.

Because I am working at healthier meals for my family, this article will be referring to boneless skinless chicken breast, but the idea can be applied with any meat.

The first day, after spraying the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (great tip for easy clean-up), I added a few cut-up carrots to the bottom of the crock and seasoned them with seasoning salt. You could add any vegetables of your choice that would go with any of your upcoming meals. Then I added layers of boneless skinless chicken breast to the top (probably around 3-4 lbs. worth), seasoning each layer with fresh chopped garlic and seasoning salt (an added benefit... your house will smell SO good all day long). Be sure to trim any fat off the breast before adding to the pot. I added about 1/2 cup of water, placed the lid on top, turned the slow cooker on low, and cooked about 8 hours. Very easy work for enough succulent cooked meat for at least 3 days' meals!

MEAL #1: The first night we had chicken sandwiches. After spraying a pan with non-stick cooking spray, I toasted onion buns over medium heat, then let the family add their own condiments like sliced tomato and onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard, etc., and a piece of the cooked chicken. They were delicious! I served oven fries with the sandwiches... simply slice potatoes, put them on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, spray the potatoes with the spray, season and cook at 400F for 40-60 minutes. These are better than the ones drenched in oil...honestly, and I am one that loves deep-fried french fries and all the fattening foods!

MEAL #2: Since I have some more onion buns from meal #1, I will make a delicious barbecue sauce (you can use bottled if you prefer), then add chunked up chicken to the sauce and serve that over the toasted onion buns. We'll have the carrots that were cooked with the chicken and baked potatoes on the side.

MEAL #3: I'll make a delicious marinara sauce, then add cut-up cooked chicken to it and serve over spaghetti with garlic bread on the side. A great way to add flavor and nutrients to spaghetti or marinara sauce is to add finely minced carrots, celery or other vegetables to the sauce. You can saute them along with the onions, or add them straight to the sauce.

These are just a few ideas. Chicken is so versatile that there are endless ideas for using the cooked meat in meals. You could do salads, soups, casseroles and more. If you are making a soup, be sure to use the delicious broth that this creates!

I hope this gives you inspiration for dusting off your slow cooker and putting it to use...they are such a great way to save time, even if you use them for one night's meal.

If you are interested in slow cooker recipes, check out The Slowcooker E-Cookbook here: http://homemakersjournal.com/slowcooker.htm. If you are interested in chicken recipes, check out the Down Home Chicken Recipe E-book here: http://homemakersjournal.com/chickenrecipes.htm. Get Monica's FREE weekly e-zine for homemakers! To subscribe, just send a blank e-mail to: HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Toasty Oatmeal, Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix, Oatmeal Raisin Scones

Sow Your Own Oats
02/11/2011 - by Mary Hunt - Used by permission

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Having oatmeal for breakfast is a great way to start your day—any day—but it’s especially nice when it’s really cold outside. Aside from providing you with tons of nutritional benefits, oatmeal is way cheap—at about $.15 or less per serving. And if you put your mind to it, a humble bowl of oats can be dressed up in so many tasty ways.

Oatmeal contains tons of nutrients like vitamin E, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc, all excellent protein sources. So, not only is oatmeal a popular household food, it also eliminates the requirement for multi-vitamins.

 

Well-known chains that offer breakfast-on-the-go, Starbucks and Jamba Juice, have now gotten into the act—selling a dime’s worth of oats for $3 a cup. And McDonald’s has just announced the addition of jazzed up fruit and maple oatmeal to its menu, starting with 14,000 of its restaurants.

 

The following recipes for yummy ways to fix inexpensive oats are from The Frugal Foodie Cookbook, by Lara Starr (Viva Editions, 2009).

Toasty Oatmeal

 

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (not instant or quick-cooking oats)

7 1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

In a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oats and toast them, stirring often, until they smell nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the boiling water and cover the pot. Stir frequently, about every 5 minutes. After about 15 minutes, if the oatmeal is too thick, add water 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Continue cooking and stirring for another 10-15 minutes.

 

To make ahead, let the oatmeal cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Servings: 7.

 

 

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix

 

2 1/2 cups instant oats

5 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 cup raisins or other dried fruit

3 tablespoons dry milk powder

 

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and portion into 5 servings in reusable containers. To serve, add 3/4 cup very hot water to 1 serving of the mix. Let stand until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if the oatmeal is too thick. Servings: 5.

 

 

Oatmeal Raisin Freezer Scones

 

Not only does Starbucks serve up hot oatmeal in the mornings, it also boasts the best oatmeal raisin scones. And they’re about as pricey as their oatmeal, too. You can save a lot of money, and calories, too, by making nutritious scones yourself. Home-baked scones freeze like a dream and taste so much better than the ones you buy. Pop one out of the freezer and into the oven while you’re getting ready in the morning and you’ll have a hot, fragrant treat waiting to ride with you to work.

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, divided

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of food processor. Pulse 10 to 12 times. Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and distribute over the dry ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the raisins.

 

Add 1 cup milk and mix until blended. Gather into a ball with floured hands and divide in half. On a floured surface, pat half of the dough into an 8-inch round. Cut into wedges. Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the wedges to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until scones are firm to the touch and golden.

 

While the scones are baking, mix 1 tablespoon milk with the granulated sugar and the cinnamon to make a glaze. Remove the scones from the oven and brush them with the glaze while still hot.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature. To freeze, cool completely and store in a heavy-duty freezer bag or wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Yield: 16 scones.

 

 

©Copyright 2011 Mary Hunt
www.debtproofliving.com

No Bake Snowballs

2011:

With snow in the forecast for many in the U.S., here's a perfect project to do with your children!  If you lose power, I suppose you could do a lot of chopping with a chef's knife or food chopper, and still make these snowballs!

2 cups pecans or almonds, chopped
1 ½ cups dried apricot, finely chopped
1 ½ cups coconut, shredded and unsweetened
honey or maple syrup - just enough to hold together

Place an “S” blade in food processor.  With the machine running, alternately add the nuts, dried apricots and sweetener until well mixed.  It will form a ball when done.  Roll into small balls; set aside.  Place coconut in a shallow bowl and roll the fruit and nut balls in the coconut, coating them well, before arranging them on a serving dish.  These freeze well. 

Yield: 25 Snowballs 

Honey Wheat Bread

This is the tried and true recipe that I've used for about thirty-five years.  Thanks to Julie Pizzino for sharing this recipe with me!

Dissolve yeast in water:
4 Tbsp. dry yeast
5 cups warm water (not too hot, but very warm)

Add:
1 cup honey
6 Tbsp. olive oil

Measure and add gradually, beating or kneading in a mixer:
*6 cups whole wheat flour    
*6 cups unbleached flour       
1 Tbsp. sea salt

*If using freshly milled flour from golden wheat berries, you can use 12 cups of all whole wheat flour and no unbleached.  I buy Prairie Gold hard wheat, grown in Montana, in 50 pound bags.

Knead by hand on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes, or by machine until the dough is not sticky, but not too dry.  A little more flour will be necessary.  

Place in a greased basin.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a slightly warm place if possible until double.  

Grease 4-5 loaf pans while dough is rising.  Punch down.  Knead again for a minute to remove air bubbles. 

Shape the dough into loaves by flattening, then rolling into a tube.  Turn under the ends, shaping evenly.  Place in pans.

Let dough rise in the pans until doubled in size.  A warm area is helpful in speeding up the process.   Set pans in oven preheated to 350 degrees, being careful not to bump them.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

I cut one down the center to be sure they are all done.

Get out the butter and enjoy this healthy treat!

I slice the bread when completely cool, using an electric knife, and store in freezer bags in the freezer.

Granola Pops and Granola Bars

Granola Pops

1/2 cup honey                     
1 cup sucanat                     
1/2 cup melted butter         
2 tsp. vanilla flavoring        
3 cups oatmeal, uncooked
1 1/2 cups dried fruit, seeds, unsweetened coconut,nuts
3/4 cup sweetened carob chips
Large pretzel rods - use as sticks

        Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix honey, sucanat, butter and vanilla.  Gradually stir in the remaining ingredients, expect the pretzels.  The mixture needs to be sticky enough to mold around the pretzel sticks.
        Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using 1/2 cup of the sticky granola mixture, shape into a long log
and wrap around a large pretzel rod. The shape doesn't matter so much now, because you will reshape after baking.  Place the granola sticks on a baking sheet, allowing plenty of room between.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and quickly remold the granola around the pretzel sticks with two table knives.  As the granola mixture cools it will harden on the stick.

To Make Granola Bars

Spray a 9 x13" baking dish.  Firmly press the granola mixture into the pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife.   Double the recipe and spread in a large bar pan for a healthy snack.

Outdoor Grilling - Delicious Savory Potatoes and Onions

Spray a large piece of foil with canola or olive oil.  Slice several potatoes and a large onion onto the foil.  Add several pats of butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried green herbs. 

Herb suggestions are sweet basil, rosemary, thyme or tarragon for added flavor and nutrition.  Fold foil up tightly and grill on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.  It needs turned over once, half way through the cooking time.  Delicious!   A favorite of ours!

For more grilling recipes:  http://www.pam4you.com/pages/index_flash.jsp

Cooking Eggs / Natural No-Cook Apricot Preserves

Cooking Eggs ~ A trick that I learned from my grandmother to cook the eggs on top without having to flip them over is to put a lid on the pan while they are cooking.  The steam will cook the whites over the yokes and, of course, the longer you leave the egg in the pan the more the yoke will cook so you can have them as “runny” (my brother and I used to call them “dippy eggs.” We liked to dip our toast in the yokes) or as cooked as you like.  My grandmother always cooked our eggs like that for us.  If someone prefers the crispiness of fried eggs then they can cook them as follows:   Grandma Weber’s DIPPY EGGS”  (for those who like to dip their toast).  Heat some butter in skillet. When hot crack eggs into pan and turn heat to medium and put on tight fitting lid. Let cook very briefly (takes only moments really) until the whites around the eggs are starting to get done. Pour in just a few dribbles of cold water and pop the lid back on. Cook until the whites are formed (cooked) over the top of the yoke.  I like this method because I don’t have to flip the eggs and risk breaking the yokes or over cooking the yokes.  My grandmother would also put dippy eggs between pancakes and serve the stack with syrup over top.  My grandfather especially liked them with buckwheat pancakes.  ~ From Tracy Voorhis in Michigan 

Natural No-Cook Apricot Preserves ~ After finding 1 pound containers of dried apricots on sale for $1.99, I bought several, and covered one pound with distilled water in a bowl.  After about 24 hours, some puffed up to a completely round shape.  They are delicious that way.  You can also make natural apricot preserves by blending all of the fruit and some of the liquid in a blender.  If added sweetener is desired, add Stevia, honey or Agave nectar, made from cactus plants in Mexico (all found at health food stores).  Store in the refrigerator.  Delicious! ~ Lois

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies - All Natural

Thanks to Rachael Walton for this recipe! (2006)

1 cup real butter, softened 

1 1/2 cup or less sucanat (evaporated cane sugar found in health food stores)

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour         

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream butter and sucanat.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  Add flour, soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well.  Stir in oats, raisins and walnuts.  Use a small ice cream scoop to place cookie dough on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 350º.  Bake  soon to freeze for school lunches and snacks later - if they last!  Or double the recipe! Best if kept refrigerated.  

Delicious All Natural Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Thanks to Rachael Walton, our future daughter-in-law, for this delicious recipe! (2006)

1 quart whole milk

1 cup honey

1 quart heavy whipping cream

2 -3 tsp. pure natural vanilla

In medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the milk and honey until well mixed.  Stir in cream and vanilla.  Pour into ice cream freezer, fill with ice around the ice cream container.  Pour table salt over the ice.  Repeat one or two times.  It takes about 30 minutes until the ice cream is done and the freezer stalls.  At that time you can either serve it fast, or allow it to become a little more firm in the freezer before serving.  Enjoy!  We sure did!