Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard

A featured recipe from Eating Well Magazine....

very kid friendly, and ready in about 20 minutes.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half crosswise (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

eparation

1. Mash blackberries (or raspberries), mustard and honey in a small bowl until it looks like a chunky sauce.
2. Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat (discard any leftover cornmeal).
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken, turning once or twice, until browned and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total (thinner nuggets will cook faster than thicker ones). Serve the chicken nuggets with the berry mustard.

Tips & Notes

• Chicken tenders are the lean strips of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken nuggets.”

Chinese Style Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground turkey
3 cups cooked rice
3 tablesppoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
12 diced onion
1 teaspoon diced garlic
11/2 cup diced Chinese vegetables
4 large bell peppers.
2 teaspoons Thai style chili sauce

Brown turkey burger, crubling as it cooks, add veggies, onion and garlic, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce cook until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Add the cooked rice mix well. Set aside to cool

Cut the very top off the peppers  carefully remove the core. Scrape out the white membrane. Fill the peppers with the mix rice mixture.

Top each pepper with an additional tablespoon of teriyaki sauce.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower cut into chunks

1 small onion

1 small bell pepper

5 tablespoons butter

3 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons of salt

Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a large stock pot. Add the onion and 1/2 the bell pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes until tender. 

Add the water and 1/2 the cauliflower. Set aside one cup.   Bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.  The simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Add the rest of the cauliflower and simmer for another 15 minutes. 

Mean while, melt the rest of the butter in a small sauté pan. 

Cut the cup of cauliflower in small florets. Sauté them with the rest of the bell pepper for 15 minutes. 

Blend the cauliflower until smooth. Add enough of the cooking liquid to make on smooth, but not too thick. It should coat a spoon. 

Stir in the rest of the salt. Serve with a garnish of the sautéed veggies. 

  

Lift Your Mood With Food

Top 4 Food Strategies to Lift Your Mood

 

Are you feeling as chipper as you’d like? When negative feelings have taken hold of you, you might have tried adjusting sleeping patterns and ramping up workouts to combat their ill effects. However, it’s likely that they didn’t fully adjust your mood.

 

That's probably because you overlooked one major factor. How and what you eat can have a significant impact on your mood each day. And while you're busy eating high-sugar foods to "comfort" yourself, you're doing more harm than good.

 

Adjusting from a cranky mood to a cheerful one is actually more about what you feed your body than anything else. By making wise, healthy food choices, you can expect your mood to improve almost immediately.

 

Use these food strategies to uplift you and heighten your positive feelings:

 

1.      Cut the sugar. Be warned. Sugar is the enemy of stable, positive moods! You'll almost always get a rush from a sugar binge. But you can almost always expect the crash that comes when it hits your blood stream, too!

·        Sugar sometimes helps when there are other factors affecting your energy level. But avoid turning to it as your source of energy.

·        Remember that sugary foods have other negative effects apart from the crash. Excess sugar is stored in your body and puts you at risk for weight gain, skin reactions, and even diabetes.

2.      Increase intake of nutrient-rich foods. While many nutrient-rich foods might not be as "exciting" as sugar, they're better for you. They help your bodily functions perform optimally and actually elevate your mood.

·        Folate, thiamine, and magnesium are believed to heighten your mood. Research has shown that these minerals positively impact those with depression.

·        Although you may not be suffering from depression, you can likely expect the minerals to work wonders for your mood over time.

·        Choose foods like lentils, leafy greens, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds as great sources of these minerals.

3.      Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Try breaking your arsenal of healthy foods into smaller meals. It might take more effort to have five meals instead of three, but your results will make your effort worthwhile.

·        Larger meals are harder for your body to process. Your metabolism slows down after consumption of a large meal. As a result, you'll likely feel sluggish.

·        Sluggishness doesn’t always lead to a bad mood. But lacking the energy to be productive can result in a negative outcome. That can, in turn, affect your mood!

4.      Stay hydrated. You've heard lots of stories about water doing wonders for your body. But you probably didn’t know that lack of it affects your mood. Believe it or not, water may be the key to addressing that lingering bad mood you've been in.

·        Neglecting to stay hydrated daily can lead to uncomfortable side effects. In most cases, a mildly dehydrated person experiences headaches, fatigue, tension, and anxiety.

·        These things definitely affect your mood, and you'll quickly become the person nobody wants to be around!

·        Dehydration also impacts concentration, reasoning, and alertness. It's very easy to get frustrated with yourself when you're far from being on the ball.

 

It's always important to consider the impact of diet. Remember that your body performs in accordance with what you give it. Give it a healthy selection of foods so it has the best chance to keep you in a positive state of mind!

Lemony Garlic Pork

1 2 pound pork roast

1 fresh lemon

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 teaspoons uncrushed sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Place the roast in a shallow backing dish. Rub with salt, pepper and garlic. 

Slice the lemon in 5 or 6 thin slices. Place on the top of the roast. Sprinkle with rosemary. 

Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the pork. 

Bake a 400 for 45 minutes, or until heated through to 160. 

Cookie Time!

Cookie Time!. What are your favorite Chirstmas cookies? These are mine.

 

 

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 12 ouce package red and green baking chips

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

 

cream butter and sugar together. when smooth, add the eggs and vanilla continue beating until fluffy.

add the salt, soda. then add the flour a little at a time.

when the batter is smooth and all the flour well incorpoated, stir in the chips, raisins and pecans.

 

Take a teaspoon full and roll it into a ball. this will be a sticky batter (A little flour in the palm of your hands keeps the batter from sticking). Set on a cookie sheet a few inches apart.

 

Bake at 375 degres for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Set on a rack to cool. Depending on the size of the cookie the yeild is 3 to 5 dozen.

Enjoy, oops looks like a big 2 legged mouse got into one.

Apple Cranberry Sald

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, so please pass the salad.

Christmas dinner does not have to be big and overloaded with calories. 

Try this from Kraft. 

Apple Cranberry Salad

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 8 servings, 1-1/2 cups each
 
1 bag (10 oz.) mixed salad greens  
2 medium apples, sliced  
1 cup PLANTERS Walnut Halves, toasted  
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries  
1/2 cup sliced green onions  
1/2 cup KRAFT LIGHT DONE RIGHT! Raspberry Vinaigrette Reduced Fat Dressing  

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 200  Total fat 11g  Saturated fat 1g  Cholesterol 0mg  Sodium 140mg  Carbohydrate 25g  Dietary fiber 3g  Sugars 19g  Protein 3g  Vitamin A 10%DV  Vitamin C 15%DV  Calcium 4%DV  Iron 4%DV

10 Nifty Things to put in your Crock Pot

10 Nifty to do with a crock pot this winter

1.    Lasagna

a.    Layer no bake lasagna noodles with meat and cheese and sauce. Cook in the crock pot for 6 hours on low.

2.    Baked Potatoes

a.    Wash 6 large baking potatoes, scrub well, wrap each tightly in aluminum foil, place in the bottom of the crock pot, add ½ inch of water. Cook on high until tender. Check to make sure to check the water periodically.

3.    BBQ Pork

a.    Trim the excess fat from a 4 lb pork roast sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in the crock pot for 2 hours. Pour off excess liquid. Then add favorite BBQ sauce and continue cooking on low for 6 more hours.

4.    Berry Cobbler

a.    Spray the inside of the crock with cooking spray. Put a one pound package of mix frozen berries into the crock. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix 1 cup of flour, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup milk, mix until smooth. Spoon over the berries and cook for 3 hours, serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

5.    Chocolate Smores Brownie Cake

a.    Spray the inside of the crock with a little cooking spray. Mix 1 box of brownie mix with ¼ cup of softened butter and 1 egg and pour into the bottom of the crock pot. Then mix 1 package of chocolate chip mix ¼ cup of butter and 1 egg. Drop that by spoonfuls in to the crock pot. Cook for 3 hours on high, then add 1 cup of marshmallows and 1 cup crumbled graham crackers. Cook an additional 20 minutes until the marshmallows are melted.

 

6.    Play dough for the kids

                                          i.    Mix 2 C flour, 1 C cornstarch, 1 C salt, 1/4 C cream of tartar, 2 C hot water, 2 t oil,. Cook in the crock pot for 30 minutes, stirring after 15, after it forms a ball, take it out and mix in a few drops of food coloring. If it is too sticky, add a couple of tablespoons of water. Wait until it cools and have fun.

7.    Make candles

a.    You need wax, (soy works best) candle holders, wicks with a base, put an inch of water in the crock pot, add the candle holders, break up small pieces of wax and place in each holder, put crock pot on warm, let the wax melt. Add a few drops of scent, and the wick. Turn off the crock pot and let them cool completely before taking them out. After that enjoy.      

 

8.    Potpourri

a.    Add whole cloves, star anise cinnamon sticks, oranges pieces and cranberries. Add just enough water to cover; there will be a wonderful scent in the air. Don’t let it boil dry check the water from time to time.

9.     

a.    Mulled Wine.

2 (750 ml) bottles, of wine preferably merlot, 2 oranges sliced, 1/2 cup honey, 8 whole cloves, 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise, 1cup cranberries, add all ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on low until it starts to simmer. Remove the anise and the cloves. Put crock pot on warm. Keep warm during the party or gathering

10.  Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

a.    One pound of sausage cooked, a 2 pound cornbread crumbled, 1 tablespoon sage,  2 cups chicken stock 2 cups finely chopped onion 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery 1/4 teaspoon salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste. Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook for 3 hours. This will make one less item to have to put in the oven for your holiday feast.

Beef Fillets with Balsamic Rasperry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 (about 4 ounces each) bacon wrapped fillets
• ¼  teaspoon(s) salt
• ½ teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil

Raspberry-Balsamic Sauce

• 1 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoon(s) seedless red raspberry jam
• ¼ cup fresh raspberries
• ¼ teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper

---

Directions

1. Prepare Fillets: Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.
2. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add fillets and cook 2 to 3 minutes for medium, turning steaks over once. Transfer fillets to an oven safe pan and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or to desired doneness. When fillets are done, transfer to platter with any juice; cover with foil.
3. Prepare sauce:  In the skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add red onion and 1/4 cup water and cook about 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in balsamic vinegar and another 1/4 cup water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute or until slightly reduced. Remove skillet from heat; stir in jam, parsley, and pepper until blended. Return fillets with their juice to skillet, and the fresh raspberries; heat through.

 

Brownie Goody Bars

New recipe to try. From Betty Crocker...  Keep you posted how they trun out.

Ingredients

Brownies

2/3  Cup butter or margarine

5 Oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped

1 3/4 Cups granulated sugar

2  Teaspoons vanilla

3 Eggs

1 Cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour*

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts, toasted if desired

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/3  Cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2  Teaspoons vanilla

1 To 2 tablespoons milk

Topping

3/4 Cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

3 Cups crisp rice cereal

1 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 Bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening. In 1-quart saucepan, melt 2/3 cup butter and the unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool 5 minutes.
• 2 In medium bowl beat granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the eggs with electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour just until blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in walnuts. Spread in pan.
• 3 Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 2 hours.
• 4 In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1/3 cup butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Gradually beat in enough remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Frost brownies; sprinkle with peanuts. Refrigerate while making cereal mixture.
• 5 Place cereal in large bowl; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cereal in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Spread over frosted brownies. Cool completely before cutting, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered at room temperature or in refrigerator.

The "eyes" have it.

Potato eyes that is. Or make your own potato crisps.

2 russet potatoes

1 1/2 cups peanut oil

Seasoning of choice. 

Large bowl of water

3 tablespoons of table salt

Slice the potatoes thinly. Use a madaline or slicer. Don't make them any more than about 1/8 inch. 

Add the salt to the bowl of water. As the potatoes are sliced add them to the salted water. 

Let them sit for a least 15 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towls. Get them as dry as possible. Wate and hot oil don't mix. 

Meanwhile heat the oil in a large stock pot. Make sure it's at least 350 before adding the potatoes. 

Cook about 10 minutes on medium heat. 

When the slices are golden transfer to paper towls to drain. 

Add your favorite seasonings .  Cool and enjoy. 

Store them in an airtight container. 

Creamy Peach Coffee Cake

2 cups peaches

3 tablespoons craisins

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking sodas

2 tablespoons ground flax seed 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 cup butter

Pinch of salt

1 egg

1/2 cup butter milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butterscotch chips

In a sauce pan add the peaches and milk bring to a boil over medium heat. Next add the sugar and the craisins. Simmer for 5 minted. Then turn off the heat. 

In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Cut the butter into small cubes. Use a fork or pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour. It should resemble course crumbs. Add a pinch of salt. 

Beat the egg and buttermilk together. Add all at once to the flour. Add the flax and the cinnamon. Mix well.

In a small bowl. Add 1/4 flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar and  butter. Use a knife or pastry cutter to work the butter in. It should look like peas when complete.  

Grease a 8x8 dish. Add the batter speed to the edges. Add the peaches.

Add the streusel to the top. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350. 

Baked Macaroni and Beef

1 pound ground beef browned.
1 package mac and cheese make to package directions
1 can peas drained
4 Roma tomatoes chopped
1 can mushrooms
1 can cream of celery soup
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
 1/2 cup chopped onion and bell pepper mixed
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese


Brown the ground beef breaking it up and crumbling while it's cooking add the in the seasons. Next add the drained peas the mushrooms with the can juices and the tomatoes. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Pour into a casserole dish top with the mac and cheese then the mozzarella cheese and the bread crumbs

Bake at 375 until the top is golden brown.