3/15/12

I do not know where I will go with this today.  The most exciting thing that I have done this past week was a doctor and a dentist visit!  For excitement, you would think I could do better than that! I tried to pad my excitement account with a visit to the nursing home.  I have a new friend who is a patient across the hall from my sister and she is a delight to visit.  She is past her 100th birthday, her mind is in better shape than mine, she is always in a cheerful mood, and she likes me!  I always leave feeling exhilarated from my visit with her. She and my sister both accept their confinement with such courage and contentment that it is a pleasure  to spend time with them.  My aunt is there, too but she has trouble hearing me so that makes a conversation much more difficult. My elderly friend quoted a scripture to me the last time I was there “about God’s mysterious ways his wonders to perform” and said it was certainly a good thing she fell and broke her arm, resulting in her stay at the nursing home, or she would have never met me!  What a way to build someone’s ego! Whenever I feel let down and alone, it is a real treatment to visit with her and it fills my day with magic moments.  It is a pleasure to fill her request for me “to be sure and come back”!

I made the “four ingredient” recipe for Swiss Chicken breasts last week. White meat is not my favorite and therefore made a lot of it for me to eat but it was quite tasty. I finished the last one for my lunch today.  I added a little more liquid and sliced the meat before heating it in a sauce pan. Along with a slice of New York Garlic toast, it made a nice lunch.  I was making it from memory (which is scary) and thought it was mushroom soup. As I searched my pantry cupboard, I discovered someone must have came when I wasn’t home and stole my mushroom soup!  I later reread the recipe and found that it called for the chicken soup that I had used.  I think it would be good with the mushroom soup, too.  If I have a lot of time on my hands, the next time I think I will pound the chicken and then brown it before adding the soup and baking it. That is why I tell everyone to adapt the recipes to suit your family’s preferences.

I rescued a cook book in my box of “ones to go” thinking that I might have missed something good.  After spending some time with it, I decided my original idea was a good one.  I did settle on a couple, but if you do not like them be grateful that I did pass on the one called DEVILED SARDINES and one called SZECHUN NOODLES with PEANUT SAUCE ! By now you will be scared to try the ones I did select.
            
COLE SLAW with CARROTS and RAISINS
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Salt and pepper
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons celery seed
Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, onion, lemon juice, dill weed, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.
Combine cabbage, carrots, raisins and celery seed. Pour in dressing and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

The next one is an ideal appetizer containing only 15 calories per tablespoon with no fat and is high in fiber.  Healthy and I hope it will be tasty.
               
15 CALORIE CHILI BEAN DIP
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained, reserve 3 tablespoonfuls
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Assortment of crisp vegetable sticks
Combine drained beans, liquid, vinegar, chili powder and cumin in blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in onion and parsley. Refrigerate until chilled and serve with ice-cold vegetable sticks.

If you ever want a delicious spread for on hot biscuits, rolls, corn bread or whole grain and oatmeal breads, mix I stick of butter with ¼ cup of honey.
This recipe book is going back in the “to go” box!