Okay, I know this isn’t a recipe idea, but it’s about food and it’s about dinner and I thought it was a really cool idea, so I had to share. I am reading Coop by Michael Perry (which is a delightful book) and part of the book is about him sharing anecdotes about his life growing up on a farm. He comes from a large family and one of the traditions his family had was that every Sunday they would have popcorn, apple slices and cheese for dinner. The coolest part about their Sunday tradition though, in my opinion, is that on those Sundays, while they were munching on their popcorn around the dinner table, everyone was allowed to read during dinner. They could bring a magazine, a book, a newspaper, whatever, but everyone read, no matter how old. I love it! The author also goes on to talk about how now that all of his brothers and sisters are grown and many of them have their own kids, they all meet up at their parents’ house each Sunday and guess what’s for dinner???? You guessed it. They don’t read anymore, there’s too many people, but it’s time that the adults get to spend together chatting and the cousins run around the house. It’s simple things like this that memories are made of.
Category Archives: Six Ingredients or Less
Popcorn, Apples and Cheese for Dinner
Puff Up Pancakes
You know that look people get on their faces when they bite into something they have never tasted before and it turns out to be a little taste of heaven in their mouths? That’s the face our boys made this morning when they ate this. Wowzer…so good!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tspn. vanilla
Instructions:
Melt butter in a 9×13-inch pan in oven while oven is preheating to 425 degrees.
Mix eggs, flour, milk and vanilla with wire wisk.
When butter is melted and oven is ready, add batter to 9 x 13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with butter and maple syrup or maybe fresh fruit and powdered sugar.
What did the family think? Too good for words.
This is a fun recipe to make because it puffs UP. Our boys thought it was pretty cool how puffed up it got. That said, make sure you put it on a middle or lower rack in your oven.
from The Farmer’s Wife
Ice Cream
I found out about this recipe from a gal from church and this stuff is so good it will make you weep. It was our first attempt at making ice cream in our new ice cream maker, so we kept it simple and just made vanilla.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 tspn. salt
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half and half
2 1/4 tspn. vanilla extract
Instructions:
In a heavy saucepan combine all of the ingredients except the vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and cool quickly by placing the pan in a bowl filled with ice. Continue to stir the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to make the mixture into ice cream, pour it into your ice cream maker along with the vanilla and continue from there following the directions on your ice cream maker.
What did the family think? Heavens to Betsy this stuff is good!!! It is not for those watching their weight either…did you check out all the cream that goes into this? Yowsers! We had some after lunch today with just a few mini chocolate chips sprinkled in it and then tonight we went gangbusters and made ice cream sandwiches. We had some oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies that we used and then we rolled the sandwiches in mini-chocolate chips so they stuck to the ice cream. Too sweet for me, but the boys loved them.
from allrecipes.com via LeeAnn
Cinnamon and Cocoa Popcorn
I read an article somewhere on-line today about the top ten foods kids should be eating. Two of them were cocoa and cinnamon. It also said a good way to get your kids to eat these two things was to put it on their popcorn. So, after a post-dinner swim tonight, the boys decided to settle in and watch a movie and they requested popcorn. Perfect! I happened to have some cinnamon and cocoa on hand. I asked them which one they wanted. Our youngest said neither and the oldest said he wanted the cinnamon and cocoa combined.
Ingredients:
Popcorn
Cinnamon and/or cocoa
Large Ziploc baggie
Instructions:
Place popped popcorn in a large Ziploc baggie. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or cocoa. Zip up the Ziploc and shake. Serve.
What did the family think? Like I said, our oldest tried the cinnamon and the cocoa together. He ate it for a while and then decided the cocoa tasted like coffee (which he doesn’t like). He said next time he wanted to try it with just cinnamon. That said, I think I put in too much cocoa. Next time I will start off with a little cinnamon and then add more if he says he wants more. I will do that with the cocoa too if I can get him to try it again. Sometimes less is more.
Banana Dogs
Banana dogs are not for the more gastronomically sophisticated people in your house…but they might be great for the ten and under crowd. I used to make these all the time when our oldest was younger and then just forgot about them. We brought them back this summer though and they are a hit all over again.
Ingredients:
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hot dog bun
Banana
Instructions:
Put peanut butter and jelly on a hot dog bun like you were making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Put a banana where the hot dog should be. Enjoy!
What does the family think? Our oldest has eaten these just about every morning of summer break for breakfast. He also likes them for lunch, but only if he didn’t already eat one for breakfast. 🙂
Ranch Potato Salad
This was a hit at our 4th of July dinner…a little twist on the original and easy to make, too.
Ingredients:
7 small boiling potatoes
4 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup ranch dressing (more or less depending on how saucy you want it)
Instructions:
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, let cool and then cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Gently toss and place in frig for at least and hour or so.
What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked this with the ranch dressing. Yum! The boys aren’t big ranch dressing fans or potato fans so….
from ABC News
Filed under Salad, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less
Chicken, Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper Wrap
These are super easy and super yummy and a great way to use leftover chicken.
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat tortilla
2 T hummus
1/2 c. shredded chicken
Roasted red peppers
Creamy caesar dressing
Lettuce
Instructions:
Spread hummus on tortilla. Top hummus with chicken, a few roasted red pepper strips, a little caesar dressing and garnish with lettuce.
So easy and great on a hot summer day.
from Cooking Light
Filed under Chicken, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make
Avocado Sandwich
So pure and simple it has to be good…
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread
Instructions:
Cut, pit and peel an avocado. Put the “meat” of the avocado in a bowl. Mash up avocado until there are just a few chunks…you don’t want it too mushy. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon onto the avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Stir. Spread on a piece of bread/toast and top with another piece of bread/toast. Enjoy!
I just had it with some really good bread that I toasted. That’s it…just toast and the avocado mixture. You may also want to have it with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. I have even seen a recipe to try it with a fried egg. I would have tried that if I’d had one.
What did the family think? I had this for lunch by myself and even if I could have shared with them I wouldn’t have. It’s too good to share. 🙂
from The Hungry Mouse
Peanut Butter Krispies
These are good as is…if you want to really go the extra mile, though, melt some chocolate and drizzle it over the top. Your taste buds will thank you.
Ingredients:
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1 T butter
10 1/2 oz. bag miniature marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispy cereal
Cooking spray
3/4 c. peanut butter chips
Directions:
Combine the peanut butter and the butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds or until mixture melts. Add marshmallows and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or until mixture melts stirring every 30 seconds. Add cereal and stir well. Pat cereal into a 13×9-inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
Place peanut butter chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until chips begin to melt. Spoon melted chips into a small heavy duty Ziploc bag and seal it up. Snip a very tiny hole in one corner of the bag. Drizzle peanut butter chips over cereal mixture.
Did I change anything? The only thing I have done differently is that I have melted chocolate chips the same way the peanut butter chips were melted and added the chocolate drizzle in addition to the peanut butter chip drizzle. Yum!
What did the family think? I have never made these for my family. I have, however, made them for the neighbors at Christmas.
from Cooking Light
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Strawberries are in abundance right now…you should give this a try and you don’t have to know how to can either. That’s why it’s called freezer jam, you stick it in the freezer instead of canning. I made two batches last year. I kept some for myself and gave the rest to neighbors. Your neighbors will thank you. 🙂 This recipes makes about eight 10-ounce jars.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. strawberries
1 cup apple juice
1/2 c. water
1 package No Sugar Needed Pectin
1 T lemon juice
1 c. honey
Directions:
Clean and stem berries. Mash berries in a bowl. You can use the back of a large spoon or a potato masher.
In a small saucepan, whisk together apple juice, water and pectin. Bring to a hard boil and boil for one minute.
Add lemon juice and honey to berries and stir well. Add in hot pectin mixture and stir well to make sure everything is combined.
Ladle into clean jars and screw on lids. Put them in the refrigerator for a few hours to set up and then transfer to freezer to store.
After opening one, make sure to eat it within a week.
from cuizoo.com
Filed under Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian