Seasonal Recipes
December 10th, 2008
Turkey Tetrazzini – a delicious turkey casserole
During the holidays we frequently have extra turkey on hand and one of my favorite dinners is to take the leftover turkey and make a yummy Turkey Tetrazzini.
There are a thousand different recipes and variations for Turkey Tetrazzini, but it is basically:
2 cups turkey,
Can or jar of cream sauce,
1-2 cups spaghetti noodles,
1 can mushrooms
1 cup mixed vegetables for color
Cheese (sprinkled on top)
To make the cream sauce I will often use either a can of cream of chicken soup (and ¼ cup water) or a jar of Ragu Alfredo sauce (my favorite is the low fat cheesy alfredo sauce). I mix the sauce with a can of mushrooms and vegetables. I then add the diced turkey and noodles and mix it up. I sprinkle cheese on the top.
Bake in often at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot.
It is delicious and is a great way to use up the Turkey. Enjoy.
December 8th, 2008
Holiday Party Punch Recipe with Cranberry and Pineapple Juice
This is my all time favorite holiday party punch recipe. The mixture of red cranberry juice gives it a festive look and the pineapple juice lends a sweetness everyone enjoys. My mom used to make this and put it in a large bunch bowl. She would wrap a holiday garland around the base of the bowl for decoration. It was my job to add the cold ginger ale to the bowl right before the guests arrived.
Holiday Party Punch Recipe
Mix and stir the following ingredients until the sugar dissolves.
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon almond extract
Chill the mixture. Add 1 quart Ginger Ale right before serving. Enjoy.
Speaking of the holidays, do you need some holiday gift ideas? Read our Kitchen Gadgets as Holiday Gifts article for some gift giving inspiration.
By: Alexine
Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons. With the foliage turning and birds migrating there is plenty to see when your outdoors. One special activity in the fall is apple picking. This is a great way to get out with the family or your significant other and have some fun. Then if you feel inspired you can bake with those yummy apples. Who wouldn’t want some warm apple pie or apple crisp on a cool autumn night? I know I would and that’s why I’ve put two of my favorite recipes together to share with you all!
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October 2nd, 2008
By: Alexine
Around the Dakotas grows a thorny bush covered in little red berries. They call these tart little buggers buffalo berries. They are great for making into syrup, jam and pies. I went to the lake and harvested some recently and decided to make some syrup. It is a delicious addition on your pancakes or French toast and with the holidays approaching it can be a great gift as well. Keep reading for the recipe and directions on how to make this delicious syrup!
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September 10th, 2008
By: Alexine
Every year my grandmother would give me these delicious bread and butter pickles. Since we moved this past spring I was unable to get any from her so I decided to ask for her recipe and try it myself.
This recipe is a really great way to use up the last bunch of cucumbers from your garden or a bag from the farmer’s market. Either way the cucumbers are wax free which is necessary to make the pickles.
I hope you enjoy making and eating these bread and butter pickles as much as I do!
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August 12th, 2008
This time of year, many home gardeners are starting to ask themselves these questions:
“What the heck am I going to do with all these vegetables?”
“Just who thought it was a good idea to plant all this squash?”
“Did we really need 37 tomato plants?
“How on Earth did I forget to celebrate “National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch” night?”
If you missed the opportunity to celebrate on August 8th – or have neighbors who take a dim view of trespassing, here’s a tasty alternative.
July 28th, 2008
Looking for ways to keep cool this summer? The Times Herald-Record, a paper in New York State’s Hudson Valley, has this low-tech list of suggestions that includes using a damp bed sheet as a “blanket” at night and practicing a Yoga breathing method to rid the body of heat.
But my favorite tip is this nugget from the West Indies:
“Spicy foods make you perspire more, which cools the body. Spices also help stop foods from spoiling as quickly, and give you an endorphin rush that feels good in any temperature.”
Wow! Who can say no to food that cools you off, tastes great, improves your mood, and also may help you avoid Alzheimer’s?
It’s time to whip up a bowl of fresh, homemade salsa.
June 16th, 2008
How to make, use, and freeze fresh pesto
Basil pesto is delicious, but the price of prepared pesto is alarming: expect to pay $5 or more for as little as half a cup! It’s amazing how something so expensive is so easy to make.
Fresh basil is easy to grow in the garden or on your windowsill. Take a pile of leaves, add some garlic, olive oil, and turn a cup of homemade pesto into three delicious meals – some left over to freeze for later. If you grow your own basil, ingredients for all three meals won’t cost much more than that measly little jar of pesto from the supermarket.
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May 6th, 2008
Spring is the time when vegetable lovers pause and bow in homage to the “king of vegetables.” Asparagus is at its peak right now, and this member of the lily family is a delicious, nutritious, and low-calorie food. The versatile green shoots can be steamed, stir-fried, grilled, or pickled.
However you eat it, asparagus is a tasty powerhouse of amino acids, phytochemicals, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and more. Oh, and it’s also fat and cholesterol-free.
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April 1st, 2008
A Vegetarian Passover Seder Is Easier Than You Think!
During Passover, just buying kosher food isn’t enough. The food must also be “kosher for Passover,” which means it doesn’t include any leavening agents. Also, its storage and preparation must be closely monitored and certified by rabbinic authorities. From that basic requirement, things quickly get more complicated.
Sephardic Jews of Middle Eastern, Greek, Yemenite, or Spanish heritage omit any foods with leavening or grain products, but eat rice and beans during Passover. Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern European heritage don’t eat rice, corn, or beans (called kitniyot) because 13th century Jewish authorities ruled that those products could be ground into flour and used like bread products. There was also the danger of contamination since those products were often stored in bags that had held wheat or flour.
December 14th, 2007
The Rich History of a Modern Holiday Treat – Fruitcake
Can you imagine a world without fruitcake? One where it’s actually illegal for Great-aunt Gladys to drag out the family fruitcake recipe and bestow her traditional, indigestible gift on all the nieces and nephews?
It could happen. It has before.
As much as we laugh at fruitcakes now, they were once considered delicacies so rich, so tempting, that eating them was akin to a near occasion of sin. Step back in time and learn what all the fuss was about.
October 23rd, 2007
Face it: Halloween just isn’t what it used to be. This ancient relic of pre-Christian Europe used to involve wandering souls, fortunetelling, bonfires, and groups of people going from house to house asking for food. Oh. Well, maybe things haven’t changed as much as we think. One new aspect, though, is Halloween’s growing popularity. It’s the sixth largest spending holiday in the US, with over 70% of adults planning parties, costumes, or decorations.
As Americans eagerly head to the stores for costumes and candy corn, few realize the origins of the holiday’s symbols, customs, and traditional foods. For instance, the jack o’lantern, a carved, illuminated pumpkin, is arguably the most common symbol. But how many people realize that the ubiquitous orange gourd was originally a turnip?
