Miss Wisabus » Recipes

Yesterday and a Recipe

Elizabeth — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:11:07 +0000

Got home from my haircut and shopping day yesterday with my mom and was feeling a little under the weather. I had a sinus infection last week that I thought was bad, got some antibiotics for that which I hadn’t done in years and now sort of regret because the first antibiotic made me really sick. The second prescription made me feel like a new woman, but now, a few days later, I feel like death.

We were at Sam’s Club yesterday and accidentally walked into their “taste of the holidays” or whatever it was called. Ran into my friend Amanda right as we were about to leave and I think I was already feverish because it took me a minute to understand why she was wearing a heavy peacoat in the middle of the Sam’s Club when it was 70 degrees outside. Then I realized she was trying it on.

Mom paid for the paper shredder she had picked up in there and we high-tailed it home. After she left around 3:30 I went to take a nap. Which lasted until 6pm. Kevin went to pick up some dinner and I ate it even though I wasn’t the slightest bit hungry. Weird for me because I am generally a bottomless pit and am always hungry in the evening.

I watched the beginning of the disastrous OU vs. Baylor game and took some Nyquil around 7:30 before heading to bed. My falling asleep TV selection was “Ayn Rand in Her Own Words.” Interesting material to fall asleep to. I’ve always enjoyed her writings and while I don’t agree with her on a lot of things, there’s some I do and I found it compelling to watch. Not compelling enough to keep me from a Nyquil coma though.

Woke up a 3:30 with chattering teeth and asked Kevin to turn the heat on. When even the heat wouldn’t help, I knew it was my fever spiking and I checked it. 101. Meh. Got up and made myself some Theraflu which I was able to keep down for a total of 30 minutes. Every muscle in my body was screaming. I did the zombie walk between my recliner and bed a few times before finally passing out on the bed, generating enough heat to melt a small glacier.

When Kevin woke up I said, “Even my scalp hurts.” He’s a pretty good nurse and has been diligent with Icy Hot on my aching back (why is that where the pain is always the worst?). He’s going to make a grocery run for me here in a bit to pick up some flu meds and Epsom salts. A bath is the only thing that sounds good right now.

Praying this is some 24-hour thing that will just pass, but I’m not delusional. Okay, maybe in my fever induced stupor I am.

–

Pinterest is good even for the flu. I found a number of home remedies on there and came up with my own “Please let it not be the flu” Brew. Tweak it for your own needs.

1 large mug
1 tsp orange drink mix
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
a few cloves
a pinch of ginger

Mix dry ingredients and then add lemon juice. Add hot water (I just stuck mine underneath the Keurig). A little local honey would be a nice addition as well. Enjoy

Summer Squash Bread

Elizabeth — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:17:35 +0000

In a normal, non-drought year, this would be the part of the season where I’m over-run with excess zucchini and yellow summer squash from the garden. Not so much this year. But for those of you who DO have gardens still producing, here’s a recipe that I cooked up a few years ago when I was trying to use up some squash. There are a bazillion ways to tweak this thing (most things in it can be substituted to fit specific dietary needs), so go wild!

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. shredded yellow squash

Directions
Combine the first 5 ingredients set aside. Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat well, stir in shredded squash. Add dry ingredients, stir until moistened. Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and let cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf / 16 servings
Calories 154 / Fat 7.7g / Carbs 19g / Protein 2.2g

Click here for recipe on SparkPeople (can add to SP food tracker from there)

Pumpkin Pancakes

Elizabeth — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:24:05 +0000

I know it’s not the right season, but the other day after my husband had come home with bags full of items I had sent him to the store for, it occurred to me that I had everything in my possession needed to make these.

Now, forgive me, they’re low-carb. If you’re thinking, Oh, she’s still on that bandwagon *eyeroll*, then read this before proceeding.

This recipe is simple. Sort of an amalgam of Sugar Free Sheila’s pancakes and pumpkin cheesecake.

1 egg
2 oz cream cheese
3 tbsp canned pumpkin
2 tsp Splenda (or whatever sweetener you prefer)
cinnamon

Soften the cream cheese and mix with a fork until smooth. Add egg, pumpkin, Splenda, and cinnamon (to taste). Mix together. The consistency will be like regular pancake batter. Pour batter onto a skillet on medium heat (make sure it’s non-stick or spray a little cooking spray beforehand). You will need to watch them closely. They are ready to turn when the edges are cooked. Very gently flip them with a spatula. Just a minute or so more and you’re done.

Mine turned out great, but keep in mind that the texture will not be that of your average pancake. This makes a thinner, dense pancake, but one that satisfies nonetheless. I plan on tinkering around with this recipe in the future to see what else I can come up with.

Chili

Elizabeth — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:56:57 +0000

Chili with a healthy dollop of sour cream. Hush, I’m on Atkins.

Crockpot Chili (my modified version of The Diner’s Southside Chili)

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
1 cup beef broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 small onion or 1/4 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp dark chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp pepper flakes
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp sugar
salt (to taste)

And throw it all in! 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-6 hours on HIGH. You can’t really mess this up. I’ve made mine not so spicy because my husband doesn’t like too much spice in there. I’m the opposite. Oh well. Marriage is about sacrifice. It begins in the kitchen.

Crab Soup for a Cold Winter Night

Elizabeth — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:01:33 +0000

If you live in the United States and it’s not cold where you live right now, please raise your hand.

No one. That’s what I thought.

As the temps began to drop a few nights ago, I thought it would be nice to have a creamy crab soup. I know what you’re thinking. I’m land-locked. It’s true. For a crab soup you can get away with a little lower quality crab meat than what you would use for a crab cake, but I still wanted something decent. As luck would have it, we were able to find blue crab at our local Sam’s. Who knew?

I looked for the perfect recipe and found one that sounded yummy at Tasty Kitchen. Nowadays, I pretty much skip Google and go straight there when I have a good idea of what I’m looking for. So many cooks assembled in one place! I love it. Really easy for me to add a recipe to my recipe box there and come back and find it later. And seriously, for someone like me that’s terribly useful. I lose stuff all the time. Like my phone. It had be lost for two days until I found it this evening.

In my purse.

Yes, my husband got a good laugh out of that.

Back to the soup!

The recipe I used was wendydarling‘s Cream of Crab Soup. YUM. Yum.

WARNING: Night time kitchen photos ahead.

First, you melt the butter.

Then add the flour and whisk it!

Try not to pause to take pictures. This stuff needs stirrin’.

A little bit at a time, add the cream. I subbed some of the cream with milk, because I’m trying not to kill my husband.

He’s taking steps in the right direction as well and is drinking water instead of Dr. Pepper these days. Hooray!

Get that all combined and then you’ll start adding the rest of the ingredients.

Now, when I got to this point I thought the soup was a little thick for my taste. So I added more milk. And then the sherry. That helped it, but what made it magnificent when I served it three days later (out of the freezer) was the addition of another cup of chicken broth and about 1/2 cup of sherry. Overall, the additions I would make to the original recipe (just to suit me – this is a lovely recipe on its own) are 2 cups milk, 1 and 1/2 cup sherry, and 2 cups chicken broth. There’s a lot of room here to make it the way you want it. Play with it a little!

Like I mentioned on Twitter after making this, I consider a recipe a success when my husband’s response to his first bite is, “Oh, baby.”

Oh, baby indeed!

The Bagels

Elizabeth — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:34:11 +0000

There’s nothing I love more than a warm bagel with soft inner core and a slightly toasted crust, with a healthy serving of cream cheese. Last year I started baking more and one of the first things on my list to try was this doughy little delight. I thought it would certainly be a tricky project, but as it turned out, the process was pretty simple and one that I caught on to quickly.

I will say, like with most things for me, my first try was much better than my second (what these photos feature). Just luck, I guess. Also, the first time I made these I skipped a step (we’ll get to that) and the bagels turned out better.

And before anyone asks — no, this is not some family recipe. You have to go back 80 generations before you find our Jewish ancestors and I can promise that no one in the Johnson family has made their name baking bagels. The recipe I use belongs to John D. Lee and I’m so impressed that it will take a mighty good sounding one for me to try another.

First you’re going to knead that dough. Have I told you how much I love my dough hook? It’s changed my life. Really.

I have the smallest kitchen imaginable. Okay, wait. My great-grandma Lily’s kitchen felt smaller because it was so narrow, but I do promise that I have no more than one square foot of clear counter space. That fact makes me cry sometimes.

First world problems.

Then you’re going to separate that dough into balls and let it rest for 10-20 minutes. Here’s the deal (that’s my saying, if you haven’t noticed) — this is the step that I skipped the first time and my bagels turned out a lot better. Do what you will with that fact.

In the meantime, boil some water. Oh, and make sure your oven is preheating to 425.

Then you’re going to roll the dough into little snakes and join the ends to make our circles. Let them rest again for another 20 minutes while your water is boiling.

Dump those suckers in! Boil one minute on each side then remove and place on an oiled baking sheet (make sure they are dry before putting them on the baking sheet).

I like to make sure that they are all lightly-coated with oil before placing the baking sheet in the oven.

Bake 10 minutes, turn them over, and bake another 10. Tada! You’ve made bagels. Easy as can be and so much tastier than anything you’ll buy at the grocery store. Work at it long enough and I’m sure you’ll be craving these over your local bakery. Enjoy!

This is dedicated to Becca, who has waited patiently for goodness knows how long to hear about how I made these things. And of course I post it right after she goes gluten-free. Stay strong, my friend, and let me know how these things taste gluten-free.

Kevin the Sheep Herder’s Pie

Elizabeth — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:23 +0000

Tonight’s dinner:

1 lb ground turkey
1 can green beans
4 russet potatoes, mashed
2-4 slices Provolone cheese
butter
salt
pepper
Worchestershire sauce

Cook and mash the potatoes while you are browning the meat. Add salt, pepper, and Worchestershire sauce to meat, to taste. Add salt and butter to the mashed potatoes, to taste. Mix green beans in with meat and cook 5 more minutes. Pour meat mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish and cover with Provolone cheese. Top the cheese with the mashed potatoes. Place in oven preheated to 400 degrees. Cook for 30 minutes or until top is nicely browned. May brown under broiler for the last 5 minutes if needed.

There you go! A quick, easy meal that makes my dear fellow very happy.

Tomorrow we’ll be back to the honeymoon!

Renewed Faith

Elizabeth — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:02:11 +0000

Yesterday I visited an endocrinologist to try and determine the cause of some problems I have been having. While there are still tests to be run, one thing that he wanted me to do to get my weight down quickly (whatever this problem is has caused me to gain 20+ lbs) was start the Atkins diet. I am the biggest critic of this approach to weight loss. Yes, it’s quick, but it’s not a healthy way of living your life. I’m all about balanced meals. That, and I’m a carb queen. Give me a loaf of bread and I am happy. Anyway, I’m going to be doing this for 90 days and let me tell you, I wasn’t happy when he prescribed that. But he’s my doctor and that’s what he wants me to do right now, so I’m going to try it.

This morning while I was scanning through lists of things that I can eat, preparing a grocery list for later, I thought to myself, “Hmm, I wonder if avocados are legal on this thing? I mean, they’re full of fat, so they have to be!” And sure enough, they are. Not only can I have an avocado, I can have this: an Avocado Gazpacho Smoothie. Sign me up!

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Athena

Elizabeth — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:46:53 +0000

In my recent attempts to take control of my health and start eating things that are tasty and good for me, I’ve been trying out some new recipes. I definitely recommend SparkRecipes.com for healthy, easy meals that everyone can enjoy (and while you’re looking around there, don’t forget to check out SparkPeople.com and use MISSWISABUS as your referrer if you sign up!). This particular recipe was submitted by TABBYKAT75 who seems to be the queen of slow cooker meals. I made it tonight and it is yummy!

Crock Pot Chicken Athena
Cook time 3-7 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt, optional
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup capers (optional)

Directions
Place chicken in a crock pot and add the next 7 ingredients. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-8 hours (or on high setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours) or until chicken juices run clear and chicken is completely cooked. Place chicken on a large serving platter and sprinkle with basil, Feta cheese and capers. Serve on top of pasta.

Kevin’s Mom’s Mac & Cheese

Elizabeth — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:58:28 +0000

Kevin really, really likes his mom’s mac & cheese. I like it, too, but I’m more of a creamy mac & cheese gal. This particular version of mac & cheese has a little bit of a bite to it (from the mustard and the sharp cheddar), but I’m sure that is just exactly what some of you like. This morning on Good Morning, America (which I never watch, I just happened to have the tv on ABC last night when I went to bed) they were having a taste test on four different versions of mac & cheese. The one that sounded the best to me was Carnie Wilson’s “Fall On Your Knees Mac & Cheese.” It has cream cheese. *drool* I should note that she made this recipe before her surgery and before her significant weight loss. I will be making it soon (hey Aaryn, interested?).

Without further ado, I will share Kevin’s Mom’s Mac & Cheese with you. Make it for someone you love.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbl. mustard
2 1/2 cups milk
1 stick of Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar
2 cups elbow macaroni
Ham (sliced up; however much you prefer)

Boil macaroni noodles for 5 minutes (no more, no less)

Shred stick of cheese in round 2 quart casserole dish

In saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat; blend flour, salt and
mustard. Add milk; heat stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens a
little and is smooth. Add shredded cheese, heat until melted, stirring
occasionally. Once cheese is melted completely in sauce, add sliced
ham. Pour boiled macaroni into casserole dish and then add the cheese
sauce. Bake at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden
brown.