Do moms get a sick day?

My sinus infection was followed by and upper respiratory infection and a raging fever/chills and some vomiting that lead me back to the doctor for a Z-pack, which in turn lead to even more vomiting. Ken was naturally a super trooper and very thoughtful. When he came back from shuttling kids to and from choir practice, he found me lying on the laundry room floor desperately trying to cool my fevered body down. What did he say? Oh do you need help getting back into bed? Do you want some ice chips? No. He said “oh you found a cool place to lie down.” And left me there. The kids came into the bed room 100 times asking me to settle disputes and ask where their socks were. At dinner I heard the kids both wail “Momma doesn’t make quesadillas with the WHITE cheese, that’s for pizza!”  Let’s face it, moms aren’t allowed to be sick.  We don’t have time for it and typically aren’t given the opportunity for recovery.  I’ve been battling a really bad cough now for about a week.  I know in time it will work itself out, but it’s exhausting.  Yesterday I was coughing so much I gave myself a headache.  All I really wanted to do was take some Advil and lay down in bed.

At a time like this you need chicken soup!

"Easy I'm sick Chicken soup"

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken  or pieces

( I put mine in the crock pot the day before, using the broth as well)

• 4 carrots, halved
• 4 stalks celery, halved
• 1 large onion, halved
• water to cover
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (optional) if no broth from precooking your chicken

Directions

1.    If not already cooked put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often).

2.    Take everything out of the (crock) pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste, if desired. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot, stir together, and serve when you're well enough to hold up your spoon!

WILD RICE AND CHICKEN LIVERS

You can get chicken livers sometimes when you eat out. Most of the time they are deep fat fried and terribly greasy. My husband loves them but I hate to have either of us eating the high fat of the frying process. This is a great way to make them since this is absolutely delicious! I made it for my husband, and my friend who “hates chicken liver” actually tried some and said how “delish” it was!

WILD RICE AND CHICKEN LIVERS

1 lb. chicken livers, diced & floured
1/4 c. Home Churned Unsalted butter
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. minced onions
2 c. cooked wild rice or Knorr Rice Sides, chicken flavor

Lightly dust the chicken livers with Hilltop Mills flour and sauté in the Home Churned Unsalted butter with the onion and parsley. Add the wild rice and cook over low heat until thoroughly hot and chicken livers are done.

Equipment- knife, measuring spoons/cups, wooden spoon

Normally I shun bottled and prepared things like bottled peanut sauce. When I read the ingredients I’m scared to even open it much less eat it. However we’ve been really busy and once in a while using a short cut seems like sound investments in mental health. This was one of those weekends.

Peanut sauce gives this dish a unique flavor, providing it with an Asian quality. And, using bottled peanut sauce in this recipe reduces the preparation time to about 20 minutes. However if you prefer you can make your own sauce, the recipe for that is listed below. Either reduce it by half or do what I do and make the batch for 1 cup, saving the second half for later. You can use sauce immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Chicken and Pasta in Peanut Sauce

Servings: 4

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz. thin spaghetti
• 1 bunch baby broccoli, or crowns cut in 2-inch lengths
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut in bite-size strips
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup bottled peanut sauce or homemade, recipe follows
• Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In Dutch oven cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli and sweet pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to Dutch oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, halve chicken breasts horizontally. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In extra large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until no longer pink (170 degrees F). Transfer to cutting board. Slice chicken; add to pasta and vegetables. Heat through. Add peanut sauce. Sprinkle crushed red pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Peanut Sauce

Prep Time: 5 Min

Total Time: 10 Min

Makes: About 1 cup sauce

INGREDIENTS

½  cup creamy peanut butter

½  cup water

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½  teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne), if desired

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

 In 1-quart saucepan, mix all ingredients with wire whisk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and warm.

Beth’s Banana Pie

Did you know? In a survey conducted in 1951 of the U.S. armed services, banana cream pie was the favorite dessert. Rice pudding was the least liked. In the 19th century, apple and other fruit pies were a fairly common breakfast item. Fruit pie was considered part of a good hearty meal before a hard day’s work. I’m all for that. I don’t see any evidence that ice cream was on the pie but it’s important to get that diary in too. Nearly twice as many people prefer their pie unadorned as those who like it 'a la mode,' with either ice cream or whipped cream topping. Me? I like it either way!

 Beth’s Banana Pie

2 medium ripe bananas, sliced

1 ready-to-use reduced-fat graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

2-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) GELA DELIGHT Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, divided

Make It

PLACE half of the banana slices on bottom of crust. Set remaining banana slices aside.

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spoon half of the pudding mixture into crust. Top with remaining banana slices; cover with remaining pudding mixture.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until set. Serve topped with the remaining 1-cup whipped topping. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

 

Stuffed mushrooms

There is a funny story about Charles Darwin's granddaughter Etty -- she rooted out and burned the stinkhorns in her garden secretly, so as to "protect the purity of thought" of her female servants. Another tip- keep mushrooms fresh longer by storing them in a paper bag instead of the plastic container.

Stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wheat bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated cheese such as Pecorino Romano
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

This is a simple but excellent recipe for sweet potatoes. I have been using this same one for years. Cooking time is short enough to make this a fast dish after working a long day. Sweet potatoes are not just for the holidays!  I keep veggies like sweet potatoes fresh in the fridge. Line the bottoms of your crisper bins with several layers of paper towels to absorb the excessive moisture.  I change the paper towels once a week. This also makes the bins easier to clean.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

3 lb. sweet potatoes, baked until soft
3/4 c. Crisp orange juice
2 tbsp. Home Churned Unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. Marcum cinnamon
2 lg. Holly Hills eggs
2 tbsp. Diamond Falls brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

TOPPING:

1/2 c. Hilltop Mills flour
1/2 tsp. Marcum cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. Diamond Falls brown sugar
1/4 c. Home Churned Unsalted butter, room temperature

Equipment- knife, measuring spoons/cups, wooden spoon, 2 bowls, casserole dish 9 by 13

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Skin and mash sweet potatoes, add orange juice and Holly Hills eggs. Add Home Churned Unsalted butter, Marcum cinnamon and nutmeg beat until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in buttered casserole.

For topping-

Put together and then cut in until mix resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in pecans and sprinkle on top. Bake 20- 30 mins. Until hot and top is crispy and dry.

Cheese Flautas

Cheese Flautas

Here’s one I love to make with the kids. If string cheese isn’t for you can get a block of whatever you prefer and cut it into long thin rectangles. It will melt about the same. Josiah just gets a kick out of the string cheese. If you prefer flour tortillas, use them instead of the corn tortillas: they work just about the same except that you may not have to soften them in the microwave. We use whole wheat tortillas and like them very much that way.

            8 corn tortillas

            1 ½ teaspoons oil

            8 1-ounce sticks string cheese

Parent’s preparation – Preheat the oven to 375 F. Microwave each corn tortilla on a double thickness of paper towels for about 30 seconds to soften.

Show your child how to lightly brush the oil on the top side of the tortilla, and then flip over onto a cookie sheet. Place a stick of string cheese at one edge of the tortilla and roll up tightly. Set the rolled up tortilla with the seam side down on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and string cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tortillas are crisp.