Cathy's Hearth

Menu Planning 05/06/08

2008-05-06T09:30:00.003-04:00

Blueberry Muffins * - with fresh blueberries
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Paradise Cookies * - for Randy

Tuesday/Wednesday
Tuna Noodle Casserole *

Thursday (with mom and dad)
Pot Roast in crock pot
Blissful Ambrosia
Easy Mashed Potatoes and Corn *

Saturday/Sunday
Philly Beef Squares *

* - signifies new recipes to try

Menu Planning 04/28/08

2008-04-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

Planning a little more ahead of time than usual.
The end of next week I have a tooth extracted.
I wanted comfort foods for before and for after.

Meals:
Tangy Meatloaf - Sunday/Monday/Tuesday
For Wednesday (the night before) - pizza
Blissful Macaroni Cheese Bake - a few days

Soft snacking: jello

Other Possibilities:
Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Chocolate Bread Pudding
Vitamin Pie

Bisquick Top Layer

2008-04-24T13:56:00.005-04:00

The goulash made so much (for two).
We hope to finish it off tonight with a twist.
I wanted to add a Bisquick top layer.
In taste it will be like the Impossible pies.
Found Cheesy Italian Beef Bake.
Plan to just use the Bisquick portion.

Stir together:
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 and 1/2 cups milk
* Remember the recipe was for 13 x 9 pan.
Note: Cheese Garlic Biscuits cook at 450 for 8-10 minutes.

Fresh Produce Breads

2008-04-21T20:07:00.001-04:00

Blueberry Muffins
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Bread

Menu Planning 04/21/08

2008-04-21T19:44:00.003-04:00

American Goulash/Chop Suey
Oatmeal Carrot Cake Bread
Banana Coconut Cream Dessert
Chocolate Cream Pie

Menu Planning 04/14/08

2008-04-15T06:04:00.005-04:00

With leftover chicken:
either Tempting Turkey Tetrazzini
or turn it into an "Impossible" Pie.

To use up baking apples: Maine Apple Cake

For the weekend: Cowboy Casserole (BBQ beans and beef)

For Sunday brunch: Baked French Swirl Toast casserole

Note: There was no menu planning last week because we went on belated honeymoon getaway.

Wacky Kitchen Gadgets

2008-04-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

Wackiest Kitchen Products article

Pancakes for Two

2008-04-12T19:47:00.002-04:00

Pancakes for Two from Bisquick

1 cup Bisquick, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk

We've had this before and had it for supper tonight.

French Toast Made Easy

2008-04-04T08:26:00.002-04:00

I was thinking of making French Toast a week or so ago.
Although I as an adult never have - just had it growing up.

Today I happened upon a great, simple solution ...
Baked French Swirl Toast - I can cut the recipe in half for the 2 of us

And here is a recipe for the traditional way: Fantastic French Toast

Menu Planning 03/31/08

2008-04-01T14:24:00.006-04:00

I have a tooth in pain - actually it is woobling.
Can not get in to see the dentist until Friday.
I will need soft foods and to avoid one side of mouth.

Monday/Tuesday: Blissful Macaroni Cheese Bake (my recipe)

Possibilities to consider:
Easy Mashed Potatoes and Corn
or another version of Shepherd's Pie

Ideas from the sweeter side:
Cinnamon Bubble Loaf
Vitamin Pie (have made before and love)
Apple Bread Pudding - have apples and bread leftovers

There is always jello and pudding to make.
Last night made the pudding with Cool Whip mixed up in it ...
so the consistently was more like that of Chocolate Cream Pie.

For hubby: Impossibly Easy Banana Custard Pie

Apple Recipes

2008-03-23T18:06:00.002-04:00

I have a bunch of baking apples to use.
Some recipes I am considering trying:
Maine Apple Cake
Apple-Cheddar Muffins
Impossibly Easy French Apple Pie
Caramel Apple Dessert Squares

Nuts for your Heart

2008-03-19T07:55:00.003-04:00

Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
Article is by Gerald T. Gau, M.D. and provided by the Mayo Clinic.
He is a Mayo Clinic preventive cardiologist and is a specialist
in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases.

"The type of nut you eat isn't that important. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, you name it, almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet."

"... nuts lower the LDL, low-density lipoprotein or "bad," cholesterol level in the blood. High LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease ..."

"Eating nuts reduces your risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack. Nuts also improve the health of the lining of your arteries."

Besides walnuts ... "Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans are other nuts that appear to be quite heart healthy. Even peanuts — which are technically not a nut, but a legume — seem to be relatively healthy. Keep in mind, you could end up canceling out the heart-healthy benefits of nuts if they're covered with chocolate, sugar or salt."

"Current dietary guidelines suggest eating 1 to 2 ounces (a small handful) of nuts each day."

Conversion Calculator

2008-03-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Here is a Food Measurement Conversion Calculator.
I found this yesterday when I was modifying one of my recipes.

Menu Planning 03/17/08

2008-03-17T08:28:00.001-04:00

Tangy Meatloaf - two days at least
Frozen chicken cordon bleu
Maybe something from grocery "to go"

Will not be making many meals from scratch ...
will be busy baking cookies and muffins.

See Muffin Week and
Orange Oatmeal Chews Variations

Muffin Week

2008-03-16T12:53:00.000-04:00

I plan on baking different muffins all week.
I will be sharing with upstairs neighbor -
who just had back surgery and is recovering.
She also has two youngsters - a boy and girl -
who may or may not like the different muffins.

Strawberry Muffins with fresh strawberries and oats

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Banana Bread turned into muffins (why not!!!)

The Original All-Bran™ Muffins
Pineapple Coffee Cake turned into muffins

Never tried but may do so this week:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Orange Oatmeal Chews Variations

2008-03-16T08:46:00.002-04:00

Orange Oatmeal Chews is one of our favorites
and it is an easy cookie recipe to follow and mix up.

I am experimenting with it for variations.
Usually it is very liquidy which makes a large thin cookie.
This is fine but it does at times tend to be too crumbly.
I added some extra flour and that helped stabilize it.

I plan to add or partially substitute (some of the flour)
to get some new varieties from a tested recipe...
Today I plan to finely chop up peanuts to add.
Tomorrow I plan to add raisins instead.

Menu Planning 03/10/08

2008-03-12T18:21:00.005-04:00

Busy - crazy week - just posting this on Wednesday

3 lb cajun injected turkey breast to be used different ways

Chicken Casserole - chicken, green beans and macaroni

Coffee Bars - for company

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins *
All-Bran Muffins * (see Feb 27th post)
Orange Oatmeal Chews *

* some for us and some for care package

Menu Planning 03/03/08

2008-03-03T16:35:00.006-05:00

New England Maple Beans and Sausage - Tuesday/Wednesday
Some chicken dish for Thursday (at least)

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins - for breakfast

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie - lunch with company
Vitamin Pie - dessert for lunch with company

High Fiber Foods

2008-02-29T13:14:00.002-05:00

From Mayo Clinic:
Fruits: Pears, Figs, Blueberries, Apples, Strawberries, Peaches, Oranges, Raisins
Grains, etc: Whole wheat spaghetti, Bran flakes, Oatmeal, Whole grain bread
Legumes and nuts: Baked beans, Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews
Vegetables: Peas, Potatoes with skin, Corn, Tomato Paste, Carrot

From Jackson Siegelbaum Gastro:
Includes fiber content by (many) specific cereals.
Top of the list: All-bran, 100% Bran, Bran Buds, Corn Bran
then Bran Chex, Cracklin' Bran, Raisin Bran type, 40% Bran, Most

Need for high fiber food

2008-02-29T12:45:00.004-05:00

For those suffering from constipation there are some things to try:
1) More fiber in the diet *
2) More physical exercise
3) More good liquids (not caffeine, alcohol, or milk)
4) And you can always try laxatives.

* Foods high in fiber:
Beans, whole grains and bran cereals.
Fresh fruits and vegetables such as carrots.

Above from National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
Below from WebMD: Dietary Fiber: The Natural Solution

"Soluble fiber slows digestion and helps you absorb nutrients from food. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, helping the stool pass more quickly through the intestines. Foods containing high levels of soluble fiber include dried beans, oats, oat bran, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, peas, and potatoes. Foods high in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains, cereals, seeds, and the skins of many fruits and vegetables."

According to WebMD:
Best to ease constipation? whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas
And other foods high in fiber? fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes

All Bran Muffins

2008-02-27T06:59:00.001-05:00

The Original All-Bran™ Muffins

Menu Planning 02/25/08

2008-02-25T06:43:00.007-05:00

Hamburger Casserole
New England Maple Beans and Sausage

Chocolate-Cinnamon Sundae Cake
Banana Pudding Squares

Whole Grains Curb Fat

2008-02-24T12:43:00.003-05:00

Just read this article: Whole grains may curb belly fat, inflammation

"In general, experts recommend eating whole grains -- such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley -- rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain."

"'There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain,' Kris-Etherton said. She suggested looking for foods like oatmeal, breakfast cereals made from whole grains, whole-wheat pastas, granola and popcorn."

Yeah I am doing better on this front.
First I have no problem with whole grain flour and breads.
I also like oatmeal well enough ...
Just the other day I made apple crisp crumb with oatmeal!

Banana Pudding Squares

2008-02-23T22:20:00.001-05:00

Banana Pudding Squares

Macadamia Nuts

2008-02-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

Macadamia White Chip Cookies - Randy likes both ingredients in title
Paradise Cookies - also includes pineapples and coconuts

Cereal Sweets

2008-02-20T22:28:00.007-05:00

At Kellog's I tagged Apple Jacks Tag-Alongs.

Different variations of Marshmallow Sweets:
Cheerios Marshmallow Bars
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treats
Kix Bars - interchangeable with other similar cereal.

Anadama Bread

2008-02-20T22:26:00.001-05:00

At Kellogg's I tagged Anadama Bread.
Made using Kellogg's corn flakes.

Kraft Foods recipes

2008-02-18T08:20:00.018-05:00

Yesterday I noticed website on a couple of products I used.
One was on Cool Whip container and the other on Miracle Whip.
It ended up both lead me to kraftfoods.com and I browsed around.
Once there it was impossible to find the individual brand sites.
I eventually found them from perseverence (and googling):

Cool Whip - recipes
Jello - recipes
Jet-Puffed (marshmallow) *
Miracle Whip - recipes
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - recipes
Post Cereals *
Stove Top *

* multiple recipe links on page

Nabisco World recipes

2008-02-18T08:19:00.001-05:00

While looking for Kraft Foods brands I ...
ended up finding Ritz brand links at Nabisco World:

Honey Maid (graham crackers)
Newtons
Ritz
Triscuit
Wheat Thins

Nabisco World Recipes (not by brand) -
Has recipes for all Ritz brands.

Menu Planning 02/18/08

2008-02-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

Stuff not made last week:

Sicilian Meat Roll - tuesday and wednesday
Biscuit Sticks - friday with pizza

chicken meal - monday
(crock) pot roast - weekend

Ambrosia

2008-02-17T08:15:00.002-05:00

I've had it before pre-made at the local grocery.
Today was the day I decided to make it myself.
I looked up recipes but they varied on ingredients.

I even googled "ambrosia definition".
Some say it includes oranges and coconut.
While others added banana to the mix.

Myself what I remembered was some of Randy's favorites:
pineapples, cherries, miniature marshmallows and coconut.
So those are the ingredients I ended up using.

The final question was what to use as the base.
Some recipes said sour cream while others said whipping cream.
And I found a couple that suggested plain yogurt.

I did end up using Cool Whip - light will work fine!
But in the future may try banana flavored yogurt.
Will post final recipe on other blog after we try it.

Back to what is "ambrosia".
Some say it is just a fruity dessert while others call it a salad.
To each their own. Maybe it will be good for snacking!!!

Update: named my version Blissful Ambrosia

Back of the Box

2008-02-16T14:42:00.002-05:00

Back of the Box recipe site.
Claims to have thousands of brand name recipes.
I have certainly been known to use recipes on food products.

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

2008-02-11T03:23:00.000-05:00

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast from Yahoo Foods.
The reviewers also give some good advice about modifications.

Menu Planning 02/11/08

2008-02-11T03:10:00.000-05:00

Being Valentine's Week I want to do some special things for hubby.
I know he likes chocolate, cherries, coconut among other things.

Baked goods:
Orange Oatmeal Chews
I Love You Scones or modified Macaroonies
Chocolate Cherry Crisp
Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins (not my actual recipe)
Cream Cheese Cookie Bar (something I've been meaning to try)

Possible meals:
Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole (using leftover chicken)
Tangy Meatloaf or Sicilian Meat Roll
pre-made lasagne for Thursday and Biscuit Sticks

Cathy's Hearth

2008-02-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

While surfing I see a lot of links for recipes, diet and nutrition.
This is my place to keep those links instead of "my favorites".
I also plan to use this space to do my weekly menu planning.
I may not always follow those plans but its a place to start.