Cranberry, Raspberry and Lemony Cream Cheese Gelatin Mold

Ingredients:

2 3oz Packages Raspberry-flavored gelatin

2 3oz Packages Lemon-flavored gelatin

2 8oz Packages Cream cheese, softened

1 14oz Can Whole Berry Cranberry sauce

2 C Water, divided

1/2 C Half-and-half

Directions:

Place mold in freezer. 

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 C water and cranberry sauce. 

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 

Add both packages of raspberry gelatin and continue stirring until completely dissolved. 

Remove mold from freezer and carefully pour raspberry mixture into the bottom of the mold. 

Return to freezer for 30-40 minutes or until gelatin has set enough for you to press gently and leave a slight fingerprint. 

Remove to refrigerator. 

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 C water, softened cream cheese and half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and stir continuously until cheese has completely dissolved.

Bring to a low bowl and add both packages of lemon gelatin. Stir until completely dissolved. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 8-10'minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove raspberry mixture from refrigerator. Ladle lemon mixture on top of raspberry mixture one scoop at a time until done. 

Place back in refrigerator overnight. 

When ready to serve, fill sink with warm water and place mold into water (being careful not to get any water inside the mold) for 8 seconds. 

Remove from water and jiggle gently to see if mold has loosened. If necessary, place back into warm water for a few more seconds. 

Place serving dish on top of mold and carefully invert to remove the gelatin. 

Serve garnished with thinly sliced lemons or oranges if desired!

* Adapted from http://themccallumsshamrockpatch.com/2014/11/11/cranberry-jell-o-mold/

Beef and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 T Olive Oil or Grass-Fed Beef Tallow

2 lb Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 Large Onion, diced

3 Large Celery Stalks, sliced

3 Large Carrots, Sliced

6 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped

1/2 T Dried Oregano

2 T Dried Parsley 

13 C Quality or Homemade Beef Broth

28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, with juice

2 C Lentils, rinsed

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, Brown half of stew meat in olive oil or tallow over medium heat. Remove meat and brown other half. Remove all browned meat and set aside. 

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, oregano and parsley. Cook until onions are translucent. 

Return stew meat to pot. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour. 

Add lentils and replace cover. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Yield: 5-6 Servings

* Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lentil-soup-with-beef-recipe.html

Citrus Green Iced Tea

Ingredients:

4 C Water

2 Green Tea Bags

1/3 C Sugar

1 T Lime Juice

1/4 t Orange Extract

Directions:

Pour 4 cups boiling water over green tea bags. Let steep for 20 minutes. 

Remove tea bags and stir in sugar. 

Stir in lime juice and orange extract. 

Refrigerate until chilled before serving. 

* Adapted from http://www.ehow.com/how_2297118_lipton-citrus-green-tea.html

Garlic and Herb Prime Rib Roast

Ingredients:

6-8 Pound Beef Rib Roast

8 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 T Fresh Thyme (or 2 t Ground Thyme)

2 T Minced Fresh Rosemary (or 2 t Dried Rosemary)

1 T Salt

1/2 T Ground Black Pepper

Olive Oil

Directions:

Place roast fat-side-up in roasting pan. 

Trim fat if needed. 

Cut five 1/2-inch deep slits in top of roast. 

In a small bowl, combine garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to make a paste. 

Rub paste all over the top of the roast and press down into slits. Allow to rest for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees. 

Cook until internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees, about 70-90 minutes. Cover with foil if roast begins to get too brown. 

Remove from oven and let rest, covered loosely by foil, for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. 

* Adapted from http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/garlic-herb-standing-rib-roast.html

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1/2 Scant teaspoon Ground Mustard

2 T Lemon Juice

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together and serve at room temperature. 

Yield: 1 Cup

* Adapted from http://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/04/26/homemade-balsamic-vinaigrette/

Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 T Butter

1 C Chopped Onion

1/4 t Ground Cinnamon

1/4 t Nutmeg

4 3/4 C Peeled, Cubed Sweet Potatoes

3 C Peeled, Chopped Carrots

3 C Water

3 C Chicken Broth

1/4 C Half-and-half or Heavy Cream

1/2 t Salt

1/4 t Pepper

Sour Cream, for topping

Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, for topping

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. 

Cook onion in butter until translucent. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and cook an additional minute. 

Add sweet potatoes, carrot, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 35-40 minutes. 

Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. 

Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper. 

At this point you may refrigerate to reheat later (over low heat) or serve topped with sour cream and parsley. 

Yield: 6 Servings

* Adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-carrot-sweet-potato-soup

Aloha Punch

Ingredients:

1/4 C Lemon Juice

1 C Orange Juice

3/4 C Grenadine Syrup or Cherry Juice

46 oz Pineapple Juice

2 Liters 7-up or Sprite

Directions:

Add all ingredients in given order to large punch bowl. Stir to combine. 

Serve immediately over ice. 

Yield: 24 6-ounce Servings

* My Grandma's recipe

Whole Wheat Date Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 t Salt

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Cinnamon

1/8 t Nutmeg

2 Eggs

2 T Honey

1 t Vanilla Extract

1/4 C Light Tasting Olive Oil or Melted Coconut Oil

3/4 C Orange or Apple Juice

1 C Dates (or Raisins or any other fillin or combinations of fillings)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Grease or line a muffin tin. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Make a well in the flour mixture and add eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and juice to the well. 

Mix until just combined. Stir in dates. 

Spoon into muffin cups. 

Bake 12-15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before removing from muffin pan and cooling on wire rack. 

Yield: 12 Muffins

* Adapted from http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/12/recipe-fruit-nut-or-berry-or-whatever-you-want-them-to-be-whole-wheat-muffins/

Whole Wheat Cornbread

Ingredients:

2 C Whole Wheat Flour

2 C Cornmeal

4 t Baking Powder

1/2 T Salt

1/3 C Honey

1/4 C Light Tasting Olive Oil

2 C Milk

2 Eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. 

In a large bowl, mix together flours, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. 

Mix in honey, oil, milk and eggs until just combined. 

Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Yield: 15 Servings

* Adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/whole-wheat-cornbread-80963

Gluten Free Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 C Butter, softened

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C White Sugar

1 Egg

1 t Vanilla

1/2 t Baking Soda

1 t Cornstarch

1/2 t Salt

2 1/2 C Certified Gluten-Free Oat Flour

3/4 C Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla until well mixed. 

In a separate medium bowl, stir together baking soda, cornstarch, salt and oat flour. 

Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in chocolate chips. 

Drop by small spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. 

Remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies

* Adapted from http://www.factoryfreeoats.com/cookies.html

Polenta Pie

Ingredients:

2 T Olive Oil

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Onion, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 14 oz Cans Diced or Crushed Tomatoes

1 Small Zucchini, diced

1 Small Yellow Squash, diced

1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/8 t Fennel Seed

1/2 t Dried Basil

1/4 t Dried Oregano

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

1 C Instant Polenta

1 C Milk

2 C Water

2 T Butter

1/4 t Salt

1 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, brown ground beef in olive oil. 

Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. 

Add tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, fennel, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish. 

In a separate medium-large saucepan bring milk, water and butter to a low simmer. 

Slowly whisk in polenta and continue stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in salt. 

Scoop polenta into baking dish and create an even layer. 

Spoon on sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

* Adapted from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/baked-polenta-pie/#_a5y_p=1647313

Green Tomato Quick Bread

Ingredients:

2 C Finely Diced Green Tomatoes

1 1/2 C Sugar

1 1/2 C Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

1/2 C Unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 C Coconut Oil, melted

2 Eggs

1 T Vanilla Extract

1 t Salt

3 C All-Purpose Flour

1 T Ground Cinnamon

1 t Baking Soda

1/4 t Baking Powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. 

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix tomatoes, sugar, nuts, applesauce, oil, eggs, vanilla and salt. 

In a separate large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. 

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. 

Pour into loaf pans and bake for 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and wait 10 minutes before removing bread from pans and cooling completely on a wire rack. 

Yield: 2 Loaves

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229149/green-tomato-bread/

Beef Lo Mein

Ingredients:

8 oz Spaghetti, uncooked and broken in half

1 t Sesame Oil

1/4 C Beef Broth

2 T Brown Sugar

3 T Soy Sauce

3 T Peanut Oil

1 lb Beef Sirloin Steak, cut into strips

2 Large Carrots, chopped

1 Large Onion, chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Celery Stalk, sliced

2 C Broccoli

1/4 C Green Onions, sliced

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and toss with sesame oil. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, combine beef broth, brown sugar and soy sauce. Set aside. 

In a large pot over medium-low heat, cook onions and carrots in peanut oil until carrots are tender.

Add garlic and beef strips and cook until beef is browned.

Add soy sauce mixture to beef pot and cook for several minutes. Add celery, broccoli and green onions and continue cooking until broccoli is crisp-tender. 

Remove from heat. Stir in noodles. 

Serve topped with chow mein noodles. 

* Adapted from http://momsdish.com/recipe/400/beef-lo-mein-recipe

Green Tomato Spice Cake

Ingredients:

2 C Finely Diced Green Tomatoes

1/2 T Salt

1/4 C Butter, softened

1/2 C Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 C All-Purpose Flour

1/2 t Ground Cinnamon

1/2 t Ground Nutmeg

1/2 t Baking Soda

1/8 t Salt

1/4 C Raisins

1/4 C Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Directions:

Measure tomatoes into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Rinse with cold water in colander and drain. 

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish or cake pan. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. 

Add egg and beat until creamy. 

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts. 

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. 

Thoroughly mix in drained tomatoes. 

Pour into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. 

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/8381/green-tomato-cake/

Gluten Free Italian Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound Ricotta Cheese

8 oz Package Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 C Sugar

1/4 Lemon, juiced

1/2 t Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 T All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

1 1/2 T Cornstarch

2 Eggs

1/4 C Butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 C Sour Cream

1/2 C Pie Filling or Preserves (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together ricotta and cream cheese. 

Add sugar and beat until smooth. 

Add lemon juice, vanilla, flour and cornstarch, beating well after each addition. 

Beat in eggs, one at a time. 

Gradually beat in melted butter. 

Beat in sour cream and continue beating until well blended. 

Pour into ungreased 8x8 pan. 

Bake for 55 minutes. 

Turn off oven and leave inside for 2 hours. Do not open oven door. 

Remove from oven and cut into bars. 

Top with filling or preserves, if desired. 

Note: Bars freeze well. 

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10934/italian-cheesecake-cookies/