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< Back Chicken Parmigiana This easy baked chicken parmesan recipe is sure to become a family favorite in no time! Serve it with some egg noodles or mashed potatoes for the perfect weeknight dinner. Previous Next

Nice Dessert For The Summer Months! < Back Fresh Fruit Ice Cream Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 10 Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 cups heavy whipping cream (whipped) 1 can milk, sweetened condensed 1 cup fruit (pureed or mashed, peaches, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, ect) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Food coloring Preparation In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Stir in puréed fruit and food coloring, if desired. Fold in whipping cream (do NOT use non-dairy topping). Pour into a 9x5 loaf pan or another 2-qt. container. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm. Previous Next

The perfect summer drink for those fresh, ripe strawberries! This fermented strawberry soda is crisp & bubbly, strawberry sweet, and filled with nourishing, gut-friendly probiotics! < Back Fermented Strawberry Soda Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe The perfect summer drink for those fresh, ripe strawberries! This fermented strawberry soda is crisp & bubbly, strawberry sweet, and filled with nourishing, gut-friendly probiotics! Ingredients ● 5 cups strawberries ● 1 cup organic pure cane sugar ● 7 cups of water ● 1/2 cup whey (Just scoop a container of plain whole yogurt into a dishtowel, tie it up onto a cupboard door and let it drip into a jar - the liquid dripped off is probiotic rich whey! The leftover yogurt in the towel is like Greek yogurt or cream cheese - yum! If you are dairy free you can use water kefir grains or a ginger bug. Preparation 1. Put the strawberries, sugar, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer about 15-20 minutes. 2. Squish the strawberries in the pot (I use a potato masher), and pour the strawberry sugar water through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. 3. Add the whey to the strawberry sugar water in the bowl and stir. Pour the soda mixture into flip top bottles and set in a warm area of your home. 4. After a couple days you can open a bottle to check for taste and let the fermented gasses out so it doesn't build up too much. Fermentation can take anywhere from 3 days to a week. Our home has been quite unseasonably cool this month so it took mine more like a week. Move the bottles to the fridge once they are ready. Previous Next

If you have a sore throat, drink sage tea and it will help take aleviate your throat pain. < Back Sage Tea Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 4 cups water Honey or sugar to taste Preparation Steep the rubbed sage in hot water until nice golden color (about 5+ minutes). Strain and add honey (best because of its antibacterial qualities) or sugar to taste Serve hot. Can store extra in the fridge for later. Just heat and serve. It is important when you are sick that you stay hydrated, but if your throat is sore, sometimes that is hard to do. Sage tea will help a scratchy throat. It is also good for people who had their tonsils removed. Stay hydrated people! Previous Next

Elderberry syrup is a common immune-boosting home remedy for colds and flus. It can be expensive to purchase, but homemade elderberry syrup is easier than you think. < Back Homemade Elderberry Syrup Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: Pints jars Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup dried elderberries 4 cups water 1/2 cup honey (see note) Preparation ELDERBERRY SYRUP COLD & FLU TREATMENTS A placebo-controlled study on flu patients found that with a tablespoon (15 ml) of elderberry syrup taken 4x per day, “Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo. Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza.” Another influenza study cooked elderberry syrup into slow-release lozenges, but administered a similar dosage 4x a day. The effects were dramatic… “The extract-treated group showed significant improvement in most of the symptoms except 24 hours after the onset of the treatment, whereas the placebo group showed no improvement or an increase in severity of the symptoms at the same time point. By 48 hours, 9 patients (28%) in the extract-treated group were void of all symptoms, 19 patients (60%) showed relief from some symptoms… In contrast, complete recovery was not achieved by a single patient in the placebo group [during the 48 hour monitoring period].” They concluded that “ elderberry extract is safe and highly effective in treating flu‐like symptoms.” ELDERBERRY SYRUP FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM After several studies confirmed that elderberry syrup can shorten the duration of the flu, another study tried to determine the effects of elderberry syrup on a healthy immune system . They found that a commercially available elderberry syrup (Sambucol) substantially increased immune activity, even in healthy people. “We conclude from this study that, in addition to its antiviral properties, Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production. Sambucol might, therefore, be beneficial to the immune system activation and in the inflammatory process in healthy individuals or in patients with various diseases. Sambucol could also have an immunoprotective or immunostimulatory effect when administered to cancer or AIDS patients, in conjunction with chemotherapeutic or other treatments.” SIDE EFFECTS OF ELDERBERRY SYRUP In general, elderberry syrup is considered a safe natural remedy. That said, there’s always the potential for an allergic reaction. Other parts of elderberry plants, such as the leaves and stems contain a toxic compound called glycoside, and should not be consumed. There’s also some evidence that raw elderberries contain toxins, and all elderberries should be cooked prior to use. Elderberry syrup is a cooked preparation, which is another reason why it’s so common as a home remedy. Elderberries are mildly diuretic and can interact with prescription “water pills” designed to make you pee more. Additionally, since they’re an immune stimulant, they can potentially cause problems in people with auto-immune disorders. As with any herbal remedy, it’s best to check with your doctor before starting any new remedy. Disclaimer : I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet. I love doing research and sharing my findings with others, but I strongly suggest you verify this information with other sources and talk to your doctor. HOW TO MAKE ELDERBERRY SYRUP Homemade elderberry syrup can be made from either fresh or dried elderberries. Generally, dried elderberries are used simply because they’re more easily available. I buy dried elderberries in bulk online , and we probably go through 3-4 pounds a year making various elderberry remedies. Making elderberry syrup starts with elderberries and water. The amounts are up to you, but I start with 1 cup dried elderberries, add 4 cups water. Keep that ratio the same, using 1-part dried elderberries to 4 parts water, by volume. Bring the elderberries and water to a boil, and simmer on very low about 30 minutes. Most of the water is going to either evaporate or absorb into the dried berries, but be very careful not to let the pot boil dry. After simmering, it’s time to strain the mixture. With the pot on very low heat for 30 minutes, I usually get right around 1 cup of very strong elderberry extract after straining. (Save the strained berries, they can still be used a few more times for making cups of elderberry tea.) The total yield may vary depending on your stove, so measure the strained liquid. Add 1 part honey for every 2 parts juice. With my elderberry syrup recipe, I have 1 cup juice, so I add 1/2 cup raw local honey. I generally let the hot elderberry extract cool to room temperature before adding the honey, simply because I want to keep the honey raw and unheated. That’s optional, and you can just dissolve the honey in the hot elderberry extract. At this point, you have a finished elderberry syrup that can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Without any preservatives, the syrup must be used relatively quickly. MAKING SHELF-STABLE ELDERBERRY SYRUP My simple homemade elderberry syrup recipe isn’t shelf-stable, but since it’s quick to make, I don’t really mind. Just keep dried elderberries on hand and I’ve got a fresh batch ready to go in under an hour. Still, it’s sometimes handy to have fresh elderberry syrup in the medicine cabinet, like when my husband comes home feeling under the weather and wants something to take now before heading off to bed. Adding alcohol preserves elderberry syrup, but you have to add quite a bit for it to be effective. The mixture needs to be at least 20% alcohol, and some sources say 30%. To achieve this, you’d have to add an 80 proof liquor (40% alcohol) like vodka at a 1:1 ratio. What do I do? I mix homemade elderberry syrup with an equal amount of homemade echinacea tincture . That achieves the 20% alcohol while adding even more immune-boosting herbs. ELDERBERRY SYRUP DOSAGE The commonly recognized dosage for elderberry syrup is one tablespoon (15ml) taken 3-4 times per day for 3-5 days for adults. Elderberry syrup dosage for children is one tablespoon (15ml) twice daily. Keep in mind that honey cannot be fed to children under 2 years of age. Their stomach acid is not as strong as adults, and there’s a small chance they could have an adverse reaction to the naturally occurring bacteria in honey. Elderberry syrups made with sugar are more appropriate in younger children. That said, always check with your doctor for more specific dosages appropriate to your situation. (And always check with a doctor before giving any medication, herbal or otherwise, to a young child.) WAYS TO USE ELDERBERRY SYRUP While you can just take elderberry syrup by the spoonful, it’s a really versatile ingredient that you can incorporate into your diet in other ways. I like to add 2-3 tablespoons to a glass of seltzer for a refreshing elderberry soda, or using elderberry syrup to sweeten herbal teas. While I’m fond of homemade maple syrup, I sometimes pour elderberry syrup over pancakes for an immune-boosting berry-flavored breakfast. It’s also spectacular drizzled over plain yogurt. INGREDIENTS 1 cup dried elderberries 4 cups water 1/2 cup honey (see note) INSTRUCTIONS Add elderberries and water to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Heat on low for about 30 minutes, and then remove from heat. (Most of the water is going to either evaporate or absorb into the dried berries. Keep the heat low and be careful not to let the pot boil dry.) Strain the elderberry extract through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer. (Save the strained berries, they can still be used a few more times for making cups of elderberry tea.) Optional ~ Allow the elderberry extract to cool to room temperature if using raw honey. Measure the strained liquid, you should have about 1 cup of elderberry extract. Add 1 part honey for every 2 parts juice. With my elderberry syrup recipe, I have 1 cup juice, so I add 1/2 cup raw local honey. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Store homemade elderberry syrup in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks. (See note to extend shelf life) NOTES Double or triple this recipe, but keep that ratio the same, using 1 part dried elderberries to 4 parts water, by volume. Then measure the strained liquid and add 2 parts elderberry extract to 1 part honey. To make shelf-stable elderberry syrup, add an equal amount of 80 proof liquor (40% alcohol), such as vodka. I add echinacea tincture, which complements the immune-boosting properties of elderberry. Dosage is usually 1 tablespoon (15ml) taken 3-4 times a day for adults. Please consult your doctor before starting any new remedy, herbal or otherwise. Never feed honey to children under 2 years of age, and consult a doctor before using elderberry syrup for children. Previous Next

This recipe is from the United State Senate and was submitted by Hubert H. Humphrey < Back Humphrey’s Homemade Beef Soup Prep Time: 30 Cook Time: 3 hours Serves: 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 ½ lbs. stew meat or chuck 1 soup bone (don’t worry about the size) Salt and pepper to taste 2 bay leaves ½ cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped cabbage 4-5 medium carrots, sliced 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) of oregano 1 #2 can of tomatoes (regular or Italian style) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 beef bouillon (if desired) (can substitute with soy sauce to taste) Preparation Cover the meat and bone with 3 quarts of cold water in a large saucepan. Add salt, pepper, the two bay leaves and heat until boiling. Turn heat to low and add the onion, celery, cabbage, carrots, and oregano. Simmer for at least 2 ½ hours or until eat is tender. Then add the can of tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon (or soy sauce to taste) Continue to simmer for another ½ hour or until ready to eat. “This soup, or stew, is almost a full meal in itself. It is very thick and full of good vitamins and energy.” Hubert H. Humphrey Doesn’t this sound good served with a thick slice of homemade bread and butter? So satisfying. Previous Next

Everyone will love this simple easy asian dinner! < Back Dorisanne’s Sesame Chicken Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients Sesame Sauce: (I doubled the sauce recipe for you because I think it needs it.) 2 2/3 cups water ½ cup sugar 4 Tbsp. soy sauce (gluten free works just fine) 1 tsp. granulated garlic 4 Tbsp. cornstarch 4 Tbsp. oyster sauce (absolutely necessary ingredient) 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts Preparation Take 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts and cut them into 1” square cubes. Put approximately ½ cup of cornstarch into a gallon-size ziplock bag. Put the chicken in the bag and shake until well coated. Add enough canola oil into your skillet to generously coat the bottom. Fry the chicken until it is a crispy medium brown turning once while cooking – don’t sit and play with it. I also like to drizzle a little bit of sesame oil on the frying chicken for flavor. Pour prepared sauce over the chicken and simmer for 3 minutes. While thickening the sauce up, add 1-½ cups of pre-cooked (not overcooked) or frozen broccoli, and sesame seeds (about 1 to 2 Tbsp.) to taste. When the sauce thickens, serve over hot sticky rice. Previous Next

When I want a quick meal that everyone loves, and I have leftover spaghetti noodles in the fridge, this is my go-to recipe. < Back Quick Chinese Veggie-Noodle Mashup Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients Spaghetti noodles, leftover if you have them (I usually cook up twice the amount I need so that I don’t have to cook twice.) 1 bag of frozen oriental style veggies Garlic, granulated, to taste Sesame oil, to taste Soy sauce, to taste 2+ tablespoons butter or olive oil Sesame oil, to taste Preparation 1. Warm up the spaghetti by putting it in a colander and running hot water over it. 2. Either steam or fry up some frozen oriental vegetables from a bag. 3. After the vegetables are hot, toss the noodles and vegetables in a large hot pan (the one you cooked the vegetables in) with just a little bit of butter or olive oil. 4. Season to taste with granulated garlic, black pepper, and lots soy sauce. You might use more soy sauce than you are used to, but it will make all the difference in the taste. 5. Lightly stir and warm everything up together so that the sugars will caramelize a little. 6. Add a dab of butter at the end for taste and a drizzle of sesame oil for flavor. Throw in a couple of leftover cooked shrimp or chicken chunks, if you have them, but that is optional. Serve with soy sauce so that everyone can season it to taste. Remember you are using leftover noodles – very EASY and TASTY! Very quick. Previous Next

< Back Caramel Corn The melt in your mouth part of Homemade Caramel Corn is really true, you know. It’s hard to get the perfect taste to caramel corn because all people like it different ways. But for our family? We’ve found it. This recipe is perfect for us, with sweet caramel and just a hint of saltiness Previous Next

I love a good seafood and crawdad boil! < Back Seafood Boil Spice Mix Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients ¼ cup pickling spices ¼ cup sea salt 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon celery seeds 1 tablespoon minced dried chives 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons dried oregano 5 bay leaves Makes 1 cup. Preparation Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse ingredients until mixture forms a course powder. Store in an airtight container. Shrimp: add ¼ cup of spice mix along with 2 teaspoons salt to a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve hot or chilled. Lobster, crab, or crawdads: add ¼ cup spice mix to one part distilled white wine vinegar to 3 parts water. Boil and add seafood. Cook for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve hot or chilled. Previous Next

Whipped Buttercream Frosting is the best frosting ever! This flour frosting (ermine frosting) is made without powdered sugar. It has the rich creaminess of a buttercream & the light, airy texture of a whipped cream frosting without being too sweet! < Back Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 24 Level: Beginner Ingredients Preparation This Whipped Buttercream Frosting recipe pretty much blew my mind. I’m not a big frosting person; most buttercream frostings are just ok, and I can take them or leave them. Well, this buttercream frosting is amazing, and it uses (are you ready for this?) granulated sugar! Yep! Regular, old granulated sugar. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make frosting without powdered sugar, this is it! Don’t worry – it’s not gritty at all. In fact, this ermine frosting has the texture of a light whipped cream with the flavor of a sweet, vanilla buttercream. It’s honestly the best frosting (buttercream or otherwise) that I’ve ever had. It’s sweet but not overwhelmingly, make-your-teeth-ache sweet. I’ve put answers to a lot of the questions I’ve received in the recipe notes. Please take a second to read through those notes before making the frosting. How to make frosting without powdered sugar Step 1 Whisk the milk and flour together in a small heavy saucepan before beginning to heat. Step 2 Once combined, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it has thickened. At this point, it should be the consistency of a thick paste. Step 3 Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Step 4 Let the mixture cool to room temperature before continuing. This step is key. If the mixture is warm, it will cause the butter to warm up, and you’ll end up with a thin, runny frosting. Step 5 In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together on medium-high to high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides to avoid gritty frosting. Step 6 Add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture to the beaten butter/sugar mixture, and beat on medium-high to high for 5 minutes. It may look separated at first, but keep whipping the frosting until it is light and fluffy. What flavors of cake go well with this frosting? This frosting has a light, sweet vanilla flavor that works well with a number of cake flavors. Here are a few ideas! Red velvet Chocolate cake Carrot cake Zucchini cake Spice cake White cake Can I make this frosting in other flavors? You can! Here are some of the different flavors of this frosting that I’ve made. Chocolate frosting Oreo frosting Brown sugar frosting Peppermint frosting Cinnamon frosting Cream Cheese Frosting Troubleshooting tips First , not cooking the milk mixture long enough. The mixture should be a thick paste. If it’s too wet, the frosting will be too loose. Second , the cooked milk mixture needs to cool completely. If it’s too warm, it will melt the butter, and you’ll end up with loose frosting that doesn’t come together. Third , using butter that’s too warm. The butter should be at a cool room temperature. It should dent if pushed, but it shouldn’t be too warm and certainly not beginning to melt. Fourth , using other types of sugars. This frosting needs to be made with granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Fifth , not whipped the frosting long enough. The frosting needs to be whipped to get the right light and airy texture. Cutting the time short could leave you with a grainy frosting or a frosting that separates. If your frosting is still a little gritty after beating it for 5 minutes, go ahead and add the cooled milk/flour mixture. That will usually smooth out any remaining sugar. A couple people have reported that a film has formed on their milk/flour mixture. I haven’t had this happen, but another person said that she’s had good luck with blending the milk/flour mixture with a blender before cooking it. She said that it removed any lumps and helped prevent skin from forming. INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It will be the consistency of a thick paste2. Make sure that you whisk the flour and milk together well before you begin cooking it to avoid lumps. 2. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. This step is key. If your mixture is warm, it will melt your butter, and you’ll end up with runny frosting. 3. Stir in vanilla. 4. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy on medium high, about 5 minutes. Make sure that you scrape down the sides and really incorporate the butter and sugar to avoid gritty frosting. 5. Then add the completely cooled milk mixture. 6. Beat it for about 5 more minutes on medium-high to high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first, so keep beating it until it comes together and looks like a whipped cream. Recipe Notes 1. Make sure that your butter isn’t too warm! The butter should be at cool room temperature. You want it to dent if you press it, but you don’t want it to be so warm that it’s near melting. 2. When cooking the milk/flour mixture, you don’t want it to look wet. It should be like a thick paste. If it’s wet and runny, your frosting will be too loose. 3. If you’re using a hand mixer, beat it on high. This recipe work well with a stand mixer because it has the power to really whip the frosting. 4. Please don’t cut the mixing time short! I know it’s tempting, but it’s important to beat the butter and sugar together for the time the recipe calls for to keep it from being gritty. If you cut the mixing times short, you won’t end up with the right texture of frosting. 5. To get the best flavor, you’ll want to use real butter and pure vanilla extract. 6. I recommend chilling any leftover frosted cake or cupcakes. 7. Nutrition values are estimates. Previous Next

Award-winning old-time Dutch Oven recipe < Back Candied Chicken Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1.5 hours Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 fryer chicken, cut into pieces, dredged in flour and browned in a little oil in the bottom of a #10 Dutch oven ½ cup ketchup ¼ cup mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup onion, diced ¾ cup water 1 teaspoon salt Preparation Dredge chicken pieces through flour and brown in the Dutch oven on the stove-top over medium heat. Mix the sauce ingredients together. When chicken has been browned on all sides, remove Dutch oven from stove-top and pour mixed sauce over chicken. Cover and bake for 1 ½ hours, at 350°F. Serve over rice. Previous Next