Piney Woods Homeschool

 I love this recipe from Gwen's Nest for Cold and Flu Brew . When I make it, I adjust a bit. Pour one jar of cranberry juice into the pot. Fill that empty jar with apple cider, then pour into the pot. Do that again. Add a large can of frozen orange juice. Add 5 or 6 sticks of cinnamon. Add some cloves and star anise. Simmer for as long as you're willing to wait.

I needed a gluten-free dessert, but I had very few ingredients on hand that I could be certain were not contaminated. Looking online, I found  these oven-baked corn chips . But all my spices were potentially compromised, so my friend and I started experimenting. Turns out, pieces of corn tortilla, topped with hazelnut spread or with butter and brown sugar, then baked at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes are pretty tasty!

This recipe is from Pillsbury.  Because of the lentils, this is another good cholesterol lowering recipe and a great way to sneak dried beans into your diet. 3 Cup Cooked Ham, Diced 2 Cup Celery, Chopped 2 Cup Carrot, Chopped 2 Cup Lentils 1 Large Onion, Chopped 2 Can Chicken Broth 4 Cup Water In 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours.

Here’s another great cholesterol-lowering recipe.  Salmon is good for cholesterol levels, and I modify this recipe to use oat bran instead of flour.  The recipe as written uses red wine, which would also be good for cholesterol, but I sub more chicken broth for the wine since we don’t like the taste.  This recipe comes from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman . 2 Tablespoon Butter 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 4 Ea Salmon Fillets (about 6 Ounces Each), Skinned, With Pin Bones Removed Flour (For Dredging) Salt Black Pepper, Fresh Ground 1 Medium Onion, Diced 1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced 1 Medium Carrot, Peeled And Roughly Chopped 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Minced 1/4 Cup Broth (Fish, Chicken, Or Vegetable) 1 Cup Red Wine (Dry, Full-Bodied), Optional Heat a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes.  Add the butter and oil, turn the heat to high, and wait for the butter foam to subside.  Dredge each of the fillets in...

This is a popular recipe, available all over the internet.  Mine is slightly modified, though.  When dh had high cholesterol, the doctor recommended a particular cholesterol-lowering plan that relied primarily on increasing soluble fiber intake to help lower cholesterol.  So these muffins use oat bran instead of flour, olive oil instead of butter, brown sugar or molasses instead of white sugar–I think those are the only changes.  He was supposed to eat three muffins a day in order to get the right amount of oat bran. 2 Cups Oat Bran                                                   1/2 Cup Raisins                   ...

From How to Cook Everything. 1 1/2 Cup Lentils, Washed And Picked Over 2 Carrots, Peeled And Minced 1 Medium Onion, Minced 1 Cup Tomato (Canned Is Fine; drain First), Cored And Chopped Salt Black Pepper 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano (or Marjoram;1 Tbsp Fresh) 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 Medium Onion, Sliced 1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced 1 Pounds Pasta (Elbows, Shells, Or Similar) Combine the lentils, carrots, minced onion, and water to cover in a large pot over medium heat.  Simmer until the lentils are tender but not at all mushy, 20 to 30 minutes (some lentils may take even longer, but check frequently to avoid overcooking).  Add the tomato, salt, pepper, and half the oregano, stir, and keep warm over low heat.(This sauce may be made up to this point and covered and refrigerated for a day or two ahead, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks.)Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minutes.  Add the slic...

From Pillsbury Soup and Crockpot Recipes. 3 Cup Cooked Ham, Diced 1 Large Onion, Chopped 2 Cup Celery, Chopped 2 Can Chicken Broth 2 Cup Carrot, Chopped 4 Cup Water 2 Cup Lentils  In 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients; mix well.Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours.

Put meat in freezer bag.  Add the flour, salt and pepper, then seal the bag and shake to mix up.  Add all the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and the chicken broth.  (I used garlic powder instead of the clove.)  Mix this up and seal the bag. On the bag, write instructions (or put them on a piece of tape or a label to put on the bag). "Add 1 can (1-1/2 cups) of chicken broth and 5 diced potatoes.  Cover; cook on Low 10-12 hours (High 4-6 hours). Stir stew thoroughly before serving." Put this bag in the freezer.  It does not have to be thawed before cooking, just thawed sufficiently to get the mixture out of the bag.  If it is still frozen, cooking time may be an hour longer. I am thinking that a couple of cans of potatoes might work so that you don’t have to dice potatoes at the last minute. After trying this once, make lots of these kits at the same time and freeze them.  This is also handy when needing to...

This recipe is an amalgam of several from different sources.  When I make it, I am not precise about most of the quantities and amounts. ==================================== Ingredients: 2 Tbl butter, melted 1/4 Cup water, warmed 6 8-ounce boneless pork chops (I usually put about 4 in because of our family size) 1 medium onions, cut in rings 1/4 Cup brown sugar, not packed ketchup Garlic Powder (equal To 1 Clove garlic) Paprika, To Taste 2 To 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 1/4 Teaspoon Marjoram Salt, To Taste Pepper, To Taste ==================================== To freeze, place the pork chops into a freezer bag.  Add all the ingredients except the melted butter and the warm water.   On the freezer bag, write the following: Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup warm water.  Cook 3-4 hours on low.  You only have to thaw this just enough to get it out of the bag before putting it in the slow cooker.  If it’s still frozen, ...