Women’s Ministries

Hot Dinner Happy Home October 29, 2011

I am so excited to introduce you to this blog.  The blogger(s) writes the most delightful entries with lots of recipes (among other things) and often hilarious stories to go along with them.  I couldn’t pick my favorite post (because they’d all be on here) so I’m just showing you the most recent.  Please check out the entire blog.  Happy reading!

Heat up the oil, folks, I’m fryin’!

Chicken Pasta Salad October 23, 2011

Here’s another recipe from Joyce Clabots that the volunteers of the Mobile Medical Unit have thoroughly enjoyed!

Chicken Pasta Salad

Dressing – mix & chill:
1 cup mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp garlic red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp capers

Saute for 5 minutes:
4 cups chicken (2 lbs)
1 tsp pork & chicken seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp butter
*after 3 minutes* add 1/2 cup dry white wine

Combine above with:
12 oz rotini noodles, cooked
1 bunch chopped spinach
1 cup chopped green onion
3/4 cup parsley
2 tomatoes
1 cup sliced almonds

Mexican Salad October 15, 2011

Another great recipe that Joyce Clabots has prepared for the Mobile Medical Unit volunteers!  As Julie noted, Joyce is always looking for help with this big endeavor.   Please notify her at joyceclabots@gmail.com if you’re interested in being involved in this awesome community outreach!

Mexican Salad

1/2 cup chopped onion (green or sweet)
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 cup corn (canned, frozen, or fresh)
1/2 cup cooked rice or orzo (1/4 cup uncooked)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced cooked chicken

Dressing:
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix and chill!
Optional additions: cilantro, avodado

Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins October 10, 2011

Fall is in full swing!  And you, my dear friends, have inspired me.  All of your brilliant ideas about how to embrace fall have given me new gusto for the season.  I don’t know what I’m most excited about tonight: that I found this recipe myself and actually followed through on trying it, or sharing it with you!  These muffins are DE-LISH.  I found the recipe in this October’s issue of Southern Living.

Ingredients
2 cups pecan halves and pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
2. Stir together melted butter and next 2 ingredients. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup of 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, and top each with 1 rounded tablespoonful pecans.
3. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together pumpkin, next 2 ingredients, and 2/3 cup water; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.
5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert pan immediately to remove muffins, and arrange muffins on a wire rack. Spoon any topping remaining in muffin cups over muffins. Let cool 5 minutes.

The original recipe says it makes 20, but in my case as well as in all the reviews I read it made over 2 dozen.

You can also make Pecan Pumpkin Bread with the following changes:Pecan-Pumpkin Bread: Omit butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Substitute 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans for 2 cups pecan halves and pieces; toast as directed in Step 1. Omit Step 2. Prepare batter as directed in Step 3; stir in pecans. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loafpans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Makes: 2 loaves. Hands-on time: 20 min.; Total time 2 hr., 40 min.

Let me know if you try it and how it turns out! Happy Fall!

Here's how mine turned out!

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Feta and Pine nuts October 4, 2011

The following recipe was submitted by Joyce Clabots.  Joyce makes meals for the volunteers of the Mobile Medical Unit every Wednesday night at NSB.  Her meals are always a big hit!  I’ve had this salad and I can testify: it’s AMAZING!

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Feta & Pine Nuts
Serves 4

Prepare 1 cup of orzo, set aside and let cool

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
Whisk together and set aside

Add to the orzo:
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 Tbsp finely chopped black olives
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Toss with dressing and serve. May also add chicken.

Summertime Treat August 27, 2011

My oldest, Connor, turned two earlier this month.  Last weekend we celebrated with a little birthday bash.  My idea was to do a small little shindig with just a few friends over lunchtime.  As could be expected, I suppose, I spent a lot more time and energy than I planned on the “little” party.  But alas, we all had fun.  And aside from Connor’s classic-two-year-old-meltdown during the Birthday Song, all went well.

One of my bright ideas was to make this Rainbow Jell-O.  My aunt used to make this at family functions when I was growing up and I LOVED it.  What kid wouldn’t love brightly colored finger food?  (What adult wouldn’t love it?)  So I added it to the menu.  Here’s the recipe:

6 – 3 oz packages of Jell-O in rainbow colors
2 boxes of Knox gelatin (each containing 3 envelopes of gelatin – you will use 6 envelopes total)
16 oz of sour cream (I needed closer to 17 oz this time, so maybe have extra on hand)

For EACH color: Dissolve 1 package of Jell-O and 1 package of gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water. Divide into 2 equal portions.
To 1 portion, add 1/3 cup of sour cream
To 1 portion, add 3 tablespoons of water
Pour the clear portion into a 9×13 pan. Place the pan in the freezer to “quick set.”  Two keys here: try and make the pan as LEVEL as possible, and be careful not to freeze the Jell-O.

When the clear portion is set, gently & slowly pour the sour cream portion over the clear.
Repeat with the remaining colors. When the last layer has been added, put it in the refrigerator to set until firm.
Cut into 1 inch squares (or to whatever size you want, it will be firm enough to eat with your fingers)

It takes roughly 10 minutes to quick set each layer. IDEALLY, then, this whole process, through all 12 layers, should take 120 minutes. Clearly, it’s a labor of love but it adds a lot of color to your food spread and makes a great conversation piece!   You could tailor the colors to fit any celebration–use only shades of red and pink or blue and green for a baby shower, or buy 3 boxes each of red and green Jell-O for a Christmas party. The possibilities are endless!

One more note: this makes A LOT of Jell-O.  It turns out not many of Connor’s friends actually like Jell-O, no matter how cool it looks, so we had most of the pan left over after the party. But it was still fun and I’m glad I did it. You could try halving the recipe by using fewer colors and using an 8×8 pan. Then again, Jell-O is very cheap so it’s worth it to pile the decorative jigglers on a platter and listen to them “ooh” and “ahh.”  ENJOY!

Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls July 30, 2011

Rated: Submitted By: CHOMPY Photo By: B Spradley Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Servings: 4

Pork & Papaya with Couscous July 12, 2011

I found this recipe while I was getting my hair done last week out of Clean Eating magazine. I was surprised by the number of good recipes in the magazine – you know, ones that don’t include too many things I have never heard of or will have to drive to a random store to purchase. I went out and bought the July edition and am planning to try some new recipes this summer. This one turned out pretty good. I loved the pork and like the couscous. I bought the whole wheat kind – per the recipe.  I didn’t love the texture of the couscous and I am wondering if any of you know if that is just the way couscous feels or if it was undercooked or if it is the problem is the whole wheat kind. I’d love to hear back from any of you “couscous experts” out there!

Pork & Papaya with Couscous

1. Cook couscous per package instructions.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pork and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, occasionally flipping pork strips with spatula until meat is cooked through. Remove skillet from heat and stilr in lime juice and cilantro.

3. Place couscous on plate and top with pork, papaya, and skillet juices. Garnish with papaya seeds.

Ingredients for 2+ (up the pork amount and double the sauce recipe for a family sized meal)

½ C water

½ C couscous

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

¼ tsp ground ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/2” strips

1 Tbsp lime juice

¼ C fresh cilantro, minced

2 green onions, diced

½ Hawaiian papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed ( I used mango because it was cheaper. My husband said it was still good. I don’t do meat and fruit together…breaks my “sweet/meat” rule!)

~Julie Guest

TRES LECHES CAKE May 5, 2011

Cinco de Mayo is Thursday! Celebrate with cake!

CAKE:

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

4 large egg whites

2/3-cup sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Tbs. lime zest

3 large eggs

2/3-cup all-purpose flour

MILK MIXTURE:

1 cup half and half (use light version)

1 (14-oz.) fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-oz.) can fat free evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare cake, coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray; dust with 1 T. flour.

Place salt and 4 egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 2/3-cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until soft peaks form.  Place 1-teaspoon vanilla and eggs in a large bowl; beat until thick and pale (about 3 minutes).  Gently fold egg white mixture into egg mixture.  Lightly spoon 2/3-cup flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Gently put flour into egg mixture.  Spoon batter into prepared dish.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare the milk mixture, combine the half and half, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.  Pour over the cake. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before frosting.

Serve with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream

 Lynn Wolter’s Recipe

Chocolate Crunch Brownies April 12, 2011

~submitted by Liana Wunderlich
Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 jar marshmallow cream (7 oz)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups crispy rice cereal

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs.  Stir in cocoa, flour, vanilla and salt.  Spread into a greased 13x9x2 baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min.  (OR, you can use a boxed brownie mix if you don’t have time to make from scratch.)  Cool.  Spread marshmallow creme over cooled brownies.  In a medium saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in cereal.  Spread over marshmallow layer.  Chill before cutting; store in refrigerator.