Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing

2/3 cup cottage cheese

¼ cup milk

1 ½ tsp parsley

¼ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dill

¼ tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1.     Mix: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

2.     Store: We like to store this in an old honey bottle and date it, so we know when it expires. It will keep until the milk and/or cottage cheese expires. 

Notes:

You could easily double this recipe. We just don’t use it fast enough to need to.

Healthy and Delicious Pancakes

Healthy and Delicious Pancakes

Dry ingredients:                                                          Wet ingredients:

1 cup white whole wheat flour                                    1 large egg

½ cup oatmeal (blended until fine)                              1 ½ cups milk

3 Tbsp flax seeds                                                                                   2 Tbsp applesauce

2 tsp baking powder                                                    1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

Directions:

1.     Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, oatmeal, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

2.     Mix wet ingredients: In a small bowl, beat the egg. Then add milk, applesauce and vanilla extract and whisk together.

3.     Combine the wet and dry: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet to the center of the dry ingredients and then mix them together until just combined (don’t over mix).

4.     Let the batter sit: I like to transfer the batter to a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, then let the batter sit in the cup for about ten minutes before cooking (this helps the baking powder to do it’s job to create fluffy pancakes). This is a good time to start warming your skillet (if using one).

5.     Cook and enjoy: Now you just cook them and enjoy!

Notes:

This recipe makes about 12 pancakes. We mix up the dry ingredients and store them in quart sized ziplock baggies. This way, when it comes time to make the pancakes, you just pull out the mix and add the wet ingredients to it. Be careful not to over mix when combining the wet and dry, because it will make your pancakes too tough. You could omit the oatmeal and flax seeds if you want to and just use 1 ½ cups of whole wheat flour. We just add oatmeal for variety and flax seeds because we don’t eat fish.

You can also make a simple syrup by mixing 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup water in a medium pot. Bring it to a low boil and then add 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp maple extract. Stir and enjoy! Any left over syrup can be stored in the refrigerator and then reheated. 

French Toast

French Toast

¼ cup all-purpose flour                                                           4 eggs

¼  tsp cinnamon                                                                      1 cup milk

¼ tsp nutmeg                                                                           2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp brown sugar                                                                 8 slices of homemade bread

Directions:

1.     Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl.

2.     In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk and vanilla together.

3.     Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

4.     Dip the bread (we slice homemade bread into four triangles) into the egg mixture, soaking it for a few seconds.

5.     Butter a skillet and cook the bread.

6.     Serve with homemade syrup recipe or honey.

Tips:

Stir the mixture, after every bread dipping, to help the cinnamon and nutmeg to distribute evenly in the mixture. If you have too much egg mixture just pour a little extra over the last few slices. This isn't a perfectly IC safe recipe due to the nutmeg and cinnamon, so if those spices bug your bladder, just leave them out!

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 cup butter                                                                1 Tbsp fresh marjoram (or 1 tsp dried)

10 garlic cloves, diced                                                 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)

2 cups chopped celery                                                 1 tsp salt

2 cups finely chopped mushroom                                ¼ tsp pepper

½ cup chopped fresh parsley                                       15 cups dried bread cubes

2 Tbsp fresh sage (or 2 tsp dried)                                3 cups turkey broth (as needed)

1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)                              2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

Directions:

1.     Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Then add garlic, celery, mushroom and fresh herbs into butter, stirring frequently.

2.     Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with dry herbs, salt and pepper.

3.     Pour in enough broth to moisten (the bread should absorb all the moisture), and mix in eggs.

4.     Transfer to a slow cooker, and cover (place a kitchen towel in between lid and top of crock pot to absorb moisture). Cook on low for about 4 hours (stirring about every hour, adding extra broth as needed).

Tips: If it is too soggy, remove the lid for the last half hour or so, if it is too dry, add more broth. You can prepare this early too. Just mix all the ingredients, except the eggs into a big bowl. Cover and chill until completely cold, then add the eggs and mix. Cover and refrigerate until morning, then cook on low all day. You could easily halve this recipe and it would still work out just fine. I just usually make it for big family gatherings so I make a ton :)

Italian Bread Crumbs

Italian Bread Crumbs

1 cup dried bread crumbs

½ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp oregano (dried)

¼ tsp basil (dried)

¼ tsp thyme (dried)

¼ tsp parsley (dried)

Directions:

1.     Prepare Bread Crumbs: If you don’t already have bread crumbs lying around, you can take bread cubes and let them dry out and then process them in a food processor.

2.     Combine and Mix: Combine all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed well.

3.     Storage: You can use these right away, or make up a bigger batch (I made a huge batch out of bread that didn’t rise the right way, as I was learning to make it) and freeze it.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Cream of Chicken Soup

1 ¼ cups chicken broth                                   ½ cup milk

¼ cup milk                                                       1/3 cup flour

Seasonings (about 1 Tbsp/3 tsp)

Directions:

1.   Warm up broth: Combine chicken broth and ¼ cup of milk in a small saucepan. Heat up until it reaches a low boil.

2.   Make a roux: Whisk flour, ½ cup milk and seasonings until a smooth mixture forms. As far as the seasonings go, you can mix it up however you want. You can use as much as 3 tsp total to season it (depending on how seasoned your broth was). I like to use at least ½ tsp each of salt, parsley, oregano and garlic powder (when doing casseroles), but you could mix it up and use a little basil and or rosemary (if doing a soup).

3.   Mix together and thicken: Pour the roux (flour mixture) into the broth, cooking it over low heat and stirring continuously as the sauce simmers. Continue to whisk and simmer for another 5-10 minutes (until it thickens). It will thicken even more as it cools.

4.   Use or store: It is possible to freeze this and use it another day. I use it immediately.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Soup:                                                               Dumplings:

3 cups chicken broth                                       1 cup flour

1 cup water                                                      ½ tsp salt                    

1 16 oz bag mixed vegetables                            2 tsp baking powder                           

½ tsp basil, dill, oregano, parsley and salt        ½ cup milk                  

1tsp garlic powder                                          

1 cup milk                                                       

1/3 cup flour                                                   

2 cups chicken

            1 ½ cups egg noodles

Directions:

1.     In a large pot combine chicken broth, vegetables, basil, dill, oregano, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Bring to boiling. Simmer about 5 minutes.

2.     Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine milk and flour. Stir into vegetable mixture.

3.     Stir in chicken. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

4.     Stir in noodles. Simmer covered for about 5 minutes.

5.     Meanwhile, prepare dumplings. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir in milk and beat until stiff.

6.     Drop batter (one tablespoon at a time) into soup. Cover and cook for 10 minutes (the dumplings should be puffed).

Chicken Broth

Chicken Broth

1 gallon bag carrot, celery

1 whole young chicken

2 bay leaves

5 sprigs parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried)

5 sprigs thyme (or 1 Tbsp dried)

5 sprigs basil (or 1 Tbsp dried)

5 cloves garlic

Directions:

1.    Place chicken in crock pot.

2.    Place all the veggies and seasonings around the chicken.

3.    Fill crock pot with water to the top.

4.    Cook for 8-10 hours on low.

5.    Remove chicken (you can use it to make a soup or a casserole).

6.    Strain broth (using cheesecloth) and throw out the extra stuff.

Notes:

The gallon bag is just frozen left over carrot and celery peelings and chunks we would have thrown out. Just slowly fill the gallon bag in the freezer so it is ready to make the broth. You really can just play with this until you get the right flavor. I usually will taste the broth before it is done to make sure I like the flavor, and add more spices if needed. 

Some of the tips I have learned since creating this recipe, is that the bones contain the most flavor. So you can actually cook the chicken for about four hours, then remove the meat, and throw the bones back in, and continue cooking it. You could even just save the bones from a chicken that was already cooked to make the broth (we did this with turkey bones at Thanksgiving and it made delicious broth). This will give it extra flavor. 

I have also learned that most of the flavorings in vegetables come from stems/skins. So that is why we save the extra stuff from our veggies. The leaves of the celery contain the most flavor. I have recently been starting an herb garden in my window sill. I can't wait to try this using my own home grown herbs.

You may have noticed I didn't use onions at all in this recipe. Onions are on the IC "try-it" list for when your bladder is doing really well. Since I can't say that I am quite there yet, I am just using garlic instead. I have learned you can substitute 2 cloves of diced garlic for about every 1/2 an onion. The recipe I started with called for a whole onion, so I added just a little more. I just throw the garlic cloves in whole. 

Also, I have heard that if you refrigerate the broth before straining it, it will make all the fat rise to the top, so you can just skim it off, and it seals in the flavors more.

Oh, and one last note. I like to make this huge batch up, and then freeze it 
in 1 cup and 1/4 cup portions because I usually use a cup and 1/4 to make up my cream of chicken soup, and most recipes call for a few cups to make a soup. It can freeze for up to a year. So just freeze it and then pull it out the morning before you make your soup or casserole and it is good to go! This recipe often makes about 11 cups of broth. See picture below: 

Wheat Bread for the Bread Maker

Wheat Bread for the Bread Maker

1 ½ cups milk 2 cups wheat flour

¼ cup applesauce 2 cups bread flour

¼ cup honey ½ cup ground flax seed

1 tsp salt ½ cups ground oats

1 Tbsp yeast

Directions:

1. Add wet ingredients to bread maker: Add milk, applesauce, honey, and salt (in that order) to the bread maker.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the bread maker: Add wheat flour, bread flour, flax seed and oats (in that order) to bread maker.
3. Dig a well and add yeast: Dig a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour yeast into the well.
4. Select the cycle: Do whatever suits your bread maker best. I usually do a 2 lb loaf, medium crust, wheat bread cycle.
5. Let the machine do the work and enjoy: Let it cook up your yummy bread for you and enjoy!

Notes:

Adding salt to the wet ingredients helps the yeast to rise better. I used to mix the dry ingredients in a bowl first, but got lazy. You can do it either way. So really save time. Make up a batch of bread, and then make up a few extra bags of just the dry stuff and store it in a gallon sized ziploc in your pantry. When you need more bread, just grab and go! Also you can store your bread in a bread bag and it will stay fresher longer. If you don't eat your bread fast enough, cut it up in small pieces and dry it out for bread crumbs (also great if you happen to mess up). Each bread maker reacts differently, so feel free to play with the recipe until you get it perfect for your family! Also, be sure not to put homemade bread in the fridge as this can actually dry it out faster.

Updated November 2014 :)

Butterscotch Granola Bars

Butterscotch Granola Bars

3 cups quick-cooking oats                                      1 cup sunflower seeds

3 Tbs flax seed                                                       1 cup shredded organic coconut

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk           1 cup butterscotch chips

¼ cup applesauce                                                   2 Tbs honey

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan using Baker’s Joy.

2.   Place unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a bowl of hot water. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flax seed, sunflower seeds, coconut, and butterscotch chips with your hands until well blended. Then mix the sweetened milk, applesauce and honey together, and add it to the dry stuff. Mix well. Press flat into the prepared pan (spray hands with Baker’s Joy if sticky).

3.   Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars.

4.   Once finished. Immediately pull them out and cut them with a cookie cutter. Then flip the entire pan onto a sheet of foil. Let cool. Then place into individual snack bags. Enjoy!