Simple White Sauce

You can't get much easier than this:

• 2 Tbs. flour (I use arrow root flow)
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 c milk

• Melt butter in a sauce pan
• Sprinkle flour evenly over the entire pan of butter while stirring quickly by hand.
• Add milk slowly while still stirring.
• Continue to cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until your sauce is your desired thickness.

* The sauce will stick and burn to the bottom of your pot if you’re not careful…medium heat, keep stirring, be sure to get the entire bottom of pan in each stir.

*Add salt and pepper if desired. Cayenne is a nice touch if you like a little bite in your sauce.
Grated cheese can also be added while the sauce is heating.
White sauce can be poured over vegetables, noodles and just about anything else!

Baked Beans The Easy Way (Crock Pot or Oven)

• 2 cans of baked beans (prepared baked beans)
• 1 can red kidney
• 1 can black bean
• 1 can pinto bean
• 1can butter bean
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c molasses (I like dark Karo)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 Tbs chopped onion
• 1 c boiling water (only if you are baking the beans in the oven)
• 1/2 lb. piece of cooked ham (optional)
• 1 lb. cut up bacon or more....
  

Cook the bacon in a sauce pot or frying pan, pour off grease and pour into crock pot or baking pan Add cooked ham,
Add all of the beans at once.
Combine salt, sugar, molasses, bay leaf, mustard, onion and add to beans.
Let cook in crock pot for several hours

This recipe can also be made in a crock pot or placed in a baking dish and baked
for 45 min. If baked- pour the water over the top of the beans right before they go into the oven.

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Baked Corn

I experienced a great baked corn dish while out to dinner with my husband. It took a long time of trial and error but this is what I finally found that comes very close to matching it. I've changed things a bit to suit my own tastes. This is a must try recipe.

• 2 tbs butter (do not use margarine)
• 1 1/2 tsp flour (I use wondra flour)
• 1 c milk (you can use regular milk, I prefer to use can milk because it is thicker)
• 2 c cooked corn
• 1 1/2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 eggs

• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour - mix well
• Add your milk gradually a little at a time and bring to the boiling point, stirring constantly
  
• Add corn, salt and pepper. Allow it to cook for 3 min more and then remove from heat
  
• Add well beaten eggs and pour in a greased baking dish. Bake 350 for 25 min.

Pot Pie Dough (Old Fashion)

Pot Pie Dough

3 cups flour
4 eggs

1/4 C. milk

1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c margarine

Mix all of the ingredients above and roll out onto a floured board to about 1/4 inch thick or thicker if you like. Slice the dough to make 6 or 7 inch strips.
Drop dough into boiling chicken or ham broth (see below)


"I save the left over ham bone and some of the meat from a baked ham...place it in a freezer bag and it's there when I need it.
This is a great recipe when trying to figure out what to do with left over chicken or turkey carcass, I boil the entire carcass and strain it....pick out any meat")

Pot Pie in a Pot

Make a broth with either ham or chicken by placing meat and bone into a large pan ,   Add enough water to cover the meat. At least 12 cups of water. Add sliced carrots and potatoes along with an onion sliced in four pieces. Cook time: min. of two hours

Gnocchi Chicken or Turkey Soup/Great with left over turkey

Do you ever wonder at the waste when tossing out the entire carcass of the turkey at thanksgiving or any other time? I raised four kids, sometimes on my own entirely. I couldn't afford to throw away anything!

• Place the entire carcass of your turkey after the meat has been sliced and picked clean into a large pot
• Fill pot 2/3 full with water and let it cook several hours.
  
• Place a colander or strainer over another large pot or slow cooker and transfer all of the broth into it .
• Be sure to pick out any meat that has cooked off the bones and place back into the broth.
  For a low fat content: set the broth in refrigerator over night and clean off the solid fat that rises to the top.
  
  
  Mix together:
  
• 2 cups cooked meat-turkey, chicken or other meat (chopped in small pieces, approx 1" cubes)
  
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalk celery, diced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large potato diced small
• 1 small can mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh mushrooms
• 1 tsp. oregano or Italian spices
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups or 3 cans of broth or broth from turkey)
• 1 16 oz. gnocchi

• 1 hour before dinner is to be served, add the ingredients above to your broth and bring to a boil.
• Let simmer until vegetables are tender.
• Add gnocchi according to pkg.instructions. (approx. 3 min. or until they all float to the top) Do not over cook the gnocchi.

Crab Cakes

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tabs. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/4 tsp. old bay or seafood seasoning
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs (I shred my own from rolls)
• 1 pound crab meat
  
  Combine and mix together the following in a bowl:
• eggs
• mayonnaise
• parsley
• seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• pepper
• dry mustard
• lemon juice
  
  
  
• add the bread crumbs and crab meat gently.
• Shape 8 patties about 2 1/2-3" in diameter
• Place patties gently onto a baking sheet, cover and place in refrigerator for 30 min.
• Cook over medium high heat in a large skillet (do not press down on the crab cakes.) Add crab cakes after the skillet is hot. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or til browned. Do not over cook or they will be dry!
  

Makes 8 crab cakes

Lemon Meringue Pie

Mix the next 4 ingredients together and set aside

• 4 tabs. Flour
• ¼ c. sugar
• 3 tabs. Cornstarch
• ½ c. cold water

Separate 3 eggs
Beat yolks
(put whites aside for Meringue)

In saucepan heat:

• 1 ½ cups hot water
• 1 c. sugar

When water mixture is steaming (not boiling) add the flour mixture (first 4 ingredients)
Put a few spoons of hot filling into eggs and then pour the eggs into the fillingand then the beaten egg yolks.

Cook til thick and remove from heat
add 1 tabs. butter and the juice from 1 ½ lemons.
cover with wax paper to cool

Meringue Topping
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla.
Pile on pie and bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes.

White Lasagna with Spinach

18 lasagna noodles
2 frozen pkg. of spinach
3 c. milk
6 tabs. wondra flour or cornstarch
1 small onion chopped
1lb. ground beef or turkey or cubed pieces of ham
1 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasonings
32 oz plain non fat or low fat yogurt
1 ¼ c. Parmesan cheese
2 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 ½ c. mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375
1. Cook noodles according to the package directions, rinse and drain.
2. Cook spinach and drain. Set both noodles and spinach aside.
3. In a large saucepan combine milk, cornstarch (adding slowly) and onion. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly; After it bubbles, cook and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in yogurt.
5. Spread 6 tab. of sauce mixture evenly on the bottom of a large lasagna baking dish.
6. Add meat to the remaining sauce.
7. Place a layer of lasagna noodles and then a layer of sauce (division for layers is approx. 1/3)
8. Add a layer of spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and 1/2 of mozzarella cheese. 9.Repeat #'s 7 and 8 again ending with 3rd row of noodles topped with sauce and mozzarella cheese
10. Bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Note: I found the original recipe for this in "Light cooking," It is intended to be low calorie but I won't vouch for that, it certainly does not taste low calorie. I've never had white lasagna I liked until I tried this one.

Potato Salad

Potato Salad

3 lb bag of potatoes Boiled til soft
(I like to use red skin and I do not peel but that is a personal choice) IF you do peel, red skins are easier to peel.

1/2 chopped onion (medium size)

3 sticks of celery sliced thin

6-8 hard boiled eggs chopped

3 cups Real Mayonnaise (you can substitute with Miracle whip but it won't taste like mine if you do)

1/2 c. milk

2tsp. salt

pepper to taste

2tsp. lemon juice

2 tabs. sugar

Boil your potatoes until tender (do not over cook or they will be mushy)
Cut the potatoes into desired size chunks - 1/2" or smaller
After potatoes are cooled (they don't have to be completely cold)
Add eggs
Add cut celery, onion, lemon juice and mayonnaise and milk
Add sugar - a little more sugar to taste is fine
1/2 cup of chopped fine or grated carrot can be added for color

*If your salad seems to be too dry; add a little milk mixed with some extra mayonnaise

*This is also a good second day fix to bring it back to a creamier texture