May
The Church the Garden of Christ
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Recipes For The Month of May
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May 1
"Oh, let's have a basket of flowers today
For the little old lady who lives down our way!
We'll heap it with violets white and blue.
With a Jack-in-the-pulpit and wildflowers too."
We'll make it of paper and line it with ferns,
Then hide -- and we'll watch her surprise when she turns
And opens her door and looks our to see
Who in the world it could possibly be!"
~Virginia Scott Miner
"The mighty one, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of he son to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth."
~Psalm 50:1 (NIV)
May Day Cookies
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2 eggs, beaten
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup shopped almonds
Mix eggs, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In separate bowl combine flours, oatmeal, baking soda and baking powder. Add to liquid mixture. Add raisins and almonds. Spoon out onto ungreased cookies sheets. Bake in 350 degree oven for 9 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
* Wrap cookies in cellophane and include with chocolates ad fresh flowers in your May Day baskets! Leave on the doorstep of a loved one, ring the door bell and hide, and watch for their smile of surprise and happiness. You can also make up little baskets and leave by each family member's dinner plate for dessert!
May 2
"One day, the gardener realizes that what she is doing out there is actually teaching herself to garden by performing a series of experiments. This is a pivotal moment"
~Margaret Roach
"There has perhaps never been a time when we have more definitely and more deeply needed our gardens. We are living in a queer, spiritless time of confusion; there is very little sense of security in life. We seemed to have lost our vision, to be filled with anxiety, to feel that there is no long-distance view of life; and this is a strange, bad negativeness, a chaos of mind, than which there is nothing more destructive. Perhaps one of the best ways to get back to a sense of basic spiritual security is to work more and more in the earth."
~Clare Leighton
Brussels Sprout Supreme
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1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 - 1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded American cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place Brussels sprouts, celery and small amount of water in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are tender crisp. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and cook for several minutes, or until thickened. Turn off heat and add cheese and cayenne. Stir until cheese melted. Drain sprouts and celery. Drizzle with cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
*This is a favorite cheese sauce with the younger members of the household. Make it unique for your family by personalizing it with your own variations. Try substituting some of sprouts with potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli. Mozzarella, Colby Jack or a Mexican blend cheese can be used instead of cheddar. Experimenting can be fun and you'll become more creative as you practice. And it can be a cleaver way to start incorporating some of those vegetables that usually wrinkle noses if served plain.
May 3
"There is a hunger in the human heart that nothing but God can satisfy. There is a thirst that no one but He can quench. "Fiercely we dig the fountain, to know the water true," but there's no satisfaction until we come to Him. "Do not work for food that spoils," Jesus said, "but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you… I am the bread of life. He who comes o me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" ( John 6:27, 35)
~David Roper
"You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden, or even your bathtub"
~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Bread Pudding
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6 cups bread; variety of day0old white and seet breads, torn into cubes
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter
Whipping cream or half and half
Combine bread and raisins. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon , nutmeg and mix with bread. Mix vanilla, eggs, evaporated mil and warm milk; pour over bread mixture; should be well saturated. Place in a buttered casserole baking dish and dot with butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warn with cold cream.
*Two of the greatest comforts in the world: faith in God and food. However, too often we put more emphasis on food being an expression of love. We don't know how to display or ask for love openly, so use other means to meet this need. We must remember food can e comforting, but should not fill the void we often feel wen we are in distress. Today, the National Day of Prayer, turn to the Lord in prayer, surrender any need to him, and never go hungry again.
May 4
"More things grow in the garden than the gardener sows."
~Spanish Proverb
"If Jesus was Jewish, how come he has a Mexican name?"
~Anonymous
Mexican Chicken
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2 - 3 pounds chicken pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken bouillon
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives
In a heavy skillet, saute the chicken in oil until light brown. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm. Add onion and garlic to skillet and saute until tender. Add sesame seeds, marjoram, salt and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add bouillon, almonds, chili powder and pepper and heat. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking pan. Add chicken and top with sliced olives. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
**You may actually want to wait until tomorrow to serve this saucy chicken dish, in honor of Mexico's Independence Day, Cinco do Mayo. for even ore fun, serve up a whole buffet that includes Imaginagarden Spanish Rice, Silver Spoon Wings, Eight Layer Tortilla Dip, Black Bean and Green Chili Stew and All the Colors of the Rainbow Shrimp Cocktail. Now, you're celebrating!
May 5
"And let them pass, as they will too soon,
With the bean-flowers' boon,
And the blackbird's tune,
And May, and June!"
~Robert Browning
"Beauty is God's handwriting...
Welcome it in every fair face,
in every fair sky,
in every flower,
and thank God for it."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Easy Black Bean Soup
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cans back beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Lime wedges
Tabasco hot sauce
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and red pepper and cook another minute. Stir in beans and broth and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. In several batches, blend soup in blender at low speed until mostly smooth. Return to saucepan and add milk and reheat, but do not boil Serve immediately, garnishing with limes and hot sauce.
*Some soups are appetizing only at certain time of the year. but Easy Black Bean Soup seems to traverse all seasons. Serve with Very Veggie Nachos or Veggie Burros for a southwestern theme fashionable any day of the year, but especially so this Cinco de Mayo.
May 6
"I bless thee, Lord, because I GROW
Among thy trees, which in a ROW
To thee both fruit and order OW.
What open force, or hidden CHARM
Can blast my fruit, or bring me HARM
While the enclosure is thine ARM?
Enclose me still for fear I START.
Be to me rather sharp and TART,
Than let me want thy hand and ART.
When thou dost greater judgments SPARE.
And with thy knife but prune and PARE,
Ev'n fruitful trees more fruitful ARE.
Such sharpness shows the sweetest FRIEND:
Such cuttings rather heal than REND:
And such beginnings touch their END."
~George Herbert
Peach Raspberry Crisp
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4 cups sliced, peeled ripe peaches (about 5 medium)
1 1/2 cups raspberries, rinsed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats, not instant
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, chopped
Place fruit in a greased 8" x 8" baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add oil and stir to coat. Add butter and mix until well blended. Add orange juice and almonds and stir until moistened. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. Cool and serve with ice cream.
May 7
"I always wear slacks because of the brambles and maybe the snakes. And see this basket? I keep everything in it. So I look ghastly, do I? I don't care - so long as I'm comfortable"
~Katherine Hepburn
"All of tomorrow's flowers are in the seeds of today."
~Karey Hoff
Sesame Asparagus
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1 pound fresh asparagus spears
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 fresh lemon
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Snap dry ends off asparagus (and be sure o add to mulch pile!) Cook the spears, covered in small amount of boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp - tender. Drain and remove from pan. In same pan, melt butter and add sesame seeds. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes, or until toasted. Squeeze lemon into butter and add sesame oil. Add asparagus and toss gently several times until asparagus reheated. Serve immediately.
*If a medley is desired, add 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms before lemon juice and sesame oil and cook until tender. Then continue with rest of recipe. Also try adding 3/4 cup steamed julienne sliced carots.
Asparagus with Nutmeg
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1 pound fresh asparagus spears
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Cook asparagus as directed above. In small pan, melt butter and add asparagus and pan fry for several minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve immediately.
*Serve with Honey-Dew Chicken and Wild Rice, Cauliflower and Carrots.
May 8
"The month it was the month of May,
And all along the pleasant way,
The morning birds were mad with glee,
And all the flowers sprang up to see..."
~Louise Moulton
"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but rifles, to be sure but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."
~Joseph Addison
Rhubarb Cake
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1 box lemon cake mix
4 - 5 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups cream
1 cup sugar
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Mix cake mix according to package directions and pour into greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle rhubarb over cake butter. Pour cream over rhubarb and batter. Sprinkle sugar over batter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and toothpick comes our clean. Serve warm with large scoop of vanilla ice cream or generous heap of whipped cream.
*One of the appealing aspects of this Rhubarb Cake is that it is so easy! yet it is so rich and delicious. If you don't have a rhubarb patch, or a neighbor who does (every neighbor with a patch loves to share) frozen rhubarb works just as well. This cake itself freezes very well, so if you have a surplus of fresh rhubarb and not enough neighbors, make up extra cakes to freeze for when your patch has gone to seed. May this Rhubarb Cake, known to be requested eve for birthday cakes, bring many smiles.
"As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
-Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)
May 9
"Did you like your piece of pineapple
Would you like a napkin
Who have the pineapple
What do you know about them
Do you eat much pineapple
Where you come form
How did this piece compare
With pineapple you have eaten before
What do you remember about the last time
How much did it cost
Do you remember the first time
You tasted pineapple
Do you like it better fresh
Or from the can
What did you feel
As you looked at the picture
Which do you like better
The picture of the the pineapple field
Did you ever imagine
Pineapples growing somewhere"
~W. S. Merwin
Marinated Grilled Pineapple
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6 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pineapple, peeled and cut into 8 thick round slices (with core)
In a medium bowl, mix together honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger, cilantro,m and lemon juice to make a marinade. Brush the grill with 1 tablespoon oil on a rag. Drench pineapple slices with the marinade. Place pineapple on a very hot grill, but not high flame; roast until the fruit caramelizes, or starts turning brown around the edges. Turn carefully and cook for just several more minutes. Serve immediately.
*Other fruit ma also be marinated and grilled, such as papaya, mango, peaches, oranges and bananas. Be sure pieces are large enough so that they don't fall through the grill. Consider using skewers if they do become to small. If using skewers, keep fruits on separate skewers, as they will have different cooking times. Soak wooden skewers for 30 minute prior to using so that they do not burn. Marinated fruits can be served with a variety of courses. As an appetizer, they do well just on their own to whet the palate. Serve alongside main dishes of Thai Noodles with Broccoli or King Harvest Jambalaya. Or, for my favorite, serve atop vanilla ice cream with a sprinkling of chopped nuts and chocolate syrup - - Sweet Delight!
May 10
"The smell of basil is good for the heart and the head, that the seed cureth the infirmities of the heart, taketh away sorrow fulnesse which cometh of melancholy maketh a man merrie and glad."
~John Gerard
"A god deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."
~Saint Basil
Basil Bean Salad
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1/4 pound green beans, trimmed
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 small zucchini, julienned
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup cooked white Great Northern beans
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish
In a large bowl, toss together green beans, carrots, zucchini, red onion, white beans, tomatoes, basil and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper. Pour over the vegetables and toss well to combine. Let chill 2 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to garnish.
*Basil wilts quickly, but it will perk up if set in cool water for about 30 minutes. Then blot the leaves dry and store at room temperature in a plastic sealable bag. If stored in the refrigerator, it will turn black and slimy. Serve Basil Bean Salad stuffed into warmed pita shells, over a bed of colorful lettuce greens or with Honey Rye Loaf.
"Plant the bean when the moon is light; plant the potatoes when the moon is dark."
-Planting Tip from the Farmer's Almanac
May 11
"The form of the orange-tree, the cocoa-nut, the mango, the tree-fern, the banana, will remain clear and separate; but the thousand beauties which unite these into one perfect scene must fade away; yet they will leave, like a tale told in childhood, a picture full of indistinct, but most beautiful figures."
~Charles Darwin
"You may search my time-worn face,
You'll find a merry eye that twinkles
I am NOT an old lady
Just a little girl with wrinkles."
~Edythe E. Bregnard
Banana Peanut Butter Milkshake
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1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup oatmeal, quick or old fashioned, uncooked
1 large banana
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream
Chocolate curls
Combine milk, ice cream, oatmeal, banana, peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a blender. Cover and blend on medium speed for 1 minute, or until smooth and creamy. Pour into chilled tall glasses and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls. To make the chocolate curls, take a square of chilled chocolate and use the side panel of a cheese grater.
*Is it warm enough yet for a milkshake where you life? You bet! Any temperature is a perfect temperature for a thick, rich shake. Adding oatmeal, banana and peanut butter provides a nutrition bonus for girls and those who enjoy indulging in creamy drinks.
"He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."
-Proverbs 15:15 (KJV)
May 12
"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?"
~Nursery Rhyme
Sourdough Spinach Bread
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1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
6 - 7 cups flour
2 packages frozen spinach, thawed, cooked and drained
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup diced pepperoni
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk; lightly beaten
Add water and 2 cups flour to sourdough stater. Mix well, cover and let stand in a warm place overnight. Next morning, heat milk, but do not boil. Stir in butter and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand about 5 minutes. Stir yeast into cooled milk. Add to starter mixture and mix well. Beat in 2 cups flour until batter is smooth. Cover and let dough rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes, until doubled in size. Stir down dough. Gradually beat in remaining flour until dough is stiff enough to handle. Turn out onto floured surface and knead dough about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough in half. Let rest, covered with cloth, for 10 minutes. Roll dough out into 2 rectangular shapes, approximately 10" x 12". Make filling, combining spinach, eggs, Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, garlic salt and pepper. Spread filling on top of dough and roll up jelly-roll style and place on baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk. Set in warm place and let rise until doubled in size. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until done. Cool and serve.
*I found this recipe while looking through boxes of old newspaper clippings. It was in a dining/food section written by the mother of a high school girlfriend. I am sorry to say her mother has since passed away, but reading the article, imagining the recipe, seeing her fuzzy photo. brought back so many good memories. A powerful example of how finding a recipe can bring back recollections of love.
May 13
"If ever I have time for things that matter,
If ever I have the smallest chance,
I'm going to live in
Little Broom Gardens
Moat - by - the - Castle,
Nettlecombe, Hants."
~Vilda Sauvage Owens
Stawberry - Almond Torte
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1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almonds, thinly sliced
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup almond paste
3 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 quarts fresh strawberries
To make crust, first whisk together oil and honey until frothy. Add egg whites and whisk again. Add vanilla and mix well. Stir in flour, salt and almonds. Divide crust in half and spread into two well greased 9" round pans. Set aside. To make filling, first beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, almond extract and vanilla and beat together well. Blend in the almond paste and mix well. Spread half of filling on top of each uncooked crust. Bake crust with almond filling in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool crusts on racks. To make whipped topping, beat whipping cream until soft peaks start to form, slowly add sugar and continue to beat until firm. Wash and stem the berries and leave half of the nicest looking ones whole for the top of the torte. Slice the rest to be used in the center. To assemble, place one of the crusts on a cake plate. Gently tuck a ring of sliced berries under edge of cake, tips pointing out. Top with half of the shipped topping and then another ring of berries. Place remaining crust on top; spread crust with remaining shipped topping. Top with the whole strawberries, turned stem-side down, placed closely together so that they cover the entire top of the crust. Serve as soon as possible, chilling until then.
May 14
"Open wide the window of our spirits,
O Lord, and fill us full of light:
open wide the door of our hearts,
that we may recieve and entertain you
with all our powers of adoration and love."
~Christina Rossetti
"Have you heard of the garlic diet? You don't lose much weight, but from a distance your friends think yo look a litter thinner."
~Unknown
Hot Garlic Thai Kabobs
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1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
Trim all fat off the steak, cut into 1 inch pieces and place into seal able container. Combine black beans, applesauce, honey, soy sauce and lime juice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add oils, garlic, vinegar, tomato paste, peppers, pepper sauce and ginger root. Mix again until well blended. Pour over steak pieces, seal container and marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. In the meantime, soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent the sticks from burning. Thread beef onto skewers, and cook on hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. or until desired tenderness. Serve immediately.
*Serve with Indian Summer Salad or Fried Broccoli and Peppers along with Marinated Grilled Pineapple. To cool the meal off, try the frozen version of Orange Cream Fruit Salad.
May 15
"The beauty of the house is order,
The blessing of the house is contentment;
The glory of the house is hospitality."
~House Blessing
"Putting on a little, anyway, " of anything handy, particularly fertilizer. I found to be a habit that was hard to bread, for like most people starting to garden is seemed to me that if a little was good, more of the same would be better, It isn't"
~Amos Pettingill
Swiss Chard Bake
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1 pound Swiss chard
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crispy fried, crumbled bacon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
Rinse chard and pat dry. Cut white stem from leaves, reserving leaves and cut stems in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. Next, cut across leaves in 1 inch strips. Set aside. separately from stem slices. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add onion and chard stems and cook until onion softened. Stir in chard leaves; cover and let steam for 2 to3 minutes, or until leaves jut limp. Stir in bacon, pepper and garlic powder. Turn into a greased shallow 2 quart baking dish. In a small bowl, beat eggs for 1 to 2 minutes, until well scrambled. Pour over chard and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs set. Serve immediately.
*Swiss Chard Bake may be served as a main course with Honey Rye Bread or Carrot Bran Muffins. But most people, especially of the make gender, usually prefer this bake as a side dish. I recommend trying it with Marinated Salmon Steaks or Rosemary Stuffed Chicken.
May 16
"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast"
~John Gunther
"I am the true fine, and my Father is the gardener. He cut off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
~John 15:1(NIV)
Blue Berry Pancakes
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1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup blueberries
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and set aside. Ina large bowl, combine egg, milk, sour cream and butter. Add dry ingredients and beat until just smooth. Gently fold in blueberries, For each pancake, pour 2 - 3 tablespoons batter onto a hot greased griddle. Serve immediately with whipped cream and more blueberries.
Homemade Whipped Cream
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1 cup chilled whipped cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip the whipped cream in a chilled bowl until it starts to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until stiff. Serve immediately.
*To complete an absolutely perfect breakfast, serve glasses of Strawberry Blast. For an absolutely fantastic breakfast buffet, add Peach and Pecan French Toast. Something work sitting back and leisurely enjoying!
May 17
"It is easy to sit in the sunshine,
And talk to the man in the shade;
It is easy to float on a well - trimmed boat,
And point out the places to wade."
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"The ideals which have always shone before me and filed me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth."
~Albert Einstein
Avocado Taco Boats
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1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 large tomato, chopped
1 (3 1/2 ounce) can pitted black olives, chopped
3 large avocados
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups shredded lettuce
Tortilla chips
Fresh Garden Relish
In large skillet, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic; drain. Stir in chili sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, tomato and olives. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. In the meantime, halve avocados, remove pits. But do not peel. Scoop out pulp leaving 1/4 inch shell. Dice pulp and after the 10 minutes, add to the meat mixture. Place the avocado shells on a foil lined baking sheet and to the meat mixture. Place the avocado shells on a foil lined baking sheet and fill with the meat mixture. Top each with cheese. Place under broiler and heat until cheese melts. Set the avocado boats in a sea of shredded lettuce and serve immediately with tortilla chips and Fresh Garden Relish.
*Many of us have heard of rooting an avocado pit by sticking toothpicks in the pit and placing it in water. An easier way is to remove the outer brown wrapping from the avocado pit and pt into a self-sealing plastic bag with a little water. Place in a warm place, always keeping moist. After a week or two the pit should split, then start to grow a root. Avocados seem to grow best as houseplants, or in a tropical climate.
May 18
"Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in and around you lettuces and green beans."
~Marcelene Cox
"What shall i learn of beans or beans of me? I cherish them, I hoe them, early and late I have an eye to them; and this is my day's work. It is a fine broadleaf to look on. My auxiliaries are the dews and rains which water this dry soil, and what fertility is in the soil itself, which for the most part is lean and effete. My enemies are worms, cool days, and most of woodchucks. The last have nibbled for me a quarter of an acre clean."
~Henry David Thoreau
Green Bean Casserole
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4 cups fresh green beans, chopped into short pieces
12 - 15 small new potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked, diced ham
Bread crumbs, optional
In medium saucepan, bring one inch water to boil and add green beans, new potatoes, and onion. Cook until potatoes are just tender when pricked with a fork. Drain any remaining water. Arrange potatoes and beans in a buttered casserole. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet. Stir in flour; add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese and pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Pour half of cheese sauce over vegetables. Add ham and remaining cheese sauce. Top with the bread crumbs if desired. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until top browned and bubbly. Serve immediately.
*The fresher the green beans, the better. Don't let them sit in your refrigerator for even a day. Serve with Onion Cake or Raisin Puffs. Finish with Chocolate Beet Bread or Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Pie.
May 19
"Some keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in surplice:
I just wear my wings,
And instead of toiling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.
God preaches, - a noted clergyman. -
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I'm going all along!"
~Emily Dickinson
"Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease... with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy and love we create success and good fortune with effortless ease."
~Deepak Chopra
Sunday Chicken Salad
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3 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
2 cups thinly sliced fennel
2 green onions, thinly sliced, diagonally
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced cooked chicken
Tossed salad greens
Gently toss tomatoes, fennel and onion with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss again, Serve immediately over bed of tossed salad greens or refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
*I like to serve this salad with Cranberry Croissants or Blueberry Scones. Serve along with Cilantro Potato Salad and Applesauce Fudge Cake for a delightful picnic on Sunday or any sunny day.
May 20
"Flowers and fruits are always fit presents-;
flowers, because they are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty
out values all the utilities of the world."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
~Proverbs 13:12(NIV)
Caramelized Peaches
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4 large ripe peaches
1 cup heavy cream
Brown sugar
Peel, pit and slice peaches. Place peaches in greased 8" x 8" baking dish. Using an electric mixer, whip cream until very stiff and cover peaches completely. Sprinkle with brown sugar until about 1/2 inch thick, covering all the cream. Chill overnight in refrigerator. Immediately before serving, brown quickly in very hot broiler to melt sugar. This is excellent served warm and plain, or topped with a little vanilla ice cream.
Ginger Apples
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1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
4 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
Combine apple juice and ginger in a small bowl. Prepare the apples by coring and slicing them into rounds. Arrange them on a broiler pan and use a pastry brush to paint on gingered juice. Broil until browned. about 3 minutes. then flip, paint with juice and broil for about 2 minutes. more. Serve plain as a snack or with hot oatmeal at breakfast.
*Some people wonder why a totally fine piece of fruit needs to given so much time and fancied up. Maybe it has something to do with the idea of taking more time to enjoy food, to make more of an effort to be satisfied and fulfilled by quality and not boring quantity. And this starts in the preparation process, not just once on the palate. It will be time well spent.
May 21
"Wishing to be friends is quick work.
but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit."
~Aristotle
"As a careful cultivation of land first turns the soil, and cleanses it from weeds and thistles, and afterward casts the seed; so one who expects to receive from God the seed of grace, must first cleanse the soil of the heart, that the seeds of the Spirit falling therein may bring forth perfect and abundant faith."
Saint Macarius
Raspberry - Lemon Muffins
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1 egg, beaten
1 cup lemon yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup raspberries or blueberries
In a large mixing bowl combine egg, yogurt, vegetable oil and milk, In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add to moist mixture. Fold in raspberries. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately or store in self sealing bags.
*Adding yogurt to recipes not only adds some zing to the flavor, it contributes in many ways to the healthfulness of a dish. First, yogurt provides extra calcium. Men and women of all ages lack adequate calcium in their diets in our society. Yogurt is reputed to strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol levels and improve GI functions. So, go ahead and add some yogurt toyour muffins and continue to feel good about nourishing your body and soul These delightful muffins can be a light breakfast with juice and yogurt, or serve alongside Morning Veggie Pie or Colorado Potato and Eggs for a heartier meal.
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it"
-Psalm 118:24(KJV)
May 22
"The Eagle soars in the summit of Heaven.
The Hunter with his dogs pursues his circuit.
O perpetual revolution of configured stars.
O perpetual recurrence of determined seasons.
O world of spring and autumn, birth and dying!"
~T. S Eliot
"The principle value of a private garden is not understood. It is not to give the possessors vegetables and fruit (that can be better and cheaper done by market-gardeners), but to teach him patience and philosophy, and the higher virtues - hope deferred and expectations blighted, leading directly to resignation, and sometimes to alienation. The garden thus becomes a moral agent, a test of character, as it was in the beginning. I shall keep this central truth in mind in these articles. I mean to have a moral garden, if it is not a productive one - one that shall reach, O my brothers! O my sisters! the great lessons of life."
- Charles Dudley Warner
Dilled Asparagus Combo
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1 pound asparagus
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 onion, cup into thin rings
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly snipped dill
Slice asparagus into 2 inch pieces. Slice carrots and celery diagonally. Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and saute until just tender, stirring often. Add salt and fresh dill. Serve immediately.
*This simple vegetable dish adds eye-pleasing color to main entrees such as Tomato-Stuffed Chicken Rolls or Walnut Chicken. Add Crispy Bread Sticks and Rhubarb Upside Down Cake to round it all off! Don't be intimidated by what may seem a lot of time preparing all these recipes. The bread sticks and cake can be made earlier in the day, or leftovers from days before, as both freeze well.
May 23
"I think this is what hooks one on gardening:
It is the closest one can come to being present at the creation"
~Phyllis Theroux
"Apple orchards, the trees all cover'd with blossoms;
Wheat fields carpeted far and near in vital emerald green;
The eternal exhaustless freshness of each early morning;
The yellow, golden, transparent haze of the warm afternoon sun;
The aspiring lilac bushes with profuse purple or white flowers."
~ Walt Whitman
Pork Chops with Apples and Rice
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2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup long grain rice
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
4 - 1/2 thick pork chops
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pour chicken broth into greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Stir in onion and rice. Arrange apple slices evenly over rice mixture. Place pork chops onto top of apples. Cover baking pan with foil and seal. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Lift of foil and check rice for liquid; most of the chicken broth should be absorbed. If rice mixture is soupy, reseal and return to oven for 10 more minutes. Recheck for liquid. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl. Remove foil and sprinkle sugar mixture over the pork chops. Return to oven, uncovered, and brown for 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is tender and rice cooked. Let set 5 minutes before serving.
If you experimenting, try wild rice for a nutty flavor, or orzo, a pasta that looks very similar to white rice. Substitute rice with equal amount of orzo. Dried apples can be used in place of fresh. First, let them sit in a small amount of water to re-hydrate. Serve with Herbed Vegetable Au-gratin and finish the meal with warm Mom's Peach Cobbler.
May 24
"Unless the eye catch fire, God will not be seen.
Unless the ear catch fire, God will into be heard.
Unless the tongue catch fire, God will not be named.
Unless the heart catch fire, God will not be loved.
Unless the mind catch fire, God will not be known"
~William Blake
"For memory has painted this perfect day
with colors that never fade,
And we find at the end of a perfect day
the soul of a friend we've made."
~ Carrie Jacobs Bond
Burning-Down-the-House Salad
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4 cups torn spinach
2 cups torn leaf lettuce of choice
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup cauliflower flowerets
1 cup broccoli flowerets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons brandy
In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli. Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the brown sugar. vinegar, thyme and basil. Pour over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Pour brandy into a glass measuring cup and heat 20 to 30 seconds in microwave, until liquid is hot. Do not boil! Quickly ignite and brandy with a long match. Pour the flaming brandy over the spinach mixture. When the flame dies toss to coat. Serve immediately.
*This salad will impress both friends and family at your next meal gathering. The sight and sensation of heat will warm not only your palates, but also your souls and imaginations!
May 25
"And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should , how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is."
~William Blake
"A child on a farm sees a plane fl overhead and drams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse... and dreams of home."
~ Carrie Jacobs Bond
Carrot Cookies
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1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cooked carrots, mashed
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup raisins
In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugars. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and cooled mashed carrots. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to carrot mixture and blend well. Add raisins and mix in. Drop by spoonfuls onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned. While still warm, frost.
Orange Frosting
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2 teaspoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice
Blend butter and powdered sugar. Add orange peel and orange juice and beat until smooth.
*Dream on.
May 26
"There isn't much that I can do,
But I can share my flowers with you,
And I can share my books with you,
And sometimes share you burdens, too...
As on our way we go."
~Maude V. Preston
"If we had no winter the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
~ Jane Aiken Hodge
Spring Pea Linguine
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1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups hot cooked linguine
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Combine the wine and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the peas and boil until the peas are bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, place ricotta and parmesan cheese in a bowl and gradually add olive oil, blending with a fork. When the peas are cooked, tip them, with their liquid, into the cheese and combine gently. Toss with the linguine and chives. Serve immediately.
*You'll truly enjoy this Spring Pea Linguine, if yo can spare a cup of fresh peas, since many people love eating them straight from the pod. It may be that they really do taste great, but could also be that peas are often one of the first vegetables to produce, and we are so proud of ourselves. Regardless, try to save some for this great pasta dish and serve with Broiled Mahi-Mahi with Fresh Dill Sauce and Rhubarb Dream Bars.
May 27
"In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt down, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields."
~John McCrea
Poppy Seed Dressing
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1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons poppy seed
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
Spinach Salad
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt, dry mustard, celery seed, poppy seed and grated onion. Slowly add the oil, beating well. Add vinegar and mix well again. Pour into jar with a tight sealing lid and refrigerate overnight. Shake again before pouring over Spinach Salad.
*The last Monday in May is set aside for remembrance of our countrymen who died defending our nation. Isn't it a wonder that Spring was picked for this, when all the flowers are in full bloom, so as the pay natural tribute and offer another sing of hope to our world?
May 28
"Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat."
~Fran Lebowitz
"If all the food was paving-stones,
And all the seas were ink,
What should we poor mortals do
For victuals and for drink?
It's enough to make a man like me, scratch his head and think."
~From Witt's Recreations
Basil Stuffed Beef
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1 (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) boneless beef sirloin roast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves, snipped
8 - 10 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
Make 5 to 6 long slits along the top of the roast, cutting almost through the roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. To make the filling, combine basil and garlic. Stuff the filling into the slits in the roast. Tie the meat with heavy-duty sting to hold slits closed. Drizzle with olive oil. Place roast in deep baking pan and slow roast in 325 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Take out of the oven and let set several minutes before slicing.
*During last hour of baking, add peeled and quarter potatoes and carrots to baking pan. The juices will add flavor to the vegetables and make for a full meal. Serve with Freckled Corn Muffins, Pesto Pasta and Spiced Gyngerbread.
"We may pick a thousand salads ere we light on such another herb."
-William Shakespeare
May 29
"Don't let me fall
As a stone falls upon the hard ground.
And don't let my hands become dry
As the twigs of a tree
When the wind beats down the last leaves.
And when the storm raises dust from the earth
And anger and howling,
Don't let me become the last fly
Trembling terrified on a window pane.
Don't let me fall.
I have asked for so much.
But as a blade of your grass in a distant wild field
Lets drop a seed in the lap of the earth,
As you sow a seed in the earth."
~Kadya Molodowsky
"The best smell is bread,
the best savor salt,
the best love that of children."
~George Herbert
Whole Wheat Butter Bread
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1 package yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, salt, butter and half of flour. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. With a spoon, blend in remaining flour, mixing for 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Stir down batter and beat about 25 strokes. Spread batter into greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Smooth out top of loaf. Let rise another 45 minutes, until doubled in size. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until brown and hollow sounding when tapping on top.
*Many people complain that whole wheat bread is dry and heavy. But most people well never complain when sampling this version served warm straight from the oven. Serve with Summer Zucchini Hot Dish or Saged Pork Chops and Potatoes.
May 30
"For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.
For these gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping.
future needs in earth's safekeeping, thanks be to God.
In the just reward of labor, God's will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor, God's will is done.
In our world-wide task of caring for the hungry and despairing.
in the harvest we are sharing, God's will is done.
~Fred Pratt Green
"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth"
~George Washington
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
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1 large can pumpkin
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 (9inch) graham cracker pie crusts
Mix pumpin, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg together until well blended. Pour into pie crusts. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to40 minutes, until center is set. Best if refrigerated 4 to 24 hours.
*Thanks to all the brave men and women from our country who have fought in the name of liberty and freedom for the USA. Our nation remains a great one because of each citizen's dedication and willingness to stand for our honor. Remember to say a prayer for them today.
"If God be for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31 (KJV)
May 31
"My mind lets go a thousand things,
Like dates of war and deaths of kings,
And yet recalls the very hour-
'Twas noon by yonder village tower,
And on the last blue noon in May-
The wind came briskly up the way,
Crisping the brook beside the road;
Then, passing here, set down its load
Of pine scents, and shook listlessly
Two petals from the wild rose tree.
~Thomas Bailey Aldrich
"May and June. Soft syllables, gentle names for the two best months in the garden year: cool, misty mornings, gently burned away with a warming spring sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights. The discussions of philosophy is over, it's time for work to begin."
~H. Peter Loewer
Chilled Strawberry Soup
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2 cups fresh strawberries
8 ounces strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup white wine (a sweeter selection)
Extra strawberries
Mint leaves
Wash and hull strawberries. Put strawberries and yogurt in a blender and puree. Add wine and blend until smooth. Chill at least 3 hours. Garnish with whole washed strawberries that have been thinly sliced and fanned. Garnish with whole mint leaves, if desired.
*Cold sous can be intimidation for some. Before getting in too deep, start with a cold fruit soup, as many people prefer the sweeter fruit version to chilled vegetable soups. Serve as an appetizer or at a summer bridal shower along side Cinnamon Thumbs and Flower Blossom Cheesecake. Your guests will be impress with this simple soup, served alongside fresh roses.
Recipes For The Month Of:
January , February , March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December
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