Thanksgiving Dinner in an Airstream!

I currently live in a 200 square foot Airstream travel trailer. It's nice; flat screen tube, surround sound, wireless Internet,so don't let the small size deter anyone from minimizing and going this route, at least temporarily. I don't plan on living in this pod forever, but while I do, I'm living large! I was not about to skip having a Christmas tree this year, and I didn't skip out on a big 'ol Thanksgiving dinner either. I even went against my own tastes and made an organic free range turkey for the meat eaters. It was a nasty job, but I managed my way through cleaning the carcase... ewwwwww, the neck bone, I totally gagged. I'm glad I'll probably only have to do that about once a year.
My counter space is about 1 foot wide. There are 3 burners on the stove, and the oven is a baby. Somehow it was still fun, and not too hard to pull off making a turkey, sweet potato casserole, homemade stuffing, rolls, and an apple salad. I won't bore you with the recipes, I know everyone has their own special family dishes, I just wanted to include some pics. :>

Cilantro Tortilla Soup with White Beans

This soup takes less than 7 minutes to make. It's has lots of texture and is very flavorful with it's tangy twist! It's good for you too.

What you'll need:
1/2 a bunch of cilantro (stems included)
1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 can drained and rinsed white beans
1/2 tbl spoon brown sugar
1 lemon cut into wedges
sour cream
cayenne pepper
whole grain tortilla chips


First, throw your cilantro, tomato, brown sugar, and vegetable stock in the blender and puree. The color of this soup is a little strange but it tastes amazing so just go with it; the garnishes will dress it up.

Pour your puree into a pot and add the beans and the juice of 2 lime wedges. Bring it to a boil.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a pinch of cayenne, a twisted wedge of lemon, and a sprig of cilantro. Add some whole grain tortilla chips for a lightly salted crunch. That's it, you're done! Someone might think your having a Bloody Mary for lunch!
Delicious, healthy, and easy to make! Enjoy.
--
Mary Killmon

Good Grief Green Sauce

This sauce rocks! It's a variation on a Mexican recipe that uses avocados, but since avocados are rarely ripe these days, and they are expensive; I decided to use green peas in their place. It works well. I glop this sauce on salads, burritos, fresh veggies sticks, bread, crackers, chili, whatever; it's that good! Last week I had to make 2 batches.

Here's what you'll need

1 large, or 2 small tomatillos
1/4 cup frozen green peas
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper
1/4 bunch of cilantro (giant hand full stems and all)
1/2 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Peal any of the green papery stuff off of the tomatillo and core it, then drop it in boiling water for about 7 minutes.

While the tomatillo is boiling put everything else in a blender.

When the tomatillo is done run it under cool water for a few minutes and then cut it up into chunks and throw it in the blender too.

Pulverize all ingredients into a nice green sauce.

Eat on everything!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Tomato Basil Soup

This soup is quick and easy! It's really good and so much better tasting, and better for you than anything out of a can so next time you're craving a grilled cheese with tomato soup, try this recipe! Hope you'll love it. I do. :>

1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 red pepper diced
1 tbs basil
1/4 tbs chili powder
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs spoon butter
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer at a medium boil for about 10 minutes.
Puree in the blender.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
Serve with grilled cheese!

"Got No Pancake Mix Pancakes" or they could be called "Healthy Whole Wheat French Toast Cakes"

I really wanted pancakes for breakfast this morning but I was way too cozy, and way too  unpresentable to go out in public. Wearing my Saturday Morning Sweat Suit with my hair on top my head like pile of rejected yellow cotton candy, I decided I should probably stay in and make the pancakes myself. There was only one problem... no pancake mix! Oh, and no flour either. WOMP! Well, I did see some eggs hiding in the back of the frig and a loaf of whole wheat bread, so maybe I could make some french toast. And there was about an 8th of a bottle of syrup left from last winter (syrup is like honey right, never goes bad), so the comfort breakfast I was craving was looking possible after all. But I don't really like French Toast very much. I can usually taste the egginess on the bread. I hate eggs. I will eat them cooked in recipes but that's it. Eggs are sorta my kryptonite. My best friend Kate knows this. Once when we were way too old to be playing that blind taste test game, you know the one, someone gets to sit blind folded and wait while one of their so called good friends runs off to the kitchen (hopefully) to concoct something heinous. They bring the mystery slop back in a giant spoon and laugh their asses off while they airplane it into your mouth! Kate was nice enough to mix my least favorite food in the world, a raw egg, with dog food and then had the nerve to say "open wide"! I retched, and any tolerance I'd built up for the taste of eggs was completely lost! That's how even French Toast became too much! So, French Toast was out... what now, I want some dang pancakes!!!
Improvising, sometimes it works... sometimes it's a disaster, luckily this morning improvising was a success. I made pancakes out of the ingredients for French Toast and it worked! The eggs were disguised well within the cakes, no metallic, sulfuric, weirdness, just satisfaction!  Healthier than regular pancakes too! Hope you'll try these.

for the batter:
5 pieces of 100%  whole wheat bread (use up your end pieces) cut into cubes about 2 inch square
3 medium eggs
1/4 cup milk to start. add more slowly to the batter to get your desired pancake batter consistency
1/4 cup kefir if you have it, or buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt will work. if you don't have any of those just use less milk

for topping:
flax seeds
butter
syrup

Put all of your batter ingredients into a blender and pulverize, adding more milk if needed to get the right thickness for your batter. I like my batter to be a little bit runny but not too much, kind of like melted ice cream.

Pour out your cakes in a wide pan set to med/low heat, sprinkle on your flax seeds, and flip 'em when the middle starts to bubble up nicely

Plate them, butter them, drizzle them with syrup! Now you have pancakes, healthy pancakes, and you didn't have to run to the store for mix; or go out in public and run into someone you know looking like a walking hang-over! Hooray!

--
Mary Killmon

Shake Your Bootie Cherry Smoothie

This smoothie will get you going! It's really awesome for breakfast, or if your about to head out for a night on the town, this drink will wake you up and recharge your energy!

1 cup frozen black cherries
1 big hand full of fresh spinach leaves
1 cup limeade (Simply Natural is my favorite brand)
juice of 1 orange
1/2 bananna
6 or 7 ice cubes

That's it! Just throw it all in your blender and blend it up! Now GO!

So Delicious!

Broccoli Stump Soup!

I don't like to waste food. There can be two cans of beans in the cupboard and some left-over salad in the fridge and I'll make a meal out of it.... ummmm, unless it has mold on it.... then I'll feed it to my dogs.... noooooo! So, this is about Broccoli stumps; that's what I call them; you know, the stems after you cut the tree tops off. Well, there's a lot you can do with them besides throwing them away. They're still good for you and they can add a lot of flavor to a bland dish. Sometimes I like to chop them up into dime sized bits and throw them in chili for an extra crunch, but today I decided to puree them into a creamy soup. It's been raining here for 3 days non stop :> so soup is in order!

Broccoli Stump Soup:

2 cups chopped broccoli stalks
2 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup organic half and half
1 tbl spoon diced roasted red peppers
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom (this is where you get the zing)
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (that's all you need)

Put everything in a pot (EXCEPT FOR THE half and half) save that for the last couple of minutes....
Bring it all to a boil and put a lid on it for 15 minutes on med/high heat
Add your half and half at the last minute
Remove from heat
Pour into a blender and puree

Dish into bowls and garnish with a couple of broccoli tops and some diced scallions, a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce

YUM!

Easy Oven S'mores

My lady friends and I like to throw ourselves a girls night about once a month. We take turns hosting, but usually either Shaun or Ginny ends up being the hostess with the mostest!  We always bring a dish and something to drink. Last months girls night was held at Ginny's. When I arrived there was already a nice spread of snacks and treats on the table. I started nibbling and realized I'd just eaten a cold marshmallow, a graham cracker, and a chunk of a Hershey's bar! "Hey, I pretty much just ate an uncooked S'mores!" Not quite the same cold.... so I grabbed a cookie sheet from Ginny's cupboard, sprayed it with Pam, layered the crackers, mallows, and chocolate, and popped them into the oven for about 5 minutes on 350. They turned out really awesome. The marshmallows puffed up and browned just a bit; and the chocolate melted nicely! I think kids would really like this recipe.

I've include a few pics of some of the girls and thier dishes! I don't have those recipes but if you see something you like let me know and I will ask... :>

Cheddar~Pumpkin Bisque

The first time I ever tried Pumpkin Soup was in Interlocken, Switzerland on a back packing trip with my best friend Kate. Interlocken is a beautiful town in the Alps. We spent our first day there wandering around tiny side roads along pastures full of cows, sheep, and goats all wearing bells around their necks. The mountains that surrounded the valley were covered in snow! It was amazing. Anyway, after a long chilly day of walking we needed major comfort food. We found it in a local cafe. We had Pumpkin soup that was so delicious I had to go back the next day for more. It was served in big round brown crocks with little lids. I crave this soup a few times a year but mostly in the fall. I have definitely not perfected this one, especially since I have no idea what was in it, but here's my version.... it's getting closer. It's really good. It's super, super, easy to make. Let me know if you try it and have any suggestions on variations! :>

1 large 29oz can 100% pure pumpkin
3 cups (low sodium) organic vegetable stock
1 cup cream, or 1/2 and 1/2
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese (make a little extra for garnish)
2 tbl spoon butte
1 tbl spoon brown sugar
black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
good pinch of Cinnamon
2 dashes of allspice or nutmeg
chopped scallions for garnish

Put all ingredients in a large pot, bring it to a boil for a few minutes, stir constantly, bring to a simmer and let bubble for about 10 minutes.
Serve with chopped scallions and a left over grated cheddar cheese

That's it! enjoy!

Quick and Easy Broiled Oyster Appetizer

I bought a can of Oysters at the grocery store one day, I didn't really have a plan for them then, but they seemed like an interesting thing to try. I finally used them tonight as an appetizer. I didn't know what to expect from oysters in a can but they were actually plump, juicy, not too filling before a meal, and surprisingly great!

1 can of Oysters in their own juice

1 hand full of fresh chopped cilantro

1/2 cup canned no salt added diced tomatoes (leave a little bit of the tomato juice in)

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup diced pear (diced very, very small) this is the surprise flavor in the dish, it adds a nice sweet note

That's it! line a baking dish with your drained oysters.
Scatter the other ingredients on and around your oysters.
Broil for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with crackers or bruchetta.

Spinach and Salmon Cowder

This is a comfort dish, not as healthy as it could be, but still not really all that bad for you either; it does have salmon and spinach after all, two super foods!

This should make enough for 4 people:

2 wild caught boneless skinless salmon filets ( I usually keep some in the freezer, frozen filets are perfect for this recipe)

1 1/4 cup organic vegetable stock (low sodium)

1 cup half and half

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 to 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers

cayenne pepper

Throw everything except for the half and half in a pot.
Bring it to a boil and then let it roll for about 5 minutes.
Give it a stir every now and then.
Cut heat down to low, add the half and half and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Salt and Pepper to taste! Serve with crackers. Delicious!

Strawberry-Limeade Vodka Drink!!!!!!!!

I love mixing drinks! I used to bar tend a bit in my restaurant days and my favorite part of the job, besides the cash, was creating new drink recipes! I'm always concocting something fruity and icy in the summer.
I made this Strawberry-Limeade Vodka drink for a birthday party last night. It was such a hit that it was all gone by 10 pm!
I cant wait to  make some more. I hope you'll try this one for your next celebration.

1 liter of vodka (if you want to keep the cost down, buy an inexpensive brand and run it through your water purifier pitcher a couple of times first)

1 large package sliced strawberries already frozen in sugar (if you can find them, just make sure sugar is the ONLY other ingredient) if you can't find those, just sugar the strawberries yourself and leave them to soak up the sweetness over night.

1 quart simply Limeade

3  6oz  cans of 100% pineapple juice (not from concentrate)

Mix all together!  This drink is so pretty with all the strawberries swirling around, you'll want to showcase it in clear glass pitchers or bottles. I used an empty and clean scotch  bottle with a cork top for one of my batches.

Pour over crushed ice and garnish with a lime wheel. Be careful, they go down easy!

Stop Light Stuffed Peppers!!!

This dish smells so good you could get full just standing around sniffing it waiting for it to finish baking! It takes about a half an hour to cook. I don't usually make dishes that require that much patience but this one was worth it! Very tasty, very filling.

What you'll need

Peppers: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green ("stop light")
1 can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 can of no salt added tomato sauce
1 small can of mushroom pieces
1/4 cup roasted red peppers diced small. Cento makes a small jar that's good and not too expensive; good to have on hand anyway.
1/2 Vadalia onion diced small
1 cup morning star grille recipe crumbles
1 bag 10 minute (boil in the bag) brown rice
3 table spoons Italian seasoning
1 table spoon brown sugar
1 tea spoon garlic powder, be careful not to use garlic salt!!
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese. I used Cracker Barrel Natural Vermont Sharp-White!


Go ahead and boil your rice and just set it aside.

Dump your crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and mushrooms in a pot.
Stir in your Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
Let this simmer for a few minutes then remove it from the burner. Pour all but a third of the sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with the olive oil, throw in your diced onions, diced roasted peppers, and the morning star veggie crumbles.
Saute for about 2 minutes until nice and brown. Remove from heat and mix into the rest of your waiting pot of tomato sauce. Go ahead and mix your rice in now too.

Wash and cut your peppers. If you cut them in half from top to bottom, instead of cutting off the tops and using the whole pepper, they'll cook a little faster and you'll get more servings, my mama taught me that trick. Thanks Jacque!

Now your ready. Set your peppers down in the sauce in your baking dish, then heap the tomato-rice mixture into the peppers. Cover with grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Excellent!

Honey Baked Salmon

I needed a protein fix today so I took some wild salmon out to thaw this morning. Here's what I ended up with. Honey Baked Salmon! Healthy, easy, and goooood!

What you'll need:
boneless,skinless salmon filets. fresh or frozen (caught wild is best)
goat cheese
mixed baby greens
lemon (or two)
red pepper
yellow onion
tomato
honey
sea salt
olive oil
white balsamic vinegar (or whatever else you have)
sugar
and a big loaf of good crusty bread

preheat oven to 450
coat a glass baking dish with butter, leave a few little chunks all willy nilly in the bottom of the pan
toss in very thin slices of red peppers and onions, the thinner the better!
nestle your salmon down in the mix
top with a few pats of butter and thinly sliced lemon wheels
drizzle whole dish with honey and sprinkle with sea salt
place in oven until done. check at about 6 minutes that should be close.

don't forget to throw your crusty bread in the oven too!

in a mixing bowl:
pour about a 1/4 cup (and then a tad more) olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
table spoon of sugar
2 table spoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup goat cheese
whip it all up with a fork
toss in your mixed greens and tomato slices

plate your salad
pull your salmon and bread out of the oven
slap your salmon filet right down in the middle of your salad
place all the hot and tender onions and peppers around it, they'll wilt your salad nicely.
butter your bread and you're done!

delicious with a fizzy cold coke! or some wine if you want to get fancy!

September Soup

It's the middle of September and fall is sending in an R.S.V.P. to a party I did not invite it to! The last couple of days have been chilly/hot ones, the kind that send me out wearing wacky outfits; shorts and flip flops with long sleeved hoodie sweatshirts. If I had a personal fashionista I'm sure she would have at least told me to switch the floppers out for a pair of cute and trendy flats. Whatever!
When I left work today I noticed that the sun was sitting much lower in the sky than it had been just a week before. I'm already dreading those dark by 5:30 days that are soon to come. All of this weather worry started me craving a nice, hot bowl of soup. I went home, pulled out a big red pot, opened up the cupboards, and started opening cans! I ended up with this. It was really good, hit the spot! It only took about 10 minutes and I'll definitely make it again. Hope you might try it too!

September Soup:
1 can of beans ( I only had red Kidney, I bet white would have been better)
1 can of mushroom pieces (no salt added if you have em)
1 pkg of frozen spinach
1 Vadalia onion diced
3 scallion stalks diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 vegetarian bullion cube
cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried basil, and whatever else you think goes; I added some coriander
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Dump your oil, water,  JUICE ONLY~from the can of mushrooms (save the mushrooms for later), spices, bullion, all of your diced onions and scallions into a large pot. Bring it to a boil and let it roll for a couple of minutes. Then pour it all into a blender and pulverize it! Pour it back into the pot and add everything else EXCEPT for the grated cheese. Bring it all back to a nice boil. Ladle into bowls and cover completely with grated cheese. It will melt but if you want it to be really awesome run it under the broiler for a hot minute! Enjoy!