From My Girlfriends Kitchen

Sometimes knowing that other women, mothers, sisters, friends, and care takers just like us face the same battles of what to make for dinner. Be it our task/chore/burden/or hobby of what to make for our families to eat each day sometimes it just seem easier to bear when you have a good recipe recommended from a "GIRLFRIEND"; they provide us with the boost to get over the lack of motivation or stumbling blocks in our way and get dinner on the table!

The number of those who report that their “whole family usually eats dinner together” has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together “eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children’s academic achievement and psychological adjustment.”

Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children’s smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks Good, Better, Best (Nov. 2007)

Two researchers at the University of Minnesota investigated the potential benefits of family mealtimes on children and found that families that dine together tend to have healthier, more well-adjusted children. Their studies indicate that the more often children and teens west with their parents—and the happier, more structured these mealtimes are—the more the children gain these benefits:

Better Nutrition

Better language and literacy

Fewer Eating Disorders

Fewer risky behaviors

The national center on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia University (sept 2005) found that compared with teens who dine frequently with their families (Five to seven dinners a week), teens who have fewer than three family dinners per week are:

Two and a half times likelier to smoke cigarettes

More than on e and a half times likelier to drink alcohol.

Almost three times likelier to try marijuana

“….Mealtime becomes a way for families to bond. To show children they have access to a caring adult.” (The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner p. 11)

So as Women, Sisters, Daughters, Wives, Mothers, Grandmothers we can not put a price on the work that we do. Dinner hours and menus can be daunting at times and others it feels like a breeze. As we gather together and share in our love for caring for our families and enjoying the connections we have with them as we sit around the dinner tables of our homes. I hope that each of us can step back occasionally on those hard mommy days and “Believe in what we are doing! Believing in who we are and that we can make a difference one meal at a time.

~ Jill

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Quick Tomato Soup

Quick Tomato Soup-Laralee Reber

1 can tomato soup

8 oz cream cheese

1 Small onion, diced

1 can of Italian diced tomatoes or any other tomatoes you have on hand

1 can of milk

Directions—Saute onion in some butter, add soup and milk and combine. Add tomatoes and cream cheese until cheese is melted. Add basil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper to taste or any other spices you would like. Blend everything together until smooth. Goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Macaroni and Tomato Juice

Macaroni and Tomato Juice -Lauren Shumway

Boil any kind of noodle ( I usually use rotini, penne, or elbow).

Drain and return to pot. Add tomato juice (homemade is BEST!!!).

Eat as a soup. Add shredded cheese, a dollop of butter, salt and pepper!

Dumplings

Dumplings- Lauren Shumway

2 cans broth or consommé (chicken or beef)

Flour

4 Eggs

Water

Salt and Pepper

For a family of 4:

Heat 2 cans of broth to boiling on stove. In separate bowl, crack 4 eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Beat eggs until yokes are broken. Add a dash of water. Add ½ cup flour and stir. Continue adding and stirring until sticky but firm consistency is reached. Usually it’s ½ cup flour to every egg, so in this case, 2 cups flour total. Dip a metal teaspoon into the boiling broth and spoon individual teaspoons of the egg mixture into the broth. The smaller they are the better because they will expand. Let boil about 3 minutes. Serve as a soup.

Stroganoff

Stroganoff -Lauren Shumway

1 pound ground beef

Chopped onion, desired amount

Sal t and pepper

Garlic salt

1 can, Cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. sour cream

½ milk

Brown gravy mix, optional

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain and season with salt and pepper, garlic salt. Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk. Stir until desired consistency. May add more milk to make more “thin”. Add a few sprinkles of brown gravy mix if desired to boost flavor. Serve over rice, noodles, baked or mashed potatoes, or even toast!

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole -Lauren Shumway

Boil desired amount of noodles.
Drain.
Add ¼ cube butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 oz. cream cheese
Peas
Tuna
Cheese
Potato chips

Won Ton Salad

Won ton salad -Kristin Owens

1 head of lettuce or, a few bags of salad mix
1 package of won tons (egg roll wrappers) I buy the square ones
2-3 grilled chicken breasts, diced
Fry your won tons and drain on paper towel. Toss chicken and lettuce

Dressing :
1/2 c olive oil (you can use vegetable too)
1/2 c white or apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp accent ( u don't have to use this, I don't notice much of a difference if I do or don't)
Shake well and drizzle over salad, crush won tons on top.

I never use the whole bag so with the remaining I make ragoons with cream cheese, mozerella cheese and chives. Mix all together. Place a spoonful on each wrapper. Bring all corners together and pinch with a bit of water. Fry until golden brown.

Fast and Easy Brazilian Style Limeade

FAST and EASY Brazilian Style Limeade

12 oz can frozen limeade concentrate 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Add ice and water to your blender to equal 36 oz. Add limeade and blend into a slush. Add the milk to the whole batch, or if you prefer you can add a spoonful to each glass of slushy limeade. Great with spicy food, or on a hot day. (I have other "fresh squeezed, made from scratch" versions. This is fast.)