Strawberry smoothies are one of life’s simple pleasures! Easy to make and always a delicious treat, my kids are always clamoring for smoothies. This week we opted to try them with freeze-dried strawberries…and I have to say, I think we’ll stick with our frozen berries. I’ve included our recipe for freeze-dried berry smoothies, in case you’d like to try it, but this is one place, where I wouldn’t recommend freeze-dried fruit. –Mellyn
Author Archives: Mellyn
Vanilla Cookies with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
I love sugar cookies, but I don’t always have the time to make them or the inclination to clean up the kitchen afterwards. These pretty, little cookies solve both problems — they’re fast to make and since they’re scooped, not rolled, they make less mess! –Mellyn
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Strawberry-Pasta Salad
Pasta and pecans are set off by a strawberry vinaigrette in this tasty pasta salad that makes a perfect lunch or light dinner. –Mellyn 
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Chocolate-Strawberry Cake
Dessert really can’t get much better than this! Fancy enough for any occasion, this rich cake is perfect anytime of year! –Mellyn
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Continue reading Strawberry Sauce
This is one of my favorite basic recipes. I use the same “formula” to create low-sugar fruit sauces out of blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, peaches or anything else that sounds appealing! The uses for this sauce are equally diverse. We eat it most often on pancakes or waffles, but this week I’ll show you how to use it to dress up a plain chocolate cake, as well. –Mellyn
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Continue reading Super Strawberries!
Strawberries — I consider them one of nature’s finest creations, and you’ll find them regularly on our table. My preference, of course, is to eat them fresh. I love them on my granola in the morning or sliced over my pancakes with a little powdered sugar. I like them for dessert with a little bit of sweetened cream (okay, a lot of sweetened cream), and I love them in salads with a vinaigrette dressing. 
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Easy Granola Bars
I have a love-hate relationship with granola bars. I love to eat them, but hate to pay money for something that’s full of corn syrup and other additives. I’ve tried several different recipes over the years, but they were all too much work — until now. This recipe is quick to make, the bars stay together reasonably well, and there’s no corn syrup involved! –Mellyn
Bean Burgers
My husband has high cholesterol, so over the years, I’ve learned to cook with more beans and less red meat. A couple of years ago, we received a handout that had a recipe for bean burgers that was surprisingly good. This is our version, since of course we had to change it a bit. My older daughter, who detests real hamburgers, loves these! –Mellyn
Nutty Granola
Adapted from a recipe by Julia L.
Oatmeal is so nutritious and good for you at breakfast time, but some days I just crave cold cereal –that’s when it’s granola to the rescue! Over the last few years, we’ve dramatically cut back on cold cereal, replacing it in large part with…drum roll, please…granola. We have 2 favorite flavors. This first one is similar to what my mom used to make when I was a kid and has a nutty, coconut-y flavor.–Mellyn
- Topped with dried blueberries, this granola is tasty and nutritious!
Basic Pancake Mix
Pancake mix is a life saver on busy mornings…or busy evenings, for that matter! This is my current favorite pancake mix. Keep it in the fridge for quick pancakes whenever you need something fast and delicious! –Mellyn
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Wheat Germ
Wheat germ –it’s not for the faint of heart. Or maybe a better way to say it is that you’re less likely to be faint of heart if you eat it. According to an article at http://www.livestrong.com/article/413438-why-should-i-eat-wheat-germ/, wheat germ is the “heart” of the wheat berry and the most nutrient-dense part of each kernel. Boasting 23 separate nutrients, wheat germ can boost dietary levels of fiber, protein, B-complex vitamins and vitamins E, A, C and K — just to name a few. Continue reading
Bran Muffins
From Julie L.
These are some of my all-time favorite muffins! I like to double or even triple the batter. It’ll keep for several days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Don’t stir it after storing –just pour and use. We like them for breakfast with butter and jam or as a side with corn chowder for dinner. The kids also eat them for snacks. Good eats! –Mellyn 
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Cranberry Beef
This recipe is one of our Sunday favorites! The cranberry gives just a hint of sweet to the roast and makes a delicious gravy for mashed potatoes. I usually make it with a regular roast, but have adapted it here for use with canned beef. The original recipe can be found at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-cranberry-roast/. –Mellyn
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Meat Pies
As you all know, making pie crust isn’t my favorite, but my kids are determined to change that. They love these tasty little pockets for breakfast and just can’t seem to get enough of them! They’d also be delicious for dinner, served with a green salad –Mellyn 
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Beef Noodle Bowl
This beefy noodle bowl is quick to whip up in just a few minutes and tastes like it took a lot longer. If you’re not into canned beef, you could also make it with leftover roast or stew meat. It was deemed yummy by my panel of picky eaters! –Mellyn 
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French Dip
–From Cheryl O.
My friend’s mother, Cheryl, was a fantastic cook! This recipe is my food storage version of her original! To make her original, select a beef roast and marinate it in Italian dressing for 24-48 hours. Drain the roast and put it in a crockpot or deep baking dish. Combine 5-6 cups of water with 2 packages of Lipton Onion Soup Mix and pour it over the roast. Cook until the meat is tender. We prefer ours falling apart, but it tastes delicious sliced, too! We usually serve ours on buns. –Mellyn
Where’s Your Beef?
Mine is in cans. Mostly because we moove a lot. (Sorry, brace yourself for bad cow humor!)
Growing up we had freezers full of beef, and since we lived in a cool climate, there was never much worry that the power would go out, and we’d lose our meat supply. Living in the South has changed that for me. The first hurricane I weathered (!), we lost everything in our freezer in about 2 days. Yikes! To further complicate the situation, our family moves what feels like constantly, and we don’t always have enough advance notice to eat through a freezer full of meat. Continue reading
Egg Noodles
Homemade pasta! I love the thick texture of these homemade noodles! They’re so easy to make and taste like real comfort food!
- 1/4 cup egg powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 cups wheat flour — (I used 1 cup hard white and 1 cup soft white)
- 1/4 cup water
- Combine egg powder and 6 tablespoons water. Whisk to get the lumps out.
- In a large bowl, combine wheat flour, egg mixture and remaining water.
- Knead until smooth.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out 1/8″ or even a little thinner.
- Cut with a knife or pizza cutter into strips.
- Let dry on counter for about 3 hours.
- Cook like regular dry pasta by adding to about 2 quarts of boiling water and boiling until tender (12 or so minutes).
Brazilian Sweet Rolls
–Patricia R.
My dear friend, Valeria, first introduced me to this sweet bread when our family lived in South Florida. She says you can tell it’s a Brazilian recipe because of the sweetened condensed milk — a Brazilian favorite. The fact that it only requires a few ingredients makes it one of my favorites, too! We love these served warm at breakfast time. –Mellyn
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Potato ‘n’ Bacon Breakfast Casserole
This hearty breakfast casserole gave me hope that powdered eggs are good for more than just baking. The kids devoured it, and after our previous powdered egg experience (see Don’t SCRAMBLE the eggs!), we all breathed a sigh of relief! –Mellyn
