Best Christmas Recipes For Kids

Best Christmas Recipes For Kids

Kids always enjoy cooking as it gives them a sense of independence and achievement. Parents, busy with their tough jobs, have little time to spend with their children and they actually want to spend time with them. Take this opportunity this Christmas! Spend time with your children in kitchen making Christmas recipes, sharing the experience they will love to have.This article contains some very easy and delicious recipes you and your kids will love to make on Christmas.

Recipe # 1:
Minty Milk Shake:

Ingredients:

4 cups mint- chocolate chip ice cream

whipped cream
16 ounces milk

Candy cane

Process:

Take milk and ice cream in a blender and mix. The mixture should be soft and smooth which will take approximately 1 minute. Shift this into large glasses and top it with a spoonful of whipped cream. Put in a candy cane and serve. You can serve up to six kids with this measurement.

Recipe # 2:
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1¾ cups flour

12 ounces old fashioned rolled oats

2 large eggs

1½ cups light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces softened butter

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3 teaspoons milk

Process:

Mix flour, baking powder, oats, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and keep it aside. Take sugar and softened butter and whisk till they are fully blended in another bowl. Break the eggs into this mixture one at a time, then mix milk and the vanilla extract. Mix these ingredients thoroughly and add the flour mixture into it. Stir till they are fully combined and finally sprinkle chocolate chips into this mixture. Pour the cookie dough into cookie sheets with the help of a tablespoon and bake them for 12-15 minutes in a 350 degrees F preheated oven. Make sure that the cookies are golden in color before taking them out. Cool them for five minutes in a wire rack and cut them into different shapes with cookie cutters.

Recipe # 3:
Choco Popcorn

Ingredients:

12 cups popped popcorn

16 ounces salted peanuts

4 ounces light corn syrup

12 ounces milk chocolate morsels

4 ounces butter or margarine

Process:

Take a roasting pan and grease it lightly. Place popcorn in the pan and mix them with the salted peanuts. In a heavy sauce pan, mix corn syrup, morsels and butter. Cook on a medium flame while covering the sauce pan with a lid. When mixture reaches boiling point, add the popcorn and stir. Take a large bowl and line it with waxed paper. Pour the popcorn mixture into this bowl and bake it for 30-40 minutes in a 300 degrees F preheated oven. Make sure that you stir it once or twice while baking.

Recipe # 4:
Special Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ounces raisins

4 ounces glazed cherries

Pinch of salt

1 egg

4 ounces Brazil nuts

½ teaspoon baking soda

1¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup butter

4 ounces glazed pineapple

¾ cup sugar

Process:

Chop the glazed pineapples, cherries and Brazil nuts and put aside. Take a large mixing bowl and combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter with the help of an electric mixer. Once this mixture becomes creamy, add the other ingredients including salt, flour and baking soda. Mix till all the ingredients are fully blended and the texture of the flour becomes smooth. Mix in the fruits and nuts and stir once to evenly spread them. Grease a cookie sheet lightly and fill them with the cookie batter. Bake these cookies in a 350 degrees F preheated oven for at least 15 minutes. Check that the cookies are soft when you take them out of the oven. Allow them to cool completely and let the kids have them for breakfast on Christmas morning with a glass of milk.

How to Cook Rice

How to Cook Rice

Rice is a staple foundation for most dishes especially a wide array of Asian food. In order to cook rice, you need to combine the grains with the right proportion of water and heat. You can tell rice is done cooking when the water is fully absorbed.

There are three ways to cook rice. You can boil it, steam it, or the Japanese method. Water in which rice is boiled is nourishing which can be utilized for your soups and sauces. It is also ideal for use in baking yeast bread. Whichever method is used, always bear in mind not to stir the rice too much while cooking, and must not be cooked for too long. Remember that grains in correctly cooked rice are whole and distinct and will prevent pasty and soggy appearance.




THE BOILING METHOD

Boiling rice is the simplest. This method requires 12 times the amount of water as rice. Boiled rice is an excellent base for most dishes.

Boiled Rice (Serves 8)

1 cup rice
3 tsp. salt
3 qt. boiling water

Boil water in a small pot. Add the salt. When boiling, rinse rice thoroughly and put it to the boiling salted water. Let it boil until the milky water is fully absorbed. Check if rice is done cooking by crushing a grain between the fingers. Drain cooked rice in a strainer and pour cold water over it to wash out loose starch and separate the grains. Warm the rice by shaking it over gentle heat. Serve the hot rice with butter, cream, or milk and sugar.

THE JAPANESE METHOD

This method of cooking rice requires 5 times water proportion as rice. It is said that Japanese method is the more economical way.

Japanese Rice (Serves 8)

1 cup rice
5 cups boiling water
1-1/2 tsp. salt

Boil water in a rice pot. Add the salt. Wash the rice thoroughly and add to the boiling water with salt. Let it boil over high heat. Once water boils, lower the heat allowing rice to cook slowly for about 15 minutes until water is almost gone. Leave it covered. Position rice in the oven for another 15 more minutes. This process will allow the water to completely evaporate to prevent the grains from being mushy. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

THE STEAMING METHOD

Steaming rice requires 2-1/2 times water as much as rice, and needs more time than the other methods. Just like boiled rice, steamed rice is also excellent as foundation for varietal dishes and may be served in any meal.

Steamed Rice Procedure (Serves 6)

1 cup rice
2-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 tsp. salt

Boil water in a small pot. Add the salt. Once water boils, wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook for 5 minutes and place it in a double boiler, allowing the rice to cook until tender. Keep the pot covered. When rice is tender in about an hour, remove pot from heat. Remain it covered to prevent rice from drying out. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.

Homemade Chocolate Covered Craisins

Homemade Chocolate Covered Craisins

I think I am addicted to chocolate covered craisins. They are so good and I have been eating way too many of them.

Last weekend while I was at Blissdom, I attended the Savvvy Blogging dinner. At the end of the dinner we received a bag full of products from the sponsors of the event. One of the items in the bag was cranberry raisinets. I instantly loved these. They made a perfect snack for the weekend and for the plane ride home.

As I was eating my cranberry raisinets, I thought that I could easily make a version of these myself at home. They are basically just chocolate and craisins after all. I also knew that an at home version would be a little healthier. Not only that I knew I could make them cheaper than I could buy them.

So, I decided to give it a try and see what I could come up with. I am so glad I tried this. The at home version is as good if not better than the real ones. Seriously these are so good and so easy to make. My kids loved them and have been eating them like crazy the last few days. I will definitely be making more of these soon because the batch I made is already gone.

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces of craisins

Melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Add craisins and stir

until well combined and mixed together.

Spread out on a cookie sheet that has been lined with waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours or until firm.

remove from waxed paper and enjoy!

I like the chocolate on these to stay firm so I suggest storing them in the refrigerator, that is if you can avoid eating them all.

How to Make Chicken Salad

How to Make Chicken Salad?

Salads are an integral part of our daily diet. People who generally avoid leafy vegetables also consume salads without complaint due to the various health benefits of salads. But one often gets bored with the regular salads and so try to make some variations in them. Chicken is one great variation which can be made in the regular tasteless salads. Chicken and vegetables together no doubt are a great combination, however along with the usual benefits of green vegetables you will also add a few calories. So you can opt for chicken salad on weekends, so that you get the satisfaction of eating salad and also chicken! Let us learn how to make chicken salad from scratch from the following recipes. Read more on chicken recipes.





Chicken Noodle Salad Recipe
Ingredients

For Salad

• 6 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnishing
• 3½ cups cooked chicken, cut into strips
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1 cup julienne-sliced carrot

For Dressing

• 3 tbs low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbs brown sugar, packed
• ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tbs finely chopped fresh ginger root
• 1 tbs Asian garlic-chili sauce

Process

First start with the dressing. Take a bowl of a food processor and place soy sauce, 3 tbs chicken broth, peanut butter, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, ginger, chili-garlic sauce and brown sugar in it. Blend until smooth and then add salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is to thick add some water or chicken broth. Now for the salad, boil water in a large pot, add a pinch of salt to it. When the water boils, add linguine to it and cook until firm, for about 8-10 minutes. When done, drain the water and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Now add celery, green onions, cilantro, carrots, red pepper, and chicken to the bowl. Pour the dressing mixture over noodle chicken mixture and toss to evenly coat. Read more on poppy seed chicken salad.

Chicken Salad Recipe without Mayonnaise
Ingredients

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• ¾ cups of chopped celery
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbs good olive oil
• 1 tsp chopped sage
• ½ cup chopped apple
• 2 cups cooked chicken
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup red onions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp lemon zest

Process

This recipe is an answer to your question, how to make chicken salad without mayonnaise. Take a large bowl and shred chicken in it. Add garlic, lemon zest, all vegetables and apples to the bowl, set aside. In another bowl make vinaigrette by adding mustard, oil and vinegar. Combine this mixture with chicken mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Read more on chicken salad sandwich recipes.

Treats for Your Sweetheart

Treats for Your Sweetheart

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tub Duncan Hines Classic Vanilla Frosting or Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Cream Cheese Frosting
• Sprinkles or additional garnishes

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

2. Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into muffin pan or paper cups.

3. Bake cupcakes for 19-22 minutes. Add 3-5 minutes to bake time for dark or coated pans. Cupcakes are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

4. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

5. Garnish, and enjoy!

Conversation Heart Brownies

Spread the love with Conversation Heart Brownies, a delicious romantic treat. Heart-shaped Duncan Hines Double Fudge Brownies with luscious chocolate and vanilla frosting are sure to create some passion.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines Chocolate Lover’s Double Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tub Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
• 1 tub Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Chocolate Frosting

Easy Homemade Apple Pancake Syrup

Easy Homemade Apple Pancake Syrup

We love pancakes and waffles in our house, and we eat them often. I will admit that I am a fan of lots of syrup on my pancakes and waffles. However, I know that syrup is not very healthy.

We like to use real maple syrup, but this gets expensive when you are feeding a family. I do keep it on hand, but we try to use is sparingly. I have also made my own syrups. I make a buttermilk syrup that we really enjoy and I have made berry syrups that are also very good, but I am always looking for new ideas.

I recently saw a recipe for an apple syrup in a magazine. It sounded like something my family would enjoy, and I liked the fact that it was so easy to make.

I tweaked the recipe a little and it turned out great. The one thing about this is that you should only make what you will use. Once cooled, this really thickens. We did eat the leftovers and they tasted fine, but the syrup was really thick. So, depending on how much you need you may want to half this recipe.

Apple Pancake Syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup apple juice, you need to use the 100% apple juice
• 2 tablespoon butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Slowly whisk in apple juice. Cook over medium high heat, whisking or stirring constantly until thickened and smooth, about five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve over pancakes or waffles.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love to make cookies. They are one of my favorite things to bake. I used to make cookies all the time, however since going gluten free I have only made them twice. Gluten free cookies are just not the same. I am trying to come up with some good gluten free cookies by adapting some of my old favorites, but the results have been mixed.

However I have been craving cookies, so when I saw a recipe from Emeril for flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, I knew I wanted to try it. Not only do we love cookies in our house, we love peanut butter. So, I gave these a try.

We loved these cookies. It was so nice to have a cookie again that was really good. We loved these so much that they did not even last 24 hours. We ate way too many of these. I told my sister about these cookies and she decided to try them. Her family also loved these cookies.

One of the reasons I like this recipe is because it is a normal, but gluten free recipe. There is nothing strange or weird in these cookies. Anyone would have the ingredients on hand to make these. These are a cookie everyone would enjoy.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips ( I used about 3/4 of a cup)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Take about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place the balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets( I used my stoneware pan), spacing them 1 inch apart. You should get about 12 cookies per sheet. Flatten slightly.

Bake the cookies at 350 until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 4-5 minutes. Then remove them onto wire racks to cool.

How to Make Banana Bread

How to Make Banana Bread
Banana bread is one of the oldest recipes that originated somewhere in the beginning of 18th century. Sweet, soft and cake like texture are some of the typical characteristics of this recipe. As the name suggests, mashed bananas are the main ingredients of these banana bread recipes. The recipe for making banana bread is quite simple with very few ingredients required. All you need to do is add the dry ingredients together in one bowl, add the wet ingredients together in another bowl, then combine these two mixtures and place the mixture into the oven. To improve the taste of the banana bread try to use bananas that are not much ripe. Here are some easy recipes on how to make banana bread.





How to Make Banana Bread - Basic Recipe

Ingredients

• Flour - 4 cups
• Baking powder - 2 Teaspoons
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Eggs - 2
• Vanilla - 2 teaspoons
• Salt - ½ teaspoon
• Margarine (melted) - 2 sticks
• Ripe bananas - 6

Procedure: Once you know how to prepare basic banana bread recipe you can always experiment adding your favorite ingredients to the recipe. So, to make this basic banana bread recipe, first preheat the oven to 175 degree Celsius. Take a large bowl and add sugar, margarine and vanilla. Then add the eggs and beat the mixture properly until it gets a smooth texture. In a small bowl add flour, baking powder and salt and sift the mixture properly. Then, add this mixture to the margarine mixture and stir it until all the ingredients get mixed properly. Add the mashed bananas and beat the mixture until it turns smooth. Grease a loaf pan of appropriate size and pour this mixture into the pan. Place the pan in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes and enjoy the taste of the banana bread.

How to Make Banana Bread with Nuts and Oatmeal

Ingredients

• White sugar - ¾ cup
• Mashed bananas - 1 cup
• Eggs - 2
• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - ½ teaspoon
• Walnuts (chopped) - ½ cup
• Quick cooking oats - ½ cup
• All purpose flour - 1½ cups
• Shortening - ½ cup

Procedure: This is a delicious banana bread recipe with lots of flavors in it. The first step to make banana nut bread recipe is to grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with butter. Then preheat the oven to 175 degree Celsius. Take a large bowl and add sugar and shortening to it. Beat the mixture thoroughly with help of an electric mixer, until it turns fluffy and light. Add one egg at a time to this mixture and beat the mixture properly. Then, put in the mashed bananas and vanilla and again beat. Now, take a medium sized bowl and add baking soda, salt and all purpose flour to it. Sift the mixture properly and then add it to the cream mixture in the large bowl. Beat this mixture and add oats and nuts to it. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and place it into the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes and your oatmeal banana nut bread is ready.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

There are a lot of Flourless Chocolate Cake recipes. I have seen many of them over the years. They are all similar and yet different. Each one is it’s own take on a classic recipe.

I found this version for Flourless Chocolate Cake in a Gourmet Magazine cookbook and I made it for dinner on Christmas Day. My family loved it. It was so good. It was a rich and dense chocolate cake that was so easy to make. If you love chocolate like I do, you will love this cake.

This cake is great for everyone, not just for those that are eating gluten free. I think this would be an excellent dessert to serve company, because it is a gluten free yet normal recipe. In fact, I am planning on taking this to a church dinner we are having next week.

Serve this with vanilla ice cream and it is even better.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375°F Line bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan with a round of parchment paper and butter paper.

Melt chocolate with butter in a bowl in the microwave. Cook and stir every 30 seconds on until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Add cocoa powder to chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 35-40 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Fat Friday: Sweet potato pie

We have a difference of opinion in our house over just how sweet sweet potato pie should be! I like to serve it for dinner, so I don’t think it should be overly sweet. But Mike says that since it uses pumpkin pie spices, it ought to be almost as sweet as that.

Unless you use a food processor, sweet potato pie is grainier than pumpkin. I don’t bother with that…I just use a fork!

Sweet Potato Pie

Single pie crust for each pie

2 c leftover sweet potato, mashed
12 oz can of evaporated milk
1/4 to 1/2 c sugar
2 T molasses
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t powdered ginger
1/2 t ground cloves or allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
2 eggs

Mix all the ingredients together. Add eggs last so that you can adjust the flavorings if necessary. More sugar may be needed. Pour into pie shell and bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 45 minutes.

Mexican Rice in the Rice Cooker

I love my rice cooker. It is becoming one of the most used small appliances in my kitchen. I use it for cooking plain rice, but I also use it for things like my rice cooker macaroni and cheese.

I love the convenience of my rice cooker, especially for recipes like this one. I can place everything in the rice cooker, push the button, and have a healthy and filling meal in no time.

I serve this for lunch or dinner. I usually serve it with chips and a salad for a simple, but really good meal my whole family enjoys.

This is one of those meals that can easily be made start to finish in 25 minutes or less. I love those kinds of meals. Quick, easy, and frugal meals work for me.

Mexican Rice Cooker Rice

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 12-ounce jar salsa, mild, medium, or hot
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can of black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I use dried beans that have been cooked and frozen)
• 1 1/4 cups water

Add all ingredients to the inner pot of rice cooker. Stir, close the lid and press the White Rice or cook button, depending on your rice cooker. When rice cooker switches to Keep-Warm mode, open the cooker, quickly stir and re-cover. Allow to stand for 8-10 minutes before serving. Spoon onto a serving dish and serve with cheese and sour cream.

Recipe, Flatlander Chili

Its been cold and rainy lately, which makes it perfect weather for a hearty bowl of chili. The original recipe is by a guy named George Couch and can be found here. I’ve made this chili several times before, sometimes following the recipe, sometimes improvising. Last night, I improvised, using George’s recipe as a base, and here is my version.

I have to warn you, if you can’t handle the heat of spicy foods, you may want to cut down the chili powder or red pepper powder even more. I used 1/8 cup of red pepper powder (half of what the original recipe called for) and it was pretty spicy. It was just right for Hubs and I, but be warned.

This also makes a *huge* pot of chili…about a good 10 servings. Perfect for tail-gate parties or get-togethers.

Little Bear’s version of Flatlander Chili

1 1/3 lbs lean ground beef
2 15-oz cans of tomato sauce
1 15 oz can of diced, no-salt added can of tomatoes, liquid reserved
2 15 oz cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, diced
1/8 c. red pepper powder
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. white sugar
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper

Heat a large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until evenly brown. Drain and crumble the ground beef.

In a small bowl, combine all the spices (red pepper powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar, and cayenne pepper). Blend well.

Add all the remaining ingredients (vegetables and spices) to the skillet or pot containing the ground beef. Stir and combine well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Top with more diced green onions or shredded cheese, as desired.

Foods that Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Cholesterol is a waxy soft substance, found in all the body cells and is transported through the blood. This lipid is an important part of the cell membrane lining. It also regulates production of certain hormones and other body functions. Though cholesterol plays a very significant role in body functioning, the level of cholesterol needs to be maintained, else it leads to severe health problems like, heart attack. Before knowing the foods that lower cholesterol naturally, let us take a look at some brief information on cholesterol.




Cholesterol

Cholesterol cannot dissolve in blood and hence, it is carried by lipoproteins called LDL (low-density) and HDL (high-density). Out of these two lipoproteins, LDL is the major carrier of cholesterol and if the level of LDL increases, then it can get accumulated in the blood arteries of brain and heart. This blocks the passage in the arteries and increases the risk of fatal health problems like stroke and heart attack. Hence, LDL is also referred as bad cholesterol. While HDL is called as good cholesterol, since it carries the cholesterol to liver and not towards heart and brain. Some medical experts consider that HDL regulates the excess cholesterol in the body and hence, high level of HDL is good for health. Read more on, HDL LDL ratio and ideal cholesterol levels.

Foods that Lower Cholesterol Naturally

There are basically two sources of cholesterol for human body, one source is the body itself, while other is from dietary foods. These dietary foods usually consist of animal products and foods high in saturated fats. 1000 milligram cholesterol is produced by our liver on daily basis and thus, there is no need of consuming more cholesterol. But with consumption of foods that contain cholesterol, the cholesterol level increases. People whose cholesterol level is high, need to strictly control their diet and prohibit consumption of such foods. Moreover, they also need to exercise regularly to gain a healthy body. There are certain foods that lower cholesterol levels naturally and some of them are listed below.

Apples: Apples are rich in anti-oxidants and healthy fiber. Both these contents of apple help to reduce the bad cholesterol in the body and increase the good cholesterol. Each of us should consume at least one apple on daily basis.

Avocado: Though avocado contains certain amount of fat, but this fat is healthy fat, that does not cause any health problem. These fats are in monosaturated form, which help to lower the bad cholesterol in the body. You can try different avocado recipes and enjoy this natural cholesterol burner.

Quick and Easy Beef and Rice

This recipe is adapted from my quick and easy barley dinner. We have really enjoyed the barley version, but I have wanted to try adapt this dish using rice for a long time. Since I can no longer have barley, it was a good time to finally give a rice version a try.

This turned out really good. My whole family liked this. This is a great meal to make on a very busy night. This is not a fancy dish, but it is a good meal. Serve this with some bread and a vegetable or salad and you have a really nice meal.

Easy Beef and Rice

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces)diced tomatoes with liquid
• 2 cups beef broth ( I make mine by using water and beef bouillon or base)
• 1 cup rice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

In a large skillet, cook ground beef with onion until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Cheesy Cream Corn

I love corn. It is one of my favorite side dishes, but I like corn dishes that are a little different. The first time I had this corn dish I loved it. It was a bit unusual, but very good.

A friend of mine had brought it to a church dinner and I knew I had to have the recipe. When she told me how easy the recipe was to make I was surprised. I really thought it must be complicated because it was so good. But she said it was an old Taste of Home recipe and it was simple.

I made this and took it to Thanksgiving at my in-laws. I like this recipe for holidays and church dinners because it is a crockpot recipe. You can make it up ahead of time and start the cooking several hours before dinner it to be served. This means less to do right before the meal.

Cheesy Creamed Corn

• 3 packages (16 ounces each) frozen corn
• 2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 slices process American cheese, cut into small pieces ( I have used cheddar, but the processed velveeta type cheese does make it a little creamier and better)

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine all the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Stir well before serving.

Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

Soups - the ultimate appetizers invoke only a single reaction and that is 'YUM'. Creamy tomato soup recipe is not at all a tough task, when it comes to delicious soups. You just need a bit of interest and a taste for taste, to prepare that perfect cream of tomato soup.

Ever thought of a meal, especially dinner without a soup? I mean, picture this. You have invited a few guests over for lunch or dinner. Wouldn't you be in a big soup if you have no soup for starters? (pun intended!). Never mind, the bottom line is that soup is a fabulous appetizer and is an inevitable part of a meal. You cannot ignore it, even if you want to! Hence it is essential to have an in depth knowledge of soup recipes, especially tomato soups, to add to your culinary skills. So then, for the time being, the answer to what's cooking, is tomato soup as here is a low down on creamy tomato soup recipe!

Tomato Soup Recipes

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 4 large fresh Florida tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

• Take a medium sized saucepan and melt the butter in it.
• Add celery and onion and make a saute over medium heat, for around 5 minutes.
• Keep on stirring so that it does not get brown. Rather do not let it get too brown.
• Stir the tomatoes, add sugar and simmer it after covering it and cook for around 6 - 8 minutes. Cook till they become soft.
• Make a smooth puree out of the vegetables in a food processor.
• Put the puree back again on the saucepan and stir it.
• Heat the soup thoroughly and add seasoning for taste. There you are - you have made creamy tomato soup recipe with fresh tomatoes.

Italian Sausage Soup

I love soups! They make great meals in one and I enjoy trying new soup recipes. I recently saw this one in a Paula Deen magazine. I adapted some but it is still basically the same.

This soup is quick and easy. It is also frugal, especially if you cook your beans at home instead of using canned beans. I cook up a bunch of beans at one time and freeze them to use in recipes like this.

I served this with bread and my whole family enjoyed it.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 lb sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 cup celery, minced (I left this out, I don’t like celery)

1 cup carrot, minced

3 (14 ounce) cans beef broth

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil oregano and garlic ( I used canned tom. and some italian seasoning)

2 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can great northern beans, drained

2 cups macaroni, uncooked

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In large Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, celery and carrot over medium-high heat until sausage is browned and crumbles.

Drain well.

Stir in broth, tomatoes and beans; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add pasta; simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Stir in salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

Cheeseburger Pie

This is a simple recipe. It is based on my cheeseburger calzone. It is basically the same with a different crust. Instead of using pizza crust, I used pie crust. I really like the calzone version, but I think I like the pie version better. Maybe that is because pie crust is not nearly as healthy as pizza crust is. I mean who doesn’t like pie crust.

I made a big “pie”, but I think you could easily make these into mini version. I think I might try that next time. I think my kids would enjoy each having their own little one.

Cheeseburger Pie

2 pie crusts, unbaked( I was a bit lazy busy this week and I used a store crust)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
3/4 cup ketchup
1 – 2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and crumble ground beef. Cool slightly. Add chopped pickles, ketchup, mustard, and cheese. Mix all together. Set aside.

Roll out 1 pie crust on a large cookie sheet or pizza stone. Place filling on crust, spread filling to about 1 inch from the edge. You need to leave enough dough around the edge to seal the crust. Roll out second crust and place over filling. Seal edges. Make a few slits in the top crust to make steam vents. Bake at 375 for about 17 minutes or until crust is slightly browned.