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Shalom!
This is a Real Food Living issue from 2003. I pray you enjoy it!
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Real Food Living Newsletter
ISSN 1545-5564
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A weekly newsletter supporting families on their journey to better health
by Vickilynn Haycraft © Copyright 2003, 2006 All rights reserved
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What’s Inside This Issue:
~ November Topic — Hospitality and Entertaining
~ Real Food Living with Vickilynn
~ Meaty Crockpot Stew
~ Living as a 21st Century Homekeeper with Sylvia
~ Jezebel Spread
~ Bruschetta
~ Cranberry Side Dish
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This newsletter adheres to the same strict privacy policy of the Real Food Living website. Your e-mail address will never be made available to third parties without your permission.
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Please stop in and visit the Real Food Living website at:
http://www.realfoodliving.com
There you will find FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), Product Reviews,Articles, Recipes and much more. We continually update the website, so check back often for all the new stuff. Grab a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy reading!
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Real Food Living
~~Real Food Living — with Vickilynn
~~Living as a 21st Century Homekeeper — with Sylvia
~~Living within a Budget — with Kerry
~~Living with Food Allergies — with Peggy
~~Vegetarian Living — with Nita
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If you missed any previous Real Food Living newsletter articles, you can read them at the website:
http://www.topica.com/lists/realfoodliving/read
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Real Food Living with Vickilynn
I have to say that, without a doubt, from October to January is my favorite time of the year. In the mountains of West Virginia, the weather is cold and usually snowy; we have a glowing fire in the woodstove and our little cabin is toasty and comfortable.
The chickens are fed and eggs gathered before dark and shortly after that (around 5 PM), we settle down to have our supper, then play games or watch TV as a family. We stoke up the fire, don our soft slippers and snuggly sweatshirts and pull out the quilts and comforters to keep us warm as we gather in the living room (closest to the woodstove and the warmest room next to the kitchen).
We enjoy steaming mugs of hot cocoa and herbal tea with honey, whole-grain, home-baked goodies, hearty soups and stews, and all-around “warming” foods. This time of year, I employ my crockpots for double duty (meaning I usually have more than one going at a time) and in fact, thanks to yard sales, THIS year, I have 4 crockpots of various sizes, plus a Nesco 18- quart roaster that is fabulous for cooking that 22-pound turkey or for making gallons of chili. I love to keep something yummy simmering in a crockpot during the winter: it not only makes the house smell wonderful, but it helps to have something ready should we get visitors or just hungry Haycrafts!
Our topic this month is all about “Entertaining and Hospitality” (two different things in my book). While I usually think of “entertaining” this time of year (open house for the holidays; family and friends over; parties; Christmas and Chanukah meals and celebrations, etc.), what I wanted to talk about this week is simple hospitality. To me, hospitality is making our home warm, inviting and open to anyone who comes to our door, no matter whether the visit is planned or unplanned and the visitors are family, friends or strangers.
Hospitality is also letting our guests feel welcome and wanted in our home and making their stay as enjoyable as possible. To that effort, I like to have delicious foods ready to serve guests and one way is to cook/bake in bulk and have extras available to heat up at a moment’s notice.
Another strategy, as I mentioned above, is my faithful group of crockpots. A large batch of soup, beans, stews, chili, meats, etc., cooking away in the crockpot can be the foundation of several meals ready to go as needed.
Here’s a “dump-it-and-forget-it” kind of crockpot stew that lends itself to simple fare, or jazzed up for a special meal. Try serving this hearty stew with a wilted spinach salad with feta cheese, bulghur cooked in beef broth, crusty whole-grain rolls and baked apples. And, as an added benefit, the leftovers freeze well for those unexpected but welcome lunchtime visitors!
MEATY CROCKPOT STEW
Recipe by Vickilynn Haycraft
Makes 8 servings
1 1/2 pounds lean venison (or organic, grass-fed beef) stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
28-ounces organic canned tomatoes (cut up), with juice
4 1/2 ounces organic green chiles, with juice
16 ounces organic corn (whole kernel), with juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, OR chili powder (more to taste)
6 Tablespoons organic cornmeal, whole-grain
Combine all ingredients, except cornmeal, in a large(4-6 quart) crockpot, mixing well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour,then LOW for 7-8 hours.
One hour before serving, turn to HIGH. Stir in cornmeal. Cover and cookon HIGH 30 minutes.
Taste and adjust spices and add salt and pepper to taste.
Variations for the 1 1/2 pounds of venison, substitute:
1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat or ground beef OR
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey breast OR
32 ounces cooked black beans
Per serving: 172 Calories; 3g Fat (14.2% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 197mgSodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0Fat.
Until next time…
~~Vickilynn
Vickilynn Haycraft lives in the mountains of North Carolina and is a wife, mother, homeschooling parent, writer, columnist and reviewer. She is the author of the new cookbook: “Wrapping It Up! Making All-Occasion Wrappers and Fabulous Family Meals” and the author of the book currently in the works: “Real Food for Real Families.” To read Vickilynn’s Product Reviews, Book Reviews, Articles and more please visit: http://www.realfoodliving.com
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Living as a 21st Century Homekeeper with Sylvia
Holiday Blessings!
You probably grew up celebrating holidays at someone else’s home, either a parent’s or someone else’s home. One day, though, it may be Your Turn to host the yearly holiday celebration when the whole family gets together. Or maybe you just want to finally have a holiday celebration and dinner at your home with your immediate family.
The number one thing to remember at the holidays is that having people over and preparing a great meal isn’t done to impress but to bless. The offering of a delicious meal, no matter how simple, and a warm inviting home opened to others is the highest expression of love that one can give.
* Gather your recipes together and begin to make them and experiment with them.
The main thing to know about what you are cooking is whether or not your recipes are tried and true. You need to experiment with a recipe long before you serve it for a holiday meal. Check out issue 35 of RFL for more tips on getting ready for a holiday meal.
* What do we do with the children while everyone is preparing the meal and watching the football game?
Children left to themselves can get in all sorts of trouble. Young children especially get tired and cranky at large get-togethers. Plan for a rest time just after dinner. Think about providing a playpen or crib for visiting tots to play in.
Before and after dinner, there are all kinds of activities you could offer the children. Usually I assign two older children or adults to supervise the younger children. They take turns helping the children find fun and interesting things to do without getting hurt or in trouble. I like to provide activities for the children. Here are two that we use regularly at our house:
* Paper White Thanksgiving Prayer
Each child will need 5-6 narcissus bulbs, commonly called Paper Whites.
A ceramic pot or glass bowl with no hole in the bottom (I use cheapo cereal bowls.) River pebbles ~ these can be ought at Wal-Mart for a few dollars.Water.
Instructions:
Place about 2 inches of pebbles in the bottom of each bowl or pot. Add the bulbs root-end down. Mound up more pebbles around the bulbs to hold them upright. Add water to the tops of the bulbs. The bulbs will grow in
the water. Keep them in a sunny place and keep the water level up around the tops of the bulbs. The plants will grow in the water and the flowers would bloom around Christmas time. When each child is finished planting their bulbs, ask each child what they would like to pray for today. Have a time of prayer or silent prayer. You might even want to write the prayers down and send them home with the child.
* Another great activity for the children is a tablecloth for them to decorate.
Cut brown packing paper and fit it to the children’s table where they will be eating dinner. Secure it well with the masking tape. Provide markers, crayons and colored pencils, and ask the children to decorate the table for the holiday. Be sure they sign their creations. The children can have their meal right on their tablecloth. To protect the tablecloth you can cover it with a clear vinyl cover.
* Want to get everyone in on the act? This is a great activity even for the most shy members of your family;
The Thankful Tree is easily put together. Just find yourself a tree branch and place it firmly in a bucket or large coffee can of soil or rocks. Next, cut out dozens of construction paper leaves in fall colors. These leaves can also be purchased at Teacher Supply stores. You can punch a hole in each leaf and add a piece of yarn to hang it on the tree, or just make sure a roll of clear tape and a pencil or pen is handy.
When your family and guests arrive, lead them to the Thankful Tree and ask them to write something on a leaf that they are thankful for. Then allow them to attach or hang the leaf from the “tree” you have made. Before or during dinner, have someone read all the thanks on the tree. It’s such a joy to know what your family is thankful for, and this can be a great place for the beginnings of conversation.
* Here are two appetizer recipes and one side dish recipe that I will be using during the holidays this year. I hope you enjoy them. Remember that the recipe for great Mashed Potatoes is in issue 35 of Real Food Living.
Jezebel Spread
Recipe by Sylvia Britton
Serve with your favorite crackers. So delicious!
Yield: about 1 cup
Serving size: 1 Tablespoon
Makes about 16 servings
1 (12 ounce) jar apricot spreadable fruit preserves
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 Tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
Ground black pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Combine the apricot preserves, horseradish, mustard and black pepper. Taste the mixture and add more horseradish, mustard, and pepper to taste. Cover and chill this mixture overnight.
When you are ready to serve the spread, place the cream cheese on a serving plate and pour the apricot mixture over the cream cheese. Serve with a basket of your favorite crackers or small pieces of Bruschetta or
toast.
Per Tablespoon: 94 Calories; 5g Fat (47.8% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 67mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Bruschetta
Recipe by Sylvia
Makes about 12 servings
2 very large ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano OR use 1/2
Tablespoon dried (but fresh is so much better!)*
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped OR use 1/2 teaspoon, dried*
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley OR use 1 teaspoon, dried*
1 pound of whole-grain Italian bread cut into 1/2-inch slices and then into halves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
*The fresh herbs really make Bruschetta; don’t use dried herbs unless you are just desperate for Bruschetta!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, basil and parsley. Stir around a bit.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the bread is browned. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before serving. This is good even after it cools off completely making it a perfect dish for the appetizer/snack table.
Per serving: 136 Calories; 4g Fat (27.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 254mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.
Cranberry Side Dish
Recipe by Sylvia Britton
This is easy as can be and folks will think you’ve been watching cooking shows when you make it! It is delicious with all kinds of meats, especially fowl.
Makes about 8-12 servings as a side dish.
1 (16-ounce bag) of cranberries
Peel of 1 large orange
Juice from that orange
1 1/2 cups natural sugar such as Rapadura or sucanat OR natural sugar substitute
Small piece of candied ginger, diced finely OR 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
In a large saucepan, place the cranberries and water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the cranberries pop. Add the orange zest and juice. Stir. Add natural sugar or substitute to taste. It is the sugar that causes this dish to gel and get thick so don’t scrimp. Add the ginger.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir and check until the mixture is thick and beginning to dry out. When it is thick enough to spoon up, remove it from the heat and check the seasonings. You can add orange peel, juice or ginger to taste. Refrigerate, covered tightly, until serving time.
Can be made up to 5 days ahead.
Per serving: 114 Calories; trace Fat (0.7% calories from fat); trace Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat.
~Sylvia
Sylvia Britton is a wife, mom, teacher and homemaker in Tenessee. Her love of teaching and homemaking come together at her website The Titus 2 Christian Homekeeper: http://t2chk.org/ Sylvia’s homemaking articles have been published in “Coming Home,” “The Old School House” and “Far Above Rubies” magazines.
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Real Food Living is for informational purposes only and should not replace individual medical advice. The appearance of any ads in the Real Food Living newsletter should not be seen as an endorsement by Vickilynn
Haycraft of any product or its claims. The readers assume full responsibility to determine if any information contained in the Real Food Living newsletter is applicable to them and their family.
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Vickilynn Haycraft
http://www.realfoodliving.com
Micah 6:8
About Vickilynn Parnes
