Ingredient: Water

Enchilada Sauce

Instead of buying enchilada sauce, this is an easy recipe to make your own. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Red River Date Muffins

Mom really likes Red River Cereal and wanted me to try it. I agree. It is very good! However, it takes awhile to cook, so we decided to look for muffin recipes that use it. After cooling the muffins, we freeze them for an easy breakfast. Just remember to pull early so they can thaw out.

Grandma Mabel’s Fruit Cake

This is Grandma Mable’s recipe that she sent to Uncle Tim with some modifications and comments that he and Oma made. While the recipe calls for an angel food cake pan, Uncle Tim only remembers Grandma making in loaf pans. So, that is the way I will make it too 🙂

Instead of using candy fruitcake mix, mix and match your favorite combination of dried fruits; such as apricots, cranberries, currants, golden raisins, candied ginger, orange peel and a few candied cherries.

“Frantic Mother Cookies”

I have no idea where Mom found this recipe years ago. I am pretty sure it was in a “how to Mom” type book. We rarely made chocolate chip cookies growing up, but we made these often. Usually we made them drop cookies, but bar style gets them done a lot faster! They are a dryer, crispier cookie, so add a little extra water if desired.

While you can use any type of cereal, corn flakes or rice cereal is the best. One day I made them for the family I was babysitting and used Cheerios. Dom informed me that I could put most anything I wanted into the cookies I made for them, but NEVER use Cheerios again 🙂

Use 1 cup of your favorite “fillings”. Growing up we usually used half unsweetened coconut flakes and chocolate chips. But mix and match with walnuts, pecans or other favorite nuts, raisins, craisins or dried cherries (or other dried fruit sliced in small pieces) and your favorite chocolate chips.

Wishing Cookies

Aunt Bonnie made us these cookies for the first time nine years ago. She told us that “if you break them into three pieces without talking, your wish comes true”. It has never been proven, since my kids can’t stop talking long enough to break a cookie into three pieces 🙂

Ham Bone Broth

Not sure what to do with a left over ham bone? This is an easy broth to make as a base for many different soups. Adjust ingredients to your liking.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Years ago, Allan owned a coffee shop. He enjoyed the people he worked with and got to know many of his guests. It was a simple shop, but the foods were good and he worked hard. This was our children’s favorite soup and often requested it when we went to visit Daddy.

Beans and Rice

Allan was introduced to Caribbean rice and beans many years ago when a friend brought some extra into work to share. While ours in no where near as good, here is a recipe we often make and enjoy.

While it is tempting to garnish this with cheese or sour cream, it is wonderful as is. Serve next to a simple, but colorful side salad.

Our original recipe did not call for bacon, so if you prefer not to use it, just replace it with 2 Tbl of oil to saute the onions in. Both recipes are great!

Granola 2

This is probably one of our top five recipes that require a lot of time. However, most of the time is “waiting”.

Allan prefers muesli to granola. I enjoy muesli, but I like the crunch of granola. So, when I discovered dehydrating granola, instead of baking it, we tried it. It is a favorite, and I make it when I have the extra time.

I use raw nuts in this recipe because I soak them and then dehydrate for a different taste to the nuts. I have also learned that soaking and dehydrated seeds are often recommended because of health benefits. If you are interested in learning more, a lot of research can be done online. I would recommend dehydrating as much as your machine will hold at one time to save on time later.

Be creative when personalizing this recipes. Macadamia and hazelnuts are good nuts to add. Cocoa nibs and dried tart cherries are great additions. Use more oats and less nuts if desired. If you want to use less maple syrup, increase amount of raisin “slurry”. If you prefer to bake this, see notes. This is a very adaptable recipe.