Oh, Wife of Noble Character...

You are worth more than rubies. You work eagerly with your hands. You provide food for your family. You get up while it is still dark. Your arms are strong for your tasks. Your lamp does not go out a night... From Proverbs 31.

Hello exemplary friends,
I have disciplined myself to sit at the dining table this a.m. to prepare menus for the next 28 days. It has been fun to review all those recipes from my childhood and early marriage. No, sit down;no standing ovation. Please withhold your praise. This is a rare effort indeed. I usually just float along. But as ol Ziggy Ziglar says so well, "If you aim at nothing you hit it every time!" So here is the contract I am making with you, women who love the Lord. I will tell you my menu in advance, share recipes and shopping lists. I will track how much each meal costs and, just as importantly, time expenditure! Then I will tell you what REALLY happened in real life. Is that a deal? Company is coming tonight so I am planning a yummy and colorful meal. Remember: Presentation is everything! We will eat outside on a card table clothed in an antique table cloth under the willow tree. I'll probably have a tiny bouquet of wine cups and perhaps a candle on the table. No other company is scheduled for the week, so this is a bit elaborate. But company is so worth it! Whoops! But isn't family more worth it!!

Tonights meal plans:
Alpine Chicken
Spinach salad
Twice baked Potatoes
Strawberry Shortcake

I better get busy!

Menu #1

Alpine Chicken

4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups celery
2 cups herb stuffing
1 cup mayonnaise (may substitute buttermilk or soured milk)
¾ cup milk
¼ chopped onion (add more if you want. You can never go wrong with onion)
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
Sliced Swiss cheese
Sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients except cheese and almonds. You may add 3/4 cup chicken broth to make moister. Pour half of chicken mixture in your prepared 9x12 inch pan. Cover with cheese. Pour in remaining chicken mixture. Bake covered 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove cover and bake 10 minutes more. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and bake 30 minutes more.

Serves 12 and freezes well.

I can already tell you that I am cutting the cooking time in half. No way I will heat up my oven and house for that long. The chicken is already cooked so no concern there. Also, if you aren’t too fond of celery try it anyway. Learn to love celery! Or you can cut it in half and substitute diced carrots for some color.

Make your own herb stuffing. Squish 6 slices of bread (old bread, uneaten toast, stale crackers, etc.) a slice at a time and make into bread crumbs in your blender. Add Italian seasonings and salt. You don’t have to buy the expensive stuff.

This is the first time I have made this although I have eaten it once. Very good. I will let you know “the rest of the story.”


Twice Baked Potatoes

6 large baking potatoes
1 stick of butter
1 cup sour cream
½ to 1 cup of warm milk
1 t. salt
1 cup grated cheese
Additional grated cheese and paprika

Scrub potatoes and prick with fork. Bake potatoes for 1 hour at 425 degrees or until potato gives way under slight pressure. Half potatoes length wise and scoop out all potato pulp, leaving shells intact. Mash potato pulp with mixer to get out the large lumps.

Add sour cream, butter and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Mixture should not be too thin. Add salt and beat until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup of cheese. Mound into potato shells. Sprinkle with extra cheese and paprika.

Place on freezer tray to harden. Wrap individually and store in freezer bags. To serve unwrap and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees 45 minutes until top begins to brown.

Again, I have eaten these many times at my mother’s table but do not remember making them myself. I’ll let you know what happened!




Spinach Salad (if you don't try anything else on today's menu, try the spinach salad)

1 bag of spinach or mixed greens
1 small can of mandarin oranges
1 small container of fresh blueberries
Sliced almonds
Caroline’s orange poppy seed dressing to taste

Mix and serve. Delicious and beautiful!


Strawberry Short Cake

Make a batch of homemade biscuit dough.
Make a batch of homemade whipped cream.
Slice a batch of home grown strawberries.

Biscuits

1/3 cup olive oil
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 ½ t. baking powder (aluminum free)
¾ t. salt
¾ cup milk

Form your biscuits and bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

You can double your recipe and put half of the batch in your round cake pan and the other half in another round cake pan and then bake.


Whipped cream

Buy one pint of whipping cream. Add 1 t. vanilla and powdered sugar to taste—say ¼ cup at the most. Whip on high speed until the consistency you like. If you whip too long you will make butter.

Assembling your Strawberry Short Cake

Cut your cooked biscuits in half with a sharp, serrated knife. Ladle on the bottom of your biscuit sliced strawberries, then whipped cream. Cover with top portion of biscuit, ladle on strawberries and top with whipped cream. You can sprinkle on some diced kiwi for added color and yum.

Okay, I will let you know what happens with these lofty plans….

Don’t worry. Most of the other recipes I’ve chosen for the rest of the month are cheaper, more kid friendly and quicker.