Almond Rice Crispy Treats

1 10- or 10.5-oz bag of white marshmallows
3.5 to 4 oz of almond paste (use half of a 7 or 8-oz. can of almond paste)
7 or 8 cups Rice Crispies (use the real thing, no generics)
½ cup sliced almonds (the very thinly sliced almonds)

Lightly but thoroughly oil an 8×12″ or 9×13″ pan. Place marshmallows in microwave-safe bowl that will be big enough to allow you to stir in the Rice Crispies without overflowing. Using the medium side of a box grater, grate the almond paste into the marshmallows. Microwave the marshmallows and almond paste on medium low until stir-able (a minute or two). Stir well. Stir in the Rice Crispies and almonds until well mixed. Wearing a plastic glove or a plastic sandwich bag over your hand, scoop the mixture into the pan pressing down lightly to distribute the mixture evenly in the pan. Drape some plastic wrap loosely over the pan and let it sit until cool. Turn upside down onto wooden cutting board and cut into squares.

Cocoa krispie treats

1 10-oz bag of marshmallows
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
Partial bag of Heath bar morsels ( ½ to ¾ cup; I used the rest of a bag that was left over from something else)
8 cups cocoa krispies

Oil an 8×12″ or 9×13″ pan by pouring 1-2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in the bottom of the pan and spreading around with a paper towel. In a huge microwave-proof bowl (as large as your microwave oven will accommodate), melt the marshmallows and butter on low checking every minute or so until melted. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add cocoa and stir. Add Heath bar morsels and stir. Gently stir in the cocoa krispies until thoroughly incorporated. Using your dominant hand inside a plastic sandwich bag, scoop the krispie mixture out of the bowl into the pan and push the mixture around until it is evenly distributed in the pan. Let sit for several hours. Invert the pan onto a flat surface such as a cookie sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

Orange juice banana smoothie

1 12-oz container of frozen orange juice concentrate (undiluted)
1-2 ripe bananas (very ripe bananas are ideal)
2 6-oz containers of low-fat sugar-free yogurt (lemon, lime, raspberry or strawberry are good)
36 – 48 oz lite cranberry juice cocktail

Place undiluted frozen orange juice concentrate into blender. Add banana(s) in chunks and add yogurt. Add 12 ounces of lite cranberry juice and blend thoroughly. Add remaining 24 to 36 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail to suit. Stir and serve.

Coleslaw jello salad

1 box sugar-free lime jello
½ c. left-over coleslaw with all of the dressing that has settled into the bottom (KFC coleslaw is ideal)

In a four-cup measuring cup, add one cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve thoroughly the jello in the hot water. Add enough ice cubes to raise the water/jello level to 1 ½ cups. After the ice cubes have melted, add the coleslaw and dressing. Stir. Divide the jello mixture into four small dishes. Refrigerate until set.

Sprout salad

Sprouts (mung bean sprouts or sunflower sprouts)
Grated carrot
Raisins
Canned pineapple chunks
Juice from canned pineapple

Divide up sprouts among salad bowls. Sprinkle with grated carrot and raisins. Top with four to six chunks of pineapple. Sprinkle two to three tablespoons of pineapple juice over salad as salad dressing.

Wilted beet greens

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1-2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
Beet greens or Swiss chard washed well and chopped (stems chopped separately from leaves).
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar or to taste
Coarse salt (Kosher or sea salt) and freshly ground peper

Wash greens well and don’t dry them. Chop stems of greens separated from leaves. Over low or medium-low heat in 12″ saute pay, saute onion and stems from greens in olive oil until soft. Add butter and melt. Add rosemary and heat for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Add chopped leaves from greens and cover until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Carrot and daikon radish salad

1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated diakon radish
Handfull of raisins (golden or regular)
2-6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Vinaigrette to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate leftovers. Tastes even better the next day.

Beet salad with mandarin oranges, rosemary, walnuts, bleu cheese, and walnuts

Bunch fresh beets left whole, scrubbed, tops trimmed at one inch (use greens for something else), and root ends left intact but clean.
Orange marmalade
Apple cider vinegar
Crumbled rosemary
Walnut pieces
Mandarin oranges
Crumbled bleu cheese

1. Steam the beets in a steamer basket set in a sauce pan with enough water in the bottom to come up almost to the bottom of the steamer basket. (Keep the water at a simmer until a knife pierces the largest beet easily.
2. Remove the beets from the steamer and let cool until cool enough to handle.
3. Dilute a smallish amount of orange marmalade with some apple cider vinegar (the ratio being somewhere between 2:1 to 1:1), to pour over the beets once they’ve been diced. Go easy on this; the beets will exude their own juice). Stir in some crumbled rosemary leaves
4. Rub the skins off the beets and pull off the tops and the bottoms. Cut the beets in ½” cubes. Put the cubes in a plastic bowl and pour the orange marmalade/cider vinegar mixture over them. Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Before serving, put the walnut pieces in a small dry frying pan over low heat and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes until the walnuts are warm and fragant. When ready to serve, place beets in serving dish; arrange mandarin orange sliced around the edge of the dish; and sprinkle on the walnuts and crumbled bleu cheese. These components can be passed separately so that the diners can garnish their own helpings to suit.

Yam Gratin

(bake in 350-degree oven; total baking time about 1&3/4 hours)

1 onion finely sliced and sautéed in olive oil until transparent 2 cups evaporated milk or heavy cream 1 tsp kosher salt or ½ tsp regular salt 3 lbs yams, peeled and sliced ¼” thick 1 ½ cups grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack or Swiss, or a combination thereof)

1. Spray large (3-quart) casserole dish with nonstick spray (important; don’t skip this step).
2. Stir together evaporated milk (or heavy cream) and salt in large bowl. Add sliced yams to bowl, coating with milk/cream as you add them; make sure they are all coated.
3. Layer 1/3 of yams slices in baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat with another 1/3 of yams and remainder of cheese. Top with remaining yams. Pour any remaining milk/cream over top.
4. Place uncovered casserole on center rack of oven (bottom third of oven works OK if you need to bake something else on the top third) on a baking sheet (very important) to catch boil-overs.
5. Bake 30 min.
6. Remove from oven and press fork or spatula carefully against top layer to allow liquid to flow over “crust”. Replace pan in oven.
7. Bake 30 minutes more. Remove from oven a second time.
8. Press top layer to allow liquid to flow over top a second time, and replace pan in oven.
9. Bake another 40-45 minutes or until yams are tender.
10. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Fluffy Butterscotch Pudding

1 package fat-free sugar-free Jello butterscotch pudding mix
1 can evaporated milk + enough juice from canned pineapple that was packed in its own juice) to make 2 cups.

Mix together and beat with hand rotary beater several minutes. Spoon into three or four individual serving dishes and garnish with canned pineapple (optional).

Brown-sugar Brandy Rhubarb

4 c. sliced rhubarb
½ c. or more brown sugar
4 Tbsp. tapioca
¼ or more brandy

Mix all in top of double boiler. Place 2 inches of water in bottom of double boiler and place top pan on top of bottom pan. Heat water in bottom of double boiler until steam comes out from between the two pots. (Tapioca and fruit will have a chance to sit for enough time while water heats up before tapioca and fruit start to cook.) Turn down heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. You can stir before serving but if you don’t stir, the rhubarb stays in distinct pieces.

Civil War Mac and Cheese

3 c. milk
11/2 c. elbow macaroni
3 Tbsp butter (optional)
½ lb grated cheddar cheese (approx. 2 cups packed)
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated nutmeg
Bread crumbs (or buttered bread cubes)

1. Heat milk in large sauce pan being careful that milk doesn’t scorch on bottom of pay. Stir in the dry macaroni. Simmer for 15 minutes or until done. Macaroni will absorb most but not all of milk.
2. Either melt butter in another sauce pan and stir in black pepper, nutmeg and cheese and stir cheese until melted or stir cheese and seasonings directly into macaroni and milk and skip the butter (it is rich enough without the butter).
3. Place mac and cheese into baking dish. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs or buttered bread cubes and bake in a 375-400 degree oven until top is lightly browned.