Thursday, November 24, 2011

Pasta Salad Mix




Well I'm in limbo these days, feeling great some moments and terrible others. Still more terrible moments than great ones, but the balance will slowly start to shift in the upcoming weeks.

When I do feel great, I feel HUNGRY, and no amount of food is enough. I'm still having trouble even looking at meat, so I've been eating a lot of meatless foods lately. Like....

Pasta Salad! (single use)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes


What else you'll need

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
4 (or more) cups of cooked pasta noodles
Several cups of chopped veggies (tomato, onion, peppers, beans, ect)

(What I used)

1 chopped tomato
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
1 can kidney beans drained

Really, you can pretty much throw anything into it that you feel like. It's a great way to clean out your fridge. I skipped the onion due to pregnancy issues and added a can of beans to bulk up the protein I'm not getting from meat these days. I also made the ratio of veggies to pasta much higher because I'm trying to get as many nutrients into me as I can and I find it tastes better. But the great thing about pasta salad is that it's hard to ruin it- it doesn't have to be exact, it just has to have a reasonable combination of ingredients.

Combine mix, oil and vinegar in a bowl and stir.


Using the pasta pot, combine cooked noodles and veggies and then stir in the seasoning mixture. Serve chilled and enjoy!




This turned out very delicious and is proving to be a great mid-day grazing food. It's a good thing to pack in your lunch, it's just filling enough to keep you from eating junk food and healthy enough to be a good choice.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Corn Bread Mix




I'm back! I'm still pretty queasy but have actually been able to get out of bed and do a few things around the house the past few days. Which includes a bit of cooking. My poor husband has been starving!

I decided I was ready to start mixing it up again today, and to thank my husband for doing EVERYTHING for this past month, I made one of his favorite things ever- Cornbread!

Corn Bread Mix (single use)

1 cup flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder




Big Batch (makes 4 uses)

4 cups flour
3 cups corn meal
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons baking powder

What else you'll need

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup oil
1 egg (or substitute)

Combine 2 1/4 cup of mix with the water, oil and egg (I used applesauce instead) in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.




Pour into a greased square baking dish.





Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until the top just starts to brown. 20 minutes will make it like cake, 30 will make it dry like 'real' corn bread. I make the cake style because then I can pass it off to my daughter as dessert.




My husband likes to eat his with butter and honey on top but it's also great to dip into chili, stew or other messy meals.