Vegetable Patties

This recipe is from Easy Indian Cookbook by Manju Malhi

2/3 cup peeled and chopped baking or Idaho potatoes
2/3 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup shelled peas, thawed if frozen
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rice flour
about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Boil potatoes until very tender, then drain well. In another pan boil the carrots and peas until tender and then drain well.

Mash the potatoes, carrots and peas. Put them in a bowl with the chilies, lemon juice and salt and mix until fairly smooth.

Put the rice flour on a plate. Wet your hands slightly and roll the mashed potato mixture into 8 balls of equal size, then flatten them to about 1 1/4 inches thick. Coat them in the rice flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add as many vegetable patties as will fit and fry them about 4 minutes, turning over once, until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Remove the patties from the pan, drain well on paper towels, and keep them warm in the oven set on low. They can be fried in advance and reheated in an oven set at 350 degrees for 10 minutes before serving.

My Notes: These are good without the chilies and lemon juice, were easy to make and my mom and I like them. I used more than 2 tablespoons of rice flour.

Dog Treats

Banana Treats

Combine:
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup milk
2 mashed bananas
3 cups oats
1 1/4 cup rice flour (may substitute same amount of wheat flour)
1-2 Tablespoons dried parsley

Form into desired size mounds and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Places to Sleep

2010 Reading

"When the skunk finished drinking the sauce of milk, Homer decided to keep it for a pet because he had read somewhere that skunks become excellent pets if you treat them kindly. He decided to name the skunk Aroma."

~Homer Price by Robert McCloskey


"A man who's warm can't understand a man who's freezing."

~One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

New Year

Quotes to ponder as the new year begins:

"There are some things that grown-ups can help you with. And there are some things only God can do."

~Mr. Charles Hetletvedt
(My first cousin once removed)

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
~Jeremiah 17:7-8

"And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'. And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."

~Miss Minnie Louise Haskins

"The American Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, but the socialists want to say that all men should be kept equal. I'm for equality at the starting gate, but not at the finish line."

~Winston Churchill

"I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether."

~Neil Postman

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about."

~Anne of Green Gables

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book by Jennifer Katzinger. My neighbor Miranda visited just after I baked these and continually asked for another one.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 3/4 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon garbanzo bean flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup organic whole cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rice milk
1 cup (8 ounces) dairy-free dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting the cookies (optional)

Combine the oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and rice milk. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop on to greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes. Dust with cocoa powder while cookies are still hot.

Due to the bean flour I don't care to eat the dough, but after baking they are the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies.

Visiting with Friends

"The laughter of girls is and ever was among the delightful sounds of earth." ~DeQuincey

Gluten Free Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning Mix
from Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends
Introduction by Maggie Oster

Yield: About 2/3 cup

1/4 cup dried onion flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 Tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons dried garlic flakes
2 teaspoons dried hot pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons sea salt

Combine all ingredients. Shake well, or place in blender for a finer blend. For tacos, add 3 Tablespoons of this mix and 1/4 cup water to 1 pound browned hamburger. Cook for 15 minutes, adding more water if needed.

The original recipe calls for beef bouillon. I leave that out as well as the garlic and cornstarch. I use much less chili powder and more oregano.

Yesterday I had lunch with friends and used this recipe for taco meat to go on our baked potatoes. The potatoes were delicious. Mine was topped with the taco meat, sea salt and Earth Balance. Other toppings included sour cream, bacon, broccoli and salsa.

Dog Treats

Beef Treats

1 pound ground beef
1 cup vegetable scraps such as carrot or sweet potato peels and a small amount of greens (Dogs should not be given onions.)
1 egg including shell
1 ripe banana, mashed
2-3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
fresh or dried herbs

Mix all ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet with edges.
Bake at 250 degrees for 1/2 hour and then at 200 degrees until done -approximately 4 hours.

After the treats cool cut them into bite size pieces and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Christmas Projects

The first quilt I made given to my first nephew.

Pillowcases for friends.

No Gluten, Casein or Refined Sugar Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs or 2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup hemp milk
1/2 cup plus 1-2 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Mix all ingredients together. If using chia seeds allow pie filling to sit for 15-20 minutes. Place in pie crust and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. With chia seeds the pie will not be as firm as usual. Take the pie out once the top has nicely browned.

My favorite pie crust recipe is in the apple pie post under the dessert label.

We had our family Christmas last night and there was little of this pie left.

Peanut Butter Balls - Free of Gluten, Casein and Refined Sugar

To make these peanut butter balls start with desired amount of natural peanut butter then add maple cream to taste. Form into balls and dip in melted chocolate chips. Place the balls on waxed paper and put in the refrigerator until hard then put in storage container. These are yummy!

note: If your peanut butter does not have a lot of oil then you will want to add some butter or Earthbalance.

SNOW

The Snow

"Last night when we were sound asleep, the snow fell fast, the snow piled deep, when morning came and we looked out, the snow was lying all about. The wind was blowing high and low, and wrinkling up the pure white snow; and everywhere that we could see, we found that God made mystery."
~Marguerite Church Clark