Health Drink

This is a fruit juice concoction, it's meant for things like arthritis and sore knees (like mine). It's probably just good for you anyway, but it is acidic.

Health Drink

64 oz. Red Grape Juice (It needs to be RED grape juice which can be hard to find).
64 oz. Apple Juice
1 1/2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar, not Apple Cider!)

Mix or stir together. Keep refrigerated. Drink 1/2 cup daily, you can drink more but 1/2 cup is the recommended amount.

Like I said before, this is acidic! But it's pretty good, although it might take some getting used to. It reminds me of cranberry juice in some ways, although it's more tart. We used to drink it on a regular basis, I forget why we quit but I think I'm going to mix some up and start drinking it daily again. It certainly can't hurt, and it might help my knees.

Mom's Apple Pie (EDITED)

A word of explanation before the recipe: Froggy was taught to cook by the same woman I was (our mother). So she doesn't necessarily need to measure, either! I couldn't find this recipe, so I asked her to send it to me. This is a very good apple pie recipe. Here it is:

Apple Pie

You can make 2 crusts or buy them already made.

Get a bunch of apples, peel & slice them.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & apple slices. Put 1 pie crust in pie pan, then pour apple mixture into pie plate. Cover with the other crust.

Cook at 375, for 50 minutes.

I use anywhere from 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar. I don't measure cinnamon or nutmeg. Top crust can be full crust or lattice. Sometimes I put a little sugar on top of crust before baking.

Thanks, Froggy!

Here's Froggy's edit: 

I was reading your recipes and realized that I forgot something in the Apple Pie. If you use a full top crust, make 3 or 4 small (finger size) holes in the crust. This lets out some of the steam.

Guacamole

First off: Pronunciation! It's wah kah mohle. That's phonetic, and as close as I can come! It is NOT Gwak or Gwack a moleee. Or, as my 93 year old boss insists on calling it: gwakamahla. We do occasionally call it Whack-a-mole as a joke.

It's easy!

Guacamole

2 ripe avacados
Lemon juice, about a teaspoon
Chopped tomatos (optional)
Chopped onions (optional)
Picante sauce (real Texans only use Pace)
Salt (optional)

Slice the avacados in half, remove the seed and peel the rind off. The rind will generally come off easily and hopefully, you won't lose too much of the flesh of the avacado at this point. If there are any brown spots, they need to be scooped out. Then mash the avacados as you would potatos. When they are at the desired texture, add all the remaining ingredients and stir well. The lemon juice is to keep the avacados from turning brown, they turn very fast after they are cut. You can skip it, but I always add it. It won't affect the flavor. I use half of a large size tomato or 2 Roma tomatos and probably about a quarter cup of onion. The picante sauce is something that can be left out, but what would be the fun in that? I use quite a bit, it's one of those things that has to be adjusted to the individual's taste. Also, you could use chopped jalepenos in it if you wanted to, either fresh or canned. If you do use fresh jalepenos, keep in mind that the main heat comes from the seeds so the seeds might need to be removed if you don't want your tongue burned out of your head.

Rotel brand canned tomatoes could be used in place of the fresh tomato but keep in mind that Rotel has peppers and it will make it hotter. I like Rotel, but I prefer fresh tomatos in guacamole.

All you need to enjoy this is a bag of nacho chips, but it is also used as a topper on tacos, salads and as a spread on hamburgers. Use your imagination, I'm sure it would be good on many other things.

Avacados are actually a fruit, although many people think that they are vegetables. They do have some fat, but it's mostly the good fat and not the bad fat that we all get too much of.

This dish will not keep long, so I generally make it with 2 avacados because we will eat it in one sitting. You can make more or less, depending on the number of people who will be eating it. Also, the avacados can be chopped up instead of mashed if you want a chunkier consistency.

Snow Ice Cream

Yes, snow. It's safe, provided you follow a couple of guidelines. A very important one is that you don't want to get snow as soon as it starts falling. Wait until it's been falling for about an hour at least, that way the general dirt/pollution in the air will be on the ground and not in your ice cream. Ideally, you want to have a snowfall of several inches before you start scooping snow. When you do scoop it up, leave about 1 to 2" on the ground - this is the layer that will have the dirt/pollution from the atmosphere. It needs to be clean snow, nobody has walked on it, no tree leaves or debris, and it goes without saying TO AVOID SNOW THAT IS YELLOW! It's best if you can get it from an area where there has been no animal activity, if we are going to make snow ice cream we get it from the front yard and not the back yard since the dogsters are back yard babies. Ideally, you should put a large bowl out where it can catch falling snow - preferable plastic and not metal! Measurements are approximate, which is normal around my house.

Snow Ice Cream

Fresh snow, at least 3 or 4 cups but as much as you can get. You can add more to the mixture as you mix it, if needed.

1 cup sugar (more if desired)
1 or 2 eggs (can be skipped)
Milk, the amount is determined by how creamy you want the ice cream to be
Vanilla, at least 1 teaspoon

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, add the milk last. Add the milk in small amounts and stir, then add more if you think you need it. The snow will start out looking like a lot, but it will melt down as you mix it and you might need to add more to it.

It's best if you eat it as soon as it's made, it can be frozen but keep in mind that snow is basically ice and it will freeze very hard, like ice.

Poke Cake

This one is fairly easy. It's also very good and a fun one to experiment with. The kiddos might really like this one, both the eating and the making!

Poke Cake

Baked Cake, any type or flavor. You can use a box mix or bake a cake from scratch. Any flavor will do, but plain white cake always works well. After the cake is baked & cooled, poke several holes in it. You can use a fork or a straw, poke a LOT of holes in it and make sure that they go to the bottom.

Jello, flavor of your choice.

Prepare jello according to package directions, 1 cup boiling water with jello stirred in and then 1 cup cold water stirred in once jello is dissolved. Pour the jello over the cake, covering all of the cake. Then cover with foil and put in the refrigerator for several hours. As the jello sets, it will be drawn up into the cake. When it's cut, it will be marbled.

Frost with any icing you desire. When my mom used to make this, she would use whipped topping instead of icing and it was wonderful!

You can experiment with this one, try different flavors of cake and/or jello. I remember that mom would mix in soda with the jello. It seems like she used soda in place of the cold water, but I can't find her recipe so I'm not sure on that. But try it if you feel like it. She would use Big Red with cherry or strawberry jello, I think that lemon or lime jello would work well with Sprite or 7Up. Any uneated cake will need to be refrigerated, especially if you do use whipped topping.

Baked Squash

This is a good way to cook all that extra zuchinni you might have left if you have a garden! You can use just about any summer squash in this, I usually use zuchinni but yellow squash works just as well.

Baked Squash (See my note at the end)

Preheat oven to 350.

3 cups sliced (or cut into strips) squash (doesn't have to be peeled)

Place squash into a greased baking dish (I don't always grease the pan, but I use an olive oil based non-stick spray when I do)

1/4 cup milk - this is an estimate, ideally the squash should be barely covered by the milk
2 tablespoons butter, dotted around on the squash (I use a butter substitute for this)

Sprinkle with:

1 teaspoon salt (or less, depending on your individual tastes)
1/4 teaspon paprika (I usually use more)

If desired, you can spritz it with lemon juice but I usually don't. You can also use other spices besides or in addition to the paprika.

Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes.

If desired, you can top it with crumbled cooked bacon after it's cooked. I usually don't, but some people might like it.

Note: Since I usually use a lot more squash than this recipe calls for, I adjust the other ingredients accordingly. Also, if you are using more than 3 cups you might want to stagger or layer the squash - butter - spices and then pour the milk over it after you're finished with the layering step.

When we don't eat it all and there are leftovers, I generally drain the milk. I've had too many experiences with milk going sour after it's been cooked.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This one is easy, although it doesn't sound like it just by the name. It's good and it's kind of fun to make. It has several steps, but it's so good that it's worth any effort to make. But it's not hard.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

9" round cake pan

6 - 8 slices canned pineapple, drain juice and then place slices on paper towels to drain as much juice out as possible. You won't need the juice, but it can be saved for other recipes or you can do what Bill usually does - just drink it! I use pineapples in natural fruit juice or light syrup instead of heavy syrup.

While the slices are draining on the paper towels, place in the cake pan:

3 tablespoons butter, either place the pan & butter in the warming oven for a (very) few minutes or pre-melt the butter. At this point, you'll need to tilt the pan around so that the butter coats the sides as well as the bottom. I forget about the sides frequently when I make this!

Sprinkle on top of the melted butter:

3/4 packed brown sugar. You may need to use a spoon for this step, the brown sugar needs to be spread as evenly as possible.

The next step is easy: place the pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar in the pan, starting with the center. Then, if desired, place maraschino cherries in the hole of each pineapple slice and between the slices. You can also use pecan halves, but I've always used cherries.

Whisk together in a bowl:

2 eggs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a seperate bowl, mix together:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

To the flour mixture, add:

6 tablespoons softened butter
6 tablespoons buttermilk

Beat the flour/butter mixture until the flour is just moistened. Use low speed if you are using an electric mixer. The batter should be a little stiff at this point.

The next step is to add the egg mixture, in thirds, beating for about 20 seconds and scraping the sides of the bowl down each time.

Scrape/pour the mixture over the pan with the pineapple slices, as evenly as possible.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees. I use the toothpick test on baking - insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. When the cake is done, tilt the pan from all sides so that it releases from the sides - this is why it's important to coat the sides with the butter in the first step! Let the cake sit for 2 or 3 minutes, then invert onto a plate or cake platter. If any of the pineapple slices stick to the pan, they are easy to remove with a spatula and then place them on the cake. Serve hot or cool.

Also - for this one, I use real butter. Most of the healthy butter substitutes don't work for this type of cooking because they don't melt well. This recipe needs butter that is melted, it blends with the brown sugar and makes a crispy, sticky topping. You can use a little more butter if desired, but these amounts usually work very well. Also, you can use a skillet to bake the cake in but it needs to be non-stick and obviously oven proof! I use a non-stick 9" round cake pan.