Cooking
Tabooleh
Mediterranean cuisine is our newest family favorite. This summer, our Footsteps of Paul journey was memorable and incredibly satisfying except for one tiny thing…….we were very surprised to have a hard time finding restaurants that served Tabooleh. The very last night that we spent in Capadoccia, Turkey we found a restaurant that served it and WOW what a treat. Here is our family’s rendition of Tabooleh.
Ingredients
2 cups bulgur wheat (medium grind #2)
3 cups boiling water
112 cups chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4-5)
1/4 cup chopped mint (fresh is best, but if only dry is available use 2 Tablespoons)
2-3 large tomatoes chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 large cucumber chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 head romaine lettuce
Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and let it sit until the wheat kernels are soft and cooled completely. Add all chopped vegetables except romaine lettuce and stir. Mix the oil, lemon juice and spices and pour over wheat vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place a bed of chopped romain on a serving platter and pile Tabooleh on top. Place on your table and enjoy. Tabooleh makes a great side dish for any BBQ especially Shish kebabs or grilled meat or fish.…
Read MoreRed, White and Blue Dessert
Here is my favorite fun and easy 4th of July dessert. It is so festive and the fresh fruit is the perfect end to a hot summer day of family and BBQing.
4th of July Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcake
Shortcake (made from the back of a Bisquick box!)
serves 6
2 1/3 cups biscuit mix (I used Bisquick brand)
1/2 cup milk
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS butter, melted
Star-shaped cookie cutter
Toppings (personally, the fruit is my favorite part, so the more the better!!!)
1 quart (4 cups) Fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
6 oz. Fresh blueberries, rinsed
Whipped Cream
If you like your strawberries sweet, mix them with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a separate bowl mix biscuit mix, milk, sugar, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop 6 spoonfuls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I prefer to roll mine out a bit and cut out star shapes with a star-shaped cookie cutter). Bake 10-12 minutes.
Let shortcakes cool. Split open and top with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Enjoy your yummy patriotic dessert!
…
Peach Cobbler Sensation-Revealing a new trend in healthy desserts
U-Pick fruit stands are plentiful in the town of Brentwood which is about a 45 minute drive from my home. Almost every June for the past 20 years, I plan a berry, peach or apricot picking adventure with friends. Never in all the years I have been planning and participating in this event have I experienced what happened this year. Some girlfriends and i decided it was a perfect week for picking Olallieberries (similar to Blackberries but it is actually a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry and is cultivated in California and Oregon). The anticipated day arrived and it was sprinkling in my home town, but the forecast for Brentwood was morning sprinkles until about 9 am. We had all been praying for rain so we were glad to have a light shower in the wee hours of the morning but as we drove the 45 minutes towards Brentwood we realized the sprinkling was not letting up as forecasted. But on we went….nothing would deter us from our berry picking. We arrived at our destination only to find that the berry picking ranch was closed. We surmised that they were just waiting for the light shower to let up and then they would open up and we would pick for an hour or two and return home with our beautiful stash of berries. So we drove around looking for other U-Pick places that might be open already. We did find one place that seemed to be opening up but when we approached the farm entrance the owners told us it was too muddy and they were going to close for the day. We were so disappointed but on we drove. We finally decided to stop at the Farmer’s Daughter farm and although we knew they did not have …
Read MoreCranberry, Date and Orange Crumbly Bars
Are you looking for a new twist to the typical fruit bar? This recipe is delicious and nutritious and full of fiber. You can take these to your next summer picnic for a tasty dessert or snack or serve them as a breakfast bar for a high energy “running out the door” breakfast. Store them in a tupperware in the refrigerator until ready to use but once you pack them to go they do not need to be refrigerated and they will be gone before you know it!
Ingredients
2 cups chopped dates
1 ½ cups fresh orange juice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
3 cups oats
3 cups flour (I used a combo of whole wheat, white-wheat and almond meal flour)
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups butter (I used 1 cup butter and ½ cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon water
In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup orange juice and dates and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir often so dates do not stick. Add remaining ½ cup orange juice, ⅔ cup dried cranberries and orange peel. Stir and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Cut in butter/coconut oil until a coarse crumbly mixture results. Press ⅔ of the crumbly mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread cooled date, orange, cranberry mixture evenly over cookie crumble base. Add remaining ⅓ cup dried cranberries to the oat mixture with 1 Tablespoon of water and mix thoroughly, to make topping. Sprinkle topping over date mixture and press down lightly. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden on top. Cool and cut into bars. Makes 24-30 …
Read MorePeanut Butter Super Power Ball Snacks
Since we have been focusing on the the theme, REVIVED, I wanted to post a recipe I made for a girls weekend. This snack is easy to make, super delicious and extremely nutritious. These healthy treats store in the refrigerator or freezer for many days, even weeks. They are easy to take in a ziplock bag in your purse, or transport in a tupperware to an event.
This new recipe was based off of Bekah’s original Power Ball recipe with a few things added that will help you feel physically REVIVED!
You can find Bekah’s original recipe at the bottom of this post or click the link above.
We will call this newer version, Peanut Butter Super Power Ball Snacks.
Ingredients
1 cup natural peanut butter (I used creamy but you can use chunky)
2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
¼ cup flax seed meal
⅛ cup chia seeds
⅛ cup hemp seeds
⅓ cup chocolate protein powder
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ cup raisins
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup honey
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until wet ingredients are evenly distributed within the dry ingredients. With your hands, form 1-2 inch balls rolling until solid and firm. Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet with sides. Place cookie sheet into refrigerator for 20-30 minutes until chilled and then transfer to tupperware. Makes 30-40 power balls.
- Ingredients
Chinese Chicken Salad Revived with a Healthy Twist
The beautiful evenings in spring invite a desire for lighter dinner options. This hearty dinner salad gives you a delicious option for those warmers nights as spring turns into summer. And with many folks wanting to get into better shape before the beach weather is here….this salad is worth adding to your repitoire of light and healthy dinner options.
Chinese Chicken Salad
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded or cubed
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 head napa cabbage
2-3 cups chopped kale or spinach
3 stalks celery sliced thin
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin (you can spiral slice them with a messermeister peeler or a Paderno spiral slicer-see below)
1 zucchini sliced thin
3 green onions sliced
1 can water chesnuts sliced
1 cup toasted almonds or cashews chopped
1 jicama peeled and cut into small cubes
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber peeled and sliced (no need to peel if using english cucumber)
1 yellow or orange bell pepper cut into small chunks
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
Dressing
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon honey
Cook chicken.
Shred or cut into cubes and mix with hoisin sauce.
Mix shredded napa cabbage, chopped kale or spinach, celery, carrots, green onions, water chestnuts, jicama, cilantro, cucumber and peppers in a large bowl.
Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside.
Add chicken and toasted almonds (or cashews) and sesame seeds to greens.
Toss dressing into salad and mix thoroughly. chill and serve.
Serves 8-10
Curried Chicken and Brown Rice Salad Revived
Remember the old school Chicken and Rice salad that was served at many potlucks? I think it was made from a box of Rice-A-Roni and it had chicken, celery, pimentos and mayonnaise in it. Well the times have changed and so has that old school chicken and rice salad recipe…it has been REVIVED! Olive oil and lemon juice instead of mayonnaise and some other yummy ingredients added to the rice and chicken base and viola…a delicious and nutritious dinner salad that is sure to please!
Ingredients
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
½ onion chopped
2 ½ teaspoons curry powder (divided)
2 cups cooked long grain brown rice
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 green onions sliced thin
½ cup raisins
1 medium apple (granny smith or fuji) cored, peeled and chopped
Dressing:
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½-1 teaspoon sea salt
In a large pan over medium heat, add 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil, chicken pieces, chopped onion and ½ teaspoon curry powder. Saute until chicken is cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Cook brown rice according to package directions, allow 20-30 minutes. In a large bowl, combine brown rice with bell pepper, green onion, raisins and apple. In a small bowl, whisk 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder, salt and pepper to make dressing. Add the cooked chicken and onion sauté to the rice. Add the dressing and combine thoroughly. Serve with pita or naan bread, hummus and a place on a bed of greens if desired.
Tortilla Casserole-with a Healthy Flair
When your family feels like Mexican food and you have a busy day ahead of you…this casserole can be made ahead of time (even a day ahead)and baked right before dinner. This recipe is low fat and really delicious. Serve it with a green salad and some guacamole and salsa.
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 can black beans, drained (optional for added protein)
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 can or bottle (12-14 0z) enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese shredded
- Begin to brown the ground turkey in a large skillet.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper and continue to cook until onion and pepper are soft and ground meat is cooked.
- Add the seasonings, corn and black beans and stir until blended.
- Mix the tomato sauce and enchilada sauce and add half of this sauce mixture to the browned meat and vegetables.
- Reserve remaining sauce to pour over top of casserole.
- In a PAM sprayed 9 by 13 pan, layer 6 corn tortillas, half the meat mixture, half the cheese. then layer the other 6 tortillas, half of the meat mixture, half of the cheese.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20-25
Easter Essentials
Easter day is approaching, so I wanted to to share a few fun suggestions for your Easter brunch and your Easter baskets.
Yummy Bunnies are a fun and healthy treat you can bring to any Easter celebration. It would even be a fun snack for the kids to make and eat at your party.
All you need to do is make a quick trip to the grocery store for cuties, raisins, bananas, mini marshmallows, strawberries, shredded coconut, toothpicks and green food coloring.
For more details on how to assembly these “cutie” bunnies visit our Yummy Bunny post.
Our Baby Bear Stew cookbook is filled with tasty family recipes that will be sure to delight your Easter day guests. Buy one for yourself to prepare our yummy recipes and grab another as a hostess gift if you will be visiting someone’s house for brunch.
Visit our shopify store to get your copies!
Below I have some great suggestions to fill your child’s Easter basket. All links are for Amazon so you can shop from the comfort of your home. (I know that is a lifesaver as a mom.)
AND when you shop from one of our links Growing Weisser makes a small percentage. Thank you!
I love to give my children books for holiday treats. This Easter book is one of my favorites. It presents the Easter story with great illustrations and simple words for children.
The Story of Easter
We also love this adorable fun dvd that teaches the Easter story using resurrection eggs. It’s called Miss Patty Cake’s Eggstravaganza.
Here are some other neat ideas to fill your child’s Easter basket with fun learning activities. I chose a variety of characters, but if your child fancies a different favorite just use the suggestions below the item to find …
Read MoreRanger Cookies Refreshed and Revitalized
Growing up in a family of excellent cooks was fun and there was always some party or family gathering which required menu planning and food preparation. I often times volunteered to be in charge of the baking because I had learned how to bake at a young age and it was something I could do on my own.
Ranger Cookies were one of my favorite cookies to bake. 
Ingredients
1 cup coconut oil (original recipe calls for 1 cup shortening)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups oats
2 cups crushed Kashi sprouted Grains cereal (original recipe calls for Wheaties)
1 cup coconut
Cream coconut oil and sugars, in kitchenaide or with hand mixer.
Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
Add vanilla and stir well.
Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Add oats, crushed Kashi cereal and coconut and mix well.
Drop by spoonfuls (2 inch cookie scoop) onto greased cookie sheet.
Press down with hand or with glass dipped in sugar.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
These cookies freeze well. Makes 40 cookies
These Ranger Cookies pack a delicious crispy goodness with a satisfying coconut surprise crunch. The cookies freeze well and stay fresh for days in an airtight container. They travel well and are a perfect cookie to send in a care package. Today I refreshed the old favorite by substituting coconut oil for shortening and Kashi Sprouted Grains Cereal for the Wheaties in the original recipe.
Since the original recipe is one of our extended family’s all time favorites it was featured in the original Baby Bear Stew Family Heritage Cookbook. (featured in our December Passion Perspective …