Recipes

Beef Barley Soup

1-2 pounds of stewing beef cut into small chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil (give or take)
1/2 cup pearled barley
6 cups Health Valley Beef Broth (salted)
2-4 cups water
1 cup carrots (fresh)
1 cup green beans (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 small onion
4-5 red skin potatoes (cut in chunks, don't peel)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 green pepper chopped fine
1 medium tomato chopped or pureed
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in olive oil in 8 quart saucepan until thoroughly cooked. Add beef broth, water, and barley. Simmer until barley is tender, about one hour. Add remaining ingredients and cook until vegetables are tender.

Serve with crackers, rolls, or muffins.



Oatmeal Muffins

Mix and let stand for 30 minutes:
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups milk

In separate bowl mix together:
1 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 mashed banana and/or 1 apple (chopped fine)

Add oatmeal mixture to flour mixture after 30 minutes. Fill in greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.



Spaghetti Sauce
(large batch)

In an 8 quart sauce pan put:
1-2 pounds of hamburger (browned)
6-8 (14-16 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
3-4 large cans of tomato paste

Fill each used can with 1/2 can of water and add to sauce. Stir.

Add the following spices to taste:
1 tsp. garlic (minced)
1 medium chopped onion (browned with hamburger)
3 bay leaves
pinches of: oregano, sweet basil, rosemary, parsley, (small amounts of sage and thyme can also be added).
Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon
Add one or two grated carrots (for sweetness).

Add these vegetables (optional):
chopped zucchini, chopped green or red pepper, mushrooms (canned).

Cook over low heat for several hours, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove bay leaves.

Serve over pasta. (Leftovers can be frozen in freezer safe containers.)



Pretzel Jello
(this is a favorite of ours at holidays)

Mix together:
2 cups crushed pretzels - bigger knotted kind
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Bake in 9 x 13 pan at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool.

Blend:
8 ounces cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat kind)
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 cup sugar

Spread on cooled crust.

Dissolve:
1 large (6 oz.) jello (any flavor, but strawberry works best)
3 cups boiling water

Add to jello:
2 10 ounce boxes frozen strawberries or canned fruit (strawberries are preferred)

Cool until slightly thickened (though I don't)
Carefully pour over cream cheese layer
Chill several hours until firm.