This recipe came up at a spur of a moment, after I made an error in purchasing chopped dates, rather than chopped figs, intending to make Cream Cheese Fig Bars.

Since I never baked with dates before, it was a wonderful experience, and the Granola Date Bars turned out great.

I will definitely make these again, since they make a perfect mid morning, or mid afternoon snack, not to mention the abundance of fiber in these.

Next time I will try to mix in some Super Cranberry, Cherry, and Almond Muesli, made by Dorset Cereals, which I love for breakfast.

I guess the good old saying  “If God gives you lemons, you have to learn to love lemonade”, pairs up well with the birth of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz chopped dates (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup (Organic Vanilla Almond FlaxPlus Granola (or increase the oats by 1/2 cup)
• 1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used unbleached flour)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (may use margarine)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Directions:

1. Combine dates and water in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to boil, and cook 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
4. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, granola,baking soda, salt and brown sugar.
7. Mix well, to incorporate all ingredients.
8. Stir in melted butter, and mix to moisten dry ingredients.
9. Measure 2-1/2 cups of oats mixture, and press gently into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan, to make the bottom crust.
10. Top with date filling, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around the edge, free of filling (to prevent filling from crusting up,  and burning during baking).
11. Combine chopped nuts with the remaining oats mixture, fill the margin around the date filling, and spread the rest on the top of the filling.
12. Press gently into the filling.
13. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 2o minutes.
14. Cool in pan on wire rack.
15. Cut into serving size, 1 x 3 inch bars, or 1 x 1 inch bite size chunks.

Enjoy.

TIP: This recipe is NOT for The Fat Smash Diet phase I, but is OK in phase III.

I have been very busy preparing all sorts of “healthful” foods for my first week of the Fat Smash Diet.

This helps me get motivated, and really psyche myself out for the long haul ahead.

I am all set for the next three days, with Carrot Soup,  Brown Rice , Chickpeas Vinaigrette, Fruit Smoothie, chopped raw veggies, and Veggie Burgers.

Since my husband is not willing to join me on this venture, I prepared some regular meals for him, so I can stay out of the kitchen for few days to avoid any unnecessary temptations.

Today I will share the Carrot Soup recipe, which yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 10 carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp. butter (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 cups (40 oz), vegetable broth (I prepared my own)
• 3 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 Tbs. minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbs of chopped parsley
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup brown rice (I used cooked brown rice)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts pot with water (5 cups), and prepare your own veggie broth, or use ready-made broth.
2. I prepared my own broth by boiling 2 stalks celery, 1/2 onion, 2 bay leaves, parsley root (or parsnip), 1/2 cup of chopped broccoli, 2 tsp. kosher salt.
3. While the veggie broth is cooking, heat a medium saucepan with 1 tsp of olive oil.
4. Add chopped onion, and saute until translucent.
5. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
6. Add chopped carrots and saute additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Combine the sautéed veggies with the veggie broth, and ginger and curry powder.
8. Bring to boil and simmer 30-40 minutes.
9. Remove bay leaves, chopped parsley, black pepper and salt, as needed to taste.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Pour soup into blender, in batches, and puree.
12. Add cooked brown rice.
13. Serve hot, or store in the fridge for future use.

Enjoy.

TIP: I also purred all the other vegetables which I used for the veggie broth, and added them to the soup.  I could not just waste them by tossing them away.

New Year Resolutions do not usually make it to the top of my list, but I am keeping some ideas on the back of my mind.

For a while now, I have been contemplating  getting back in shape, and improving my energy level.

I am also having a guilty feeling about not sticking to my healthy eating habits, and really miss the great feeling I experienced three years ago, after completing Phase I of The Fat Smash Diet.

I finally decided to follow The Fat Smash Diet once again, so this Monday, January 9th, I am starting Phase I  – Detox.

It would be great to have some company, so please join me, and you will LOVE yourself for it.

If you never tried this diet before, please read my post about The Fat Smash Diet, to get an overview of what to expect.

This is the easiest diet for me to follow, since during Phase I, the Detox period, I am not overly concerned about giving up coffee or alcohol;  I do not care much for either one of them anyway.

This past weekend I ventured out to get my special food shopping done.  I stocked up on a lot of fruits, raw vegetables, veggie burgers, brown rice, oatmeal, plain yogurt, and new Brita filters for my tap water.

I used to purchase bottled water, but after finding out that bottled water is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, yet tap water MUST meet certain standards, I decided to go back to my Brita filter system.

The Fat Smash Diet regimen requires a lot of water consumption.  Probably as much as I normally should be drinking, so now I will be much more conscientious about it, and actually do it right.

What I love about this particular diet, is that all the ALLOWED foods, are my favorite any way, and even though I still love all the BAD ones, it is good for me to get away from them for a while, and cleanse my system.

It is an easy way to lose weight, and most of all, feel so much better.

I am hoping to lose at least 7 pounds, but 10 would be even better.

I know I can do it, since last time I lost 15 pounds without too much effort, and only gained back 7 lbs.

Please wish me luck, and tell me that you are joining me!

Another year is passing us by, and a new one is just around the corner.

There is no better way to farewell an old year, and welcome in the NEW YEAR, than to do it with food and friends.

If you are planning such a fun gathering, and searching for some tasty appetizers, you stumbled upon the perfect site to get this information.

Since I am still dealing with leftovers from Christmas, I will not be posting new recipes this week, but will provide you with links to yummy recipes already posted.

Selection A:

• Tzatziki Dip
• Rye Bread Dip
• Hummus
• Chick Peas Vinaigrette
• Veggie Platter
• Ham Canapes

Selection B:

• Jalapeno Corn Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Seven Layer Guacamole Dip
• Swedish Meatballs
• Texas Caviar
• Caramel Apple Dip
• Mrs. Z’s Deviled Eggs
• Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoe Cheese Spread
• Honey Apple Brie Bites
• Turkey Taco Ring

Selection C:

If you are looking for a more substantial food selection, in addition to the appetizers, you may want to check these out:

• City Chicken
• Chicken Paprikash
• Chicken/Turkey Tetrazzini
• Calico Beans
• Homemade varenyky/perogy
• Cabbage Rolls (vegetarian, or with meat)

I believe this list should be very helpful for you, and by next year, I should have more recipes for you to try.

Enjoy your party.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Are you stressing out because the gift giving holidays are closing in on you, yet you are still battling with a myriad of thoughts on the perfect gift for that someone special?

No worries!!!

Suburbangrandma is here to offer some simple advice.

Fist of all, you should try to make your purchases from your local businesses, small gift shops, craft shows, bazaars, farmer’s markets, hospital gift shops, etc. This way you will not only find fabulous gift, you will also support your local community, rather than some foreign countries which employ children in sweatshops, or do not follow any labor laws.

So, here we go with some gift ideas:

Gift Cards:

• Car wash – everyone loves to have their car cleaned
• Grocery Store - who wouldn’t love free grocery???
• Paying someone’s utility bill
• Movie Theater – include the popcorn and a drink, if possible
• Local Restaurants -  (kids might like fast food places, and some adults stay loyal to their favorite franchise coffee shops…)
• Beauty Salon – from a simple hair cut, to a total papering package
• Massage - foot massage, facial, body massage

If your budget is tight, you can do special things for your loved ones.

These  are the “Gifts from the heart” – as I call them.  They require some funds to start with, but mainly lots of TLC, and time, to complete.

Handmade gifts:

• Decorative ornaments - for any holiday theme
• Home baked goods – nicely packaged in tins, holiday bags, or a cup
• Homemade candy – also nicely packaged for a special touch
• Crochet gifts – scarfs, hats, blankets, pot holders, place mats, bookmarks
• Cross stitched items - bookmarks, ornaments, linen dinner napkins
• Cookies-in-the-Jar – all the dry ingredients for a cookie recipe, with directions
• Soup-in-the-Jar – same idea as for above cookies in the jar
• Hot cocoa – packaged creatively

There are also great ideas for teenagers, who are too young to have a job, but old enough to carry out these chores for their parents, grandparents, or any special person in their life.

Personalized Coupons:

• Home cooked meal - anytime, or for a special occasion
• Babysitting -  give the parents a break, and some time for themselves
• House cleaning – I bet everyone would love this one
• Gardening – weeding, planting bulbs, watering, lawn mowing
• Pet sitting, or pet walking – this one might eventually turn into a paying job later on

BEST GIFT OF ALL – Share your time with someone.

• Someone special
• Someone you do not get to see very often
• Friend, or neighbor, who does not have anyone to talk on regular basis
  
• Someone in a nursing home, retirement center, or a hospital

There are a lot of adults, and children, who do not have many visitors, yet long for someone to stop by and say hello, and to share a few precious moments together.

See, I told you not to worry.

Now you are ready to complete your list, and do the right thing.

As always, I like to engage my readers to share their gift giving ideas with all of us.

Thank you!

It is a known fact that holidays mean spending fun time with family and friends, as well as enjoying lots of delicious food and drinks.

As our family tradition, and to alternate with our married children in-laws, we celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th, by the  Gregorian calendar , and then again the Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve, per Julian calendar, on January 6th.

I am still making all the traditional foods and baked goods for both dates, but have more time for shopping, as this year’s  gift exchange will take place in January.

Since I will be doing most of my baking later on this month, I will share links to my past year’s baked goods recipes, for your convenience and baking pleasure.

Cream Wafers

Miniature Nut Cups – Tea Tassies

Sugar Cut- Out Cookies

Sugar Wafers

Pecan Butterballs

Dycio Crescents

Frosted Lemon Cookies

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Chocolate Scotcheroos

Ginger Chocolate Truffles

This should give you a good start for early holiday baking.

Most popular mushrooms in the US,  and most readily available,  are the farm grown white mushrooms.

There are also other varieties of  mushrooms, more on a brown side in color, called Cremini, or Portobello Mushrooms.  These two types are tastier, but a little more expensive, and not as readily available in all grocery stores.

I am also lucky to have some dried mushrooms (borowiki), grown in Poland, and these are my all time favorite, due to their rich flavor.  I use these for preparing filling for Vushka to serve with a Ukrainian Traditional Christmas Borscht.  I also like to add a couple of these mushrooms to my Kapusnyak, which I usually prepare for Easter Brunch.

Today I am sharing my recipe for a Ukrainian Mushroom and Vegetable Soup, which my husband and I really enjoy, and hopefully you will too.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts soup stock
• 1 lb white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 2 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs Canola oil
• 1 Tbs dill weed, chopped
• 1 Tbs garlic chives, chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of uncooked pasta (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts soup pot, with soup stock.
2. Add chopped carrots, potatoes, celery, and bay leaves.
3. Bring to boil.
4. Heat Canola oil in a saucepan, add chopped onions and saute until wilted.
5. Add chopped mushrooms, and saute 3 minutes, until juices start to build up.
6. Add chopped garlic, and saute another minute.
7. Season with salt and pepper and add to the soup stock.
8. Add pasta, if you choose to use it. ( Before adding pasta, I use a potato masher, and pulsate it several times in the soup, to break up the veggies to smaller pieces, and make the soup creamier).
9. Cook, until all veggies and pasta are tender.  About 15-20 minutes.
10. Remove the large celery pieces, and bay leaves, and discard.
11. Add 1 Tbs flour to the sauce pan, and fry it until golden, mixing frequently to prevent excessive browning.
12. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream, or milk, forming a creamy mixture.  You may add some of the soup stock if needed to make it creamy.
13. Cook for a minute, and add to the soup.
14. Cook soup for a minute longer. Turn the heat off.
15. Add the chopped dill, garlic chives, and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Serve hot, with a fresh piece of rye bread, garlic bread, or Kapusnyachky. (see TIP)

Enjoy.

TIP: Kapusnyachky recipe is coming up very soon.

Sauerkraut soup, also known as “Kapusnyak”- in Ukrainian, or “Kapusniak” – in Polish, is a very refreshing, zestful, and  nutritious soup.

I like making Kapusnyak for Easter late afternoon meal, since in Ukrainian Easter tradition, very special foods are served for brunch, so Kapusnyak is a wonderful addition to this menu for an early afternoon meal.

It also gives me a chance to use the leftover shank bone from the baked ham, and some of the pan juices, which add wonderful flavor to the Kapusnyak.

Ingredients:

• 1 ham shank bone, with some meat on it
• 8 cups of water
• 1 whole onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, cubed
• 2 stalk celery, cut to large pieces
• 2 cups sauerkraut (drained, and rinsed out)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbs. Canola oil
• 2 Tbs. flour
• Sour cream (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs dill weed, chopped
• 2 dry Porcine mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts (or larger) soup pot  with  cold water.
2. Add the shank bone, and bay leaves, and some of the pan juices (these may be quite salty), and bring to boil.
3. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Add whole onion, chopped carrots, celery, and 2 dry Porcine mushrooms.
5. Cook for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the celery stalks, whole onion, and the bay leaves.
7. Drain the sauerkraut, place on a colander, and rinse under a running, cold water, for about 2 minutes, continuously mixing it, to remove most of the sour juices.
8. Squeeze out, to drain the water, add to the soup pot.
9. Bring to boil, and cook for additional 30 minutes, or until kraut is tender.
10. Remove the whole mushrooms, chopped them up, and add back to soup.
11. Remove the shank bone, cut away the remaining meat, and add the meat back to soup.
12. Heat Canola oil in a sauce pan, add the chopped onions, and saute until golden.
13. Mix in 2 Tbs of flour to the onions, and brown lightly.
14. Gradually add some soup stock to this mixture, and mix well to creamy consistency (not lumpy), while cooking it for a couple of minutes, so it thickens.
15. Add to soup, and bring to boil.
16. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste.
17. Add chopped dill.
18. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, and fresh rye bread.

If you like creamy soups, you will enjoy this Broccoli Cheese Soup, which may also be served in a Bread Bowl, rather than the traditional soup bowl.

Cream soups are usually higher in calories, due to the creams and cheeses, but by preparing it yourself, you can lighten it up with low-fat cheese, and low-fat milk.

If you are not a big fan of broccoli as a side dish, you might surprise yourself, and really like this broccoli soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced thin
• ½ cup celery, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli flowerets, separated to smaller pieces (or 16 oz. package frozen, chopped broccoli)
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups of soup stock (I used chicken stock) see TIP below
• 1 cup of low-fat milk (see TIP below)
• 1 Tbs. corn starch, or flour
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup cheese, shredded (Swiss, Cheddar)
• 1/8 tsp ground thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Simmer potatoes, carrots, and celery in 4 cups of soup stock, for 20 minutes.
2. Add broccoli and cook for 7 more minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup of cooked broccoli, set aside.
4. Saute chopped onion in 1 Tbs of canola oil, until golden.
5. Add butter and minced garlic. Saute 1 minute longer.
6. Set aside.
7. Pour the soup into a blender, or food processor to puree it.
8. Return back to soup pot.
9. Add sautéed onions and garlic.
10. Mix corn starch, or flour, with 1/4 cup of milk, until smooth.
11. Add to the remaining milk, and pour into the soup.
12. Bring to boil.
13. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
14. Mix in shredded cheese, until melted.
15. Fold in the reserved cooked broccoli.
16. Serve it hot.
17. You may also cool  it, refrigerate, and reheat before serving.

You can create quick bread bowls, by hollowing out crusty rolls, such as Portuguese Rolls, and serve the soup in them.

TIP:  You can prepare a quick soup stock by dissolving chicken, or vegetable bullion in water, per package directions.  You can also use ready-made stock, if you do not have time to make your own homemade stock.

For richer soup, and higher calories of course, you can use whole milk, or even cream and milk mixture.

photo credit: Merelymel13

Today I will introduce you to the first step of making a homemade soup, which is making homemade soup stock.

Soup stock is the basic liquid part of the soup, to which you add all the other ingredients necessary to create your chosen kind of soup.

You can prepare a vegetarian soup stock, or a meat soup stock.

Vegetarian soup stock is made by simmering your favorite veggies, with added oil or butter, to enrich its flavor.

Meat soup stock requires either portions of actual meat, or bones with some meat on them.

My favorite (least expensive) meat soup stock is from the carcass of a leftover roasted whole chicken, or turkey, plus the flavorful leftover basting pan juices.

If you have been discarding these parts, you are throwing away the best base for a homemade soup stock.

Another great idea for meat soup stock is the shank bone from a baked ham, with some snippets of meat still on it, or the cut away bone from pork chops, leaving only boneless fillets for the main course.  I usually do not prepare my soups with beef stock.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts of cold water
• 1- 1.5 lbs meat with bone (ham shank, 2 chicken wings plus breast bones, bones cut away from 4-6 pork chops,   1 chicken breast, or 1 carcass of a whole roasted chicken, or 1/2 carcass of a whole roasted turkey).
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 medium onion, whole
• 2 stalk of celery, cut to large chunks, crosswise
• 2 medium carrots, cut to large chunks, crosswise
• 1 parsley root ( optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns (whole black pepper grain)

Directions:

1. Fill a 6 quarts soup pot with 4 quarts of cold water, and set it on a stove top.
2. Rinse the meat and bones (if using raw meat), and add it to the pot of water.
3. Add salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
4. Cover, and turn the heat to high, until the water begins to steam.
5. Turn the heat down to medium, and bring it to a low boiling point.
6. Using a large serving spoon, skim and discard the frothy mixture accumulating on the top surface of the water, until almost all gone. (This will make your stock nice and clear).
7. Lower the heat to simmering, place a lid (partially covered) over the pot, to prevent the liquids from excessive evaporation, and from steaming up your kitchen.
8. Let it summer for 1 – 1.5 hours.
9. Add chopped vegetables, whole onion, parsley root, and garlic cloves.
10. Simmer 30 minutes longer.
11. Add more salt, if needed.
12. Strain the stock over a strainer, into a clean container.
13. Cool off, and store.
14. You can store the soup stock in the fridge for a couple of days, if you plan to use it for soup, otherwise pour it into zip lock freezer bags, and freeze it for later use.

TIP:   If I plan to cook soup the same day as the stock, I add the whole onion in step 3, and strain the stock in step 8.  While the  stock is cooking, I chop ( into dice size pieces) all the veggies required for the type of soup I am making, and add them to the stock right after straining it in step 8.