RECIPES

These were so easy and so good! I didn’t take a picture, but I will be making these again and will edit the post. I would think these are low Fodmap as long as you choose ketchup without corn syrup or the offending spices.

1 1/2# ground beef

1 c uncooked quick oatmeal

1 egg

1 c milk (of choice)

3 Tbsp green onions, tops only

1 cup ketchup (use Fody brand to avoid the onion powder, garlic powder)

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup water

Combine beef, oats, egg, milk and green onion. Form in tiny balls and place in a 9×13 cake pain or casserole. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meatballs. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

[Prep Time: 20 minutes] [Cook time: 30 minutes]

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian Sausage

2 (14.5oz) cans Italian -style diced tomatoes

2 (14.5oz) cans beef broth

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup water

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 (12oz bag) egg noodles (use gluten free if you are avoiding wheat)

16oz bag frozen Italian blend vegetables (or mixed vegetables of your choice)

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes, beef broth, beans, water and oregano to sausage. Bring to boiling. Add noodles. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and cook 20 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and cook 5-10minutes longer, till vegetables are tender.

Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

I had some bulk venison sausage on hand and this worked out perfectly! Really easy and really tasty meal:)

1 (6oz) Ready Crust Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 (15oz) can pumpkin

1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)

1 egg

1 1/4tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp EACH ground ginger, nutmeg and salt

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 Tbsp cold butter

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Turn into pie crust. Bake 15minutes; remove pie. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

In small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle walnut mixture evenly over pie. Bake 40minute or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired.

Makes 8 servings. Refrigerate leftovers.

I certainly realize that not everyone loves walnuts. My husband does not really love walnuts. But, this pie is so good and definitely worth a try if you like pumpkin and walnuts. It is also very easy to put together.

12oz turkey pastrami, cubed (or you can use corned beef)

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

2 cups fresh rye bread cubes (pumpernickel or marble rye both work)

1/4 cup soft butter

1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing

1 Tbsp sliced green olives

1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish

Mix together bread cubes and butter. Press bread into bottom and sides of 9″ pie plate. Layer half of sauerkraut, pastrami, and swiss cheese. Spread with dressing and repeat layers. Sprinkle with olives and pickle relish. Cook in the microwave for 7 minutes at high power. If not rotating plate in microwave, turn one-quarter turn and cook 7 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. 6 Servings

This is really good, if you love Reuben’s, this is an amazingly fun appetizer or main dish.

Recipe credit: My previous work colleague. Dia Finder.

This is the best fruitcake you will ever taste!

I know that fruitcake gets a bad wrap! So many jokes!!! So many stories about horrible fruitcakes being hard and old and “brick-like” and “regifted”. But this, this fruitcake, you seriously MUST try, if you like fruits and nuts. This recipe came from my former mother in law’s friend, Dot. She is a true southern lady, from Covington, GA. This recipe is amazing! I had to add it to the recipe section of this blog.

Plan ahead for this cake. IF you want to make it for Christmas, you will need to start shortly after Thanksgiving or at least early December. Read on to find out WHY!!

Bake at 250 F for 3 hours. This is not a typo. It is 250 degrees!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb brown sugar

1 lb butter

1tsp baking powder

4 cups flour

1 lb candied pineapple

1 lb candied cherries

1 lb whole pecan halves

2oz brandy or rum (I used brandy)

6 eggs, separated

CHEESE CLOTH

TIN FOIL

1.) Cream the butter and sugar. Add 6 egg yolks and the rum or brandy. Fold nut and fruit into 1 cup of the flour. Blend into the creamed mixture. Add the rest of the flour and baking powder, and stir together.

2) Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.

3) Grease loaf pan with shortening. I used Crisco. You can also use Angel food pans. Grease brown paper on both sides and line pan. It is difficult to get paper pressed down into pan; press by sections.

3) Transfer batter from mixer bowl to a large bowl for hand stirring with a strong spoon.

5) NOTE: The batter is very stiff. I had my husband help me to stir and also used the very largest bowl I had in my kitchen. You can see my cat, Felix, who loves to be involved in all the action. I would recommend you have someone strong around to help with the stirring.

6) Transfer mixed batter into pans in sections. Let batter stand in refrigerator overnight in the pans.

7) BAKE: Place pan of hot water alongside of cake in oven. Put “moat” under pan to catch grease if pan has removable bottom (like an angel food pan). These cakes may be bakes in 2 regular size bread pans, 4 medium size loaf pans or 8 small loaf pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours.

8) Turn out of pans; wrap cakes in cheese-cloth. Put cheese-cloth in brandy, squeeze it out, and pour the rest of the brandy over the cake.

Whole Cake-2oz Brandy;

Loaf pan-1oz brandy

Medium pan-1/2 oz brandy

Small pan-1/4oz brandy

9)Baste the fruit cakes with brandy by removing cheese cloth, soaking in brandy and re-wrapping. Wrap the cheese cloth in saran wrap and then tin foil and keep in the fridge between bastings.

Details on basting: Baste with the above amount according to pan size; Baste every 10 days -at least twice before eating

10) Store the cakes in the refrigerator.

Courtesy for this recipe: Ginny Larsen and Dot Schaeffer

I have converted many self professed “fruit cake haters” to fruit cake lovers.

This is the most amazing and easy soup to make….complete “Winter in Minnesota” comfort food! My former college roommate, Traci Bangerter, shared this recipe with me. It was her mom’s recipe. Cheers to Lois Bangerter, may she rest in peace.

Ingredients:

3/4-1 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 lb bacon (or ham)

1 medium onion, I have been using shallots instead of yellow onion and I think my gut tolerates it better

2 cans Cream of Potato soup

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

12oz Velveeta cheese, yes, seriously Velveeta…I think we can maybe work on another option to substitute for this -but it sure does melt well

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 (10oz) package frozen peas

1 qt Half and Half

1 qt Milk

Directions:

Cook wild rice according to package directions. Be sure to keep the rice completely covered with water at all times. You may end up adding extra water before it is completely cooked.

Brown bacon in a dutch oven or large kettle, drain. Brown chopped onion (or shallots) in some of the remaining bacon fat in the same kettle. Add remaining ingredients to the bacon and onions. Stir occassionally to keep from sticking to pan. Add the peas in last (about 30min to 1 hour before serving) to help them stay firm and green. You can adjust the amount of milk or cream to desired thickness.

Serves 8-10.

This recipe is excellent for freezing or storing in refridgerator and reheats well on cold days. I usually make a big batch so we have it for leftovers.

We served this to family for Christmas Eve this year and even the kids ate it!

I would not say it is Low FODMAPs, as it has all the dairy, shallots, peas etc so take care if you do not tolerate lactose or fructans well.

To God be the Glory!

Thought for the day: From Proverbs 28:19. “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.”

Happy Sunday and regards to the memory of Dr Martin Luther King!

This pie is from my ex-mother in law, Ginny! Its so good that I have had more than one person contact me (out of the blue) for this recipe! My husband requests this pie for both Thanksgiving -and Christmas!

It’s a tarter, more complex version of the classic cherry pie…..so much better and less sweet!

For the Filling: 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 21oz can cherry pie filling

Prepare crust for a 2 crust pie in a 9-inch pie pan. I either make my Grandma Sally’s pie crust recipe (from an earlier post in this blog) or I like Pappy’s dough. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the pie filling. Mix well. Gently fold in the pie filling, taking care to not smash the cherries and mix till all dry ingredients are well blended. Spoon into crust. Cover with other crust. Pinch and flute edge. Bake 35-45 minutes till crust is golden brown.

Tip: Cover the outside of pie crust with aluminum foil (or a cover designed to protect edges). Remove and bake for the last 15-20 minutes.

These are to die for! They are not Low FODMAP, Gluten Free or Dairy Free! They are just plain good!

This also does not fit into the theme of a recipe from my heritage! But they are just THAT good! I had to include in this blog. I have been making these on and off for years and since my IBS or SIBO has been better….I made them again this fall.

I also have to say thank you to my readers for hanging in there on this blog that really lacks a theme! I am working on learning how to blog and how to develop a better theme

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp baking soda

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter (I often use less and still turns out well)

1 egg

1 cup raisins (Or chocolate chips are also good)

In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Cut in the butter. Sitr the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in the raisins. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. roll or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick round. Cut into 12 wedges and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.

My husband does not like raisins so I usually make half with raisins and half with chocolate chips.

I think they are just fantastic! I had to share!:)

As I sit down to record this recipe, it occurs to me that I really don’t mention much about SIBO and IBS in my posts. I have been waiting to learn more about how to actually use WordPress better. I am still struggling with setting up my pages but since I am still cooking & baking and still eating, lol, I also want to keep recording these old recipes from my past. So thanks for bearing with me as I figure out how this works.

In the meantime, while I still have some gut issues, I am SO much improved in the past 3 months. I want to share my story in case this works for anyone else. Here is what happened: I had been diagnosed with methane-dominant, constipation type SIBO, via breath tests. Actually about 10 breath tests over the past 6-7 years. After doing numerous diets and treatments with all 3 types (elemental, herbal and pharmaceutical Abx), I read about how taking a statin can block methane production in the body. A girlfriend of mine who also had been battling bloating tried using a statin and it did not work for her. But it has for me! I suggested this to my doctor, she agreed to try it. I have been so much better taking Lovastatin 10mg daily. I have liberalized my diet so much, still eating somewhat Low FODMAP (I am used to it now since have been doing it since about 2012). But I am much more free! I guess you would say that I am in the personalization stage of the diet, where I know what really triggers my symptoms so I still don’t eat onion/garlic. I seem to be really sensitive to fructans so I don’t each much bread other than sour dough. I am SO SO SO thankful that I have finally found something that is helping me to feel better and allow me to eat a bit more freely.

I will share the links to the methane articles related to using statins in another post as don’t have it handy now. Stay tuned!

So, back to this recipe. These were amazing! I love to bake! I brought them to a family picnic over July 4th and people could not stop eating them! I made a few of my own adjustments (like using pecans instead of walnuts as my husband really hates walnuts).

Ingredients:

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour, consider using a GF blend if you are gluten free

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (spring for the real stuff vs imitation)

1 cup milk (use Lactose free if you prefer)

1 egg

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9 pan and set aside
2. In large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour
3. Using pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of mixture/crumbs and set aside.
4. To the remaining mixture in large bowl, add the baking powder and salt. Using a fork, lightly beat in vanilla, milk and egg.
5. Continue beating until a smooth batter forms. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and pecans (or walnuts).
7. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top of batter in pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Using a long flat spatula, spread the topping evenly over the top of the batter in pan.
9. Bake bars for 35minutes, or until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool bars in pan completely before cutting.
11. Using a serrated knife, cut into 24 bars. Store in airtight container up to 5 days.

These did not last 5 days as my group/family devoured them -basically the same day!