In a large bowl mix the following ingredients:

• 1 lb pork sausage – browned and drained
• 1 medium stalk of celery – chopped, yielding about 2 cups
• 3 medium onions – diced
• 4 medium apples – peeled and diced
• 3 pears – peeled and diced
• 2 – 3 bags of stuffing (we usually go with a lightly seasoned stuffing)
• 2 – 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 – 2 sticks of butter or margarine – melted
• 2 – 3 cans of chicken broth

Stir everything together while adding the melted butter and chicken broth to moisten and soften the dressing. Continue to stir and add the liquid until the dressing  feels moist but not mushy. Transfer to a large(2 – 3 quart) casserole dish. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Enjoy!

In a medium bowl combine the following:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup catsup

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco

This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups.

Wisk the ingredients together until smooth. Brush on the meat, turning it frequently during the last 10 – 20 minutes of cooking, or pour it over the meat you have cooking in your slow-cooker. This is a great tasting BBQ sauce that goes well with beef, pork or chicken. We just used it with 2 small shoulder roasts in our slow-cooker, slicing the meat thin when done, pouring the leftover sauce over the sliced meat and making some delicious sandwiches. Try it and let me know what you think.  

Not knowing if it still worked, I decided to clean it up and give it a whirl. I found a copy of the user manual online and pulled up a copy of one of my favorite bread recipes, whole grain wheat. I went to the store, brought home all the needed ingredients and began making my first home-made loaf in almost six years.

I had forgotten how great the house smelled when baking bread. I also had forgotten how long it takes to make bread, three to four hours for a 1 1/2 lb loaf. Ahhh, but the wait was worth it. Out came a beautiful, wonderful smelling, great tasting loaf of home-made wheat bread. There is nothing in the bread aisle at the supermarket that smells or tastes like it. After letting it cool down a bit, slicing my first slice, spreading it with some cream cheese and sitting down with a cup of cinnamon hazelnut coffee, I once again realized how the simpler things in life can give one so much pleasure.

Tonight I just finished making a 1 1/2 lb loaf of apple butter bread and I can’t wait for it to cool down enough to try a slice. If there are any of you out there that enjoy making bread at home, let me know. I’d love to swap a few recipes or, as they say, break bread with you.

• 1 1/4 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1  medium to large onion, diced medium
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 2  32 oz containers of low-sodium, fat-free beef broth(you can substitute 2 tbsp beef bouillon granules and 8 cups of water)
• 1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1  14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes flavored with garlic(undrained)
• 1  10 3/4 oz can of condensed tomato soup(do not dilute)
• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 1 9 oz pkge of frozen cut green beans

Start by spraying a large non-stick pan with cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high flame, and brown the beef. Into a larger(5 to 6 quart) slow-cooker or crockpot, add the beef, onions, carrots, beef broth, pepper, oregano and thyme. Add in the undrained diced tomatoes and the tomato soup and stir. Cover the soup mixture and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Add the barley and continue to cook for an additional 1 hr on high or 2 hours on low, until the barley starts to fluff and becomes tender. Add the frozen green beans and cook for an additional 30 minutes on high or 1 hour on low. Serve and enjoy.

This is a variation of a recipe we found on a diabetic-friendly website years ago. It’s healthy and delicious. We like to serve it with a nice salad or some fresh bread.

I have been using the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 Bluetooth Hands-Free Speakerphone for the past few months and I really like it a lot. Some of the neat features include: announcing the caller’s name or phone number, truly handsfree answering of an incoming call by simply saying “Answer” or “OK” or “Accept call”, automatic reconnection to your phone when you get back into your car, noise and echo cancellation, a loud clear speakerphone, ability to pair with up to 8 bluetooth devices and great battery life allowing up to 15 hours talktime and 800 hours of standby time. The one thing that you have to remember is to turn the unit off when you get to your final destination. The unit has a range of up to 33 feet. This means that you could get a call and the unit in your car could answer the call while you’re inside somewhere.

In the box you get  the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 Bluetooth Hands-Free Speakerphone, 2 magnetic sun visor clips, a car charger, an AC power adaptor, a quick start guide and the user manual. After charging the unit, I had mine in my car and ready to use the same day. My wife and I both like it because it allows us to both participate in a phone call while travelling. This is great when driving to our family’s homes and getting the latest news about our grandkids, sometimes even hearing the grandkids in the background. It’s also nice that, with the 2 magnetic visor clips, we can use the unit in either car for both of our phones.

I definitely like using the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 Bluetooth Hands-Free Speakerphone. It makes driving and talking on the phone a lot safer and a lot more enjoyable.  If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I’m all about safer driving and this gadget really helps with that.

Start with:

12 plum tomatoes or 6 medium to large beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and chopped medium.

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped into small thin strips

1/2 small white onion, chopped small

Finely shredded low-fat parmesan cheese

1 tbsp minced garlic 

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, basil, onion and garlic together until covered. Next, gently stir in the tomatoes. Leave the parmesan cheese on the table for anyone who wants to sprinkle it over the bruschetta. This recipe serves 6.

You can spoon the bruschetta over any type of toasted bread, like slices of whole wheat bread toasted and cut diagonally into quarters. We used some Italian bread cut into thin slices and then toasted in the oven.  

This makes for an absolutely delicious appetizer. Enjoy!

If you are a fan of the long running TV show, America’s Test Kitchen, or even just an occaisional viewer, then you know how each show usually concentrates on one type of food being prepared, sprinkled with great tips and reviews on gadgetry, food items, food prep ideas, shortcuts and ways to make cooking in general more fun and enjoyable. Well, this is how “The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook” is put together. It’s a hard-covered, ring bound book that lays flat on the counter for ease of use during food preparation. I love that there are some  handy cooking time charts and measurement charts on the inside of the front and back covers.

The first chapter, appropriately titled “Getting Started”, covers their healthy cooking guidelines, ingredients essential to healthy cooking, nutrition basics and how they “calculated the nutritional values of our recipes”. From there, they go into more kitchen basics, including measuring, and what is needed as far as essential kitchen equipment. As is their custom both on their TV show and in their other Cookbooks, this first chapter and all subsequent chapters contain many recommendations, “Test Kitchen Favorites”, Tips and Makeover Spotlights.

The other chapters include: “Healthy Start (breakfast ideas)”, “Appetizers & Healthy Snacks”, “Salads”, “Soups, Stews & Chilis”, “Vegetables”, “Rice, Grains & Beans”, “Pasta”, “Fish & Shellfish”, “Poultry”, “Meat”, “Vegetarian Entrees”, “Stir-Fries & Curries”, “Grilling”, “Pizza & Tarts”, “Whole Grain Rolls & Loaves”, “Quick Breads”, “Cookies & Bars”, “Cakes”, Fruit Desserts & More” and “Kid Friendly”. The last section is the “Index” with an expanded “Charts” section. 

We’ve tried a few of the soup recipes so far and have been very pleased at the results. “The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook” is an easy read and great for planning a meal or a menu for get-togethers. It’s definitely a keeper and has already become my “go to” cookbook.

The night I attended, the class was full, 20 students all eager to learn the essentials of using knives in the kitchen. We learned the correct techniques for chopping, slicing, dicing and some fancy cuts like julienne, using just a chef’s knife and cutting board. We were shown the proper way to hold a chef’s knife, how to prepare vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, peppers, even fresh herbs like basil.  We even learned how to mince fresh garlic.

All the vegetables we practiced on were used to prepare bruschetta and a cream vegetable soup. We even got to sample the soup and bruschetta, both of which turned out absolutely delicious. The professional chef who taught the class and his kitchen staff were wonderful, and afterwards we were given a tour of the store, ending in the cutlery section where we could make purchases at a discounted price, their way of saying thanks for attending the class.

I decided to purchase a knife similar to the one I was given to use in the class, the Victorinox 47520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife. Not only is this an extremely sharp knife that holds it’s edge, it is very well-balanced, comfortable to use and has a great non-slip handle. Along with the knife, I purchased a plastic sleeve for the knife and a honing steel to keep a good edge on the knife in between uses. The knife is highly rated, has a number of great reviews and is available for just under $30, a great price for a knife of this quality. Since the class, I’ve been using this knife almost daily, preparing veggies for the lunches we take to work each day.

If you’ve ever wanted to get a little better in the kitchen, classes like the basic knife essentials class I attended at Sur la Table are a great experience. The cost of the class was $59 and really well-worth it. I even lived up to the promise I made to my wife Kathy…I came home with all my fingers attached and they still are to this day.

At 5:00 am, the phone rang again. Nick informed us that they were at the hospital and that the contractions were coming about 2 minutes apart. It took us about 7 seconds to decide to get showered and packed for the ride to Champaign. We got to the hospital around 8:00 am. The entire drive down was spent remembering all the happy talk and planning for this day and Kathy texting everyone she could think of, including Katie’s parents who were on their way in from their vacation home in Pentwater Michigan, about a 5 hour drive.

Nick and Katie were in the birthing room, he looking slightly nervous but at her beck and call; she trying to put on her bravest face while doing her breathing through each contraction, hoping her parents would get there soon. After hugs and tears of joy, we left them to their preparations and got comfortable in the family lounge while waiting for the blessed event. Katie’s parents, Jack and Carol, arrived around 1:30 pm. Carol is a nurse and decided to give her daughter whatever help she could. Jack, Kathy and I got some lunch and got back up to the family lounge around 3: 30pm.

Shortly thereafter, Nick came in to let us know that Henry Kevin Quealy-Gainer had been born at 3:17 on that Saturday, July 24th, 6 lbs 9 oz and 18 inches long. After taking care of Katie after the birth, we were allowed to come in and see our new grandson. Katie was holding him with Nick standing by the bed, both of them looking exhausted, her especially, but both beaming with joy. Hugs and tears of joy filled the room as we all  marvelled at this tiny little boy who lay in her arms.

There was more to be done for both Katie and Henry so we decided to leave them alone for a couple of hours and join them later in their recovery room. We watched as Henry got his first bath and then joined Nick and Katie . Henry was brought into the room and of course we all got the chance to hold this beautiful little boy. My son Shawn and his wife Staci drove down with their daughter Grace, our first grandchild. It was so great to be able to see the first of many meetings between the 2 cousins, our two grandchildren. The evening ended with our saying goodnight to the 2 very tired but very happy new parents and going out for a celebratory dinner with Jack and Carol, Henry being their first grandchild.

Henry is an absolutely beautiful little boy. He was born 3 weeks early but not a moment too soon. As I sit here writing this, staring at pictures of Henry and Grace, our two grandchildren, it’s hard to put into words how happy I am. Two beautiful grandchildren born 8 months apart. It just doesn’t get much better than this.

Since we started, Kathy has lost 12 pounds and I have lost 13 pounds. In addition to the weight loss, the other benefits include: feeling better, having more energy, sleeping better and  having clothes fit better.  Best of all, we’ve both gotten quite an education about a much healthier way of eating.

The way Nutrisystem works is basically this. You receive delivery to your home of 30 days of packaged breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts. You then add a morning and afternoon snack to each day’s menu so you end up eating 6 times a day. You’re given a meal planner so can you add food items to each meal. The system is based on food items that are high in fiber and well-balanced between carbs and protein, so you never really feel hungry between meals and snacks. It’s not so much a diet as it is an eating plan that helps you lose weight and learn how to keep the weight off by learning how to eat healthy for the rest of your life once you reach your target weight. This is not designed to have you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. It states in all the material you read that you should lose between 1 and 2 pounds each week if you follow the plan, and that is just about what we’ve experienced so far.

We’re both close to being half way to our weight goals and so far so good. The food is tasty and the education is definitely worth it. If you have been looking for a way to lose weight without actually dieting, Nutrisystem might be the answer. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes from here.