Fresh Lima Bean Soup

I just love the sweet buttery flavor of Lima Beans. Did you know that they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and are cholesterol - lowering from the plant sterols. Whew! That makes the Lima a win win in my eyes. I can't bring myself to eat something healthy unless it tastes good as well. You can hit the jackpot on the Lima Bean when it comes to taste and nutrition value. My Stud Muffin shucked the 4 1/2 cups of these buttery treasures for me. I lured him on with the promise of fresh Lima Bean soup. Enjoy this nice hearty buttery flavored soup where once again I worked my magic on cutting back on fat, but not on flavor. Trick your fat cells into singing. Enjoy!

• 4 1/2 cups of freshly shucked Lima Beans*
• 1/4 cup chicken base
• 4 cups water
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup yellow meat potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance original margarine
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Half & Half

In a large 8 qt soup pot over medium heat add first 8 ingredients. Stir well and bring to a low boil, then set to low heat and cover with lid on and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Whisk together Half & Half and cornstarch until there are no longer any lumps left. Now while stirring the soup slowly pour in the Half & Half mixture, constantly stirring. mixture will thicken up immediately. Turn off heat and serve immediately.

*I understand access to fresh Lima Beans is limited and seasonal so use some frozen ones if you do not have access to the fresh ones.

Mushroom - Miso Pasta

I found this treasure published in my local paper The Frederick News Post. It caught my eye because it uses two of my favorite food groups, mushrooms and pasta. All I can say is that it is doubly special because it is scrumptious and healthy too. I just love that! Needless to say my Stud Muffin is my hardest critic and he loved it as well. The creaminess of this dish is wonderful without any adding fat and calories. Not to mention my love affair that I have with mushrooms. I must say my all time favorites are, number one maitake and second place is cremini. So enjoy this rich creamy tasting pasta dish without the guilt of a high fat dish, sin no more.

• 1 12oz. box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate
• 5 Tbsp of salted butter
• 12 oz (or more if you are a mushrooms addict), of maitake and cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine, the drinkable kind
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. white miso paste
• 9 oz. of chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp. of nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard, optional
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, allowing it to bubble and cook until it turns a nutty brown, about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully because butter burns easily! Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine, stir and scrape to deglaze the skillet, simmer for about 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.

Whisk in the miso into the chicken broth and cook for 2 -3 minutes in the skillet, then add the nutritional yeast (this adds a cheesy like flavor), and stir until the sauce is uniform. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and toss into the cooked pasta.

Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of a cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." This is my version of her scrumptious recipe.

Skunk Odor Removal

On the right is our two knuckleheads, Riley the Corgi and Teddy the Labrador. I named this pic " The Dueling Wee Wee boys". We love our boys very much, but they have a serious problem with skunk hunting. They seem to relish in chasing them and always ending with the same results, GETTING SPRAYED. I even talked to my Veterinarian about our dilemma. He said---Some dogs will only get sprayed once, while others keep going back for more. Well our two nuts keep going back for more. Luckily for them we have over 4 acres for them to roam on and we have an invisible fence to keep them on our property. We love our backyard and all of the wildlife we see, but the Invisible Fence does not keep out other animals. The main problem is Mr.Skunk sauntering onto our property, and the skunk spray is NASTY!

• 1 Quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 tsp. Dawn dish detergent
• latex gloves
• bucket
• sponge

 I recommend two people to help with this process. Make sure you soak the collar in the mixture as well because chances are the collar was sprayed too. Also we hook the hose up to our basement laundry tub sink and run the hose out the basement door. We are able to do so because our faucet has threads on it to attach a hose at the end of the faucet. This is not by chance, after many dogs getting sprayed through the years we installed our beloved life saving faucet. The Stinker Saver!

I also had a Feasty Fan tell me that it removes pet odor from carpet as well. Thank you for the tip Jenny.

1. Rinse dog down completely with warm water. I highly recommend that you do this outside if at all possible. We put on another collar and attach it to our gas grill by a leash. No running away and your hands are free to clean them up.

2. Meanwhile as the dog is being thoroughly wet down with warm water have your partner mix together the skunk mixture, stir well and drop in collar and sponge.

3. Remove collar from bucket once saturated and set aside. We have nylon collars that clean up well, no leather here.

4. Now sponge the mixture over the dog spreading in well with the sponge, being careful not to get any mixture into their eyes, nose, mouth or inside the ears. When working near these areas make sure the sponge is squeezed out well so nothing runs where it should not run, but enough to clean off stink. You will need to spend careful attention to the face, head and neck area because skunks have impeccable aim and shoot for the face.

5. Now wait for 10 minutes as the mixture does it's magic. Trust me it will be the longest 10 minutes of your life.

6. Rinse mixture off well with warm water and let your furry buddy shake off what they can. Now dry your baby off and bring him/her inside.

Dawn dish detergent is a must because of it's grease cutting ability aka the oily skunk urine. Check your dogs eyes and make sure they did not get a direct hit. If so I recommend a visit to the Vet as the skunk spray burns their eyes and is a horrible irritant. I buy my Hydrogen Peroxide at the wholesale food clubs. Also I always have my skunk station set up and ready to go during skunk season.

Above you can see Teddy sleeping peacefully on his favorite blanket on our leather couch minutes after his deskunking. What a life, let the abuse continue.

I found this recipe on the internet from B.O.S.S..Boxers, JLH Web Productions and it is by far the best recipe for skunk odor removal. We have used this recipe many time with great results. Thank you BOSS Boxers!

Grilled White Peaches

Summer is one of my favorite seasons for many reasons and fresh peaches is at the top of my list. Not to mention sweet corn, home grown tomatoes, oh I could go on and on. I must admit that I am hooked on fresh sweet white peaches. Pure ambrosia!

It all started years ago when my Dad brought me some white peaches for the first time. I ate 3 of them that day and immediately was addicted. So every year I look forward to satisfying  my craving once a year. This year I decided to try grilling these sweet treasures. I  felt it in my bones that it had to be a win because I know how delicious grilled pineapple is.

• 2 ripe white peaches
• 1 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean fat free ice cream, no sugar added
• 1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean crisp multi grain cluster cereal, slightly crushed

 Preheat grill on high for about 5-8 minutes. Meanwhile wash and dry peaches and slice in half and gently remove pit then brush melted onto both side of peaches. Crumble cereal and set aside. After grill has been preheated place peaches on grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, only turning once gently using tongs. I use a gas grill and every grill is different so your cook time may vary. Serve naked on a plate or top with one scoop of ice cream and crushed cereal.

I did not want to add much fat, calories  or sugar to my version, but feel free to Haagan Daaz it up if you want too. Be daring and choose any crunchy topping of your choice, maybe granola. I also thought about dipping the flat meaty side of the peach into brown sugar, maple syrup or honey to help carmelize it. For me the peach has a nice sweet delicate flavor and I would not want to cover it up. Sometimes simple is better, serves four. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cake

Boy oh boy does this cake bring back memories from when I was a child. When my Mom was alive she always asked me what kind of cake I would like for my birthday. My steadfast choice was German Chocolate Cake.  I would only get it once a year on my birthday so it was always a special treat for me when she made it. That my Feasty Fans is what spurred me to make one for myself. July 12th,  Happy Birthday to me! You may now reap the rewards of my craving and the celebration of my Birthday.

Now to tell you where this recipe came from because sadly I never found my Mom's recipe. This scrumptious recipe came from my friend Susan Alexander, she is a foodie friend of mine and that is exactly what brought us together. Mind you now this gal is a hoot and entertains me daily with her crazy antics. A big thank you to Susan for sharing her scrumptious recipe with us.

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 oz German sweet chocolate squares, break into sections
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour, Pillsbury Soft as Silk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 egg whites, room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans, set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside

In a small saucepan on low heat water and chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract at this time, whisk together well and allow mixture to cool.

With your mixer in a large bowl whip egg whites until stiff peaks form, transfer to another large bowl and set aside.

Now add to your large mixer bowl the butter and sugar, cream until light and fluffy. Then beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture to mixer bowl, then beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated. Next gently fold in half of the egg whites, then fold in the other half until just mixed in.

Pour into three 9 inch cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks.

Two important tips~~~Egg whites whip up best if room temp and make sure no oil residue is in the mixer nor any of the yolk. Also if you do not have buttermilk you may make your own by adding 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, stir and wait 10 minutes. Ta da!

German Chocolate Frosting

• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tsps. vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 2/3 cups flaked coconut

Directions;

In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Cook over med/low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut. Let cool completely before spreading between layers of cake and on top, do not spread on the side of the cake. Ii is important that the icing and cake are cool to the touch.

Rye, Turkey & Cheese Melt

A cool rainy Summer day inspired this twist on an old classic, it's like a grilled cheese on steroids. Normally we would feast on a cold sandwich on a hot Summer day. You know the old saying~~~~necessity is the mother of all inventions.

It's very important that you get yourself a good quality rye bread from a bakery. It grills up nicely to a golden brown and when you bite into it there is a nice crispy crunch on the outside, but soft and moist on the inside. I also use low fat & low sodium turkey lunch meat along with a low fat cheese. I chose Dusseldorf style mustard, but use your favorite mustard or cheese of your choice if you do not want to try my suggestions. *Be brave and experiment.*I became hooked on Dusseldorf mustard when I spotted it in the international section of my grocery store. The little mug it is in initially caught my attention, but I must admit that I am addicted to it once I tried it.

• Dusseldorf style mustard
• 3 Jarlsburg lite reduced fat cheese slices
• Deitz & Watson lite turkey slices, 40% less sodium & 99% fat free, 6 slices
• Russian or Jewish Rye bread, 4 slices
• Butter or Margarine

 I made two sandwiches at a time, one for me and one for my Stud Muffin. He raved about how good it was. He can be a little picky because he is so spoiled. The bonus to that is that he is my toughest critic and will always be honest with me. So my Feasty Fans you all know that it is Stud Muffin approved and you get to reap the rewards of his critiquing .

You will need a 12 inch nonstick skillet and two 8 inch nonstick skillets. Preheat all 3 skillets over medium heat, meanwhile butter the 4 slices of rye bread just as you would for a grilled cheese, only on one side of the bread. I fold 3 slices of the lunch meat on top of each other and place it in the 8 inch skillet (I fold it to fit the size of the rye bread), repeat with second 8 inch skillet. I do this so the the meat will be hot in the center and the cheese will melt better as well. Flipping only once to heat up both sides of the lunch meat.

Now on on bare side of the last two slices of the rye bread spread the mustard and place into the 12 inch skillet mustard side up and add about 1 1/2 cheese slices to the top, repeat for second sandwich. Now top the cheese with the hot turkey lunch meat, then spread mustard on the bare side of the last two slices of rye bread and place mustard side down on top of the turkey. Grilling until golden brown and flipping only once.

Yum, Yum, Yum!!!

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Garlic is one of the loves of my life and when you add it to Olive Oil I'm in heaven. If you have not tried this it is a must try. It's expensive to buy, but I finally mastered a easy recipe that tastes great and will save you money as well. So get yourself some nice crusty bread and some grated Italian cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Did you know that this hard cheese is a high calcium lower fat cheese and packed with protein? They are very healthy cheeses to eat, I just love that. Warning this could turn you into a bread, cheese & oil eating machine. It's a bit touchy to make stove top but I mastered this baby in the crockpot. WARNING! The garlic has to simmer to make sure that you do not risk botulism poisoning. So simmer away and enjoy the aroma of garlic in your home while it cooks.

•  1 1/2 cups Olive Oil
•  9 cloves of garlic

You will need to smash out the garlic cloves and crush them with a flat knife, this will now make the skin peel easily off of the clove. Slice off the little root end of the cloves and them throw away. after peeling all of the cloves smash one more time with the knife to help release the garlic goodness. I must confess that at this time I stop and smell my sticky garlic fingers, oh how I love the smell of garlic.

Now place the garlic cloves single layer in a crockpot and cover with the Olive Oil. This is where you need to know how high a heat your crockpot truly cooks at. I have 4 of them and they all seem to vary in the amount of heat that they put out. The one I used is older and cooked mine perfectly on low for 2 hours. Look at the oil and it should be hot enough to see light bubbles coming up, but you do not want to simmer long enough to turn the garlic cloves brown. The first time you make this I would start checking it after 30 minutes.

Once the oil has simmered I pour it into my little oil canister while straining it through a little wire strainer and funnel into my oil container.

Let cool on counter and then put on stopper and store in cabinet. To think that I almost donated my old oil canister to a second hand place. I always loved this little canister and never wanted to part with it. I am so glad that I saved this and have a use for it once again.

By the way I made this oil one week ago and we have already almost made all gone. Mangia!