Quick, Easy, and Healthy Eating

 by Jan Drexler

Like many of you, we here at the Cafe are busy people! I think you can see that from our posts - caring for grandchildren, cooking for our families, working day jobs, working at two or more businesses from our homes...and writing. 

Somewhere in there, we need to take care of ourselves, too. Right?

One of the things I've done, especially in the summer, is to collect some easy, quick, healthy recipes for meals and snacks that take almost no time to prepare. That leaves more time for writing!

Breakfast

One of my favorite quick and simple breakfasts can also be an anytime-snack or a dessert!

So easy:

1 cup (or so) plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup (or so) frozen berries (I like raspberries)

Sweetener to taste. I use 1 1/2 teaspoons THM Super Sweet (nearly the same as two packets of Truvia)

Mix it all together, then let it sit for a few minutes to let the berries thaw a bit, then mix it again.

This is so cool, creamy and delicious! It's especially good when you eat it outside on the deck when the morning air is still fresh.

Icey Drink

This can be made with tea or coffee - whichever is your caffeine of choice. :-)

Brew the tea in a quart sized canning jar (or other quart sized container) and let it cool until it's warmish. Then add the fixings you usually put in your tea (or coffee.) I use THM super sweet (like Truvia,) collagen (to add protein,) sunflower lecithin (brain food,) and cream. Blend all the ingredients together with a hand-held stick blender or regular blender. 

Add ice until the jar is full, and you have a sipping drink that will last all day.

Lunch

I love this salad! It originated with fellow Seekerville blogger and author, Pam Hillman. She shared it on Facebook, then I added an ingredient or two to make it my own.

Quick and easy:

Mix together one can of tuna and one wedge Light Laughing Cow Cheese (or a Tablespoon of mayonnaise.) Then add a small squirt of mustard, a splash of Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce,) salt and pepper to taste, a few shakes of paprika and a couple shakes of tumeric. Mix it all up well.

Then dice an apple and mix into the tuna mixture.

This makes a great light lunch to take on a picnic, which I did on Saturday! 

It was our church's annual picnic at the lake day, and we had a lot of fun.

One of my Sunday School students caught a fish!

Isn't that a great smile?

Another thing that happened last week is that we celebrated our first anniversary in our new home! I can't believe it's been a whole year - especially since we're still exploring our surroundings.

We found a new (to us) trail in the National Forest, only five miles away. It's close enough to take the puppies for a run in the morning, after breakfast and before my work day starts.

The dogs loved it!

And the trail was just long enough for a gentle morning hike - about a mile to the end and back.

That's how it's been this week here in the Black Hills! How has it been at your house?

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

Suddenly Summer

We waited a l-o-n-g time for spring this year in the Black Hills. I know a lot of you did, too.

But look what happened! We skipped over spring and went straight into summer!

Only four weeks ago, we were still in the grips of late winter/early spring. We took a trip with friends up to Spearfish Canyon and visited Roughlock Falls. Not surprisingly, we were the only ones there in light snow and freezing temperatures.

May 9, 2020

But we were thrilled to see the signs of the coming spring.

And only a month later, we are surrounded by green and beautiful flowers!

The perennial garden in front of our house is beginning to unfold. Since we moved into our new place at the end of the summer last year, every new flower bloom is a surprise.

This is what the garden looked like last fall:

Is it any wonder that I love seeing every new plant growing this spring?

And the wildflowers are beginning to bloom, too! In the front of our place (which doesn't face the road) we have this meadow-covered hill.

Almost thirty years ago, before our house was built, a forest fire passed through this area and destroyed most of the trees. As a result, we have a few tall Ponderosa pines around (which we love) and we get to enjoy this beautiful meadow. We often see a herd of deer grazing in the morning, or bedding down for the night. We're keeping a close eye out for fawns this time of year!

Those tree stumps are left from that long-ago fire.

And it's interesting that purple/blue are the wildflower colors for early June.

Will red, orange, yellow and pink show up later? Maybe...especially if I buy a packet of native wildflower seeds and scatter them through the meadow...


Another announcement is that Jack had a birthday on Saturday!

He's one year old now!

And Sam has discovered flies (aka, "sky raisins.")

How is summer at your house?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

A Little Bit of Sweet and a Little Bit of Savory

Jan here with a reminder that desperate times call for desperate measures...and they usually involve chocolate!

Sometimes on our trips to Sam's Club, we'll indulge in a treat for ourselves. The last time we went, it was my turn to choose...

The background is my Susan Branch
desk blotter calendar. I get one every year to add a bit
of whimsy to my office.

Yes, those are Dove Chocolate Promises. YUM! I've been making them last, only having one or three at a time....

The one in the green wrapper is salted caramel. The gooey salted caramel is wrapped in delicious Dove dark chocolate. I wish the entire container had been filled with that one flavor!

But it made me start thinking about that blend of sweet and savory - salt & caramel, apples & peanut butter, salted peanuts on a hot fudge sundae, etc. 

One of my favorite ways to blend the two tastes is in this salad idea I got from our friend Pam Hillman.

Yes, that is a can of tuna. And yes, that is an apple. You can substitute soy sauce for the Bragg's Aminos, and mayo for the wedge of Light Laughing Cow Cheese. Just dice the apple and blend everything together according to your taste...and don't knock it until you've tried it!

This is a delicious and filling low-fat, healthy-carb lunch!

Another sweet and savory combination I often have for lunch is a baked sweet potato. But not the way you're thinking - I don't load my sweet potatoes down with butter and brown sugar anymore! (Unless it's Thanksgiving...)

Do you see my secret ingredient? Yes! It's cumin!

When I want to have a sweet potato for lunch, I put it in the oven right after breakfast. I cut the ends off (to minimize the stringiness,) wrap it in foil, and bake it for 3 hours at 325° or 2 hours at 350°. By the time I'm ready for lunch, it's baked to perfection. The skin pulls off easily, then I split it in two and 1 teaspoon of butter, a dash of salt and pepper, and then plenty of cumin. 

What makes it so delicious? I'm convinced it's the combination of the sweet potato and the savory cumin. I'm always a little sad when I get to the last bite...

What is your favorite sweet and savory combination?

In doggy news, we had a couple gorgeous spring days before our snowstorm last week, so we took Sam to Custer State Park for the first time.

As soon as we were out of the truck, both pups had their noses to the ground! 

This is a service road, not an official hiking trail, but it is inside the park so wildlife is at large. We saw signs of bison (the buffalo chips were fresh!) and we know that deer, elk, antelope, coyotes and a huge number of other animals frequent this area. Smells abound!

Every dog's favorite hobby is finding sticks, right? Especially these two!

And especially when the "sticks" are actually trees that fell after some long-ago forest fire.

How much fun can a pup have?

We walked "in" about 15 minutes, let the pups rest, and then walked back "out." A nice easy hike for early spring.

The pups have a favorite treat on an occasional evening - 

I fill their Kong toys with a mixture of plain yogurt and puppy kibble, 

then throw them in the freezer for a few hours. They keep the pups busy during that freak-out time between supper and bed, especially when a storm keeps us inside all day.

Ah, the joys of raising puppies! I'm glad it doesn't last forever!

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

Comfort Food from the Pantry

Jan here, talking about comfort food.

Why is comfort food so important to us? Because it give us both physical nourishment and emotional satisfaction.

I don't know about you, but I'm craving some emotional satisfaction right about now!

One of the meals I made regularly when our children still lived at home was cheeseburger macaroni, "Hamburger Helper" style.

Forget that box! This recipe is full of healthy ingredients, but still gives that "in the box" convenience. The only things missing are the not-so-nice ingredients and the spendy price tag.

You can make a seasoning blend to have on hand - just add it to your fresh ingredients. (I'll give you the recipe later.) But I don't make this very often anymore, so I just make one batch at a time.

Oh, and you can use your Instant Pot, too! I'll include directions for both stove-top and Instant Pot cooking.

"Hamburger Assistant" Cheeseburger Macaroni

ingredients:

(serves 4-6)

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes (or 1/4 cup fresh onion, minced)

1 cup beef stock (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules and one cup water)

1/3 cup dry milk powder (or 1 cup milk, or 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water)

(*note - you only need 1 cup of liquid total, so keep that in mind when adjusting your ingredients)

pepper to taste

1 pound hamburger, browned

1 cup uncooked macaroni

1 14-16 oz. can chopped tomatoes (not drained) 

1 cup shredded cheese

First of all, I've given you some alternate ingredients - we're cooking out of our pantry these days!

You can also substitute chicken for the ground beef - just be sure to also substitute chicken broth/bouillon for the beef.

On the stove top, use a large skillet to brown the ground beef, then add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the macaroni is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the cheese.

Using your Instant Pot, brown the ground beef using the saute function. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the cheese,) stir, and seal the lid. Change from the saute function to the pressure cook function, and cook on high for 5 minutes. Do a quick release, then add the cheese, stirring until everything is blended.

Since this is a family-sized meal, I froze half to serve at another time.

I mentioned making the seasoning blend ahead of time - This was a lifesaver when everyone was at home and I was short on time (and energy!):

Seasoning blend:

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1/3 cup dried onion flakes

3 Tablespoons onion powder

1 Tablespoon seasoning salt

1 2/3 cup dried non-fat milk powder

3 1/2 Tablespoons beef bouillon granules

Mix together and store in an air-tight container.

When making your "hamburger assistant" meal, use 1/2 cup of the seasoning mix, 1 pound hamburger, 1 cup water, 1 cup uncooked macaroni, and 1 can chopped tomatoes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese for your last step.

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

So that's our pantry meal for this week. How are you doing? Weathering the "shelter-in-place" orders? 

We used Facebook's video messenger capabilities to have a bit of a family reunion last week. Five couples, three states, two time zones. It worked great.

What creative ways have you used to keep in touch with your favorite people?

And before we go, I have to share a gratuitous puppy picture:

Sam at 13 weeks, Jack at nearly 10 months

Please excuse the state of my office floor - raising puppies is messy business, as I'm sure you all know!

And Sam is growing fast - just compare today's picture with this one from four weeks ago:

Sam at 9 weeks

Crazy, isn't it? Where does the time go???

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

A New Story

Jan here, with a revelation.

We live in the West.

If I had had any doubts about that, they were completely erased over the weekend!

You see, I'm working on a new story proposal. This is Coop's story, the one I've been wanting to write ever since I finished "A Home for His Family" back in 2014. 

Justice Cooper, aka "Coop," was Nate Colby's friend and partner in "A Home for His Family." Coop had been raised in Oregon, descendants of pioneers who followed the Oregon Trail in the 1840's. When he teamed up with Nate, he was ready to put his roots down in the Black Hills - mountains that called to him. They weren't as remote and inaccessible as the Rockies to the west, but they were Home.

As this story opens, Coop is following God's call to establish a church in the town of Buffalo Gap, ninety-some miles south of Deadwood, in the middle of cattle country. At that time, Buffalo Gap was a rip-roarin', shoot-'em-up, first class cow town, on par with Tombstone or Dodge City.  

Today? It's pretty much a ghost town, just down the road from our house.

In 1885, it was the terminal end of the railroad and the shipping point for all the cattle raised in the Black Hills area. Texas drovers, bringing cattle north to feed the hungry gold miners in the 1870's had discovered a rancher's paradise - open ranges, thick buffalo grass, and prairies that spread as far as a man could see.

Into this wild and wooly town comes Abby Rose Slater, mail-order bride. Except that she conveniently forgot to let her prospective husband know that she was a widow with a young child, fresh off the boat from Ireland. When the prospective husband rejects her, Coop steps into the fray and saves her from her only other alternative: employment in one of the "sporting houses" in town.

Yep. You got it. Redeemed with the toss of a few gold coins, Abby Rose the rejected mail-order bride becomes Abby Rose, the bride in a marriage of convenience.

But there's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her baby, is there? Boy howdy.

My dear husband and I went on a research trip last Friday to explore Buffalo Gap and the surrounding countryside. It really doesn't take much imagination to go back in time one hundred thirty-five years and see this area through Coop's and Abby Rose's eyes.

I don't know when this spur was last in use, but it's about
where the depot and hotel once stood. The modern railroad
 is in the background.

The railroad still goes through Buffalo Gap, although it no longer stops.

The view from where the depot used to be still looks down Main Street to the Hills beyond.

We followed the old road from the town of Buffalo Gap through the Gap itself, just as Coop and Abby Rose did as he took her home to the ranch where he works.

The Gap is one of four natural entrances through the eastern edge of the Black Hills to the mountains beyond. For years, the bison migrated through here and the Lakota and Cheyenne who lived in the area followed them. The native tribes also cut their lodgepoles here to support their tipis. 

Cowmen (and women) still ranch here. In fact, folks live and work here much the way they did in the 1880's...with the addition of nicely graded roads and electric lines, of course.

What was that? Where are the paved roads? Pshaw. We left those behind back at the highway. We're in Ranch Country now.

Back in the 1880's and now, there are ranches in the Gap.

The road follows Beaver Creek as it winds between the hills and buttes into the interior of the Black Hills.

Then after a few miles, you come out of the Gap....

Beauty everywhere.

Everywhere.

How far can we see? In this picture, that red canyon on the left is about 1/2 mile from where I stood to take the picture. That peak on the right, in the background? That's the edge of Hot Springs, South Dakota. About five miles away.

This is the ranch where Coop brought Abby Rose. Will she survive in the Wild West? More importantly, will their marriage of convenience ever become a marriage built on love and faith?

Meanwhile, as part of my research I'm working on my sourdough recipes. I hope to perfect my sourdough biscuits to share with you soon. Old recipes are hard to bring up to today's standards, but I mean to try!

And Sam is still growing. He's almost eleven weeks old now, and moving into that out-of-proportion awkward puppy body. He's been too wiggly to get a good picture, but the other day he and Jack were snuggled together underneath my desk chair. A weird position for Jack, but they slept like this for quite a while.

Aren't they cute when they're sleeping?

Thanks for coming along on my trip! What is your favorite part of doing research?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.