Medicinal Tea

This is a tea that is very helpful during the cold and flu season.  Make a big batch at the first sign of symptoms and sip throughout the day.

Ingredients:

3-4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 TB freshly grated Ginger (or 1 tsp ground)

Cayenne pepper, to taste (start small!!)

Juice of 1 lemon

Honey to taste

Boil 1 quart of water; remove from stove and add all ingredients.  Allow to steep for 15 minutes. 

Use a strainer to pour into your mug.  Leave all the stuff in the remaining tea.  Strain and drink the entire quart throughout the day. 

Granola

A tasty breakfast cereal that’s much better than anything you can buy at the store.

Ingredients:

½ cup oil                                                         2 pounds rolled oats

½ pound butter                                                1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons molasses                                   1 cup flax seed (optional)                            

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar                                           1 cup raisins or craisins (optional)

1 cup honey

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the first 8 ingredients into a roasting pan.  Place the pan in the oven until the butter has melted.   Remove from the stove; stir till blended. Add the oats, nuts, and flax seed.  Mix thoroughly. 

Bake for 25 minutes, removing every 8 minutes to stir thoroughly.  At the end of baking time, mix once more.  After it has cooled slightly, add raisins and mix again.

Pecan Pie

Most pecan pie recipes only put pecan halves on the top of the syrup mixture.  This one adds a little something extra: pecan pieces are added to the syrup mixture, giving you pecan throughout. Yum!

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup dark corn syrup

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 cup pecan pieces

4-6 ounces pecan halves

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Melt the butter and cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, syrup, and vinegar.  Add the melted butter, beaten eggs, and pecan pieces. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Place the pecan halves on top of the mixture, in concentric circles. Take a fork and push down slightly on each pecan so it is in the mixture a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees until firm, about 1 hour.  Cool and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.