MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 cup pasta (elbow, small shells, penne, wagon wheels, etc.)
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup milk
6 ounces shredded cheese (American, although older kids might prefer sharp cheddar)

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain well.
2. Immediately return cooked pasta to saucepan and mix in butter, milk, and shredded cheese.
3. Mix well and cook over low heat, three to five minutes, until heated throughout, stirring frequently to mix sauce with pasta.

CROCK POT RIBS

Pork or beef ribs. Ask the butcher how many you need for your size family.
One can of bouillon soup
Garlic (two cloves or more, depending on the size of your family)
Onions (one small or if you really like onions, one large)
Potatoes (one or two small potatoes per person)
Carrots (five peeled and cut into chunks)

1. Put ribs in the crock pot
2. Add a can of bouillon soup
3. Add garlic cloves as desired
4. Add onions chopped into quarters, peeled small potatoes, and peeled carrots.
5. Turn the pot on when you leave for work and when you get home, you’ll have a delicious dinner. (NOTE: Although you can add pre-packaged stew vegetables, they tend to become a little mushy in the crock pot.)
6. For a variation on this recipe, try using pot roast instead of ribs and adding some Italian seasoning.

TACO TIME IN TURKEY: (Adapted from the tenth edition of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook)

Takes fifteen minutes to prepare and makes eight tacos
Half a cup chicken broth
Half a cup finely chopped onion, if desired
Half a cup whole-kernel corn (well drained if canned)
Half a pound ground turkey breast (available in the meat department)
Half a cup mild salsa
Eight (ten-inch) flour tortillas
Reduced-fat sour cream

1. Heat broth in a large, nonstick skillet
2. Add onion and corn and cook for two or three minutes
3. Reduce heat to medium and stir in ground turkey
4. Cook two more minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Add salsa and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally until turkey is no longer pink
6. Spoon slightly less than half a cup turkey mixture down center of each tortilla
7. Roll and serve with a spoonful of sour cream, if desire

MINCE

Ground round or ground turkey (ask butcher for amount need for your size family)
Potatoes, cut into chunks (three or more chunks per person depending on appetites)
Carrots, five peeled and cut into chunks
Onions, as many as desired, cut into chunks. Adds flavor even if no one in your family likes onions.

1. Brown chopped meat in a big sauce pan
2. Add potatoes cut up in chunks, carrots, and onions.
3. Add salt, if desired.
4. Cook over low heat until the potatoes are soft when you stick a fork in them, usually about thirty to forty-five minutes.

EASY SHRIMP AND RICE

Two teaspoons olive oil
One yellow onion (if desired), sliced thin
One large can or carton of low-sodium chicken broth
One cup instant rice (white or brown)
One pound of peeled shrimp, fresh or frozen
One-half cup of frozen peas

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook the onion. (Omit this step if you don’t like onions.)
3. Add chicken broth and rice.
4. Cover with aluminum foil or pan lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Add shrimp, cover again, and cook for five minutes.
6. Season with salt, if desired.

EASY CHICKEN BARBECUE

One cooked chicken from grocery or leftover cooked chicken
One cup of barbecue sauce

1. Shred chicken or cut into small cubes.
2. Toss with barbeque sauce
3. Heat until warm in microwave or in a saucepan on the stove
4. Serve over cooked rice or bread.

DAD’S CHICKEN SALAD WITH APPLES

One package of frozen chicken breasts strips
Two or three limes
One tablespoon white wine
Two tablespoons brown sugar (or Splenda brown sugar)

Two apples (Granny Smith or MacIntosh)
1. Thaw the chicken out in the refrigerator. (Never on the counter.)
2. In a bowl, mix together the juice from the limes, vinegar, and sugar
3. Stir until the sugar granules are dissolved
4. Chop the apples and toss into the mixture
5. Then cut the chicken in bite size pieces and add to the mixture
6. Salt, if desired, and put into individual plates. Can put over lettuce, or in sandwiches if desired. Serves four

SWEET POTATO FRIES

Three-and-a-half pounds of sweet potatoes
Three tablespoons olive oil
One-and-a half teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1. Pre-heat oven to 450˚F
2. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil
3. Scrub sweet potatoes and cut in half, then lengthwise.
4. Cut into four or six sticks.
5. Mix olive oil and soy sauce in a bowl and toss with potatoes so they’re coated with the mixture.
6. Put potatoes, skin side down, on the cookie sheet.
7. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
8. Cook twelve minutes, then turn the slices with tongs and cook for another ten minutes.

JIFFY FRENCH TOAST

Bread that’s a little stale (not moldy).
Two or more eggs, depending on number of people having French toast
Three tablespoons of milk for each serving

1. Mix up a couple of eggs
2. Add about three tablespoons of milk.
3. Soak the bread
4. Cook in a fry pan with a little butter.
5. Cool, then wrap each piece of toast in plastic wrap and freeze.
6. In the morning, unwrap the amount you need and heat in the toaster oven or microwave.
Add syrup and enjoy!