Ginger Tea (For Congestion)

As I sit here today, sniffling, sneezing and coughing, it seemed like the right time to bring you my recipe for my ever so popular decongesting, feel better tea. This is one of my own concoctions I came up with years ago, when my kids were small. I have always been allergic to so many medications, especially antibiotics, and I didn't like giving my kids any more medications than absolutely necessary. So I researched ingredients that would make a well rounded, healing hot tea..... one that would loosen up those sinuses as well as that annoying chest congestion, help break a fever, reduce achiness, and hopefully, speed healing. But most importantly of all, it had to taste good and feel comforting. The result of my research and study follows. Most of my kids loved it so much that they sometimes asked me to make it even when they weren't sick or had just the faintest of sniffles (an excuse to get me to make them some of this tasty tea.). Many people over the years have tried it and were surprised at the great results they got. Although the mint in this recipe is "optional", it does really add to the effectiveness of this tea. This blend is also great for upset tummies. I hope you will find it useful, too.

1 quart water (spring or filtered is preferred)
1 1/2 T. sliced, fresh ginger
1 6-inch sprig fresh mint (optional)  OR   1 mint tea bag (optional)
4 T. raw honey

Place water in cooking  pot. Slice ginger thinly (peeling optional) and add to the water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add mint, if desired. Cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer. Add honey and your favorite sweetener, if desired, to taste. When adding the mint, this tea also helps to alleviate headaches and aids in digestion and upset stomachs. 2 to 3 average tea cups daily, spaced out through the day is recommended when feeling bad.

Added Note: This tea can also be made into an iced tea and sipped slowly while traveling to alleviate motion sickness.

CALICO BEAN SOUP

This is a hearty soup I often made for my family on those harsh cold winter days. And if you actually have any left over, it is even better reheated the next day!

1 (20 -oz.) pkg. mixed, dry beans
2 lbs. chopped, cooked ham
2 qts. water, plus
1 large onion, chopped
2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, or to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp, chili powder or to taste (optional)


In a large pot, cover beans with water 2 inches above top of beans and soak overnight or 10 - 12 hours.
Drain.
Add 2 quarts water and the ham to the soaked beans. Simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until beans are tender.
Add the onion, all tomatoes, lemon juice and seasonings. 
Simmer 30 to 40 minutes longer. Serve hot with a hunk of corn bread. 

(TIP - Do not add salt to beans before they get tender. Doing so will often keep them from getting tender, leaving them hard and crunchy no matter how long you cook them.)

Snow Ice Cream - a little history

 Setting aside this unusual winter, we don't usually get a good, deep snow here too often. Upon that first deep snow I remember seeing as a child, my mom introduced me and my brother to Snow Ice Cream. When she told us she was going to make us ice cream, we got really excited. We LOVED homemade ice cream!

She started getting all the ingredients out and setting them out on the table. We expected for her to get the ice cream freezer out next. But instead, she picked up her largest mixing bowl and headed outside! We could not figure out what she was going to do with that bowl outside!

We watched out the window in fixed fascination as she carefully scooped the clean, top layer of snow up and filled the bowl to heaping with it. When she came back in, she had our full, undivided attention. As she worked and mixed she explained to us that the snow must be clean, and only use the top couple of inches. She said that you also had to wait until at least a couple of snows had fallen to "clean the air" and a third or fourth deep snow had come before you could use the snow to make Snow Ice Cream. She greatly emphasized how extremely important this was, because the snow, when it first falls, collects all kinds of things out of the air that we wouldn't want to eat.

By the time she finished telling us all this, our ice cream was ready to eat! It was the best ice cream we had ever had! And best of all, we didn't have to take turns cranking or sitting on the ice cream maker. We begged her to make a WHOLE BUNCH and put it in the freezer to save for summer, but she said it wouldn't keep. She was right ..... I tried it once when I was an adult and it didn't keep long. It kinda got flat and super hard . . . . . but I had to give it a try. 

Every winter, from then on, we begged her to make Snow Ice Cream every time it snowed. And she firmly held to the safety of not making it until after several snows had fallen and then a good deep snow fell. Needless to say, we often went several years without getting our beloved snow ice cream. Many years we were lucky if we got even one dusting of snow.

Then one year we had a really deep snow and our then local weather man, Don Woods, gave out his Snow Ice Cream recipe during a news cast. He was with KTUL Channel 8 news in Tulsa. He gave the same instructions as our mom did....... wait until after several snows have fallen, then make it when a deep snow falls. From then on, every year, every time it snowed, viewers swamped KTUL with calls for Don Wood's Snow Ice Cream recipe. He ALWAYS refused to post the recipe on the air until we had had enough snow to safely make the ice cream. He didn't want to make any kids sick. He would then quickly cheer everyone's disappointment up by drawing one of his extra fun Gusty's and drawing for a winner. When I find his recipe, I will post it here. Don Woods is retired from KTUL now, but if any of you have Don Wood's Snow Ice Cream Recipe, I would love it if you sent it to me!

The Snow Ice Cream recipe I have posted here in my Cook Book Blog is the one I created for my kids when they were small. With 6 of the creative little darlins', the ideas flowed and we enjoyed a lot of delicious variations. Regardless of the recipe you use, I hope you got to enjoy at least one bowl of tasty Snow Ice Cream this winter.

SLUSHY - not for kids

1 cup Sugar
5 cup hot water
1 (12-oz) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups grapefruit juice
2 cups brandy
1 (3-liter) bottle of ginger ale

Stir the sugar into the hot water; mix until completely dissolved. Add the orange juice concentrate, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, and brandy to the sugar water. Stir and mix until thoroughly blended.

Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

To Serve: Fill a glass half full of frozen slushy mixture.  Finish filling glass with ginger ale. Stir well and serve.  Keeps for a very long time in the freezer.

Snow Ice Cream

1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 T. vanilla extract
1 gallon clean snow, approximately

In large mixing bowl, combine evaporated milk, confectioner's sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract; mix throughly. Add snow; mix until all is completely blended; serve immediately.
If it is too thin, add more snow. If it is too dry, add a little more milk, but be careful..... just a few drops of milk mushes it down fast!
Texture greatly suffers if you try to hold it over in the freezer, but it can be done and the kids get a big kick out of pulling 'snow' back out of the freezer once it has all melted outside.

Let your imagination go to vary the recipe. Reducing the vanilla to about 1 tsp. and adding a few squirts of chocolate syrup before stirring makes a great Chocolate Snow Ice Cream.

 Reduce the milk a little and add a thawed package (or can) of sweetened, sliced strawberries.

Replace the granulated sugar with your favorite Jello powder (orange comes out tasting like the Dreamsicle)

Don't hold back, let your imagination go. Enjoy that snow!