A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke by Linda Schwanke Stuck at home all the time can be hard. Having to make three meals a day for the whole family is even harder. Remember the old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Well, I want to make something even better. Here’s what I’m thinking: Breakfast Breakfast is pretty easy. If you’re not a fan of the traditional bacon and eggs to begin your day, a bowl of whole grain cereal or oatmeal is simple and easy. Granola and yogurt are filling and delicious but how many days in a row can you eat any of that? Try something new and different. If you have some spare time, and most people do these days, make homemade toaster pastries. Just cut puff pastry in squares (the frozen sheets are really easy to use, thaw  and roll out before use) twice the size you want your pastries to be. Fill one side with your favorite fruit, like strawberries sliced and covered with a little sugar, or jam. Fold in half, then run a little water along the edges and seal with a fork. Bake according to the directions on the package for frozen puff pastry. Simple. Glaze with a little frosting or not, it’s a choice, not a requirement. Serve cold or warm them up in a toaster oven for a couple minutes. They’re a little sticky for a traditional toaster. Don’t put them in the microwave – pastry is yucky when microwaved. These keep well in a tightly covered container for three or four days. Even longer if you’re not real picky. If you’re looking for a challenge, make the puff pastry from scratch. Be warned – it’s not as easy as it sounds. The recipes and process are too long to share here but are available online and in many cookbooks.  Lunch Make sandwiches with an apple and carrots for lunch. Or eat leftovers. Easy-peasy. Dinner Dinner can be the best meal of the day. Take time to think about what your family will like and indulge them in some homemade, delicious creation. Or do what I often do and look in the fridge to see what you can throw together. A couple months ago, I bought a can of cannellini (white kidney beans) by mistake. I was thinking it was chick peas but decided to keep it in case I got inspired to make something new and different. Then I accidently opened the can without thinking. It may not have been inspired but the dinner I eventually made turned out really good and the whole family enjoyed it. I had a couple half bell peppers, one green, one red, that needed to be eaten before they went bad. I had one small chicken breast in the freezer that I could thaw quickly so I put it all together with some pasta and the rest is history. Ingredients 1 bell pepper, or two halves of different peppers 1 small onion 2 stalks celery 1 small chicken breast 1 cup mushrooms ½ cup white wine or vermouth 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons flour Olive oil Pasta or rice Parmesan or other cheese if desired Take a couple of half peppers, red, green, orange or yellow, half an onion (more if you’re a big fan), a cup or so of mushrooms, a couple stalks of celery. Clean and chop into bite sized pieces. Sauté in a large-ish frying pan with a couple teaspoons of olive oil until the onions are translucent. Set aside in a bowl. In the same pan, sear the chicken until it is just browning and set aside in a different bowl. (If washing dishes is not your thing, this may not be the recipe for you.) For a final time in the same pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil (or butter or margarine or whatever, it may not matter), get it hot and then stir in two tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Quickly add a half a cup of white wine or vermouth. As it thickens, add a cup of chicken broth. Keep stirring and add in the chicken, peppers, etc., plus a can of cannellini beans and turn down the heat to a simmer. To season, add a little salt if you must, a half a teaspoon of ginger, a teaspoon or two of parsley and one or two chopped garlic cloves. Let it simmer on low for 25 minutes or so, a little longer if you want but check it often and add more chicken broth (or wine!) if it starts to dry out. Add the sautéed peppers, mushrooms and onions the last 10 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta. Or rice would be good. If you’re not a fan of starches, skip it. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese or any cheese, really. Don’t forget a salad and some nice, fresh fruit.  Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588. Eat well. The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. The classified ad deadline is noon Thursdays the week prior to publication for both the Buyer’s Guide and Home News. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Legal notices are due by 2 p.m. on Fridays, email them to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.