50+ Lifestyles

Meal 1 – Creamed chicken over toast, steamed broccoli, spinach salad with fruit and almonds, and vanilla ice cream with crushed pineapple and chocolate sauce. To serve 4.

Meal 2 – Seasoned hamburger patty, baked sweet potato, bread sticks, coleslaw and store bought pound cake or angel food cake with frozen raspberries or strawberries. To serve 4.

Spinach Salad

---

About two to three cups of washed, baby spinach leaves. In a mixing bowl, toss spinach with some fruit of your liking. Suggestions: 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained; and apple cored and sliced thin or cut in small pieces (sprinkle apple with lemon juice or a little vinegar so the apple won’t turn brown); 1 cup seedless grapes, halved; 1/2 cup craisins; or any other fruit you might want to use. You can use only one fruit or a combination. Divide salad into fourths and place on salad plates. Sprinkle with sliced or slivered almonds. Use your favorite vinegar and oil dressing.

Baked Sweet Potato

---

Get two large, relatively uniform looking sweet potatoes. Scrub well. Cut off ends and stab potato a few times to allow steam to escape while cooking. Place both potatoes in microwave and cook for 10 minutes. Check once or twice and turn over during cooking time. Times and microwaves will vary. Prepare hamburger while potatoes are cooking. After 10 minutes, check for doneness. Potato should be soft. When they are done and ready to serve, cut in half and top with butter. There will be 1/2 potato for each person.

Steamed Broccoli

---

Using either fresh or frozen florets, steam about
1 1/2 cups of the vegetable. This gives about 1/3 cup of vegetables per person.

Seasoned Hamburger Patty

---

In a mixing bowl, take 1 1/4 pound of lean ground beef, add 1 package of dry onion soup mix, a dash of coarse ground black pepper, 1/4 cup coarse dried breadcrumbs or fine cracker crumbs and two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or ketchup. Combine together and form into four patties. You might want to add 1 Tablespoon of water to the mix if it seems too dry, but the juices from the meat will add moisture while cooking. Remember, you can add a dash of one or two other seasonings if you like: oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, chili powder, tarragon, etc. – JUST NOT ALL OF THEM. Fry in a small amount of olive oil in a skillet or broil in the oven, whichever you prefer. And done to your likeness. I prefer a well-done
hamburger, but not a dry one.

Creamed Chicken

---

1 – 10 oz can of chicken breast and 2 cans of cream of chicken soup (you can use cream of mushroom or a combination of one can of each)

Combine all in a medium sized saucepan. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring often. Take
4 to 6 slices of bread, your choice of breads (white, wheat, sour dough, etc) and toast. Cut toast diagonally. Place two to three triangles of toast on each plate. Cover with the creamed chicken mixture.

Coleslaw or Cabbage Salad

---

Use your favorite recipe or buy pre-made slaw from the deli. My favorite “already made slaw” is from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I just go buy a large container to go.

Dessert – Vanilla Ice Cream with Crushed Pineapple and Chocolate Sauce

---

You will need four dessert bowls. Scoop up one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream into each bowl. Cover with canned crushed pineapple and drizzle chocolate sauce over the top.

Breadsticks

---

Again, make it easy and purchase bread sticks from the store. Some need only to be heated through,some need to be baked for a
few minutes.

Dessert – Angel Food Cake or Pound Cake with Frozen Raspberries or Strawberries

---

Cuts slices or wedges of store bought cake. Top with thawed frozen fruit. Garnish with Cool Whip or Reddi-whip

[Ella can be contacted at ellaweeza@yahoo.com or Ella – 50+ Lifestyles, 804 W Lombard Street, Davenport, IA, 52804]