Garlic Parmesan Pasta, A Dish With Robust Flavor, quick & convenient

Add some ripe vine red tomatoes to this dish.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta

by, Gina Meyers

A Dish With Robust Flavor, quick and convenient.

½ cup of butter

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons of dried basil, or fresh basil, crushed

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

8 ounces of fettuccine, cooked and drained.

1 ½ cups of broccoli flowerettes, cooked until tender-crisp

½ cup of fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:  In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and melt butter. Add basil, garlic, lemon juice and blend well. Add cooked fettuccine, broccoli (already cooked tender-crisp), and fresh Parmesan or Romano Cheese; toss to coat. 

Cookbook Author Gina Meyers

I gave up Gluten for lent

I gave up Gluten for lent

How I did it

 By, Gina Meyers

I love food. I love baking. To me, food is love. I am a cookbook author, so I enjoy the pursuits of the kitchen. I enjoy eating flaky almond croissants, Madeleine cookies, and coconut macaroons. As much as I enjoy these yummy treats, they all contain wheat flour, aka, gluten. I chose to be gluten free for lent, because in all honesty, I wanted to see if I could give up some of my favorite treats, besides putting my will-power to the test, I also wanted to experiment with the new and improved gluten-free products on the market.

 

While having a lot more energy, being gluten free did not change my personality, my moods, or my weight that much. —I am slender to begin with, though my clothes are fitting much looser since giving up gluten.

Here are some tips to help you give up gluten.

This is a commitment to you. There always is a purpose behind the plan. Define for yourself why you are giving up gluten, what are your goals? What do you hope to accomplish?

Give yourself a deadline. I knew I was giving up gluten for lent. Lent is forty days. I knew that I had a deadline, a finish line in essence. I knew that there was going to be a day when I could add gluten back in my diet should I chose to do so.

Make it a habit. Just like taking a shower and brushing your teeth, remember that giving up gluten is part of your new routine. 

If you eliminate gluten, replace it with something nourishing to your spirit.

Enlist a support team. Enlist the help and support of others. Tell people you are giving up gluten. You must speak up in order to build awareness of the fact that you are giving up gluten.

Have a plan. If you are going out with friends to a restaurant, have a plan. Speak to the host or hostess and request a gluten-free menu. Say, “hi”, I’m giving up gluten. Do you have a gluten-free menu?

Pack your own gluten-free snacks. If going to a birthday party or another event where there will be dessert, it doesn’t hurt to bring a dessert that you know you can eat.

 

With a little bit of preparation and planning, you can be gluten free and loving it. Remember this is a personal decision and there will be people who don’t understand or sympathize, realize there are plenty of people that will support your decision, you just have to be clear and appreciative of your efforts and those around you.

Don’t forget:

Celebrate each day your success.

I see now that giving up anything isn’t that hard, what I’ve found more difficult is reminding myself that I can have gluten now if I want it.

 

Tomato Caprese Salad

4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced1/4 inch thick (such as Heirloom Tomatoes)

1/3 cup of fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

6 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

Directions: On a large platter, alternate and overlap tomato slices, mozzarella cheese slices and basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. May place in the fridge to chill for ½ an hour and may eliminate vinegar and add more olive oil if desired. Can also cook the basil in extra virgin olive oil in a skillet.

 

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake Bites

3 cups of Nu Life Market All-Purpose Flour

4 teaspoons of Baking Powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2 eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of Coconut Milk

1/2 cup of Sunflower Oil

1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

2 teaspoons f Lemon Extract

Directions: In a large bowl, gently whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until combined. Add in the coconut milk, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and the sunflower oil. Mix until well blended, combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold in. Like pancake batter, do not over mix. Batter needs to be lumpy and thick. Using a Tablespoon or an ice cream scooper, fill the preheated cake pop maker with batter, close the lid and flip to begin cooking. Bake for three minutes, or according to cake pop maker directions. Flip cake pop maker back over and cook for two more minutes. Remove from cake pop maker. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Celebrate Leap Day with a Magical Singing Cake

Leap Day happens every four years, this year, Leap Day falls on Monday, February 29th, 2016. It's a chance for an extra day. Make the most of Leap Day, by taking a leap into the kitchen with this easy and appetizing Magical Singing Cake Recipe.

Magical Singing Cake

Make sure you time this so that your guests are present during the baking. Once the cake is baked, the effect is over and it only “sings” while baking.

1 cup of butter

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

2 squares bitter chocolate melted

1 cup of raisins

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

4 cups sifted flour

1 cup of strawberry jam

1 cup of chopped nuts

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 cup of buttermilk

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Next add egg yolks one at a time and stir. (Reserve egg whites and beat on high with an electric mixture until the egg whites form stiff peaks.) Add the melted chocolate and stir into the concoction. (In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate and melt for one minute and with a spatula check. If it hasn’t melted, place in the microwave for another thirty seconds.) Then add raisins, cinnamon, cloves and flour, nuts and jam, stir. Quickly add in the baking powder and buttermilk as well as folding in the stiffly-formed egg whites into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter mixture into a greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the cake stops singing, about forty five minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if batter is fully cooked.

Almond Lemon Blueberry French Toast

Almond Lemon Blueberry French Toast

By, Gina Meyers

Delightful and decadent, with a light lemony flavor accented by a hint of almond, this recipe can easily be changed up, use gluten free bread for a gluten free French toast. It is already dairy free, however if you want to accentuate lemon or almond, substitute lemon extract or almond extract for the vanilla extract that the recipe originally calls for.  

 

4-5 thin slices of French Bread

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 small squeezed lemon, lemon juice

3 teaspoons of granulated sugar

¼ cup of vanilla flavored almond milk

Handful of dried blueberries

1 Tablespoon of butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Directions: In a medium sized bowl, squeeze the juice of a lemon, crack an egg and add sugar, vanilla flavored almond milk, vanilla extract and whisk. On a cutting board, thinly slice 4 to 5 pieces of French bread. Dip the French bread slices into the lemon vanilla almond egg batter. Coat both sides of the bread, making sure to absorb the mixture. In a small skillet, coat a little extra virgin olive oil and melt the tablespoon of butter. With a fork, gently place French toast pieces into the warm skillet and cook on both sides flipping with a spatula when sides of French toast become crisp and brown, reduce heat if needed from medium to medium low. Serve with powdered sugar, almond butter or syrup and add a handful of fresh or dried blueberry.

Magical Singing Cake

Magical Singing Cake

Make sure you time this so that your guests are present during the baking. Once the cake is baked, the effect is over and it only “sings” while baking.

1 cup of butter

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

2 squares bitter chocolate melted

1 cup of raisins

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

4 cups sifted flour

1 cup of strawberry jam

1 cup of chopped nuts

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 cup of buttermilk

 

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Next add egg yolks one at a time and stir. (Reserve egg whites and beat on high with an electric mixture until the egg whites form stiff peaks.) Add the melted chocolate and stir into the concoction. (In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate and melt for one minute and with a spatula check. If it hasn’t melted, place in the microwave for another thirty seconds.) Then add raisins, cinnamon, cloves and flour, nuts and jam, stir. Quickly add in the baking powder and buttermilk as well as folding in the stiffly-formed egg whites into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter mixture into a greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the cake stops singing, about forty five minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if batter is fully cooked.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

by, Gina Meyers

An easy and hearty meal perfect for the wintertime.

1 pound of dried red beans, rinsed and drained

8 cups of water

1 ham bone

2 pounds of smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 ½ cups of chopped yellow onion

¾ cup of chopped green onions

1 ½ cups of chopped celery

2/3 cup of chopped bell pepper

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon of Tabasco sauce

1 Tablespoon of minced fresh parsley                           

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

3 cups of steamed rice

 

Directions: Combine beans, water, and ham bone in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for forty minutes Add sausage and cover Cook for sixty minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and next 5 ingredients Cover and cook 1 hour 30 minutes or until beans are soft. Add Worcestershire sauce and next five ingredients. Simmer for five minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve over rice. Yields 6 servings.

Author Gina Meyers

I Dream of Jeannie 50 Years Later! By, Gina Meyers with IDOJ Trivia

I Dream of Jeannie, 50 Years Later!

By, Gina Meyers

 

 

For more information on I Dream of Jeannie, purchase Buy I Dream of Jeannie Book, by, Gina Meyers

 

101 Things To Know About I Dream of Jeannie Book Trailer on You Tube

 

Astronaut Tony Nelson is stranded on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With his space mission aborted, he is forced to make the decision to parachute. He writes a large S.O.S. sign in the hopes of being rescued. While waiting for the rescue team to arrive, an old bottle rolls itself so Tony can see it. He decides to open the bottle, and instantly out pops a beautiful, extremely youthful looking 2,000 year old Genie, who doesn’t speak a bit of English. She immediately accepts Tony as her master and instantly learns to speak the English language, viola.

 Jeannie worships Tony. To Tony it looked as if Jeannie looked at him as just her Master. Someone to tell her what to do. To Jeannie, she felt love for Tony from the start and worked her own special brand of magic on him, until he finally realized instead of hiding Jeannie in her bottle, that he should embrace her beauty, love, compassion, joy, and spirit. The only person besides Tony that knew about Jeannie was Roger Healey, fellow Astronaut and Tony’s best friend. Roger was a bit of a cad in that he liked a lot of women, however, he often encouraged Tony to allow Jeannie to help assist them in innumerable messes that often occur in life. Tony did notice that Roger fancied Jeannie and took note of it, but didn’t act on his attraction for Jeannie until close to the last season of the show. Jeannie was from a foreign land, after all, she was a Genie. She spoke a different language and had different customs. She yearned to learn the American way, and was completely mesmerized by anything Tony was a part of. She often would pop herself to Cape Canaveral to watch him on his space missions. Jeannie, in the first season was extremely jealous of Tony’s girlfriend, which was basically a political move on Tony’s part, becoming engaged to his bosses daughter.

Jeannie wasn’t concerned about making any huge political statements or for standing out. Her loyalty and her passion was to get Tony to fall in love with her. With this single minded approach, Jeannie was successful in her campaign to prove to her beloved that persistence pays, at least on a television series. The marriage of Jeannie and Tony was a huge Neilson rating success!

 

I Dream of Jeannie was first telecast on September 18, 1965 and was a NBC production which lasted for five years, until September the 1, 1970. Jeannie was played by Barbara Eden, Captain Anthony (Tony) Nelson was played by Larry Hagman. Other cast members included psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Bellows, played by Hayden Rorke, and Captain Roger Healey, Tony’s best friend played by Bill Daily.

 

 

THE CAST OF I Dream of Jeannie

 

ROLE                                                             PLAYED BY

 

Jeannie (Nelson)                                                     Barbara Eden

Captain Tony Nelson                                               Larry Hagman

Jeannie Nelson                                                         Barbara Eden

Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson                               Larry Hagman

Captain Roger Healey                                             Bill Daily

Doctor Alfred Bellows                                              Hayden Rorke

General Wingard Stone                                            Philip Ober (19651966)

Melissa Stone                                                            Karen Sharpe (1965-1966)

General Martin Peterson                                         Barton MacLane (1965-1969)

Amanda Bellows                                                       Emmaline Henry

General Winfield Schaeffer                                     Vinton Hayworth (1969-1970)

 

Guest Stars:

Leutant  Pete Conway                          Don Dubbins

Garbage Man #1                                 Richard Reeves

Garbage Man #2                                 Joe Higgins

Wife                                                    Patricia Scott

Commander                                        Baynes Barron

Husband                                              Warren Kemmerling

When the rocket launch for a space mission goes awry, its astronaut, Captain Anthony Nelson, finds himself stranded on a desert island. There, he finds a beautiful antique bottle lying there on the sand. When Tony opens the bottle, he is shocked to find a beautiful, 2,000-year-old genie named Jeannie, who is now calling him her new Master and willing to grant him anything he wishes.

The Cast of I Dream of Jeannie

 

Writer of I Dream of Jeannie Sidney Sheldon

Directed by: Gene Nelson

 

Writer:                         Sidney Sheldon

 

 

101 Things to Know about I Dream of Jeannie

1. A professor was brought to the set from UCLA to tutor Barbara Eden in the foreign language of Farsi.

2. The foreign language professor who tutored Barbara Eden was utilized for Barbara’s first scenes on the island where Jeannie and the bottle were located by Anthony.

3. The writer and creator of I Dream of Jeannie was Sidney Sheldon.

4. Jeannie’s harem costume was lined with silk so viewers would not be unable to see her legs through the thin fabric.

5. Like Elizabeth Montgomery who starred as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched, Barbara Eden also known as Jeannie (Nelson), found out she was pregnant when NBC bought the pilot episode.

6. (Barbara Eden) Jeannie was not allowed to show her belly button throughout the entire duration of I Dream of Jeannie.

7. Barbara Eden in real life has a pet dog by the name of Djinn.

8. Jeannie had a twin sister by the name of Jeannie that was Barbara Eden wearing a long dark brown wig.

9. Jeannie II often wore a blue genie outfit to differentiate between good genie/ Jeannie I and naughty genie/Jeannie II.

10. NBC aired episode #   , “The Lady In the Bottle” only once. Viewers didn’t have an opportunity to view it again until the episode appeared in syndication.

11. Syndication occurred for local American television stations in the Fall of 1970.

12. It is revealed that Jeannie was transformed into a genie by the powerful Blue Djinn.

13. Origins for Jeannie II’s powers are unknown or weren’t revealed during I Dream of Jeannie.

14. Sidney Sheldon, in the summer of 1964, dreamed up the concept which later became known as I Dream of Jeannie.

15. Roger Healey, was Tony Nelson’s best friend, fellow astronaut, and only confident concerning knowing of Jeannie’s existence.